The professor narrowed his eyes, examining her, and she turned away but switched back immediately, sensing his proximity as he leaned in and whispered, “I’m glad you remember.”
Staring right at the man, her hands burned with the power she had collected, ready to use. She swallowed, realizing he held no power over her any longer. She slapped him hard across the face and when he raised his hand to retaliate, she punched him in the stomach and thrust him away. There was more she could do, but she needed his assistance.
The professor reeled from her assault but grabbed the countertop to steady himself and rose to his full height, moving his jaw from side to side as he pinned her with his stare.
“I remember everything, you son of a bitch. Everything. Why did you lie about Issac, my twin?” she said.
“You’re stronger than I remember.” He cocked his head to the side.
“I’ve adapted, Professor,” she said.
“Good. Because you needed to. In answer to your question about Issac, the Padre did not want you to know. It’s as simple as that, so I lied. Does it alter how you feel about the man, now you know? Anyway, I have the poison and the serum for you, and I sense you’re in a hurry.”
The fact she knew Issac was her twin did nothing to alter her loathing for the man. He had betrayed her, but she could not help but wonder how her parents had kept such a secret and why? Why had they been separated? Where had he been all these years? But she would not discover the answers here. The professor whisked around and marched back into the laboratory and she followed close behind, watching every movement he made, not trusting him one bit. When he opened the fridge and removed two small vials, one clear and one yellow, he held them against his chest, eyeing her.
“This will kill any creature, but as for what you face, I don’t know if it will have the same effect. Believe it or not, Ella, I never meant to harm you. You were a means to an end. They—the Padre gave me no choice. But I didn’t know the Morrigan was behind all of this or what her intentions were.”
Ella didn’t want to listen. She didn’t care about what he said and she held her hand out for the vials.
“I know you won’t believe me,” he carried on.
She blew out a breath, wiping her brow with her hand. Her hackles rose and her patience slipped away as images of the past flickered in front of her like a red flag, lighting her anger. She forced her hands away, focusing her aggression on them. But as the man prattled on, clear scenes flooded her mind: the fights with the professor, lying in the forest, beaten, being tormented by him, and lying there as her baby was removed from her belly as her life drained away. The windows behind her shattered, as did several of the microscope lens and glass jars on the counters. The ground trembled beneath her, and she ground her teeth, snatching the vials from the professor, who stared at her with wide, incredulous eyes.
“All along, I underestimated you. What a fool I’ve been,” he said under his breath.
But she caught it and studied the scene around her. Ella saw the destruction she had caused and panted with the exhilaration coursing through her as her hand tingled with excess magic.
“You and everyone else, but never again.” She headed for the exit.
“Be careful, Ella. That kind of power is intoxicating, and it needs to be managed and controlled. Don’t let your emotions rule you or you’ll be no better than the enemy you face.”
That was the second time she had heard that piece of advice recently, and it made her stop. She bit her lip, forcing the bite of the magic that itched under her skin to recede. Ella spun around, reining in her temper.
“Your days of teaching me anything are over. I saved your sorry ass, that’s the only reason you’re alive. I could’ve easily left you to die.” Closing her eyes for a moment, she wondered why she had saved his life. If she hadn’t stepped in, Aidan wouldn’t be here. “The Padre wanted you dead, tying up loose ends, I guess.”
The man stepped closer, dipping his head, bringing it closer to her, and whispered, “So why did you save me?”
Inhaling a deep breath, she pushed her shoulders back. “I wanted you to suffer. Letting you die seemed an easy way out.”
Not looking at him, she shuddered at the truth of her words. Did that make her evil? Not wanting to think about it any longer, she walked out of the laboratory, clutching the poison.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Ella collected her bag and picked up Nate’s favorite teddy, which was a red dragon, tucking it into her leather holdall. The door to the bedroom opened and she stared over her shoulder. Marcus strode inside, running his hand through his short hair as he watched her pick up the bag.
“I’ve just been to inspect the damage in the laboratory. It’s a mess. The professor is muttering a load of gibberish about underestimating someone. I presume he’s talking about you? Anyway, I cannot get much sense out of him other than that. And this is on the heels of the doctor wanting to ban you after your behavior the other day…”
Ella zipped up the bag and swung around to face him. “Don’t—I should’ve killed Issac when I had the chance.”
Marcus closed the gap between them, gripping her shoulders and drawing her closer. “I would’ve gladly ended either man’s life for putting yours and Nate’s in danger. But the way you’re acting—this isn’t you.”
“Well, meet the new me. I’m done playing
