“Then ask him.”
“I don’t want to,” I whispered.
I didn’t want to lose Trent, but I didn’t want to be a vampire, either. It was so completely and totally selfish, but I couldn’t help the way I felt. God, I wished my mom was here to talk to me, to help me work through all of this. Though, knowing she’d willingly agreed to my father leaving so they could protect me, she’d probably tell me to stay as far away from Trent as possible.
“There may be another option,” she said.
Hope exploded in my chest. “There is? What?”
“May we sit again?” She nodded at the couch.
Reluctantly, I returned to my seat, my gaze never leaving her. Was there really another way to break the curse, or was she lying to me? But what would she have to gain by lying? It didn’t make sense.
“You said you’re aware of your lineage?” She raised a brow and sat.
“Yes.”
Would she get to the point already? Seriously, did she just like to hear herself talk? We’d already been over this.
“Then you know you have Zoya blood running in your veins.”
I opened my mouth to say something, then snapped it shut. I’d never once put that piece into place before, but she was right. My family was borne from the union of Zoya and Lewis, and the Zoya were very powerful witches. My breath hitched. Why had I not realized that before?
“Chloe.” Ivy inched toward the edge of her seat and placed her hands atop mine. “You have the potential to become a very powerful witch. With your lineage and our training…” Her eyes danced with excitement. “You’d be unstoppable.”
I leaned back, my mind racing. Me—a witch? That was laughable. More so than me becoming a vampire. “How will that help break the curse?” I asked.
“Once you’re strong enough, you can use your power to undo the curse.”
I stared at her like she’d sprouted a second head. There was only one way to break the curse, and it didn’t involve magic or spells. Surely, she must know that.
I narrowed my eyes. “And how long will it take me to become strong enough?”
“That depends on how quickly you learn.” Ivy smiled. “But with the level of motivation I know you have to end this curse…” She shrugged. “A couple of years.”
“A couple of years?” I laughed bitterly. “And what? I’m just supposed to go back to high school, act like everything’s normal, but I’ll spend my nights learning to be a witch?” I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
Her easy, friendly expression turned dark. “What do you want, Chloe? If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?”
Her question made me pause. Was she going to try to tempt me with making my wishes come true? Well, let’s see how far she was willing to go.
“For my mother to still be alive, and for Trent to be human.” The words were out of my mouth before I could filter them.
Eyes wide, I gasped. Did I really want Trent to be human? Where had that come from? But as the thought settled into my consciousness, I realized that’s exactly what I wanted. If he were human, we could be together until death, and I could have the life I’d always dreamed of.
“And what would you do to get those things?” she pressed.
“Anything.”
“Then join our coven.” She clutched my hands again. “Let us train you to harness the power inside of you, and then you can have anything you want.”
I slipped my hands from her grasp. “No one can bring people back from the dead. Not you. Definitely not me. And last I knew, there was no way to turn a vampire back into a human.”
Electricity crackled around her, sizzling in the air, and I half expected a bolt of lightning to strike me dead. I jumped to my feet and took a cautionary step back.
Trent had been right—this wasn’t a good idea, and Ivy had been lying. There was no other option. She simply wanted more power for her coven, the power only a Zoya possessed. I swallowed hard, my gaze darting around the room as I searched for an exit.
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. Then she smoothed her hands down her hips. “Our hosts are growing impatient.” She sighed. “As I said before, we don’t want to harm you. We need you, Chloe. We want to work together so everyone gets what they want.” Ivy smiled sweetly.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, shifting nervously on my feet. “I’m not going to change my mind,” I said stubbornly.
“Let’s not make any hasty decisions.” Her smile went from sweet to something more sinister. “This has been a lot of information to digest, and you have a lot to think about. We’re not unreasonable.” She stood straighter. “We will give you two days to make a decision, and then we’ll be back.”
“Two days?” My voice was a mixture of disbelief, fear, and anger. I curled my hands into fists and clenched my jaw.
“Yes. Two days. That’s more than fair, don’t you think?” She clasped her hands in front of her and waited for me to respond.
No, it wasn’t fair, and I wanted to scream at her.
“And don’t try to run or hide. We will find you, and next time, we won’t be so… accommodating for you or your friends out there.” Ivy inclined her head toward the porch where Trent and his family waited. “Understand?” She lifted her eyebrows, her warning crystal clear.
I swallowed hard, ready to agree to her terms, but before I could, Trent barged back inside.
He stalked toward me, his entire presence predatory. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yes.” But my entire body was numb, and I couldn’t form a coherent thought.
“Chloe.” Ivy nodded in my direction. “We’ll talk again soon.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE:
Eternal Choice
ALL AT ONCE, THERE WAS A cacophony of voices around me. Everyone shouted questions at the same time, making
