Chapter 4

When I opened my eyes again, it was already the next day. Werewolf warriors dragged me into the great hall. My body still ached from yesterday's beating.

What I saw made my blood run cold.

Dean had brought in a male wizard. The man stood in the center of the hall, performing some kind of twisted ritual. His movements were all wrong. Dark candles flickered around him in a strange pattern.

Dean spotted me. Satisfaction flickered across his face.

"Tara, did you really think your little witch tricks could threaten me?" His voice carried through the hall. "This is the master wizard I hired. You'll pray with him now. Help him drive the demon out of Megan. Then I'll believe you didn't curse her."

I studied the wizard's movements more carefully. The hand gestures. The positioning of the candles. The words he muttered under his breath.

Horror crashed through me.

This wasn't an exorcism. This was a prayer to Satan himself.

The warriors hauled me toward the male wizard. Their grip was iron on my arms. I gathered every scrap of strength left in my broken body. Then I shoved them away with everything I had.

I lunged at Dean. My palm connected with his face in a sharp crack that echoed through the hall.

"Dean, you can cancel our engagement if you want. But you cannot force me to pray to Satan!"

"Dean!" Megan's shriek cut through the stunned silence. She rushed forward, tears already streaming down her face. Her hands fluttered over his reddening cheek. Then she whirled on me.

Her palm struck my face hard enough to snap my head to the side.

"Tara, if you don't want to bless me, just say so. Why did you hit Dean?" Her voice shook with false hurt. "You're just guilty. Afraid everyone will find out you cursed me."

She collapsed against Dean's chest, sobbing dramatically.

The male wizard stopped his ritual. His eyes narrowed to slits as he studied me. Something cold and ancient lurked in that gaze.

"Your heart is not sincere," he said, his voice like oil sliding over stone. "The blessing would be useless. It might even make Miss Megan's condition worse."

Silence fell over the hall.

Then the wizard's lips curved into a smile that made my skin crawl.

"I have a medicine," he told Dean. "One pill, and the person who takes it can only speak truth. Perhaps Miss Tara should swallow my medicine."

The wizard produced a pill from his robes. It was black as tar, and something about it made the air around it shimmer darkly.

Dean stared at the pill. For a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Hesitation. Maybe even concern.

"This medicine won't threaten her life, will it?"

"Not at all," the wizard assured him smoothly. "As long as she hasn't lied, it won't harm her life in the slightest."

Dean's gaze moved between the pill and the wizard. His brow furrowed.

Megan chose that moment to speak up.

"Dean, I'm so scared Tara wants to hurt me." Her voice broke on a sob. "Even though I'm carrying your child, I don't know if I'll survive long enough to give birth."

She buried her face in Dean's chest. Her shoulders shook with exaggerated crying.

Dean's expression hardened. The concern vanished from his eyes, replaced by cold determination.

My heart clenched with sudden fear.

"Dean, they're lying to you—"

Before I could finish, Dean moved. His hand shot out and grabbed me. His fingers clamped around my jaw, forcing my mouth open.

He shoved the black pill down my throat.

"Tara, don't worry. I have the best medical experts here. I won't let you come to any real harm."

The pill hit my tongue. A wave of rancid sweetness flooded my mouth, so foul I gagged. The pill slid down my throat before I could spit it out.

Pain exploded in my chest. I doubled over, coughing violently. Blood sprayed from my lips, spattering the marble floor.

The hall began to spin. My vision blurred at the edges. Darkness crept in from all sides.

Then I heard it. A voice cutting through the fog in my mind.

"Tara!"

I managed to lift my head. A familiar face swam into view through my failing vision.

"Travis!"

My legs gave out. I fell forward into strong arms that caught me easily.

"Tara," Travis's voice rumbled through his chest. "I'm sorry I'm late. I'm sorry you had to suffer."

The darkness pulled me under.