Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“You almost did—I almost lost myself, too,” I told him and realized that I was crying. “But I’m back now—we’re together and we’re never going to be parted.”
As I spoke, I felt the false memories peeling away, sloughing off the surface of my mind like dry, dead skin.
My father must have felt his spell go too, because I heard him howl in rage behind me.
“No! No!”
Turning in Saint’s arms, I saw him pointing a trembling finger at me.
“You’re going to be sorry for this, Avery! I’m cutting you off!” he growled. “No more tuition—no more car. Why couldn’t you just let yourself be normal?”
“I am normal,” I said coldly, putting my arm around Saint. “I don’t need your approval or your money.”
Though to be honest, I had no idea how I was going to continue at Nocturne without him paying the tuition. But if I had to, I’d graduate early and go somewhere else, I told myself. Somewhere Saint and I could be together without anyone pointing fingers or being ugly to us. Somehow, we would make it work.
My father shook his head in disgust. He pointed at Megan.
“I know you’re the one who started this, Latimer!” he snarled at her. “You’re going to be in trouble—all of you!” He glared at all of my coven mates, even little Jalli, who shrank back from his angry stare.
Then, without another word, he turned and walked away from us, stalking away from the athletic field and from Nocturne Academy for what I hoped would be the last time.
I turned to Saint and he gave me a troubled look.
“Your father could cause trouble for us, couldn’t he?” he asked.
I shrugged stoically.
“He can try. But he can’t do anything about the fact that we’re Blood-Bonded now,” I pointed out.
“Dios.” He ran a hand through his hair and a look of wonder took the place of his anxious frown. “I can’t believe I’m Blood-Bonded to another male!”
“Not just any male—your l’lorna,” I reminded him. I frowned. “Er, so I guess taking the curse off your Drake didn’t make him straight?”
“Not in the least.” Saint let out a shaky laugh. “In fact, he is begging to come out and cuddle you now.”
“Can he wait for a minute?” Megan asked. She and Kaitlyn and Emma had come to surround us. “I want a hug first—okay?” she asked Saint.
He nodded graciously and stepped aside.
“Now that he knows Avery is in no danger, he says that he can wait for cuddles.”
I smiled at him and then sighed happily as my coven mates surrounded me in a four-way hug.
“Oh Avery, please tell us you’re really all the way back!” Kaitlyn said, looking at me anxiously.
“Yeah—because straight Avery was a real jerk,” Emma put in.
“I’m sorry, but he really was,” Megan said, nodding.
I had vague memories of saying awful things to them that made me blush.
“I’m so sorry, girls,” I apologized. “That spell my father put on me really did a number on my head. I seem to remember thinking I was some kind of straight stud.”
“Well, you weren’t,” Megan informed me. “Not that you didn’t try,” she added.
“Yeah—half the girls in the Dining Hall slapped you!” Emma giggled.
“I don’t know what you said to them, but I have an idea you’re going to have a lot of apologies to make,” Kaitlyn said.
I closed my eyes and groaned. I barely remembered what they were talking about, but the recollection of shooting off my mouth to several of the girls on campus made me want to kick myself.
“Ugh!” I said. “Do you think I could just wear a sign that says, ‘I’m so sorry—I was under a spell?’”
“That might work,” Megan said doubtfully. “If we’re all allowed to stay at Nocturne.”
“Yeah, I have a bad feeling that your father is going to make a stink with Headmistress Nightworthy,” Emma said dolefully.
“Well, even if she does, we only did what we had to do.” Kaitlyn lifted her chin. “And if we all get expelled, we’ll find a place to stay together—maybe in the human world.”
“I wonder if I could get us a big house in the Realm where we could all live together?” Emma looked thoughtful. “I am going to be the Queen. That ought to count for something.”
“We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it,” I told them. “For now, I just want to thank all of you for freeing me from that awful conversion magic. If that spell had stayed on me much longer, I never would have been my true self again!” I shivered at the thought.
“We’re just glad to have you back,” Megan said, smiling. “And now, I think we’d better let you go. I think a certain Drake is waiting for his cuddles.”
She nodded at Saint, who was waiting patiently just outside our little circle, his eyes glowing with his Drake’s love and affection.