Bound: The Hybrid's Witch Book 2

Chapter 4

We arrived in Chicago more quickly than I anticipated and parked in front of a bar called Gloria's. Nik placed his hand on my back and steered me inside the building, Stefan trailing along behind. He paused before we stepped inside. "We used to come here, didn't we?" he asked.

Nik grinned. "Indeed we did, my friend. Often."

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. When they did it was obvious the bar was closed, but an attractive woman came to greet us. "Well, if it isn't the original hybrid himself."

"Gloria," Nik exclaimed as he stepped past me. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

She looked from him to Stefan and then her eyes came to rest on me. Her spine straightened and her eyes narrowed. "Who's this?"

"You remember Stefan, surely."

The witch waved her hand through the air in dismissal. "I'm not talking about the Ripper. I'm talking about the girl and you know it."

"Oh, this is Cassidy. Say hello, love."

My real name coming from his lips sounded foreign. I couldn't remember the last time he'd called me anything but Cassie. "Hello."

Gloria's lips pursed as she ran her eyes over me. "You're his witch."

"One of them, yes."

She shook her head. "No. You're the witch. The Mikaelson witch is what they call you. Didn't you know that?"

I shrugged. "There was talk closer to home, sure. I didn't think it would get this far." The fact it had made me slightly uneasy.

She laughed. "Oh, honey. Chicago's nothing. Anyone in the know about the Mikaelsons knows about you now, too. Better get used to it."

Nik's hand found mine and gave it a little squeeze. I kept hold when he otherwise would have let go. Something about this woman had me unsettled. There was a cold calculation about her that worried me.

The witch clapped her hands together and turned her attention back to Nik. "Now, what's brought you here? Surely this isn't a social visit."

"Cassidy—" he started and I cut him off. I was uncomfortable with this woman knowing anything more about me than she already did.

"You know about the ritual?" I asked.

Her gaze shifted to me. "Of course."

"Then you know that I died. However temporary that was."

Gloria nodded.

"I've been having some issues with my power since then. Nik thought you might be able to help." Even that much of an admission had my chest tightening.

She sat at one of the tables and gestured to the empty seat across from her. "What sort of issues?"

I squeezed Nik's hand before releasing it and sitting where she indicated. "I'm not as powerful as I normally am. The magic doesn't always do what I want it to." Both statements were half-truths, but it should be enough to help if she could. I needed to know the source or cause for the power drain. If Gloria could help me get my power back so be it, but honestly, I'd rather have Maddox give me a hand when we got home. At least I trusted him.

Gloria stretched her hands across the table to me. "May I?" she asked.

I studied her for a moment before resting my hands in hers, our palms touching. She leaned her head back as she clutched at my hands. "Oh, my," she said after a moment and released me.

Her stare had me shifting in my seat. "What is it?" I finally asked.

Instead of answering me, she shifted her attention to Nik. "Your sister has a necklace. I need it."

"Why?"

"Because it belonged to the original witch. There is power there. It can help me with your girlfriend here."

"No," I answered automatically.

"No?" The other woman all but snorted in disbelief. "You come here for help and when I tell you what I need you say no? Then leave. It makes no difference to me."

Nik's hand fell on my shoulder keeping me from saying anything else. "It's fine, Gloria. Why don't we all just calm down and I'll go fetch the lovely Rebekah, shall I?"

I darted a glance at him. Elijah and he had made the decision to leave the other siblings daggered until they'd dealt with Mikael once and for all. Of course, they intended to do that with my help and at the moment I was fairly worthless. I sucked in a breath, but said nothing. Ultimately what he did with his siblings, or with that necklace, wasn't up to me. "You go. I'll stay here," I said.

Nik frowned. "Are you certain, love?"

I looked back to the witch across from me. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"I'll check in," he said, the words more for Gloria than me. He wanted her to know that he kept tabs on me and that was just fine by me.

***

After the men had left, Gloria pushed herself up from the table. "Can I get you a drink?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I'm good. Thanks anyway."

Once she'd gotten her own drink and had come back around to lean against the bar, I stood. "So, want to tell me what you're really up to?"

"Excuse me?" She sat the drink on the bar behind her.

The corner of my mouth curled into a smile. "Let's not play these games with each other, Gloria. You and I both know you'd never do anything to help Niklaus Mikaelson. Or his noble brother for that matter. I could feel the hatred and unease rolling off you the moment we came through the door."

"Don't you think that's something your hybrid would have picked up if it were true? After all you're here because your powers aren't working right. Maybe you're reading something that isn't there." She stepped closer to me and my hand reached behind my back to curl around the grip of the gun Nik insisted I wear when he discovered my magic was useless.

I made a sound of agreement. "That's all true, but Niklaus tends to think that he's too scary for anyone to actually betray him. You'd do it though, wouldn't you? What is exactly that you want that necklace for anyway?"

Gloria dropped any pretense of being kind. Her lip curled as she looked me over. "The original witch has bound your powers from beyond the grave. You are attached to her and her magic." My stomach churned at the words. It was a possibility I hadn't wanted to dwell on. "With that necklace to connect me to her, I can draw her magic, and yours, into it and make it mine."

I tilted my head. "Yeah, I'm not really okay with that, so I'm going to have to say no."

She laughed again, the sound making me shudder. "As if you have a choice, witchling. Your powers are weak, and you are young. You cannot possibly be capable of half of what they say you are. You don't have the ability to stop me."

Her arms stretched out to either side as the furniture around them started to vibrate. "Now, we'll make you a compliant little witch so the hybrid doesn't suspect a thing until after my task is done."

"I don't do compliant," I said as I pulled the gun from behind my back. I shot without really aiming as she was close enough I was unlikely to miss.

Her body jerked backward from the impact with her shoulder and the spell faded as her concentration fell. She looked to me in disbelief as I put three more rounds in her body, taking a step closer to her with each shot. I stopped in front of her, gun aimed at her head. She opened her mouth prepared to beg for mercy or cast a spell but I put a bullet in her brain before she could do either. I flinched as blood splattered across my front.

Nausea welled and I swallowed it down. I hadn't done anything other than what needed to be done to protect myself and my family. I sat the gun on the table beside me and pulled my phone from my pocket. I called Nik with trembling fingers.

"Cassie? Is everything okay, love?"

I tried to answer but I choked on the words.

"Cassie," Nik said again, sounding frantic this time. "Answer me."

"I shot your witch."