Bound: The Hybrid's Witch Book 2

Chapter 14

I wasn't sure how much time had passed when I saw Finn signaling from the top of the stairs. I nodded to let him know that I had seen. Pasting a smile on my face, I turned to Nik. "These shoes are pinching my feet. I'm just going to run upstairs and change. I'll be back shortly."

His eyes ran over my face and it was evident he didn't believe a word of what I was saying. "Of course," he said before leaning forward to press a kiss to my cheek. "I don't know what you're up to, love, but do be careful. Might I offer my assistance?" his voice in my ear was only loud enough for me to hear.

"I'm afraid you have to stay a bit longer, yet," I responded a bit louder. "It wouldn't do for us to disappear so quickly."

Elijah's dark eyes moved between the two of us and I gave a slight shake of my head. Soon, I mouthed before turning and hurrying up the stairs. I'd barely stepped out of sight at the top when a hand grasped my arm and tugged me into a doorway. Finn.

He shut and locked the door behind us while my eyes darted around the room, taking everything in. Esther was there as expected, but so was Elena. Her and Damon had returned for the ball because they are idiots. Or, Caroline had convinced them it would be fine or something. I didn't really care. Elena gave me a small smile. "Hi, Cass."

I nodded then turned my attention to Esther and the sage she was lighting. Whatever she was about to say, she didn't want to be overheard. "Finn said you wished to speak with me?"

She gestured to two chairs near her desk. Elena took one but I remained standing. "My dress is a bit snug. It's more comfortable for me to stay standing."

"Of course," Esther agreed. "I have asked you both here because I wish to apologize to you for the hurt and pain that you have suffered due to my family."

"Um, thanks, I guess," Elena said.

I was trying to figure exactly which hurt and suffering she might be referring to as she was the cause of a good portion of it. "If you're referring to the time your husband tried to kill me, yeah that sucked."

The witch's features grew pinched. "Must you always be so flippant?" she snapped.

"Apparently."

She motioned to Finn and he stepped forward, blade in hand. My spine immediately straightened as my eyes locked on the knife. "Elena, if you don't mind. I need just a bit of your blood for a spell I must perform."

My cousin's eyes darted up to meet mine and I gave a small nod. If she didn't give it willingly, they'd just take it.

"Okay." Finn pricked her finger with the blade and they collected the blood in a bowl. Once they had several drops, Esther murmured some words over Elena's hand and the wound healed.

"You may leave, child."

Elena looked horribly confused, but she was at least smart enough to agree and flee the room. Once she was gone, Esther stood and closed the distance between us. "As for you. Tell me, Cassidy, what is it that draws you to Niklaus so? He is not particularly noble or kind. I am uncertain he even has the capacity for love though he does play at it."

I bit back the words that settled on the tip of my tongue, the ones that would surely earn me no favor with the witch in front of me. I needed to discover what she was up to and get my magic back. Honesty wasn't going to get me either of those things. I shrugged. "I don't know. I just love him. I have always loved him."

Her brows drew together as she studied me with her dark eyes. "Always?"

"Yes, it seems that way. I do not remember when or how I fell in love with him. One day I just realized that I was."

Esther's gaze darted from me to Finn and back again. "Was this before the ritual?"

"Oh, long before. I wouldn't willingly give up my life for someone I didn't love. That's absurd."

"That treacherous, evil boy," Esther spat out. She made a sweeping gesture in my direction. "Finn."

I looked between the two of them, not having to feign my confusion. Finn took my hand in his. "I just need a bit of your blood, Cassidy. Just a taste."

I nodded and he pricked the end of my finger much as he had Elena's. Instead of depositing my blood into the bowl, however, he licked it from the knife. I frowned at him as he looked at his mother. "No vervain."

The witch stepped forward and took my hands in her own. "Cassidy, I believe that Niklaus has compelled your feelings for him. Would you allow Finn to try to remove it?"

I pulled away from her. "Nik wouldn't do that," I protested, doing my best to sound frightened and offended. I didn't play damsel in distress well.

Finn placed his hand on my shoulder and turned me to face him. "If that's true then what I do won't matter, will it?" He bent forward to look directly into my eyes. "I am not strong enough to override my brother's compulsion, but there is something I can do to get us the truth. Regardless of how you think you feel, you will only speak the truth about your feelings toward Niklaus."

Tricky, tricky. Finn was smarter than everyone gave him credit for.

"How do you feel about my son Niklaus, Cassidy?" Esther asked.

I turned to face her. "I wish I had never met him. He's horrible and he won't let me go." I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. "Why would I say such a thing? Nik and I are getting married and it's absolutely the most horrible thing that could ever happen to me."

I buried my face in my hands. After a moment, I sucked in a large breath. "What is wrong with me?"

Esther's hand rubbed my back and I barely resisted the urge to twist away from her touch. "As I feared, Niklaus has compelled you to love him. Undoubtedly, he also ordered your compliance. He is more wicked than I feared."

I said nothing but did my best to look terrified at the prospect. I must have been convincing because she went on with her evil villain speech.

"In casting the spell to save my children's lives, I doomed the world to be cursed by a great evil. The world is out of balance and I must see it returned. Save Finn, they are evil and corrupt. He saw what they were and he hated it. When he tried to make his siblings see, they left him in a box for 900 years. Help me rid the world of their vileness once and for all."

My tongue darted out to moisten my lips. "What do I need to do?"

"Just give me your blood, child. I will need slightly more from you than I took from Elena as yours was the blood that broke Niklaus's curse, but you will be fine."

At my nod, she motioned to Finn again and he sliced open my palm. I hissed at the sudden pain and watched the red liquid drip into the vessel below. Once satisfied with the amount, Esther said the same spell over me that she'd used on Elena and the wound closed. "That's all?"

"Yes. I will bind them together and Finn will be the sacrifice that saves the world. As much as I hate to do this, Finn will need to erase any memory of this meeting. We can't have the rest of my children discovering their fate before it is time."

Finn stepped forward and 'compelled' me once more. "Mother met with you only in a desire to know you better as you will soon be part of the family. You remember nothing you saw here or that was said here. You love Niklaus and nothing is amiss."

I smiled at him and Esther. "Thank you for speaking with me, Esther. I hope we can do it again soon."

"Of course." She sat behind her desk and Finn escorted me from the room. The door shut behind me and the lock clicked into place. Well, the Original witch bitch had achieved a new level of evilness.

She intended to slaughter her children and would undoubtedly do it with a smile on her face. I needed to find my hybrid.