Season 4 of Witchfire
After sacrificing himself to save Chance Nightshade, London Irephang - lamia prince of the vampires - is resurrected as an immortal vampire. Now, Chance Nightshade and Nora Walker must combine their powers and delve into the mi...
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Waters' decision to refuse help was a new kind of hurt for Jerome, who immediately took it upon himself to change the man's mind. They were equally entitled men who refused to budge once they wanted something, so a long and heated argument was in order. I turned my cheek and inspected my nails, giving them the only privacy I could.
Seth gravitated towards me as they got louder and louder, a small crease forming between his eyes as he looked over my shoulder. His eyebrows were oddly expressive, inquisitive, even; they were thick but tapered in a way that made it seem like he was constantly mocking everyone.
"Where's Ruben?" he asked, jutting his chin at the door.
"He's not coming." My voice was cold, flat. "Things didn't work out."
There was a glimmer of sympathy in his brown eyes, like a hint of opal catching the light. "I'm sorry," he said, and to my surprise it sounded like he meant it. "I thought you guys were end-game material."
I let out a slow, controlled breath, fighting back a fresh wave of tears. "So did I."
They wobbled on my waterline, threatening to spill. It was a good thing I didn't have time to put on my makeup today; I would have looked like a melting ice-cream cone by now. Probably boysenberry, given how puffy and inflamed my eyes felt.
Seth reached out reflexively, rubbing my back in a soothing gesture. I sniffed, hating how starved I was for touch and reassurance, how in tune he was with my emotions. My world had come crashing down, but I didn't want to feel better. I didn't deserve to feel better.
But it was in his nature to care for others. To stoke their positivity until it benefitted him enough to consume. That selfishness reassured me, allowed me to take comfort in his small act of compassion. There was a give and take that made it tolerable.
"What about... you know?" he said, glancing at the floor, the catacombs beneath our feet. "The old man's plans?"
"Still going ahead," I said cryptically, even though I doubted the others could hear us. They were snapping at each other now, on the verge of hurling insults. "I'll just have to come back later to sort it out."
Seth nodded. "Well if this is everyone, we'd best be off, then."
"Just one problem," I muttered. "How do we get these lug heads to the Labyrinth unseen? We only have two diadems and the streets are crawling with battle mages."
Seth opened his mouth to reply, only to move so quickly he blurred before my eyes, arms looping around my waist as he swept me out of the way. A glazed vase of flowers sailed through the air where my head had been, spitting petals and water as it went. A split second later, it shattered against the wall with an explosive sound, sending clay shards flying in every direction. I wrestled with the urge to look for a broom or a vacuum cleaner, realising how ludicrous it would be to clean up while we were on the run from the authorities.
