2. Suspicions—Sofie
“I haven’t exactly told her yet,” I admitted with reluctance, pushing a lock of fiery red hair off my brow. “I don’t want to scare her until I’m sure. I’m adequately scared for the both of us.”
“What exactly have you told her?” Mage prompted, her brow furrowed.
With a sigh, I explained. “I told her about her muddled emotions. How we can’t read her anymore. That’s it. That’s all I can tell her for certain right now.” I gazed out the panoramic window overlooking the courtyard.
“Did the Fates not give any inkling to the consequences of the Tribe’s magic?”
“No, I created the Tribe before Evangeline existed.” I let out a derisive snort. “Of course, I’m sure they’re well aware. They haven’t bothered to enlighten me.”
Mage paused again, as if deciding if she should ask her next question. “And what do you suspect is happening, exactly?”
I opened my mouth to speak but the words died on my tongue before I could speak them, too horrible to fathom. With a deep swallow and a slow inhale and exhale, I tried again, my brow creasing deeply. “Maybe it’s some mutated form of the Tribe. I don’t know … I’ve never tried turning one of them. I couldn’t, for obvious reasons. But I’d imagine they can’t be turned. Evangeline’s emotions are similar to theirs—incomprehensible and scattered. But she hasn’t taken on any of their other … qualities.” That last word came out with biting disgust. Inside, I was screaming. No, please, no! Please don’t become one of those disgusting creatures, mutated or otherwise! I felt like my child had been given a death sentence. Another one, beyond the one I’d already given her.
“Let’s hope it wears off,” Mage said softly, reaching forward to give my hand a friendly squeeze. “And what about Julian? We can’t read him anymore, either.”
I shrugged. “Julian’s different somehow.” His emotions were also an illegible mess. Not nearly as jumbled as Eve’s, but still impossible to read. Beyond his love-struck angst for Amelie. Truthfully, I hadn’t given him much thought, too absorbed by what was happening to my girl. “She’s hiding something big, Mage,” I blurted out. “Do you feel it?”
Mage nodded in assent.
“And Eve never keeps secrets. She couldn’t if her life depended on it.” But if someone else’s life depended on it … Who could she be protecting? What could she possibly know that she felt she needed to hide? Oh, that girl! Now was not the time to become reticent!
“Between the two of us, I’m sure we can get it out of her,” Mage offered with a soft chuckle. Mage’s unwavering confidence instantly soothed my frazzled nerves. What an interesting turn of events. From evil, untrustworthy Ratheus vampiress leader to my confidante, in such a short time. I needed it now more than ever.
My eyes drifted longingly to the old oak tree with the tombstone beneath it. Nathan’s burial site. “I’m going to step outside.”
Mage nodded. Without explaining a thing to her, she somehow always knew. “I’ll be in the library, convincing Viggo to end his twelve-hundred-year quarrel for the good of mankind …,” she answered as she turned to glide away, a smile touching her lips.