Wake Up, Witch

Chapter 29

I opened my eyes and found Akira, Lexie, and Tiff standing at the foot of the bed, waiting. And when they saw I was awake, it was like someone dropped a giant wall in front of them. Their face changed entirely. The frown on Akira's face disappeared; the curious furrow of Tiff's brow straightened; and the disappointed curl in Lexie's mouth hardened.

I wished I didn't have to deal with them again, but there I was, in one room with probably the only three innocent people I should have just left alone. They were too young for this, I thought, as I tried to move but couldn't. I was strong enough. Evensen's blood was a strong fluid army against the drug Akiko fed through my veins.

Lexie was the first to speak. "You betrayed us." She looked at me like she didn't know me.

I swallowed and realized I could speak now. The venom had worn off. "You made it so easy," I croaked.

"You have to hand over Cedric Corey," Tiff said, almost pleadingly. "If you don't, they'll punish you gravely."

My eyes went to Akira. "Did they ask you to come here and talk me into releasing him?" I smiled mildly. "Did they think I care enough about you to do what you ask? I don't." Pain crossed Lexie's eyes, while Tiff struggled with unshed tears. "The only reason I kept you around was because you were useful."

I looked away as I talked. I wanted them to leave and hate me. There was no point in trying to ease their pain and disappointment. There was no salvation for my betrayal.

"How long have you been working behind our backs?" Tiff asked with one tear rolling down her cheek.

Looking at my strapped wrists, I murmured, "From the very beginning." I was never good at sensitive confrontations such as this. I'd prefer something murderous. To keep them from asking more questions about our broken friendship, I stared at Akira once again. "Was it because of you that your sister did a secret study on me?"

He moved for the first time. "The only contact I had with her was when we visited Windsor." He looked at me for a long time, the silence telling me he had so much to say. "Apostles sacrifice everything for their Astral. It's part of the job."

When I moved my head, they immediately stepped closer, stance alert and ready for action. "You're too weak to use your magic, so don't even try," Akira told me.

I sighed, slowly blinking, pretending to be powerless. "Relax, Akira, I will not waste my strength putting three children to sleep."

Tiff's lips trembled with tears. "Have you never cared for us at all?"

"Stop with the stupid questions, Tiff," Akira snapped, eyes hard on me. "All she cares about is helping her vampire friends."

"And what do you care about, Akira?" I asked. "Serving the people who kill innocents?"

"The Saints don't kill innocents."

"And what do you call the Omen that they're keeping somewhere on this train? And speaking of Omens, have you found out what they are?" I asked them.

"We know enough."

"You know what they told you." I paused, pretending to breathe slow. "They're one of two beings that make up a star." Tiff stiffened at my last word. "Yes, they're real."

"We don't have to listen to you," Akira said. "Give us Corey."

"But do you know what makes them valuable?" I continued, not hearing him. "Stardusts. But the great witches of the Saint Society have never figured out how to harvest stardusts without killing Omens. I'm sorry. I meant Omen. Just one. They never found another in the Saint Society." My eyes remained on Akira. "She's been captured before. The people who took her experimented on her in many ways a child shouldn't ever experience." I looked at Tiff and Lexie. "They cut off her fingers, her hair... anything they could that would not be too fatal." My gaze jumped back to Akira. "But it was fine. After all, as what the Katamas found out, Omens apparently heal quite fast."