4

At Redakai’s words, a lump formed in my throat. I had no idea. With a small shake of my head, I denied my knowledge. “No, my lord, I was not aware. I am sorry. I did not mean to—”

He slammed his hand on the table, interrupting me and making me jump. “Your apologies mean nothing!” he snarled. “Your action has put my entire coven in danger!” We needed the potion to help us win the war against the Olympus and the other werewolf races. That potion would have turned the newborns into day walkers, as well as given us a chance against the werewolves bite.

The gravity of my mistake hit me. I hadn’t known about the properties the potion held against the poison the werewolves carried in their bite; that the flower had been more than just a potion ingredient for the newborns. That, in fact, was going to be used as a cure. I had been so nonchalant with my care of it. In my defense, though, I’d been unaware of just how important the flower had been; no one had told me it was a bloom of life or death.

Redakai, leaning back in his chair, folded his hands across his middle as, eyes cold, he continued to gaze at me. Then with a snap of words he snarled, “The werewolves will pay for their interference. But that is not your concern. Your concern is to find a way to make this right!”

“My lord?” I blurted in shock. “But I don’t know how to fix this!” I exclaimed.

Redakai’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in them, something other than anger. “Don’t tell me you don’t know how…you manifested fire on the tip of your finger, manifest the fucking flower,” he roared. Then, calming, he raked his fingers through his hair, before shrugging, he stated, “I don’t know how you’re going to fix it either, Kaisha, but fix it, you will. And best you will not fail me again. Understood?”

I nodded, my heart racing. There was something about the way he was talking to me that sent a shiver down my spine; something that made me want to both cower, and stand tall at the same time.

Leaning closer, Redakai’s breath brushed across my cheek, as he sighed, then stated, “I own you, Kaisha. You will serve this coven, and you will do everything in your power to protect us. Anything I demand of you. Do you understand?”

My hackles rose at the phrase “I own you’, no one owned me, but the words hung in the air, heavy with a promise that made my stomach clench. What was he saying? What was he asking of me? I could feel his power, his dominance, wrapping around me like a vice. And despite the fear that gripped me, I felt something else, as well, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was like a storm brewing inside me, a mix of excitement and dread.

I looked up at him, my voice barely above a whisper. “I understand, my lord.”

He leaned back again, a smirk playing on his lips. “Do you? I doubt it." Then with a wave of his hand, he dismissed me.

I stumbled out of the room, my legs shaking. Redakai’s words echoed in my mind, sending a shiver down my spine. ‘You will do anything I demand of you.’

As I moved through the halls and rooms, it was unavoidable not to notice the coven was in an uproar, vampires and witches alike whispered about the lost flower. I kept my head down, avoiding their eyes. I couldn’t bear the weight of their accusations. The flower had been of such importance to them. And I had failed them.

Days passed, and I wracked my brain to come up with a way to rectify my mistake. Redakai’s temper grew shorter as the days passed, and the coven’s members grew more restless. I spent every waking moment searching, praying that I would come up with a way to repair what I had done before it was too late. And all the while, the feeling of Redakai’s anger toward me grew stronger.

~~

One evening, I heard two raised voices, male and female, coming from the chamber where Redakai held his council meetings. The door was ajar, and I couldn’t help but listen.

“You need to act now, Redakai!” shouted Angaleen. “She led a damn pack of werewolved practically to our fucking door, she must be punished!"

Redakai’s chilling voice floated through the crack. “Calm yourself, Angaleen. The girl is a witch; she had no way of knowing the werewolves were so close. She was just doing what she had been assigned.”

“And what of the flower?” she hissed. “The one that she so conveniently ruined?”

My heart hammered in my chest as the reality of their words set in. They were discussing me. And the flower. And Angaleen sounded as if she suspected I had destroyed the bloom on purpose.

I didn’t dare to move, as I knew the floorboards would creak and give away my presence.

“The bloom is gone, yes, and with it so is our possible advantage. However, the fact is they were coming with or without it. We will just need to be more prepared!” Redakai hissed.

Their conversation grew heated, the words lost in a symphony of anger and accusations. But I knew one thing for certain—I did not have the power of the magic needed to grow another bloom. It was only by the gift of our ancient ancestors that it had even existed.

Lost in my thoughts, I gave a startled jump when the door to the chamber slammed shut. Retreating into the shadows, my heart racing, the reality of my situation sank in like a cold stone in my stomach.

Moments later, when I knew it was clear, I slipped into my chamber, the weight of my failure lay heavy on me, and as I collapsed onto my bed, unshed tears stung my eyes. How could I have been so naive? So careless? I had been bought to save the Laraque Coven, instead it appeared I may have just killed them.