Soulceress (The Mythean Arcana 2) - Page 81

Aurora’s face turned dark and her knuckles whitened where they clutched her beer bottle. “Nay. She believed it was wrong to do so, and so did I

. Until the mortals killed her, at least.”

“Why did she let herself be captured and burned at the stake? I don’t get why she didn’t use her power to free herself.”

“She couldn’t. She was pregnant. Pregnancy is dangerous for soulceresses. All our energy goes to the baby, so we canna use our power.”

“Pregnant with me?”

“Aye.”

The bottom of Esha’s stomach dropped away. “So I killed her.”

Aurora’s head swung around and she met Esha’s gaze, her own shocked. “No, idiot. That’s not how it works. You didn’t do it on purpose.”

“But if I hadn’t been born, she wouldn’t have been targeted.”

“You need to work on your guilt complex. And probably your self-esteem. Respect our mother’s decision. She wanted you. I wanted you. Everything else that happened was bad luck and evil people. Not you.”

Esha felt like an idiot, but that seemed to be pretty common lately. “You’re right. What happened next?”

“She had to escape on foot when the witch hunts and the Burnings came to our doorstep. We lived amongst the mortals because Mytheans were out for our blood, every one of them. They finally had mass hysteria on their side, the only thing that could make a bunch of otherwise reasonable beings commit genocide. Stupid mortals and their paranoia. If they hadn’t gone crazy over their idea of mortal witches, the fever never would have spread to Mytheans. But Mytheans finally had a chance to get rid of us. So we went to live near the mortals, where there were none of our kind to threaten us. But we were low on power because the mortals doona have enough to speak of unless you take their souls.”

“And they turned on you?”

“Yes, they targeted our mother. Her pregnancy advanced freakishly fast for mortals, but normal for soulceresses. They thought it made her a witch, so they were going to put her on trial. But mother wouldn’t let me help her escape. The mortals hadn’t targeted me, you see. She thought I would be safest if I stayed. The journey to the New World was so dangerous at the time.”

“What about our dad?”

“I doona even know if we share one. I never met him, and she never spoke of him. Gods know he dinna help us when the mortals came for our mother. But I had my vengeance.” Her voice and her eyes darkened.

“You took their souls.”

“No. I killed them. They deserved it for burning her. Then I went to Spain and stole Mythean souls because they’re more powerful. And it is awesome. Power. Unlimited power and you doona have to be near other Mytheans. Except that I was caught for breaking some rules.”

It did sound awesome. Esha shook herself. Bad! Of course it was bad. She’d seen how Warren had suffered without his soul. She couldn’t do that to someone. And she’d seen what it had done to Aurora. Her soul shadows still circled her, but she stayed calm.

Wanting a lighter subject to put Aurora in a good mood, Esha turned the conversation from their dark history to their lives and interests. She really liked her sister. They had a lot in common, if one ignored the fact that her sister was an unrepentant soul-thief being driven crazy by the power she so loved.

With Aurora and Warren in her life now, she had not only a friend in Ana, but a sister and a boyfriend. Which reminded her of her primary goal. As much as she loved chatting with Aurora, and despite the fact she’d started this journey hoping to learn more about her own kind and herself, she had a more important task now. She had to retrieve Warren’s soul and get Aurora off this island, and she was afraid she only had this one chance.

“Why do you need the power so badly now? The Burnings are over,” Esha asked.

“I canna leave this realm or I’ll get thrown back in that prison. I need the power to maintain my world. And even if I could go out and stock up like you do, I would no’. You know as well as I do that for a soulceress, strength is everything. Giving up my souls would be weak.” Her eyes darkened and her familiar raced over to snuggle up to her, which seemed to work. Aurora said, “Whether or no’ you’ve actually got any power, survival depends on other Mytheans being afraid of you. I’ve got to have titanium ovaries or no one will fear me. If no one is afraid of me, they’ll come after me again. Then I’ll end up back in that damned prison.”

“Not if you don’t do anything wrong!”

Aurora laughed and gave her a pitying look.

Esha’s face heated, knowing she was right. When other Mytheans were afraid of you, they wouldn’t wait for law or right on their side before they tried to screw you.

“So you would never consider leaving this island?” Esha asked.

“No way.”

“Come to the university with me. There’s plenty of power there. Hundreds of Mytheans, and the city is full of people. It’s the opposite of the aether. You’d love it.”

Aurora shook her head, then looked out at the darkness through the big windows over the counters. “This place is great. I’ve got everything I need, I control who can come and go. I’m no’ leaving.”

Tags: Linsey Hall The Mythean Arcana Paranormal
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