Bleeding Misery (Threatening Souls Book 2)

by N. M. Lambert

  “There’s the Bewitched as well,” Andre noted. “They’ve already slaughtered two people.”

  “What does all of this have to do with Henri?” Rebekah wondered, and Andre shot her a look that suggested she should already know the answer.

  Nonetheless, Ava answered with confidence. “Mandy was probably one of Henri’s gateways into the ICW, someone he could steal your information from. Then, there’s Kat, whom he trusts and who is also spying for him on the inside.” She paused. “And the Bewitched were Rebecca’s creation, something Henri told her to make. However, I sense there’s someone else at the ICW Henri is also using, though I’m not sure who that person is.”

  Andre noticed Rebekah shiver a little, but she said nothing.

  “But Henri isn’t the only threat that’s currently brewing,” Ava continued, glancing at Andre. “Are you familiar with Melissa Young?”

  Andre nodded. “She was whom Reilly and I were trying to imprison before the ICW. Also, recently, Holly and I heard Kat’s side of a conversation she had with Melissa.”

  “What does Melissa have to do with this?” asked Rebekah.

  “I think she’s planning something. She killed at your school and stole Rosalie, though I don’t know for what,” said Ava. “Do you have any ideas? What did you hear from Kat’s side of the conversation?”

  “I think Melissa is trying to recruit people to betray Henri,” Andre explained. Turning to Rebekah, she added, “She’s trying to get Henri to transform Rosalie into an immortal witch.”

  “But…” Rebekah’s eyes widened. “How does she expect to get away with betraying Henri Anderson?”

  Andre shrugged. “It’s foolish to do so, but Melissa is power-hungry,” she said. “The area in which she is a bigger threat than Henri is that if she does succeed, she will become the immortal ruler—and I can guarantee you that she will try to merge the magic world and human world together, slaughter the mortal magic users, and enslave the humans.”

  “Do you have any idea who else she will recruit besides Kat and Rosalie?” questioned Rebekah.

  “I would be surprised if she didn’t try to recruit Rhiannon Hansen,” Ava said. “Especially considering what happened to Dimitri.”

  “Henri didn’t have anything to do with that, though.”

  “But he’s not outright going after Andre,” said Ava, glancing at Andre. “My guess is that Rhiannon wants you eliminated quickly.”

  Andre scoffed. “I did what I had to do,” she said to Ava. To Rebekah, she added, “There’s one other person I can think of who would possibly join Melissa’s rebellion, someone who exhibits characteristics that make me question her loyalty to Henri.”

  “Who?”

  “Victoria Osborn.”

  At this, Rebekah froze as memories of Roseway began to resurface. An image came to mind of a person who had been given that exact same name and who was her partner for a Civil War project and tried to help her. Later, she had revealed her true name to Rebekah, but before then, Rebekah only knew her as Victoria Osborn.

  “Do you know the name?” Ava questioned, sensing a change in Rebekah’s personality.

  Rebekah nodded. “That was the name of someone in Roseway.”

  “Of course it would be,” Ava noted.

  “Why do you say that?”

  Ava sighed. “Most in Roseway were named after actual immortal magic users. Most of those names belonged to people that were—are—nomads.”

  “Nomads?”

  “Magic users that don’t belong to a formal coven,” Andre explained.

  “Then, this girl—Victoria—”

  “She’s one of the Dark Guard,” said Andre, “but like I said before, her loyalty to Henri is questionable.”

  “Andre,” Ava said, “do you know where the Greenwich castle is located? Where specifically?”

  “What makes you think the mortals would know where it is other than the fact that it’s somewhere in Greenwich?” questioned Andre. “Henri is more secretive than you realize, and if we knew where it was, we would have infiltrated it by now. All we know is that it’s somewhere where the human citizens of Greenwich would never be able to find it.”

  Ava stared at the floor. “I’ll see what else I can learn, but it’s going to be difficult, since I don’t know where the castle is.” Then, she turned to Rebekah and said, “Whatever you do, stay by Andre. I fear what Henri plans to do to your facility.”

  CHAPTER

  SEVENTEEN

  Holly: Munich, Germany

  B

  ack at the ICW facility, Holly was wandering around alone. Her mind was fraught with anger at Jamie for what she had done and at Jake for going along with the plan. She knew all along that Jamie never particularly liked Rebekah, but to go and do what she did as soon as she did was the wrong move to make. Instantly, Holly felt her magic flair to the surface of her skin in anger.

  The trivia portion of the ICW was the next competition—and it was scheduled to take place next Wednesday, like all of the other portions. Her portion. Thinking about her moment in the spotlight filled her with dread.

  Instantly, Holly shook thoughts of the ICW from her mind. She was angry with Jamie. And she wanted to give Jamie a piece of her mind.

  That was who she spent the evening searching for. Jamie. She felt her blood boil and more of her magic build up, wishing to be able to release it. Rounding a corner, she hoped Jamie would be close by.

  Instead, she saw Kat, who was once again on the phone. Instantly, Holly pressed her back against the corner and tried to tune into Kat’s side of the conversation.

  “You’ve done quite a lot of research, haven’t you?” Kat said into the phone. “I mean, to think of a plan that might actually work against Henri…”

  There was a slight pause as the person on the other line said something.

  “Melissa, are you sure he’ll be able to help us?” questioned Kat. “I mean—”

  At the mention of Melissa Young, Holly stilled her breathing and willed herself to listen more attentively.

  “Okay, I’ll join you,” said Kat. “I’ll meet you and Victoria in Barcelona. But you do realize that in order for this to work, I still have to keep Henri’s trust in me, meaning I’m still going to have to report to him what happens at the ICW.”

  There was more silence.

  “Then, it’s settled,” said Kat. “We can discuss more of this in Barcelona.” Then, she hung up.

  Holly’s heart continued to pound about what she just heard. Barcelona. Kat was going to meet Melissa and Victoria in Barcelona.

  Which meant those three people have officially deviated from Henri Anderson with Melissa as their leader.

  Holly broke out into a run as she struggled to get as far away from that area as possible. After listening to Kat’s side of the conversation, she had temporarily forgotten about what Jamie had done. That is, until she made a turn into a nearby hallway where the four members of Eternal Division stood at the end in a circle.

  Kat would have to wait. Holly made a mental note to tell Andre about that later. Now that Jamie was in her sight, all she could think about was revenge—and her anger began to resurface.

  She started to march up to Jamie, grabbing her arm and spinning her around.

  “Holly,” Jamie said in a giddy and sarcastic manner, “what a pleasant surprise.”

  “You bitch!” Holly screamed into her face. “I saw what you did—and so did Rebekah!”

  “Really?” said Jamie. “Did you guys enjoy the show? I mean, Jake was all over me. I couldn’t refuse his—”

  “Shut up!” shouted Holly, earning her stares from not just Jamie but the other three Eternal Division members as well.

  A smirk formed on Jamie’s face. “Maybe, Holly, Jake prefers me over Rebekah. Ever thought of that? I mean, just look at where she comes from, what occupation both of her parents share. I mean, she’s always been rather poor.”

  At that moment, Holly wanted nothing more than to strangle Jam
ie. She felt her magic bubble up inside of her, waiting to be released, and in that moment, she forgot that she was talking to someone who knew nothing about the magic world.

  She was also around witnesses who knew nothing about it, either.

  But she didn’t care.

  Holly reached out and grabbed Jamie’s wrist, twisting it until Jamie let out a squeal of pain. Then, she met Jamie’s frightened gaze—and she felt her magic slowly spurt out of her in small bursts, transferring into Jamie’s body. Before she could stop it, Jamie was flung into the air and slammed into the wall that was behind her, cracking her head open. Then, she fell to the floor as her black hair became matted with warm, sticky blood.

  The fearful looks that the rest of Eternal Division gave her was what snapped Holly back to her senses. Seeing what she had just caused made her realize how easy it was for her to lose control, and even though she wanted nothing more than to get back at Jamie for what she did, Holly wouldn’t have wished for that.

  She could hardly believe what she did and how much she had exposed of the magic world.

  Before she could wipe the memories of everyone in that area in order to try and conceal her blunder, someone clasped a hand on both her arms and began to pull her away from the scene.

  Holly screamed as she tried to break free from her captor, but she had no success. In no way was she going to use magic to free herself, and the grip her captor had on her was strong.

  Her captor pulled her into a nearby closet and slammed the door behind him. “What the hell was that?!” he demanded.

  Holly recognized that voice instantly. “Jake,” she said briefly before remembering his kiss with Jamie. “What makes you think I won’t do the same to you?”

  “Holly, I know what you are,” said Jake, avoiding her question. “Your cousin and Rebekah told me. What I don’t understand is why you would risk exposing yourself like that!”

  Holly glared at him. “Rebekah and I saw what happened between you and Jamie.”

  “Is that what this is about?” Jake questioned. “Holly, I was set up! That was all Jamie! I don’t even like her that way, and when it happened, I immediately pushed her away!” Jake took a step towards Holly and reached for her arm. “Holly, please. Tell me you saw that part. Please believe—”

  “Don’t. Fucking. Touch. Me,” Holly growled, turning away from him. “Tomorrow, you’ll leave for Marywood. I think it would be best if you left.”

  “But Holly—”

  “Don’t try to make up with her beforehand!” Holly continued. “She wants nothing to do with you!” As the words left Holly’s mouth, she realized how harsh they sounded coming from her. But she kept her ground.

  “Fine,” Jake said as he went to leave the closet. “At least tell her the truth—what I told you. Please.” Then, he left before Holly had a chance to accept or decline his request.

  Holly left the closet as well, distraught over what had just happened. After making her way back to where she was and wiping the memories of the witnesses while also healing Jamie’s wounds, she retired to her bedroom and quickly fell asleep.

  Tomorrow, she deemed she would tell Andre what she had overheard Kat saying to Melissa.

  ~~~

  Jake: Munich, Germany

  Despite what Holly said, Jake sent Rebekah a bunch of texts, trying to explain what happened. Jamie came onto him, not the other way around, and he would never intentionally hurt her. He told her he didn’t like Jamie that way, and that he was starting to not like Jamie at all, but each time he sent a text, it went unanswered.

  After a few hours of getting nowhere, Jake was about to give up and cut his losses until his phone suddenly beeped. Finally, Rebekah had texted him back.

  You already have, the message read.

  CHAPTER

  EIGHTEEN

  Rebekah: Munich, Germany

  C

  an we please talk?

  For what seemed like hours but could only have been a few minutes, Rebekah stared at Jake’s latest text, his last desperate plea. She was still angry at him for what happened yesterday, but even more than that, she was angry at herself for letting it get to that point. Jake—the real Jake—had always treated her well, and she unfortunately couldn’t say the same about herself. Perhaps she was the one to push him into Jamie’s willing arms, and if that were the case, she needed to be honest with him. Andre was right; he deserved to know.

  As Andre sped out of the hotel parking lot en route back to the ICW facility, Rebekah was busy crafting her response. She told him to meet her in the courtyard immediately after she got back. Before she could change her mind, she hit send, and not a moment later, Jake texted back with a one-word answer: Okay.

  Turning her phone off, Rebekah leaned back in her seat and sighed. “You were right,” she said. “I’m going to tell him when we get back.”

  Andre barely spared her a glance. “You sure you want to see him after what he did?”

  “No, yes, I don’t know,” Rebekah said, exasperated. “Maybe this whole thing is my fault. After avoiding him for so long, maybe I pushed him into her arms.”

  “Rebekah.” Andre sighed, and at first, Rebekah was expecting a lecture. Yet instead, all the witch said was, “I think you’re doing the right thing.”

  And that endorsement, coming from someone who had been through a lot more than her, was all Rebekah needed to go through with her plans. As soon as they pulled into the ICW facility parking lot, Rebekah flew out of the car in pursuit of the courtyard she told Jake to meet her in. Andre followed her only to the entrance, and then, the two of them diverged on different paths, which Rebekah was also grateful for. If anyone understood Rebekah’s need for a private conversation, it was Andre.

  By the time Rebekah reached the courtyard, Jake was already waiting for her. Upon seeing her, he grinned, but she didn’t return it as her nerves fluttered. Here goes nothing.

  “Rebekah,” Jake said affectionately, and just hearing her name on his lips was enough to nauseate her, when before, it would have excited her.

  Rebekah held up a hand to stop him, and he did, albeit reluctantly. “I need to talk to you, and I need to do so before you leave later today.”

  Jake frowned. “Rebekah, I already explained to you what happened.”

  “And I’m telling you that’s not enough,” Rebekah said. “Not anymore.”

  “Then tell me what is enough, and I’ll do it,” Jake pleaded as he closed the gap between them, and this time, Rebekah let him.

  “That’s the thing,” said Rebekah. “I don’t know what’s enough anymore.”

  Jake wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. She shivered but made no move to pull away.

  “I still care about you, despite what Jamie did,” he said. “I want you to know that.”

  Rebekah bit her lip and nodded. “Jake, I…” Her voice broke, and suddenly, she pulled away from him, and a look of hurt flashed across his face. “I don’t know if we can go back to the way things were before.”

  Jake’s hurt expression grew. “Because of Jamie.” He paused as he reached out to her, and she recoiled even further. “Rebekah, I already explained this. She forced herself on me, and I pushed her immediately away!”

  “It’s not because of Jamie,” Rebekah said weakly. Then, she closed her eyes as fresh tears began to brew. “Fuck, I didn’t want to tell you, but Andre insisted—”

  “Tell me what?” Jake asked. And then, his expression soured. “Are you seeing someone else?”

  Rebekah shook her head even though, technically, she was. “No! Nothing like that.”

  “Then, what?” Jake demanded, growing impatient.

  Rebekah turned away from him. “I wasn’t talking about Jamie when I texted you already hurt me.” She closed her eyes tightly to fight the onslaught of tears. “Fuck, that’s not fair. It wasn’t you.”

  “Rebekah,” Jake said calmly, “you’re not making any sense.”

  Rebekah took a deep breath befor
e she continued. “In Roseway, you were possessed, though I think you already know that.” She paused, and suddenly, her throat was unbelievably dry. “That first night, I went to find you. I wanted—no, needed—to rescue you.”

  Jake’s expression went eerily cold. “What happened, Rebekah?”

  “The spirit, while wearing your skin, tried to…to…” No matter how hard Rebekah tried to say the word, she couldn’t in front of Jake, but the look he gave her made her realize he understood perfectly.

  “That’s why you were avoiding me,” Jake said as his expression softened. “It wasn’t because of some bullshit Holly told me about Jamie telling you I cheated on you with Mandy at some party.”

  Weakly, Rebekah nodded. “And I know it wasn’t you. I know this, but every time I see you, it brings me back to that because he wore your skin as he touched me, and…and—”

  “Rebekah, stop!” Jake stated, though he was equally as horrified. “God, Rebekah, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I feel…I feel disgusting, knowing I was forced to put you through that.”

  Rebekah nodded solemnly. “Andre told me this relationship wasn’t healthy anymore, and I think I’m starting to agree with her.”

  Jake sighed. “You’re breaking up with me.”

  “Yes,” Rebekah said, finally letting the tears fall. “I think I am. Maybe in the future, we can try to be friends, but…”

  “There’s too much baggage,” Jake said, crestfallen, and Rebekah’s heart broke just a little bit more. She knew this kind of news would destroy him.

  Rebekah choked as she watched him turn his back on her. “I’m sorry.”

  Jake stopped suddenly. “This isn’t your fault, Rebekah,” he said solemnly. “It’s mine for even going to Roseway in the first place.”