Scornful Sadie (Dark Sorceress Trilogy Book 1) (21 page)

Rubbing my eyes dry, I stood. “I don’t know. I was lying on the bed, taking a break, when she showed up and started talking. She was pouring blood out of her mouth and side. She said the Six are all resurrected, Grandma. She said they’re coming here tomorrow.”

She shook her head furiously. “No, that’s impossible. We’d notice that much energy.”

I sniffled, starting to sit until I realized that I was covered in the fae’s blood. “She said it was a trick,” I said. “I didn’t even know her name and she died because of me.”

Grandma took my shoulders in her hands and shook me. “This isn’t your fault.”

Grimacing, I nodded. “Yes, it is.”

She shook her head. “No, Sadie. You can’t think like that. She wasn’t forced to work for Bram.”

“How do you know?” I asked. “Maybe he’d threatened or cursed them all to work for him. The look in her eyes as she was dying was regret. Regret isn’t what you feel if you’re doing something you want.”

Aiden wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Sade, listen to me. You didn’t know this would happen. She warned you about Tessi and Mel. They would have died if she hadn’t come to you. And you were there for her in her final moments. You couldn’t have saved her if you tried.”

“I did try,” I choked out, fighting more tears. “She said healing wouldn’t work because she was being punished for helping me.”

“That was her decision,” Grandma said. “You can’t blame yourself. Don’t let this make you do something stupid, Sadie.”

I nodded. “I need a shower.”

They both released me, allowing me to trudge my way to the bathroom. I threw my clothes in the wastebasket, setting them on fire while the water heated up. The bloodstains may come out, but the memories would remain. I allowed the water to wash over me, the hotness scorching my skin and cleansing it of her life. The tears were swept from my face and down the drain. I stayed under the water until it grew cold, thinking of what was about to happen. Bram and the rest of The Six were coming for me. In less than twenty-four hours. I wasn’t prepared. I had no clue how to defeat any of them, much less all of them.

I may not survive.

Their power was greater than we expected. Bram had sent the dying fae to me as a sadistic game, I was sure of it. She was too weak to do any traveling of her own, if she even had that ability. Once my bones grew cold and I was shivering, I shut the water off and wrapped the towel around me. I didn’t even bother to dry my body.

I opened the door to see Aiden leaned against the frame, waiting for me. “Sade.” He took me in his arms, drenching his clothing, and held me close. “We’re going to a new room,” he whispered.

I nodded, but couldn’t move. I didn’t know what to do about The Six. How would I do this by myself? I needed to unlock Clorva before they showed up.

Aiden saw my internal debate, and swept me into his arms. He walked us down the hall, kicked the door open to the new room, and placed me on the couch. “Do you need help getting dressed?” he asked.

Looking down, I realized he was seeing me in just a towel. A very small towel. I shook my head. “I want to sleep.”

He helped me to the bed, covering me and smoothing my soaking wet hair back. “Rest, Sade. It’ll all be better when you wake.”

I didn’t believe him, but nodded anyway. I couldn’t do much else at this point. Falling into a restless sleep, I didn’t expect the fae to be waiting for me in my dreams.

“Sadie Tabors,” she said.

“You,” I said, surprised. “I’m so sorry.”

She grinned, chuckling mischievously. “For what?”

“Getting you killed,” I said.

She waved me off. “Oh, that,” she giggled. “Totally my fault, and it was my destiny.”

Stunned, I stepped back. “What?”

“My destiny is to help you with this. I just found out,” she smiled. “I’m Tarann, by the way.”

Tarann. “What did you just find out?”

“That I’m to help you become the dark sorceress,” she squealed, clapping happily.

Ghost Tarann was quite odd compared to real-life, fae Tarann. “What does that mean?”

“You have to accept who you are to gain the power to defeat The Six, Sadie Tabors.”

Why did these people keep calling me by my full name? “That I’m the dark sorceress,” I groaned.

“Yes, Sadie Tabors. Stop feeling guilty and get back to your ass kickery ways. Sleep well, Sadie Tabors. I’ll find you when I’m needed.”

The dream ended then, and I woke.

What in the hell was going on?

Aiden was perched on the bed by my knees when I woke, watching me intently.

“Hey,” I said groggily.

“Hey,” he said softly. “You had a bad dream.”

I shook my head. “I had a weird ass dream.”

“About?”

“Tarann,” I said. When I sat up, I realized I was only in a towel and my hair was still damp. Clutching the top of it to my chest, I fought the feeling to flee.

“Who?” he asked.

“The fae girl who died.”

He stared at me. I could see the wheels turning as he tried to figure out if I was going crazy or serious. “Oh.” He looked around, probably wishing for someone to come in and help him with the crazy girl.

“She said I have to accept myself as the Dark Sorceress in order to gain all the power that comes with it. That if I do, I can defeat them.”

He still stared, his brows furrowed. “Sadie, I’m gonna go get your grandma.”

He was calling me Sadie, so he must have thought I was losing it. I nodded and he dashed from the room and down the hall. I dressed quickly, tying my hair back in a ponytail. I sat cross legged on the seat by the window as I waited for him to come back.

He came back with Grandma and Mel hot on his heels.

“Sadie!” Mel said, throwing herself in my arms.

I hugged her back. “I’m ok,” I reassured her.

“They said the Six are coming after you,” she hissed, like no one in the room knew.

I nodded. “Apparently.”

Grandma spoke next. “Aiden says the fae visited you?”

“Yeah,” I said, chewing on my lip. “She came to me in my dream. She said her name was Tarann, and it was her destiny to help me become the Dark Sorceress.”

Grandma paced as she let my words sink in. “Did she say anything else?”
 

“Yes. If I want to get all the powers, I have to accept who I am.”

Her eyes widened. “You can’t, Sadie.”

“Why not, Grandma? I can’t defeat them as I am.”

“That’s the first step in unlocking Clorva. We can’t let them go there. They’ll only gain more powers.”

Huffing, I planted my feet on the ground and gripped the edge of the chair. “I have to,” I said through clenched teeth. “It’s the only way.”

“No,” she said. “We’ll find another.”

“Before tomorrow?” I asked. “Because they’re coming here tomorrow. I have to be powerful enough to fight them off or we’ll all die.”

“They can’t get in,” she said.

“Obviously they can, or Bram wouldn’t have sent Tarann to me. He wanted to mess with my head, Grandma! He’s wanting me to be weak so he can defeat me.”

“No, he wants you to work with him,” she countered.

“That’s defeat in my book,” I mumbled.

“Sadie,” she said, shaking her head. “Don’t do anything irrational. Let me talk to the rest of the council. We can figure this out.”

“I’ll give you until dawn, but that’s it. I’m not taking chances. I can’t lose you all, and I’m not letting anyone else die for me.”

“Sadie,” Grandma started, but I stopped her.

“No. I’m not discussing this anymore.” I stood then, moving past them and out the door. Aiden called after me, but I didn’t stop. I needed space, time, and to be alone.

###

I settled on the edge of the fountain, feeling the water washing over my fingertips. I watched it moving, thinking of how the fae had sent the ocean after us and Mel had countered it.

As if it could hear me, the water moved and squirted in my face.

Blinking several times, I looked around and saw no one. I knew I didn’t do that, so how in the hell had it happened?

Giggling came from somewhere behind a bush. Standing, I crept over and looked, but saw nothing.

“Over here, Sadie Tabors,” Tarann said from behind me.

I spun to find her standing on the outer rim of the fountain. “Oh dear Lord, now I’m seeing you.”

She smiled widely. “You and only you.”

“Why is this happening?” I cried. Covering my face, I lowered my head and wished her away.

“Won’t work,” she hissed inches from my ear.

Jumping, I moved away from her. “What do you want?”

“Acceptance,” she stated. “I can’t go on, you know
go on
, until you accept you’re the Dark Sorceress and get all that power.”

“I said I wouldn’t do anything until tomorrow,” I said.

“Doesn’t matter,” she shrugged. “You’re gonna do it either way. Might as well get it over with so I’ll leave you alone.”

Narrowing my eyes, I stomped away from her. “Why you?”
 

“Because I died for you,” she said like it wasn’t a big deal. “I wanted to help you, and the people of Clarqa, the other side, realized that. They thought I’d be perfect for you!”

“The other side?” I asked. I stared at her, realizing how utterly insane I must have looked, but it didn’t matter. I wanted answers.

“Yeah,” she said eagerly. “The other side, where people go when they die. There’s a whole group of people in charge, kind of like your council.”

“You’re kidding.”

She shook her head.

“Ok,” I drawled out. “I guess tell me what to do.”

“Yay!” she squealed. “Be right back.”

She disappeared before my eyes. I looked around for her, but she wasn’t here. So I walked deep into the gardens and ducked behind a large plant. Sitting on the grass, I prayed I was hidden away from prying eyes and waited for Tarann to return.

“Back!” she screeched not long after, scaring the crap out of me. “Gosh, being dead is so much easier than being alive.”

“Why are you so different?” I asked bluntly. “No offense, but you were a bitch before…well, until you helped me.”

“Bram did that me,” she pouted. “He took everything from me, turned me bitter, and then killed me when I tried to get out.”

“I thought he killed you for helping me?”

“That was my way of getting out.” she shrugged. “Didn’t work. Well,” she said, looking around. “I guess it kind of did!”

I shook my head, unable to keep up with all her random thoughts. “Ok. How do I do this?”

She sat in front of me, reaching out to touch me. Her hand went through my skin, a feather soft, cool chill staying behind. “I need you to dig your fingers into the dirt.”