Witch Hearts (25 page)

Michael sighed, used a calm voice as though he were speaking to a child. He backed off, rubbing her arms in a loving way.

“Ruby, darling, of course I do. You have such a gift. You’re no longer more powerful than me, but still. Courtney was holding you back. I can make you more powerful than ever before. You’ll be able to do more than tiny windstorms and flickering lights. We can control anyone we want, do anything we want to do.”

“Not interested.” Ruby looked away, back to Courtney’s killer who sat unmoving. It appeared he had died sometime in the middle of their argument.
 

“Well that was anticlimactic,” Ruby muttered, the brief flash of relief gone. Michael didn’t hear her, continued talking as though she were being silly in her decision against dark magic.
 

“You’re only saying that because you’re angry right now. In a few days, when you’ve had time to mull it over, you’ll change your mind. Think of the potions you’ll be able to make.”

“You’re going to rot in hell for what you’ve done to those girls.” Ruby turned her head back to look Michael in the eye. “Tell me why. Why did they all have to die for you?”

That superior tone didn’t waver. “With a witch’s heart in a ritual, you get power. Dark magic courses through your veins, makes spells and potions easier than ever before. I can transport places without making a potion now, whenever I want. I can see the future in dreams, of who I need next.”

“Good for you.” Ruby tried to tug at her ropes without him noticing. “I hope you were upset when I popped up in your murder vision.”

Michael’s bottom lip formed an exaggerated pout. “I’m hurt - you think I would let him kill you? He was never supposed to take you, to obsess over you like that.”

Ruby scoffed. “I guess you planned on taking Lacy or someone else in the coven.”

“I had it all planned out. Then he went and ruined it.”
 

The murderer’s insistent, raspy voice came back to her.
I didn’t kill Rebecca. She had no power, nothing to give me for the ritual.
 

A brief memory of Michael’s apartment came back to her, a flash that surprised her and gave more evidence to his guilt. The words left her in a groan. “The roses.”

He spared her a confused glance. “Pardon?”

“Rebecca. There were roses in the apartment. Did you try to win her back after I turned you down? Is that how you tricked her? Killed her?”

Michael growled, an angry sound that made Ruby instantly regret her accusations. A tiny gasp escaped her; the slight admission of fear seemed to calm Michael down. Convinced he maintained control again, he relaxed and adopted his loving tone again.

“After you told me you needed some time,” (Ruby squeezed her eyes tight, willing her mouth to stay shut), “I decided I might as well continue about my normal routine. Rebecca was happy to put our disagreement behind her. Then she called me that night, said a man had called asking for me, threatening to tell you the truth.”

“Me?” Ruby squeaked in surprise.

“Yes, you,” Michael replied. He stroked her cheek, brushed the hair out of her eyes. “You can imagine she lost her temper. I came home with roses but she didn’t appreciate them the way you did.”

Ruby remembered - any time they’d fought, he would bring her roses with his apology. She used to think it meant he cared and would simply need more time to see the error of his domineering ways. Now she knew it was only bribery for more silence.

“So you hit her? Beat her up, killed her?” Ruby’s voice went flat as sheer disgust came over her. Rebecca hadn’t deserved any of that no matter how many dirty looks she threw. Awful as Cooper’s old “pals” were, they’d been killed and framed thanks to Ruby’s past instead of Coop’s. “You went to a lot of effort to cover your tracks there considering.”

“I did it for us, of course. I had to take her heart, make it look as though
he
had gotten her. Plus I got to rid myself of those idiot lackeys. Everyone wins.” His voice went low, a smooth, charming purr that Ruby had never been able to resist when they’d been together.
 

Never again. She gritted her teeth. “Except Rebecca. I thought you loved her.”

Michael let out a low chuckle. “Of course not. I know I hurt you by dating her, but it’s over now. She won’t get in our way any more.”

“Because you
killed her
. Does that not about sum up how crazy you are?”

His back straightened in a jerked motion as he stamped his foot, a warning sign that Ruby noted as Michael was anything but childish. Even in their worst fights, he didn’t resort to such behavior or temper tantrums. She winced as he barked at her in anger.

“This isn’t how this was supposed to go! You weren’t supposed to show up with Cooper that night at my place. You were supposed to help me in my time of need which in turn would help get us back together!”

“Yikes,” she muttered under her breath. Michael didn’t hear her and continued ranting.

“Then when we scried, I wouldn’t see anything about Rebecca because I knew the truth. You didn’t see her because you still want to be with me! Don’t you see? Your subconscious wouldn’t let you find Rebecca so that we could be together.”

“More like I was simply looking in the wrong place,” Ruby spat back. “I looked for the killer instead of Rebecca, but I had the wrong guy. No wonder Cooper found them so fast, you practically set him up to find them all that way. Did you plan ahead for that too?”

Michael sprang at her, leaned over her so close his lips touched her cheekbone. When he spoke, it sounded like a growl through his clenched teeth.
 

“I meant for you to come over alone. You were supposed to comfort me. I would apologize - for the four hundredth time I might add - and you would see that we belong together. I should’ve let them kill Cooper when they had the chance the other night.”

Ruby’s blood ran cold. “You were there the whole time?”

“Oh darling,” he whispered. His soft lips planted a light kiss on her jaw. “I never left you.”

 
Ruby turned her face away from him which displeased him. He grabbed her face, his fingers hard on her cheeks, and forced her to look into his eyes.

“You don’t see it now, but you will. We had a moment back there, didn’t we, after we found Rebecca’s body? I know you felt it, too.”
 

He let go, took a step back to survey the area. Ruby thanked the goddess she hadn’t eaten in so many hours or she would’ve been sick several times over by now. Michael had faked his way through all of it, acted as though he was devastated over Rebecca’s murder, when he was the one who’d put her there! He continued to talk as though nothing were wrong.
 

“I’ll be expanding the coven soon. I’ll lead us into a new chapter of magic. We need fresh blood, others who can help expand our powers.”

“You mean other dark witches.”
 

“I’m willing to meet those with open minds,” Michael said delicately. “The ones we have now are…lacking in certain skills.”
 

“What do you even get out of all of this? Why do you want power so badly when you have all the money and resources in the world?”

Michael looked at her almost surprised. “Don’t you think I want that to continue? With dark magic, I can take away free will, make anyone do anything I want.”

“You’re a fucking control freak,” Ruby spat out.
 

He waggled a finger at her. “Don’t make me kill you, Ruby. I really don’t want to do that.”
 

The calm tone he used creeped her out. His attempt at reason would be over soon and he’d revert to violence. Ruby didn’t want to die, especially not at the hands of her stupid, asshole ex-boyfriend. But how did she stop him without killing him? She wanted him to go to prison for a very long time, suffer for what he’d done to her best friend.

“Now, I’m going to run out and grab another witch for her heart. You were never supposed to be in danger.” He sounded regretful as he shot a look at X on the floor. “I knew I’d have to kill him.”

She couldn’t knowingly let him go kill another witch. She tried to distract him. “What exactly do you plan to make people do once you’ve got superpowers?”

Michael held his arms out wide, crossbow in his right hand. He waved it around enthusiastically as he spoke. “Anything. Everything! It’s all within my grasp now, all I have to do is demand it.”

Ruby guffawed. “You sort of already do that, having had everything given to you for your entire life.”

He sighed. “I don’t think I’ll miss your sarcasm much. You’re very hurtful sometimes.”

Confusion came over her. “What?”

“I told you, I want us to be together forever. With a fifth heart, I’ll make sure you never leave me again. We’ll use your telepathy to double the power. You’ll feel better about the whole situation.”

Ruby froze, realized what he meant. He would put her under his spell, take away her free will and force her to be with him forever. She’d be his love puppet on a heartstring, using her power to control others for him. She could never be with Cooper, would probably never leave Michael’s sight. Alive but imprisoned in her own mind, she’d watch herself suffer. It was worse than death.

“I’ll find a way to kill you. Or I’ll kill myself,” she threatened.
 

“If you don’t want to be with me, I’ll take your heart.” He shrugged, though looked pained.
 

“So what, if you can’t have me, no one can?”

“That’s one way of looking at it. Though it’s more like if I can’t have you, then I should use your heart to give me the most power possible. Even in death, you’ll help me become greater and move our coven beyond seances and sleeping potions.”

“Go ahead.” She jerked her head towards the scalpels on the table. “I’ll never be with you willingly and I’ll find a way if you put me under, so you might as well go ahead and take my heart right now.”

Michael gave her a disappointed look. “I think you’ll change your mind as soon as the knife breaks your skin, but I’m sure I’d be willing to reconsider. So, if you insist…”

He walked over to her and grabbed the scalpel. With a quick look to the killer on the floor, he put the scalpel over Ruby’s heart, hesitated for a second. Then he looked her right in the eye.

“You’re sure about this? You’d rather me cut out your heart than live a life with me?”

“I won’t help you hurt innocent people. I won’t let you use my power for that. You can’t control me, command me to use my magic against them.”

“You do realize when I take your heart tonight, it will make me the most powerful I’ve ever been, right?” He gave her a cocky smile, as though he couldn’t believe she didn’t get it. “I get your power times five. I think I’ll knock out the city’s lights for fun or make it storm tomorrow.”
 

Ruby hadn’t thought that far ahead and mentally kicked herself. She hadn’t really expected Michael to call her bluff. Since she felt pretty sure he’d still carry through with it if she didn’t cave, her chances of escape were dwindling to less than a percent.
 

Michael caught the hesitation and smiled. “All you have to do is say the word and you’ll be free.”

“Not quite,” Ruby said. She tried to pull at her ropes again, her upper lip curling in disgust.
 

Michael stopped to put the scalpel down and search on the surgical set up beside him. He rooted around for a second, looked at the tools, and selected a different sized knife.
 

Ruby spoke as fast as she could. “Fire, fire—”

She risked a look at Michael, who didn’t move. He stood and watched her with an amused expression.

“Fire, fire, blazing light

Goddess help me in this night

Set this evil man ablaze

Clear his mind of violent haze.”

She glared at Michael, who looked around as though curious to see what would happen. A second later, he grunted, held out his hand to find flames encasing his hand up to his elbow. They licked at his shoulders and threatened to overcome him. Ruby’s heart burst with hope and she waited for the rest of the fire to take him.
 

Then he chuckled, shook his hand off instead and the flames died out. Ruby’s heart, still full from the joy, seemed to deflate, nearly choked her with disappointment. His right shoulder went up in a half-apologetic shrug.
 

“I don’t blame you for trying,” he told her. “Don’t take it personal, you’re a great witch. That would’ve worked on anyone else, I’m sure. Too much dark magic on my side now.”

Panic set in, her brain drawing a blank on any other spell or possible escape. In any case, he would be more powerful than her. She couldn’t be with him though, couldn’t bear the idea of watching Cooper die or hurting other people with her magic. If she died now, maybe Cooper or someone else could still stop Michael. She made a split second decision.
 

“Do it then. Take my heart.”

Michael seemed more hurt than angry. He said nothing, only lifted the scalpel and pressed it into her chest. He sighed and applied slight pressure.
 

Ruby closed her eyes. A heartbeat later, she screamed.
 

Ruby almost passed out from the pain that Michael carved into her. Her screams echoed around the room, mocked her as he dug the scalpel inch by inch into her chest. Why didn’t she tell Michael to go find another witch and
then
try to escape?
 

Because Michael would’ve killed another innocent person and you couldn’t stop him. Because Courtney died thanks to you
, a voice whispered. She cursed herself and prayed for release. She turned her head away from him, the cold metal stinging her cheekbone. As Michael continued to cut, Ruby felt blood rush over her skin, drip down on to the metal table and concrete floor. Ruby felt a deeper weakness than the loss of blood. She suspected the heavy piece of silver on her chest was sapping her magic.
 

Though warm tears blurred her vision, she made out a shape in the darkness. A scent floated to Ruby’s nose, a familiar, spicy smell that she’d know anywhere. Ruby’s prayers were answered as the surgery halted; pain seared through her, threatened to make her pass out. She looked up at Michael in time to see his surprised face as he flew back into the surgical table, knocking it and all the tools over with an echoing clatter. Michael and the instruments fell to a heap, a scalpel marking a large cut in his hand. He yelped in pain, snatched his crossbow back up in his hand, knife in the other, as he stood to face the attacker.