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"I’e Anger bubbled beneath the surface, but she was trying to keep it under control The less Elizabeth expected a fight, the ot one "Every witch learns throughout her lifetime"

"From her teacher"

"And from experience And the spells of other witches"

"Which they learn in covens, not froo" Elizabeth cocked her head, a movement uncannily like the crow perched nearby "You e that you will never fulfill your true potential as a witch without a teacher, and I’m your only chance"

"Okay, then, I’ll never fulfillas I ood And it definitely means I don’t have to work for the One Beneath, or ever ith you"

Elizabeth’s smile was easy, even contented "You can say that so easily only because you haven’t even begun to grasp what your true potential really is"

What did she er, another emotion flickered--curiosity

But Elizabeth continued, "I anificent work, Nadia Work that can reshape everything we have ever known about ic You should help ine the glory waiting for you if you join h I can tell you ill happen first, if you continue to resist"

Nadia was very aware of the weight of her bracelet around her wrist If Elizabeth cast a spell at this moment, could she counteract it? Did she intend to just strike her down, here and now?

Instead Elizabeth said, "First, I’ll go back to your house, just like I did yesterday Your father didn’t ot I proet yesterday afternoon"

"What did you do to hi as a love spell; love sprang into being of its own accord, and that was all there was to it But there were spells of desire--spells of lust, basically Mo to use thes up once in a while" They would be effective on anyone, though A spell of desire put someone in your bed Nadia remembered the way her father had wanted a drink, how flustered he’d been when Elizabeth walked in, and thought for a ht throw up

Elizabeth shook her head "Nothing happened this ti men are so rare Your father resisted very bravely But it’s in his head now--the idea of having o; he ht not even need the spell that time"

At first Nadia couldn’t find her voice, but then she ed to say, "Leave my father out of this"

"It’s too late for that At this rate, I’ session, when I’d confess that I’d been pressured into an affair by one of my friends’ fathers I wonder what your life would be like if he went to prison for statutory rape? Would you be old enough to take custody of Cole full-tih of course you’d have to drop out of school and work to support you both Even if you did find a job, you couldn’t keep that lovely house, I’d iine There are soain, o into foster care?" Elizabeth frowned, momentarily confused "Or do they still have workhouses? I can’t recall"

"You wouldn’t dare!"

"What is it you think I wouldn’t dare to do?" With a shrug, Elizabeth said, "You know, I could simply falsely accuse your father Everyone would believe me"

They would Part of Elizabeth’s poas the deep enchantment she somehow held over most of the people in Captive’s Sound Nobody ever saw the horrible things she did, or questioned the fact that she’d been present for nearly four hundred years Instead she was excused, accepted, and adored

"But I wouldn’t do that, Nadia I would uilty Then the whole tie of what he’d done would be there within your father As I said, he’s a good man He’d never understand why he committed such a terrible sin It would destroy hiet out of jail, he’d never be the sa this?" Nadia wished she could think of a spell horrible enough for Elizabeth, anything as gruesome as she deserved "Why do you care if I ith you or not? The One Beneath has you already Why would He need er Nadia had gli ill happen if you don’t join me But you will Then, instead of punish you have that I want Listen toto stop you I don’t care how hard it is or how long it takes I will stop you And if you don’t leave my father alone, I swear to God, I’ll find a way to make you sorry"

"We’ll see, won’t we?" With that, Elizabeth rose and walked away, never even glancing back But Nadia felt as though she was still being watched, e eyes, the one that never stopped staring at her