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Chapter Twenty-Two

Trent bowed his head as the auditoriuan to wail I kne she felt

"Rachel," Pierce said, and I pushed his hand froh even as I feltaway Daain

"You’d have us pardon the black witch who stopped another froed "If you’re afraid and want the taint of blackus, the choice is simple! We should choose a demon killer, not the one who saved hi his position?"

My head came up They wouldn’t vote for me; not now The crowd became even louder, and as security came forward to keep thee At the coven table, grim-faced people raised their hands One, two, three, four

"Trustwith his lips inches from my ear as Lucy howled "You saved me from demons, and I will save you from the witches Just play it out Trust rip too tight on , Vivian!" Oliver stated, and the woht in worry "Either say yea or nay or your voice won’t count"

"I vote against Pierce," she said quickly "Oliver Wait"

But Oliver was striding to the front of the stage The noise was loud, and he shouted, "That is four for Pierce, one against Pierce regains his position, exonerated froiven leave to use such skills to destroy de, but ht, and Oliver was far too happy Pierce was being pulled backward to the table, absently shaking hands with nervous people noorn to protect him by a brotherhood only broken in the direst of situations And he in turn would protect the Rachel Morgan’s shunning and reinstating her as a white witch capable of doing black ic?" Oliver stated

"Wait!" I said, then fu too fast And Trent was backing aith a crying Lucy-abandoning me

"Oliver," Vivian said loudly over the clamor of a hundred voices "This is not fair, and you know it!"

He grinned at her, looking evil "For or against, Vivian"

"I vote for Rachel," she said breathlessly

"As do I," Pierce said, but there were four hands raised against me, and my heart seemed to turn into a black stone

It was over?

It was over that quickly?

"You lose," Oliver said, s until I put the three chairs between me and them I had that security amulet, and I wasn’t helpless "You pro "Oliver, I swear, you’ll give it to !"

"No, you won’t" Oliver wasn’t using his ae, and I felt myself pale I looked past hihts had co her hands to her chest and crying My gaze fell then to Ivy, as ready to live at last-without hast and unable to reach me because of the bubble between us He’d be fine He’d go live with Trent, the bastard, and his children would play with Lucy

They’d all be fine withoutas I fuivento Alcatraz I’d call Al first

"I did no wrong," I said, reaching out and tapping a line, feeling edness filled ic, and I will use it when threatened I’ for security, and Pierce stiffened, surrounded by his new peers

Ifor s cooled off, and then co Who was I kidding? They’d knoas me

"Oliver, you already tried Alcatraz," Trent said, his voice calm and smooth "As I recall, that was a dis more permanent"

I turned toward Trent, livid Like a loboto?" I all but hissed, and he retreated, putting more distance between us as Lucy howled

"There’s nothing to stop her froain," Trent said rabbedwhen a zip strip was slipped over my wrists As Pierce stood, ed ley line left me

"What do you have in mind?" Oliver asked as I shook the security off and stood in the hot spotlight, hearing some people cry for ainst me Trent had said to trust hiht

"I can curse her," Trent said, and Vivian’s eyes widened "Send her to the ever-after, which is where she’d flee anyway, but curse her so that she can’t return unless summoned"

"You son of a bitch!" Jenks shrilled, a hot red dust spilling fro wickedly, but I could do nothing except stare Was there such a thing, or was this part of his plan? Put some fake curse on me so I was off the coven radar? Brooke had offeredsimilar What would my life be like now if I had accepted?

"Well, she is a demon, isn’t she?" Trent said with a nasty boys’-club smile on his face