Unbound (Unbound, Book 1) ~Formerly Casting Power~

Chapter 31

"I'd leave if I were you," Nancy said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. She looked at me and then smiled back to Chelsea. "I was there when she was unbound. It got pretty wild, and she wasn't even trying. Now, she's pissed. You should be running."

"Screw you," Chelsea said, spittle flying in Nancy's direction.

Nancy, who seemed happy with the girl's reaction, laughed. "I'm sorry, honey, but I'm busy tonight." Nancy kissed the air as she looked over at Julian with a suggestive smile.

I thought I heard Aubrey-Lynn gasp and was surprised that Aiden hadn't hauled-ass to tear the two apart. Any other day, with any other boy, and Julian would be on his butt in the front yard already, away from his precious princess.

"Whatever." Chelsea flipped her greasy hair over her shoulder and turned her nose up so she could look down at the three of us. "Why doesn't she just make me if she's such a prodigy?"

"You want her to kick your ass just to prove a point? You're that stupid?" Julian cocked his head to the side, dumbfounded. "She'll beat you before you can raise a hand in defense."

"I'd like to see her try."

I stepped forward to prove what she refused to believe.

"Enough," a loud voice boomed from behind us, and my stomach sank. "There will be no fighting."

A gasp echoed through the room and Chelsea's eyes widened in their sockets. Nancy swirled around and nudged me to look at who had arrived, but I couldn't turn. Even without knowing him, having never seen him or heard his voice, my newfound intuition told me who'd arrived.

"Nora?" Nancy whispered, trying to turn me around.

Fresh tears pooled in my eyes. Why was he here? Why now?

"What's going on?" she asked.

"What's he doing here?"

"Who invited him?"

"Did he know Vavila?"

Questions flooded the air around us. I almost laughed, though I wanted to cry. Nobody knew a damn thing, not even Nancy. I wanted to run away and hide from what was happening, but there was nowhere to go. I should have told Nancy.

"S-sir, I didn't e-expect—" Chelsea stammered, looking as though she had wet herself in terror.

This man scared everyone, his name alone causing chills of apprehension. Nobody crossed him and got away with it, which was how he'd become the man he was today.

"I can see that," the voice said, his authority obvious and lacking patience. "Now, if you don't mind, I believe you were about to leave."

"I didn't mean—"

"That doesn't matter," he said. "You're leaving. First, however, I believe that you owe my daughter an apology. I'm not sure what you tend to believe, but perhaps it may be smart to send a prayer for forgiveness out to my ex-wife before you go to bed tonight. From what I remember, she'd be protective of the cub."

"I'm sorry," Chelsea muttered without looking up from the floor. "I didn't know you were his daughter."

"Yeah, thanks. I think that was obvious," I snapped.

"Nora? That's—he's... The leader of the High Council is your damn father?" Nancy sounded mad, but her eyes were filled with pain when she looked back at me.

I knew she'd be thinking I hadn't trusted her enough, but the truth was that I wish I didn't know. I never met the man, and my mother had forbidden me to speak of it a long time ago. "I'll explain later, Nance."