Bitter Submission ✓

Chapter Forty Eight

| Forty-Eight |

|Jesse|

"What is this?" I frowned staring at the castle before me, noting that no one was outside. Usually, Bloodtrei always had cambions at the entrances, making sure no one was around.

Bloodtrei's castle was located upstate, hidden inside a forest near the Catskills. Bear Mountain did a great job of hiding this huge old-world mansion. He also had forced witches and some fae to put a glamour around it so if a human came to wander in, they would be cast right out. It was a great location, but even a worse idea for Bloodtrei. He was so cocky that he didn't think anyone would fight against him. This was a great ambush location.

Blair stopped walking forward and crouched behind some trees. "Maybe he's expecting us?"

I shook my head, the gears in my brain churning. "This isn't like him. You know he's one for theatrics."

"Then maybe he's not even here," Blair said grimly, looking up at the castle. 

Bloodtrei wasn't the type to run away from problems. He always took the hard way and made sure that others would see never to go against anything. This situation was even more dangerous than us knowing Bloodtrei was there. Uncertainty was worse than anything else.

Not knowing what could happen wasn't good. 

"We should go from the back," Blair started, "going straight through the front is more of a death wish."

I nodded, already following Blair around the castle. It was downhill, so we had the high ground. However, even with the ability to see everything, there was nothing to see. Everything was quiet. I could hear birds chirping. Even with my enhanced hearing, I heard nothing. No one was around. Blair and I both knew that, but none of us wanted to be dumb enough to waltz right in. 

Once we made it to the back entrance, I was one hundred percent sure that not a soul was in the castle. I stalked forward, determination settle into my gut. Seres had to be here. Everen didn't lie to me. There was no way. Where else would they have her?

Blair followed and pressed his ear against the double-sided door. After a few moments, Blair shook his head. "I don't hear anyone. Do you think anyone is even in there?"

I shoved past him, anger curling throughout my body. "We're checking."

|-=-=-|

|Luxinia|

"You stay here if there's anything we need help with we will use the walkie talkie, understand?" I stared at Alethea, praying silently that nothing would happen to her.

We decided to prop her up on a tree so she could have a view of the front entrance. So far we didn't see anyone, but we still didn't know what was going to be inside. 

Tessa looked around the perimeter and doubled back telling us there were no guards around. It was starting to snow and we needed to hurry before a blizzard arrived. I searched the area for Jesse's presence. I didn't feel him. Maybe we got here before he did. Or maybe he turned off his emotional connection to me.

Odd.

Alethea settled into the tree, binoculars around her neck. "If I see anything I'll call in," she half-smiled, but I could feel how scared she was.