CHAPTER 245: BONFIRE II

Dangerous to the community? I didn’t know whether I should laugh or explode in anger about the accusation. At the end, I chuckled. Then laughed. Again and again. Until my hand held my belly as my boisterous laughter echoed through the area.

"What else did the princess tell you?" I asked, darting glances between her and Rachel.

Rachel lowered her head in shame. Or was it guilt? Or anger?

Oh, what did it matter? It didn’t change the fact that she was a two-timing bitch. I am not Queen material? Well, was she? With her thick black hair when she was at an age where she should be owning a couple of white strands.

So much for being friends. I would rather keep to Diana alone.

"Don’t try to deviate from the subject topic. Who are you? I don’t believe for one second that you had lost your memories... you could be a spy!" Claire insisted, her face a bland mask, not exposing any emotion. But I was sure she was seething—she has been since Adam took interest in me.

"So what if I am a spy? What are you going to do? Cry to the Queen or your stupid father who always licks your ass?"

"How dare you?!" She was up to her feet in no moment at all, for the next thing I knew she was right in my face; would have had her hand around my neck in a chokehold, only that my reflexes were faster, or rather El’s.

So instead of me pleading for air, she was the one now straining under the tight grip I had around her neck.

I was surprised at the strength in my hands.

"What were you saying?" I teased, senses attuned to my environment, in case anyone from the group deemed it important to attack me and save their friend.

"I..."

I released the grip a little to see what she had to say.

"You can invade all you want, Dora... but you are something else, an anomaly. A witch shouldn’t have the upper hand in strength over a werewolf. You just proved my theory. Something is up with you, something I am sure your fake family isn’t aware of."

I let her go then. She was right after all. I didn’t even know what I was. I had magic, yes, but there were other abilities that I had which I was sure had nothing to do with magic. I watched her cough sporadically, clutching her chest.

"You..." She insisted, refusing to give up. "What are you? Who sent you here?" She paused, coughed the more, before turning to Raul. "I think you should arrest her. She needs to be checked out..."

"Seriously? Turn me into a lab rat? Why am I even surprised that that’s your first course of action?" I cocked my head to the side, watching as she crawled to Rachel, who wouldn’t meet my gaze.

"You know, I wish you had made that statement before I had called on the crowd..." I muttered, my senses picking the sound of footsteps. They will soon be here.

"Would you have left here?" Noah asked, speaking up for the first time that night.

"Of course. What else will I be doing with people who think I am a spy?" The question was asked in a way to make him look foolish, but the young fellow wasn’t.

"She wasn’t speaking for all of us. Personally, I don’t think you are a spy. But I’m interested in her first statement... the one about you being picked as an injured person who had lost her memories. How true is that?"

I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could. No way was I letting them know my true identity, by giving off any clues.

"Why not ask the rattlesnake?" I questioned back, nodding toward Rachel.

Raul for one looked angry, not at me, but at his sister for speaking more than necessary to a werewolf. Never mind the peace treaty held every year; there was still underlying tension between the two supernatural factions.

"I want to hear it from the horse’s mouth."

"Well, the horse doesn’t want to talk." I said, right before I snapped my finger, and increased the fire to what was really a bonfire.

"Now, let the party begin!" I shouted, right at the moment that the first set of people—a group of six—entered into the gathering with bottles of booze and plastic cups.

Of course, I had added a little tweak to the message. As I planned beforehand, I needed to escape to do my research.

"Dora!" Sinclair shouted, coming to stand beside me with Levina. "You wouldn’t believe the craziest thing that just happened to me, to us... I confirmed from Levina that she was woken the same way... and to think our curiosity was satisfied!"

As a merry Sinclair chatted away, believing that he had been visited by some magic angel, I smiled in triumph, noting the energy the others had needed to hide the frustration on their faces and welcome the new party. The topic was over, and I would make sure it was never brought up again!

"Dora, where is your mind?!" Levina shouted as music strummed through the atmosphere.

Someone had brought a Bluetooth speaker? Oh, that was better.

"Right here with you, friend. Right here with you." I answered, laughing, grabbing her hand, dancing along with the music, only stopping for a second when my eyes connected with Naomi’s. She seemed sad.

"Come on!" I shouted, beckoning her, pleased with the way her eyes lit up at the invitation. I realized she wasn’t really into the clique—that maybe the reason she followed them was because of her love for Noah.

"Here you guys, drink to your fill..." Sinclair thrust the drink at us.

"Don’t worry, werewolf, it’s potent enough to knock you out," He said to Naomi, who was about to protest the unlikelihood of her enjoying the booze.

I smiled. The plan was working. Very soon I would be making my getaway without being stopped.