Read Online Half Lost by Sally Green - Free Book Online Page B

I feel for any Black Witches among the prisoners—they’ll suffer most being kept inside at night—but I know that giving myself up won’t stop Soul’s cruelty.
    Van stands and says, “Walk with me, Nathan. I don’t think we need an audience for this.”
    I get up and she takes my arm in hers and we stroll away from camp. Gabriel and Nesbitt follow close behind.
    â€œSoul wants you, Nathan. But I believe he’d rather have you alive than dead. The Council kept you in a cage and trained you to kill your father. As a plan, that was twisted enough, but I think Soul is even more ambitious now. I think he wants to turn you into his private assassin, to kill whomever he wishes.”
    â€œAre people having visions about that too?”
    â€œNot as far as I know. But it fits with his plan to control witches around the world. He’d love you to be his henchman. I’ve never met Soul, of course, but Celia knows him and you have met him too, I understand. Would he want that?”
    My gut instinct says yes. I tell Van, “He wanted to give me three gifts on my seventeenth birthday. I always thought that was odd. Like he was making it personal.”
    â€œYes, I think it is personal to him. I don’t think he needs you but he wants you. Partly ego, partly”—she shrugs—“obsession. You got away from him and he wants you back. But most of all he wants power. And he thinks having you will symbolize his strength.”
    â€œGood job he hasn’t got me then.”
    â€œExactly. But, unlike Soul, the Alliance is weak and vulnerable. Celia is working hard to keep morale up and training the few recruits we have, but for the time being our first priority is to keep safe. Keep our heads down. Not attack the Hunters. And not risk losing you. We need you, Nathan. If you die, the Alliance will be broken. You can’t risk your life going after small groups of Hunters; that isn’t the way to defeat Soul.” Van stops and stares at me. “Though I sense that isn’t your top priority at the moment.”
    I shrug.
    She persists. “You’re searching for Annalise?”
    â€œWhat do you think? Because of her my father is dead. Because of her half the Alliance is dead.”
    â€œWhat will you do if you find her?” Van asks.
    I snort a laugh. “You mean, will I kill her quick or slow? I’m favoring quick at the moment but I’ll have to see.”
    Van takes a deep breath and pulls her cigarette case out of her jacket, offers me one and takes one herself. We smoke in silence for a minute before she asks, “Are you able to use any of the Gifts your father had?”
    â€œYou know, it’s bad manners to ask a White Witch about their Gifts and I am half White, Van.”
    She blows smoke in my face and says, “And I seem to lose my manners completely around you, Nathan.”
    For some reason that makes me smile. “I’m working on them. My Gifts, I mean, not my manners.”
    She looks like she’s suppressing a grin and says, “With what results?”
    â€œI can go invisible—that’s working the best—and I can kill with lightning. I can breathe fire.” And to demonstrate I blow out a small smoke ring without the help of a cigarette.
    â€œAnd controlling time?”
    â€œI’m working on it but it’s hard. But, you know, the smoke rings aren’t that easy either.”
    That actually does make her smile and then she blows a huge smoke ring and series of smaller ones to me.
    I’m still not sure where this is all leading. “Do you believe the visions of me killing Soul, Van?”
    â€œI don’t need to believe in visions when I’ve got something better, something tangible that will enable you to kill Soul and will allow the Alliance to win.” She pauses for a long drag on her cigarette and then continues. “Even withall your father’s Gifts,