Chapter 23

I awoke slowly, fighting to regain consciousness. Pain was the first thing I noticed. My arms felt like they were on fire, the chains tighter than before. The sun was brighter against the windows, the warehouse so silent I could hear the roar of the ocean faintly in the background. Was I still alone? How long had I been out?

The arm I was laying on started stinging with pins and needles as I shifted. I must have been out awhile then.

"You shouldn't have reached for your power. It's the worst thing you could do in a Binding."

The voice came from behind me, but that wasn't what surprised me. What caught me off guard was that I recognized it. I struggled to sit up, turning to face John. My roommate from college, John.

Now I remembered what was bothering me before - it was his face in the darkness of the hood as he knocked me out with the vial.

"How? Why are you here with the Witches?" I asked, still bewildered by my old roommate's presence. He sat cro