When Truth Fails Read Online Free

his breath.
    “What?” she asked. She could see his knuckles turn white as his grip on the railing tighten.
    “A witch,” he said. He turned around to face her but this was no longer the Cassius that she had grown to love. “You are a witch. That has to be it. Have you bewitched me?” The anger flew from his eyes like fire.
    “What? No.” A lump grew in Ellie’s throat. She could feel the tears welling up inside her.
    “What have you done?” he asked. He reached for her but stopped himself and took a deep breath. His eyes weren’t focused on her. He couldn’t even look at her.
    “I haven’t done anything. You have to believe me.”
    “Was it you? Did you kill my father?”
    “No! No, you have to believe me!”
    “Guards!” he screamed.
    He doesn’t believe me, she thought. The statement ran through her head over and over again. She had made a huge mistake.
    The doors burst open and two armed guards marched into the room.
    “Take her away. I do not want to see her again.” His gaze laid upon her face like daggers. She had never seen such hatred before. “We will have her tried as a witch.”
    Ellie backed away. “What?!”
    The guards reached for her but she slipped through their fingers and ran out the door in tears. She ran past Magnus and down the hall.
    “Aemelia!” he called after her. Magnus sprinted after her with the guards barreling down at his heels.
    In the safety of the shadows, Magnus finally caught up to a distraught Ellie.
    She leaned up against the wall, her head resting against the cool concrete. She panted heavily, trying to catch her breath.
    “What happened back there?” Magnus asked, huffing and puffing as well.
    She shook her head. “I made a big mistake,” she said with a scoff. “I thought I could trust him but-” She thought about her story. Her wild story. “From the future,” she muttered under her breath.
    “What?”
    “I told him something about myself. The truth. I…” her voice faded. She fought back tears. “I told him my deepest, darkest secret and he shunned me away. Called me a witch and shunned me away.” She shook her head. Her eyes, which had been focused on nothing in particular turned toward Magnus. “Men,” she said.
    Magnus grinned. “He does not speak for all of us. Pompous ass. He may be the standard for boys but not for us men.” He held his arms out and grinned. “Now me…”
    The magnitude of Ellie’s smile surprised her. Surprised her enough to accidentally let the tears break through and run down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away. “Ugh!” she grunted in frustration. “But now I’ve been marked as a witch. They’re going to hunt me even more. What are we going to do?” They both fell silent. Ellie knew what had to be done but she didn’t want to. She couldn’t be alone. She had been alone her entire life. Having Magnus by her side had brought forth happy emotions that she never thought were possible – even during this heartbreaking moment. But… She couldn’t risk his life just for her. “You have to go,” she said.
    “Go where?” he asked.
    “Go off on your own. They’ll be scouring the streets for me. I can’t drag you down with me.”
    Magnus shook his head. “Now what kind of husband would I be if I left my expecting wife here in an alley?” Ellie felt a different emotion building up inside her now. “You are not going to get rid of me that easily, witch,” he said with a laugh. “Come on. We have to keep moving in case they catch up to us.” He grabbed her hand and led her out of the alley.

Chapter Four
    Cassius stood in the foyer of the gigantic estate. The guards that escorted him in stood on either side. While this gesture would be insulting in any other situation, Cassius didn’t feel threatened by the act.
    In the far corner of the large room, a tall figure walked in through a corridor leading to another wing of the estate. He walked around the shallow pool of water in the middle of the room