Page 59 of A Velvet Kiss After Dark

What would become of her, she did not know. She only knew that it seemed as if she had a guiding hand, urging her in the right direction.

Her bindings were gone. She'd slipped a knife from Kane's own belt loop, and he hadn't even noticed, too entranced with trying to figure out what was wrong with her and where to go. Moron, she thought discernibly. She had no reason to be kind to this monster of the flesh—this animal in a human body. He was disaster waiting to happen, and the tender way he oftentimes looked at her, worsened the anxiety she felt. Did this man love her?

What was this talk of being in her home? Her home, a mere figment remaining in her imagination, was so long gone, so transparent, she couldn't recollect a street address, a town name, or a city. Where was she from? Who was she? Why was she here?

He spewed lies to steal the relic for himself, or for some Alpha werewolf who'd likely use it to annihilate the entire world if he could. She would not let that happen. And, so, it was with great aplomb that Tabitha made her great escape.

How easy it was. How simple did she think he was? A cutting of her bindings, a surging of magical wind that spewed so recklessly from her fingertips, that not even the vampires could withstand her gale-like power. It whipped the entire team over and spun them in ludicrous cartwheels until a mile separated them. A sheer mile, and the darkness that had one bereaved her in this mighty land seemed not to bother her now. She could see more clearly than ever; not even her eyeglasses, left back at "home" (wherever that was), had ever made her see as clearly as she did this night.

The rain had yet to stop, but it seemed to begin to dissipate, becoming more of a drizzle. Smacking each of their rides on the backside, Tabitha sent all but her mount scurrying in the opposite direction.

Her palms and even her fingertips were warm with power, like they were suffused in a crackling, magnetic field that she couldn't see with her two eyes, but could feel radiating around them. The ghostly apparition, who's name and import she could no longer recall, had given her a gift. A gift of wind. And with that current, she'd sent these marauders, these despicable "captors" flying in the wind. No matter how they'd bellowed for her to cede her reckless behavior, she'd merely condemned them with a thought and the power at her hands.

Move away from me!

Get away from me!

It was almost as if her eyes were glowing in the darkness. The stench of murky swamp water, of salty brine and old plants with decayed leaves, became so heavy as the turbulent wind spun around her body, that her eyes watered, and she shoved them away. How powerless they were to whatever magic she now cradled within her. How long it would remain, she did not know; but one thing she did know, was she would not let it go to waste.

And, so, atop her mount, with her enemies long in the distance and the sheer force of wind keeping them at bay with striking ferocity, Tabitha turned her mount and made her way to the Castle of Illusions.

Look how easy, boys and girls, she thought with devilish glee.

Nighttime in Hell was here and felt stronger than ever. How could she ever have been so weak before? Feeling frightened or insecure when she had this mighty gift at her fingertips? Never again would she succumb to weakness. Never again would she be taken or abused or stomped upon. Never again would she see that silly werewolf and ugly bloodsuckers. She was Tabitha…a wind goddess, and it was her duty to save humanity.

23

T-minus 18 hours until the portal closes

I hate this maddening woman. I hate this maddening woman. I hate this woman. I hate her so much.

The coppery taste of fresh blood gushed in Kánnérd Gunner's mouth. He snarled in the direction of his once and future mate. How dare she attack him?

Maddened or crazy or not, he did not deserve this nonsense!

Anger blasted through him like a fiery volcano exploding outward. He would take his vengeance, and how sweet it would be. Her power, whatever this strange concoction was that this demon beverage had allegedly given to her was making her more into a sorceress by the minute. First with her tethers, then stealing his knife so secretly that he truly hadn't notice. How dare you attack me, Tabitha.

He had to help her before she did something ludicrously dangerous. Like die down here, something no one could fix, not even him.

"I'm going after her," he declared to the group, who lie groaning in agony on the ground.

Graham groaned as he struggled to stand. The force of the wind had cracked his spine against a branch and reopened his wound which bled in deep rivulets into his shirt. Kane pressed an extra shirt from his sack to the wound to help staunch it and commanded his brethren to transform to help him to heal more quickly. Graham did at once, the mere act pinching his face with pained agony.

Alexis's arm hung limply and at an awkward angle at her side. It'd been broken from also striking a tree at the swampy march.

Seth held a small towel to a bloody cut on his scalp to try to stem the flow.

How did one small human manage so much destruction so quickly? And just what was in that spell she drank? For he couldn't wrap his mind around it. What person did she see in her hallucination that scared her so? What did it say to her? Was she ever going to be the same again?

"We should stick together," Alexis said, her words came out stilted from pain and face was more pale than was healthy.

"I can't wait for you. I'm the only one uninjured. You can stay here for all I care. I just know that I can't leave her alone. I have to keep her safe. I can't explain it, but if she dies, I may go to." Kane shouldered his backpack with the flexible straps and quickly transformed into his werewolf form. Bipedal, two legs, talons at the ready, he could see her dotted figure far in the distance and moving quickly. The mounts were gone except for hers. Clever lady, he'd give her that.

Vengeance would be so sweet once she realized that she was his and that he loved her. Maybe she couldn't see it now, but he felt their nurturing tether more vehemently than ever. He would not die in this God-forsaken place, and neither would he allow her to. Now this was personal.

Without another word, with only a howl from his tossed back hairy neck, did Kane relinquish his beast's cry. He wanted her to hear him. He wanted to shake her up. If war was what she wanted, then it's war she'd get; and a wolf never left his mate along to fight a battle.

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