Page 42 of Wicked Warlock
Kylian stopped at the door. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”
“Seeing my bad side is reminder enough, I think.” I motioned to the door. “Shall we?”
The sound of a chair scraping across tiles and the distinct thud of a body hitting the floor made us both glance toward the back of the house. Kylian grabbed the door and opened it for me. “Can’t wait to see who’s next.”
This one I would enjoy. This one had it coming. This one deserved it. And it brought a smile to my face. “Me either.”
Chapter 19
Leo
The school was eerily silent this time of morning. It still felt like night with thick gray clouds that blocked out what would otherwise be the sun. A heavy fog fell over the grounds and the students hadn’t risen yet. But I felt something in the atmosphere. It woke me from a dead sleep. Now here I was, walking an empty path toward what remained of Beckett’s old house. A dark energy was here, and I didn’t know what or who it was, but it crawled over my skin, smothering me in my sleep, forcing me awake. So here I was, early in the morning, roaming the Warwick campus in my pajama pants and sweatshirt.
The winding path turned, and I followed to where there were no more houses, only trees. The forbidden forest sat to my left and a thick line of trees sat to my right. Like a magnet, I was pulled toward something I didn’t know. I turned and stepped into the forbidden forest and climbed over a downed tree. Loud squawking broke the silence, and I ducked down for a moment, waiting for some kind of evil hunting bird to peck my eyes out.
“On your knees.” A familiar voice hissed from right behind me. The pointy end of a knife poked into my back, and I froze. Anger burst through my body, and I wanted to spin around and fight, yet I held still. I glanced around, feeling completely alone and knowing I had no other choice but to stand my ground. Good. It’s about time I deal with this.
“No.” My words came out like a growl, and I called on my power, every little bit of it. “Drop… the… knife.”
The sharp pinch in my back disappeared as fast as it came. I spun on my heels.
“Kyle.” I spat his name like a curse.
Kyle stood staring at the knife on the ground. He smirked in my direction, those brown eyes glittering with condescension as he pursed his lips. “That’s a first from you.”
A first from me? The first time my power was strong enough to affect him. The first time I stood up to him. The first time I felt my power roll through me, and the first time I felt ready to take him on. I curled my hands into fists at my sides.
Kitty strolled up and rested her elbow on Kyle’s shoulder and gave a snide chuckle. Her stringy hair fell into her face as she studied her nails. “Be done with it, Kyle. I’m bored and want to see what’s up for grabs here.”
“Looting? You came this way to loot what was left of Beckett’s house?” Disgust laced my every word.
These two stood for nothing but themselves. Before I knew what I was doing, I hauled back my hand and let it snap forward. My fist connected with Kyle’s face, hitting square at the bridge of his nose. His head snapped back, and he dropped to his knees, clutching his face. Blood seeped between his fingers. Tears poured down his cheeks as he rocked back and forth.
Finally, he was the one dropping tears. “Cry me a river.”
“Hey!” Kitty wrapped her arm around Kyle’s shoulders and began to drag him away from me. I stood watching until she dragged him completely out of sight.
Victory coursed through my veins, and I felt it through every fiber of my being. Finally. Finally, he got what he deserved—a fraction of the hurt he inflicted on me.
A bright glowing light flared behind my back. That feeling of dark magic made the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention. I dove for cover behind a fallen tree and a bush that had lost its leaves to the chill. The damp, dead leaves stuck to my pants and left patches of wet fabric that clung to my skin. Goosebumps broke out over my body, and I shivered in my hiding spot. I wanted to get up, to run away from the place. Yet I was stuck here, unable to move and completely enthralled by the brightly glowing portal.
The point of a long, jagged sword came through first. The top side of the blade was serrated, and the bottom was smooth and sharp. Then, like a nightmare, a huge figure stepped out of the portal. His skin was a sickly pale gray, with dark shadows hanging under his sharp cheekbones and around his piercing crimson eyes. Pointed ears pierced up through his dark hair. His lips matched the circles around his eyes. Thick black cracks forked out over his skin, covering it in a lightning-shaped pattern. Multiple horns jutted back from his head like the roots of a tree. They mixed in with his shoulder-length, black hair. A sleeveless black cloak fell from his shoulder to his knees. Tall heavy boots covered his legs from the knee down, and I instantly knew I was screwed… We all were.
This thing was responsible for killing Damiel, for taking Logan, and killing so many more. The creature sucked in a deep breath and took another step forward then froze. He sniffed the air like a hound on the hunt. Sniff, sniff, sniff. He snapped his head in my direction and his glowing red eyes met mine. I scrambled to my feet to run but he was already there so fast I hadn’t seen him move. He wrapped his hand in my shirt and dragged me toward him. His rancid breath fanned across my face, and he growled at me with those shark-like teeth. Was this the Unseelie general I’d heard so much about?
“Charmer.”
How? How could he know my power? Three other monster-looking demon things walked through the portal. They all had that dusky gray skin and hulking bodies. Blacked silver armor covered their chests and groins but nothing else. Each of them held some kind of primitive weapon, an axe made from bones, a sword with spots of rust, a long, jagged dagger that made the leader’s sword look thin.
“You’ll be of use to me.” He growled low in the back of his throat.
A ball of dread sat heavy in my stomach, and I was sure I was going to puke on his boots. Or piss myself. “I’m not telling you shit.”
If I was going to die today, then at least I would live with myself long enough before I met my demise.
An ominous, growling chuckle rumbled in his chest. “When I am done, you will pray for death.”
He leaned in closer, so close his lips were about to touch mine. I braced myself for the violating kiss and unwanted touches. Instead, he opened his mouth and his scaly, pointed tongue darted over his lips. Black smoke erupted from his throat, and it smacked into my face. Nothing. I saw nothing… I felt nothing. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to breathe around it, but it invaded my lungs, burning through my body. The tension in my body eased, and I breathed in another puff of smoke. My body sagged but I was here for it. Everything was right with the world. Nothing could touch me in this place. His place… his command. He placed me on my feet, and I couldn’t remember why I was here or what I was doing.
