Page 109 of Hellish Witch

He hissed, whirling on me as I snuffed out the distance between us. “That’s rich coming from you, kid.”

“Excuse me?” I scoffed.

He drew up to his full height and stood his ground. The second I was within reach, I shoved his chest, slamming him back into a tree hard enough to rain leaves.

“You heard me.” He shook a leaf from his wavy hair, unfazed by the impact. “I was right all along. Your magic isn’tbroken, and yet you’re still running from yourself.”

“Fuck you, Kill. I had to join the coven to stabilise my cursed power before I hurt anyone else.”

Doubt crept in at the edges as he snorted in cruel amusement.

“Did you?” He cocked his horns. “Or did your deadbeat dad just pressure a powerful new pawn into joining his coven? If this is just another aspect of your magic, then it’s another part of you, Eve. For years, I’ve watched you teach yourself complex healing magic. All alone. This is no different.”

“It’s completely different,” I snapped. “And that’s not why I followed you.”

“What, then, Eve? What do you want from me? Because I can’t seem to figure it out.” His eyes blazed in the darkness.

“Are you being serious right now?” I snarled, rage and hurt bubbling up in a toxic mix. “You’re the one seeing countless demonesses, and now witches too.” Another blade found its way into my hand, somehow already pressed to his inked throat. “You bastard. I never would have touched you, heat or not, if I’d known.”

He bared his fangs back, unafraid of the poisoned metal kissing his skin. “I haven’t been with anyone since you were taken.”

I stilled. “What?”

A sneer curled his upper lip. “You heard me.”

“Why?”

Silver bled into his eyes fully, flashing brighter than sharpened steel in the moonlight. “You know why.”

“Do I?” A harsh laugh left my lips, as cruel as Hell to a hybrid. “Because I know fuck all, it seems.”

“Eve.” A growl rumbled his chest. Wisps of shadow danced from his wings, rising and falling with each heaving breath.

“What. Are. You. Saying?” I bit out, fighting the urge to claw at him until he spilled sense.

“Dammit, Eve, it’syou, okay?” His eyes burned into me, searing right down to my soul. “It’s always been you.”

Before I could do a single thing, he stormed the final gap between us, fisting my hair and slamming his lips against mine.

He devoured me with a kiss, crossing the line that had separated us for an eternity.

It was everything I’d dreamt of.

But could never have.

I ripped our lips apart, heaving for air.

“It’s too late.” My voice wavered as tears blurred my vision. “My place is here, and I’m not leaving until I’m fixed. However long that takes.” My throat tightened, dropping my voice to a bitter whisper. “Go home, Killian.”

“You’re making a mistake. You can’t trust these people, kid. That bastard who sired you already threw you away once. Come home with me.”

Twin silver pools pleaded, screaming “choose me.”

An image of my mother’s lifeless body, sprawled in a pool of blood, flashed before my eyes. What if that was Rex? Or Zoella? Orhim?

How could I live with myself if I let him down when he needed me most too? It wasn’t just the danger of my bloody magic. It was the loss of my healing powers.

“You don’t understand. Ihaveto do this.” I turned on my heel, dodging his claws as they grasped for my wrist. I couldn’t look at him for another second or my resolve would crumble.

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