Page 90 of Hellish Witch

A grin bloomed across his face, showing off pointy fangs.

“Come on, sweetness.” His voice dropped to a husky octave, eyes flaring silver. “Before you tempt me into staying in the car.”

I gaped at the wicked enforcer, fighting another heated blush. As much as I wanted to pounce on the sexy demon, I didn’t want to accidentally murder him.

Since I’d feasted on Killian last night, that darkness skulking inside me seemed quieter, but I couldn’t trust it.

I opened the car door and hopped out before that demon could tempt me to sin.

The moment I stepped out, the buzz of life thrummed through me like a string being plucked. I drew a deep lungful of fresh, cool air and focused on the ripples of power all around me.

Killian coming up beside me was a low vibration in my mind. Beyond him, small waves seemed to signal the humans exploring through the national park, and even further out, I could sense wild ponies grazing and birds flitting through the trees.

Everything pulsed so strongly, but that dark hunger inside me was ever-present, lurking just below the surface, like a monster from the deep.

I blinked my eyes back open, turning to Killian with a frown. “So… Where are we actually going?”

He ran a hand along the waved length of one horn, flashing me a too-bright smile. “Into the woods.”

I frowned. “You do know where we’re going, right?”

He waved his claws dismissively. “Of course. I’ve been there before. But…not for some time. It’s where I go for glamour if I’ll be in the human realm for a long mission.”

I pursed my lips, a frisson of jealousy winding through my chest. He had a mage contact who just happened to be from the coven we were looking for?

How often did he come here?

“I usually fly from our portal straight here, but it has to be at night,” he said, scanning the landscape.

I grimaced at the reminder of the scourge plaguing this world. The hunters.

My time in their tender care had broken me in so many ways that I wasn’t sure I’d ever be fixed right.

Warmth enveloped my hand, pulling me back into the here and now.

“I won’t let them hurt you.” Silver lightning streaked Killian’s eyes, lighting stormy ocean depths. “Not ever again.”

It was almost as if he could read my thoughts. My throat closed off. His words were said with that quiet kind of conviction I believed more than if he’d shouted them from the rooftops.

I nodded, feeling a different sort of warmth spreading through me.

“I know,” I whispered, fighting back tears. “You already saved me once.”

“Come on, Princess, let’s go find you some hippies,” he said, his small smile heartbreakingly handsome.

I followed Killian towards the tree-line, leaving our hire-car and the wandering humans behind.

Gravel gave way to thick grasses as we walked. Long minutes passed, with the swish of heather brushing the tops of my boots the only sound. The damp tips painted the hem of my trousers with moisture that lingered in the air.

Nature pulsed with life around me, filling me with a strange form of peace I’d not felt in a while.

We hiked across the uneven ground, finally reaching the tree-line after what felt like an hour. It took another half hour, but we finally stepped out from the small patch of forest into another swath of rolling heathland.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but no magical coven popped up to greet us, dancing around a bonfire with their book of spells and judgy attitudes.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” I asked, giving Killian a dubious side-eye.

“Of course.” He cleared his throat. “Before we get there, there’s something you should—”

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