Page 55 of Bradi
She smiled and it was evil. “What I did to the others as well. I have been stealing power from your unborn babes from afar.”
Stegian’s face dropped. “Do what you must, Hag.” With that, he stormed out of the room.
Marisa found herself wanting to call him back. It was odd that the leader of evil had seemed less of a threat to her than the old woman and Peter. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Peter struggling to stand. His eyes locked on her as he wiped the blood from his mouth.
Heat flared through her stomach and brought Marisa’s attention back to the old woman. She stood with her hands out, chanting something softly. Cramps rippled through Marisa’s body and she cried out.
Peter pushed his body against the back of her, and she felt his erection. Lifting her dress in the air, he pulled her hips back to him.
“Please, Peter, stop this! Stop her. She’s hurting the baby,” Marisa cried out as pain shot through her body.
“No,” Peter said, his voice harsh. “She’s ridding you of that abomination.” He clawed at her hips and rubbed his body against hers.
The hag’s eyes lit like fire and an orange light shot forth from her eyes to Marisa’s stomach.
Marisa screamed as her stomach cramped again.
A loud growl caught her attention as the weight of Peter’s body was suddenly ripped from her. She looked up to see Christian standing before her. She tried to ask him where Bradi was, but when she heard another growl, she knew.
Christian cut her wrists free and caught her as she fell forward. She clung to his arms, and cried out as another cramp ran through her. “The hag… She’s doing this. She’s the reason Lorelei had such a hard pregnancy, and she’s what has been wrong with mine.”
“Sevan, kill the witch!” shouted Christian.
*
Bradi moved off Peter’s limp, dead body and focused on the old woman. He watched as Sevan charged her, his sword drawn. The witch cackled and turned a hand to him. Sevan’s body flew through the air and Jordan did a partial change, catching his brother before he hit the ground.
The witch turned and looked at Christian. She put her hand up again and Bradi leapt into action, snatching up Sevan’s sword and bringing it down hard and fast. The witch’s arm went one way and her body went another. She screamed, but Bradi didn’t stop his assault.
He seethed with fury. The hag was the reason his baby had suffered. She would die. The animal within him was in complete agreement with the man.
With a flick of his wrist, he turned the sword around and backed into her, effectively ramming it in to the hilt. He pushed her off the end of the sword and turned to Christian. He held Marisa’s still body in his arms.
“Whatever the hag did has caused great stress to both mother and child,” Christian said softly.
Jordan and Sevan moved up next to him. Jordan’s face said it all. This was very bad. “Let’s get her home.”
Bradi scooped his wife into his arms and drew in a sharp breath. She was so weak, so unlike herself. Christian touched her forehead and her eyes closed slowly.
“Thank you,” Bradi said, knowing that Christian had just eased Marisa’s pain.
