Page 107 of Savage Torment

My eyebrows gather slightly in confusion, but I offer a tight smile. “That sounds… ominous,” I murmur, and he waves me off.

“It’s fine, but before I leave, I want to make a wager with you. A deal, just me and you.”

Uncertainty vibrates through my body as I slip from beneath the sheets and rise from the bed, meeting him by the door.

“Deals don't usually bode well for me,” I admit, and he rolls his eyes.

“Humor me,” he says, taking my hands in his as I sweep my tongue over my lips, offering a subtle nod.

“Okay.”

He adjusts his hands to capture both of mine in one of his while the other ghosts over my stomach. “Use your magic now. Take the pain and everything else away. But the first day of every month is mine. Deal?”

My thighs clench, excitement pooling in my gut after last night, but I can’t help but sigh, the truth rearing its ugly head.

“I might not be alive for the next one,” I admit, aware of the numbness settling inside of me as I acknowledge the fact out loud, but the onslaught of desperation and preemptive grief doesn’t come.

Blaze shrugs, an easy smile on his lips. “Promise me anyway,” he murmurs, making my heart flip as my pulse quickens, pounding in my ears.

“I promise.”

He presses a kiss to my forehead, a delicate touch before he's suddenly gone, nothing more than a figment of my imagination as the door closes, leaving me alone.

With a contented sigh, I turn to take in the state of my room, or more specifically, the remains of my bed. Raking my teeth over my bottom lip, my cheeks heat as I recall last night’s adventures.

As much as I want to stare at the aftermath for the rest of my life, I definitely need to fix the bed. What did I say lastnight? That’s what magic is for? I better put my money where my mouth is and figure it out.

Ushering over to my desk, I dig into my bag, retrieving my pouch of sand and the huge grimoire that takes up most of the space. I move over to the broken bed with my two necessities and immediately begin flicking through the pages until I find something that should work.

With a good pinch of sand in my hand, I sprinkle it over the bed as instructed before reaching for a few more grains as I repeat the words noted in the grimoire. “Redintengro. Configo. Destino.”

In a blink of an eye, the bed is repaired, headboard and all, and I giggle, impressed with myself, as I quickly tuck my grimoire and sand away so I can slide back into bed. I hunker down under the sheets, humming with contentment as I hide my head under the pillows, shielding the light from my eyes as I consider whether I could drift back off to sleep.

My thoughts are short-lived when I hear the bedroom door creak open behind me, and I smile, recalling the visitor Blaze said I would be getting.

“Hey,” I call out, the chirpiness to my voice catching me off-guard as I roll over. “Blaze said—Ahh!”

I scream, horror and fear coiling up my spine as I come face to face with my guest. I expected Asher, but instead, I’m greeted by a man draped in black. Raking my eyes over him from the bottom up, terror clings to me. Black boots, black pants, and a black shirt are all mostly hidden behind a long, black leather coat that looks wet to the touch. The hood is over his head, with only a sneer visible on his face as the rest remains hidden behind a creepy black mask. The skin around his eyes is stained black, making the mask look even more daunting, but the most harrowing part is the elongated nose that protrudes in my direction.

“Polaris Beauchamp, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person.” His voice is dark, raspy, and scary.

I quickly twist in the bed, firmly leaning against the headboard that is now back in place as fear takes hold, clawing at my throat.

“I-I?—”

He waves a single hand, shutting off anything I have to say.

“I’ll be doing the talking for both of us today. You'll speak when I say,” he orders, and my chest grows tight, panic brewing in my stomach. “I offered you the chalice. I'm sure you figured it out,” he states, nodding toward the armoire where I hid it.He even knows that.My pulse quickens. “That means my end of a bargain has been upheld. Now you must do your part,” he adds, and I gulp.

He tilts his head at me and I take that as a sign that I'm allowed to speak.

“And if I say no?” I murmur, my voice weak and pitiful in his presence, and I hate myself. As much as I knew it would come, nothing could have prepared me for his presence.

“You're not going to want to say no,” he states, his mouth lifting at the corner with a sure grin as his eyes darken.

“You're so sure?” I challenge, and he slips his hand into his long leather coat, pulling out a piece of folded paper. He holds it out between us, but I don't move a muscle toward him. Instead, I shake my head in refusal.

I make sure I keep my gaze focused on his as I speak. “I don't want it.”

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