Page 49 of Ozma

“Now”—he grinned—“it’s your turn to rest while I chat with Jack.”

Ozma’s heart raced as his meaning sunk in. She opened her mouth to protest, finding her body unable to move, and seeing a gray hue spreading across her skin in the periphery of her vision. Everything around her grew heavier and heavier until she was completely still.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Jack

Jack’s body slowly loosened from being a statue, but his mind raced. His heart was beating hard enough to bruise his ribs as his lungs strained to pull in enough oxygen. He’d seen and heard everything, but watching Ozma darken into stone was the worst part. It felt like his future was fading along with her body. He wanted to scream, to cry, to lash out and save her. But there was nothing he could do. His joints were still stuck, his voice still trapped.

Tik-Tok turned toward him and smirked. “Almost there, sunshine.”

I’ll destroy you, you cocky piece of shit!

Jack’s fingers twitched. Then feeling flooded up his arms. The second his shoulders tensed, proving he had full range of motion, he swung a fist. It connected with Tik-Tok’s jaw with athud. His head snapped to the side from the impact and Jack rubbed his aching knuckles. “Bring her back.” Jack commanded the vines to hold Tik-Tok captive, but they only swirled and moved around close by, none touching him.

Tik-Tok chuckled as he rubbed his face. When he looked back at Jack, he licked a drop of blood from the corner of his lips and smiled. “So much fire in you. Ilikeit. Now, put the vines down. I’m protected from that too.”

Jack dropped his magic, lunged forward, and fisted Tik-Tok’s shirt in his hands. “Son of a bitch! Bring Ozma back!”

“Now, now,” he said calmly. “First, my motherwasin fact a bitch so that isn’t exactly an insult. And second, the same rule applies to you as it did to Ozma. Try to hurt me again and she remains an ornament.”

Jack instantly released him and stepped back. As much as he wanted to beat the hell out of Tik-Tok, he couldn’t do that to Ozma.And I’m also a lousy fighter.Another perk of being stuck on a farm his entire life. What had he punched? Pumpkins? They never swung back, and this foe looked like he fought everything that moved.

“Pity.” Tik-Tok smoothed his shirt out. “She’s quite lovely to look at. I could’ve tucked her in the corner of the captain’s quarters to liven the place up a bit.”

Jack bared his teeth.

“Calm your bits. No harm will come to your queen if you behave.” His red eyes flashed with humor. “I’m one male and the two of you aren’t trustworthy. This is easier. There will be no colluding behind my back or having to choose who to chase down if you run in different directions.”

“Easier for you,” Jack snarled. As far as he knew, Tik-Tok didn’t realize how terrifying it was to become stone. It was as if his whole body had seized up, the air slowly squeezed from his lungs.

He shrugged. “Meh.It doesn’t matter. Let’s get moving.”

Jack turned, following the pirate’s nonchalant movements. “We can’t justleaveher here like this.”

“Why not? It’s not as if the fiends can eat her like that.” He didn’t even bother glancing over his shoulder as he spoke. “Don’t fall behind.”

Jack stared helplessly at Ozma, her face frozen in shock. He wanted to wipe the fear away with a kiss as he always did, but there would be no changing her expression until she was no longer stone.

“Chop, chop!” came Tik-Tok’s voice from farther away.

“I love you,” he told the statue, cupping her cool stone cheeks. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I swear.” Then he raced after the bastard.

Jack felt the distance between himself and Ozma grow as he caught up to the other male. It was a tangible weight, pulling him back. Leaving her out in the open with so many monsters prowling felt wrong. Just because they hadn’t followed them all the way to the Wizard, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t eventually wander that way.

She’s stone,he reminded himself. The asshole was right—they wouldn’t want to eat her.Couldn’t.But what if something else happened? An animal or one of those addicts could accidentally knock her over. What if she broke?Wouldshe break? He’d felt pretty solid when he was frozen…

It was getting darker by the minute. For all he knew, there were other dangerous fae lurking about. If he and Tik-Tok were attacked and something happened to either of them, what would become of Ozma?

“I give you my word that no harm will come to Ozma,” Tik-Tok said in a sincere tone. Jack hadn’t known he was capable of speaking that way. Then the fae clapped his hands together and smirked. “Now. Focus.”

Focus. I’ll focus … on how to kill you the second Ozma is back.

“You said the Wizard has something of yours,” Jack said, recalling Tik-Tok’s conversation with Ozma.

“Not for much longer. That’s what you’re for.”

“What is it?” Jack asked with a scowl.

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