Page 94 of Witch Untold
My shrill scream pierced the air.
The bathroom door slammed open. “Cora!” Leif rushed in behind me and froze. My gaze flew to him in the mirror, but his attention was on my hand.
“What is it?” Tor crowded into the bathroom. “Fuck. Again?”
But this was worse. My hand was no longer mine. It was a huge, misshapen thing that didn’t belong on my body.
My insides trembled, fear and horror digging claws into my mind. “Make it stop. Leif…Tor, make it stop.”
Breathe.Rune’s tone was like aloe vera, cool and soothing.Just close your eyes and breathe.
I did as instructed, taking regular, even breaths and willing my hand to stop being a freak.
Warm fingers gently gripped my wrist. “It’s okay, Cora. You can look now,” Leif said.
“I’ll make hot chocolate,” Tor said softly.
We’re going to need marshmallows, Rune added.
I felt them retreat and a crazy laugh bubbled up my throat.
“Cora, look,” Leif urged.
I opened my eyes and stared at my hand. My normal, non-taloned hand. “Leif…what’s happening to me?”
He pulled me into his arms. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”
I allowed him to lead me from the room and tuck me into bed before climbing in beside me.
I grabbed my mobile phone from the bedside table and dialed Ursula. She answered almost immediately.
“Cora?”
“Hey, babe. Any news on my results?” Considering what had happened, I was impressed by how calm I sounded.
She sighed. “Fuck. I’m so sorry. I’ve been on a mission, headed back tomorrow. I’ll check with the lab as soon as I’m back.”
I knew the Magiguard did a whole host of shit, but their mission data was classified, and it wasn’t as if Ursula had control over when she got shipped off. The sample thing was a favor. She didn’t owe me anything.
Yeah, I needed to remind myself of that to keep the annoyance at bay. “Thanks.”
“Is everything okay?”
“My hand just morphed into some freak thing with talons, so no.”
“Shit. Areyouokay?”
“Yeah, it’s fine now. I’m fine.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.
“So, this thing…it could cause physiological changes…”
“It looks like it. I kinda need to know what I’m dealing with. Fast.”
“Give me forty-eight hours.”
“Thanks, babe.”
I hung up, flung the phone back onto the table, and slumped onto my pillow.
