Page 64 of To Crave Deeply
“I think she is.”
Selene squealed with joy as she clearly checked out her lady bits.
“Why’d you give her the blood?”
Iveri sighed and her shoulders sagged.Because she would have taken it anyway. At least this way it looks like we’ve done her a favour.
Selene looked like she was one step away from needing some private time in the cave.“We need to get this back on track.”
Agreed.
“Hey, Selene, there are lots of people topside that can explore your brand-new vagina later. Right now, we need your help,” I said firmly as I stepped forward. Torsten followed close, clearly not wanting me to stray too far from him.
Selene hissed at us before cocking her head to one side in thought. “You’re right. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. But first, give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just kill you. You need me, not the other way around.”
Torsten took another step forward, but I blocked his path with my arm. “Yes, we need you. But you won’t have a chance in Hell getting out of here without us. Do you really think Lucifer is going to just let you stroll through the front door?”
She narrowed her eyes at us. “Fair point. How are you going to get me out, then?”
I pointed to Torsten, and she finally gave him more than a cursory glance. “He will get us out. He’s a—”
“Shadow Fiend. Well, aren’t you just a tall glass of handsome?” Selene interrupted. Her eyes trailed his massive physique and her tongue darted out between her lips.
The little green-eyed monster reared his ugly head. He wasmine.
“Back off,” I growled as she moved towards him, fingers outstretched, ready to touch him. They paused at my feral words, and she turned to me with a wicked grin on her face.
Shit. I’d just given her something she could use to manipulate me with, and she fucking knew it.
Well done, Lori,Iveri quipped.
“Gee, ya think?”I retorted. I was already well aware of how stupid it was; I didn’t need Iveri chiming in, too.
“Look, we need each other,” I said, trying to distract her from the monumental cock-up I just made. I raised my arm and rolled up my sleeve, displaying the blood magic that bound Iveri and me to Violette, the Witch Queen. “Iveri and I need to deliver you to the Witch Queen, or we will both be bound in service to her.”
A blonde, elegant eyebrow raised condescendingly over her harsh blue eyes. “And what does the Witch Queen want with me?”
“Power, probably. She just sacrificed a load of witches to an angelic cause to kill me,” Iveri spat.
Selene’s face fell. “She did what?”
Was it me or did the temperature just drop?
Anger rolled off the witch in waves. The light in her eyes hardened and her perfect mouth twisted into a snarl. “What kind of person sacrifices her own people? What kind of Queen?”
Iveri made us take a step closer. “What are you going to do about it?”
“Iveri, what are you doing?”I asked as she took control.
What does it look like I’m doing?she quipped.
“Walking us into fucking trouble,”I snarled.
“I’m going to teach that witch a lesson,” Selene said with deathly menace. Her words were so cold that I felt the chill all the way down my spine. “No one sacrifices my witches.”
Whoa, someone had a bit of a god complex. Maybe setting the witch free was a bad idea; she was clearly unhinged, and I didn’t think we’d be able to reason with her at all.
Selene took a few steps back and started murmuring softly under her breath. There was a manic glee sparkling in her eyes, and I suddenly feared that maybe this witch wasbeyondcrazy. Magic crackled in the air and her fingers started to glow softly. Her chanting intensified and her arms moved through the air wildly and with increasing fervour until, suddenly, there was a loud boom and then nothing but silence.
