Page 70 of To Crave Deeply
“She can probably see everything beneath the magic,” Torsten whispered into my ear. I turned to look up at him and found him gazing softly down at me. “Your face was adorably confused when looking between the witch and the castle.”
Adorably confused? “I think I prefer you better when you grumble.”
His grin widened. “If you say so, Mistress.”
Iveri chose that moment to jerk me away from Torsten.
“Hey! Don’t do that,” I chided as my body awkwardly stepped sideways.
“Stop making puppy eyes at the Shadow Fiend,” Iveri shouted back.
“I wasnotmaking—”
“You were,” Selene chimed in, cutting me off mid flow. “It’s sickening.”
Iveri and I turned towards her and found her looking at us with confusion in her eyes and a curl to her lips.
“Well, it’s none of your business,” I snapped.
“It ismybusiness,” Iveri sneered. “You promised no sex. And all you’re thinking about is sex.”
A blush crept up my face. “I am not,” I sputtered.
Selene brushed her hand over her face. “This is far too confusing watching you argue with yourself.”
“Well, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Iveri snarled. “We’re stuck like this until one of us confines the other to a mental cage.”
“I wonder…” Selene mused as she cocked her head to the side and looked at us like a puzzle to be solved. Her eyes took on a manic gleam as she advanced towards us.
I took a step back. “What are you doing?”
“Hold still,” she commanded.
I shook my head. “Stay back.”
Torsten, sensing my distress, darted forwards toward the witch. She threw her hand to the side and sent him flying backwards.
“Torsten!”
He jumped to his feet and ran towards us, fury burning in his mismatched gaze. Selene thrust her hands out again and surrounded us with a barrier. Torsten collided with it and electricity crackled through the air. He fell to his knees as the shocks coursed through his system.
“I only want to help,” Selene crooned psychotically.
Iveri’s Sin Reaper came to life in my veins, and I felt the cold chill of my shadows as I called them to me. I was not going down without a fight.
“Oh, sweetie, that’s not going to help you,” Selene said as the wind picked up in our little bubble. “Only I can help you.”
She didn’t sound like she was going to help me. She sounded crazy. Insane. She looked it, too. The wind pulled at her hair and her eyes glowed with manic glee. Her hands moved back and forth in intricate patterns as foreign words tumbled from her mouth. The acrid smell of magic tickled my nose and I wretched.
“What do we do, Iveri?”I yelled. I had no idea how to take on this witch. I could barely control my own magic, let alone use it to really attack someone.
I don’t know,she cried and for the first time I sensed fear in her.
Tears of frustration stung the back of my eyes because I felt so fucking useless. I wish I’d learnt more about my magic, or that I knew how to do more. How was I supposed to fight the most powerful witch ever to walk the earth?
No. This couldn’t be it. I couldn’t let this be the end. Determination suddenly sprang to life in my chest. I was not going down without a fight.
I darted forward towards the witch, ignoring Torsten’s cries. A look of surprise flashed across her face as if she couldn’t believe I’d chosen to attack her. But it didn’t last long. A cackle, so harsh and sharp, filled the air and I winced as the sound assaulted my eardrums.
