Page 21 of To Crave Deeply
Torsten’s concerned face filled my gaze and my heart leapt in my chest. I was so close to him. I just wanted to reach out and touch him. I stretched my hand out and surprise flooded through me as I felt his chest beneath my fingers.
His gaze searched my face, those eyes seeing more than the mortal world in front of him. “Lori?”
“Yes, I’m here!” I shouted. “I’m here!” But he couldn’t hear me. Not yet anyway.
My hand snapped back without me moving it. Shit. Iveri knew I was here.
Well, look what the cat dragged in. Iveri’s sarcastic drawl rang loud and clear in my mind.Why couldn’t you just stay dead?
“Why couldn’t you have picked someone else to take over?” I could feel my magic building. I just needed to keep her distracted long enough that I had enough power to pull her into the shadows with me.
She laughed and the sound echoed around the cavernous space I found myself in.I have no control over who I pick. That’s not how the magic works.
“Well, now you can fuck off and find someone new. I don’t want to share.” I was nearly there; just a few more seconds.
It’s not that simple. I’m stuck with this body and everything that goes with it until the body dies.
Urgh. Well, that was annoying, but I’d file it away to think about another time.
Now, it was my turn to play.
A shiver of fear crept through Iveri as she realised too late what I was up to. I let loose the power radiating through my core and pulled Iveri’s consciousness into the shadows with me. She fought me tooth and nail, but I wrapped my power around her and pulled her to me with all my strength. I could hear her screams as she tried to run away from me. I heard Torsten’s voice in the background, but my roar of determination drowned it out until I felt my body drop to the ground and, all of a sudden, I was standing face-to-face with the Sin Reaper.
“Payback time, bitch.”
Chapter 8
LORI
Iveri screamed as she lunged for me, her face contorted with rage as I ruined her plans by coming back to life. She thought she’d won but I wasn’t giving up yet. Oh, no. I was full of anger, grief, and royally pissed, and this backstabbing bitch was gonna pay.
“I thought we were a team!” I yelled. “I thought we were working together!”
Iveri laughed harshly. “We were never a team. You were just a means to an end.”
My magic pulsed in my veins at her words. “And what end is that, Iveri?”
“One where I am finally free from this cage my father put me in.”
Her words made me pause. “What?”
“Don’t even think about feeling sorry for me, Lori. God, I can see the pity in your eyes from here.”
She sounded disgusted, like I’d pissed on her goddamn parade, but she didn’t give me a chance to comment. In my moment of distraction, she lunged for me again and I fell backwards with the impact. My back hit the floor of the area I suppose my consciousnesses had created to house this little scuffle between our two souls fighting for dominance. It was an endless space, filled with shadows, and it felt like a vast cavern where we might be stuck for an eternity if one of us didn’t win. But that wasn’t going to happen.
I was determined to win.
I let out a full-on battle cry as I slammed my power into her chest. She flew backwards and slid along the floor, cursing my name until she jumped to her feet.
“You,” she pointed sternly, “are a pain in the ass.”
“Like I care,” I said, faking a yawn. “Now are you going to stand there and whine at me or are you going to come and get what you deserve?”
Her lips twitched as a smirk played about her mouth. She looked like me, but she wasn’t me. It was like looking at myself through a filter. She had dark wavy locks, darker than mine, and her eyes glowed like bright flames in the darkness. Her head cocked to the side as she sized me up.
“Oh, Lori. You’re nothing without me. Just a little mage with barely any power and a handful of combat skills.”
I snorted. “I might only be a mage, and yes, my powers might be untrained but you… well… you’re just a soul no one wanted.”
