Page 56 of Shackled to the World
That got the witch’s attention, and she turned to study Annora, raising a single eyebrow skeptically. “Are you sure that would even work?”
Annora just shrugged. “We could try it. As it stands right now, the witches are anxious to get their hands on my grimoire…for magic they can’t even use. I can only imagine what they plan to do with it.”
“So you would give me access, but only with your supervision.” Willa didn’t sound happy about that part, but she didn’t say no.
“Exactly.” No way could Annora allow the witches unfettered access to dark matter. They would destroy the world. Just from sitting across from her, Annora could sense Willa didn’t have the markers needed to use the magic without annihilating herself in the process, the darkness had no interest in her.
Willa chewed on her lip for a moment, then narrowed her eyes. “Let’s do a test to see if it’s even possible first.”
She dug in her bag and pulled out a fat candle, setting it in the middle of the table between them. While the rest of the room wasn’t able to hear anything, Annora saw at least half the room lean forward with bated breath.
At her look, Willa just shrugged. “I’m a fire witch. While I can do a few parlor tricks in the other elements, I’m strongest with fire.”
Annora tightened her grip around her cup, her hands ice-cold despite the warmth of the hot chocolate. She took another sip for courage, watching over the rim as Willa took a deep breath.
Okay, they were doing this.
She glanced at Camden, and he gave her a grim nod, his stance widening, as if he was waiting for someone to attack. Lionel stood only a few paces away from him, the two of them looking like matching-freaking-warrior bookends.
Loulou looked just as suspicious, but kept her attention glued on Willa, seconds away from pouncing with all her hundred pounds of fluff if the witch so much as breathed wrong.
“Ready?” Willa cracked her knuckles, then twisted her head from side to side.
Annora blew out a breath, conscious of the hundreds of eyes on them, then held out her hand and allowed a small bubble of the dark particles to form in her palm. The smoke curled in upon itself like snakes.
Willa gaped at it for a few moments, her eyes wide, then she straightened and cleared her throat. She mumbled a few words in Latin, twisting her fingers into strange symbols before she closed her hand into a fist.
Annora felt the tug on the dark particles, watched them twist around the wick.
Fire whooshed up from the candle, the flame nearly four feet tall. She was flung backwards, her back hitting the booth, the fire sucking the oxygen out of her lungs. Loulou gave a little squeal and ducked.
Camden grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the booth, twisting to protect her from the dancing flame. The blaze licked at the ceiling until Willa snapped out of her trance and slashed her hand through the air while muttering a few Latin phrases.
The next second, the candle was extinguished.
Or what remained of the candle.
All that was left was a puddle of hot wax dripping off the end of the table.
Lionel leapt over the booth and pulled Loulou in his arms, his wolf glaring out through his eyes, his fangs and claws extended, ready to rip apart anyone who got too close. Willa remained seated, staring at her melted candle, dipping her fingers in the hot wax.
She slowly lifted her head and met Annora’s gaze, her green eyes glittering with anticipation. “I’ll agree to help on one condition—take me with you tonight.”
“Ditto! Don’t think you’re leaving without me!” Loulou peeked out from behind Lionel’s shoulder, then quickly sidestepped him when he moved to reach for her.
Annora understood why Loulou wanted to help, but not Willa, and couldn’t keep the suspicion out of her voice. “Why?”
“Because then you will owe me and won’t back out of teaching me.” She rose to her feet and faced off with Annora. “I won’t go back to being a slave to those bitches.”
Annora couldn’t protest, because she knew what it was like to be at the mercy of a sadistic bastard, and she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. “Are you safe where you’re staying?”
Willa paused while reaching for her bag, glancing at Annora warily as she straightened. Then, ignoring her completely, she glanced at Loulou. “Is she really as innocent as she appears?”
“Oh, yeah.” Loulou nodded and smiled. “But cross her and she’ll make you regret it. There will be nowhere you can run that she wouldn’t find you.”
Annora glanced back and forth between the two of them, then sighed. “If you need a place to stay—”
“She can stay with us.” Loulou interrupted, batting those big blue eyes up at Lionel. When he sighed in defeat, she grinned triumphantly and turned back to Annora. “You have enough on your plate for now.”
