Page 18 of Wrongfully Magicked
I’m not as smart as Darby, no one can compare to him in that department, but I know when he’s trying to pull one over on me. I may be big, but that doesn’t make me dumb. I just can’t figure out his endgame.
What’s worse is that he’s right.
She would be safer with us to protect her.
I reluctantly take my eyes off him and glance at the girl who has become my new obsession over the last twenty-four hours.
I just can’t let her go, not without a fight.
It’s a dangerous game, a gamble that could cost Anita her life, but it might be the only chance she has to survive.
If Darby does anything to harm her, he’ll quickly find his ass dragged to hell, because nothing burns hotter than a hellhound when he loses his temper.
ANITA
Iwatch in amusement as the guys argue about my future without once asking me what I want. I edge along the wall, thinking I might slip out while they are quarreling, but the instant I move, every hair on my body stands to attention when all three guys turn toward me, much like cats stalking a mouse. They fall silent and just watch me.
I raise a single eyebrow at the trio. “Do I even get a say?”
“Of course,” Cassius replies immediately, studiously running a hand down his chest and fussing over the wrinkles in his shirt.
“No,” Soren responds at the same time, not even batting an eyelash at his boldness.
I snort out a laugh, but my attention locks on Darby. He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t need to speak. A slight tightening to the crow’s feet fanning out from the corners of his eyes gives him away.
I tilt my head, narrowing my eyes as a wave of familiarity rushes over me again. “Just ask me what you want to know.”
He purses his lips, hesitating for a moment, then begins rolling up the sleeve of his shirt. From wrist to elbow rests an intricate tattoo of an electrical circuit and chip. The details are so fine that it practically pops off his arm. Fine black lines are etched into his skin with a soft glow around a few of them, as if electricity is coursing through them. Some of the blue and black ink gives off a metallic shimmer in the light.
It looks alive.
As I take in the full design, I get lightheaded so fast that I sway. I blindly take a step forward, reaching out to touch the tattoo, but I halt before my fingers can brush his skin.
I turn and sweep my hair to the side, then I pull down the shell of my ear, revealing the exact same tattoo, only mine is more delicate and not as detailed, the ink done by a fifteen-year-old girl. I glance at him over my shoulder, my eyes burning as I gaze up at him. “You’re Corsair.”
A heavy breath leaves him in a rush, his chest shuddering under the force, and he walks forward as if in a trance. Unlike me, he doesn’t hesitate to trace his fingers along the lines of the tattoo.
I shiver under the heat of his caress, static tickling along my skin, and I feel his touch down to my soul. His breath fans over the nape of my neck, and I bow my head, clutching the sheet to my chest, barely resisting the urge to lean back against him.
From all the stories Charlotte told me of her older brother, I feel like I know him.
He grabs my shoulders and swings me around to face him. His hand settles around my throat, and I stumble back until my spine slams into the wall.
“Where’s my sister?” A snarl curls his lips, and his grip tightens so much that I can’t speak, even if I wanted to answer. “Where’s Charlotte?”
My vision dims around the edges, but I don’t fight him.
He has every right to hate me.
His sister helped me escape my family, and she died for it.
CHAPTER SIX
DARBY
Iknow I need to release the girl if I want to discover what happened to my sister, but I can’t seem to pry my fingers off her neck. If I let her go, she might vanish, and then I’ll never get answers.
The decision is stolen from me when I’m tackled sideways and taken to the floor. I grunt under the impact, the air leaving me in a whoosh, and I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.
