Page 78 of Woven Souls

Theo’s shout startles me, and I let go of the Sliver before I can destroy it entirely. I roll onto my stomach ready to get to my feet but stop to throw out my hand when I see the direction the Sliver has taken. As Theo runs towards me with his sword in his hand, the Sliver races for him. My power spills out. As it does, it makes the Sliver visible. Theo gasps and skids to a stop just as I manage to use my power to grab hold of it. I yank it towards me, away from the ex-Ghost, who takes a step back.

I wrestle with the Sliver as it fights tooth and nail to get free, and a second whistle pierces the night.

I scramble to my knees without breaking the hold I have on the malevolent force. Theo skirts around the Sliver, attempting to reach for me. Just before he gets there, a dagger slams into the ground right at his feet. A dagger? Demons don’t need… Oh,fuck.This isn’t from a demon. Shocked, I let go of the Sliver again. This time it shoots in the direction the blade came from.

“Shit, there are Ghosts here.” Theo grabs my arm to help me to my feet. “Come on!”

Just out of sight, in the direction of the thick brush Kwil slipped into, I hear a strangled cry of alarm. Uh-oh … that’s where the Sliver ran off.

“Theo—”

“In the cabin!” he orders as he shoves me towards the front door.

A battle cry draws both of our attention. In unison, our heads turn to watch a Ghost emerge from the bushes with their sword raised. With their hood on, I can’t see their face, but I don’t need to see their eyes to know the Sliver has taken over. It’s in the unsteady gait and weird noises coming from beneath the hood.

Theo steps between us, his own sword raised and ready. The two meet head on. Their swords clash. The sound of metal scraping against metal sends a chill down my spine. Without waiting to see who the winner will be, I throw my hands up. My power searches for the Sliver. Once I find it, I yank on it, hoping to pull it free.

The Ghost stumbles, and Theo takes advantage of the moment. He swipes his leg under his opponent, knocking the Ghost over. I pull at the Sliver again, this time yanking the thing free. It fights my hold on it. As my power swells, it begins to dissolve once more. The moment it’s gone, I heave a sigh of relief. A few feet away, Theo raises the blade above his head to deal a killing blow to the other Ghost.

“No! Don’t—”

The cold blade of a dagger presses against my throat, cutting off my protest. A hand snatches one wrist, then the other, and pulls them behind me, all before I can process what’s happening.

Theo spins around to face me. He freezes as I’m pulled back against someone’s chest.

“Theodon of Windom, lay down your sword.” The masculine voice of my attacker vibrates through his chest and into my back.

My heart hammers in my chest as the blade presses harder against my jugular. It’s more from the adrenaline pumping through my veins than from fear. The thought of a Sliver messing with my soul and possessing my body is more terrifying than the thought of my throat getting slit. Theo does as he’s told, his sword dropping from his hand without hesitation. The Ghost on the ground lies there unmoving.

“What did you do to my brother?” the man hisses in my ear.

With a blade to my throat, I consider my next words wisely. “Nothing that I won’t do to you if you don’t get your grubby hands off me.”

The bite of the blade breaks through my skin, and I hiss.

“I’ll ask you one more time, necromancer…”

“You can ask me until you’re blue in the face.” I shrug. It’s a bit difficult given my situation, but I manage. “But until you get your fancy dagger away from my neck, I’m not telling you a damn thing.”

“Willow,” Theo snaps. His eyes dart back and forth between my face and to the person behind me. “Comply.”

I glare at him.

“Really? Let the bully win? This asshole—”

“Will kill you without hesitation,” he snaps as he grips my wrists tighter.

“You’re trying to scare a necromancer with the idea of death?” I scoff. “The thought of working just to survive or sitting behind a desk for the next sixty years of my life is scarier than dying.”

“You little—”

Before he can finish, his body jerks hard against me, a pained grunt following the movement before the dagger drops from my neck and my wrists are released. The moment I’m free, I hurry forward. Theo meets me halfway and yanks me to his side. When I turn around, I watch the Ghost who held me captive drop to his knees. His hands are wrapped around the blade protruding from his chest. With a pained grunt, he falls face forward and stops moving.

Behind him, Viktor stands as still as a statue, his eyes glued to the cloaked man at his feet. The expression on his face is murderous. The veins in his head bulge, and his face is pale except for the slight pink in his cheeks.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more turned on and afraid of him than I am right now.

“Where’s Kwil and Jonah?” I ask, pulling my eyes away from Viktor.

---