Page 16 of Soul of a Witch

She’d run all the way to the fourth floor, as if the primal knowledge in her brain knew exactly where she needed to go. She was gasping for breath, stumbling every few steps and doubling over. Striding up behind her, I shook my head when she glanced back and cried out in panic.

“Where’s your fire, witch?” She’d reached another dead end, and turned to face me with her back pressed against the locked doors. “Come now, make it big and bold. Try to burn the house down! It will survive, trust me. It’s seen far worse than you.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know what you think I am. But you’re wrong. I’m not…I’m not…”

Tweaking an eyebrow, I stepped closer than ever. Oh, to simply brush my fingers across her cheek. To lean down and breathe in the soft scent of her. To caress my lips across her delicate throat. Would she scream? Would she burn? Would that stunningly vibrant hoard of magic within her finally explode?

“I have no interest in what you’renot.” I crouched, resting my forearms on my thighs as I stared up at her. It was truly impossible to look away. She was as alluring as a comet in the night sky, or a flickering candle in the dark. “Tell me what youare. Tell me what burns in your soul, what puts that vicious fire in your veins. Tell me why you run when you know you can’t escape.”

Her heaving breaths were slowing, her fear becoming cautious curiosity.

“Who the hell are you?” she whispered.

Naughty girl, avoiding my questions. But that train of thought gave me visions of blissfully torturing her words out of her, and that just wouldn’t do. I’d swiftly drive myself completely feral if I continued meandering through fantasies.

“My name is Callum,” I said. “Archdemon. Elder Warrior of the Onyx Stone Order, Defender of the High City, Prince of the Nine Circles, and guardian of House Laverne. I’ve also been calledMagni Deicide, but that was many centuries ago.”

Her face paled, and she said, “Magni Deicide…the Great God Slayer.”

“That is correct. You know your Latin.”

She gulped, her eyes flickering about as she looked for another exit. But she was exactly where she needed to be.

“Put a little more force into that door, witchling,” I said, nodding toward the locked door behind her. “This house has been empty for years now. The magic which fills this place has fallen stagnant, as magic often does when it isn’t used. Stagnant magic can be dangerous. Like the wraiths, for example. The spell that created them was meant to protect the house from intruders, but recognize those who had a right to be here and cause them no harm. Unfortunately, left untended, the spells have gotten rather twisted. But flex your authority a bit, and they’ll start to behave.”

She stared at me in disbelief. “Did you saymy authority?”

“Certainly. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Come to scope out the family lands, see if the roof has caved in? It hasn’t, of course. I’ve made sure of that.” I puffed up a bit, even though maintaining the house wasn’tentirelymy doing. It was a team effort, but my dear beautiful Everly didn’t need to hear that. She needed to be assured of my utmost and unflagging devotion to the protection of this place and everything inside it.

Including her.

Especiallyher.

Perhaps I’d muddied the waters a bit with my severe lack of self-control, but could I be blamed? When she smelled so fucking good, when she was running around this house like a beacon of sweet magic? I was only a demon, royal or not, and we had needs.

Very increasingly desperate needs.

“I don’t know why I’m here,” she said fiercely. It gave me shivers, those little glimpses of her fury. “I don’t fucking know. I…Oh…Oh my god…”

Her eyes widened, her gaze fixed somewhere behind me. I hadn’t heard anything creep up, nor could I smell anything other than her intoxicating scent, but still, I glanced back.

I was losing my predatory touch. There was nothing at all in the hallway behind me, but Everly took the opportunity to try to escape again, sprinting away.

“Oh! Naughty, naughty witchling.” She shrieked when I teleported in front of her again, waggling my finger at her. “It has been a thrilling game indeed, but I must insist you stop. Your blood sugar is incredibly low, and as much as I would adore to keep chasing you, if you go on further, you might cause yourself harm.” I sighed as she backed away again, all shaking hands and adrenaline-induced poor decision making. “If I may…show you to bed?”

There was no point in waiting for her acquiescence. Fear caused one to not think clearly, and although I certainly wasn’t in my right mind either, I took my duty seriously.

I’d once heard a human say that if they needed to rip off a Band-Aid, they needed to make it quick. It lessened the pain, or so I guessed. While I couldn’t entirely understand why one would desirelesspain — lovely and stimulating as it was — I supposed the tactic would work well for frightening situations too. Just rip through it. Get it done.

Before she could run again, I snatched her up into my arms. With a flick of my fingers, I opened the door she’d been trying so desperately to get into, launched myself toward the large four-poster bed, and tossed her down upon the mattress.

It was over in a matter of seconds. Just enough time for her to draw in a breath andscream.

And by Lucifer’s desecrated balls, her scream burned. A firestorm roared out of her, flaring toward me with a massive burst of heat. It was quick, gone in an instant, but I was left staring in awe.

“Don’t touch me!” She scrambled up on the bed, pressing herself to the headboard. Her shaking hands were outstretched, palms facing me. “Don’t…don’t you fucking dare touch me again.”

Holding up my hands, I gave her a petulant grin. “Terribly sorry, lady witch. You should punish me for it. I deserve it, I really do. It’s been so long, you see, since I’ve seen a human. Since I’ve seen…anything…alive. Since I’ve touched…” I waited, fully intending to revel in whatever infliction of pain she deigned me worthy of, but it didn’t come. Strange.

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