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“Less than that.” If this was indeed a trap, I wanted to give the opponent as little time as possible to prepare. “Twenty minutes?” I looked over to Seth, since he’d be the one making the portal.
“Twenty minutes is good,” he said.
She checked the time on her pocket watch, which looked like it was made before the First World War. “I can just make it back in time,” Milly said. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” Then she was hurrying out of our hotel room.
Chapter 29
Eva
I was waiting for Milly to return when I suddenly started feeling unnaturally drowsy. My eyes grew heavy, and I couldn’t keep them open anymore, even though she’d warned me to stay awake.
I got up from the vanity chair and started pacing the room, hoping the exercise would keep me awake. I thought it was working until I realized I was leaning against the wall, my eyes closed, almost asleep standing up. Shit. I forced myself to walk again, even though my ankles felt like lead.
Why the hell was I suddenly so tired? This had to be magic.
I thought about locking the door, but worried Milly wouldn’t be able to get in. And the wizard probably had a key anyway. This was his house, after all.
I blinked and found myself staring up at the ceiling. How the hell did I end up in bed?
God. I was so tired.
But now was not the time to sleep. Help was on the way.
I blinked again and found myself lying on my side, curled up in the fetal position.
I tried valiantly to keep my eyes open, knowing that the next time they closed, I wouldn’t be able to open them again. I failed. But I wasn’t fully asleep yet, because I could still hear.
I lay there, completely vulnerable, as the door to my room creaked open and I heard footsteps. They did not belong to Milly, who was light on her feet. Those were Augustine’s hard-soled shoes.
I frantically tried to open my eyes, but I was stuck in half-sleep. It was like an episode of sleep paralysis, except this time, the demon was real and not just an imagined shadowy blob in my periphery, and he was in my room—a disgusting, despicable man I wanted nothing to do with.
“Where are you, Milly?” I begged silently. “Please, bring help.”
The bed depressed next to me, and I felt cold, invisible hands on my arm as I was rolled onto my back. A heavy weight settled over my body as cold snuck under my clothes.
“Get off her.” Milly’s voice pierced the silence.
Suddenly, my eyes popped open, and I was fully awake.
Milly rushed in, bravely placing her slight form between me and Augustine, and trying her best to shove him off me. Remembering the plan she and I had made, I reached out to her, my arms still feeling like lead.
After discovering that I could remove the locket when the wizard couldn’t, I started wondering if I had more control over it than I realized. Out of the sight of the mirrors in the room, which Milly had warned me were Augustine’s eyes, I’d practiced letting Milly access the amulet’s power and then taking away the access again. The wizard must’ve known I could do this and kept it from me.
Did marrying him prevent me from denying him access to the amulet’s power? Was that why he was in such a rush to tie the knot? Most likely. It had been crafted at a time when women belonged to their fathers first and then their husbands. The world had changed since then, but the magic might not have caught up.
Milly closed her eyes, her lips moving ever so slightly as she recited the spell. I held onto her as Augustine tried to separate us. He only managed to fling both of us off the bed. We landed on the ground, still clutching each other.
“It’s useless, Elf,” Augustine sneered. “You are old. Your powers are just a shadow of what they used to be. Even with the amulet, you are no match for me. I will crush you.”
He stomped toward us, and I moved to protect Milly with my body. The air around us shimmered, and the elf gave me a small smile. His wards were down.
The wizard guffawed. “Oh dear, you’ve removed my protection. Now what? Are you going to portal out of here? With what magic? You don’t have anything left. You’re a shriveled up has-been. I should have known you would put some stupid escape plan into Eva’s head.” He ripped me off Milly and looked me in the face. “Don’t worry, darling, I’ll have this sorted out in no time.”
He flung out a hand in the elf’s direction, and suddenly, she was caught in a net, unable to move. He lifted me up, and I struggled as he dragged me back to the bed.
“Whatever that elf promised you, you can forget it. She’s lying. She has nothing to offer you. I, however, can give you everything you want. Beauty. Power. Wealth. Now, let’s put this child in you so you can’t defy me again.” He shoved me onto the mattress and climbed up to straddle me.
A giant clawed hand with golden fur landed on his shoulder. Surprise registered in his eyes a split second before he was torn from me and launched across the room.
