He pressed in closer, his body heat seeping into my skin. Leaning in, his breath ghosting against my lips, and then he smiled, sharp white teeth glinting in the dim light, showing his fangs.
“I’ve been watching you for a while.”
Creep.
“You’ve become my favourite pastime.” His fingers pinched my bottom lip.
My pulse slammed against my ribs. The way he said it—it wasn’t just a taunt. It was a confession. I clenched my jaw, and I could feel my magic becoming restless, but he only chuckled darkly, like he found my reaction entertaining.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head,” he continued, finally loosening his grip. “Your dragon is safe, and since I am feeling particularly generous tonight, I think I will do my good deed for the day and distract them for you.” He kissed the tip of my nose and then vanished.
I couldn’t afford to get into a fight with them tonight. Darian can’t know about me because nothing will stop him from telling Vespera.
Our past wouldn’t stop him from outing me.
I had to protect Xarothar from them; he was vulnerable and by himself. My magic was still bound, so there’s no way to protect him without draining my body. The blood mage hadn’t exactly been clear on his plans to distract them, but there was no chance in hell I was going to sit back and trust him. I trusted no one but myself.
If my bloody powers weren’t locked down, I would be there already handing their asses to them, but instead, I had to rely on my elemental magic. It wasn’t useless, but it came with its own set of complications.
Lots of side effects, a cruel reminder of the spell my mother placed on me years ago.
“Raven.”
I let out a quiet breath of relief, but I didn’t slow down as I darted between the trees,“Oh, thank the gods. Are you okay? And how the hell does the blood mage know about you?”
The wind picked up as I neared the clearing, spotting the hunters ahead with their weapons drawn—and they weren’t just searching anymore. They were fighting. Well, they were trying to. The blood mage moved like a phantom, slipping through their attacks with fluid grace that made it painfully clear he was toying with them. He ducked, sidestepped and twisted away at the very last second, grinning like he was enjoying it.
I pressed back against the tree, peeking around the trunk. The hunters had shifted into a defensive circle, blades raised, and they looked pissed. Good.
“He was in the cottage,”Xarothar's voice returned, edged with irritation. “Snooping. I caught him sniffing your underwear.”
I nearly tripped.“He what?”
“You heard me.”I wish I didn’t.
A full-body shiver ran through me.“That is… deeply disturbing.”
“Agreed, but I handled it.”
“Oh?”I kept my eyes locked on the fight. Darian lunged, silver sword flashing.
Just before he could strike him, I flicked my fingers, summoning the earth. A thick vine shot from the ground, coiling around his wrist and yanking him down hard. He hit the dirt with a curse.
“What exactly did you do?”I asked, watching Darian struggle.
Xarothar's amusement rippled through my mind.“I burned his backside.”
A laugh escaped before I could stop it.“Serves him right.”
Kieran’s sharp gaze swept over the clearing as he sliced clean through the vine binding Darian’s wrist. The severed tendrils writhed for a moment before withering into the dirt.
“There’s a god damn witch here!” Darian snarled at the other two as he scrambled to his feet, immediately dusting himself off.He raised his sword again and lashed out, catching the blood mage's cheek.
Oh, he’s going to be pissed.
The mage barely reacted. He took a step back, swiping his finger through the crimson trail on his face. Then, with deliberate ease, he brought it to his lips, licking the blood clean. His eyes gleamed, sharp and red.
“Oh, that’s foul,” I muttered.
