“Having fun?”Xarothar's voice slithered through my mind, thick with amusement.
I smirked.“I’m quite entertained.”
Darian charged again, but I was faster. With a flick of my wrist, the air shifted—twisting, surging—before slamming into him like an invisible battering ram. He launched backwards, crashing into a tree with a grunt of pain.
Ronan and Kieran barely had time to react before I turned my attention to the stream running just beyond them. My fingers danced through the air, pulling the water toward me in rippling tendrils. It coiled and churned, gaining momentum as I flicked my hand forward. A wave ripped from the surface, slamming into them with the force of a storm surge, knocking them clean off their feet. The blood mage, who I needed to figure out the name of, stood idly by, arms crossed, watching me with something between amusement and admiration.
“Well, fellas,” he drawled, stepping back, his grin full of mischief.
“Wonderful sparring session, but I must be off.” He quickly looked at me and winked at me again before disappearing. I exhaled sharply, my fingers twitching as I let the last of my magic settle.
“Shit, my back—I think it’s broken.” Ronan groaned as he stretched up, wincing dramatically.
Kieran rolled his neck with a slightly pissed and bored expression, “If it were broken, you’d be on the ground crying like a bitch.” He said back, his voice incredibly deep and rough.
I quite liked it.
Ronan shot him a glare. “Real fucking comforting, Kieran. If I ever get the urge to die dramatically, I’ll make sure you’re not invited.”
Kieran smirked slightly—just barely. “Noted.”
“Don’t be getting any ideas, Raven.”I rolled my eyes at Xarothar.
“Relax, it’s not like I’m jumping into bed with him.”He was quiet then as I kept my eye on them.
Darian stormed towards them, his fists clenching as he bent to retrieve their weapons. His ash blonde hair was messy now, falling out of his top knot as he threw the weapons at them.
“Are we telling Vespera about this?” Ronan asked Darian.
“No, not yet. We aren’t on duty, so there’s no need to report.” He replied.
I could tell Ronan was about to reply, but Darian gave him a look, “Call me her little lap dog and I’ll castrate you.”
Ronan snorted, muttering as he adjusted himself like he needed to protect his valuable assets. Kieran said nothing, just fell into step beside Darian, and Ronan reluctantly followed, grumbling.
Idiots.
Something soft brushed against my leg, and a startled yelp escaped me before I could stop it. I slapped a hand over my mouth, my heart hammering as I turned —only to find a small, white unicorn staring up at me with vivid green eyes. It nudged me again, completely unbothered by my reaction.
I barely had time to process the sight before my attention snapped back to the hunters in the distance. They had stopped. Their heads tilted, scanning the shadows in my direction.
I was hidden, but the unicorn was not. I let out a low sigh, rolling my shoulders as a familiar heat curled in my veins.
Looks like I’d have to handle this myself.
Chapter 4
MALRIK
She’s so pretty, my new little obsession, with her striking white hair that fades into red, perfectly matching her plump lips. Up close, the other day, I noticed the delicate freckles dotting her nose—thirteen little constellations that I counted whilst she glared at me, her eyes like daggers, as if she wanted to chop me up into little pieces. Thirteen. Now that’s my favourite number.
For weeks now, I’ve watched her, unseen and unbothered. I marvelled at her as she practised her magic, foraged for herbs in the depths of the forest, and treated the mythical creatures with a softness that made my dead heart race. I might have even watched her bathe once or twice, the way the water cascaded over her skin, glistening in the light. She’s something else, something that will be mine.
I can smell the raw magic pulsing within her, a tantalising force waiting to be unleashed. I don’t understand why she holds back. She could easily take control of Velmore with her power and toss that bitch Vespera aside.
I have no love for the cruel leader, but unfortunately, I’m not here to end her. My focus is solely on the enchanting witch before me. She doesn’t realise the chaos she could unleash, the world she could dominate. I would gladly spend all day on my knees for my little witch, preferably with her legs wrapped around my head.
She’s magnificent.
