I went down hard on my hands and knees, grunting with the impact. Tiny green sparks skittered across my hands, but Jonathan hadn’t seen them.
“Well,” Jonathan prodded. “Get to it, witch.”
“You’re just going to stand there and watch?”
“I prefer the termobserve, and yes, I am going to do just that. Observation is a crucial part of any experiment, and I’ll continue to do just that until I can devise a way to transfer your power.”
Great.
Getting to my feet, I dusted myself off and slowly circled Asher, my eyes locked on his as I pretended to analyze the situation.
In reality, I just needed a little more time. The magics were still fusing inside me, filling me with immeasurable power.
I leaned in close to Asher’s face, breathing in his fiery demon scent.
“Careful, witch,” Jonathan called out. “I need to see what you’re doing.”
“I need to see his eyes,” I said.
“Explain.”
“The soul is the root of my magic,” I said, which was at least partially true, but Jonathan didn’t need to know the details. I just had to feed him enough bullshit to keep him distracted long enough to figure out how the hell I was going to fix Asher. Magic or not, if I didn’t neutralize that devil’s trap, he’d die. “Eyes are the window to the soul. Ergo, I need to see his eyes.”
Jonathan seemed satisfied, at least for the moment. “Carry on, then. But no tricks, Sunshine. I’m serious.”
Turning my attention back to Asher, I studied his ocean-blue eyes. Despite his obvious pain, they were still sharp and clear.
“You okay?” I mouthed.
“Been better,” he whispered. “Are you here to kiss me again?”
I smiled. “In your dreams, buddy.”
“Every single one.”
Relief rushed through me. Asher was still Asher. That meant he was still okay. That he still had a chance. Thatwestill had a chance.
“Hell of a mess, huh?” he whispered. “Any ideas?”
“One. But it’s kind of crazy.”
“I like crazy.”
I gave him a quick wink. Then, before I could change my mind, I spun on my heel and charged toward the gate, slamming a burst of magic into Jonathan’s chest.
He went down hard, flat on his back on the cold stone.
“Over and out, asshole.”
“Holy shit!” Asher said. “I knew you had it in you! Is he dead?”
I shook my head. “I don’t have the juice to kill him. That’s just a variation on a hold spell. He’s unconscious for now, but we don’t have much time.”
And with any luck, he’d be confused and groggy when he came out of it, not remembering that I was the one who put him down.
I was counting on it.
I had other plans for Jonathan. But first…
