One moment my eyes are narrowed, seething hatred pooling in the space between the three of us, and the next I flicker.
The throbbing power shifts and morphs.I’m swimming in an ocean of it and I slip.My head bobs under the water and I’ve lost grip of my limbs.
Panic.
Tight chest.
Pins and needles everywhere.
“She’s losing control,” Midnight barks at Ignatius.“Do something.”
He lurches towards me.
Fuck him.I dart away.But my body radiates too much light.The heat in the room blazes like solar flares, sweat runs down my neck.
Ignatius feints left.I lunge into the gap, but he’s quicker and I am still bobbing under the water of powers I can’t control.
He flings himself at me, knocking us to the ground and slaps silvery handcuffs on my wrists.
The heat and light and runes instantly wink out.
I lie on my back panting.There’s a pause.It’s thick and globulous.
Still lying, I laugh.“I can’t believe I thought you’d come to rescue me.That you actually might forgive me.I should have known…” I turn to face Midnight.“Ten years you’ve held a grudge against your ex.Why would I be any different.”
There’s a flicker of hesitation in Midnight’s expression.But I’m not falling for her shit again.
“How fucking pathetic am I?”I snarl.
Now she chooses to look at me, her gaze is violently intense, as though she wants to tell me a secret.I’m not listening.Not anymore.
“I hope he takes your soul anyway,” I spit the words as potent as the poisonous glares she’s giving me.
Ignatius pulls himself to standing and hauls me up by the handcuffs.I hiss as they dig into my wrists, instantly making my skin red.
“You know…” Ignatius drawls and wipes the back of his hand over his forehead, mopping up sweat.“Lucy darling has a good point.You do owe me a soul.”
I tense, my shoulders stiffening.
“We made a deal,” Midnight says and folds her arms, the picture of arrogance.Oh, what a mistake she’s made.She underestimated him, thought he wouldn’t trick her.Too bad.
“Did we?Do you remember shaking on it?Did you see any entropy moths?”Ignatius’s voice is full of delighted malice.
Midnight’s expression falters and I almost feel bad for her.
“You made a deal, Ignatius, fair and square.”
“I believe you’ll find we made an amendment.An addition, a clause, if you like.”
He huffs out a cold laugh and drags me across the floor.I wriggle and kick trying to get out of his grip, but my runes won’t fire up, and I still don’t know how to control them.Whatever is in these cuffs has snuffed them out.
Ignatius leans into Midnight’s personal space.“You’re right, I did make a deal.Your girlfriend’s life for your soul.I even gave you ten years together.Rather generous of myself.”
“Fuck you.You said if I handed Lucy over, you’d give me my soul back.”
He shrugs, nonchalant as if this isn’t life and death.“Funny, there doesn’t seem to be a record of that.Just some small print in an old contract.That’s the trouble with small print, easily missed.”
“Ignatius,” she growls his name.
