Page 16 of The Duke’s Bloody Bargain

A purple light glowed around her.

I didn’t need to think too much. “I want to get rid of my fear of touching. Forever.”

She searched my face in an intrusive way that made me want to hide. “Are you ready to face the consequences?”

What did I have to lose? As long as Irene was safe, I was ready to sacrifice anything to be with her.

“Yes, I am.”

The consequences couldn’t be worse than the nightmare I lived every day.

Shadows flickered behind her. Darkness gathered around us. Only the purple light coming from her lit the cemetery. The tombstones blurred and vanished. The trees around the cemetery disappeared, and the ground was replaced by a dark floor.

Cara and I were alone in the centre of a dark world.

The shadows engulfed me, and while I was no stranger to the darkness, a choking sensation gripped me.

A smoky mist rose and wrapped itself around me. I couldn’t breathe. Every time I tried to inhale, the mist slid deeper into my lungs, leaving behind a bitter taste. I preferred Darius’s glittering and joyful magic.

“Don’t panic, Ravenhill.” Cara’s voice sounded far away. “Stay calm. Don’t fight the magic. Let it do its job.”

My legs gave in, and I collapsed.

I lay on the hard ground, shaking as the dark mist coiled around me. It curled around my fingers, snaked up my arms, and filled my mouth.

When I thought the spell was going to smother me, the moonlight broke through the darkness. The choking sensation died quickly, and I inhaled the humid air of the night.

6

NOTHING BUT A SPELL

Alex

As I remained sprawled on the ground, Cara’s face came into sharp focus.

“Ravenhill,” she said, a hint of concern in her voice.

I blinked, gazing around the cemetery. The moon had lowered on the horizon, and clouds hid it.

“How do you feel?” She walked around me in a circle, her cloak fluttering around her legs.

My body didn’t hurt, and my mind was clear. “I’m fine.”

“Good.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

I was about to yell Don’t touch me, but there was no need to. Her touch didn’t trigger any pain, memories, or sickening feelings. No shivers or sweat. If anything, her skin was colder than mine.

I stood up, staring at her hand wrapped around my wrist. My heart beat only three times per minute, but it raced to five. A moment of dizziness caught me. I was free.

“Well?” She put her other hand on my shoulder. “Are you uncomfortable?”

My stomach didn’t churn, and no tremors bothered me. Quite the opposite. I wanted to cheer.

“I can’t believe it.”

“You should.” She patted my shoulder. “My magic works and⁠—”

I hugged and lifted her by the waist, laughing. Holding her didn’t cause any unpleasant quivers.