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She shook her head. “Why?”
“She must answer for crimes against her coven.” Before Jessie could reply, his head snapped up to peer through the forest. “A storm is coming. Will you join me or not?”
“I-uh. Well. You see, I have several offers to consider at the moment. You know how it is for us covetous acquisitions.”
His gaze narrowed into hard slits.
“B-but your proposal sounds very generous. I’ll think about it and let you know.”
“Very well.” Without warning, the man’s hand whipped out toward her and he released a percussion of white-hot power that slammed into her, knocking her back several steps and driving the air from her lungs. The back of her right hand began to sizzle with pain, as if it had been splashed by acid.
“What the hell?” she gasped, registering that she’d just been assaulted. Her reaction was purely instinctive. Gripping the hilt of her knife, she brought it over her head and then whipped the weapon through the air toward the man.
Blasé, the man held his palm up and the knife jerked to a hovering stop just feet away from him.
Nice, Jessie. You brought a knife to a magic fight.
“You’re not even using your full strength,” he mused. You are very unaware of your own power, not to mention seemingly ignorant of the most basic of spells. That sensation you felt on your hand was a tracking spell. Nothing sinister, I assure you,” he added…with a very sinister tilt to his lips.
She glanced at her hand and saw a glowing blue glyph etched into her flesh.Motherfucker!He branded me.
“It’s only so I can find you when you are ready to give me your answer.”
Once more the knife floated back down to her, and she knew all the defensive maneuvers she’d learned over the years were useless. There was nothing she could do to defend herself against this man if his intention turned malicious—unless she learned…magic.
“A little warning would have been nice.” Outwardly, she acted mildly annoyed. In truth, she was furious to have been tagged like some migrating beast to be monitored. It made her feel violated.
“There’s another benefit to this spell. Now I can also get a better read on your power.”
That sense of violation deepened. “Take this spell off me. Now.”
His gaze turned deadly, and she gathered he wasn’t accustomed to being challenged. “You need proof of what I can offer you? Fine. Do you see that lema?” He pointed at the creature still eyeing them with disdain from its perch. Its fur looked soft and inviting to the touch. If this were any normal day back on Earth, she’d have climbed up there to see if she could coax it into eating from her hand—
The man shot a glowing dart from his hand. It pierced the critter’s neck. The poor thing let out a terrible squeak before tumbling down the cliff and landing motionless at her feet.
She dropped to her knees. “How could you?” Gently she rolled it over to find a patch of red-stained fur. It was still breathing, but barely. “Why did you do that?”
He suddenly—what had he called it? Sifted?—and was standing right behind her. She wondered if his magical powers could best her speed at this range.
“To see if you could heal it, obviously.”
“Are you mad? Of course I can’t—”
He grabbed her wrist. She tried to pull away, but he forced her palm over the creature’s wound. Warm blood seeped between her fingers. The creature’s frightened pulse fluttered against her skin, its tiny heart working overtime. “If you can’t, then you are of no use to me.” There was a darkness to his words that made her hackles rise.
The lema’s breath turned shallow…and then a final exhalation signaled the surrender of its little lungs. Adrenaline rushed her system. “Okay, okay. How do I heal it, then? Tell me!”
“Pull from deep within you. It’s where the magic lies. You must grip it with your mind, wrangle it, force it to do your bidding. Imagine the blood receding, the wound healing. Feel it. Believe it. See it happening in your mind.”
He was too close now, muttering his instructions in her ear, but she blocked out her discomfort and focused. Pull from deep within? Could there be something there she’d never found before. A strength? A power she’d never known?
She recalled the two occasions when a blue flame had pulsed in her palm. Could that have been magic?
Another memory began to surface. One of her mom telling her she would be very powerful one day. Jessie had thought nothing of it at the time. After all, she’d been what, five? Six? But now she realized it was a strange thing to say to a child, even one you doted on. Very wise, maybe. Very strong. Very pretty, even. But powerful?
Pressing her hand harder over the lema’s wound, she closed her eyes and mentally receded into herself. If there was some kind of healing power inside her, she had better find it quick.
What am I thinking? I can’t do this. It wasn’t possible. She felt ridiculous even trying.
