Page 13 of Light Magic

I froze, my fingertips on the chords. Slowly, I lowered my hand and turned to the voice.

Levi.

My heart tugged at the sight of him. He hadn’t changed since I last saw him a couple of hours ago, but he had lost the tie and undone the top two buttons of his shirt.

More causal, but still hot as hell.

“Have you been following me?” I asked.

He shoved his hands in his pants’ pockets. “No, sweetheart. I was on my way from my bedroom to the dining room for supper, and this is my path.”

“That’s not what I meant.” I crossed my arms. “I mean here. In the Grand Eternity Hall. You knew I was coming.”

“How would I have known that, sweetheart? I’ve been here for a couple of days.”

“Why are you here? And how come you’re an honored guest of the Grand Eternity Hall?”

One corner of his lips tugged up in that same charming smile of his. “Aren’t we curious?”

I clamped my mouth, ashamed I couldn’t hold my tongue. Something about him messed with me. I wanted to be indifferent to him, to show him his betrayal didn’t affect me.

I even thought I was exaggerating. Was it a betrayal? He set out to get me from the start, and he was always cold and telling me to keep my distance.

I was the one who read too much into all of it. And yet, I couldn’t stop the wild thoughts in my mind.

“I’m serious, can’t you come back after the witches help me?” It was a bold question, I knew that, but I couldn’t help it.

Levi strolled closer and halted two feet from me.

I wanted to take a step back, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me squirming.

He leaned closer and locked his blue eyes on mine. “Do I bother you that much, sweetheart?” His gaze slid down my neck, my shoulder, and down the rest of my body, darkening. ”Is it annoyance, or something else?” I shoved his chest and he chuckled. “You make it too easy to tease you.”

“You’re impossible.”

He winked at me, then walked away. “If you don’t want to get lost again, come with me.”

I would rather be lost for the next three days than follow him.

But to contradict me, my stomach growled. Embarrassed, I pressed a hand to my belly and followed the demon out of the gallery.

The moment I stepped foot back into the hallway, something big and dark jumped at me, pushing me back.

I yelled as I fell and hit my head hard on the floor.

I blinked fast, trying to fight the black spots in my visions, and all I saw were the sharp teeth snapping inches from my face.

4

Bolts of darkfire hit the monster’s face and body, and it scurried away from me. The thing crawled on the ceiling, perched upside down, and snarled.

A harpy. It was a freaking harpy with birdlike wings for arms, talons for feet, and feathers for hair. It snarled at us, poised to attack.

Levi stood before me, a hand stretched toward the harpy, and the other to me. I grabbed his hand and let him help me up. The world revolved for two seconds, but I was able to keep my balance.

“A harpy? Loose in the hall?” I asked, confused. What was going on?

The harpy opened her wings, let out a screech, and lunged at us.

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