Page 47 of Spelled By Truth and Tresses

I knew instinctively that these living dead were not meant to harm me, I could feel Jax's magic pulsing through the clearing as he pounded on the transparent shield in front of him.

Thomas may have stopped Jax from physically interfering, but he did not consider the fact that most magical battles are fought with the mind.

The skeletal army moved as one to stand behind Thomas, but he didn't sense them. I cackled, then grinned as lightning split the sky. Thomas grinned back, as if he thought I was finally falling for his charming personality. He was so deluded that he lowered his head to kiss me. I flinched, then reared back, agony shot through my brain with the movement. The thought of his rotten lips ever touching mine made me want to vomit, then sew his lips closed with black thread.

Before he could reach me, skeletal hands gripped his arms and hair, then dragged him off me. I turned in a slow circle, admiring the undead witches and warlocks of the Black Lily Coven’s skeletons. Those with eyes left didn’t blink as wind slashed rain lashed against their decaying features. The ghost of each skeletal corpse floated next to them in a macabre display of support. It was horrifyingly beautiful.

I turned my stare towards Jax as he screamed behind the barrier he’d been caged in. Josh stabbed a knife into the surface repeatedly, but nothing worked. I close my eyes and ground myself digging my boot heels into the grass below me. Then I shoved Thomas so hard in the chest with my magic he flew in an arch and crashed into the shield he created to cage Jax and Josh. The shield burst as he landed on top of them.

As I shakily got to my feet, the sound of meat being tenderized helped to clear the fog in my mind. Josh held Thomas’ arms behind his back as Jax tore into him. He threw punch after punch into Thomas's face and landed sharp kicks to his kidneys, all the while pouring dark magic into Thomas's chest.

“Jax!” I screamed and yanked on his arm. “Josh, you need to stop this.”

He shook his head, then pursed his lips. “Let him do this, Zellie. He needs it.”

I blew out a long breath past my lips, then crossed my arms. I watched Jax unleash his fury for a few more minutes and then ripped Jax off him. Josh dropped Thomas’ arms and allowed him to crumple to the ground.

I glared hate fire at Thomas, but my gaze darted to Jax’s and softened. “You can't kill him. I need to make sure he is proven guilty of all the crimes suspected of him over the years. If he is, we can send him to the siren island.”

He nodded, then wiped the blood from his knuckles on the dying grass. Josh stood over Thomas, his magic wholly focused on him.

I crouched next to him. “Now, let's see what's in that putrid mind of yours.”

The wind howled as rain poured into the clearing, small puddles collecting in Thomas’ open eyes. Ghostly specters surrounded us and began chanting. Their power ghosted over my skin as they spoke in unison.

Use us. Use us, young siren. Channel our magic. The Black Lily Coven grants you access. Use us before his mind is too far gone. The voices mingle together in multiple layers. It was almost too painful to listen to, my brain struggled to sort through the voices and match them to the ghosts around me.

I didn’t know if I could trust the spirits enough to allow them to connect with my mind. Jax must’ve seen the indecision. My vision swam, and I felt arms around me.

“Breathe, pet. Do you remember the first time I took you to the tower?”

A frisson of unease tightened my shoulders. Shit. I forgot about seeing Jax in my subconscious. His arms tightened around me. What did he whisper into my double’s ear?

I gasped, Jax’s gravelly tone speaking in random with the Jax of my memories.

When the dead speak, heed their words. It will save your life one day.

“Is this what you meant? The Black Lily Coven?”

Jax nodded, his scruff lightly rubbing against my temple. “We don’t have time for me to explain further, but I meant those words. You can trust these spirits.”

I slowly breathed out through my lips, then kicked off my boots and dug my toes into the meadow beneath me. I ground into their power in the fastest way I knew how.

I closed my eyes and called upon the witches in the house. When I opened my eyes and could see my breath in the air in front of me. The witches stood in a line, staring up at Thomas with a hatred that I shared. Their magic was potent, stronger combined than mine alone, and with both, I felt invincible.

You can do this. They whispered in my mind, giving me the strength to let go of Jax’s hand and step forward. I held out my hand, forcing Thomas to his knees. Fear washed over his features as mine darkened. I placed my hand on his head, then gasped.

I plunged into the depths of his mind.

When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer standing outside of the tower.

Thomas’ mind was a dark, cold place. At first, fear skittered through me. The ground beneath my bare feet slipped on the glossy, black and white tiles. I walked through the dark space until I came upon a row of doors, his memories hidden behind them. Cautiously, I turned the handle of the crimson door in front of me and stepped inside.

We were inside the boy’s bathroom at Ghost Rose Academy. The boy, Callum, taunted Thomas. He was never kind to him, but this time something was different—Thomas fought back.

I felt the emotions each memory prompted like they were my own. The lure of power was everything a man like Thomas could want. His parents didn’t care for him, his father hit him, and he had spent his whole life feeling powerless, but no longer. He raised his hand, then slowly drew his fingers toward his palm and smiled sadistically. Callum laughed at Thomas until his pounding heart slowed, then stopped all together. Thomas watched as Callum dropped toward the floor, dead before he met the surface.

That was his first bloodlust, and it wouldn’t be his last.

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