Page 45 of Sticks and Stones and Broken Bones

So much chaos.

I lost track of everyone in the darkness and my senses were going haywire. Magic fizzled and sputtered beneath my skin, like it was trying to do something, but I didn’t know enough about it to understand what.

I started to walk cautiously through the darkness, my hands out in front of me.

“Raevyn!” Someone shouted, but it sounded miles away.

Flashes of white robes moved past me as they escaped whatever this darkness was. I could still hear screams, and panic was getting a firm grip as I worried about the other guys. Were they okay? Had they portalled out of here?

Had they left me behind?

No.

They wouldn’t have done that. I was sure of it. I could still feel their connection to me pulling strongly.

I kept moving slowly, in what I hoped was the way to the front door, but my foot caught on something and I fell to the floor. Pain jarred my knees and my hands landed on something soft. Something that felt like – gulp— a body.

I felt along the limbs, going up her arms until I reached her shoulders.

Damn it, I wish I could see!

I’d no sooner finished the thought when a soft glow erupted from my fingertips.

Holy fuck!

Maybe my magic was more instinctual than anything else. But I’d think about that later. When I was far away from the corpses that littered the floor.

Using my glowing fingers, I brought my hand up to the body and flinched. It was Elara, one of my sisters, and her face was twisted in terror. Her mouth was wide open in a perpetual scream, her hair bleached white. What could have cause this? She looked like she’d died of fright. My heart was now racing uncomfortably, beating a wild rhythm in my chest as I stared at her face. Oh, gods. I had to get out of here.

I scrambled backwards and skirted around her, using my glowing hand to light my way in the pitch black. There were still screams all around me and I could hear a low hum, like a satisfied purr. It made my skin shiver, not just in fear, but with something like anticipation as well.

I headed for the front door, hoping that whatever this pitch-black shit was, it was confined to the house. I reached for the doorknob, grabbed it and turned. Yes, I was going to make it. I was going to—

A hand slammed on the door above my head, holding it shut. My heart jumped in my throat, anticipation bubbling in my gut and my knees trembled as I felt someone crowd in behind me. There was an undertone of Casimir’s magic, but this wasn’t Casimir. It was darker, malevolent and something much more ancient than even Casimir had felt. The light from my fingers instantly snuffed out, my magic scurrying away as my fear grew.

“Hello, little bird.” The whisper was dusky, twisted. And something inside me clenched with need. “Are you trying to escape?”

“Casimir?”

He laughed and rubbed his forehead against the back of my neck, like he was coating me in his scent. Something about that made me feel owned and… I didn’t hate it. The shadows pulled back far enough that I could see my hands on the wood of the door.

“He’s not here right now.” He slotted his fingers into the crevices between mine and held my hands captive above my head.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice a whisper. “What do you want?”

He ghosted his lips along the side of my neck, and I shivered.

“So many questions, little bird.” He ground his hips against my ass, digging his erection into me.

A whimper clawed its way out of my throat.

“Can you feel it?” he purred, his lips pressed against my skin, teeth nipping at my neck.

“Feel what?” I whispered.

“The connection between us. Casimir tried to push you away. The silly boy.” A moan caressed my ear. “But you’re mine, as much as his.”

He trailed his hands down my forearms, his touch featherlight and leaving goosebumps in their wake. I tilted my head back, succumbing to the need growing inside of me. A need that came from a dark place. Something that I think the Revenants were waking up.

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