Page 41 of Shadow Witch

CHAPTER 10

“Whoa, no way! Henry’s going in for the kill!” Dewey shouted. “Wow, I never saw this coming. Damn Devon and his stupid beefy muscles that make him seem so capable. He’s going to cost me a fortune.”

“He’s going to cost me a shot at finding my mom!”

“Right, that too,” Dewey answered with a nod.

Paige clamped her hands on her head as the events unfolded on screen.

“I will not allow you to win, you foul beast.”

“Can you cut out the nasty comments? I’m not that foul.”

Henry jiggled the sword at him. “Yes, you are. You have no business even touching Paige’s fair skin, let alone marrying her.”

“It’s getting really tense in there, Sam.”

“You’re right,” Charlie agreed. “This woman must really set hearts on fire.”

“And with that name…”

“Very funny, Charlie Competition,” Paige murmured.

Suddenly, a picture of her appeared on the screen along with a number of stats. “Sam, let’s take a look at the woman in question. This is Paige Turner, who, apparently, is intriguing enough to have caused an Amor Fortis between these two men.”

“And it looks like it may go to the death, Charlie. Things are getting really heated.”

“Right, and I’m trying to figure out why.”

Both men chuckled as the picture of a glasses-clad Paige floated on the screen.

“Maybe if we take off the glasses…” Sam began.

“Oh, there we go. Thanks to the tech team for a quick wipe of those hideous glasses and now it becomes just a little clearer.”

“You’re right, Charlie. Without the glasses, everyone becomes automatically at least a point hotter. But the real question still remains, what about this kind of awkward gal has led to a battle of hearts that may claim a life.”

“I sure don’t know, Sam. But the tension is fraught between these two, that’s for sure. We’re still waiting to see if Devon can talk or cheat his way to freedom and possibly win, or if Henry, will walk away with the prize.”

“Did you mean the win or the girl, Charlie?”

“I meant the win. There’s still a debate about the prize.”

“Hey,” Paige said with a wrinkled nose. “What a jerk.”

On-screen, Devon danced backward another step. “Really? You want to end me here and win by cheating? I thought you were an upstanding guy?”

“I’m totally upstanding. Which is why I would gut you and leave you to die right here. The world should be rid of beasts like you.”

“Yeah, well, Paige is wearing this beast’s ring on her finger, and she was about to marry me, not you. So, she may have something to say about that.”

“Wow,” Sam announced, “Devon’s really going for the jugular with the taunts.”

“Sure is, Sam. A barb reminding the other competitor that they were not the choice is always unsettling. Kudos to Devon. Even if he dies in this round, this was well-played.”

“Absolutely,” Charlie answered.

“I’m certain she has her reasons, but they likely have more to do with fear than love.”

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