Page 99 of Inflamed By an Incubus

Evelyn looked at him. He wasn’t alone now. Hartt and Mackenzie had joined him, both of them looking at Fenix with the same worried expression she was sure she wore.

“It is possible. Drawing something from someone requires a connection to them. The magic must have passed through her and rather than leaving her as intended, it remained.” Vail came to Rosalind, concern in his violet eyes as he looked down at her. “The sorceress cursed herself by cursing the dragons. I do not want you going near her. If she escapes the prison the dragon magic caused, she will be dangerous. Too strong for you, Little Wild Rose.”

Rosalind looked as if she wanted to protest, but then her delicate features softened. “I understand… but if we all need to fight… I will have to be there.”

His eyes darkened, the corners of his lips turning downwards as his black eyebrows met in a hard frown. “Rosalind—”

Evelyn had the feeling he didn’t often use her proper name when speaking to her, because the witch tensed and reached for his leg, her fingers curling around it to grip the black material of his jeans.

That action was enough to silence him, to have his handsome face shifting towards an unimpressed or perhaps displeased look, but one that had a reluctant edge to it that said he was going to let this fight go.

He eased into a crouch before her and murmured, “Wherever you go, I go too. I will not let danger befall you though. If I feel the witch has the upper hand or is a threat to you, I am taking you away to safety.”

She sighed and leaned into his touch as he cupped her cheek, her eyes slipping shut as she whispered, “Deal.”

Fenix clenched his jaw and gritted, “She’s in that sphere. Safe for now. Archer—”

“I think he’ll be coming for you,” Rosalind cut him off and tossed a worried glance at Evelyn. “I think the reason he helped you, why he befriended you, was because you’re a phoenix. Phoenix fire is devastating during a rebirth. We proved that in Norway.”

The witch looked over her shoulder at Hartt and Mackenzie.

“Norway?” Evelyn bit out, the images she had seen springing to mind. She looked at Mackenzie. “You were reborn in Norway? In a valley… near a fortress of some kind?”

The look dawning on everyone’s faces said that had happened and she could only stare at Mackenzie, shock rolling through her as she remembered how the entire area had been scorched, reduced to ashes. Not a small area either. Most of the valley had been affected. “My God. Archer thinks that fire can break the prison she’s in. If he does that… everyone… not just the HQ building… The crypt is underground. Would that contain the fire?”

She hated that she was thinking in terms of it happening, as if it was inevitable, but she couldn’t stop herself.

If she was reborn in that cathedral-like room, her fire would destroy the foundations beneath Archangel. Even if her fire didn’t roll up the lift shaft to the floors above, it would bring the entire building down on top of her and Archer and the sorceress.

“What the hell is he thinking?” she snapped, not waiting for someone to answer her. “Is he that desperate to free Aryanna?”

She looked at Fenix. His blue and gold eyes were sombre as he gazed at her, his eyelids heavy. He looked tired and she didn’t like it.

“Take one of your pills. It might help.” She rubbed his back, feeling useless. She wanted to help him, and she could, but he wouldn’t allow it. She knew that deep in her heart. He would dig his heels in and reject her.

Fenix’s arm shook as he shifted his hand and made several attempts to get it into his pocket. When he withdrew it, he grunted and his entire body spasmed and he dropped the pillbox. Evelyn quickly picked it up for him and opened it.

She removed one pill.

He shook his head. She took a second pill from the box and brought them to his lips, helping him. He opened his mouth for her. She popped the pills into it and waited as he swallowed them. The last time he had taken a pill in front of her, the effect had been instantaneous. She held her breath, desperately hoping that it would be the same this time.

Fenix’s face crumpled. “Not working.”

She looked from him to Rosalind, imploring her to help.

Rosalind took one of the pills, placed it in the centre of her upturned palm and studied it closely. After a minute that felt like an eternity to Evelyn, the witch shifted her gaze to her.

And solemnly shook her head.

“I think it’s because they’re magic… a spell of sorts. Something about Archer’s spell is counteracting them and stopping them from working. I’m sorry.” Rosalind placed the pill back in the box.

Fenix loosed a frustrated growl and snatched the box, spilling his pills on the grass. He shook as he desperately picked them up one by one, taking several attempts to pluck each of them from the grass. Evelyn tried to take them from him when he lifted them to his lips and she realised he was going to take all of them. He flashed his teeth at her and angled himself away from her, and hurt arrowed through her.

She was only trying to help.

She frowned at him as he swallowed the pills, refusing to let him push her away.

“You need to undo this spell.” She turned on Rosalind. “Now.”

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