Page 62 of Things Get Dark

Nursing my sore fingers to my chest, I register that I've grazed my palms on the stone, my skin stinging as I lift them to look at the small beads of blood forming on the surface. A wave of something almost like nausea washes over me.

I don’t even have a chance to blink before Manon snatches her hand out and Fenella is lifted into the air. She claws and grasps at her throat, struggling to breathe as she’s gripped by an invisible force, while Manon is bathed in a pink fiery light of power. She is furious. And it’s kinda hot. “How fuckingdareyou,” she growls, finally making herself visible as Cordelia screams.

Fenella’s eyes go impossibly wide when she realizes what Manon is. She tries to croak out the word, but Manon doesn’t give her the chance, choking her harder.

Cordelia raises her hands, and I know she’s about to attempt an incantation, but I won’t let her harm Manon. The demon may be a pain in the ass, but she’s my pain in the ass. “Don’t touch her.” I snarl and it’s like all that hate, that anger at how they’ve bullied me for years builds in my chest until a vine of energy seems to burst from my chest, binding Cordelia to me like a lasso. The connection between us hums and she tries to push it off, chanting spell after spell, but my power appears to be blocking hers.

Cordelia’s eyes go hazy as I use my hand to tug on the thread, pulling and pulling until something gives. Crimson liquid leaks from her eyes and it takes me a moment to realize that she’s crying blood.

I wasn’t just withdrawing my magic, I was pulling her blood and magic with it, forcing it to stream from her eyes and bubble out of her mouth. As it spatters on my face, it’s like a bolt of electricity moving through me.

With a stunned gasp, I let the thread drop as Cordelia falls to her knees. Blood still trickles down her cheeks, landing on the stone floor in heavy droplets that sound like drum beats, filling the shocked silence.

Sharing a look with Manon, I know a seal has come undone. I can feel the magic throbbing and pulsing through me as it trickles in.

“Let her go, she’s not worth it.” My voice comes out quiet and croaky, as I start to shake and Manon lets Fenella crumple next to Cordelia.

Chapter Six

Manon

Poppy leads me backto her bedroom, and I follow carefully, watching the young witch.

“Did you see that?! I used my powers!” she laughs, sounding excited as I close the bedroom door behind us. “And what were those slug things?”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I cross my legs and lean back on my palms. “Ephialtes worms. They will leave a sticky residue on their clothes and skin that will give those little witches the most horrific nightmares for weeks.”

“Evil.” She grins as she seems to shift from foot to foot like she has all this excess energy and she’s still processing everything that just happened. “I like it.”

She used her power, and that's never happened before. Letting her bounce around the room for a few minutes, I simply watch and wait.

That Garon asshole was unnecessarily cruel with his words, and I say that as a demon. I hope she uses her newfound skills on him next. She kicks off her shoes and paces, clearly unaware that she’s covered in blood.

I wonder if she’s connected the dots between her magic and the blood yet. It was on her tongue for our kiss, the first seal breaking when it combined with my energy. The second seal was paid for with her virginity. This third time, her damaged palms allowed her to pull more power and blood from another witch, almost cannibalizing one of her own. That girl won’t survive unharmed. I’ll be very surprised if she’s able to use her magic anymore since Poppy seemed to absorb a good chunk of it before she cut the bond.

Fisting her hands in her hair, she turns to me, with her eyes wide. “I did magic, Manon. Like actual fucking magic.”

“I know, my creepy little crusader.”

She approaches the bed and climbs onto my lap. She’s smaller than me, making it feel like she was designed to slot in perfectly against me. Cupping my face, she leans in and brushes our noses together. “Did you see Cordelia’s face?”

“I did.”

Tilting her head back, she looks like she’s about to come. “It was like…flying. It felt amazing!”

“I’m sure it did.” I place a gentle kiss on her collarbone, lapping at a smear of blood marring her skin as I push the straps of her dress down. Her hands weave their way into my hair, fingers bruising against the base of my horns.

“It was…incredible,” she gushes and I sink my teeth into skin carefully until I break the skin, drawing a moan from her soft pink lips. I lick at the blood that’s welled up on the surface. Mmmmmm, much better than Cordelia’s.

Murmuring against her neck, I say, “You were incredible.”

Poppy grinds against me, and I use my tail to slip beneath her dress. Winding its way around her thigh, I let the tip rub against her cunt through her cotton underwear. The half-swallowed noises she makes as her hips roll cause me to grin before I bite her again, binding us even tighter together.

“We need to visit the Powell sisters,” she utters as I make my clothes vanish, and her eyes instantly follow the line of sigils trailing down my sternum, before she lets her fingers drift over my skin, not quite touching even though I know she wants to.

“We need to shower.” I give her a pointed look as I push her dress down underneath her breasts. She may be hesitant, but I’m not. I want to touch her. Taste her.

“Ah, don’t.” She lifts her hands to cover herself, making me frown. “I…I’m not like you. My chest…”

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