Page 37 of Tangle of Lust and Lethargy

“Guys?” I called desperately, still holding the mirror in front of me like a shield. “Justice! Garrick! Stop!”

My words were lost in the chaos of their battle. I realized with growing dread that freeing Maggie was only the first step. Somehow, I needed to use the mirror on Justice and Garrick before they tore each other apart.

Maggie shook herself as if clearing away the last vestiges of whatever had possessed her, and I steeled myself for what came next. The fight was far from over, and that shriek… I had a sinking feeling our troubles were about to get much, much worse.

Maci wouldn’t like one of her precious demons getting hurt. She was all about revenge and would come at us with a vengeance.

I stepped forward, and my foot slid, nearly sending me sprawling. I glanced down and immediately wished I hadn’t. The ground glistened wetly in the dim light, dark and slick. Tufts of fur clung to the earth, matted with thick crimson.

My stomach lurched as I took in the scene. I clamped a hand over my mouth, fighting the urge to retch.

“Focus, Sawyer,” I hissed through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the squelch beneath my feet as I moved. Yet, as I pushed forward, I couldn’t shake the image of the remnants of the brutal fight surrounding me like a grisly carpet.

CHAPTER TWENTY

My fingers tightened around the Mirror of Aethereal, knuckles white with frustration. “Damn it,” I muttered, watching Justice and Garrick continue their deadly dance. The mirror’s surface remained stubbornly blank, mocking the promise of salvation.

A few feet away, Maggie stood frozen, her wolf form melting away like mist in sunlight. As fur receded and human skin emerged, the true extent of her ordeal became painfully apparent. Her body was a canvas of violence, each mark telling a story of the brutal fight she’d endured.

Angry purple bruises bloomed across her ribs and abdomen, some already darkening to a sickly green-black. Scratches varying from shallow grazes to deep gashes crisscrossed her arms and legs. Some still oozed sluggishly, leaving trails of crimson down her pale skin. Her left shoulder bore the unmistakable imprint of fangs. Justice’s doing, no doubt.

Maggie swayed on her newly human feet, her usual grace replaced by a trembling vulnerability. Every movement seemed to bring a new wave of pain, evident in the tight lines around her eyes and the way her jaw clenched rhythmically. Her right ankle looked swollen, barely taking her weight as she struggled to remain upright.

Her face hadn’t escaped the onslaught, either. A split lip, puffy and bleeding, marred her mouth. Her left eye was swelling, the beginnings of an impressive shiner already visible. A series of parallel scratches ran from her right temple to her jaw as if claws had barely missed her eye.

Despite the ferocity written across her skin, Maggie’s eyes truly betrayed her state. Usually sharp and alert, they were clouded with confusion. Foggy bewilderment replaced the fierce intelligence that typically shone in her gaze like she was struggling to piece together what had happened.

She stood there, naked and battered, looking for all the world like she had fought off an entire pack of wolves. Or, in this case, an Unseelie king and a vampire. The sight of her, so strong yet so broken, made my heart clench. This was the cost of the madness that had gripped us all, etched into the flesh of one of my dearest friends.

“Sawyer, what’s happening?” Her voice quivered, thin and fragile.

I reached out to steady her with a grip that betrayed my own fear. “Lust demons,” I managed. “They cast a spell on you.”

Maggie’s face crumpled, her strength fracturing like glass. “I’ve never…” Her voice cracked. She scrubbed at her face, smearing dirt and blood across pale skin. “I was ready to kill, Sawyer. For something I didn’t even want.”

Tears welled in her eyes, catching the dim light. They spilled over as her gaze drifted to Garrick, still locked in combat with Justice. “Why us?” The words came out ragged, raw with pain. “Why does something always try to tear us apart?”

The anguish in her tone made my chest constrict. I followed her gaze, watching two of the men I cared about most in the world trying to destroy each other. A cold realization crept over me, raising goosebumps along my arms.

“Maybe that’s exactly it,” I blurted, the pieces falling into place. “Maci’s revenge. She wouldn’t want anyone to be happy, especially not someone in love.”

Maggie’s eyes widened, realization and renewed determination chasing away the lingering confusion.

In the background, Justice and Garrick’s battle raged on. The mirror in my hand seemed to pulse with renewed urgency. Whatever came next, I had to act fast.

Justice’s roar split the air as he hurled Garrick skyward. The Unseelie king twisted, a dark silhouette against the murky sky, before crashing into the mud mere feet from where I stood. My heart thundered. This was my chance.

I launched forward, feet slipping in the muck, every muscle screaming with urgency.

“Sawyer, don’t!” Maggie’s cry tore through the chaos, but I couldn’t stop. Not now.

Garrick dragged himself upright, his current state a grotesque parody of his formerly regal posture. His long hair, once sleek and well-groomed, hung in matted tangles around his face, streaked with mud and blood. A deep gash across his forehead sent rivulets of crimson down the side of his face, partially obscuring one eye.

His typically immaculate clothing was in tatters. His shirt hung in ribbons, exposing a chest mottled purple and blue bruises. Long, angry scratches from Justice’s vampire claws ran across his torso and arms. One particularly nasty wound on his left bicep still oozed, the flesh around it an angry red.

Garrick’s right eye was swollen nearly shut, his lip split in two places. A dark bruise bloomed along his jaw, evidence of a powerful blow. Despite his Unseelie strength, it was clear the fight with Justice had taken its toll. He favored his left leg, and his breathing came in ragged, pained gasps.

But it was his eyes that truly chilled me to the core. Usually dancing with smirky mischief and teasing glints, they now blazed with something terrifying. Gone was any trace of the Garrick I knew. In its place was a toxic mixture of hatred and unbridled lust, turning his gaze into something feral and unrecognizable.

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