Page 33 of Villainous Greed

“Right. I’ll save you first, then we can talk and…otherthings.” The way he smirked and waggled his brows spoke enough.

I glowered. “Are you serious right now?”

“It’s been a long life without you, Nova.” He practically groaned. “You will put me out of my misery by death or pleasure.”

“I do plan on killing you after I’m free,” I agreed.

August lost his skin again. His essence swirled in and out of the exposed gap of his cloak. Then, in a blink, he grabbed one band on my left wrist and yanked.

Chapter Fourteen

August

Nova screamed as the shackle exploded from Harvest’s spell. I had no flesh, but my ears rang as Nova’s arm burst apart. The nasty crack in her bones was like a stab to the heart, knowing she was in pain. The blast couldn’t hurt me, but I still staggered backward from the force of it. Nova’s left hand went flying, smacking the cave wall with a thwack. The severed hand twitched once, and bile rose in my throat.

It fucking disgusted me to know I caused the pain. While I had every intention of freeing Nova, nothing could have prepared me to see her ripped in half. She was bent on one knee, blood squirting from her severed limb. Like I was her servant, I dropped to my knees in front of her as my skin returned.

Her head drooped as she swayed. “What are you doing?” she slurred. “Change back. Hurry and take another band off my other wrist!”

“Does this mean the ones on your left arm are gone?” I asked.

“No. The two you didn’t unlatch will still be on my arm when it grows back.”

“Fuck.” I pulled at my hair.

She narrowed her eyes. “August, you’re wasting time.”

My mate was strong. I knew she would be if she had been stuck with Harvest all those years, but how was she still alive with those wounds? If she fell unconscious, I could remove them without her experiencing the pain. Her dark skin was paler and the pink complexion around her left eye was whiter from blood loss. My essence woven through hers floated toward her missing limb. Already, the tendons, bones, and muscles grew back, starting at her elbow.

I’m sorry, Nova.

I reached out and unhooked all three from her right wrist. Using one hand, I pulled at them. Nova screamed again. Fire lit into my chest and hand as the bands detonated. I didn’t know how many of the three I got off. I was glad I didn’t use both arms since the explosion tore my arm apart. Blood covered the surrounding ground around us. My left arm was already growing back quicker than hers. She shared my abilities, but I didn’t think she’d ever tried reaching into the powers given to her through our bond. She didn’t know. I would have to show her everything.

“What… were… you thinking?” Her voice was a mere whisper. “Change back into the scary thing. They’ll be here.”

“If you’re going to suffer, I refuse to let you do it alone,” I promised. I wouldn’t let her experience that pain alone. If that was the price of her freedom, I’d gladly pay it a thousand times over.

Nova’s face paled as she gazed behind me. I sensed the proxy immediately as his power rippled in the air like a small storm slapping into me from behind. I stood and stiffened as pain shot into my back. Blood spewed from my mouth as a sword burstout of my stomach. The blade twisted, and I gripped the weapon with my right hand to stop the movement. Shit. It was like my guts were being chopped, then stirred.

I gritted my teeth as the agony ripped into me.

“Why did you have to stand right when I moved? I aimed for the heart.” That proxy was the fucker who kidnapped Joy. I recognized his pathetic voice.

I locked eyes with Nova and wished I hadn’t. Terror consumed her, twisting and morphing those lovely features of hers. She thought that someone had caught us. She peered straight through me like I failed to save her again, but I hadn’t. That day couldn’t end until she returned with me, no matter how long it lasted.

“You…” she said and then face-planted into the ground.

What was she going to say to me?You pig-headed idiot?Or maybe,You fool?

With a roar, I pushed myself off the blade.

“I don’t think so,” the warlock muttered, wiggling the blade. The fucker was using his magic. His voice was too distant for him to be right behind me. I guessed that meant I should use my power, too.

Materializing my scythe, I morphed it into hundreds of tiny daggers and sent them out behind me. I didn’t know where he was. The sword’s movement stopped, and I reached back and yanked it out of my back. No matter how many times I’d pulled a weapon from my body, the pain was no less excruciating. I screamed, but didn’t waste time as I spun around. Sliding out of my flesh, I became skeletal again. I wouldn’t risk being trapped by a weapon again. I wasn’t immune to magic in either form, but most physical attacks couldn’t harm me while skeletal.

The warlock stood several yards in the distance. A black barrier kept the daggers away from him. The warlock was a proxy, which meant he was powerful, but killable. Nova and the proxy were so different from each other. Nova allowed me close, despite my power, because she wanted to inflict damage. Even before becoming immortal, I believed my little star would still be reckless. The warlock would do everything in his power to keep his distance. The coward waited until we had left Prudence and Joy to kidnap Joy. Nova was a far superior proxy to him. All I needed was to get close. No amount of magic would protect him once I broke through his shields.

“You’re not taking her from me.”

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