Page 28 of Kiss of Magic

Blake waved his hand at the exit.

“Be my guest.”

Slowly, Dani slid towards the edge of the bed, watching him like a hawk. He didn’t move. She turned to the door, heart beating fast. Then with a spurt of adrenaline she charged through it.

The next room was a living room with old beaten-up sofas pushed against the wall. She looked round wildly. On the other side she could see a hallway. And at the far end was the main door.

Galvanised, she shot towards it, hardly daring to believe he might be letting her go. As her hand descended on the handle, she felt her chest tighten. Nerves, perhaps. Her heart was thundering, after all.

She slammed through the door to the street beyond. Squinting in the sunlight, she glanced left and right. There was an intersection up ahead. Cars, she thought. Transport.

She tried to run towards it but something was wrong. The pressure in her chest intensified and now her head was throbbing. Her legs faltered and she dropped to her knees as a wave of dizziness swept through her.

“Goddess,” she gasped.

She hadn’t eaten since yesterday. That must be it. Dragging herself to her feet, she took another few steps. Anything to put more distance between her and her hated captor. But the world started spinning and with each lurch forward, her discomfort worsened.

She staggered another yard and suddenly she was overwhelmed by a red-hot tidal wave of agony. It felt as if she was being burned from the inside out. The pain made her cry out and she fell to the ground, the strength draining from her limbs.

What the hell was happening to her? Through a haze of suffering, her eyes fell on the dampener sealed around her wrist.And for the first time she saw the runes etched into it. Despair welled as she recognised them.

I don’t believe it. This can’t be happening.

The excruciating pain eased as she heard footsteps. A pair of combat boots came into vision as the last of the incapacitating weakness left her. She wanted to sob with relief but refused to give him the satisfaction.

“Get up, Blue.”

“The dampener,” she said through gritted teeth. “It has a binding enchantment on it.”

“Yep. It binds you to me. Go too far away and… well, you saw what happens.”

“You haven’t got a shred of decency, have you?” She dragged herself to her feet, shaking with fury. “You really don’t care what happens to me.”

“I’m a mercenary,” he drawled. “I’m not paid to care.”

Hauling back her arm, she punched him in the face with every ounce of strength she possessed.

“You’re a heartless bastard.”

A trickle of blood ran from his lip. His face darkened and she put both fists up, expecting him to retaliate. But he only wiped his mouth.

“You get that one for free, Blue. But try it again and I’ll knock you on your butt.”

“I hate your fucking guts.”

“You’re a fighter, I get it. But like it or not, you’re stuck with me until I can get you to England.”

“You’d better not sleep then. Because first chance I get I’m going to slit your throat.”

“Thanks for the heads up. Now, let’s try this again.” He flashed his annoying grin. “You hungry, little witch?”

Fourteen

She wolfed down the veggie burger and fries like it was her last meal on earth. Which it might well be, she thought bitterly. They were in a brightly-lit fast-food restaurant on a busy street. Blake had picked it on the basis that they’d be less conspicuous in a crowd.

He’d walked in without bothering to check if she was following. Ofcourseshe was following. She knew now what would happen if she didn’t. He might as well have put her on a leash.

Jerk.

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