Page 24 of Baneful Magick

I hoped it was both.

Chapter 9

Echo

SUNDAY

I’d never met a woman like Isla.

Granted, our species usually stayed to ourselves since succubi and incubi were not welcomed by most supernaturals. I didn’t think most witches were like her, and if the way Wells and Zhara looked at her were any indication, maybe there was no one like Isla, witch or not.

She’d go off telling stories, making us laugh one minute, then a far-off expression would take over like she was listening to something only she could hear. Or maybe it was the forest calling her. I could tell she felt at home whenever we walked through the trees. Her hands would reach out and skim the bark acting like she couldn’t help but want to be physically close to them.

The oddest thing for me was the way she looked at me. Aizel and I were twins, so I was used to sharing the spotlight with my brother. It was just my lot in life, really, though my brother hated when I said that to explain away how people treated us.

Males were the rejects of our species. Since we were sterile, we weren’t considered useful for continuing any family line. Females were the only ones given roles of importance and positions of power. They could have children outside of ourspecies, creating more baby girls with stronger powers and the ability to procreate. Having one male child was an offense that could be forgiven, but to have twin sons… We were our mother’s shame, and I, in particular, was the absolute bane of her existence. Every time she saw me, the only thing she saw was the number two. I was living proof that she’d had the audacity to fail not once but twice.

Isla didn’t make me feel that way. She saw Aizel, sure, but he’d had his eyes on the wolf since we got here. Zhara was cool, but the witch’s snarky comments and ability to laugh at herself made it so I couldn’t look at anyone else, not that it really mattered. She’d never care about me enough to learn all of this.

No one ever did.

“Echo?” Isla’s husky voice interrupted my thoughts.

I grinned and offered her my hand. “Trust me?”

“Not even a little bit,” she replied with a bit of laughter in her voice, but she put her hand in mine as she said it.

“A smart choice,” I replied and motioned for her to follow me, leading her further into the woods to a shaded clearing. This would be perfect.

“If you’re trying–” she started, her eyes flicking to my lips as I turned around to face her. Dropping her hand, I stepped away from her, my hands up in the air to show I wasn’t going to push anything physical with her.

“Just watch. I’ve been practicing.”

I let my power unfurl, gliding down my skin. Warmth followed its path until I felt like my skin was on fire. Then my body shifted, transforming from my own into something smaller, lighter. My sense of smell heightened, and I felt myself lift off the ground.

Isla gasped, a smile taking over her face as she watched me with wide eyes.

“How?!”

I flapped my wings a few times and swooped around, preening at the pure glee on her face. With a dive, I headed straight toward her, stopping just short of slamming into her and landing on her shoulder.

She slowly brought up her hand, and I sat there patiently as she started to reach for me.

“Would it be weird?”

Clicking noises escaped me, and I shifted closer to her. Taking that as a yes, she ran her fingers over my head a few times before I shook my body and flew away, taking my regular form again.

“Illusions and shapeshifting are my specialties. Aizel has other gifts,” I said after catching my breath. Shifting back to my normal body wasn’t as pleasant as shifting into another form, especially if I hadn’t fed, which was the purpose of my gift. “Obviously, we are expected to use it for seduction, but I’ve always found changing to animals a fun pastime.”

Isla didn’t say anything for a full minute, and I wondered if she was freaked out, but when I focused on her expression, freaked out was the last thing she was. Her eyes were bright with excitement, and she had a soft smile on her face.

“Why a bat?”

“It’s nighttime.” I shrugged, not really sure why that was her question. “It seemed fitting for Greywood and this forest.”

“My moms call me bat. I’ve been fascinated with them since I was a child.”

“I’m not changing into one for your familiars class or some random fascination,” I warned her jokingly, but given her pout, I started to wonder if I should be worried.

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