Page 46 of Magic and Mayhem

Relief spills over me hearing those words.

“I do not have enough power to begin,” I say, feeling that well deep within me growing emptier the longer I'm away from Evolet.

Lilu lays a hand on my shoulder, and suddenly the well fills about halfway. “How did you do that, Little Sister?”

She smiles, looking to where her men left. “I have four mates who enjoy testing limits. It’s helpful sometimes.”

Rolling my eyes, I kiss her gently on the cheek in thanks. Zavian looks at me then points to his cheek.

“Why would I kiss you?” I scowl at him, making my way out of the tent. He follows, pouting with all of the energyof an eager puppy seeping out of him.

“Because I made Lucifer want to leave. It was a good plan, Eryx. I was all, ‘You can’t tell me what to do,’ and he was all daddy dom, puffing out his chest and wiggling his finger in my face but I just laughed. It worked perfectly. He’s such a sub and doesn’t even know it.”

Shaking my head, I pat him on the shoulder. “You did good. Now, I must go get my mate.”

His tone changes from playful to serious in an instant. Honestly, the way Zavian can flip between extreme emotions in a heartbeat is fascinating at times.

“Bring my cousin back safe or don’t come back at all.”

My brows furrow. “She is not your cousin, she’s a descendant of your kind and one of the most powerful witches to walk the earth.”

Zavian shrugs. “Basically the same thing. Kieres said she has fire in her, and he can feel it. I want to feel it. You’re going to let me feel it, right?”

I growl possessively as we reach the outer boundary.

“I would keep your paws away from my mate, Zav.”

He just rolls his eyes, stepping away from me so that I can jump between time and space. Zavian gives me a two finger salute before my ether surrounds me, and the world turns black, spitting me out onto a dark street. Drunks stumble out of the back of a bar, someone tossing them to the curb.

It’s easy for me to invade their minds, their inhibitions already down as I wager a deal to take their soul. The moment it is signed over to me, I rip it from their bodies and make the next jump. It isn’t much, but the closer I get to her, the stronger I feel myself becoming.

Her mind reaches out to mine, and I nearly blow up an amphitheater of people as I command her to fight.As much as I want to tell her about her heritage, she has to discover the power within her for herself. It’s a rite of passage for all witches to unveil their power for themselves in order to inherit their magic.

So instead, I send her a vision and give her something to fight for. I use my connection to the ether within the earth to heal her wounds, and give her the strength I know she needs. She is my mate, and I will save her if it’s the last thing that I do.

The jumps are beginning to get easier. The closer I get, the more I can see through her eyes, the Fates granting me this gift in order to find her. Our mate bond is also profusely pulling at us, trying to show us we were made for each other. But I don’t need the bond to tell me that. Evolet is a force to be reckoned with, a being tied to the very foundations of nature, and my equal in every way.

As I jump, I allow my mind to meld with hers and watch through her eyes. Someone is grabbing her, dragging her through the streets as she struggles against them.

They’re stronger than her though, even if she fights with all of her might. I canfeelher fighting her power, not yet believing it’s inside of her.

A growl escapes me, knowing I'm just one or two jumps away when a strange feeling tugs on my ether. The tether that binds me to it prevents me from jumping. I begin breathing heavily as a spell takes hold of my body.

The earth shakes beneath me as I fight the pull with all of my might, shouting so loud as I attempt to destroy anything that could take me from the one who owns my black soul. The trees around me bend under the force of my power, trying to bow to my will.

My muscles ripple, limbs trembling as I attempt to crawl into the black hole that will put me closer to her.But it’s no use. The laws of the universe fight against my efforts, tearing into my will until it’s aligned with theirs.

Could this be the Fates or a summoning spell created by the ancient Greeks?Hades swore to me he sealed all of those spells away where no one could ever find them after he and I were summoned one too many times.

If the Fates are fucking with me and keeping me from Evolet, all Hell is about to break loose.

I prepare myself for a fight as the world turns black around me, time and space molding into a spherical shape before spitting me out on the other side.

Chapter 13

He said he would drag me by my hair if I fought, but I didn’t care when he came for me. I promised Eryx I would fight, and though I ended up being knocked out on the way to being sacrificed, it had to be better than being awake as I was paraded around town.

I wiggle my hands, trying not to let panic consume me as I feel the tight binds tethering me to something rough at my back. The blindfold blocks out all light, so all I can do is turn my head to try and dislodge it.