Page 19 of Witch Queen

Cortes’s eyes widened.

“You have a new space warp spell in your repertory,” Mae continued. “It’s calledDistort.All you have to do is think of where you want to be, invoke that spell, and you’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

Cortes stared at her dazedly for a moment before furrowing his brow. “But…I wasn’t thinking of anything when I teleported us from here.”

“Oh.” Mae wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, that was Na Ri’s fault. She, er, touched the spell. It looks like it automatically engaged and took us to your last location.”

Cortes’s mouth flattened.

“She apologizes,” Mae muttered.

“Wait.” Roman was frowning. “So, the first time the spell engaged and they came here, is that because Cortes was thinking of Vlad?”

Everyone gazed at Roman before appraising Vlad and Cortes with fresh stares. Vlad glowered at the Fire Magic sorcerer.

Roman shrugged. “Look, man, I’m just saying it like I see it.”

Cortes sighed. “I wasn’t thinking of him. I wanted Mae’s help. I knew she was staying here.”

Popo rubbed his beak awkwardly with a wing. “Are you certain, my Enrique? It isn’t because you still harbor amorous feelings toward—mmmph!Mmmph?!”

Cortes had gagged the bird. “How about you stay quiet for a while?”

Nikolai’s eyes shrank to slits. Alastair gave Popo a haughty look.

Vlad blew out a heavy sigh and ran his hand through his hair. “With all the craziness that just happened, I didn’t get a chance to ask how things went with the cartel.”

“Oh.” Cortes’s expression turned strained. He cut his eyes to Anya. “We…persuaded them to let me go.”

They all observed Anya with various degrees of doubt. A defiant light dawned on the witch’s face. She sniffed.

“She threatened them, didn’t she?” Mae said.

“Totally,” Cortes admitted flatly.

Nadia waved a hand at Mae and Nikolai. “You should tell them about the bodies.”

Vlad’s gaze turned probing. “What bodies?”

Nadia’s phone pinged before anyone could answer. She checked the message and eyed Mae awkwardly.

“Bryony wants to know why there’s a blurry video of what looks like you and Cortes floating in midair above New York circulating on a local news channel.”

Mae paled. “She’s gonna kill me.”

“Not if your mother kills you first,” Nikolai muttered.

CHAPTERSEVEN

Demonic power surgedthrough Barquiel’s veins as he attempted to tear open the prison he was trapped in with his bare hands. It had been days since he’d smashed his broadsword to pieces attempting to shatter its walls.

The demon grunted, his claws scraping in vain against the solid blackness. An enraged sound finally left him. He shot back and glared at his cage, his chest heaving with his breaths and anger flushing through his body.

He couldn’t believe how weak he felt.

Mae Jin’s face rose before him. Barquiel gnashed his teeth.

It’s that damn bitch and her spell! I’m going to kill her when I get out of here!

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