Page 7 of Blood Witch

“It would have been easier to explain my breaking his nose if he hit me first,” I replied, holding his silver stare.

My skin felt itchy, and I felt like I was breaking out in hives.

Was it possible to get a rash from one smoldering look?

The runes on his skin pulsed with a sort of muted glow, and I shivered involuntarily.

“You should be more careful. A witch alone against a group of testosterone addled wizards doesn’t stand a chance.”

Was this guy for real?

How obnoxious could one man,albeit a really tall, really good-looking man, be?

“It’s the twenty-first century, dude. Haven’t you ever heard of equality among the sexes? Besides, me against those idiots? Ha!” I barked a laugh, unable to help myself.

“Feisty, aren’t you?”

Something about this stranger raised my hackles. Maybe it was the way he watched me, like a predator on the prowl. One thing I knew, he wasn’t a shifter like Magnus, or even half of one like Brandon, Tana’s mate.

He had magic, though. The runes alone gave that away, but it was more than that. The aura surrounding him was a mix of silver and black swirling fog. I never saw anything like it.

“Idiots is the key word. Plural. Against you. Singular.” Mr. Know-It-All really had a bug up his ass. That was a shame. It was a nice ass.

“I was fine,” I insisted.

“You were lucky,” he said, and I had the feeling he was correcting me. “Could be you find yourself alone one dark night, facing Junk Pile and his goons, what then?” he asked, silver eyes glowing even brighter against his pale skin and razor sharp cheekbones.

I felt like I’d seen him before. Well, maybe not him, but his kind—whatever that may be. I knew I should be afraid, but curiosity won out. Jade and Rio were bearing down on us in the hallway, but before they reached me, I had to know.

“What are you?” I asked.

“I should ask you that, Miss Marlow,” he hissed, invading my personal space.

He was so big. Taller, and wider than me, despite being svelte with slim hips and long legs. When he spoke, his lips were right next to my ear, and I shivered again, harder. I felt my power sneak up inside me, curious and wanting to poke at him, but I reined it in.

Sometimes, if a person felt a certain way, my other would rise, and with it my blood lust. That kind of hunger was what I’d been working to control the past year, and Goddess knows, I was failing.

Chills.

He gives me chills.

“Mabe, are you hurt?” Jade asked, and the curvy little earth witch suddenly squashed me into a tight hug.

“Eeek,” I squeaked. “Jade, not so tight.”

“Oops,” she replied, easing up a bit, but still hugging.

Sigh.

“Yes. Yes, I’m fine,” I replied.

I don’t know why I was still shocked by the woman’s constant need for physical reassurance. Hugging was not really my thing, but could anyone blame me? The orphanage where I was raised wasn’t big on cuddles.

Go figure.

“I’m sorry we took so long, we came from the winter gardens,” Jade explained.

“How did you two even know there was something going on?” I asked.

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