Page 145 of Love Bites

BELLA

The sky slipped from fiery pink to dull gray over the labyrinth. Exhaustion threatened to overcome me, but I pushed myself harder, walking as fast as I could on legs that felt weak and rubbery.

The lack of color was interfering with my depth perception, and I made one or two wrong turns before finally coming out on the edge of the trees.

I had half-expected Luke to be waiting for me there. But of course he wasn’t. He didn’t come until the moon was chasing the sun away.

Luke, please. I need you…

But the bond was not sealed around us yet. He would not hear my plea.

I headed into the trees, my feet kicking up the scent of the pine needles that looked almost like sand now that they had been bled of their color.

Everything seemed strange and different. I had thought I’d be able to find Luke’s cottage by memory, but the fading colors meant nothing looked familiar.

I stumbled into trees and shrubs as I ran, my depth perception almost useless in the gray twilight. Or maybe the trees were reaching for me, trying to pull me down and stop my progress.

I stopped for a moment to catch my breath and get my bearings, leaning a hand against the rough bark of a tree for support. I drew in a deep breath, the cool mountain air almost burning my aching lungs. Over the scent of the pine and loamy soil, an unpleasant smell began to rise.

Like spoiled meat and something… darker.

“No,” I moaned, knowing what it meant.

I’d smelled that carrion scent twice before. And both times it had come from an otherworldly creature chasing me down.

I pushed on, harder and faster. I could see a clearing just ahead. That had to be the tiny meadow where Luke’s cottage was. If I could just make it to Luke, he would save me, I was sure of it. I was so close.

Branches tangled in my gown and I ripped myself free of them and stumbled into the open.

But I was wrong. Luke’s cottage was nowhere to be seen. This was the wrong meadow. And it wasn’t empty.

A man in dark leather stood in the center of the clearing. He had to be one of the warlocks from the brotherhood Luke told me about - the ones who would love to get their hands on the magic we were supposed to be protecting, or worse, on me.

Beside the man was a huge, slavering canine. It looked like it had been sewn together from strips of meat, some hairy, some pale, some bruised and half-bleeding. The scent pouring off it was so loathsome that I nearly choked on it.

“Give me the book,” the man said.

I gazed at him in horror. He was tall and thin with long tangled hair hanging down over his dark leathers. He looked like he needed a bath.

“Never,” I said, standing my ground. I might die in this meadow, but I would do it like a hero, not a coward. I had already come so far. I wasn’t going to stop now.

His eyes fixed on the book in my hand and he glanced back up to my face.

I saw a flash of something like fear in his eyes. But that didn’t make any sense. I was a first-year witch, tapped out and tired. And he had a hellhound. Why would anyone be afraid of me?

But he wasn’t looking at me, he was looking at the book.

Of course. The book was filled with powerful magic. I could feel the energy surging in my hands from the moment I picked it up.

And he didn’t know I didn’t know how to use it.

That was probably the only reason he hadn’t already attacked. Maybe I could use his hesitation.

Praying that I had a little more magic in me, I gritted my teeth and tried to create another smoke screen. If I could distract him and run to Luke, all wouldn’t be lost.

But the smoke merely sputtered from my fingers and went out.

Shit.

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