Page 35 of Seducing Hope (The Hope Legacy)

Hurrying two blocks in the opposite direction of the apartment, we turn left to walk two more blocks, then left again for three blocks, leading us behind our building. We make it back without incident, and Zee performs his usual safety checks. I glance at Aaden’s computer—seven hours to go.

Zee points at the sofa. “Sit.”

I bristle. “No, you sit.”

“So help me God, Natia, sit before I make you.”

I cross my arms. “You wouldn’t dare.”

He stalks toward me; apparently, he would. He opens his arms wide, ready to wrap them around me. I duck and grab his legs, throwing him over my shoulder. It sends me back on my ass, jarring my tailbone. I quickly push to my feet to put distance between me and a growling Zee.

“What the hell, Zee?! What’s with the manhandling?”

“You need to start taking this seriously. You’re in danger! Archan knows something isn’t right. There’s no hiding from this now, and all because you wanted todance.”

My vision goes a little blurry as my eyes sting with the first prick of tears. I point at him. “You aren’t the one who has to play constant mind games while risking your life creeping around with what I believe is the most powerful being we’ve ever come across. You aren’t being interrogated while having your body played against you. It’s not something we prepared for. My body can be tortured until the point of death. This is mind fucking—it’s intimate, a violation, and it’s screwing with my brain.”

Zee lets out an empty laugh. “Like you don’t want it. I see the look on your face when he touches you. That’s all you, Natia.”

My jaw falls open. Speechless, I turn and stalk up the stairs toward my room, not trusting myself to open my mouth; I know I’ll say something I’ll later regret.

“I expect you down here in an hour to fill us in on your little chat with the Prince of Darkness. That should give you enough time to take care of your pent-up frustration,” he spits out.

No. No way he just said that.I turn around and take my time to walk back down the stairs. My anger, hurt, and embarrassment rage inside me.

“Natia,” Aaden warns.

“Repeat what you said,” I seethe, stalking toward Zee. He stands with his arms crossed, looking every bit the arrogant asshole he is.

“I said—” he starts, but a wave of power whips my hair around my face and rustles my dress. Behind me, a glass vase smashes on the floor, and the crash echoes around the room. Zee is thrown against the refrigerator by an invisible force. I stare down at him, frozen.

His mouth falls open. “What the fuck just happened?”

Chapter Thirteen

Natia

Taurus. If something is wrong, they will always blame their own carelessness instead of other people.

I’m lying in the fetal position on the bed when the mattress dips, and I feel a warm, comforting hand squeeze my shoulder, accompanied by the scent of cinnamon, oranges, and fresh linens—Duncan.

“They called you?” I mutter into the pillow clutched to my chest.

“Charlie did when you refused to go in. You should have called earlier.”

“I thought I was handling it.”

He begins rubbing my back in soothing circles. “What happened?”

“I was angry, embarrassed, and confused. I wanted to hurt Zee… I was overtaken by a rush of power, and when it cleared, Zee was on the floor,” I pause, “it’s unforgiveable.”

Duncan puts a hand under my chin and tips my head to face him. “Did you actually want to physically harm him? Or did you just want him to experience the hurt that you’re feeling?”

I crease my brow. “I’m not sure.” I pull my chin out of his grip and look away. “What’s happening to me?”

“It’s likely you’re an elemental witch with an affinity for air.”

I blink—a witch? Witches run in families like Duncan’s, where generation after generation pass down their magical gifts and knowledge. My family has a few supernatural quirks—a mind-reading uncle and my shielding—but no obvious manipulation of magic.

---