Page 85 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

“Is that a chick riding a dragon?” Shelly asked, sounding as in awe as Gabby felt.

The dragon and its rider swooped over the boulder giants and flew around them in a tight circle. She looked down at the clearing, her eyes narrowed as if she was looking for someone.

Aston suddenly cried out, and Gabby turned to see him clutching at his chest.

Gabby went to help him, but a scream of rage caused her to throw her hands up.

“DO NOT TOUCH HIM,” a female voice roared.

Gabby and the others looked up to the sky to see the dragon rider hovering above them. She was glaring daggers at Gabby, and if looks could kill, Gabby would be pushing up daisies.

Liam suddenly pushed her behind him, his hands going up as he sent out a pulse of blue power at the dragon. The beast darted to the right, moving much too fast for an animal that size.

“Don’t,” Aston said, his voice loud but weak. “Don’t hurt her.”

“What?” Liam snapped at his friend.

Aston looked straight at Liam, and his eyes were so pale they were almost white. “Do not hurt her.”

Gabby realized what was going on the minute the other guys groaned.

“She’s yours, isn’t she?” Liam asked.

Aston nodded as he looked up at the female sitting on the dragon, her eyes staring back at him intensely.

“She’s mine.”

The words were barely out of his mouth when all hell broke loose.

Chapter 19

“Why the hell isn’t it working?” Osiris roared at the trembling demon at his feet.

“I don’t know, my lord,” Crescious sputtered. “She said this was all we needed.”

“She bloody lied.” The lord of the underworld huffed as he paced back and forth in front of the warded entrance to Dolion’s chamber. The book he needed to free the light royal elementals was just out of his reach, and he was not used to being denied what he wanted. He’d already given up the bride he’d decided he wanted, which made him pissy. Add that to the fact that one of his demi-lords was trying to take control of Osiris’s demons, and he moved from pissy straight to homicidal.

“Where is the witch who gave you this spell?” Osiris asked Crescious as he held up the folded paper.

“I’ll take you to her,” Crescious said immediately.

Osiris grabbed the demon by the scruff of the neck, snatched the memory from him, and followed it to the Blackhorn coven.

When he appeared in the manor, a woman screamed and threw up her hands. Osiris knocked the spell away with the flip of his wrist.

“Where is your priestess?” he snapped at her as he held out his hand. Her body instantly flew toward him until he had his fingers around her throat.

“Wh-wh-who are you?” the woman stuttered out as her body shook with fear.

The dark magic in her no doubt recognized his own and also recognized that he was not just dark but the complete absence of light.

Osiris’s lips turned up in a smile, and he didn’t hide his sharp teeth. “I’m the lord of all the demons you witches like to play with. You didn’t honestly think there wouldn’t be consequences to your meddling, did you?”

“W-w- I, it’s…”

Her stuttering got on his nerves.

“Damn woman, take a breath and get your bloody wits about you. Where is your coven’s priestess?”

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