Page 39 of Wrong Mate

“I’m coming, Leah.”

She tried to freeher hands, but the vines wrapped around her body, trapping her arms to her sides. Closing her eyes, she envisioned a sword, like the one she had seen in some of the texts Lucinda had allowed her to read of past wars.

She opened her eyes,and it had appeared in Killian’s hands. He didn’t hesitate and began to slash at the vines. These were not part of nature, these vines had been created to do evil deeds. They tightened their grip around her. Leah tried to call on Mother Nature, but this was an area where good magic didn’t flourish.

WhateverKillian hoped to find or seek was full of darkness. She felt it pressing onto her soul.

“I can take your soul as payment. Let Killian leave free.”Leah didn’t know who spoke to her.

She wriggled in the vines, trying to be free. Suddenly they released her and she screamed as she fell toward the ground, only to suddenly be picked up and flung around. She was going to be sick, no doubt about it.

“Let her go!”The vines tensed up, and then faded. She was high up in the sky.

Leah didn’t have chance to stop her fall, but Killian was there to capture her.

Her heart raced and her stomach heaved. She was going to be sick. Crawling out of his arms, she felt the ground beneath her, the coldness of it, the death. It was why she couldn’t easily call to Mother Nature. Whoever Killian sought had destroyed all things natural and good.

The sudden laughter had Leah tensing.

They were not alone.

“I could make you go through more tests, but I feel we’re wasting our time.” It was a female voice and as Leah looked up, coldness swept over her.

****

The witch was beautiful, but Killian knew she was evil. Pure evil. She had long. black hair, with streaks of gold running through the length. She had images of vines climbing up her face and across her forehead. She wore a black bra-style top, and a wrap skirt, showing off more of the vines that covered her body.

Killian didn’t know her name.She had long stopped having a name.

The witch looked at Leah and then at him.

“Rose,” Leah said.

The witch glared at her.

“That was your name before, right? Rose, hence all the vines.”

“Ah, so I see the great Lucinda and the great coven make you do your research.”

“Killian, what the hell do you want?” Leah asked.

He saw how tense Leah was as she gotto her feet. She was suddenly flipped and sent to the ground.

“The great and powerful Leah is no match here. You may have passed some of my tests with flyingcolors and you may be alive and breathing, but I can rectify that.”

“Stop it,” Killian said.

“You bring a great threat to my land, Killian. I must make sure she does not kill me. Does she know what you seek?”

“No,” he said, after several seconds of hesitation.

This made Rose laugh.

He didn’t think“Rose” suited her.

Leah got to her feet. “We haveto leave,” she said. “Nothing good can happen here.”

“Enough!” Something covered Leah’s mouth, silencing her.

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