Page 90 of Soul of a Witch

“Consequences?” I said. “What do you mean by that?”

He curled a clawed finger at me. “Come to me, Everly. Try again.”

In the blink of an eye, I crossed the room. The air rushed out of my lungs, my head prickled with chills. But I didn’t stumble. I didn’t fall. I stood mere inches away from him, gazing up into his face with a victorious smirk.

“The threat of consequences is helpful for you, eh?” He snapped his fingers again and vanished, reappearing on the opposite side of the room from me. “Again, Everly.”

Again and again, I teleported after him. Every time I stumbled, or misplaced my feet, or flew too far, he would count.

“That’s three. Four. Going to make five, then, are we? Six.”

“What the hell are you counting?” I finally blurted. A slow, wicked smile spread over his face.

“I’m counting how many swats you’re going to get over my knee when you’re done,” he said, and my mouth dropped open.

“You…you think you’re going tospankme?” He simply waited, staring at me. “And what makes you think I’m going to let you?”

“You’ve practically fallen over my knee several times already,” he said. “I think it’s the logical progression for your sloppy attempts.”

“Sloppy?” I gasped and teleported toward him again. While I would have loved to do so flawlessly, I overstepped my intentions once again and wound upbehindhim.

He gave me a stinging slap on the ass before he darted away from me, teleporting to the opposite side of the room. I was pursuing him determinedly now, stumbling frequently, but at least I was keeping up. Every time I lost my balance, moved too far or too little, he’d give me another swat. They were playful slaps, teasing me into such a state that I was puffing in exasperation as I chased him.

“I didn’t even stumble that time!” I yelped, stomping my foot after another swat. Callum was across the room, squatting on the balls of his feet as he laughed at me.

Rubbing his hands together, he said, “Your ass bounces when I smack it. How am I supposed to resist playing with it?”

Quickly blowing a loose strand of hair out of my eyes, I teleported to him again. Somehow, he caught me in midair. I swore our bodies were melting together. Heat and skin, flesh and blood.

Callum held me close, arms tight around me. Face to face.

“Is this how you trained your warriors?” I whispered.

“Exactly the same,” he said, his expression carefully controlled. “Except I used a whip instead of my hand.” I giggled, then laughed harder at the mock offense on his face. “Oh, do you think it’s funny? Won’t be so funny when your ass is red, eh?”

He tossed me over his shoulder, allowing me to dangle there as he smacked my backside repeatedly. I squirmed, kicking my legs and squealing. It was impossible to wiggle out from his hold.

But it wasn’t impossible to teleport.

I vanished from his arms and reappeared on the far side of the room. Breathing heavily, I pushed my loose hair out of my face and stuck my tongue out at him as he widened his eyes in surprise.

“Well, well. A fast learner, aren’t you?” he said. “All right. We’ll try something harder. The great tree inside the greenhouse.” He vanished before I could say a word, and I closed my eyes in concentration.

The greenhouse. The great tree with its scarred bark and massive roots, limbs curving along the crystalline interior of the glass dome. I could see Callum standing before it, birds flitting by his head as bees buzzed through the air, and I caught my breath for a moment.

When I inhaled again, the scent of flowers, greenery, and damp dirt rushed in my nose.

“I did it!” I practically shrieked as I jumped up and down, pumping my fist in the air. “Hellyes! I can’t believe it…I can’t…”

I paused when I noticed the way Callum was watching me.

He kissed me. A slow, deep, lingering kiss. And when he pulled away, the hand that had gently touched my cheek moved to grip my chin.

“Don’t you dare doubt yourself again,” he said. “Or I’ll start using the whip.” I smiled at that, and he shook his head. “Insatiable, aren’t you? I give you a little taste of wickedness and suddenly you can’t get enough.”

“You gave me a taste of what I deserve,” I said, and his dark eyes brightened like a solar eclipse. “And now I want more.”

The branches rustled above us, and Callum snarled, “Stop fucking watching, you perverted tree!”

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