Page 90 of Obsession

“It’s me, sweet girl,” she says, her voice catching.

“Tell me how to break the love spell you cast on Augustus,” Lucy demands.

“I didn’t cast a love spell on Augustus,” Mama answers.

“Then the eternal devotion spell. Or the mind control spell. Whatever you call it—the spell that has him hung up on you.”

“I didn’t cast any spells on Augustus.”

“Very well. Then you can watch me torture your daughter. Eventually, you’ll break. Or she will. Either way is fine by me.”

She pulls out a poppet with a piece of golden-brown hair on its head and what looks like a paper straw attached to its face. “Your hairdresser should really be more careful about hair disposal.” Dang it. “Oh, and thanks for the straw. I couldn’t get into your house to take a personal item after you worked your protection magic, but the straw you used at the coffee shop will work nicely. I just walked back in after you left and grabbed it from the top of the trash can. Aubry, meet Aubry.” She nods to the doll. “This is going to hurt,” she says with glee as she lines up several long pins.

Mama screams, and I try Damion’s demonic name one more time, but still nothing. Panic starts to bubble over, but then I remember I’m no longer that lazy witch. I’ve got this, I think as I focus on my bloodstone amulet and chant:

This witch wants to cause me pain.

But her pins strike the doll in vain.

I regularly power my bracelet with a protection spell infused with a drop of my blood. I don’t otherwise practice blood magic, but I was guided to do so, and it saved me from being sliced and diced by Eiael’s crazed followers.

Chanting quietly, slowly at first and then picking up the pace, my body thrums with energy. I envision my aura made of titanium that no pins can puncture. I add a protective circle of fire around my body that nothing can penetrate. Lucy continues chanting, so I don’t dare stop my own.

Lucy stops chanting, as I feel the energy of the barn shift. I know that energy. Dangerous. Sexy. Addictive.

Snapping open my eyes, I see Damion standing beside Lucy in full-on demonic form. He looks downright terrifying, in an oh so sexy way. I’ve clearly got problems, but now is not the time to worry about them. My Cambion is shirtless, showing off his muscular chest and rock-hard stomach. But it’s his huge onyx-colored, bat-like wings tucked behind his back that I can’t stop staring at. Yep, terrifyingly erotic, I think as I lick my lips.

His eyes glow with power as he says, “Lucy Parks, I have what you seek. You wish for Augustus to be free to love you? I can make that happen. Cora Brooks would rather see her own daughter die than give you back what is rightfully yours.”

Lucy does a double take, and I want to tell her to stop eye-fucking my demon, but I realize it’s in my best interest to keep my mouth shut. “Tell me about it. Cora was always a selfish bitch. It should have been me with Augustus as the coven priestess. Instead, she bound him to herself and ruined everything.”

“Imagine Augustus returned to you without the taint of Cora’s spell. Sign here and I’ll make this dream a reality.” A scroll floats over along with Damion’s quill pen.

Lucy hesitates, and Damion gives her a sympathetic smile. “How many more years of misery must you endure? Your love, Augustus, deserves the freedom to choose you. Sign and you may finally have him back. Your rightful place as High Priestess and your soul mate by your side.” It dawns on me that here’s my High Priestess reversed. Universe, I thought I asked you the last time I was kidnapped if I could have clearer card guidance?

“He is my soul mate! Always was, until Cora had to ruin everything!”

“What once was ruined can be made anew. Imagine a coven with you as High Priestess and Augustus as your consort,” Damion sells her. “A power couple with no rival. The world at your feet. Your enemy Cora finally bested, her daughter your magical slave. A fitting outcome, no?”

Lucy curls her wicked lips into a smile, and I know he’s got her. The quill pen pricks her finger, and she snatches it, furiously signing her name. Damion floats it back to him and signs with his sigil. The contract glows red and rolls up tightly, disappearing.

“Free Augustus to find what you’ve always wanted,” Damion instructs her.

Lucy strikes a match, lighting the contents of the bowl, and it violently ignites. She slips off her ruby ring as she chants and hurls it into the flames. There’s a flash of green light, and Augustus appears. He looks exactly as the picture Chris showed me—a handsome man with golden skin and brown eyes, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m staring at my daddy.

“My love, you are now free from Cora’s spell! After all these years, we can finally be together!”

Lucy runs to him, but he holds his arm out, keeping her at bay. “Witch, I don’t know how many times I can say this. I was never under a spell. I don’t love you. I don’t even like you. I never liked you. Even before you trapped me and forced me to betray Cora.”

“What?” She spins to Damion. “But you said I’d have my love back.”

Damion makes a tsk tsk sound. “Having your love back implies he loved you to begin with. I promised he would decide. Sounds like he’s decided.” Goddess, I love this demon.

Lucy lunges for the voodoo doll and is about to stab a pin in it—in me—when Chris appears in angelic form. It’s like standing next to a downed power line—too much supernatural energy in such a small space. It’s hard to watch Chris, as he’s so bright, but I see him bind Lucy with glowing cuffs. He points his sword to the doll and it gets blasted into tiny bits of dust. I look down at myself to make sure I’m still in one piece. Whew.

“Angel Augustus, you were gifted dominion over occult knowledge. You abandoned that position and are hereby called to the Throne on High to account for your sins in the Book of Truth,” Chris thunders with the voice of a thousand angels. Again, I’ve never actually heard a thousand angels, but you get the gist. Chris, Lucy, and Augustus disappear.

Chapter 37

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