Page 141 of The Blackened Blade

I have to stop myself from laughing with her, and hold back the words that want to leave my lips when she's talking to us.

I have to stop my hands from reaching for her, or my fingers from brushing through her silky soft strands as she sits just feet from me.

My fingers twitch by my sides with the thought.

I shake my head. No, it was too dangerous, for herandfor me.

As long as he was inside me, she wasn’t safe. No-one was.

But would I be able to push her away…ignore her?

Annex and Ezra were bringing her to the academy's ball tonight, and if I’m completely honest with myself…I wish it was me.

I drag a hand down my face, a slow sigh leaving my lips.

Now wasn’t the time for this. I had to look for any clues or scents that would help Creed find out who or what was messing in our territory.

I open my senses, allowing my beast's power to filter through and help.

I hear animals and smaller prey shuffling through trees and bushes around me, a small brook trickling in the distance, birds flying overhead, but nothing unusual and no people wandering nearby.

I close my eyes and take in the scents around me; the smell of pinewood and oak instantly hitting me, the scent of deer and rabbits and other small prey, and…something else. Something slight and faint tickles my nose, it scratches at my senses and has my beast rolling warily beneath me.

He growls under my skin–his warning–as I push him down. What was there to be wary of?

I open my eyes and move in the direction of the strange scent. It becomes stronger the nearer I get to the brook I heard just moments ago.

I get closer to the scent, until it becomes so strong that I can’t smell anything else around me. It's a sickly sweet scent, one filled with magic and malice.

I look down at the widening brook, but it's not water that's trickling down through it. There's a pure black liquid, one so dark you couldn’t see your reflection in it with just an endless stream of darkness.

It also reeked of magic. The kind you didn’t want to mess with.

I get closer to the brook, trying to get a better look at the black substance, just as my beast begins to howl in my ears. He tries to push me back, fighting for control as his roar rings painfully in my ears.

I push him back down again, a little more shakily as I take out my phone and try to call Creed. He would need to know about this.

Suddenly I feel a sharp pain in the back of my head.

I fall forward, my eyes hazing over from whatever hit I’ve taken from behind…and fall straight into the black flowing liquid.

CHAPTER 37

MICAI

Ismooth the teal fabric down my chest, the silk soft and light against my skin as Morgan pulls the zip up my back. A low whistle leaves her lips as she takes a step back after finishing.

She had come to my room a couple of hours ago, saying we should get ready together. But had been shocked by my lack of ‘preparation supplies’ as she called it. She made a quick call, one that had Ash arriving at my door a mere ten minutes later with a large silver case, filled to the brim with almost every known makeup brand and hair piece available.

An hour and a half later and after some heavy nagging and fixing from Morgan, we were both finally ready. And I had even found some time to sneak into the bathroom and slip on the sheath and dagger Gadriel had gotten me without her noticing.

I walk over to the mirror, my mouth slightly parting at my reflection; the dark teal dress slides across my body, hugging and accentuating every dip and curve. It sits tightly around my breasts, while dipping at my small waist and clinging to my curvy hips.

A couple of inches from there sits a slit that parts the fabric all the way to its hem. It shows a slight bit of thigh when I move, and flares out in gentle waves down to my feet with the teal silk fabric feeling light and flowy against my skin.

I lean closer toward the mirror and brush a hand over my cheek and out towards my hair. My short strands fall to one side of my face in a loose finger wave, framing and complimenting my natural features and making me look more feminine and mature. It also gives my whole look a nineteen forties feel.

Morgan had gone with what she called ‘a glamour look’ with a more modern and glamorous makeup style. While I had opted for a more classic and natural look and a dark mulberry lip.

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