Page 43 of Captive Witch

Opening her eyes, she smirks. “Seems the gods know exactly who you are, Gideon Disantollo.”

I tear from her grasp, scowling down at her. “I’m taking Juliana and Wren home with me. Headmistress was notified.” Turning, I stomp my way through the door and back to Brent.

Chapter seventeen

Adara

My pulse thunders in my ears, and my skin burns. Wings flap in the distance, beating against my already throbbing skull. I try to move, but my limbs are stiff and my body weak. The smell of earth fills my senses, and when I force my eyes to open, sunlight blinds me, spots flooding my vision.

Forcing a breath into my lungs, I flex my fingers, but the movement is jerky, and my head won’t turn. I don’t know where I am, and my ears are ringing as I try to think back to what happened.

I was… sitting in the sun. In the forest. Just outside the academy. I—

A stabbing pain shoots behind my eyes, and everything fades.

There’s a fist in my hair. Strands are ripped from my scalp as my body is pulled over rocks and dirt, tree roots digging into my sides. The gash on my thigh feels wet again, and a whimper escapes me when a rock stabs into the wound.

“For gods’ sake…” a voice mumbles.

A raven caws, and something tugs at my sleeve, but then the hand lets go. My head falls onto the forest floor, my temple cracking on a rock, and the last thing I remember is a woman screaming as the darkness pulls me under.

Groaning, I roll onto my side, a wave of dizziness making my stomach turn. I let my forehead fall forward, resting on the dirt and leaves beneath me.

Wake up! You have to get up!

Tears spring to my eyes hearing my wolf’s voice again. I relax, blowing out a breath of relief, but a low, gurgling croak makes my back tense. I bolt up, climbing to my feet and spinning toward the sound, swallowing back the nausea threatening at my lips.

The sun is just behind the treetops, meaning I’ve been out for hours. Aramin is nowhere to be seen, and taking a deep breath, I can’t smell her or Monique’s magic. Another croak comes, and I whirl around. The black cloaked witch from before is a few yards away, her hand wrapped tightly around a raven’s throat.

My raven.“Kaylus!”I scream, tearing her attention toward me, and flames shoot around me in a circle, lighting the fallen leaves and creating a trail straight to her feet.

The hem of her cloak catches fire, and she drops Kaylus as she stomps it out, his limp body falling to the ground.

“Don’t you touch him!” I yell, my flames flaring. They grow tall, licking at the lower limbs of the tall trees around us, the debris littering the small space glowing like embers.

The witch’s eyes widen. “They didn’t tell me you were aflamma gerentis,” she whispers. Her hazel eyes narrow into slits, and she presses her palms together. “First, she claims you’re practically powerless, and then she betrays the coven. I can’t stand that bitch.” Opening her palms out to me, she grits her teeth, seafoam sparks flying at me.

I crouch, digging one hand into the dirt by my feet and holding the other in front of my face. My flames grow higher, consuming her magic and raining ashes down onto my head. Kaylus’s faint life force pulses through our connection, and I seethe, realizing how hurt he is. Using the earth, I pulsate magic into the ground, making it quake below me. The witch stumbles back, and I lunge for Kaylus, thankful he’s still alive.

He looks so fragile as I scramble to him through the fire-laden leaves. The heat licks at my face, but there’s no pain. My eyes burn from the smoke twisting around us, and tears drip down my cheeks as I rest his small form in my palms.

Anger and grief crash inside me, and I hold him to my chest, glaring over at the witch. “You didn’t have to hurt him! He’s just a familiar. Youknewthat. He has no powers to hurt you!”

She sneers. “As if I’d actually waste time on a familiar that wasn’t a threat to my task.” She yanks on her sleeve, showing long scratches that travel from her wrist to the base of her throat.

“Seems like a natural consequence for kidnapping.” I scowl at her, cradling Kaylus close to me.

“Kidnapping,” she hisses, creeping toward me. “You’re abounty. Next on my list is your bitch of a mother. Any ideas where she might be?”

I press my lips together, her words slowly sinking in as I keep my focus on my flames. “She’sa bounty? For what?”

She barks a laugh, sharp and loud, making me wince. “She’s a traitor to the coven, working with you fleabags instead of us.” Flinging a hand out to the side, her voice rises. “She gave her magic to that bitch, for gods’ sake!”

Glancing in the direction she pointed, I see a clump of red hair, Aramin’s limp body lying face down in the dirt. “You killed her?” I murmur, a small twinge of sadness piercing me. Despite everything she’s done, deep down, she was only searching for love.

“I don’t waste magic like that.” Pointing her hands at my fire, she unleashes a torrent of water, screeching when it does nothing to douse the flames.

Focus on your fire and create a path. You have to get out of here before—

---