Page 93 of The Powerless Witch

“Fire doesn’t scare me, witch.”

I gripped the medallion harder, reaching to unlock the ward that kept the magic inside, but he grabbed my other arm, twisting it until my fingers twitched and the medallion slipped from them, falling to the ground with a heavy thud.

“Tsk, tsk, no more tricks,” he said while his eyes slid down my body as if checking for more surprises.

“Who are you, and what the fuck do you want?” I snarled, trying to free my arm. My hands were already heating up, but he grabbed my fingers, forcing them closed so the fire had nowhere to go. I tried to kick him in the groin, but he blocked me with his knee, bending my hands outward until I screamed in pain. He let go—not out of concern for sure—before grabbing my throat and pulling me to him.

My magic was already rising in preparation, ready to blast him off, when I realized I could no longer see the room. The shadows that had sunk into his body crept around us, wrapping us in a cocoon until I was pressed against him.

“What I want is my power intact,” he snarled against my lips, the wild spark in his eyes holding me still firmer than the shadows at my back. “And you are a problem.”

I didn’t feel us move, but when the shadows sunk into his body again, I realized we were no longer in the crypt. The unfamiliar room was even darker, with no windows and no furniture. The only light inside came from half a dozen candles that flickered upon our arrival.

He pushed me back, and I tripped, landing heavily on my ass. Hissing with pain and annoyance, I glared at him, waiting for his attack. He did nothing, just stared at me with a mix of anger and satisfaction.

“Where the hell am I?” I demanded, reaching for my magic. To my surprise, it came to me with ease and he did nothing to stop me this time. It was his smile that made me pause before hurling another spell at him.

“I think you already know.”

I looked around again, but nothing in this place triggered recognition. Sighing dramatically, he threw his hands in the air as if I was an idiot for not seeing it.

“The one place you can never escape from. Not without a soul.” I sucked in a sharp breath as understanding hit me and his eyes shot to mine, the black spreading to cover the white as his smirk returned. “Welcome to Hell, witch.”

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