Page 78 of The Powerless Witch

Giving the destruction behind me one last glance, I stepped into the tunnel.

This had ended up being a productive visit, after all. And now, it was finally time to retrieve my witch.

Chapter 34

Samara

“More!”

I screamed while I drew more of my power out, channeling it into the circle drawn around me. My skin felt like it was burning and my insides were definitely melting. I couldn’t see past the tears, even as they dried the moment they left my eyes. But the pain…it was the pain that did me in, that made my hands tremble and slide while I fought to stay up.

“More!” Regina commanded.

I tried to do as I was told, to increase the intensity and the precision like she wanted. The pentagram fed the magic back into me so it wasn’t wasted, but letting out so much so quickly…I felt like I was being torn apart from the inside out.

“More!”

I reached again, but my control slipped and my magic exploded outward, contained only by the ward beneath me. A sob escaped my lips before I crashed onto the ground, panting heavily as my ears rang and my head throbbed.

Regina said something I couldn’t hear and then water poured over my body, turning into steam almost immediately. A pair of heels appeared in my vision, one of them tapping impatiently. Groaning, I pushed myself up on my trembling hands, looking up at her.

Unforgiving. Disappointed. Impatient.

That’s what her eyes said. No need for words anymore.

“We resume in five minutes,” she announced after checking her wristwatch. “I don’t have much time today, so…”

A shudder passed through the air, and we both looked up when the ward around the house activated, alerting us to an intruder. Magic engulfed Regina as she spun on her heel and walked out of the chamber, her familiar following on silent feet.

Trying to stuff my magic inside as the tremors subsided, I rose. By the time I caught up with Regina, she was with the intruder—no, not intruder, since instead of attacking them, she was helping them sit in one of the coaches while blood dripped on the expensive carpet and stained the cushions.

Regina finally moved, and I gasped in surprise when I recognized Mariam. Her arm was hanging limply by her side, the enchanted wood contraption she had been so proud of now hanging broken from her wrist. There was an open wound in her abdomen, likely where all the blood was coming from. It was in the form of an odd circle—like a spear had pierced her, but it was much thicker than what a normal human hand can wield. Lacerations and burns marred her skin, but she seemed unaware of it, her face contorted in barely contained rage.

“What are you doing, standing there?” Regina snapped at me. “Help me heal her!”

Dread rushed through my veins at the thought of touching my magic again, but I stepped closer, reaching my trembling hands toward the woman’s stomach.

“I wouldn’t do that unless you want to die,” a voice spoke from behind me and I whirled in surprise, eyes going wide as Mathias strode into the room. Regina made a low, choked sound but when I turned, her face was blank—except for her eyes, of course, they were full of warning. Mathias gave her an easy smile. “It’s not like she doesn’t know, does she?”

He strode past me, his attention locked on Mariam. Regina opened her mouth as if to tell him to stop, but in the end, she just watched him with wary eyes while he approached the woman. The rage had vanished from Mariam’s face, leaving only quiet fascination. She didn’t seem all too bothered by the wound, only wincing when Mathias fell to one knee by her side and pressed his hand to it.

To my surprise, she didn’t flinch—didn’t even miss a breath—as his magic filled the room, pouring into her. He could have killed her, with her defenses down and herbody already weakened, he could have smothered her life before Regina could stop him. Yet she just watched him, her smile widening when the wound closed in mere seconds.

Light slid over her skin and the rest of her injuries sealed, leaving only the dirt and blood behind.

“Thank you,” she said softly, almost gently, reminding me of the bubbling girl I had met when she first arrived. After the attack on the Order’s headquarters, her mask had fallen, and she turned into the strange, demanding woman who made even Regina bite her tongue. Yet now…

“You’re welcome,” Mathias replied dryly, stepping back to stand by my side. He finally spared me a glance, one that was empty and unreadable as the rest of him.

Had he done this…to save me the pain? I doubted he cared enough about me, but with our new deal…maybe this was his way of ensuring I delivered on my end. After all, he couldn’t kill Regina, his bond would stop him if he tried. I, on the other hand,mightbe able to do it—as long as I could surprise her and get it done before she ordered me to stop.

He needed me alive. That’s why he was doing this.

“What happened?” Regina asked, and Mariam finally tore her eyes away from Mathias, the fury returning to her face. Shooting to her feet, she ran a hand through her tangled hair, a few sparks jumping out of her fingers as if she was barely keeping control over her powers.

“What happened is that I underestimated that Fae bastard!” she snarled, more to herself than any of us. “He looks so weak and indecisive! I thought he’d be too drunk to care, but he is…he is…” She whirled to Regina, glaring at her. “Did you know he had such power?”

Regina kept her composure, giving her a slight shrug.

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