Page 92 of The Powerless Witch

Chapter 39

Celeste

It was good to be home.

Even if, technically, this was a crypt on the property of the man I had been running from for the last two hundred years. The man I had told I loved…then had sex with while my mate joined.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I scoffed. I still couldn’t believe that happened.

I had only a vague memory of reaching out to Isaac through the mate bond. My most clear memories were of me between the two of them, fucked so thoroughly I felt like if my magic didn’t burst, I would.

Yet…Roman had allowed him to stay. It wasn’t the first time we invited someone into our bed, but the others had all been strangers we didn’t care about and weren’t planning on seeing again. Some had even ended up dead after Roman got carried away in his feeding.

But Isaac…he was my mate. We had a bond just as strong as the one I shared with Roman, stronger even. He wasn’t a stranger, and after tonight, I didn’t think he’d be going anywhere. If being in a threesome with Roman didn’t send him running, I doubted anything would.

I slid under the water, holding my breath as I let the warmth wash away the lingering ache in my muscles. I didn’t want to think about anything right now—notabout what it would mean for the three of us, not about what it would mean for our future, and not about what this future might look like.

Regina was dead. Mariam was probably too, or at worst, licking her wounds somewhere. Everyone I cared about was safe. My magic was back. I had everything I could possibly need.

For the first time in a very long while, I felt…safe.

My head broke the surface, and I sucked in a deep breath, wiping my face. I stepped out of the tub and dried myself, putting on the shirt Roman had laid out for me.

Was that man prepared for everything? He even had spare clothes in a crypt! I sometimes wondered if I ever stood a chance against him. For all my experience and magic, he was always ready for whatever I threw at him.

I did half of the buttons before leaving the secluded alcove where the bathtub was set up. Its black color blended almost perfectly with the dark walls, so it was no surprise I hadn’t noticed it before.

The crypt was still charged with magic, although the smell of sweat, sex, and blood had grown fainter. A shudder passed through my body while I looked around the antechamber. I wrapped my arms around myself when I spotted Roman’s jacket hanging from the edge of another sofa I hadn’t noticed before. Draping it over my shoulders, I sat down and pulled it closer, catching a faint whiff of his cologne under the stench of smoke and earth.

He never told me what he had been up to before he came to pick me up, but judging by the torn sleeve, the scorched fabric, and the dust, he must have been in a fight. But with whom?

I checked his pockets for any clues, almost giving up when I sensed something brush against my hand from the inside. I traced my fingers over it, frowning at its round shape, then searched for the pocket’s opening. Magic danced on my fingers upon contact, but it didn’t come from my body. Yet it was mine all the same and as my eyes landed on the familiar medallion that fell into my palm, I understood why.

Gasping, I stared at its gleaming surface, wondering if I was seeing it correctly. The last time I saw this, it was hanging around that hunter’s neck. And this was the real thing, it had to be. I could feel my magic inside of it, eager to be let out.

I traced the surface with trembling fingers, barely holding myself back from screaming with delight. This…this was more than I could ever hope for.Once my body was rested, I could absorb the power, there would be no more worries, no more running, no more danger to those I loved. With that much power, no regular witch could pose a danger to me. And having Roman and Isaac by my side, Mariam would be a fool to go after me—I might have taken an oath not to hurt her bloodline, but they were perfectly capable of ending her two-faced existence for me.

A loud sound came from the other side of the crypt, and I frowned. Roman had said no one could enter the crypt uninvited and I could see the door was firmly closed from where I sat. So could it be a rat? There was no wind for sure.

The sound of very clear, distinctive steps made me jump to my feet. The jacket slithered to the sofa and goosebumps covered my skin as I started in the direction of the noise. My magic sang readily when I reached for it, summoning a ball of fire in my palm. I took a tentative step forward, tightening my grip on the medallion.

Whoever was stalking me had picked the wrong person to attack. With the power I currently held, there wasn’t a supernatural creature that could kill me. Well…except for a male witch.

Another chill ran down my spine as I felt the air move behind me. I spun but found nothing there. Trying to keep my heart under control, I studied the shadows gathered in the corners.

“Fuck this,” I snarled, sending the ball toward the ceiling and watching it chase away the darkness. When I was sure there was nothing there, I moved toward the other room’s open doors and the spell followed me. I sent it in first, waiting for a second before following.

There was no one there, either. With the bath in the corner still steaming and the wet footsteps I had left on the floor, there were no traces of anyone else’s presence.

Alone. I was alone.

The pressure between my shoulder blades increased, and I sucked in a sharp breath as I summoned another ball of fire in my hand. Then I heard the steps again, and the smell of fire and sulfur filled my nostrils.

I whirled around, pointing my hand in the direction of the noise and sending the spell toward the shadow standing there. A hand shot out, grabbing my wrist and twisting it up so the magic flew just past his shoulder, but not before the flames licked his skin and devoured the dark fabric of his shirt.

The shadows melted into him as a surprisingly human face peered down at me. His eyes were the darkest shade of black, skin tanned and covered with tattoos thattwisted and twirled around his neck, down his shoulder, and along his arms. He wasn’t very tall, but with his darkness looming over me, he looked enormous.

The flames that devoured his shirt puffed out of existence the moment he looked at them. Then those dark irises switched to me and a smirk pulled on his lips.

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