“Minding my own business!” she snapped, but the steel behind her reply lessened when she met his eyes, and flinched. “Don’t touch me.” The words came out quiet, desperate. His eyes had been blue, she was sure of it, yet she could see her own reflection in his irises made from a liquid silver.
His fingers opened, and she stumbled back, breathing heavily. She needed to get out of there before she suffered a full panic attack. Xander was just too much, his gaze too direct as she tried to look anywhere but him.
“Black witch,” he grunted, as if she were tainted.
Which she wasn’t, but she couldn't explain why he was wrong. He wouldn’t care either way, his opinion on her already set in stone, and had been since they first met. Black witches were seen as evil because of their ability to gain power from death, and while many embraced that sordid side of magic it didn’t mean they were all evil. It did, however, make them illegal.
Ignoring him, or at least trying to as he seemed to press himself closer, always pushing her boundaries, she inserted the Ravyn into the slot, the portal opening with a flash of light. He said nothing as she stepped through, the package hugged tight to her chest, and as soon as the portal closed behind her she released a sigh of relief.
Chapter4
Kyra
You disgust me.
That was what Xander had whispered to her the night she attended her friends soul-binding celebration. His words had echoed, and even now she could hear them clear as day inside her mind.
You disgust me.
He had watched her the whole evening, a silent shadow in the corner, his face carefully composed to reveal nothing but impenetrable ice when she dared raise her eyes to meet his. She wasn’t sure why he had watched her in such a way, ignoring everyone else who danced and drank in revel in honour of Alice and Riley. No, she had sworn to herself that she would stay out his way, not wanting to know why that even in the depths of his disgust he had still brushed a finger down her arm as she had said her goodbyes. Had frowned when she backed away from his touch.
You disgust me.
Kyra took a slow, deep breath. Her vision blurred, so she closed her eyelids tight as she fought the tears that threatened. It had been years since her heart thudded so violently in her chest, and that her palms were slick with sweat. She thought she had control of her reactions, but clearly not.
She wasn’t even confident what had exactly set her off, but then again she could never really predict when she would suffer an attack.
It was him,she thought, her mind sluggish as she tried to recall exactly what had happened. It had been his hand too close to her throat. Logically she knew Xander wasn’t hurting her, his grip only on her jaw, but her mind had been reminded of situations she would rather forget.
“What took you so long?”
Kyra snapped herself straight as Bane appeared by her side, silent in his movements.
“Have you been following me?” she asked, her voice surprisingly strong and void of any remnants of the attack that still tightened her lungs.
His left brow arched. “No, should I be?” His eyes dipped to the package, then to her cut lip. “Councilman Gallagher’s concerned with your recent attitude.”
Kyra knew better than to reply, her sharp response not worth the hassle or possible repercussions. She had planned to run, to hide as she had for over ten years, but she knew there wasn’t really anywhere she could go without them finding her. Her magic was rare, and Frederick wouldn’t risk losing someone who made him more powerful.
“What are you doing here?” she eventually asked when his scowl didn’t fade, the wind picking up around them. “You don’t usually come to the cottage.”
Bane had purposely chosen a vague glamour, one that would blend in seamlessly with any crowd with his generic face, brown eyes and dark blonde hair. She had no idea what he really looked like beneath the magic, or what type of Fae he was. All she knew was he could control wild magic, something usually exclusive to those that came from the Fae Side.
“I’m your escort,” he said as he reached for the package. “I wanted to make sure you arrived… safely,” he added almost absently. “I’m sure you’re testing their patience, you were due over an hour ago.”
Anger flared, but she kept herself calm. “I was negotiating the price. It took longer than expected.”
Bane’s eyes narrowed, his upper lip twitching. “Well, it looks like you succeeded. Shall we go?”
The portal behind her began to glow, the runes along the floor brightening beneath her feet. It had taken her to just outside London, the busy city blending seamlessly into the countryside of forests, fields and farmland. She would usually travel to the coven’s cottage by public transport, but she was grateful the portal had taken her to within a mile of her destination. The walk a way to calm her nerves.
The castle just down the road shadowed the surrounding greenery, the old structure the base for The Magicka. Breed governed their own, and it was The Magicka that oversaw all witches and mages. Three witches known as the Triumvirate were elected to run the organisation, with only one being given the title of Supreme. While all three chosen witches were equal in the decision making, the Supreme was the voice, and also held a position within The Council of six.
Breed, whether born that way or changed had their own governing council, and despite Breed and humans living together peacefully for over three centuries there was still a subtle divide. Frederick stood for all witches in Europe, with the other seats occupied with representations from the vampires, Fae, shifters, druids and celestrials.
It was The Magicka who made black witches illegal, blood magic the most powerful out of all the classifications. It was dangerous, and required sacrifices, and the larger the sacrifice the more powerful the outcome.
If a black witch was caught practicing they were sentenced to a specialised Breed prison, and then if found guilty of conspiring with blood magic they would be sentenced to death. However, Frederick craved more power, which was why he had always had a coven of black witches close to the bastion he called home. He twisted the laws written long before he was born, allowing those under his personal supervision to practice the same magic that scared others.
