“Grigory, no…I am not ready yet. Just give me one night to rest and—”
The rain fell harder. Faster.
Third lightning strike—dark eyes flashing with primal rage.
“You’re my wife. You don’t get to tell me no.”
A deafening clap of thunder threw me onto my back. The weight of the storm pressed on my chest. The rain turned into shards of icy hail that stabbed me over and over.
“Please, stop! Please—”
A hand squeezed the sides of my neck and the echoes of Annalisa’s voice turned into nothing more than a squeak. My hands flew to my neck as I coughed, drowning in the rain, but I felt nothing on my skin but the pain of burning fingerprints.
Shallow gasps and cries echoed through the raging clouds.
Fourth lightning strike—the violet and orange leaves of the tree above Annalisa’s bed. Then the two ravens flying away. Then black painted wings warped through frightened tears.
I gritted my teeth, fighting through the downpour, and shoved myself out of the memory.
Pastel shades flooded into my vision. My body trembled and shivered, the hairs on my skin standing pin-straight. My eyes snapped to Annalisa’s bed, then the ravens above it.
He…he violated her.
Annalisa dropped her canvas and gripped my forearms. Her voice broke. “What did you see?”
I tore my eyes from the painted ravens to her white face. I examined her neck—where Grigory’s hands had bruised her weeks ago.
But she had covered it up. She covered itallup.
My voice shook as my white flame incinerated my chest. “He hurt you.”
“No, Sera, he loves me!” Annalisa pleaded. “You do not understand, he just made a mistake!”
Twin flames burned behind my eyes. I could not see anything other than the glow of my outrage. My hands slid around her wrists.
Even though Annalisa begged me to forget what I saw, her door was still wide open. Her blood was glowing in her veins. Her inner self cried out, “Help me. Help me. Help me.”
So I answered her call.
Invisible fire hissed through my teeth. “My magic smolders in your veins. His hands shall sear if he touches your skin.”
Lightning from Annalisa’s mind struck against my magic. I did not fight it, but leaned into it—pushing my love for Annalisa to overpower what Grigory had done.
My body shook, but my voice was strong. “And should he ever try to take you again…he willburn.”
The power surged from my heart, through my arms, and then to my hands where it passed into Annalisa’s body.
My curse wrapped around her veins like a ribbon, sealing my enchantment in her very blood. As soon as that ribbon was tied, I released my grip on Annalisa’s wrists and collapsed to the floor with a gasp.
I blinked through my blurry vision. Annalisa examined her arms with wide and fearful eyes. “You…you cursed me?”
“I protected you.” I let out a shaking breath and pushed myself off the floor. “He will never—”
“He is my husband and now he cannot even touch me?” she screamed. “I could be carrying his child right now!”
I furrowed my brows. I helped her and she was screaming at me? Was she just worried about a possible baby?
I stood up and held out my hand. “Here, maybe I can check to see if you really are—”
