Page 56

“Clark! Put me down, Ray. Clark, can you stop the bleeding? Also, can you help with the person on the couch that I think is Scilla?”

He opened his eyes, and the white lightning was a ringer for the Scilla in the woods.

“You’ve been wandering around in the woods? You don’t like woods.” He stood slowly and crossed his arms, but he didn’t smile, didn’t show concern even though I was scratched to pieces.

“I wasn’t wandering around in the woods! I was running for my life. Or hopping. It’s hard to run when you’re tied to a chair.”

He slowly pointed at Donny, but he was still staring at me, and I was still dangling from Ray’s arm. “He has some of your life force and energy. Did this person tie you to a chair?”

“Yes, I did,” Donny said, coming forward, trembling with anger, but it was mixed with guilt and shame. “I believed the lie that said I was justified in hurting her because you killed my parents. But I’m not that person. She got in my head like…” He shook his head, like he was still trying to clear the cobwebs.

I kicked Ray, and he finally noticed that he was carrying me and put me down. I reeled for a second before I stalked over to my husband, the sorcerer who hated dark magic users and also probably didn’t like me being in danger. Would he kill Donny? He was still pointing a finger at him, so maybe he could shoot death rays out of his fingertips. I wouldn’t put it past him.

I grabbed Clark’s hand and squeezed his warm fingers. How was he warm and soaked from the rain? “I think it was a relative of yours. I brought a grizzly to life. Is it still alive? I don’t know. But someone’s unconscious on the couch. We need to get her. To save her. To undo the damage.”

“Of course. My family causes all the damage. Your family are always the victims.”

I glared at him. “I’m sorry. Should I not notice when your relative tries to kill me and feeds the hatred inside an already tormented boy? It doesn’t matter who’s at fault, I just need you to save Scilla, and I’m willing to make a deal.”

He blinked at me, the lightning receding. After another beat, he squeezed my fingers. “What deal?”

“If you help save Scilla and Donny, you can move into the house. Then you won’t be sitting in the rain all the time. You’re going to catch pneumonia.”

He stared at me then shook his head. “No. The deal is actually that these dark arts users swear to only use their magic in defense. A blood oath. The young one certainly has enough blood to do it.”

He didn’t want to move into the house with me? He’d made a deal to kiss me and go on a date at the bar with me. But now he’d rather stay in the yard instead of with me? Whatever. Not like I wanted him to move in with me. I raised my chin. “Can you stop the bleeding?”

“If they swear the oath.”

I spun around, but he didn’t release my hand. “Swear the oath.”

They both raised right hands, which was the one the undead bear had ripped a large chunk out of on Donny. “I solemnly swear to use my magic solely for the defense and protection of those I love.”

“Sworn in blood,” Donny said.

Ray cut his own arm. “Sworn in blood.” Like we needed more injuries.

“Done.” Clark extended his hand, and everything was lighting and ozone, but when the flash was gone, and I could blink things into sight, Donny’s arm was washed and cleaned, and had dark uneven stitches where the wound had been.

Wow. The stitches had a definite Frankenstein vibe, but I guess bears didn’t bite in a straight line.

“Now take me to the cottage,” Clark commanded like a lordly prince of lightning.

With Ray leading the way, it didn’t take long to get to the small cottage, and Clark held my hand the whole way, his grip strong, resolute. By the time we got there, my adrenaline had worn off, and I was feeling trashy, shaky, like I could use a nap. Or five hundred. Clark ducked through the small door and then stopped as he took in the room.

“Where is the body?” he asked me.

I peered around, anxious in case the pretender had taken off with her, but she was still there, in the middle of the couch where she’d been the whole time.

I walked over and carefully touched her hair. Natural. Not a dye job. When would Sage stop dying her hair? She was beautiful how she was naturally. Was it so wrong to look like what you were?

He put a hand to her head and then with a growled muttering, a wave of light went down her, leaving her pulsing with energy.

“Scilla!” Donny dropped to his knees beside her and tried to grab her hand, but Clark blocked him.

“Don’t touch her. She’s been feeding a witch. She has no strength. Your magic is tuned to draw the life out of someone. You should go commune with some trees or something until you’re more balanced.”

Donny looked devastated, and he offered me an apologetic look before he left.