Page 38

Story: Blood Rains Down

At least here, if I just so happened to stumble into a bar fight, they would see me as another witch wrapped up in the carnal energy that flowed through this realm. That was something I had grown to love about my time spent in Sethros. The lust and desire that saturated everything it touched made it so easy to rile anyone when I needed to hit something.

The men here were so weak.

“Ow,” I hissed, snapping from my thoughts as I pulled my hand toward my chest and tried to shoo away this Gods damned familiar.

I inspected my finger and the bead of crimson that began pooling where its beak had cut through skin.

“You are really beginning to get on my nerves,” I mumbled as I whipped the blood from my hand. “I liked you better as a cat.”

It hopped toward me, snapping its crows’ beak at me again and squawked. I leaned back into the shadows at the sound, not wanting to be seen if it drew any attention to us.

“What? What do you want?” I snapped in a low whisper. I watched as it hopped to the edge of the roof and jabbed its beak toward the ground.

Rolling my eyes, I let out an annoyed sigh as I moved toward the ledge. I can’t believe I was letting this thing tell me what to do. My fingers slid up the seam of my hood, pulling the leather over my head as I leaned over the roof’s edge. The streets had begun to part down the middle—drunkards, mongers and their harlots, scurried from view, hiding behind the doors and windows that were flying shut as four Hanth guards led a man up the cobblestone road on horseback toward the House of High. Pebbles loosened under my boots, rolling from the roof as I pushed myself against the chimney and I crouched lower into the shadows, shifting my position to get a better view. I couldn’t tell if they were protecting him, or if he was their prisoner.

I slipped behind the chimney and bolted the remaining distance of the rooftop and jumped. Bounding from rooftop to rooftop, my feet almost silent against the clay shingles, I raced to get ahead of them—to get a better look.

My fingers locked around a worn, copper spire as I slid to a stop atop the brothel that sat in the curve of the road. When they rounded the corner, I would have a full view of all their faces. Iwatched as they came toward me, spotting the rope tied to the man’s ankles and wrists.

A prisoner.

I could see red dripping from somewhere underneath his cloak, blood staining the hem of the fabric. As they reached the bend in the road, my heart stopped dead in my chest.

It was Nox.

My heart began to sprint in my chest.

Pri was with him.

Pri was going to meet with him this morning. The gears in my head began frantically turning. I had to get him free. I had to find Pri.

Keeping myself in the shadows, I jumped from the roof, landing on the sandy ground as my body shifted into that lethal vixen.

“Get him free of the restraints,” I hissed toward the familiar and watched as the crow melted into a rat and scurried away from me. “I’ll handle the men,” I whispered, standing to my full height.

Sucking in a sharp breath, I stepped into the road.

“Evening, gentleman,” I drawled, bowing to give them ample view of the cleavage gushing from the thin dress that now clung to my body.

It brushed against the ground as I lowered my body toward the ground, the slits up both sides separating to put every inch of my legs on full display.

“Get out of the road, witch,” the leader of the squad spat as his three guards eyed me with a predatory gaze. I lifted from my bow at his words, letting my silver hair catch in the moon’s light and walked toward them.

My hips swayed with each step I took as I let magic flow from me—let it ensnare itself around their emotions. I stepped up totheir leader and placed a hand on his horse’s mane, running my fingers through it as I looked up to meet his eyes.

“Are you sure there is nothing I can do for you men?” I asked, my voice dripping with sweet venom.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the rat begin to gnaw on the rope.

“Your magic will not work on me,wench,” he snarled as the heel of his boot connected with my chest and sent me flying backward.

I let out a mock gasp, dramatically falling to the ground and scurried backwards as my magic gripped around the minds of his guards.

My gaze fell to the ground as the last thread of the rope snapped between the rodent’s teeth and chuckled. I thought I would have to distract them longer, but it seems this familiar, like myself, did not waste time. Nox finally lifted his head at the sound, peeking from under his hood just enough for our eyes to connect.

He had seen this body before.

And as the knowledge clicked in his mind, his eyes widened.

Table of Contents