Page 11 of Bewitched (Hexes and Fangs: Holiday Editions #1)

T he fog curls through the maze like a living thing, weaving between towering stalk of dried corn that sway gently in the damp air.

The corn maze hums with excitement under the glow of flickering lanterns.

Scattered along the winding trails are skeletons half-buried in the ground, shouting at you as you stroll by them.

Somewhere in the distance, a haunted soundtrack plays, an uneasy mix of laughter and distant howls.

The dirt path winds ahead, flanked by towering walls of golden corn that rustles softly in the wind.

My each step crunches against the earth, the occasional dry husk brushing against my arm as I navigate the twists and turns.

Zilla stayed to drink her favorite apple punch and talk to the owner.

I can hear motor bikes halting not far away, so I quicken my pace.

I don’t want to be alone in the maze with vampires at play.

I glance over my shoulder. Just rows and rows of endless corn and then I hear it—just a faint rustle behind me, barely noticeable over the breeze weaving through the towering stalks.

I am sure it’s just the maze shifting around me.

But now, another sound—a footstep, distinct, deliberate.

I move faster. My black boots sinking into the damp soil.

Turning a corner, the corn walls press in, narrowing my world to winding dirt paths and stalks that sway like silent watchers.

Another turn, another twist, and yet the footsteps don’t fade.

A shadow flickers at the edge of my vision, disappearing between the stalks.

I take out my knife, and a cold palm presses against my mouth, pulling me between the corn plants. He holds me close to his chest.

"Shh!"

His breath brushes the tip of my ear, and I observe the tattoos adorning his arm. The smoke billowing from his lungs is shrouding my view. Two men walk by, wearing masks.

"I saw her entering the maze, she can’t be far."

He removes the strain from my lips and turns my entire body around as soon as the men walk away. I immediately look up at him.

"Why is everyone hunting you, nightshade?" The smoke unfurls slowly, curling like wisps of ghostly silk as it leaves his lips. His breath moves through it, shaping the tendrils into swirling patterns. And then is when I see his face clearly. His eyes are locked on mine, scanning, observing. There’s weight in the look, as if he is piecing together a story, trying to understand something unspoken. Maybe there’s curiosity in the way his brow shifts, but still something quiet, unreadable.

"Fuck you and your sick games! Why are you here?"

"Where would you like me to be?" He lifts the corner of his mouth before showing off his white teeth. His sharp fangs.

"Inside a coffin."

The crickets start to chirp their haunting melody.

I won’t opt for the course to exit the maze, so I brush away the extended leaves with my hands to forge a path between them.

I peek over my shoulder, searching for any sign of him.

But the darkness has swallowed him whole, leaving only silence.

Good. He left... I am fumbling for my phone in my bag and suddenly I bump into him. I jerk back, startled.

"Why is everyone hunting you, nightshade?"

He is standing effortlessly confident in front of me, like he belongs in the moment without even trying. The way he carries himself. Like he knows exactly the effect he has. Scary but hot.

I try to walk past him, but he steps to his right and I bump again into his body. "I am not asking again."

I arch an eyebrow at him, but his expression is grave.

"You are all idiots… Stop with your stupid stalking game."

"There she is!" One of the masked guys spots me and runs towards me. I look back at Nox, but he’s already behind him. Iron chain forced against the guys neck, choking him. I walk in front of the struggling body and I take off his ghost mask. His fingers attempt to seize the chain, but Nox yanks it tightly against his neck so that he can’t detach it.

I recognize him. He popped into my store two days ago.

"What do you want?"

Nox eases the grip slightly, allowing him to speak. The iron already etched into his skin.

"I am in… in love with… you!"

"What?"

"I love…" Nox snaps his neck and the guy falls dead onto the damp ground.

"What the fuck?" I raise my voice at him.

"I got bored." He rolls the chain, tucking it into his pocket like a secret. With deft fingers, he smooths his hair and smiles to me.

"You fucking killed him… you can’t just kill everyone."

"Would you have liked to listen to him propose to you?"

"Fuck you!" I walk past the corpse, scanning the area. "Now I’ll have another ghost after my ass, thanks to you."

He trails behind me. "We should kiss or fuck, they’ll all go away."

I rotate to meet him, my knife prepared against his lips. "I am going to torture, kill you, burn your body and have a drink, naked on your coffin after I am done."

He positions a cigarette between his lips. "Sounds like a date." He lights it and draws in the chemicals. "Are you asking me on a date, nightshade?"

Let me tell you something about Nox...

He is like a tiny thorn stuck in your sock. Irritating enough to disrupt your focus, but not quite painful enough to be a crisis. He just grates on my nerves and my patience thins.

Yes... of course I'd ride him. Right here, in fact. Of course I'd sit on his perfect face. I mean… look at him. He’s a fucking magnet. He makes my eyes trace over his details.

Yes, the way he effortlessly kills someone... hot. The way he just appears when I am in need of... him?... also hot. One would be worried. But whatever.

But I just wanna stab him and twist the knife while his cock is inside me.

Moments like these can stir up a mix of emotions. It might spark longing. And of course, there’s pure amusement when you catch yourself staring a little too long.

Like I am now… Damn it!

He is walking before me. It is dark, so he is guiding us out of this place.

I can’t even see the corn plants but their leaves are nudging my body, confirming that they are still in the vicinity.

He asks me to hold his hand, and for Coven knows what reason, I accept.

That is what I am starring at. Our hands.

"Why naked?" the dim moonlight casts eerie shadows, stretching and twisting into unnatural shapes. Flickering lights reveal glimpses of unsettling figures—like him. The silence is the worst part because I am worried he will hear my heartbeat. Or even the blood rushing inside my veins.

"What?"

He gently tugs my hand, drawing my body closer to his.

"Why would you pose naked on my coffin?"

"For the Coven’s sake… that’s all you can think about right now?"

He pulls me even closer.

"I don’t think you wanna know what I am thinking about."

I stop. He turns to me, bringing time to a standstill. Our hands are still holding onto each other.

"Oh, now I want to know."

Without pulling out a cigarette, like he usually does while talking to me, he moves nearer. I must raise my head entirely to see his face, covered in shadows.

"You want me to be honest?" He stares down at me.

A smirk showing on his lips when he spots my tongue licking mine.

I am still expecting him to light his smoke.

He stands still, as if the very act of movement might break the spell of this.

His eyes hold onto me, unwavering, drinking in every detail of my face.

There is a quiet intensity in his expression.

His fingers twitch slightly while holding mine.

His breathing is steady yet deep, as if he would like to inhale me into his body. I lift myself up on my toes.

"Every. Single. Detail…" I whisper to him.

I watch his tattoo shift as he swallows his unspoken thoughts. He tilts his head to the left, a sly smile creeping across his face, his eyes hungrily consuming mine.

"I want you."

"Me?"

"Let me talk, nightshade."

I slip my hand from his, and in that heartbeat, his hands wrap around my neck. His index finger lifts my chin for me to look at him. The perfect choker. I moan and part my lips.

"Are you going to feed from me?" I put my hands on his chest. "Or feed me?" My fingers run down on his muscles. I smile and stop at his belt. "Talk." Unbuckling it. He inclines closer, his lips brushing against my ear.

"I’d taste you inside my coffin." His lips tickle my neck’s skin. "And after I’d have you bent over it."

I nip my lip, and he halts my movement with his thumb. So I touch the tip of my tongue to it. One simple lick and he loses it. He presses his mouth against my neck.