Page 68 of Cursed Evermore

Shit.It didn’t fucking matter. What I had to worry about now was his plans for me.

“Let me go!” I screamed in his face, refusing to give up.

“I said no.” He pinned me harder, instantly stopping my thrashing against him.

Still, I refused to give up. Once again, I tried to think of a spell, any spell. I just needed to do something. Maybe something that could loosen his grip so I could run again. My only hope was portaling. I still couldn’t feel my magic, but I had to hold on to hope.

“Salavaza, yulukio, vertelukio.” The chant was supposed to make his hands feel like they were on fire.

But it did nothing of the sort. He pulled back slightly to look at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. Then he laughed, and it felt like a punch to my gut.

“Really, mage? Your weak magic won’t work on me.” His laugh deepened, becoming more fascinated. This was the predator again, mocking me.

My wounded pride made me continue chanting, “Salavaza, yulukio, vertelukio.”

“I said your weak magic willnotwork on me.” His voice cut through the air and something shifted in his expression.

Something that made my blood freeze. Then I watched, horrified, as his eyes darkened from their edges inward, the silvery blue color devoured by an encroaching void until nothing remained but polished obsidian.

Black on black. Straightaway, I recalled seeing this darkness in his eyes at the tavern. It happened when the silver threads danced about him.

He had me so mesmerized I’d forgotten all about that.

Now I was getting the full-blown view, a front row seat to raw, undiluted power. And I could no longer breathe.

My lungs constricted as if the air in them had turned to rocks. My lips parted, but terror robbed me of another fruitless scream. Yet, I couldn't look away.

On seeing he had me hooked, the malice in his expression amplified and thin lines of what appeared to be liquid metal spread from his eyes down his cheeks. They crawled across his perfect features like black veins of tarnished silver, etching intricate patterns across his high cheekbones and jaw.

It was a physical manifestation of what lurked beneath his beautiful façade. The true monster he'd been hiding. He didn't feel like Fae anymore. But something else. Like a creature of unfathomable darkness and devastating power.

I’d thought the most terrifying thing I’d ever seen in my life was the wraith.

I was wrong.

He was.

And when he smiled in this state of devilishness, I thought death had truly come for me.

My heart pounded with such force I swore the bone and muscle in my chest would shatter. Each thunderous beat sent shockwaves through my body, threatening to wreck me from the inside out.

I was a fool to think I could run from him. Or that I had a chance. It was all over from the moment we met, because I was being hunted and hadn’t realized.

Another wicked grin floated across Wolfe’s lips. Then he positioned me so he was holding both my hands with onlyoneof his. With his free hand he caught my throat, and I feared he’d snap my neck with one flick. “Are you scared yet, Ziyka?”

Terror had stolen my voice. I couldn’t answer even if I wanted to.

“She’s not talking anymore.” He leaned forward and inhaled me, taking in my scent. The scent of my fear, I realized. “Good, looks like my mage has finally learned her lesson. That she’s out of her depth.” Slowly, the black metal lines on his cheeks began to fade, returning their prior smoothness. Even his scar looked smooth after that. “I’m going to give you two options. One, we stay out here, just like this, for the rest of our three-day voyage, and you can stare into my very dark, dark soul. Two, we go inside and talk. Then I’ll tell you what I need from you. What’s it going to be, Ziyka?”

Three-day voyage.

Blessed Mother, where were we going?

I swallowed hard, my throat struggling past where his fingers gripped even though he wasn’t holding me tightly enough to cut off my airway.

I didn’t have to think about my answer for too long. There was no way I wanted to—or could—stay out here with him for three days.

“Let’s talk.” Hopefully, I’d find out where we were going.