Page 33 of Hellish Witch (Playing with Demons #3)

Chapter 32

“ O ver here!” a masculine voice boomed, and a lanky male barrelled through the woods, gesturing at me wildly.

I slid to a stop, panting hard after running flat out for almost half an hour since I’d abandoned Killian to save him.

A determined expression hardened a classically handsome human face. Magic washed over me in a harmless wave, leaving tingles in its wake.

A mage .

I braced for my magic to lash out at him.

Nothing happened.

It had stopped roiling inside me around ten minutes ago, but I hadn’t dared turn back for Killian yet.

I’d gone so far I could no longer hear the echoing gunshots.

Or maybe they’d stopped for another reason.

“Miss!” the guy yelled again, arms pumping as he sprinted towards me. “Keep running!”

My heart leaped into my throat as his wide eyes locked onto something behind me.

I spun, grabbing a poison-laced knife in each hand as I readied to attack any hunter lucky enough to escape Killian’s massacre.

A monster lunged towards me.

The biggest smile split my lips.

“Get back, vile demon!” the mage roared, and a ball of golden light whizzed past my shoulder, heading right for Killian.

The demon sneered, batting the sunlight aside. It fizzled, charring a patch of leaf litter beside him.

Pitch-black wings framed Killian’s heaving chest. Blood doused him from too many open cuts, courtesy of my magic and a few ragged gunshot wounds.

Guilt and anxiety sank claws deep into me as I gaped at the damage.

He parted his jaws, exposing deadly sharp fangs, and roared right back at the mage closing in on us.

The mage leaped in front of me, using his body like a shield and raising a hand to ward off the snarling demon. His palm glowed like sunshine, matching his spun gold hair and molten eyes. The effect was like a supernova powering him from the inside out.

I side-stepped him with a glare. “Stop! What the fires do you think you’re doing?”

“Go, I’ll distract him,” he hissed under his breath. His eyes darted to me before they narrowed on Killian. “You’ll never lay a finger on her, demon!”

“What?” I blinked in shock.

Killian flexed his bloodied claws with a chuckle, a deep, husky sound that belonged in the bedroom. “Oh, I’ve done a lot more than that.”

The mage lunged, throwing his glowing fist towards Killian. I stumbled back as the demon flared his enormous wings, shoving me away from them both.

Killian side-stepped the next sunlit attack with ease, a rumbling laugh falling from his lips. “That all you got, pretty-boy ?”

Kind of ironic, coming from the gorgeous incubus.

The sunny mage sneered, throwing a ball of glowing light at Killian. I flexed my claws, preparing to intervene, but Killian held a hand up to stop me even as he dipped out of the path of the sizzling magic.

“No, no, sweetness. Let’s see what your knight in shining armour has,” he mocked, his smirk as lethal as his raised claws.

“Both of you,” I hissed. “Stop it.”

This was so dumb.

The mage frowned, backing up a step as he glanced at me once more. “You’re…not in danger?”

I snorted, hiking a thumb at the battered incubus. “He’s the one in danger.”

If you couldn’t laugh at yourself…

The mage’s glow dimmed as he glanced back and forth between the incubus and me, an adorable pink flushing his pale cheeks with colour. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to assume… But the way you were fleeing in fear with him running after you…” He trailed off, gesturing at the demon once more.

“Sure. Because all demons are just trying to steal pretty maidens to devour, right?” Killian ran his forked tongue across his lower lip suggestively, but his eyes were predator-focused on the other male.

The mage had the good grace to look uncomfortable. “You were literally chasing her down, covered in blood. Excuse me for trying to rescue someone in grave danger.”

I mean, he had a point. I’d literally been sprinting like I’d disturbed a phoenix’s nest, no doubt with a haunted look on my face.

The last time a male had run me down and dragged me off, I’d have given anything for a noble stranger to jump in and save me.

I stepped around the bristling wall of feathers and fury. Holding my hand out to the mage, I offered him a tight smile. “I’m Eve. Thank you for trying to help me. That was really nice of you.”

He took my hand with a sheepish smile that revealed a cute set of dimples. “Alvie.” He turned my palm over and placed a small kiss to the back like some ye olde gentleman. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Eve.”

Killian growled, so low the threat was barely audible.

My hand tingled where the mage’s soft lips had touched my skin, and I pulled back, putting some space between us, ignoring the urge to wipe my hand on my leather trousers.

Faint wisps of his desire reached me as he gave me a quick once-over, making me blush as his powerful energy trickled into my reserves with the faint taste of lavender and rosemary.

I couldn’t help but stare at him right back.

Well over six feet, he was tall for a human and built with a lean, almost wiry strength half-hidden by his casual white tee and neat jeans. He had that handsome, boy-next-door look about him but with a dash of magical allure in his rich golden hair and eyes. His tanned skin was unmarred, perfectly smooth and untouched.

Next to his easy perfection, I felt more broken somehow. Like all his golden glory only highlighted my blood-soaked claws and writhing darkness.

Something about him just screamed wholesome goodness.

I didn’t trust it.

He probably had a spider familiar or something.

I’d met few mages apart from Zoella and the bastard who’d slept with me, kidnapped me, and sold me out to demon-hating hunters to be tortured and killed.

So about a 50 percent chance for dickhead when it came to magekind.

Maybe Alvie was everything I’d been searching for though. Hope unfurled in my chest, brightening my smile despite my suspicion.

Killian’s growl roughened, a clear sign blood was about to spill.

I glanced at the prickly incubus, shooting him a warning look.

He stopped growling but flared his shadowed wings in an intimidating show of size and strength.

I barely suppressed the eye-roll threatening to make my head spin. “This is Killian,” I said, gesturing to the stubborn demon.

The mage looked almost as suspicious of Killian as before, but at least he cordially dipped his narrow chin.

“We’re actually here looking for help from the local coven,” I said, giving him my friendliest smile to cover my nerves. “I’m…half-mage, and I’m looking for help with my magic.”

His eyes darted to the short horns peeking out of my hair. When I’d glamoured Killian, I’d also cast the spell on myself, hiding the small quirks of my demonic heritage. A strong mage like Alvie could see the truth beneath though.

It meant he’d seen a mixed breed mutt running for her life and still jumped in to save me. The realisation endeared him to me even more, easing some of the instinctive mistrust.

He nodded to my horns with a smirk. “I’d figured it was a little early for Halloween dress-up.”

Killian snorted beside me, muttering something rude under his breath. I couldn’t help but smirk at what he thought of the new mage.

Alvie continued as if the demon wasn’t obviously irritated by him. “My coven isn’t far from here, and it would be my honour to escort you to them. I would never turn away a witch in need.”

“Thank you,” I rushed out, the weight of my fears lightening for the first time since I’d torn Killian open at that damned house party.

He smiled, shining like the sun. “Of course, Eve. Can I ask what your magic affinity is?”

I nibbled my lower lip. Zoella had explained to me the branches of magic—mental, elemental, and nature. As a healer, I was a rare affinity within the nature branch.

“Healing,” I said, voice tight.

His expressive eyes widened, like huge shining coins framed by the gilded flutter of his long lashes.

“Beautiful and talented,” he murmured.

All I saw was a blur of purple and darkness as Killian lunged for the mage.

He had the poor male pinned to a tree trunk by his neck, claws pricking the mage’s pale throat enough to spill beads of red.

“Killian!” I gaped. “Fires’ sake, let him go!”

Killian snarled, fangs gnashing inches from the mage’s face as he bristled with unhinged fury.

Like he suddenly realised his overreaction, his features transformed into an innocent smile.

“Oops.” He patted the terrified mage’s cheek sarcastically. “My mistake. I could have sworn your little sparkle fingers were glowing again.”

He stepped back, releasing the mage.

Alvie scowled, swiping at the blood on his neck. “I would never hurt my own kind.”

Killian bared his fangs in a fake smile. “She’s my kind, actually.”

I huffed loudly, drawing their attention before they could literally whip their dicks out and start pissing circles around me. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m both. Now, about that coven invite…?” I trailed off, throwing Alvie an encouraging look.

He frowned. “Of course, Eve, you’re more than welcome. Your… friend , however…”

Killian chuckled, the sound harsh like a poisoned blade. “Oh, Sparkles, we’re much more than friends.”

“Are we?” I quirked a brow at him.

It wasn’t long ago he’d emphatically told Zahara that we weren’t friends, and my lips twitched as I poked the grouchy dragon. He might have explained what he’d meant by that statement, but apparently I wasn’t quite ready to stop teasing him about it. Especially when I didn’t know where we stood now.

Killian’s smile turned wry. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

My stupid heart did a little flip, and my even stupider brain decided now was the perfect time to read too much into his words.

Did he mean we were more than friends as in dating? Lovers? Or more like close friends? In a completely platonic way? Almost family?

Gah. I needed to slap myself. But I was trying to project innocent, sane witch vibes to our new mage acquaintance.

I pasted on a completely normal smile, mini fangs hidden. “He’ll be good, I promise.”

Desperate hope expanded in my chest. I could promise no such thing, but this was my chance to be rid of this curse. To fix myself.

To go home without the chance of accidental murders. Return as a valuable healer rather than a broken monster.

Killian grinned manically wide. “Oh, so very good,” he purred, forked tongue swiping out to catch a stray drop of hunter blood from his lips.

Deep worry lines creased between Alvie’s golden brows.

It was entirely justified.