Page 76 of Jagged Souls

“Maddox, get out of here,” I repeat, forcing myself to think of the worst. “You can help me more by rescuing me after.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Don’t be an idiot.”

“Can’t help it.” He throws another flurry of missiles, but this time he aims for the ward where his mother is attacking it. He doesn’t have the power to match her blows, but if he can help her get through by even a second, then it might be enough to save us.

I clench my fists, hating Varius so fucking much right now. If he didn’t torture me, if he just trusted me despite all the evidence against me, then I would be able to help him. I would be able to help them save me.

But the fucker took that from me.

Part of me almost wishes Eduardo succeeds in his spell out of spite, wanting Varius to fucking suffer over what he caused.

But then I remember how much I love the damn fool. How much he has tried to make up for what he did over this last month. He has already suffered,isstill suffering, knows he will suffer for the rest of his life even if I’m saved today. Not a day has gone by that he hasn’t apologized since we got married.

He’s seen to my every desire, giving me foot rubs and back rubs, leaving meetings early to go get me random ass foods when my pregnancy cravings hit. Stopped me from eating dirt when they took an even weirder turn. He spent an hour every day with me, helping me bond with my wand faster. He’s told me secrets he’s never revealed before, tried to open up, to trust me even though I can feel his fear, his panic at doing so. He has been betrayed his entire life by those he trusted and loved. Being ruthless and paranoid has kept him alive, but he is trying to change his very makeup for me. Trying to ignore all his screaming instincts.

And I’ve found him researching late at night when he thought I was asleep or in the day when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. He’s still trying to find a way to give me my magic back. He’s looking into calling an audience with a fucking god even though thosenevergo well for the caller. He is looking into ways of stealing magic from another. Dark magic. Forbidden magic, outlawed by the archangels themselves.

He will risk his life for my happiness.

A tear slips free as Eduardo nears the start of his circle. He’s so close to connecting it, to ripping me away from a future with the man I love and sending us into hel.

Zita’s words, her promise of what will happen to me if I’m not saved today slam into my skull, my very soul. I start to shake, and the panic I have been struggling so hard to contain breaks free.

“Get out, Maddox,” I try one last time, my voice cracking and high-pitched. I don’t wait for him to move before I start calling on my magic. The air crackles with uncontrollable energy.

Dangerous.

Chaotic.

Desperate.

It burns my hands, making the area smell like a BBQ.

“What are you –” Maddox starts.

“I’m not letting him take me.”

“Fuck! Don’t!” He turns to me, tries to throw up a shield around my hands, but my fire eats magic, and I am a lot more powerful than he is.

“Micha!” he screams in a panic as he throws up another useless shield, but this one is consumed just as fast.

“I won’t be able to control it,” I say as the fire burns up my arms, wanting out. Eduardo finally looks up from his fucking transportation spell, and his eyes widen. He can’t see the purple flames building on my fingertips –they are visible only to me– but he can feel their heat. Once I release the spell, this entire bubble is going up in flames.

I don’t know if the fire will die once I do, or if it’ll carry on burning until an archangel stops the inferno, but I don’t care anymore.

I’m not going back to that hel.

I’m not going back to Sadist.

To Eduardo.

To Antonio.

“Get out, Maddox!”

“She’s through!” he shouts as the ward crashes down, and Sau launches a black ball of power at Eduardo. He’s forced to stop his transportation spell in order to defend himself, and with a cry of relief, I stop trying to pull on my own magic.