Page 26

AMbrOSE

I don’t want to leave Piper. She’s injured and that piece of shit uncle of hers is still out here somewhere in the woods. I’ve never wanted to kill a man before, but today might just be a first.

“I’ll go this way.” Roman points to his right. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I’m fine. Go and find your damn object so this night isn’t a fucking waste.”

“We’re going to need to talk about this new angry side, Ambrose,” Roman says as he jogs off.

“It’s not anger,” I call after him, but then head off in my own direction. It isn’t just anger. It’s a consuming rage to make Tucker pay.

In the past, all the shit with the coven was never important enough to hold my attention.

It wasn’t my responsibility; therefore, I didn’t care.

But I care what happens to Piper. I fucking hate that she was being abused all this time and no one helped her.

Fuck, her uncle was part of the council that lead this coven.

They probably helped him keep shit quiet. Corrupt doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Stomping through the woods, a branch smacks me across the face. I bat it away with a grunt, and it rebounds to smack me a second time.

“Motherfucker.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I need to calm down. Never before have I been this quick to anger. I’ve perfected compacting my emotions in a tiny little ball and sweeping them under the rug until I forget they exist. I seem to be having a problem doing that lately.

“Concentrate.” I exhale and close my eyes.

How am I supposed to find this object? Before I beat the shit out of Tucker, I was wandering around the woods waiting to trip over something.

I assumed I’d know it was the enchanted item I was seeking when I saw it.

That didn’t work, so now I need to figure something else out.

I check my phone. I have ten minutes.

Lucida said to use your intuition. My magic is illusion magic. I can cast illusions so real, a person would question what reality is. How does that help me in this challenge? I doubt Lucida wants me to conjure up an illusion of the object we’re trying to find.

However, my magic also sees through illusion.

I can use it to show me what’s real and what’s magic.

I reach deep into my chest, into the well of golden power that thrums always at the ready, and cast it out.

My magic rolls away from me in a wave, rippling over rocks, and fallen trees, touching downed leaves and desiccated bushes.

Nothing looks off. I turn and do the same facing the opposite direction.

Nothing.

I move farther into the woods and repeat the exercise.

I look at the time. Fuck. I’m going to fail out of this stupid challenge.

I’m reminded briefly of the time I was failing my literature class in high school.

It wasn’t because I didn’t understand how to do the damn work, I just wasn’t doing it. I was too busy fucking around.

I won’t let Piper take this journey on her own, though. Not with her fuckface of an uncle possibly still in the competition. I sprint through the woods, letting my magic pour out of me. I pass downed trees, rotted logs, and piles of dead lives.

There.

Nestled next to a tree stump, partially covered in dried grass, is a snail shell.

My magic snags on it, illuminating the object like it’s been covered in glow-in-the-dark paint.

I snatch it up and run back to the clearing.

I have less than a minute left. Breaking through the wood line I come to a stop near Lucida.

“Here. Found it.” I drop the shell in her palm with a puff of breath.

“Just in the nick of time.” She smiles at me. I check my phone. There’s literally thirty seconds left.

“I wouldn’t be half as interesting without a little dramatic flare.” I grin and make my way back to Piper. “How’s your hand?”

She’s still holding it to her chest, but her fingers are straight now. Before Piper can answer, Tucker comes crashing out from the woods, reminding me of a monster emerging from the deep.

“I’ve got your fucking trinket.” He throws a stone at Lucida. She doesn’t even flinch, but catches it, snatching it out of the air like a pro ballplayer.

There’s a boom that vibrates the air. “The first challenge is officially over. Eleven of the twelve witches will move on to the next trial.” Lucida’s voice is clipped. Danielle was the only one who didn’t make it through. That means that Francesca and my mother also found their objects.

“Hello. Can I have your attention?” Speak of the fucking devil.

My mother is yoo-hooing for the attention of the coven that’s still gathered in the clearing.

What now? It’s four in the morning. My hands are throbbing from beating the shit out of Tucker.

Piper’s hand is still obviously not fully healed. I want to go home.

“This is just a little invitation to my fellow council members. Or should I say possible council members, to be specific. I’m having a dinner party tomorrow night.

I expect to see you all there. We need to start fostering goodwill between us.

Of course that means you as well, Lucida.

Sorry, everyone else. This isn’t really meant for your ears. ” Bianca chuckles.

“Then it makes perfect sense to share it while half the coven is present.” I roll my eyes, already dreading the evening.

Lucida steps in front of my mother. “I’ll be in touch shortly with more information about the second challenge. Congratulations to those who made it through this first trial.” Lucida frowns as she looks over at Danielle. “Thank you all for coming.”

“What’s going to happen to her?” Piper asks.

“I’ve got some healing potions I’ll give her and make sure she gets home safe.” Lucida spins her bracelets, looking angry. At Tucker? “I can only trust the magic has selected the right members for this council. That the trials will weed out anyone who doesn’t deserve to lead.”

I’d say we’re off to a bad start.

“Let’s go home,” I say to Piper, feeling drained.

Piper falls asleep on the way back to the chateau. She must be exhausted because it’s only a fifteen-minute drive. I hate to wake her, but I can’t exactly leave her in the car all night.

“We’re home.” I brush the hair back from her face and she blinks up at me with bleary, half-awake eyes. We shuffle inside like we’ve just returned from an epic battle.

“I feel like I need to get in shape or something. I don’t know why this is so exhausting.”

“It’s because dealing with my uncle is always exhausting. Thank you for that. For protecting me.” Piper rubs her eyes.

“I’m just sorry I wasn’t there sooner.” And that I wasn’t there to protect her in the past. The nonchalant way she’s handling Tucker beating her up tells me all I need to know about how often it must have happened. The beating I gave him wasn’t remotely severe enough.

Her gaze drops to my hands. “Come with me.”

“Oh, where are you taking me?” I raise an eyebrow. Maybe this night will have some positives after all.

“Somewhere very exciting.” Piper chuckles, and I follow her into the closest bathroom. It’s the same one I took her in to dry off the night she showed up at my front door, asking me to marry her.

“I’ve been here before.” I make a circle with my finger and pretend like I’m not sure where we’re at, tipping my head to look around. “It’s not that exciting. Although, I did get engaged here. Remembering good times?”

Piper gives me a wry smile. “I want to clean up your hands. Josephine was wiped out after healing Danielle and me, otherwise she would have healed you too.”

I wave her off. “They’re fine. No need to make a fuss. In fact, you’re the one who needs looking after.” I pick up her hand and wince at the black and blue bruising on her finger. “I thought you said Josephine healed you.”

“She did, but she can only do so much. Think of it like being on day six of healing instead of one hour in.”

“I tell you what. Let me tape your fingers, and then you can do whatever you want with my hands.” I caress the inside of her wrist with my thumb.

Piper rolls her eyes but obediently stays still.

I open the vanity doors and check the drawers before moving over to a closet full of supplies. I find some tape, bandages, and antibiotic cream hiding behind hand towels.

She rests her butt against the counter, and it’s so much like that night when she had been dripping and shivering that the hairs in the back of my neck stand up. It hasn’t been that long, but it feels like it was an eternity ago.

One of Piper’s broken fingers is the one with her wedding ring. I brush my thumb over the warm gold.

“Is it too tight?” I don’t know what I’m going to do if she says yes. The thought of cutting it off her finger horrifies me.

“It’s okay. It’s not that swollen anymore.”

I make quick work of taping Piper’s fingers. “All set. You’ll be good as new in no time.”

“Your turn,” Piper murmurs. She turns on the water and grabs my hands, gently pulling them beneath the stream. Her fingers are light but diligent as she cleans the cuts on my knuckles. They’re not horrible. I’ve had worse before. The soap stings, but Piper’s touch is so comforting I barely feel it.

She pats my hands dry. Her brow furrows as she leans over to inspect my injuries, turning my hand from side to side.

She makes a low hum in her throat and gently dabs on the cream before bandaging the scrapes.

I don’t tell her that they’d probably be fine with none of that.

It’s nice to have her take care of me. Not that I need someone to baby me or that she owes me.

It’s just a different experience to have someone worry.

“All done. You’ll be good as new in no time,” she repeats my words back to me, her sky-blue eyes flicking up to mine. The bathroom is plenty big, but suddenly, it feels like we’re enclosed in a tiny box.

I cup her cheek, my fingers sliding over the edge of her jaw. My thumb strokes over her cheekbone. “Your skin is so soft,” I murmur.

Piper licks her lips, her eyes half-lidded.

My gaze is drawn to her mouth, her perfect full lips.

What would it be like to kiss her? Just because I haven’t kissed anyone in so damn long.

That’s the only reason I want to know. I like Piper.

She’s beautiful, and smart. But this thing between us is just an agreement.

I’m helping her out. We’re playing a game.

How long can I go without fucking someone else?

What Piper doesn’t know is that I’m incredibly stubborn. If it was anyone else, I’d wait her out just so that I can brag that I’ve won in the end. I’m not sure I have the resolve when it comes to Piper.

But kissing her would be incredible.

And disastrous. I should know better.

I sigh and pull my hand free. “We should get some sleep.”