Page 36 of Samhain Savior

Chapter fifteen

Archer

The fury that raced through me was nearly unstoppable.

How dare she? How fuckingdareshe?

Marching toward them, my shadows pouring off me in furious waves, I shouldered past Vine, my footsteps determined and my anger palpable.

“What the fuck are you doing out of your room?”

“What?” She had the audacity to act confused.

“You were so quick to get away from me earlier,” I snarled, ignoring Mal’s impatient growl. “Why are you here now, getting in the way?” When no one said anything I tried another approach, my anger overriding any sense I may have possessed.

At least I was calling it anger.

I refused to call it jealousy.

“Or perhaps there’s another answer, hmm?” Casting a disgusted look at her, letting all of my disdain show on my face as I gazed to where she had plastered herself against Mal’s shirtless body, I added, “Is that how you thought you’d escape us? Seduction?” Letting out a scandalized gasp, Delilah let go of Mal and stumbled backward, looking both affronted and hurt at the same time.

I would never admit to the way my own heart clenched in response to her visible pain.

“That’s not—we weren’t doing anything!” Shaking her head, she straightened her shoulders, her hurt fading as more anger took its place. “We were just talking when we heard the explosion. We came to help is all.”

“Help?” I scoffed, letting out a dark chuckle. My brain knew what I was saying was pathetic, my accusations ridiculous. But I needed to lash out, to hurt. My emotions were in control, and the panic that clawed at my chest when I saw Delilah touching another man was all I could see. “What help could you possibly offer us? You’re nothing but a failed witch without a decent coven. You’re not worth the time it would take to put you down.”

“That’s enough,” Mal grumbled, putting a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged him off.

“I may not have a coven,” Delilah said, her voice strong despite the tremble in her lower lip. “But I have gotten thebetter of you twice since we’ve met,demon.” She spat the word mockingly, and the fire inside me grew. All around us my shadows writhed, sucking the light out of the hallway and shrouding us all in angry darkness.

“You can bet there won’t be a third time,witch.”

I reached for her, my hands coming up, ready to wrap themselves around her throat—to touch her. Ineededto touch her—but before I could actually make contact, a jolt of pain shot through my entire body, stealing my breath and sending me staggering backward in shock.

“Holy Hell,” Vine muttered, his words barely registering as I gazed down at my hands in disbelief.

Slashed across my palms were twin burn marks, the skin blistered and red.

“Archer, I—” Delilah’s horrified words reeked of sincerity. “I didn’t mean to. I’ve never done that before. I don’t even know how I—”

“Enough.” Taking the pocket square out of my jacket, I shook it open and wrapped it around one hand, hissing at the pain that even the lightest contact created. Fuck me. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d suffered any kind of physical damage. And certainly nothing that had come from a mere mortal witch.

Stuffing the other hand into my pocket to hide the evidence of the wound, I stared at her, watching as the shadowcollar pulsed at her throat. It moved like an turbulent sea, frothing and writhing in agitation, a thing of menace for the first time.

It had protected her. I wasn’t truly going to hurt her—frighten her into telling the truth, maybe, but not hurt her—but that hadn’t mattered to the magic that I’d left resting against her delicate throat. Rising up, the collar I’d placed around her neck to confine her had actually prevented me from harming her.

My own magic, used against me.

Was there nothing this witch wouldn’t twist to her own advantage?

“I don’t care how you did it,” I said, my words low, meant only for her ears. “But you can rest assured you will never get the opportunity to do it again.”

Turning from her pale, surprised face, I faced my men, all of whom were looking at me with varying degrees of shock.

“Gather your things. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

“Where are we—” Delilah started, but my patience was completely shot.