Page 95 of Satanic Shadow

Panic takes over, and I have no idea how I know, but I press my hand firmly on his chest, focusing on the curse, on the tendrils knitting together in his soul. I squeeze my eyes shut and call to it.

I call.

And call.

And call some more.

The flames of the candles flicker, a wind gusting around us, whipping my wet hair around my face as sharp, searing pain claws at my fingertips, latching on, drawing closer as it seeps under my nail beds and into the creases of my fingerprints.

My heart accelerates, and I continue to call to the curse, to knock it off course as it aims for the center of Dane’s darkening soul.

“Fuck, Seraphine, no.”

The black veins on Dane’s face start to fade, as well as the ones on his throat and chest. We both writhe in terror and pain, my bones feeling like they’re turning to ash as water sloshes around us. Dane tries to pull my hand away, but it’s stuck, until something rips me away from him, catapulting me out of the tub and against the bathroom wall.

The gust of wind stops, the candles settle, and I breathe heavily as I fall to the ground. Dane climbs out of the bath, wraps a towel around himself, and comes to me.

“You idiot. What the fuck were you thinking?” he snaps, pulling me up from the floor and carrying me to bed. “You shouldn’t have done that. They’ll know you used a power link.”

I have no idea what I just did. Or whotheyare. I close my eyes. “I wanted to help.”

“How did you know what to do?”

Silence for a long beat because I have no idea. I shrug. “I just did. Are you better?”

I took some of the curse back, but not enough to harm myself. I also shouldn’t know that, but I do.

“Just say yes or no—I’m a little dizzy.”

“Yes.” He nods, sighs, and instead of leaving or even getting clothes on, he tugs the duvet back and pulls me against him, my back to his chest. “You can’t be left alone right now. No human should ever power link.”

“Are you trying to complete task five?”

He chuckles, and his breath against my cheek makes me comfortable; makes me forget about the fading pain. “I wouldn’t be allowed to touch you if that was what I was doing.”

“If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?”

“No,” he replies, and I huff.

Dane smiles against my neck, and a flutter of electricity rushes through me. “No more questions. My brain hurts from them. Ask me later.”

“You called me Seraphine again,” I point out. “Can you call me by my name from now on?”

“No.”

I roll my heavy eyes.

We both fall into a calmness, and at some point, his towel falls from around his waist, my wet clothes clinging to my body, and his hand holds my breast.

The heat between my legs is making me lose my mind. “Are you awake?”

“Obviously.”

“Can we do task five?” I ask bravely.

Dane lets go of me and pushes back, putting distance between us. “Now?”

“Yeah. I need a distraction.”