Chapter 25
Hazelton snapped his fingers in irritation, muttering a string of curses under his breath.
He was too far away to absorb the captured witch’s powers, which annoyed him to no end.
But what really stoked the fire of his fury was his continued failure to capture Sorcia, the High Priestess of the coven.
She was the ultimate prize. If he could just ensnare her, her power would eclipse anything he’d taken so far, making him the most powerful being in existence.
With Sorcia’s magic, he could capture more witches, consume their powers, and elevate himself beyond any mortal or immortal’s wildest dreams.
But there were problems. He hadn’t yet figured out how to keep the witches close enough to drain their powers continuously but then also keep two of them far enough apart from each other that they didn’t regenerate or fight back.
He needed more time to experiment, but time was something he didn’t have—especially with Hortense breathing down his neck.
Hortense was becoming an insufferable thorn in his side.
Her constant demands for money to buy her precious trees were getting under his skin.
She’d even shoved a glossy catalog under his nose, pointing out the exact species of trees and plants as well as the quantities she wanted.
What did he care about trees? Still, she’d helped him, and her suspicions were growing.
He’d have to give her something, at least for now, to keep her in line.
“You owe me!” a small but firm voice announced from behind him.
Hazelton spun around, startled. He’d thought he was alone.
Hortense stepped into the light, her neon-green eyes gleaming with scrutiny as she stared him down. Curious now, her head tilted slightly. “You’re scared. Why?” she demanded, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
Her foot began tapping—an irritating, insistent rhythm that felt like nails scraping against his nerves. How dare she challenge him like this? He was a demon, after all! Still, her stance and glowing eyes unnerved him.
“None of your business!” Hazelton growled at her.
“I want my money,” she snapped, skipping right over her previous question.
Hazelton had expected this and reached into his pocket, pulling out a handful of cash. He tossed it to her with a smug smile. “Here’s your first installment.”
Hortense caught the money and quickly began counting it. Her expression darkened. “This is only a thousand dollars,” she hissed. “You promised me more than ten thousand. I need the whole amount so that I can buy more trees.”
He shrugged dismissively, waving his hand as if the matter were trivial. “I don’t have Sorcia yet.”
Her nostrils flared as she stepped closer. “You didn’t say anything about needing the High Priestess specifically. Our agreement was that you needed a witch, and you have one. What you do with her isn’t my problem. I held up my end of the bargain, and I want my payment.”
Hazelton sighed dramatically, rubbing his forehead. “Yeah, well, I’ve realized that I need Sorcia. She’s more powerful than the one I’ve got, and if I can keep them both close enough to me, I’ll have twice the power. But I need to rework my plan.”
Hortense’s fury was palpable. “You’re breaking our agreement,” she growled, her voice low and threatening. “Do you know what elves do to those who break their word?”
Hazelton’s smug demeanor faltered as he noticed her skin turning a vivid green. His confidence wavered as her transformation continued. She wasn’t just angry—she was furious, and the green glow emanating from her seemed almost supernatural.
“Wait!” he stammered, lifting his hands in mock surrender. He didn’t know much about elves, but the stories he’d heard suddenly felt alarmingly real. They weren’t just gentle, tree-loving beings. They could be vengeful, and this one looked ready to unleash hell.
“You have twelve hours,” Hortense snapped, her voice like steel.
“Meet me at my forest site tomorrow at noon. You’ll give me the money you owe me, or better yet, the trees I need.
All of them. Fully grown, fully planted.
” Her glowing eyes narrowed as she added, “If you’re not there, I will find you. ”
Hazelton swallowed hard, realizing she hadn’t spelled out her threat explicitly. That was somehow worse. His imagination conjured horrifying possibilities of what she might do if he failed to meet her demands. “Fine,” he gritted out, trying to regain some semblance of control. “I’ll be there.”
Hortense gave him a final withering glare before turning on her heel and walking away. Her glow didn’t fade until she disappeared into the shadows, leaving Hazelton rattled—and more determined than ever to capture Sorcia and eliminate this meddlesome elf.