Chapter 3 #3
She turned the corner, belatedly realizing that she was heading to the small magic shop at the end of the block.
It was owned by Axton and his clan of goblins who sold knock off cauldrons and crystal balls, as well as rare spices and herbs to the local coven.
He was a regular customer who bought the low-ticket items she managed to steal.
Halfway down the block, Wynn abruptly stopped, hit by a nasty wave of magic.
It felt like someone had tossed a bucket of filth from above.
The magic poured over her and she abruptly realized that she was frozen in place.
It was like her feet were stuck to the cobblestones and invisible bands were wrapped around her body.
Tilting back her head, Wynn parted her lips to scream, only no sound came out.
She was completely helpless.
Her heart thundered in her chest, a layer of sweat coating her skin as she watched Axton step out of his shop, surrounded by a dozen lesser demons.
None of them were particularly dangerous.
The auras surrounding their bulky bodies were a dull red despite the fact they were living in the center of a powerful Gyre.
But Wynn sensed a foul perversion wrapped around them. As if they were coated in evil.
Slowly they walked toward her, none of them speaking or even acknowledging each other.
As if they didn’t know anyone else was there.
The silence made their slow advance creepy as hell.
Then they moved through a pool of light from a streetlamp and the creep factor was cranked from high to a sizzling sense of panic.
Each of the demons was staring at her with hungry expressions and eyes that glowed with a sickly green light. As if they were infected by a putrefying disease.
Or possessed.
Horror beat through Wynn, her body bowing into a painful arch as she struggled to break free of the ruthless bonds. She couldn’t budge. She was well and truly trapped.
Wynn silently screamed as the demons marched closer and closer, stretching out their hands. No! She couldn’t let them touch her. She didn’t know exactly what would happen, but she knew it would be bad. Really, really bad.
With a last desperate effort, Wynn bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood. The sharp pain was enough to shatter the nightmare, allowing her to wrench open her eyes and suck in deep gulps of air to fill her starved lungs.
It was getting worse, she silently acknowledged. The dreams were more vivid and the sense of danger more intense. As if the nightmares were learning how to transform into reality.
It was terrifying.
With an effort, Wynn pulled her fingernails out of the arms of the chair where they’d dug into the leather and forced herself to her feet.
Her knees were shaky and her face drenched in sweat.
She needed a shower and fresh clothes, but right now it was the sharp pangs of her stomach that demanded attention.
Squeezing through the stacks of boxes, Wynn stepped into the narrow opening where Hexx had a micro-fridge and microwave precariously perched on a wooden counter.
She opened the fridge to discover a jug of sour milk and a couple containers of moldy takeout along with a six-pack of beer.
With a grimace she shut the door and opened the cardboard box on the counter.
One glazed donut remained.
“Score!” she breathed, grabbing the pastry and shoving it in her mouth.
It was stale and the glaze stuck to her fingers, but it tasted like nirvana as she licked the sugar from her lips.
Unable to find anything else edible, Wynn was turning toward the nearby totes to grab a few items she could sell for some quick cash when the creak of the door hinges warned her that someone was entering the apartment.
Shit. She’d hoped that Hexx had been frightened enough to stay away for a few days. Now she’d have to deal with the idiot.
Licking the last of the stickiness from her fingers, she prepared to confront the approaching form, her brows knitting together as she realized she couldn’t sense the creature. It wasn’t a demon, that was for sure. Which meant it wasn’t Hexx.
Was it her personal stalker? Probably.
Pretending she didn’t notice her pulse picking up speed and her stomach fluttering like she was a teenager in one of the rom-coms she secretly adored, Wynn stepped toward the approaching form, her head held high.
“Are you back? I told you to stop spying on me, you creep.”
“Creep? Who are you calling a creep? Rude.” The chiding voice echoed through the cramped apartment. “At least, I’m not the one stealing from Hexx. Or eating his pastries. Good grief, woman. Taking a demon’s last donut is downright cruel.”
Wynn’s eyes widened as the intruder stepped into the faint sliver of dawn sneaking through the skylight. He was short and squat with a big bushy beard and piercing green eyes. There was a weird cap stuck on his head with a dangling fuzzy ball and he was wearing...
She didn’t know what the baggy pants and loose flannel top were supposed to be. PJs? Yes, it had to be pajamas, she decided, since he’d matched the bizarre outfit with a pair of furry slippers.
It would have been easy to mistake him for a confused human who’d wandered off the streets through the unlocked door. There were dozens of the poor souls in search of shelter. But one glance into those eyes spoke of an ancient wisdom and a power that couldn’t come from a mere mortal.
“You’re not the dragon,” Wynn muttered in confusion.
“Nope.”
“Or a vampire.”
“Nope.”
“Or a demon.”
“Again...nope.”
“What are you?”
The creature spread his arms, the scent of copper filling the air. “I’m like you. Unique to this world.”
Wynn instinctively stepped back. There was no overt threat from the intruder, but the magic that leaked from him warned her that he could squash her like a bug without even trying.
Time to be moving on. With a practiced smile, Wynn leaned back against the counter, trying to look casual.
“Cool. Are you an alien?” She slowly inspected his bizarre clothing. “You look like Santa Claus.”
“Ah.” He touched a finger to the tip of his nose. “It’s my special power.”
“Is it? Do you have any others?” Wynn kept her smile intact as she focused on her inner strands of magic. She couldn’t use the skipping stones, but she did have a thread that would make her invisible for a few minutes. Just long enough to escape. Assuming it bothered to work.
“I have an endless array of powers.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Finding the strand she’d been searching for, Wynn mentally wrapped it around her. Then, with a gentle push, she spread the magic from her head down to the tips of her toes. Goosebumps crawled over her skin, assuring Wynn it was working.
Thank the goddess.
Still, she forced herself to wait until she was certain that she was completely invisible before she cautiously edged her way around the stranger, keeping as much space between them as possible. Not easy considering that Hexx had the place crammed with his cheap-ass inventory.
The male stood calmly at the edge of the opening, waiting until she’d almost inched past him before his hand snapped out to grab her arm.
“I don’t think so.” He firmly tugged her back to the spot where she’d started. “We aren’t done chatting.”
Her illusion vanished with a puff of smoke, leaving Wynn exposed and pissed off.
“I’m done.” She jerked her arm, trying to break free of his light grasp. “Let go of me.”
“Not until I’ve had a little peek.”
Wynn frowned as the creature leaned forward. What did he mean “have a little peek”? She arched back, her hips digging into the wooden counter as he stretched out his hand, clearly intending to touch her.
“Ew. I thought the dragon was the perv. You’re—”
“Be quiet,” he muttered, the green eyes unfocused as if he were looking through her, not at her.
“Hey.” She hissed as his hand cupped her cheek, his touch gentle. “Stop it.”
She tried to angle away, but the moment she felt the soft touch of his fingers, she was surrounded by a white mist. Was this an illusion? Or had she been transported to another dimension?
Holding herself perfectly still, Wynn cautiously glanced around. At first there was nothing to see beyond the shimmering fog. It swirled around her, as if it was dancing on a breeze she couldn’t sense. Then, slowly the outline of a tall, broad-shouldered male began to form.
Wynn tilted back her head, her muscles clenching. She had no way to know if it was more dangerous to stay or to flee through the strange fog. All she could do was wait and see what happened.
The mist swirled again, parting to reveal the male standing directly in front of her.
The stranger was gut-wrenchingly beautiful, with smooth, bronzed skin and the features of a Greek god. His eyes glowed with a brilliant emerald power and his reddish-gold hair fell past his shoulders.
Wynn might have been impressed if she hadn’t already encountered the dragon. Now she acknowledged that this male was too perfect. Too aloof. His power too extreme.
All in all, he was just too...much. He would pulverize her with his presence.
Plus, he didn’t make her palms sweat and her blood sing with awareness, a voice whispered in the back of her mind.
Lost in her inane thoughts, Wynn wasn’t prepared for the sudden scent of copper that laced through the mist. Wait. Her mouth dropped open, her terror replaced by shock as she realized that this was the same creature as the bizarre, bearded intruder in Hexx’s apartment.
Was this his true shape? Probably. It was no wonder he went around the world as a scruffy vagrant. Hordes of women, along with hordes of men, would be following him through the streets, begging for his attention.
“What are you?” she at last managed to croak.
Indifferent to her amazement, the creature studied her with a piercing curiosity. “That’s not the question.”
Wynn’s mouth felt oddly dry. “It’s not?”
“No. The question is”—he lifted his arm to point at something in the distance—“what is that?”
A chill inched down Wynn’s spine. She didn’t want to see what he was pointing at.
For some reason, the mere thought of it made her entire body shudder with fear.
But the stranger gave a wave of his hand, and the mist ruthlessly parted, revealing the gaping hole in the floor that bubbled with a repulsive green goo.
“No, don’t go over there,” she rasped, horror racing through her as the stranger strode forward.
He was wearing a white robe that flowed around him like a river of satin, his hair floating on a sudden breeze. Like a god striding through the heavens.
The sight should have given her confidence. Instead she slapped her hands over her mouth as she fought the urge to scream. Even at a distance she could see the greenish goo bubbling and churning, clearly reacting to the presence of the stranger.
“Don’t,” she breathed. “Please don’t.”
The words had barely left her lips when the slime struck out, tendrils of magic snapping around the stranger. With a blinding speed the male was wrapped from shoulders to knees in the thick coils.
At the same time a blinding white light abruptly surrounded the stranger as he fought against the swift attack, forcing Wynn to squeeze her eyes shut. The ground shook beneath her feet, the stench of decay threatening to choke her.
“What’s happening?” she demanded.
“Run.”
“What?”
Shading her eyes, Wynn forced herself to look directly into the ball of light.
She could vaguely make out the shape of the male who’d brought her to this place.
He’d managed to break free of the tendrils and was spreading his arms wide as if trying to contain the brewing, toxic sludge that continued to strike out.
But even as his magic pulsed outward, the greenish goo crept toward him, surrounding his feet in a circle of evil.
Wynn’s mouth was dry, her heart struggling to beat. She didn’t know what was happening, but the male had told her to run.
So she did.