The Elf Witch |Book 1|

Chapter 3

Several cuts ripped through Malis' chest in quick succession. In the darkness, she had no idea what spell she had cast. Her magic felt like it was alive and acting on its own.

The fire came back to life. Blood seeped through his linen shirt in streaks. Strange whispers went through her ear, encircling her like ghosts. A tremor in her muscles clambered to dominate and destroy him—and she would let it.

But Malis needed to answer one more question before she did.

"What breed are you?" She put as much power in her voice as possible, hoping the wounds would cow him into answering.

"One I'm certain you've never heard of but will haunt your nightmares. My kind isn't known for our restraint." Suddenly his throat made that same abnormal noise, and he began speaking to her in modulated tones, worse than before.

Imani cast an enchantment to take his voice away, but she was too late.

Caught in the web of his glamour, whatever magic he had overpowered her own. Only magic tied to a person's breed or a wand would be strong enough. Shifter animals overpowered enchanted ones. The Norn elves' Draswood wands dominated any others.

Whatever magic this breed wielded was weak inside her—or dormant.

Her wand arm shook.

His black eyes stared at her like pits in the Under realms. "Stop moving," he commanded.

Imani's body stilled.

He clicked his tongue. "Just like last time, lovely Imani. You're under my spell," he taunted, glamour layering his voice. "Now, get down on your knees, elf witch."

Her legs bowed while her mind shouted, wrong, wrong, wrong.

His eyes glazed over a little. She wished more than anything she'd glamoured her feeding draw now. And right now, her elf magic was surging.

A female Norn who could protect herself and control her feeding draw was one of the most powerful beings in their realm. They could put anyone under a spell using their feeding draw and get almost anything they wanted.

But female elves without magic were diminutive and easily overpowered.

Fear spread through her chest, and she panted, imagining herself in the shop with him again.

Watching her body move as her consciousness roared. He'd forced her to look into them the entire time, not even able to shut her eyes throughout the whole experience. Over and over and over, he slammed into her until she became nothing but a shell. Mercifully, her mind shut itself off, her consciousness somewhere else until Aralana hexed him with something dark, and he released whatever magic he had over her.

And now, Imani spiraled into a pit of helplessness again. Just like last time, just like—

—No. Not just like last time. Imani lived in a new world now. Her grandmother had died, no one planned to save her today, and magic coursed through her veins. It permeated her muscles.

And he didn't control her thoughts.

Imani threw all her mental awareness into survival.

Malis's hand snaked down her neck and caressed her breast. Imani's stomach lurched, and her throat tried to gag. She felt herself slip into that unknown, that void of nothing that left her with nothing.

Stifling a cry from deep within her chest, she continued screaming inside her head, begging her magic for help, although she didn't know what to command it to do. Soft murmuring voices swirled around her awareness, but nothing happened. Still, she screamed.