Chapter 12

Ipull away as he lowers me, slowly sliding my body down the length of his.

‘You okay?' he asks as I hang my head and hide beneath my hair.

I nod but don't speak. His hand settles under my chin, and he lifts my head. When he sees a tear sliding down my cheek, his eyes widen.

‘You hurt?' he asks. ‘Shit. I didn't mean to hurt you.'

‘I'm a little sore,' I admit. ‘But you didn't hurt me.'

We both look down and see some blood sliding down my leg.

I go to wash it off, feeling my face redden. He grips my wrists and shakes his head.

He kneels and softly runs his tongue up my thigh, catching it before planting a delicate kiss between my legs.

‘Do you regret it?' he asks, looking up at me through the mess of his soaking hair and still on his knees. His hands softly glide up and down the backs of my legs as he waits for my answer.

‘No,' I reply. ‘I don't regret it.' And I don't. Not a second of it. Not even when he plunged me under the water. I found it exciting. Thrilling and unexpected.

‘Is that why you're upset? Because you feel like you should regret it?'

When I lift my head, I smile.

‘Why would I regret it? You made me orgasm so hard I thought my back was going to break.'

His laughter echoes around us, and he returns to his feet.

‘Then why the tears?' His brows raise, and his lips hitch into a cocky smirk. ‘If it's because my cock was too big, I won't mind your honesty.'

I can't roll my eyes enough as I walk past him and search for my clothes beyond the waterfall.

I'm not sure why I'm teary. I thoroughly enjoyed what we did, and compared to the alternative I was facing, being publicly screwed by Cole and whoever else at the Rite, I'm pretty happy with how I've lost my virginity.

I've not had a romantic notion about sex for a long time. Maybe ever. I didn't even expect I would enjoy it married to Cole. I put up with his uncoordinated fingering and clumsy groping. And I serviced him with my hands when he wanted.

Sex is forbidden before the Rite. I upheld my part of the bargain, but apparently, not everyone else had the same mindset.

As I pass under the water, I wonder what the village is like now. The old leaders are gone. Cole will be the leader if he's alive after what I did.

What is Thalia doing?

And my biggest question. What are Shaw and Dorian doing right now at my home?

I grab my discarded shirt and slide it on.

‘You're a great fuck, Pixie,' he calls after me. ‘Considering you were a virgin, you did amazing.'

‘I'm sure you've had plenty of others to compare it to.' I look back at him as I carry on wading out of the water. ‘Enjoy your run.'

‘That's it? You're just going to leave?'

‘What do you expect me to be like? Should I swoon over you? Cling onto your arm and beg for more?' I shrug. ‘You got off. I got off. The transaction is ended.'

I continue wading out of the water.

‘Well… can I cling onto your arm and beg for more?' he calls after me. I stop and can hear his smile as he speaks. ‘I'm already swooning over you. You're the best pussy I've ever had.'

I look back at him. His hair is a dishevelled mess, and his eyes shine as he offers me the most perfectly boyish smile I think I have ever seen. It's hard to believe that he just held me underwater until I called him master.

‘You're swooning over my pussy?' I laugh.

‘Absolutely,' he beams. ‘And I never thought I would ever say that to a blood witch.'

‘Well, I'm honoured. And thank you. Turns out sex doesn't have to be painful and life-threatening after all.'

Something hot sears into my side. Archie's face goes ashen as he looks at me. Following his gaze, I see an arrow sticking out of my side, the tip dripping blood.

‘Ow.'

I fall into the water, dizzy and disorientated. There's a splash as Archie leaps to my side and hauls me up.

We both look down.

There's an arrow in my side!

‘You had to say some fate-tempting shit like that, didn't you?!'

‘Someone shot me?' I blurt, looking at the weapon piercing me. I look up at Archie. ‘Someone just fucking shot me!'

‘I can see that, now stay still!'

He yanks it out in one fell swoop, making me scream as it tears the wound further. Blood sprays over his chest and face as he tosses the arrow aside. When he slams his hand on the wound, I swear loudly, the pain hot and searing beneath his palm.

He bites his wrist and shoves it in my mouth, feeding me his blood.

‘Drink,' he orders.

We both look in the direction the arrow came from, just as another comes flying towards us.

He throws himself on top of me and lets out a vicious growl as it penetrates his shoulder instead of mine.

With a painful grunt, he yanks it free.

‘Get back to the castle. You hear me?'

‘What about you?'

He turns and shifts before my eyes. The great white wolf returns and nudges me away with his nose. Archie moves fast, running straight at the danger as I clumsily run for cover behind a rock.

I got one mouthful of his blood. It's not enough. Blood spills down my side, and when I throw myself behind the nearest stone, I slam my hand down on the wound, trying to stop the blood from leaking out.

In the distance, somewhere in the ancient woodland, I hear Archie's roars. But I don't hear anyone else. No people shouting or attacking, just Archie.

Then I hear a high-pitched whine. I look over the rock.

Archie's hurt. I know it. I can hear it in that pain-filled cry he releases.

But I have my orders, and I'm not exactly in a position to help.

I push myself from the rock and sprint in the direction of the castle, limping as the hole in my side jars with every bit of movement. As I round a tree, a fist flies into my face, and I go down. I barely get to blink my senses back before I see a hooded man in a dark green cloak straddle me. A matching green mask covers his mouth, but I see his dark eyes. Cold and lifeless. Empty of compassion.

He slams his fist into my face.

Slam. Slam. Slam.

Content that I'm utterly done and defenceless, he tosses me over his shoulder and starts running into the woods.

My head and thoughts are a mess. I'm unable to get anything in order or under control. Something as simple as lifting my head or even screaming seems impossible. I lie there, limp and dangling over the stranger's shoulder, knowing… I'm fucked. Archie is down. I'm down. And this man is skilled and ready to do whatever he needs to get me where he wants me.

And considering my list of allies is non-existent, I doubt that where he's taking me holds anything good.

A little tickle travels up my arm. A slithering sensation.

Then, the man groans, starts to judder violently, and then drops me.

I land hard on the ground, slamming my shoulder mercilessly into the earth. I watch my would-be kidnapper, who is kidnapping me from my current kidnappers.

Blood falls from his eyes like tears. Black veins spread over his skin, and he grunts in pain, convulsing and gurgling. When he pulls his mask down, he vomits bloody bile and chunks of flesh. His insides are literally exploding from his mouth.

It's then I see my little snake friend, the Kedar, slither from his hood and return to me, wrapping around my wrist tightly.

‘Thank you,' I whisper lovingly to my beautiful saviour.

Fighting the overwhelming urge to fall into a blissful state of unconsciousness, I get to my feet, stumbling and swaying like crazy, and try to get my bearings.

Which way is the castle? Where am I?

I have no idea.

I spit the pooling blood from my mouth and check my would-be kidnapper for anything of use. My fingers meet steel.

‘Why… thank you,' I mutter, pulling out a dagger.

I hear Archie growl again from somewhere in the trees.

I haven't a clue where I am. Archie's instruction to make for the castle was about as helpful as telling me to sprout wings and fly.

I'm certain that this now very dead bastard with liquified insides isn't alone. I daren't take my battered and bleeding body deeper into the woods to be caught.

So, I run towards Archie's growling.

I'm utterly lost. At least Archie will know where the hell we are.

My running is pathetic as I stumble and bump into trees and roots. I stop often to catch my breath and to stop the world from spinning.

Get it together, Ashe! I scorn myself, slapping my face when the edges of my vision start to dim. Now is not the time to pass out.

I carry on, stopping when I hear Archie howl furiously.

From somewhere in the distance, a shrill and high-pitched shriek sounds out.

When I round the corner of a large tree, I see Archie's giant wolf form.

His front leg is trapped inside a massive metal instrument of claws, trapping and debilitating him.

I rush over. He turns and goes to rip my throat out, but stops when he sees me. I look at his front leg and wince, seeing blood and bone.

Falling to my knees, I grip the metal trap and try to prise it open. His bone is horrendously broken.

‘Don't shift back,' I warn. ‘Or this thing will snap your arm clean off.'

My hands cut on the rough steel as I pull. Both he and the snake suddenly look to the left.

‘You hear something?' I ask.

Archie nods and starts using his other paw to help me open the trap. It moves an inch, ripping at the wound and causing more blood to gush out.

‘Almost there,' I whisper.

The bushes rustle, and three hooded figures step out, their bows drawn and arrows pointed at Archie.

Not me.

He lowers himself, acting as a barrier between us, snarling a low, demonic growl from deep within his chest. My snake hisses before slithering off my arm and disappearing into the long grass.

Grunting, I keep pulling.

They let loose an arrow, hitting Archie in the shoulder, making him release one hell of a roar. It's so loud, my ears ring when it ends.

Another arrow hits him.

As his blood spills over my hands and seeps inside the cuts the trap gouges into my palm, the dark magic of the blood hits me like a fucking hammer.

I release the trap and grip his wound, ignoring his cry of pain as the trap slams shut.

I feel that dark and forbidden power. It's warm and comforting. I shake, just as I shook when Archie glided his tongue over my pussy. Just as I shook when he filled me up.

I smile. It's almost orgasmic in itself as I use my blood magic.

I turn to the three men and raise my hand.

They fly backwards, slamming into trees and rocks.

The ground shakes. Then it starts to rise.

I know then that this is not just any attacker.

They're earth witches.

My own coven.

It's them beneath the cloaks.

A great wave of rock and soil streams towards us, twice as high as I am.

I reach out my hand. It stops. With a shove, I send it back. It returns to the three others, and I hear them scream as it hits them.

‘You're not the only ones with earth magic, fuckers,' I grunt.

I'm body slammed from behind.

Archie snaps his jaws, and I hear a wet squelch and the sound of ripping. When I land in the dirt, I'm met with the gaping hole of a man's neck. Blood spurts all over my face, landing in my mouth and eyes. Quickly, I shove the headless corpse off me in utter disgust.

Archie spits the severed head aside and looks back in the direction of the assailants to release a bone-shaking roar.

More are coming.

Too many.

And they're all armed with blades, arrows and magic. Archie can't defend himself. I'm barely able to stand. Crawling, I reach out for Archie, taking his bleeding leg and gripping it tightly. The essence of the blood flows into me.

Bliss. Power. Strength.

I reach out my hand. The one in the middle starts to scream, writhe and judder as his blood boils from inside. The one on the left is so distracted by me he doesn't see my snake dart up his trouser leg. He goes down in a matter of seconds, meeting the same fate as the other man she bit.

Archie whines and sways on his feet.

I'm draining his strength. His life.

‘I'm sorry,' I tell him, letting him go and stepping back, rubbing his blood in my palm. ‘I'm hurting you. I didn't mean-'

The third male gets to me, shoving me away from Archie with his fingers wrapped around my throat. He squeezes with all his strength, cutting off my air completely. I hit out and knock down his hood.

I know him. He was at the Blood Rite. He's not holding back, and I see it in his eyes that he wants to kill me. He wants me to hurt, suffer and pay. I claw at his fists as they crush me. As they kill me. When my feet lift off the ground, I kick out.

‘Ashe Nectan. So. You are alive.' He sneers hatefully. ‘That explains it. Why did you take his eyes, huh? You filthy fucking blood witch. WHY?'

Eyes? What the hell is he talking about?

‘Not content with killing your coven leader, you dig him up and carve out his eyes? You sick fucking monster.'

Archie roars, pulling against the trap as I struggle for breath.

From behind, a pair of arms wrap around the earth witch trying to kill me. He peers back and screams in abject terror. I'm dropped, and the world spins as I take in a rush of air. When my vision clears, I see who comes to my aid. I scream too. Or I would if I could through the damage he's inflicted on my throat.

The headless corpse pulls the earth witch off me and drags him away. My attacker is kicking and screaming, looking at the gaping wound where the man's head should be.

With a violent twist, the headless man snaps my attacker's neck. Then he faces me. Blood still flowing, and his body swaying.

The tip of a sword pierces his heart from behind, but that does nothing. The unknown male wielding the sword looks at the walking corpse with a disgusted sneer before withdrawing the blade. In a swift move, he swipes its knees, severing them both. The corpse falls but continues to twitch. The male then looks at me, his sword ready and dripping red.

Archie roars when he steps towards me and slams his free paw hard into the earth before gesturing to the trap.

‘So you don't want me to kill her? That's what you're saying?' The unknown male asks.

Archie growls and gestures to the trap again.

‘Keep your fur on, Arch,' he says, still eyeing me suspiciously. ‘I'm coming.'

The male lowers his weapon and helps free him quickly.

I blink. My eyes are so heavy it's a struggle to get them to reopen. When they do, Archie is kneeling beside me. He's back in his human form. His left arm is badly broken, with bones protruding from his skin and blood smothering his skin. He snaps it back in place and returns his focus to me.

‘You gonna tell me who the female is?' the male asks, sheathing his sword. ‘And maybe who the fuck the dead soldiers are and why one of them was walking about with no head?'

Archie grits his teeth as he looks at the surrounding carnage.

‘Nope,' he replies. ‘Shit,' he adds in a whisper. ‘Look at the state of you. Shaw is going to fucking kill me.'

I sit. Then I pass out.

‘Yep,' I hear him say. ‘I'm definitely getting my arse kicked for this. Give me a hand, would you, Kieran?'