Page 78 of Villainous Greed
I jumped out of bed. My imbued sword was beside the nightstand. I was almost to it when he pierced my shoulder with a flying dagger. Pain cut through me, but I barely noticed it. The warlock waved his arm and sent me flying into the wall on the other side of the room. I couldn’t breathe, as pain radiated over my back.
“August!” Nova screamed.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to be such a lover boy,” Derrick spat as he glared at me. “You honestly think those sickly words you tell Nova are going to make her happy?”
“Would you shut the hell up?” I muttered as I yanked the dagger out and tried to stand, taking in a much-needed lungful of air.
“Watching you touch Nova the last few days has been the hardest part about waiting to grab her. The first time your powers went out, you guys stayed grouped together, so I couldn’t make my move.” Derrick’s lips curled. “And Nova? You seriously believe August’s a virgin? The man has a harem. I’m disappointed you were about to give yourself to him. You’re lucky your powers went out before it happened, or I would have punished you for it.”
Derrick had cloaked himself and spied on us that whole time. The rage vibrating through me made my temples throb.
And the way he talked to Nova was unacceptable. I would tear him limb from fucking limb. Standing, I stepped forward, waiting to see if he’d attack me again. If I could get to the mirror to my right, I might use it as a shield to charge at him. Not every magic user could pierce through objects with their power, but Derrick was a proxy. He was stronger than average, but he was also a fucking coward.
“Come here,” he barked at Nova again.
Nova resisted, clutching the blankets over her body as she sat on the bed. She couldn’t seem to harm him because of the shackle, but at least she could refuse his orders.
Derrick’s nostrils flared. “You were always too strong for your own good. I’ll have to add more bands when we get to my place.”
“You’re not taking her anywhere,” I muttered.
With a scream, Nova charged at Derrick, then froze in place. I ran for the mirror and lifted it in front of me right as he shot some sort of fireball at me. The flames bounced off the mirror and hit the curtains.
Derrick threw a black powder at Nova’s face. She crumbled to the ground as I rushed toward Derrick, ramming into him with the mirror as he sent a spell at me. The force of his magic made my ears ring as hethrew me onto the bed. Suddenly, the room burst into flames, but the fire wasn’t ordinary flames. They were black and engulfed everything in my room within seconds. My lungs burned as I coughed and stood, nicking my arm from the broken mirror. The wood crumbled to bits, and shards of glass fell around me. The warlock destroyed my makeshift cover, but it had worked. I wouldn’t have gotten as close as I did to him otherwise.Derrick had Nova slung over his shoulder. My ears were still ringing as I bull-rushed him, so I didn’t know what he said to me as he grinned and ported with my mate.
All I felt was an infinite rage as I stumbled into the fire and roared.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Nova
When I woke, I was naked on a bed. Derrick didn’t need restraints on me because he had something more powerful—the band on my wrist. I couldn’t hurt him, but I found it easy to resist his commands.
As I sat up, I kept my expression neutral. Derrick shuffled through papers on a nearby desk, accidentally knocking over potions and such. Derrick and his trickery would always be a problem.His arrival couldn’t make me regret that moment with August. I had to remain calm.
When August arrived, he’d free me, and we could finally rid ourselves of Derrick. I just had to persevere. I was learning more about hope in my older years. Sofia would be proud of me. I would have to tell her how unbothered I was by Derrick. How strong I felt, even shackled to him again. Derrick delivered himself to us. I only had to wait, and I could. I’d waited so long for that moment. Nothing could disturb the serene within me.
August would come. He knew I was alive.
When Derrick roared and pushed more things aside, I saw his missing hand and frowned. Had August attacked him?
“Where is it?” Derrick muttered, then turned when he saw me awake. “You’re going to tell me what spell you have on your body. Is it the one from the past?”
My body? Then I realized he meant the protection spell. Fury rippled through me, causing my head to pound. I glared. “You tried to touch me while I was asleep?”
Waving his arm around, he showcased his missing hand. “How do you think I lost this? I was curious about how innocent you were, but as soon as I tried, it felt like dipping my hand in acid.I’m having trouble healing myself.”
Oh, really?
Delight coursed through my veins at his misery. When I placed that spell so long ago, I hadn’t realized it would be so powerful. The spell hadn’t been that ugly when Derrick tried a century ago. Maybe it strengthened as my power did.
“Don’t look so smug.” Derrick scowled. “Once I figure out what you used, I can undo any spell.”
Despite my certainty of Derrick’s demise, his proclamation made me uneasy. How long would it take him to figure out a way to reverse the spell I shared with August?It didn’t matter. I would go to any lengths to be with him again and experience another perfect moment together. So, I waited for my marked mate as Derrick drank a dozen potions, until he found one strong enough to reverse the damage done from the spell. His hand grew back.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
August