Page 32 of Enchanting Her Mate
People start clapping when Tibik’s fish opens and closes its mouth, and my heart sinks.
No. No, no, no. Tibik cannot win this phase. It will mean he wins everything, and Jo will be forced to serve him as Prime of their coven.
“Finish this, Jo!” I shout without thinking. But I am powerless to do anything to help her beyond cheering, so that is what I do. “You can do this!”
Her eyes open, and immediately find mine in the crowd. She smiles, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks. I put my hands over my heart and nod, trying to communicate wordlessly that I am proud of her no matter the outcome.
She takes a deep breath, shakes out her arms, and returns her focus to the fish.
Still, nothing happens.
When Jo’s posture changes, I take it as a good sign, grabbing Kate’s hand excitedly. “This is it!” I say, jumping in place. My tiny witch is about to become Prime.
Without warning, Jo collapses onto the table, sending the still-dead fish flying behind her before she tumbles awkwardly to the ground. It is then I notice the color of her skin––a paler, sickly shade of gold that continues to fade at an alarming rate. Her eyes widen with fright as she clutches at her chest. She turns her head toward Tibik, and the rest of the crowd follows suit.
Tibik is doing this to her. He stands with a menacing sneer, his arm outstretched with his hand curled inward as if clutching a ball.
Whispers from the clan turn to shouts as people demand to know what is happening. The three younger Hexrins look between each other, clearly not knowing what is going on or how to proceed.
Though it is clear to me what Tibik is doing. He is draining the life from Jo’s body right in front of us as part of this final phase. There is no telling whether he plans to bring her back to life once he stops her heart.
And I…cannot move. My chest tightens as I watch Jo’s small frame continue to wither as she lies in the dirt, gasping for the breath being sucked out of her lungs, and it feels as if I am frozen in place. Every cell in my body feels as if it is screaming.
Go!Stop this now! Save our mate!
My draxilio even wants me to end this and save Jo, but, despite the overwhelming desperation to run toward Tibik and sever his head, or to shift and burn Tibik’s bones to ash, or a number of other scenarios in which I defeat Tibik and save Jo, my palms grow sweaty, my heartbeat begins to race, and my limbs become numb.
Time feels as if it is slowing and speeding up at once, and a chill races down my spine as Jo’s eyes close.
It is only when her entire body stills that realization hits.
This is fear.
I am experiencing genuine, debilitating fear at the prospect of losing my mate.
My mind is not broken. In fact, it is healing.
A stillness washes over me as my purpose becomes clear. It is immediately followed by the kind of rage that can only be felt by a draxilio whose mate has been threatened. It is a fury I have never experienced, and keeping Tibik in my sights, I lean into it with all that I am.
My feet dig into the soft soil as I charge Tibik. A steady and thunderous growl is pulled from my chest and fills the air, and I feel my body loosen ahead of the transformation. My draxilio purrs in delight as I let her take over. She is primal and brutal and wants nothing more than to slice her claws through Tibik’s organs and spill his blood all over the main path.
Tibik spots me just before the shift begins, a flash of terror in his gaze as he turns his body toward me. His fingers uncurl and a purple orb appears in his palm.
It is the only warning I get before he turns his palm toward me and shoots it toward my chest.
CHAPTER 18
JO
Air.
More air.
I need more.
It is the only thing on my mind as Tibik releases his hold on me, and I gasp for breath. My hands claw at my neck and chest, and my mouth opens wide as I continue to wheeze, desperately seeking the return of my normal breathing pattern.
“Niro! Nooo!” I hear Kayt scream.