Page 90 of Corrupt Shadows
Good, little witch, fucking fight me.
“That is exactly what I’m talking about!” I shout as I storm around the table and get in her face. I sneer as I squeeze the arteries in her throat with my shadows.
Her shadows burst from her chest and the breath freezes in my lungs as it constricts my airway. My eyes widen, and I can’t stop a maddened grin from forming.
We stand in some sort of twisted version of an embrace, refusing to give the other any advantage. The sensation feels like it did in the bedroom the other day, but this time it’s more powerful.
“What changed? Why are you suppressing them again?”
My balls ache as desire builds within them. A gorgeous shade of blue takes over the natural pink of her lips. I bring my cold lips lightly to them, unable to hold myself back.
“Get off of me!” Evie shouts through the bond.
“No.”
She grabs my dick through my gray sweatpants. My lungs burn from the lack of oxygen, and I could not be more proud of her. Her shadows flex, and I roll my hips into her hand.
“So, that’s it? We strangle each other. Would I even be here if your stalking ass wasn’t obsessed with my pussy?” She responds in her mind. “You even had to pierce it because you were jealous.”
Her venom-laced words are having the opposite effect on me than she probably intends. Evie sways as my shadows continue to trap the carbon dioxide within her.
I back her against the wall, papered with rose gold between the wooden panels, and the candle vibrates in its iron setting. She shoves at my chest with more shadows, but I don’t budge.
“Obsession means nothing if you are not willing to command something that is inherently yours. Look at you. You can’t even force me away with your shadows because you are not trained. No one can control your magic but you. And right now, your magic is controlling you instead. The nature of darker magic like ours is that it takes on a life of its own. Your magic is feral. Frankly, I’m surprised it hasn’t turned on its host yet.”
Her eyes widen and her body trembles, her shadow around my throat with it. Evie blinks rapidly, baring her teeth at me. Her chest pushes against mine as her back arches, and her death magic bursts from her. My witch’s head cracks against the wall behind her, and she crumples to the ornate carpet covering the stone.
The blast of her magic sends me stumbling backward. Yes. This is exactly the motivation she needs. She picks herself off the ground and crosses her arms in front of her chest.
“It’s not feral. It feels. I don’t know how to describe it. But the few times I let it out, it’s like a fire burning along just under my skin, painful but also leaving ecstasy in its wake. It thrives off my intense emotions. And I know it’s a part of me. But I don’t want to lose my mind.” Evie walks back to the table, her shoulders sagging, and braces her arms on the dark wood.
My eyes soften. “You’re right.”
“What?”
I bridge the gap between us and press my chest to her back as I embrace her. She stiffens but doesn’t move away. “You’re right, little witch. Your magic is intrinsically part of you. No one, including myself, can tell you how it feels and works within you. However, you should know that the Fallenmoore insanity is no curse, but a refusal to embrace dark magic.”
She turns her head over her shoulder, her lips pulled into a frown. We stare into each other’s eyes.
“What I said earlier is true. Using your magic regularly will keep you strong and stop you from falling into the brink of insanity. Your magic is the cure, not a curse.”
“You seem to know a lot about this,” she says, her breath ghosting my lips. “Can you show me how to use it properly?”
“Do you trust me?”
She smirks. “No.”
“Good.”
FORTY
Evie
I bend at the waist and grip my knees. My chest aches as the breath whooshes in and out of my lungs. We have been at this for hours, but it’s no use. My magic has been exploding from me in sharp bursts or hiding from me altogether.
“Do you recall our bargain?” Lorcan asks sternly.
“What bargain?”