“Another witch?” His brow furrowed.
“Yes, she works with one of your clients.” Olivia waved a hand in the air and pulled a name from Riverwise’s accounting. “Mr. Talos or something. What matters is she thinks you’re just her type, but she divined my mark upon you. She’s a fool, clearly, and was willing to pay far more than you’re worth, but we’ve worked out an arrangement.”
The confusion on Jaxson’s face deepened. “You’re saying you’ve sold me to another witch?” He glanced at Gwen, new fear on his face.
“No, no… not Guinevere. She’s my assistant.” Olivia waved at her aunt as if dismissing her, then she slowly stepped toward Jaxson, swaying her hips as much as she could without being completely awkward. “But once I release you from the curse, you should high-tail it out of Seattle, little wolf. Before Ismarelda can find you.”
Jaxson had been backing up in equal measure, but he stopped. “Release me?”
Olivia sauntered closer. “All you have to do is sink those sexy fangs of yours into me, and poof…” She fluttered her fingers. “Goodbye, curse.”
“You want me to bite you?” His bewildered look threatened to throw the whole ruse.
“Well, yes. I’m here because the bite is necessary. Unbreakable magic bonds, blah, blah, blah… I don’t expect your little wolfy mind to comprehend it all. Trust me that a bite is all I require to break the curse.” She looked him up and down as lasciviously as she could. “But a little gratitude for my sacrifice would be a delicious way for you to say thank you.”
He narrowed his eyes at her and threw another glance at Gwen, who was remaining as still as a statue, blank-faced, giving nothing away. “I didn’t think you were into threesomes, Sybil.”
Olivia sighed dramatically. “Fine. You’re really no fun now that you’re all grown up, Jaxson. I’ll settle for just the bite. Let’s get this over with.” She tilted her head to the side, baring her neck to him. Her heart thudded in her chest, but she held as absolutely still as she could manage.
Jaxson edged toward her until he was less than a foot away, but he was still acting as if she were a live electrical wire. “Why are you doing this, Sybil?” he asked quietly, expression still confused.
She gave him an impatient look. “There are things I want more than you, little wolf. Your curse has become inconvenient.”
He nodded, still frowning, but closed the distance between them. His fangs grew until they were long and sharp and poised over her shoulder. He hesitated again. “Once I do this, you’ll tell me where you’re keeping Olivia.”
“Yes.” It was getting difficult to hide her heaving breaths. Fear was racing through her. This was it. This was her chance. Her first, last, and only chance. But only if Jaxson took the bait.
He grabbed her hair, roughly, bending her head even farther to the side… and sunk his fangs into her. The twin points pierced her skin and sent electric shocks racing through her body. She gasped and grabbed tightly onto him—the glamour had already vaporized, and it was only a matter of seconds before he would realize who she was. She had to make sure the bite took… but she only held him for a moment before her hold started to slip. Inky blackness flooded from her shoulder, weighing her down with impossible heaviness, rushing her head and making it hard to hold up. The darkness rushed her eyes and stole her sight. She felt her body go slack and heard the thump of it hitting the ground more than felt it… because everything was numb, so numb, and she was spiraling down and down and…
I’m a witch.
The thought fought against the thick sludge of the curse seeping through every cell of her body. I’m a witch and I have power and I can fight this.
That thought dredged up something, some blue light from deep inside her. It did battle against the sludge the way a sunbeam fights through the fog. She urged it on, pushed it, tried for more, and for a brief shining moment, some of the darkness cleared.
She fought to open her eyes, still sealed shut with the heaviness of her body. Through heavy lids, she could see Jaxson hovering above her, shouting soundless words, horror on his face.
“Jaxson.” Her lips moved, but no air was passing through them, so no sound left them. Jaxson, I love you. She wished that thought could reach him somehow. But the darkness had crawled back up from the depths, shimmying the edges of her soul to grab her and drag her back down with it.
Back into the dark.
She wasn’t strong enough after all.
“Olivia!” Jaxson couldn’t believe his eyes.