Sinful Magic (33 page)

Roxy couldn’t move! Dyfyr’s wing held her frozen.

Then Phoenix dived into Key. The impact loosened the wing’s hold on her. Key and Phoenix hit the mat, while she was grabbed and shoved into the group of witches, Darcy clasping her arm so she didn’t fall. It all happened in the blink of an eye!

Her heart pounding, fear coating her mouth, she looked over to see Sutton help Phoenix pin Key to the mat. Phoenix’s leather vest was shredded, claw marks raked his chest and face. Key’s lip was split, and he had fist-sized welts around his ribs. The wings were still out, and twitching. “Dear Ancestors.” Roxy slapped her hand over her mouth as the horror began to sink in. Dyfyr had tried to kill her. Everything inside her wanted to reject the idea, to deny it. But she’d seen the claws on Key’s hand coming at her, had felt the wing trap her so she couldn’t escape.

She turned her gaze to see Axel still holding the chains binding Linc’s hands, his face rigid with anger.

Loud breathing echoed in the gym.

Fear gave way to anger. Fiery hot, make-her-head-explode anger. Shaking off Darcy’s hand, she walked over toward the men.

“Stay back,” Sutton said.

She ignored him and kept going until she stood two feet from Key’s ear. She looked down at him. Blood ran down the side of his face from his mouth. “Get away from me!” he snarled.

“I want to talk to Dyfyr. I want to know what the hell I ever did to him. Why one minute he loves me and then the next he’s trying to rip out my throat! I have a right to know!” God, she was mad. So mad. And beneath that anger was pain like she’d never felt before. The kind of hurt that eats through any hope and leaves only black despair and loneliness, and the dawning realization that Dyfyr didn’t want to save her; he wanted her dead.

Key stared up at her. “I don’t know! I was furious at Linc, then there was this overwhelming feeling that you can’t leave us. Then I was struggling with Dyfyr. He was going for your heart.” He closed his eyes, exhaustion seeming to weigh him down.

She replayed it in her head. “You have to live. That’s what you said, you and Dyfyr.”

Key opened his eyes. “What?”

Excitement began bubbling deep in her pelvis and moving up through her chakras. “I don’t think he was trying to kill me.”

“She has a point,” Carla said as she came up next to Roxy. “We were all shocked and reacted, but we don’t really know what the claws were going to do.”

Key shoved the two men off him and rose to his feet. “I know what the claws do, they kill.” He stared at her. “You can’t keep denying the obvious.”

Phoenix and Sutton stood and kept close watch.

Roxy held his gaze. Was she in denial? She shook her head. “You’re our treasure, that’s what you said.”

Key lifted up his hands with the three-inch claws. “The dragon is insane then. When your mother called his soul into me, something must have broken in him.”

She couldn’t bear this anymore, the constant Tear on her heart. He loves me, he hates me. She had to know, and there was one way to find out. She took a step.

Phoenix and Sutton blocked her path instantly with their huge bodies.

She looked up at them. “Move. We need to see what happens if I touch him.”

Sutton looked away from her. “Carly?”

“Let her try.”

“No!” Key snarled. “Roxy, don’t be stupid.”

She glared up at the two men. “Get out of my way, or I’ll unleash so much sex magic on you two, you’ll forget your own names.” She was so drained, it was a bluff, but they couldn’t know that.

Phoenix winced. “You’re wicked, Elf.” He and Sutton both shifted positions to give her room.

Roxy looked at Key six steps away from her. The wings fluttered, the scales twinkling in the lights. Key’s muscles tensed. His hands with the claws hung at his side. Her mouth went dry, her heart hammered, and her magic hummed. She was afraid, but her magic wasn’t. She took a step.

“Roxy

” it came out a growl.

She looked up to his face and thought about the way he took care of her after his brother cut her. The picture he drew of her, making love with him

all of it. “I’m not afraid of you, Kieran.” She took another two steps.

“You should be.”

She felt all eyes in the gym on her, including Linc’s. The hunter was sitting up and Axel was removing the manacles while watching them. She glanced down at Key’s hands. “Dyfyr, I don’t want you to claw me. Or cut me.” She raised her gaze to her hunter’s wary eyes and took another step. She was two steps away. Over her breathing, she heard a noise. Several plops.

“Look at that,” Darcy said. “The claws are falling off!”

Key raised his hands. The claws were gone.

She looked down and saw the ten claws on the mat. Dyfyr dropped the claws for her. He listened to her! Wild hope soared through her, and she shot her gaze to Key’s face.

He stared at her. “Come here.”

She went into his arms.

Roxy waited for Key down in the warehouse. Phoenix was showing him how to use his wings, taking off, flying, landing, and folding them up. She’d gone back with Darcy and Axel. Axel and Sutton had closed down the club next door. Now they were drinking beer and playing pool with Ram and Eli.

Linc stayed at Ailish and Phoenix’s with Dee.

Axel made a shot, then said, “Eli, we’re going to do your Induction Ceremony tomorrow night.”

Darcy handed Roxy a bottle of water and sat next to her on the couch. “That’s the ceremony where Wing Slayer accepts a witch hunter as full Wing Slayer Hunter. Key did the outline of Eli’s bird, a griffin, right, Eli?” Darcy asked.

The hunter looked over his shoulder, his light green eyes standing out in his darker face. “Yep.”

Darcy returned her gaze to Roxy. “During the ceremony, if Wing Slayer finds him worthy, he’ll finish the wings.”

She twisted off the cap on her water bottle. “Wing Slayer marked Key’s knife.” Just thinking of Key made her schema hurt. The need inside her was churning and getting worse. Her magic was hungry. And damn, she was tired.

“Axel told me.” Darcy looked over. “That was incredible tonight the way the dragon claws just dropped off of Key once you told him not to claw you.”

“He’s not trying to claw me to hurt me,” Roxy said. When it happened, she’d been startled, and seeing wicked-sharp claws coming at her had frightened her. But now looking back

“Dryfr was aiming for the Tear. He’s trying to save me.” Then all the hunters reacted, stopping the strike. “I have to talk to Dyfyr. Maybe his magic can safely cut the Tear out of me.” And to get the strength to do that, she needed to feed her magic.

“Third eye, Roxy,” Darcy reminded her. “And after what you did tonight, you should be able to reach your sixth chakra. You and Key can work on it now that you know Dyfyr will listen to you.”

Thinking of Key and Dyfyr made her magic try to surge, causing another cramp, and her schema started to burn. Roxy shifted on the couch and watched the pool game. Ram called his shot, bent his long frame over, and made it with military precision.

Sutton laughed. “You lose, Axel. Again. Ram’s the only one who can consistently beat you at pool.”

Axel glowered.

“I can beat him,” Darcy said next to her.

“Yeah, but you cheat.” He looked up, his green eyes heating.

Darcy shrugged. “I prefer to think of it as creative winning.”

Axel stared at his mate. “Those pictures you put in my head while I’m trying to make a shot are very creative.”

The sexual tension was so thick, Roxy felt like a voyeur. But it also gave her a glimpse of the intimacy the soulmirror bond created. “You can send mental pictures back and forth?”

Darcy looked over at her. “Yes. It takes time to build the bond, but yes.”

“Cool.”

“Unless,” Ram said, “you’re undisciplined like Axel. He loses his concentration when Darcy’s around. And he owes me fifty bucks.”

Axel turned his glare on the man. “Let’s spar and I’ll win the fifty bucks back by throwing you on your ass.”

“I’ll put money on that,” Sutton said.

Eli laughed. “I don’t know, Ram’s a machine. Think I’ll put my money on him.”

Roxy shook her head as the four men debated who would win. Then she heard the door to the garage open, and Key strode in. She forgot everyone else as his gaze landed on her. He walked around the pool table straight to her. “You’re still up.”

Her chakras squeezed at the sound of his voice. “I

thought I’d wait for you. You said you were coming back.” The need in her cramped right down her center. “Did you learn to fly?”

He smiled. “Yep. One crash landing.” He held up his left arm. “Then it was easy.”

Her magic tried to surge at the sight of the four-inch gash. She leaped to her feet and reached out to touch the wound. Her chakras squeezed but she forced the magic up and began healing the cut. As the magic left her, she felt emptier than ever. Her goddess mark sent out long, deep threads of desire, trying to fill the emptiness.

A flush rode up his face; heat poured off him as he covered her hand with his. You’re doing sinful things to me, green eyes.

She felt the whisper of his words in her head and realized he hadn’t spoken aloud. She knew her eyes widened in surprise, while warmth spread through her. His touch, both physical and mental, helped ease her chakras.

He smiled. Soulmirror bond. I started hearing your thoughts tonight when I was helping you with your magic while healing Linc.

His voice was a gentle internal caress, almost more intimate than when he was inside her body. She tried to project her thoughts to him. I remember, I was worried how much pain you were feeling. Lifting her hand from his arm, she said, “It’s healed.”

Heard you.

She summoned more of her power to answer him, but she gasped with a cramp. It was like squeezing out toothpaste, creating that vacuum that pulls in the sides of the tube.

“Roxy, what’s wrong?” Key put his hand on her shoulder.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. “Nothing.” I think my magic is depleted. Her head started to pound.

Sex. You need sex. He brushed her mind with the words. He pulled her against his side. You should be able to pull some energy from me now.

In just seconds, the cramping stopped, and her magic fluttered.

Key stiffened. Your magic is calling me.

All four men stopped talking and turned toward them. Darcy looked at them, too. Oh damn, Roxy knew her schema was pounding out the sex magic to call Key.

“That’s s-shit,” Eli sputtered. “I’m leaving. Later.”

“Right. I’d better go, too.” Ram followed him out the garage door.

I’m sorry. Roxy pushed the thought with her magic, mortified.

Axel put his arm around Darcy. “Roxy.”

She lifted her gaze to Axel. “I’ll get better control.”

“You and your magic saved one of my men tonight. I would have had to kill him if you hadn’t done that. Your magic is strong and valuable, and something to be damned proud of. I better not hear of anyone insulting you and your magic. Good night.” They turned and walked toward the stairs.

Key pulled her back against his naked chest and growled out, “Count to ten, Roxy.”

Oh sweet crone, now even the sound of his voice caused the internal squeezing pain. “Why?”

“Have to wait for them to get far enough ahead. Count.” His voice was sharp.

“One, two, three

” Tell me why. She didn’t know if she had enough strength to connect to him mentally.

“Keep going,” his voice was huskier. Waiting for them to get into the condo before I lose control.

The silent communication shivered through her. Out loud, she counted, “Four, five.” I don’t understand.

I feel your need; it’s pounding in my blood, in my cock, and through my brain. I can scent your caramel heat flowing from between your thighs, and the pain clawing at you.

“Six.” She shivered, the sinkhole of need inside of her expanding.

I’m going to get you in the condo, strip you down, and kiss away the pain until there’s only rich caramel.

“Seven.” She could hardly breathe.

And then, I’m going to hold your sweet ass as I bury my cock in you. Sliding in and out, harder and harder until I fill that need in you and you’re boneless with pleasure.

“Eight,” she spit out the word, desperate to get to ten.

Then I’m going to draw you like that, languid and mine. The last word was fierce and hot in her head.

“Nine!” She might have shouted, who could tell with all the blood roaring in her ears.

And then make love to you again. And again. And again.

“Ten!”

He swept her off her feet and into his arms before she finished the word. Roxy buried her face in his chest as he raced at crazy-ass hunter speed up the stairs, shoved into the condo, and closed and locked the door.

Key’s heart was pounding with the raging, out-of-control desire for the witch he held in his arms. Racing up the stairs from the warehouse, he fought the compulsion, the bone-deep need to strip her down and bury his cock inside her right there on the stairs. He desperately wanted to feed her magic and fill her with pleasure.

He made it inside the condo and leaned back against the locked door to draw in a breath to try to temper his lust. He just needed a second so he didn’t jump her like some sex-crazed maniac.

The scent of dark chocolate rose while an electric sizzle traveled through his chest. Either he’d just imploded or

He looked down.

Roxy was naked and so was he. She’d stripped them with magic. Her witch-shimmer glowed, and the Tear buried in the curve of her breast pulsed out soft colored lights. He felt the dragon’s rage spike at the sight, so he shifted his gaze down. Her nipples were dark and pebbled. With her curved in his arms, he looked down her soft belly to the lush curls at her thighs.

Blood roared in his ears. He could smell her desire. Feel the heat. Nothing mattered but Roxy—giving her what she craved.

He took a step, and swear to Wing Slayer, he nearly stumbled. He could run five miles without pausing, but the walk to the bedroom was beyond him. His cock was hard and getting impossibly harder. He felt her magic streaming from her to dance over his skin at every point of contact: the insides of his arms where he held her and his chest. The soft, sensual touches coiled every muscle with the animal need to possess her, to get inside her and thrust deep enough to touch the very core of Roxy.