Burn

The window turned out to be pretty damn stiff, so it was a slight struggle getting it open. If it hadn’t been for her enhanced strength, she might not have managed to open it. She slinked her upper body through the small space, taking in the nighttime view, and was immediately assaulted by the scents of wet grass and dark magick.

Knox, it would appear that I’m in a house in the middle of nofuckingwhere. Great.

I haven’t received the anonymous tip yet telling me where you are. His impatience vibrated against her mind. I’ll be there as soon as I get it.

She could hear muffled voices, but none were close by. Wanting a thorough view of her surroundings and an idea of where each of the practitioners waited, she clambered onto the flat roof. It seemed like it was one of those eco-friendly builds that was all metal panels, timber, and plexiglass. Instinctively, she froze, knowing she wasn’t alone. Then there was mock clapping.

“Clever girl.” Jeanna moved out of the shadows. She looked very different. The elegant look was gone. Her clothing was casual, her hair was now red, and her eyes were a pale blue. She was also holding a black, swirly dagger. “I had a feeling you’d get out – you’re a Wallis, after all. Don’t worry about them down there; they can’t hear us through my shield. But they will see us while I take your life.”

“You stuck around for payback.” Typical of their kind. Harper balled up her hands as her familiar protective power rushed to her fingertips.

“That…and it will be interesting to see if their spell works. They believe they can trap Knox. Truly. Practitioners are covering each corner of the house, forming a cube shape. Once Knox steps inside that psi-cube, walls will slam up…and the cube will get smaller and smaller until it’s the size of a closet.”

Not good at all. Knox, when you get here, don’t come near the house! The practitioners think they can trap you in some kind of psychic cube. Knox? Knox? No answer. Was Jeanna’s shield blocking the message? If so, this was bad. “You’re the one who planted the compulsions.”

Jeanna shrugged one shoulder. “I couldn’t have people pointing the finger at me, could I?”

“And the snakes?”

“One of the practitioners did that, but it was my idea. I was there.” Eyes narrowing, Jeanna asked, “Just how did you survive them?”

“A few escaped out of the letterbox; there might as well have been a neon sign warning me away. Why work for these bastards? Why?”

“I’ll work for whoever pays well. Be honest, Harper, our kind is darker than theirs will ever be.”

In some instances, that was indeed true. “Do I have you to thank for the rumor about Carla?”

“That was a personal hit. Have you ever felt soul-deep pain yourself? It’s an experience unlike any other. It hurts every part of you, inside and out. Every nerve ending, every organ, every bone, and – finally – every piece of your soul. You could say it packs an emotional punch.”

“You wanted me to hurt like you hurt,” Harper deduced.

“Yes. So I did my research on you, looking for dirt. I was annoyed to find that you’re not actually an imp. I don’t like being wrong.” Jeanna tilted her head. “A sphinx without wings. That’s a little like a dog without a bark.”

Harper kept her expression neutral, betraying nothing. “You think if you piss me off, I’ll charge at you? I’ve heard worse from better.” The bitch hissed, clenching her hand around the dagger. “Ooh, temper, temper,” taunted Harper.

“I will enjoy killing you.”

A frisson of fear slithered into Harper. Shit, what if she couldn’t do this? What if she failed and let Knox down? Of course she’d fail! She was weak, pathetic. She wouldn’t—

Harper shook her head a little. She’d never thought of herself as weak. Realization dawned. “You can induce fear.” Well that wasn’t good.

“Let’s end this, shall we?”

Harper had no problem at all with causing this bitch a world of pain; her inner demon wanted to gouge out Jeanna’s eyes and shove them down her throat. But Harper needed to be away from the house before Knox arrived or he would step inside the cube to reach her. “Think, Jeanna. Knox will come, and he won’t come alone. You won’t get away from here.”

“Of course I will. Jacques is waiting for me in the woods. He’ll teleport us away.”

“You don’t want to do this, Jeanna,” Harper said, her voice compelling. “You don’t even know who I am.”

“So it’s true that sphinxes can cause confusion.”

Shit, it didn’t seem to be working here. Harper could guess why. She was still psychically weak, courtesy of Isla’s bite. And she was expending precious psi-energy on fighting the artificial fear that threatened to drag her under and make her forget why it was so important that she win this duel – Knox. She would fight because he needed her to, because she wanted to stay with him.

Resigned that this would come to bladed combat, Harper drowned out Jeanna’s next words and studied the nightmare. Jeanna was obviously comfortable with a blade. Being tall, she also had a long reach. However, her height also meant her legs were exposed.

“Before I kill you, I must ask…what is Knox? You must know.” When Harper didn’t answer, Jeanna smirked. “An amazing lover, isn’t he?”

She thought to make Harper jealous? Thought such an emotion would make her lose control? “That’s not going to work, Jeanna. You’re insulting us both by being so petty.” Hearing voices call out to each other, Harper knew she and Jeanna had been spotted. “They see us. They’ll come up here.”