Read Online Halfway Hexed by Kimberly Frost - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kimberly Frost
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only a tiny puncture.
“Good morning, Tamara,” Bryn said mildly.
I slugged his left ribs. “What was that?” His power crawled over my skin like scorpion stings. It wasn’t the way his magic usually felt. I rubbed my arms, trying to make the sensation go away.
Bryn turned his head to look at me, and his eyes were wrong, too. They were usually bright blue-violet, as if light were being refracted off them like the facets of a jewel. But now his eyes were blue-gray, like storm clouds, and opalescent. Still beautiful, but unfamiliar and kind of disturbing.
“What have you done?” I whispered, unable to keep the disapproval out of my voice. I sat up and scooted back. The stings dampened, and I continued rubbing my arms. He didn’t answer.
I glanced at the horizon as the sun rose. The golden orange light framed him as he stood, but didn’t gild him. It was as though the sunlight folded around him, leaving several inches of darkness as a barrier.
“Bryn?”
“You weren’t willing to be part of the normal power spells I could’ve cast.” He shrugged and then turned toward the house.
“What do you mean?” I said, jumping up. I followed him, leaving several feet between us.
“This was not the optimal time to draw power from the heavens, but it had to be done.”
“You used black magic?”
He didn’t answer.
“You shouldn’t have done that!”
He turned his head slowly and cocked an eyebrow. “I appreciate you sharing your vast wisdom and experience with me.”
I could feel that he wasn’t himself, but his sarcasm still made me flinch. “I may not have a lot of experience, but I can certainly feel how wrong this is. Magic that pricks and stings? Bad idea!”
“There wasn’t a better choice. If I hadn’t done it, when they arrived I’d be like an unarmed soldier behind enemy lines.”
“I wish you’d have explained more.”
“I wish you trusted me.” He strode to the kitchen’s back door and went inside.
“Black magic, for the love of Hershey. I can’t leave him alone for one minute,” I murmured.
When I got inside Bryn was rinsing his arms under cold water. There were dozens of tiny puncture wounds in the middle of his forearms, and the skin was raised and red around them, like burns.
“Are those constellations?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“You pricked your skin? Made a tattoo for the stars to send down their light?”
He nodded.
“Did it hurt?”
“Not as much as drawing power with bright magic does. Black magic is less painful. That’s why a lot of people turn to it when they need to draw more than they should.”
“But it feels wrong, doesn’t it? After it’s inside you?”
“It feels different,” he said, turning off the water.
“It feels wrong,” I repeated firmly.
He moved so that he stood in front of me, his hands on the counter on either side of me. The magic didn’t sting as much as it had at first. It was more like fingernails trailing along my skin, hard enough to leave a mark.
“Well, let’s hope that I’m never on the brink of death again and forced to sacrifice all the magic that feels right to you,” he said.
Bryn had gotten poisoned saving my life. “I’m sorry about that,” I said.
“I’m not. It was worth it.”
Even under the influence of black magic, his charm was as seductive as ever.
I slipped my arms around his neck and hugged him. The magic wrapped around us, thick and heavy. It was hard to breathe at first, but then I got used to the feeling. I had some vague idea that I could fixthings without really knowing how. It was instinctive, like everything bet ween Bryn and me.
“Tamara—” His voice was low and smooth. “Be careful.”
I ignored the warning. Instead, I pressed my lips to his collarbone and drew the darkness, like smoke into my lungs. It was damp and cold and made me cough.
He snaked a hand up to my hair and drew my head back. Then he kissed me, and it consumed us, pushing the natural world away. I tried to
“Good morning, Tamara,” Bryn said mildly.
I slugged his left ribs. “What was that?” His power crawled over my skin like scorpion stings. It wasn’t the way his magic usually felt. I rubbed my arms, trying to make the sensation go away.
Bryn turned his head to look at me, and his eyes were wrong, too. They were usually bright blue-violet, as if light were being refracted off them like the facets of a jewel. But now his eyes were blue-gray, like storm clouds, and opalescent. Still beautiful, but unfamiliar and kind of disturbing.
“What have you done?” I whispered, unable to keep the disapproval out of my voice. I sat up and scooted back. The stings dampened, and I continued rubbing my arms. He didn’t answer.
I glanced at the horizon as the sun rose. The golden orange light framed him as he stood, but didn’t gild him. It was as though the sunlight folded around him, leaving several inches of darkness as a barrier.
“Bryn?”
“You weren’t willing to be part of the normal power spells I could’ve cast.” He shrugged and then turned toward the house.
“What do you mean?” I said, jumping up. I followed him, leaving several feet between us.
“This was not the optimal time to draw power from the heavens, but it had to be done.”
“You used black magic?”
He didn’t answer.
“You shouldn’t have done that!”
He turned his head slowly and cocked an eyebrow. “I appreciate you sharing your vast wisdom and experience with me.”
I could feel that he wasn’t himself, but his sarcasm still made me flinch. “I may not have a lot of experience, but I can certainly feel how wrong this is. Magic that pricks and stings? Bad idea!”
“There wasn’t a better choice. If I hadn’t done it, when they arrived I’d be like an unarmed soldier behind enemy lines.”
“I wish you’d have explained more.”
“I wish you trusted me.” He strode to the kitchen’s back door and went inside.
“Black magic, for the love of Hershey. I can’t leave him alone for one minute,” I murmured.
When I got inside Bryn was rinsing his arms under cold water. There were dozens of tiny puncture wounds in the middle of his forearms, and the skin was raised and red around them, like burns.
“Are those constellations?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“You pricked your skin? Made a tattoo for the stars to send down their light?”
He nodded.
“Did it hurt?”
“Not as much as drawing power with bright magic does. Black magic is less painful. That’s why a lot of people turn to it when they need to draw more than they should.”
“But it feels wrong, doesn’t it? After it’s inside you?”
“It feels different,” he said, turning off the water.
“It feels wrong,” I repeated firmly.
He moved so that he stood in front of me, his hands on the counter on either side of me. The magic didn’t sting as much as it had at first. It was more like fingernails trailing along my skin, hard enough to leave a mark.
“Well, let’s hope that I’m never on the brink of death again and forced to sacrifice all the magic that feels right to you,” he said.
Bryn had gotten poisoned saving my life. “I’m sorry about that,” I said.
“I’m not. It was worth it.”
Even under the influence of black magic, his charm was as seductive as ever.
I slipped my arms around his neck and hugged him. The magic wrapped around us, thick and heavy. It was hard to breathe at first, but then I got used to the feeling. I had some vague idea that I could fixthings without really knowing how. It was instinctive, like everything bet ween Bryn and me.
“Tamara—” His voice was low and smooth. “Be careful.”
I ignored the warning. Instead, I pressed my lips to his collarbone and drew the darkness, like smoke into my lungs. It was damp and cold and made me cough.
He snaked a hand up to my hair and drew my head back. Then he kissed me, and it consumed us, pushing the natural world away. I tried to
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