Poison's Kiss (Deadly Beauties 2)

The spirit smiles, nodding as she affectionately strokes the cheek of her loyal follower.

"I know, but it's not what you desire most."

And there's the trick Kane warned her about.

"Yes it is!" Jen spurts, shaking slightly when Kane's planted seed of doubt starts to sprout.

"No," the spirit says softly, "it isn't. You desire to be with your family more than anything, and that you shall do."

With that, Jen's neck snaps, and I let a shrill squeak out as her lifeless body collapses to the floor. Kane's grip on my hand tightens, and I look over to see the spirit's lights returning and scattering before plunging into the mouth of the dead body.

Jen's body now hosts the evil spirit, and it gasps for air inside its new host as the bones in the neck pop back into place, making me queasy.

"Finally," she gushes, feeling her corporeal self. Then her eyes cut toward us. "Now for the two of you."

"Who are you? What do you want?" I ask, finally able to feel some relief from the pressure as my adrenaline pumps and fuels my strength.

Her eyes glisten, a secretive menace lurking within, and then she murmurs, "Sylvia Asine." I gasp at the revelation, and Kane swallows noticeably hard. "And all I want right now is you."

Chapter 22

Darkening Lights

Me? Why the hell does a witch that died over a century ago want me? That makes no sense.

Before I can question her bizarre request, the windows are shattering, the rain is breaking in, and a body is materializing in front of me, shielding me from whatever is about to come.

"Let Drackus in, Alyssa!" Gage yells with his back to me as he launches his multicolor orbs at Sylvia, shocking the hell out of me.

"Drackus can come in," I almost choke out, and then the dark power surrounds the house as my father appears, throwing forth a power so stout it brings the spirit to her knees.

Her hold on us falls flat with the new arrivals, and Kane catches me as I fall off the wall. I choke on the air scratching against my throat with its bountiful flow as relief floods me.

My moment of reprieve is short-lived though. Drackus is thrown backwards and then pinned to the ground as he starts clasping his throat. Gage is hurled upside down into the far wall, cracking it, and then he too struggles to move.

Kane rushes the spirit, avoiding her blasts until one finally connects with him and flings him through the window that hadn't been broken with Gage's entrance. I feel something inside me snapping, rattling free, and coming to an end with a war I've unwittingly been fighting.

I don't know how, but when her next strike comes my way, it bounces off me without so much as forcing a stumble in my stride. Her eyes widen, and my stalk continues.

"What does she want?" Gage strains out.

"Me," I murmur, feeling my anger only grow like an infectious disease inside me.

Sylvia's hands burn white, her orbs forming as she flings them at me, but I dodge them as my silver ones emerge from my hands. Drackus's labored breaths become easier as I distract her further, throwing my own attack forth.

She staggers backwards when one of my silver beauties strikes her in the waist, and the magic in me begs to break free even more. The toxic lust of power rises to the surface stronger than it ever has before, and I lunge at her.

"Alyssa, don't! She'll kill you with a touch if you're her target!" Gage yelps, struggling harder to free himself, but it's too late.

I land atop of her as we topple to the ground with a thud. She gives me a triumphant grin, prematurely celebrating her win. Her hand on my arm starts feeling like a skin-meltingly painful burn on my flesh, making me release a small cry of pain, but it quickly turns into a mild annoyance at best.

The look in her eyes is priceless when I rip free, and then I slam my fist that is laced with a silver orb into her face. Blood spews from her nose and mouth and then I feel a sharp pain as she delivers a painful jab of her own. As her white orb strikes my abdomen, I'm launched backwards, sailing over to Gage who finally breaks free from his hold.

I can tell she's focusing most of her strength on Drackus, and in her new body, she doesn't have all of her spirited strength. Gage starts launching several orbs, and he manages to connect enough to send her staggering.

His arm wraps around my waist, and I feel the air beneath me as he vaporizes us away from her next attack I never saw coming. The wall we were in

front of smolders in ashes after her fiery attack, and I cringe as I feel Gage's hand on my wounded side.