Heartache (The Twenty-Sided Sorceress Book 5) (19 page)

Then, as though time had skipped a beat, her friend had been kneeling. No magic coming off her. She’d punched that glowing rock out of the air with her fists. Not with power. Jade always used magic, so why hadn’t she then?

Harper’s mind spun as consciousness warred with survival instinct.

“She left you.” Samir’s voice intruded. “Turned tail and ran. I admit, I didn’t expect that.”

Harper forced her eyes open. The bastard stood over her, staring down into her face. A crease between his eyebrows gave him a quizzical expression and Harper almost believed him, believed that he was uncertain. She hadn’t expected Jade to run, either. Something had happened. Something had gone wrong. She still saw Jade’s face, her friend’s dark eyes begging for her understanding as the druid’s magic took her friends away. She’d seen the terror on that face, the horror at leaving Harper behind.

Maybe she had planned to run. Maybe she hadn’t.

Harper pushed away her anger and fought the poison of betrayal. “Trust me,” Jade had screamed.

Harper had to trust her. Not that it mattered. The smug evil asshole above her was a much bigger problem.

She licked her lips, blood stinging tiny cuts around her mouth as her tongue spread the wealth. Working her jaw, Harper tried to think of a really badass thing to say for her last words. Her mind was fogging, her heartbeat so slow she wasn’t even sure it still worked. She was definitely dying, she thought.

So she went with the first words that came to mind.

“You go to hell,” she gasped, snarling up at Samir.

“Ladies first,” he replied.

Then his boot came down and Harper had nothing more to say.

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Annie Bellet lives and writes in the Pacific NW. She is the author of the
Gryphonpike Chronicles
and the
Twenty-Sided Sorceress
series, and her short stories have appeared in over two dozen magazines and anthologies. Follow her at her website at
www.anniebellet.com