Mayhem and Magic by E. Hall

Author:E. Hall
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: paranormal romance, fantasy romance, academy romance, young adult paranormal romance, magic, witches, ghosts
Publisher: E. Hall
Published: 2020-10-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

★

I wake up to a snuffling and a grunt. The air isn’t dank, but not fresh either. I seem to be covered in something sticky, nasty, fetid.

Pain wracks my body and moving is impossible. Then I recall the arena, the battle, and the death blow. Am I dead? I blink a few times only to see stone walls and ceiling. Is this a cave?

My breath comes shallow and I feel panicky at my immobility. Then someone...or something grips my ankle. I have the vague sensation that they’re doing something to my foot.

But the pain is so intense, I get nauseous and pass out.

When I wake up again, the light is slightly brighter than before. It must be daytime. I am in a cave but with who and why, alive or dead, I have no idea. Leave it to me to still wonder and ask questions even when my status is uncertain.

I try to press up to sitting, but my body is heavy and I sense my magic is restrained again. Maybe I’m still in the Iron Tower. I try to call out but my throat is dry. I feel so weak, I give into sleep once more.

The third time I wake up, I fight to stay that way and find out where I am. It’s still somewhat bright in the cave and my senses slowly return to me. I smell something sharp in the air and again, someone grabs my ankle. It’s a strong hold, unyielding even as I try to get free.

“If you want to live, you’ll have to trust me,” a voice hisses.

It’s a voice from my nightmares. From the arena. Magog.

I sit up and instantly feel dizzy. I’m on uneven stone. At my feet is the Fire Eater only instead of dragon form he’s shifted. His eyes are still cloudy, but his hair is black, his skin naturally tan, and his movements agile. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to help you.”

“I thought you were going to eat me.”

He snorts. “Wouldn’t Storch have liked that.”

“Where are we? How did we get here?”

He examines my foot as he continues, “I told you I endured much hardship at the hands of your kind and humans alike. When it became clear that among the last of my kind was doing the same thing, using me for her own ends, I decided it was time to control my future.”

“What happened?” I ask.

“So many questions,” he huffs. “Storch kept me captive and stuck in dragon form for decades. She had me do her bidding in the Iron Tower, amassing power while she aligned with the humans who hurt us. Who she claimed to despise.”

“I think she intended to overthrow them from the inside out,” I say, recalling our recent conversation. “How’d you get away?”

“The simplest way possible. I burst through the walls,” he says simply.

“Were they enchanted?”

“Of course. As I said, I’ve amassed all kinds of magic in the arena. She didn’t count on me not using it to my own ends.” He sets my foot down.

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