Page 49 of Caught in the Devil’s Hand

“You can have all of that if you kiss me, Shumei,” Majo offered, leaning close.

She should’ve guessed. Shumei laid the money on the floor and moved away, maintaining the distance between them.

“I cannot do that, madam,” she said, trying to stay polite, but the witch sneered.

“Why not? You allowed me two kisses before. You even let me touch you. Think of what you can do with all that money.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Information, then.” She stared at Shumei’s lips with longing. “Let me kiss you, and I shall tell you anything you want to know.”

“Why? You already have someone more willing than me in your bed,” she revealed.

Angry surprise flashed across Majo’s face. Shumei tensed. She had just baited the woman. There was no going back now. It would escalate from here…

“What did you say?”

The invisible webbing of Majo’s magic slid past Shumei’s shoulders, sticking in places and otherwise pooling around her in thick folds. She flinched. From the corner of her eye, she swore she saw the threads themselves, more shadow than light. Her own magic reacted in kind, and its warmth spread, filling a larger space inside her.

“The miller’s daughter,” she continued, despite the fear lodged in her throat. “I saw her leave your home. I saw you kiss her.” The witch remained silent, probably unsure of what to say next. Shumei decided for her. “You’re the one who killed her, aren’t you?” she accused, matter-of-fact. “You did something to her that gave you the power you have now.” Her magic swelled upward, its heat relaxing her as well as energizing her. She stiffened her spine. “The only thing I don’t understand is the rape. She would have lain with you willingly.”

“Little bitch,” Majo hissed, curling her fingers into claws. Her webs drew tighter. “I should have bewitched you the last time I kissed you.”

“Who did it, then, if it wasn’t you?”

“It was me, you ignorant brat,” Majo spat. She was no longer the calm, confident beauty from a moment ago. The spider had come out. “The one I called upon sits within me. When it came time to perform the ritual, he entered me and took the offered sacrifice as was his right as the King of Oblivion.”

Majo moved toward her, and Shumei shot to her feet, feeling lighter than usual. Her magic had spread to her limbs and she felt strangely buoyant.

“I am, as you say, madam, ignorant. How is such a thing possible?”

“My king gave me so much more than I could ever give him. More power than I ever dreamed of, fluency in languages no longer spoken by anyone living, and the ability to change myself however he and I like,” she boasted, pulling at the belt of her gown and ripping it in her maddened frenzy. “He now knows me better than anyone ever has or ever will.”

Shumei would have watched with horror as the witch flung open her dress, but her magic had pushed out any and all fear. Its warmth was like sunshine bursting under her skin, like the roar of a bonfire raging through her veins. Its heat waves lifted her hair, swirled the skirt of her dress, and raised her onto her toes. She felt safe, calm—even invincible. She looked at Majo with pity rather than fear.

Majo tossed her dress away, and the faint clink of a heavy key hit the floor. She spread her arms and feet, and her skin stretched and rippled. A corded thigh, wide shoulders, and a broad chest… Not the witch’s slim form. Whatever demon she had invited into her body was pushing himself to the surface. A hardened male organ, thicker and longer than a human woman could possibly handle, pressed against the skin of Majo’s abdomen and threatened to break through at any second. But though the demon had a masculine form, not all of it was human. Bony protrusions broke through at the witch’s shoulders, hips, and the crown of her head.

“You see, dear girl,” the witch whispered, “I can satisfy you. I can do more than that sex demon you’ve been lying with. Oh, yes,” she said, seeing the surprise on Shumei’s face. “I knew about him. From the way you scream, he must be quite skilled.”

“Why me?” she asked, too full of magic to stay surprised for long. Her toes left the floor.

“You are far more important than you know,” Majo said. “I envy you and your luck. But if I can’t be in your place, I’ll assume the opposite, as destiny requires. Now that I’ve done so, my king commands me to make you ours. It’s not a hard choice, Shumei.” She stroked the long bulge that wanted free of her skin. “There is much more pleasure to be had within his arms than those of the Divine. Much more power to be gained.”

Heat was pouring out of Shumei, pushing back the dark threads of Majo’s magic.

“And what is my place, madam? What are we to each other?”

“Don’t think of what we are now. Think of what we can be. Lovers, powerful on our own and unstoppable as a pair.”

How dare she? Majo had killed dozens of villagers, including Shumei’s mother. She had framed Vallen, had killed the miller’s daughter, and now wouldn’t even give Shumei a straight answer.

“Never,” Shumei declared. “The things you’ve done are unforgivable.”

Majo frowned, and the demon inside her retreated. “I knew you wouldn’t yield.”

“For the last time, what is my place?” she yelled. “Who am I?”

Majo smiled wickedly. “My enemy.”