Page 92 of Wicked Curses
The others had gone for the stable because it was closest, but that wasn’t true for her anymore. She might be able to make it to the mercantile.
Though that deathly hand continued to caress her nape, she wasn’t willing to admit defeat. Being eaten by one of those things was a horrible, painful death; the screams of agony and wails for mercy continued to replay in her head. She’d fight against that fate with every fiber of her being.
A loud bang shook the door behind her. Wood splintered, and when she glanced back, a crack zigzagged down the center of it.
They were coming, but she didn’t see any behind the house… yet. Lifting the window, she threw her leg over the sill and dropped to the rocky alley separating this house from the one ten feet away.
Sahira scrambled toward the other house and placed her hands against the glass; planting her feet, she started pushing up. She’d gotten it open enough to climb through when something clamped over her mouth and yanked her back.
CHAPTERSIXTY-SIX
Orin kepthis hand plastered over Sahira’s mouth as he cinched his other arm around her waist. She squirmed and kicked against him as he called forth the shadows to envelop her too.
“Stop moving,” he hissed in her ear. “They won’t be able to see you if youstopmoving.”
She went stiff against him before relaxing as her head bowed. Her body remained molded against his as he edged toward the house until his back pressed against the wall.
He kept his hand at her waist as a scarog beetle passed within inches of them. Its legs hooked over the windowsill where Sahira had opened the glass, and it lifted itself off the ground.
Glass shattered and fell in a tinkling wave around their feet as the creature shoved into the house. It landed with a thud on the other side.
His lip curled in disgust. These things were repulsive, and he was out here with them when he should be nestled securely in the pub.
He wanted to blame the witch, but he’d made this stupid choice, and now he had to ensure they survived it. A loud bang sounded from the house she’d fled, and then a strange, inhuman screech filled the air.
Orin waited for something else to break free of the house. Sahira rested her hand over his and tapped his fingers.
He lowered his hand as she turned to him to whisper, “Protection spell.”
Orin rose again as another screech followed the first. This time, a few seconds later, one of the revolting beasts erupted from the window and hit the ground. Much like him, they’d broken through the spell, but he hadn’t been such a whiny bitch about it.
As the scarog skittered away, Orin rested his head against the wall while surveying the street. Sahira’s heart beat so rapidly that he felt her pulse at her waist. Her chest rose and fell with her breaths as her head fell forward.
Despite being out here with these lethal things, he couldn’t help admiring how her body fit his inallthe right places. And damn if he didn’t crave touching all those places, even with giant flesh-eating bugs chasing them around.
Or maybe it was because of the bugs chasing them around. What better way to prove they were alive than to fuck?
And he was so hungry. He could blame the witch for that, too, but in his determination to have her, he’d allowed himself to get to this state. It was something he’d remedy as soon as this was over… with or without the witch.
After another one scampered by, he lowered his lips to her ear. “They can’t see us, but we have to get to the pub…soon.”
With the sun setting, the shadows were dwindling. Depending on the moon’s arc, there might not be any shadows. If that happened, they’d be sitting ducks out here, and he wasn’t about to be plucked.
They could try for the mercantile, but with the number of beetles rampaging over this place, they might not get in. At least the pub had more than one entrance and a secret little hiding spot that could come inveryhandy right now.
He kept his mouth against her ear and continued. “Stay as close to me as possible.”
When she nodded, he shifted his hold on her but kept his arm around her waist. He enjoyed running his hand across her flat belly and rounded hip before hugging her against her side.
He smiled when she glowered daggers at him but didn’t stop; if there was one thing he thoroughly enjoyed, it was irritating his little witch. Without speaking, he nudged her forward, and they stepped away from the wall.
The hum of wings beating overhead filled the air as dirt kicked up around them. One of the massive beasts momentarily blocked out the sun as it swept past them.
The beetle swooped out of sight, but not before another skated around the corner and nearly went down. It righted itself and barreled toward them. The thing couldn’t see them, but it would feel them if it hit them.
Orin pulled Sahira against another wall, and they flattened themselves against it as the monster lumbered by them and toward the end of the alley. It skittered out of view a second before someone started screaming, and more of them descended from the air.
Sahira lurched like she would rush to help, but he pulled her back and locked her against his side. He expected another disgruntled look from her, but her attention remained on the alley where the scarog disappeared as the woman shrieked for help.
