Academy for Courting Curses - Tara West Page 0,47
balls, disappointed when his member didn’t grow.
The siren thrashed on the table, her garbled screams growing louder. She should’ve gagged them both, but she loved hearing their pleas for mercy, feasting off their fear like a succubus feeds on human souls.
She stood and cupped her porcelain cheek, which was smudged with blood and dirt. “What’s the matter, pretty siren? Cat got your tongue?” She glanced toward Demonique, still lying in the corner of the room, too injured to even lick her wounds. Gae would finish her off soon enough, but torturing her other prisoners was more fun.
“Back away from her, bitch!”
Gae spun around, alarmed to see the dragon shifter pointing another wand at her chest, her foolish griffin slave hovering behind him. It looked almost identical to the pearl wand, but a few shades darker. She recognized it as the wand she’d struck from his hands earlier. The foolish griffin must have retrieved it for him.
“You!” she shrieked, flinging a rope of black magic at Rem. “You traitorous slug!” With a quick yank, she snapped his neck and he let out a terrified squawk before collapsing in a heap.
The shifter let out a strangled sob, his eyes shining with rage. His hand shook as he held up the wand.
She crooked a talon at him. He looked more delicious than ever, his ripped shirt revealing tanned, rippling muscles, and the bulge in his tight pants left little to the imagination. She had to make him her lover, but first she must subdue him. “Lower your wand, dragon-shifter, before someone gets hurt.”
“The only one getting hurt is you!” he hollered and flung a blue bolt at her.
She caught it easily, her black magic engulfing it and tying it up in a nice little package. Then she flung it back at him, laughing at his horrified look when he crumpled to the ground.
* * *
Teju felt the noose tighten around his neck, and coughed and gagged. Great goddess! This witch was too powerful. I’m so sorry, Serah.
You’re not giving up on us, Teju! Wake up and fight! Thelix’s cries echoed in his brain.
Teju sucked in a small bit of air, fighting the smoky python wrapped around his neck. I’m trying.
Try harder, Thelix commanded.
He thought he heard Serah sobbing, and his heart shattered. He kicked and flailed, slapping the ground in hopes of finding the wand. There had to be a spell to break this dark magic.
A roar filled his ears. The noose around his neck snapped, and he shot up in time to see a big, black she-cat clawing at the dragoness’s back. Teju lunged for the wand, snatching it up as the dragon mage stabbed Demonique in the heart. The she-cat hissed and flailed, clawing at Gae’s face before falling down and clutching the hilt of the blade as blood spurted from her wound.
The dragoness fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself, her face and arms covered with deep scratches, several of her scales ripped off and oozing blood.
Ignoring Alexi’s anguished cry, Teju rolled under the table and aimed the wand at the dragoness, mumbling the unbreakable curse, knowing without a doubt that spell had been loaded into the Goldenwand.
She turned to him in shock when the curse hit. Without uttering a word, she stumbled through the black matter and fell on her back, convulsing mightily before exploding in a cloud of black dust.
Teju got to his feet, snatched the blade from the pile of black ash, and cut Serah’s bindings. She threw her arms around him, sobbing. Holding her tight, he kissed her forehead, breathing in her scent, blood and earth, which at the moment was the most perfect fragrance in the world. He kissed her again. Let’s get out of here.
He thought he heard Thelix weeping tears of joy. It’s over, Thelix. Thanks for your help.
It’s not nearly over, Teju. Our Serah may never heal. I still can’t access her mind.
He couldn’t think about that now. He had to focus on getting Serah off this cursed island. He briefly thought about the wand with the catastrophic curse that the griffin had hidden, but he’d have to send a search party for it after they escaped. No way was he risking Serah’s life on this island a moment longer.
He helped her off the table and sat her on the edge of the bed before going to Alexi. After he cut the Fae’s bindings, Alexi rolled onto his stomach, weeping as he crawled to what was left of Demonique.
“I knew