Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole

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Authors: Kresley Cole
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shade of silver—one color, unbroken—shining brilliantly. As he stared in incomprehension, he could see . . . could see they were . . . mirrors . Nïx’s strange rhyme flashed in his mind, even as Mariketa was killing him.
    With her other hand, the witch emitted a pulse of energy at Bowe—a beam that made him feel as if he’d had a transfusion of acid. Turn your blood to acid, she’d told him.
    Rydstrom grabbed her wrists and moved to draw her magick from Bowe’s direction, then frowned that he hadn’t budged her thin arms. With both hands, he heaved back and finally got her to aim away from Bowe—toward the tomb.
    Freed of her hold and the scalding pain, Bowe sucked in air, scrambling away. As he rubbed circulation back into his throat, her beam battered the stones. The entire structure trembled. The first rumble shook the trees growing over it. The second rattled them, stripping bare their swaying branches.
    The witch’s eyes, so brilliant, appeared fascinated.
    Rydstrom yelled, “ It’s going to blow! ” He yanked Mariketa up to his side. The light from her ceased, and she fell limp.
    But it was too late.
    The tomb exploded with atomic force—even the greatfoundation stones erupted into the sky—leaving nothing but a gaping crater behind. Whatever lived inside had been annihilated.
    With the witch in his arms, Rydstrom sprinted, following the others as they darted for cover from the plummeting stones. Though Bowe dashed off right behind them, for some reason, he lunged down and plucked the gold headpiece from the severed hand, then worked the heavy prize into his pack.
    Just before Rydstrom reached the tree line, an immense stone landed on his leg, trapping him. The demon kept his hold on Mariketa, struggling to protect her head.
    Bowe sensed what was about to happen, even before the towering hardwoods of the jungle began to bend and rock toward the crater where the tomb had once existed. “Give her to me!”
    Rydstrom gritted out, “Directly after . . . she was about to kill you?”
    Bowe didn’t have time to explain, so he simply snapped, “I vow I’ll get her to safety.”
    â€œYou don’t understand, MacRieve! She can fucking die —”
    â€œAye, mortal, now release her!” When Rydstrom still hesitated, Bowe said, “You doona know what’s coming?” The tomb had been a place of power. Extinguished power created a vacuum.
    Rydstrom glanced back. He shook his head hard, and his grip on Mariketa eased. He eyed Bowe. “Another scratch on her, and I will take your head, Lykae.”
    *  *  *
    Mari came to with a moan, blinking open her eyes to find herself firmly strapped over some male’s brawny shoulder—andlooking straight down the side of a mountain. Hundreds of feet below, trees and earth poured into a vacuous chasm that used to be the tomb.
    Shaking violently, she drew a breath to scream, but a rasping voice said, “Hold your shrieks, and hold on to me. And doona dare try anything like before, witch—no’ if you want to get out of this alive.”
    MacRieve. Hadn’t she killed him? She clutched at his broad back for a hold. “Wh-where are the others?”
    â€œScrambling for safety below us.”
    â€œWhy d-did you go up ?” Faced with her worst fear and forced to trust her life to this Lykae.
    â€œDoona like heights, then? I went up because the humans canna.”
    He was ascending by climbing a vine ? “You’ll drop us—you only have one freaking hand!” He’d been yanking down on the vine and catching it higher, propelling them up inch by inch.
    â€œAye, and I’ll be havin’ it back. Along with my eye. Now. Remove your curse and heal me.”
    â€œNever. I hope you die from it,” she hissed.
    â€œThen also hope my hand does no’ slip any more on this slick vine. We go much

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