Shackled to the World: A Phantom Touched Novel

by Brutger, Stacey

  “We don’t want trouble.” He crossed his arms in a way that made his muscles appear even more intimidating. “Leave.”

  “Not you,” the witch snipped, then pointed at Annora. “Her.”

  Mason refused to budge, his smile displaying his massive fangs.

  Completely undaunted, the lead witch rolled her eyes, waved her hand and said something in Latin. Magic splashed in the air, hitting Mason in the chest even as Annora tried to shove him out of the way, but his bulk was impossible to move.

  The spell soaked into his skin, and the very air around him turned frigid.

  She circled him, looking up at his eyes…to find him completely frozen in place.

  Anger flared to life within her so fast and so bright the air around them became murky as a dark fog from the afterworld rose up from the ground and seeped into the human world.

  She whirled on the lead witch. “What the fuck did you do?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The smirks slid off their faces. Two of the witches panicked and backed away, while the lead female and the single male lifted their hands, spells sparking along their fingers. The only one who didn’t react, besides the widening of her eyes, was the witch standing in the back.

  Smoke curled around Mason, snaking up his legs to wrap around him. Sparks flared where the particles ate away the magic.

  “Do you feel that, Brittney?” The male held out his hands as if he could feel the magic, a tiny bit of awe on his face, which was quickly replaced by greed.

  Just when Brittney held out her hands, a wisp of smoke curled up, then lashed out at the guy, quickly coating the tips of his fingers black.

  They both jerked back, the guy hissing as he tried to scrape off the black gunk, but it was like his fingers were stained. “What the fuck is that?”

  He glared, taking a threatening step toward her, when the black fog rose threateningly between them.

  “You’re such a child, Brad. Suck it up.” Brittney huffed in annoyance and flapped her hands at him. “It’s your own fault for touching that shit.” She eyed the dark particles avidly, then dragged her attention away. “Give me the book and we’ll leave you alone.”

  Magic reverberated in the air, the words echoing loudly. The spell slammed into Annora, hitting her chest hard enough to knock the air out of her. The compulsion to obey crawled over her, seeking a way to infect her. The darkness from the afterworld lashed out, curling around the magic and crushing it, sending glitter fluttering to the ground as it sucked all the energy out of the spell.

  “You fucking bitch.” Annora could feel the dark particles play with her fingers, weaving in and out of them, eager to devour the witches and teach them a lesson. “Did you really think it would be so easy?”

  The spell around Mason fractured, and the dread holding her hostage eased, reducing her need to kill them and leave their carcasses behind as a warning. “My guess is that you have about two minutes to leave before Mason breaks free and hunts you down like vermin.”

  Brittney scowled, while Brad hiked up his chin in defiance, as if he thought he could take a troll and survive.

  “Give it up, Brit.” The girl in the back crossed her arms. “She’s not going to buy your bullshit, especially when you iced her friend and tried to spell her. You were told to befriend her, not make her our enemy. Hetty and Suesette are going to be so pissed.” She laughed gleefully, clearly eager to witness the upcoming smackdown.

  “Like you could do any better, freak.” If looks could kill, the girl sticking up for her and Mason would drop dead.

  The freak lifted her hands and shrugged like she didn’t give a shit. Her blue hair was cut like a bob, only it was short in the back and longer in the front, the strands brushing her jaw. “I didn’t want to be here in the first place, and I wouldn’t be if I wasn’t ordered. You fucked up. Any chance of you getting the book is gone.”

  Brittney looked homicidal, but when Mason tore free with a roar, she whirled back, her magic swirling in the air.

  Annora pressed her small palm against Mason’s chest. To her surprise, he stopped. With a wave of her arm, a plume of black particles soaring through the air like a swarm of bugs. “Try it again. Let’s see if you survive.”

  Brittney narrowed her eyes, as if seriously contemplating the challenge, when Brad swore. “Fuck—I can’t access my magic!”

  Brittney and her goons glanced at him, then to the blackness that still stained his fingers.

  “You did this to me.” Brad took a threatening step toward Annora, then hastily retreated when the dark particles rose like a beast ready to strike. “Fix it.”

  Annora crossed her arms, able to feel Mason practically breathing down her neck with the need to pulverize the threat. If she concentrated, she could feel the afterworld feeding off his magic, slowly draining him with each pump of his heart.

  “I really don’t see why it’s my problem.” She didn’t flinch under their glares. “I want your word, under magical oath, that you will keep your distance from me and my people.”

  Brittney crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air. “Fuck you.”

  Before Annora could do anything, Brad grabbed Brittney by the throat with his infected hand. “Your word—or I’ll snap your scrawny neck, you bitch.”

  Her blue eyes bulged, hatred burning in them, but she relented with a small nod. When his hand loosened from around her neck, Brittney coughed, glaring at Annora and Brad the whole time. It took only a few minutes for four of the witches to give their oath, their magic sparking in the air, binding them.

  As soon as they finished speaking, the sludge painting Brad’s fingers flaked and floated away like ash on the breeze. Then the witches were spun on their heels and forcefully marched away by their own magic.

  All except for the girl they called freak, who lingered behind. “A word of warning…the witches won’t give up. They want your magic too much to just let you go. And you might want to watch out for Brad. Male witches are rare, which makes him a spoiled brat. He won’t take kindly to you beating and humiliating him today.” An evil smile crept over the girl’s face. “Although I have to say I enjoyed it immensely.”

  A wisp of fog reached for the girl, brushed against her boot, then seemed to disintegrate and fall back to the ground.

  It didn’t see her as a threat.

  “Why warn me?” The fact that this one warned them didn’t make her less dangerous.

  “I’m more of a hedge witch, and prefer to work alone, but they don’t really give you a choice about joining the cult. Once you’re classified a witch, the rest of the school considers you persona non grata. Witches are a whole pack of bitches that no one wants to hang out with.” She crossed her arms and looked away. “The rest of the witches make sure of it.”

  Then she gave a shrug and turned to walk away. “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

  “Wait.” Annora took a step after her, and the witch paused, glancing at her over her shoulder. “Come with us.”

  The girl turned and scowled at them. “Why?”

  “Because we both want the same thing—the witches off our backs.” Annora dropped her hand from Mason and strode after the girl. “If I have you as my liaison, the witches will leave me alone.”

  The girl snorted. “And how exactly does that get me out from under them?”

  “You’ll have a position of power. They want what I have…which only you will have access to. Meet up with us later at the café, check us out, and decide. If you agree, we can discuss what to share with the other witches. Win-win.” Annora held out her hand. “Deal?”

  The first spark of interest lit the girl’s green eyes, and she surveyed Annora up and down. “I might not have a lot of power, but if you’re fucking with me, I’ll find a way to make you regret it.”

  Before Annora had a chance to respond, the girl grabbed her hand and shook it.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Mason murmured.

  So do I, but she d
idn’t say that out loud.

  “Fine, I’ll meet you back at the café in three hours.” The girl didn’t wait for a response before turning away. That should give her enough time to convince the guys of the soundness of her plan and convince them to allow her to go to the meeting.

  “Wait!” Annora took a step after her. “What’s your name?”

  The girl glanced over her shoulder, humor dancing in her eyes. “Willa.”

  Then she was gone.

  Not wanting to linger, Mason put his hand on Annora’s back and propelled her forward until she practically had to run to keep pace with him.

  It didn’t take long for them to reach the house, Mason only seeming to breathe again when the door shut firmly behind them. The guys were talking in the living room, and she followed the sound to find Camden and Xander with maps spread out over the coffee table.

  But no Edgar, which worried her. She nudged Mason. “Go and tell them what happened.”

  He gave her a suspicious look, and she patted his arm. “I’m going to find Edgar. I won’t leave the house. Promise.”

  He slipped his fingers into her hair, his palm resting heavily on her neck. Instead of the threat she expected, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Call if you need me.”

  Annora watched him walk away, her mouth gaping open like a halfwit, while memories of him pressing her against the wall and ravishing her flashed through her mind. And he knew it, too, if the way he strutted into the living room, all proud of himself, was any indication.

  The guys glanced at her. From the heated looks in their eyes, they knew exactly what happened.

  No fair!

  No way could a girl be expected to resist that much temptation.

  Fighting a blush, she whirled and dipped back into the kitchen, only able to catch her breath when they were out of sight. She blinked and stared blindly around the room, trying to remember what was so urgent.

  Then it hit her—Edgar.

  And she wanted to smack herself for forgetting for even a second.

  She edged near the basement, grabbed the knob, then took a bracing breath before she opened the door. Flashes of being trapped in her uncle’s basement slammed into her, and she broke out in a sweat. It took her a moment to get her heartbeat under control and another moment to realize that the basement was dark.

  He wasn’t downstairs training.

  Instead of feeling better, worry dug its claws in her mind.

  He would never have left her of his own free will, she was sure of it. For the first time since she and Edgar were connected, she reached out for him. The threads binding them together were more like filaments, tiny and glowing, but weak…because of her.

  And she didn’t have a doubt that Edgar knew about the tenuous link and how much it had withered with her neglect.

  She felt like an ass.

  She touched the cords, allowing the afterworld to feed along the fibers until they glowed bright. She sensed Edgar on the other end, his confusion, his worry…his concern was all for her.

  He was waiting for her in her room.

  Turning on her heel, she charged up the stairs two at a time. When she reached her room, she saw Edgar standing in the middle of it, his head tipped back, staring out the skylight, completely still. Her heart clenched to see him so alone and adrift.

  It boggled her mind that he had a life before her—friends, family…lovers.

  Though she pulled him out of the afterworld, she now worried that she hadn’t actually saved him—or maybe even made things worse for him. His new life was nothing compared to what he’d lost, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he missed his old life and regretted his choices.

  The ferret slept peacefully along his forearm, arms and legs hanging down both sides, completely passed out, while Edgar ran a single finger along the little guy’s head and back to the tip of his tail.

  “We’re going to have to figure out another name for the little beast.” Annora stepped into the room, and Edgar looked up at her with a puzzled frown. “Unless you would prefer to go back Alcott.”

  He flinched as if she’d slapped him, his voice hoarse when he answered. “No, I put that life behind me.”

  Annora nodded, coming to stop in front of him, then ran her fingers lightly along the ferret’s ear. “If we’re going to call you Edgar, we need another name for this little guy to avoid confusion.”

  Edgar straightened at her comment, his whole being centered on her, like a child waiting for Christmas. Suddenly nervous, Annora hesitated. “Unless…he’s a part of you…keeping him weakens you, doesn’t it?”

  Edgar gazed down at her, his blue eyes searching. “It’s minor. I barely feel the drain. When he’s with you, he runs more off your power than mine, absorbing the excess energy that you tend to leak.”

  When she would’ve pulled her hand away, the ferret reached out, grabbed her finger, and bumped his head against it, begging for more cuddles. She couldn’t resist his plea.

  Edgar gently placed the ferret in her hands. “He’s much more yours than mine now. Keep him, so when I’m not near, I know someone is watching over you.”

  Annora hugged the sleeping ferret to her chest, blinking up at Edgar. “But I thought he was a part of you? How is he more mine?”

  Edgar reached out, hesitated for a second when she didn’t flinch away, then pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You are just as much a part of me as him. You hold my heart as surely as you hold him. You need him more than I do. If you won’t allow me to keep you safe, maybe you’ll allow him.”

  Her mouth opened and closed like a damned fish, but no sound emerged.

  His smile was heartbreaking when he gazed down at her. “You didn’t know?”

  She shook her head mutely, beyond speaking.

  He smiled down at her sadly. “Call him Prem—it means beloved.”

  Annora swallowed hard, stroking her cheek against the ferret’s soft fur. All she could do was nod. She cleared her throat and glanced up at him. “Prem…I like it.” She didn’t mind that Edgar would use him to spy on her. He had too much honor to use Prem for any reason other than her safety.

  She carefully placed the ferret on her pillow, then turned back toward Edgar and crossed her arms. “Now why don’t you tell me about Sadie?”

  * * *

  Rage burned through Edgar when he learned that Sadie went against his wishes and dared to approach Annora. He scanned Annora for injuries, struggling to hold his form when all he wanted to do was eliminate the threat.

  Only when she appeared unharmed did he cross his arms and glare down at her. “She’s no one.”

  Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “So she’s not your fiancée?”

  Son of a bitch!

  His stomach lurched at the thought of losing Annora. If she thought for even one second that Sadie had a prior claim on him, she would push him away, and he couldn’t allow it. “That man died a long time ago. Besides, the promise was made between our families. The only person I’ve ever pledged myself to is you.”

  Annora tipped her head to study him, and he’d swear the whole world narrowed down to her. She stepped toward him, and he clenched his hands at his sides to keep from shaking some sense into her.

  But instead of saying anything, she placed her hand on his chest, then leaned up on her tiptoes, and his whole world stopped when she touched his face with her other hand.

  “That’s good, because you’re mine. If she tries to take you back, I’m afraid I might have to kill her.” Then she gave him a bloodthirsty smile that made his cock harden so fast it was almost painful. When her gaze dropped to his mouth, every thought in his head but the need to taste her vanished, and he forgot how to breathe when she leaned closer. “Mine.”

  Then her lips brushed his and his control snapped.

  He wrapped her in his arms, sweeping her off her feet lest she thought to pull away. He kept his kiss light, seducing her, afraid she would pull away if she knew how much
he needed her…needed this.

  She was his everything, heaven and hell all wrapped up in a gorgeous package he couldn’t resist. She burned bright like a star, and he was determined that no one would douse her spark while he stood guard. And if he got burned in the process, he was starting to believe she would be there to make everything better.

  With shaking hands, he lowered her slowly, afraid if he didn’t stop now he’d take things too far. He’d wanted her for too long, and what little control he had left was nearly ready to shatter. He lifted his head, the taste of her making him yearn for more, especially when her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up at him with what he wanted to believe was love. “I’m yours. I’ve only ever been yours.”

  He was enchanted by the light blush that dusted along her cheeks, and he pulled away to resist temptation, very conscious of the bed looming behind her. It was much too soon for her—she needed to trust them more—all of them—and he refused to push her too fast, too far, and scare her away again.

  He grabbed the threads of their previous conversation. “You need to stay away from Sadie. She’s dangerous, and I won’t tolerate her harming you.”

  “You don’t think I can take care of myself?” Annora retreated, her eyes narrowed in challenge as she glared up at him, and his heart tripped in his chest.

  “It’s not about strength. The life Sadie and I had growing up was brutal. While yours wasn’t any treat, we were raised in cruelty and war. Each of us is basically a nuclear bomb waiting to go off if we lose control, and I don’t want you to get caught in the blast. There is a reason our people keep to ourselves—we’re dangerous, not only to ourselves but everyone else as well if the afterworld escapes our control. Only with a lot of practice can we survive the touch of other phantoms without destroying each other.”

  Edgar cupped her face, allowing his fingers to brush against her skin, unable to stop himself from stealing the light caress. “After everything you’ve been through, it’s a miracle you survived as long as you have without killing yourself or others. I suspect that using your powers has helped bleed off the worst of the power buildup.”