Forbidden Tutor
Page 16
I prepare the spell to spy on her thoughts but then I notice Leo’s expression. He looks happy. That can’t be right.
I modify the spell so that I can read Leo’s thoughts instead. It’s a finicky spell, even when cast by masters. I’m hoping for a general sense of what’s going through Leo’s mind, anything more than that is just a bonus.
As soon as I cast the spell, I’m hit by an overwhelming sensation of love.
Of all the foolhardy choices to be made in this dangerous game, he’s gone ahead and fallen in love with Snow White. I expected that of some of the others, but not Pride.
It’s sickening.
I watch with delight as his frustrations get the better of him. He turns Snow White away. I see the hurt all over her face, but it’s nothing compared to the turmoil raging inside him. It’s pure chaos in that Huntsman’s heart. How delicious.
A love addled mind makes for a weak opponent. I can easily turn this in my favor, which I plan to do in full. Leo has committed a crime against my name. I won’t stand for it.
I’m not going to pretend that my hands are clean. I’ve shed more blood and taken more lives than all of the other six combined. However, I’ve never broken my rule. I don’t slaughter innocents.
Leo blamed the death of Cordelia on me. While Cordelia might not be considered innocent to most, she was innocent in this battle. Her death was not necessary for my victory. In fact, one day she might’ve made a clever pawn.
I won’t allow Leo to go unpunished for his crimes against me. I look forward to bringing him down. It’ll be a quality battle. He’s better than me with magic. I’m better than him with weapons. It’ll be the fight of the century and I vow to relish every moment of it. Especially when I separate his head from his shoulders.
Unfortunately, that fight won’t happen for a while yet. There’s still much work to be done. For now, I’m content to watch him struggle with his inner turmoil. I know that he once swore to serve the demon Queen. His blooming feelings for Snow White will be a complication. I’m interested to see how that plays out. I’ll find something to use to my advantage.
It’s plain to me that he’s fallen in love with Snow White, but I can’t discern how she feels about him. Snow’s always been talented at concealing her true feelings. Though, as I study her expressions, I get the sense that she’s not hiding her true feelings but that she doesn’t understand them.
Poor thing.
Should she return Leo’s feelings, I vow not to slay him in front of her.
Despite what my name suggests, I don’t relish in causing unnecessary pain. Snow White and I fought side by side for years. Our partnership was forged in the fires of war. Bonds like that simply don’t disappear. While her death is unavoidable, it doesn’t mean that I don’t still carry respect for her.
There was a time in my life where I would’ve willingly thrown myself into the fire for her. I believe she would’ve done the same for me. It’s not my fault that times have changed. I desire what everyone desires. Survival.
I’m lucky enough to know that there are only a few positions that guarantee absolute safety and power. I’m determined to secure one of those positions for myself.
Rhiannon has awakened. I don’t know what she’s up to or what she’s planning. I don’t know where she is either, which has been particularly frustrating. I haven’t exhausted all of my options yet. There are still a few more tricks I can use to lure her out of hiding.
I suspect she’s weak after one thousand years sealed between two realms. I’ve spent a limited amount of time in those in-between worlds myself. I can’t say I recommend it. It does things to the mind. It warps power and magic. It wouldn’t surprise me if Rhiannon’s gone completely mad. She was never stable to begin with.
Rhiannon made a crucial mistake that I swear I will never make. She showed her hand too easily. She boasted of her powers and her armies. When the seven of us fought with Snow White, we always knew what we were up against. Rhiannon made it clear that she possessed an endless supply of power. That’s how we knew it would take something extreme to defeat her.
Right now, I have nothing but a stack of magic books and a handful of enchanted weapons. I’ll continue to lie low while I gather my strength. When I decide to strike, they’ll never see me coming and they’ll have no clue what I’m capable of.
I’m not like Leo or our dearly departed Envy. Dorian. Whatever name he decided to go by. I’m not selling myself for the promise of power. Queen Rhiannon will not have sway over me. There’s nothing she can tempt me with because she will never offer what I want.
I want not to be a valiant soldier serving under a fearless maiden. I want not to be warped by demonic power in servitude to a mad Queen.
I want to break the cycle and begin anew.
I will take down Rhiannon. I want her crown, but not her throne. I don’t desire to be the leader of a demon horde. I want so much more than that.
I will take down Leo, and the rest of the surviving Huntsman. I’ll take their power into myself. I’ll become a master magician and an even more skilled warrior. I won’t need an army for I will contain an army within myself.
Lastly, I will kill Snow White. We will fight an honorable battle. I won’t use tricks or underhanded moves to take her down. I’m still a soldier. She was my commander. Some habits don’t die no matter how long they go untouched. If it were up to me, I would imprison her instead of killing her. But that won’t be enough.
Snow White, like Rhiannon, is too powerful to continue to live. Even with Rhiannon gone, it’s only a matter of time before something else rises up and seeks Snow White’s power. She puts the balance of the realm at risk even if she doesn’t intend to. That’s why I’ll take her power right out of her heart and make it my own.
Rhiannon’s crown, the Huntsman’s skills, and Snow White’s power will turn me into an unstoppable force that rivals nature itself. I won’t upset the balance of the realms because the balance will be mine to set.
Only then will my rage be sated. Nothing will have dominion over me. No one will give me orders ever again.
I grow weary of watching the lovesick Huntsman wrestle with his inner demons. He’s got bigger problems on the horizon. With a flick of my wrist, I disrupt the surface of the water. The image disappears. The spell breaks apart.
I am Wrath. I’m eternal. I will rise and claim what’s rightfully mine and cut down anyone who stands against me.
Ebony’s story continues - Forbidden Angel
Chantal Cross
Chantal Cross is a recent college grad who has been reading fast-paced genre fiction all her life. She is a big fan of all things paranormal and vampire. As a teenager, she began her writing “career” with angsty poetry and Twilight fanfic (and no, she’s not sharing those stories with anyone, ever!) 7 Huntsmen is her first series on her own.
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Chantal’s Website: https://chantalcross.com
7 Huntsmen Series
Seven Huntsmen. Seven Curses.
Each of them committed an unforgivable sin…
But none of their sins were as terrible as mine.
Book 1: Forbidden Boys
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Book 2: Forbidden Tutor
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Book 3: Forbidden Angel
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Book 4: Forbidden Bully
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Book 5: Forbidden Demon