Her hand shook as she picked the sex magic bag up again. Ugh. Yes, she was ready for it this time, braced for it. But she was also gloveless this time. She was opening herself up to it, flexing those energy muscles the Church had been teaching her about, training her to use.
The spell washed over her again, stronger now without the barrier, faster. It roared through her blood thick and dark, gloating as it invaded her body, found her weak spotsso many of themand prodded them; it found her empty spotseven more of thoseand filled them.
Someone elses sexual energy forced on her, someone elses arousal slithering over her skin like hands on her body, in her body, pinning her down, covering her mouth so she wouldnt cry. Laughing at her fear. Laughing as she struggled and tried to make it stopand she couldnt, she couldnt struggle or stop it, because Jillian was watching and Chess was supposed to be getting information from this, learning something. She needed to do it. Needed to show Jillian she could.
Sweat broke out on her forehead, under her arms, and where she wasnt specifically sweaty she was still damp. Uncomfortable. And uncomfortably aware that Jillian was watching her, that no matter how she might struggle to hide it Jillian knew what was happening to her, what she was feeling.
Ignore it. Ignore Jillian, ignore all of it. Whose magic was this, whoa man, was it a man? It felt male, it felt rough and demanding. Angry, almost. It felt, deep down, frustrated.
Which was a weird thing for sex magic to feel like, wasnt it, since the point was to end frustration, to satisfy?
Her palm burned where it touched the velvet bag; the rest of her body burned where it didnt, wanting to be touched itself. It had been a while, so much studying so much following the rules.
Shit, she did not want to be thinking of that, of any of it. Later she could do something about it, if she still wanted to. Now She gritted her teeth against the dark whispers in her blood, the intrusive lure of what the bag promised, and focused harder. A man. It felt like a man. A mans energy, a mans magic. Strong, too. Not strong like one of the Elders, but stronger than the luck charm, certainly.
Her hand shook. She was shaking everywhere, she realized, and she opened her eyes and saw Jillian still watching her, watching her with something in her eyes that Chess didnt like. The bag fell to the floor.
Instantly cool air swept over her. Well, no, the air wasnt cooler, her body was cooler. The spells created lustcreated heatvanished, leaving her standing there trembling with her hair stuck to the back of her neck and her skin tingling. She swallowed hard against the bile threatening to rise; it felt like her heart had been hooked up to a fucking jumper cable. Her legs were too weak, threatening to give out beneath her. She needed to sit down. No, what she needed was to be alone. She needed cold water on her face, she needed to get out of that room because her breath wasnt slowing the way it should and red spots exploded in her eyes and she was freaking out, she was losing it, she needed to
Having fun, ladies?
Trent stood in the doorway, grinning like a gambler holding a full house while his gaze raked her up and down. Funny to be almost grateful to see him there, but she was; at least she could focus on how much she hated him even though theyd just met, and hold off the fucking full-scale panic attack threatening to take control of her body any second.
Hatred was better than panic. Hatred was strength, hatred was something she could use. She grabbed it like a drowning woman grabbing a life jacket, and let it burn in her eyes while she glared at him. Yeah, he could maybe report back to an Elder that she hadnt been very nice to him, and later shed probably think of that and worry, but at the moment she didnt give a shit. Let him do it. Better he reported that than tell them shed gone hysterical.
Are you all done down there? Jillian stood up. Im sure Gloria wants to go home.
Trent gave Chess one last knowing lookhow she itched to slap that right off his faceand nodded. We tore up the carpet but the bloods soaked through. We cant clean that up, either. But thats all there is for her to see.
Guess thats the best we can do. Jillian pulled a camera from her bag and handed it to Chess. Im going to go ask Gloria a couple more questions, see if she knows anything about her parents being involved in magic they shouldnt be. You get some pictures of all this stuff, okay? The bags intact, and then take the ingredients out of each, photograph them, and put them back. Got it?
Chess nodded.
Good. Back in a few.
Trent gave Chess one last smirkoh, hed definitely seen what had been happening to her, knew what kind of spell shed been holding, the bastardand swept out of the doorway, following Jillian, leaving her finally alone.
Chapter Four
The second Trents back disappeared from view Chess got up, stumbling over her own feet in her rush to get to the bathroom. Whether it was okay to use the toilet or anything in there she didnt know, but it didnt matter; she didnt need it.