My lips pull into a satisfied smile as the blade touches his neck.
I’m flung to one side as if a car hit me, and I land on my back in the dirt. Nikolai is thrown the other way and my connection to his shadows snaps. No. He needs to die.
Maeve.
Tobias’s voice filters through the furious black clouds in my mind and he drags me to my feet, gripping my upper arms. I struggle, desperate to hurt the man now unsteadily standing, knife in hand again.
Maeve. Let go. This is what they want. You’re feeding the Blackwood energy in you. Tobias’s warmth gradually trickles into my body, consuming the darkness, but Nikolai’s words and the images won't leave.
He needs to die.
Tobias grips harder, a conduit opened between us as he tells me to look into his eyes. As the mix of Tobias's lamia and pneuma magic overwhelms me, I'm transfixed and lose sight of Nikolai altogether. Tobias tips my head upwards and strokes my cheeks, the soothing touch flowing like cold water running over a burn as he draws the dark intent from inside, weakening me.
Is this what Tobias did to me the night we confronted the hunters?
Tobias suddenly drops his grip and spins around. Nikolai approaches with the shadows winding around him again, but fewer since I took some. He’s weaker. The air pulses with the same magic that threw me and Nikolai apart. The same as when Anastasia took us. Tobias's pneuma energy focuses into more than affecting people’s minds—he can channel this into a physical assault.
Nikolai flies backwards and his head hits the edge of a stone trough, before he slides into the dirt. I hold my breath in horror as a panting Tobias drops his grip on me, before striding over to look down at Nikolai.
“Shit.” Tobias drags a hand through his hair and crouches, reaching out to Nikolai. He touches Nikolai's head and looks at his hand. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” Convinced somebody must’ve heard our fight, I look around and focus on any sounds, but all I hear are the horses' breathing and movements.
Tobias doesn’t reply and I cautiously approach, limbs like jelly. He's kneeling over Nikolai’s body and staring at his trembling hand stained with blood.
Chapter Twenty-Two
MAEVE
“Omigod,” I breathe out. “Tobias.” His focus remains on the blood on his hand. “Tobias.”
“Check his pockets. Does he have a phone?” Tobias asks hoarsely.
I do as he says, rummaging in Nikolai's jacket until my hand closes around his phone. “Yes.”
“Send a message,” he says urgently. “Find Anastasia’s number and send a message: 'headed to bed for some fun'.”
I shove away the sickening images of the fun he wanted with me and do as Tobias says. As I type the message, Tobias stands and takes Nikolai under the arms, whose head lolls forwards. Nikolai’s legs drag along the dirt as Tobias hauls his limp body away. Knocking open a stable door, he pulls the witch’s body inside.
The breeze whispers around my head and I shake, convinced I'll throw up.
“What have we done?” I ask when Tobias reappears. “What did we do? Is he dead?” I almost drop the phone I’m trembling so much, my whole body flooding with panic as great as my fear from earlier.
“Stay calm,” he says firmly. “Maeve. Listen.”
Blood now also smears Tobias’s forehead and I clamp a hand over my mouth.
“Nikolai knocked his head. He isn’t breathing. He’s bleeding. We need to get away from here and figure out what to do,” he stammers out. “The message to Anastasia should stop anybody looking for Nikolai until the morning. Nobody should come to the stables until dawn at least.”
I glance upwards. How is he this calm? Tobias seizes my arm again and I trip after him as he walks purposefully towards the door into the house.
Stunned into silence, I allow him to lead me back upstairs and along the hallway to my room. He pushes down the handle and the door opens—they lock me in but not out.
Inside, I fumble for the light switch. The chandelier’s bulbs light up but they’re dim in the darkly decorated room. “Is he dead?” I repeat my voice rising.
Tobias slowly closes the door and slumps against the wood. “I don’t know.”
“But he might be? Omigod, Tobias. We killed a Blackwood witch.”
He moves forward and places a hand against my cheek. “No. I killed a Blackwood witch.”
My heart leaps. “I fought him. Weakened him. I’m as much to blame.”
“Maeve. I’ll take responsibility. Do not tell anybody you were with me.”
“They’ll kill you.”
He gives a wry smile. “We both know I'll die soon.” I open my mouth to speak and he shakes his head. “The curse, Maeve.”
“No!” I drag my face away. “No, Tobias. We need you. I need you. We leave the estate before somebody finds Nikolai.”
“How, Maeve?” he asks softly.
“I don’t know! There must be a way!” Anton. “A witch called Anton told me he can help us,” I whisper as if someone is eavesdropping.
“How?” He cocks his head. “Why?”
“He said he knows people on the outside.”
“Tell me everything he said.”
I smile at his demanding tone. “Yes, Professor Whitlock.”
His reply is a scowl, so I hastily repeat to him the few words Anton said to me. Tobias chews on a nail, brows tugging down. “I’m unsure whether to trust him. Is that all he said?”
“Nikolai interrupted him." I clutch Tobias's jacket sleeve. "We could find Anton. Ask him to help.”
“No. I’m not going back out there unless it’s to look for a way off the estate. Maybe we could go through the woods...” He rubs his temples. “But there’ll be magical protection, I’m sure.”
“No, Anton could be our way out.” I look to the window, at the direction I’ve convinced myself is our best shot. Tears threaten because Tobias is dashing my new hope.
“I want more details on what Anton said, Maeve.”
“I told you, he didn’t have a chance because Nikolai appeared, but Anton did want to say more,” I say in desperation. Tobias's expression tells me I'm clutching at straws, but I've nothing else to hold onto. “Or do you have a better idea?”
The words aren’t supposed to be insolent, but Tobias’s sharp look tells me they annoy him.
The subtle energy that follows us around when we’re together is drowned out by the emotion screaming out between us. Normally Tobias slowly connects with me because he holds back, but the situation with Nikolai has shaken that ability, and his heightened emotions meet mine.
I clutch at his hand, wanting to keep the physical connection and allow him to calm me. But there's no calming energy inside him to help me. He’s as lost as I am. “You can’t die, Tobias. I won’t let that happen.”
Tobias moves away. “You need to calm down. I can’t cope with this.”
“Calm down? After what we just did? When Nikolai showed me...” I trail off.
“Showed you what?” asks Tobias sharply.