For The Love Of…Aries On Fire Excerpt by Artemis Crow

Elita waited a beat then jumped up and ran into the kitchen, rifling through the drawers until she found a small plastic box with various sizes of flathead screwdrivers. She grabbed the box and opened it, her hands shaking so hard she dropped it. “Damn it.”

She bent over rifling through the sizes until she found a pair that looked like the right sizes. Starting with the smallest one, she slipped the end into the locking mechanism of the iron band around her neck. If she got this one off first, she could cast a spell that would unlock the bands around her wrists and ankles.

The tip slipped.

She tried to reinsert it but in her haste she kept missing. She trotted to the microwave and bent down to look in the reflection.

Something heavy hit her in the back of the head. Her forehead slammed into the front of the appliance and bounced back. Her neck twinged and her eyes crossed. She dropped the screwdriver and staggered across the kitchen, finally grabbing the counter so she didn’t fall to the floor.

She lifted her head and saw Nokomis staring daggers, or maybe it was screwdrivers, Elita couldn’t tell from the distance. No matter, the Kellas Cat Outbreeder had a helluva arm. Elita touched her forehead and winced when she felt the already rising knot.

“Was that necessary?”

“You were trying to escape your iron band,” Nokomis answered, her chin raised. “That makes you a threat to those I love, which makes you my enemy.” She snapped her fingers and a massive tiger strolled into the great room.

Nokomis crossed to the kitchen with the tiger and pointed at Elita. “Enemy.”

With one word, the tiger’s relaxed posture and kind eyes shifted. His body tensed, his eyes narrowed, boring into Elita as if memorizing her face. He sniffed the air as if imprinting her scent, labeling her an enemy.

“I suggest you resign yourself to being our ‘guest’ for as long as we deem it necessary. If you try to run, I’ve painted a target on your back.” She stepped in front of the cat. “He will kill you with my blessing.”

Elita heaved a sigh and held up her hands. “Fine, I got it.”

Nokomis jerked her head toward the great room and the tiger padded to the fireplace. He plopped down in front of it and started grooming, the entire moment forgotten. 

Not that Elita had forgotten or could; this put a huge kink in her plan to run. The last thing she needed was a tiger sicced on her. She walked around the island, pulled out a chair and plopped just as the tiger had done, only she didn’t start grooming. No, she dropped her head into her hands instead. There was nothing for it; she was stuck here until fortune smiled on her or sense was knocked into the Zodiacs which she didn’t see happening anytime soon. It hadn’t happened in five months, so….

May Your Words Flow Freely,

Artemis

The Zodiac Assassins series
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