The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 140

Thirty-Four: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

"You’re coming with me," I said as I walked past Tobias in the gym. The large stack of plates dropped loudly as he released the rope he had been pulling. I didn't need to look over my shoulder to know he was following me. I could feel him. His hands shot out, grabbing my waist and pulling my body back against his as we reached the training field outside.

His deep voice echoed through my mind, sending a shiver down my spine.1 You can count on it. Then, after, we can go wherever you want.'

I smirked as I enjoyed his dirty mind. A quick afternoon delight would be welcomed, but I didn't know how much time I had. Natalie would keep

Rona distracted, but the redheaded witch would get suspicious if it were too long. That was the last thing I needed after she caught me with her blood.

"Down, boy,’ I whispered, rubbing my ass against him suggestively. "Work now, reward later.1’

He loosened his hold on me as I began to walk again, his fingers tips slipping off my hips after a few steps.

Tobias had always been a great warrior. He took orders well and never asked questions. It wasn't until we were alone that the roles were reversed, and he gave the orders.

He didn't question my instructions; I knew he could feel my stress and determination to get this over with.

I had spoken to Natalie this morning, and she understood her assignment. She was to keep Rona distracted and have Rona use her magic as much as possible while I was gone. Draining her energy would help me to get past any traps or wards she had placed without her noticing.

'Let's make this quick.' I told him through our mate bond, feeling the light and joking man melt away until he returned to the usual hard and collected warrior. 'I don't want it to be noticed that we are gone if we can help it. Do you need to pack anything or want to change first? We should only be gone a few hours."

I really hoped his answer was no. He looked so sexy in his workout clothes. The way his muscles stretched the fabric and the light layer of sweat on him had me ready to climb him like a tree and lick the salt from his neck.

He shook his head, grabbing my hand, and I didn't waste another second before teleporting us to the closest town's border. I knew where Rona lived; she had taken over her mother's house after she had drained her mother's magic and killed her for her seat on the council.

The air was void of magic, and I had to assume that even if I didn't feel it, she had at least one ward in place to protect her home.

We walked carefully away from the town, out past the edge of the forest, and through the thick trees before her cabin came into view. It was small, quant, and a little evil-looking.

The low layer of fog hiding her yard was out of place for the dry and warm morning. The green vines covering the east wall of her home were thicker than anything I had ever seen, and I imagined that if I got too close, they would strangle me without a second thought.

Tobias stopped, taking a deep breath before letting out a growl on exhale. He knew exactly where we were. I was sure that he could smell her. The rotten bitch.

Everything about her screamed that she was vile, and I was ready to celebrate the day she would meet her end.

With a twitch of my pinky finger at my side, a breeze cleared the yard of the fog. As it blew away, the sound of sizzling and trees crackling made my eyes widen. It only took a second before the leaves fell from the impacted trees. I should have suspected that she would play with poison. She was a snake.

The yard in front of her house was cute, with lush green grass and a brick pathway that led to her front door. It almost reminded me of the witch's cottage in Hansel and Gretel. I wouldn't have been surprised if Rona cooked and ate kids.

Like steam, the fog began to rise from the grass, filling the area once more. As the breeze blew it back into the trees, I picked up a rock and tossed it onto the cleared pathway. The stone had barely touched it when the ground opened and swallowed it, closing immediately as if it never happened.

Either she trusted people less than I did or hid something huge, powerful, or incriminating inside that small cottage.

For the next hour, I fought against the dozens of traps she had in place, trying to get close enough to get into her house. Tobias looked ready to barrel through the yard and knock down the door, but it wouldn't be that easy.

When one of the thick vines wrapped itself around me and smashed me against the hard ground, I was sure he would lose his mind, but he stopped when I freed myself with a laugh. Blood dripped down my face, but I wiped it with my shirt, careful to keep any from reaching the ground.

I did think a few ribs had broken, but that was nothing compared to some of the injuries I had faced before.

When I sucked myself down into the Earth and tried to come up in the middle of her living room, I almost suffocated beneath the dirt as her house sat on a thick layer of cement. Going in through the roof was what triggered the vines to knock me out of the air and attempt to turn me into minced meat.

She was prepared, but I was determined. My stubbornness could outmatch hers any day.

"We should get you to a healer and come up with a new plan to get inside,” Tobias said, placing his hand on my cheek, but I shook my head.

I wouldn't give up, but I was getting irrationally angry. A large rock, just bigger than my fist, stuck out to me, and I reached down and picked it up. Tobias narrowed his eyes at me as I smiled widely at him. If the house wouldn't let us in without her, I would have to bring her with us.

Just as I prepared to teleport back to the castle and smash the rock into the back of her head, the air suddenly felt lighter. I hadn't planned to kill her, just knock her out and use her body as a decoy to get into her home.

But it seemed I wouldn't need to do that after all.

"What the hell?" I asked in wonder. I knew this wasn't my doing, and it felt like a trap. Why would her magic just drop off like that?