The magic was intense. It swirled like a hurricane of hurt, pain, and anger. I could actually feel Edwin’s hatred as I pushed the magic from my old boyfriend to my new love. I could feel it taking shape.
The hatred this man felt for the man I loved was unreal, and I could sense the pain he wanted to put him in…the pain I was now allowing him to put him in.
“I can’t do this,” I muttered. It was too much like Edwin winning.
“You have to, Charisse,” Abram said.
I squeezed my eyes shut harder, trying to concentrate, trying to block out Abram’s grunts as the spell continued. When I dared to open my eyes, I nearly screamed.
Abram was changing right before me. His body was contorting, bones breaking, fur sprouting, eyes changing color and shape.
It was even bigger than the beast he had just become, even fiercer, and—I could tell from the connection we all had with each other—even more agonizing.
The aggression he now experienced was unearthly. It was a white-hot unnatural thing. A driving force that knew no recuse or sustenance. A hunger that could never be sated.
And now, it was inside of Abram.
I wanted to pull away. Let it all be damned, I wouldn’t do this to him. But I couldn’t. The spell was in effect, and no amount of regret would allow me to disconnect myself with it now. What was done was done, and Charlie was almost free of this world he didn’t belong to.
As the curse cemented itself into Abram, the lights went out, leaving us in darkness. When it all ended, signaled by a loud screeching sound that threatened to draw blood from my ears, the lights returned.
Abram was sweaty and struggling for breath. Now that I was free to do so, I rushed toward him.
He threw his hand out, stopping me. “I’m fine,” he said, though I could tell his every movement was torment. “I just—I need some air.”
“O-okay,” I said as he rushed out the door.
“Thank you for everything,” I said to Ramsey in a hurry. “Will you stay with Charlie for a while? I want to make sure—”
“Say no more. Of course,” Ramsey said. “But Charisse…you have to understand that this curse is worse than the others. I felt that anger, too. It was—”
“You heard Abram,” I said, trying to keep my own anger from my voice. “He said he’d be fine, and he will. He has to.”
Please, God, let Abram be fine.
* * *
By the time I made it out, Abram had already vanished in that damned hallway maze.
It took me ten minutes to find my way outside.
I knew my guy, and that meant I knew where he would be. No sidewalk or breezeway for him. I found him crouched nearly at the edge of the roof. He was still struggling for breath, still pouring sweat.
“Sweetheart,” I said, coming up behind him. “Let’s get you back inside. Maybe there’s something Ramsey can do to help.”
“Stay away from me,” he yelled, turning to meet me.
I reared back when I caught sight of him. He was deformed, a half beast/half man hybrid. His nose was stretched into a long snout and his teeth were rigid fangs.
“Abram?” I said, tears prickling behind my eyes. What had I done? “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.” God, I found myself saying that so much as of late. “You’re adjusting, just like when you were first cursed all those years ago. You’re going to be fine.”
“No,” he said, his words mangled by the presence of fangs. “This is different. I can feel it. I’m not going to be able to stop it.”
“You’re being ridiculous. You’ll be fine.”
“You need to stay away from me,” he said. The threatening tone of his voice made me take a step back that I would later regret.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll be right here, all the way on the other side of the roof. Whenever you feel like you’ve got a handle on things—”
“You’re afraid,” he nearly whispered.
“I’m not—”
“Don’t lie to me, Charisse. Don’t ever lie to me. I can smell it on you.”
I started toward him. “Abram—”
“You’re not listening,” he said. Again, I stopped in my tracks, unable to fight past the fear stricken in me by his curse. “This is different than before. You have to stay away from me.”
“Fine, I’ll meet you back at the hotel.”
Abram shook his warped head. “No, you won’t.”
This time, I was the one to shake my head. “What do you mean? Then where do you want to meet?”
His demon-like eyes pinned mine. “We’re not meeting again, Charisse. You need to stay away from me for good.”
“What?” I asked, rushing toward him. “Don’t talk like that. You’re not thinking straight.”
“I am,” he said, inching farther toward the edge of the roof. “You have a life to lead. You have a purpose that’s bigger than I am, bigger than us. I can’t put that in jeopardy by subjecting you to what I am now.”
“Abram, stay right there,” I commanded, running toward him at full speed. “Don’t you move. Don’t you dare move!”
“I have to do this, Charisse. For me, for you, for the whole world.” He shook his head. “And you can’t look for me. You can’t ever look for me. Promise me that, Charisse. And promise me one other thing.” He blinked hard. “Have a good life.”
“Abram, stop,” I said, finally closing in on him. “Just wait a minute!”
“I wish I could. You have no idea how much I wish I could. Goodbye, Miss Bellamy. It’s been an honor.”
With that, he jumped off the roof.
“No,” I screamed, finally making it to the edge of the roof, moments too late. I looked over the side, but he was gone. My whole body shut down. I slammed my fists against the edge until it hurt so bad my heartache couldn’t block the physical pain anymore.
Then I sat down on the roof, the pain of heartbreak ripping me apart from the inside.
Abram had disappeared into the darkness, leaving this place, and me, forever.
The End
* * *
The Conduit Series will continue with Book 4, Granted by the Beast. Join our Newsletter if you don’t want to miss it!
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Conner Kressley is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA. He is an avid reader and all around lover of storytelling. His book “The Breaker’s Code” is the first in the epic “Fixed Points” series that pits free will against fate and true love against good intentions and bad situations. You can learn more about Conner and his books below.
View More on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1q58TJA
Visit His Website: http://connerkressleybooks.weebly.com/
* * *
Rebecca Hamilton is a USA Today Bestselling Paranormal Fantasy author who also dabbles in Horror and Literary Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA and has been published internationally, in three languages. You can learn more about Rebecca and her books below.
View More on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Sa6jZn
Visit Her Website: http://www.rebeccahamiltonbooks.com/
Charmed by the Beast: an Adult Paranormal Shifter Romance (The Conduit Series Book 3) Page 22
