The Witch Born to Smoulder (Inferno Book 4)

at the church when I suspected he’d seen me perform magic, but we hadn’t spoken. After the prom, I’d kept my distance, waiting for the dust to settle.
Noah’s gaze travelled slowly over me, and I felt every inch of my body that Anna had squeezed into a short off-the-shoulder navy velvet dress. I glanced back to the door, which he’d shut on his way in. All of a sudden, the walls pressed closer.
‘Some dress,’ he said, then picked up Ezra’s champagne and downed it.
‘What did you want, Noah?’ I asked, turning around and putting on the long silver earrings that Anna had left out for me.
Noah watched me for a minute, making me drop the back of my earring.
‘Do I make you nervous?’ he asked, stepping closer.
‘No – but I need to go downstairs.’
‘Now, now,’ he said, stepping forward so that he stood behind me. ‘Want some help with that?’
‘I’ve got it, thanks.’ I shuffled away from him.
In the reflection of the mirror, his eyes found my bodice, and I cursed Anna for making me wear a dress that didn’t leave much to the imagination.
‘There’s that necklace again,’ he said.
I placed my hand over the necklace – the pentagram – that I’d forgotten to take off after sailing. I felt like a child getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
‘That would make sense,’ he said.
‘What?’
‘Of course a witch would wear a pentagram.’
‘Excuse me?’ I said, heat flooding to the surface of my skin.
‘I know you’re a witch, Eva.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Noah stepped forward so there was no more space between us. I tried to move backwards, but he held my arms.
‘Oh, I think you know exactly what I’m talking about. I saw you, that day when you and lover boy were standing beside the church. I saw the flames in your hands. But to be honest, I’ve suspected you for a while – I mean, you certainly know a lot about plants and mushrooms.’
I tried to move, but Noah’s grip tightened.
‘And let’s not forget you nearly failed those witchcraft tests. If it weren’t for the bay miraculously cleaning up, I’d say you were toast.’ He gazed down at the necklace that sat just below my collarbone. ‘And then there’s your necklace – a family heirloom, no doubt.’
‘Stop it, Noah,’ I said, my body blazing with heat. ‘And let me go!’
‘You want to burn me, don’t you?’
I turned from him, but not before he saw the expression on my face that betrayed me.
‘You have two choices, Eva. You can choose to be with me – marry me – and your secret will remain safe, die with me. Or stay with Ezra, which would leave me little choice but to expose you for the witch you really are.’
Noah turned me around. I tried to move away, but he was too strong.
‘You see, if you were mine, I’d be able to overlook the fact that my sister is about to marry a witch. But if you stay with Ezra, well, frankly, that’s another story.’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ I said.
‘You and I both know exactly what I’m talking about. If we’re not together, there’s no way in hell I’m letting Anna marry into your…coven. She’ll be implicated the moment she becomes part of your family, and so will the rest of my family.’
‘Leave Anna out of this. This has nothing to do with her. Anna and Elijah, they’re happy – they deserve to be happy.’
Noah sighed. ‘You know, maybe if Anna weren’t my twin, I might be able to turn a blind eye. But if anyone should know about the lengths you will go for your twin, you should.’ Noah pulled me closer. ‘Come on, Eva. Think about it. We both know what Orpheus would do to you, knowing you’re a witch who’d corrupted his only son.’
I tried to pull away, but he smiled. ‘What’s it going to be?’ he said, then bent down, his lips claiming mine. Fire consumed me and before I could stop myself, red-hot heat rushed through my hands and onto Noah’s arms. He jumped back, his eyes wide.
And then he laughed. ‘To be honest, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure you were a witch until just now. I thought I saw flames in your hands that day, beside the church, but I couldn’t be sure. And that necklace, well, it has a lot of potential meanings. But now I have no doubt. So, what do you say, Eva – will you be my wife?’
‘What?’ I said, feeling as though the room had tilted.
‘You might be a little hard to tame, but I like a challenge.’
‘Just stop it, Noah. I don’t love you. Since you started behaving like a complete moron, I don’t even like you as a friend. I’ll never marry you. And guess what, it doesn’t matter what you think – no one will believe a thing you say. Everyone will think you’re lashing out because your pride was damaged.’
The look Noah gave me told me that I’d damaged more than his pride.
‘How will you explain this, then?’ he said, pulling back his shirt to reveal two red hand marks on his skin.
‘I’ll say you’re making shit up.’
Noah watched me for a long moment. ‘I wonder what will happen to your brother and your mum and dad when you’re named a witch. They’ll be implicated, of course. The police might keep you alive for a bit of fun, but Orpheus won’t hesitate to kill your family.’
The blood inside me turned cold.
‘You know I’m right.’ He stepped closer, his head tilted to the side. ‘Choose me and save your family.’
Fire consumed me. I felt a fireball in my hand and a desire inside myself to throw it onto Noah – set him alight.
Noah glanced down at the flames that danced in my palm. ‘What’s your decision, sweet little witchy Eva?’
Slowly, he stepped closer, and my breath became ragged.
‘Be my wife and save your family.’
I pictured my family down at the town