Cursed (The Spellbound Series, #2)

16 | Hell Hath No Fury

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Chapter 16 – Hell Hath No Fury

Melissa barely had time to process before Diane was running at her, hands stretched out and fingers curled like wicked claws. Melissa's body ran ahead of her brain and threw itself aside, and she landed against one of the upturned couches, the armrest jabbing into her side. She looked up and saw that Diane's momentum had propelled her to the door. Melissa took this moment to let her brain catch up to her body, and she heaved herself onto her feet.

"Diane, you need to calm down," she declared, slowly and carefully, as she maneuvered herself away from the girl. Diane had turned around, and though her face was now away from the light, her crimson eyes were almost glowing in the dark. She glared at Melissa, teeth bared and snarling like a wild animal, and she reached for the closest couch. Melissa watched in horror as Diane, who was barely a hundred-and-thirty pounds of teenage girl, hoisted the red sofa a foot off the ground and hurled it in her direction.

Melissa turned and threw her arms to the floor, the rest of her following afterward as she dived towards the kitchen archway. There was a deafening crash as the couch slammed into the wall just inches away from her. She looked over her shoulder in horror, unable to comprehend what was happening to her friend. Whatever it was, though, it was clear that the girl wanted her dead.

Her breath hitched, the memory of attacking Cameron the night he'd beat Anson unconscious. Maybe Diane had also been added to the list of victims of the siren curse. Surely, though, Maddie would have mentioned if she'd used her powers on someone else. Plus, Diane didn't seem to have any phantom itches or coughing-up of blood, and the red eyes and inhuman strength were certainly a new touch. "Di, listen to me!" she yelled, getting up onto her feet again. "It's me, Mel! You need to stop this!"

But her words might as well have been ping pong balls bouncing off of the brick wall that was Diane, who had made her way to the next couch in the room. Panic and exhaustion made Melissa breathe heavily. She couldn't keep dodging Diane's projectile furniture attacks forever. She knew what she had to do, but it would involve exposing herself to Diane – which wouldn't be the first time, though that had been accidental. But then, it was either that or let the girl bury her in loveseats.

As Diane gripped her hands at the base of the couch, Melissa lifted her hand at her friend. "Quiescite motus," she said, and watched as the couch slipped from Diane's fingers. Her body forced itself upright with an almost painful-looking jerk, her legs locking together underneath her, and her arms pressed against her sides. Her neck was stiff as her face pulled forward, and her lips forced together, groaning from restraint, her eyes still fiery with rage.

A bright, yellow light suddenly bathed the room. Melissa squinted against the glow – her eyes had become accustomed to the darkness – and whipped her head in the direction of the front door. Cameron stepped in, looking rushed, and his eyes immediately landed on her. "What's going on?" he demanded, his hand pointed away from his waist, poised to attack. "It felt like you were in danger. Apparently that still works."

"It's- It's Di, she-" Melissa managed to sputter, and gestured over to where her friend was frozen in place. Cameron rushed over to her as Melissa wiped her eyes against her shoulder. "I think Serena put some kind of spell on her. She was saying all these horrible things... And then she started coming at me. Like she wanted to kill me."

Cameron held his fingers at Diane's chin and stared carefully at her eyes. Just then Anson came skulking in through the front door, green eyes dark and alert. "Landon insisted that I should make sure you guys were alright," he said as walked into the room, pulling off his hood. He spotted Cameron examining Diane at the far wall, and frowned. "What's the friend doing here?"