The Forty-Year-Old Virgin Witch, page 12
“What—what about Karl?”
I pushed my body into his hands, and he chuckled darkly.
“I can wait for him to return. Can you?”
I didn’t know anything. I was a confused, anxious bundle of arousal and fear, of shame and wantonness. I knew witches had multiple partners throughout their lives, going through men like underwear until they found the one they wanted to have a child with. But multiple partners at the same time?
Wasn’t it wrong?
The setting sun painted a kaleidoscope across the sky, and I pushed away from Luka’s lap.
“Shouldn’t Karl be back by now?”
Luka frowned, not wanting to be distracted from our … current situation. I gave him an apologetic look and slid to the floor.
“He did say he’d be back by now, didn’t he?”
Luka gave me a long, suffering look, then sighed. “Yes, he did specify that.”
I sat down on my bed and nervously braided and unbraided the ends of my hair. Karl was not someone who broke his word. That meant something had happened to delay him.
“What could possibly delay a vampyre?” I murmured.
Luka sat down next to me and gathered me in his arms. I hugged him back, squeezing my eyes shut as terrible scenarios went through my head.
“I could go out and look for him….”
My head snapped up, even as his words trailed off. We both knew Luka wouldn’t leave me here alone, which left only one scenario left.
“Let’s go.”
Never in my life had I imagined I’d ride a freaking wolf, but that was precisely the situation I found myself in. Luka’s fur was soft underneath me, and my hips felt secure directly on top of his front shoulders. My thighs squeezed his sides as my fingers gripped his fur, and I knew I’d likely be sore tomorrow. We both knew it was best for me to conserve my magick in case we needed it.
We’d been running north for nearly an hour when Luka came to an abrupt halt in the forest. He jerked his back, and I took my hint to climb down.
“What is it?”
He jerked his head to the left, growling slightly. Whatever it was, he felt there was enough of a threat to stay in his wolf form. He disappeared into the trees, then moments later came running back in human form. I fumbled in my satchel for the gym shorts and light t-shirt we’d packed for him, and he shucked them on in record time. His face was white, and his mouth moved without any words coming out. My heart sank.
“What’s wrong?”
Luka reached for my hand and tugged me along behind him. We burst through a clump of bushes, and I stood paralyzed. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even move at the sight of the dead woman lying in the woods in front of me. Her eyes gazed up at the night sky unseeing, her limbs splayed and hair fanned out behind her. She bled sluggishly from two horrible slashes on the side of her neck. I stumbled backward into Luka, who gripped my shoulders tightly.
“She’s a witch. I can smell it.”
No. No.
“Karl didn’t do this. He said he didn’t hunt humans. He never—”
“Karl was hungry and past due for a feed. He confessed it was likely he would be denied access to the blood bags once he told his Elder he was leaving. He was likely desperate.”
I shook my head frantically back and forth, unwilling to believe. Unwilling to see.
It wasn’t him. It wouldn’t be him.
Luka stepped in front of me, sniffing the air. “He was definitely here. Should we follow him?”
Sorrow grabbed my heart in a fierce grip and squeezed. My breaths came fast, then faster, and then suddenly I was bundled into Luka’s arms, his scent burrowing into my nostrils as he forced us both to the ground. The earth met my bare legs, and I calmed only slightly.
I pushed away from Luka and crawled to the woman, taking note of the long traveling cloak and leather boots. My rage and agony shot through my body, one hand digging into the earth and the other fisting in the woman’s cloak.
She wasn’t dead yet! I grunted in pain as magick shot viciously through me, and a blinding white light surrounded both of us.
“Aggie!”
Luka tried to go to my side, but the light acted as a barrier, keeping him away. Awareness returned to the witch’s eyes, and she gasped as her back arched painfully off the ground. My fingers felt like they were being burned to crisps, my nails cracking and my throat on fire as I continued to scream. It was too much, and I couldn’t control it.
Then I was pushed away from the witch and into Luka’s waiting arms.
“Take her and go! The druids are coming!”
I recognized Quinn’s voice but couldn’t see anything other than the blinding white light. My hands burned in agony, and tears streamed down my face as I sobbed uncontrollably. Finding the witch and knowing it had been Karl … it had all been too much. Luka grabbed me and started running, and he didn’t stop.
Chapter
Twenty-One
QUINN
“Fuck, fuck. FUCK.”
Sometimes there was only one word appropriate for how terrible a situation was, and this was one of those moments.
The dying witch twitched under my arms, her hands grasping desperately at her throat as Aggie’s magick burned brightly in her veins. I’d never been bitten by a vampyre, but there were plenty of eyewitness accounts to let me know it was one of the worst agonies on earth. The entire body felt like it was burning in a vat of acid from the inside out, and that was if you were lucky and the vampyre hadn’t drained you completely. If the vampyre didn’t seal the bite or you didn’t seek magickal treatment, then turning was inevitable.
My own magick shot into the witch, the indigo tendrils caressing Aggie’s white ones as I first set to repairing her torn throat. If the vampyre was to survive this without a death sentence from the council, then no one could know this happened, not even the witch.
Her throat mended, I touched two fingers to her forehead, and she went still. I could only hope our combined magicks would be enough to wipe her most recent memories.
If the magickal backlash didn’t fry her first.
Healing magick was tricky, and it took a long time to learn its intricate nuances. I’d learned by experimenting on myself, so I knew more than most. A mercenary’s life wasn’t exactly safe, after all. When I was sure the witch wouldn’t bleed out and the wolf was likely far enough away with Aggie, I sent a beacon high into the sky.
In minutes I was surrounded by the druids. The leader stalked forward, ripping her hood off her head.
“What happened?” she hissed.
I had to play this carefully.
“She was hurt, but I think most of it is healed.”
Don’t offer any information. Let them lead you to the correct answers.
The witch snarled at me, and thrust a hand out at the witch. The witch shot straight up, her chest following the leader’s hand like a crude puppet. The witch’s blonde hair had twigs and grass strewn in it, but her eyes snapped open with clarity. Her thankfully brown eyes. I nearly slumped with relief. A newly turned vampire would have blood red eyes, which would turn back to their normal color until they were hungry again. Over time the irises would turn red, and then eventually the pupils.
“Róisín. What happened?”
I held my breath, waiting with more anticipation than the coven. The witch frowned, trying carefully to stand.
“I … I don’t know. I think I was attacked. Then … then I was being healed. Oh, how it burned.”
The witch shot me a confused glance, and I barely remembered to give her a flirtatious grin back.
Stay in character. Act how you normally would.
The leader wasn’t nearly as impressed.
“Burning?” She grabbed the witch’s chin and inspected her neck, narrowing her eyes when no blemish was found. I reminded myself to breathe.
“What were you doing out here anyway? I thought—” My mouth slammed shut as her power washed over me.
“A better question would be what you were doing here, warlock.”
I scowled, hating how they always managed to make the word sound like a slur. It was tempting to rat out the vampyre or even the wolf, but all I could see was Aggie’s devastated face. What would happen to her if her protectors were taken away and executed for attacking a witch?
She’d be desolate is what she’d be. Horrifically unhappy and likely mourning them until the end of time.
I couldn’t do it.
“I … it was an accident.”
The head witch’s eyes snapped to mine, fury brimming in her gaze. I refused to be cowed and gathered my own magick around me.
“I was meditating, and we stumbled into each other. I healed her though.”
The witch on the ground blinked, confused. The head witch didn’t look convinced. I put my hands behind my head and forced my face into a bashful expression.
“Look, uh, this is a bit embarrassing. If word gets out I made such a stupid blunder … well, you understand. It’s bad for business.”
An eyebrow raised at me, and I gave her a winning smile.
“How about one favor on the house, and we’ll call it square?”
Her eyes narrowed, and she reached out a hand and lifted the witch to her feet. Her other hand seized mine in a vice grip, and I winced as her long nails bit into the skin of my wrist. I felt her power swell around me.
“You already owe us much after your night in Dublin, warlock.” But she continued. “So mote be it.”
The oath squeezed the air from my lungs, and a moment later it was over. She dropped my hand like it was diseased, and the witches were all backing away.
“We tire of your presence, and you’ve worn out your usefulness. Do not seek us again.”
One of the figures in a robe twitched, and I grinned as a lock of red hair escaped her hood. The things she could do with her ab muscles….
I resisted the urge to rub my wrist, instead patting my kit to ensure all my bags and weapons were intact.
“Pretty hard to do you a favor if you don’t want to see me—”
The murderous look on the witch’s face made me slam my mouth shut. I couldn’t stand against all of them after using up so much healing power. They disappeared in purple flames, and I sank to the ground.
What. The. Fuck.
How was that witch not a vampyre?
More importantly, I’d just made an oath to work for free. What could be worse?
I ran a hand through my hair, trying not to panic. This was very bad. The last time I owed a witch anything, I’d nearly died. Why was I still involving myself? After Dublin, I certainly had enough money to find a tropical island and never set foot in this rainy, miserable place ever again.
“Fucking witches.”
I pondered Aggie’s magick, touching its lingering traces in the air. It was more potent than anything I’d ever grasped before. How had she healed that witch? I frowned, knowing I needed to stay away from her in case the coven was following me.
Magick as potent as a vampyre’s didn’t just get eaten away by stronger magick. The balance didn’t work like that. Magick couldn’t be destroyed or created, simply changed or transferred. The witch clearly wasn’t a vampyre, so all of that energy had to go somewhere.
My eyes widened in horror.
“Aggie.”
I whistled, and Ayah’s white feathers flashed at me.
“Find the vampyre. Let me know immediately.”
Feathers flew as she launched into the air, feeling the urgency through our bond. If anything could spot a vampyre in these woods at night, it would be Ayah. I had to do this for Aggie, especially after what I’d done in Dublin. I was never one to feel guilt, but this damn witch had been the first one.
Urgh.
I sank my fingers into the earth, trying to settle and balance what remaining power I had left after dumping most of it on the Gaelic druid. Even though I was male, my power worked the same way as normal witches—an affinity to the earth that was a symbiotic relationship. Mother granted us our powers and abilities, and in exchange we defended and honored her.
It wasn’t any less meaningful or intense just because I had an extra appendage dangling between my legs.
I flicked a dagger from my inner arm to my palm, then nicked my forearm. I didn’t wince as blood poured down my arm and mixed with the ground. If I was going to take on the vampyre and get him to see reason, I’d need an extra boost.
“Manibus Matrique Terrae deberi mihi…”
Light bloomed underneath my body, and a rush of energy filled my veins. I would pay for this later when my body and magick crashed, but that was fine. I could rest when I was dead.
Ayah’s screech was above me, and a second later came the vision. Aggie’s vampyre stood in the middle of a crowd at some po-dunk, run-down country fair. Neon lights glinted off his skin, but his eyes were purple, void of the bloodlust that would have driven him toward a large crowd of humans. It would be an easy solve if he was rampaging, but what was he doing with a clear head in a crowd of humans?
I frowned, trying to piece together what I knew about him. Snobby and polite to a fault, which was the exact opposite of most vampyres I knew. Oh fuck. Aggie’s little 20th century gentleman was absolutely the sort who would feel guilty over attacking a human, especially a witch.
Which meant his foray into Hicksville wasn’t a social one. Maybe he wanted to be caught.
“Fucking vampyres.”
I held out my arm, and Ayah landed sharply. Her talons dug into the leather on my braces, and for a moment I examined her memory, opening wide our familiar bond. I gathered my new energy, knowing I was definitely going to pay for all of this later.
“Ayah, fly to Aggie. Let the wolf know we need the vampyre, and I’m working on retrieving him.”
I wasn’t confident Ayah could communicate with anyone but me, but she should be able to pass the message onto Aggie’s familiar, who seemed to have a slight bond with the wolf.
“Saving vampyres. What is wrong with us?”
I closed my eyes and dissolved into wisps of smoke.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
LUKA
Aggie started screaming and didn’t stop the entire way back to the cottage. I burst through her door and tried to lay her on her bed, but she clutched me harder. She wouldn’t stop screaming.
“Aggie, please—”
“It burns! It burns!”
I blanched, terrified beyond my wits. I pried Aggie from me and laid her down gently on her bed, prying her hands off of me. I needed to think. Burning like this only occurred when someone suffered from a vampyre bite. Every wolf cub knew that! I pressed my hands to my head, trying to remember what the solution was.
“The vampyre has to… has to seal the bite marks!”
I froze, torn between the immediate need to find Karl and the overwhelming urge to stay and care for Aggie. She sobbed hysterically on the bed, stripping her clothes until she was buck naked on the sheets. There was nothing remotely sexual about the pain that contorted her body garishly.
“Don’t leave me!”
My heart felt like it was ripping down the center.
“Babe, I need to find Karl or—”
“NO! DON’T LEAVE ME!”
She tried to reach out to me, nearly falling off the bed as she continued to thrash. I easily caught her but couldn’t move once my arms were around her. Her screams muffled to pitiful cries and whimpers, and I knew I wouldn’t leave her. If only Quinn’s damn falcon was around, that thing could at least take messages.
Wait.
“DAMON!”
The cat appeared in the kitchen window, eyes wide when he saw Aggie’s state. He yowled and leaped lightly to my side, hissing and glaring at me.
“Damon, we need to find Karl or Quinn. They’re the only ones who can help.”
The black cat didn’t waste another moment. He pounced onto the oven and then out the kitchen window, leaving me to cradle Aggie’s head as she moaned in pain.
I curled around her, trying desperately to keep my own shit together. My wolf was upset and begging to be released, but it couldn’t do anything to help. No one likely could, except for the warlock or the vampyre who’d started all this. I had one idea left.
I carried Aggie outside into the night air, laying her down between a path of lavender and sage. Her shaking stopped when she touched the dirt, but her brow was still fevered. I gave into my wolf and shifted. I curled my body around her, better able to detect any threats that may approach us.
I hunkered down with Aggie, prepared for a rough night.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
KARL
The humans shoved around me, unbothered as I stood motionless in the crowd. After mauling that poor woman in the woods, I didn’t know who I was anymore. Clarity had returned to me as soon as I’d ripped open a hole in her throat, and I’d fled in complete and utter panic without feeding. She was likely dead after bleeding out into the bushes.
I wasn’t sure why I was here. The woman would be found, and the authorities would be involved. Someone would put the pieces together, and the druids knew I was the only vampyre in the area. The council would come for me, and I’d be executed. Decades of perfect self-control and discipline were wasted. And for what? An extra few weeks at Aggie’s side?
It was a stupid thought, but I still didn’t regret it. I should have left and fed periodically to stave off the bloodlust, but I hadn’t. In the end, it was a good thing Aggie had Luka. She would need him to look after her when I was gone.
Why was I here?
I was a coward, for one thing. I didn’t want to suffer through the long, drawn-out wait that would ensue while the council pieced together who killed the woman. I wanted to face them now and get my punishment over with. Even if they killed me. If I went on a rampage here, they would find me in hours, not weeks. Yes. It would be one glorious moment, and I would finally set the monster inside of me free….
