“Unfortunately, the vampires knew more about my past than I did. A few weeks after he healed, they began searching for me. By then, it was already too late. The witches decided it was best to keep what had happened a secret. They bound my powers and sent me to live in the human world where I would be safe. No contact, lest my location be discovered. The vampires had to suspect I was dead, but without a body, they continued to search.”
“You’re a blood witch.”
She flinched at Merrick’s flat words. “The one and only. I was born with two very rare, recessive genes that created a unique line of power. I went into medicine to figure out the mystery in my blood and how to weaponize it, but the magic died too quickly to be of use.” She tied off the strip.
“But the vampires found you.” It wasn’t a question. Merrick was too astute for his own good.
“I was recognized.” Trina hated the slight waver in her voice. “The bindings had weakened. All the rumors that had died down suddenly rose again. Like a contagion, it spread to the witches as well.”
She grabbed the sink, her head lowered. “They took my sister.”
“Vampires?”
Trina nodded. “To see her alive again, they want an exchange.”
“They will kill you.”
Trina laughed bitterly. “Not if they want access to my magic. In order for my blood magic to work, they must keep me alive.”
“But vampires are allergic to magic. In a large enough dose, it can even put them in status.”
Trina shook her head. “Normal magic, but direct access to magic through the blood doesn’t have the same side effects. One sip would be all it took for them to be able work magic.”
“Why does having magic matter to them?”
She glanced in the mirror, her eyes unerringly going to Merrick. He had his arms crossed, his shoulder leaning against the door. He hadn’t once approached her since she’d told him the truth. She couldn’t blame him after all the lies, and she dropped her gaze.
“For a small percentage of vampires, the virus mutates and changes the host, giving them eternal life. For the rest, the virus infects their system and they slowly decay. It’s a horrible way to die.
“Most magic disturbs the vampire virus and kick-starts the decaying process. It shuts them down if it’s potent enough. Since my magic is contained in my blood, it’s alive. If it’s added to the exchange, it would either aid the mutation or flush it out of their body completely if the virus didn’t take.”
Weston made the grim connection first. “Anyone who wanted to become a vampire wouldn’t have to worry about the consequences. They could build an army.”
“Can’t the witches protect you?” Drew piped up for the first time, and Trina wished it were so easy.
“Not all witches are born with a natural gift. Some are stronger than others. Their strength comes from the earth and their ability to pull up magic. With my magic in my blood, they would have a ready source of magic, always reliable, without any consequences. Even the weakest witch could become the most powerful.”
“There would be no protection.” Merrick’s eyes darkened. “No matter where you go, you will never be free. You pose too much of a threat. They bound your powers to protect you.”
Trina nodded. “They should’ve killed me outright. They might have if they didn’t fear the consequences more. I’m their secret back-up weapon.”
“So whichever race controls you gets an advantage.” Merrick paused. “What would the shifters gain?”
Trina rubbed her brow, the headache from using magic lingering like a persistent hangover. “I suspect magic is what’s causing CreedMark…or rather the lack of it. When the magic rose in the labs, I saw your beast draw it around him. My guess is that if you don’t get enough magical exposure, a deficiency like any other type of food or vitamin, the bindings between man and beast weaken. Since my blood is like magic in liquid form, a vaccine could theoretically be created to save your people.”
“They would bleed you dry.” Merrick looked furious, his eyes a molten yellow.
“If a cure was in reach, and the one you loved was dying, what would you do? I wouldn’t wait for an anti-virus. I’m not sure their beasts would let them wait. Nothing is fully tested. I’m not sure it would work or if it would even be a permanent cure.”
“And you didn’t say anything sooner?”
“I was a little distracted at the time.” She shook her head and brushing off her annoyance. “Extensive testing needs to be done, not to mention trials. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure. We won’t know for weeks.”
When he opened his mouth, she waved him away. “We have more important things to discuss. We need to do the T & T.”
Victor gave an incredulous laugh. “Do you understand how important—”
“What good is a cure if you’re all dead?” Trina looked at the kid. “I can tell you what needs to be done, but I have no practice with natural magic. If I tried, it would likely end up destroying the amulet or ruin the source of trace.”
“Not to mention that they’ll be able to track you.” Merrick ran a hand through his hair, wondering when his world had gone to shit. He would hazard a guess that it was when her size six shoes entered his life. If her powers grew stronger or her bindings weakened any more, he feared he wouldn’t be able to protect her.
Hell, he wasn’t sure he could even protect her now. Not the way things stood.
“The only magic I can use without getting tracked is my sight. My powers are adapting, but I’ve got nothing that would be of much help to us right now.”
He saw by the way she avoided his gaze and all the information she so helpfully volunteered that she was leaving him.
The blow stunned him. Beast pressed both of his paws on his chest until his heart ached and his lungs refused to work. And what angered him more was there was not a damned thing he could do to change her mind.
That didn’t mean he had to make it easy for her to disappear from his life.
Weston held out the amulet.
Merrick nodded to the boy. “Time to earn your keep.”
“I don’t know how.” The kid’s voice broke painfully over the last word. Drew reluctantly accepted the necklace, blushing at being the center of attention.
“That’s where I come in.” Trina stepped forward and the hackles on his neck rose when she neared the wizard. He was a witch, and no matter how much she liked the kid, he was a threat to her.
“It’s like taking apart a clock. You check for seams or cracks. The way a spell is put together is the caster’s signature. No two witches cast the same spells the same way.
“Once you find the crack, allow your magic to fill the gap.”
Trina closed her eyes and drew up her sight to help guide Drew. The change was instantaneous and the room burst to life. Sparks snapped in the air with an audible crackle around Drew and the amulet. The hot stink of burnt magic, kind of like the smell of a match being lit, hovered over the amulet.
“You have to be careful. Some magic can be a trap. It takes a delicate touch. I’ll watch and guide you where I can.”
The boy reluctantly closed his eyes and drew up his power. Magic sputtered then flamed around him with a steady burn. He searched for cracks, a little clumsily at first, but his confidence and speed grew. Drew had some serious talent. With training and practice, he’d be a sight to be seen if he was allowed to continue casting after the witches learn he’d helped them.
“Found it.” Sweat darkened the hairline of his temple. His eyes shone with excitement and the rush of power.
“Now I need you to smell the magic.”
Drew gave Trina a questioning look.
“Let’s try something different. I want you to taste the magic. It’s easier when you’re first learning. Cats do it all the time. Breathe the magic in through your mouth.”
Drew looked faintly embarrassed but did as told. He opened his mouth and sucked in a big breath, his chest fillin
g.
And sputtered, dropping the amulet to scrape at his tongue, glaring at her all the while.
Trina smiled, remembering her first experience. To this day, she still flinched when she smelled mothballs. “What does it taste like?”
“Wet dog.”
“That means you did it right.” Drew looked astonished, and she smiled. “That’s who activated the spell. It was keyed to wolves.”
“What did that gain us? We already knew the dead woman was a wolf.” Victor wasn’t arguing, just asking the obvious question.
“That was no small spell. The wolf we found couldn’t afford a casting like that. This test confirms that the attack wasn’t orchestrated by a witch. They probably didn’t even know how it was intended to be used. If a witch purchased it, she would have activated it, and her smell would’ve been all over it instead. It takes a lot of power and money for a person to activate a spell they did not cast.”
She reached for the necklace and gave it back to Merrick. “Wolves purchased this for one reason.”
She met Merrick’s gaze squarely, memorizing the face that had become so dear to her in such a short time. “To kill you.”
Chapter Twenty-three
“Thank you.” Drew studied his shoes, his gaze flicking up to watch the men quietly talking by the door.
“For what?” Trina stopped watching Merrick and leaned over to nudge Drew with her shoulder. They were sitting side by side on the couch, waiting for the others to stop arguing.
“For not letting him kill me. For showing me magic.” His eyes shone with his first real taste of power. A prick of jealousy needled her at his ability, but she quickly dismissed it. He’d learn soon enough that magic could be a curse.
“You have to be careful around other witches. Most don’t bring outsiders into the coven. If you go to them for help and they find you lacking, they will bind your powers and leave you to fend for yourself.”
The happiness on Drew’s face drained away. “The people I came with.”
Trina nodded. “They literally sent you into the lion’s den to spy for them without an ounce of protection. Out of the hundreds who ask to be trained, few are ever taught magic. Only those who can benefit the coven are welcomed. Unless you are extremely powerful or adept, they don’t even pretend to be nice.”
The street kid she recognized in him came out. His face hardened, hiding his disappointment. “Not all of them are that way.”
Trina played with her fingers. “No, not all of them. Most are decent, but the nice people are not the ones who make the rules.”
“They never had any intention of teaching me, did they.”
It wasn’t a question, but she answered anyway. “No, I don’t think so. You have enough magic to be of interest to them, but not enough to bother with training. Worse, you’re an outsider. If you had been born in a coven, it would’ve been different.”
He paled at that. “They would take it away?”
Trina swallowed hard. “If you’d stayed, they would’ve use you in a way that would’ve burn out your magic. You would never be able to cast again.”
A bitter laugh shook his skinny frame. “So you are saying I’m screwed either way.”
Trina pursed her lips. Memories of her past rose. The loneliness. The confusion. The pain and resentment of having her magic stolen from her. She couldn’t bear to have it happen to him. “I don’t think so. You’re here now, not with them. Just don’t go back. If you asked, Merrick would allow you to stay.”
Drew snorted. “If you asked, maybe.”
“Just don’t leave. They asked you here, so you have a spot. They won’t kick you out, can’t if they don’t want to piss off the witches. You’re their Familiaran.”
Drew inhaled deeply then lifted his hand, chewing nervously on his nails. “If they don’t kill me first.”
Trina didn’t understand what made him so nervous around shifters, although most people didn’t need a reason. She didn’t pry. People like them had reason to fear. “They would never harm you, but if you are worried, prove yourself indispensable. Practice magic. Contact the witches, tell them that you’re searching for the scepter but need some supplies. They’ll send whatever you request. I’ll give you a list of books that will get you started.
“You have an innate talent with magic. Fast and strong. Not fighting mage level yet, but you could be good if you allow yourself to be.”
“You think?” He dropped his hand, sitting straighter at the mention of becoming a witch’s protector. For a young witch with nothing, it was a lot of prestige. His earnestness hurt. If the wrong witches got their talons in him, they would destroy all his potential, stealing it for themselves.
“Only thirty percent of the witch population can use magic. The top five percent of casters became the leaders. The next tier contains the mages, ones who can cast and fight at the same time, a rare talent that most witches can’t perform well together, though they are often derided for being impure. The majority who try for a position fail the brutal training. The remaining witches are the professors and alchemists.” She didn’t tell him that everyone else with magical potential that never matured remained in the coven to be harnessed by others. That’s where outsiders like him, ones without training, fell. “If this is what you want, practice hard. Help the shifters.”
“The virus thing.”
“The more exposure they have to magic the better. It can only help them. Practice calling on magic. It gets easier with time. Make yourself indispensable.”
Drew listened very carefully then spoke solemnly. “You’re leaving.”
Panic flickered in her chest, and her gaze flew to the men. They were too busy arguing to notice, although Merrick watched her as if he already expected her to pull something.
“I’m not safe here anymore. They are no longer safe if I stay.” The back of her throat ached at the thought of leaving them. She’d never allowed herself to get close to others since the coven, but she messed up with the shifters. She got attached. The pain of the upcoming separation could very well destroy her. She wasn’t sure if she could make it on her own anymore.
“I know my way around the streets. I could go with you.”
Drew’s tentative offer gave her a pang. “I would love for you to come with me, but the shifters need you here more. Vampires will be on my tail, not to mention that the witches will be joining the hunt in earnest. I need to rescue my sister, and the only way to do that is by stealing her back.”
The kid blanched at the thought of entering the vampires’ territory, and Trina knew exactly how he felt. She didn’t relish being hunted. Death surrounded her, waiting to strike down anyone who got close. As if coming to a decision, Drew’s expression grew mutinous.
She shot to her feet, standing in front of Drew to block his gaze of Merrick, fearing Drew would give away her plan. Words tumbled out of her mouth in a rush. “My blood will protect me. Anyone with me can’t say the same.”
“Your blood only protects you so far.”
She had no argument for that. “The one who attacked me as a child almost died from consuming it. I’m stronger now. If anyone tries it again, they will die.” She’d make sure of it.
“You’d sacrifice yourself?”
“That’s not my plan, but I can’t just do nothing when there is a chance I could stop the war.”
The kid looked like he wanted to argue, but she turned and grabbed her bag, preventing more conversation. She pulled out the switchblade she’d pocketed the first night she met Merrick.
“Here.” She handed it to Drew. “Learn how to use it. If I fail and war comes, you need to learn how to fight. Ask one of the shifters to teach you. If you are with the shifters, they are not your enemy, understand?”
Trina needed to move up her plans in case Drew spilled the beans. Her wish to say a private good-bye and spend one night with Merrick was ripped away, and it devastated her. She straightened, hating the tears that clogged the back of her throat. With
her heart heavy, she spoke her goodbye. “Gentlemen, it’s been a long day. I need to rest.”
* * *
“You can’t do this.” Victor growled the words. “You gave up everything to build this pack. You can’t just walk out now.”
“I’m not walking away. We’re on the brink of war. The only way to save the pack is to find a way to avert the upcoming confrontation.”
“Not like this. With everything that’s been revealed, you are both too valuable for the pack to lose.”
“What other option is there?” Merrick wanted to growl in frustration. “She’s at the center of everything. If we lose her, the pack will fall. She’s leaving, and I’m going with her. It’s not up for discussion.”
“The pack—”
“She’s my pack now. The Den needs to prepare for war in case we can’t prevent it, and I need you to do that for me. If they take her, the vampires will breech the borders. We are the only line of defense.”
“At least take some soldiers with you.”
“Too easy to track.” Merrick smiled at his friend’s frustration. Despite everything, he relished the chance to be out in the field again. It’d been years, and he’d missed the adventure, the thrill of the chase. His beast had been cooped up too long. The prospect of freedom was too tempting a lure with Trina at his side. He just wished it were under other circumstances. “Keep the pack together until I get back.”
Victor sighed. “Just make sure you do come back.”
Trina stood, and Merrick immediately stilled as if watching prey. She was up to something. She was too calm. She’d made her decision, and the beast in him wailed in denial, a mournful sound that would haunt him if she vanished before he could catch up with her.
She might be going after her sister, but he was going for Trina. He wanted a future with her. If it took a war to keep her safe, so be it. Merrick spoke without taking his gaze from hers. “We’ll finish this discussion in the morning.”
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