BLOOD MAGIC

by Jennifer Lyon

  Sutton started for the door then turned back and locked his gaze on Axel. “Last night, I couldn't get the picture of her, of Carla, out of my mind. I walked around the outside of that house and I could smell her. I went back to my car and I could still smell her. I can almost feel her on my skin.”

  Axel sat up. “Christ, why didn't you leave?”

  He ran a hand over his face. “Because I might not be able to have her, but I sure as fuck won't let a rogue get her.” Then he was gone.

  Axel stared after his best friend; silently praying that the Wing Slayer would not force him to follow through on his vow.

  But if Sutton went rogue, Axel would kill him.

  Everything was ready. She had the items she'd need to focus her elemental magic placed in four strategic points on the sand. Darcy smelled the sea air and felt a measure of calm.

  She had to be calm. She had to be in control. She had to heal Hannah.

  Carla walked up to her. Her close-fitting dress was as white as her hair. With the moon just beginning to rise, she looked both sexy and ethereal.

  She looked like a witch should.

  Darcy didn't have many changes of clothing with her, so Carla had brought her a dress, also white. Spaghetti straps, soft lace at her breasts and at the hem. No shoes.

  No underwear at all. Spell work required drawing power through her chakras, and clothes could tangle up the flow. So a simple dress worked best.

  Some witches did spell work sky-clad. Darcy knew once she was into the spell-casting, she wouldn't care. But before and after, standing on a beach naked in front of all the gathered people, such as her cousin Joe? She didn't think so.

  “Five minutes to moonrise,” Carla said gently.

  Darcy nodded. Carla was there to channel the energy the Circle Witches were sending to support the spell. But she was also there as her friend. They both turned to look at Hannah.

  Axel had his sister wrapped in a blanket and held her in his arms. She was too weak to lift her head. She coughed, her chest visibly contracting in pain. Axel rubbed her back, his hand ridiculously huge against the little girl.

  Darcy looked at the two of them in the rising moonlight. Axel with his midnight-black hair, his bearing huge and fierce, cradling his blond little sister against his chest. It choked Darcy up and made her focus.

  Whatever happened, healing Hannah was what mattered. When she told him later about the soul-mirror phenomenon, he might hate Darcy, might turn away from her, but she would have given him his sister's life. And made sure he kept his soul so he could stay around and protect Hannah and Eve, and lead the Wing Slayer Hunters.

  He suddenly met her gaze then walked over to her. “What's wrong?”

  She was projecting to him. Unconsciously. Their link kept strengthening. “Nothing. I'm focusing.” She reached up to Hannah's face buried against Axel's neck. “I guess I was thinking how much I want this to work.”

  “It will work.”

  She nodded. “Yes. Are you okay?”

  “Why wouldn't I be?”

  “Carla's a witch. I wondered if you were feeling any bloodlust from her?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. I can feel her, smell her, but it's just a buzzing. Now you.” He dropped his gaze down her length and lowered his voice. “Your scent is tormenting me. No underwear?”

  She couldn't help her body's instant reaction. “No.”

  He closed his eyes, color rising to crest his cheekbones.

  She remembered what happened when she did the transfer of her mom's spells, and then when he'd helped her open her sixth chakra and talk to the Ancestors. “Axel, I need your help. But we have to stay in control. Your men are out there, far enough back so that Carla doesn't incite their bloodlust, but they swear they can see everything.”

  “They can.” He touched her face and calmed the whirling energy in her chest.

  She leaned into his hand, needing the center he gave her. She added, “Joe and Morgan are here, along with your mom, Carla, and Hannah.”

  “I'm here to protect you and Hannah, not ravish you. You do your work, and let me worry about everything else.”

  She nodded.

  “Darcy.”

  She took a breath and met his stare.

  “Don't fight it. You're a witch, which makes you a very sensual woman. Don't fight the sexual feelings when you open your chakras. Let them have you and know I'm standing right here with you. There's nothing embarrassing or wrong about it. It's part of your power. It's part of who you are.”

  He knew her so well. All the years she'd yearned for acceptance and she'd found it with a witch hunter. Unable to stop, she raised up on her bare toes in the damp sand to press her mouth to his. She just brushed his lips.

  In return, she felt his wings brush her skin. His actual wings were resting in his tattoo, but she could always feel them through their mental link.

  “It's time,” Carla said.

  Darcy turned to Carla and took her hands. “Thank you. You're more than my friend, you're my sister.” They were bound as witches.

  “Sisters,” she agreed, kissed Darcy on the cheek, and moved to her place next to Hannah.

  Axel walked to where Eve knelt on a blanket in the sand. He settled Hannah so that she sat leaning her back against Eve. “Is Darcy going to make me better now?”

  “Yes, baby.” He rose to his feet. The rising moon caught the blue-black of his hair.

  As Darcy had requested, Axel stripped off his shirt and laid it by Eve. His tat gleamed in the moonlight, the rich brown-and-gold feathers of the hawk looked vivid and real. She needed his hawk as close to her as possible.

  Then he came to her. “Ready, witch?”

  She nodded. The moonlight was caressing her skin, making her warm and full. Her first four chakras were opened already, her powers stirring and surging. Now it was time to gain control. Darcy turned to the ocean, lifting her arms to form a circle and said: “Pure in its whiteness, born of the earth, consecrated by the sea, feared by the dark, embraced by the light, salt rise and circle your protection.”

  She formed the circle in her mind.

  A huge wave rose and slammed into the shore. A white line of chalky salt separated from the water, rising into the air and traveling in a straight line to the shore. Once there, the line of salt settled into a perfect circle around her, Axel, Eve, Hannah, and Carla.

  Releasing a breath, she thanked the Ancestors for helping her set a protection circle to keep demons out. Her senses sharpened. The air was heavy with salt. Waves crashed and broke in a comforting rhythm. Hannah coughed. Eve breathed loudly. Carla chanted softly to establish her connection to the Circle Witches. And Axel stood behind Darcy, not yet touching her, but she could feel every beat of his heart.

  Hannah coughed again and said, “Did you see, Mommy?”

  She blocked out Hannah for now. She blocked everything but Axel behind her. The feel of his body, the smell of his skin, the pulse of his breath twining with hers. Even without his touch, their bodies fell into sync. It reassured her that he would know when she needed him.

  Now to focus the first four chakras and connect them to the ley lines. She turned to face north and commanded, “Earth.”

  Sand swirled up into a funnel then poured itself in the red crockery dish sitting just inside the salt circle.

  Darcy pivoted to face east, her arms wide and her spirit open. “Air.”

  The wind swirled her dress high on her thighs, caressing her skin, then rushed to fill the green balloon tied to a silver weight.

  She turned to the west. “Water.”

  A wave rose from the sea, reaching higher and higher until the wall of water blocked off the moonlight.

  Hannah began to cry.

  Darcy ignored the child. Keeping her chakras open, she let the power of water reach into her. Her skin grew damp, her hair wet, her body fluid as though she were one with the wave.

  Then the wave receded, allowing the moonlight to illuminate the water that filled t
he orange goblet.

  Finally, she faced south. “Fire.”

  There was a hiss and crackle as the yellow candle in the gold holder flamed to life.

  All four earth elements started to flow to her. Her pulse began to beat in her ears, thick with rising energy. Her breasts swelled until her nipples throbbed. Her hair lifted, filled with static.

  Darcy closed her eyes, raised her arms, and opened her fifth chakra. This was where she would draw down the power of the moon to meet the ley lines running up through her. She arched, leaning back to allow the moonlight to touch as much of her as possible, and chanted softly, “Ancient as time, powerful as the sea, the moon is our source, let her light guide and fill me.” The rays poured into her through her skin, filling her senses and creating a magnetic pull in her body. She would use that to draw up the elements of the earth.

  Soon it was hard to breathe, and she began to ache. Her skin stretched.

  Her feet began to tingle and warm. The earth was sharing more of her power! She'd tapped into the ley lines and could feel the thrumming energy rushing up.

  Her thighs grew damp from a pulsing need. Even her womb throbbed, but she didn't let herself think about it. Just accepted as much as the moon and earth were willing to give her. She recalled Axel's words that her sensual nature was part of being a witch.

  As she grew dizzy with the swirling, pulsing power, she felt Axel's warm hands settle on her waist. She steadied, drew in a breath, and then turned her mind inward; reaching for all that swirling power from the ley lines and the moon, and funneling it straight up through her chakras.

  A low pressure pinged in her forehead. She closed her eyes and pushed the powers, just as Axel had done last night using sex. She built the pressure, adding more and more until the spot between her eyes felt like it was bulging.

  She gave herself to it, to the earth and the moon and the Ancestors.

  Her sixth chakra flew open and her powers started the crazy-eight pattern up, down, and around her spine.

  Only Axel's hands held her upright. Concentrating, she slowly opened her eyes. But her regular eyes were blind now, and she saw only with her third eye.

  Everything looked bright but blurry, like she was seeing through an aura of light. She couldn't see anything beyond the circle, it was all fog.

  Her entire existence was in the circle.

  She walked to Hannah and knelt.

  Axel went with her, kneeling down so that his thighs cradled Darcy's body, his hands still on her waist. She felt his erection press against her back.

  It fed her more strength. She didn't understand it, she simply accepted it.

  Eve raised her hand and pushed back Hannah's bangs.

  The spot stood out against all the beautiful white light like an angry black hole. It looked … lightless. Not the beautiful black of Axel's hair, but a dark, evil smudge.

  Darcy blindly reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out the small silver knife that Carla had given her. She pulled off the protective cover with an audible snap.

  She raised her hand and pricked her right thumb. “With the blood of generations of witches, I beg the ancient souls for their healing and knowledge. Enrich my blood to chase out the darkness and heal the innocent Hannah Locke.”

  Darcy could see her blood welling up rich and red.

  She touched her thumb to the death mark.

  Axel brought his arms up to cradle her body and reached out to take one of Hannah's tiny hands in his fingers.

  Darcy felt the jolt as her powers focused and channeled, reaching through her pricked thumb into Hannah. She chanted in a strong voice, “Ancestors, I beg you to heal this child. Moon Source, I beg you to heal this child. Earth, I beg you to heal this child. Sister witches, I beg you to heal this child.”

  Flashes of light came into existence, moving around the circle. Darcy silently thanked the Ancestors for lending their ancient strength.

  The wind whipped up the sand. The ocean roared. Flames crackled on both sides of them.

  Darcy chanted louder. Sending all the healing energy she had through her thumb into Hannah.

  A dark ugliness began at the tip of her thumb, burrowing up past the first joint, then it slithered farther up her wrist.

  The pain slammed into her, trying to cut off her energy and close her chakras. It hurt! It felt like her blood was starting to burn. Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision. The agony wormed up her hand, fired through her arm, and clutched her chest.

  Darcy forced herself to breathe while holding her chakras open to keep her connection with the moon, earth, and Ancestors. “I accept the pain. I accept the sickness,” she said over and over. Her witch energy would break it down and expel it back into the atmosphere. She just had to endure.

  “Darcy,” Eve cried. “The spot is getting smaller. It's working.”

  She heard Eve's voice thicken with hope, but all she could concentrate on was the dark sticky threads filling her lungs, making it harder to breathe.

  “Blood, Darcy. Blood of a whole soul!”

  She heard the Ancestors but it didn't make sense. She was using her blood. But everything was slowing, weakening …

  Then it all just … stopped.

  The candle facing the south went out.

  The water in the west dried up.

  The balloon deflated.

  The sand in the crockery disappeared.

  The lights of the old souls faded away.

  Extreme fatigue weighed down her muscles and her entire body hurt as the connections slammed closed. She struggled to reopen the connection, crying out, “Not yet!”

  Hannah wrinkled her forehead beneath Darcy's thumb. “Am I all better?”

  Darcy didn't know, but the forces channeling the healing energy inside of her were gone. The dark lines burrowing up her hand and arm had faded and vanished. It took all her energy to lift her thumb from Hannah's forehead. The blood smear shielded the spot where the death mark was.

  Eve's hand shook as she used a wet wipe to clear the blood.

  The spot was a little smaller, back to dime-size. The color was candy-apple red. Shades lighter than when she'd started the spell, but still there.

  Axel went rigid behind Darcy. She could feel his anger and frustration building.

  She felt his suspicion break through.

  He jerked his hands off of her and surged to his feet.

  Carla shifted closer to look at Hannah. “You've pushed back the curse.”

  It wasn't enough. Dully, Darcy said, “I failed. Something went wrong. I couldn't sustain the forces. I was missing something. The Ancestors said blood, but I was using blood.”

  With an edge of despair, Carla said, “We'll figure it out.”

  “No,” Axel said.

  As Darcy tried to get to her feet, Joe rushed to her and crouched down, got an arm around her, and hauled her up. “Jesus, Darcy, you can barely stand.”

  “I'm fine. It'll pass.” She shouldn't be this weak but she didn't have time to worry about that. She took a breath and said, “Axel, let me try again. I can do it. I'll figure out what went wrong.”

  He met Darcy's gaze. “There's no more time. You did your best.”

  The doubt behind his words told her he didn't believe that. But his disconnection scared her more than anything. She knew what it meant. He was going after the demon witch. He could lose his soul, and she could lose him. No! This wasn't about her. Hannah and Eve would lose him. His men would lose him. They all needed Axel. “I'll do better! I have to talk to you. Listen to me, there's something I have to tell you.” Would it help or hurt? Maybe if he knew about their soul-mirror connection it would help the spell? What had she missed? Why did she feel so weak?

  He didn't even look at her. “Go back to the condo with my mom and Hannah. One of the men will be there to protect you.” He strode away.

  She couldn't believe it. “No, damn it!” She ran after him, her feet churning up the sand, but there was no way she could catch him.
He was moving at a blurring speed. Panic clawed up her chest until she yelled, “Axel, come back!”

  He materialized in front of her so quickly she ran right into him.

  Stumbling back, she fell on her ass in the sand.

  He towered over her, his green eyes blazing fury, and his wings spread out behind him. The moonlight revealed him in stark clarity; his powerful chest and shoulders rippled with muscles and tendons to support the incredible brown-and-gold wings spreading out behind him in a wingspan that was almost as wide as he was tall. He was overpowering just to look at.

  Axel clenched and unclenched his massive fists. His wings beat the air in time with his palpable anger. Finally he spit out, “What did you just do?”

  “I don't know! I mean I screamed at you to come back …” She scrambled up to her feet.

  Wrenching fear dripped down her spine. She was afraid for him, afraid for Hannah, and afraid she'd screwed up too much to be forgiven.

  “Start talking, witch. You called, my wings sprang out, and I felt the need, the compulsion, to return to you. What have you done to me?”

  The suspicion sliced through her skin and into her heart. “I didn't know, Axel. Please believe me, I didn't know!” Her nose clogged, her eyes burned, and desperate, futile hope beat in her heart. She wanted him to believe her. To believe in her. Like he had tonight before she failed.

  Axel crossed his arms over his chest. His wings lifted an inch in obvious impatience. “What have you done?”

  She hadn't wanted it to be this way. She'd hoped he would be so relieved and happy when she healed Hannah … but she had failed. Now she owed him the truth. There was no hiding, no delaying. She told him bluntly, “We're soul mirrors. When the curse happened, all the hunters’ and witches’ souls were halved. It's complicated, but the simple fact is that for decades we've been trying to fulfill the curse. Hunters by craving witch blood and sex, and witches by searching for a familiar to do powerful magic.”

  His green eyes blazed. “You turned me into a familiar.”

  “No! You're not a familiar! We're soul mirrors! It's not the same!”

  The seconds stretched out, broken only by the sound of the waves crashing. Everyone stayed back.