Blood Relic

by Lucretia Stanhope

  He shook his head. “Delightful. It’s very rare a vampire gives their blood to any creature they do not love. A vampire only has three great loves.”

  “Again with three? Only?”

  “Our species value that number. It holds power, great power.”

  “Three loves, explain.”

  “We can come back to that.”

  She drank his blood at least once. There were missing pieces, though. “Fine, we will come back to it. How many times have you given me your blood?”

  “Twice.”

  Alice stood and walked toward the door. She gripped the handle. You can’t leave. This is a mission. “Were you going to tell me?” She turned and locked eyes with him. “Well? Why does everyone think they get to make such important decisions for me? Damn it, Matthias. Don’t be like them.”

  “Sit.” The tone he used was deeper and firmer than he’d ever used with her before. His pupils grew larger. “Sit down now.”

  She walked back to her chair. “I felt that. I’m angry, don’t manipulate me.”

  “I would have never given you the third exchange without your full consent to what we were doing.” His tone and features were back to calm and gentle.

  “I don’t understand.” Alice rested into the chair. It smelled like her. How often had she sat there? What important conversations had he stolen from her?

  “I know. You needed it the first time. The second you were suffering.”

  “The broken ribs. I remember that.”

  He watched her, his eyes searching hers as if they held a great mystery. “The first time you were in a bad place when you arrived. Your emotional state was keeping you from healing. Decker and your parents left you in a cloud of darkness.”

  “Your blood helps with emotions too?”

  “It heals. Everything.”

  “Thank you. But, please. Stop keeping things from me.”

  “I’ve never taken anything to deceive. In fact, most times you asked me to.” He got up and poured a glass of wine, handing it to Alice before he sat down. “I could explain. However, you just asked me not to talk about the complicated things.”

  She drank a large sip, and sat the glass on the small table beside her. “Don’t. I can’t. Fine, no more blood. What happens when you drink from me three times?”

  “It seals the connection from my side. That is not uncommon between a vampire and witch. The blood is addictive, so they often pass the three mark, and the witch is connected to them.”

  “When it happens the other way, you would be connected to me?”

  “Yes, and when it happens both ways, it is that third great love and an unbreakable bond.”

  Alice picked up the glass again and drained it. “Tell me more about blood relics.”

  “They are illegal because modern witches always, without fail, die a few days after the spell. There is an underground market because, like I said, old blood vampires are too good to be seen at dens, or with a witch on their arm, but think they deserve that blood.”

  “How much blood is in each stone?” She looked at the empty glass, and frowned.

  “It’s infinite. It never stops dripping when you press it to your mouth.”

  “Where are all the stones that witches died for?” She put the empty glass on the table. One was enough. They had work to do.

  “In the PPK vaults or private hands illegally. It’s safer and easier for a vampire to keep a witch, rather than risk being found with a stone. That crime gets life in jail. If it can be proven the vampire was complicit in the stone creation, it is punishable by death.”

  A shiver raced across her. These vampires must know the penalty. They didn’t care. So many dead witches. “The paper said there were ten dead witches in a general area.”

  “The range is big, but close enough that they are probably dumped from the same source.”

  “We are going to stop this. You have to bite me and I have to learn to feel you in my mind.”

  “Which you’ve done twice now.”

  “How many times have you been in there?”

  “Seven.”

  “Crap. I need to be better.” She glanced at her watch. They’d been talking for hours. Seven times. She wasn’t even averaging half for detecting it. “What if my blood is wrong because of the elf?”

  “I doubt that, but I am not going to bite you until I know you are capable of the mental aspects.” His gaze drifted to her neck. “It would be pointless.”

  “You don’t want to bite me?” Was the flutter in her stomach disappointment? Did she want bitten? By him, yes.

  “Do you want me to bite you?” He twirled the tip of his tongue across one of his fangs.

  God yes. Really? Stop that. “It’s, maybe.”

  “You are adorable. Of course I want to bite you. Your magic has been teasing me since the day you arrived. There are so many places I want to bite you.” He waved his fingers toward himself. “Come get a nip.”

  Alice stood. He was making her. Was he? She wanted a nip. Just one. “You are in my head. Making me stand. Making me want a bite.”

  “Fight it.”

  She took a few steps. “I can’t.”

  “Try harder.”

  “It’s not unpleasant. I can’t tell if it’s you or me.” Why did she say that out loud?

  “That’s the problem. We feel good together. I’m going to get rougher. A strange vampire wouldn’t feel familiar.” His eyes grew cold as did his tone. “Get over here.”

  Alice shivered as his thoughts touched her with a sharp force. “Ouch. That feels like eating ice cream too fast. A cold burn.”

  “Good. Now fight it.”

  She stepped back to her chair. “I can feel you pulling me toward you.”

  “Tell me how you feel about me. Do you think of me when I am not around?”

  “Stop that! That’s not fair.”

  He smiled and got up, wrapping her in a hug. “And just like that, you resisted when it mattered. Let’s try one more thing tonight. Hold a memory, tell me about it, and I’ll try to blur it. I want you to feel me in your thoughts and protect that memory.”

  Alice closed her eyes. “I have our dance from earlier.”

  “Okay.”

  She felt him slip around the thought. His egg. The way his body felt against her. Gray started at the edges. She watched as it started to blur. “No!” She shoved him away, turning her head. “Leave it.”

  “That’s not very graceful. You can’t stop a blur. That’s okay. You know when you are being made to do things you don’t want. No one can make you cast the spell without you knowing. If you report people as soon as you find out they are involved, it won’t matter what they blur.”

  When he opened his arms, she stepped into his embrace. “What if they rummage around in my head and find out that I’m in the PPK?”

  “We are going to practice you keeping me out of thoughts until I know you will be safe. I will not send you away until I am certain. I’m going to work with you until the sun comes up every night.” He rested his chin on top of her head. “There are things.”

  “If I remember something, complicated. I’ll try not to hate you.”

  “More than you do now?”

  “I forgive you. It’s conditional. I’ll forgive anything I remember within reason. From this second on, no more manipulations. No more playing with my future, no more…”

  “I promise nothing.” He held her chin, tilted her head up, and kissed her. His tongue parted her lips as he claimed her mouth, nipping at her lips as the kiss ended. “Forget that last kiss, my dearling. Forgive me if you remember it later. We have work to do.”

  Chapter Four

  “IS THAT BETTER?” Alice peered up from the spell and glanced toward the closed door. How long had she been in the dark bowels of the PPK with the pure witch? Why was there a checkpoint before entering the wing she lived on? Why did the records indicate pure witches didn’t exist anymore? Every new discovery only created more questions.<
br />
  “The enunciation is wrong. Your vowels are too short. Pay attention.” Morrigana pointed at the spell, dragging her finger over the word as she repeated it. “Poalianth.”

  Alice kept her distance from the witch, as Maxwell had advised when he gave her the pass and directions to get there. The dark gray skin reminded her of Jasper. Was it really possible that dark elves and pure witches like this creature lived together and loved each other. Why did they keep her a secret?

  “I see your questions in your eyes, child. Answers are funny things that don’t always give the peace we assume they might when we seek them out.” Morrigana pushed the spell toward Alice and tapped the word again. “I don’t think you have to worry about the spell killing you, you can’t read it as well as a common witch should. That you are from an old line is questionable.”

  Maybe if she had more than a nap after Matthias and her stopped practicing she could read the spell right. “Why do pure witches keep their existence a secret?” The smell of burning hair tickled her nose. She peered over toward the flaming mixture in front of Morrigana.

  “Didn’t I just warn you about asking questions.” Morrigana flicked a pinch of blue powder on the flames. “Be certain you want answers. I won’t protect you from the truth as others would. While you may have two alphas fighting to rescue you, we both know you are the damsel most equipped to solve her own distress.”

  “How do you know about me?” Alice backed toward the door. What were pure witches capable of? Was there a reason they were hunted to extinction? Almost extinction.

  “I know things because that icky burning hair was yours.” The witch twisted her gnarled hands and the door lock clicked. “I saw you have questions. Don’t waste this opportunity. Who else will tell you what you desperately want to know? I was around at the start of the wars. I’ve lived with elves, vampires, and all manner of shadow beings. I know why there are missing pieces in your memories.”

  That was what she wanted. Someone who wouldn’t hold back for fear of upsetting her adaptation to this life. Did she want those answers from a creature who so easily stole her hair and raided her mind? Hadn’t Matthias raided her mind? He was a friend. Yes. “I have a lot of questions. Too many for one visit.”

  “You may return any time your keepers grant you passage to the dark ward.” Morrigana waved her hand and the flame died. “You are an intriguing creature. Your purity survived it’s blemishing. It keeps your light elf gifts intact. You may tell your master when he corrupts your blood, it will withstand, as will the light that draws him.”

  This was about Matthias and the missing memories. “Is your blood more, whatever vampires want?” The dampness in the air grew thicker, sticking in Alice’s throat. Did he want her for reasons other than blood? Could this witch know his motivations?

  “Yes, but don’t worry your pretty face. I don’t want a vampire lover.” She cackled and spit on the flames. The fire jumped and sparked back to life. “Though yours is a pretty one, isn’t he? And he is old blood. Powerful stuff. Have you worked with it?” The witch leaned in and sniffed Alice. “He’s fed you. Interesting. Does he have a pet name for you?”

  “Yes, why?” She didn’t have all the answers apparently.

  She clicked her tongue. “Tread lightly, a dearling is forever, and with a vampire of his age, that connection, with your heritage could make you much like me, a creature that ages far too slow to be noticed.”

  Magic at her fingertips tickled. “Dearling, how did you know what he calls me?”

  “So naive. Read, learn, child.” She pushed another spell toward Alice. “If your vampire is committed to your safety, with his blood, we can work a spell that will protect you from any future vampire manipulations. His response to that will tell you all you need to know about his devotion. With that behind you, you can focus on your mission and end the witch-killing monsters.”

  She did need to focus. No mistakes could be made with creatures as powerful and deadly as vampires. “Why doesn’t Sarg El know that is possible?”

  “Sarg El? Child, if you are to work magic with me, you have to learn that some things are best not discussed in mixed company. I feel your soul is active, we can keep that between us too. When two solitary witches with enough power in their own right come together, the possibilities are as vast as the shadows are dark.” Morrigana handed Alice a rusty pair of scissors. “Clip a nail.”

  “What do you need my nail for?” Alice gripped the cold handle of the scissors.

  “Divination. No point in teaching a witch with no future. Your dark power could fade in the rays of your light as your dark nature has. Both powers are what makes you so special.” She nodded toward Alice’s hand. “Without both you are just another witch.”

  “No, I’m not. I have light elf gifts naturally.” Alice clipped the nail of her forefinger.

  “The stolen gifts are what grant you so much. Unmuted light elf magic. Your own light elf gifts are muddled by your human form as are your witch gifts”

  “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  “The dark gifts from your mother’s line allow you to harness a stolen gift. If those dark gifts fade due to the sweetness that oozes from your soul, those stolen gifts are gone.” Her tongue clicked against her teeth.

  “Do they go back to my dad?”

  “That isn’t what should concern you, little arcana. You need those gifts to navigate your future.” Morrigana pinched the nail between her thumb and finger and held it between her teeth. She ground her jaw, sucked in her cheeks, and swallowed.

  “Well, am I a useless witch?” Alice held her breath. Maybe that would be best. They wouldn’t want her as a weapon if she were. Could she still help keep peace without her dad’s gifts, or would she be relegated to washing dishes?

  “You’ll do.” Morrigana tapped the spell again. “Let’s get you through this first. Then we can arrange deeper training.”

  “Poalianth.” Alice repeated the word until she got it right a few times in a row. “How far back was it when my line mixed with humans? I mean how pure am I? My soul magic came naturally. Jasper was drawn to me. Do you think it was because my witch isn’t really so muted?”

  “When you return from the den, and I know you will, come see me. I will teach you to be a witch.” She reached over and touched Alice on the cheek.

  Alice closed her eyes. Did she really want to push for answers from a creature whose magic was making the air in the room damp and hard to breathe? Yes. “How far back?”

  “Only a few generations. I can work with you. Every witch needs a protégée. Your mother gave you great gifts. Your father did as well. Working with a light elf will be interesting.” She ran a finger over Alice’s ear. “I did favor my time with the dark ones. You have no points at all.”

  “I took his gifts. He didn’t give me anything. He tried to kill me. I thought it was a fair exchange.” Alice brushed her hand away. “I also ended up with dark elf parts for my magic collection, thank you.”

  A wave of cold radiated from Morrigana as she threw her head back and laughed. “You are a pleasant surprise. Not so naïve. We’ll keep that between us too.”

  Alice took her eyes off the witch. The shadows hid the shelves in their dark embrace. Even with the special glasses they gave her at the checkpoint, only the supplies on the table were clear. What was in Morrigana’s collection? Nothing worse than what she would find in Jasper’s. His help made her stronger. So could Morrigana’s. “With Matthias’ blood you can protect my mind, forever? Will it protect me from all vampires, no matter their skill and age?”

  “Yes. Let’s see if he wants to cooperate for his dearling.” The playful tone sounded detached, coming from something that vibrated with malevolent energy.

  “Where do I read about dearlings? Witch or vampire lore?” Alice rubbed her fingers, diffusing her magic. Did she vibrate with darkness too? She didn’t feel evil. This creature was part of her, something like this lived in her soul. Could she really con
trol it like Amarok did his beast? She hadn’t. She killed Kayla in a blind rage.

  “Both, vampire would have the most detailed accounts.” Her crooked finger tapped the table. “Read the spell, mind you do it out of order, little arcana. We don’t want you actually casting something powerful if you get it right.”

  Did Matthias love her? Her dark side, or her light side? Maybe he just wanted her tasty blood. Amarok would be devastated if she and Matthias made any connections. Or would he? He did fight to stay partners. That meant they could never have anything deeper than what they had now, he knew that. Complicated. “The dearling, is that related to drinking from each other three times?”

  “Focus on the spell. You can study up on vampire masters and their loves on your own time.”

  Morrigana was right. Focus. The no fraternization rule was for a good reason. Alice read the words out of order, still stumbling over a few of them. It was going to be a long day.

  “HOW WAS YOUR day, dearling?” Matthias opened his door and guided Alice in.

  A wave of his scent calmed her. The muscles in her shoulders relaxed. He was better than sleep. Sleep would be needed soon. “I traveled to the bowels of the dark wings and met the witch.”

  Matthias ran his hands over her, trailing down her arm and lacing his fingers in hers. “You feel good. No foul remnants. Morrigana is a nasty thing, but a most powerful creature. Did she help you with understanding the spell?”

  Alice took a few steps away from him and turned, still gripping his hand. The touch hummed against her palm. “That and, why you call me dearling. I’ve been reading.”

  “That spiteful foul hag.” He kissed the back of her hand, pressing his lips to her knuckles. “That is between us.”

  “Is it?” She let go of him and clasped her hands behind her back. “Because I wasn’t aware there was an us beyond our friendship. Not really. Not until last night.”

  “Sit, Alice. There is no us for you to know about, because you asked me not to complicate your life.” His mouth tightened and turned down at the corners. “I will not use my gifts to force your hand. Your choice. Always your choice. It will remain your choice.”