Bridget and Sera passed a Starbucks that only had two people at tables. No lines, no busy barristas—nothing. For a moment, Bridget’s mouth watered at the thought of stopping in for a caffeine jolt, the cinnamon buns were a distant dream. Instead, she continued on her way, vowing to go to The Java Demon later on in the day, maybe after a nap and another soak in her upgraded claw-foot tub. She let out a soft moan. Those massaging jets of water would be awesome against her aching muscles.
The office came into view. For a moment, relief swept through her. Chair, coffee, and maybe, if Mysta had been feeling generous, some donuts.
Bridget managed to yank open the door with Sera on her heels. Sweat bathed her body. The bath she’d taken that morning had been useless. She didn’t dare lift her arms and take a whiff to find out how badly she stank.
“No, really,” she said to Sera between pants. “Thanks for your help.” Bridget dragged her catch to the corner of the waiting area. She lifted her arm and wiped away the moisture before she bent over and tried to regain her breath.
Sera handed her a blanket, and for a second Bridget wondered what to do with it. Her body screamed in protest at the thought of any more work. She took a moment to catch her breath before pulling the vampire into the warded room they kept for their most dangerous targets and throwing the blanket over his body.
“I told you I couldn’t help you that much,” Sera pointed out. She shrugged and winced. “I’m still sore.”
“That’s what you get for playing with demons.” Mysta smirked.
Bridget glared up at Mysta, who was standing in the doorway looking pleased with herself. “You weren’t there either slinky so don’t start with Sera. Mysta, I need you set up for a quick cloning spell in the workroom. Then I’ll need help carrying the clone out to the waiting area for whoever Fritz sends to retrieve him. The enchantment should hold for a week before they even notice a difference.”
“Sorry, boss,” Mysta muttered.
“Did all of you get some Samhain sexy?” Bridget straightened up and looked around. Only Lana looked innocent, and for a pixie that was saying something.
“Well, we’re not getting flowers from Joe, Vampire Liege, now are we?” Mysta nudged a bouquet of lavender sitting in a black vase. “They were delivered after you left.”
Heat flashed on her face as Bridget took in the huge arrangement. Had he emptied out the florist’s shop? She could only imagine what Karin thought when she got the order and found out where it was going. The gossip would be all over town well before noon.
“Gods damn it.” Bridget stalked over to Mysta’s desk, wrapped her arms around the vase, and picked it up, only to groan under the weight.
“Jesus, what the fuck is this thing made out of?” She stumbled to her office, kicked the door shut, and shuffled over to her desk. As she approached, the smooth surface of the container started to slip through her fingers. She moved faster and just managed to make it to the tabletop before she lost her grip completely. She collapsed into the guest chair opposite her desk and stared at the floral offering.
What the hell had he been thinking? She wiped a hand over her face. Her lip-gloss smeared on her palm and she was pretty sure her eyeliner had been sweated off dragging that sleeping vamp across town. No one had bothered to stop and help, and Sera had been too exhausted by the exertion of having to shift quickly between human and cat. The townspeople seemed to be slugging it back home, some seemed as if they couldn’t keep their eyes open. She’d already seen some of them hit a few lampposts or doors with their eyelids half closed.
The vampires were already asleep, relying on their day protectors to keep watch. Come to think of it, Bridget was pretty tired herself and no amount of coffee was going to help her stay awake. She stood up with a groan, and her legs protested more. She made her way around her desk and sank down into the deep, welcoming cushions of her chair.
A cup of coffee was already waiting for her. The rich, bitter scent mixed with something sweet and decadent. She reached out, picked up her mug, and for a moment cradled it between her palms, savoring the warmth before taking a tentative sip. The bold flavor of coffee beans with a dash of Irish Cream woke up her taste buds, welcoming her officially to the day. She drank greedily, happy to have the treat before she got down to work and started on the paperwork and billing stuff.
The joy of having your own business! Holding her coffee cup in one hand, she trailed her finger over the mouse pad of her laptop to wake the machine up and then tapped out her password with one finger. Once her desktop loaded, she searched for and found the spell she needed.
She made sure she could recite it without peeking, and then downed the rest of her java before hitting her intercom. “Sera, Mysta, Lana. In the Work Room, ASAP. Bring a few strands of the rogue’s hair. Not a full hank.”
“Roger that boss,” Sera responded.
Bridget left her office and headed down the hall. She entered a clean workspace with a circle of iron melted into the floor. A pentacle was drawn in the middle of the circle. Bridget paused before entering the ring and drew in a deep breath, clearing her mind and saying a silent prayer. “I call upon the gods, goddesses, the spirit guides, the elements and all the energies of the universe to heed my call and guide me through this ceremony. So mote it be.”
Sera, Mysta, and Lana followed behind her, saying their own little requests before taking their places. Mysta stood at her North, Sera at her West, and Lana at her East. Bridget lit the candles around the loop and stood in the center. She placed the lock of hair on the ground in the very middle of the pentacle and let her energies rise up from the core of her being. The power flowed out down her arms and legs and then back up. She let it build until light had formed and she could shape her magic in the palm of her hand. Bridget then turned her hand outward and placed her palm over the pieces of hair.
The tresses lit with a dull yellow light. The outline of a body formed and grew until it was the size of the actual rogue vampire. Warmth cascaded over Bridget as sweat poured over her forehead and trickled down her temple. The figure became solid, without features. She poured more of her magic into it until the clone became an exact replica of the original. Once the double took its first breath, her energies began to taper off until she couldn’t muster even a spark of magic.
“It’s done.” The last of the spell dissipated into the air, and she stuck her hand out of the circle, breaking the barrier. Sera and Mysta rushed in, picked up the body, and headed for the door.
“Don’t worry. I got you, Bridget.” Lana grew in size and caught Bridget as she wobbled on her feet. The pixie led her from the room, down the hall, and into her office.
Bridget’s limbs were heavy and her eyelids seemed to have weights on them as she sunk into her armchair. A yawn grew until she couldn’t hold it back any more.
Lana left the room and came back within a few minutes with a cup of coffee. “There. Take a sip. There you go.”
Bridget took a healthy swig of the java, relieved that it wasn’t scalding hot. She let out a contented sigh. “Mmm, good cup of Joe…” Her cheeks flushed as a memory of Joe’s lips on hers. The hardness of the metal contrasted with the softness of his lips and the sweet burst of pleasure she got from that simple contact. She shivered as goose bumps broke out over her arms.
“Ugh, go home. But first.” Lana grabbed her hand. Cool energy danced up Bridget’s arm, replacing the power she’d lost during the spell ceremony.
Bridget swallowed as energy bubbled up inside of her. A spark lit in her belly. She moaned as Lana’s earth magic saturated her. The wound on her shoulder throbbed with heat until it burned.
Bridget released Lana’s hand. “Thanks.” She was jittery but better than before.
“You’re welcome. As soon as the body is claimed, go home. We can handle things here, okay? You need rest.” Lana returned back to her normal size and began to flit around like a bee.
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, I’ll go. You can leave now.” Bridget ush
ered her off with a wave of her hand.
The speaker buzzed and Mysta’s voice crackled over the line. “Boss, Fritz’s day guy, Sasha, is here.”
Bridget took another sip of liquid life and pressed the response button. “Send him in.”
Lana stared at her.
“I promise I’ll go home after. Swear. Now get on, go.”
Lana bobbed her head. The door opened and Fritz’s second-in-command strolled in looking tired. His burnished red hair was mussed and he had a bit of stubble on his square jaw. His green eyes looked dull. “Hey, Bridget.”
Lana flew past him without so much as a by your leave.
“Whoa. Uh, was I interrupting?”
Bridget shook her head. “Nope. Personal matter. Thanks for coming down so early.”
“No problem. His vampire liege is being a pain in the ass, so I came over first thing to see if you got him.”
“Yep. It wasn’t a problem in the least.” Bridget studied Sasha’s face. The half-vampire’s eyes glittered with expectation. The energy between them wavered and the air quivered with expectation. Bridget decided to play it cool.
“So, can I move him without the paperwork?” Sasha’s nostrils flared. For a second, Bridget wondered if he could smell Joe on her like Sera had.
“Yeah, I’ll put in a call to the border before I leave for home. Take him.”
He gave her a wave and weak smile. “Thanks, owe you one. Donuts and muffins next time?”
Bridget smiled at the offer. Her stomach growled in appreciation but she kept her guard up. Now that she suspected Sasha was in on it, nothing would come through this office from either him or Fritz without an extensive going over. Lana would be disappointed, but those were the rules when dealing with a threat. “Send in some from Dunkin Donuts for the next week and you got yourself a deal.”
Sasha chuckled. “Sure, sure. Bill it to Fritz.”
Bridget decided that being her playful usual self was the best way to avoid ringing any alarm bells. “Can I bill him for some lunches too?”
Sasha made a clucking sound with his tongue. “Not that tired, Bridget, but yeah, sure. I’ll just say you brought the package in earlier than the deadline.”
Bridget smiled. They must really want this guy back bad if they were willing to give her lunch too. “You can’t lie your way out of a paper bag. One of these days it’s going to come back and bite you in the ass.”
Sasha straightened and smiled. “That’s why I have you watching my back. Later, Bridget.” He turned and left.
Bridget was tempted to call Joe’s house and check with Matthias and Flynn on how he was doing. Once her brain turned onto the topic of Joe, it refused to leave. He had an enemy out there who’d sent a rogue to do him harm. They’d used Bridget to get to him, and now that she and Joe had crossed a line, she wasn’t sure what would happen. Was this a relationship? A booty call? He’d conked out before she could ask.
If they were together, what did that make her in his life? His queen? Consort? She couldn’t remember the term a vampire liege used for his chosen companion. And though she was a witch, she was still vulnerable to attacks from his enemies. Not all vampires were immune to magic. Joe was powerful enough to have risen to the height of liege, but that was all she knew. She didn’t want to be the reason he fell out of power or favor.
Her mood plummeted as the questions began to multiply along with her concerns. What if Joe’s enemies went after Sera or Mysta or Lana? Or her parents and family?
All she wanted to do was crawl into bed, pull up the covers and hide, even for a moment. It would be a plus if Joe had been with her, but he was safely ensconced in his Sanctuary bed until dusk.
A chill raced across Bridget’s skin and she shivered. When she’d left him, he was awake but barely clinging to consciousness. She hadn’t wanted to see him led to that room to face his internment. Nausea filled her stomach.
Normally she feared little, but seeing the color drain from his face had scared the shit out of her. Her legs had barely been able to keep her up on the way to the door. As soon as she was out of the house, she’d wanted to collapse and cry. It was like watching him die.
Even though she knew that he would rise again, the sight had shaken her. Death was part of the natural order; she had witnessed it over and over again, but it was different with Joe. They had a bond now. Sex for her wasn’t just about the giving of her body. There were emotions tangled up in there too. She didn’t love him. Not yet. But she knew in the depths of her soul she could come to love him.
She had run from him all this time, but now she couldn’t escape him or hide from him. He knew her, had her blood in him. She helped give him life. A wave of nausea swept through her and she tried to keep down the bile that burned in the back of her throat. Tears burned her eyes. She didn’t want to lose him. She didn’t want to let him go now that she’d opened up to him.
Pain ripped jagged tears in her heart. Anger was a flash fire in her veins at the thought of anyone harming him. The bite marks on her body pulsed to life. She replayed the instant of his fangs sinking into her flesh all over again. The sweet pain followed by the hit of pleasure heightened all her other senses. Her head ached from the sudden expansion of feeling. She was overwhelmed with sensation, so much so that it hurt. Her magic had joined the party to burst to life in the air like fireflies.
Never had that happened with a lover. And now that it had, she wanted to feel it again. Her magic seemed to seek him out, searching for him, sensing his presence. She blew out a breath and focused. She closed her eyes and let go of her power, allowing it free rein. Energy sought a way out of the brick-and-wood room. It found a crack in the roof and slipped through it. She made a mental to get someone in to fix it, now that she knew where the drip was coming from.
Returning her focus to her magic, she pushed it along until it found his house, slipped past his magical barriers, slid under the front door, and entered his domain. Her abilities searched through room after room until she found a locked door. Her magic tried the keyhole only to be rebuffed. She searched out a weakness and found none. Despite her frustration, pride filled her. Whoever he got to ward his light room was good enough to keep her out. That meant he would be safe, for now.
She wanted to add her own flourishes to the power protecting Joe, especially now some asshat lurking out of view was trying to hurt him. Rather than pull back, she searched out the rest of the house looking for any chinks in the armor. There were a few things here and there that had been allowed to become lax over time.
She called her magic back and once it had returned to her she opened her eyes and pulled a pad and pencil to her. She jotted down all her thoughts and made and a few notes for some spells and potions she could use to protect him better. Looking over her list, she winced. Protecting a vampire was expensive.
“Huh?” Mysta came in, looking less nervous and exhausted. She placed a mug of coffee down next to Bridget’s hand. “Here’s a bit more coffee for the road. Lana is waiting for you to get the hell out of here.”
Bridget grabbed the cup and brought it to her lips. She started to drink, not caring that the hot liquid scalded her mouth and throat as it went down. Sweet, blessed caffeine flooded her body in a wave while tears streamed down her cheeks.
Mysta stared at her, wide-eyed. “Damn, I’ll go get you a healing potion for your mouth.”
As Mysta disappeared, Sera rushed into the room. “What the hell did you do? Mysta looks freaked out.” Her gaze roamed over Bridget’s face.
Bridget wiped away the tears stills streaking down her face. “Burned. Tongue.”
Sera bobbed her head and walked further into the room. She sat down in the chair across from Bridget’s desk. “Did you let Joe bite you? Did you exchange blood?”
“Bite yes. Exchange no.” Her magic soothed some of her aches and pains, making it easier to talk.
“So, details. All of them.”
Mysta came back into the room with a cup and handed it
to Bridget. Just like with the java she gulped it down. The sweetness and coolness of mint soothed her, but the sensation of the sliminess from the aloe vera caused her to shake her head and body like a wet dog trying to get dry. “Blech. Goddess. How much aloe did you use?”
“Enough to get the healing going. Now shut up and drink it down.” Mysta sat down in the other empty chair.
Bridget shifted under the scrutiny. Silence stretched out like saltwater taffy. She waited for something to snap but it went on and on. “What?” She couldn’t take it anymore.
“So, our local vampire liege, huh? What will Fritz say?” Mysta grinned.
Bridget frowned. “What does Fritz have to do with this?” Last she’d checked, Fritz had never shown an iota of interest in her beyond jobs.
Sera chuckled. “He likes to think that he’s a sort of liaison between vampires and the likes of us. If you have a direct source he won’t know what to do with himself.”
Bridget shook her head. “Doesn’t matter what he thinks. It’s not like I can just show up on Joe’s doorstep and ask him questions. I can still ask Fritz. Besides, Fritz’s light tolerance is more than most vampires so he’ll be around more during the early morning.”
She decided against telling them everything. Sera would know but wouldn’t say anything until Bridget gave her permission. Bridget needed to talk to Joe before spilling the beans.
Mysta frowned. “So, why isn’t Fritz the vampire liege if he can stay up later?”
Bridget smiled. “Because he doesn’t want the job. He prefers to flit around and work on his projects. Being liege means he’d have to answer his subjects’ grievances, make laws, and all that jazz. Cramps his style.”
Sera laughed. “In other words he wants to be lazy and tend to that garden of his. Now that we have that out of the way, tell us about Joe.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Bewitching the Vampire Page 9