by M. L. Briers
“Handy…” she sneered.
“No pun intended?” He offered with a smirk and she sighed again. “Someone is having a sense of humour crisis today…” he grumbled.
“Gee, I’m sorry, I tend get that way when someone sends me a foot in the mail…”
“Paw…”
“Whatever. There’s still someone out there without an appendage when they shift back…” She was getting to the shrill point again.
“I don’t think so…” He offered back…
“Oh, Goddess, tell me that’s not his head…”
“He?”
“It’s … head.” She corrected herself.
“No.” He reached in and circled his hand around the bagged contents, and she pulled her head back on her neck and screwed up her face.
The urge to look away was overridden by that car crash mentality. To her eternal shame her curiosity was tweaked…
“Oh thank God!” She breathed out at the sight of the large knife that sported a jagged blade. He twisted it in his hand and the light reflected off the bloodied blade…
“I thought witches couldn’t say that name without being stuck dumb…” he teased.
“And I thought vampires were supposed to froth at the mouth when they ingested Holy water and garlic, but you did just fine when I spiked your food with it.” She shot back. She hadn’t, but she could have. Especially with how she was feeling at that moment.
“And you’re still blaming me for this…?”
Nathaniel knew her moods. He should have been able to decipher them easily enough, he’d been studying them for long enough in an effort to get to know her better.
“I don’t like you that makes you an easy target right now.” She lied. She didn’t not like him…
“How like a …”
“If you say witch – so help me…”
“If you say God, so help me I will run out of this shop screaming…” he offered back with a smirk and she snorted her contempt for him. “Female. I was going to say … female.”
“Just as bad you male chauvinist pig…” she grumbled.
“Thank you,” he grinned and she rolled her eyes away from him.
“So, why would someone send you a dead leg…?”
“Nathaniel…” she groaned.
“Just a turn of phrase, and the knife that did the deed?” He eyed her for a long moment, and she waited for more … when he said nothing; she frowned and her eyes darted around the room, but always back to him.
“Why are you asking me?” She said, defensively.
“This is your shop…”
“You don’t say…”
“Your name on the boxes…” he offered back accusingly.
“It’s not mine!” She rallied in disbelief.
“Obviously … I see you more as a cat than a wolf.”
“I’m warning you,” she tossed back at him, unamused.
“Are you going to spank me or just put me on the naughty step again?” He grinned once more and she took a long breath in and closed her eyes for a moment.
When she opened her eyes again – there he was – right in front of her with the counter between them. She blinked in surprise and bit down on a curse or two – a couple of hexes shot into her mind, but she held her annoyance inside and didn’t even zap him.
“Can you not?” She bit out.
“Vampires vamp…” he offered back with a shrug off his broad shoulders.
“I really hate you sometimes.” She grumbled, turning away from him on the stool and eyeing the boxes with a grimace – she figured that he was the lesser of the two evil and turned back towards him again.
“Hate is a strong word…”
“But the most accurate in this situation between us…”
“There’s an us?” he teased. Those chocolate brown eyes of his were backlit by his humour.
“Get over yourself…” she bit out, pouting just a little.
“Don’t pout, you’re already developing a little wrinkle at the side of your mouth…”
Her hand shot up to her mouth and she frowned.
“Vanity…” he berated her on a small shake of his head.
“Says the vampire.”
“I take it you don’t want to keep the little trinket…?” he motioned with his head towards the boxes.
“Trinket?” She frowned and two little ridges appeared between her eyebrows. He found them kind of cute.
“Well, someone went to the hassle of catching that wolf and…”
“Don’t say and…” she shook her head.
“What wrong with and?”
“It’s the bit afterwards that I don’t want to hear.”
“Ah, the graphic description of how they sawed through…”
“Nathaniel, so help me I will zap you until your fangs drop out…” She warned.
“I never thought of you as squeamish, being a witch and all.”
“What does that mean?”
“Blood – you use it in your rituals, have to prick your finger…”
“There’s a big difference between a little prick and cutting off…” she stopped and eyed him for a long moment. “You should know all about little pricks…” she offered with a small smirk.
“Luckily no – but I see your warped sense of humour is returning.”
“Warped,” she snorted her contempt for him again. “Says the vampire.”
“We get a bad rep. I’m really a…”
“Little prick…” she rolled her eyes and bit on her inner cheek. “All fangs and no trousers…”
One side of Nathaniel’s lips climbed upwards. He leant his arm on the counter and leaned in towards her…
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He asked, and for a long moment she stared back into his eyes, momentarily lost…
Then she reached up and slapped her palm against his face, pushing him backwards until he finally gave up and allowed her to push him away.
“In your dreams, vampire.”
“Oh, you are, witch.” He offered back.
Nathaniel was more than satisfied that she wasn’t in shock. Her humour had returned, albeit stunted, and she was trying not to smile at him – which was a good sign.
He stalked into the back of the shop and gathered up both boxes before he headed towards the back door. He’d put them in the boot of his car just so that she didn’t have to look at them…
“Gotta run … unlike the poor beast this came from…” he offered back over his shoulder, not turning around to see the accusing and rather berating look that she was sure to be offering him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
~
Morgana made the call that she knew would bring Jessica to the shop. She knew what the witch had wanted from her for a while, and she’d made the call under the guise of selling it.
It wasn’t something that Morgana had really wanted to part with, but she figured that an amulet was a small price to pay to garner the information that Nathaniel was looking for…
If the wolf’s paw was related in any way to what Nathaniel was involved in then she would rather that she was done helping him, and the sooner the better. Maybe, she would even take those few long days away that she’d been promising herself for the last year and a half.
Getting out of town seemed like a good idea after what she’d been through that morning. Getting away from Nathaniel always seemed like a damn good idea.
When the door opened and Jessica breezed in – boobs first, because there was really no other way to deal with something so large – she strolled up to the counter and gave Morgana an expectant, victorious smile that Morgana would rather have seen turned upside down. But needs must, and she had a need to get the vampire off her back.
“You’re selling…” Jessica said, as she reached up and tossed her red hair back over her shoulder.
Because of her frame – big boobs – hour glass figure, and legs that went on forever – all of which annoyed Morgana no end – and the red hair t
o boot, Morgana had nicknamed the woman Jessica Rabbit after the cartoon character, and she looked even more like her with the low cut shirt that showcased her assets.
“I’m selling.”
Morgana tried to keep any emotion out of her voice. Especially, and considering the fact that she wanted to punch the woman on the nose and see if her boobs still kept her upright or if they’d even out the momentum like one of those children’s toys that wouldn’t fall down…
“Change of heart or just financial need?” Jessica would never realise just how close she actually was to getting a fist in the face.
“Does it matter?”
Morgana tried to keep it as civil between them as she could. She needed to remember that she wanted the witch to dish up some information … Jessica narrowed her eyes on her and considered it for a long moment.
“Not really – no,” she tossed her shoulder and let it drop.
“Good.”
Morgana reached under the counter for the box that held the sacred amulet. She couldn’t help the shiver of remembrance that chased her spine as she touched the cardboard – the image of the wolf’s paw shot into her mind and she pushed that thought away.
Then she placed the box on the counter top between them and Jessica peered inside. A smile took her full lips and her eyes flashed with glee.
Morgana could only have wished that what she’d received in a box that morning had brought her that much happiness…
“The price?” Jessica asked.
Morgana hadn’t told her that on the telephone. She wanted the witch to go to the shop, not run the other way.
“Information – if you have it and its true – that’s payment in full…”
“I’m not giving you any spells…” Jessica shot back.
“Wasn’t asking for any.” Morgana looked at the woman as if she’d just throw up on her counter top.
“Then…?”
“A dark witch – maybe a warlock … local, active?” Morgana asked and watched as Jessica’s brow furrowed for a long moment.
“What makes you think…?”
“You’re nosy to the point of pressing your ear to every key hole in town…” Morgana offered back, and then she remembered to smile…
“That’s…” Jessica took a deep breath in and her impressive boobs rose upwards. Any deeper and she might just have suffocated from them blocking her nose, the woman certainly knew how to wear a scaffolding bra…
“You don’t want it…” Morgana went to remove the box, but Jessica’s hand slapped down on top of it and she stopped her.
“There was a witch, but I haven’t seen her around for a while.” She leaned in towards Morgana and her boobs practically pressed down against the counter. “Word is – she’s working with the Professor.”
“The professor?” Morgana really was out of the loop…
“Harold Jacobs.” Jessica offered back, raising her eyebrows like Morgana really should have known what she was talking about.
“Doing what?” Morgana asked.
“I have no idea.” Jessica said, and Morgana could tell that was the truth, because the woman didn’t have that smirky knowing look about her.
“Does she have a name?”
“Doesn’t everyone?” Jessica offered back.
“What is with the sarcasm today?” Morgana groaned. She really wasn’t in the mood for it…
“Daniella Dubonnet…” Jessica shrugged. “Word is; she’s young, but powerful…”
“How powerful?” Morgana asked and Jessica looked a little hesitant.
“Truth is – you and I together probably wouldn’t stand a chance in bettering her.”
Morgana pulled her head back and considered Jessica’s words. Then she nodded and somewhat reluctantly shoved the box across the counter top towards the witch.
Jessica snatched it up faster than a reptile’s tongue found its lunch.
“Good luck with the Professor…” she said, turning on her high heels and heading back towards the door.
“What’s that mean?” Morgana demanded.
“Word is; he’s a right … sweetheart.” She offered with an acidic tone and Morgana sighed.
“I’m used to dealing with those…” she muttered back to an empty room.
~
~
~
“Just say it, Nathaniel…” Julian said as he folded his arms and waited for the vampire to admit it.
The vampire eyed the plush leather of his surroundings and reluctantly admitted that he liked Nathaniel’s car better than his own.
That was something that he would need to rectify at his earliest opportunity…
“I’m not going to inflate your head, but if you need to feel some kind of validation for your life…” Nathaniel tossed back.
“I need no validation for my life. Unlike you, I’m happy to be the bad guy in ninety percent of situations.”
“And that’s why I asked you to come along,” Nathaniel shot back.
It was true to say that he could have gone alone, but he knew that he was walking into the wolves lair without a clue as to what he was facing. In situations like those, and at his age, he knew that it would be better to go with backup and not of the witchy variety.
“Because you couldn’t handle it alone…”
“Because I needed someone to watch my back…”
“Ergo – you needed my help.” Julian looked more than pleased; he looked downright orgasmic.
“Michael was otherwise occupied…”
He’d be damned if he was going to say it. Even if he was already damned, mortal soul and all that … It still stuck in his craw…
“So you needed my help,” Julian smirked. “How hard is it to say? Go ahead, bite the bullet, get it out of your system…”
“How about I just don’t toss you out of the car while I’m doing one hundred and ten miles an hour and we’ll call it quits?” Nathaniel offered back, turning his head and staring long and hard at the vampire at his side.
“Watch the road,” Julian grumbled back. Nathaniel didn’t move a muscle.
“You’re a vampire – you’ll survive a crash,” Nathaniel said, still staring at the man until he blinked. “Unless you’re decapitated or we go up in a ball of flames that is…”
“Ok, fine. Don’t say it!” Julian grumbled, and Nathaniel turned his attention back to the road ahead. “But we both know the truth.”
“You just had to get that last jibe in there, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Feel better now?”
“Infinitely.”
“Good. So shut the hell up about it.” Nathaniel bit back.
“This had better not be about the witch,” Julian offered back and watched as Nathaniel stretched his head forward on his neck and winced slightly. “Oh, now we’re doing her favours?”
“Not so much a favour as returning something that doesn’t belong to her…” Nathaniel was even more cagey than usual and that piqued Julian’s interest.
CHAPTER TWELVE
~
“Meaning?” Julian demanded.
“Meaning … she sort of inadvertently took possession of something that didn’t belong to her and she really doesn’t want…” Nathaniel offered that little snippet and Julian’s gut said that there was more…
“Why do I feel a life and death style but coming on?”
“No buts…”
“But?”
“But – it’s delicate…”
“As in it breaks easily?”
“Oh, I think that’s the least of our worries, and his…”
“His who?”
“Whomever it belongs to,” Nathaniel offered him an innocent smile. Too damn innocent for Julian’s liking.
“What is it?”
Nathaniel took a long moment to wonder how he was going to deliver the news. One way or the other, now or then, Julian was going to find out what was in the boot…
“A paw…” Nathaniel muttered
.
“I’m sorry, I thought you said a paw…”
“Yes.” Nathaniel winced.
“A … paw?” Julian said again, trying to wrap his head around what Nathaniel was telling him.
“Yes.”
“We’re walking into a wolf pack with one of their paws in our boot?” Julian looked unamused.
“Yes.”
“Are we insane?” He tossed back.
“I can only speak for myself when I say no.”
“I feel a little insanity coming on…” Julian said as he eyed the fast buzz of the outside world go by.
“Right after this, straight to the nut house.” Nathaniel offered back.
He supposed he should have felt guilty about dragging Julian into the mess he was in, but he didn’t. Julian had never apologised for the little misunderstanding with a palace guard ninety five years before; that had seen Nathaniel run through with a blade and having to leave Windsor for a good long while…
“You could have warned me.”
“You might have said no.”
“Probably would have.”
“There you go then, better to ask forgiveness than beg for help.” Nathaniel offered with a smirk.
“Go on then.”
“What?”
“Ask for forgiveness.”
“Nothing’s happened yet.”
“On the other hand; you might die without ever having done it.”
“That lets us both off the hook then.”
“You can’t do it, can you?” Julian twisted in his seat to look at Nathaniel and the vampire turned his head to give him a double take.
“Are we having a moment?” Nathaniel shot back.
“Be true and ask.” Julian shot back, ignoring his comment.
“Ask what? My memory isn’t what it once was …” Nathaniel offered back.
“Didn’t think so … Where’s Michael. Doesn’t he normally accompany you on stupid quests like this?”
“Yes, and he’s somewhat busy doing me a favour.”
“Did you ask him to do you a favour?”
“Yes,” Nathaniel shrugged.
“Him you ask…”
“Oh, for the love of all things bloody …” Nathaniel sighed.