Witching Hour: Blood Magic Book 3

by L.H. Cosway

  I couldn’t respond, because it felt like my entire throat was on fire. The next thing I knew, Marcel stood before me brandishing a glass of water. I grabbed it desperately and knocked the whole thing back in several long gulps. Strangely, once I downed the water, the burning vanished and my throat felt completely normal again.

  “Thank you,” I said, handing the glass back to Marcel. My gratitude quickly turned to suspicion when I noticed him staring eagerly into the glass, as though inspecting whether I drank all of it. He’d put something in the water. I was certain of it. I was also certain he was the one who gave me the coughing fit, though I had no proof.

  I stepped away from Marcel, almost falling back into Ira. The shapeshifter steadied me by placing both of his big, warm hands on my shoulders.

  “What have you done to me?” I demanded, rage filling me as I glared at Marcel.

  A slow grin shaped his lips. “Nothing, my dear. Absolutely nothing at all.”

  Finn advanced on him, backing him into one of the cash registers. Some shoppers cast wary glances at Finn before hurrying out the door. Others stayed to watch the drama unfold.

  Finn glared menacingly down at Marcel. “What trick have you played, old man?” He gripped the warlock’s button-down hemp shirt in his fist.

  Marcel effected a startled expression. “Please, Mr Roe, this is a place of business. Try not to make a scene. I’ve played no trick. I swear I have no qualms with you or Tegan. It’s the vampires and their governor who I consider to be my true enemies.”

  Finn glanced back at me, not letting go of Marcel. “How do you feel now?”

  I took stock of myself, but I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. “Fine, I guess. It just felt like that cough came out of nowhere. I thought it might be magic or something.”

  Finn’s glower intensified as he levelled his gaze on Marcel. “If we find out that you’ve done something to her, anything, I’ll be paying you another visit. And next time I won’t be quite so polite or understanding.”

  Marcel paled just slightly at the threat. Finn stalked his way out of the shop, and Ira and I followed after him.

  3.

  When we got back to the car Finn swore loudly and banged his fists against the steering wheel. He started the engine and pulled away before I even had the chance to secure my seatbelt. His jaw was screwed up so tight it looked like he was biting the inside of his cheek.

  “Hey, calm down. Don’t let Marcel get to you,” I said a few minutes into the drive.

  “I never should’ve brought you there. We didn’t find any information on Theodore and who knows what was in that water.”

  “I’ll ask Rita to make me something that will flush it out when we get home. It’ll be fine.”

  “You don’t know that.” His eyes flicked to mine briefly. “I’d never forgive myself if he poisoned you.”

  “Well, thank you for caring, but you’re only letting Marcel win by getting angry.”

  “He just aggravates me. He thinks he can go around sacrificing people in rituals without any payback. Well, not on my watch.”

  “Nor mine. Marcel will get his, don’t you worry about that.”

  That lured a hint of a smile out of him. “People should be more scared of you.”

  “Yes,” I agreed, grinning as I opened my palm and summoned a few tiny sparks. “They definitely should.”

  I thought we’d go straight back to the house, but instead, Finn pulled up outside of Pamphrock’s apartment building. “The governor wanted you to visit Rebecca. She’s been asking for you.”

  “Really? That’s sweet. But I haven’t done much research into the spell yet. I’m not even sure if I’m the woman for the job, to be honest. Perhaps he should just pay Rita to do it.”

  “He doesn’t trust Rita. She’s powerful, but she’s unpredictable, and he’s only just gotten his daughter back. He won’t allow unpredictable people around her. Plus, he’s also taken a bit of a shine to you.”

  “Piss off, he has not.” I folded my arms across my chest, then glanced back at Finn and asked curiously, “Has he?”

  Finn let out a big bellow of a laugh. “Christ, no, he hasn’t taken a shine to you in that way. He just thinks you’re a good, trustworthy sort. Pamphrock values having people he can trust on his side.”

  “Oh, well, that’s cool, I suppose. It’s a nice contrast to the vampires who think I’m the ultimate betrayer.”

  Finn chuckled. “If you ever take up wrestling that could be your stage name.”

  I laughed as we pulled into the underground car park of a fancy high rise apartment building. We took the elevator up to the very top floor since Pamphrock lived in the penthouse. I stood in between Finn and a silent Ira as we made the journey up.

  The elevator opened directly into the penthouse. “Very swish,” I muttered to Finn.

  Pamphrock, dressed casually in jeans and a sweatshirt, was there to greet us. He almost looked like an ordinary stay-at-home dad. He welcomed us inside, giving Finn a firm handshake, Ira a respectable nod, and me a full-bodied hug. Well, it was certainly nice to have someone be pleased to see me after all the quiet condemnation from Ethan.

  Pamphrock led us through his impeccably furnished penthouse to a large living area with a view looking over the entire city. Surrounded by toys on the carpet in the middle of the room was Rebecca. She looked like a little doll, all dressed up in a dainty ensemble that would put Shirley Temple to shame.

  It was a little anachronistic, actually.

  These days people didn’t normally dress their kids so fancy. Then again, Pamphrock hailed from another era—an era where little girls of a certain class always had to look like little princesses.

  I felt that familiar hum of recognition as I neared her, my blood sensing her sameness. I sat on the couch a few feet from her, just taking her in. When she lifted her head and saw me, her big brown eyes lit up.

  “Tegan! Daddy said you were coming. I’ve been so excited.”

  She rose and gave me a small, tight hug. I froze a little since I wasn’t used to being around kids. I didn’t know how to act around them.

  Finn and Pamphrock stepped out onto the large balcony to chat, while Ira sat down beside me on the couch. Rebecca stared at him with wide eyes, in the way kids did when they saw someone who seemed different. Or, in Ira’s case, big and scary.

  Ira stared back at her, then looked at me. I wondered if he could sense that Rebecca and I were the same.

  Rebecca twisted a lock of hair around her finger and asked, “Who are you?”

  Ira tilted his head at her but didn’t reply.

  “His name’s Ira,” I answered. “He doesn’t speak.”

  Rebecca gasped and grew excited at this piece of information. “Why not? Did he lose his voice? Did a bad person steal it like Ursula stole Ariel’s voice in The Little Mermaid?”

  I laughed, and Ira continued to study Rebecca.

  “I don’t think so. I’m not sure why he doesn’t speak, but I think maybe he just doesn’t want to.”

  I turned to look at Ira as his eyes landed on mine. For some reason, I turned away and flushed. I still couldn’t get my head around the fact that this man and the dog I once cuddled and slept with were one and the same. It would certainly be a whole different ball game if we snuggled while he was in his human form.

  “That’s strange,” Rebecca said, picking up one of her dolls and brushing its hair.

  “How have you been since coming home?” I asked. I wasn’t really sure how to talk to a ten-year-old, so I decided to simply address her as I would an adult. I hated it when people spoke all weird and babyish around kids anyway.

  Rebecca smiled. “Much better. And I get to see Daddy every day.”

  “You didn’t before?”

  “No. He was always busy. He told me he’s gonna be spending a lot more time with me from now on.”

  Well, I supposed if there was one good thing that came from Rebecca’s kidnapping it was that it drove Pam
phrock to make more of an effort as a father. I glanced at her selection of toys, then picked up a fawn-coloured teddy bear and sat him on my lap.

  “I like this guy,” I said. “He’s got nice fur. What’s his name?”

  “That’s Harold. I sleep with him every night. Aside from Daddy, I missed Harold the most when I was away.”

  I momentarily wondered how isolated Pamphrock kept her if the person she missed the most wasn’t a person at all, but an inanimate object.

  “What about your mother?” I asked, without really thinking.

  “She’s with the angels,” Rebecca replied, matter of fact. “That’s what Daddy says. I thought you were an angel, but Daddy said you’re just a very special person, same as me.”

  I set Harold down and lowered myself to the floor to sit beside Rebecca. On instinct, I took her small hand into mine. It felt so incredibly calming to touch her, and I got this overwhelming feeling of being kindred. Tingles ran from her palm into mine.

  “That’s true. We’re both the same. A little different from everyone else,” I said.

  She smiled up at me and giggled. “You feel sparkly.”

  She pulled her hand away and rubbed it on her stockinged knee. But just before she pulled her hand away, I’d gotten an odd sensation in my mind, like a book opening that I didn’t even know was there. I tried to get it back, but it had disappeared. I needed to hold her hand again.

  “Can we do that one more time?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “It tickles.”

  “I know it does. Did your daddy tell you anything about how I’m going to help you?”

  She nodded, suddenly solemn. “He said you have to make it so that the scary people won’t take me away again.”

  “That’s right, but I’m still figuring out how to do that. If you let me hold your hand again it might help me find some answers.”

  “Okay then,” Rebecca replied, a little hesitant.

  She held her hand out to me, and I took it. Closing my eyes this time, the book came flooding back. It was like I could flick through its pages with my mind. It landed on a page, and all the words were indecipherable, like they were written in an ancient language, except for one line, which was lit up almost like a lamppost.

  In order to hide the blood of the daughter, you must use the blood of the mother.

  I opened my eyes with a start and let go of Rebecca’s hand. That was it! My mother used her blood in the spell to hide my blood, which meant I needed Rebecca’s mother’s blood to hide hers. My joy was short-lived, however, because Rebecca said her mum was with the angels. Obviously, that meant she was dead. Just when I thought I was making headway, a big, hulking roadblock appeared.

  I stood and walked over to the sliding doors that led out to the balcony where Finn and Pamphrock were deep in conversation. They were probably planning their strategy for the next strike from Whitfield. He’d been suspiciously inactive ever since we got Rebecca back.

  I rapped my knuckles on the glass to get their attention, and Pamphrock motioned me through. I glanced from Finn to the governor as I joined them.

  “I think I know one of the things I need for Rebecca’s spell.”

  Pamphrock’s eyes lit up. “Go on.”

  “I need her mother’s blood.”

  Pamphrock studied me a moment, his jaw tightening. “That’s not possible.”

  “I know,” I said sadly. “Rebecca told me her mother passed away.”

  Pamphrock’s expression turned serious. “She’s not dead. It’s just better for my daughter if I tell her that. It means she won’t live her life waiting for the return of a parent who’s never coming back.”

  Now I frowned. “If she’s not dead, then where is she?”

  Pamphrock exhaled heavily, then pulled a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one up. I briefly wondered if smoking had adverse health effects for dhampirs.

  “She’s cared for in a remote psychiatric facility, far away from any vampire populations,” he finally answered. “Felicity, Rebecca’s mother, was just like you, Tegan. She had the same unique blood, but she wasn’t as strong as you are. She was delicate, sensitive. Over the years, she became increasingly paranoid that she was going to be killed by vampires, or that I was going to kill her for the good of my organization. The paranoia soon turned to insanity.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but …” I trailed off, unsure about what I wanted to suggest.

  “But what?” Pamphrock prompted.

  “Is there a possibility that we could go to Felicity and take a sample of her blood for the spell?”

  Pamphrock took a drag of his cigarette as he stared out at the city below. “For safety reasons, I’m the only one who knows the location of the facility where she’s being cared for. That means I would have to be the one to go to her, and at the moment, I cannot leave the city. My position is precarious enough as it is.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, then I don’t know how else to help you. I need Felicity’s blood if I’m going to cast the spell.”

  Pamphrock remained silent for a long moment. His shoulders hunched like he was wrestling with his conscience. Finally, he said, “Leave it to me. I’ll figure something out. In the meantime, you can continue your research on the components of the rest of the spell.”

  I nodded and stepped back. “Alright then. I’ll, um, let you two finish your conversation.”

  Returning to Rebecca and Ira, I almost burst out laughing at the scene that greeted me. Rebecca was kneeling on the sofa next to a stoic Ira and using a bright pink comb to brush his hair. I didn’t blame her for wanting to get her hands on it either. Ira had glossy, shoulder-length, dark brown hair that just begged to be touched. Obviously, I’d managed to restrain myself so far.

  His eyes met mine, and I struggled to contain my giggles at the perplexed look on his face even as my heart melted that he was letting her treat him like one of her dolls. I sat down on the other side of him and gave him a warm smile.

  “Isn’t it just lovely,” Rebecca exclaimed, running her comb through Ira’s dark locks. “I’m going to ask Daddy to get me a new doll with hair just like this. Tegan,” she stopped brushing and held out the comb to me, “you have a go.”

  “I’m not sure if Ira likes having his hair combed,” I said, glancing at his stoic expression.

  “Don’t be silly! He loves it. Don’t you, Ira?” Rebecca asked sweetly.

  He let out a quiet grunt, but I couldn’t tell whether or not it was an affirmative.

  “You see, he wants you to. Go on,” Rebecca urged, handing me the comb again.

  “Okay then,” I said, shooting Ira an apologetic look as I turned to face him. He tilted his head down at me, watching my hand as I brought the comb to his hair, and his dark eyes never left my face. I swallowed and his attention went to my throat.

  Had it suddenly gotten hotter in here?

  My knuckles accidentally brushed the skin at the back of his neck, and it felt like he leaned into the touch. His skin felt nice, all warm and smooth. Perhaps he subconsciously missed how I used to pet him when he was a dog. I dropped the comb as soon as I heard the sliding doors open and Finn and Pamphrock step inside.

  I thanked my lucky stars that Finn didn’t see me brushing Ira’s hair. That would have been an awkward conversation trying to explain what I was doing.

  “Time to go,” Finn announced.

  Rebecca gave me a quick farewell hug before moving to Ira and squeezing his hand as she grinned at him. “You’re cute.” She glanced at me. “Next time you come to visit, don’t forget to bring Ira, too.”

  “I won’t,” I said, grinning as Finn shot me a questioning look. We entered the lift, and he was still staring at me, waiting for an explanation.

  “When I went back in, I found Rebecca combing Ira’s hair with a bright pink comb.”

  Finn’s eyes crinkled with mirth. “I’m sad I missed that.”

  Ira gave another of his low grunts, and Finn and I burst o
ut laughing.

  ***

  When we got back to the house, Delilah and Rita were in the kitchen, both staring at a glass jar they’d placed on the table. Inside the jar was what appeared to be some kind of black and grey swirling mist.

  “What you got there?” Finn questioned, pulling up a chair.

  “Not sure exactly,” Rita replied. “Dee and I took a boat out to Ridley Island, but there was nothing much to find except for empty, barren land. Then on the way home, I came across this little fella hovering by a shop doorway.” Rita had taken to calling Delilah ‘Dee’. I was surprised Delilah hadn’t told her off about it yet.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Rita continued. “But I’ve heard of strange entities like this drifting through from other realms. We watched it for a couple of minutes, and it seemed to be seeping into the people who came in and out of the shop, little by little. It was a good thing I had my spell kit with me, so I could trap it in this jar. I think it must be some kind of energy that got through when Theodore came back from hell. From the way it was seeping into people, I’d say this is what caused the riot you experienced. It’s making humans go doo-lally somehow.”

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Finn said, leaning in to study the jar. He jerked back when the mist suddenly slammed against the glass right where his eyes had been focused, as though it sensed him looking at it.

  Rita chuckled. “Hey, Finn, I think it just gave you the finger.”

  Finn smirked. “I think you might be right.”

  I rubbed my arms, feeling a chill. Something inside of me was revolted by my proximity to the jar. It was like my magic, the same magic that presented me with the pages of the unknown book, was urging me to stay away from it.

  “You need to get it out of here,” I said, eyeing Rita. “It makes me feel odd, kind of like I’m sick with fear. I’ve got goosebumps. Look,” I pulled up my sleeve to show her my arm.

  “Yeah, I’m getting that feeling, too. Maybe not as strongly as you are though,” Rita replied. “But I can’t just let it go. I need to get rid of it responsibly, and until I figure out how to do that, we’ve got to keep it in the jar.”