by Emma Dean
The small potion bottle on her counter was waiting. She checked the label. Ms. Jenkinson was on time as always. Mika downed the whole thing. The potion was one her family had perfected over the years.
Six months of protection from pregnancy and STDs. It didn’t mess with her hormones like the human medicine did, and Mika always took it, no matter what. After what had happened, not a day went by that she wasn’t grateful for her mother’s insistence all the females take it from the day they first started menstruating.
She’d have to ask Ms. Jenkinson to make one for Audrey too, just to be safe.
Washing out the bottle to be reused again later, Mika glanced in the mirror one last time.
Glowing red eyes stared back at her.
“Hello, dove.”
6
She whirled around, heart pounding, clutching the towel tightly to her body. Mika stared at Corbin, hardly believing he was really there. “What are you doing here?”
The raven didn’t smile like Lucien might have. He tilted his head sharply like she was his prey instead. “Want me to leave?”
Mika wasn’t going to ask how he got into her warded house, or how he’d appeared behind her so silently, or how much he might have seen. No doubt he could smell it anyway.
She walked around him and snapped her fingers, lighting the candles on various surfaces around the room. Some smelled of lemon and ginger, and some were spelled to cleanse the air of any scent so that the spiritual and psychological space was blank so to speak.
“After our last encounter I would have thought you’d be more pleased to see me,” Corbin teased, following her into her walk-in closet. His eyes fell on the midnight feather she still had on her vanity – one of his.
She was very pleased to see him, but Mika was also discombobulated and confused after Lucien had just left – and no doubt Corbin wasn’t here just to make a social call.
“The candles aren’t going to hide those love bites, dove.”
Mika felt her cheeks heat, but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of turning around.
Grabbing her favorite black shorts and button down tank top she muttered the spell she’d been practicing under her breath and concentrated.
A moment later she was dressed and her towel was in her hands. Mika tossed it in the hamper and sat down at her vanity. Corbin smiled at her through the mirror and she had to look away.
“Seems like you’re finally getting a better handle on the magic,” Corbin said, leaning against the doorframe.
“Are you going to tell me why you broke into my house to sneak up on me naked?” Mika couldn’t help stealing another glance at him in the mirror as she put on her makeup.
Technically she could do that with magic too, but the ritual helped relax her – center her for the day.
“I suppose,” Corbin smirked. “You’re very distracting though.”
She concentrated on her eyeliner instead of how pleased she was he’d actually said that. “I apologize. What’s so urgent that you had to come here now when I haven’t heard from you in weeks?”
Corbin was suddenly right behind her and Mika flinched. Fates, he was fast as the devil and just as silent. Those glowing red eyes were back to his normal green, but they were just as vibrant.
“I wasn’t sure you’d want to talk to me,” he admitted, resting one hand on her shoulder.
Mika stopped what she was doing to really look at him. How could the world’s best raven assassin possibly feel insecure enough he’d doubt? “Why not?”
The back of his knuckles caressed the side of her neck and Mika leaned into that barely-there touch. It meant so much more knowing how much of an effort contact was for him.
“You’ve got two other lovely males to watch after you,” he murmured. “Anyways, I found this and thought you might want it.”
The raven set an old looking book on her vanity – one that looked just as ancient and spooky as the grimoires in their library downstairs. But instead of a pentagram stamped on the front there was the Morrigan’s symbol.
“Where did you get this?” Mika set down her makeup and ran her hands over the spine of the book, feeling for words or symbols or runes in any language. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Corbin just smiled slightly and released her. One finger trailed down until he hooked the titanium necklace around his finger. “It has information about these.” Slowly he tugged on the necklace until the blood crystals fell out of her shirt.
She hadn’t been able to figure out how to unlock them, or find out what they did, and ever since she’d been home she’d been reading every book she could get her hands on.
“Did you steal it?” Mika asked.
“Would you care if I did?”
She smiled slightly at that. No, she wouldn’t.
“It was in our library. I ‘borrowed’ it,” Corbin told her, watching closely as she ran her hand over the symbol on the front cover again.
Despite all the books she’d been given by those she cared about most in her life, Mika hadn’t found any mention of blood crystals. And nothing in the Marshall library either.
“I have another job, but is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?”
Mika turned in her chair and looked up at this assassin who had disappeared from her life like a phantom and now suddenly he was here, asking her for what sounded like an assignment.
She would never forget what he’d called her the day of her grandmother’s funeral.
Queen.
“You’re not bound to me,” Mika finally managed.
Corbin shrugged as if that was enough of an explanation.
Mika eyed the book and then the fine as hell shifter behind her. It didn’t look like she really had a say in who decided to be a part of her life. They’d all ignored her protests at every turn, and it looked like Corbin was going to as well.
Turning back to her vanity, Mika grabbed her eyeliner and went back to work. “I formally declared my challenge to my sister last night.”
Corbin grinned at that.
“Based on what Selene told me, it’s a literal battle – with battle magic. Real battle magic.”
A gleam shone in Corbin’s eye and his smile widened. “Are you asking me to train you, dove? Or do you simply want more books?”
She was quiet as she finished the perfect cat-eye and then set her liner down to inspect her handiwork. “Both. What do you think?”
“You’ve got a steady hand,” Corbin teased, sliding his hands in his pockets.
Mika rolled her eyes. Obviously that wasn’t what she’d been talking about. Why did males like to annoy her so much?
He leaned forward then and held her gaze through the mirror. “Your wish is my command. I will be here twice a week at midnight for one hour. Be prepared.”
She blinked and all that was left of him was a second feather on her vanity and the phantom feeling of wings on her cheek.
Slowly she picked up the new feather and eyed it. She’d managed to rope Corbin back into her life somehow, but only because he’d wanted it.
The book was heavy in her lap.
Things were still strange between them, but Corbin acted like she was his…or like he was hers.
Mika snapped her fingers. Her hair became dry and went up in an elegant knot while the rest of her makeup went into place.
Now that she had this book, she had things to do. Maybe Ethan would be up for a little spell work before breakfast.
“She’s here!” Audrey called as she ran into the greenhouse. “The new girl is here and she’s so pretty.”
Mika looked up from the book Corbin had given her and blinked. How was it already noon?
“Here,” Ethan said, grabbing the book from her. “Don’t want to leave this lying around.”
Ethan had taken the whole Corbin thing in stride like he did everything else. Mika would never get used to that. How the hell had she gotten so lucky?
There was no one in the world quite li
ke Ethan.
Mika followed after Audrey and tried not to laugh. “Aren’t you still dating Natalie?”
“Yeah, so?” Audrey laughed and gave her a shrug. “I can still swoon over a pretty girl.”
Audrey held the back door open for Mika and then followed her through. The hunter hadn’t been around at all since the spring semester ended.
“How’s that going by the way?” Mika asked, glancing around the house for Claire. But her sister had been suspiciously scarce since dinner the night before.
“As well as can be expected,” Audrey admitted. “We talk all the time, but distance is hard. She doesn’t know if she’ll be able to visit, and I can’t just leave right now. There’s too much going on.”
Mika held Audrey back, glancing over her shoulder again. After Corbin sneaking up on her she was jumpy. “If you need to go, just go. You don’t have to stay here because of me.”
Audrey gave her an incredulous look. Her nose wrinkled in irritation. “And miss out on the first witch challenge since forever? No thanks.”
Then she traipsed into the massive kitchen where the new voice could be heard talking to Ms. Jenkinson. Mika shook her head and smiled slightly. She was lucky in a lot of ways.
“Hello,” Audrey said, grinning at the pretty blonde girl.
Callie was more of the sun-kissed beach girl blonde than Mika’s pale, nearly white blonde. “Thank you again for hiring me,” Callie said, holding out her hand for Mika to shake. “It’s a huge honor to work for the Marshall clan.”
Carefully Mika took her hand and shook it, very aware that only six months ago this simple contact wouldn’t have been possible. “The honor is mine,” Mika said, falling into the old high society manners that had been beaten into her. “Ms. Jenkinson, have you seen my sister?”
The housekeeper pursed her lips but kept any thoughts or opinions on the matter to herself. “I have not, Ms. Mika. Lunch will be ready shortly. Would you like it in the greenhouse?”
Mika pecked the old woman’s cheek. “That would be lovely.”
Flustered, Ms. Jenkinson shooed them off. “Go, get out of my kitchen.”
“Follow me,” Mika told Callie, waving her hand in the right direction.
At first she’d been furious when she’d come home and found Claire still hadn’t hired anyone to look after the plants.
They’d been wilting and dying – and so many of them were part of their clans’ income. The Marshall’s curated rare plants, as well as the deadly ones, and could sell them for thousands. Why Claire had simply let it all go became clear the third night in a row her sister was at a high society party until nearly dawn.
And then Mika had felt grateful because now she could do what she wanted with the greenhouse, hire who she thought would work best. They needed someone just as dedicated to the plants – someone who would be there every day, talking to them, encouraging them to grow, and ensuring there was no mistake with the poison garden.
Mika already had some of the coven members asking to see her newly added moon garden. Night-blooming flowers had been imported from all over the world.
Thankfully Audrey chatted with Callie, making this whole experience less awkward. Hiring someone older than her felt strange, but Callie hadn’t seemed weirded out by it which Mika was grateful for.
“So this is the greenhouse,” Mika said unnecessarily. The massive glass building took up a good portion of their property. “It has its own security system, both human and magical. I’ve got your code for you inside, and then we’ll get your print scanned in.”
Callie looked up at the greenhouse in awe just like she had the first time. And that was how Mika had known she was the right one. It was the look in her eyes and the way she’d studied each plant – practically incredulous at some of the ones they possessed.
“If there’s anything you need from me, let me know,” Mika told her. “I’ll be studying with my boyfriend in the sun room.”
Callie smiled at Mika and thanked her. Mika paused when Audrey didn’t come with her. She raised an eyebrow and Audrey silently shooed her off while the new gardener inspected one of the plants that were supposedly extinct.
Shaking her head, Mika smiled. She wasn’t one to judge.
There were crystals to open and blood stones to figure out.
7
“I love everything about this place,” Ethan said with a sigh, watching as Callie knelt to inspect another plant. “It’s easier to understand why high society witches are the way they are now that I’ve finally been to the infamous Marshall greenhouse.”
Mika didn’t know what to say to that, so she pulled out the ancient book Corbin had left her.
“Growing up here must have been amazing,” Ethan murmured.
“Yeah, amazing.” Mika flipped back to the page regarding blood crystals and tried not to sigh.
It wasn’t that her life had been terrible, or that she didn’t realize exactly what money could do. It was just…there was always a tradeoff. There were things about being a ‘high society’ witch that Mika thought were just barbaric.
Who still promised their daughters off to someone they didn’t even know at such a young age? As if they were royalty. Please. It definitely had to be a male’s idea.
Marrying a powerful witch was the only way the males could really advance in a coven. And the females had agreed to this? Sounded like witchery to Mika.
That was what she envied the most about Ethan’s life, growing up as a normal person who happened to have magic. He could choose his path. He had the freedom to love whoever he wanted and to study whatever he liked.
Mika on the other hand…would she be an herbologist if she hadn’t practically grown up in this greenhouse? Watching Audrey and Callie talk about the collection of black flowers and plants, Mika wasn’t sure who she would be without her gardens.
Who would she be if blood magic hadn’t been quietly and unofficially outlawed? Would she be some kind of hunter or warrior? Had her clan been silently grateful for the chance at peace, and at the first opportunity to set up a garden unlike any ever seen before in America?
“Is everything okay?” Ethan asked, tuning into her moods like always. Mika had no idea how he did that.
“Just got a lot on my mind,” she told him. “Here’s the section on blood crystals.”
Ethan pulled the book closer, letting the subject drop. “Ancient Irish is such a pain in the ass to read.”
“At least it’s not in the Infernal language,” Mika told him. “I’ve been reading up on hell and it’s honestly just the worst.”
“I can’t even muddle through,” Ethan admitted. “What does it say?”
Mika pulled her necklace over her head and placed it on the table. The blood crystals were dark and seemed to glow with their own inner light, even in the bright sunlight.
“Basically these are like storage. If you know the right incantation, you sacrifice a bit of your blood and store memories in here.”
Ethan’s eyes widened and he picked up the crystals, holding them to the light so that the varying colors of swirling red showed ever so slightly. “This is blood in here?”
“Yes. Apparently it used to be used like a grimoire for blood witches.” Mika studied the crystals. Some were so red they were nearly black, and others still had bits of clear shining through.
What hidden knowledge was in there? Why did her grandmother have them? What was she going to find out?
Nerves made her stomach flutter and her hands were sweaty. Mika was both excited and scared to open them. After so long she was dying for some answers, but at the same time…
Would she have to watch blood witches being slaughtered again?
“And when we access them?” Ethan asked.
Grimacing, Mika took the necklace from him and undid the clasp. “I’m not sure you’ll be able to see what’s in here.” Sliding each crystal off the chain she set them carefully on the velvet tray before her.
“Really? What makes you
think that?”
Putting the necklace back around her neck, Mika played with the small charms still clinking together. “It might be spelled so only someone with blood ties to my clan can access the information.”
Ethan sat back with a look of disappointment on his face. “Is there a specific time the spell needs to be done?”
She shook her head, eyeing the darkest crystal. “No. Just my blood and the incantation is needed. I assume it’s to make sure we can access the information whenever.”
Callie and Audrey moved on to another area of the greenhouse behind the sun room. Mika smiled slightly, wondering if Callie was interested in Audrey as well. Either way she just wanted her friend and chosen sister to be happy.
The long distance with Natalie was wearing on her just as badly as it was Mika.
“You want to do this now?” Ethan asked, pulling the book forward again. “Or wait until we have more privacy?”
Mika didn’t know what to say to that question. On one hand she almost didn’t care if Callie caught her performing a small bit of blood magic. On the other hand she didn’t know what was going to happen when she said the incantation.
“I want to go to New Mexico,” Mika said instead. “See where you live and what it’s like not being tied down by high society rules.”
Ethan looked at her for a moment and then set the ancient book aside. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to fly to New Mexico when we don’t know when the coven will call you forward, or when they’ll set the challenge.”
“Why do you always find a reason to say no?” Mika felt the drop in her stomach just like she had every other time she’d brought the subject up. “Are you ashamed of me?”
Instantly Ethan’s face softened and he took her hand in his two very large ones. “No, Mika. Not at all.”
She looked up into his stormy grey eyes that seemed so out of place in the California sunshine. Ethan belonged in the Pacific Northwest where it rained three hundred days out of the year and the frigid ocean was nearby, always foaming and frothing.
