Fire in the Blood: Bad Witch, Book 4

by Robyn Bachar

  Simon’s eyes widened, and I gasped as I realized I knew those eyes. Faust and Simon were related. This really was some crazy soap-opera shit, but that was surprisingly common in magician society due to our small numbers. The chronicler shook his head, probably in shock. I would be. I was really glad that I knew the faerie in my family tree without a doubt.

  “That’s not your concern,” Simon said.

  “Isn’t it? Would you like me to tell the tale of how I seduced your mother away from her lord husband? Jane was an exceptionally beautiful woman. All that pale, blonde hair—”

  With a snarl, Simon launched himself at Faust, diving over the desk as his hands went for my sweetie’s throat, and I grabbed the back of Faust’s jacket and hauled him out of the way. The Oberon put himself between the two men as I continued to hustle Faust out of reach. He didn’t fight me. In fact, he seemed drained. Exhausted.

  “That’s enough,” Lex shouted.

  “You’re right. It is,” I replied. “Fuck this. We’ll all probably all be dead by the end of the year anyway. Come on.” I nudged Faust toward the door. He stared at Simon, but after a long moment he turned his attention to me and then nodded. Faust turned and started for the exit, and I followed.

  “Patience, wait,” the Titania called.

  I waved half-heartedly in her direction. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you all in hell.”

  Chapter Five

  I discovered something new on the drive back to Faust’s place. He was quiet and broody and generally angsty, and seeing him upset made me upset. That’d never happened before. As a cast-iron bitch, my give-a-fuck meter is pretty low where other people’s feelings are concerned. Oh, I try to keep my clients happy, but that’s out of a desire to see the check clear. But I hated seeing Faust unhappy, and I took that as a sign of how far gone I was over him.

  To fill the silence I put my music on loud while I drove and sang along, badly. Harvey was content in the backseat, or at least as content as he was going to get with Faust in the car. The awkward silence continued upon our arrival in the parking garage, during the journey up in the elevator and into the penthouse. Harvey disappeared into the guest room, and I hesitated as I wondered what to do. I’d offer Faust a drink if there was booze in the bar, or coffee if there was food in the kitchen. I settled on giving him a hug after I took my shoes off.

  “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” I said. “Your past is your own business. I’m not going to harass you about it.”

  He smiled. “I appreciate that. I should explain. You’ll need to know some of it.”

  I curled up on the couch—or at least as much as a person can curl up on creaky leather cushions—and watched as he paced in front of the picture windows looking out over Chicago. The building was along the river, and the view was pretty spectacular, even though it was a gray November afternoon.

  “I was very different then. After Faerie was formed, it took time before we realized that there would be no more full-blooded children, and longer before we began to accept it. When that happened, we all changed. Our marriages and our alliances dissolved, and we focused on dallying with magicians to create half-blooded children, in order to preserve what we could of our people. I was…” he trailed off, his brow furrowed.

  “A slut?” I suggested.

  Faust laughed. “Accurate.” He ran a hand through his hair and then pulled off his glasses, setting them on the glass coffee table. “I had many children. For a time, it was wonderful. I love children.”

  He grinned, and I pointed at him sternly. “We can negotiate kids if I survive the ridiculous amount of people trying to kill me.”

  “Hmm. Well that’s additional motive to keep you safe then,” he teased. His smile dimmed, and he sat next to me. Two cups of coffee appeared on the table, and he handed me one. I wrapped my hands around the warmth and sipped at it.

  “So Simon was one of your brood?” I asked.

  “Yes. His situation was unique. His mother was not a magician, but I pursued her anyway, because I was very taken with her. It was foolish and irresponsible of me. I know now that I endangered Simon by bringing him into a family devoid of magic, but I was certain I could protect him. I looked after him the best I could, and I made sure that he was tutored in magic, but I lost track of him. I had so many children, and humans age so quickly. Like flowers. You bloom and fade.”

  “You’re not helping your argument for a permanent relationship,” I pointed out.

  “Hmm. Perhaps not. My point is, I had many children, and I lost all of them. I thought Simon died, because I had no idea he’d joined the Order. Officially he’d passed away, and there was even a grave for him in his family’s cemetery. I visited it a few times, not knowing he wasn’t buried there. I had no reason to doubt it.”

  I nodded, still sipping my coffee. His cup remained untouched on the table, and he rose and began pacing again.

  “After losing so many of my children, I stopped having more. Many faeries did, because we simply became heartbroken. Resigned to our fate. Though there were some, like Helen, who refused to give up. She was obsessed with finding a cure, which became our clan’s downfall. She believed we could somehow steal the fertility of living magicians, using their blood to cure our sterility. I disapproved. I told her it was madness and she should stop, but Helen…Helen causes chaos wherever she goes. I should have turned her over to the authorities, but I didn’t.”

  “She’s your sister,” I said. I was an only child, but I was pretty sure if I had siblings I wouldn’t snitch on them to the magic cops. Then again don’t snitch is practically summoner law.

  Faust sighed. “And she is also a self-centered monster who doomed us all. But it was Emily Black who caught us. She was the only one who could, being a seer. It was her testimony that damned us, and then the Council of Three of Great Britain banished us all. There were many who couldn’t bear to live with the stigma of being shadowspawn, and they killed themselves. I’d say we lost half that first year. The rest were lost by inches and degrees until…”

  He stopped and stared out of the window, though I doubted he was admiring the view. Faust was a lean line of darkness against the gray sky.

  “Until?” I prompted.

  “Until only Helen and I were left. We are the last of our clan. The council forbade us from attempting to harm Emily Black or her kin. Any actions were met with an instant death sentence, but Zachary is not bound by that rule, and I couldn’t resist this opportunity. It’s easier to focus my anger on the woman who caught us than on my sister, who is truly responsible. But in a way, I suppose it is my fault. I created Simon, and he created Michael and Emily Black. If not for my own desires, perhaps she wouldn’t have been there to catch us. Perhaps Helen would have found a cure.”

  “We wouldn’t be having this conversation if she did. You’d be off boinking some faerie woman, and I wouldn’t have been born, because my faerie grandpa also would’ve been off boinking a faerie woman instead of my summoner grandma,” I pointed out. “You can’t drown yourself in what might’ve beens. It is what it is.”

  “Practical as always, my dear.”

  I smiled. “That’s why they pay me the big money. So how long have you known that Simon wasn’t dead? Or completely dead, anyway.”

  “I never saw him during the trial. I heard the name Simon St. Jerome, but had no idea that he was my son, Simon Wroth. Then I spotted him at the Duquesnes’ magician meeting. It was like seeing a ghost. I thought for certain that I was mistaken, but Zachary knew his True Name. One of the other councilmen, Vargas I think, had known him before he took the St. Jerome name as his own.”

  “And you were willing to let the assassins get him to get back at Mrs. Black?”

  Faust snorted. “Any son of mine can certainly handle a master necromancer. Simon was remarkably talented in life. I’m sure the centuries have allowed him to learn more than a few new tricks.”

  “Centuries,” I repeated, and then set my coffee do
wn. Fuck me. My honey had a kid older than the country I paid my federal taxes to. If I married Faust, would that make me Simon’s step-mom? That had to be the most fucked up thing in the history of ever.

  “Okay then. Come here and sit down.” I patted the spot next to me on the couch, and he did as ordered. I straddled his lap, and he took off my specs and set them aside before resting his hands on my thighs.

  “I do like this skirt,” he commented.

  “You should, you made it. Now pay attention. You did the right thing by warning them, but they won’t thank you for it. You’re a bad guy, like me. Blaming us for everything lets the good guys sleep at night. And I’m fine with that. Powers know I don’t lose any sleep over the things I’ve done. I’m not interested in yesterday. I’d rather hear about tomorrow.”

  Faust smiled and kissed me lightly. “And that is one of the many reasons I love you.”

  “Ooh, there’s more than one reason?” I teased.

  “Quite a few. You’re special, Patience. Remarkable.”

  “If you say so. I’m still adjusting to this idea. You never said anything romantic before. Not once.” My voice was a little too whiny on that last bit, and I frowned. I wasn’t the needy type.

  “It would have scared you away if I did, and I couldn’t risk that.” He caressed my cheek and I blushed, my face burning as though it’d burst into flame.

  “So if you’d sworn off kids, how come you want them with me? I mean, I’m a career woman. I don’t give off maternal vibes.”

  “But you don’t give off the vibes of a woman who hates children, either,” he replied. “Do you?”

  “No. I like kids fine enough. I’m not sure I’m good mom material. I’m hardly human anymore.”

  He shook his head. “You’re not that far gone.”

  “I am. I really am—” I stopped and cleared my throat. He didn’t need to know that. I unwound myself from his lap and rose, grabbing his hands and tugging him to his feet. “Enough talking. It’s distraction time.”

  Faust chuckled as I insistently led him into the bedroom, and we stopped talking.

  “We can’t stay here,” I said. Or rather I mumbled it against Faust’s naked chest. I envied his skin. There wasn’t a mark on him, unlike me, who had enough ink to be a circus freak. Well, my arms and back were full, but there was still a bit of blank canvas left on my chest and legs.

  He brushed a kiss against my hair. “I know. It’s safe for now.”

  “Kris’ll find it. I assume that since you’re spending all this time with me that Harrison’s going to notice you’re missing, and he’ll figure out something’s up.”

  “He hasn’t called for me.”

  I peered up at him. He’d changed his hairstyle a few weeks ago and grown it out so that it brushed his shoulders, and the sleek black mass of it looked fabulous against the white of his pillow. I was forced to admit that he was prettier than me, but I was strangely okay with that.

  “Is that normal? Aren’t you his right hand man?” I asked.

  “Yes, I am, and it isn’t normal,” he admitted. “The Titania has been calling me quite frequently, but I am ignoring her.”

  “Won’t that get you into trouble?”

  “I am very fond of Catherine, but as a shadowspawn, I am not obligated to obey her. If the matter is serious enough, she will send someone to fetch me.”

  I glanced at the clock. It was nearly 9 p.m., so there was plenty of time left to get stuff done. “Well, we can deal with the vamps when they show up, but in the meantime we need to figure out what to do with Kris. I’m going to need my books from my place.”

  He frowned. “You said you didn’t have a spell that could do it.”

  “I don’t. I’m going to have to make something up and hope it works.”

  “Perhaps you should speak to Simon without me present.”

  “No. It was worth a shot to ask, but we probably don’t have that kind of time anyway. Chroniclers don’t exactly research at the speed of Google. Can you port us in and out of my place? I’d rather not drive and risk someone seeing us coming.”

  “Of course. We should wait until morning, to minimize the chance of encountering master necromancers.”

  I smirked. “Uh-huh. You just want to keep me in bed longer,” I accused.

  “The thought had crossed my mind…”

  “Well if you’re going to ravish me again, I’m going to need dinner first, because I’m running on empty.” I slid out of bed, and I grabbed my panties and his shirt and slipped them on. I paused and waited for him to follow, and was distracted by the glorious sight of him stretched out, the bed sheet leaving little to the imagination.

  “What do you really look like?” I asked, curious.

  Faust blinked. “Are you tired of this form?”

  “No, no. Trust me, I love your form. I’m just wondering what your natural form is,” I explained. “I’ve spent some time with my Fiera family, so I know what they look like. The wings are nice. I liked the wings you had at the shapeshifter jamboree.”

  “Those wings aren’t natural to my clan, but I do like them. They make a statement.”

  Did they ever—a sexy, avenging angel statement. “Are you really a redhead?”

  “In a manner of speaking. Why do you ask?”

  “Simon’s a redhead, and you said his mother was blonde.”

  He winced and sighed, and I had a moment of guilt for bringing it up, but I was honestly curious. If by some miracle we did attempt a permanent relationship, I wanted to know more about him. I shamelessly ogled him as he rose from the bed, and he chuckled.

  “I’ll show you, if you insist, but I doubt you’ll find it as attractive,” he said.

  “I’m a summoner. You’d be surprised what we find attractive.”

  Faust snorted with amusement, and then his body shimmered and shifted. His pale skin darkened to a dusty gray, and I placed my palm against his chest. Heat radiated from him, but his skin was dry and almost coarse, reminding me a bit of a pumice stone.

  “Careful,” he warned. “Don’t burn yourself.”

  I glanced up to retort that it would take a whole lot more heat to burn me, and I started at the sight of his glowing red eyes. They reminded me of my yellow eyes, but with an added intimidation factor. “Neat,” I said, impressed.

  “Only you would say that, my love,” he replied with a smirk.

  “The hair is cool too.”

  Faust had flaming hair. Not red, not bright, but actual fire on the top of his head. I was so glad my hair didn’t catch fire when I lit myself up, though it would solve my need for a haircut.

  “I don’t know what you were worried about. You look fine. I probably wouldn’t jump you in this form, because it seems like there would be a chafing problem, but you’re not hideous. You look a bit like an incubus I used to know.”

  “You dallied with an incubus?” he asked, his red eyes wide with shock.

  The idea of dallying with anyone gave me a moment of pause, but then I shrugged. “Hey, there’s a time and a place for everything, and it’s called college.”

  Frowning, he returned to normal, and I kissed him. I meant it to be light and affectionate to prove that I wasn’t bothered by his faerie form, but he pulled me into his arms and kissed me breathless. Before he could maneuver me back into bed, I drew away.

  “Food first, ravishing second,” I reminded.

  “Of course. Lead on.”

  I headed for the kitchen despite the fact that it didn’t have any food, and started making mental lists of things we’d need to pick up from my place. Clothes were a priority. Harvey needed the chargers for his gadgets too, so he’d stop charging them in my car. I trailed my fingers over the granite top of the island, and a flicker of movement from the living room caught my attention. My paranoid reflexes kicked in and I dove for cover. A knife whistled by me and the blade sank into an oak cabinet door, but before I was safe a second knife slammed into my chest, an inch above my heart. I hit t
he floor and screamed.

  Vampires. Had to be. Kris didn’t use knives, and the Promethean hunters used bullets and tranquilizer darts. Good things vampires burned as easy as anyone else. I pulled the knife out—it hurt like hell, but I’d live. I lit my hands up just in time for the vamp to land atop the island like a giant undead vulture and make a grab for me. I thrust the flames at him as I scrambled out of the way, but nothing caught.

  The vamp was a pale bastard in dark clothes—which pretty much summed up the lot of them—with a terrible Steven Segal ponytail. He bared fangs at me, but his eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly sailed back into the main room. Harvey stood on the other side of the island, his spindly ears twitching furiously.

  “Good work,” I said, and he nodded.

  Faust—now fully dressed again—attacked a second vampire in the living room, slashing at him with a flaming sword. That left the vamp Harvey had just thrown to deal with.

  “Hold him,” I ordered.

  Harvey darted forward and grappled the vampire, who seemed very surprised to be attacked by the Invisible Man. My aim was much better with a stationary target to hit, and the vamp went up in flames. It wouldn’t hurt Harvey, because he was fireproof. The vampire screeched and struggled, and I kept the blaze going.

  Something grabbed me from behind—three vamps, seriously? My suspicion was confirmed as fangs sank into my neck. Hold him until he’s dead, I ordered Harvey. The vamp pushed his touchy-feely magic at me, and I shrugged it off, reached up and lit his hair on fire. He dropped me, tearing a meaty chunk out of my neck in the process, and I clamped a hand on the wound to hold it together. Between the gash in my neck and the slice in my chest I was losing a lot of blood. Never a good thing in a roomful of vampires—they might start a feeding frenzy like hungry sharks.

  I whirled to face my attacker and spotted Zachary Harrison standing behind me, slapping his hair out. Motherfucker. Guess the spoiled shit decided to get his hands dirty for once. I’d make him regret it.