Blood Relic

by Lucretia Stanhope

  Matthias followed him, taking in the house. Was it Kindra’s or Ambrose’s? He was coming back for Ambrose once Alice was safe, unless the squad picked him up first. “She’s with the one I targeted last night. He’s well older than anything I’ve fought.”

  “Shit. Reginald went after that one.” Amarok picked up his pace. “We have orders to return to the squad at the den.”

  “You always follow orders?” Matthias rolled his shoulder, working out the tension as the wound healed. “Give me your phone then, so I can track her. I’ll tell them I overpowered you.”

  Amarok gestured toward his Jeep. “No one would believe that.”

  “Don’t make me.” Matthias stood between him and the Jeep. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get to Alice before that monster hurts her.”

  “Get in. You aren’t hurting anyone in that state. Not that you could even consider fighting me at full health. We are wasting time. Reginald has hours on us.” Amarok lifted his lip and snarled. “Don’t bleed all over my Jeep. I don’t want your scent marking the seat.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  AS ALICE LISTENED with her soul to the vibrations around her, the blood from Lucius sent her healing into hyperdrive. Strength surged through her body. Her magic started to hum. No wonder that witch was possessive. If a drop of his blood brought her from the edge of death to stronger than before, what would his parts do?

  A shiver raced over her. Her witch was awake. A dark part that did want to know what she could do with bloody bits. She could come to terms with what that meant after the mission. Right now what she needed to do was make a plan to hold in the six human witches she felt milling about, as well as a pure witch and Lucius.

  First the human witches. They were a distraction she couldn’t afford while fighting the witch. Assuming she could fight a witch. Assuming her spell held and Lucius didn’t join the fight. That was a lot of assuming. Being wrong meant more than not arresting the covenant.

  “Death isn’t your enemy.”

  Who said that? She swatted at a tickle on her arm.

  A spider scurried across the bed, stopped, and stood on its back legs. “See with your witch.”

  Alice stared at the spider. “Did you just talk to me?”

  “Your magic is not strictly witch or elf. Use your blood. Here. No contact is needed. Not anymore.” The spider moved its legs before dropping to the floor and crawling across a wooden slat.

  “Wait.” Alice stretched and put her bare feet on the floor, standing slowly. The boards didn’t creak. She took a few steps and stopped. “Use my blood how?”

  “Listen to your witch.” The spider spun a string of web in a circle around her. “Here, sit.”

  She lowered herself to the floor, inside of the circle. Instincts told her it was a protective ring. Logic dictated it was to keep her magic in while she worked. “Thank you.”

  Now she needed blood. With Lucius’ healing power still rushing through her that was a tall order. Hangnails bleed forever. She gnawed at the edge of her nail, making a separation. Before ripping off the dangling nail, she paused. What do I want to do first?

  Lucius and the pure witch were in the basement alone. Probably testing the relic. Possibly arguing. Three of the witches were on the main floor, close enough to be in the same room. Two of the witches were on the level below her and one was a few rooms down. Her guard? Guard first?

  She picked at the nail. No. Trap them all. House first. “Will they sense it?”

  “Yes. Work quickly.” The spider crawled up her leg and sat on her knee. Power pulsed from the little insect.

  With the nail gripped between her teeth, she pulled her hand away. It yanked out, taking cuticle with it. A small drop of bright red blood beaded on the tip of her finger. She squeezed and pressed, gathering as much as she could before the finger healed.

  On the floor in front of her she drew a symbol from the witch spells she studied with Jasper. It was something that was supposed to form a steady connection with the magic in the environment.

  Jasper. They wrote an illusion spell using witch and elf magic. Yes.

  Her finger drew in the blood as if she’d been doing this for her entire life. The modification came to her instinctually. Change the illusion to a witch enhanced elf barrier. “Incasiutheral, heathiam, emnathererd.”

  Shimmering gray strands waved in front of her. A grid of power. Not witch power. That was black. Not golden elf power. Her power. Yes. She lifted her hands and wove the strings to match the symbol on the floor.

  In her mind she imagined the entire house, sheathing it in a barrier. The gray strands of her power closed in on each other in a tight knit. Nothing in, nothing out. “Incasiutheral, heathiam, emnathererd.”

  She twirled a string around each of her index fingers and tugged them toward the bloody symbol on the floor. Magic sparked when they touched. Light elf and witch still clashed. “Incasiutheral, heathiam, emnathererd.”

  The magic locked in place.

  Presences raced toward her.

  Her leg tickled as the spider moved. “The witches. Make haste.”

  Alice redrew the lines in the symbol. The house in her mind’s eye was enclosed. What now? Doors. Layers. A surge of heat raced over her as she thrust power from her soul out of her hands, connecting to the grid of protection.

  Her hand trembled as she raised it, imagining a wall of tangled gray filling every doorway on every floor.

  The house creaked. Wood protested as magic worked from the ground, through the foundation, and into the studs. The doorway between her room and the hall filled with gray strands that wrapped and writhed around each other until a solid wall formed.

  The witch closest to her slammed into the wall of magic and screamed.

  Alice felt the press against her magic and opened her eyes, disconnecting herself from the grid. She watched as the witch burst into flames. “No!” She twisted her hand and blew.

  A gale blew through the room, filtered through the now invisible wall and put out the flames.

  “You dirty hybrid!” The witch reached up to touch her singed hair.

  The stench of cooking flesh and burned hair came in a wave as the magic Alice used rushed back to her command.

  “Bind her, my witch.” The spider crawled up Alice’s shirt and into her hair.

  “Invertithal, peruimthial, inertiathum.” The words flowed, with perfect enunciation.

  Tears came from the witch in the hall as she dropped to her knees. She held her hands in front of her as if they were strange to her, turning them and staring at the blistered flesh.

  Alice stood, stepped out of the circle and started for the witch. It was a harsh choice made under pressure. Why had she severed the witch’s power rather than binding her? The words just came to her.

  “No time for guilt.” The spider whispered in her ear.

  “No.” Alice closed her eyes and wrapped herself in a web of gray. “Sipstrum, farthieral, hebanthial.” The web would allow her passage without breaking the barriers.

  Words and spells that had confused her with Jasper and Morrigana made sense. More than made sense, they were at her disposal. Elf and witch, and a knowledge that no other creature alive would need – how to blend them.

  She knelt by the witch in the hall, grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet. “I’m taking you to your room. Stay there and you won’t get hurt.”

  “You. I can’t.” She sobbed.

  Alice took a few steps and stopped. A flash of pain raced across her forehead. The witches were pressing against barriers. All of them. She reached up and wiped a trickle of blood from her nose. “Stay here. Don’t leave this floor.”

  The barrier would hold the human witches, but the pressure from the basement threatened to drop her. Alice started running toward the stairs.

  Pain continued to stab her mind. Magic radiated up through the floors, reaching for her. The ward on her chest heated.

  She patted the robe she wore. The fabric was warm.
Hot pain spread, reaching for her heart. “Damn it. How do I fight a witch?”

  Legs tickled her ear. “Soul magic. Elf and witch. You are an abomination.”

  “Bullshit. I am not!” Alice ran down the stairs, taking two at a time until she was on the main floor. “My soul isn’t as strong as hers.”

  “It’s stronger.” The spider bit her ear. The warmth from his bite spread, fighting the pain.

  Alice raced across the kitchen.

  A crash vibrated the house. The witch and Lucius were out.

  Alice ran for them, gnashing at her fingers, trying to get blood to work with. A slickness on her fingers, and the metallic taste in her mouth let her know she’d succeeded. She kept moving toward the main room.

  Once there was enough blood, she rubbed her fingers together and smeared the blood on her forehead.

  Lucius wasn’t moving. His presence still radiated a cold energy, strong and steady, but immobile. What happened? No time.

  The witch stood in the center of the room. “Foolish child.” She raised a hand. “Juistianm, kilathiral, instantiam.”

  The ward on Alice’s chest blistered and stung. It held. Alice lifted both hands. Gray threads shot from them, reaching toward the witch. With the soul magic visible Alice could see the writhing mass of black that surrounded the witch in a cloud. From the cloud thin black tendrils shot out. A small group spiraled toward her chest. The pull from them was directed at her ward.

  Alice sent all of her strands toward the black tendrils. They popped and sparked when the two collided. A burning sensation raced up her own and into her body. She shook and dropped to the floor.

  Flames burst from the ward. Her robe caught on fire. Alice yanked it over her head and threw it toward the door.

  The witch took a few steps closer. “Did you think you had it in you to fight a witch?” She twisted her hand again. The flames coming from the ward matched the shape of the symbol and rose into the air leaving a seared scar on Alice. “Pride is a human flaw.”

  Alice vomited up from the pain. The bile seared a path up her throat.

  “Focus, your protection must come from without now.” The spider nipped her ear again.

  Without? Alice scanned the house. Lucius wasn’t moving. She gnashed her hand again and rubbed the blood together. Show me.

  A clump of tendrils extended behind the witch. They writhed and struggled against a different, deep red group.

  Lucius. Alice extended her hands toward the area where the tension looked the greatest. She twisted each hand in a different direction and watched as the clumps ripped.

  The witch howled. “Inveluipthum, erratial, gerrath.”

  Red shadows clouded Alice’s vision. She turned her attention back to the witch. What is a witch’s weakness? Lessons with Morrigana replayed quickly as she stumbled back and fell, catching herself awkwardly and snapping her wrist.

  A wave of energy rushed at her. Alice scooted back and flicked her fingers at the witch. “Helutrium…” The energy smacked into her. Her head smashed against the hardwood.

  “Play time is over.” The witch floated toward her and breathed in.

  Alice watched as her gray tendrils funneled into the witch’s mouth. “Helutrium, kiyanthal…” Blackness and fuzz clouded her mind.

  The spider bit her neck. “Remember your father.”

  Take it. Hers? Alice felt her power slipping away.

  “Let her do the work.” The spider crawled deeper into her hair.

  She opened herself, letting the witch make a firm connection with her. Her body convulsed as the witch tugged. She was pulling at more than power. The witch was tugging at her soul. “Help.”

  The witch laughed as Alice’s power filled her.

  Her vision blurred as Alice crawled to her hands and knees. She reached out and opened her eyes. The pulling slowed.

  A pale arm wrapped around the witch’s waist. The top of Lucius’ head was visible over the witch’s shoulder as he fed.

  “Helutrium, kiyanthal, peterinenth.” Alice felt her own power rushing back. As the witch weakened, she was able to wrap tighter around her black threads. “Helutrium, kiyanthal, peterinenth.”

  The witch screamed and turned, thrusting Lucius off. “Ortahial, keinpther, untrahal.” Her words came out strangled, but still full of hate.

  Lucius dropped. Fresh blood dripped from his mouth.

  Alice yanked again. “Helutrium, kiyanthal, peterinenth.” The tendrils started to tear.

  The witch fell to the ground and rolled around to stare at Alice. “I will swallow your soul.”

  Alice breathed in and tried gnashing the filament with her teeth. It was chewy, but didn’t snap. She fell forward as her airway clogged with the witch’s power. She flicked her fingers toward herself.

  The witch muttered and the power pulled back in her direction.

  “Don’t play nice with her.” The spider bit Alice again.

  Energy rushed through her. Was she holding back? The tendrils fused together. Words from the witch’s magic swirled around them. Alice grabbed them with her mind. “Lithrail, julianth, peronthial.” Each word came out on a cough.

  The tether tightened. A light shot across it. Golden. Elf.

  Light seared a red line through the witch, down her throat and vanished under her collar.

  “Lithrail, julianth, peronthial.” Alice’s voice rose. She repeated once more and breathed in. The air from the room rushed toward her.

  The witch stumbled and fell on her face.

  Alice got to her feet and drew in a deeper breath.

  “Kill you.” The witch spat blood as she croaked out the words.

  “No, bitch.” Alice didn’t fight the blackness as it funneled down her throat. She gulped and drew in another breath. With both hands she grabbed the last of the fine tendrils and wrapped them into the larger one that was seated inside of the witch. Once they were all gathered Alice braced herself in a wide stance. “Lithrail, julianth, peronthial.”

  The witch shook and rolled over, clutching her chest.

  Lucius shot a wide-eyed glance from his witch to Alice.

  The tendrils throbbed in the rhythm of the slowing heartbeat.

  Alice pulled again. “Give it to me or choke on it.”

  “Never.” The witch rolled and retched. She jerked a few times and then her body stilled as the thickly wrapped filaments broke free.

  Alice stumbled back when the tension let go. She breathed in until a wet, beating heart smacked into her face. It was still attached to the last clump of threads.

  Air flow stopped as she struggled with what to do. Her lips pressed against the warm organ. Bitter, metallic fluid trickled into her mouth.

  “Kill her,” the spider encouraged.

  Kill her? She’s dead. Her heart is out of her body.

  The heart still pounded.

  Was she dead? Her heart beat. Did witches need bodies?

  “Take it into you.” The spider tickled her ear with its legs. “Devour her magic, heart, and soul.”

  Yes. Her inner witch surged with power. Alice bit into the heart and grabbed it with both hands, tearing away the power from it’s core. She chewed and swallowed, blood pouring down her face. Her hand trembled as she looked from what was left of the gray heart down to the dead witch. A strangled cry came from her mouth. “What have I done?”

  “Precious.” Lucius, free from whatever spell the witch had cast flashed from the corner and held Alice against him. “You are perfection. So dark. So deadly.” He ran his hands over her bloody face, licking the blood off her skin and kissing her gore covered mouth. “Yet so sweet, and light.” His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against him.

  “Take your hands off her.” Reginald’s voice filled the room.

  Alice turned her head to see Reginald stranded on the front step on the other side of her barrier.

  Lucius snarled. “She’s mine!”

  “God. No. What have I done?” Alice tried to break Lucius’
grip.

  “Alice. Let me in. Backup is on the way.” Reginald waved a hand at the doorway.

  Lucius looked at Alice. Understanding played across his features. Hurt and hate filled his solid black eyes. “You. My precious.” The chill in his presence deepened. “You are devious.” He stepped away from her.

  Alice held his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Get on the ground. It’s over.”

  His lip pulled back to reveal fangs.

  Her bloody fingers rubbed over his jaw. “Do as I say. Get on the ground.”

  “I will destroy you.” Lucius dropped to the ground. “You are mine.”

  She twirled her fingers toward the front door. Her gaze went back to the dead witch. She’d killed a witch. One of the last. Her kind. Dead.

  “I’m…” Her fingers balled into fists. Not sorry. Not a victim. Not afraid.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “THANK YOU.” ALICE instantly stopped trembling as the drop Lucius gave her coursed through her body, stopping her blood sugar from bottoming out. She held his gaze, ignoring the hate. He’d wanted to save her and kill her, both emotions were clear. “Put your hands behind your back. You will stay here until I tell you to move.”

  Reginald connected the magical cuffs behind Lucius. “Will he obey your command?”

  Alice covered herself when she stood, realizing she felt more vulnerable wearing only a coat of blood in front of Reginald than she had pressed against the killer at her feet. “Yes. I enchanted him.”

  “Lucky for you. You are a traitor to your species.” Lucius twisted his hands in the binding, but remained on the ground as Alice ordered him to. “You realize when the magic you wove around my will snaps…”

  “You’ll be dead by the time that happens.” Alice frowned. He would be dead. Just like the witch. Just like Kayla. Two more bodies that belonged to her. Were the fates keeping track? “I need to search the house for some clothes.”

  “No time.” Reginald cocked up one side of his mouth and then pulled his shirt over his head. “Wear this.”

  “Thank you.” Alice took it and tugged it on. Due to his bulk, it hung loosely and draped low enough to allow her some discretion. The scent of musky cologne hung to the fabric. Masculine and aggressive, like the man who wore it. She smoothed it and watched as blood tinted the tan material. “I’m sorry.”