by Linda Wisdom
No empty bottles of catnip wine littering the floor. No cat yowling to Celine Dion.
“That’s the wrong page,” she could hear Cleo in the family room.
Lili dropped her bags and ran. Then skidded to a stop when she saw the duo seated on her couch.
“Wha—?” She couldn’t believe her eyes. And couldn’t control the smile that stretched her face.
Jared looked up from his spot on her couch. Her laptop was on her coffee table, and a glass of wine sat nearby. Cleo was perched next to him, staring intently at the monitor.
“More LOLCats,” she ordered, pointing her paw at the screen.
He looked up at Lili and smiled. “Hi. Did you have a nice night out? Do you think I should set up a Facebook page?”
Chapter 14
“How?” Lili couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea that Jared was here.
“The usual way.” He stood up, ignoring Cleo’s growls of protest at being pushed to one side. He walked over and took his witch into his arms. He crushed her against him, picking her up off her feet. “Sweetheart, even the depths of Hades wouldn’t keep me away from you.” He buried his face against her hair, inhaling the rich scent of her perfume mixed with her skin.
“They put a lock on your door. I couldn’t get in there,” she muttered against his shirt front. “It was so heavily warded that I couldn’t even talk to you. And now they’ll tell Dr. Mortimer. For all I know, he’ll fire me. Not that I care, but I can’t leave you down there. We have to find a way.”
“After you learn what happened to your friend.” He kept his arms around her and walked them both toward her bedroom. “How come you’re late?” He punctuated each word with a kiss.
“Deisphe and I went out to dinner, then did some shopping.” She kissed him back, needing all the contact she could get.
“Anything good?” He finished walking when the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed.
“Some lingerie that will cross your eyes, shoes that make my legs look like a million bucks, clothes, and makeup to finish my gorgeous self.” She couldn’t stop smiling.
Jared combed his fingers through the dark curls. “You’re already gorgeous.” His breath hitched in his chest as he stared down at her upturned face. He had no clue how he became so lucky as to find such a woman who had so much warmth in her heart that she could see beyond his exterior to what he was inside. And want him despite his crimes.
“I can’t get to the next page!” Cleo yelled from the family room. “Help! Help! Help!” Her yowl raised in pitch.
“I’ll take care of that.” Without taking her eyes off Jared’s face, Lili flicked her fingers at the door that slammed shut and locked with an audible click.
“Hey! Not fair!”
“I like your style, witch.” Jared leaned over so far that Lili landed on the bed with him following. “I can’t wait,” he rumbled, tearing at her clothes, breaking open the zipper, sending buttons flying. Lili didn’t seem to care, since she was busy dissolving his clothes with her magick. “I want you.” He breathed into her ear as he ran his palm down her belly, into her center, to find her already wet and receptive. “Need you.” He angled his hips and thrust forward, groaning at the moist heat that welcomed him even as she curled her legs around his hips, tilting her hips upward for more intense friction. As she did, she reached down and trailed her nails over his cock as he slammed into her.
Jared uttered curses in his language before covering Lili’s mouth with his, his tongue mimicking what his body was doing. He could smell her arousal like a fragrant perfume, feel the silk of her skin as he slid over her, and her taste was an addiction he would never get over. Each time he was with her just fed his craving for more.
Lili had healed his spirit.
He dipped his head and gathered her nipple into his mouth, rolling the hard nub with his tongue and pulling gently. The faint salty taste of her skin fed his hunger.
“Jared.” She moaned his name, frantically touching him everywhere she could.
He felt her power flow over him like a series of electric shocks that only spurred him on. His sac tightened to the point of pain, and he increased the tempo, pulling her up against him and before he knew it, he spilled himself in her while his breath seemed to leave his body.
It took all of his control not to collapse on top of her. Instead he managed to roll to one side, bringing her with him. Lili purred as she looped a leg over his hips and snuggled up against him. She rested her cheek against his chest and sketched idle words on his skin. He grinned and grabbed her hand.
“Is that position even legal in this state?” he teased.
“I won’t tell if you won’t.” She propped herself up on her elbows and looked into his face. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she confessed, drawing a line across his jaw.
“I am too.” He sat up, pulling her with him until her back was settled against his chest. “The word love isn’t in our language,” he said slowly, trailing his fingertips down her arm and back up. “We have no concept of the emotion or what it means. Relationships are nothing more than sex for recreation or to procreate, nothing more. There’s no such thing as hugging or being together the way we are now.” He kissed her temple as he felt her body stiffen a bit. “But with you, I want that and more. I want it all.” He took a deep breath. “I love you, Lili. I love you so much that I want to give you the world, except I have nothing to give you.”
“No!” She rolled over, bracing herself on his chest. “What I mean is, you have a lot to give. You have yourself. I love you so much, Jared, and I’m going to get you out of there,” she vowed with a ferocity he didn’t doubt. “And then I’m turning Turtifo and Coing into slimy toads.”
But he also knew that while her intentions were true, Dr. Mortimer wasn’t going to release him all that easily. He had no idea whether his mother was still among the living or if she’d moved onto the plane of death. He was positive his clan could care less about him. He’d have no home to return to, but that was all right. The idea of making a home with Lili was appealing. He knew there had to be something he could do. It wouldn’t matter, as long as he was free and with Lili.
For now, it was nothing more than a dream, but who knew? Maybe this dream could come true.
Content with Lili in his arms, Jared closed his eyes and felt sleep take over.
***
She ran down the twisting narrow hall, almost tripping on her nightgown. The thin fabric offered little protection against the chilly air and the stone walls that scraped her bare arms. Sobs of fear escaped her throat as she stumbled, feeling the rough surface of the floor abrade her feet.
“This is wrong!” she cried, falling against the wall again. She choked against the reek of dark magick that permeated the air. She pushed away from the damp stones and made her way toward her destination, even though her mind couldn’t decide what it was. She only knew she had to keep on going.
He needs me. Only I can save him. The words raced through her mind.
The farther she walked down the hall, the stronger the magick grew, until she had to fight even to lift one foot in front of the other. She used her fingers to swipe the tears from her cheeks and almost screamed to find the tips red. Her tears were blood-tinged!
She had to keep going, no matter what. Find him. Save him. Her stomach started to cramp, causing her to double over, but she refused to turn around. She was a healer. She refused to leave anyone in pain.
She skidded to a stop when the door she sought suddenly appeared in front of her, its surface shining dark purple with a strong shadowy power that left a metallic taste in her mouth.
While she was reluctant even to touch the door’s surface, the screams from inside the room compelled her to pull it open.
The scent of blood was strong, and more magick filled the air. But what caught her attention was the male chained to the far wall. He was naked with blood streaking his skin. His head hung down, and his chest heaved in and out as he struggled to b
reathe. A counter along one wall was covered with burners and various beakers bubbling away.
“No!” She started to move forward, but something kept her in place.
“Ah, my dear, I see you’ve arrived.” The sorcerer who faced her wore a stained lab coat and looked like a mad scientist straight out of an old black-and-white movie.
Wait a minute.
She looked at her surroundings and realized it was just that. There was no color in the room, only shades of black, gray, and dirty white.
“Let him go!” she ordered.
Her tormentor smiled at her as if she was nothing more than a child. “I can’t do that. Just as you have no power here.” His eyes lingered on her shoulder but not in a lascivious way.
She looked down, stunned to see a raised mark on her skin. The brand was a familiar one. The same as on the demon manacled to the wall. One that declared to the world she was insane and was to be avoided at all cost.
“This is wrong,” she insisted.
“No, my dear, it’s not.” The sorcerer took her by the arm and led her over to a long table. “I am so pleased you have come to me, so I did not have to have someone bring you.” He pulled out a pocket watch and studied the time before tucking it back in his pocket. With a sudden show of strength, he pushed her onto the table and quickly attached shackles to her wrists. She cried out and tried to pull away, but it was already too late.
“The blood of a demon is very strong, filled with so much power,” the sorcerer told her in a conversational tone. “Ah, but the blood of a witch mixed with a demon.” He kissed his fingertips as if he just complimented a chef for a gourmet meal. “I tried before to add that very special touch, but sadly, her blood wasn’t strong enough. Now you, you have the power I require.” He headed for the counter and rummaged among the instruments set on a tray.
Her breath caught in her throat as she realized his intent. Then she looked at her lover, saw the sorrow in his eyes and the white lines of pain tightening his mouth. She rattled her chains to no avail.
I love you. She mouthed the words, refusing to allow their tormenter to hear her admission.
His lips lifted in the briefest of smiles that disappeared as the sorcerer approached him with a large vial containing charcoal powder and an equally large needle that he promptly plunged into the demon’s chest. He threw back his head, screaming with pain that she couldn’t help but echo.
“Stop it! You’re killing him!”
“It’s all for the greater good, my dear.” He filled the syringe then expelled the contents into the vial.
She stared with horror at the blood that bubbled the moment it dripped onto the fine particles. As the mad scientist turned toward her, she knew that not only would her blood be added to the mixture but that both of them would die as a result.
She looked past the sorcerer’s shoulder at her lover whose respiration was barely visible. His skin was a pasty gray, and his eyes were dull with the realization their future was very short-lived. Yet he managed to convey how he felt for her, that they wouldn’t be parted in death.
She was so caught up in gazing at him she didn’t feel the needle sliding into her vein or the essence of her life trickling out. The haze that covered her eyes deepened as she felt her flesh grow weak.
“Now I shall have it all,” the sorcerer chortled, obviously pleased with himself. “More power than anyone. The two of you have given me exactly what I need! The two are now one.” He stared at the vial’s contents with a maniacal raptness.
She wanted to lift her arms and twist her chains around his neck, taking his life just as he took hers, but her strength was gone, just as her lover’s life force was diminishing. It wouldn’t be long before they both were dead.
The spell was blood. Blood was the spell.
“No! Jared!”
“Lili. It’s all right. Wake up.”
“We’re dying!” she screamed, flailing her arms around, striking hard flesh.
The arms around her were warm and familiar along with the scent of a protective male. She still refused to open her eyes to her black-and-white surroundings, but the hand stroking her face encouraged her to.
She finally did, noticing the bedside lamp glowed with a warm light and the walls were the familiar coral with soft turquoise accents. Cleo was perched on the end of the bed, her back arched and claws dug deeply into her comforter.
“I warned you about doing that,” she whispered between dry lips. Her body shook, and her teeth chattered as if she suffered from hypothermia. Lili didn’t notice the blanket that Jared draped around her as he kept her close to his body to share his personal heat. “How did you get in here?”
“You screamed. I zapped the lock open,” the cat told her, looking as freaked as Lili felt.
“You had a nightmare,” Jared said, kissing her temple.
She shook her head. “No, it was something much worse. My dream showed what could happen to us if we aren’t careful. It was all about a blood spell. Two are one, and we’ll die.” She glanced down at her chest, fearing she’d find the brand on her shoulder, but it was mercifully bare. She also couldn’t find any needle marks on her arm. Just that her skin was slick with sweat and the stink of her fear tainted the air.
Jared brushed the sweaty strands of hair away from her face and kept on stroking her as if she was a frightened small animal. “It’s only a nightmare, love,” he crooned.
“Dreams show what can happen.”
“That’s your Greek blood talking.”
Lili wondered if she’d ever become warm. “It’s a warning,” she insisted. “The room I haven’t been able to get into. The one at the end of the hallway.”
Jared’s caresses stilled. “What did you see?” Tension colored his voice.
“Counters with burners, beakers, and vials. Iron shackles set in the wall, a long table with more manacles.” She shivered, hating to even remember the place of nightmares. “You were imprisoned against the wall, and he chained me to the table.” She touched her shoulder. “I was branded like you.”
He tightened his hold on her. “Who chained you, Lili?”
But no matter how hard she concentrated, she could only see a sharp image of the body. The face was nothing more than a haze in her memory.
“I don’t know.” She huddled against him, allowing him to pull her onto his lap and wrap the sheet and blankets around them. He kept kissing her temple and rubbing his hands up and down her arms.
“How about some tea?” he asked.
Lili shook her head, grabbing hold of his arms. “Don’t leave me.” Her eyes turned wild with fear.
“Okay, I won’t.”
Cleo made her way up the bed and stretched out along Lili’s hip. She purred loudly, the rough sound strangely soothing.
“I don’t want to go back to sleep.”
“We don’t need to,” Jared said softly while he shot the cat a thank-you smile. “We’ll just sit here and cuddle.”
Lili looked toward the window. Since there weren’t any neighbor’s windows on that side, she could leave the blinds open. She stared at the pink and lilac edges of dawn touching the sky. “But you’ll be gone soon.” And I’ll be alone with my nightmare as a horrific memory.
“You know I’ll stay as long as I can,” he vowed, resting his chin on top of her head while his hands stroked aimless patterns down her arms, leaving a trail of heat wherever they went.
“It’s in the blood,” she murmured. “He said something about both of our bloods being what he really needed. It doesn’t make sense, since demon blood isn’t compatible with anyone else’s. It’s a well-known medical fact. It’s even more dangerous than mixing two different blood types. It’s like pouring acid on a nuclear reactor.” She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his chest. She could finally feel her respiration slowing, and while she wasn’t exactly feeling calm, she did feel a bit more settled. She slid her arms around his waist, as if she could keep him with her, but she felt the pull o
n his spirit, as if a thick cord had been wrapped about his body and was tugging at him. She gripped him tighter, but she knew even her magick couldn’t keep him with her.
“If you were a djinn, I’d bind you to me,” she whispered, brushing her lips across his collarbone that was already feeling less substantial to the touch.
“I won’t wear a silk turban or those puffy pants,” he warned her, but she also heard the hint of pain in his voice.
Lili knew the more Jared resisted, the more painful his departure would be. She slowly edged away from him and sat up, looking at him with dark eyes warm with love that he returned with a smile and a gaze. He grazed her cheek with the back of his fingers that started to turn to mist.
“I love you,” he said just before he disappeared.
“I love you too,” Lili said to the empty spot where he’d been, then burst into tears.
“Hey, at least you know where he is,” Cleo soothed, crawling up into her lap and purring noisily.
That made Lili cry even more. Cleo was well-known for preferring to receive comfort than give it.
“He’ll die, and there’s nothing I can do about it.” She picked up a corner of her sheet and dabbed at her eyes, then blew her nose.
“That’s not the witch I’m used to,” Cleo said. “What all was said about blood? Not just your chatter about mixing yours and Jared’s blood. What else was said?” She waved a paw in the air. “Just because I have fur doesn’t mean I don’t have a brain, you know. And what you had wasn’t just a nightmare, either. You were seeing what could happen if you don’t stop it in time. And something tells me it has to do with stale old Dr. Mortimer. He’s the one who ‘treats,’” she rolled her expressive eyes, “Jared, and he talked to you about blood spells, and then there are those nasty scrolls.”
Unwilling to wait for her coffeemaker to perform its own magick, Lili hexed up a large mug of her favorite mocha latte and settled back against her pillows, sipping the hot liquid. The scent of Jared’s skin blended with hers and the memory of sex offered her a form of solace.
