by Linda Wisdom
Now they sat in a bubble-filled tub with Lili resting against Jared’s chest. A light citrus scent floated in the air around the bubble bath, and candles hovered around the bathroom.
“I fixed this bath for us to relax,” she whined as she reached down to find his cock, which happily twitched under her attention. Fates bless demon recovery time!
“And we are.” He created a little diversion of his own as he created a path down her neck with his lips. “But let’s talk too.”
She tipped her head further to one side to allow his mouth more access, which he happily took advantage of.
“Do you know anything about blood spells, or should I start with Blood Spells 101?” Lili asked, giving him one last light squeeze before she released him.
“I know blood is required.”
“Ah, a novice then.” She nodded to herself, leaning her head back against the hollow of his shoulder. She’d twisted her hair up into a knot before they got into the tub, and her curls were tightening in the steamy room.
“Yes, first off, it’s obvious that blood spells require blood. Some bloods, such as virgin and demon, are stronger than others,” she explained. “They’ve also been prohibited for centuries, since too many thought the blood should come from a sacrifice. They’re used for baneful magick, the darker the better in their eyes. You take a dark spell and twist it even more by using fresh blood. It can be utilized in more uses than you might imagine.”
Jared stilled. “How do you think Dr. Mortimer uses it? And would you say he’s using my blood for those spells he talked to you about?”
She was so quiet that, if he didn’t know better, he’d have sworn she hadn’t heard him. But the tension in her body told him differently.
“Yes.” She spoke so softly Jared had to strain to hear her answer. “But I have no idea what he uses it for. There’s no word about him doing any remarkable healing with anyone below, but he’s doing something with it.”
His power ratchetted up with a protective vibe as he stroked his fingers down her arms. “And he wants you as a part of his insane plans. What other reason would he want to confide in you? I don’t like any of this. Let Eurydice and the others find him and put him away in a cell,” he growled.
Lili shrugged. She cupped her hands in the bubbles and blew gently, watching the iridescent balls dance before them. She added a hint of her magick to keep them drifting around the room.
“I don’t think it will be that easy. We have no idea how long he’s been doing this.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand why Dr. Mortimer approached me with his ideas. From the beginning, I was very vocal to him that I felt the basement area was too antiquated and the patients should be treated with more modern methods and have better quarters,” she admitted. “Yet he called me in and brought out those scrolls.” She shuddered at the memory of how the malicious surface felt to even the lightest of touches. The urge to climb out of the tub and gather up the supplies to thoroughly cleanse her hands grew stronger by the moment. And she wasn’t thinking of using antibacterial soap, either.
“Would there be a reason why he’d think you’d even consider using a blood spell?” he asked, keeping his touch soothing until she finally relaxed against him again. “Anything in your past?”
She shook her head. “The only thing someone would consider a crime was seven hundred years ago, when my class refused to admit who had cast the illegal spell that expelled us from the Witches Academy. And it really wasn’t all that bad. The baron’s son deserved what was done to him,” she stated.
Jared’s smile warmed the top of her head when he rested his lips there. “What did you do, Lili?”
She shook her head again. “We all took a vow that the spellcaster wouldn’t be revealed.”
“A blood vow?”
“We never needed one. Our word was always enough and still is. We’ve always been there for each other.” She nestled against him, enjoying the slick feel of his body against hers.
Hunger rose up fast and furious. She knew the hours were ticking away for them before the shadows would capture Jared and take him away from her.
“Keep within. Keep us safe,” she whispered, stroking the sides of the tub as she twisted around. The water curled upward but went no further than the invisible barrier keeping it in the tub as she straddled his legs and settled on his lap. She smiled at his erection nudging her inner thigh. “Obviously I don’t need magick for everything.” She wrapped her hand around his penis, caressing the velvety skin while rubbing her thumb over the tiny slit.
Jared’s smile held the same wicked intentions that Lili’s did. “Do with me as you will.” He lay back, his arms draped along the sides of the tub. “Good thing you’ve got a bathtub more than big enough for the two of us.”
Lili switched the Jacuzzi feature on low, laughing as the bubbles tripled without causing an overflow. She made sure not to get too close to his cock as she rocked forward on her knees while palming his chest. Her fingers combed the dark hair that ran in a thin line down his stomach to gather in a thicket around his penis. She felt the magick from the brand try to reach out to her, so she stayed away from that part of his shoulder. She always feared what it might do to Jared if she tried anything with it. Besides, there was so much more of him to explore, and this kind of investigation was something she planned to enjoy tonight.
“You’re my prisoner,” she whispered, trailing her tongue over the curve of his ear. “That means you just sit here and enjoy it.”
He closed his eyes. “Do with me what you will.”
“Good answer.” Lili combed her fingers through his silky hair, curling and damp from the steamy room. She buried her nose against the curve of his neck, inhaling the scent of his skin that she felt blended so well with hers. She knew that he wouldn’t move while she had her way with him.
She turned her head, licking his neck and tasting the salty skin and flavor uniquely known as Jared.
“Umm, you taste so good,” she murmured, keeping her hands busy with mapping out the planes of his chest, skimming over his abs, teasing the tip of his cock, then moving upward again to find his nipples and rub her forefingers over them until they turned into hard pebbles. Not content to just touch him, she dipped her head and took one of the coppery circles into her mouth, drawing on it deeply. To add to the sensation, she began to hum, sending vibrations against him that by the trembling in his body was affecting him a great deal. She stopped the second he moved.
“Against the rules, remember.” Her lips curved in a knowing manner when he froze. “Good boy.”
Once finished, she moved her attention to his other nipple until it stood out in a hard tip. After that, Lili was content to map the rest of him, seeming to memorize every inch of his body. She felt his frustration as she kept away from the part of his body he clearly wanted her interest to focus on.
Lili felt her own desire increase to the point of exquisite pain, where her skin felt so tight, she felt she’d explode and even touching Jared flared a fiery sensation along her body.
She knew she wouldn’t be able to keep on for much longer. Plus, she feared their time was growing short. She lifted her head, gazing into his eyes, allowing him to see her thoughts, how she felt. She shifted her body and lowered herself slowly downward, hissing in relief as he filled her.
“Mine.” She grazed her teeth across the taut skin of his throat.
Jared gripped her waist, pulling her against him as he thrust upward.
“Mine.” He dipped his head, doing the same, leaving a slight bruise that mimicked the one on his skin. “Nothing will separate us.” His voice vibrated against her throat. “Not even Hades will keep us apart.”
She lifted her head, so she could look down at his face. The stark planes that she’d grown to love so quickly. His name dropped from her lips, the whisper sounding more like a prayer, as she felt their connection as more than physical, but emotional, mental, and even spiritual.
Nothing will happen to y
ou, Jared. I won’t allow him to do anything to you ever again. You’re another part of my soul.
As you are mine. His smile was enough to tip her over the edge of the cliff they teetered on.
The water cooled around them, and the bubbles floated to the floor as they remained in each other’s arms.
Lili knew what was to happen the moment she felt the tension tighten Jared’s muscles.
She lifted her head, staring at the dark tendrils curling out of the corners and snaking their way toward the tub.
“No.” Her voice was raspy while her heart stopped with fear at what she knew was to come. “No. You can’t have him!” She tightened her embrace. “You can’t take him back there!”
“Shhh,” he soothed her with long strokes down her spine. “It’s all right, love. At least you know where I am.”
Lili’s eyes burned with her tears. “I’m banned from below. And probably even worse now.”
Jared’s smile wobbled a bit, telling her he wasn’t as calm as he pretended to be.
“You’re a very talented witch,” he whispered. “And I’m an insane demon. What a pair we make.”
Lili glared at the shadows as they crawled past her keep-the-water-in spell and enfolded Jared. She felt pushed back until she fell on her butt, the water splashing over the sides as the spell was broken. It didn’t matter. All she cared about was feeling so helpless as the darkness enveloped him, and in a matter of seconds, he was gone from her.
She opened her mouth in a parody of a silent scream. No sound escaped her lips. Moving slowly like a very old woman, she pulled the stopper and sat there watching the water drain away.
A push of power dried her off, and she stumbled into the bedroom, crawling into bed and pulling the covers over her.
She was so lost in her misery, she barely felt the comforting touch of a paw on her neck and fur circling her back. The soothing sound of a purr and whispers of I’m here and We’ll get him back for good pacified her into a deep sleep.
***
“You won’t hex me if I tell you you look like shit, will you?” Deisphe stared at Lili as she dragged herself into her office. The Wereleopard was already sitting in the visitor chair, and two mugs of coffee sat on the desk.
“She’s looked worse,” Cleo announced, nosing the bowl of kitty kibble set in a corner of the room. “Chicken? You put chicken in here?” She shook her head in disgust. “I’m heading for pediatrics. They always have the good stuff up there.” She sauntered out of the office.
“Jared?” Deisphe asked as Lili dropped into her chair, took one of the coffee mugs, and drank deeply.
“If I don’t do something, he’ll die down there. I keep seeing what happened to Pepta…” her voice trailed off.
The nurse looked solemn at the thought. “You know I’ll help any way I can. I’ve been keeping my ears open, but the only gossip about Dr. M. is the staff wondering why he’s out of the hospital so much—although no one’s all that worried, since he didn’t do that much apart from whatever he was working on below.”
“I know you’ll help, and I appreciate it. I’m out of my depth here, Deisphe,” she admitted with a sigh. “I thought I could come here, easily figure out what happened, and either find Sera was sent to another plane or worse. I saw myself as the witchy Nancy Drew.”
“And Jared is Ned?” Deisphe smiled at her friend’s look of surprise. “I loved those books. Although I’m not sure what that makes me.”
Lili finished her coffee, then ran her finger from the bottom to the top of the cup, refilling the steamy liquid. She leaned across the desk and did the same to Deisphe’s cup.
“I’m arrogant. But then doctors tend to have that in their genes. Maggie didn’t come right out and say I was crazy to even consider this, but I know she was thinking it. And now I know why.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve seen the shadows take Jared before, but last night was…” She shook her head as if she could easily banish visions that she knew would haunt her forever. “They hurt him. I thought they’d protect him. In a way, they do keep him from being detected by others when he’s at Inderman or upstairs at the hospital. But last night was more intense. It was as if they were punishing him.” She kept her voice low. “If it continues like that, they could eventually kill him.”
“Then we get him out for good,” Deisphe stated with the usual directness Weres were known for. She glanced at her watch. “Playtime is up, girlfriend. Let’s go see what we’ve got in the ER.” She hopped to her feet and walked around the desk, pulling Lili upward and hugging her. “Just remember we have Dragon Lady on our side. What can go wrong?” She grinned, showing a hint of fang. “Come on. Let’s see if there’s any gossip running around.”
Lili started to say they were the absolute worst words to say, but the Were was already out of her office.
***
Lili felt her nerve endings on fire as she worked in the ER. Every ailment that showed up was the kind she could treat in her sleep.
“Hey, Carter, the big boss wants to see you,” one of the elf nurses said, passing by her. “And considering the way Dr. Mortimer was acting, I’d say you better not waste any time.”
She touched her stomach, feeling the acid build up at the announcement.
“Thanks, Spips,” she told the elf nurse, managing the brief resemblance to a smile.
The door to the wizard’s office was open, and she could detect nose-wrinkling smells coming from it. This time there was no hint of age or must; only the strong stench of the wrong kind of magick.
“Dr. Mortimer?” She tapped on the heavy wood door.
“Come in, Dr. Carter.”
When Lili stepped inside, she found her superior seated behind his desk. Instead of his usual Victorian garb, he wore fine midnight blue silk robes, edged with silver, and a small cap on top of his head. A small porcelain dish sat on one corner of his desk, and the scent of incense filled the air.
She felt the protections in her lab coat kick into high gear. After seeing the wild darkness in his eyes, she only hoped they were enough.
“Sit down, Dr. Carter,” he ordered crisply. He waited until she was seated before saying anything further. “While I realized you and I do not have similar thoughts on treatment for the deranged, I did hope you were willing to keep an open mind.” His lips thinned. “It appears you do not.”
Couldn’t Eurydice have had him removed?
“I do have an open mind, Dr. Mortimer,” she kept her voice low and calming. She already knew she couldn’t try a push of power without it backfiring on her, especially when something disorienting appeared on the edge of her vision. Yet when she turned her head, nothing was there. “But I also like to think we have evolved, since so many of those early treatments that have shown to be detrimental to patients. For Fate’s sake, you talk of blood spells as if they’re nothing more than a simple charm! There’s an excellent reason why they’re considered illegal.”
“And an even better reason why we need to use whatever is at our disposal.” His anger seemed to fill the room like a thick cloud.
For a moment, she was afraid to breathe. The need to leave the office was growing by the second, but she found herself unable to move.
“I should have followed my first instincts,” he growled at her. “I knew upstart doctors such as yourself wouldn’t have the vision to look at what must be done. What can be accomplished if you are willing to look beyond the narrow scope of our kind.” He shook his head, looking at her with scornful pity.
“What have you done, Dr. Mortimer? What am I missing here?” Lili struggled to keep her voice calm even as horror started to trickle into her bloodstream.
“All of you try to stop what needs to be done. The mentally ill provide a new strength to us. Even the demon in the bowels has a power in his blood I cannot receive from the others,” he said.
“Jared has no power.”
“You have no idea what kind of strength Patient 1172 has in his life’s blood.” The look of s
corn he directed her way increased. “What he offers is a chance to retreat and view what should have been done.”
“Retreat?” Her head started to spin. “Retreat where?”
“To the past, of course,” he said impatiently. “Years ago, mundane blood was much purer than it is now. My spells are much stronger when I can blend that with preternatural blood. And some of the rituals in times past…” He closed his eyes, smiling as if thinking of a pleasant memory. One that Lili just knew she would find deplorable.
Help! She didn’t expect anyone to hear her mental plea, but it made her feel better.
“Even some of the ones that came to work here had what I needed,” he mused, seemingly unaware of her building horror.
Lili’s thoughts screeched to a screaming stop. “Worked here? Such as staff members?”
“One nurse, a witch such as yourself, had blood that showed an unusual power when paired with Panabell’s blood. I was even able to return to a time in London I found pleasurable. Whitechapel during the late 1800s wasn’t known as a pleasant place, but I found the residents fascinating.”
Whitechapel. The 1800s. There was always the thought a doctor had been behind the infamous crimes. Lili forced the bile down. “You—you were Jack the Ripper?” It was difficult to force the words between her lips.
“Merely something to titillate the members of the press.” He waved it off. “The same with The Mercy Blade. Horror of Madrid. Scourge of Sydney.” He sighed. “I never could understand yellow journalists and their love of frightening the people. I really preferred visiting the more isolated areas. Villages no civilized man had ever seen. Peeking in on tribes that many would see as savages… but the power they invoked!” He shivered, almost in ecstasy. He lowered his head and opened his eyes, peering at her. “If only you had kept your mouth shut. We could have done wonderful things together. But now it is not to be.”
“What did you do to Sera?” she demanded. “Where is she?”
“Sera. Ah, the nurse. I told you. She allowed me to return to Whitechapel. Of course, I had to leave her there, but a lovely woman like that could find a way to make a living.”
