The Bitter Seed of Magic s-3

by Suzanne McLeod

  Straight questions are so overrated. I made myself meet his eyes. ‘I don’t know, Finn. I’m attracted to him physically, but …’ He confuses me, he’s arrogant, I don’t trust him, I haven’t a clue what he wants, and part of me never wants to see him again, but— ‘It wouldn’t be something I’d choose, if I were already in a relationship.’

  He blinked, then a slow smile appeared on his face. ‘Good.’

  ‘Good?’ I questioned.

  ‘Yeah.’ His smile widened, a hint of mischief glinting in his eyes. ‘Now how about I check out your new spell?’

  Relief bubbled up inside me, making me light-headed. I gave him a cautious smile back. ‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea.’ It sounded more like playing with fire to me. ‘What if the magic decides to take a hand in things?’

  ‘Up to you, Gen,’ he said, momentarily serious again. ‘But I want to know what spell Tavish and the Morrígan have tagged you with, even if you don’t.’

  I did. ‘Okay, then yes.’

  ‘Here and now’s as good a place as any.’ He waved at the limo’s plush interior. ‘The car’s private, and after your little mind trick on your solicitor, we’re not likely to be disturbed.’

  I checked my watch: there was still plenty of time before I was supposed to meet the ravens, and the limo was private. I narrowed my eyes at him in mock suspicion. ‘Just what sort of checking out did you have in mind, Mr Panos?’

  A wicked glint lit his eyes. ‘I think the spell needs a thorough examination, don’t you, Ms Taylor?’

  Oh boy.

  ‘If you’d like to take your jacket off, my lady, it’ll make the … examination easier.’

  Air in the car suddenly seemed in short supply. I looked down at the long leather bench seat and back up at Finn. He raised his brows expectantly. I hesitated, then … Damn, I was tired of being sensible, and this was Finn, I trusted him, so what harm could it do? I lost the jacket and my boots and swung my legs up.

  Leaning back I propped myself on my elbows and batted my eyelashes at him. ‘How’s this for easier?’ I said in my best husky voice.

  ‘Much better, but …’ He stripped out of his own jacket, and folded it inside out behind me. Holding his hands up, he waggled his fingers and flashed me a leering grin. ‘Why don’t you lie back, and let me work my sex-god magic on you, my lady?’

  ‘Your lines don’t get any better, do they?’ I teased.

  He gently pushed me back and gave me a quelling look. ‘I think you’ll find you’ll appreciate my mouth a lot more’—he leaned down and nipped my earlobe hard enough to make me yelp—‘once I really get down to things, my lady.’

  ‘Promises, promises,’ I said, more breathlessly than I’d intended, then stifled the urge to turn my face into the jacket’s silky lining as his scent of warm berries and woodsy male enveloped me.

  He knelt next to the seat and stroked a finger over my hip. ‘I like the velvet, Gen,’ he murmured, then his grin was back. ‘But the jeans are tight enough, that you’ll need to lift up and wriggle a bit.’ I stuck my tongue out at him and wriggled, sliding them all the way off, and the appreciative look on Finn’s face made me thankful I’d somehow managed to go for black and sexy underwear when I’d dressed. He plucked at the hem of my lacy silk top with another suggestive look. ‘Think this might get in the way, don’t you?’ One second later and I had it off and out the way, to another even more appreciative look. I lay back again, anticipation fizzing through my veins. He skimmed a teasing finger over the lace edge of my bra, and then down until he came to the spell. He traced its outline, and I gasped as he lowered and licked a lingering line across the handprint. A quiver fluttered in my stomach as he licked another hot line, trailing wet heat up my body to place butterfly kisses between my breasts. He raised his eyes to look up at me, his breath a warm weight along my skin.

  ‘Tell me what you’re feeling, Gen,’ he murmured.

  Feeling? I was feeling … ? I frowned. Finn was getting all sex god with me, and yeah, he was hot, and yeah, I sort of wanted him—but there was something missing. Lying here half-naked, cocooned from the rest of the world, with the soft leather seat and the low purr of the luxury car rumbling beneath me … and Finn’s mouth on my flesh … I should be a shuddering mess of lust and hormones.

  I wasn’t.

  ‘Hmm. Maybe not quite as turned on as I could be?’ I said ruefully.

  ‘I thought so,’ he murmured. ‘Let’s try this.’ He clasped my face and gently pressed his mouth to mine. As he kissed me his lips were everything I wanted: firm and warm and with a hint of demand, and when I slipped my tongue into his heated mouth, he tasted like sweet, ripe berries. His fingers slid under my hair to rest at my nape as he took the kiss deeper … and we kissed, and kissed, and the feel of his lips on mine, our tongues exploring each other’s mouths was enjoyable, and satisfying, and … not at all heart-stopping, not like the quick, hard, glorious kiss he’d given me before.

  He pulled away. ‘Not quite the same as it’s been in the past, is it?’ he said with a wry look.

  ‘No.’ I pursed my lips. ‘I feel relaxed, and satisfied with just a kiss, almost as if we’ve already had sex … and now we’re enjoying the peaceful aftermath; but not quite.’ I slipped a button on his shirt, then pressed my hand over his heart, feeling its steady, unexcited thud beneath my palm, and saw his horns were still almost hidden by his hair. Definitely a sign he wasn’t feeling the sex-god vibes. ‘That’s how you feel too, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yeah.’ He cast a pensive look at the spell, then met my eyes. His were now dark and serious. ‘I think it’s some sort of Chastity spell.’

  ‘Chastity—? Fuck, that’s …’ Speechless, I glared down at the handprint branded on my stomach. I wasn’t some sort of mediaeval chattel, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to have anyone else decide my love-life for me, whether it was the Morrígan, Tavish, the magic or whoever, no matter what their reasons were. ‘Can you get rid of it?’

  ‘I can try, but it might hurt. Will you trust me, Gen?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, not hesitating.

  ‘Thank you.’ He gave me a brief smile, then emerald chips lit in his eyes. He fitted his hand over the spell and I gasped as a sharp pulse of magic hooked deep in my belly. It didn’t hurt. It felt good, and I wanted more of it. The inside of the car sparked with green fireflies of magic—but as they dissipated, so did the good feeling.

  ‘Okay?’ he asked, a line creasing his brows.

  ‘Oh yeah.’ I gave him a breathless smile. ‘You can do that again whenever you want.’

  His expression turned dark and knowing. He shifted his hand and a remnant of the good feeling echoed inside me. Another sharper pulse of magic hit my core, and I moaned as desire coiled tight inside me then flashed lightning-quick through my body. Green stars bloomed inside the car, and as they faded, the feeling faded with it. I sighed, part disappointment, part need.

  ‘Third time’s the charm, Gen,’ he murmured.

  He took a deep breath, his chest expanding, and pressed his hand hard into my stomach and the spell. He thrust a larger, hotter ball of magic into me, and I screamed at the promise of ecstasy, my spine arching, my back lifting from the seat. Liquid warmth filled my body as green light blinded my vision. I collapsed back, panting, and reached out to fist my hand in the soft cotton of his shirt, my pulse jumping in my throat, wanting him—

  —scorching fire ripped through my belly—

  —and as I screamed again, this time in excruciating pain, I heard a deeper, agonised yell echo mine. I convulsed into a ball, desperate to make the pain stop. Hands grabbed my shoulders, burning like silver against my skin—

  And I disappeared in a blaze of white-hot flames.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  ‘She’ll come round in a minute.’ Ricou’s familiar voice said.

  A breeze of chill air shivered over my skin. The pain seemed to have gone, but just in case, I pulled my jacket closer and stayed curled up on the grass
… Why was I lying on grass? Confused, I slitted my eyes open.

  Finn sat on a low stone wall nearby, his tanned face ashen, hugging himself like he was cold, or hurt. Johnny Depp a.k.a. Ricou crouched halfway between us, and behind him I could see Sylvia. She stood with her eyes closed, a focused expression on her face and her arms stretched wide. Her pink cycle helmet was badly dented and sitting askew on her head. The grey stone outer wall of the Tower of London rose up behind her.

  ‘What happened?’ I said, surprised my voice didn’t croak.

  Ricou looked over his black glasses. ‘A fertility fae trying to remove a Chastity spell with a bit of the old slippy slippy, that’s what happened. Are the pair of you insane? You could’ve killed each other. Luckily it knocked you both out before you really got down and wet.’

  That didn’t sound good, but I was still trying to work out how I’d got here from the limo.

  ‘Also luckily,’ Ricou said, ‘Blossom’s got more curiosity than a whole forest of silver birch, otherwise we wouldn’t have been following you, and then where would you be?’

  I sat up, still bemused. We were on the grassy moat bit outside the Tower. There were tourists everywhere; four lads were rearranging backpacks not five feet away, a smartly dressed Japanese family were pointing cameras at each other, and a group of school kids were gathered around a couple of teachers, the kids at the back patently ignoring them … just as everyone appeared to be ignoring us, which was a good thing, seeing as all I had on was my leather jacket over my underwear. I looked and saw a ten-foot-high wall of slightly creased cling film encircling us, hiding us all from view.

  ‘Sylvia’s cast an Unseen spell.’ Finn’s voice did croak. He pointed a shaky hand at me. ‘Your clothes are there.’

  ‘Thanks.’ I grabbed my velvet jeans and started pulling them on, looking from him to Ricou for an explanation. ‘How did we end up here?’

  ‘Well, as I said, luv,’ Ricou said, ‘Blossom here thought we should follow you, so we did. Once the fancy car got here, it stopped right over there.’ He pointed to a private entrance. ‘The chauffeur rolled down his window and stared out down at the river while the witch just nattered away on her phone. Me and Blossom were waiting for you two to surface, then all the magic started kicking off inside the car—like Fireworks Night, it was—Blossom thought we should check on you.’ He shrugged. ‘Then it all quietened down, so we didn’t. After ten minutes, the chauffeur chap, he gunned the engine, and yonder gate opened. Then Blossom thought she saw a veil lift and clicked the gate wasn’t opening into the Tower, but somewhere in Between. So we set up a rescue mission.’ He grinned and tipped his trilby. ‘All part of the service, luv.’

  ‘They think she was trying to kidnap you,’ Finn said, his voice still hoarse.

  ‘Kidnap me?’ I said, taken aback. ‘Why the hell would my lawyer want to do that?’

  ‘Dunno, luv,’ Ricou said cheerfully. ‘She’s a witch; they’re always a bit odd.’

  ‘Did you see anything?’ I frowned at Finn.

  He shook his head. ‘Sorry, I was out of it too.’

  ‘I know I’m right, Genny,’ Sylvia’s voice was soft, as if she was far away. ‘I saw one of the ravens fly through the gate and vanish with a pop.’

  ‘There’s been no Between in the Tower for the last forty-odd years, not since MacCúailnge, the Old Donn, was killed,’ Ricou said, sotto voce, and jerked his head towards Sylvia. ‘She says you were talking about him yesterday, so it probably jogged her mind … she does have a bit of an imagination at times.’

  ‘I heard that!’ Sylvia bristled. ‘And I know what I saw.’

  I checked my watch. I was supposed to be seeing the Raven Master now. Maybe Victoria Harrier would turn round and come back when she discovered I was missing. Trouble was, after my little mind-order, Victoria Harrier would probably sit there for ages, waiting for me to get out of the car—or until someone insisted she check.

  ‘How long has the car been gone?’ I asked, shooting a frustrated look at the closed gate.

  ‘Five, ten minutes at the most,’ Ricou said.

  Which probably wasn’t enough time for anyone to have discovered that I wasn’t in the car. But as my mind started catching up with what they were saying, I decided maybe I should figure out if Victoria Harrier really had been trying to kidnap me before she did discover I was missing. She was Malik’s layer, but he hadn’t picked her, nor had Sanguine Lifestyles, she’d chosen to represent me herself because of the curse and—

  ‘My lawyer said she was working for the Lady Meriel,’ I said, shooting Ricou a questioning look.

  He rocked back on his heels. ‘Nah, she’s having you on. The Lady wouldn’t work with a witch. She thinks they’re incompetent. Not only that: if she wanted to snatch you, then I’d be the one doing it.’

  ‘Which isn’t exactly a resounding vote of confidence in you,’ I pointed out.

  ‘He’s right, Gen,’ Finn said tiredly. ‘None of the water fae would get a witch to do anything for them.’

  ‘But, Ana, her daughter-in-law, she’s a water faeling,’ I said, still doubtful.

  Ricou gave his high clicking laugh. ‘Ana hates all of London’s fae. She’d have no more to do with any of us than those religious nuts, the Soulers. Blossom told you what the Old Donn did to her grandmother, didn’t she? Well, Ana’s mother would’ve loved to’ve blasted us all to the bottom of the sea if she could. She held everyone to blame. Ana’s just the same. She’d be delighted to stick a spear in our guts just for a bit of fun.’

  ‘Exactly,’ Sylvia huffed. ‘I bet she’s resurrected the Tower’s Between just to spit on the Old Donn’s remains.’

  ‘But if she’s faeling that’s not possible, is it?’ I asked. ‘She wouldn’t have enough power.’

  ‘Gosh, Genny!’ Sylvia pulled a ‘don’t you know anything?’ look. Evidently I didn’t. ‘It’s not just about power, but how much the magic likes you. And she’s got royal blood.’ She gave an exaggerated pout. ‘Anyway, I told you what I saw, but see if I care if you don’t believe me. After all I’ve just saved you twice in two days, so what do I know?’

  ‘Sorry, Sylvia,’ I said, ‘I really am grateful, but after what Bandana—sorry, Algernon—tried to do, you can’t blame me for being a bit wary.’

  ‘Mother ordered them all back into their trees after yesterday,’ she sniffed, and stuck her chin in the air, only slightly mollified.

  Relief ran through me: they definitely wouldn’t be lurking around me any more. ‘So, let’s say Victoria Harrier is up to something, and that it doesn’t involve the fae, or at least no fae other than her daughter-in-law.’ I stripped off my jacket and snagged my top. ‘Anybody got any ideas—’

  Finn doubled over, groaning in pain.

  I leapt up to go to him, but Ricou grabbed me round the waist, stopping me. ‘Might be better if you leave him be, luv.’

  ‘But he’s hurt,’ I said.

  ‘Well, it’s his own bloomin’ fault,’ Ricou said, without much sympathy. ‘He should’ve kept his horns under wraps.’

  ‘I was trying to break the Chastity spell,’ Finn said straightening up slowly, like he was still hurting.

  Ricou gave his high clicking laugh. ‘With a bit of slippy slippy? Pull the other one, mate.’

  ‘Sex is how you break the spell,’ Finn muttered.

  ‘Yeah, but only if you’re the one keyed to the spell,’ Ricou corrected him.

  ‘I’m sorry, Gen.’ Finn grimaced. ‘Since Tavish tagged you with the spell, I thought that with the curse, and because I was on his list, it would be okay.’

  ‘Obviously not, mate,’ Ricou said in a reproving tone.

  I gaped at them both, stunned, then anger at Tavish and the Morrígan took over. I pulled away from Ricou, yanked my top back on and stuck my hands on my hips. ‘So, what you’re saying is this: the only way I can lose the spell is to have sex, and with someone specific, and the only person who knows who that is—well, that would be either Tavish
or the Morrígan, depending on whose fucking stupid idea it was.’

  ‘That’s about right, luv,’ Ricou said. ‘’Course, if whoever it is dies, then the spell’ll disappear on its own.’

  I ground my teeth. If I found out who was keyed to the Chastity spell, then their dying was going to be a serious option. And if it was Tavish’s idea and not the Morrígan’s … his precious computers were toast.

  Ricou tapped my shoulder. ‘Mind if I have a butcher’s?’ He looked over his dark glasses and winked at me. ‘Professional interest, of course.’

  ‘What?’ I said still furious.

  ‘The spell. I want to look at it.’

  ‘Sure, why not,’ I snapped and yanked my top up. Finn groaned and closed his eyes.

  ‘Don’t mind him,’ Ricou said as he bent and peered at my stomach. ‘It’s the after-effects of the spell; a nasty reminder to keep his … hands to himself whenever he looks at you. It’ll wear off in a while.’

  I frowned sceptically at Finn, who was sitting still with his eyes closed. ‘I feel fine.’

  ‘He’s the one who tried getting happy with it.’ Ricou licked his finger and touched it to the handprint, making me flinch. He stuck his finger in his mouth, then nodded. ‘Thought so. Cinnamon’s been added to the spell. I’d have picked up on it this morning if it hadn’t been for Blossom’s maple syrup.’

  ‘Enlighten me,’ I said flatly.

  ‘You add cinnamon oil to Chastity spells to stop any baby buns cooking in your oven.’ He eyed the handprint narrowly. ‘It makes you temporarily barren.’

  ‘Hell’s thorns,’ Finn muttered, his shock matching my own.

  A rustling noise like a high wind through the trees whistled around us and Sylvia’s eyes snapped open. ‘Genny,’ she said urgently, ‘the police are on their way. I think it’s because of you. I’m going to drop the Unseen spell.’