Embracing Magick: an Urban Fantasy Novel (The Witch Blood Chronicles Book 3)

by Debbie Cassidy

  I locked gazes with Elorian. “Not without speaking to Garnet. Look, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”

  “You wouldn’t be here if these morons hadn’t brought you here. This city is hidden for a reason.” He sighed in exasperation. “Very well. Oscar take them to Garnet please.”

  Oscar found his voice. “What? No.”

  Elorian arched a silver brow. “Excuse me?”

  Oscar snapped his mouth closed and the other vamps murmured.

  Elorian turned his attention back to us. “Oscar will take you to see Garnet. And, please, no more violence.” He looked up at the night sky, as if expecting to see something unusual and then he turned and walked off into the night, his heels clicking against the pavement.

  Oscar looked me up and down. “I hope Garnet gives you to me once he’s done with you.” He adjusted his crotch.

  Honey snorted. “Puhlease. You couldn’t get that thing up with a blood injection. You’re fucking dead remember?”

  He cackled. “Not here. Not in Sanguina. Down here the dead have power.”

  Maybe he was telling the truth. Vamps were strong, yes, but down here there was a delicate flush to his previously pasty complexion. And the others behind him looked different too. The yellow cast to their skin was gone. They looked like they’d just fed a moment ago. These were dead bodies reanimated by the entity inside them and no amount of exertion would give them the healthy flush of life, not when the body was essentially a corpse.

  “Come on,” the vamp said. “The sooner we get this audience over with, the sooner he can throw you out on your arse and we can have you.”

  We passed what looked like a Newsagents, a bar, a block of flats and crossed a paved road toward a skyscraper of a building made of glittering ebony glass. Someone let out a screech and I turned to see a young woman in the arms of a man. No. Not a man, a vamp. He was sucking hard on her neck. I took a step toward the couple, but Honey blocked me with an arm. The man pulled back, stared into the woman’s eyes and then kissed her deeply. And no, she didn’t look like she was protesting.

  “What the heck is this?”

  “What? You never seen an interspecies couple before?”

  “Vamps and humans? No.”

  He shrugged and strode off into the gleaming building. “Yeah, well shit is different in Sanguina.”

  Urvashi leaned in as we walked through the impressive entrance all chrome and glass. “We’re not in London anymore.”

  “No kidding.”

  “I mean this place is somewhere else.”

  “Like a different reality?”

  “I don’t know. It’s something though.”

  Maybe an overlap of some kind? But then how long had it been here? But we were being led to a lift and there was no way I was getting into a confined space with five bloodsuckers who looked like their dead bodies had been given an injection of life. I ground to a halt.

  “What?” the vamp said. “You want to see Garnet. You get in the lift.”

  “We’ll get in the lift. You guys can stay here.” I cocked my head.

  He smiled. “And what the hell are you gonna do if we don’t?”

  My skin prickled, my fingertips burned and a red haze fell over my vision. The vamp gasped and stumbled back as my dragon looked out at him from my eyes.

  “Stay here.” My voice was two octaves deeper than usual. “Stay or I’ll forget what your friend Elorian said and tear you apart.”

  Urvashi made a choking sound, but Honey was unperturbed.

  She strode into the lift first, and Urvashi went next. Baring my teeth at the vamp, I joined my girls.

  “Which floor?”

  The vamp’s shoulders sagged. “Twenty.”

  Honey jabbed the button and the lift closed on the vamps. The dragon receded and the world was no longer crimson. Tinkling music began to play.

  “Well, this is all very civilized,” Urvashi said.

  “Until he refuses to give us what we want,” Honey said.

  The doors opened onto a cream colored carpet, an unfortunate design choice for a bloodsucker.

  A slender woman rose from behind a desk. “May I help you?”

  She was fresh and youthful and—

  “Human,” Honey said. Her lip curled in derision. “You feed the suckers?” she asked the woman.

  Before the woman could reply, the double doors she was guarding swung open, and Garnet appeared, his face a chiseled mask of assessment.

  I gave him a finger wave. “Hello again.”

  “Tell her she can’t have them back.”

  “I don’t think you realize what you’ve done.”

  He turned away and ambled into the room beyond the imposing doors. The receptionist retook her post behind her desk. I guess that was our cue to follow him. The room beyond was ebony glass and chrome. The seats were black leather. The floor was black tile. It was like stepping into the night. Garnet stood at a mini bar with his back to us.

  “Have a seat,” he said.

  Honey walked over to the door and planted herself there, feet shoulder width apart. Urvashi took a seat, and I joined her.

  Garnet padded over, his bare feet leaving warm impressions on the polished tiled floor. He slumped into the seat opposite us and sipped his drink—crimson fluid in a crystal glass.

  “I thought she’d come for them herself.”

  “She would have, but we’re in the midst of a crisis at the moment.”

  “Really? What is it now? Don’t tell me. It’s something to do with the motherfucking skein.”

  “Kind of. We need the skein.”

  “No. We really don’t. We were fine without it for centuries and we will learn to live without it again.”

  He didn’t get it, but it was time to fill him in. “I know you probably spend most of your time in this city of yours but, in the real world, we have big problems. We’re on the verge of being purged by a bunch of cosmic gods intent on turning our world into a poster child for the Stepford fucking wives.”

  “His eyes widened.”

  “You remember the god don’t you? The cosmic arsehole who turned you into what you are today?”

  The glass in his hand shattered. “Where is he?”

  “Out of reach. And even if we could get to him, he’s way too powerful to stop without a binding spell. A binding spell which can only be cast using the skein. The skein which can only be accessed using the Daayan trapped in the pearls. You see where this is going?”

  The color drained from his face.

  Oh, shit. “What have you done?”

  He wiped his bleeding hand on his trousers and stood up. “I set them free.”

  “Fuck.”

  “No. It’s okay,” Urvashi squeezed my knee and looked to Garnet. “We can catch them again, right?”

  Garnet shook his head. “No. I destroyed the pearls and sent the Daayan somewhere out of reach. A one-way ticket. There is no way to find them now.”

  “Then we’re screwed.”

  “No.” His eyes lit up. “There could be a way. I must see Elora. Take me to her.”

  25

  We exited into the mid-afternoon sun. How long had we been in Sanguina? And come to think of it, what was that place?

  Garnet strode ahead, his dark wool coat flapping in the icy breeze.

  “Hey!” I jogged to catch up. “Where the hell were we just now?”

  “Sanguina. My home.”

  “Your home? And where exactly is that?”

  He gave me a half smile. “Not here and not there.”

  What kind of answer was that? “Fine, you don’t want to tell me, I get that. But do you think it’s wise to give vamps so much power? They were different down there.”

  “You think you’re the only one with the right to live? Vamps didn’t ask to be what they are. They were victims of the first Shaitan attack over a century ago just like all of us. Our abilities, our genes are a product of that one event. All they want to do is experience li
fe.”

  “By taking the lives of others,” Urvashi said.

  He stopped and spun to face us. “They don’t take live bodies. They use dead ones and, yes, they drink blood, but only because they must to survive.” His eyes flashed. “They are no worse than the Yaksha or Rakshasa of this world. The only benefit the beasts have is a substitute to their diet of choice.”

  He had a point. Yaksha could choose to eat other types of meat, but vamps could only exist on human blood. Animal blood didn’t sustain them. I’d never stopped to think about the limitations of a vamp’s existence.

  “They’re still disgusting,” Honey said. “There are humans down there. Your vamps are pretending to be regular people. We saw the couple down there—vampire and human—he was feeding off her and then he kissed her.” Honey shuddered. “That is twisted.”

  Garnet’s lip curled. “Why? Are there not other species of animal that exist in a symbiotic relationship?”

  “That is not symbiosis. The vampire is getting blood, what is the human getting?”

  “A home, love, protection, a high from the bite to name a few,” Garnet said. “In Sanguina, a vampire’s bite is an aphrodisiac.” His gaze traveled to my neck. “But my bite is an aphrodisiac wherever we are.”

  My pulse sped up, part fear, part excitement. How was he doing that? Urvashi gripped my arm and gave it a sharp squeeze breaking whatever spell Garnet had been casting.

  I cleared my throat. “Let’s just get to the mansion and figure out a way to stop Malachi.”

  Garnet’s lips curled in a knowing smile. “Lead the way.”

  ◆◆◆

  Elora stared at Garnet wide eyed. Her mouth was slightly parted as if on a sigh and then she gathered her composure and the mask of indifference slipped back into place.

  “I hope you came to return what you stole.” She swept down the stairs. Her slender legs were encased in tight fitting slacks and calf high boots, and a fitted wool coat covered her torso. Her hair was pulled back in a braid. She’d been on her way out.

  Garnet stood in the center of the foyer. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. I set them free.”

  Elora inhaled sharply.

  “I didn’t know.” Garnet’s tone was soft and apologetic.

  Elora clutched the banister with her leather gloved hand. “In that case we are truly doomed.”

  “Not necessarily,” Garnet said. “Is there somewhere we can speak privately?”

  Elora nodded. “Follow me.” She headed back up the steps, and I made to follow but Garnet blocked me.

  “Not you,” he said. “We will speak to you when we have conferred.”

  Urvashi and Honey walked off into the lounge and sat down.

  “Nice sofa.” Urvashi caressed the soft fabric. “I need one of these.”

  I joined them, taking a seat on the opposite sofa. The fabric felt like moleskin.

  “What do you think they’re talking about?” Urvashi inquired.

  “Who says they’re talking?” Honey smirked.

  “You noticed that too?” Urvashi giggled. “What is their story?” she asked me.

  It wasn’t mine to tell. “They used to be together.”

  Honey sat back. “That’s all we’re gonna get isn’t it?”

  “Yep.”

  “Well,” Urvashi said. “At least I know you can keep a secret. All my naughty stories.” Her face lit up mischievously. “Which reminds me, I still have to fill you in on my latest rendezvous with the pandav.”

  “Is that were you were when I called earlier?”

  Her smile was decidedly wicked. “Oh, yeah. And I came over as soon as I’d finished coming.” She winked.

  Honey shook her head. “I really need to get laid.”

  Urvashi shifted in her seat to give Honey an incredulous look. “You? What about Victor?”

  Honey’s face flushed. “What about him?”

  “You mean to tell me you two haven’t fucked yet?”

  Was it possible for Honey to get any redder?

  “Miss Hunter?” Henry appeared in the doorway. “The High Witch would like you to join her in the library.”

  I stood, shrugged off my coat and dropped it over the back of the sofa. The library got pretty warm.

  “You guys gonna wait?”

  “Course,” Honey said.

  Urvashi nodded in agreement.

  Yeah. I’d gotten lucky in the friends department. Malina, Aaron, and now these guys. Banner’s face flashed through my mind, but I blinked it away. He was gone. In fact, the man I’d cared about had never existed. He’d been fabricated by a disturbed dying elder witch.

  “Lead the way, Henry, even though I know exactly where I’m going.”

  Henry dropped me off outside the library and then slipped away down the corridor. The door was slightly ajar, and I entered to find Garnet stood by the window, admiring the ice blue sky, not a cloud in sight. Elora was in her usual seat, a glass decanter on the table and two glasses of amber fluid good to go.

  “Please take a seat, Miss Hunter,” she said.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d rather stand. We’re kinda on a clock here, so if we have a solution to our Malachi problem, now’s the time to tell me.”

  Elora raised her gaze to lock with mine. “Yes. We have a solution.”

  “Great. So what is it?”

  “The solution is you.”

  26

  “Me?” The solution was me? “What the heck are you on about?”

  “You’re Velomina’s child,” Garnet said. “I should have guessed. You have her eyes.”

  “Okay, what has that got to do with anything?” I looked from Elora to Garnet.

  Elora set her glass down. “This is a bad idea.”

  “It’s the only idea we have.” Garnet said.

  Elora stood, her body vibrating with anger. “It wouldn’t be if you hadn’t stolen the damned pearls.”

  They faced off against each other, the whole room between them and yet it felt as if there was no distance at all.

  “Fuck’s sake. Tell me how I fit into this?”

  Elora sighed heavily. “You’re Malachi’s daughter.”

  “No. I’m Dhani’s daughter. Malachi just happened to be possessing his body at the time of my conception.”

  “Nevertheless,” Garnet said. “You are his perfect vessel, which means you are primed for harboring cosmic energy.”

  “So?”

  “The skein was created by Malachi,” the High Witch said. “It was made from threads of his cosmic energy. The witches were granted access and gifted with the ability of manipulating it, but Malachi was the anchor, the bridge between us and it.”

  “And now he’s disconnected himself from it and from the witches,” Garnet explained.

  “And you,” Elora added. “We believe your unique make up may allow you to act as an anchor to the skein.”

  An anchor. “What exactly would that entail?”

  Elora shook her head. “No. I can’t do this. We need to find another way.”

  But Garnet ignored her. “We use earth magick to anchor you to the skein. You already have a connection due to your witch heritage and you’re primed to harbor cosmic energy. The covens will access the skein through you.”

  Okay, so far it didn’t sound too bad, so why was Elora looking so pale? “And how do the other witches access the skein through me.”

  “Every skein thread is a channel. Each channel would be running through you.”

  “Will it hurt?”

  “No.”

  “Then what’s the catch?”

  Elora replied. “The catch is that you are not a cosmic god, and that amount of power coursing through you will eventually burn you out. It will kill you. The ceremony to anchor you could kill you. We just don’t know.”

  “She’s strong. An asura,” Garnet said. “She will survive. We’ll work quickly to create the binding spell and take out Malachi. Once he’s bound, we can use earth magick to trap him in the box
. Elora still has it, and I have the power to force him into it.”

  “Then what? You un-anchor me?”

  “Yes,” Garnet said.

  “We can find another way to access the skein once we’ve dealt with Malachi,” Elora added.

  Garnet snorted. “You still won’t let it go will you?”

  “If we let it go completely every spell ever cast will be undone. Everything!”

  He exhaled and closed his eyes. “I know.”

  Wait, what was going on here?”

  “You want to die that badly?” Elora’s tone was hushed.

  “I should have died a long time ago,” he said.

  Of course, his revival must be connected to the power of the skein. Malachi owned the skein. He must have used it to somehow turn Garnet into what he was today.

  Elora licked her lips and composed herself. “There is no guarantee we’ll be able to reverse Garnet’s spell.”

  “But you’re sure you can anchor me.”

  “Yes,” Garnet said.

  “There is one more thing,” Elora said.

  Garnet exhaled through his nose. “Elora, I thought we agreed...”

  “No.” Elora pressed her lips together. “I lost Velomina because I wasn’t honest with her. I kept a secret because I believed it would be in her best interest and she lost faith in me. She allowed the void to claim her. I won’t make the same mistake again.”

  I blew out a breath. “Tell me.”

  “Once you’re anchored to the skein, it’s highly likely that Malachi will find you. You are his perfect vessel after all.”

  “But he can’t do anything, right? Not without my consent.”

  Garnet spoke. “We’re not sure. He was bound not to enter our world without taking a willing host, but he is already in our world now, so the oath may not apply anymore.”

  My stomach quivered. If I did this I could be signing my own death warrant, and if I didn’t, then I’d be signing everyone else’s. There really was no choice.

  “When can we get started?”

  ◆◆◆

  “This is crazy,” Honey said.

  “It’s way too risky,” Urvashi added.

  Yes, and yes to both. But my conversation with Melody had forced me to shelve all doubts. “I have a go ahead from the IEPEU.” I tucked my phone back into my pocket.