by Morgan Hawke
Galen turned sharply to stare at her. His brows shot up. “I'm going to be doing magic, too?"
Sygni shrugged. “I'll have to teach you how to protect yourself and control what you have access to at the very least."
"Really?” Galen sat up in the chair. “When do we begin?"
Sygni smiled and shook her head. The vampire wanted to be a magician. Who would have thought? “Tomorrow, if you like. I have to teach you a few of the basics before we go deal with the bozo that raised you."
"We get me some real clothes before we go anywhere.” Galen scowled ferociously. “I am not wearing that damned kilt again."
Sygni grinned. “But it looks so good on you!"
Galen grinned right back showing the full length of his long teeth. “My dick looked good shoved up your ass, too."
Sygni choked on her coffee. “You remember that?"
"Well, yeah, I was there.” Galen snorted. “I didn't have a clue as to what the hell was going on in his mind or what he was doing, but I heard and felt...” His smile turned suggestive. “Everything."
"Terrific...” Sygni felt heat rush into her cheeks.
"Oh, it was.” Galen propped up his elbow and dropped his chin on his fist. “In fact, I do believe that you have the hottest ass I ever had the pleasure of stretching."
Sygni straightened abruptly and pointed a finger at him. “Don't get any bright ideas, Fang-boy!"
Galen licked his lips. His yellow eye gleamed and scarlet burned in the heart of his black eye. “Oh, it's way too late now."
Sygni curled her lip. “Try this on for size: Not tonight, honey, I have an ass-ache."
Galen grinned broadly. “I'll just bet you do.” He frowned. “How is your throat doing? He bit the hell out of you."
Sygni touched the bandage on the right side of her neck with her finger. The bleeding had already stopped by the time they got in the shower, but it was still a nasty bite. “Better. It doesn't hurt nearly as much."
"It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't just bitten you there earlier.” Galen got up from the chair. “Maybe I should look at it again?"
Sygni shivered and slid along the counter, away from him. “No, no, that's okay. You can look at it tomorrow."
Galen nodded and continue to approach. “All right, but you still need to go to bed. He drew a lot of blood, more than I normally take. You need to rest."
Sygni took another step away and lifted her chin. “I'll be fine, thank you."
"Sygni?” Galen stopped and tilted his head. “Are you running away from me?"
Sygni held her place and scowled. “I don't run away from anybody, certainly not you."
Galen held out his arms and smiled gently. “Sygni, come to bed."
Sygni clenched her jaw and her fingers tightened on her cup. She wanted to go to him. She wanted it so bad her heart was pounding with the urge, but she was afraid to touch him. She was terrified to feel how much of her own power pulsed in his body. She didn't want to know the full measure of what she had lost to keep him alive.
Galen frowned. “Sygni, what are you so afraid of?"
Sygni gripped the cup tighter to keep her hands from shaking. “Nothing.” The cup abruptly shattered in her hand, spilling coffee and ceramic shards everywhere. She stared at the bits of cup in her hand, shocked. Since when am I strong enough to shatter a coffee mug in my bare hands?
"Shit!” Galen lunged for the paper towels and mopped up the spilled coffee. He gently took the last pieces from her and cupped her hands to wipe the coffee from her palms. “You didn't cut yourself, that's good."
Sygni froze, her attention suddenly riveted to what she could feel emanating from his touch, the echoes of her own power coursing through his fingers. So much? He had enough to feel herself in his fingertips? A shudder tore through her.
"Sygni, what's wrong?"
She looked up at his burning yellow eye, knowing that she had one, too. She had avoided the bathroom mirror to keep from actually seeing it, but she knew it was there all the same. The god's mark, the symbol of what she had done, and lost. The sudden grief and loss hammered her between the eyes. Tears slid silently down her cheeks.
Galen caught her by the shoulders. “Damn it, don't cry on me.” He pulled her into his arms and folded her against his heart. He gasped. “Good God, I can feel it as though it's me that hurts."
Sygni closed her arms tight around him and shuddered, feeling the full measure of the power in him reaching out to her, reaching into her soul. That son of a fucking bitch Raven. He hadn't taken a chunk of her power; he'd cut it in half. The other half of her self pulsed with every beat of Galen's heart against her cheek.
Galen groaned. “Sygni, don't do this to me, your emotions are too strong. I can't keep you out of my head.” He drew a shuddering breath. “Talk to me, damn it!"
She didn't want to tell him. It sounded so petty, so small, but she couldn't stop the pain of her regret. She didn't regret that she had used her power to save him, but she hadn't expected the price to be so high. She knotted her fingers into his robe. Mother Night, she was only half the sorceress she had been this morning.
"Blood and hell, Sygni, who died?” His arms abruptly tightened. “Your magic ... shit. You said I've got your magic. Sygni, how much do I have?"
Sygni couldn't draw breath. She tried twice before her voice would work. “A lot."
"How much?"
She closed her eyes tightly. “I think about half."
"I have half of your ... my God.” He pressed her head against his heart. “Can you take it back?"
Sygni rubbed her cheek against him. “Not without killing you."
He stilled, shocked. “I had no idea..."
"I know.” Sygni dug her fingers into his back. “It was my idea. I called Raven and I ... I wanted to do it.” Mother Night, she sounded like a whimpering victim. Enough with the self-pity already! She took a deep breath and pushed back to look up at him. “It's done. I'll deal with it."
Galen frowned. “But your powers..."
"I said, I'll deal.” Sygni took a steadying breath and set her hand on his heart. “My power isn't gone, I still have access to it. It's just being stored ... in you.” She lifted her chin. “This gives you access to it, too, but it's still mine.” She delivered her best attempt at a cocky grin. “So, if you piss me off I'll yank it all back and bury the remains."
Galen snorted. “There's the cast-iron bitch I remember."
Sygni nodded. “And don't you forget it.” Sudden exhaustion slammed her at the knees. She wobbled and leaned against him, too tired to stand anymore. Too much to think about on top of her blood-loss, and too much magic used. Mother Night, she'd just had plain too much.
Galen closed his arms around her before she could slide to the floor. “I have you.” He smiled but his mouth was tight. “Now can I take you to bed?"
Sygni lifted a brow at the vampire. “Wanna carry me?"
Galen bent and scooped her up into his arms. “I thought you'd never ask."
Sygni wrapped her arms around his neck and yawned nearly in his ear. “Damn, I'm tired."
"After all that? Oh, what a surprise.” Galen pressed his lips to her brow and carried her out of the kitchen.
Sygni waved a hand back toward the kitchen. “Don't forget to turn out the lights."
Galen rolled his eyes as he strode for her bedroom. “Yes, master,” he intoned in his best Igor imitation.
Sygni thumped her fist lightly on his shoulder. “Don't say shit like that!"
Galen grinned and shoved the bedroom door open with his shoulder. “Yes, master,” he repeated.
Sygni thumped him again. “Galen!"
Galen tugged back the thick black comforter and set her down on the edge of the ornate cast-iron four-poster bed. “Yes, master?” He tugged her robe's belt loose.
"Oh, for the Mother's sake!” Sygni rolled her eyes and let him pull the robe from her arms.
He chuckled as he helped her under the covers. “G
o to sleep, master.” He pressed a kiss to her lips.
Sygni kissed him back, then tugged the comforter up to her chin. “Pain in my ass!"
Galen's grin broadened “Whenever I get the chance, master!"
"Oh!” Sygni turned over onto her stomach and yanked the covers over her head.
Galen's laughter echoed all the way back to the kitchen.
Sygni was barely conscious when Galen slipped under the covers behind her. She rolled onto her back and opened a weary eye. “Comfy?"
Galen was barely visible in the room's deep darkness. “Do you want me to sleep somewhere else?"
Sygni shook her head and snuggled up against him, pressing her cheek against the warmth of his bare chest. “Stay.” She dropped an arm over him for good measure.
"Good,” he whispered, curling his arm around her.
Sygni slithered higher to press her nose into his throat. His pulse beat under her lips. Her power hummed from his heart to hers, and back. “Mine,” she said very softly.
"What?"
Sygni sighed and sleep took her.
* * * *
Sygni awoke to find Galen unconscious and breathing very deeply. It wouldn't have been so bad, but he had draped himself over in her in the night. She shoved at him, but it was like shoving dead weight. He didn't wake.
She groaned. “Damned vampire.” After some judicious wiggling, she managed to get out from under him. A glance at the clock on the bedside table let her know that she had slept more deeply than she had planned to. It was nearly eleven.
"Piss, I have shit to do today!” Thank the powers her next job wasn't scheduled until later this week. She rolled out of bed and thumped to her closet. “Lets see ... I have to go do some shopping for Galen...” She pulled out her more conservative leather pants and a sleeveless black pullover. She pawed through her underwear and decided against a thong. She didn't think her butt could take the punishment. She dug out the matching halter bra and stepped into her red silk panties while musing what to buy the vampire. “Leather, I really ought to dress the vampire in leather."
It only took a few minutes to drag on her clothes and stomp into her laced ankle-boots. Dressed, she picked up her hairbrush and looked up into dresser's mirror. She froze, staring at her mismatched eyes. One was gleaming yellow the other eye was still black. “Fuck."
She refused to look away and savagely dragged the brush through her hair. Her gaze strayed to the bandage on her neck. She set the brush down and poked at the bandage. It didn't hurt, not even a little. She peeled the bandage off, exposing her throat.
The tears from his bite were gone.
She turned her head, craning her neck and found only light traces of two lines disturbing her tan. The bite hadn't even scarred. She looked up into her own eyes. “Not today. I'll think about this weird shit some other time,” she said softly to her image.
She snatched her sunglasses from her dresser drawer and walked out, leaving Galen asleep among her sheets.
* * * *
Sygni drove her black Saturn into the parking deck and rolled up to the top floor to ease the Saturn into the space beside her bike. It had taken most of the day to get everything. Although it was damned close to sunset, the vampire was probably still asleep.
She opened the car door and spotted a paper fluttering on her bike. Someone had taped it to her saddle. She scowled and dragged the bags from her car. “Blood and night, security is supposed to keep those kids from leaving their party flyers on the cars.” She snatched the paper from her bike and froze.
If you want the vampire, you will bring the Book of the Moon to Industrial Park, lot sixty-one by sunset. G.
The paper had blood on it.
Sygni used every single profanity she could think of in one long stream of violent cursing. Obviously, Galen's former master had come looking for him. She scowled. How had that sorcerer tracked him all the way to her condo? She rolled her eyes. The spell—of course ... When Raven had yanked it apart, the original castor must have felt it.
But how in Hel had he succeeded in actually snatching a faster-than-the-mortal-eye-could-see, muscle-bound vampire? Only a very powerful mage could hold a vampire and she had already pulled that binding out of him. It had to be some kind of trick. The note had to be a lure to get her to that address.
She shoved the shopping bags of clothes back into the car and raced for the elevator, hoping to Hela that she was right.
Her front door was unlocked, and un-spelled.
Sygni found another note and a ripped envelope in the middle of the living room floor. Her hand shook as she read it. Her note hadn't been a trick, but his was.
If you want the witch, you will meet me in the top parking deck by the motorcycle. Now. G.
She ran through the rooms, hoping that he hadn't left yet.
He was gone and the leather kilt, the boots and the long leather coat were missing. It was apparent that he had searched her closet and dresser for something else to wear, but of course, there wasn't. She didn't bring men here often enough to have spare clothes lying about. It would have been funny, if it hadn't been so damned terrifying.
Sygni marched into her workroom and opened the lower drawer in her altar. She dug the thin leather-bound Book of the Moon from one of her illusion-locked drawers. She headed back to her bedroom for a cloth bag to carry it in. She didn't have a choice; she had to have Galen back. That sorcerer had Galen, and Galen had fully half of her power. She shoved the book into the black canvas bag and tossed it over her shoulder.
She only had half her power ... If this guy was any good, she was going to be in deep shit, really fast.
She slammed her front door closed and activated the spell that made her door look like a continuation of the hallway. Guilt stabbed her. She hadn't done that last time, she hadn't thought it was needed. Me and my big fat juicy ego ... If she had spelled the door, the note would have never been delivered because they wouldn't have found her door to deliver it to.
Sygni headed down the hall to the parking deck feeling her fury grow with every step. I wonder if he knows that I'm not a love and lighter kind of witch? A grin curled her lip as she climbed into her gleaming black Saturn. If he didn't, he was in for one hell of nasty surprise. She jammed her sunglasses over her mismatched eyes and revved the engine. Once she had Galen in the same room with her, and access to her full powers, that sorcerer was going to wish he'd never drawn a vampire from the grave.
Tires squealing, she peeled out of the parking deck to lunge onto the streets.
~ Nine ~
Furious beyond caring, Sygni raced toward the far end of the city, flagrantly witching all the traffic lights to green so she wouldn't have to stop. She did not need a vampire-raising sorcerer with a spell book for making werewolves in her town.
She tried to think of a plan but she was so pissed off, all that came to mind was blatantly destructive. She cursed in frustration. There was no way she could blow a building sky-high without the authorities coming down on her. Her magical signature was too recognizable.
She sincerely hoped that he try something she'd have to kill him for. If he used something dangerous, all bets were off. The police had absolutely no sympathy for nasty spell-casters.
Sygni scowled at the road signs looking for Industrial Park. It had to be around here somewhere ... She spotted a severely bent and damaged sign and rolled onto a street with a long line of abandoned and roofless warehouses. The pavement was cracked and pot-holed. Litter clogged the gutters and blew along the road, but not one single car was parked anywhere, not even an abandoned heap. Weeds the size of small trees appeared to be actively trying to swallow the buildings, if they weren't so obviously dead. Even the grass was brown and withered. In fact the whole area looked dead, as though spring had stopped coming to visit altogether.
Sygni thought seriously about wrapping her car in a ‘don't notice me’ spell but she was dealing with a sorcerer. If he had more power than she did, she'd be planting a big magic
al “Here I am!” sign all over her. Right now, with Galen out of reach, it was really possible that the other sorcerer was more powerful.
She slammed her hand on the steering wheel. “Damn Raven for cutting my power in fucking half!"
The road dead-ended at an old turn of the century factory. Sygni looked up at of the huge rambling building and scowled. This was it, lot sixty-one.
It was at least six stories high and entirely covered in floor to ceiling paned windows, most of which were broken. The setting sun stained the murky glass with orange and crimson. The bottom floor windows were bricked up solid. A tall clock tower commanded the front and center of the big brick building. Incredibly huge and seriously dead trees framed the front walk leading to a massive set of double doors recessed into the base of the tower. The doorway was arched, like an open mouth.
Sygni had grave misgivings about walking up to the front door and simply knocking. That door practically screamed booby-trap! There had to be another way in.
She drove completely around the big factory, trying to get an idea of what kind of situation she was walking into. From the back, she could see that it was much bigger than it looked from the front. The factory was u-shaped with long windowed wings attached to either end. Sections of the roof had fallen in. She suspected that sections of the floors had, too. The whole thing looked like it was ready to collapse.
She raised a sarcastic brow. “If you're trying to impress me, you've failed. No sorcerer with any real success would spend money to buy this junk heap."
There was a whole wasted forest of broken and dead trees all around the back lot. Sygni frowned. It could have been ordinary industrial waste poisoning the land, but the trees looked like they had been killed all at once. This amount of damage looked more like a blight caused by the life being drained right out of them. This was definitely not a good sign.
Sygni scowled. Time to stop dithering and do something. Galen was in there and she had to get him out. She drove around a bit more and spotted a broken door, partially ajar at the corner of the far right wing. That looked as good a place as any to go in.
Sygni backed her car as close to the broken door as she could and got out, leaving her keys in the ignition. She couldn't have her car keys taken if they weren't on her, but she was not in the mood to leave her car undefended either. She hadn't seen any sign of movement, but she was not about to take chances with her escape. The last thing she wanted to do was run from a sorcerer's territory on foot.
