Page 42 of Taken By the Blood God

He grunted but walked through the portal behind me into Minerva’s upstairs hallway.

As soon as I closed the portal behind us, magic snapped like a rubber band. It stung my skin, but the spell wasn’t intended for me.

I looked over my shoulder at my brother and lifted a brow at the sight of a sigil emblazoned on his chest. It glowed with icy blue light, and I recognized it. It was an ancient rune intended to trap or hold something. I hadn’t seen a rune like it since before I slept. Not even as I watched the world pass by from my stone chamber.

It seemed the little witch in my arms had more knowledge than I realized.

Davian growled, taking a step toward me, his eyes glowing purple and black as he glared at her.

“The goddess-damned witch cursed me!”

I growled back at him, putting more space between us. “No, she didn’t. She made sure that you couldn’t leave—just as you agreed before she freed you.”

Davian stopped his advance, his hands fisted at his sides. “You recognize it?”

I nodded. “It’s meant to hold you here until she frees you. The witch knows a great deal more than I thought if she was able to find that rune.”

“What do you mean?”

“The magic in that symbol pre-dates both of us. She shouldn’t even know what it is. Yet it is strong enough to hold either of us here until she releases us.”

“And you would allow this?” he asked.

“It was the deal we made to free you,” I reminded him.

“She is weak, brother. Neither of us must do her bidding. Her magic wouldn’t outlast her death.”

I stared my brother down. He was even colder than I remembered. “This magic would,” I said. “The rune powers itself. Her life doesn’t affect it at all. If she dies, you’ll still be trapped here. And you’ll never be free because I doubt we’ll be able to find another witch who understands the power of the ancient runic.”

Davian cursed as he stepped back.

“It seems you’ll have to honor the terms of your agreement with the witch, brother,” I said. “So why don’t you get cleaned up while I make sure Minerva survives to free you in the future?”

I gestured to the door behind him. It led to the bedroom I’d been using while I stayed here. “That room is mine. You are welcome to use anything of mine.”

I watched as my brother turned on his heel and stalked into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. The small woman in my arms didn’t even flinch at the loud sound.

I sighed and carried Minerva into her bedroom, settling her onto the large bed we’d slept in together less than three days ago.

Trying to be as gentle as possible, I pulled her shirt away from the wound on her chest. I flinched as it tugged at the skin before it separated, but Minerva’s breathing remained deep and steady. Still, it would be difficult to undress her without making the wound worse.

I knew she would be angry when she woke, but I decided that it was better to do whatever it took to heal her. Even if it sacrificed her modesty.

Closing my eyes, I gathered a bit of my power, focusing on removing the heat and only using the destructive properties of the fire. With a whisper and a bit of my breath, I blew the heat across her body, watching as her clothing crumbled away, leaving her naked.

The sight of the scorched skin of her chest blinded me to everything else about her body. I drew the robe she’d left across the foot of her bed over her lower body and went into the bathroom to grab two clean towels to drape over her sides. They covered most of her breasts, leaving only the burned strip of flesh from the base of her throat to her abdomen bare.

I wondered where the wound had come from as I studied it. With my magic, I was familiar with burns. Especially ones caused bymymagic. And this one had been.

How had I harmed her? I’d wrapped her in my protection as soon as I emerged from the trap the warlocks had set for me.

I studied the burn, deciding that I would ask her about it once she woke. Guilt pierced my chest at the thought that I might have hurt her.

I enjoyed teasing her and irritating her, but I never wanted to harm her.

With a sigh, I rubbed my hands together, calling forth a part of my magic I rarely used. Causing burns was much easier than healing them, but I would do whatever it took to heal the little witch before me.

Whether she was ready to accept it or not, she was mine.

---