Page 10 of Her Blood Revenge

‘One more minute,’ I mutter, sweeping the hair from her face. ‘Just…’

She won’t look at me. I hate that she won’t look at me.

She whimpers as Shaw pulls my wrist away.

‘No more, Arch,’ he warns. ‘We want her sober, and I will not have her rewarded for this behaviour.’

Pixie rolls on her side, pulls her knees up to her chest, and closes her eyes.

And then she sleeps again.

We stand and look down at her. All three of us are panting and bristling with frustration at the wild little thing curled up and naked between us.

‘Who gave her the fae wine?’ Shaw asks, rolling his neck and letting out a breath before resting his accusatory stare on me.

‘Not me,’ I insist. ‘I’ve literally just got back.’

He turns that glare to Dorian, who shakes his head and rests his focus on her again.

‘She must have snuck out of her room again.’

‘We can tether her to the bed,’ I suggest. I lean down and dip my fingers in the puddle of blood. Dorian slaps my hand away. ‘She’s out cold,’ I argue. ‘She won’t know.’

He stands between her and me like some righteous protector.

‘We don’t take when she’s unconscious.’

‘I wasn’t gonna bite her, Dorian. Shit.’ I suck the blood from my fingers before he can stop me.

He picks up thesheet and covers her. As he sits beside her, he takes the long silver chain around her neck and wraps it around his wrist.

‘I’ll watch over her until she wakes,’ he says. ‘Get rid of the wine. She’s not having another drop.’

‘Agreed,’ Shaw replies.

He loathes not having control, and Pix is most certainly not under control.

‘You find out anything worthwhile?’ he asks me. ‘I could do with some good news for a change.’

‘The old witch you sent me to was batshit crazy, Shaw. And a right old mess. Neve carved her up good and proper,’ I reply. ‘She remembered Neve leaving the coven for more than a week without her sisters just before she sought confirmation of the pregnancy from the healer. Which was strange seeing as Neve never went anywhere without Sinthia or Dhalia by her side. The healer recalled telling Neve she was with child. She said the pregnancy was particularly rough on her. Lots of pain. Sapped a lot of her powers. And that apparently Neve kept painting this, or something similar, on her belly.’ I pull out a scrap of parchment and hand him the marking the old healer drew for me. ‘She also said that Neve wasn’t surprised by the news of being with child one bit. That she was almost relieved and excited. Odd, considering Neve then slit Ashe’s throat and buried her alive shortly after she was born,’ I add. ‘That’s about it. No mention of a father. And trust me. I asked my questions hard.’

Shaw looks at the strange symbol.

‘You have any idea what the symbol means?’

I shrug. I’ve never seen it before.

Shaw stops suddenly, his gaze on me.

‘What?’ I ask. ‘Do I have old hag inmy teeth?’

His eyes narrow. In a move so quick I barely saw it, he tosses a dagger right at me.

‘Fuck!’ I yell, ducking for cover. ‘WHAT THE HELL DIDIDO?!’

There’s a high-pitched squeal and a wet, squelching thud from the open window behind me. Looking back, I see a little red lump stuck between the dagger and the window frame. I lift the dagger and look at the red pixie impaled on its blade. Its body twitches as it cries out in pain, looking at the weapon sticking through its stomach.

‘Another one,’ I sigh, watching the little creature fall limp. ‘How many is that now?’

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