Page 38 of Familiar of the Witch

I frowned at Krieg. ‘You were supposed to wait in reception.’

‘I did,’ he growled. ‘For five and a half hours. Then I grew impatient.’

‘Did I give you the impression that it was a quick potion?’ I asked, exasperated.

‘You did not,’ he admitted.

‘Itold you I would summon you,’ I huffed. ‘But since you’re here, you may as well come in.’ I paused. ‘Just you,’ I clarified. His guards stiffened.

Krieg nodded once. ‘Fine, but the griffin stays here with them.’

‘Amber…’ Bastion started.

‘Stay here,’ I ordered firmly. ‘Keep an eye on these two. Krieg has given his word he won’t harm me. If he goes back on his word then you have my permission to slice him into sashimi.’

Bastion’s jaw tightened and I felt his anxiety. I tried to reassure him, but I was still a novice at this bond thing so I had no idea whether it worked or not. I kept the bond as open as possible so he could feel that I was working calmly and nothing more.

Krieg followed me into my office then into my no-longer-so-secret laboratory behind it. I checked the temperature of the potion and moved the cauldron to my tripod stand, then I went to the fridge. I’d covered the bowl that was filled with Krieg’s blood with clingfilm and placed it in there. If I’d known that Krieg was going to insist on waiting, I would have drawn the blood fresh rather than risking spilling it in my car on the way home. But there you go.

Ipeeled back the sticky film and poured the cold blood into the cooling potion. I grimaced a little as I spotted a few clots; they weren’t a problem but they made my stomach turn. As the dark blood dripped in, the potion started to swirl. Slowly it shifted from a sludgy brown colour to a crystal-clear potion, as clear as water.

‘Lean forward,’ I instructed Krieg. ‘At first you’ll only see yourself reflected in the potion, but then it will shimmer and show you your mate.’

Krieg’s hands curled into fists at his side but that was only indication that he was tense. His face was calm. I made a mental note never to play poker with him.

He leaned forward over the clear liquid. His reflection stared back at him, then it shimmered and the potion turned pearlescent. His image faded and another vision replaced it. ‘Oh heck,’ I said aloud as I saw who was staring back at him, a hint of defiance in her gaze.

‘You know her?’ Krieg asked. He tried to say it casually, but I wasn’t buying it.

‘Stacey Wise. She’s an inspector in the Connection.’ I’d only met her briefly, but she’d struck me as ballsy. She’d need to be if she was going to get hot and heavy with the ogre king.

‘Stacey,’ he repeated reverently, a small smile tugging at his mouth.

‘She works in and around Chester and Liverpool.’

‘Then that is where I shall go.’ He pushed back from the potion. ‘She’s a wizard?’

‘I assume so, though I haven’t witnessed any magic from her.’ I paused and asked an impertinent question. ‘Were you expecting an ogre?’

‘No,’ he admitted. ‘I’ve travelled up and down this country and across Europe. I’ve met with many of the ruling ogres and their people, but no one has drawn my gaze.’

‘Will it cause problems for you? A human-creature relationship?’

He smiled, and there was nothing friendly about it. ‘Only temporarily.’ I could hear the subtext clearly: anyone who made it an issue would catch a sudden case of death. I wondered what Inspector Wise would think about that.

I cleared my throat. ‘I take it that you accept that the potion has been made to your satisfaction and, as such, my end of the deal has been upheld?’

Krieg nodded once. ‘I do.’

‘Then you will permanently cancel the contract?’

‘I will.’ He paused. ‘I will put a permanent ban on killing you. Obviously I can lift it if you piss me off, but for now you are safe from all ogres in the UK.’

I was surprised by the weight of relief and gratitude I felt. ‘Thank you,’ I murmured.

‘Thank you for freely telling me her name and location,’ he said stiffly. ‘Good day, Miss DeLea.’

I bowed lower than I would usually have done and saw him smile a little. He made his way out of my lab. No doubt we both felt like we’d got the best side of the bargain. With the contract out on me cancelled, it was only the black witches and the necromancer I needed to concern myself with. Piece of cake.

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