Page 24 of Urban Gladiator

“Yep. I’ve done it before with ghosts who don’t want to move on. There are just a few supplies I would need. Interested?” Please say yes. It would make my life easier. And for once, I needed it to work in my favor.

“How long did the corporeal state last?”

I hid my smile. “A year. It just needs to be renewed once a year, and then you would be corporeal until your time on this plane is complete.”

“And you could do that today?” he asked, his disbelief evident. But it was tinged with hope.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Yep. We do it in our village. The ghosts serve us and have their bodies fully functioning in all areas.”

“They can have sex?”

Gotcha! I knew I had him. All I had to do was seal the deal. “Yep. There are a few items I would need to cast the spell. But you could be corporeal by midday.”

He stroked his chin, like he was pondering the implications of providing supplies for a spell. “I don’t know. Master Rowan would be quite put out at me for allowing you to use your magic.”

I snorted. “Bixby, I could use my magic at any time or place without any tools.” I did a small incantation and snapped my fingers. Flowers appeared around the room. Bixby’s jaw dropped. And then I snapped my fingers, and they were gone. “However, tools can make it easier to focus. Especially with a spell as important as providing you with a physical body. A spell of that magnitude needs the extra oomph. I could do it today if you’d like. There are a few things that would make it easier, though.” I tapped my chin, ensuring I had a thoughtful expression on my face.

“Such as?”

“A bowl, some yarrow root, poppy seed, frankincense, and a candle.”

“That’s it?”

“Yep.”

“And I’ll be corporeal for a year? And I’d have the functions of a man?”

“Why, Bixby, are you sweet on someone?” I knew I had him. All the functions of a man meant he was dying to bone someone. Men were easy in that regard. The potential for pussy and they were all in.

“Mistress Lara,” he blurted, and then his cheeks pinkened.

“The cook?”

“Yes. So can I?”

“Yep. By tonight you could entice her into your bed.” And I almost felt bad because I didn’t need those ingredients to make him corporeal. I needed them to spy on his master.

With a nod and excitement humming around him, he said, “Wait here. I’ll be back with more clothes and the items you need.”

“And then I would dearly love a tour.”

“If you make my body solid, I will take you anywhere you want to go, miss.”

“Lovely. I’ll need some shoes too.”

“Right away.” Bixby exited the room in a flash. One minute he was there, and the next, he vanished through the door. While he was gone, I combed through the first stack of clothes.

They were all dresses. When what I really wanted were pants and boots. But I would take what I could get. The spell I wanted to enact was a biggy. It would infect the people of the city, and everyone they looked at would look like the enemy. Fighting would ensue, and only the strongest would survive.

But the thought of hurting Rowan bothered me. More than I was comfortable with.

With a frustrated sigh, I donned a pale blue dress with intricate stitch patterns on the sleeves. It was a serviceable gown and my size. I would take it and run with it. I took a ribbon from one of the other dresses and, using my fingers as a comb, tied my hair back.

Walking around the castle with just-fucked hair wasn’t my idea of a good time. Rowan’s people might know he was banging his prisoner, but I didn’t feel like broadcasting it.

Bixby stepped back into the room. His arms were laden with supplies. “I could only carry the first half. I’ll be right back with the rest, including the supplies you need for the, um, spell.”

I wanted to crow when I spied the brown leather boots. “Great. Thank you so much for all this. I’ll put it away while you get the rest. And then we can work on getting you a body.”

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