Page 124 of House of Pain
Slowly, Alecto lifted her arm, fist curling into an obscene gesture, aimed at Val.
Val smirked.
“Drink,” Jolene insisted.
This time, Alecto didn’t argue when Andro brought the glass to her lips.
She downed the whole glass, clearly parched, and then leaned her head back on Blaze’s chest. Her eyes fluttered closed, her breathing finally even.
“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” Andro said.
But it wasn’t the end. Not yet.
Alecto lurched forwards, thrashing against Blaze’s hold as she bent over the side of the bed and hurled the contents of her stomach. Black tar-like liquid came out of her, filled with tiny bones and tattered feathers.
“What the—” Jolene muttered, a hand coming to cover her mouth.
Alecto coughed, gasping for air, and Blaze jumped to his feet. He lifted Alecto from the bed, hooking one hand over her knees and the other over her back, and carried her to the bathroom.
“Breathe,” he muttered softly as he lowered her into the bathtub. “Breathe.”
Alecto nodded frantically. Her nails dug into his arms, piercing the flesh, but he ignored it.
“It’s going to be a long night,” Val sighed, leaning on the jamb with her arms crossed.
“Karma is a bitch, I suppose,” Alecto muttered through clattering teeth.
Witches didn’t believe in Karma. It was a mortal thing.
If they did, they would never get a decent night’s sleep.
None of them got much sleep, all staying with Alecto until the dawn.
At least she got the venom out of her system and was looking healthy today.
For someone who was poisoned and almost died.
“Well, get your asses outside,” Val snapped, yawning, a cup of coffee in her hand as she walked through the back door in the kitchen outside.
Blaze dragged his ass after her. They came to stand in their back rose garden.
In the middle of the round stone pathway, a hill of black bodies had been stacked together. While the Inner Circle watched over Alecto, the rest of the House was busy cleaning up from those monstrous creatures.
Their dead bodies reeked worse than when they were alive.
Blaze scrunched his nose as he turned away from the pile.
They needed to burn this shit immediately, or the stench would be permanently lodged in their surroundings.
“You’re sure about this, Val?” Andro asked, glancing up at their brownstone.
“It’s the only way. We have to reinforce the protection wards with our blood, or someone can fucking break in anytime.”
“And if we cross the threshold?” Jolene asked. “The Dean won’t let it slide. Even if it’s to protect ourselves.”
“The Dean can fucking suck it,” Alecto muttered, crossing her arms. “Val, you know how to monitor the levels so that the blood spell doesn’t trigger the Dean’s spell?”
“Mm-hmm.” Val glanced at Blaze. “And we always have you, pretty boy. If something goes wrong, I’m sure there won’t be much that Daddy’s money or blackmail won’t buy, right?”
