Page 32 of Witch Unbound
He’d come to save me. “That’s one of the reasons we’re here. I need help getting him back.”
She arched a brow. “You know the price. Are you willing to pay it?”
I nodded.
“And I want you to read my blood,” Lauris said.
Her eyes lit up. “Well…tonight is going to be exciting, isn’t it? Come on in.”
She stepped back, and I trailed in after Lauris with Bramble at my back. I wasn’t sure what I expected a blood witch’s house to look like, probably all creepy and dead like the last one I’d visited with Fee—the house we’d found Jasper trapped in.
But this house was nothing like that. It was warm and homey. A TV showed a grainy picture in the lounge to the left and colorful landscapes hung on the walls. The warm cream-and-rose décor was totally at odds with the buzz cut, vest-wearing, kickass witch who was leading us into the kitchen.
Potted plants lined the windowsill, all healthy, green, and lush. Utensils hung off hooks on the wall, and the distinct smell of cookies permeated the air. Ida made a beeline for the oven, grabbed a mitt, and yanked it open. The aroma hit me full force and my stomach growled loudly. I’m pretty sure it said choc chip.
Ida shot me an amused look. “Just as well I made extra. Lauris, stick the kettle on, would ya.” She jerked her chin at me and Bramble. “Take a seat. Tea and cookies first, then to business.”
* * *
The cookies were warm,chewy deliciousness and the tea was strong and sweet just the way I liked it. We ate in silence for a few minutes, sitting around the small dining room table with a pot of tea between us.
“So…” Bramble said around a mouthful of cookie. “How is this going to work?”
Ida brushed crumbs from her fingers. “We’ll do Lauris first because blood reading doesn’t take long, then the anchor and I will take a trip to my basement so I can exact the necessary payment for her trip to the abyss.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not having sex with you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease, you’re so not my type. I need sexualenergy. I can draw it from your memories.” She leaned in. “You do have sex memories, right?”
I met her gaze flatly. “Plenty.”
“Good. Sex, blood, and pain.”
Bramble shot a look my way. “What kind of pain?”
“The kind that hurts.” Ida smiled thinly. “Unless you’re too chicken?”
“I can handle it. Let’s get started.”
She pushed her chair back and left the room, returning a moment later carrying a small black cauldron and a knife.
She reclaimed her seat and popped the cauldron on the table. “Hand, please,” she asked Lauris.
Lauris held out his hand, palm upward.
“I’m going to slice your palm, draw some blood, and then do the incantation. I need quiet while I focus on reading the blood.”
“Wait a second. Will that knife be able to cut through his skin?” Bramble asked. “I mean, it takes a lot to make Lauris bleed.”
A look passed between Lauris and Ida. Her brows went up as if asking a question.
Lauris sighed. “It’s different here. My skin isn’t as tough.”
“We discovered that when we went head-to-head in the arena the first time he was here,” Ida said with a smile. “It’s how we became friends, actually. Lauris is the only creature I haven’t been able to knock on his ass.”
“You’re vulnerable here?” Bramble looked confused. “How is that possible?”
“Shady Lane isn’t part of the human world,” Ida said. “It’s more of a bridge…or a holding place between Faerie and the mortal realm. The rules are different; we’re different. Our powers are either muted or magnified.”
