Page 82 of Aberrant Monsters
I wasn’t entirely sure what Celine was, not a New Blood but some kind of supe for sure. Either way, I was grateful to her for saving Nandi and teaching her how to control her abilities.
“How are you, August?” She smiled my way.
“Good, thanks.”
It had been about two months since I’d seen her last and several years before that, and the woman looked exactly the same as she had a decade ago.
“And who do we have here?” Her gaze skimmed over Archie. “A New Blood.”
Archie bristled. “Name’s Archie.”
Celine pressed her lips together. “Of course. I apologize. I didn’t mean to lead with your nature. That was insensitive.”
Archie relaxed. “No worries. Although, how did you know? It’s not exactly obvious.”
She smirked. “It is to me.”
Her gaze traveled back to me. “Did you find a solution to your problem.”
Celine had been the first person we’d gone to after Telarion infected me. She’d been unable to help me because the binding between Telarion and I was of an otherworld mystical level, one she had no understanding of.
“Looks like the Order might be able to help.”
Her brows shot up. She knew how much my uncle hated the Order and how we’d avoided it at all costs.
I gave her a cross between a grimace and a smile. “It’s a long story.”
“You can fill me in over coffee once I’ve finished speaking to Dottie.” She looked at the coffee machine. “Yes, dear, I can hear you just fine.”
“You’ve come to free Dottie?” Archie sat up straighter. “Now this, I have to see.”
“I’ve come to assess what I can do for her.” Celine shrugged off her coat and carefully draped it across the nearest chair before approaching the coffee machine. She placed a hand on the shiny black surface and closed her eyes for several long beats. “Hmmm, this is a strong binding spell, a hack job but strong nonetheless. It will take time to create a counter, but in the meantime, I have something that might help.” She opened her eyes and pulled a vial from her pocket, uncorked it, and tipped some of the liquid onto the tip of her finger before drawing a symbol onto the coffee machine with it. “This should allow you a little relief, Dottie.”
“What will that do?” a female voice asked.
I stared at the coffee machine. “Was that—”
“Fucking hell, is that you, Dottie?” Archie said.
“What? Wait, can you hear me?” Dottie asked.
“We all can.” I grinned at Celine. “Damn, how did you do that?”
“An amplification,” Celine said. “I’ll continue to work on the problem, though. Dottie, we should have you free soon.”
“You can hear me? You can all hear me.” There was a sob in her voice.
“Yeah,” Nandi said. “We all can.”
The coffee machine began to cry.
Archie pushed back his chair and grabbed his coat.
“Where are you going?” Nandi asked.
“Out to buy a new coffee machine. There is no way I’m going to be able to ask her to make it now. Feels wrong.” He strode out of the door.
Dottie hiccupped and then burst into fresh tears.
