Page 41 of That Mafioso Magic
Ten minutes passed before Shi returned with two dozen roses and a jar of dirt. “I didn’t know how many roses you needed. I hope this is enough.”
“Wow,” I said, taking the items from her. “Three would have been enough, but this is fine.”
Nadia walked in next, carrying two bags of what I was sure was food. Glorious food. “I got you both steak and eggs, hash browns, grits, and bacon.”
“Good, I’m starving.”
“Is Xavier all right?” I asked. I’d been so wrapped up with Sage, I had almost forgotten my best friend had come with us.
Nadia nodded. “He’s in the living room, eating. I made sure to get him something to eat as well. We know how to treat our guests.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, I don’t doubt it. Thank you.”
She gave me a quick nod, then checked in on Sage. “Is this normal? Something is off about him now.”
I stopped looking through the grimoire to turned toward Sage. “The spell isn’t an exact science and it was my first time doing it. Maybe it’s just running its course.”
“He smells like… a vampire,” Nadia said.
Shi frowned. “Like Salino, I know.”
“Well, it was his blood that we needed for the spell, so that’s probably why,” I pointed out. “At least his wound is healed now.”
Shi lifted up the bandage and smiled. She turned to Nadia, who was also smiling at the good news. She put the bandage on the nightstand and removed Sage’s shirt, tossing it to the floor. “I’m going to clean him up.”
“I’ll keep our guest company,” Nadia said. She looked at me. “Please keep an eye on him. I know you don’t really know him all that well, but he means a lot to us.”
I nodded. “I get that. And don’t worry, he means…” I let my voice trail off. I didn’t know if I was ready to admit I had feelings for Sage. Or even if what I was feeling wasn’t because I didn’t want him to die since I still needed his help. Hell, I didn’t know what I felt, but I knew it was strong.
Nadia didn’t press the issue, thank goodness. She only offered me a slight smile before leaving the bedroom. Shi returned from the bathroom with a wash basin and cloth. She began bathing Sage and I decided now was the best time to fortify the barrier. I took some drops of blood from Sage, gathering it in a glass that was filled with the dirt. I cut myself and added some of my own blood to the mixture. I plucked several petals from a rose, dropping them into the glass. Then I conjured the magic around me to put into the spell. The glass began to glow with a white aura for a few seconds, then the light faded, leaving the glass filled with dirt, rose petals, and a few drops of blood, looking very normal.
“Is it done?” Shi asked me.
I nodded and put the glass on the table. “This is the talisman for it. Perhaps he can make it a vase of sorts.”
“As long as it works, I don’t care what the talisman is,” Shi said.
I nodded, then looked at the bag of food sitting on the table. I could no longer ignore my own hunger. I dug into the bags and pulled out the meal Nadia had bought for me. I ate so fast, I figured I’d pay for it later with indigestion. But it was worth it, because that food was amazingly delicious. I relaxed, letting my food digest and before I knew it, everything was dark.
~*~
“Wake up, Adrian, wake up.”
I kept hearing the words repeatedly as strong hand shook me from my slumber. I opened one eye to see Shi standing over me. “What?”
“Something is wrong,” she said. “Sage doesn’t smell the same and his heartbeat is too slow.”
Both of my eyes shot open then and I leaped from the chair and made my way over to Sage. Instantly, I could feel something was different about him. Shi was right, he had been changed by the spell, but I wasn’t sure in what way. He looked to be sleeping peacefully and I placed my finger along his pulse to feel it. It wasn’t normal, not by any means. I knew that shifters’ pulses were a little faster than a normal human’s, I’d felt that much when Sage and I had sex. Ooooh, Sage’s cock inside of me. Just the memory of that night made my spine tingle.
I looked at Shi. “How long as he been like this?” I asked.
“For the past seven hours,” she said.
“I’ve been asleep for seven hours?” I asked. My mouth dropped open, because I didn’t even remember falling asleep.
“Six, actually. Remember Nadia and I mentioned that he was smelling different earlier,” Shi reminded me.
“I thought that would have passed by now. He looks like the poison is out of his system,” I said.
