Page 32 of Warmongers and Wands
Chapter 10
Bronwyn
We both got to work inscribing runes on the odd assortment of objects. It went much faster with Cassie here than it had this morning. She instinctively knew the right order, the correct symbols, the added embellishments that would make the magic more precise. Hadur returned, making us tea and watching us work. When it came time for me to enchant my nippers and the spoons, he crossed over to my side.
“I’m not watching,” Cassie proclaimed, although she didn’t seem prudish enough to actually leave the cabin. Or even avert her gaze. Hmm. Maybe she was going to watch after all.
I didn’t care. I’d seen Lucien help her with magic before and while the energy exchanged sort of brought the emotional and physical nature of their relationship into clear view, it wasn’t as if they were naked and doing it on the kitchen table or something.
“State the purpose of the magic, my witch.” Hadur’s voice was deep and rumbling and I shivered, wishing my sister would have gone to take a walk or something.
“When the witch who holds the nipper-wand says the activation word, it will shoot a non-lethal shock of electricity into the being it’s pointed at,” I told him. “The handle is shielded so the spellcaster doesn’t get zapped. It’s a varying electrical shock, so if I point it at a werewolf, the nipper-wand sends a bigger shock than if I point it at a human.”
I was a bit proud of that. Many hours this afternoon had been spent in figuring out the correct rune combination to make sure if I accidently shot one at an innocent bystander in a fight, I wouldn’t fry them. It was a pretty cool magical weapon, in my opinion. And they would still function as my favorite pair of nippers. Trimming hooves and zapping werewolves all in one handy-dandy tool. What more could a girl want?
Hadur nodded. “Seems straightforward. I’m ready when you are, my witch.”
I shot a mischievous glance at Cassie. “Then put your strong, virile hands on my nippers, you sexy hunk of demon, you,” I told Hadur in a breathy voice.
Cassie made gagging noises in the background. The war demon smirked, then took hold of the nipper-wand, his hands overlapping mine.
I began to chant, the magic leaping to my skin, swirling around me with increasing speed. Hadur’s deep voice joined in, and I gasped as his magic flooded me. Everything tingled, warmth settling down low in my core. Wow. I might not be the most experienced woman in the world, but this felt totally erotic.
I closed my eyes, falling into the feel of his magic as I mixed in my own and chanted the energy into the nipper-wand. Once it had been charged, I changed my words, sealing and holding the magic to the object, and ended the spell.
Instantly I felt the loss of his magic. I still tingled with magical aftershocks of the experience, awash in happy satisfaction, but I definitely wanted more. More of his magic, more of him.
I’d not even known this demon a week and I was falling in love with him. It wasn’t just the sexual attraction, or the magical attraction, it was him. I couldn’t imagine not having him near me. I wanted to wake up with him in my bed, to share meals with him, to play Yahtzee in the evenings, to justbetogether.
In the back of my mind was the worry that things might not work out, that once I freed him he’d return to hell, or that he’d get bored with me and one day he’d be gone. But I couldn’t worry about that. All I could do at the moment was think about the now, and how this felt so right, how it felt like the beginning of something amazing.
We went on to charge the spoons, which had a far simpler and less sexy magic attached to them. And when we were done, I felt oddly invigorated. Normally this much magic would have completely exhausted me and sent me to my bed for a good eight hours, but I felt ready to do more—well, not much more, but I probably could have managed another spoon or two. And if those werewolves stormed into the cabin tonight, I would be ready with spoons and a nipper-wand.
“Well, at least I know what Lucien and I look like when we’re doing it,” Cassie drawled. “I feel like I need a shower, now.”
“Thought you weren’t going to look,” I reminded her.
“Kinda hard not to look with you two moaning and gasping like a budget porno over there,” she teased.
I brandished a spoon at her but couldn’t help smiling.
“My turn.” Cassie turned to face her objects and began with the flashlight, wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead when she’d finished. “Whew. This is harder than I remember. I’m so used to having Lucien help me that I forgot the toll this sort of magic takes.”
Cassie was a powerful witch, the only one of us who could perform magic on the fly, but enchanting objects wasn’t her strength like it was mine. She could do it, and with practice probably do it better than I could, but it still took more effort.
“Do you want me to finish?” I pointed to the other objects.
“No, I’ve got it.” She motioned toward my leg. “I don’t want you to overexert yourself. Drink more of Glenda’s smoothie and relax.”
I grimaced at the half-empty glass by my side, the second one I’d had so far. It was soooo bad. How could Glenda make the most amazing meals, each one a culinary delight, but her potions always taste like a dirty gym sock?
Cassie finished her magical work and I finished the smoothie. We were discussing whether or not to open the bottle of wine when Hadur abruptly stood.
“There is a demon at the edge of my circle.”
For a second I panicked, thinking that the werewolves had managed to add a demon to their attacking army, then I relaxed and laughed.
“Cassie, your stalker has arrived.”
