Page 50 of Blood Enchanted

An irritated huff left my lips, but before I could open my eyes and mutter excuses, Genevieve’s hand covered them. “How about we try this? Think about your connection to your magick. Where does it stem from? For me, it's tied to my family and my history in Romania. Whenever I think on those memories, so clear it’s like I experienced them yesterday, I’m able to harness it much better.”

I focused on a memory from years before Carreau changed our lives forever. Dad sat in the captain’s seat of the boat he borrowed from another warlock, while Mom braided Isla’s hair from the stern. The sun pounded down on top of us as Ember, Audra, and I hung off the sides of the boat like loons, trying to capture the spray of water in our hands with sunburned cheeks and unwavering grins.

Almost like with the Amulet of Davorina, the abundance of magick now blanketing me made my spirit magick surge forth in a wave. My feet moved forwarduntil I stooped down and lifted the perfume bottle from where it hid in the small groove of a tree root.

My lashes fluttered open, and I stared at the glass bottle in surprise, a glittering of hope unfurling within me. “I did it.”

“See? It just takes some practice.” Her eyes darkened as she lifted a lock of dark hair away from her face. “You need to stop fearing this part of yourself, Jade, or you’ll never reach your full potential.”

My throat caught as Genevieve picked up the perfume bottle from my open palm.

“I know you’re only here for a few more weeks, but Sara, Elaine, and I would love to get to know you better, Jade. Once a month, we have a girl’s night, where we get drunk off honey mead from the local vineyards and perform seances in the cemetery. You should come.”

“Drunk seances?” I muttered with equal amounts bafflement and fear.

She cackled. “Nothing too awful has happened.Yet. Come along if you’d like. We’re planning on meeting up Friday night, same spot as the exorcism. You’ll have a chance to see dark magick other than the talismans in action.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said, hiding a grimace.

Though the idea of casting while under the influence sent my elder sister and High Priestess-in-training prissiness into overdrive, I couldn’t deny the longing within me for a connection with other witches. Other than Tabitha, I had never had many friends other than my sisters.

As we walked back through the thicket, she turned to me with a curious glint. “You know, no one in the Coven would ever say anything to you about fucking the vampire, right?”

“What?” I squeaked with horror etched onto my face. “I’m not—”

She rolled her eyes and rocked her shoulder into mine. “Please. We all saw you two getting hot and heavy in the alleyway. I didn’t know if you felt uncomfortable about getting caught, and that’s why you’re hesitant to integrate with the other witches, but you have nothing to worry about.”

Swallowing a sudden burst of laughter, her copper eyes looked wicked.

“Well, you have nothing to worry about other than Sara’s prickliness at losing out on a wild lover. She’s practically green with envy.”

A pleased flush spread across my cheeks, but I shook my head determinedly. “I’m not. We work together and have a professional relationship only.”

“Uh-huh. His tongue down your throat looked realprofessional.”

“Besides,” I continued blithely, “he’s a total man whore. They refer to him as the Prince of Pleasure back home, and his exploits are legendary. I’m not stupid enough to find myself caught in his web. Keep your enemies close and whatnot, you know?”

A twinge of shame spiked through me, but I pushed it away.

Genevieve lifted her hands in supplication. “You don’t have to explain your choices, Jade. I just wanted you to know that we won’t judge you. At least not Sara, Elaine, or I.” She barely hid a wince before she forced a bright smile. “And I wouldn’t be so quick to discount the vampire’s intentions towards you as purely physical.”

When I lifted a quizzical brow at her, she only laughed. “We all saw the way he looked at you.”

“And how was that?”

Leading us past the last thick branch of greenery, birdsong sounded above us for disturbing their peace. For a moment, I missed the anonymity the forest offered me, but Genevieve was already walking across the street to her apartment.

Over her shoulder, she waggled her brows. “He looked possessive and filled with longing. It’s every girl’s dream. Though with vampires, that protective drive is even more intense. They will kill and maim anyone that means you harm, fighting until the ends of the earth for the people they claim as their own.”

Was that what drove Alexei’s actions last night? Despite knowing Alexei couldn’t allow the vampire to live, the extent of his cruelty had shocked me. But he only enacted vicious violence over the vampire after he hurt me inside The Painted Lady.

What had he urged me to say as I orgasmed atop him in the lingerie shop?

Say you’re mine.

I shivered, my body reacting hotly to the primitive idea of being claimed by Alexei.

Genevieve was still talking, though I only heard her final warning. “—but with Alexei’s past with the Bled spirit witches, I would remain cautious.”

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