Page 5 of The Blood Witch

With a groan, Fey forced herself across the gym to where she’d stashed her bottle of water. She drank deep, desperate to quench her thirst.

She hadn’t bothered warming up. Hadn’t bothered easing into her workout, or even stopping by her sisters’ apartment to let Joy and Aliceknow she was here. She had just thrown herself into it, venting her frustrations and her anger on the heavy punching bag Alice had installed. That was a mistake, and her muscles would pay for it for over the next few days, but for now Fey felt blissfully drained.

For now, at least, she felt in control.

Somewhere in the building, her two remaining sisters were awake, preparing their midday meal. Drinking coffee and planning their day. Somewhere they were living their lives, each day taking them further from their past, blissfully in love. Happy.

Fey could join them now that she was more in control of her thoughts. She could stumble up the stairs to the home Joy and Alice shared and let herself be soothed by their company. By their love.

She wouldn’t, though. Not today. They were happy. They were moving on and moving forward.

Fey was the one still stuck in the past. She was the one trying to contain the monster inside of herself, the one still trapped in the memory of poor Willow’s death. And she didn’t want to bring them down with her. They were healing. And they deserved their happiness. They deserved to move on.

She didn’t want to see them. Didn’t want to remind them of their past and their sacrifices. Swallowing down her memories, Fey finished the last of her water and changed out of her exercise clothes. She had another idea. A better one.

She needed chocolate.

Regina’s Bakerywas a staple of the Shifter neighborhood Fey now called home. For over twenty years, through feast and famine, it had endured. There had been times all too recently when food had been so scarce that Shifters were dying of starvation by the hundreds in the Eternal City. Times when Regina had only enough staples to sell basics like bread. But she had come into her shop every morning, making what she could and selling it at cost, trying to keep her people alive.

And now? Now Regina’s Bakery flourished.

The warm scent of oven-fresh bread hit Fey the momentshe opened the door. A quick glance around revealed the store was empty, not a single other patron in sight.

Good, Fey thought. She preferred to do her shopping in peace, alone. And with her rage tugging on that leash, the fewer people she saw today, the better.

“One moment!” came a gruff voice from the back. Regina, taking advantage of the momentary lull in customers to get some more work done.

Fey didn’t waste time looking around at the general goods for sale in all corners of the shop. She went straight to the bakery case, peering through the glass at the pastries and sweets housed there. Fewer than usual, she noticed. In fact, the case had been steadily looking emptier and emptier in the last few months.

“Ah, it’s the Witch!” Regina said in greeting, emerging from the back of the shop and wiping her hands on the stained white apron she wore. Regina was an intimidating woman, in both stature and personality. She had the sand-colored eyes of all Lion Shifters, and though her hair was going silver with age, the white strands that peppered her golden blonde curls added a lovely shimmer that sparkled in the sunlight that drifted in through the windows.

“Morning, Regina,” Fey said, glancing up. When they’d moved into the neighborhood, Fey and her sisters had been the only Witches who’d shopped here. But times were changing—thecitywas changing—and Regina’s shop was quickly becoming one of the most popular bakeries in the district.

Still, Fey liked to think Regina still took special care of her and her sisters. A reward for being among the first of her Witch clients.

“This is morning to you, eh?” Regina scoffed, glancing pointedly at the clock on the wall. “Your Vampire is a bad influence on you. Up all night, sleeping during the day…” She shook her head disapprovingly, clicking her tongue.

“Well, it’s not like he has a choice, does he?” Fey answered with a smirk. Sun couldn’t kill a Vampire as powerful as Alastair, but it would probably hurt like hell. And even if it didn’t, with Alastair spending nights managing his nightclub and his days in bed with her, Fey wasn’t sure he’d change his hours even if he could.

“How’re your sisters, dear?” Regina asked, leaning on the glass counter. She towered above Fey, nearly six and a half feet of Lion trapped in a human body.

“They’re good,” Fey answered. “I just came from their place, actually. Alice converted one of the spare apartments to a gym.”

“And the little one? Joy?”

A grin twitched at the corners of Fey’s lips. Of course, to Regina, Joy would be the “little one.” She was half the Shifter’s size, though Fey would bet a fair amount of gold that Joy was twice as deadly, even considering Regina’s Lion form. Joy had been an unstoppable force before, but now that she could control three elements? Well, now she held an overwhelming amount of power in her small, delicate hands.

Would Regina still think of Joy as thelittle oneif she knew it had been her hand that had brought down the old queen? Her blade of air that had taken Edelin’s head?

“Joy is… Joy.” Fey shrugged. “She’s happy. They’re happy.”

“Good,” Regina nodded. “So… what brings you in, hm? I’m running low on bread, so what’s in the case is all we have today. But I have some brownies in the oven right now if you’re looking for something sweet.”

Fey’s mouth watered. That’s exactly what she was looking for. “Yes. Some brownies, please. And some of your famous pork buns, if you have any left.” Jasper had mentioned them in passing the last time she’d stopped by the club.Better than sex, he’d told her. And then with a wink and a wicked grin, he’d added,well, not the sort of sex I could give you.

Regina chuckled. “I have a few I don’t mind parting with, for you, Witch. Goddess knows my brother doesn’t need to eat so many.”

Regina gave her a rough grin before ducking into the back.

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