Page 224 of Blue Moon Mistress

“It gets easier.”

“What brings you to our lair?” she says, tossing her hand around the basement she and her sisters have turned into their home.

“You went to nursing school, didn’t you.”

“I did.” Her face twists with a kind of disappointment. “The hospital here is a nightmare and the clinics are fully staffed, so it’s waitressing and selling paintings until I can figure something else out.”

“Can you draw blood?”

She gives a jerky nod. “Easy. It was a round of electives, but it makes you even more hirable, so I figured, why not?”

“I need you to help take a donation.”

The color drains from her face. “Are you doing blood magic?”

“I’m afraid I have to.”

Her eyes get wider as I explain, and half way through, she sits down on Victoria’s bed. “She’s back?”

“Yes, and no.” I take her hand and squeeze. “She’s got no connection to you anymore. And she will never hurt you again.”

“As long as I get you a unit of each of your guys’ blood.”

“Exactly.”

She nods and stands, brushing off her pants, even though there’s not a speck on them.

“I’ll need a kit—the equipment.”

“I got one.” When she looks at me askance, I say, “You’ll eventually find a strange sort of community where you can source all sorts of things in exchange for the right spell.”

I have no idea what Anthony traded to get the things I need, or what I’ll owe him in the end.

She takes a deep breath and nods. “I’ll get cleaned up and be over in a minute.”

“Perfect.”

I head back over and am only mildly surprised that they’re all downstairs.

I don’t know what the guys are doing in the basement, but it makes alotof noise and I’m a little afraid, so I wait in the kitchen.

A notebook is open and the sharp line of one of Joshua’s drawings peeks out from underneath the stack of mail that hasn’t been opened.

I tug it loose and look at the pencil rendering of my house… with a little bit extra.

I’ve seen a few versions of the plan, but this one—

“It’s still rough.” Joshua says as he sets a tool box on the island and gives me a sheepish smile. “Still dreaming.”

I look at it again, feeling the warmth of something I’ve learned to trust.

“Let’s do it.”

Chase stretches as he drops a clattering box beside Joshua’s tools. “Let’s do what?”

Johnny and Thomas look at me like they know what’s about to happen, but are too scared to hope.

“Let’s turn my home intoourhome.” I set the drawing down and go to them, letting them envelope me in a hug that makes me feel a little like sushi rice.

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