Page 35 of Blood Witch

Apparently, a lot.

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“Do you have to go?”

“Sorry, sweet, I must. It’s my father. He says it’s urgent. I don’t want to leave you,” he growled, pulling me in for another hug.

After the movie, Fin spent the night with me in my room. We talked for hours, kissed for even longer, and made love till the sun came up. I did not bite him again, but I felt his blood inside of me now, and I knew he was telling the truth when he spoke on a whole other level.

It was like I could feel his emotions. His need, his lust, his affection. I would not say the L-word. Not yet. But I felt that too, and it warmed me more than a thousand suns.

“Don’t be silly. I’m just being clingy, is all. You go, be safe, then come back to me,” I said, and he cupped my face, searing me with his kiss.

“I will always come back to you. You know, I am going to tell him about you, about us,” he murmured, tracing my lips with his thumb.

I was humbled, and in awe of the fact Fin wanted to share our relationship with his father.

What did I know about healthy familial relationships?

Nothing, that was for sure.

“When will you come back?”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ll call,” he promised.

“Okay, I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”

“Two days, tops.”

That happened two days ago. He’d called as promised that first night, but not since. I figured it was something I needed to get used to. Him being away on Enforcer business. A couple of days passed since the mingle—our first and only night together—and I missed him terribly.

Well, when I had time to miss him. With Miss Stolbright taking charge of the undeclareds, Westwood was more like one of those boot camps for troubled kids my social worker tried to send me to when I was fifteen. The place was calledThe Commencement Ranch for Good Behavioral Health, and it was a fucking hellhole.

Took me three days to realize I didn’t belong with Cowboy Troy and his ranch hands, trying to teach me manners. Lucky for them, I escaped before my powers really came in, or I might have sucked those bastards dry.

“Daydreaming, Miss Marlow?” Leanna Stolbright slammed her hands down on the desk where Enid and I were working as partners.

Today’s task for the undeclareds involved problem solving. We were broken up into pairs and each of us was given a set of possible tasks sanctioned elemental Covens might call upon a support team for. Apparently, the Council of Covens decided elementals were no longer able to deal with snags internally and everything had to come through a support team run by, you guessed it, Leanna Stolbright.

The woman was the worst kind of person, power hungry and always trying to advance herself. But from what I could tell, she was little more than a drug dog for the Council, identifying powers in others the way a DEA dog located narcotics. Dogs couldn’t get high, but they could tell you where the goods were. Stolbright couldn’t do much with her pitiful store of magic, but she could tell you who could.

“Well? Maybe you need some incentive to stay focused,” she snarled. “I know. Miss Morrigan, come with me. We’ll see if having you under threat of the nor’easter you two are trying to work with the Cumatilis Coven to circumvent might actually help you todo your assignment! Move it, Enid!” the older witch barked, but neither of us moved.

Enid held onto the hem of my sweater, and I didn’t even realize I was growling softly in my throat until she cleared hers. Her lavender eyes looked into mine, and I was overcome with the need to protect my friend.

“You don’t have to do that, Miss Stolbright. Um, I found the solution,” I said, thinking on the fly.

“Youdid?”

“Yes. You see, I understand the Council sends certain Covens after issues to solve what would be interpreted as natural disasters to the humans, but I think in this case, they sent the wrong Coven. The water witches and wizards can’t make the storm dissipate in time—”

“What did you say? How dare you assume you know more than the Council members!”

“Listen to me, the Caelum Coven can use air bending to send the hail out to sea, stopping the storm from making landfall. And, if they worked with the Cumatilis Coven, then maybe while one works on water, the other can work on the winds, and together they can divert the storm entirely!”

Stolbright looked like I had just slapped her in the face. Anger lit her eyes, but I was too busy wondering where the hell I’d gotten my nerve from to ponder that. Slowly, a round of applause started in the hall, and I turned to see Headmistress Armstrong standing with Fin by the door. The rest of the gathered undeclareds clapped as well, and I knew I was bright pink by the time they were done.

“Back to work, everyone!” snapped Stolbright.

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