Page 31 of Which Witch Is Wicked?
“If your poor Claire is suffering right now, that’s your fault, Dru,” she continued. “She could have had a clean, pain-free death of your choosing. But you made a different choice, and now you’ll both endure the consequences.”
Fury burned through Dru’s pain, giving him a shot of anger-infused energy. He stood abruptly, grasping Lucy’s neck and pulling her to her feet. He ignored the sharp inhalations from his fellow brothers as he pinned her to the wall. “What did you do to Claire?”
Instead of anger, excitement sparked in Lucy’s expression, her nostrils flaring. She rubbed her hand over his crotch. He released her, disgusted that he’d let her goad him into meaningless action.
She sucked in a breath and coughed. “You know how much I like rough play, Dru. If you want to come back to my room at the compound, we could spend a lovely afternoon together. I think you know the way.”
Dru didn’t check to see the reactions of his friends. They’d had no idea he’d been sneaking into the compound, scrutinizing the coven. Right now, he didn’t care. Only one thing mattered. Claire. “Tell me what you did to her. Where is she?”
Lucy massaged her throat with crimson-nailed fingertips. “I haven’t done a thing. She was safe and sound at home when I left her not long ago.”
“You bitch.”
The flare of anger in her eyes warned he’d crossed a line, but he didn’t care. She could take his soul, damn it to eternal Hell if she wanted. But first, he’d do what he could to save Claire.
“Dru.” Bane stood and put a hand on Dru’s shoulder.
Dru shrugged him off, turned and strode toward the exit.
“Where are you going?” Nick called after him.
“It won’t do you any good,” Lucy said with a laugh.
He didn’t waste time answering. Lucy could deny her involvement, but he knew. Something serious was about to go down, and he feared it wouldn’t end well for the woman he loved.
13
Claire waited for her sisters to retire to their rooms. When the house grew quiet, she slipped from her room down to the kitchen. She rushed to gather ingredients for the awakening spell from Tierra’s expansive stash, concealing them in her pockets. With stealthy steps, she hurried into her room and locked the door.
She hung a small cauldron on the hook in her fireplace and willed a fire into existence with barely a thought. Precious flames licked the kettle, caressing it with their touch. Peace settled over her, and she reassured herself this was the right thing to do.
With steady hands and an excited heart, she assembled the components on a table near the window and then pulled Grim from beneath her bed. Kai jumped on the book as though to deter her.
“No, baby. You need to stay out of the way.” She gently pushed him away.
He whined, and she paused to scratch his ears.
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” She needed this closure in her life. Needed to heal so she would be less vulnerable to people like Dru. Needed to put the past behind her, because what lay ahead would require all of her attention.
Carefully, she reviewed each required element, each hallowed word. She could not screw this up.
With a nervous fingers, she added the correct amount of ingredients with the exception of one, stirring them with a wooden spoon. When the concoction bubbled, releasing fragrant spices into the room, she began to speak.
Goddess of fire, hear my plea.
Bring back my love who is dear to me.
Long been apart, unfairly so,
Restore the love, make it glow.
By earth, air, fire and sea...
She took a deep breath and threw in the ginger. The walls began to shake, and Claire immediately cursed herself for not asking Lucinda what to expect. Kai growled and sought shelter under the bed. The idea of seeing Tommy again had been irresistible, but she hadn’t meant to bring down the whole house or notify her sisters of the process. Really, she hadn’t thought of anything beyond holding him again.
The contents of the cauldron caught fire, flames expanding until they reached outside the fireplace. The rock around the edges began to blacken, and Claire feared the fire would continue until it consumed her room. This spell was meant for outdoors.
“Hell.” She had to do something before she burned them out of house and home. She mentally protected herself against fire as she opened her bedroom window. The rush of air enhanced the fire, the flames now reaching toward the wallpaper.
