Page 31 of Elemental Hope
“If you just wanted blood you could have taken it when I was unconscious.” Evrain checked his bare arms but there was no sign of puncture marks.
“That’s because I need you to be channeling when I take it.”
“You have to be kidding me?” Evrain gave a short, harsh laugh. “Never going to happen.”
“And that’s why I couldn’t just waltz up to your front door and ask you politely.” Imelda stood then brushed a microscopic piece of lint from her pants.
“You could have tried! This is not the best way to go about securing my cooperation.”
“Which is why Symeon is earning his keep at this very moment. I know you need your partner to channel. Symeon will bring Dominic Castine here. Then we will talk again.”
Evrain shot to his feet so fast his chair clattered to the floor. He picked it up, thinking it might make a potential weapon. Even collared he could try to escape. Before he could attack Imelda the door slid open. The two women wielding stun batons got between him and Imelda. One of them struck. Evrain lifted the chair in an attempt to protect himself but the baton made contact with his arm. The jolt knocked him to the ground where another strike hit his hip. He writhed in pain, lights flashing in front of his eyes. When his vision cleared he was alone. The three women and the chairs were gone, leaving just him and the cot in the room. Evrain managed to get to his feet. He stared at the white walls, frustration seething through his body.
“Touch him, Imelda, hurt him in any way and there will be nowhere you can hide from me.” He really hoped the witch was listening.
Chapter ten
Dominic dozed in one of the armchairs next to the fire. He wasn’t fully asleep, but he was exhausted by the day’s events and it helped to close his eyes and absorb the heat of the flames. Coryn had been keeping the hearth supplied with logs and a few twitches of Gregory’s fingers kept it well ablaze. Warlocks were handy for some things. Shadow stretched out on the rug at Dominic’s feet, snoring and twitching. A saucepan sat on the ancient stove in the kitchen, its contents bubbling away. The air was scented with apricots.
Dominic jerked from his doze when the cottage door opened, admitting Nathaniel and Coryn. Coryn had several pizza boxes stacked precariously in his arms.
“Any trouble?” Gregory asked from his seat at the kitchen table.
“We were followed back, at a distance,” Nathaniel replied. “I’m sure it was Symeon. There was no sign of anyone on the pathbut he’ll be getting into position. Do you want me to go deal with him?” Nathaniel sounded like he would relish doing just that.
“No.” Gregory yawned. “He’s right where we want him to be. Let’s eat. We all need the fuel.”
Dominic ambled across to the table, lifted one of the pizza box lids then inhaled. “Smells great. I just need to check the agrimony.” He peered into the saucepan on the stove and gave it a stir. “I’d guess this needs another half an hour or so. Do you know what you’re going to do with it yet?”
“I have an idea. I need to discuss it with Nathaniel.” Gregory spread the pizza boxes across the table. “Tell me there’s no pineapple on any of these.”
“Coryn warned me.” Nathaniel laughed. “Though what you have against fruit is a mystery to me.” He leaned over to extract a slice of pizza. Strings of mozzarella clung tenaciously to the box.
“Pineapple is an abomination. There’s a reason it’s covered in that thick skin. If we were meant to eat it we’d be able to peel it. Like a banana,” Gregory declared.
“Don’t bother to argue with him.” Coryn shook his head. “I’ve had the debate with him so many times I’ve lost count.”
Nathaniel shrugged then sat down to eat. Dominic joined them at the table. Now he wasn’t alone his appetite had returned. The four men munched steadily, washing the pizza down with fresh apple juice. Dominic got the feeling the conversation wouldn’t get more serious until Gregory and Nathaniel could talk in private. “Want to join me by the fire, Coryn?”
Coryn rolled his eyes. “Sure. We’ll let the big bad warlocks get to their plotting. I’m sure they’ll let us in on the plans eventually.” He blew a kiss at Gregory, who mock-glared back.
Dominic returned to his armchair. On the rug, Shadow rolled onto her back, legs in the air, exposing her ample belly. Dominic shook his head. “She already acts like she owns the place.”
“Ah, but she does.” Coryn joined him, taking the other chair. “You are just a puny human, slave to feline kind. Get used to it.”
“I think she’s a bit more than just a cat,” Dominic suggested, feeling a bit stupid for voicing the thought.
“Oh, definitely. Gregory thinks she’s a guardian, drawn to Evrain. There’s no point in fighting it.”
“She’s too rotund to make a good guard-cat,” Dominic said. Shadow leapt onto his lap, sinking her claws into his thighs before settling in a furry heap.
Coryn laughed. “She stopped you from going out, didn’t she?”
Dominic didn’t have an answer for that. At the kitchen table, Gregory and Nathaniel sat talking, deep in discussion about the properties of agrimony from what Dominic could make out.
“Relax,” Coryn chided. “They’ll tell us when they have a workable plan.”
“I can’t relax. Not while Symeon, or Octis, has Evrain. What are they doing to him, Coryn? He could be hurt…”
