Page 8 of A Touch of Flame
He drew a deep breath and forced himself to relax. He’d been a warrior for ten years. He lived on the edge. But he’d always been able to rely on his instincts once he’d become analter-wolf.
He moved his arm and felt a tugging sensation. He looked down and saw he was hooked up to anIV. What the hell? Was he ill? And what wolf ever needed treatment like this? He could self-heal better than most.
His memory roared back to life.
The Graveyard.
Six toughs. One of them a warlock. Gammet, with five shifters under his command.
Knives and boots.
More pain than he’d ever known.
How the hell was he still alive?
He shifted his shoulders back-and-forth. He felt bruised inside and out. He tried to sit up, but the effort was too much.
Right.
The shores of death.
Again, where was he?
He heard footsteps. His adrenaline kicked in, but he couldn’t exactly move.
A tall, African-American man appeared in the doorway and the moment he met Braden’s gaze, his brows rose. “You’re awake.”
“Who the hell are you?”
~ ~ ~
Maeve rubbed the back of her neck. Again.
She was in her workroom modifying an infusion spell designed to aid Braden’s healing. He’d been in her bed for four days and still wasn’t awake.
Her cell rang. It lay near her on the wooden work table she used to create her potions, pastes and infusions.
Alfonso.
She’d call him right back after she was done.
Sheba sat at the end of the table supervising her work, her cat’s eyes intent on the process.
Maeve had the healing concoction warming above a tealight so she could catch all the fragrances and their properties. She added a pinch of dried hyacinth to the lavender-marigold blend. She stirred the little black kettle that contained a cup of purified water. She was very witch in this moment, even hunched over.
She hadn’t understood the witch’s bent-over posture before. Now she did. Keeping her head positioned parallel to the table allowed her a full blast of the infusion.
Her nostrils flared and each floral fragrance sent spirals of sensation into her brain.
She closed her eyes to experience each one.
The lavender had definitely improved the infusion. She was much closer now to the balance she required.
In fact, she knew she’d reached the right level of floral healing elements.
The next step, however, made her heart pause and even skip a couple of beats. She had a terrible secret, one that made her feel like a traitor to both human andalter-kind alike. She often used a few grains of the drug, emerald flame, in the products she created.
The amount was infinitesimal, yet the difference was profound in terms of results.
