Page 21 of Master Campania

The heat of Lucianna’s eyes draws my attention to her. Her mind is swirling with every scenario possible, and while she tries her best to push Devora to the back of her mind, she remains stubbornly at the front.

I close my eyes, trying to center myself, refocusing on the connection between Lucianna and myself until the pathway opens.The shifters may be the ones trying to rip the vampires to pieces right now, but they have magic. They have to be getting help from rogue witches or Devora, or both.

Lucianna’s head slowly nods.“Agreed.” She looks down at her phone and scowls. She doesn’t look up while typing a message into her cell. “Ladies, the time for staying home is gone. “Overmaster Descallia and the others are in harm’s way.”

She gestures to Embry and Raven. “Grab your weapons. I’ll get Willow some gear. We can’t leave her here alone.” She turns to me. “Follow me,” she says, hurrying toward the door that leads to a lower level. She opens one of the cabinets and pulls out a black leather vest that matches the ones I’ve seen the others wear, a dual chest holster, and an assortment of weapons.

I look down at the clothes I’ve worn for two days now. Too embarrassed to do the witchy thing while Campania was nearby earlier. Maybe I thought it would remind him that he was with a witch, who has skills whether Devora and her lead witches think my powers are worthy of recognition or not. I nod and run my fingers over my trusty wand deep in my side pocket.

Lucianna doesn’t miss a thing as my clothes change before her very eyes. She nods in approval at the long sleeve t-shirt, jeans, and boots. “Wish I could change that quick,” she says, gesturing to the array of daggers, swords, guns, and knives she’s laid out on a bench.

Another touch of the wand and a nod of my head and she’s dressed similar to me and ready to fight all of the underworld. She grins. “Thanks, Willow. Feel free to take whatever weapons you want.”

I slide the wand out of the back pocket of my jeans. “This is all I usually use, but I have to say that little dagger with the pink jeweled tip is really cute.”

She rolls her eyes and laughs. “Take what you want, Willow.” Once armed, she follows me up the stairs. I stop suddenly, right behind the door at the sound of Raven’s voice on the other side. “I don’t want Willow to get used for a few nights and then tossed away like all of his other females.”

“Did it look like Campania intended to toss her away? Besides, you don’t know him well enough to judge him like that,” Embry says.

“He may be a great master, but I’ve been around long enough to hear the rumors about him and a few of the others who play the field. Just last week I heard him say that he’d get tied down to one woman when hell freezes over. Seriously, talk about man whores!”

Embry turns, and her eyes widen. She nods to Raven, who turns to look at us as we walk slowly into the room. Embry is the first to gain her composure. “Don’t listen to a word of what you might have just heard, Willow. Raven was just worried that you might get hurt, but Campania is a good person at heart. He just hasn’t met the right person to spend more than a night with.

We have entirely too much to do to let something like this slow us down or hurt my feelings. “Relax, we’re both adults. Besides, how do you know it’s not me who’s using him to find out just how good vampire sex can be?”

Chapter17

Campania

It doesn’t take longafter dropping Willow off to transport from there to the Descallia club. This early, it’s open just for us with a minimum of staff. I find him and the rest of the crew sitting at his reserved table drinking coffee and eating blueberry muffins. The night is early, but there is much to do before daybreak again.

I slide into the empty seat and help myself to a muffin from the plastic bag on the table. “So, what did I miss?” One of the waitresses brings me a mug and pours black coffee into it. She gives me a wink. Perhaps a week ago I would have taken her to a hotel and found out what that little gesture was all about. Now, all I can think about is finding these rogue bastards and every one of their followers and making them pay. Besides, there’s a sassy little enchantress waiting who I can’t wait to see again. “Thanks, Laurel.” I turn to the others, and a look between Lucas and Silver catches my crosshairs.

I turn to one and then the other. They both look down at their coffee. “Alright, let’s get whatever the two gossips over here are snickering about on the table right the fuck now,” I tell them all.

Lucas grins and almost spits his coffee. “Silver put money on Laurel being able to turn your head and get your number.” Silver looks as guilty as he should and stuffs another piece of muffin into his mouth. I turn to him. “You bet against me being able to resist the blonde? Since when is my love life entertainment for you school age fucks?”

Romano looks to Descallia and then to me and laughs. “You of all people with a witch? You didn’t really think you fooled us last night? You couldn’t take your eyes off her for a minute. I knew you were taking her home the minute you left together last night.”

Silver laughs. “I thought you were going to run me through when I asked Willow to dance. I heard the rumors of the legendary Master Campania, nothing but one-night stands. I thought I was betting on a sure thing. I guess they proved me wrong.”

I give him my best glare, meant for staring down enemies I wish to kill. “Stay away from Willow. Your one and only warning, my friend.”

Descallia’s eyebrows raise. “Can we get back to the business at hand, or do we need to watch the next episode of Campania’s love life?”

Lucas nods. “You have to admit, though, it’s the first time we’ve ever been able to razz him about a female. He’s usually the love ’em and leave ’em type. Unwilling to get caught in anyone’s snare, especially a witch who knows more about us than she should.”

I turn my stare to Lucas who usually stays low on this type of banter, but clearly, he has something on his mind in regard to Willow. “Spit it out. You think I’m compromising my position, or the safety of the vampires by taking her out, you say so now. I’m all fucking ears.”

Lucas shakes his head. “Probably not, but maybe? It’s the timing that’s bugging me with all of this.” He looks to Romano and then to me. “Two of them, right? In the same period of time that we know the rogues are using witches to do their dirty work, help put spells on even the shifters to make them stronger. It’s just a very big ass coincidence that all of a sudden two of our most devout single purebloods have fallen head over heels for a witch they barely knew beforehand. There, I’ve said my piece, so let’s move the fuck on. We have a lot to do, and every minute we’re sitting here running our mouths the enemy gets a little farther away.”

Descallia drains his coffee. “Agreed, there’s much to do. If the warriors have joined the rogues, we should be able to pick up their scent. Let’s start at their unit and go from there. Silver, if we can’t track it, maybe you can help us in that area?”

Silver nods. “Sure thing, boss. When we get to their place, I can grab some of their stuff and use it to pick up their scent. You think they may have wiped their scent? The only way they would be able to do that is…” He looks to Romano and then to me. “Not to bring up the subject again, but the only way they would be able to do that is if a witch helped them with it. Cast a spell or something.”

Romano’s jaw sets, and he places his glass on the table with a thud. “Let’s get something straight right the fuck now. Raven is loyal to the vampires. She may be a witch, but she has helped us time and time again. She’s not helping the rogues or any such nonsense as that, and I won’t stand for hearing it again. Got it?”

Raven has helped the vampires in multiple ways, but so has Devora as of late. A head witch who has stayed seemingly neutral with our war against the rogues and shifters, but who has an age-old vendetta against our overmaster, whether she says it’s in the past or not. Willow helped us because I gave her little choice if she wanted to see her friends again, and that hasn’t escaped my memory.

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