Page 22 of Magic and Medicine

My worst fear was not being in control of my actions, and I focused on ensuring every part of the rune was covered in white and half of the table with it. Busy with my task, it took me a moment to notice the note attached to the inside of the lid.

I prised it out with a butter knife, frowning, unsure what to expect, barely breathing until I saw the small, neat writing.

‘Fuck… I mean, what the fuck is this, and how? What should I do now?’ I shouted, rubbing my forehead, but I could not erase the foreboding that flooded me when I glanced at the note. It had only been a few hours; I hadn’t even had the time to process it myself, let alone act on the danger.

The game had changed, and not in my favour. I looked at it again, hoping it might disappear, but no, on the exquisite white vellum, more suitable as a wedding invitation than a threatening note, were words that froze the blood in my veins.

My beautiful Lady Sara,

Your willingness to play with fire is commendable. I wish I could have observed how you manipulated those two fools, but unfortunately, my business called me away. I would ask you to consider a proposal, one that will set us all free. Wear my gift and learn of your power.

I look forward to meeting you, Soul Shepherd.

N.

N? Who the hell was N. N as in Nadolny? No, he mentioned manipulating two men. It must be someone else. I couldn’t think clearly, but the danger was obvious. Somehow, this N. was aware of my presence and already knew what happened in the meeting between Leszek and Zbigniew Nadolny. I looked at the bag I packed yesterday and once again at the letter, and I sat heavily on the couch, looking at my cat.

‘We are so fucked, Scarface. So very, very fucked,’ I murmured, the cat nodding sagely in agreement.

My gaze gravitated toward two words in the note, Soul Shepherd. Was that my power or some weird title? If not for the bloody cat, I’d have touched the rune, possibly giving that arsehole control of whatever magic I possessed. Leszek was a dangerous man, but he was honourable in his own manner. I was sure he’d never hurt me, well, almost sure, and now, despite my protestations, it looked like I needed to move in with him.

‘I will end up sleeping with him, you know. I act like a horny teen whenever he’s around.’ Saying it out loud helped me to centre my thoughts, even if I was grimacing with every word. Still, part of me wondered if yielding to temptation and tasting this forbidden fruit wouldn’t be all bad.

‘If you think sleeping with a powerful male willing to bend over backwards to please you, even knowing the danger you put yourself in, is the worst that could happen, then adjust your priorities.’ The voice in my head was the stark reminder that this furry bastard was my guide, but strangely, his voicing my concern put the whole thing into perspective.

‘If I agree to this with open eyes, I may get something out of this strange arrangement. It wouldn’t just be sex, albeit bloody good sex, but I could get Leszek to teach me aboutmymagic.’

Chapter fourteen

A quick look in the mirror proved the lack of sleep had left me with nothing besides messy hair, and although my beard was longer than I liked, it would be fine for a few more days.

However, the reason for my restless night would need my immediate attention, and it had very little to do with the tentative alliance with Nadolny. After last night’s events, it was clear Sara and my reaction to her presence was the problem. She haunted my dreams before I’d gotten to know her, ripping me from sleep with unfulfilled desires that even I didn’t fully understand. The one image I couldn’t forget was the image of a woman’s eyes, my soul lost in their depths.

I never saw my dream lover’s face, but I couldn’t forget that sensation, and ever since Sara had crash-landed in my world, the echoes of my dreams flared to life, making me wonder if there was more to our attraction than I wanted to admit.

A derisive snort escaped my lips at that thought. I knew better than most the fleeting existence of humans, so the idea of finding a soulmate amongst their kind? Ridiculous, I thought, even as I remembered the moment I first used magic on Sara, compelling forgetfulness. How completely overwhelmed I’d been when her power embraced my being, coaxing it back to life. For the first time in millennia, I experienced limitless power, not the carefully hoarded scraps remaining after the Nether’s creation, but the primordial forest’s true essence.

One taste of it might have been coincidental, a reaction to the seer’s magic, but when Sara kissed me last night, I’d done more than experience my magic; I had used it, and that should be impossible.

I looked down as the chair creaked ominously, realising my grip on the armrest was causing the noise. My brows arched in disapproval when I saw my nails tearing through the tough leather. Damn that woman, why did I lose control whenever I thought of her? A seer was an incredible prize, but it didn’t explain how she affected me. In her presence, my magic felt vital, but there was more. Sara’s intelligent and passionate nature spoke to the savage in me. Her touch lit up my body like no mortal woman ever could. The last time I felt that alive, that myself, was when I was with Jurata governing these lands. Sara was perfect for me, and I wanted her by my side for as long as her short mortal life allowed.

An urgent knocking on the door interrupted my reverie, and my snarling command was answered by the entry of my newest millstone, the injured wolf pup whose cowering submission sobered my anger better than any bucket of water.

‘What brings you back to my office so soon, boy?’ The petty address revealing my anger was not entirely under control. I sighed, straightening and gesturing to the nearest seat.

‘Sir, the doctor, Sara. Someone brought her a gift today. I thought it was one of Nadolny’s people, but now I’m not so sure. He smelled human, but the scent was off, like rotten meat. He left a bag, fleeing before she answered the door. Sara seemed surprised but still took it, and I thought you’d like to know. I… it’s probably nothing but…’ He stuttered, and I snarled in irritation.

‘Just say it!’

‘It felt wrong. It smelled like the people that shot me.’

I leapt to my feet, and the pup staggered back, putting his hands up in a defensive gesture.

‘Sir, she went to work after this. Completely unharmed, with no weird smell on her.’

The calming breaths I took made no difference to the desire to rush out and check Sara was safe, but gods damn it, I refused to give in to my urges, so instead, I forced my body to sit back in the chair and smiled at the terrified werewolf. The smile was a bad idea as the teenager paled and desperately looked toward the door. It looked like Nadolny, or our newest player, knew about Sara and was testing the waters. I had underestimated the wolf and was grateful for his courage in sharing this information. I looked at the decanter next to me and poured myself a small measure of whisky, offering the other glass to the boy. A gesture of acknowledgement that didn’t go unnoticed, the teen’s eyes widening as he sat down.

‘You did well bringing this to me. What is your name? I forgot to ask last time.’

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