Page 26 of Magic and Medicine

‘Maybe you should change. I like the feeling of soft fur against my skin.’ I teased until a familiar flash of desire instantly sobered me up. What the fuck am I doing? Leszek’s presence kept distracting me, and the more I resisted, the more I felt attracted. I had already resigned myself to hiding at his home until I knew more about my magic and learned how to protect myself. However, I didn’t want him to think he could snap his fingers and get what he wanted.

‘What is a Soul Shepherd?’ I asked, and he moved closer again.

‘It is someone that wields a certain type of magic, usually women, which is why so many humans distrust it, slander and defame its users, but the elder races know better. A Soul Shepherd can see through the veil into the spirit realm and touch the threads of life, connecting them to the physical world. There is no offensive or defensive use for your magic in the physical world, but it can affect those whose existence spans the veil. Why that makes you a target for Czernobog’s servant, I don’t know, but the consequences will be dire if he takes you. Where I live, he can’t reach you. Nobody can, as it is the seat of my power, warded with spells and power older than this city. Please come with me.’

He was very convincing, especially when his thumb trailed over my lips. Maybe because of this and how my body reacted to him, I felt I had to set some boundaries.

‘I will consider it, but we will discuss my living arrangements before I decide. I will continue pretending to be your latest fling, but let me be clear, this is just for appearances, despite all the attraction. Also, this stalking me at work has to end. I’ve never brought my love life to work, and this is no time to start… and I won’t be ordered around like one of your goons, either, so that must stop,’

I marked each point, jabbing my finger into Leszek’s chest, expressing myself far too harshly when he was trying to be understanding because his expression hardened, and irritated by his lack of answers, I pushed him away. It felt like wrestling with a mountain. Unfortunately, our struggle didn’t go unnoticed.

‘Sara, is everything all right?’ Nina’s voice called out at the worst possible moment. When my friend cautiously approached, I stopped my struggle, instead trailing my fingers over his rumpled lapels as I turned and smiled widely.

‘Nina, you wanted to know what I was doing last night. Let me introduce Leszek; Leszek, this is my good friend Nina. I made his acquaintance a while ago, and we’ve been getting to know each other ever since and… he’s just asked me to move in with him. You’ve been nagging me to be more adventurous, so I agreed to take him for a test drive.’ I said, seeing her eyes dart from my face to the rugged man pressing me to the wall.

Leszek’s eyes lit up at the notion of my agreement, glowing brighter when I mentioned the test drive. Even if it sounded implausible, it was better to convince Nina before she misjudged the situation, dragging half the department into a welfare check and arming them with knuckle dusters. Knowing her, she wouldn’t hesitate to call for backup and blow it out of all proportion.

‘Bullshit! Get your hands off her, arsehole. Sara, step away while I will call security. I knew something fishy happened when I saw how bad you looked this morning.’ Nina barked.

Here we go, I thought, strangely proud of her. My friend, ready to fight whenever family was threatened, and all I could do was widen my smile, hoping for the best. Nina was a human lie detector and could sniff out bullshit from miles away, which was likely why she followed me to the basement. Unfortunately, she was now directing her anger toward Leszek in a mistaken attempt to save me.

‘There is no need for security. As you can see, Sara is quite comfortable with me, if only a little tired after last night’s adventures.’ Leszek eased away from me and approached Nina, who moved a few steps back. Her eyes widened rapidly whilst studying him, trying to assess the danger. The scent of the deep forest filled the small space, its magic making her features slacken while her gaze lost focus, her eyes no longer staring daggers in Leszek’s direction.

Whatever he was doing to Nina made my skin crawl. How quickly he took control of her mind and body. Such magic, and what it did, felt obscene, but I was too worried about Nina to care. I grabbed Leszek’s arm without a second thought.

‘Please don’t. She is not your enemy to hurt. You win, I’ll go with you, do what I’m fucking told, whatever you want, but please don’t hurt her.’ I pleaded, unsure what he intended or how to stop him, but the man who could make Nadolny comply with his demands was a man who could do anything he chose in the Tricity.

Leszek’s eyes burned with vivid green fire at my capitulation as he turned toward me, visibly angry, so angry that the air crackled with wild magic. I didn’t know how to calm him, so I did the only thing that affected his mood. I approached, placing my hands on his chest and stroking over the quivering muscles. He stared into my eyes for what seemed like an eternity, the fire slowly fading as he stood there, silent and unmoving.

‘You believe I would hurt your friend? Do you think I am capable of hurting a defenceless human that was trying to help you? All I was intended to do was remove the memory of this moment from her mind to save her from worrying for you. I am delighted to know there are people who would fight to protect you, but I think it’s best if she isn’t involved with our world right now. So let me erase the memory of us fighting and replace it with something more palatable.’

‘Replace with what?’ I asked, feeling the atmosphere grow heavy, my breath stolen as Leszek pinned me against the wall, lips descending to mine in a bruising, passionate kiss. Nina gasped as her eyes refocused, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment at catching us embracing. None of that registered in my mind as the world spun on its axis, a moan escaping my lips when his teeth scraped my bottom lip, and the jolt of desire sizzled down my spine. Was he this good at kissing, or was his mind magic once more at play, manipulating my senses? I thought when my knees buckled.

‘Sara, what are you doing? What if someone else saw you acting like a bloody medical student, getting handsy in the basement? And with… with whoever this is?’ Nina’s voice trailed off as Leszek stopped kissing me, and we both turned to look at my friend. Gone was the woman who wanted to call security. Instead, Nina looked like she wanted to congratulate me, amusement flashing in her dark brown eyes.

‘Helluva replacement,’ I muttered under my breath. Leszek lifted a hand, gently stroking a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

‘And one I enjoyed immensely,’ he said, but I was already straightening up and avoiding Nina’s eyes, repeating the explanation from earlier.

This time, she laughed at my half-truth.

‘Well, he must have an impressive… point for you to agree so… enthusiastically, Sara,’ she said, eyes flicking downwards toward Leszek’s trousers in a pronounced manner. ‘I’m guessing we have you to thank for lunch today. Interesting strategy, buttering up her people and keeping them busy while you ravage Sara out of sight. Well, you’ve been caught, so keep it tucked away in the future so you don’t tarnish my friend’s reputation.’ Nina’s amusement had disappeared during her lecture, and now she looked at Leszek with all the authority of her position.

‘Nina! I’m not a bloody virgin, and you are not my mother.’ I said, annoyed that I was blushing again.

‘Not that reputation, you silly mare, your professional dignity. You are the doctor in charge, not some junior sneaking off for a quickie at work, no matter how pretty he is,’ she answered, turning her matronly disapproval in my direction, leaving me begging for the ground to swallow me whole.

With a respectful nod of his head, Leszek smiled in resignation. ‘My apologies, Matron. I didn’t intend to cause any difficulties for Sara. I’m glad my show of appreciation was so well received, and I’m reassured that she has such a dedicated friend who cares for her.’ The gentle timbre of his voice made me shiver. Just a moment ago, he’d wiped Nina’s memory, and now he was playing the charming lover with such ease that it made me doubt if any of my feelings were real.

‘Nina, just call me Nina because if you can convince her to go to the basement with you, then we’re bound to meet again.’ She said, and I had to hold in the urge to punch them for talking over my head, but I sighed dramatically instead.

‘If you two have finished, I have patients requiring treatment.’ Turning to Leszek, I pasted on my most saccharine smile. ‘I’m sorry darling, there will be no lunch date today.’ My pet name for him provoked a smile, but I was already looking at Nina.

‘Aren’t you worried about people wreaking havoc up there? Shouldn’t you be somewhere else?’ My not-so-gentle hint made her laugh, but my friend knew when to retreat.

‘Fine, see you soon, just don’t make me come back again,’ she said, disappearing up the staircase. I turned toward Leszek, who regarded me with a contented smile. This time, I didn’t hold back. The well-aimed punch hit him in the chest, but he didn’t even wince.

‘I will have to thank her for the opportunity to kiss you. Maybe I should invite her to stay if it encourages such passion unless you want to kiss me of your own volition?’ he said with glee, and it took a few calming breaths before I could speak to him without shouting.

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