Sin's Dark Caress (16 page)

“It's the only time you ever make a pass at me.”

He ran his fingers down her cheek. “Oh, Sin, you are too beautiful for words,” he whispered, intensely staring at her lips. “Too beautiful.”

Then he let her go. “You're right, I
have
been drinking.” Except now he sounded very sober.

With shaking hands, she continued to clean his scrapes and mend his cuts with butterfly plasters from the first aid kit. None of the others seemed serious enough for stitches, though.

“Bianca.” McManus grabbed her wrist and swayed. “Suddenly, I don't feel so good.” And he slid from the chair and fell to the floor. The blood loss wasn't that bad. Something else must be wrong.

“Kedrax,” she yelled, and fell to her knees beside him.

The little dragon jumped from the table and sniffed at the tip of the six-inch little spear. “It's been poisoned, an old magical poison. You'll have to heal him.”

She shook her head. “I don't know how.”

Kedrax leapt off McManus onto her thighs. “Yes you do. Reach inside yourself, everything you need is in there.”

“Corey O'Shea, he'll know what—”

“You don't have time for that. He'll die.”

She nodded and wiped her hands on her pants, then held them over McManus's naked chest. Nothing happened.

“Reach down deep, it's in you,” Kedrax said.

Bianca closed her eyes, concentrating harder, and looked into McManus to find the poison. She wove a spell to transform the poison particles into healing ones. Not just for his blood either, but to boost his immune system and speed up the healing process. She could feel the life flowing back into him.

When she opened her eyes, the wounds closed as if zipped from the inside, though the blood remained.

Confusion turned to accusation in his eyes as he looked up at her. “What've you done?”

She panicked. The magic, stronger than any she'd used before, backlashed.

Kedrax.

She kept hold of the energy to protect the dragon. Until a white light exploded behind her eyes.

30

Cat's Out of the Bag

M
cManus woke on the floor staring at the ceiling. This wasn't the first time, and yet he didn't feel the nausea and foggy headache that usually accompanied his hangovers. He raised himself up onto his elbow. Bianca and her little creature lay beside him, both unconscious.

That couldn't be good.

It all came flooding back like some sort of bad dream; the O'Shea brothers and their freaky Alice in Wonderland aircraft hangar, the little dragon and Bianca . . .

She'd used magic, which meant she wasn't broken anymore.
How?

The dragon. He had to be her familiar somehow. Bianca's cat meowed down at him from his perch on the kitchen counter.

“Worried about them too, puss?” he asked the feline. The cat answered with another meow and looked between Bianca and Kedrax.

McManus climbed to his feet and realized he was half naked. Dried blood caked his skin, but there was no pain. He ran a hand over his torso, checking his injuries. She'd completely healed him.

Bianca's low, shallow breathing worried him as he picked up her limp body and carried her into his bedroom. The dragon's hide seemed duller than before, and though cold, it felt soft and velvety instead of reptilian. He lay it down on the bed beside Bianca. The cat had followed him, and now jumped up beside the dragon. It meowed and gave the little creature a couple of licks. When the dragon didn't move, the cat lay down and rested his chin on his paws, watching over both it and Bianca.

McManus didn't know what to do. He suspected that her condition had something to do with the magic, but he had no idea where to start. Oberon DuPrie might, though. He pulled out his new cell phone, but had lost all his numbers when the old one was destroyed in the magic shop fire. He searched Bianca and found hers.

DuPrie answered on the first ring. “Hello?”

“Something's happened to Bianca. She's unconscious; I think it's some sort of magic thing.”

“McManus?” DuPrie asked. “Where are you?”

“My apartment. It's—”

“I have the address. Be there soon.”

He almost asked how DuPrie knew where he lived, but instead said, “Make it quick,” and hung up.

“Watch over them, puss,” he said to the cat, and could've sworn it understood, as it started cleaning the unconscious dragonette again.

O
beron arrived twenty minutes later with the former medical examiner, Kitt Jordan, and McManus took them straight into the bedroom, where Bianca remained unchanged.

The cat purred beside them, half covering the little dragon. Kitt rushed to the bedside and pulled a stethoscope out of the black bag she carried. “What happened?” she asked, listening to Bianca's heartbeat.

“I don't know. I woke up and found her like that, along with the dragon.”

Kitt frowned, pulled the stethoscope from her ears and hung it around her neck. “Is that the cat's name?”

“No,” he said. “Not the cat, the other one.”

Kitt tilted her head to the side. “Have you been drinking?”

“Yes a bit, but . . .”
Maybe I'm going mad.
“Never mind,” McManus said. “Do you know what's wrong with her?”

“I'm afraid not,” she said. “If it's something mystical, then it's beyond my field of expertise. You need another witch.”

Using Bianca's cell phone, he called Artemisia. Why hadn't he thought of her in the first place?

“This is a funny time to be calling your mother,” a somewhat irate female voice answered.

“Forgive me, but—”

“Detective McManus?”

“Yes, Your Honor?”

“Why are you calling from my daughter's phone? Something's wrong, isn't it?”

“We can't wake her,” McManus said, looking down at Bianca. “Or her familiar.”

“Familiar? Is this some sort of joke?” Artemisia sounded genuinely annoyed. “Bianca's unbonded.”

“Not anymore, she has this . . .” What should he tell her? The truth, and have her think he was completely mad, like Oberon and Dr. Jordan already did? “You just need to get here as fast as you can.”

A crash of light flashed behind him. “Bianca, honey.”

“Right,” he said, and hung up the phone as Artemisia Sin sat down on the bed beside her daughter, the white python wrapped around her shoulders.

“Where did you come from?” Kitt asked shakily.

“A mother can always sense her offspring.” Artemisia unwrapped the snake from her shoulders and placed it on the bed. “Now, tell me what happened.”

The snake hissed and slithered toward Vincent, who arched his back and spat.

“Matilda, behave,” Artemisia commanded.

The snake stopped and curled up, keeping the cat within her hungry, soulless gaze.

McManus repeated the story about waking up to find Bianca unconscious on the floor beside him. He left out the bit about Kedrax, but Artemisia remembered what he'd said on the phone.

“So where is this familiar?” she asked.

31

Lost and Found

I
t was her room, yet it wasn't her room. The one from her childhood, not the one she lived in now. Except it wasn't that either.

Instead of the floor there was a whiteness. The walls and ceiling were made of the same stuff. But the bed was the same one she'd slept in as a child. All her favorite toys were piled on the kitten-patterned quilt, just as they had been all those years ago. A rocking chair sat in what would be the corner of the room with the shawl her mother used to wear as she rocked and sang lullabies to her. The window with the lace bunny curtains hung to one side of the room, suspended in midair.

It was in her haven, her mind's safe place. The place she came to when she was scared. Nothing could touch her. Nothing could go wrong or hurt her. Everything here was right and safe.

But it wasn't all right.
And she didn't feel safe.

Something was here with her. Something cold, something dark, something foreign. It moved beyond her vision, swirled in the mist. Stalking her. Soulless and hungry.

“Who's there?” she called out.

No answer came, though she sensed amusement.

“Who are you?” she asked again.

The room lost some of its brightness and all of its safety. Her bed and toys no longer seemed as comforting as a moment ago. The toys' smiles twisted into evil grins, chilling Bianca to the bone as the room began to spin. An amused chuckle filled the air.

“What do you want?” she screamed.

“YOU WITCH,”
a hollow voice intoned.
“YOUR POWER CALLS TO ME.”

The mist grew thicker. Bianca caught movement out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned her head in that direction, nothing was there.

“I CAN HELP YOU BE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU EVER DREAMED. MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY OF THOSE WITCHES THAT LOOKED DOWN ON YOU.”

A warmth ran up her arms, as if someone was caressing her. It fondled her hair, brushed her neck.

“JOIN WITH ME,”
it said seductively.
“YOU'LL NEVER HAVE TO BE ALONE AGAIN.”

“Who are you?” she moaned, feeling her will slipping away from her.

“MY NAME IS EALUND,”
it said.

Then Kedrax was with her. Not only nearby, but within her mind.

The presence shank back.
“NO,”
it hissed.
“IT CAN'T BE.”

Kedrax's aura surrounded her.
Leave her.
The little dragon's tone projected power.
NOW!

The misty darkness withdrew, and when it was gone completely, Bianca opened her eyes to relieved smiling faces surrounding her, even if they had a ghost of worry.

Artemisia cupped her cheek with a warm hand. “Welcome back.”

As she began to sit up, her head spun. “What happened?”

“You passed out,” McManus said from the doorway, his face half cast in shadow from the bedside lamp.

“No I don't mean that . . .” She couldn't gauge his mood.

Kedrax stirred beside her and rested his leg on hers.

What happened in there?

We'll talk about it later.
The dragon's thought entered her head.
It'll be better if I tell you when we're alone. They'll see something wrong on your face.

Oberon and Kitt stood on the other side of the bed. Vincent jumped on her chest, purring and rubbing his head against her face, almost frantic to be near her.

She laughed and scratched behind his good ear. “I'm happy to see you too.”

Kedrax yawned and stretched his wings. She looked around. McManus knew. So she wanted to let those closest to her know too. Especially her mother.

Show yourself to them. I want them to know.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Bianca watched her mother's face as a collective gasp filled the room.

“What in the holy hell is that?” Oberon was the first to speak.

“I can't believe it,” Bianca's mother whispered, her hand going to her throat.

Kedrax sat up and looked at her. “Hello, Artemisia, it's good to see you.”

“You know me?” Artemisia said, and frowned. “And why do I feel I know you?”

“You wore me around your throat until your daughter was born. You were strong, and there were times I thought you'd be the one to wake me, but your daughter is stronger.”

Like Bianca, Artemisia's hand clasped at a pendant that was no longer there, and she nodded.

Sitting on the side of the bed, she took her daughter's hand in hers and looked at Kedrax. “This is incredible.”

McManus stayed in the shadows, closed off and unreadable.

“Um . . .” Bianca said stroking Kedrax's velvet leathery wings. “I guess I have some explaining to do.”

“I have to get back,” Kitt said, and took Bianca's hand. “I'll call in on my way home later.” She bent down and kissed her cheek. “I think he's totally cool.”

“I'll put on some coffee,” McManus said as he pushed away from the doorway.

Artemisia tucked a strand of Bianca's hair behind her ear. “Now tell me what happened. Both before and while you were out. I could feel your terror.”

“I don't know where to start.”

“She got scared of the magic and stopped,” Kedrax explained. “The backlash of energy shut us both down. And while she was unconscious, the Dark Brethren tried to seduce her. Now they know I exist.”

“Why was he so afraid of you?” Bianca asked.

Kedrax crawled into her lap. “Because dragonkind imprisoned the Brethren several millennia ago.”

Her mother sat back and traced her fingers over Kedrax's hide. “I've heard stories of dragons, but I thought they were just that—stories. I mean, dragons . . .”

“I don't think it's a coincidence that Kedrax is here now, when the Dark Brethren are stirring,” Oberon said.

“I think you're right,” McManus said, coming back into the room with a tray of steaming mugs.

Bianca remembered his lips on her. But he wouldn't even meet her eyes now.

Artemisia stood up. “This means you can finally take your rightful place at my side.”

Bianca shook her head. “I don't think that's a good idea.”

“What do you mean? You've been licensed for years, it's only the lack of a bond that stopped you. I've dreamt of this from the day you were born. I'd given up hope.”

“We can speak about this later,” Bianca said. “Right now I think there are other things to consider.”

Oberon crossed his arms. “She's right. We've had word from someone high up in the CHaPR council that the Hilden coven are trying to force some major changes. They're buying votes and trying to get their own candidate elected to the Five.”

“Gayla?” Artemisia said, seemingly unsurprised.

“Her son-in-law, Marcus,” Oberon replied.

“Having Bianca remain off the grid could give you an advantage.” Artemisia's brow creased at the thought, and she looked down as she paced. “There've been rumors of other covens aligning to the Hildens'. And not just familial either. But other castes.” She looked up again, first at Oberon and then at Bianca. “Okay, I'll agree for now. But when the others find out you've bonded with a dragon, they'll be after you to either join them or . . .” She trailed off, her frown deepening.

“Or?” Oberon asked.

“Stop her from joining anyone else,” McManus said, looking at her for the first time. “One way or another, Bianca is going to be the most powerful witch alive, and that kind of power will be coveted.” It was still difficult for her to gauge his reaction.

“It's just as well no one else knows about it,” Oberon said.

Kedrax jumped up on the table in front of Bianca. “That's not exactly true.”

“The Dark Brethren presence from my dream,” she said.

The little dragon nodded. “It was no dream. And now they know what you are.”

“I thought they only went after the weak-minded and the insane,” Oberon said.

“They also prey on the vulnerable,” Artemisia said. “And with all you've been through lately,” she said to her daughter, but looked pointedly at the little dragon.

“You know about the Dark Brethren?” Oberon asked Artemisia.

“Of course I do. There was a cult known as the Noire Apôtre that worship them but they haven't existed in nearly a century,” she said. “However, there've been rumors of a new coven of the black disciples.”

“Well, I'd say rumor confirmed,” Bianca said, “and they're responsible for the recent deaths. McManus and I found their temple in the basement of a magic shop.”

Artemisia looked at her sharply. “This is very bad news.”

“Do you think this has something to do with the instability of the council?” Oberon asked. “Could Gayla Hilden's coven be responsible?”

“Highly unlikely,” Bianca said. “Though I wouldn't mind the chance to see how they're taking this.”

“That's going to be difficult,” Oberon replied. “Since the deaths, all covens have increased security, and we no longer have jurisdiction over the case, so you can't just waltz in.”

“Actually, that's exactly what you can do,” Artemisia said to her. “The funeral.”

Bianca looked at her mother. “Of course. It's today. And their emotions are going to be raw and exposed.”

“Is that wise, I mean just turning up?” Oberon asked.

Her mother turned to him. “As for my daughter, it's expected she pay her respects.”

“Then I'm coming with you,” McManus said.