BloodSworn (20 page)

Like he flipped a switch, the kid stilled, his face even
paler if possible.

“Merrick, let the poor boy down.”

He almost did. He would do anything for her.

Anything that didn’t put her in danger.

“Please.” He saw the pleading in her eyes and pulled the boy
closer as if afraid she’d come between them. “He’s a spy. He placed you in
danger.”

“What danger?” Exasperated, Trina spread her arms. His gaze
automatically swept her form, noting her subtle curves, but also seeing the
exhaustion and bruises. His blood was dried and flaked on her skin.

He stepped on the knife. Metal gave and the blade crunched
almost like the bones he wanted to smash if he didn’t think she’d be horrified.

“We need him for the T & T.” The hint of desperation in
her voice struck a chord with him. He didn’t like that he caused her discomfort,
but discomfort was better than a possible injury to her.

“No.”

She rubbed her brow, and he could almost see her mind work.
Then she stilled, triumph blazing in her eyes. “He jumped on a vampire’s back
to save me.”

The scrawny kid shivered when Merrick looked at him then
smirked as if he knew Merrick had been caught.

“We need him.” She placed a hand on his arm and like any
self-respecting man faced with a choice from his woman, he countered her offer
with one of his own before he caved.

“I’ll spare his life, for you, but I want something in
return.”

“Don’t do it.” The kid’s words ended in a squeak when
Merrick tightened his grip. He didn’t bother to glance at the wizard, but her
glaze flicked to Drew when she should’ve been worried about his demand.

“I’m listening.”

Not quelled by her reproachful tone, Merrick resisted flashing
a triumphant grin until the deal was done.

He wanted to demand that she submit, order her to stay with
him.

He could do neither.

But he would protect her by finding out the truth. “Why is
everyone searching for you?”

Trina met his gaze with no hint of deception in hers when
she opened her mouth and flat out lied. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Bugger it. He hefted the kid higher, and the wizard
whimpered, though he’d give him points for not soiling himself like the last
one.

His action had the desired effect. Trina gazed at Drew with
a shattered expression, and he knew he’d won. His triumph lasted only a split
second before it faded, and he felt like shit. He wondered if he’d misjudged
her, pushed her too far. His beast urged him to kill the kid, but he couldn’t hurt
her anymore than he already had.

Merrick dropped the boy on his ass, clenching his teeth to
refrain from retracting his demand. She had to at least meet him half way.

“My name is Trina Weyebridge.”

“Holy shit.” The boy froze in his mad half-crawl to escape.

Merrick didn’t understand, but in that instant, the boy appeared
more afraid of her than he was of him. There was also a heavy dose of curiosity
as well. Deep foreboding shot through him, and he knew he didn’t want to hear
more.

Nothing that could ultimately take her away from him.

The door burst open and Victor charged in. “The boy’s gone.”
He pulled up short to find Drew half sprawled on the floor. Victor’s face
hardened when he realized where the kid must have been all along.

Weston sauntered in the room, revealing nothing of his thoughts,
carrying her bag and weapons and placing them on the couch. “What did I miss?”

Merrick kept his gaze on hers. “Trina was just about to tell
us her role in this mess.”

“I’m the scepter.”

Merrick quickly made the connections. “Those muggers in the
alley were there for you.”

She nodded, her expression remote, so unlike the Trina he
knew. He was losing her. She was slipping away while he was standing right
before her.

“But you’re a witch, same as them. Why were they searching
for you? Why did they threaten you?”

“They wanted to trade me to the vampires in exchange for my sister
or kill me outright. It depends who gets their hands on me first.”

 “And why do the vampires want you so badly?” He forced
himself to ask, though he’d already heard enough.

They couldn’t have her.

She was already his.

Trina snorted, sounding more than a little cynical. “Do you
know what the scepter is?”

Drew nodded. “The witches said if I found the scepter, they
would teach me. They’re desperate to get their hands on you. I didn’t know you
were a person.” Drew rose to his feet, speaking as if quoting a long-forgotten
line. “Whoever wields the scepter holds the key to the future.”

 
Chapter Twenty-two

T
rina
noticed in a distracted way the blood smeared around Merrick’s neck. Or more
importantly, the smooth, unblemished skin underneath. No ragged edges. A throat
she wanted to keep in one piece and that wouldn’t happen if he decided to go up
against the vampires for her.

Admitting defeat, Trina wandered to the bathroom and grabbed
the medical supplies. It was easier to speak when she didn’t have to face
Merrick and see the truth when he realized it for himself.

“When I was a kid, I was the worst witch. I couldn’t work
even the easiest spells. I still can’t cast worth a damn. I almost didn’t pass
the entrance exam. I studied harder and longer, but I never did get any better.

“What I didn’t know was not all witches are the same. Not
all are born. Some grow into their power.” Trina took stock of the supplies and
deftly washed her hands, watching Merrick’s blood disappear down the drain with
a little shiver at how close she came to losing him.

“My parents were attacked when I was ten. I walked in on the
aftermath.” She still saw images of all that blood. She could never rid herself
of it. She snatched up the washcloth and scrubbed her skin.

“Vampires had literally torn them apart as if searching for
something. I don’t think I was expected. My mother told me to run, even as they
ripped out her throat.

“But they didn’t go down without a fight. Few vampires were
left standing.” More out of the need to keep busy than bind her superficial
wound, Trina retrieved a roll of bandages and focused on her wrist.

“That one downstairs was there.” She shrugged. “I tried to
run from them, but you know how well that goes. As they stalked me, I called up
all magic I could wrestle from the earth. Their leader laughed at my feeble attempt.”
Trina snorted. “I couldn’t even bless a sneeze properly.”

Trina methodically wound the pristine bandage around her
wrist, sucking in a sharp breath at the dual pleasure/pain at the slightest touch.
“It was only when he bit me, took my blood, that my body reacted and my dormant
powers flared to life.

“The blood he stole ripped him apart from the inside out.
Then, as fast as it came, the power deserted me.

“I watched the few remaining vampires carry him away. I
would’ve gone after them, but he tore a chunk out of me, not to mention that I
had no idea how to do it again.” As if mentioning her wound woke it, her
shoulder throbbed. She fumbled with the bandage, but quickly recovered.

“Unfortunately, the vampires knew more about my past than I
did. A few weeks after he healed, they began searching for me. By then, it was
already too late. The witches decided it was best to keep what had happened a
secret. They bound my powers and sent me to live in the human world where I
would be safe. No contact, lest my location be discovered. The vampires had to
suspect I was dead, but without a body, they continued to search.”

“You’re a blood witch.”

She flinched at Merrick’s flat words. “The one and only. I
was born with two very rare, recessive genes that created a unique line of
power. I went into medicine to figure out the mystery in my blood and how to
weaponize it, but the magic died too quickly to be of use.” She tied off the
strip.

“But the vampires found you.” It wasn’t a question. Merrick
was too astute for his own good.

“I was recognized.” Trina hated the slight waver in her
voice. “The bindings had weakened. All the rumors that had died down suddenly
rose again. Like a contagion, it spread to the witches as well.”

She grabbed the sink, her head lowered. “They took my
sister.”

“Vampires?”

Trina nodded. “To see her alive again, they want an
exchange.”

“They will kill you.”

Trina laughed bitterly. “Not if they want access to my magic.
In order for my blood magic to work, they must keep me alive.”

“But vampires are allergic to magic. In a large enough dose,
it can even put them in status.”

Trina shook her head. “Normal magic, but direct access to
magic through the blood doesn’t have the same side effects. One sip would be
all it took for them to be able work magic.”

“Why does having magic matter to them?”

She glanced in the mirror, her eyes unerringly going to Merrick.
He had his arms crossed, his shoulder leaning against the door. He hadn’t once
approached her since she’d told him the truth. She couldn’t blame him after all
the lies, and she dropped her gaze.

“For a small percentage of vampires, the virus mutates and
changes the host, giving them eternal life. For the rest, the virus infects
their system and they slowly decay. It’s a horrible way to die.

“Most magic disturbs the vampire virus and kick-starts the
decaying process. It shuts them down if it’s potent enough. Since my magic is
contained in my blood, it’s alive. If it’s added to the exchange, it would
either aid the mutation or flush it out of their body completely if the virus
didn’t take.”

Weston made the grim connection first. “Anyone who wanted to
become a vampire wouldn’t have to worry about the consequences. They could build
an army.”

“Can’t the witches protect you?” Drew piped up for the first
time, and Trina wished it were so easy.

“Not all witches are born with a natural gift. Some are
stronger than others. Their strength comes from the earth and their ability to
pull up magic. With my magic in my blood, they would have a ready source of
magic, always reliable, without any consequences. Even the weakest witch could
become the most powerful.”

“There would be no protection.” Merrick’s eyes darkened. “No
matter where you go, you will never be free. You pose too much of a threat.
They bound your powers to protect you.”

Trina nodded. “They should’ve killed me outright. They might
have if they didn’t fear the consequences more. I’m their secret back-up
weapon.” 

“So whichever race controls you gets an advantage.” Merrick
paused. “What would the shifters gain?”

Trina rubbed her brow, the headache from using magic
lingering like a persistent hangover. “I suspect magic is what’s causing
CreedMark…or rather the lack of it. When the magic rose in the labs, I saw your
beast draw it around him. My guess is that if you don’t get enough magical
exposure, a deficiency like any other type of food or vitamin, the bindings
between man and beast weaken. Since my blood is like magic in liquid form, a vaccine
could theoretically be created to save your people.”

“They would bleed you dry.” Merrick looked furious, his eyes
a molten yellow.

“If a cure was in reach, and the one you loved was dying,
what would you do? I wouldn’t wait for an anti-virus. I’m not sure their beasts
would let them wait. Nothing is fully tested. I’m not sure it would work or if
it would even be a permanent cure.”

“And you didn’t say anything sooner?”

“I was a little distracted at the time.” She shook her head
and brushing off her annoyance. “Extensive testing needs to be done, not to
mention trials. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure. We won’t
know for weeks.”

When he opened his mouth, she waved him away. “We have more
important things to discuss. We need to do the T & T.”

Victor gave an incredulous laugh. “Do you understand how
important—”

“What good is a cure if you’re all dead?” Trina looked at
the kid. “I can tell you what needs to be done, but I have no practice with natural
magic. If I tried, it would likely end up destroying the amulet or ruin the
source of trace.”

“Not to mention that they’ll be able to track you.” Merrick
ran a hand through his hair, wondering when his world had gone to shit. He
would hazard a guess that it was when her size six shoes entered his life. If
her powers grew stronger or her bindings weakened any more, he feared he
wouldn’t be able to protect her.

Hell, he wasn’t sure he could even protect her now. Not the
way things stood.

“The only magic I can use without getting tracked is my
sight. My powers are adapting, but I’ve got nothing that would be of much help
to us right now.”

He saw by the way she avoided his gaze and all the information
she so helpfully volunteered that she was leaving him.

The blow stunned him. Beast pressed both of his paws on his
chest until his heart ached and his lungs refused to work. And what angered him
more was there was not a damned thing he could do to change her mind.

That didn’t mean he had to make it easy for her to disappear
from his life.

Weston held out the amulet.

Merrick nodded to the boy. “Time to earn your keep.”

“I don’t know how.” The kid’s voice broke painfully over the
last word. Drew reluctantly accepted the necklace, blushing at being the center
of attention.

“That’s where I come in.” Trina stepped forward and the
hackles on his neck rose when she neared the wizard. He was a witch, and no
matter how much she liked the kid, he was a threat to her.

“It’s like taking apart a clock. You check for seams or
cracks. The way a spell is put together is the caster’s signature. No two witches
cast the same spells the same way.

“Once you find the crack, allow your magic to fill the gap.”

Trina closed her eyes and drew up her sight to help guide
Drew. The change was instantaneous and the room burst to life. Sparks snapped
in the air with an audible crackle around Drew and the amulet. The hot stink of
burnt magic, kind of like the smell of a match being lit, hovered over the
amulet.

“You have to be careful. Some magic can be a trap. It takes
a delicate touch. I’ll watch and guide you where I can.”

The boy reluctantly closed his eyes and drew up his power. Magic
sputtered then flamed around him with a steady burn. He searched for cracks, a
little clumsily at first, but his confidence and speed grew. Drew had some
serious talent. With training and practice, he’d be a sight to be seen if he
was allowed to continue casting after the witches learn he’d helped them.

“Found it.” Sweat darkened the hairline of his temple. His
eyes shone with excitement and the rush of power.

“Now I need you to smell the magic.”

Drew gave Trina a questioning look.

“Let’s try something different. I want you to taste the
magic. It’s easier when you’re first learning. Cats do it all the time. Breathe
the magic in through your mouth.”

Drew looked faintly embarrassed but did as told. He opened
his mouth and sucked in a big breath, his chest filling.

And sputtered, dropping the amulet to scrape at his tongue, glaring
at her all the while.

Trina smiled, remembering her first experience. To this day,
she still flinched when she smelled mothballs. “What does it taste like?”

“Wet dog.”

“That means you did it right.” Drew looked astonished, and
she smiled. “That’s who activated the spell. It was keyed to wolves.”

“What did that gain us? We already knew the dead woman was a
wolf.” Victor wasn’t arguing, just asking the obvious question.

“That was no small spell. The wolf we found couldn’t afford
a casting like that. This test confirms that the attack wasn’t orchestrated by
a witch. They probably didn’t even know how it was intended to be used. If a
witch purchased it, she would have activated it, and her smell would’ve been
all over it instead. It takes a lot of power and money for a person to activate
a spell they did not cast.”

She reached for the necklace and gave it back to Merrick.
“Wolves purchased this for one reason.”

She met Merrick’s gaze squarely, memorizing the face that
had become so dear to her in such a short time. “To kill you.”