Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“How close did the demon get to the wardings?” Lucas asks, gracefully rising to his feet. Juliet is turning her head in, nuzzling against his chest. He brings her to me and I pull down my shirt, wincing slightly as she latches on and starts to nurse. As amazing as it is to be able to feed my daughter from my own body, it’s starting to not be enjoyable, and it makes me feel guilty. I fucking hated being pregnant too, and I felt bad about that. Which is bullshit really. Why should I enjoy feeling sick every damn day, being physically limited, and have to embrace my human side for the first time ever in my life?
“Let’s check,” I say and slowly rise to my feet, looking down at Juliet as I move. “If a spell had to be cast nearby, we might find leftovers to help clue us in. And it might help narrow down if this spell needs proximity or not. Can you toss a blanket over us?” I ask Lucas, who grabs one from the couch and drapes it around my shoulders, tucking a corner under my arm so Juliet’s body is beneath it.
Lucas is by my side as we walk out of the house, fangs drawn and ready to defend his family. He’s magnificently terrifying, and it sends a tingle of desire through me.
“The wardings are intact,” I say, slowing to a stop near the first invisible wall of magical energy. I close my eyes and feel the magic buzzing. Juliet’s asleep now, and I shift her up so I can adjust my shirt as well as the blanket over her. “Nothing triggered this one.”
“Triggered like an alarm system?” Eamon asks, moving silently through the night to join us.
“Sort of,” I explain. “Though it doesn’t just “go off” like one. You try to bust through this with ill intent, you probably won’t make it.”
“The magic will burn you, sparking a fire from the inside,” Lucas says casually. “Your internal organs will liquify first, then your skin will begin to char as you choke on the fumes of your own burning body before finally succumbing to the flames.”
Eamon cocks an eyebrow. “You two are a match made in heaven.”
“I prefer hell,” I say with a shrug. “Well, I suppose it’s only because I’ve been there a few times.”
“I don’t think you’re joking,” he says wryly.
“What gave that away?” Kristy asks, blue eyes wide. She’s carrying her wine glass and takes a big gulp. “I mean, the fact that we were just hanging out with Lucifer—we were hanging out with Lucifer! Wow.” She slowly shakes her head and I feel terrible for all she’s been through. I definitely owe her a trip to Disney World after this. We keep walking down the sidewalk and I stop short when I see a burned pile of herbs on the ground.
“They made it past my first warding,” I say, shaking my head. “How did they—”
“That means they didn’t intend to hurt you,” Lucas states but I hear the question in his voice.
“These wardings you speak of,” Eamon starts, “how exactly do they work?”
“I, uh, specified that it keep out anyone who wishes me harm. Humans simply can’t cross—ya know, don’t want to get involved in an active murder investigation or anything—but other supernaturals will be incinerated.”
“What does that mean?” he asks.
A chill runs down my back as I look up, locking eyes with Lucas. “It means that a demon might have actually been trying to help.”
Chapter
Six
“I will take this back to the Covenstead and have Evander and Ruby run an analysis in the morning,” Tabatha says, waving her hand and magically scooping up the burned herbs into a jar. “Let’s add another layer of protection to the warding. Do you have an adequate supply of Devil’s Shoestring?”
“I think,” I tell her. The nesting phase I went through at the end of my pregnancy was more about sharpening weapons and making vanquishing potions than it was about organizing the nursery and reading baby books.
“Good. Enchant it and put it over your doors. Maybe windows too,” she adds. “We’ll make sense of this, my darling.” Tabatha puts the lid on the jar and steps over to me, kissing Juliet on the top of her head. “Lucas, accompany me to the door.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Lucas says, and his respect for Tabatha only strengthens my love for him. I know how hard it was for him to even accept witches as equals in any way, let alone look at them with respect. Though Lucas is smart, and while he could tear through a village in the blink of an eye, he’s always acknowledged the danger witches present. Not all witches, of course, but the rare ones like Tabatha who have the power and wisdom to snap her fingers and turn a vampire inside out before they can even draw their fangs.