“I have to be I guess, and I’m glad he’s going to see
Samantha. I’m hoping that the spell tonight would break the tie, but I can’t know that for certain. I just wish he’d answer my phone calls.”
It was always something. “We’ll get through tonight and then try calling him. If the attachment isn’t gone, then Samantha will take care of it. He’ll be okay.” Once this was over, he could go back to his life as a coder. I knew that was what he really wanted—a life without magic and evil witches manipulating him.
Claudia leaned against me for a second. “He never liked this life. Magic was never his thing, but he stuck around for me.”
“He did because he loves you, but it’s not your fault. I really do think he’s going to be okay.” Claudia felt a lot of guilt about her brother, and I wished she could let it go. He was a big boy. He could make his own decisions. “So, what’s been going on here?” I motioned to the spell bubbling in front of us.
“Just be glad you didn’t have to dig up dead bodies,” Chris said.
That was for sure. “I am beyond glad that I skipped that part.” Even if I did have to deal with a pissed off archon and a little bit of fey drama. “So, where are we with everything?”
River stepped toward me with a knife. “We need your blood, and then there are a few more steps and then we should be good to go.”
Oh man. Why did everything always need blood? “Glad I made it here in time.” Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Cosette was bringing the rest of the bunch up. “We’re in here,” I shouted toward the door.
“What is that horrible stench?” Cosette said as she stepped inside the lab.
“Do you really want to know?” Claudia asked as Cosette walked inside the room.
“No. Probably not.”
Van and the others stepped into the room, and Blaze growled. “You!”
Van chuckled, and I was pretty sure that was the only time I’d ever seen him happy. “Me!” Van yelled back and then bowed. I glanced back and forth between Van and Blaze before the fey spoke again. “Come on, old man. It’s been a century. You can’t still be mad.”
“Seventy-eight years.”
Van shrugged. “Yes. And?”
“And you left me there to fight the bloodsuckers by myself.”
Fight the bloodsuckers? This was a story and I wanted—no, I needed to hear it.
“And you lived. So, I think we can agree all is well and put it behind us.” Van had a smirk on his face, and Blaze—who’d been nothing but polite up until now—looked like he was ready to snap Van’s neck.
I got a little closer to Cosette. “What kind of friends do you have?”
“Apparently the same kind you bargain with.” She gave me a wink.
I laughed. The Lunar queen had the same reaction to Eli. “Fair enough.”
“Van is…Van.” She tossed her curls over her shoulder. “As for the rest of them, Kyra, meet Tessa. She’s from the Solar Court, although she’d left it and has been in hiding in the human world for a few years. And Elowen’s from the Court of Leaves.”
“It’s really awesome that you’re here.” I bit my tongue on thanking them. Cosette was good about letting thank you’s slide, but I couldn’t assume that would apply to these two fey. “I want to get to know you, but the sun is setting and—”
“There will be time for that later,” Cosette said.
“Agreed,” I said. I was glad we were on the same page. I wanted to get this spell done before the moon rose. “So, what do we need to do, besides get some of my blood?”
“Actually, we’ll need some from everyone,” River said, brandishing the knife. “Just a few drops for that pot over there, and then some more for this.” He motioned to a cup.
“Are we going to be drinking that?” I asked. “Please say no.”
“Yes,” he said, but he didn’t look happy about it.
“What’s in it?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but I had to ask.