AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He shrugged and again, the hungry-jackal look returned. “Me? No, haven’t got the gift. But I like being around the energy. I’ve got a thing for witches.” And he again turned to Camille, his eyes practically jumping out of his head.
Just like the Faerie Maids, who were groupies looking for sex with the Fae, there were guys who went all horn-toad for women who had power, and witches were their first choice. This guy would always be an outsider, but like a moth, he desperately craved to touch the flame.
“Yeah, well I’d put the tongue back in the mouth, if I were you. She’s got three husbands and they’re all strong enough to tear you to pieces.” Shade leaned in. “Pay the lady some respect and quit talking to her boobs.”
Camille jerked, as if she’d just noticed what was going on. “Um…I feel funny,” she whispered to me.
“What’s going on—”
Shade suddenly jumped to his feet, dragging Camille to hers. “Come on. We should get going.”
Camille looked confused but didn’t argue.
“What’s going on?” I felt agitated, like ants were crawling over me. “Camille? Camille? What’s happening?”
Camille started to waver, her eyes fluttering. Unsure as to what was wrong, I followed Shade’s lead and grabbed Camille’s other arm. We hurried her out of the club, pushing through the throng.
The minute we were out of the club, he tossed her over his shoulder and took off running up the street. I followed, easily keeping pace.
“What the fuck happened?”
“The bhouts have gained a stronghold in that place, and I sensed one trying to latch onto Camille. I don’t know if we got her out in time, but we couldn’t stay there or it would be feeding on her, like that one caught hold of Chase.” He sat her down after we reached the intersection of Broadmore and Wales, and she leaned against the brick wall of the apartment building. We were only a couple blocks to the left from Carter’s.
“Let’s go. Carter lives up ahead. Can you carry her, or do you want me to?” It only seemed polite to offer him a choice whether he wanted to lug my sister that far, or whether I ended up doing so.
“I can go…I think…” Camille still looked confused, but she seemed to be snapping out of it. But when she took a step forward, her knees buckled and she started to fall. Shade swept her up in his arms and we took off at a jog. We were a block from the Galaxy when Camille urged him to put her down.
“I think I’m better. I’m still a little shaky, but I don’t feel so light-headed.” She stood, unsteadily, for a moment, then was able to walk with us supporting her. It took us less than five more minutes to reach Carter’s apartment, all uphill. The Seattle streets were notorious for their grades, and walking in the city beat any treadmill for exercise.
Morio’s SUV was parked outside. We navigated down the stairs and knocked on Carter’s door. He answered almost immediately.
As we stumbled in, Morio, Delilah, and Chase were sitting in the living room, looking over some photographs and documents. Camille paused, leaning against the back of the sofa.
Carter seemed to notice something amiss because he hurried to the bar, where he poured her a brandy and pressed it into her hands. She gratefully took a sip and lowered herself to the seat beside Morio.
“What’s wrong?” Morio looked her up and down, then craned his neck around to look at us. “What happened to her?”
“A bhout got to her at the club.” Shade sat opposite. “I need to double-check to make sure it’s not still attached to her. I couldn’t do that out in the street, but we left the club as soon as we knew something was wrong. Camille, if you’ll permit me…sit back and close your eyes.”
She shivered. “Leeches—the damned things remind me of leeches. Fucking parasites. I’m cold. Carter, do you have a throw I could wrap around my shoulders? Even my jacket doesn’t help.”
“Certainly.” He brought her a light throw that was hanging over a rocking chair. It had pictures of cats on it, along with plenty of cat hair, and she smiled as she wrapped it around her shoulders.
One of his cats—I could never remember which one was which—came up and jumped in her lap, kneading gently against Camille’s chiffon skirt, but my sister didn’t shoo her away or try to stop her. She just gently scratched behind her ears, and the cream-colored fuzzball curled up in her lap and began to snooze.
“I have a request, too, if you don’t mind. I need shadow in which to do my best work. Can we turn off all but a dim light?” Shade slipped out of his duster and stretched, flexing his fingers.
Carter acquiesced, then retook his seat, watching with fascination as Shade lowered himself into trance. A pale haze of smoke began to rise around him, obscuring him from easy sight, and then he vanished into the fog, and it settled around Camille. The cat leaped off her lap and padded over to Chase, who gave her a long eye and grudgingly let her climb up on his nice black suit. Oh yeah, a lovely trail of cat hairs was going to follow.
As Shade engulfed Camille in his moving shadow, he swirled around her and then seemed to vanish into her body. Morio didn’t look all that happy, but I tapped him on the arm and shook my head, and he relaxed. We waited, silent, Delilah leaning forward, a worried look on her face.
“I feel…so strange…” Camille said, her eyes still closed. “I can feel Shade working—moving through my energy field— but it’s like there’s more than him there. I can’t explain it.”
A few moments later, the smoke issued out from her mouth and she let out a deep sigh, as if she’d been holding her breath. The shadow drifted back over to where Shade had been sitting and re-formed into a cloud, from which he emerged, shimmering back into view, his eyes crackling with purple fire, a grave look on his face.
“Thankfully, the bhout wasn’t able to fully attach to you, but it did siphon off some of your energy. You’ll be particularly susceptible to them now, so you’re going to have to work on some protection magic and wards to carry with you.”
“Was it in the club? Or just hanging out in the astral?” I asked.
