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I guidethe irritating little enchantress down the steps into the lower level of the club. Her eyes widen, taking in the half-dressed couples who mingle at tables. The couches scattered randomly around the floor afford each area privacy with large petitioned screens. While the large potted plants have no chance in hell of growing in the dungeon, they do provide discreet cover for the wanton lovers who haven’t yet decided to move into the playrooms.
Willow’s eyes linger on the ownership jewelry adorning the woman we pass on the way. No one even looks up from what they’re doing, too intent on their partners and their anticipated play session to give us any mind.
Romano and Raven are in the office at the end of the hall, waiting for us when we arrive. I close the door behind us. Raven moves from the seat across from Descallia’s chair to stand next to Romano.
The air changes immediately. The animosity between the two witches is palpable, heating up the room with its intensity. Romano must feel it too and places his arm around Raven, protecting the female he plans to one day soon call his mate. She looks up at him and sucks in a deep breath as though just being in the same room with Willow takes effort, although she’s willing to try.
It may be a big ask, but I don’t apologize. If Raven wants to be Master Romano’s mate, she has less than a year to prove her allegiance to the vampires. Overmaster Descallia and a few others may be impressed with her recent acts of commitment, but I’m not convinced. I want to see how she does when faced with a situation she has no time to prepare for or without the ability to warn the other witches beforehand.
Raven’s watching me, expectedly. She’s a little nervous, but I don’t smell fear, just a bubbling animosity either aimed at Willow, or at me, for putting her in the middle of the mess.
I have no time for these two and their bubbling emotions. I point to Willow. “Willow knows where the rogue witches are at. She’s going to tell me what I want to know one way or another. I don’t want her putting a curse or hex on me or any of the other vampire masters when I take that gag out of her mouth or untie her hands, though, either. “Can you do something to help and keep her from putting a hex on me while her mouth isn’t gagged?”
Raven’s eyes swirl as she watches her sister witch carefully, then she turns to me. “Where are the other witches being kept?”
My eyebrows lift with suspicion. What the hell does that matter? I don’t miss Romano’s surprise at Raven’s question either.“Why do you ask that?”
Raven shrugs. “Distance matters sometimes. I need to make sure they can’t communicate too.”
I’m careful not to give away too much information, still unable to fully put all my cards on the table with the witch, regardless of Romano’s devotion to the female.Maybe a few miles.
Suddenly, Raven has a long wand in her hand. Instinct causes my hand to reach for my weapon, a Glock nine loaded and ready. She doesn’t seem to notice, though, turning to Raven instead and sizing her up for a moment. “We’ll make this as painless as possible. If you take Master Campania where he wants to go, I’ll reverse the curse as soon as you do.” Raven turns to me. “That’s okay, Master Campania?”
I nod.
Gold flecked daggers seem to dance in Willow’s eyes as she glares at me and then Raven. I may not want the seductive little witch to hurt, but there’s also no time to waste because she can lead us to the others we hunt. “Do it now. The sun will be up in less than four hours, and we’ll be another day behind our enemies.”
Raven nods. “Sorry, Willow.” She raises her wand and murmurs words in a language that I don’t understand. My jaw locks with irritation. “English.”
She shakes her head. “This is a special curse. It can only be done in our native tongue,” she says, before starting anew with her incantation. My eyes narrow, not fully trusting that the sneaky witches won’t do something to turn the tables on Romano and me. My hand stays close to the weapon at my side.
The more Raven chants, the more agitated Willow becomes. Her eyes grow wide, and she shakes her head vehemently from side to side as the verse comes to an end. I look carefully for signs of a curse. She doesn’t look a bit different to me. I don’t know what I was expecting, a frozen version of Willow, or something tangible telling me for certain a spell had been placed, but none of that is visible, at least to the eye of a vampire.
Raven turns to me. “You can take the gag from her mouth and ask her anything. As a precaution, I removed her ability to cast spells or communicate with the other witches. Additionally, if you ask her a question, she’ll have no choice but to tell you the truth, or nothing at all.”
Willow glares at Raven who looks pleased with herself. “Thank you,” I tell Raven, genuinely appreciating her taking the extra security with the witch. “If you two want to take off, that’s fine. I’m going to go over the rules with Willow. I’ll call you when we find the rogue witches or if we need some help. I don’t want to run you on another goose chase tonight,” I tell both Raven and Romano.
Romano nods and places his arm around Raven before transporting them from the lower-level club, leaving me alone with the dark-haired seductress who eyes me with suspicious curiosity.
I walk closer, and take my time, trying my best to alleviate her angst. Her heart still beats fast, and the little pulse on the side of that creamy throat throbs rapidly. Willow is still fearful, but to a far lesser degree, something that makes me feel better about the situation. Although, I shouldn’t give two fucks how the deceitful witch feels after the trouble she caused tonight.
I point to the socks still stuffed in her mouth while looking down at her wide eyes. “I’m going to take the gag out. If you didn’t notice the empty rooms we passed, they were all full of equipment. If you don’t tell me what I want to know, and take me there right away, you are going to find yourself locked in one of those rooms with me, and it will not be for play. I will spank your petulant and deceitful little ass until you can’t sit for a week. Are we clear?”
She swallows deeply, her creamy throat pulsing with emotion. The only clue that what I’ve said resonates with her at all. I tug on the socks which are now wet with her moisture and toss them into a nearby garbage.
She sucks in a breath repeatedly for a moment. “I’ll take you to the witches.” The abruptness of her offer causes me to wonder if her giving in so quickly means the other shoe is about to drop or if the spell is really working.
I cut the ties from her wrists. “Do not make me regret untying you. The cables can’t be that comfortable. Back to the car, and this time when I ask you where to go, I want a clear and direct answer.”
Her eyes spark, perhaps she possesses magic with or without that damn curse. “I would tell you to go to hell and send you to the dark ages where you belong if I could, but you’ve had my power taken away, you asshole.”
It takes effort not to laugh at the sassy little thing. I take her by the arm and guide her upstairs and out to the car. “Then it’s a good thing that it’s gone. I want to know where they are, and you’re going to tell me with no more tricks or delays.”
When we’re both settled, she shifts in her seat and turns to me. “Why would you use a witch to find a witch? I mean, aren’t there a thousand other ways to find them? Why involve people you know aren’t willing to help you?” She inspects a long green fingernail. “Well, at least without coercion.”
There’s no use keeping the truth from her; it’s bound to get out at some time in the future. I look both ways down Main Street. “Devora suggested it. She thought it would be a good way for her to find you at the same time we were locating them. Which way?”
Her head swivels abruptly. “You’re reporting my whereabouts to Devora regardless of what I tell you? I thought we had a deal, that you weren’t going to tell her?”
