Flesh and Blood

Octavian nodded and stepped back. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked like he was holding the breath he no longer required.

Not surprisingly, nothing happened.

‘You’re trying too hard,’ she told him. ‘Just imagine yourself lifting off the ground, as light as the air around you but … part of it.’ Describing the ability to scatter was harder than doing it. She reached out and squeezed his hand. If he didn’t get it this time, he would have to stay behind. Time was running out. ‘Relax.’

He shook himself, loosening up, and kept his eyes open. ‘Light as air,’ he whispered.

And gasped as he broke apart into a shining cluster of clicking metal scarabs. The tiny gunmetal wings whirred around her with what she imagined was Octavian’s joy at achieving what he’d wanted so badly. But metal scarabs? She glanced at her artificial hand. How much of Zafir’s magic had spilled into her when he’d attached her hand?

Something to think about later. Right now, she had a comarré to capture. She scattered into a cloud of wasps and joined Octavian’s scarabs in the night sky. With Ivan’s fat, buzzing flies lagging behind, they started out over the water.

The comarré would never know they’d followed her until it was too late.

*

‘Slow down,’ Dominic directed Maddoc. Having the varcolai drive the airboat was probably not the best idea, but he was the only one who knew how. Not that it seemed so difficult now. ‘Any unnecessary noise and I’ll feed you to Chewie.’ Dominic didn’t want to alert Aliza to their presence until the last possible moment. Fortunately, the boat slipped silently across the water’s surface.

Maddoc grunted in response. Ronan adjusted the shotgun across his lap. The bullets might not slow a vampire, but they’d do a good job of stopping a witch.

The stilt houses loomed ahead. A few lights twinkled through the windows, but for the most part they seemed quiet. Still, he expected Aliza would be up. She’d kept odd hours since he’d known her, which was far too long for his liking.

Her dock came into view, her horrid guard alligator, Chewie, sprawled near the base of the stairs leading to the living quarters. That creature would be better off as shoes. Dominic reached into his pocket, feeling the tops of the stashed vials to be sure he had the right one. Satisfied with his selection, he pulled two out, keeping his pinky and ring finger curled around one while he tossed the other toward the creature. It fell with enough force to shatter against the boards. Thin wisps of green vapor seeped out of the vial’s remains.

The gator lifted its head, but before it could hiss in warning, it went limp. The sleeping gas had done its job.

The boat bumped the dock and Dominic glared at Maddoc. The varcolai shrugged like it had been an accident, but Dominic doubted it. He motioned for Ronan to tie the boat up, then he went to work shackling Maddoc’s hands behind his back and muffling him with a gag. The varcolai reeked of blood, but there’d been no point in letting him change after Ronan had recaptured him. He was going to die. He didn’t need clean clothes for that.

Ronan stepped onto the dock, keeping a safe distance from Chewie. He kept his shotgun aimed in the creature’s direction while Dominic got Maddoc out of the boat. The gator never moved as Dominic marched Maddoc over Chewie and up the stairs. Ronan stayed behind to watch Dominic’s back as they’d discussed. Ronan wouldn’t be able to enter Aliza’s anyway without an invitation, something that Dominic didn’t have to worry about.

Anyone who used his products automatically provided him with entrance into their homes. Granted, none of them knew his products carried this implied consent, but he’d never felt the need to label his goods that way. Building in fail-safes was the sign of a smart alchemist. Dominic hadn’t gotten to where he was by being a fool.

He kept Maddoc in front of him as they approached the front door. ‘Try anything and I’ll toss you over the side,’ he whispered as he leaned past to rap on the door.

More lights came on and a slightly built older man answered the door. He took one look at Maddoc, then his gaze skipped to Dominic. ‘Aliza, I think you better come here.’

Dominic shoved Maddoc forward, crossing the threshold with ease. ‘Yes, she’d better. She’s got something that belongs to me, and if it isn’t returned, I am going to lose my temper.’

Aliza came rushing into the room. She skidded to a stop when she saw Dominic. ‘How did you get in? You don’t have an invitation.’

He glanced at the stone figure of Evie. ‘Your daughter gave me one years ago.’

Aliza’s breath hitched. ‘Get out of my house, vampire. You’re not welcome here.’

Still holding tight to Maddoc’s shackles, he advanced. ‘But my blood is, isn’t it? I’m not leaving until you return the blood this creature’ – he shoved Maddoc to the floor – ‘stole from me.’

The man who’d opened the door charged. Dominic tossed the second vial he’d secured in his hand. It smashed to the floor and the man couldn’t stop in time to avoid the cloud of chemicals rising up from it. He tripped through them, coughing as he emerged. He dropped to his knees and passed out.

Aliza’s gray eyes darkened in anger. ‘You’re not the only one with power, leech.’ She raised her hands. They glowed with the luminescence of witch magic.

Dominic laughed. ‘But I am the only one who can bring your daughter back.’

Chapter Thirty-three