~

 

Morgana made the call that she knew would bring Jessica to the shop. She knew what the witch had wanted from her for a while, and she’d made the call under the guise of selling it.

It wasn’t something that Morgana had really wanted to part with, but she figured that an amulet was a small price to pay to garner the information that Nathaniel was looking for…

If the wolf’s paw was related in any way to what Nathaniel was involved in then she would rather that she was done helping him, and the sooner the better. Maybe, she would even take those few long days away that she’d been promising herself for the last year and a half.

Getting out of town seemed like a good idea after what she’d been through that morning. Getting away from Nathaniel always seemed like a damn good idea.

When the door opened and Jessica breezed in – boobs first, because there was really no other way to deal with something so large – she strolled up to the counter and gave Morgana an expectant, victorious smile that Morgana would rather have seen turned upside down. But needs must, and she had a need to get the vampire off her back.

“You’re selling…” Jessica said, as she reached up and tossed her red hair back over her shoulder.

Because of her frame – big boobs – hour glass figure, and legs that went on forever – all of which annoyed Morgana no end – and the red hair to boot, Morgana had nicknamed the woman Jessica Rabbit after the cartoon character, and she looked even more like her with the low cut shirt that showcased her assets.

“I’m selling.”

Morgana tried to keep any emotion out of her voice. Especially, and considering the fact that she wanted to punch the woman on the nose and see if her boobs still kept her upright or if they’d even out the momentum like one of those children’s toys that wouldn’t fall down…

“Change of heart or just financial need?” Jessica would never realise just how close she actually was to getting a fist in the face.

“Does it matter?”

Morgana tried to keep it as civil between them as she could. She needed to remember that she wanted the witch to dish up some information … Jessica narrowed her eyes on her and considered it for a long moment.

“Not really – no,” she tossed her shoulder and let it drop.

“Good.”

Morgana reached under the counter for the box that held the sacred amulet. She couldn’t help the shiver of remembrance that chased her spine as she touched the cardboard – the image of the wolf’s paw shot into her mind and she pushed that thought away.

Then she placed the box on the counter top between them and Jessica peered inside. A smile took her full lips and her eyes flashed with glee.

Morgana could only have wished that what she’d received in a box that morning had brought her that much happiness…

“The price?” Jessica asked.

Morgana hadn’t told her that on the telephone. She wanted the witch to go to the shop, not run the other way.

“Information – if you have it and its true – that’s payment in full…”

“I’m not giving you any spells…” Jessica shot back.

“Wasn’t asking for any.” Morgana looked at the woman as if she’d just throw up on her counter top.

“Then…?”

“A dark witch – maybe a warlock … local, active?” Morgana asked and watched as Jessica’s brow furrowed for a long moment.

“What makes you think…?”

“You’re nosy to the point of pressing your ear to every key hole in town…” Morgana offered back, and then she remembered to smile…

“That’s…” Jessica took a deep breath in and her impressive boobs rose upwards. Any deeper and she might just have suffocated from them blocking her nose, the woman certainly knew how to wear a scaffolding bra…

“You don’t want it…” Morgana went to remove the box, but Jessica’s hand slapped down on top of it and she stopped her.

“There was a witch, but I haven’t seen her around for a while.” She leaned in towards Morgana and her boobs practically pressed down against the counter. “Word is – she’s working with the Professor.”

“The professor?” Morgana really was out of the loop…

“Harold Jacobs.” Jessica offered back, raising her eyebrows like Morgana really should have known what she was talking about.

“Doing what?” Morgana asked.

“I have no idea.” Jessica said, and Morgana could tell that was the truth, because the woman didn’t have that smirky knowing look about her.

“Does she have a name?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Jessica offered back.

“What is with the sarcasm today?” Morgana groaned. She really wasn’t in the mood for it…

“Daniella Dubonnet…” Jessica shrugged. “Word is; she’s young, but powerful…”

“How powerful?” Morgana asked and Jessica looked a little hesitant.

“Truth is – you and I together probably wouldn’t stand a chance in bettering her.”

Morgana pulled her head back and considered Jessica’s words. Then she nodded and somewhat reluctantly shoved the box across the counter top towards the witch.

Jessica snatched it up faster than a reptile’s tongue found its lunch.

“Good luck with the Professor…” she said, turning on her high heels and heading back towards the door.

“What’s that mean?” Morgana demanded.

“Word is; he’s a right … sweetheart.” She offered with an acidic tone and Morgana sighed.

“I’m used to dealing with those…” she muttered back to an empty room.

 

~

~

~

 

“Just say it, Nathaniel…” Julian said as he folded his arms and waited for the vampire to admit it.

The vampire eyed the plush leather of his surroundings and reluctantly admitted that he liked Nathaniel’s car better than his own.

That was something that he would need to rectify at his earliest opportunity…

“I’m not going to inflate your head, but if you need to feel some kind of validation for your life…” Nathaniel tossed back.

“I need no validation for my life. Unlike you, I’m happy to be the bad guy in ninety percent of situations.”

“And that’s why I asked you to come along,” Nathaniel shot back.

It was true to say that he could have gone alone, but he knew that he was walking into the wolves lair without a clue as to what he was facing. In situations like those, and at his age, he knew that it would be better to go with backup and not of the witchy variety.

“Because you couldn’t handle it alone…”

“Because I needed someone to watch my back…”

“Ergo – you needed my help.” Julian looked more than pleased; he looked downright orgasmic.

“Michael was otherwise occupied…”

He’d be damned if he was going to say it. Even if he was already damned, mortal soul and all that … It still stuck in his craw…

“So you needed my help,” Julian smirked. “How hard is it to say? Go ahead, bite the bullet, get it out of your system…”

“How about I just don’t toss you out of the car while I’m doing one hundred and ten miles an hour and we’ll call it quits?” Nathaniel offered back, turning his head and staring long and hard at the vampire at his side.

“Watch the road,” Julian grumbled back. Nathaniel didn’t move a muscle.

“You’re a vampire – you’ll survive a crash,” Nathaniel said, still staring at the man until he blinked. “Unless you’re decapitated or we go up in a ball of flames that is…”

“Ok, fine. Don’t say it!” Julian grumbled, and Nathaniel turned his attention back to the road ahead. “But we both know the truth.”

“You just had to get that last jibe in there, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Feel better now?”

“Infinitely.”

“Good. So shut the hell up about it.” Nathaniel bit back.

“This had better not be about the witch,” Julian offered back and watched as Nathaniel stretched his head forward on his neck and winced slightly. “Oh, now we’re doing her favours?”

“Not so much a favour as returning something that doesn’t belong to her…” Nathaniel was even more cagey than usual and that piqued Julian’s interest.