~

 

“I have to ask what the feck you got me into here, Nathaniel…” Morgana ground out between clenched teeth.

While Jessica had joined Daniella and the professor – whom the newest witch to their group thought was kind of dreamy and didn’t seem to mind who knew it as she batted her eyelashes at the man – Morgana had taken the chance to keep her distance from Daniella for the time being.

It was true that the woman had become a little less viperish towards her, and yet, she still had that superior attitude that made Morgana want to drop her on her backside.

Then there was the revelation from Nathaniel about her sister, and she wanted to reach out with her magic in private to see if she could locate her, but Nathaniel had taken it upon himself to follow her under the guise of protection – yet again…

“I have to say that if this really is Marley’s doing then me involving you or not would have ended the same way.” He protested and she snorted contempt for him.

“Weasel words…” Morgana gave him a dark glare before she looked anywhere but at him.

“Have you tried reaching out to her yet?” He asked and she flicked him a sideways glance.

“No…”

“What are you waiting for?”

“You to go away.” Morgana folded her arms across her chest and pouted – just a little – just enough to make him smile.

“Not happening – do your witchy thing…” He informed her.

“Fine…” Morgana bit out.

Shaking out her arms and rubbing her hands together before she closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath in, cleansing her mind of everything that she could apart from her sister, she drew the essence of the woman inside her mind…

That was kind of hard to do with the vampire standing there staring at her – and she didn’t need to have her eyes open to feel him eyeballing her … his presence was a distraction that she didn’t need.

“Can you not, you’re messing with my vibe…”

“Vibe?”

“Just sod off and come when I call – like a faithful sheepdog.”

Nathaniel smiled again, although, that time it wasn’t for her benefit because she was looking at the backs of her eyelids.

“Gone yet?” She asked, and he deliberately cleared his throat from the other side of the room. “Not even close to being far enough…” she muttered, but took what she could get…

She reached out with her mind towards her sister, concentrating only on the memory of her, on the very essence that they shared together, on the times that they had linked as one to complete a spell…

Morgana allowed her mind to drift, to flow like a river taking its natural course, and yet, it led her nowhere and to nothing – not even the essence of the dark magic that was guarding the wrongdoers.

Morgana tried and tried again, coming up with a blank screen every time that she tried to feel her sister.

“Zilch, zero, nothing, nada…” Morgana sighed as she opened her eyes and there he was, the damn vampire, right in front of her. She drew her head back on her neck and halted the urge to hiss at him like a snake…

“So, not her then?” Nathaniel looked for clarity, but she had none to give him.

“I don’t think so, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it.” Morgana offered back, then she frowned. “I might bet yours…” she gave a small shrug.

“Ouch…” Nathaniel bit out. “Why do you hate me so, Morgana?” He teased and she snorted.

“Hate is a very strong word…”

“Dislike…”

“I wouldn’t say dislike either…”

“Mistrust…”

“Bingo!” She lied, and he cocked his head and lifted his eyebrows towards his hairline.

“Double ouch.”

“Don’t ask the question if you don’t want to hear the answer…”

“The lie, you mean?”

“You think you’ve got me all figured out…” she grinned.

“I think I don’t need to have you all figured out. I’d say that’s what the next thirty or forty years is for…”

“I’m not putting up with you for that long…” she scoffed.

“Only time will tell, little witch,” he grinned. “Are we … having a moment?”

“You wish.”

 

~

~

~

 

“I think we’ve got it…” Daniella announced with the same superior tone that made Morgana want to pulverise her into little Daniella pieces and hand them to the professor like a jigsaw for him to put back together again…

It was a nice thought, but they needed her if they were going to get Claudia back in one piece…

“Don’t give it to me…” Morgana muttered as she shimmied towards the edge of the table, dropping her feet down to the floor, and then she stalked across the room towards the professor and Jessica, who was still preforming eyelash pat-a-cake with the poor man…

Nathaniel turned on a grin as he watch Morgana go. He felt like an outsider in this part of her world – the Fae part – and yet, he knew everything about her that there was to know about a person – aside from the obvious sexual nature of her body and how they would fit together…

He should know her – he’d spent every moment that he could studying – stalking her, for her own protection, and making sure that there was nothing left to chance.

“This is the spell. It has the base spell and is interwoven with the simplicity of this one…” Harold was handing her notes, “and this.” He looked pleased with himself – like it was a moment to scream Eureka!

“And you think that this can do what? Charge straight through the dark shields?” Morgana asked and the professor shook his head…

“No. That’s the beauty of it – the way that’s it’s been woven together makes it act more like a worm, infiltrating the smallest flaw and crawling inside.” Harold told her.

Nathaniel didn’t know magic, but he knew when Morgana looked suitably impressed, and if she liked it – then he liked it.

“Let’s try it…” Morgana said and eyed Jessica for a long moment. The woman was smitten with the professor and it took a nudge from Morgana to bring her attention back towards her. “Ready to try?”

“Me. Yes. Sure.” Jessica looked a little taken back. She leaned in towards Morgana and whispered. “Was I staring at him, because he is a little…?”

“If you say dreamy I’ll punch you,” Morgana bit back.

“Dreamy? Why would I say dreamy? Who says dreamy?” Jessica frowned back at her.

“You just did, three times.” Morgana groaned.

“Not in the context that you meant,” Jessica snorted back.

“Let’s do this…” Daniella said, gathering what they needed and turning with the things towards a clean table in the middle of the room. She set everything out…

“Shall I pour tea?” Nathaniel asked; the sarcasm dripping from his voice as he leaned down towards Morgana.

“Well if you’re playing mother, I do hate to think what father would look like…” Morgana said, walking away from him to join the others.

The professor rested his backside against a table top and watched the witches with interest. Nathaniel joined him, folding his arms across his broad chest and watching the three woman assume their positions around the table…

“Chances of this working?” He whispered towards the professor, and Harold shot him a sideways glance.

“Actually, very good…” he offered back.

“Then I guess I should prepare to kick some butt.” He reached for his mobile phone and stalked away.

 

~

~

~

 

“You’re serious?” Julian said down the line and Nathaniel rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

“Deadly.”

“No really?”

“How more serious can you get than deadly?” Nathaniel groaned.

“Depends if you’re a vampire or not,” Julian offered back.

“Point taken.” Nathaniel sneered. “Michael’s in…”

“He would be.” Julian offered back.

“It’s a simple question, Julian – can I count on your help?”

Nathaniel waited while Julian preformed the customary moment’s silence while he considered it. He could just imagine the man counting down the seconds until he gave his answer.

  “Yes,” he sighed.

“Meet me at the university…”

“Tasty students?”

“Not tonight, raincheck…” Nathaniel said, before he cut the line and Julian’s waffle.

He was lining up his own army against whatever was out there. He knew that Morgana would want to go after Claudia herself, and he couldn’t leave her with anyone else – so taking her was the best option, but he wouldn’t go into the were-lair alone…