“Callie,” Felix starts and opens another book. It’s a Dark Grimoire, something that would be in the restricted section of the Academy library, and something I’d love to look through later. “You and the vampires should rest now. We’ll go through the books and will perfect the spell.”
I nod and quickly get up. “Okay,” I say quickly. Too quickly. “I’m going to make some tea first. My nerves are shot.”
“Want me to make some for you?” Nicole offers.
“No, you’re here. That’s already enough.” I take a step toward the kitchen only to stop and go back to Lucas. “Um, feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen,” I tell my friends and offer Lucas a hand up. He ignores it and rises to his feet in a graceful movement. “I’ll be right up,” I tell him, and he leans down, kissing me before going upstairs, Eliza following at his heels.
Hands shaking, I go into the kitchen, mentally calling Pandora to help me grab what I need before anyone catches on to what I’m doing. I shove bottles of herbs into a small saucepan and throw a towel over it as I dash up the stairs.
“Take your shirt off,” I tell Lucas as soon as I’m in our bedroom.
“I knew you couldn’t resist me.” He smirks and pushes off the mattress. “I’m injured, but I can still make you scream my name as you come for the third time.”
“We’ll have sex as soon as you’re better.” I close the door behind me. “You’re bleeding.”
“I know.”
“Let me see.” I hurry to the bed and gently push him back down. He laces his fingers through mine and pulls me to him, kissing me. My body wants to relent, to give in and let him make love to me.
But I can’t. He’s injured. Bleeding. Cursed.
“Let me see,” I moan as his deft fingers sweep between my legs.
“You can see it,” he urges, and I push back.
“Lucas,” I say sternly. “Now.” If I wasn’t afraid of hurting him, I’d use magic to push him down and hold him against the mattress. With a huff, he lifts his shirt up.
I was right. The glue came off the edges of the stitches, and I think I can put a Band-Aid or two over it for now. Before I can get out of the room, Eliza comes flying in.
“Ever heard of knocking?” I rush out.
“I can smell the blood.” She’s next to us in just a second. “He’s bleeding.”
“The glue came off,” I tell her, and my eyes flutter shut as I try to think. My thoughts are all jumbled. “There are Band-Aids in the bathroom. Somewhere in the medicine cabinet.”
“Helpful,” she quips and speeds back out.
“Are you hungry or anything?” I ask Lucas.
“I’m tired.” His brows furrow, and he reaches for me again. His touch is gentle this time, telling me the things he won’t say. He doesn’t feel well and is getting weaker by the second.
“We’ll both rest a bit, and then we’re going to transfer this curse.”
Eliza comes back in with the box of Band-Aids and insists she can do a better job putting it on Lucas than I can. Too stressed to fight her on this, I let her put six Band-Aids over the same tiny wound.
Once she’s finally out of the room, I lie in bed next to Lucas and run my nails up and down his muscular arm. He’s asleep in minutes, and I slowly get out of bed, turning on the electric blanket and tucking him in.
“I love you,” I whisper and gently kiss his forehead. Then I grab the pan full of herbs, my Book of Shadows, and go into the guest room, where Eliza is. “Hey,” I say and step in. “I need you to do something.”
I set the pan on the floor, finding a tiny bit of room to work, and telekinetically flip through my book. Pandora, whose talents lie in potion making, shadows into the room and takes over looking through the book, finding the page in seconds.
“Me?” Eliza echoes.
“Yeah.” I run my finger over the spell and then start mixing up the herbs.
“Are you going to elaborate or is part of the fun keeping me guessing?”
“Sorry.” I add valerian root to the pot. “I’m making a sleeping potion that will knock me out. In like half an hour—” Pandora growls—“fine, like fifteen minutes, I need you to wake me up.”
“The fuck is the point of this?”
I carefully measure out the lavender and dump it in as well. “The point is I can only talk to my uncle through dreams, and I’m way too anxious to fall asleep on my own.”
I can feel Eliza’s gaze on me as Pandora crushes up the valerian roots.
“You’re talking about Lucifer, aren’t you?” The usual snark is gone from her voice. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”