“Interesting.”
“It is, and I’m well aware how odd it is to have more than one familiar. But we’re a family, and I never wanted to question it too much.”
I cut up the rest of the chicken, wash my hands, and get a red onion from the pantry. I set it on the cutting board and suddenly get hit with all the panic and fear I’ve been trying to hold back.
“What’s wrong?” Eliza only looks slightly alarmed, but she steps closer.
“Lucas cuts my onions.”
“Is that a sex thing?”
“No,” I sob and go to the knife block, pulling out a butcher knife. “He literally cuts the onions. They make my eyes water, so he does it for me.” I set the knife down and grip the edge of the counter, needing to hold onto it for support.
Lucas is my support. My rock. My world.
He has to be okay.
“He’s strong,” Eliza says softly and picks up the knife to cut the onions for me. “And as much as I hate admitting it, you’re the most badass woman I’ve ever met. You’re going to find the curse-casting cunts and slit their throats.”
“I am.” I suck in air and tip my head up, looking her dead in the eye. “And I will.”“I think I know why you like the electric blanket so much,” Lucas says groggily. I look up, blinking a few times to focus my vision, and direct the string of magic I’m using as light up higher into the room. I’ve been sitting on the floor for hours now, looking through every book I own and writing down anything that could be helpful in curse breaking.
“It’s very snuggly.” I close my Book of Shadows, feeling a familiar tug of emptiness on my heart I get almost every time I open this thing. Since I didn’t hail from a magical family, I had no book to be passed down to me. Tabatha gave me this one, and most of it is still blank. “How are you feeling?”
“Like it’s time for you to stop asking me that.” Lucas pushes up. He’s been asleep for a few hours now and looks better, though maybe it’s just the dim light. “You need to come to bed. The sun will be up soon and you haven’t slept yet.”
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
“That might very well be the case if you’re not on your game.” His eyes meet mine, and I sigh. I’m tired, have a headache, and want nothing more than to collapse into bed and feel Lucas’s strong arms around me.
But I’m still scared of hurting him.
Even before Michael started unlocking my angel powers, I felt like I had to hold back. I was the most powerful witch at the Academy only three years in, and while I wouldn’t trade my powers for anything, there’s always a certain fear that I might lose control and hurt someone.
Like how I burned Lucas when I tried to heal his wounds.
Having magic accidentally sizzle around my fingers and blowing lights up when I get angry has made it hard to date. Nonmagical men were never even an option, and there were only a few warlocks in the coven I’d consider hooking up with.
Lucas changed everything.
He’s strong. The strongest man I’ve ever met. His vampire power doesn’t rival mine in the same sense, but he’s equally as dangerous. He could easily kill me if he wanted, just as I could burn him from the inside out without breaking a sweat.
Being with Lucas made me realize that I could be with someone who was more or less on an equal playing field. And then he had to go and make me fall in love with him.
He’s a vampire. I’m a witch. Our relationship is forbidden by both the Grand Coven and the Vampire Council, but if they could only understand how well we work together, love and sappy emotions aside.
I’m a loose magical cannon, but Lucas is my anchor. He keeps me grounded and can withstand the magical storm that seems to follow me around.
“I have to pee and then I’ll come to bed.” I move the books to the side and get up, legs stiff. Freya has been sitting with me, helping me go over the details. Binx and Pandora are in bed with Lucas, and I haven’t seen Scarlet in a while. I have a feeling Eliza has her, and if I sneak in the guest room, I’ll probably find them cuddled up together as Eliza watches Lifetime movies on her iPad or something.
“Okay.” Lucas slowly sits up and looks down at his stomach. He’s peeling the bandage back when I leave and has it off by the time I come back. I slathered on Kristy’s healing balm before settling down to look through my books.
“It’s working,” I say, jaw dropping. I kneel on the bed and lean over, bringing my head closer to the wound. The edges of the cut are scabbing over, and some of the bruising is going away. “That’s amazing!”