Unless I mixed it with blood. Maybe? I have no fucking idea.
I grab sleeper shorts and a tank top from the top drawer of my dresser. Usually, I sleep naked next to Lucas, but I’m hoping to visit my uncle again tonight and ask my fair share of questions.
“Let me see,” I tell him and brace myself for the wound to be open and bloody. “We probably shouldn’t have had sex.”
“The day I can’t have sex with you, Callie, is a day I don’t want to be alive.”
I purse my lips and shake my head, sitting on the edge of the bed. Swallowing hard, I peel back the bandage.
“Oh, thank god.” I let out a breath of relief. The stitches haven’t popped open. Abby really did a good job. The wound, however, looks nasty and painful. Lucas’s skin is red and raw, and I can tell the places that have been glued shut are tight and pulling.
Fuck, I hate this.
“This will help it heal and should prevent infections,” I tell him and gently cover the wound with healing balm. “And it smells good.”
“It has a comforting smell.”
“That would be the lavender and the frankincense.” I take the old bandage off and get up again to get a fresh one. I carefully tape it over the wound and sink back into bed, grabbing my water bottle. I’m tired, still kinda dizzy, and feel a little sick.
I need to hydrate and sleep like yesterday.
“Do you want more blood?” I ask Lucas after I take a long drink. “I can slip a bag of it in bed with me so it’ll be warm for you later.” I try not to make a face at how utterly weird that is to say.
“No, but thanks. I’m not hungry.” He makes a face, slowly shaking his head. “I think I’m…I’m thirsty.”
“For blood?”
His eyes to go the water bottle in my hand. “For that.”
“Oh.” I sharply inhale, take one more small drink, and hand him the bottle. “Have a drink, then?”
Lucas nods, looking totally perplexed, and slowly brings it to his lips. He hesitates before taking the smallest drink and shudders as he swallows the water.
“And?” I ask, brows furrowing.
“That tastes fucking disgusting. But it felt good.”
My stomach flip flops. “If you think you need more, you should drink it. Until I can remove the curse, we have to do what we can to maintain your, um, insides.”
“I will.” He gives me the water back, and I take another big drink. “Go back to sleep, my love. You need your rest just as much as I do.”
“Right. Sleep.” I recap the water, put it on my nightstand, and lie back down. I do need sleep, but I don’t know how I’m going to turn off my brain.
Because if Lucas is thirsty for water, then I don’t think my binding spell is holding as well as I’d hoped.Chapter 9The next time I wake up, Lucas has been replaced by Scarlet. I roll over, and the puppy licks my face.
“Hey, girl,” I say and run my hand over her soft fur. “I need to figure out how to make you grow. I’ll just add it to my list.” I yawn and stretch, not wanting to get out of bed just yet, but I want to go find Lucas.
He’s downstairs somewhere and is fine. Well, more or less. If he wasn’t, I’d know. My familiars would come get me, and Eliza wouldn’t be calm and quiet.
Still…I need to see for myself.
I get out of bed, grab underwear and a t-shirt, and use the bathroom before going downstairs. The TV is on in the living room, and the smell of coffee wafts up the stairs.
“Morning,” I say to Eliza when I walk past the living room. She’s on the couch, wearing a strapless sundress.
“It’s nearly the afternoon now,” she replies, lifting her head and leaning back in the bright light that streams through the large living room windows.
“I can enchant all the windows at your house, too,” I tell her. “When I have some free time.”
“I’d like that.” She smiles. “Though the next time you have free time probably won’t be until next year.”
“Hah. I seriously hope not. Though I did just have two glorious weeks in Napa with Lucas.” I sigh dreamily, thinking back to the nearly stress-free time we spent together for our honeymoon. We’re supposed to be leaving the second week of October and spending the rest of the month traveling around, ending with a trip to Disney World. I won’t be a member of the coven by the time Halloween rolls around, and not being able to take part in the Samhain festivities is going to hurt. It was Lucas’s idea to get out of town and make our own fun.
“He’s in the kitchen,” Eliza says, knowing I’ll ask. “Attempting to make you breakfast.” She rolls her eyes and looks back at the TV. I get a gooney smile on my face again and, for a brief moment, feel like everything is okay.