Reign of Night (Thorne Hill 7)

Binx meows, and it echoes in my ears. “Binx is calling me,” I tell Tabatha.

“Go,” she urges, and I pull myself back into my body. Blinking, I slowly sit up, careful not to knock into the candles. Lucas is still on the ground next to me, and Julian is standing near my feet.

“Hey,” I say and get up, brushing salt off the palms of my hands. “What’s going on?”

“I have something for you, from your father.”

“Is it another blank piece of paper?” I grumble and wave my hand over the candles, putting out their flames.

“No.” Julian holds out a small vial with pale blue liquid inside. “It’s a potion.”

“I can see that.” I take it from him and hold it up, watching whatever is inside glimmer in the light. I step over the salt and go to Lucas, who takes the potion from me and sniffs it.

“What is it?” he asks Julian. “It has no scent.”

“A potion,” Julian repeats.

“What will it do?” I continue.

“Temporarily bind your powers. All your powers.”Chapter 16“Why would I want to do that?” I raise my eyebrows. “That sounds awful.”

“Binding Callie’s powers is the last thing that should be done,” Lucas scoffs, looking at the potion with disgust.

“Yeah, I have to agree there.” I look at Julian, confused. “Why would I do that? I’d be helpless against, well, everything.”

“That’s the point,” Julian goes on. “With your powers bound, the other angels might not be able to detect you are the Nephilim. This is only to be taken if absolutely necessary as a last resort.”

“Fuck,” Lucas grumbles, closing his fingers around the small glass vial. “How long will it last?”

“Sunrise to sunrise.”

“Is it safe to take while pregnant?” I ask, and Lucas turns to me.

“You’re not thinking about taking this, are you?” His blue eyes flash.

“If it came down to taking it or being found, and then killed, by my aunts and uncles, yes.” I look at Julian again. “Is it safe to take while pregnant?”

“Yes, Michael specially said so, knowing you’d ask,” Julian tells me.

Letting out a slow breath, I take the vial back from Lucas. “I’ll add this to my angel-safe.”

“Angel-safe?” Julian questions.

“It’s an enchanted box in my room with Bael’s dagger, the knife Michael gave me, that stupid blank piece of paper, and now this.” I hold up the vial again. “This is going to taste awful, isn’t it?”

“It doesn’t smell good,” Julian starts. “But the flavor isn’t terrible.”

“You tried it?” I ask him, and he nods.

“We tested it on me.”

“And it worked?” Lucas questions.

“Yes,” he tells us. “My powers were bound for half a day. With you being half angel, the potion will last longer.”

“Will I still have my witch-powers?”

“There’s a chance they could be minimal, but this potion is strong. I wouldn’t count on it.”

“How did Michael make this?” I ask. “I didn’t realize he could make potions like this.”

“We’ve been working on it since Varrador came after you but couldn’t get it right. Lucifer provided the final ingredient—”

“So you’ve seen him recently?” I interject.

“No. He knew we were on his trail and left what was needed, and it worked.”

Lucas eyes the vial. “What was the final ingredient?”

“Brimstone.”

I make a face. “So it’s going to taste terrible. Brimstone smells like farts.”

“I’ve never tasted a fart,” Julian says seriously, and I have to stifle a laugh.

“You know, I never have, either.”

“Then how do you know what one tastes like?”

“I can’t explain,” I laugh. “But okay. I have a potion that’ll bind my powers for a full day, but how will I know to take it? If the angels show up, it’s because they’ve suspected me already and popping the potion in my mouth will be too late, won’t it?”

“We will give you a warning. I’m not sure how, but you will know.”

“Thanks. Can you stay a while?”

“Yes, a while.”

“Good, because I have to tell you about a demon we dealt with last night.”“Mhhh,” I moan as Lucas drags his fingers up and down my back. “That feels good.” We’re in bed, and a fire is crackling in the fireplace, lighting the dark room. I’m sweaty from the marathon sex we just had, and my body is on overdrive from the back-to-back orgasms.

“I have a surprise for you,” Lucas says, putting his lips to the back of my neck.

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?” I ask, rolling over onto my back. Lucas splays his fingers over my belly. “Cheese? For some reason, I think it’s cheese.”

“If that’s what you’re hoping for, no, it’s not cheese.”

“That’s okay. I have some in the fridge. If it’s not cheese, then what is it?”

“I booked you a prenatal massage at Serenity for seven p.m. tonight.”

Serenity is the only salon in Thorne Hill. I’ve gotten my hair trimmed there before, in between attempts at doing it myself. It’s small but nice, and Alexa Myer, the owner, comes into the bookstore frequently. She loves cozy mysteries and is always the first to get a new one when we get them in stock.