Constant Cravings (26 page)

“It’s all right. It never occurred to me to grill you about the witch you had a one-night stand with either. Shit. I didn’t even know she was a witch!” It hurt to realize how much I
didn’t
know about Rachel. Especially considering how close I
thought
we were. I wanted to cry, but just then another piece of the puzzle fell into place.

“I have to find Cernunnos.”

No sooner had I mentioned his name than he stepped out of the shadows beside me.

“You called?” The sound of his deep, rumbling voice was still thrilling, even under the circumstances.

Nym looked as if he was in shock.

“I’d forgotten about the locket,” I said. I approached the centaur and reached out to stroke his back. “What if I told you I knew the location of your quarry?” I moved as I spoke so that I could see his reaction.

He raised a brow and I couldn’t help but smile at his handsome face.

“I’d wonder how you knew.”

“Because my friend Rachel is the witch you’re looking for. I don’t know what name you’ve been given, but that’s the one I know her by. I need your help. Liam has gone to find her.”

Cernunnos’ eyes widened and he reached for me, swinging me up onto his back.

He understood that the longer we waited, the closer she might be to stealing Liam’s magic and soul. He was wearing a sword strapped across his back this time. I adjusted the weapon so the sheath didn’t pinch my leg.

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“Come on,” he said. “We don’t have any time to waste.” He took a step toward Nym. “You too, elf.”

Nym swung up onto his back. “This is how rumors get started.”

“Now, where is she?”

“The Block.”

“My magic will only take us halfway there,” Cernunnos said, he didn’t explain why. “Get ready for a fast ride. Hold on.”

I slid closer to his human half and wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could. Nym did the same to me and we held on for dear life as Cernunnos started off.

The day before, when we were in the woods near Tara’s house, he told me that the old execution place wasn’t far. That meant the location we were racing toward was well out of the city.

“Explain to me how you know all this on the way,” he called. “I can still hear you.” I wondered how that was possible since everything was rushing past us in a blur and the wind was roaring in my ears. Come to think of it, I could hear him clearly too. I told him everything the barghest said the night before and about how I’d been poisoned. I also told him how Nym and I had just put everything together moments before. He slowed and I noticed that we weren’t far from Tara’s farm. We’d traveled across half of Atlanta and beyond the suburbs in less than ten minutes. (My mouth was dry from talking so fast.) For whatever reason we’d traveled slower than before, but it was still awfully fast.

“She must have used Devil-fang to swallow her whole,” Cernunnos said. “To make it look as if she’d been eaten so you wouldn’t search for her.” That would explain why Liam hadn’t found any blood.

“That’s disgusting,” Nym said. “This means she was also fucking Gunthar.”

“I can confirm that,” Cernunnos replied.

“But I still don’t understand. Why the hell would Rachel want to steal Liam’s magic?”

“Let me put it to you this way,” Cernunnos said. “The letter Oberon received from Gunthar was brief and to the point. It said, ‘Ja-rel’s daughter seeks revenge.’” 153

Tracey H. Kitts

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Ja-rel’s daughter? You mean Rachel is the daughter of the former executioner? The one who was killed for trying to overthrow Oberon?”

“The same,” Cernunnos agreed. “Her real name is Ti-anna and now that she’s out of the city, she’ll be easy to track.”

“That’s the name she used with me,” Nym said.

We rode in silence for a moment. I was too stunned to say anything. Who was this woman I’d called my friend?

“How could I not know this? I’m a fortune teller, for crying out loud!”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Someone as powerful as Ti-anna could block even the most gifted psychic from her mind. Even if you had tried to read her, you wouldn’t have been able. If that’s not comforting, remember that even
I
lost her in this city full of magic.”

I had to admit, that part was a little bit comforting. When we reached a thick patch of woods Cernunnos stopped. “She’s close. I can feel her magic. I should hang back and see how things are playing out before I go in.” I slid down from his back and stumbled a little before he steadied me.

“Fuck that. Why would you hold back?”

“Because Ti-anna knows she’s wanted. If she sees me before I get close, she might have the chance to escape.”

“I thought you could make yourself invisible?”

“I can.” He sighed. “Anywhere but here. Something about all the dark magic prevents it.”

“That must be frustrating,” Nym said as he hopped to the ground.

“You have no idea.”

I turned to leave and Cernunnos put his hand on my shoulder. “I won’t be far behind you,” he said softly. “You’re not in any danger, not with me and Liam here.”

“Thank you.”

I gave his hand a quick squeeze before moving through the woods in the direction he’d indicated. We’d only gone a few paces when Nym said, “You definitely fucked him.”

“Shut up, now’s not the time.”

He was about to say something back when I put my hand over his mouth. “Do you hear that?”

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Nym shook his head.

“I hear yelling.”

We crept closer, careful to remain hidden in the trees and shadows. Finally, we came to a large clearing. There was a ring of what looked like three magic circles, glowing with purple fire. In the middle of these massive circles was a bloodstained stone block. I assumed that was “the” block. Directly in front of this was Rachel. She was wearing a black cloak and her long, dark hair was flapping in the wind, her green eyes alight with malicious fire. She was screaming in Faerie and hurling green fireballs at Liam. He dodged these with something in his hand, a piece of metal I couldn’t see clearly from this distance. Whatever it was, it sent the fireballs toward a barghest that was also in the circle. I guessed he was Devil-fang.

Before I could take in more of the situation Cernunnos put his hand on my shoulder.

“Shh,” he said.

“I thought you were hanging back.”

“I’m hidden here. You see those circles?”

“Of course.”

“We cannot enter until this fight is finished.”

“Are you saying that Liam is trapped in those circles with her until someone dies?” Nym asked.

“Or royally gets their ass kicked,” Cernunnos said. “Either way, we cannot enter until her magic diminishes.”

I felt helpless. “What can we do?”

“Watch.”

I turned back to the fight and for a moment it was as if everything stood still. Rachel paused, looking out of breath. The shock of seeing her again,
alive
, was more than I had bargained for. I was seeing her—the
real
her—for the first time and it was scary.

“Why are you putting up such a fight?” she said. “All I need you to do is die, shaman. With your power I can avenge my father and finish what he started.” Liam took a step toward her and the barghest leapt at him. The creature had barely gotten off the ground before Liam twitched his hand in the monster’s direction. Devil-fang fell to the ground as purple lightning hit him, causing him to spasm for several heartbeats.

“Try it again and I’ll fry you alive,” Liam said. He turned his attention back to Rachel then. “I can understand that you’ve suffered, and for that I’m sorry. But that doesn’t give you the right to ruin the lives of others and it sure as hell doesn’t give you a claim to my soul.”

Her wicked laughter carried on the cold night air. “How are you going to stop me?

I’ve got the power of this place pouring into me as we speak. Soon I’ll be more powerful than you and there’s nothing you can do about it.” 155

Tracey H. Kitts

Liam moved past the barghest, closer to Rachel. “Perhaps, but you still need a sacrifice to finish your spell. If I don’t kill him,” he said, indicating the barghest, “and if he can’t manage to kill me, you’re fucked.”

She roared in frustration and leapt at him. Somewhere from within her cloak she produced a knife. Liam fought back using only his bare hands, but managed to thwart her every attempt at drawing blood. I watched, paralyzed, while she kicked, dodged and slashed at the man I loved. How had it come to this?

After a moment she leapt past him, just missing what would have been a punch to her face. Without warning, Rachel held the blade high and stabbed Devil-fang where he lay on the ground. The barghest let loose an agonizing roar as his blood spilled onto the grass.

She looked triumphant. “You left out one other possibility,” she said. “I could always kill him myself. For this sacrifice, magical blood is all that’s required. He’ll do.” She studied Liam for a moment, taking a step back. “What does it take to get you worried? Don’t you realize I’m about to steal your soul? Within minutes I will have the power to rip your heart from your chest.”

“I don’t need that long to take care of you,” he said. He opened his hand and waved the piece of metal he’d been holding as if to taunt her. “I think you know what this is.” Rachel shrugged. “It looks like a compact. You planning to powder your nose before you die?”

“Well, you’re right about one part,” he said. Liam opened the compact, took a deep breath and blew the contents into her face.

Rachel choked and gagged, grabbing at her throat. “That’s not possible!” she screamed. “True love?! You’ve only known her for days. Fucking
days
!” She lunged at him again and Liam lit her up with electricity. Rachel fell backward from the blow and crashed into the Block. She lay there in a heap, still breathing, but badly wounded. The magic circles disappeared.

“Wait for my signal,” I said to Cernunnos. “I’ve got some things I want to say first.” He nodded his agreement and I ran to Liam. He hugged me to his side, but didn’t take his eyes off Rachel.

“What are you doing here?” He glanced to Nym, who was right behind me. “I told you to keep her safe.”

“Obviously she’s feeling better. Besides, we figured out what was going on and had to warn you.”

“You mean Ja-rel’s daughter trying to kill me? How do you know that?”

“Because she’s Rachel,” I said, pointing to the fallen witch.

His jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”

Liam had figured out that she was Ja-rel’s daughter, but didn’t have a clue about the Rachel part until I said something.

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“I only got a glimpse of her face through your memories, and it wasn’t the side with the tattoo.”

I turned to her then, but didn’t get too close. “What I still don’t understand is how you could do this.”

She moved to a sitting position and spat blood onto the ground.

“In light of our former friendship, let me spell it out for you. After Devil-fang threw me up, I went straight for The Spot. You see, he outran you easily enough and I got there first. I knew you liked the place and I put a spell over the door to draw you in. I also left Liam’s card in the bathroom.”

As she spoke I remembered Aurora mentioning a woman covered in slime. That must have been Rachel.

“I couldn’t get past his spells to find his location. I needed a few days’ worth of distraction, something to draw him out. A damsel in distress seemed like a good idea at the time. I didn’t think you’d object to any involvement with Liam, however brief.” She shrugged. “Besides, he looks like a great lay.”

“Fuck you.”

“No, fuck
you
! You weren’t supposed to get hurt, but then you slept with
my
elf.”

“I’m not your damn elf,” Nym spoke up. “What part of fuck off don’t you understand, you crazy bitch?!”

She carried on as if he hadn’t spoken. “When he went into your apartment and didn’t leave…I sent a little care package.”

I growled. “Did you think watching you die wouldn’t hurt me? I loved you, Rachel.

You were like a sister to me. Fuck not getting hurt!” To my surprise she actually teared up. “I didn’t want to,” she said. “You don’t understand.”

“No, I really don’t. And for the record, I didn’t have sex with Nym. He’s my friend.

You know, those people you love like family and
don’t fuck
?”

“Don’t even talk to me about family!” she screamed. “Oberon took that from me!

He killed my father. His magic was keeping my mother alive. They’d been together for a long time, longer than her human lifespan would have allowed. She withered away within a year of his execution.”

“I’m sorry.” I really was. “But we didn’t cause your suffering.”

“Fucking true love,” she said and snorted with laughter. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I took a step closer. “You keep saying that. How do you know it’s true love?”

“Because that’s the only thing that can stop soul-sucking magic like mine. Did he take a lock of your hair?”

“Yes.”

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“Then that’s what he used to make the dust.” She wiped her tears and rose slowly to her feet before falling down again. “I didn’t see that coming.”

“You probably won’t see this coming either. Since I’ve already mourned your loss, it shouldn’t be too bad. Consider this
my
care package to you.” Right on cue Cernunnos came charging up the hill from the trees. His sword was drawn and Rachel started screaming.

“You brought him?! You fucking bitch! You brought
him
?!” I turned my back just before he cut off her head and kept my eyes closed long after I heard it hit the ground.

Liam pulled me to him and despite my best intentions, I cried.

Cernunnos disposed of Rachel’s body, I’m not sure how. He said he’d take care of it and we left him to it. We followed Liam back through the woods to Nym’s car.

“I’ll drive,” the elf said. “You’ve both been through enough.” The trip to Liam’s house was a blur. It was true that I’d already grieved for Rachel. I wasn’t sure why, but the night’s events had left me strangely numb. It was late when we arrived at Liam’s and Nym gave us both a big hug before saying, “I’ll see you both tomorrow. I think I’m going home to have a drink. Alone.”