Barely hanging on to consciousness, she waited. The cavalry would be here soon.
Brenna jerked awake. She felt like she had been trampled by elephants. It took several moments for the pain to fade, but once it did the day came rushing back. She threw her legs over the bed, but the abrupt movement intensified her discomfort.
“You’re in no condition to walk.”
Brenna glanced up, but her vision was compromised. All she saw were large black swirls. She let her head fall into her hands. “Where’s Gray?”
“He’s here, and he’s alive. Barely.”
Relief sweet as honey wrapped Brenna in its embrace, stealing her breath. “I need to be with him.”
The woman gave a low chuckle. “Yes. You do. But you’re too weak.” She sat beside Brenna on the bed. “My name is Agnes. I am the High Priestess of the Coven of Blood.”
A sigh escape Brenna’s lips. They had been rescued by Marissa’s coven. Marissa, Brenna’s first partner at the IRT, had wanted nothing more than to escape their restrictions. In the end, it had gotten her killed. “I didn’t recognize you.”
“Understandable.” Agnes handed her a small shot glass filled with a foul-smelling liquid. “We’ve only met twice.”
“I remember.” Brenna took the glass. The fumes made her eyes water. “At Marissa’s induction into the IRT, then at her funeral.”
Agnes nodded. “Your vampire couldn’t get here quick enough. She passed your message along to Seraph and he called me.” She took a long breath. “I came as soon as I could.”
“Thank you.” Brenna drank the potion. Amazingly, it tasted good. “How bad is Gray?”
The witch shook her head. “You almost lost him. The spell siphoned his magic. It drained him completely.”
“He needs blood.” Brenna tried to rise, but she didn’t have the strength.
Agnes gently pushed her back down. “He’s fine. Our magic will sustain him until you’re better. You’re in no condition to donate.” She rose from the bed. “Once he’s stable, I’ll bring him here. Right now, focus on getting better.”
“We’re bound. We’ll heal faster together.” Brenna tried to shift on the bed, but her body was suddenly too heavy to move. The potion had been a sedative, and she had taken it without question. Apparently her brain was as addled as her body.
“Normally, I would agree. But you’re too weak, and Gray’s need is too great. Let us use our magic to heal you, it’s not a hardship.”
“But I want to be with him,” Brenna said. She was slurring her words. Her eyelids were heavy, her limbs like lead.
“All in due time,” Agnes murmured as she stepped from the room.
Chapter Nine
Brenna woke some time later. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but her body no longer felt like it was eating itself from the inside out. She was able to get out of bed without pain, so she stood to examine the room.
Sunshine beamed through the windows, playing against the sage-colored walls and wood floors. Dressed in her panties and bra, she walked across the room to grab the fleece afghan that lay on the rocking chair. She wrapped it around her shoulders to ward off the chill.
A person of good sense would be terrified of the coven. They were one of the most powerful in the region, and they didn’t suffer strangers lightly. But Brenna wasn’t afraid. If the witches had wanted to kill them, they would already be dead. And she was far from dead. Her body was fully healed and her magic renewed. Strength poured through her veins.
But where was Gray?
She closed her eyes and opened their psychic link. His presence hummed in her mind, but she couldn’t connect. Something was muting the bond.
She had almost lost him.
The heaviness in her chest made it hard to move. Sinking into the wooden rocker, she forced herself to come to terms with what had happened. She had spent nearly a century with a Gray-sized hole in her heart. She couldn’t go through that again.
The irony was appalling. Since
Brenna jerked awake. She felt like she had been trampled by elephants. It took several moments for the pain to fade, but once it did the day came rushing back. She threw her legs over the bed, but the abrupt movement intensified her discomfort.
“You’re in no condition to walk.”
Brenna glanced up, but her vision was compromised. All she saw were large black swirls. She let her head fall into her hands. “Where’s Gray?”
“He’s here, and he’s alive. Barely.”
Relief sweet as honey wrapped Brenna in its embrace, stealing her breath. “I need to be with him.”
The woman gave a low chuckle. “Yes. You do. But you’re too weak.” She sat beside Brenna on the bed. “My name is Agnes. I am the High Priestess of the Coven of Blood.”
A sigh escape Brenna’s lips. They had been rescued by Marissa’s coven. Marissa, Brenna’s first partner at the IRT, had wanted nothing more than to escape their restrictions. In the end, it had gotten her killed. “I didn’t recognize you.”
“Understandable.” Agnes handed her a small shot glass filled with a foul-smelling liquid. “We’ve only met twice.”
“I remember.” Brenna took the glass. The fumes made her eyes water. “At Marissa’s induction into the IRT, then at her funeral.”
Agnes nodded. “Your vampire couldn’t get here quick enough. She passed your message along to Seraph and he called me.” She took a long breath. “I came as soon as I could.”
“Thank you.” Brenna drank the potion. Amazingly, it tasted good. “How bad is Gray?”
The witch shook her head. “You almost lost him. The spell siphoned his magic. It drained him completely.”
“He needs blood.” Brenna tried to rise, but she didn’t have the strength.
Agnes gently pushed her back down. “He’s fine. Our magic will sustain him until you’re better. You’re in no condition to donate.” She rose from the bed. “Once he’s stable, I’ll bring him here. Right now, focus on getting better.”
“We’re bound. We’ll heal faster together.” Brenna tried to shift on the bed, but her body was suddenly too heavy to move. The potion had been a sedative, and she had taken it without question. Apparently her brain was as addled as her body.
“Normally, I would agree. But you’re too weak, and Gray’s need is too great. Let us use our magic to heal you, it’s not a hardship.”
“But I want to be with him,” Brenna said. She was slurring her words. Her eyelids were heavy, her limbs like lead.
“All in due time,” Agnes murmured as she stepped from the room.
Chapter Nine
Brenna woke some time later. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but her body no longer felt like it was eating itself from the inside out. She was able to get out of bed without pain, so she stood to examine the room.
Sunshine beamed through the windows, playing against the sage-colored walls and wood floors. Dressed in her panties and bra, she walked across the room to grab the fleece afghan that lay on the rocking chair. She wrapped it around her shoulders to ward off the chill.
A person of good sense would be terrified of the coven. They were one of the most powerful in the region, and they didn’t suffer strangers lightly. But Brenna wasn’t afraid. If the witches had wanted to kill them, they would already be dead. And she was far from dead. Her body was fully healed and her magic renewed. Strength poured through her veins.
But where was Gray?
She closed her eyes and opened their psychic link. His presence hummed in her mind, but she couldn’t connect. Something was muting the bond.
She had almost lost him.
The heaviness in her chest made it hard to move. Sinking into the wooden rocker, she forced herself to come to terms with what had happened. She had spent nearly a century with a Gray-sized hole in her heart. She couldn’t go through that again.
The irony was appalling. Since
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