respond. "Charlotte is not one hundred per cent human."
Stunned, James felt the jolt of shock right down to his toes.
Hope flickered in his heart as his eyes flew to hers.
"She has vampyre DNA?"
Then his heart fell as Saira shook her head.
"Nope. But according to someone who should know, Ezekiel reckons she has a witchy side."
A fist seemed to catch his heart and squeezed.
They say bad things come in threes.
He’d bitten his wife.
She’d been poisoned and nearly died a hideous death.
And she was a witch?
His mind spun through all the possibilities and what it might mean.
He frowned, the question was, what kind of witch?
Saira grinned as if she read his mind. "Don't worry, not the dark and spooky kind. The tip toeing among the flowers kind. She’s a white witch." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I wonder if she’ll be able to do the twitchy nose thing.’
Daniel started to laugh then stopped when James slanted him a lethal look.
"You find this funny ?" he growled, the rumble of his voice a specific threat.
His brother held up both hands in peace.
"Nope."
James looked at Saira searching desperately for some sort of clarity.
"So, she’s a vampyre and a witch?"
"It appears so," said Saira. She took a sip of her wine. "Although she’s not happy with either. I’d say you have a challenge on your hands."
"But," said a very confused James. "I know nothing about magic."
Saira raised her glass, gave him a white toothy grin.
"Then that’ll make two of you. Christ, it’ll be the blind leading the blind."
Chapter Twelve
At the other side of the room, Marcus's attention was not on James and Saira, his attention was focused one hundred per cent on Anais.
She looked too pale with an exhaustion that had become too familiar over the past days. Every time she returned from Charlotte's bedside, she came back emotionally exhausted and physically depleted. As she listened to Saira's opinion, her dark eyes filled. The way she bit down hard on her trembling bottom lip, had him move. But his brother Daniel got to her before he did. Daniel took her in his arms, not too close, and cupped her face to stare deep into her eyes.
"You need to learn to pace yourself as you learn your new skill, Anais, to keep a part of you back when you enter another's mind. If you like I can teach you some meditation techniques to assist your cognitive process."
She nodded. "Thank you. Ezekiel has been a great teacher. He helped me to focus, but since he disappeared I'm desperately worried I don't know what I'm doing. I'm worried I'm doing more harm than good."
Daniel smiled. "You follow your instincts. If she'd let me I'd have helped Charlotte myself, but there was no way she could cope with me entering her mind. The fact she's now prepared to talk to James tells me you've done a pretty good job."
The way Anais attempted a pitiful smile had Marcus step forward to scoop up his wife.
With a nod of thanks to his brother and holding her close, he carried her out of the room. He felt her arms wind around his neck as her head dropped to his shoulder. He was so proud of her and the way she was coping with his world and his family. Even his father, who was a man very hard to please at times, adored her. Anais was a team player, always had been, always would be. But now she was putting herself, her mental health, at risk. For days he'd watched her struggle to reach Charlotte, knowing that if he interfered or tried to stop her, it may cause a significant breach in their new and fragile relationship. He had no doubt she loved him. No doubt. But Marcus wasn't absolutely certain she'd forgiven him for everything she'd gone through.
Hell, he hadn't forgiven himself.
Perhaps they'd work on forgiveness together.
He used his shoulder to shove open the door to a huge bedroom suite, complete with bath, sitting area and dressing room and headed for the big bed that dominated the space.
With a kindness he didn't know he possessed, he laid her on
Stunned, James felt the jolt of shock right down to his toes.
Hope flickered in his heart as his eyes flew to hers.
"She has vampyre DNA?"
Then his heart fell as Saira shook her head.
"Nope. But according to someone who should know, Ezekiel reckons she has a witchy side."
A fist seemed to catch his heart and squeezed.
They say bad things come in threes.
He’d bitten his wife.
She’d been poisoned and nearly died a hideous death.
And she was a witch?
His mind spun through all the possibilities and what it might mean.
He frowned, the question was, what kind of witch?
Saira grinned as if she read his mind. "Don't worry, not the dark and spooky kind. The tip toeing among the flowers kind. She’s a white witch." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I wonder if she’ll be able to do the twitchy nose thing.’
Daniel started to laugh then stopped when James slanted him a lethal look.
"You find this funny ?" he growled, the rumble of his voice a specific threat.
His brother held up both hands in peace.
"Nope."
James looked at Saira searching desperately for some sort of clarity.
"So, she’s a vampyre and a witch?"
"It appears so," said Saira. She took a sip of her wine. "Although she’s not happy with either. I’d say you have a challenge on your hands."
"But," said a very confused James. "I know nothing about magic."
Saira raised her glass, gave him a white toothy grin.
"Then that’ll make two of you. Christ, it’ll be the blind leading the blind."
Chapter Twelve
At the other side of the room, Marcus's attention was not on James and Saira, his attention was focused one hundred per cent on Anais.
She looked too pale with an exhaustion that had become too familiar over the past days. Every time she returned from Charlotte's bedside, she came back emotionally exhausted and physically depleted. As she listened to Saira's opinion, her dark eyes filled. The way she bit down hard on her trembling bottom lip, had him move. But his brother Daniel got to her before he did. Daniel took her in his arms, not too close, and cupped her face to stare deep into her eyes.
"You need to learn to pace yourself as you learn your new skill, Anais, to keep a part of you back when you enter another's mind. If you like I can teach you some meditation techniques to assist your cognitive process."
She nodded. "Thank you. Ezekiel has been a great teacher. He helped me to focus, but since he disappeared I'm desperately worried I don't know what I'm doing. I'm worried I'm doing more harm than good."
Daniel smiled. "You follow your instincts. If she'd let me I'd have helped Charlotte myself, but there was no way she could cope with me entering her mind. The fact she's now prepared to talk to James tells me you've done a pretty good job."
The way Anais attempted a pitiful smile had Marcus step forward to scoop up his wife.
With a nod of thanks to his brother and holding her close, he carried her out of the room. He felt her arms wind around his neck as her head dropped to his shoulder. He was so proud of her and the way she was coping with his world and his family. Even his father, who was a man very hard to please at times, adored her. Anais was a team player, always had been, always would be. But now she was putting herself, her mental health, at risk. For days he'd watched her struggle to reach Charlotte, knowing that if he interfered or tried to stop her, it may cause a significant breach in their new and fragile relationship. He had no doubt she loved him. No doubt. But Marcus wasn't absolutely certain she'd forgiven him for everything she'd gone through.
Hell, he hadn't forgiven himself.
Perhaps they'd work on forgiveness together.
He used his shoulder to shove open the door to a huge bedroom suite, complete with bath, sitting area and dressing room and headed for the big bed that dominated the space.
With a kindness he didn't know he possessed, he laid her on
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