“You are correct, sir,” Hekla said. A snoozing Oliver stirred in her grip, and she patted his back.
“How are you taking this shifter thing anyway?” I asked.
“It’s insane.”
“One million percent.”
“But after the whole Coren is magical and he is a Vlad and this guy makes trees his bitch—”
“I have no relation to Vlad the Impaler. He wasn’t even a vampire if you want to know the truth. A fabulously vicious fellow, but no vampire.”
Hekla glared. “You would look up to one of the most ruthless leaders in history.”
“What you know about his circumstances could fit in the palm of Oliver’s little hand. You cannot judge.”
“Oh, really? I think I can judge the sugar out of being a freaking murderer.” Hekla was trying not to swear around Oliver, I could tell. “Hush,” she said to Kaippa. “Oliver doesn’t need to hear more fighting.”
Lucus eyed each of them, then glanced at me as his eyebrows lifted in question. I shook my head a fraction. We could talk about this growing issue later. Hekla could not fall for Kaippa. I refused to allow it. Nope. No. No. No. But we had to survive first for that to even become a real problem.
“Anyway,” Hekla continued, “I was kind of feeling left out. At least now, I’m something.”
Kaippa’s eyes burned. “You have always been…something.”
I cleared my throat loudly. “Okay. So you’re good?”
“I have zero idea when I will change into an animal again. That would be solid information if anyone has it.”
Lucus licked his lips. “I wish I could tell you. I’ve never known a shifter well.”
Kaippa chuckled. “I have. They’re delicious.”
Hekla’s face went red. “Fluff off, vampire. Go hunt a deer.”
Kaippa’s grin only widened. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
Hekla and I rounded on him, our glares a match.
Anger tasted bitter on my tongue, and I liked it. “You will never, ever kidnap another human like you did Titus, do you understand me?” I let magic snap over my arms, and the scent of a coming storm filled the room.
Pointing her Frankenfinger at the vampire, Hekla lowered her chin. “If you hurt anyone again, I will die trying to hurt you back. I’m fucking serious. Never again.” She bared her teeth, and I could’ve sworn I saw a fox tooth or two glinting in her mouth.
“Agreed, agreed. Simmer down, you gorgeous, vicious things. Deer and forest life it is. I’ll be sure to tell the bunnies you doomed them all. Tell your precious Titus I apologize.”
His apology sounded more like a threat, but I hoped it was only because it was the first time Kaippa had tried it.
“Hekla, you ready to start experimenting?” I asked, wanting to move on. “I was thinking we could ask Titus to watch Oliver. I texted him earlier just to let him know we’re safe and to apologize about the gym. He’s at his place and says he feels okay.”
“It’s a plan,” she said, bumping my fist with hers.
18 Coren
Once we had Titus and Ami as informed as they needed to be and Oliver safely away from this cursed castle, Lucus, Hekla, Kaippa, and I hurried to the casting chamber.
Daylight washed the six slitted windows at the top of the circular room. Their light cleared the darkness in a broken circle on the floor. The wheel mural on the ceiling still impressed, with its golden, winged fae in the fluffy clouds and toiling humans next to scenes of field and cattle. The wine-dark runes painted on the floor seemed to welcome me in. The magic here was bonded to me. I saw again the rune that showed clear vision and the one that could urge the sky to rain. I walked across the center of the room, feeling that same surge of power I had when I first was here.
The spell book sat on the table opposite the door.
“Did you grab this?” I asked Lucus.
“When I gathered everyone clean clothing and stopped in to see Titus. Before you were awake.”
“You’re amazing. You know that?” I placed a palm on the spell book and moved back as it flew open.
Lucus almost smiled. I wished I could take his pain, but he probably didn’t want to let it go. Certainly not yet. It was all he had left of his family. He would have to stow his pain to the far corners of his heart for now though, and I hated that. Lucus deserved the time to grieve, but it was time we didn’t have. The demon had slain four of us, and there was zero doubt in my head that the beast would end us all if given the chance. My arrow had to work. And to give me the opportunity to hit the demon straight on, this spell idea also absolutely had to work. Fear tried to creep into my mind and scatter my thoughts. I bit down and exhaled, forcing the panic away. I had to focus to keep us alive.
Hekla wrapped her arms around herself as she stared at the spell book. “What exactly are we looking for?”
Peering over my shoulder, Lucus watched me flip pages. “I once heard of a spell cast by a fae who had access to shifter blood. The fae used the spell to drive a demon back into the ether.”
Kaippa leaned against the wall near Hekla, his gaze traveling up her legs. Pausing in my search, I glared at him and shook my head. He shrugged and made an I can’t help it face.
“Are you sure you should be here, Kaippa?” The spell book tingled against my fingertips.
“Oh, because of the blood you’re about to take from foxy?”
Hekla whirled to face him. “Hard pass on the nickname, vampire. It’ll be Hekla or you’ll be on your way out.”
He chuckled, then pushed away from the wall and stalked toward her, looking super menacing. “And who is going to remove me exactly?”
Hekla lifted onto the tips of her clogs and got right in his face. “Me.”
“Sure.”
I snapped my fingers, teacher-style, like Aunt
