man tapped a finger against his jaw, then nodded. “Yes, that’s about it.”
She turned and paced in a half arc, hands to her hips, head down in thought. A glance to the man’s face found him stoic, trying to show her he would not back down, no matter what. Tough guy, pushing around a helpless woman. Been there, done that. Never going to let it happen again.
If she should refuse him, he would force her. And enjoy it. Typical male.
But he didn’t know Tuesday Knightsbridge at all. Helplessness was not a condition she had ever ascribed to. And that would give her the upper hand.
“Sounds like fun,” she said cheerily. “Let’s do it.”
Another man entered the clean room and Tuesday immediately felt familiar vibrations flow off of him. Another dark witch. He was tall and lean, and everything about him was black, from his long straight hair and thin mustache to his clothing. Spell tattoos covered his hands and exposed neck. A coil of thin rope was attached to his hip holster à la the Wild West. Weird. Also, he wasn’t wearing shoes.
“You’ve got her in a cage?” he said to the vampire. “What the hell?”
“She’s dangerous,” Ethan said.
Yeah, and don’t forget it, buddy. But Tuesday didn’t say that.
Instead she crossed her arms and stood in the cage center, taking in her opponents. The dark one was on alert in his movements as he walked around the cage as if sizing up an animal. Shame threatened to rise up in her. She’d been made to feel like less than dirt many times before. Always by those who claimed witches were foul and evil things, and who would seek to allay their shortcomings and misguided beliefs by harming her. But that had been centuries ago.
Would this world never get a clue and drop the old, ingrained prejudices?
“This is Certainly Jones,” Ethan said to her. “He’s head of the Archives and our resident dark witch.”
“Are you okay? Have you been treated well?” Certainly asked her. A touch of British accented his voice, and his tone felt calming.
“I’ve been kidnapped. Most likely drugged. I’m hungry. And I have to pee,” she offered. “How’s tricks with you?”
He stopped before the front of the cage and looked over his shoulder at the militant vampire. “You should feed her. And let her go to the bathroom.”
“As soon as we’ve shackled her, she can do whatever she desires.”
“Shackle?” Tuesday closed her eyes, fisting her fingers at her sides. “What the hell is going on?”
“We need you to work for us. You’ve agreed, saying it would be fun,” Ethan said. “But in order to work alongside me you’ll have to be out of this cage. And I can’t risk you running off or using your magic against me. CJ here has a simple shackle spell that’ll keep you subdued.”
“You are a—” She lunged, aiming to grasp through the cage bars, but too late, she remembered it was electrified. The jolt sent her flying backward again to land on her back in a sprawl. “I hate you!”
“I don’t need you to like me. I just need you to help me find Gazariel.”
“Stop saying that bastard’s name,” she said from her position on the floor. Humiliated and utterly exhausted, she wasn’t about to pull herself up until he gave her a good reason to do so.
“Saying the demon’s name won’t invoke him,” Certainly said.
“I know that. I just hate his name. You think the two of us were friends? That’s why I’m wearing his sigil?” Letting her head fall back, she flipped them both the bird from the floor.
“She’s definitely going to be a handful,” Certainly commented. “Open the cage and let me in. I’ve got this rope bespelled to shackle her.”
The dark witch was coming inside with her? Well...she wasn’t in the mood to fight him. And he thought to shackle her with a rope spell? That wasn’t going to go as successfully for him as he expected. Tuesday decided to play along. Just for giggles.
The bars suddenly flickered with static and then Tuesday felt the electric energy shut off. The cage door swung open with a creak. She remained splayed on the floor as the dark witch stepped up into the cage and padded over and stood above her. The door closed and she heard the vampire twist the lock then tap in a digital code.
“I’m sorry about this,” Certainly said. “I know you didn’t ask for this, but sometimes things have to be done to ensure worse things don’t happen.”
“Now you’re going to tell me not to blame you and that we can all get along, right? Peace, love and ‘Kumbaya’? Get it done with, witch. I do need to use the facilities.”
“Will you stand, please?”
Tuesday held up her hand and gestured for him to grab it to help her stand. As he did so, she felt his magic jolt against her own. He was strong, but not as powerful as her. But he was cute, and she had a plan, so she was going to let him off easy. Mostly. And hell, she wasn’t sure she could even invoke her magic inside this crazy warded cage. But she wouldn’t be Tuesday Knightsbridge if she didn’t give it a go.
She slapped her palms to his temples and fixed her gaze onto his intense jade eyes. Before he knew to look away she fixed onto his soul. It was a witch’s skill, to hold a soul fix on another witch. She felt his inner struggle, his need to close his eyes and lock her out. But she had been doing this far too long to allow anyone escape from her delving soul gaze.
The witch’s soul was dark to the core. Less than two centuries old, he’d walked a free and defiant path. He was...connected closely to another. A twin? Yes, he had a twin brother for whom he held great love and respect. He’d once carried dozens of demons within him after a trip to Daemonia. Some of those demons had made him hurt himself. Others had taught him to care more deeply than he could have fathomed. And...the man loved deeply. Another witch, who was mother to his one-year-old twin sons.
That feeling, the emotion of unconditional love that flooded the man’s system, pricked at Tuesday’s willpower. She winced, fearing what may happen should she allow herself to linger in his eyes. To fall into the deep and devastating emotion of love.
Tuesday released the man and he stumbled backward, catching himself before he hit the bars.
“What did she do to you?” Ethan asked from outside the cage.
“I’m...fine,” Certainly said, catching his hands on his knees and huffing. It took a lot out of a person to have his soul tapped. “She just...”
“I looked into his soul,” Tuesday explained to Ethan. “I like this one. He’s strong.” She pointed at the vampire. “You. I do not like.”
“We’ve already discussed our mutual lack of admiration for one another. Like isn’t a requirement to work together. You going to be okay, CJ?”
The dark witch nodded. “Yep. Just gathering back my wits.” He straightened and snapped the simple rope before him in warning. “You going to behave?”
Tuesday nodded. “I saw your wife. You love her very much.”
“I would die for her,” Certainly said with an ease that tugged at Tuesday’s hardened heart. Because she believed that he would. What a lucky woman.
Romantics and silly sops would have a person believe love was the be-all and end-all. Whatever.
“Get on with it.”
She held her hands before her, wrists together, waiting to be bound. The rope wouldn’t impact her movement or physical health. It would keep her from performing any sort of magic,