Page 19 of Accidental Blood Lust
I’m not sure the breakup is the only thing bothering me though. A sense of unease lingers in the back of my mind as I finish stacking all the wood then close my eyes, pull my energy into my fingertips, and flick them like I’m splashing water. Instead of water though, sparks flit out and catch on the dry logs in my hearth, quickly turning from a few glowing embers into a cozy, crackling fire.
I dust my pants off as I stand up, then I grab the leather satchel hanging from a hook near my fireplace. I’ve never been one for future casting. It’s too uncertain to be useful, and half the time, you end up changing the course of it by knowing it anyway. I have the rune tiles my mentor gave me though, and every so often I try my hand at them again. The uneasy feeling that won’t stop nagging at me is as good a reason as any to see what the tiles have to say.
I spend a minute focusing my energy on the contents of the bag, pulling in the essence of my home and the surrounding forest and letting it flow through me and swirl around tiles that were carved from bone centuries ago and passed down from one mage to the next. When it feels right, I reach into the bag andpull out a handful of tiles. I sit down on the floor and lay them out in front of me in the warm, flickering glow of the firelight.
Huh.
Well, this looks like a mess.
I see Thurisaz, which typically represents destruction, sometimes war; Othala for family; Gebo, which is often sex but could also mean a gift; Nauthiz for sacrifice; and Hagalaz for disruptive change or massive storms. I stare at the symbols and try to let the possible meanings of this combination of runes sink in. It doesn’t look great, if I’m honest, especially paired with that uneasy feeling. Is there danger coming? Maybe it’s already arrived. Loch’s transition definitely qualifies as a destructive change and perhaps having to let him go is the sacrifice. Those answers don’t sit quite right though. They’re true in and of themselves, but they don’t feel true for the reading.
Great, somoredestructive change and sacrifice to come. Lovely. At least there will be sex or maybe a present. I snort at myself and gather the tiles back to put them away. That was pointless and I don’t feel any better.
I set the bag aside and sit, watching the flames dance for a while, casting shadows across the floor and crackling pleasantly. But eventually I grow weary of sitting alone in front of the fire, so I put it out and drag myself to my cold, empty bed with a sigh.
SEVEN
ROMAN
I lift my hand to knock on Auri’s door, but unsurprisingly, he calls out “Enter” before I can make contact.
I open the door and peek my head through. “Got a minute, boss?”
“Come in.” He’s behind his desk, reading a thick book, with a steaming mug of tea in his hand. He gestures to the chair in front of him and looks up at me. “I’ve been wondering how long it would be before you came.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your demeanor is unsettled. I know my pets, Wolfie.”
Biting my tongue to avoid snapping at him for that dumb nickname—pets, not Wolfie, to be clear—I shake my head. “I have an update.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I have a friend… Well, he’s not a friend. He’s the friend of a friend. Or rather, he’s the ex of a friend.”
Auri raises a sharp eyebrow at me. “Uh-huh.”
I clear my throat. “Anyway, he was in trouble. He got himself turned into a vampire and doesn’t know the first thing about being one. He was nearly starving. I brought him to Cas for help.”
“How benevolent of you.”
“I did it for my friend. I just wanted you to know we have an outsider among us.”
Auri studies my face, and I squirm in my seat.
“Sooo I’m gonna go now.”
“Not so fast.” Auri steeples his fingers in front of him. “What else? And don’t say nothing. As I said, I know my pets, and while you’re normally agitated and surly, especially when the moon is full, this is different.”
Blowing out a breath, I sink back against the velvet chair. Of course he would know something is up. “I hate him.”
“Who?”
“The vampire. Lochlan. He rubs me wrong and always has. He hurt our friend.Myfriend.” I growl that last bit.
“But?”
“But now I have to have him in my presence to help him so that Jareth can rest easy.”
