Page 77 of A Trial By Blood

She rushed to one of the desks and turned on the computer. “They’ll have a database listing their inventory. Hopefully, they’ve marked off what was taken.” She tapped at the keys. “It’s password protected.”

“What about one of the other computers? Where someone’s already logged in? Would they have access to the same database?”

Rose grinned. “You’re not just a pretty face.”

I paused. “You think I’m pretty?”

“I do. You have a problem with that?” Her grin grew wider.

Not if it made her smile like that, still. “I’m not sure.”

She laughed, the sound musical, sweet. “Okay, handsome. Is that better?” She turned, scanning the room. “Before we go hunt down a computer, I want to try something.”

“What do you have in mind?”

She spotted something across the room. “The visions I have, it’s called scrying. I spoke to my sisters and did some research, and I think I know how to bring on a vision instead of waiting for them to randomly hit me.” She strode across the room and picked up a silver tray from one of the shelves. She read the inscription on it. “Not a demon artifact, some award given to the department. It should be safe.” She walked back. “Where do you think most of the blood was?”

I moved to the spot where the scent was strongest. “Here.”

Rose placed the tray on the ground beside my feet, then pulled her blade from her pocket again.

“No,” I bit out. “Not again.”

Her head tilted back and her eyes widened, brows sliding high. “Excuse me?”

“You will not cut yourself again,” I said, and even I recognized the fury in my voice.

Rose stood and planted her hands on her hips. “I’m a witch, Ronan. A witch who’s been too weak to practice even the most basic of spells for a very long time. A witch who felt her magic dwindle and almost die right along with her. I’ve had to stand by while my sisters fight, while they use their magic, together, for a common cause and feel absolutely useless when I couldn’t stand with them.” She blew out a breath. “I love you, Ronan, more than you’re capable of understanding right now, but this is my birthright, what I was born to do, what I’ve longed to do for my whole life. And I won’t stop, not even for you.”

Her words affected me deeply. Emotions swirled inside me. So many, I couldn’t name them all, but I didn’t like the way it felt. “Rose—”

She held up a finger, stopping me. “But I’m feeling forgiving, mainly because I’m looking forward to doing a whole lot of kissing with you later and we can’t do that if we’re fighting, so how about you try that sentence again? But this time, you think very carefully about what you’re saying.”

My female was angry with me. I didn’t like that. I hated it. But she’d also just professed her love for me, for the second time, and I was positive the shriveled organ in my chest stirred. There was also the kissing. I didn’t want to miss out on that. But most importantly, she longed to use her magic. How would I feel if I couldn’t use my powers? I hadn’t liked it when the mother rendered mine useless in that field. The feeling of powerlessness had been one of the worst things I’d ever experienced. “Apologies,” I said. “I don’t like seeing you hurt, Rose, that’s all.”

“I know, but you can kiss it better again afterward, and eventually I won’t register the pain. I’ll get used to it like my sisters.” Then she lifted her blade and made a slice in her other palm.

I jolted, even as my fangs tingled. “Too deep, Rose.”

“I’m okay,” she said without looking up, then curled her fingers into a fist. She held it over the silver tray and walked around it. Her blood dripped from between her fingers, hitting the silver in fat, scarlet drops. Then she whispered words, a spell of some kind. She made another circle of the tray, then lowered herself to her knees and stared into it.

“Rose?”

She said nothing, lost in the tray’s shiny surface. Seconds ticked by, and she began to slowly sway. Several minutes passed while I watched her closely.

Then finally, she gasped and fell back.

I rushed over, and she blinked up at me. “I saw something.” Her voice trembled.

“What was it?”

“The guard. It’s his blood…he was murdered. Right here. The night after the effigy was stolen.”

“Did you see who did it?”

She shook her head. “The guard was standing here, then in a flash, he was on the floor, bleeding out. They were that quick.”

I lifted her to her feet. She swayed to the right, and I pulled her into me to steady her. “You’re not well.”