Blood Magic (After Dark Book 7) by Sarah Bailey (ereader for android txt) 📗

known this would never be straight forward. This was the easier of the two things she was asking for from this witch. Or so she thought.

“My father doesn’t know anything about this. And what do you mean see her?”

He looked down at his hands.

“There are several ways to access Hell. Firstly via the gates, but you would have to sacrifice a soul to open them, which I am obviously not encouraging. The easiest solution is to enter via a portal. I know where a few of them are, but considering you want to see Candace, you’d want the one which gives you access to Lucifer.”

Dani tried not to flinch at the mention of the King of Hell. Whilst she wasn’t afraid of him, she wasn’t sure what meeting the Archangel would entail. She knew about the prophecy involving him and Candace. The one Gwilliana had insisted was about the fae.

“Why do you think I shouldn’t go looking for her?”

“I haven’t really heard from her since she left. She is probably in touch with her father and perhaps her best friend, Jax. She did leave a huge mess for your kind to deal with, did she not? It has only been a few months since Gwilliana’s death.”

Dani nodded. It had taken a month for the community to get its act together and for her father to be crowned. Her death had sent shockwaves through the entire country.

“That’s exactly why I need to speak to her. I know she has no love for the fae, but even she will understand the implications of a war between the clans. It caused devastation throughout the fae community in the US.”

Alistair sat back again, his blue eyes intent on hers.

“I will help you.”

He put his palm out and blue smoke coiled in it. It evaporated a moment later leaving a small blue stone in his hand. He placed it on the coffee table and pushed it over to her. Dani picked it up and turned it over in her hands.

“When you wish to find the portal, you need to say ostende mihi viam. It will guide you.”

She mouthed the words ‘ostende mihi viam’ before slipping the stone into her bag. She wasn’t sure whether she could trust Alistair, but she had to put her faith in the witch.

“Now, you said you had two things you wished to speak to me about.”

Looking up at him again, she tried to work out how to put this. After Jamie’s confession, she realised they had to do more to keep anyone from breaking them apart. She’d accepted his claim on her, even if it wasn’t fully complete yet. That part would come later. They were due to meet at ObliVion this evening. There she would breathe a human before she let Jamie have her in the way he craved.

She was no longer nervous about him biting her. Especially not after he’d bitten her lip. It sent shivers down her spine and made her pulse spike. Desire coated her veins rather than repulsion. And yet, him claiming her would not be enough. She had to secure her future with the vampire because even though a relationship between them was forbidden, she wanted it anyway. If she wasn’t a princess, it would’ve been easier. But she was. And this was the only way she could fix it. To make sure they were permanently bonded to each other.

“This is going to sound a little insane.”

Alistair snorted.

“As if wanting to visit the Queen of Hell is not insane enough for you.”

She shrugged.

“I’m doing that to protect my people and my family. This is… personal.”

He smiled, blue eyes glinting.

“Go on.”

“I’m aware blood magic is forbidden amongst witches.”

That made his smile drop.

“It is, but your kind have no issues with such things.”

She looked away, trying to work up the courage to ask him what she needed. She couldn’t very well go looking for this in her father’s library because she was watched at all times.

“I need to know how to create a blood bond.”

“That shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I have books on the subject, although I’m sure you could find that out yourself considering you have access to the royal estate.”

“I’m not talking about blood bonds between the fae. I’m talking about a bond between a fae and a… a vampire. An unbreakable bond fused with magic. I know of its existence.”

Alistair’s expression didn’t change for a long moment. The silence between them suffocated Dani. She’d known this was going to be an awkward conversation. She’d spent much of her life locked away, leaving her time to read extensively. That’s how she knew these bonds existed, but her father didn’t keep books on how it was done.

“Let me get this straight, you want to permanently bond yourself to a vampire?”

She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

“And here I thought I’d heard about everything the world had to offer.”

A vampire and a fae. That wasn’t what he was surprised about. She knew it was because she was a princess of the fae and the implications of it were far reaching. Dani had already made up her mind about Jamie. Best friends and lovers. He told her he’d never let her go. This was how she proved she’d never let him go either. How deep her feelings for him ran.

“Can I ask you who it is?”

She finally met Alistair’s eyes. There was only curiosity in them. No judgement.

“Jamie did say he knows you.”

“Jamie…” His brow furrowed. “Wait, Gavin’s sibling? He’s back in London?”

“Yes, that Jamie.”

Alistair threw back his head and laughed.

“By the goddess, this is… unexpected.”

Dani couldn’t help but smile. She knew all about Jamie’s reputation for trouble. When Alistair finally settled down, she bit her lip.

“It’s not what you think.