Blood Dream Page 20

  “Everything to do with expanding ones knowledge is helpful, Little Red, for each new thing we learn, we can adapt our own magickal beings to new and more wondrous ways. There is a story here,” Hammer placed the book on her lap and refilled both their glasses, “of a woman who took the lives of her lover’s family, bathing in their blood she became the most irresistible woman in the world. Men travelled across land and sea to court her, she bore thirteen magickal children to thirteen different fathers, and this tale suggests that that is where witches originated from.”

  Lupa looked down at the book despite not being able to recognise a single word. So what if a woman did that? Would you really want to know people only liked you because you forced them to? Fucking crazy. And as for being the one to create all witches… what fucking nonsense.

  “I see this does not intrigue you as it did I, turn the page-”

  “What are these symbols?” Now here was something Lupa found fucking interesting, she threw back her glass and pulled out her note book.

  “Interesting,” Hammer gently took the notebook from Lupa’s hands, “This one here, you can see it on the page in front of you, translate to violence. Or as close to, it literally translates to violent action against love, but it can be used in magick as just ‘violence’. And this other one… turn the page little wolf witch, there. Yes, this one translates to death to oneself. Or suicide to be more plain. But this other one I know from my own family, it means ‘everlasting beauty.’”

  What did it all mean? Lupa bit her lip. It was like the answer was right in front of her, but she couldn’t piece it together. How way Sadie involved? Was she also under the spell? And what about the Scott’s… were they all dead bar the son? Lupa couldn’t think straight, her mind was slowing down, she was too fucking tired…

  “Hey um… you don’t happen to have any Owl’s I could buy?”

  Hammer’s raised an eyebrow, “I have not sold them in a while now, what do you desire?”

  “I’m tired, and my head is working in slow motion… I just want a pick me up,” Lupa bit her lip, she shouldn’t really be buying fucking drugs…

  “Of course. Give me a moment and I shall return.”

  Hammer stood up, Lupa watched as he strode confidently out of the room. Lupa quickly wrote down the meanings of the symbols while she waited. What did it all mean? Fuck. Whatever it was, it wasn’t fucking good. None of it was.

  “For you,” Hammer held out a small baggie with five tiny pills inside, Lupa took them and reached for her wallet, “No need, little wolf witch, the first is free, for you.”

  Lupa hesitated, her hand hovering over her bag, “Really?”

  “For a marvellous mind such as yours, I don’t suppose I shall receive much business, but you deserve a little advantage for being a familiar to me.” Hammer sat back down, filling her glass again, “Now that we have seen some more into your blood magick, I have been doing some research on the man across the river…”

  Lupa took out one of the pills and washed it down with the drink, “Do you not have a fucking name for this guy?”

  “He has a name, wolf witch, but it is not one I care to repeat. Shall we just call him The Eastern Man?” Lupa raised her eyebrows but she just nodded. What else was she supposed to do? “Very well, The Eastern Man has five witches working for him from what I have discovered thus far. None of these witches are particularly powerful, but they have all endured some kind of torture in their lives. Something that has made their whole existence a… dark place.”

  Lupa held her glass out, she needed more to drink to start down that track, she couldn’t fucking deal with the thoughts threatening to push their way into her mind. Whatever Hammer had given to her hadn’t kicked in yet, how long would they take? Twenty minutes? He filled her glass and continued.

  “This man is not particularly powerful himself either, from what I have found he is not even strong enough to sense things. But there is something… he seems to have created himself a spell to steal from others. Their magick, their life force, I believe this is what the purpose of the spell was on the building that…” Hammer brushed her hair from her face gently, “brought out the little wolf in you.”

  Lupa didn’t want to go down that fucking road either. This was a whole fucking bag of ‘nope’ going on. “Great. So he’s stealing the life force of those who killed themselves… fuck, did he try steal my magick?” Lupa felt her heart starting to beat a little too fast, was it the drugs or the thought that someone could take the one thing she trusted away from her?

  “I do not believe it works that way, I believe that in order to steal your magick he would have had to capture you, and whilst the black magick was still inside you, extract your power. Although, I still think that you would need to be willing to give it over to him. For example, while you were in that place, you were struggling to communicate, if I had asked you the same thing over and over there is a high possibility you would have eventually just said ‘yes’ to make me quiet. Does that sound correct?”

  “Yeah, that makes sense… people can willingly hand their power over?”

  Hammer took the book from Lupa’s lap and closed it, placing it on the table and crossing his legs. “Under the right, or perhaps wrong, circumstances, a person can hand over anything they possess. In that moment the second time I cut you open, would you have not handed over your very life?”

  Lupa pulled her smokes out, looking to Hammer for conformation that it was ok, then lit it. Yes, she would have been happy to die in that moment. If the wrong person had asked her, would she have given up her magick? Maybe. Maybe for some fucking peace, if she was convinced that giving it up would make the memories disappear again, she may have given it gladly. But how could this man take it?

  “It is not an easy thing to do,” Hammer handed her an ashtray and lit a cigarette as well, “Taking magick from another being is harder than taking anything else. It is attached to your very soul, to the sparks in your mind, and the beating of your heart. There is a tale in this book of a man who tried to steal the power of a Seer. Unfortunately he was not aware of how connected the magick is to a person, the Seer died savagely and her magick blinded him for all eternity. A fitting punishment for the crime.”

  “So… what am I supposed to do then? How can I break these spells if he is stealing magick and life from people? What exactly can I fucking do?” Lupa shifted uncomfortably, she was starting to feel the pill kicking in for sure now, it was making her restless, but it was quieting the evil thoughts trying to take over her mind.

  “Severe his connections with these lives and magicks he has taken. While he may have control of them now, they would be tormented under his skin. Find the answer to free them and destroy his being, and the wards and spells should break.”

  “And you can’t do that?”

  Hammer smiled, charming as fucking always, “Of course I could attempt to do that, my dear little wolf witch, but it is what I need you to do. I cannot reveal myself, but I shall be there to help you. We shall start working on a spell to free the tortured souls inside him, and then… we shall meet with him. And you shall destroy him.”

  “He’ll recognise me. Someone would have seen me.”

  “Then we shall disguise you.”

  Lupa butted her smoke out and rubbed her head. Hammer made it sound so fucking easy. But she was positive it was going to be hell, it was going to take all her strength and then some to pull this off. If he was filled with death and magick from other people… shit.

  “Ok. Well… I should go, Hawk is waiting for me…”

  “And how fairs your Protector Hawk?” Hammer asked, standing and offering his hand to her.

  “Not so great, but he hasn’t disappeared again so that’s something…” Lupa took his hand and stood up.

  “I do hope that he is able to control the dragon within him, I see much potential in that boy. I suspect he wishes to join you for the fight against The Eastern Man?” Hammer locked the door behind them and be
gan walking her to the front door.

  “Yeah. Would that ok?”

  “I will consider it. But I suspect that it may open some… interesting questions up for myself, and for you. I am unsure, yet, whether I wish to take that risk. I understand he protects you, my lovely witch, but I have many others who could do the same… Do you still feel my magick?”

  “Umm… yeah I do actually...”

  “Interesting, well I shall consider Protector Hawk joining us. But I make no promises.”

  “Ok.” Lupa turned and gave Hammer a grateful smile, “Thanks… I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Indeed you shall, wolf witch,” Hammer kissed her on the cheek, “Let me know how you enjoy the Pop. Goodnight.”

  Chapter sixteen

  “A sacred space…”

  Lupa’s eyes wandered around Dameon’s apartment. He had finished unpacking and it looked nice. She noticed he must have bought new lounges, they weren’t the ones that she had sat on at his… fuck. Whatever. He probably didn’t want more reminders of the life he’d lost.

  “Beer?”

  “Sure.”

  Lupa felt fucking high, she hoped that Dameon hadn’t noticed. But she felt good too, her mind hardly tried to wander to the dark thoughts that hid in the corners. In fact, whenever it threatened to do that, a lovely little thought would pop into its place. Huh.

  “So, did Hammer have anything interesting or actually useful to say?”

  “Umm,” Lupa took the beer Dameon handed her and followed him to the big soft, blue couch against one wall, “Yeah actually he did. Those symbols I didn’t recognise? He had a book on them. One means ‘violence’ and the other is ‘suicide’. Or close enough to that translation. I don’t really see what it meant… wait. It actually might. And the last one means ‘eternal beauty’. Which is just… weird.”

  Lupa kicked her shoes off and tucked her feet under her. Her brain was racing. Had she got a good idea? Or was it just more speculation? “Ok, so… someone must have slept with Coinín’s dad I think. The only one we felt any wolfblood in, so whatever Sledge saw… and Sadie and Lyon may both be under a blood magick spell to try get us to fuck off out of the case…”

  “So… who ever caught their partner must have made the spell?”

  Lupa lit a smoke and tapped her leg. Was that it? All of this over a woman? Surely there was more to it than that, it just didn’t seem right… why kill so many people and animals to make someone pay for cheating or for not fucking them?

  “No… I think… there has to be more to it… hey! The teens said they had snuck into that house, do you think they did it? Or… that they knew Coinín was still around? Fuck. They have to be involved somehow, or…. Or they are all under a spell. Shit. They could be killing people for… I don’t know what. Or whoever is killing people… it just doesn’t make sense still. Fuck, I thought it was there but I can’t seem to grab it…”

  Dameon was looking at her carefully, “Think they are in danger now we’ve seen it? Or… that we might be?”

  Lupa watched Dameon as he played with the beer bottle his eyes on her. Shit. She was being insensitive wasn’t she? His dad had been murdered for whatever was going on… fuck. Lupa reached out and put her hand on Dameon’s.

  “Sorry… I… didn’t mean to sound… callus.”

  “Nah, you’re alright, Lupa… everything reminds me… doesn’t matter. Right now I need to focus on something else. A reason that’ll… mean something…”

  Lupa nodded knowingly, yeah, sitting and thinking about it wasn’t going to fucking help. She watched him as he gave her a small smile. Did his face look better than when she had seen him before? Like… a lot better? What the fuck…

  Lupa reached out her hand and touched his yellowed face. “Hurt?”

  “No…” Dameon put his own hand to his face, his eyebrows drawing together, “Aint never healed this fast before… you giving off some sorta power at me, crazy girl? Trying to hit me up with some extra mojo?” he gave her a wink.

  Lupa frowned. “Don’t joke about it, check this out,” she stood up and lifted her shirt, “Not even a fucking mark.”

  Dameon looked over her chest and her stomach. “Shit, you don’t always heal that quickly then?”

  “No. I mean, I heal fast, but not this fucking fast. There should at the very least be a mark on my skin. I was fucking cut open and sewn back up like… three days ago.” She pulled her shirt down and started pacing, “Something fucking strange is going on, Dameon, and more than just… regular strange. Fuck. It’s like… I can almost touch it, but it’s just not close enough.”

  “So… you think something to do with this case is effecting our healing abilities? Speeding them up or something?”

  “Yeah… maybe… I don’t fucking know. Why would that be useful? Or… like… a side effect? It just doesn’t make sense…” Lupa finished her beer and put it on the kitchen bench. “Unless it’s Hammer’s spell man who’s made me-”

  “Nah, why would my face be ok then?”

  Lupa leaned against the bench and squeezed her eyes shut. What was the fucking point? Why make people heal faster? And when would they have come in contact with someone or something that would do this?

  “Ok… so… we need to go back there… but where do we go first? The Corpore’s? See what Sadie has to say? See if she’s under the spell too?”

  Dameon shrugged, he looked as puzzled as she did, “Guess so… we aren’t really getting anywhere with what we’ve got… then maybe revisit the farms and have a look around? See if we find anything else?”

  “Yeah alright… hey, you wanna go out?”

  “Uh, where?”

  Lupa shrugged, “I dunno, wanna go to a club?”

  Dameon’s eyebrows shot up, “It’s like… four in the morning, aint you tired?”

  “Nah… we don’t have to. Just an idea. Feeling cooped up.”

  Dameon pushed his hair back from his face, giving her a sideways glance then letting his eyes wander around the room. “Yeah alright. But I think you better give me some of what you’ve got…”

  Lupa hesitated, she’d hoped she wasn’t that obvious. Should she really give him one? Would he really be asking if he were in the right frame of mind? “Umm…”

  “Don’t worry, I won't make it a habit if you don’t.” Dameon gave her a pointed look.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Dameon and Lupa entered one of the loudest clubs near her place, she hadn’t been there in a very, very fucking long time. But after taking a second Pop she felt like she could dance the morning away, Dameon kept giving her a funny look but she really couldn’t worry about that now, the music was calling her.

  “Wanna drink?” Dameon half yelled in her ear, his hand protectively on the back of her neck.

  “Nah, I’ma go dance,” Lupa smiled widely at him and immersed herself in the crowd.

  Sweaty bodies around her moving with the music, the lights so low all the faces looked beautiful and provocative. Lupa smiled as people touched her, she didn’t mind this sort of touching, this sort of happy loving feel in the room. Or was that just in her head? Whatever. This she could deal with.

  Dameon appeared at her side with a bottle of water, grinning at her and giving her a wink as he took a long drink. She smiled broadly at him, glad to see that look on his… Did his face looked completely healed now? Lupa shook her head slowly, no fucking way. Must just be the lighting.

  The music seemed to fill her up, her whole body vibrated with the pulsing beat. She closed her eyes, letting her mind be consumed by the thoughtlessness of the room, the mindless movement that everyone seemed to know, like a primal urge to move with each other in the herd... Lupa glanced over to Dameon who was dancing with a pretty girl, she smiled to herself and looked away. It was nice to see him having a good time. She knew it wouldn’t last though, when he woke up the thoughts and memories…

  But right now none of that mattered. The music mattered right now. The movement and the beat in he
r chest. They could deal with their problems later. Now, now things were good. In fact, things felt pretty fucking great right now. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned back around.

  “I’m gonna go home,” Dameon yelled in her ear, indicating the girl was going with him.

  “See ya. Talk to you later.” Lupa waved as he half dragged the girl out of the crowd. She watched them disappear and decided to grab a drink and head outside for a smoke.

  The air felt deliciously cold on her sweat covered skin, the rain was falling ever so lightly like faerie magick in the air. She leaned against the wall and pulled her crushed smoke packet out of her pocket, realising she’d forgotten a fucking lighter. Lupa looked down the wall to where a few people were gathered and talking, they might have one…

  “Hey, witchy girl, need a light?”

  Lupa looked up to see Sledge holding his lighter out, “Hey yourself. Thanks. What the hell are you doing here?”

  Sledge shrugged and gave her that look. Right. She didn’t want to know, and it wasn’t really any of her fucking business. Lupa shrugged back and took a drag of her smoke, moving her gaze away from his face.

  “You dun goin’ back in?” Sledge asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “Dunno… why?”

  “Thinkin’ maybe we dun go and have a drink? I’m all done here…”

  “If you like.”

  Sledge peered at her carefully, and just a little too closely for her liking, “Mine or yours?” he asked, looking away.

  “Umm… yours? Hawk… moved in down the hall…”

  Sledge grunted then cleared his throat, “Ok, my car bein’ this way.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  “Thinkin’ we be gettin’ rid of the spells soon? Hammer mentioning somethin’…”

  Lupa took the beer Sledge held out to her and followed him to the couch. “Yeah I guess so, said he’s working on something. I dunno if I can even fucking hope to be able to do what he’s asking of me. I think… I dunno.”

  “Thinkin’ you can do anythin’, ey?” Sledge was smiling at her gently.