fell for Monica, but she was unobtainable at best and deadly to toy with at worst.
Monica was married to the equally hot brunette, Piper, who was holding me up. Men’s hearts broke every time they learned dick didn’t do it for either of them.
“Thanks,” I said hoarsely, then coughed. A drink was shoved in front of me, and I took it quickly, powering it down before anyone could tell me how it was supposed to be taken.
The potion hit me like a lightning strike, sending a shock through my system, making my eyes widen as my heart rate began to accelerate. It faded quickly, but it was a rush I had never experienced before.
“We figured you would need to get back on your feet quickly,” Monica said, smirking. “How was it? We haven’t tested it.”
“You gave me an untested potion?” I said, holding the glass away from me. “Gods, you could have killed me!”
“It was just a potion we made more potent with a different ingredient. I’m sure you don’t want the list. You know how these things work.” Piper took the glass from me. “You’re not dead yet, so it won’t kill you. You might notice you feel wide awake, and your throat doesn’t hurt.”
“Both true,” I admitted. “But I’m not a lab rat. Let’s not do that again, please.”
“Of course. I’ll knock a million off your bill since it wasn’t the most professional thing to do.” Monica’s smirk turned into a smile. “It’s good they got you here in time. I would have been sad to see you die, Kaliya Sahni.”
“Yeah, me too,” I said, smiling back at her. I slid off the table and looked down at myself, seeing how only faint red lines were left. Not scars but places where the skin was still fresh. “Who got me here?”
“Raphael, that…Well, I’ve never seen anything like him, I’ll say,” Monica said, sighing. “Leith is also here. A werewolf dropped off…” She trailed off, giving me something between a motherly look of concern and a glare. “Another naga.”
“Nakul,” I confirmed. “Yeah, my uncle. He’s been following me around since the breakout.”
“He nearly killed you,” she snapped. “And he’s the one you want us to help. He’s been in and out of consciousness since his arrival. Something is obviously very wrong with him.”
I slid off the table and was glad to have my feet hold me.
“I can’t really tell you much because it’s being investigated. You know that. When this is all wrapped up—”
“You might want to tell me more than you think,” she said softly, her bold blue eyes bearing down on me. She pointed to a pile of clothing on a side table in their little medical room. “Cassius’ butler brought clothing for you. Put them on, then come with me. Love, tell Kaliya’s friends she’s up and will be out in a moment. I’m taking her to our holding cell.”
That made me wary, but I followed the bombshell witch out of the healing room and down a small hall. Not many in Phoenix had basements, most homes built on slab foundations, but the coven had this house built specifically for their needs. It was worth a couple of million, and at any time, nearly half the coven lived and worked in the building. They also trained young witches to either join the coven or do magic-related work one day. Depending on the latent talent, they subtly maneuvered the kid where they wanted, whether it be in a certain industry or just making potions with and for the coven. It didn’t always work—everyone knew teenagers were going to do whatever they wanted to do—but there was something honorable about what the Phoenix coven was doing. They didn’t abuse the kids, who were given lots of options, and most of them were off the streets or from impoverished areas. Rich witches went to schools across the world, focusing on different specialties. The Phoenix coven found everyone else, at least in Arizona and New Mexico, where there wasn’t a coven in the entire state.
We went to a dark back hallway, and she opened the last door, revealing a room with bars running through the center. Inside the cell was a man I was wondering if I would find during this party.
“Kartane,” I greeted, a hiss punctuating the end.
He looked up, and I took stock—he seemed healthy, still had eyes, and he was very scared.
“Monica, you promised,” Kartane said quickly, standing up. “You promised not to give me away until