Through the Ether (Force of Nature Book 5) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,75

is where her singular focus will work in our favor,” Liam said. “She will be blinded by this need and will likely make a mistake because of it.”

Merc didn’t look convinced. “That is a large assumption to gamble his life on.”

“But one I’m willing to take,” Knox countered, “and it’s my life.”

“I believe we can aid in this,” the coven queen said as she stepped forward, Bea and Sherry at her sides. “With my strongest witches returned, we can create a veil of sorts to hide those you choose. A magical curtain to shield them from the fey queen’s eyes.”

“It’s old magic,” Sherry said, smiling wickedly, “blood magic, to be precise, but if we can find everything we need, we should be able to pull it off.”

“Whose blood?” I asked, unable to hold back the question.

Her smile grew. “Yours would work pretty nicely, since you’re of both worlds.”

“How much blood?” Knox asked. He shifted closer to me, as though a threat had just stepped into the room.

“I won’t drain her dry, if that’s what you’re worried about. But I need enough to make the spell as strong as possible. She’ll be weakened by it for a little while, I’d imagine, but she should be in good shape by the time we actually need to use it.”

Merc’s jaw flexed as he contemplated, and Knox just fumed silently, but my father looked worried—and that worried me.

“Blood magic is fickle,” he said, the challenge in his tone duly noted. “I would know.”

“I’m sure you would,” Sherry replied, “but then you would also know that elemental magic won’t be enough for this. This is spell magic. It’ll require blood and herbs and a shit-ton of power behind it to do what we need it to—”

“Which is why it might be best if we join forces with the warlocks to accomplish this,” the coven queen said, shooting Sherry a stern look. “Will you aid us, Reinhardt? Will you do what has so rarely been done since you and I were very young—unite our magic against a greater foe, even if it is for the last time?”

My father scrutinized her for a moment, clearly remembering a time long before I’d set foot on Earth. His dark brow furrowed in thought, and he eventually nodded. “Tying all of our magic up with one spell is dangerous,” he said, “but I see no other way, if this plan is to succeed.”

“Sherry, you will need provisions from the kitchen. Make a list and send someone to collect them while you get started with the less…pleasant parts of this spell.”

Shery did as she was asked and rattled off a list of things I really hoped we had somewhere in the house. One of the enforcers escorted three of the witches and one warlock to the kitchen. And I waited in a room full of supernaturals, about to be sliced open by a morally questionable one.

Sensing my unease, Merc cleared the room, leaving only the witches necessary for the spell and those I was closest to behind to make sure things went smoothly—or to intimidate Sherry. The two seemed mutually inclusive.

“Just to be clear,” Kat said, staring at Sherry, “you won’t be draining one more drop than necessary from her, right? Because I think that would be unwise, don’t you, Jagger?”

“Yeah, it would.”

“Foust?”

“That’s an understatement.”

“Wonder twins?” she asked, turning to Jase and Dean.

“Yep,” they replied in unison.

“What about you, Grizz? You think there might be hell to pay if this witch gets any cute ideas?” The man-bear stepped in front of Sherry, a veritable wall of muscle and silent threats, and made a not-so-subtle ‘snapping in two’ gesture with his hands. Sherry, despite all her previous bravado, actually looked nervous.

Kat’s mission had been accomplished.

“Well, it looks like you can go ahead and get started, now that we have that all sorted,” Kat said as she stepped away to lean on the back of the couch with a harem of Knox’s boys, Merc’s brothers, and Grizz at her sides. “If the vampire king and the alpha say you’re good to go, then get crackin’.”

Knox tried to hide his amusement as he gave her a nod, but I saw the crinkles in the corners of his eyes. Merc’s, too.

“I need something to drain it into,” Sherry said, finding her voice.

With a flick of his wrist, Reinhardt held a black chalice out to her. “This should suffice.”

Sherry’s wide eyes stared in awe at the jeweled cup that looked like a prop from Game of