Blood and Blade (Goddess with a Blade #6) - Lauren Dane Page 0,7
more frustrated that things hadn’t worked the way they always had.
And he took it out on the one person who understood him and trusted him.
Damn it all.
“Finish your tea. It always calms you down. Genevieve will arrive in about half an hour for dinner and then she can look you over. Don’t complain when she smokes weed. And stop frowning. It’s not like she’s going to put an ultrasound wand up your bum or anything.”
He nearly choked on his tea and Clive noted Elisabeth ducking her head, trying not to laugh. “Rowan.”
She snickered, leaning forward to kiss him quickly. “I’m not lying, am I?”
“Let us all sincerely hope not. Now, how about you tell me what else your friend the sage had to say.”
“Some of it was magic stuff. I think he was talking about lines of power. Ley lines? But I think the ley lines are in different places so I need to follow up with Genevieve about what he said. Something about friction. Canyons. Power building where things touch.” She shrugged. “I need to think on it a while. Work through with keywords, see if I can figure out what he means before something catastrophic happens.”
“A great deal of our life is your last sentence, darling Hunter.”
No kidding.
Chapter Three
Genevieve showed up looking effortlessly pretty. Like flowers in a vase. Rowan braced herself for the hug and the dual cheek kiss, awash in the heady scent of roses and a bit of jasmine.
“Hello, Rowan.”
“Hey, Genevieve. Come through to the kitchen. Dinner is nearly ready.”
“Give me a tour first.”
That’d give Clive a little longer with his tea to calm and accept reality and it would give Rowan some extra time to gentle Genevieve toward him.
David had come up to the main house for the meal and Rowan heard him speaking to Betchamp in the kitchen as she and Genevieve headed away. Some part of her relaxed, knowing everyone was in the house and safe.
“I didn’t want to say this on the phone or over text,” Rowan said after the tour of everything but the kitchen and dining room. She and Genevieve remained in Rowan’s office. “I had a visit with Carl today. He told me a bunch of stuff and gave me a dog. Or maybe it’s more like she decided to come live with me and be my keeper. She’s magic. Something like that.”
Genevieve’s gaze sharpened. “Carl? The sage who likes stuffed dead things as his totems? He sought you out?”
“Yeah. He does that from time to time. I’ll open a car door and bingo, weirdo kooky sage who yells out some random name at me and essentially screeches off into the street on two wheels or whatever. He never gets it right even after all these years. It’s our thing now. And all the taxidermy! Thankfully not every time or Clive would have given birth to uptight British Vampire kittens at the idea of stuffed snakes or some type of rodent up on his dash.” Rowan snickered at the thought and Genevieve joined her.
“Wait. Is that what they are? Totems? I thought he was just a weird dude with super questionable taste in clothing and recreational activities.”
“He still holds to the old ways. Old magics. Old power.”
Rowan wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse about Carl but it was unquestionably cooler than simple taxidermy.
Star came in and Genevieve paused before she began to speak in French to her. The dog trotted over to the witch and sat, cocking her head as she seemed to consider Genevieve’s words. From what Rowan could understand, as the dialect was a very old one, it was a sort of introduction and welcome to a circle. But the phrase was more than circle. More like a family or community of power.
Star sneezed and then barked before allowing Genevieve to scratch behind her ears.
“Magic indeed,” Genevieve told Rowan. “Star is more than a dog. She’s your familiar. Your protector. Your watcher and definitely a keeper. Like you and I, she’s rare and unique.”
Star made a happy growly yowl before she flopped to the rug and rolled to her back, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth.
Rowan bent to give the dog a belly rub. “Tell me what you know.”
Genevieve pulled out a small pipe and after a nod of okay from Rowan, took several hits before setting it aside. That meant she was going to use magic so this was more than just a history lesson about whatever Star