Blood and Blade (Goddess with a Blade #6) - Lauren Dane Page 0,76

draw fire away from themselves. Chaff. Those wards have to be someone else’s work because she’s a ding-dong.”

Rowan took Patrizia by the back of her shirt and dragged her bodily back into the house where she dumped Patrizia in front of the couch.

There were rules with magic use. Rules about not hurting people. Rules about not using your power to cause harm. That’s why Genevieve gave Patrizia a chance to defend herself. That and, she supposed, she was interested enough in Patrizia’s gifts to want to provide an extra opportunity to come clean.

Now? Well, she’d done all that and had fended off violent attacks from the other witch. Now she could simply get what she needed however she needed it. Because her power was stolen.

Genevieve spoke the words of the spell aloud so Patrizia would know exactly what was about to happen. Knew the words would compel the other witch to answer even if she wasn’t in the Conclave. The magic Genevieve had, fueled by whatever was in the air, had made it impossible for Patrizia to resist.

“What is your involvement with Roderick Haigh?” Genevieve asked.

* * *

“I started selling him spells a decade ago,” Patrizia ground out. “For extra money. Better sex. Luck. Hair growth. Humans are so simple. Especially the men. Give them hair and an erection and they think they’re in heaven. Then last year I met a very old Vampire who was also a magic user.”

“Lyr.”

Patrizia’s gaze skipped to Rowan, clearly surprised she’d said the name aloud.

“Oh what? Lyr, Lyr, Lyr. He’s not Beetlejuice. I was there when he was killed true dead. He’s not coming back,” Rowan told her.

“Yes, him. He...he gave me some help. Unlocked my potential.” There was so much pride in that, Rowan could understand exactly how that Vampire had gotten to Pats there. She’d been your average, everyday grifter witch and suddenly this Vamp supercharges her ability and she can do more spells. Better spells. Spells that could do real damage.

And each time she’d done a working, the stolen power she’d been using ate away a little bit more of her lifeforce. And she thought she was different and it wouldn’t happen to her.

“And then you began to sell different kinds of spells to Roderick?” Rowan asked.

“Lyr had plans for us all! He helped me write the kind of spells I was born to do but had been prevented because of my poor education.”

Rowan sighed heavily and Star growled.

“Skipping over that load of crap, the spells you wrote for Roderick were for Lyr anyway. Why didn’t you just give them to him? Or if he had the power to give to you, why didn’t he do the spells himself?”

“Because there’s only so much magic a witch can use at once,” Genevieve said. “Stolen magic doesn’t belong inside a witch. It’s temporary and it’s destructive in the long term. In this case, too, the intent that Patrizia put into her work made the spellcraft stronger. Especially to those who’d be benefitting from the stolen power. And because Lyr was afraid of whoever and whatever he was helping and he wanted to put some others between him and the recipient of the siphon spells. And I bet he even gave Patrizia a cut off the top as he ripped off the Blood Front.”

Genevieve stood but Rowan remained where she was, keeping an eye on their prisoner. Genevieve began to wander the room, Star at her heels.

“Who is the being Lyr was sending all the power to?” Genevieve asked.

“I don’t know.” Patrizia’s voice showed she’d given up fighting. Probably that last bit about how Lyr was using her to draw fire away from him. Lyr filled Patrizia with stolen magical power but it was only to use her.

“Your wards are beautiful. Were, I should say, because I tore holes in them. I’m guessing that came after Lyr gave you the power he stole?” Genevieve asked as she pulled a book free from the case and several sheets of paper fell out. “Oh look, more siphon spells. Don’t feel too bad, Patrizia, these spells are so very good there’s no way most witches could write them without extra help.”

“I wrote those spells! I don’t need any help,” Patrizia said.

“The increased power levels are likely dwindling each day. Stolen power only lasts so long without more. I’m guessing that in a week, maybe two, you’d have been back to your previous abilities. You’re trying to write spells to steal it for yourself so you won’t be