Blood and Blade (Goddess with a Blade #6) - Lauren Dane Page 0,78
killed her a year before. “She was a practitioner when she Made Lyr so he had dual powers. Maybe it transferred in part to Patrizia somehow.” She’d had so many infusions of ancient Vampire blood in the last three years that it had changed her in what appeared to be permanent ways.
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell anyone but Clive about that, though.
“Perhaps.”
When Genevieve said nothing else, Rowan went on. “I’ll be interested to know what you find out. I have my own sources, but to be honest, I’m sure your connections when it comes to magic are far better and much more useful.”
“Yes. Of course.”
“I did notice something,” Rowan said.
Genevieve turned a little in her seat, giving her focus to Rowan. “What?”
“You didn’t smoke tonight. Are you all right? I don’t mean to get too personal.”
Genevieve laughed prettily. “This too is something I’m puzzling over. I can’t put it into words yet. But I’ll share with you once I can.”
Rowan had her own secrets so she made a sound of assent and then remembered something. “I forgot to tell you about my most recent dream!”
“Share! I need something to take my mind off this mysterious magic problem.”
“Iron and salt. That’s what I remember. That’s what I think I’m supposed to remember. This prophecy dream stuff is new to me so I’m just trying to find my way.”
“Iron and salt,” Genevieve repeated. “Salt is often used to draw a protective circle. It can be a hindrance to magic, especially malicious magic. There’s the Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats.”
“There are salt flats in Death Valley too. Then there’s the ocean, which isn’t too very far away all things considered. I don’t think it’ll be Vampires because they don’t like salt water. Avoid it if at all possible. They don’t like the desert in the summertime either because the sun is up for so many hours daily. Clive and his people are in Las Vegas as a way to thumb their noses at the sun. At least that’s what I say.”
“Salt water isn’t good for the magic Vampires have and are made up of. Demons can be held in a salt circle. Other things you might call would also be held in a salt circle. Was it a defensive sign in your dream?” Genevieve asked.
“I don’t know.”
“And iron? Like an iron you press clothes with or the metal?”
“The metal.”
“It’s one of the few ways you can mortally wound the Fae outside Faerie.”
Rowan sucked in a breath as she realized. “I hadn’t even thought of that. I was associating it with an iron weapon, but that too could be about a Faerie. I thought they mainly kept to themselves on the other side of the Veil.”
“I’m not an expert on Faeries but from what I understand they withdrew behind the Veil a thousand human years ago. They rarely come through. Mainly because Faerie is a beautiful place so why would they want to leave. And now I’d wager there’s enough ambient iron in the air, especially around larger human settlements, that they’d be weakened by it. They haven’t been a force in our world for centuries.”
“Maybe they are now? And maybe salt has something to do with it?”
“Perhaps. But from what I know of the Fae, they are strong. They have much magic, personal magic that would make my magic pale in comparison,” Genevieve said as she looked out the window.
It was ten in the evening. Rowan knew, from the dinging on her phone, that her spouse was wondering where she was and what she was doing. After they’d dealt with Patrizia and the house, she’d gotten a quick text to David to update him on the situation and asked him to let Clive know they’d be back in town by midnight or so.
Naturally her husband wanted to be told this from Rowan’s own mouth. But his haughtiness had to wait because there were other things to handle before she had to pull over to text him back.
And anyway, if it was an emergency he’d just call her. No, he was pestering her because he liked to know what was happening and he didn’t. Spoiled brat.
“I’ll have David and Vanessa access all the information Hunter Corp. has regarding the Fae. Hopefully we can get something from it and it’ll aid us in the next steps.”
“Good. I’ll do the same on my end.” True to her word, Genevieve made a call and ordered the person on the other end