Blood and Blade (Goddess with a Blade #6) - Lauren Dane Page 0,8
was.
Genevieve sat back as she slid one of her bracelets off and held it in her palm in a pool of pretty colored stones. “Star is, as I said, a...”—Genevieve paused, searching for the right words—“a type of familiar. Rare. Powerful. She’s got her own magic and her own mind. She’ll never betray you. The longer she’s with you, the tighter your bond and connection will become. Probably to the Vampire as well since you two already share an unbreakable bond.” She lifted a shoulder before continuing. “Her choosing to come to you is a powerful portent.”
“A good portent or an apocalyptic portent? Because we know for sure this brewing unrest within all the different groups of supernaturals isn’t over.”
“Like most things of that type, a bit of both I believe. But another being of power in our circle is a very good thing. It’s also for other reasons. No, this isn’t over. We struck Lyr down and with that landed a powerful blow to our enemies. But there are others. Which we’d suspected anyway. One great power at the head of this. Controlling the rest. Manipulating them. Setting them against one another to keep them busy while he works toward his goal. And I see much in you that was in flux but is now settling. Again, the Vampire I suspect. Star means you’re meant to do great things with your gifts. She’s here to help you through what will be a challenging path.”
“Always with the challenging path stuff,” Rowan muttered.
“We are all becoming more,” Genevieve said. “Sometimes, growth comes with pain.”
Which was fucking bullshit in Rowan’s opinion but her opinion didn’t matter. What was true was true. She stood. “And now part two of the discussion about Carl’s visit with me earlier. Clive needs your professional opinion.”
Rowan laid out, in the most neutral way possible, all the stuff that Clive had been dealing with since he’d attempted to take over Lyr’s mind to access his memories two weeks before. Knowing how delicate all the politics were between Vampires and witches, she kept the personal information to an absolute minimum, including just how strong Clive’s gift really was.
“I’m going to suggest we keep the jokes to a minimum and stay professional,” Rowan said.
“Don’t poke the Vampire into a snit? Is that what you mean?”
Rowan snorted but didn’t disagree.
“What are we having to eat?” Genevieve demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
“She makes these seafood cakes, with shrimp and white fish. Fries them up and serves them with some sort of sauce that’s a little sweet and a little hot. Rice and some vegetable that smells really good on the side. She baked bread today. Lemon cake for dessert.” Rowan waited a beat. “She’s an amazing cook.”
“Fine. I’m mainly doing this for you. You’d be sad if he fell prey to bad magic.”
When they walked into the dining area Genevieve said her greetings to Elisabeth and Betchamp, welcoming them to Las Vegas, and then she kissed David’s cheeks before turning back to Clive.
“I offer my assistance and my magic freely in your aid and defense,” she said quietly.
“I accept your offer,” Clive said and barely even sounded snotty.
He bowed his head slightly. Thanking in a formal sense without creating any sort of debt neither wanted incurred.
“Let’s do this part before we eat. It’ll make me hungry and I like to relax when I dine,” Genevieve told them both, breaking the tension.
“I still don’t think it’s necessary,” Clive muttered and Rowan deliberately ignored him. It wasn’t an option to pretend this away to save his ego.
“Where do you want him?” Rowan asked Genevieve instead.
“I like contact with the earth. Let’s go outside. Your yard is secure, though I will also ward the entire property for you this week as well.”
Without waiting for a response, Genevieve headed out to the yard just beyond the kitchen and dining room. The place Clive had touched down when he got back home from work earlier.
Private, so hopefully Clive would appreciate that. Whether he could at that point was a question but Rowan certainly was able to.
He followed her, the annoyance coming from him in waves. Star trotted out to sniff all over the place before she came back to Rowan’s side.
“Star says this is a good, safe place,” Rowan said before she even thought about it. The thump of Star’s tail against Rowan’s calf said she’d gotten the right of it.
Clive barely managed not to comment but Rowan knew he wanted to.