Blood and Blade (Goddess with a Blade #6) - Lauren Dane Page 0,84

told him when all the food had been delivered and they started to eat.

“Last night you awakened something.”

Genevieve had considered, for quite a while, just how much and what she’d reveal to Darius.

The Dust Devils weren’t rivals to any other group of paranormals. They were their own power and mostly, the rest of them just left the Devils alone. Genevieve saw the intelligence in that decision. She did the same until she met Darius and then he sort of made himself at home in her head.

“Last night, Rowan and I were on an investigation that led us to a witch and her land out in the middle of nowhere. When I was dealing with her—the witch I mean—I was able to use the magics that had collected. Those magics were unusual to me, but seemed to quicken at my intent. They obeyed me. And not her. Though she insinuated she’d used those magics and seemed put out they’d abandoned her.”

“We were aware of this witch you speak of. She had warded her land to keep us out. Which leads me to believe she’s in league with our enemies.”

“Who would that be? Your enemies?”

“Let’s get back to that in a bit. This witch you defeated, you killed her, yes?”

Genevieve shrugged. “She was in violation of the Conclave’s laws and of the Treaty. Rowan was there, she saw it all. If I hadn’t killed this witch, Rowan certainly would have.”

“She needed killing. I’m not here to question your rights to kill her. I’m here about the way you awakened our land and it came to your call.”

“And that’s what makes me a salt witch then?”

“The way I understand it, there are veins of salt and the ability to use those, or use magic around them without hindrance, makes you a salt witch. And as it happens, my Trick would very much like a salt witch as part of our group.”

“I have a job already. I’m not a witch for hire.”

He laughed and damn him, she was charmed. “I meant no offense. A salt witch in our ranks merely means we can pull in more power, more magic and store it without too much effort. It means we are no longer hungry.”

“I know very little about how the Dust Devils work.” As much as she hated to admit it.

He looked her over for several long moments. “We don’t like to give too much away,” he said at last.

“But you want me to join with you? Without me knowing what it is I’m doing and who I’m doing it with? I’m far too old for decisions like that. Moreover, I have loyalties and allegiances. I cannot join with anyone else without knowing it would not harm the ones I’m already sworn to protect.”

He put the book on the table. “What I’m about to tell you cannot be shared.”

Could she make that promise without knowing whatever it was he was about to say?

Her gut warmed. Her magic had risen the moment she answered the door and it liked him very much. That was a good sign. An omen she didn’t need to ignore.

Genevieve nodded.

“We are chaos demigods. Much like the Wild Hunt. We gather our power in various ways. I won’t go into how other Tricks work because that’s not my secret to share. But I can tell you the Trick here in Las Vegas rides, taking all the anger, frantic worry, sadness, greed and sex from the air. This is what nourishes us and keeps us strong and able to hold the lands we possess.”

“The Wild Hunt. Are you Fae?”

He paused. “Once we were. Millennia ago. We are something else now. Something more. Something changed from all our time here in this universe.”

“A moment. I’d like to show you something.” Genevieve went inside to grab the spells she’d taken from Patrizia’s house. She handed them to Darius when she went back out.

He looked and his features changed a little. Not so much fear, but...trepidation perhaps. “Where did this come from?”

“Tell me the rest of your story and then I will tell you mine.”

He put the spells on the table. “Each Trick has its own way to gather that power and magic. The harder it is to gather what the Trick needs, the smaller the Trick is and the harder it has to fight to hold territory. We have a buffet here. And we have to fight off interlopers from time to time. The stronger the Trick, the greater the chance that Trick has a