else. You will not get that from me,” he snapped. His teeth clashed together, and she took a step back from him. It was a show of weakness, and when she realized what she’d done, Saphora bared her teeth at him like a wild animal.
It made Crescious have a tiny, itty-bitty ounce of respect for her.
“Fine,” Saphora spat. “Then your blood.”
Blood magic, Crescious knew, was a witch’s MO. Almost all of their spells called for blood, whether it be all of a creature’s blood or only a drop. The more blood, the more powerful the spell.
“A drop,” he said. “That is all I will shed for you.”
“Your lord must not need this spell very badly,” the high priestess said. “You are being awfully greedy with your payment.”
Crescious rolled his eyes. “Fine, two drops. But nothing more.”
Saphora picked the book up and put it back in the cabinet. Then she pulled out a vial and a dagger. She approached Crescious and held out the items.
He took them. Holding the vial in one hand, he pierced his finger with the tip of the dagger. Then he put the blade in between his teeth as he placed the pierced skin over the open end of the vial. He pushed on the tip of his clawed finger until two drops of blood fell into the container. He wiped his finger on the tattered garment covering his body—some rags he’d donned when he came topside. Crescious didn’t like to wear clothes of any kind, but the air was colder than in the underworld, and it simply wouldn’t be good for his image to be seen shivering.
He held out the vial and the blade to her. “There,” he said. “It is done.”
When Saphora went to grab the vial, he pulled it back. “The spell,” he growled.
With a huff, she walked over to a desk and snatched up a pad and pen. She wrote in a quick, sharp motion, and he wondered if there would be holes in the paper by the time she finished.
A couple of seconds later, she held out the paper to him. She took the vial, and he snatched the paper. Then Saphora grabbed the dagger.
“It’s been a pleasure, witch,” he said.
“You might like to know a couple of things about that spell,” she said before he could disappear.
“What things?” Crescious asked.
“It requires the blood of the one who cast the first spell,” Saphora explained. “It also demands the blood of one who has greater power than the spellcaster.”
When she said nothing more, he narrowed his eyes on her. “Is that all?”
Saphora stared at him, her eyes full of disdain.
Finally, the other witch decided to speak. “You have to tell him, Saphora,” she said, her voice desperate. “He works for the lord of the underworld. Do we really want to draw any more of his attention than we already have?”
“You need the blood of a Blackhorn witch,” Saphora eventually said.
Crescious bared his teeth at her. He should have known that it had been too easy. He’d been about to leave, thinking he had acquired the spell his master needed in under thirty minutes. Fool.
“And what is the price for this witch's blood?” he asked.
“Your name,” Saphora said again.
He began to pace, his feet stomping on the floor as he cursed all witches. They were the reason he was in this situation, as well as Osiris. If witches hadn’t been able to assist Dolion in his quest for power, then none of this would have happened.
But what else could he do? He had to be able to perform the spell. If he showed up in front of his lord without the means to remove the magic keeping Osiris out of Dolion’s chambers, Crescious would suffer unimaginable pain.
After several minutes of cursing, spitting, and generally wishing the witches would burn in hell, he finally said, “Fine. I will give you my name, but there are limits for which you can use it.”
Saphora narrowed her eyes on him and then sharply nodded her head.
“You can only summon me once. And you cannot command me to do anything to harm Osiris, lord of the underworld. You will not command me to open, or attempt to open, the gates of hell.” As he spoke his terms, he sealed his will with the magic given to him by Osiris. It was unbreakable. “If you go against these terms, you will be sent to the underworld and face the wrath of my lord.”
“Let it be done as you have said,”