of blood.
I went to the basin and looked inside as the light came on again. I called my Gnome and smiled as she appeared, her axe in hand. "Here. But I want to get rid of something first." I nodded to my Gnome.
My Earth Elemental turned and brought her axe down on the basin. The stone cracked. She struck it again and again, until it was little more than rubble and the blood that had collected was gone.
I retrieved the knife and prepared to shove it into the ground.
"Very impressive, Sam. Now you've really screwed things up."
We all turned to face Brendi as she stepped out of the passage we came through. She had my other pistol in her hand. I noticed she wore a glove. Smart, since the iron in that weapon would melt her palm. I brought my pistol up and aimed it at her. I saw the bow at her back; the one Arden took from Circe's. She held a blood soaked arrow in her other hand. "It's done, Brendi."
"It's never done. I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave just yet. I have all of the Cairns guarded. You can't leave Alfheim."
"What exactly did you want the blood for?" Ivan asked. His tone was interesting. It was darker than usual.
"You can see for yourself. It gave you back your sight and it made Sam impervious to the Dragon's flame," she looked past me to Crwys who was motionless in Bastien's arms. "You give him back to me and I will promise you safe passage home."
"Sorry," I smiled. "Not gonna happen." I tossed the pistol to Ivan who caught it in mid air and held out the wooden knife. "Put the arrow down and fight me for him."
"Fight you? Against a wooden knife?" she lowered the bow. "You wish to make a deal again?"
"No deal. Competition. You fight me."
"Sam—" Crwys said.
"Not now, babe," I said as faced Brendi. "Well? You afraid of me…bitch?"
"The deal with my father is over," she tossed down the bow and arrow and summoned a long knife of her own. "You are mine!"
I sidestepped her thrust and planted my left hand on her bare shoulder. She screamed out as the iron ring touched her skin. I used that leverage to push her down on the ground. The skin where the iron touched puckered and turned black as the poison spread.
She looked up at me with wide eyes as I raised the wooden knife. "Never, ever, touch a Witch's man, bitch!" I slammed the knife down into her chest, and as her blood sprayed my face and arms, the knife moved through and stuck the ground beneath. The vibration came as the Cairn was established. The Circle of purple lights appeared, clashing with the blue green light of the symbols.
I stood and looked down at her, the knife pinning her to the ground. Taking my backpack off, I retrieved the water bottle full of metal, uncapped it and handed it to Ivan.
He smiled as he poured it directly into her eyes. They bubbled and smoked as the metal ate them away. The water filled her mouth and Brendi was unable to scream.
Turning, I gestured for Bastien to join us. Bastien helped Crwys as we each knelt and touched the stop of the knife. Crwys faced me as he put his hand on the rowan and I was pretty sure the knife was the only thing holding him up. "Remind me never to piss you off."
"Don't disappear on me again." I took hold of his stiff shirt and kissed him. "Now let's go home."
TWENTY SEVEN
We showed up back in the barn seconds after we left. Bastien helped Crwys into the house where Cromwell offered him a home, land, anything to remove the curse. Staggering and ignoring the old man's chatter, Crwys removed the curse and then promptly fell into a coma.
Arden offered us Gypsy Gardens to recuperate in. I agreed, only because I didn't want to move Crwys around. But I invited she leave and not come back until we were gone. She agreed and called her staff back in to take care of us. No one was going to move me from Crwys's side. I refused to leave his room.
Dharma picked Ivan up that same day and the two of them returned to the city to keep the shop open. Prescott was pretty sure I was hiding at Gypsy Gardens, but she couldn't get the proper warrants to search for me. Cromwell did as