Chapter 12 #2
My blood ran cold. There was no way. Turning a witch was an impossibility, like turning lead into gold. There were rumors of hybrids, and Addy even knew one, but never one who’d been attacked simultaneously like me.
His voice sounded exasperated. “Do you know who the shifter was?”
When I stayed silent, a laugh cracked through the house like lightning. “My gods. It was Silas, wasn’t it? How in the world did you manage to land in a fight between the Shifter King and Vampire Prime? It’s a miracle you’re alive.”
“I’m well aware,” I said dryly. “But in a few days’ time, I may not be.”
“You’re going to dinner with him.” Not a question, but Edmund’s voice dripped with disapproval.
“Drop the judgy tone, house spirit. I have no choice.”
“There’s always a choice.” He sniffed.
“Hmm. Dinner with the Prime or jail? I’ll take the option without the bars, please.”
“He’ll imprison you anyway if you aren’t careful.”
“I’m well aware of how screwed I am, thank you very much.” I rummaged through the cabinets and pulled out the stuff to make alfredo. Fresh pasta from the local Italian store, butter, a shallot, garlic, cream, and a block of parmesan. Salt, pepper, and nutmeg from the spice cabinet.
As my hands got busy with chopping the shallot and garlic, my mind whirled.
I needed to call my contact and figure out how to switch up the couriers or make alternate arrangements for my shipments to go out.
If the Prime had uncovered my business that easily, it was only a matter of time before someone else stumbled upon my secret.
But even more worrisome was the prospect of dinner with the Vampire Prime. What did he want and why was he so insistent I accompany him? I was low on the totem pole and could give him nothing he didn’t already have. His insistence on meeting made me borderline paranoid.
If he wanted to kill me, he could have done it at any time, even in the shop. No one would have stopped him.
“He wants something from you,” Edmund said. “Once you provide it, he will never leave you alone.”
I snorted. “I run a black magic apothecary out of my basement. Maybe he needs an STD cure.” The thought of that made me grin.
I heated up butter in the pan, and when it was sizzling, I tossed in the shallots and cooked them until they were soft.
“Funny,” Edmund said, his voice monotone. “Will you at least try to take this seriously?”
I added in the garlic, stirred, and cooked it until the fragrance filled the air before adding in the cream and turning the heat down. Once I had a separate pot of water on to boil, I added grated parmesan to the first.
“I’m freaking out inside my head,” I said quietly. “I know I’m screwed. He’s the Prime, Edmund. There’s no escaping his influence.”
He made a disapproving tut. “You are far more powerful than you believe. I’ve seen some of the stuff you’re shipping out.”
I stopped stirring. “Edmund! You aren’t allowed in the basement!”
“You assume I can’t see through your packages.”
I blinked. Could he see through them? A spirit with X-ray vision? I’d seen weirder things.
“Regardless, we both know hedgewitches are underestimated. You have the ability to protect yourself. Don’t let him bully you.”
I added a little nutmeg and some more seasonings to the pan. “I’m not as powerful as a fae,” I muttered.
“Says you,” Edmund said ominously.
I frowned and glanced up at the ceiling. “Hedgewitches primarily practice defensive magic. We’re not aggressors. We prefer staying under the radar. You know this.”
“I do,” he agreed. “There are other creative avenues hedgewitches can take to protect themselves.” He fell silent for a moment.
I heard a thump come from the living room area.
“There’s a book you should take a look at. I’ve opened it to chapter twelve. You might find some interesting info inside.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”
Edmund sighed. “I have to be. Do you have any idea how long it took to get a proper guardian for this house?”
“You do say the sweetest things.” Sarcasm dripped from my voice.
“I’m serious. Having an incompetent owner is worse than having a human running things.”
I added the pasta to the boiling water and set the timer. “Is there a reason you think humans are worse than someone magically incompetent?”
“Because human error usually means something breaks. Many magical faux pas can be corrected.”
I stirred in a little salt. “You can fix something broken too.”
“Yes, but the quality is never as good as the original. Not since that horrid little invention called planned obsolescence. Everything is plastic now and breaks within a year or two.”
The house shivered around me, Edmund’s version of a shudder.
“True. I promise I’ll do my best to replace your parts with originals if I ever need to.”
“Thank you, dear. Now, finish your dinner and take a look at that book. You have work to do before your dinner with the Prime.”
I sure did, but I didn’t think they made how-to guides on faking your own death and disappearing into the ether when a powerful vampire was after you and you were totally screwed.