Both Hanna and Asher give me perplexing expressions. I’m sure Jullia would be too but her face is still buried in Asher’s chest.
“But anyways,” I stare straight at Asher, “thank you for keeping that secret from Thorne. And I’m sorry he beat you up because of it.”
He shrugs it off and finally Jullia straightens out of his hold.
“But,” she interjects, “what do we do now?”
All four of us stay silent. True. With Thorne still having a suspicion and with his beating to Asher I doubt he’ll just drop it. I wonder if I threaten him with Nana he’ll stop. She’s not much when you first look at her, and she’s had over a thousand yearsto control and hide her magical energy and aura. And as a bone witch she has power greater than most beings.
Actually, that might not be a bad plan.
“What?” Jullia blurts. I look at her looking straight at me. “What are you thinking?”
A slow grin curls on my lips as I continue thinking about it. Not that I would have any way to pull through with my threat, but maybe announcing it is enough. Especially if I use her blood I have stored in one of my vials.
“I think we should go to his party tonight.” All three of them look at me like I’ve grown three heads. “What’s a blood demon most afraid of?”
Now all three of them look like I’m crazy. It only makes me smile more.
“Uhh, something that can kill them?” Hanna tries.
I shrug. “More or less, yeah sure. I guess I should have said who. My point though, a blood demon is only as powerful as their blood and body is. Take away one of those and they’re crippled. What is the one race known for controlling bodies?”
Asher laughs in disbelief. “You’re insane. How are we going to find a bone witch willing to help us? Witches are more or less extinct now.” At least I didn’t have to spell that out. I guess Nana was right about that being a universal truth after all.
Taking off another charm from my necklace – this one a long thin vile – I unscrew the lid and let the scent waft into the air. Nana had said it was a precaution, just in case I needed an additional threat I could back it up.
Asher’s eyes widen at that and Jullia stares at it with questions. Of course she would, not all races can scent things the way others can.
“This is the blood of a bone witch. Nana, she works in the kitchen at the brothel.” I screw the lid back on and chain it back to my necklace. “So, we go to the party and if Thorne tries anything again I threaten to sick who has always been like a grandmother to me on him.”
The three of them continue watching me like I’m not real.
“What kind of fucking place were you living at before you came here?”
I just laugh at Hanna. “I told you. A brothel. Well, actually it’s a strip club in New York, but behind closed doors it’s a brothel. It’s home.”
I miss it. But no time for reminiscing. Jullia agrees with my plan and Hanna goes along with it because she says she was going to be hanging out with us anyway. Asher looks nervous about it but doesn’t go against it.
Jullia kicks Asher out for now as the three of us get ready. Jullia pulls dresses and tops from her wardrobe for the three of us to wear as Hanna gets out Jullia’s makeup kit.
“Pants and a long sleeve,” I state. Jullia doesn’t question it as she hands me a pair of skinny jeans and a tight fitting ribbed turtleneck. I’ve reasoned with myself that I don’t have to feel guilty for borrowing Jullia’s clothes tonight because I’m hopefully getting Thorne off my back as well as Asher’s. I don’t need anyone else getting hurt because of me.
I lay the pants and shirt on my bed as I start stripping. There’s a tiny gasp behind me and as I turn I just now rememberthat Hanna is still in the room and she hadn’t seen any of my scars before.
She’s standing in the middle of the room holding what looks like a sparkly lilac dress but it almost slips through her fingers as she stares at me.
Fuck.
Is it bad I hope she’s not like Jullia?
“You kept talking about scars. . . “
Her words trail off as her eyes continue to trace over my body. I watch them eye the teeth marks and the ones from knives. Since my back is facing her she’ll be able to see the ones from whips and other things I can’t always remember. That devil had been cleaver with his punishments. And his little mage fated never cared enough to stop his atrocities.
Pulling Jullia’s shirt over my head I begin pulling down my skirt and stockings. “There’s more on my legs,” I call out. “Just to give you a heads up.”
Neither of them say anything as I straighten in just the shirt and underwear and lay my skirt and stockings on the bed. Then I grab the pants and shove a leg in. They’re not quite as tight as I’m sure they would be on Jullia. She has slightly bigger muscles than I do.
