Bedeviled (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

C
onsidering all the bad things that had happened a few days ago in the Mediterranean-style tavern Spirits, it took Kyana several minutes to bolster the nerve to enter. Haven had been killed in Spirits, and Kyana had turned her into the monster she was becoming there as well.

So when the new barkeep—the previous one having been the one to kill Haven in the first place—told Kyana that Sixx wasn't there and had been spending her evenings at the Healing Circle, Kyana wasted no time dragging Nettles the hell out of there.

The Healing Circle was frequented mostly by Mystics who wore nothing but monkish clothing and took vows of poverty. Sixx, on the other hand, was dressed in leather, her black and blond hair in roughly nine million braids. She was easy enough to find amid the wandering bodies draped in burlap and tweed, even in the moonless dark that shrouded the Circle now.

Kyana dropped Nettles's bags, then plopped down beside Sixx on the low stone wall encasing the garden of herbs behind them. Sixx unfolded her legs and popped open one eye to glare before snapping it closed again.

“You broke my Zen,” she muttered.

“I'll buy you a new one.”

“Silas didn't tell me you were a comedian.”

Kyana was sure there was
a lot
Silas hadn't told the Witch, but thought it best not to say so. She didn't want to be here. She didn't like Sixx. Not that she had any real reason to dislike her. She just . . . did.

But right now, she had to play nice so Sixx would help her.

“I have a message for you. From Silas,” Kyana started, hoping her olive branch wouldn't be seen for the fake it truly was.

Nettles eased between them, brave soul, and slid her bag beneath her feet.

Sixx sighed, scooted over, and dropped her meditation stance. She wore a confused glimmer in her eye as she took in Nettles before settling her gaze on Kyana.

“If it's about him becoming Poseidon's Vessel, you're about fifteen minutes too late.”

Kyana hadn't really listened when Silas introduced them, but now she heard the low, throaty whisper of Sixx's voice, and it sent a warm flow through her veins. She didn't swing that way, but she could definitely see how that kind of voice would catch a guy like Silas and hook him for a good long while. Till he got bored, at least.

Which he would. He always did.

He and Kyana had that in common.

She cleared her throat and forced a smile. One didn't bite one's enemy, then ask it for a favor. “He wants you to hang around here until the rightful Chosen is found and he can leave Olympus.”

“Well isn't that just lovely?” Sixx stared up at the sky as if she thought she'd see Silas. After a minute, she turned her attention back to Kyana. “Tell him thanks, but no. We had an assignment before you rang. I'm not sitting on my ass doing nothing for who knows how long.”

Seeing her opening, Kyana grabbed hold of it. “Bored?”

Sixx grinned. Not a friendly grin either. More of a sarcastic, unimpressed grin.

“I know who you are.” The way her gaze traveled over Kyana, she knew she was being measured. Sixx was trying to figure out whether Silas did all the naughty things to Kyana that he'd likely done to her. She had
no
idea. “What do you really want?”

“How are you at cloaking spells or making amulets?”

This actually made Sixx laugh. “You do know I'm a Witch, right? We're practically born with the skills to make something so simple.”

Oh yay. She has ego too.

Kyana didn't have a lot of time to waste. Nettles's vision didn't give them an exact time of Haven's arrival, only that it would be before sunrise. “What do you need to do a cloaking spell?”

“Just these sexy ass hands, babe. Why?” Her gaze narrowed and she raised a perfectly tweezed black brow. “What's going down?”

Kyana ignored her question and pressed on. “How 'bout an Illusion Charm? What would you need to make me one of those?”

Sixx's brow didn't lower the slightest bit. She was intrigued. Like Kyana, she seemed more uneasy with sitting on her ass than working.

“Some precious metal. I have enough chameleon blood to do both the spell and charm.”

The Illusion Charm would hide Kyana from sight, and that was simple enough. She just had to wear it around her neck. But the cloaking spell—she would have to drink a potion to make herself as concealed as possible. Apparently, the substance of choice for this particular task was going to be nasty.

Without the spell, Haven might not be able to see Kyana, but she'd sure as hell be able to smell her. Oh well. Drinking blood never turned Kyana off before.

“All right,” she said, pushing to her feet. Poor Nettles looked ill. She wasn't even going to have to drink the stuff.
Wimp
. “I'll take both.”

Sixx's lip twitched. To sneer or fighting a smile? Kyana couldn't tell.

“I'm sure you would. But I don't do things for free, Kyana.”

Big surprise.

“What do you want?” she asked through gritted teeth.

“If I have to sit one more minute in this horribly dull place, I'm going to sacrifice myself to Zeus. I need action. Fun. And you're going to give it to me.”

Being Witchless didn't seem so bad now.

“I'm not babysitting you. I'm trying to save the damned world.”

Sixx's painted red lips curled into a grin. “Find another Witch then.”

As she pushed past Kyana, she caught a whiff of something that froze her in place. Sixx's pheromones weren't just Witchy.

There was an underlying base of cider, of dead roses that she knew all too well.

“Holy shit,” she breathed, catching Sixx's arm. “You're half Vampyre.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

W
hy hadn't Kyana smelled it sooner? Maybe because she'd never smelled a Witch/Vampyre combo before. And to her credit, the Vampyric scent in Sixx's blood was far weaker than the Witchy one.

“Genetic. Not turned,” Sixx hissed, jerking her arm from Kyana's grasp. “And could you keep it down? I'm not particularly fond of anyone knowing my business.”

“What does that mean, genetic?” The only genetic Vamp Kyana had run into had been disfigured and disgusting.

“It means a great-great-great-great something-or-other was pure Vamp and had babies and generations later, voilà.” Irritation fired to life in Sixx's black eyes. “I don't drink blood. Hell, I don't even eat meat. Pure vegan here, so you can stop looking at me like I'm on your to-be-hunted list, 'kay?”

Wow. Procreating Vamps. Kyana knew it was possible, but it was so rare that she'd never met another Vampyre who'd been able to have kids in the more than two hundred years that she'd been alive.

“Is everyone in your family fertile?”

Sixx stepped back, her face scrunched into a grimace. “Do you want my help or not? I might not drink blood, but I'm quick and strong and can more than hold my own if you run into trouble.”

Kyana had to admit, she was less hesitant to take her up on it now that she was so intrigued. Haven made up three species: Witch, Lychen, and Vampyre. Before Kyana's goddess blood was fully developed, she made up two of those breeds: Lychen and Vampyre. Sixx made up a separate combination of the beast inside Haven: Witch and Vampyre. The odds were definitely more in Kyana's favor if she brought Sixx along.

“All right,” she said. “You're in. But I need the charms and the spell pronto.”

“Fine.” Sixx pushed past Nettles. “I need to get to Silas's bike so I can get my bag.”

“We'll wait for you at Spirits.” Not that she was particularly excited about returning to the tavern, but they'd need privacy to perform the magic and they weren't going to get that here.

“Do I get to know what this is about any time soon?”

Kyana scowled. “You'll learn only what you need to know, when you need to know it. Now go. And Sixx? Hurry the hell up.”

Since Kyana didn't own a watch, she wasn't sure how long it took Sixx to show up at the tavern, but it felt like an eternity when the Witch finally made her reappearance.

“I hate being kept waiting,” Kyana scolded.

“Deal with it,” Sixx said, tossing Kyana a charm. “Don't put that on till you're ready to use it.”

Knowing better than to disobey when it came to Witchy magic, Kyana put the thing in her pocket. Sixx slipped the mate between her breasts, then pointed to the stairs.

“I can do the spell in my room. Let's go.”

Waiting for Nettles to go first, Kyana paused at the bottom of the steps and glanced around the near vacant
kafenion
. The place still reeked of hookah smoke and memories of a happier time that refused to die. In the corner booth, she could still see herself sitting with Geoffrey and a very angry Ryker who'd just taken a swim with the spirits of the River Styx thanks to her. And the table where she and Haven had sat discussing the state of the world before its biggest threat had become so personal.

This had once been her second home, where she came to fulfill her need for blood with a little raki. Where she shot the shit with the barkeep Marcus before she'd killed him for murdering Haven.

“Are you coming?” Sixx's demand was whispered, but it made Kyana jump. She couldn't lose her focus. She might not be able to make up for past hurts, but she could sure as hell try to fix the future.

She followed the other two women up the stairs, past the room where she and her friends, old and new, had spent so much time trying to identify the traitor who'd been killing Chosen, and stepped into a room at the end of the hall.

An entire wardrobe covered the carpet. Kyana was pretty sure she was walking on dirty underwear as she made her way to the bed where Sixx was getting situated.

“Sure you don't want to let me in on what we're doing?”

Kyana shook her head. Sixx would find out soon enough that they might be coming face-to-face with Haven. But if Haven didn't show up, there was no reason to let Sixx in on the details.

Her gaze fell upon two curved knives lying on Sixx's pillow. “You're not going to need those.”

Sixx tucked the knives into the sheaths at her waist. “They go where I go.”

She knelt on the bed, smoothing the blanket under her knees, then pulled two small vials out of her cleavage. Apparently, her breasts were her pocketbooks. Kyana didn't want to know what else she kept hidden in there.

“Here. Sit.” Gesturing for Kyana to settle beside her, Sixx waved a free hand at a chair in the corner. “Nettles, you can sit over there. Just remain as silent as possible.”

Nettles curled her little body on the ratty chair and wrapped her arms around her knees. The poor Seer looked ready to piss herself, and if the pallor of her face meant anything, possibly faint. Kyana offered her a sympathetic look before taking her place beside Sixx. As she sat down, she couldn't help but wonder if this was a bad idea.

Her gaze dropped to the weapons at Sixx's waist. She had no reason to trust Sixx's abilities, other than Silas's brief recommendation. For all Kyana knew, she could end up with nothing more than a major headache when all this was done.

But without Sixx's magic, getting to Haven wasn't even a possibility right now. If she was going to lay a trap, she had to become undetectable. Blind faith was required, and it soured Kyana's belly that she had no choice but to place that faith in a Witch she didn't even like. A Dark Breed Witch, no less.

This could turn out very, very badly.

She cleared her throat. “What do you need me to do?”

Sixx handed her one of the vials. “Pop the cork and hold the vial to your lips but do not drink. Hold my hand, and when I squeeze yours, tilt your head back and let the contents run down your throat.”

Kyana raised her brow. “Why do I have to hold it in my mouth?”

“Because if you let go of my hands to lift it to your lips, you'll no longer be in my circle. You want this to work or not?”

“Fine. Fine.” She popped the cork, releasing a bitter scent into the air that was so strong, her eyes watered. How was she supposed to keep that so close to her nose while Sixx cast her spell? “What the hell's in this?”

“Other than lizard blood?” Sixx smiled. “You really don't want to know.”

The Witch placed the lip of the vial between her own, leaving Kyana to wonder how she was going to cast a spell with that thing in her mouth. But rather than waste more time with questions, she mimicked her actions. The glass vial clinked against her teeth, and she tightened her lips into a thin line, gripping the thankfully light weight as tightly as possible.

Careful to keep her head down so the liquid wouldn't spill too early, she let Sixx grab her hands, noting how icy the woman's skin was. Like Kyana's. Vampyric skin.

“I could perhaps hold the vials for you both and pour them into your mouths when you signal me.”

It had become so quiet in the room, Nettles's suggestion nearly caused Kyana to fling the vial out of her mouth and across the room as she snapped her head to look at the Seer.

“Yeah,” she muttered around the tube. “Lesh do tha'.”

“Fine.” Sixx pulled the potion from her mouth. “I'm not used to spell crafting with other people. Nettles, come take them. Watch for my eyes to open. That will be your signal to pour. Kyana, keep your mouth open and your head tilted so that you're ready when she is.”

Kyana nodded, grateful for the feel of the vial being slipped out from between her lips as Nettles carefully claimed possession of the potion. Sixx grabbed her hands again and shifted on the bed so that they sat Indian-style, facing each other.

“Get on with it,” she said.

“Close your eyes.”

She obeyed, fighting the urge to crack one eye open enough to watch Sixx, but afraid to do so in case that one act of defiance screwed up the spell. Sixx's voice filled the small room. She was pretty sure the words were some form of Gaelic. Somewhere in the foreign language, she thought she heard a reference to chameleon, but that was only a guess.

Sixx could have been summoning a camel for all Kyana could tell.

It was in that moment that warm liquid flowed into her mouth. She sputtered, nearly forgetting to keep her eyes closed, and struggled not to flail and let go of Sixx's hands. The potion tasted like taking a big gulp of freshly paved road that had just been engulfed in a wildfire. The instant Sixx dropped her hands; Kyana gripped her throat and let loose a string of coughs.

When her eyes stopped watering and her throat stopped burning, she swallowed and found her voice. “Thousands of years of Witchcraft and not a one of you can make a potion that doesn't taste like ass.”

Sixx looked at her speculatively, then shrugged. “It's magic. Not fine dining.”

Kyana ran her tongue around her mouth, grateful there was no lingering aftertaste. “Did it work?”

“It will work in conjunction with the amulet I gave you.” Sixx eased off the bed, slung her bag over her shoulder, and waited for her to stand. “When we're ready to disappear, put the charm around your neck, grip it in your fist, and Haven will not be able to sense you.”

Kyana stiffened. “I didn't say anything about Haven.”

Sixx eyed her and smirked. “Not all blonds are stupid. Everyone knows who you're hunting, so it's pretty easy to figure out who, exactly, you don't want tracing
you
.”

“You won't touch her,” Kyana warned. “Whatever you think you know, the only thing you need to remember now is that she is
not
your prize to catch.”

Sixx shrugged. “Whatever. You're the mighty Huntress. I'm sure you won't have any trouble bringing her down on your own.”

Rising to her feet, Kyana inhaled deeply to find calm. She froze. “Some of my scent . . .
your
scent, is already gone.”

The Witch nodded. “By the time we get downstairs, it should be completely untraceable. But you need the potion
and
the charm to make all other evidence of your presence disappear.”

As Sixx had predicted, by the time they were outside, she couldn't have traced the Witch even if she'd shifted into Lychen.

“You're good,” she offered reluctantly.

Sixx grinned. “I know.”

They walked with Nettles nestled safely between them. After they'd traveled a couple of blocks, Kyana fingered the charm in her pocket.

“Haven makes me Illusion Charms so when I shift back and forth from Lychen, the rest of the world sees me clothed.” Which, by the way, had led to one of her most embarrassing moments this century—finding out Ryker and all gods/demigods, could see through the illusion. She had been strutting around naked in front of him and hadn't realized he'd seen every bit of her for hours on end. “Why does this one need a potion to make it work?”

They turned down a side street and onto the cobblestone path that would take them to Nettles's townhouse. “Because you're using both an Illusion Charm and a cloaking spell together. If you don't use them as a pair, the Illusion Charm will wipe away the effects of the spell and vice versa. You'll be invisible but your scent will return.”

Interesting. She would have to remember to ask Haven if she knew of the combination when all this was over.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked Nettles. “We can take your belongings back to your house. Enough of your scent should be on them to make Haven think you're there.”

Instead of answering, Nettles stubbornly lifted her chin. Sixx looked at Kyana with raised eyebrows. “She on a mission or just got a death wish?”

“Seers are an odd bunch.” Of course, since Nettles was the only Seer she had ever been around, she wasn't sure if Nettles was the exception or the norm, really. “She had a vision and feels if we don't do everything as she saw it, then I won't catch Haven.”

“Hmm. And did she see me in her little vision?”

“Didn't ask.”

“You might have been under your Illusion Charm in my vision. You
could
have been there,” Nettles said, sounding miffed.

“Okay. I'll buy that.” Sixx turned back to Kyana. “What happens if we don't stop your friend?”

Not liking the
we
in that question at all, yet knowing there was no way around it, Kyana sighed. “Haven will cut out Nettles's eyeballs and find a spell that will give her the answers she wants.”

“Ew.”

“Ew, indeed.” She quickly ran down her plan of attack. “When Haven makes her move, I'll bring her down.”

“And me?”

“Protect the Seer and get her to safety if your spells don't work and Haven gets past me.”

“You'd better not let it get that far. Your threats aside . . .” That smug look filled Sixx's face again. “If she comes near the Seer, it'll be the last move she makes.”

Kyana spun around and pinned her with a glare. “Don't even think about laying a hand on Haven or I swear—”

“There's a bounty on her head. She's fair game and your threats don't hold weight when it comes to the wishes of the gods.”

“I
am
the gods now. Understand?”

“If you hope to catch your friend, you need to learn not to threaten those trying to help you.”

She couldn't help it. She lunged for Sixx, wanting to smack the sass right out of her. But before her hand could close around Sixx's throat, the Witch began to flicker as though she stood in the middle of a hundred candles.

Then, she disappeared leaving Kyana holding nothing but air.