Page 15 of Adepts and Alchemists

“Christ...” he muttered. “I knew you were a messed up witch, but it takes a special kind of imagination to come up with that sort of spell.”

“It was Mother’s,” I admitted with a shrug. “She pushed the boundaries of known spell craft. I’m a hobbyist compared to her.”

“How did she come across Murrain?”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure where she met Murrain or when he scared her enough to make her run. I suspect he had a hand in the attack that ended her life though. Tensions were high during that skirmish. All he would have had to do was hand the vampires her address.”

We’d been betrayed like that often in the first Blood War. West Coast witches had largely avoided the street fights, harassment, and ambushes. Most of them had avoided active conflict, in general. I hadn’t. Maybe it was fitting that I’d been the one to find the body. I’d used the spell Mother had invented to force the filthy bloodsucker to die by his own fangs, just like she had.

“I’m not interested in hitting you,” Angelo said finally. “I wanted to tell you not to get too used to wearing Lydia’s body. You’re not keeping it.”

The pump clicked and I withdrew the nozzle, trying not to dribble the last bit of gas on Angelo’s shoes. No need to make any of my allies more flammable.

“I didn’t say I was.”

His eyes narrowed on my face. “I know you, Indigo.”

“No, you really don’t.”

He cocked his head to the side. “I’ve met your type plenty of times before. If push comes to shove, you trip your ally and you run. I’m letting you know I’m not letting you do that.”

I wanted to curse him. Wanted to make his insides slither with fire. He was a demon and could probably survive that if he fed soon enough. But Lydia would never forgive me for killing him outright. Nor would she probably condone violence to his person in general. Which meant I couldn’t touch him. Damn her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.

Angelo leaned even closer, until the light from above made shadows pool around his eyes. I couldn’t tell if they’d gone drowning dark or not.

“Yes, you do. You’re a coward, Indigo. You always have been. When things got hard, you didn’t go to your coven. You tracked down your mom’s ex and enlisted in an interspecies war that no one else provoked. You ducked responsibility for the monsters you marked for death. The blood was already dripping from your hands by the time you got caught. You’re just too squeamish to admit it to yourself, let alone to anyone else.”

I replaced the nozzle with unnecessary force, wincing at the clang it made. I couldn’t look up at his superior expression. If I saw contempt written into the lines of his face, I’d hex him for sure. And I needed to save my strength for the fight ahead.

“Yes,” I said crisply. “I’m well aware of what you and Lydia think of me. I’ve lived with her disgust and pity for quite a bit longer than you have, incubus.”

“I know her—”

“—no, you don’t. You didn’t live with her twenty-four-seven. You don’t know her half as well as you think you do. What’s more, I think this whole mating thing is a sham.”

His eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re an incubus. You’re meant to feed from numerous women. You aren’t monogamous, Angelo. We both know that. The point is, I know what you are even if you don’t want to admit as much to yourself. And when you hurt her, I will hurt you back.”

Angelo tensed. I could feel potential violence wound tight inside him, waiting for the signal to snap forward, tearing into his opponent with teeth and claws. The Koloth’s magic made me aware of him, but the connection was weak without Lydia’s soul. He was attached to her, not me.

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s an oath. You aren’t the only one who loves her, Angelo. She and I shared a soul. I know exactly how valuable she is. I wouldn’t have let Andrea have her if I’d had the decision to make. I know what I did. I know what I deserve. But I’m not kidding. We should be laying low. Murrain is going to send things after me when he realizes I’m alive. The longer we take to get into hiding, the more likely it is that Murrain destroys this body too. Then I’ll be a ghost or completely absorbed by Murrain.”

“And Lydia?”

“Lydia would just be gone, if Andrea keeps her. The process can take days or weeks, but the point is that it would kill her. The longer we dally, the worse our chances of surviving.”

“Then seeking out Poppy’s aunt—”

“Grandmother, you idiot.”

“Same thing,” he shrugged.

“I think it’s harebrained and a waste of time.”