Page 6 of Battle for the Shadow Prince (A Bargain with the Shadow Prince #2)
6
Old Family Recipe
ELOISE
I stomp into Harcourt Manor with Maeve frustratingly quiet behind me. She hasn’t said a word the entire ride home and asked that I wait until we got here to discuss everything. She said she needed time to process what we’d learned. But I’ve had enough of waiting. I confront her the moment we’re inside.
“What if we offer Valeska a trade? Like we find something else she wants and give it to her if she frees Damien? If that doesn’t work, maybe we can find the third shade, Cassius. Just because Morpheus won’t risk his own hide to help his friend doesn’t mean Cassius won’t.”
When she doesn’t answer right away, I march to the kitchen and grab a bowl from the cupboard. I dig in the fridge and find some deli meat, berries, and leftover vegetable medley. I dump it all in the bowl.
“What’s that for?” Maeve asks as I nudge past her.
“Phantom. The fox I saw last night. I never fed him this morning. At least I think it’s a him. It could be a her. I don’t know. I didn’t get close enough to check.” I rub my aching head and make a point of easing my heavy footsteps as I reach the back door. Quietly I open it and scan the backyard, looking for the critter. When I don’t see the fox, I set the bowl down and snag the empty water dish.
The thunk of Maeve’s moto boots follows me to the kitchen. I yank up the handle on the faucet and fill the bowl, then smack it down again. When I turn around, still fuming, Maeve is blocking the way out.
“What are our next steps?” I ask, meeting her eyes. “How do we get him back?”
She brushes her thick fringe of black bangs to the side and blinks at me through the square frames of her glasses. “I think Morpheus is right. There’s nothing we can do.”
I set the water dish down on the table. “What the fuck, Maeve?”
“You can’t win against the vampire queen, Eloise!” Her voice is raised, stern even, like a mother’s voice. “I’ve heard stories about Valeska since I was a child. Believe me when I say her reputation is well-earned. She slaughtered every rival to rise to her position and has been slowly absorbing covens into her hive ever since, some by force, some by intimidation. Valeska is a ruthless killer from a long bloodline of ruthless killers. Aside from the fact that I can’t get involved without dooming the entire Gowdie family to a war against the vampires, we can’t take any action without risking exposing your identity. Even if we developed your magical abilities, it would take a lifetime for us to get you strong enough to defend yourself against her. And it’s not just her you’d be up against if anyone found out you were his mate. She has the Night Haven military at her command and hundreds of allies across the East Coast.”
I huff. “I can’t beat her in a fight. So what? I’m the fucking key. My sigil can take me anywhere. If I can find out where he is, I can reach him using the symbol, then bring him back the same way.”
Maeve scoffs, shaking her head. “You have no idea if you can do that. From what you’ve shared with me, you have only the narrowest understanding of what your sigil is capable of and are completely unpracticed in its use.”
“I can learn!” I hold my hands out to my sides, my heart pumping harder. “Why am I the only one who thinks rescuing Damien is a priority?” I seethe. “Weren’t you going to give me magic lessons? This seems like a great time to start.”
“And what if you succeed in reaching him using the keyspell? Do you think the queen has Damien somewhere no one is watching him? Do you honestly think you’ll be able to sneak into a vampire dungeon without detection and somehow have enough magic left and everything you need to reperform the spell from scratch to get you both back? I doubt it. Considering how powerful Damien is, she likely has him guarded around the clock. But even if you made it there and somehow succeeded in bringing him back, they would see you and they would come for you. The only thing protecting you right now is that Damien refuses to reveal your identity. We were stupid even to share it with Morpheus. One slip of the tongue and that’s it. You are dead.”
Pressure builds inside my head, my eyes burning, but I have no tears left to shed. I spread my hands out to her. “Why can’t you understand that half of my soul has been severed from me? I can’t live like this.”
The tension in her jaw eases, and she moves closer to me. She rests a supportive hand on my shoulder. “Oh El… Damien is powerful. Really powerful. He’ll get himself out of this. All you have to do is give him time. I guarantee he’s planning his escape right now.”
I bury my face in my hands and rub my eyes with my fingers. “Damien may be immortal and have all the time in the world to free himself. I’m not.” I grab the water dish and shove past her, striding for the back door. This time I see Phantom watching me from the woods. I slowly place the water dish down, then make a kissing noise. Ducking back inside, I watch through the window for a second before Maeve’s voice carries down the hall.
“Eloise, I know you’re frustrated, but try to be clear minded about this.”
I push off the window, mind reeling, and march into the parlor just as the grandfather clock strikes midnight. I wait for the last gong before whirling around to face Maeve, my hands on my hips. “If I could just talk with him… Somehow know that he’s okay?—”
A loud thunk like someone is pounding on the wall interrupts my thoughts. We both look toward the gallery wall as my grandfather’s photos tilt askew. Another thunk comes. Bits of white dust fall from the ceiling. Thunk… thunk… THUNK! The metal grid over the air register pops off, screws shooting across the room and clattering to the floor. The grill drops to the carpet. We both stare at it, then at each other, our brows rising. She seems as baffled as I am. Until a tinny, flapping sound has us looking up toward the vent again. A purple book flies from the gaping hole in the wall and hurls itself into my arms, followed by a plume of dust.
I catch the tome against my gut with an oomph and take a few steps back to find my balance.
“Is that…?” Maeve’s red lips twitch with a nervous smile.
I flip the book over, noting the familiar key on the cover. “My parents’ grimoire.”
I hold it out to show her and gasp when the pages start to flip fast enough to blow back my hair. They fall open about three-quarters from the end. Maeve approaches, glancing between me and the book.
“Hitch and Cast, a spell to find lost loved ones,” I read aloud. “This potion allows the drinker to cast themselves into another’s dreams while anchoring themselves in the present.”
“It says you’ll be able to communicate with your target lucidly, as if you’re actually there.” Maeve reads over my shoulder.
“I can use this to talk to Damien—find out how I can help him!” I run my finger down the list of ingredients. “Do you know where I can find silver sand root?”
“I think I have some at home. Actually, I have most of these things.”
“You do? Can we get them now? How long do you think it will take to brew?”
She holds up a hand. “Not long, but it will have to wait until morning.”
“Why?” My question comes out with a sharp edge, and I can’t miss the way she winces at my tone.
“Chill out, El. I’ll help you, okay, but you need to take a beat.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “I’m just ready to come out of my skin.”
“I know.” She rubs my back supportively. “We have to wait until morning because shades sleep during the day, and he has to be asleep for you to enter his dreams.”
I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly, feeling like a fool. Of course she’s right. And this is why she’s been acting like she has. I’m in such pain that I can’t think clearly. “Oh my God, Maeve. I’m sorry. I?—”
“It’s okay. I’ve never experienced a mating bond, but I’ve read about them. I knew when you decided to mate with Damien that there would be consequences.”
“So did I,” I say. “And I would have been fine with them if he hadn’t been taken.”
She shakes her head. “This isn’t me saying I told you so, El. This is me letting you know I’ll help you. I’m going to go back to the office and clear tomorrow’s schedule. I’ll be here in the morning to brew the Hitch and Cast potion.”
I set the open grimoire down on the sofa and give her a long hug. When she pulls back, she looks at the vent again and then up at the ceiling, then back to me.
I shrug.
“If you see Grams again while I’m gone, say hello from me.”