Page 29 of Forty Deaths Till Us Part

There was a small pang of regret as she mentioned the coffee. We had been getting that same breakfast order for over fifteen years. “Good idea.”

Deanna put her apron on the counter and left through the front door as I made my way to the back. We used the stove for cooking our own meals, mostly. It was old, but it worked, and I put a silver pot on the burner before placing all the ingredients I would need on the small counter beside it.

I was so engrossed in my work I barely noticed the click of the back door and I didn’t look up as a figure joined me in the room. “Are they on their way?”

In the quiet haven of my former flower shop, I continued the delicate dance of blending herbs for an antidote. Every additive gave me a sense of purpose with the goal of saving Rene and preventing a war. The earthy aroma of potted plants and recent blooms centered me and reminded me of the countless hours I had spent in this oasis. With the fragrant promise of healing, my fingers worked deftly to create the life-saving antidote.

I was about to turn and find out why Cass hadn’t answered me when an unexpected jolt ripped into my neck. The sharp sting shattered my tranquil resolve as my hand flew to the source of the pain. I blinked as my fingers closed around a tiny, barbed object. I pulled it out, as confusion and shock replaced my bubble of tranquility.

Panic bloomed in my chest as I stumbled back with a wildfire of emotions coursing through me. This pain was unlike anything I had experienced before. It was like a thunderbolt into my bloodstream and my vision wavered before I grabbed the cornerof the table we used to create our arrangements at the store. Who did this to me?

My eyes lifted, before my gaze locked onto a man I had never seen before. While he was a stranger, I recognized his black military gear. He had once been a PSO officer, but had agreed to work for Brigid. Obviously, he wasn’t part of the attack back at the mansion, but that spiteful witch seemed to have an army at her disposal, and it was clear who her main target was. His aura radiated danger, a stark contrast to the delicate flowers surrounding me. I understood his motives, but I needed to stay alive long enough to help Rene. Cass was coming. I just had to hold on.

The searing pain in my neck was moving through my bloodstream, a pulsating reminder that I had let down my guard. I clenched my fists, willing myself to stay strong in the force of the odds against me.

The antidote I was crafting was all but forgotten, as a fierce resolve took root within me. This man had tried to catch me off guard, but I was no victim. I was powerful, and he was about to understand the consequences of an attack on me.

I raised my hands and called on the well of power coursing through me. Electrified whips of light exploded from my fingers, arcing toward him like tendrils of lightning. He dropped the dart gun and bolted back out the back room door before Cass ran in.

“What happened?” she asked.

I pointed to the dart on the ground. “I think it’s Dark Dahlia.”

Cass picked up the dart and smelled it. “It is. But there is something else I don’t recognize.”

I had figured as much, but I hadn’t wanted to scare her. Rene was the first priority. He needed to survive. “Is he on his way?”

Cass frowned as she stared at the dart. “Yes. He will be here in a few minutes. Do you need help with the antidote?”

I pointed at the plants on the counter beside the stove. “Put all those in the pot. I want to see if I can purge whatever poison he hit me with.”

Cass began to place the petals and leaves I had collected from the shop into the pot as I focused on the fire burning through my blood. I could almost see the dark particles infecting the cells around them and when I realized there was no way to stop the infection, I did the same thing Rene did to stall his death. I slowed my blood flow to the brink of death and my limbs became heavy and my fingertips numb.

It would be difficult to keep my poisoning from Rene for long, but I had to complete the antidote before he found out the truth.

I made my way to the stove as Cass put the last of the ingredients in. “That’s good. I am going to do a binding spell to increase potency. This antidote borders on alchemy. The wood chips and various elements go beyond the realm of a mere potion.” I touched the handle of the pot and sent a surge of power into the contents. They flickered before returning to a dark brown, warm elixir.

The front door chimed, and Cass sucked in a breath.

“What is it?”

“Constantine,” she whispered. There was a whisper of fear, and I knew she feared no man in a fight. Rene’s oldest friend scared her on another level, and I turned as he helped Rene into the room.

The overseer was weaker than ever, and Cass helped Constantine place him in the wooden chair in the storeroom.

My gaze moved from Rene’s ashen skin to the man helping him get comfortable in the chair.

Constantine’s face was stern, as if his anger were barely leashed. His stern angular features held an ageless allure, despite the rugged lines etched into his forehead. The pale-yellow color of his eyes reminded me of a cat and hinted at the countless years he had endured. His chiseled jawline exuded his determination to see Rene returned to his former health, and he dared anyone who opposed his mission with each graceful movement.

He had several weapons clipped to his belt, but my gaze continued to wander back to his eyes.

“Wow,” I whispered.

Cass grunted. “Don’t gawk. He has an ego the size of Russia as it is.”

I held my hand out to him. “I’m Raven. It is a pleasure to meet you. Sorry for... gawking. You have the most unusual eyes I have ever seen. Beautiful though.”

Constantine bowed slightly after he pulled his arm from supporting Rene. He shook my hand and glanced at Cassara. “The pleasure is mine, Raven. Do not mind Cassara. She is under the misconception I am here to encroach on her territory.”