Page 34 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Five

“One problem at a time, Mouse.” Bran lifts me up. “How much longer, witch?”

Rita looks worried. “It should have come off by now. I need more fae magic.”

“Baspin,” Bran says quickly.

“No,” I tell him, my knees buckling again.

“Yes. We’re running out of time. The Summer Queen knows we’ve betrayed her. We need to move. Right fucking now.” He drops my hand but keeps his arm locked around my waist, holding me up. He pulls his cell from his pocket and taps in a command.

The fae answers on the second ring. “Took you long enough.”

“I need you here now.”

“Send me the address and I will be there without delay,” Baspin says, and asks no questions.

Maybe we can trust him.

Maybe I have more allies than I first thought.

I think it takes Baspin less than ten minutes to reach Rita’s house, but it feels like an eternity. I clutch to Bran with everything I have, his cool skin being the only comfort as wave after wave of pain fills my bones.

The fae magic Rita had on hand wasn’t enough, but the spell is deadlocked, trying to finalize itself without enough juice to do it.

By the time Baspin comes into the back garden, I’m on my knees clutching at my stomach, sweat pouring down my temples, my body trembling.

“What have you done to her?” Baspin says, anger turning his ethereal beauty even more lethal.

“Shut the fuck up and get over here,” Bran orders, and Baspin scoffs but does as commanded.

Rita produces an iron blade. Baspin scowls deeper at it.

“I need your blood,” she says.

With a sigh, he offers his pale hand.

The blood comes rushing to the surface the second his skin is split with the blade. He hisses but doesn’t flinch.

Rita catches the blood with the last of her fae sand and blue flames ignite in her hand as she whispers several more words to the magic.

“This should do it,” she says, but she sounds anxious and that makes the pain harder to bear.

I shake in Bran’s grip.

The last bit of sand, now heavy and wet with Baspin’s blood, is smeared over the collar.

The metal burns, sizzling my skin.

I have no control over my body anymore and I tilt my head back, screaming at the sky.

Bran sinks to the earth beside me, holding me fast to him as I flail in his arms.

“How much longer?” he asks.

“Almost done,” Rita says.

The throbbing fills my joints, thrums along every muscle and tendon.

And just when I think I couldn’t possibly bear it a second longer, the collar clanks open and drops to the ground.