Page 36 of Love Bleeds

Chapter Thirteen

"Drink this." The witch handed him a glass. Crimson eyed the blue liquid suspiciously. Aldrich had explained the situation to Puck and insisted Puck pay him back for 'that one thing' they had done 'that one time' if he wanted any chance of experiencing 'a high like that' ever again.

Crimson could only suspect that the two of them had a history that he didn't want to know about. Puck hadn't seemed happy to have his hand forced, but in the end, he'd grudgingly agreed to help. After about half an hour of rummaging through shelves and cupboards and throwing things into a pot, he'd produced this oddly shiny liquid.

"This is a one-time favor," he stressed while Crimson was still inspecting his glass. "And you better drink it fast. I don't want your sire on my doorstep." He glanced at Aldrich. "Seriously, I still can't believe you would bring himhere.I should have thrown you both out the minute you came in."

"Please." Aldrich waved him off. "As if a witch as cunning as you would be afraid of a few vamps. You can always throw up some wards once we're gone if it'll make you feel better."

"I should throw up a few wards againstyoudropping in."

Aldrich grinned. "Honestly, it's sweet that you haven't yet."

Puck sighed in exasperation, even though the sparkle of humor never left his eyes. He cut his gaze to Crimson again. "Drink up."

"I don't know why I should trust you," Crimson said.

"I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince you one way or the other," Puck said. "Trust me or don't. It's all the same to me, but you better make up your mind fast. I'm not going to host you for much longer if you don't drink this."

"You're also not going to see the little nerd without drinking that," Aldrich added.

The little nerd... Luke.

Well, that settled it.

Crimson gave the liquid one last look, and then downed it all in one go. It tasted... well, actually it didn't really taste like anything at all. "I don't feel any different."

"You wouldn't, but my potions don't fail," Puck said. "Of course, I could refine them a lot more precisely if I had more ingredients at my disposal but..." Puck glanced at Aldrich and sighed. "All the best blood only comes in limited supplies."

"There was blood in this?" Crimson asked, eyeing the empty glass.

"Doubtful your body would keep it in if there wasn't," Puck pointed out. "You're not squeamish about blood, are you?"

Crimson shook his head.

"That potion will hide you from your sire until the next time you drink blood."

"I see." It wasn't a lot of time, but it was something. Besides, Crimson was used to going without blood. Ironically, Nicolai had trained him for exactly this.

"I don't have the ingredients on hand to make another potion like this," Puck added. "So don't waste it."

"I understand." Crimson turned to Aldrich. "Take me to Luke."

"Hold your horses." Aldrich focused on Puck again. "You don't have anything that would help the nerdling, do you?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to study dhampirs in detail. They keep denying me access."

"You'll keep bringing that up every chance you get, won't you?"

Puck responded with a small shrug of his shoulders. "What's it to you, anyway? You're a free vampire now, yet you keep hanging around."

"Being free means free to do as I please, and believe me, I'm doing exactly that," Aldrich said easily. "Right now, that includes helping the little nerd."

Puck eyed Aldrich for a long moment. "Whatever your goals may be, I'm not a doctor. At least not for medicine. I suggest you get some blood into that poor boy, but that's all the advice I can offer."

Crimson swallowed. The image of Luke pale and passed out on the ground suddenly all too present on his mind. He needed to see him. "Let's just go," he urged Aldrich again.

"Even if I let you race over there right now, you'd just crash into the wards, newbie."