Page 49 of Love Bleeds

"Well, that explains things," he said, although it didn't explain anything to anyone but him.

Or maybe there was one other person at the table who could follow along with Puck's train of thought. Talon addressed the witch. "Are you saying that he's under Luke's spell?"

Puck's smile widened. "I'm thinking he has been for a long time. Since before he was turned. If that's the case, Nicolai may not be the only person with a claim on his soul."

They both looked at me.

I shrank back in my seat a little. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never cast a spell on anyone. I'm not a witch or... whatever." Vaguely, I waved my free hand as if I could make the assumption go away.

"No, not a witch," Puck agreed, "but you have witch blood in you, nonetheless. You're Atlus's offspring, and the power of love runs through your veins. It's in your blood. The greatest magic of all, and you cast it without a thought. As easily as other people breathe."

"I didn't..." I tried to protest, but the words died on my lips. What could I say, really? That I'd had no intention to cast any magic on anyone? That there was still a part of me that wasn't convinced magic was even real?

I could have said all that, but in the end, none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was breaking Damian free from his sire. If I had the means to do that... "What do I need to do to give Damian his memories back?"

"Oh, just keep doing what you've been doing," Puck said.

Well, that wasn't very helpful.

Underneath the table, Damian squeezed my hand again. In a world where nothing made sense, his touch was oddly grounding. It reminded me what I needed to focus on. I turned to him. He met my gaze, his expression serious. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

I shook my head once, because I'd already made my decision on this. "I'm going to do whatever it takes."