“Didn’t you say the enchantments on the door to the Covenstead have been changed to keep you out?” Lucas cocks an eyebrow and leans back on the couch, one hand going to the wound on his stomach.
“They have.”
“Then how are you going?”
“I won’t be physically walking through.” I leave the living room, going into my rarely used dining room to get the supplies I need.
“You’re astral projecting,” Lucas says, and I nod. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? You told me before it takes a lot out of you, and you haven’t gotten much sleep, you’re a ball of nerves, and you lost a lot of blood yesterday.”
“Not as much as you,” I counter, though I know my argument makes no sense in the context. “And I’ll be fine. I’ll have my familiars watch my body to make sure nothing tries to get inside—”
“Except for me.”
I roll my eyes. “I did pretty much hand that one to you. Just no butt stuff, okay?”
He laughs and then winces from the movement on his stomach. “I prefer you to be awake and willing anyway.”
“I will never be willing when it comes to anal.”
“You’d be surprised by how much you’d enjoy it.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I don’t see how anyone can enjoy that. It’s an out hole, and I prefer not to stretch out my butthole.”
Eliza, who just walked into the living room, throws up her hands, shakes her head, and walks right back out.
“Dammit, I’m almost out of salt.” I look at my jar of black salt and bite my lip. I’ll skimp on my circle, but with three familiars to keep spirits at bay, I don’t need to worry.
I hope.
“Do you have the spell for this written down somewhere?” Lucas asks as I push the coffee table to the side.
“I do. It’s in my Book of Shadows upstairs.”
He makes a move to get up, and I throw up my hand, telekinetically pushing him back down against the cushions. He hefts back, and I drop my hand, hurting him on accident once again.
“I’m sorry,” I rush out. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“It’s fine,” he presses. “I never realized how strong you are since I’m usually stronger.”
“You’ll be stronger again.” I look at my hand and curl my fingers into my palm. I need to stop using my powers around Lucas. I’d never forgive myself if I hurt him.
“Eliza,” Lucas calls, and she’s there in just a second. “Can you get Callie’s Book of Shadows from our bedroom?”
Eliza pops her hip and rests a freshly manicured hand on it. “Am I going to find lingerie and restraints tied to the bedposts?”
Lucas narrows his eyes. “Now.”
“Fine,” she huffs and zooms up the stairs, coming back just a few seconds later. Lucas takes the book from her and flips through it with vampire speed, finding the astral projection spell by the time I get the circle of salt poured on the floor.
“This rhymes in English,” he says, reading the spell that I translated into Latin. “Why did you translate it?”
I shrug and hold my hand over a candle. “Spells sound cooler in Latin? Though it’s harder to remember.”
“Carne hic est animus. Et ambulabunt mecum modo per aerem. Toris et haedis me vinculum quo animo iacet,” he reads. “So you wrote this yourself?”
“I did. It was my senior project at the Academy. I got high marks, of course. I think I got more points or something if the spell was in Latin, but I have a habit of rhyming my spells. I guess old Hollywood movies have rubbed off on me in that sense.”
He sets the book on the couch next to him. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“No, I’m not, but we don’t have much time.” I push the lump in my throat down and look Lucas right in the eye. I won’t bring up that he drank water last night, not in front of Eliza. But he has to know what I’m thinking. My binding spell is temporary. The curse will progress and he’ll come to life only to die. “Guys!” I call and my familiars come running.
So does Scarlet, and Eliza scoops her up just in time. The hellhound whimpers and whines, sounding pathetic, but quiets down when she sees what I’m doing.
I lie down in the salt circle and place a large tourmaline stone on the center of my chest. Binx settles on my stomach, and Pandora and Freya sit at either side of my head, protecting me from anything that lurks through the astral plane.
Closing my eyes, I realize how easily I could fall asleep right now. Lucas was right to ask if this is a good idea. I know it’s not. Astral projection has always come easily to me, but just because it’s easy doesn't mean I should do it.
But for Lucas…I’ll do anything.
I let out a breath, centering myself, and spend an extra few minutes really focusing on grounding my center. Then I bring my hands up, resting them on the tourmaline stone.
“My body is here, my mind is there. Let me walk now through the air. Separate the bond that ties and send me to where my thought now lies,” I whisper aloud, saying the spell in English. I feel myself start to slip into the astral plane. I repeat the spell a few more times, envisioning Evander’s office in my mind.
The room spins, and I feel like I’m being sucked down through a dark hole in the ground, twirling and free falling through the air. The sensation only lasts a few seconds, and then suddenly my feet hit solid ground.
Flames crackle over fresh logs just placed in the large fireplace near Evander’s desk. I spin around and see both Evander and Kristy sitting on a velvet settee. Evander is holding a glass of brandy in his hand, and Olive is sitting on Kristy’s lap
“Callie!” Kristy exclaims and then clamps her hand over her mouth. Right. I’m not supposed to be here. “What are you doing?”
“I needed to talk to you, and neither of you answered.” I zero my gaze on the brandy in Evander’s hand. He’s dressed in traditional garb for teaching at the Academy: black dress pants, a black dress shirt, and a long, blood-colored robe. He probably has another class to get to…I think. I can’t even remember what day it is right now.
“Though,” I go on, “it kind of looks like I interrupted a secret hookup or a secret meeting. If it’s a secret hookup, I’ll come back and we can discuss double-dates later.”
Evander quickly gets to his feet, lips parting. “Sister, you shouldn’t—”
The door to his office opens, and Nicole and Naomi step in. “We came as soon as we could,” Nicole starts and then comes to a dead stop, causing her twin to bump into her. Her eye widen as she looks at me.
“This is a secret meeting!” I throw out my hands. “What the fuck?”
Kristy tips her head and strokes Olive’s white fur. “We don’t have to worry about breaking it to her gently now.”
“What?” I demand.
Evander flicks his wrist, and the office door closes. “Settle down,” he tells me. Nicole goes to give me a hug but stops at the last second, realizing I’m not really here.
“What’s going on?” she asks, knowing I’d only risk projecting myself into forbidden territory if it was absolutely necessary.
“I need to know everything about the curses used to try to bring back the witches after they were turned into vampires,” I spit out quickly and then shake my head. “But why are you all here?”
Kristy gently sets the rabbit on the settee next to her and gets up, pacing to the fireplace. “Ruth’s trial just concluded.”
“Good. How many years without powers did that bitch get?”
Evander and Kristy exchange looks, and I instantly know this is bad.
“She didn’t get any,” Evander tells me, face tightening. “She was found guilty of illegally administering a sleeping draft and was stripped of her position within the Grand Coven. But as for attempting to summon the devil…” He slowly shakes his head. “There wasn’t enough evidence. She’s been set free.”