Anya Bast - Witch Heart

"I have a feeling it's both." Adam pulled his wallet out and threw some bills on the table. "Either way, we'd better get moving." He stood.

Claire walked to them, face pale. "I have to tell—"

"We know." Adam pulled her against him, wanting to protect her against everything coming their way. "The waitress told us. We have to get the fuck out here." He turned and walked toward the door, pulling her behind him.

"No!"

Adam stopped and turned.

She shook her head. "I'm not running anymore. The Atrika are probably using the aeamon for spell-work. That means the others could still be alive. We have to try and get them back."

"Yeah, I suspect the same thing. I'm through running too, Claire."

"It's a trap," said Theo, standing. "They're using them as bait."

Adam rubbed his chin, thinking about a strategic course of action. "I know. It's time we made a stand." He turned on his heel and walked out of the restaurant.

Adam glanced at Theo and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "As a witch, I don't feel good about stopping in a place named Salem, even if it's in Missouri."

Claire had to think for a moment before she got the reference to Salem, Massachusetts, and the witch trials. It had been a part of her education, stuffed away in the back of her brain.

She often felt one step behind everyone else. In the car between Ames, Iowa, and the restaurant in Missouri where they'd received the bad news, he and Theo had talked about something called a Slinky and it had perplexed her for a good half hour.

They were making their stand in a rented cabin out in the middle of the woods near Salem. A town selected because it had a store that dealt in rare weaponry and antiquities. Theo had found that out by searching for stores that met their needs on something called Google accessed from a small electronic box he called a PDA.

They were fortunate enough to locate a mecca for collectors, a store that boasted lots of copper weaponry, among other things. Adam was delighted to find a copper sword. All the copper weapons Theo and Adam had brought from the Coven had been left at the house in Crocus Hill.

Their shopping spree left them well-armed, but Claire knew it would come down to magick, not swords or knives.

Since they couldn't go to the Atrika, they were going to let the Atrika come to them. The cabin in the woods meant they'd be able to fight freely and not draw attention from nonmagickicals.

"I think it's kind of fitting," announced Theo as they brought in the last of what they'd purchased from the car. "Witches are always burned in Salem."

"Sure, now he gets a sense of humor," muttered Adam.

From what Claire knew of the kind of dark magick the Atrika used, most likely the Atrika already knew their position. They'd probably used the first two witches for some kind of tracking spell. She believed the Atrika would keep the remaining witches alive in case they needed them later for blood magick.

She hoped.

"They'll be driving some kind of van or large SUV. Tinted windows, so no one can see in." She'd been giving them her thoughts on the situation as they worked. "They'll be keeping the witches in stasis."

Theo halted. "Stasis?"

"All daaeman hold venom in their fangs. When they're in a killing rage, the fangs extend. They're like spiders. They bite their victims and render them immobile. Depending on the strength of the venom, the victim may not retain all their senses, but they will stay alive."

Adam took some food out of a brown paper sack in the kitchen. "Boyle bit Isabelle last year, right before he was going to kill her."

Claire shuddered. "Yes, they can keep a victim in stasis for long periods of time with regular doses of their venom."

Adam walked to the huge fireplace that dominated the open living room and started a fire on the logs with a burst of magick. "How long can they endure that without bad side effects?"

Claire shrugged. "On an aeamon. I have no idea. Isabelle is the first I've heard to undergo stasis. The Ytrayi have never used it on me, so I don't know."

Adam's cell phone vibrated and he took it from his back pocket. "Hey, Thomas."

Thomas yelled so loud that Adam jerked and held the phone away from his ear.

"Yeah, I know," answered Adam, "but they're going to catch up with us sooner or later. This way, at least we've got a chance of saving the other witches." He listened for a while and then glanced at her. "I got her covered. Got that covered, too. Yeah, yeah." He snapped his phone closed.

"Thomas not happy with our plan?" asked Theo.

"Nope, but I don't see another option at this point and neither does he. If we keep running, they'll keep chasing and killing witches while they come. Plus, when they catch us, we won't have our heels dug in and be ready for them. Anyway, being chased around goes against my grain. I'm not the running type, are you, Theo?"

"Nope."

"Didn't think so."

Adam walked over and gave her the cell phone. "Micah's going to be calling in a few minutes. He wants you to go somewhere quiet for the call. You can take one of the bedrooms while Theo and I finish getting set up."

"All right." She took the phone from him and he grabbed her wrist, deliberately stroking his warm fingers over the inside of her hand. His gaze held hers. There seemed to be a world of emotion and unsaid things in his eyes.

All she wanted right now was to find the couch or a bed and curl with him. He made her feel safe, loved, protected— cherished. She wanted the world to go away, the Atrika, all of it.

In that one moment she wanted Adam with all she was.

With effort she pulled from his grasp. "Thanks." The phone felt smooth and warm from Adam's hand. She walked into one of the two bedrooms off the living room and shut the door behind her.

The cabin was posh. It was rented out to rich people who liked to hunt or go for romantic interludes, according to Adam.

It was just a vacation spot, but she'd happily make it her home if she could. It was a pity it was so nice, since with the Atrika on the way it was likely to be badly damaged.

There were two bedrooms, both decorated in dark primary colors. Overstuffed furniture with lots of pillows and throw blankets were scattered throughout the space. This bedroom had a king-size bed, a long carved wood dresser, numerous brightly colored area rugs covering the hardwood floors. It even had its own bathroom.

As soon as she'd sat down on the bed, the cell vibrated in her hand. "Hello?"

There was a long pause on the other end. "Claire?" queried a rich, low voice on the other end.

"Yes?"

"It's such a privilege to finally talk to you." Pause. The man sounded a little awed. "Wow. I have so many things to ask you I can't even pick one thing."

Claire smiled into the receiver. His voice quavered with excitement. "I'm told you're sort of the Coven archivist and you've been studying as much of Eudae and the daaeman breeds as you can."

"Night and day. It's my obsession. I'm the Coven's walking encyclopedia of all things demon. We didn't know very much before the ordeal last year with Erasmus Boyle. Since then our base of information has really exploded, but there's still lots of things we don't know."

"Well, Micah, I'd be happy to add to your knowledge whenever you like."

"Thank you so much." He blew out a hard breath. "Okay, let me organize my thoughts a moment. I called about the elium, specifically. The rest will have to wait. Our goal is to keep you alive and the elium out of the hands of the Atrika."

"I would appreciate that."