Anya Bast - Witch Heart

It was Thomas. "How is everyone?" His voice sounded strained.

"Like how you'd think, boss. Not good."

Thomas went silent for a moment, the weight of his sorrow palpable through the cell phone. If Claire felt responsible for the death of the six witches, Adam could only imagine how Thomas was feeling. And, yet, Adam knew that Thomas had taken no chances. He'd done all he could to ensure that the witches had left the Coven undetected. Blame could not be placed on his shoulders.

Adam's hand tightened to pain on the cell phone. Blame lay with the demons, with Rue. His blood heated — literally — and rage clouded his vision for a moment. There was nothing in the universe he wanted more than to make them pay for it.

"Micah has had a breakthrough. You need to bring Claire in."

His blood cooled and his vision cleared. "Booya for good news. Did he figure out a way to extract the elium?"

"Maybe. We're not sure it's going to work, so don't go getting her hopes up yet. This will be an experiment, but we need her here to try it."

"We'll leave this morning."

"Not so fast. Micah also got together with the Coven earth witches and worked up a masking spell. Here's our plan. You cook up this spell over there and use it on the remaining witches. Then you take Claire and go alone, travel back to Chicago."

"What do you mean? The spell will act as a decoy, in case the Atrika throw more blood magick at us?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what it will do… we think. We're dealing with demon magick and we're never sure how it will react. If Micah is right, if the demons try another locating spell, it will lead them to the Coven witches, not to Claire. It gives you enough time to bring her in."

"Fuck, Thomas, it's like serving the witches up on a platter."

"It's not. You told me yourself that Claire has taught you and Theo to effectively wield elemental magick against demon magick. Teach the Coven witches how to do it. You're not leaving them defenseless."

"Claire isn't going to like this. She won't agree. She already feels responsible for the deaths of the six witches. Last night she was ready to leave the cabin just to draw the demons away from the rest of them. No way is she going to agree to making them into bait."

Thomas's voice grew hard. "Then you fucking kidnap her, Adam. Do whatever you have to do to make this work. We need that elium out of her. We need it destroyed. That's more important than anything else."

Adam glanced at Claire, who still sat on the stool, still spoke in low, serious tones to the others. Her hair slipped over her shoulder in a barely kept tangle of dark curls. Her face was pale and drawn, the stress of the situation wearing on her visibly.

Fuck, he just wanted her safe. He wanted that more than he wanted anything else — even revenge on the demons.

He turned away. "Yeah, I'll get it done."

Adam handed the phone over to Theo per Thomas's request and Theo took down the ingredients for the bait spell. Theo did it unobtrusively, so Claire wouldn't notice.

After Theo snapped the cell phone closed, he slid the paper under a bowl filled with fruit. "I think I'm going to let you and Adam teach the techniques, Claire. My charm stores are badly depleted, so I'd better cook today."

Claire frowned at him. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel naked without my charms. I need to spend some time recharging."

"Okay." Claire shrugged.

"We should do this outside, don't you think, Claire?" Adam asked, walking to the door. "It's warm today and it smells like smoke in the cabin — distracting."

"That's a good idea," Claire answered. They headed outside to work, leaving Theo alone to cook up the "bait" charm.

As twilight fell, Adam grew apprehensive about how to get Claire out of the house. He knew all too well she wouldn't go willingly, but he wouldn't — couldn't — kidnap her as Thomas suggested.

By nightfall the spell was in place, accomplished stealthily by Theo using a variety of herbs and minerals. The kitchen still stank heavily of mugwort and winter cherry and it had been difficult to keep an observant Claire from noticing what was going on.

When she asked what all the mugwort and winter cherry was for, Theo had claimed an ordinary charm for deception, but she hadn't looked convinced. They'd been constantly drawing her out of the cabin and into the woods, feigning a desire for fresh air and room to move while they trained.

"What the hell is going on?" Claire demanded, rounding on them all in the living room. "What do you take me for, a novice witch? I felt a powerful spell snap into place about a half hour ago and everyone keeps dragging me outside. I'm freezing!" She turned to Theo. "Mugwort and winter cherry, according to my mother's spell book, are for deception spells, but I know you don't need that much, Theo! The kitchen still stinks of it."

Adam's jaw locked. Damn it.

She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed her gaze on Adam. "Well?" She glanced at Theo and cocked her head to the side. "Theo? Either of you have anything to tell me?"

Adam dragged in a breath and told her.

"It's what I wanted last night," she said when he'd finished. "But not like this. I refuse to run away and leave these witches to be found and picked off by the demons."

Lately Claire had begun using the aeamon pronunciation of demon. Adam counted that as a positive sign of her becoming more accustomed to life on Earth.

"With all due respect," drawled James from the corner. "We're targets whether you stay or go."

"And it's you they want, not us," Craig chimed in from the kitchen. "Maybe if they find out they've been duped, they'll leave us alone and go after you."

Claire shot him a look of annoyance. "Yes. They'd come for me after they'd killed or recaptured all of you."

"They won't," Andrea said. "Today you taught us how to use our magick against them. Now we're not defenseless. I don't want to go up against the Atrika again, but if we have to battle them I feel confident that this time we have a fighting chance."

"You do, but our chances would be even better if we stuck together." Claire turned and stared down Adam. "You convinced me of that last night, Adam."

"Look, you're valuable," Adam replied, feeling his throat tighten with the words. Valuable in more ways than one. "We can't afford to put you at risk. It's a direct order from Thomas. You're coming with me tonight, Claire. No matter how I have to do it."

She set a hand to her waist and tipped her chin up. "You really think you can best me magickally?"

Nope, he didn't think that at all. He gave her a slow blink and spoke in a lazy drawl. "Well, now, honey, I'm counting on your desire not to injure me."

"You really think you know me so well?"

He grinned. "Yeah, I do." He advanced on her and she took a hasty step backward.

"I could fry you where you stand, freeze you in place. I could lift you up and slam you against the wall."

"But you won't."

" Houses , Adam, don't do this."

He kept coming.

Claire raised her hand and drew power. Adam kept walking toward her, sure that she wouldn't injure him. Power flared, shot toward him, and was blocked by Theo, who threw up a shield just in time.

Adam's steps faltered. Okay, that had been strong.

She turned and pierced Theo with narrowed eyes.

Before she could get up another shot, Adam walked to her and threw her over his shoulder in one smooth move.

She pounded on his back. "Adam, if you do this, I will never forgive you. Do you hear me? Never!"

"I don't believe you. Anyway, I'll pay that price if it means you're safe." He slapped her ass and she spewed verbal venom.

Adam walked out the door with her slung over his shoulder. Her bag was already packed in the Challenger. They'd leave the cargo van for the others.