Venom And Vice

25

“Yes. Merlin crafted the table himself to foster equality among the Huntsmen. His relationship with Viviene, the Lady of the Lake, was the reason Arthur was given the Sword of Light. Merlin felt the sword would help balance the powers between the Hunt and the Seelie Court. He’s had many profound impacts on Fae history. His gifts enable him to see how even small actions could affect the future. It sounds like you may have that ability as well.” The spark of hope he’d lit flickered and fizzled. “I won’t be able to help anyone if Casek has anything to say about it. He has bailed on our past two training sessions and has hardly taught me anything. I get the sense he doesn’t want me to explore my powers.” “That’s absurd.” Becca leaned back, her brows drawn tight. “Why wouldn’t he be grateful for such an advantageous ally?” Lochlan cleared his throat. “He’s trying to protect you. It wasn’t easy for me to accept that Rebecca had to fight Morgan on her own, but I came around. Try to be patient with him.” “I get why you might have felt that way—you two care deeply for each other. Casek and I aren’t like that. We don’t have a relationship, and he certainly doesn’t care for me. Hell, we fight whenever we’re in shouting distance.” My hand absently moved to cup the back of my neck. The corners of Lochlan’s lips twitched as though he found something amusing. “Casek’s past has made him even more … risk-averse than most. At least in regard to certain matters. And considering the creature we’re after, he’s likely to be more on edge than ever.” All traces of levity fell from his face. “Can you tell me more? I’d really like to know what’s going on.” “Something has been feeding on women. We suspect an Unseelie creature called a Fear Gorda may have been released onto Earth by Morgan before Rebecca stopped her. The Gorda has been targeting young women, and that’s likely why Casek was so upset to have you at the scene of the crime. That, and the fact that I’d assigned him to protect you.” “You did what?” “I told you he was your teacher, but there’s been more to it. We hadn’t said anything because we didn’t want you to object. Now, I expect you understand how serious the dangers have become. Until you are better equipped to protect yourself, Casek has been assigned to ensure your safety from possible threats by Guin and from the Fear Gorda.” It took a solid minute for me to process what he’d said and come up with a response. In the end, I couldn’t argue. Added protection was a good thing, and I likely would have balked about a bodyguard had I not known about the dangers present. I still wasn’t sure the magical tattoo made sense, but I felt awkward mentioning it now. “What’s a Fear Gorda?” I asked, deciding to focus on learning what I could. “Some Unseelie feed from s****l energy, but many feed from more negative emotions. The Fear Gordas feed on the intense energy released when a person experiences terror. Like the Leannan-Sidhe, they target the opposite s*x, lure them close, then feed them horrific nightmares to induce fear. However, Fear Gordas don’t have to be touching their victims during this process. There is a certain proximity requirement, but they are one of the only Fae who do not need to have physical contact to feed. They have mental talons that are nearly impossible to defend against if you happen inside their telepathic range. The only way to safely kill them is from a distance. In theory, one could use blood magic, but that kind of power could bring on consequences far worse than the Gorda.” Lochlan’s tone was grave, making the hair on my arms stand on edge. “What is blood magic?” The name alone sounded terrible. “It’s an unnatural magic requiring an element of sacrifice—sometimes the sacrifice of a life, but more often, the sacrifice of power. The user must offer up a portion of their own powers via blood to activate the spell. While this may seem a small price to pay at the moment, repeated use of the magic creates a craving for blood. Before long, blood becomes a requirement for feeding the user’s own magic and soon consumes the individual. Blood lust corrupts the mind and is a death sentence in all Fae cultures.” “Using blood magic creates vampires?” I asked in astonishment. “There are some similarities, though a blood compulsion isn’t quite the same as the mythical vampire creatures in human lore. The afflicted don’t grow fangs or have an aversion to sunlight, but they do become addicted to blood in order to keep their magic.” “That’s definitely not an option,” I said defeatedly. “If the Gorda is so dangerous, how will you stop it?” “The key is tracking it, and fortunately, Casek has had extensive experience hunting them. We are relying heavily on his knowledge. Once he locates the Gorda, it will be a matter of putting an iron bullet or an arrow through its skull so that we can safely get close enough to kill it.” I wanted to ask how they could track such a creature, but I realized I’d already inserted myself enough. Yes, I was a part of the Fae world now, but that didn’t mean I was equipped to handle everything. Casek was doing his best not only to help me but to catch one of the very worst sorts of Fae monsters. All I’d done was make his task harder. Like the swell of the tide, a new wave of guilt pushed in just as the previous had receded. “I didn’t mean to complicate things. I just wish people would tell me what’s going on so that I’m not in the dark.” I slumped farther into the sofa cushions. “I’d say that’s a reasonable request.” Lochlan raised a brow at Rebecca. “So I’ll take the liberty of being up front with you and ask how you’d feel if Rebecca moved in with me. We’ve discussed it, but she’s hesitant to leave you alone.” Becca whacked him on the arm and stood defiantly. “I can’t believe you just told her that. It was for me to discuss with her.” That must have been why she’d been so secretive lately. I’d known something was up and was relieved to learn there wasn’t any real problem. “You don’t have to worry about me.” I smiled warmly. “I’d be happy for you guys to move in together. We’re in the same building, and I have Knight with me. I’m not remotely alone.” She sat and placed a hand on my knee, her kind eyes filling with affection. “I don’t want you to feel forced into it just because Lochlan had to open his big mouth.” “You’ll just have to believe me when I tell you that I’m being honest. I am one-hundred percent good on my own.”