Bewitched, Blooded and Bewildered by Robyn Bachar Read Free Book Online Page B

upholstery. Not only had it been hideous, but migraine inducing as well.
    We rang the bell and Mac answered the door, a layer of drywall dust sprinkled over his head and shoulders. We exchanged greetings and hugs, and I handed him the plastic jug of milk. “Still working on the upstairs?”
    “Yes, but I’m almost finished. Why do you ask?”
    I brushed at his shoulder, and he sneezed at the cloud of dust. “You’ve got a bit of plaster on you.”
    “Oh, right. Here, let me put this away and dust myself off, and I’ll take you down. Come look at the kitchen. It’s improved a lot since the last time you were here.”
    A few months had passed since I first set foot in the lair of Simon St. Jerome, and the changes were jarring but encouraging. The kitchen was bright and sunny but cold in the late October chill, with new countertops, appliances, and flooring. Mac was dust-free when he rejoined us, and he led us down into the basement. The hidden door into Simon’s library was open, and we followed him inside. Simon was seated at his desk, working on something or other involving a book that might have been older than the city itself. He wasn’t wearing his dorky wizard robes but instead was wearing a long-sleeved, black dress shirt. Nice. Mac must have been a good influence on him. Good for Mac.
    “Duquesne,” Simon greeted, nodding at Lex. “Catherine.”
    “St. Jerome. You have news?” Lex asked.
    “I do. If you’ll both have a seat. I’m afraid that this development is both good news and bad news, as they say.” His pale hands gestured for us to sit, and Mac stood next to my chair.
    “How bad?” I asked. I was willing to bet that we had different definitions for bad, and his was worse than mine. If a vampire thought something was bad, it had to be pretty awful.
    “I have managed to locate a ritual that can undo your spirit bond with young Mr. Harrison. Unfortunately, the only copy is kept within the library of Kristoff Valkyrie.”
    I glanced at Lex, and he didn’t appear to recognize the name either. “And he is a vampire of some sort?” I guessed.
    “No. He is a demon in the shadow realm who barters information with demons, summoners and master necromancers. He specializes in acquiring rare spells and magical artifacts, and his collection is most impressive.”
    Lex swore, and I winced. That didn’t sound good.
    “Will he deal with us?” Lex asked.
    “Possibly, but a demon is likely to ask a price you won’t want to pay. You would be better off stealing the ritual, and I cannot help you with this. Doing so would overstep my bounds as a member of the Order. You’ll need to find another guide.”
    “Okay. What’s the shadow realm?” I asked.
    “It’s one of the hells, similar to the Gray,” Mac explained.
    “Really? We have to go to hell to fix this? Great.” Rubbing my eyes, I cursed Harrison for the millionth time for forcing this stupid spell on me. Big, stupid billionaire jerk.
    “It’s a lesser hell. Brimstone-free,” Simon commented with a slight smirk. “The shadow realm is actually quite neutral, as far as the hell dimensions are concerned. Not all of its inhabitants are evil.”
    “Who do you suggest for a guide?” Lex asked.
    The chronicler leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I would prefer that you not ask Emily for her aid in this.”
    “Emily’s been to hell?” I asked, surprised. She seemed so nice.
    “To the shadow realm. Many of us use it as a means to travel from one place to another on earth. Rather like using Faerie to travel,” Simon explained. “It is dangerous, but effective in a pinch.”
    “I thought vampires can’t travel to other worlds. Not that you’re a vampire,” I corrected quickly. I knew he found the term offensive.
    “To the worlds worth going to. The hell dimensions are fair game. Most are too dangerous to attempt. As I was saying, Emily could help you, but Michael would insist on accompanying her, and that would put him in the same