Flesh And Blood: House of Comarre: Book Two (House of Comarre 2) Painter, Kristen (historical books to read txt) 📖

back together in a whirl of wings and stingers in the spot she’d deemed would give her the most leverage. Behind the comarré. Not even Malkolm yet realized she was in the room. She hooked her arm around the girl’s throat and, transforming her fingers into a short blade, pressed them into the comarré’s flesh. ‘Drop your blades,’ she purred into the girl’s ear. ‘And maybe I’ll spare your life once I’ve gotten what I came for.’

At the words, Malkolm and the others turned. Tatiana tightened her grasp until the comarré’s pulse weakened. ‘Any of you makes a move and she dies. She may yet if she doesn’t drop her weapons.’

The swords fell to the ground. The looks on the faces around her grew more horrified as Ivan materialized behind the Mohawked kine standing beside the comarré. He clubbed the kine on the temple, catching him off guard and dropping him to the ground. Perhaps killing him. The kine’s heartbeat stopped. Ivan picked up the crossbow the male had been holding and hefted it. He smiled, seemingly pleased with the weapon.

Octavian appeared a few seconds after him, returning to his body at Tatiana’s side. She nodded to the witch. ‘My thanks for the invitation. Your timing was impeccable.’

‘Indeed.’ Lord Ivan brushed himself off as he looked around. ‘Although it still smells like the swamp in here.’ His lip curled. ‘Swamp witches. How utterly vile.’

The white witch sputtered. ‘I didn’t invite you in. Just him.’ She pointed to Malkolm, who glared daggers at Tatiana, but thanks to Ivan and a deftly aimed crossbow, he made no move.

‘Octavian, kick the comarré’s weapons out the door,’ Tatiana directed him. He moved around her and did as she asked, kicking them back through the kitchen and the open door. Twin splashes followed his actions.

‘Very good.’ Tatiana blew him a kiss on his return, then refocused her attention on the witch. ‘Stupid git. For all your magic, you don’t know enough to offer invites by name only? Such a novice mistake. When you said vampire, you flung wide the mystical door to those of us waiting on the other side.’

With a cry, the witch conjured a sphere of flames and hurled it at Tatiana. Octavian gasped. Instantly, Tatiana switched arms around the comarré’s neck, thrust her metal hand up as she flattened it into a shield, and deflected the fire back at the witch.

The witch ducked in time to avoid being burned. She stayed crouched on the floor near a male witch who’d been sprawled there when they’d entered.

With her knife fingers at the comarré’s throat again, Tatiana poured persuasion into her voice. ‘You will not do that again, will you?’

‘No,’ the witch whispered.

‘Good. Get up, witch. I wish to see this thing you’ve discussed performed.’

Confusion clouded the witch’s eyes. ‘You’re going to allow me to bring my daughter back?’

‘My fight is not with you. Proceed.’ Although Tatiana would never admit to such emotion, she knew the wrenching pain of losing a child and empathized with the witch. She studied the small group. ‘Any of you try anything and I will slit the comarré’s throat.’

‘Like you did Mia’s?’ the varcolai asked, his mouth twisting in rage.

‘Yes,’ Tatiana answered with a smile. ‘Exactly like that.’ She got the feeling the varcolai would have lunged if not for the blade at his throat. Someone in this room would be dead by sunrise, of that much she was sure.

The witch nodded and got to her feet. ‘I need some things to work the spell.’

‘Hurry,’ Tatiana snapped. Her sentimentality had its bounds.

The witch ran out of the room. Tatiana frowned at Malkolm. ‘Quite a motley crew you’ve gathered, husband.’

At the word, a flash of anger lit his eyes. He sneered. ‘Not under the pain of a second death will I acknowledge that title.’

She jerked her arm around the comarré’s neck, causing the girl to wheeze. ‘How about under the pain I could inflict on your little comarré whore?’ She laughed. ‘Or should I say the pain I will be inflicting?’ She smiled at the girl. ‘You’ll be coming with me when this game is over.’

‘No, Tatiana,’ the comarré rasped. ‘I won’t. When this is over, you’ll be a pile of ash.’

‘How dare you speak to her that way,’ Octavian snarled.

Tatiana gave him a reassuring look. ‘You may take your upset out on her later. Her threats are empty. I am in control of what happens now.’

The witch returned, ending the discussion. In her hands, a collection of vials and jars. She hurried toward the stone statue of her daughter and began mumbling words of little consequence. Witch magic was weak compared to the power the noble houses wielded.

As the witch began circling the statue with powders and earth and such, Tatiana nodded toward the other anathema, the one holding a knife to the varcolai’s throat, but directed her words to her faithful companion. ‘Octavian, procure that knife.’

Octavian took it from him with no small struggle and returned to her. The varcolai got up but didn’t move any farther. The anathema glared at Tatiana. ‘If Malkolm or Chrysabelle don’t kill you, I will.’

She ignored him and shoved the comarré toward Octavian. ‘Guard her.’

The girl flew out of her arms, flipping bone blades into her hands. Tatiana grabbed her around the neck again, making a metal collar with her hand as she’d done to the female fringe in the club, and lifted the comarré off the ground. ‘Drop the weapons.’

‘Not a chance.’ The girl kicked and slashed. One blade splintered against the metal.

‘You bore me.’ Tatiana shook the girl hard. Her head snapped back and the second blade dropped from her hand. A little more shaking and the girl went limp. Tatiana opened the collar. The girl fell to the ground in a boneless heap. ‘Octavian, take her into the other room and search her for the ring. Restrain her any way you see fit.’

Malkolm growled, watching as Octavian grabbed the comarré by the arm and dragged her back into the