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The books were more than inanimate objects. Energy radiated from the pages as if a spiritual guardian protected the spells. Every time Juniper opened a book, she thanked the creator for entrusting her with the knowledge, making sure they understood she would not abuse the power within.
Sometimes, her promise was met with skepticism. In those cases, she’d try another grimoire. But most times, the energy was positive and welcoming, even encouraging.
Like her, these spirits were descendants of the so-called heathens, healers, and hearth dwellers burned throughout the fifteenth century. Her once dispassionate interest in her ancestors’ history was gone, replaced by an insatiable obsession to know who she was so that she could unleash her full potential. Witchcraft was more than a part of her heritage. It was in her blood.
Blood…Visions of Adriel’s body writhing below hers filled her memory, drawing her focus away from the task at hand.
The surge of pleasure that came with feeding had certainly been downplayed. Never in her life had she expected it to be so…erotic. Was it merely the blood that had her so turned on, or was it an underlying attraction to Adriel? She couldn’t be sure.
Blood was a drug, an easy addiction. Was there a side effect? She didn’t think so. Her mind had been buzzing like a live wire since taking Adriel’s vein. Her thoughts and ideas connected like the vines of a wild jungle until her brain felt overwhelmed by new growth.
The only thing distracting her from her studies was the thought of Adriel asleep in her bed one floor below. But she couldn’t think about that. There were too many other things to consider.
But what would happen if she joined her? She bet her body was warm. Her voice would be soft and sleepy. Juniper could slowly wake her up and?—
No.She had other things to do.
Channeling. She was working on her channeling.
She turned the page and scanned the runes, slowly dragging her finger down the faded paragraph of the entry, quietly reading the ancient wisdom aloud.
“The arts of channeling energy beith a potent andrevered practice. To harness the essence of life, one must attune their spirit to the elements. The adept practitioner draws upon these forces in ritual, merging their will with nature’s power…”Her words faded as her stare drifted to the door, her attention once more stolen by the female below.
She threw her body back on the bed and groaned. This was taking forever. Why couldn’t she concentrate? Maybe she hadtoo muchblood.
Giving in to her tempting thoughts, she sighed. Adriel was unlike anyone she’d ever known. She was strong yet delicate. Powerful yet beautifully humble. Touching her was like standing in the sun—warm and comforting, invigorating in ways she couldn’t explain.
Her hand dragged slowly down her front as she stared at the peaked ceiling. Those sighs and lush thighs. Her lips were the softest shade of pink, and her eyes were green like moss. The delicate traces of floral in her hair.
Her eyes closed as her fingers slipped past the waistband of her jeans. Her knees bent and opened, as her hand delved lower. Lips parting, she sighed at the first caress. Her body was warm and wet?—
A floorboard creaked and her hand jerked out of her pants as she bolted upright, scrambling for the book she’d set aside. She pretended to read, only to realize the writing was upside down.
Heavy footsteps climbed the steps and Dane’s dark head emerged. “I figured you were awake.”
“Don’t you knock? I’m studying.”
He cocked his head, suspicion narrowing his eyes.
“What?” she snapped.
He knew. He was a half-breed with an exceptional sense of smell. There was no way he couldn’t scent her arousal in the air, which he clearly had when he cleared his throat and broke eye contact.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Obviously he was. She snapped the book shut. “You’ve already interrupted. What did you need.”
He approached the vanity where several books sat open. “How do you read this crap? All I see is blank pages and ink blotches.”
“It’s far from crap.” She defensively pulled the oldest book away from his view, holding it protectively against her chest. “They’re loaded with ancient wisdom and power. They’re more than books. They’re grimoires, and they deserve our respect.”
“Sorry. I didn’t realize.” He sat on the bed. “How long do you think it will take you to read through them?”
“Not too long. It would help if I didn’t get distracted every two minutes.”
“You’ve been up here for hours.”
“And it’s very distracting.”
