Page 89 of Bad Witch

“The weapons you seek are in a realm where lush and deadly flora and fauna bloom. Where strange creatures roam, hungering for fresh meat and sexual release. You will find the weapons inside a rock that looks like a hard cock thrusting up from the earth.”

Warrick’s face screwed up. “Do you know the name of this realm?”

“No.”

“Any other descriptives other than a cock-shaped rock?”

“The land is one of music and lust.”

Fucking hell. “Anything else?” I asked.

“The ruler has the legs and hooves of a goat.”

“The god Pan,” Tempest said. “It has to be him.”

“I have given you what you asked for. Now you must fulfill your part of the bargain,” he said to her.

“Thank you for your assistance, Garan. I will make your potion as soon as possible and have it delivered to you as you instructed.”

He grunted. Then the screen went dark and he was gone.

War blew out a long breath. “Any idea where this realm is? I’ve heard nothing of Pan in centuries.”

“Death may know?” I said.

War nodded. “I’ll have Willow get hold of Zinnia. Probably better to have Death’s mate ask him. The male can be prickly and uncooperative.” His golden gaze went to Temp. “I appreciate your help with this, Tempest. If you get the potion to me, I’ll ensure it’s delivered to Garan.” Then to me, he said, “I’ll let you know what Death shares as soon as I hear.” He dragged a hand over his eyes and walked out.

“It would’ve saved us a lot of time if we’d known we could go straight to Garan, but I’d had no idea we could talk to him like that,” I said, still stunned that Lucifer had given the murderous demon a means to speak to the outside world.

“If we’d come straight to Garan, we wouldn’t already know about Disease or found Brigid’s remains,” Tempest said. “No, it was better this way.”

I shoved my fingers through my hair. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“How long do you think it will take to hear back from Death?” Tempest asked me.

“I’m not sure. We can wait in my quarters.” I took her hand and led her back through the dens.

When we walked in, she headed to the other side of the room, and when she turned back to me, there was something in her eyes: pain, I realized. “Temp⁠—”

“Kiss me,” she rasped. “Will you kiss me, Fender?”

I crossed the room in a moment and pulled her into my arms. “Something’s wrong⁠—”

She pressed her fingers to my lips and shook her head. “Please, I need my lover to kiss me,” she whispered.

Whatever was causing her pain, she wasn’t going to share it with me and, fuck, that stung. It was my job to heal, to protect, to love her. She wouldn’t let me do any of those things. Every one of her secrets were still locked away from me, and she wasn’t going to share, not with me, anyway. Not yet.

Taking the side of her face in my hand, I leaned in. “I’ll give you whatever you want, peaches. Whatever you need. You can trust me, yeah? With anything, everything. Never forget what I told you because it’s true. You hold all the power here, baby.” I kissed her gently, just a brush of lips, and she shivered against me. “All of it.”

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Tempest

* * *

I shivered again. Why did he keep saying that? How could I hold all the power between us, how could that be?