Midnight Magic by Ann Gimpel Page A

in the low light. “Hey there, boy,” she cooed, dipping her fingers into his lush fur and scratching behind his ears.
    Hector purred even louder and let out a contented mrroww before jumping down and strolling casually through the glass-beaded curtain leading into the central part of the house. A discontented squawk from Murietta, likely on her perch in the library, told Cassie the cat was probably engaging in some gratuitous bird-baiting, a sport he never tired of.
    “Mind if I make a snack?” Jeremy stared inside the large stainless steel refrigerator.
    “You’re hungry?” she asked incredulously. “How the hell can you even think about food after talking about murder?”
    “It’s not like it was in the same sentence,” he pointed out, balancing a hunk of cheese, a bottle of mayonnaise, and a loaf of whole wheat bread. He backed away from the fridge, shoving the door shut.
    “Eat,” she motioned wearily, picking up her purse and computer. “I’m going to take a shower and put something else on. I smell like the bums in the catacombs.”
    ****
    J eremy slapped a sandwich together. When he looked at the final product, he was surprised the cheese was actually between the slices of bread because his mind was running a million miles an hour. While it had been excruciatingly difficult, the previous night had given him exactly the break he’d been looking for. If the goddess was good to him, soon Tyler would no longer be a problem.
    Although he was almost too keyed up to eat, he had to. He’d drained his magic almost down to bedrock the night before. Rescuing Cassie from the bums in the catacombs hadn’t helped. Running on adrenaline and no sleep, he forced himself to chew and swallow, but it was impossible to quiet his thoughts.
    Jeremy supported his head on an upraised hand and closed his eyes, emotions close to the surface. He wasn’t that attached to his own life, but if he’d died last night, Cassie and her mother would’ve suffered the consequences. Eleanora was helpless, snared in a border world by fae magic, and Cassie didn’t have power of her own to solve the problem.
    Jeremy unclenched his jaw and looked at his half eaten sandwich. He took another bite, chewing mechanically. The Irichna’s song still teased, right at the edges of consciousness. He had to banish it. He’d need as close to his full power as he could summon before tonight was over. Food would help.
    He sank back into his thoughts. Hector stalked over, licking the edge of the plate. Apparently the cat had sensed his inattention and closed in for scraps. Jeremy realized he’d finished his sandwich.
    “Here you go, bud.” He handed some cheese slivers to the cat.
    Jeremy carted his plate to the sink and wadded up his napkin, throwing it in the trash. That done, he opened cupboards until he found what he knew had to be there: Eleanora’s stash of herbs and medicinals. It wasn’t hard to locate what he needed. Catspaw, marigold, and deer antler went into the mortar and pestle. He tapped the powder into a glass, added water, and drank it to replenish his magic.
    He took care with the next items: belladonna, monkshood, foxglove, yew, and the tiniest shaving of hemlock. They wouldn’t kill Tyler, but they’d make him more vulnerable to Jeremy’s magic. Anticipation zinged through him. He’d hated Tyler from the first moment he met him. And not just because he was bedding Cassie. Something about the man always rang false. Whether he was only fae or one of the fae pimping themselves to the Irichna didn’t matter.
    “I’m going to kill that bastard. No matter what it takes.” He slammed a fist into his thigh, gathered the herbs in a paper bindle, and then headed for the library. The parrot was kicking up a fuss, and he figured Eleanora might be there.

Chapter Six
    A fter leaving Jeremy in the kitchen, Cassie plodded past carved oak wainscoting, Oriental rugs, shiny hardwood floors, and the fine paintings and sculptures her mother