A Meet of Tribes (A Shade of Vampire #45)(19)

The memory of black runes dancing across my skin that night still sent shivers down my spine. I reached the basement room with its hospital beds and medicine cabinets. Bijarki fired up the oil lamps, and Anjani prepared a special mixture of herbs for us.

As if knowing the drill already, Vita, Phoenix, and I each took one bed, lying on our backs and waiting for the Druid’s instructions. Anjani filled a wooden bowl with several plants, including the petals of a peculiar type of scarlet rose with contrasting white edges.

I leaned on my elbows and watched as she blended everything with smooth, circular wrist movements, using a wide silver spoon. Draven sat on a stool with Serena standing next to him, watching over us with a concerned expression. Knowing her, she worried about us more than we worried about ourselves. I caught her gaze and threw her a crooked smile and a wink to show her that everything was going to be okay.

I had no way of knowing that for sure, but she didn’t need to know that.

“What’s that you’re making?” I asked Anjani, trying to keep my mind focused on something other than the searing presence of Field next to my bed. I could feel his breath gently brushing against my hair from above.

“It’s a proprietary blend we make in our tribe to really expand our senses,” the succubus replied as she continued mixing the herbs together. “During the full moon, the succubi ingest this and transcend everything, as our innermost senses commune with nature. It’s hard to explain what it actually does, but the Druid tells me you need to disconnect yourselves from this world in order to tap into your Oracle visions. This mixture will help.”

“What’s in it?” Vita asked.

I looked over to get a quick look at my little fire fae friend.

Bijarki stood by her bedside, quiet and thoughtful. His gaze never left her face except to occasionally wander along the entire length of her body. Judging by the glimmer in his eyes, he found her attractive even in those brown velvet slacks and the ivory shirt she’d settled on—both items normally worn by men about two hundred years ago.

“Most of the plants I gathered from the Druid’s greenhouse, some roots and stems of arrowhead, Moraine shrubs, and demon tears,” Anjani explained.

I didn’t know what any of those plants were, but I nodded nonetheless.

“I brought spiced rose petals from the camp, though. You can’t find those just anywhere.”

“What’s a spiced rose?” I asked.

“It’s a rare flower that grows on the outskirts of tall limestone mountains such as the one where our tribe lives. It’s the main ingredient for this mixture, as it opens up one’s senses. You hear more, you see more, and you feel and taste things you’d otherwise never notice. It enhances everything, while the other herbs serve as additional amplifiers, accelerating the spiced rose’s effects throughout the body.”

As she explained what the flower did, I couldn’t help but notice the fleeting glances between Anjani and Jovi. I could’ve sworn I saw my brother blush, and I had a feeling that there was a story behind that spiced rose that I didn’t know. Yet. I was going to have a little chat with my brother after all this was over.

“I’ve had some unpleasant experiences with herb mixtures meant to hone in on my Oracle abilities,” Phoenix interjected.

Jovi moved to stand by his bedside and watch over him, but the Daughter politely pushed him away, asserting her status as Phoenix’s caregiver.

“I will take care of him,” she said, her voice sharper than usual.

If she weren’t a potentially deadly goddess, I would’ve said she was downright adorable.

My brother smiled sheepishly and moved back next to Serena. His gaze darted around the room but eventually settled on Anjani.

There is definitely something between them.

“You mean you almost died,” Serena said to her brother.

“Not my fault!”

“Technically, it was my fault,” Draven interrupted.

“It won’t happen with this,” Anjani assured him, taking the bowl in her hand and coming to Phoenix’s bedside. “The dose is minimal, and based on what the Druid told me about your abilities, it will not overcharge you. You need to suck on this for a minute, then swallow it.”

She loaded the spoon with the heady mixture and fed it to Phoenix. He chewed on the blend, slowly getting accustomed to the taste. He lifted an eyebrow and looked at me, then Vita.

“This doesn’t taste bad, actually.”

Anjani then moved over to my bed and gave me some as well. I chewed and sucked on the pulpy mixture for a while. I was surprised by its rich flavors. They reminded me of a stew made with an abundance of cinnamon and pepper. I then swallowed it and let my head drop back on the pillow. I looked up and found Field’s turquoise eyes scanning me carefully, while Anjani fed the rest of the mixture to Vita.

“Now we wait for the spiced rose to spread out and untangle your senses,” Draven said. “You’ll most likely feel a slight tingling, then everything will open up to you. That’s when you’ll be able to fully relax into it and focus on the past, the present, and the future. Based on our own experiences with the flower, I figured it was a good bet to try for your Oracle abilities.”

I listened to the Druid’s voice as I felt the world around me vibrate. Field’s fingers brushed gently against my shoulders, and I felt his touch deep inside me, as if he’d reached into my very soul. I smiled, and I heard his heart thudding in his chest, the air whistling in and out of his lungs, the blood rushing through his veins.