Blood Bound Magic: A Witch and Vampire Forbidden Romance

But I never thought I'd see real magic step into my life right then. The brass bell above the entrance to Moonlight Enchantments jingled as I was counting out the register,

ustomary three months for denial." "I don't have three months." Something flashed across his perfect features, was that actual emotion? "And this matter requires... discretion." I crossed my arms. "The last vampire who sought 'discreet' magical assistance from a witch ended up draining her dry when the spell worked too well. Her family still hasn't recovered." "If I wanted to drain you, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Lucien's voice remained level despite my accusation. "I need help with a curse, an ancient one that affects all my kind." Despite myself, my curiosity flickered. Curses were my specialty, particularly old, complex ones that other witches gave up on. It was the Thorne gift, seeing the tangled threads of magic and knowing which to unravel first. "What curse?" I asked before I could stop myself. He stepped closer, close enough that I could detect the faint scent of cedar and something older, like ancient parchment. "The one that prevents us from feeling." "Vampires feel plenty," I countered. "Hunger, rage, arrogance... all in abundance." "Base drives," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "But real emotions like love, compassion, true joy or sorrow, those were stripped from us centuries ago. A witch's curse, actually." I wanted to call him a liar, but something in his expression made me hesitate. I'd heard rumors of such a curse, whispered as justification for the treaty that kept vampires and witches from forming alliances. If vampires couldn't feel, they couldn't be trusted with real emotional connections. "And why would I help reverse something my ancestors apparently thought necessary?" I asked. "Because you're curious," he said simply. "And because something happens when we're near each other that suggests you might be able to succeed where others have failed." Before I could ask what he meant, he reached out as if to take a crystal from the shelf beside me. His hand brushed mine, and the world exploded. Blue-white electricity crackled at the point of contact, shooting up my arm and through my entire body. I gasped as magic, raw and wild and unlike anything I'd felt before, surged between us. The crystal display crashed to the floor as I stumbled back, breaking the connection. "What the hell was that?" I demanded, my skin still tingling. Lucien looked equally shocked, staring at his own hand. "That's... never happened before." The shop door jingled again, and we both turned sharply. Thea Moonstone stood in the doorway, her arms laden with herb bundles, her amber eyes wide as she assessed the scene, her best friend alone with a vampire amid shattered crystal. "Isadora? Everything okay?" Her free hand slid toward the pouch where she kept her most dangerous botanical concoctions. "Fine, Thea," I managed, trying to calm my racing heart. "Just an after-hours consultation." Thea's gaze narrowed as she set the herb bundles on the counter, never taking her eyes off Lucien. "I didn't realize you were expanding your clientele to include the cold-blooded." The earth witch might look whimsical with her