Drasas’s orgasm overtook her and she shouted, “Yes, Anka.”

Chapter Nine

A week later Katie was deemed well enough to travel. Amelia was pleased—they would finally be able to start her journey to discover who she really was. As was their habit, when Amelia wasn’t rushing for work, she joined Byron in her dressing room to help her get ready.

Amelia picked out a selection from Byron’s tie rack and brought it over to Byron. She slipped it around Byron’s neck and started to slowly tie it.

“This is one of my favourite times of day,” Byron said.

“One of?” Amelia smiled.

Byron lifted her hand and trailed her fingers across Amelia’s cheek, making her shiver. “Yes, one. As well as waking up next to you, that first feed of the day, and making you come in your favourite way.”

Amelia got a flashback to earlier when Byron was feeding from the artery on the inside of her thigh. The pleasure of having Byron’s teeth in her, so close to her sex, as she stimulated Amelia’s clit with her fingers was one aspect of her marriage that she adored.

She shook the memory away and play-slapped Byron on the chest. “Don’t get me all hot and bothered again. We have to leave soon.”

Byron grinned with satisfaction. “Very well, what shall we discuss?”

“How about where we’re going, Burley in the New Forest. Have you been there before?”

“A few times. There’s always been a coven there. It’s a sacred forest to the witches.”

“And you had dealings with them?” Amelia asked.

“One or two.”

“My mum and dad—sorry, my adoptive mum and dad—were always worried about the supposed witches and Satan worshippers there.”

Byron laughed. “No Satan worshippers. Nature worshippers, more like.”

“Mum and Dad had some pretty far-out fundamentalist Christian beliefs, and anything outside of that, like women worshipping nature, was evil,” Amelia said.

“They were not dark witches in the New Forest,” Byron noted. “In fact, they did more to help the human population than any other paranormal group.”

Amelia folded Byron’s collar down and went to pick up her waistcoat from the hanger and helped slip it on her.

“How so?”

“Well, a lot of covens are insular, not welcoming to newcomers,” Byron said.

“You mean for humans like me who discover they have powers?”

“Exactly, they welcomed them in and taught them, not only gifted humans, but humans who simply had a strong interest in witchcraft and what it could do.”

“They sound nice.”

“Yes, Rose—” Byron hesitated. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It’s all right. You can talk about her,” Amelia reassured Byron.

“I didn’t want to upset you.”

Amelia cupped Byron’s cheek. “You don’t have to censor yourself. I know you love me. You have a past, but I have your love.”

“I just don’t want to hurt you. Rose’s sister was the leader of the New Forest coven, and the welcoming nature of the coven provided cover to let them hide in plain sight.”