Chapter 2: Preciously Kept

SERAPHINA

^THREE MONTHS LATER^

Dr. Marcus Blackwell was securing the cuff around my arm, fastening it snugly, before he slipped a blue and white O2 reader onto my finger. This was standard procedure before our typical Q&A session, a routine necessitated by my fainting spell the previous night.

This wasn’t like the incident three months ago when I was held at gunpoint by Jack’s rival. This was merely a routine checkup, a fifteen-minute interruption in my day, at least three times a week.

Initially, his presence was a welcome relief. My health was improving, my condition stabilizing, but now that progress seemed to have plateaued. These visits, where I felt ambushed, seemed entirely unnecessary to me.

“Jack mentioned you had a nightmare last night?” Marcus’s words were tinged with concern, adding another layer to his already rich, brassy voice.

His long black hair was tightly braided and pulled back, giving him a professional look that made him seem less like a private doctor and more like a misplaced hospital CEO. His mocha skin contrasted sharply with the plastic buttons on the monitor as he set the machine to start its pressure check.

I frowned, realizing that he was misinformed. Jack had left out the details of what caused the fainting, not just a simple nightmare. It felt like Jack had done this on purpose, forcing me to explain my sex life to Marcus.

It was a very Jack thing to do, especially after hearing Evelyn suggest that he might be overly fond of me. In reality, Marcus was also a therapist. The chances of him being unprofessional were slim to none.

“Yeah, it was the same one. The sharp teeth. The same words, forcing me to stand there.”

Recurring nightmares hadn’t stopped since the first night Jack saved me from another realm three years ago.

“Impactful memories, especially those that are enchanted, can cause a lot of trauma. It’s like a parent who constantly yells at their child. Even if the child is removed from that environment, the effects can linger.

“Magic can either help or hinder us psychologically with things like trauma or addiction,” Marcus replied calmly, removing the blood pressure cuff. “I’m confident it’ll resolve eventually. These nightmares are probably just a reaction to what happened with that rat Vasiliev.

“It’s very normal to have anxiety spikes after a traumatic event. Have you ever checked your vitals after a nightmare? You could benefit from some sleep therapy,” Marcus said.

If I hadn’t been so frustrated this morning, I would have laughed. Jack Blair was all the sleep therapy a girl could ever need or want, both in the bedroom and in the mystical realm.

“You want to talk again to ~ease~ the anxiety? Why can’t I connect to the earth like the others can when I’m a witch? I can’t remember anything before Jack pulled me out of the mirror. You have as many answers as I do, so what is the fucking point!” I snapped.

Marcus winced, feeling the sting of my words but understanding part of my frustration. He was born into a family blessed with a connection to nature, but Marcus himself had no magical abilities. He was always on the sidelines, a normal human.

“You have to remember that wherever Jack pulled you from was supposed to be a place that contained the orb of Demeter. Instead, he found you, and being there clearly had its side effects.

“If it’s a place not meant for mortals, you may also need to accept these new traits may be permanent,” Marcus said.

His words depressed me, but not as much as the guilt surrounding Jack saving me instead of retrieving the orb he was desperate for.

“You don’t really think I’m the reason he stopped searching, do you? I know he said he hit a dead end but—”

“No, everyone knows he just ran out of leads after you. He’ll probably resume the hunt in another month or two. That’s what billionaires typically do with their hobbies,” Marcus replied.

“Billionaire hobbies? Do I even want to know where this conversation is going?” I asked.

A man stumbled in, holding onto his arm. A broad-shouldered man filled the hallway. His dark eyebrows, sharp cheekbones, and light stubble gave him a brooding appearance. His long hair and dark clothing made him look even more sinister as he walked in, clutching what I quickly realized was several layers of gauze.

I recognized him from the pictures Jack had me memorize after the incident three months ago. This was one of the main crime lords Jack dealt with; probably the safest for me to encounter in terms of Jack’s business associates.

“Why are you here, Mr. Eyak? Isn’t there a hospital closer to town?”

“We’re short on doctors at the G.A.T, plus Blackwell has the steadiest hands. I didn’t mean to intrude, Mrs. Blair. I also didn’t realize you would still be here. I know how Jack feels about that, and he implied you would have already left when I called.”

Garrick Eyak’s intense gaze met mine, causing heat to rise in my cheeks. I instantly regretted my sharp tone, realizing his only option for medical attention would be one of his local youth groups.

“It’s okay. I was just about to leave. You’re hurt, and I should be kinder,” I replied lightly.

“Still, it’s important to respect another man’s wishes when it comes to protecting something he values,” he said. “I apologize once again for the intrusion.”

There wasn’t a hint of sorrow in his words as his eyes raked over me, a fire seeming to smolder between us. Marcus coughed slightly, our eye contact breaking and an awkward tension filling the room.

“Well then, maybe you should join us once you’re patched up,” Evelyn Frost declared, sauntering in behind Garrick. “Throw around some appreciation and sorrow in the form of cash.”

Evelyn was tall and thin, always managing to look as if she were floating. Stunningly beautiful, her complexion alone made her look like a young pop star, though her other features were more high fashion. Being around her would make anyone feel inferior. If her body didn’t make you feel less, her attitude would.

“And Seraphina, you should take more pride in your looks. Especially considering what I have for you,” she said in her sing-song voice, brushing past Garrick with her eyes fixed on me.

I raised my eyebrows, surprised to see Evelyn holding a large black velvet box in her hands. She may be staff, but running personal errands for Jack wasn’t exactly her thing.

“Do I even want to know the price?” I asked, sliding out of the large chair to have Garrick replace it. Dr. Blackwell was already pulling out additional medical supplies.

“~Jack Blair doesn’t put a price on his wife~,” Evelyn’s voice was light and mocking before she made a face, moving closer to us. “He knew you’d ask and made me say that. Let’s just say it’s expensive enough to be the only thing you’ll be wearing later.”

My smile faltered slightly. I glanced back at the doctor before gathering the courage to speak. Garrick’s intense gaze pinned me, making me feel more flustered than if I had been speaking to just Marcus.

“Will I be okay tonight? Jack wants me to…perform.”

Marcus shot me a look that was layered with so much disapproval that I had to fight the urge to wince.

Evelyn, however, quickly smacked his arm, reminding him that he was not my father and that his little crush on me needed to be kept in check.

He was aware of the Umbra Aurorae Coven that his sister and Jack were part of, but that didn’t mean he agreed with all their practices. Especially not my husband’s sexual preferences, which were no secret to his doctor.

Evelyn, like Marcus, was not part of the coven. But unlike Marcus, she had a knack for understanding the mystical.

She had become such a valuable resource for Jack that he kept her on a retainer even after his quest for the orb ended.

It probably didn’t hurt that I enjoyed her company, despite her prickly nature and brutal honesty. Evelyn was more than just Jack’s assistant; she had become a source of support for me, in ways Jack might not have approved of, and in ways my friend Lilith certainly disapproved of.

She once dumped a bucket of ice water on me when I claimed I was too sick to get out of bed. Or she manhandled me into the bathroom, threatening to leave me there for hours if I missed the toilet.

We never talked about the week of near-starvation while Jack was away, which somehow made me well enough to eat a proper dinner with him for the first time in ages.

That was after months of trying to reintroduce solids into my diet. In her way, she had supported me through recovery.

“She should be okay, as long as he’s careful,” Marcus warned, his tone serious and his frown etched deeply into his face.

“If you’re so worried about her ~safety~, why don’t you buy a VIP ticket? I’m sure Jack would give his doctor a discount,” Evelyn suggested, her hips swaying suggestively.

Marcus didn’t rise to her bait. He sighed, ignoring her as he pulled on gloves and gowned himself.

This had been more of a social call than a medical one, so there wasn’t a need for PPE until Garrick walked in. Marcus didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry, despite blood dripping on the floor through the gauze.

“Sometimes, Evelyn, I wonder if your very existence is inappropriate,” he said. “I’d appreciate it if you kept your perverted thoughts to yourself.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, covering my mouth with my hand. Even Garrick cracked a smile, seeming to enjoy the banter before wincing.

Marcus had uncovered what was very clearly a bullet wound. One that seemed to have part of a shiny shell firmly lodged in muscle tissue at Blackwell’s probing.

“Was this really worth a visit?” he asked blandly.

“Couldn’t pull it out myself, didn’t want it to dislodge,” Garrick replied. His eyes were on something else though, a file wide open next to him.

“You’re sick?” he asked, his eyes on me once more.

“Just fragile,” I replied, rolling my eyes and walking over to snap the file closed, thoroughly irritated.

“Nosey dog,” Evelyn snarked, fiddling with a black box in her hands. “Can we go now? Please and thank you.”

“Am I cleared, Marcus?” I asked, filled with butterflies at the thought of being Jack’s centerpiece for Samhain with the Umbra Aurorae.

It was a big role that I hadn’t wanted to agree to, and timing was crucial. They would only have exactly an hour to clear everyone out and prepare the room for their spell work.

My only job? To fill the room with the scent of pent-up lust from a dozen men, peaking at exactly eleven o’clock before Samhain began, and the veil was at its thinnest for powerful spell work with death. Then they planned on healing Cynthia’s cancer.

A worthwhile endeavor for a coven member’s wife. There was no saying no.

“You’re fine,” Marcus said, already focused on Garrick’s arm, giving us a small wave. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”