Free Bloodbound: A space/fantasy F/F romance (Sparkbound Book 2) by CR Barlow

Chapter One
     
     
    Sweat trickled between Ingrid's shoulder blades as she braced herself against the barrage of magical assaults Lolita sent at her. Teeth gritted, hands held out and fingers spread wide, she fed energy into her shield. Even though she was putting all her strength into it, the steady stream of magic coming at her kept pushing her back, her feet slipping over the ground.
    Her heel reached the edge of a deep cavern, sending small rocks tumbling to the depths.
    Lolita's face twisted, her teeth bared in a silent snarl. One hand was palm-out towards Ingrid, the other contorting as though she was playing a harp, weaving various spells together, never breaking her attack.
    There was no opening to take a small break to reinforce her shield, let alone strike back.
    A streak of red joined the energy already coming at Ingrid. It blasted through her shield, sending her spiraling backwards. She landed hard on the floor, skittering over the holographic cavern.
    "Ouch," the brunette witch muttered, winded. She closed her blue-green eyes, panting to catch her breath again.
    Lolita shook her golden head as she walked over to Ingrid. Both women wore sleeveless tunics and loose trousers, although Ingrid's had suffered some damage, while Lolita's was pristine.
    Ingrid tired not to notice how the outfit accentuated Lolita's curves. She had put on a little weight since their time on Pluto, and it only made her look more beautiful. Lolita was the kind of woman that would make anybody question their sexuality. Not that Ingrid had ever really questioned her own bisexuality.
    "Are you okay?" Lolita held a hand out to help Ingrid to her feet.
    "Fine," the brunette muttered, not accepting the hand or looking at her.
    She may have decided that Lolita wasn't responsible for the massacre she had been blamed for, but her former lover was just that–former.
    She had her mission. Track down Jorgensen, the warlord who tortured her late husband, Edan, into rebelling against his father, the emperor of Earth. Nobody seemed to care about the reasons why Edan rebelled, just that he had and that he was dead now.
    That rebellion had destroyed her life. She lost her husband that day, though he rotted in jail for years before he led a defense against the orcs of Mars. He had been killed defending his planet, but he was still branded a traitor.
    Worse, Ingrid's father-in-law, Harper, informed Ingrid of Edan's death and promptly kissed her, informing her that they would be married soon. Now that she couldn't return home, killing Jorgensen was the only reason she had to go on day after day.
    "You're distracted," Lolita said, tossing Ingrid a towel.
    "I'm not distracted."
    "You're stressed and tense. You need to calm your mind. Magic is about clear thoughts and effective use of energy."
    "I know that, thanks."
    Ingrid scrubbed her face with the towel, exhaustion aching throughout her body. She enjoyed the feeling of being so tired that she thought she might collapse. It was the only way her shaking hands stilled, the only time the palpitations of her heart felt normal.
    The withdrawals were getting worse. It had been weeks since she had been able to get her hands on any manticore venom, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take. She was trying her best to hide it, but she knew Lolita could see what she was going through, even if she didn't outright say it.
    "What do you suggest?" Ingrid asked, raking a hair through her short, dark hair. "How to calm my mind, I mean. I haven't been sleeping well."
    "Meditation. Maybe if you stopped—" Lolita cut herself off abruptly.
    "Stopped what?" Ingrid's voice lowered and her eyes narrowed.
    "Stopped staring at my ass when I cook."
    Ingrid couldn't help but laugh, even though her cheeks warmed. "Yeah, because I do that so often."
    "Don't think I haven't noticed. Not that I can blame you." Lolita twisted and slapped her own rump, nodding with satisfaction at the resulting sound. "I have a gorgeous ass. You