A/N: First off, I'd like to thank for the idea Slam2k. Enjoy!

Characters and the Cassandra Palmer series belongs to Karen Chance : D

*Note: this is a part 2, so there is a small reference to Contraband you won't get if you haven't read it.


"I think I'm going to vomit."

"Don't do it on my books."

I dropped my head between my knees and wondered why that was even supposed to help. Out of frustration I kicked out at the table leg with a muddy squelch and listened to some of Pritkin's books tumble from their precarious piles.

"What are you doing?"

"Making coffee."

"Pritkin, you're tracking blood all over the floor."

He grunted in response as he searched for the canister of instant coffee.

"I think you have a problem. That much caffeine isn't good for anyone, especially not a touchy war mage."

He didn't respond, so I shifted my head onto the table where it was a little more comfortable, and more importantly, I could keep an eye on the touchy war mage in question.

"If I could stand up, I'd dump it all in the trash and leave you with the herbal tea I bought."

"I need coffee. My last cup was four hours ago."

He didn't say anything about my threat, but I saw the hand that wasn't stained with blood curl possessively around the canister.

"Don't you think it's a little more important for you to deal with the…" I raised my head and waved a hand vaguely at his wet, mud caked, and blood soaked self.

"Most of it is not my blood."

"… Because that makes it better."

The gurgling from the small, two cup coffee pot came to an end and with a sigh Pritkin poured the whole pot into a mostly clean mug.

I frowned in disappointment as he turned to put the pot back. He didn't even offer.

I'm not usually one for coffee, but at the moment I could really use a pick me up…

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

I followed fierce green eyes to the mug in my hand. Cautiously, I pushed it back across the table.

The strangled sound he made when he picked it up worried me.

"Well, you did take my chocolate."

His hand clenched convulsively around the now empty mug.

It took some effort to look him in the eyes.

"Uhm, Pritkin? I think your head is bleeding."


Reviews are like chocolate and coffee!