Cyrese Covelli - Witchlock 04 Read online

  “There wasn't... ” I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. “I didn't... ”

  “What's the matter?” Cyd asked, but I could tell from the worry in her eyes, she'd already read my mind. Not being as miffed as was warranted, I shrugged.

  “My grandma had a stroke, I... ” Cadence pulled me into her arm, her eyes flashing.

  “There will be bad consequences if you are not bound. I feel it would be unwise to bring you to the master, but I cannot let you venture out unbound?”

  “What are you talking about?” Cyd was on her feet, her arm ready to launch the pink vials of mystery potion at me.

  “You took the blood of a vampire without a blood exchange,” Cadence said.

  “I did not! Look, when he kissed me, there was something-I think he bit his lip is all.”

  “I need to bring you to the Master.” A pink liquid pooled over the side of Cadence's face. Cadence paused, licking the liquid off her lip, pupils dilating.

  “Get away from her.” Anise's words sounded more like a question than a demand.

  Cadence had one arm around my waist and was carrying me like a blonde football though the living room. To angry to appreciate the image we must have made, I gritted my teeth until I felt my jaw creak.

  “Put me down.”

  “Put her down!” Cyd yelled.

  “I'm afraid I cannot.”

  “No. I'm not going anywhere, I... hey!” Anise had caught the both of us in a binding spell.

  “We must see to it that you're not taken advantage of in this state.” Cadence whispered something, her fingers making artistic motions as she broke the binding spell.

  “Put me down, Cadence.”

  “You need more practice, child,” Cadence said. A twisting motion from her pinkie and Anise was airborne, and immobile.

  “The binding incantation will last until we are safely away. No worries.” The last was added in an awkward gesture of friendliness ill-fitting on the diminutive vampire.

  “If I can find someone powerful enough to hold you we will be back before sun... ” Cadence ended her sentence in a shriek as her arms and torso began to smoke.

  I fell onto the tile of the doorway, my elbow striking the porcelain, and ripping the days old scabs from them. A quick thought of wanting to be up was followed with the whoosh of air I remembered and my levitating about two inches above ground. The look of surprise on Cadence's face allowed for the split seconds needed to shove her backwards through the door. Two steps more and I kicked the door shut, locking both deadbolts. Ten steps more and I was in the guest bathroom, inspecting the pale skin of my elbow to see my arm already displaying the bruised purple from my fall. Reaching back, I felt a small knot blossoming on the back of my head, but I couldn't place it in the night's timeline. I felt a strange, far away feeling, like I was being dipped in a liquid pool of fire. My hearing quieted until I heard a faint buzzing at the same time I began to see black.

  CHAPTER SIX

  WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

  * * * *

  The next time I was conscious, I was not in my bathroom and I was not alone. It was either the freezing cold of the dark room or my body slamming into the concrete that finally woke me from the shadows. I could hear glass breaking and the muted sounds of someone's scream choked from their throat.

  “And why would you bring her here?”

  “She needs to be bound to a Master, or the blood will tow her to her death.”

  “Do you think that I am not aware of the intricacies of our kind?”

  “Master Radbourne turned us away. His plans are coming along and he said he couldn't jeopardize them by binding her before... ”

  “The child is awake.” Two pairs of dress heels clattered on the cold stone. Bracing myself, I lifted my eyes from the shiny stiletto to Cadence's wide-eyed stare.

  “And what's to keep me from taking all the tasty little tart has to off... ahhh!” Sharing surprise with the auburn-haired vamp, I backed away from the blue fire that was happily licking the fuzz from his emerald green jacket.

  “There is that.” Cadence said matter-of-factly. “And though Master Radbourne refused to risk... his plans, he still has the girl under a protective order.

  “I'm quite flattered that you chose to bring her to me, but it's not as if she won't raise a few questions to my guests.

  “I have something she can wear.”

  “What the hell is going on?” I shook back the adrenaline that was making my body sway slightly with each heartbeat. I only realized I'd said it allowed when I received an answer.

  “Call it a debutant ball. And if I do this for you, what'll you give me?” Ryland asked.

  “Truly undying gratitude.” Ryland raised a coppery eyebrow in question, flicking his sparkling green eyes to my face. His gaze fell to my throat and I stopped breathing as pupils dilated. “And I'll accompany you this evening.”

  “No matter. I have your oath that I will receive no... repercussions for my interference?”

  “She needs the blood.” Ryland shrugged, scratching his wrist with a creepy-long nail until blood droplets began to splatter the concrete.

  “Well, I'll need some privacy.”

  “Ryland.”

  “You'll leave, now. If you'd like the girl to still have a pulse.”

  “The girl is under an... ”

  “Order of protection, I heard you the first time, Cadie.” Cadence met my eyes one last time before opening a rusted door with a circular pull, and disappearing through the other side. I flexed my power into my palm and out, fresh adrenaline washing through me. The vampire took several slow steps towards me.

  “I suppose I can see it a bit... here,” before I could say WTF, his cold fingertips were pressing into my cheek. Leaning in, he rested his chin on my shoulder and I released my magic, feeling it turn back on me, giving my veins an electric zing. “They will not work when I am touching you.” Ryland said, his voice carrying the rhythm of the “Na- Na- Na- Boo- Boo" song. Humming something I remembered from Music Appreciation week in eighth grade. “Well, I hardly see and marks at all. I would have thought the dolt was newly risen from what Cadie said.”

  Ryland shrugged, scratching his wrist with a creepy-long nail until blood droplets began to splatter the concrete.

  “Come, little one. Waste not, want not.” I spat in his face. It was the first time I'd ever done such a thing and it was gross, wet and necessary. From the look on Ryland's face, it was also very effective.

  Chapter Seven

  RUDE AWAKENINGS

  * * * *

  “Do you always scream so much in your sleep? It's kinda freaky, kiddo.” Not one decent back-crack into my morning stretch and I was already being annoyed by unwanted guests. I felt a very tiny surge of magic zing my fingertips, and saw I was wearing the two mis-matched potholders from my kitchen. Savannah Sarke, snakeshifter and stalker-extraordinaire frowned at my CD collection, tossing the one she'd been looking at on my dresser.

  Plucking the smoking potholders from my hands, I sighed, not wanting to begin my day like this.

  “Idea. You leave my house now.” The rest of a tirade of nastiness stilled, swirling on my tongue as I remembered Linsey and Ryland, in that respective bitey-order. “Oh, God.”

  “You look like you're going to puke. I signed up for guard duty, but if you're going to spew, get a move on, we're running late as it is. Ian grabbed some coffee and donuts. He's downstairs looking through you're freshman year book and drooling.”

  “The Bergamot kid and her bee-yotch cousin tapped out at about two in the morning, so Ian and I have had the pleasure of listening to you scream since they left. Do you have meds you need to take, or something?”

  “If any of my so-called bodyguards were worth a crap, I wouldn't have had to cuddle up to Lord Blackthorne last night and spend the night having creepy-ass dreams about another of the fanged, so coffee, food, and backing off would be super right now.” I blinked at few times as my little monologue repeated i
n my head, cheeks flushing at my rudeness before I remembered what was nagging at me. “Did I go anywhere last night?”

  “No, also Ian had to break the doorknob to get you out of the bathroom downstairs. You passed out after you locked yourself in.” Savannah's bluish eyes held a wary cast now, little crinkles forming at the edges as she frowned at me. “I was trying to make with the funny, Ascher. I know you had a crappy night. Just get dressed and meet us in the car. If you're not down in twenty, I'm sending Ian up to see your jammies which are precious by the way.” I was wearing flannel kitten print pajamas in bright pink. Glancing down at myself, I wasn't sure which was more disturbing. That I was wearing these in front of someone I didn't know, or that there were several drops of blood on the collar.

  * * * *

  Splashing cold water over my soapy face — check. Brushing the vomit-inducing coppery taste out of my mouth — check. Dressed for combat in a green sweater, dark jeans and newly acquired steel-toed boots, high ponytail, and a chunky costume ring good for punching, check. A quick stop in Gemma's bedroom showed she'd already left. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, a slowly growing pissed-mist filling the room around me at the confirmation that my big sister was too busy sucking face to give a flying crap about me. The doorframe creaked under the pressure from my fingertips, making me grimace as my nails scraped the walls.

  What is wrong with me?

  “Cyd called your home-phone. She said they'll pick you and Gemma up for magic lessons after school and that their grandmother is calling an emergency coven meeting.”

  I turned to see Ian Sarke smiling at me, a picture of me in the bathtub at age seven clutched in his hands. I raised an eyebrow and his face became stoic. “Just taking a look around.” I extended my hand for the picture which he turned over to me with a smile, with pointed fangs. I didn't know the guy all that well, but he was funny and had a tendency to make me forget he could shapeshift into a snake at any time. Feeling creepy, I took a few steps down the stairs, but felt his arms press against my back, bunching my sweater to stop me.

  “I'm sorry we were too late to help with the vampire last night.” Yanking free of his press, I took the stairs two at a time.

  “Yeah, well I had a super-fun time handling it myself, which, by the way, I'd prefer to do this morning.” I bit my lip, feeling stupid for letting me fear make me try to send the Sarke twins away. They were annoying and they never showed up on time, but they were here now, and I had a feeling I could use there company today.

  “You're going to have to make it up to me.” Ian produced a small grease-stained paper bag that smelled on doughnuts, a peek inside revealed two chocolate sprinkled doughnuts. The day was looking good.

  Chapter Eight

  JEKYLL AND HIGH SCHOOL

  Savannah Sarke leaned towards the desk of the high school registrar.

  “My brother Ian and I sent all the paperwork in triplicate over two weeks ago, you misplaced it and are going to spend the rest of the day trying to find it, but until then, we should pick up our student IDs and go to class. We have the same schedule as Ascher Rafferty, here's a copy.” I felt bad for the heavy woman who was staring with wide-eyed confusion at our trio. She kept mumbling she was sorry and rifling through the papers on her desk.

  She was visibly sweating under the strain of the spell, making her pulse stand out against her throat as it rumbad it's way into overtime. My stomach growled and I sighed. I was beginning to worry. I'd eaten four doughnuts and drank two coffees in the last half hour and I was starving. I was too much of a realist to hope that I was just hitting another growth spurt and not naive enough to push aside he fact that I'd tasted Linsey's blood.

  “Mini-Gemma!” I rolled my eyes and turned to see my sister arriving with what can only be described as a cavalcade of worshippers. She sneered at the sight of Ian and Savannah, though I couldn't be sure because she was wearing sunglasses so big and dark, I thought she was channeling Jack Nicholson. Before I could say, “Ow, Gemma, you're hurting my arm,” my sister had my butt planted in one of the stained gray chair's that aligned the outside of the offices.

  “Can't I leave you alone for two seconds?” My blood boiled, magic piping hot underneath my fingertips. I was troubled by the fact that I was making eye contact with her neck and had to close my eyes for a few moments to collect myself.

  “You left me alone for longer than that. Newsflash, emergency coven meeting tonight, a vampire broke into our house last night, and grandma is in the hospital or are you too busy lately to know any of this?” I felt mean at the look on her face as she searched mine to make sure I wasn't just saying mean things to one-up her.

  “I know about Grandma, mommy called me when I was at... out... last night. What vampire broke into the house?” She asked it like she wanted to know what I needed from the store or if I'd be out of the bathroom soon.

  “Just you friendly neighborhood bloodsucker, one that followed me through the time portal and thinks I need to become undead and spoon him,” I narrowed my eyes at her throng of people who had already begun to scurry away like good little mean-big-sister-worshipping peons.

  “Always with the drama, Ascher. Honestly, it's getting old.” I blinked up at my big sister, sure she would crack a smile and say she was just busting my proverbial balls and we could hug this out like a couple of sisters. She didn't. “I am working very hard to make sure this doesn't go any further than it has to. I will not be going to any coven meetings, emergency or otherwise. This is where all this crap started up and I'm pulling the both of us out of this whether you like it or not. This is all wrong, I'm sorry if this ruins your loser-plans to finally have a friend to call your own, but this ends tonight, Ascher.”

  I didn't realize Gemma's had was wrapped around my throat until I felt Ian pulling me towards him, his free hand working to free me from my sister's fingers which were currently throttling me. When he fingers released me, I sank against the wall, watching Ian cast a privacy spell and Savannah and Gemma circle each other and hiss. I think things may have ended differently if I hadn't done what I did next, but I was hollow from her words and bleeding on my lip where the tiny tips of fangs had curved into the flesh. I picked up my bag and walked towards the exit.

  Chapter Nine

  HEX-O-GRAM

  * * * *

  I listened to the happy music from the “Price is Right” as another contestant ambled down the staircase and up to a podium. I hadn't heard from Ian or Savannah which was a good thing. Gemma was still at school which was even better. I was cuddling my cat Nicky with one hand and a channel changer with the other which was a cathartic thing. I tried calling the hospital, but there was no answer in my grandmother's room. The messages started trickling in after that. Daray left at least a dozen messages which I got quite good at erasing one word into his message. The last message was from Daray's five year old sister Lily.

  “The big kitty is sick. She tries to help with bad things. There is going to be a big boom tonight.” Unsure if Daray had coached her and this was all nonsense, I stared at the phone a long time to determine whether or not I should call him. Of course, that was when I remembered why some vampire nut-bucket was chasing me, so I hit end and closed my eyes, just for a minute.

  Interlude

  Diary of Elizabeth Farence, 1761

  I know now that death is close. Father is asleep now, in a chair next to the bed and I am so weak, I can barely lift the quill to paper. I went to see Father Christensen and confess what evils I have been witness to, but I believe that he thought my confession the confused ramblings of a sick and dying girl and nothing more

  My heart barely beats in my chest and breathing has become difficult. The hunger is worse, and my throat and lips are parched

  Linsey will come for me tonight, I know. He told me he would take me to a place where we could be together forever and I do not know how I can escape him. Mother's crucifix is beside me on the bed- it is my last chance to get away and I will leave tonight
when I am sure the house is asleep.

  I fled into the woods, and hid deep in the shadows of a bank of trees, but Linsey found me somehow. When I refused to go with him willingly, he seized me by the throat and told me that I was his. He tore at my neck with his teeth and then forced me to drink his blood from a wound on his neck. I screamed as the blood filled my mouth, but choked on its thick warmth and swallowed

  He pulled my diary out of the inside of his cloak and pressed it into my face. He asked why I thought he was evil; why he was beyond both good and evil and not a pawn to either. I began to cry and he gathered me in his arms and brought me back to my home. He left me in the snow, cold and alone.

  Three days later I awoke in my family's crypt, surrounded by the scent of death and decay. Linsey was there, waiting for me. Telling me I was now a creature like him, he grabbed a rat from the floor and slit its throat with a nail. God help me! The blood caused such a thirst in me. I grabbed the rat from him and tore into the poor little creature with the pointed tips of fangs that had grown from my own mouth

  He handed me this diary and told me to consider it his bridal gift to me before he looked into my eyes and I was lost.

  Elizabeth

  Chapter Ten

  HARMED, I'M SURE

  I awoke to the fact that I was being thrown across the room. I heard Linsey cry out as he reached for me, but Cadence was working over time at windshifting me through my house and away from him. At some point upon waking, I had launched a fireball towards Cadence thinking I was being attacked, and I was now watching as the flames spread to her torso.

  Reaching forward to pull the magic back, I heard the door slammed against the wall, letting in an alarming gale of wind that made my head strike the entryway table. Leaves swirled through the doorway, raining over me the darkened figure of Linsey as I shoved myself up from where I had fallen, my torn elbows protesting. My magic was pouring out; the wind Cadence controlled seeming to pull every bit of it from me.