by L W Rogers
I reluctantly pull away, throwing him across the ground with a flick of my wrist. I feel a twinge of guilt for it, but we can’t keep this charade going no matter how much my body feels right against his. He is colluding with my mum’s killer and has yet to identify what he is. It can’t happen.
I throw an energy ball at him before he can get to his feet, causing him to flip several times over, grass and mud embedding itself in his clothes.
I hasten my pace as I can see him getting to his feet and let out a fire ball, but the flames only hit the grass as he is nowhere to be seen. Then a jolt hits my shoulder and throws me to the ground, hard. What the fuck?
I scramble to my feet and draw as much power as I can muster constructing the biggest energy ball that I have ever made. I step back as it builds, not wanting to be hit by the rebound. I notice Blaine doing the same and throw mine before he gets chance to build his any further. The energies collide sending a shock wave towards us, sending us both flying. My head hits one of the stones hard and I can feel my hair getting wet. I don’t need to touch it to know it is gushing blood, but I don’t care. Fury fills me. I am not about to be put down by this smug prick. He has no idea who he’s dealing with.
“Cadence! Enough! I don’t want to fight. I came here for your help,” Blaine yells above the raging storm that has resumed around us. The thunder is back and so am I. I mumble an incantation, drawing from the only energy I know can give me the power I need…darkness. As I cast, I can feel the tendrils of darkness wrapping themselves around me, marking me further. I see Blaine approaching fast, his eyes wide with, worry? Fear? I ignore him as I keep drawing from it.
“Cadence stop! Don’t do this! There’s no going back once you let it take you. I won’t let you do this,” he yells, as he draws nearer, ignoring the bolts of lightning that hit the ground close by. “Cadence, don’t make me do it!”
I stop briefly, glancing his way, a grin forming across my face to bait him. He clearly is full of himself if he thinks he is any match for me. I return to my incantation, my head up towards the darkness. I can feel his energy bolts hitting me, my body automatically deflecting his every attack. I can feel he’s getting closer without knowing how I can sense him. It is too dark for me to see him at this point, but I know he is close as his scent lingers in the air.
“You asked for it, Cadence.” Something hits me hard, surrounding me. I’m not where I was before. It feels like a bubble of sorts. I can see the rage that I have inflicted on this ancient site swirling around me, but where ever this is, it is immune to the elements.
I realise I’m not alone. Blaine is behind me. I spin round to throw a fire ball his way, but my hands come up empty. I try again. Again nothing. I try an energy ball…zip. I begin an incantation.
“That won’t work either,” he tells me as he closes the gap between us. I take a step back, only to hit an invisible wall. There’s no Magic; no way to escape. My eyes search frantically for a way out. I can’t bear his closeness. He smirks as he closes in on me.
“I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you will stay here, with me, alone, until the shit you’ve caused calms down. I’ve got all the time in the world.” He looks extremely pleased with himself. I hold my hand out ready to slap him and he grabs my wrist, forcing it outward, pulling me closer to him. I can feel his breath against my skin, his intoxicating scent invading my senses. His touch brings the all too familiar warmth tingling through my body. My heart begins to pick up pace again. I swallow nervously.
“You are an enigma, Cadence. You drive me fucking crazy,” he states, his eyes looking deep into mine, their silver shining bright in this bubble, their light warming his chiselled features. I maintain the connection, delving deep, searching for answers in them but can find none. I can feel his arm slide around my waist, pulling me closer to him, his hand resting on the small of my back. I can feel my heart racing now and a rush of heat hits my face, causing him to smile.
“Did I do that?” he teases, knowing all too well he provoked this reaction. I retaliate, placing my hand between his legs, feeling his arousal deepen with my touch.
“Did I do that?” I smile wickedly. “I could eat you up,” I whisper in his ear, drawing my tongue along his neck, causing a groan from him. Then I pull myself away from his grasp.
“I know what you’re doing here, Blaine. You think softening me up, keeping me cooped up in this…whatever this is, will stop me. It won’t.” I circle him like he’s prey, waiting for a moment to pounce. There will, however, be no pouncing.
“Cadence!” He casts me a warning look. “Fighting me will not solve anything.”
“Won’t it?” I tease. “But it’s so fun.”
“FUN? You think calling on the darkness is FUN? Hardly. You know nothing of darkness. “
“What? And you do?”
“I know a little.” He keeps an eye on me as I continue circling.
I change direction and lunge suddenly at him, smirking as I notice him flinch slightly.
“Cadence enough!” he yells.
I cease pacing. He looks angry. Way angrier than I have seen him before.
“What the fuck are you?” he asks, repeating his question from earlier.
“I’ve told you, I’m a w…”
“Cut the bullshit, you are more than that!” he snaps at me. His face is cold and lined with rage. I have to admit that thought has crossed my mind too recently, but I still have no explanation for the way I am. I just put it down to having a strong witch heritage and getting some tips from a dark witch, a fact that I now regret whole heartedly.
“Valeria!” I respond.
“What the fuck does she have to do with you?”
“She taught me things a witch shouldn’t be taught.” I can see him mulling over my explanation. He must know what she is capable of, after all he’s been in her presence.
“Why were you with Valeria?” I ask demanding answers.
He rubs the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact.
“Well, that’s a long story, but I can promise you I had nothing to do with your mother’s death.” Deep within my soul I can tell that for once he’s telling the truth. A wave of relief comes over me with the realisation. Maybe he isn’t all bad, but he still hasn’t answered the whole question or the nagging question of what he is. I need to tread carefully, knowing my tone and temper sometimes aren’t the best. Ok, most of the time they’re not the best, but I have to try.
I take a couple of steps towards him, careful to not get too close. It is bad enough that I can smell him from here. Touching him sent my body into craziness. He watches me, cautiously, and rightly so.
“I need to know what you are,” I confess in the softest tone I can muster. I am used to getting my own way and will use whatever means necessary when he continues to test me at every opportunity.
“It’s best that you don’t know at this stage.”
“Ugh!” I throw my hands up in frustration. “If I could throw a fire ball at you right now, I would -”
“But you can’t,” he cuts me off with a smug grin. This sends my temper into overdrive, as he ignites such a fury deep within me I find it hard to concentrate or control my emotions. With no power, I do the only thing I can do; I run at him and tackle him, throwing him onto the ground, and landing right on top of him. It isn’t my intention to get so close, but I have no other option.
“What the fuck, Cadence? You seriously want to keep at it?” He grabs me by the throat, using his body to roll me over so I am now under him. He sits astride me, hand still tight against my throat. I can see the fury in his eyes, its darkness matching my mood. I dig my nails into his side, causing him to release his grip with a roar of pain. I can see I have drawn blood and it satisfies me deeply. He looks back at me, a similar fire behind those eyes and I brace myself for the next blow.
He grabs at the back of my hair, leaving me wincing at the pain from the trauma already inflicted on it. He yanks me into him, his lips hard agai
nst mine. Anger and passion sizzles between us. I can feel his body grinding up against mine, his arousal building. He pulls away from the kiss, biting at my neck. With each bite a new wave of pleasure erupts. My hands move up his neck and into his dark hair and I pull at it, causing him to groan.
My mind is screaming at me to stop, but my body has control. He leans back as he pulls my blouse over my head with one hand. I rip at his shirt, impatient. His physique is magnificent, a picture of pure perfection. His body is burning hot, igniting the fire deep within me. He pulls me in towards him, his teeth nipping at my neck and slowly making his way downwards. I can feel him tear the remaining clothes from by body, tossing them aside as he closes his teeth around my erect nipple. A wave of intoxicating pain rushes through me.
In one swift move he hooks my legs around his waist and forces me against the surface of the bubble. His eyes hook mine, his desire obvious in their inky depths. I hear him unzip his trousers and feel him push them down before his fingers glide up the inside of my thigh, his touch causing my skin to buzz with excitement. His fingers enter me thrusting rhythmically with such force it takes my breath away. I moan in satisfaction. My head throbs from the intensity of the orgasm.
His eyes search mine, his erection at my entrance, teasing me so badly it hurts.
“I have never wanted to fuck someone so bad!” he pants. With that he pushes into me with such ferocity that I scream. In this moment of connection, a wave of electricity runs through me, cold, painful yet so satisfying. With each thrust an icy chill shoots through my veins, and I can feel my climax quickly build.
I can feel the orb begin to crack beneath me with every punishing blow. The moment it shatters, it is obvious whatever magic he has used to contain me is now gone. The rain lashes against our entwined bodies, whilst the wind swirls around us holding us upright with its violence. Lightning bolts hit the ground beneath our levitating bodies, blinding us to our storm torn surroundings with their terrifying closeness.
I can feel my magic returning and I let it flow through me, inviting the new found power in like an old friend. I want it, it wants me. He wants me. I’ll give all of me to him. It is in this moment I realise I am holding back.
Blaine kisses me with such force it takes my breath away, his tongue sending sparks of pleasure with each rhythmic touch. His thrusts deepen as he gets closer, a fierceness to them that brings a moment of raw, painful ecstasy. A rush of pure power surges through me as we reach our climax, and I release a scream so piercing it hurts my ears. The ground shatters somewhere beneath our feet as white-hot smoke pummels our bodies. Debris is forced up from the ground, a whirlwind of turf and stone ripping us away from each other. From the fiery hole beneath me, shrieks and maniacal laughter out-sing the thunder. The smoke smothers me in its suffocating darkness, and I fall.
Epilogue
Cadence
I closed my eyes when the ground exploded.
I open my eyes and the world has changed…
Coming Soon...
August 2020
‘Songs from the Styx’
by L.W. Rogers & T.F. Webb
A collection of poetry inspired by the themes, characters, and events from ‘Raising Hell’.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my parents and husband Andrew who have all supported me so much in this journey as a writer and have never doubted me.
I would also like to say a huge thank you to my friend and co-writer of this book, T. F Webb. It has been an amazing, fun process and I look forward to our future work together.
~ L.W. Rogers
Thank you to my family for the people you are, the belief that you have, and the person you help me to strive to be. For my children – you’re not going to have to knock for a little while at least. I love you all without limits.
Massive hugs for my co-writer and friend. Mrs Rogers, it’s been a pleasure, an experience, and the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I can’t wait to do it all again.
Thank you those who came and stayed on this long, long journey. Thank you to those who came and left. All of you have left me with some of the best lessons, and have helped me in so many ways. You are all appreciated so much more than I could ever put into words.
~ T.F.Webb
We would both like to show massive appreciation for our cover designer, David Collins, our cover animator and trailer designer, Morgan Wright, and Morgan’s associate’s GeeGee Music Productions who composed the music for our trailer.
Lastly, we would like to give a huge thank you to our editors and beta readers for doing an amazing job. Thanks guys. We appreciate you and all of your hard work.
~ L.W. Rogers & T.F.Webb
About the Author
L.W. Rogers
Laura Rogers is a writer, poet and co-author of ‘Raising Hell’. This is her first published book and she has several other works in progress. Her passion is writing for the supernatural, fantasy genre, her favourite being the vampire niche.
Laura is a mother of four, midwife and beautician, but that doesn’t stop her from finding the time to write when she can, along with adding writing courses to her portfolio. It has been her passion since the age of 8 to become a published author and she has worked towards her goal through her life.
She has undertaken several writing courses online to build on her skills as a writer and is looking forward to commencing her Masters in Creative Writing in the fall.
You can find Laura online at:
Twitter: twitter.com/ilvsupernatural
WordPress: ilvsupernatural.wordpress.com
About the Author
T.F. Webb
T.F. Webb is a writer, poet, and co-author of ‘Raising Hell’. An avid reader of fiction and poetry, she has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in English Literature. She is currently waiting to start her second year studying for her MA in Creative Writing.
T.F.Webb works out of her home on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in the South West of England. Her writing room is her sanctuary, where she surrounds herself with the genres she loves the most. If she’s not writing she can be found reading horror, fantasy, or paranormal books or watching films from the same genres. When she is not immersing herself in fiction, she can be found taking long walks with her family, looking after her children and fur babies, or trying to blend in with her surroundings.
You can find T.F. Webb online at:
Twitter: twitter.com/tf_webb
Facebook: facebook.com/TFWebbwrites
Instagram: instagram.com/t.f.webb9
Wordpress: www.tfwebb.com