by Char Webster
He broke off the kiss and leaned his forehead on hers. “Two more are coming toward us. They know we’re free.”
She leaned back, slightly bewildered until she realized what he had said. She had been so consumed from the kiss that she didn’t know he had been carrying out their plan.
Aria brought her hand down to her boot and slipped her sword from it. She shimmied off his lap, jumped up, and faced their guards. She was still breathing heavily and tried her best to calm her racing heart.
“Will they attack us?”
He stood next to her with the dagger ready. “I don’t think so. We still can’t get out of the circle yet, so they’re just on alert.” Damian assessed the situation and determined they were safe for a little bit. “By the way, that was the most amazing kiss I’ve ever had.”
Heat flooded her, and she knew she was turning red again.
“When this is over, we’re finishing that in private.”
“Who said I want to kiss you again?” Aria tossed her hair over her shoulder and gave him a saucy grin.
“I do.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. His hand grazed her cheek, and he leaned down to give her the sweetest kiss full of devotion. “I’ve really missed you. Get ready.”
Aria’s attention focused on the four mystics walking toward their invisible prison.
“You two are full of surprises. Where did you have the weapons hidden?” one of the mystics asked.
“Let us go” Damian demanded.
He ignored Damian. “It doesn’t matter. Your weapons won’t do you any good.” He motioned to the other mystics, and they moved back into their original places.
~*~*~
“Did you see that move? That was so smooth,” Aedan whispered from their hiding place.
“Aria never goes anywhere unarmed. They’re lucky she was wearing her boots and those mystics hadn’t thought to check them.” Julie had watched Aria and Damian with much less enthusiasm. She was happy they escaped their ropes, but she knew that Aria would be a mess after this was over. Julie hoped that her friend would recover.
“You look worried. Why?” Aedan asked. “That was a kick-ass move. They’re going to be fine. We’ll help them get out of that circle.”
“I was thinking about the fall out after this whole mess is finished.”
His grin faded. “He’s going to be a grouch for the next decade.”
“And she’ll be impossible and work herself to exhaustion for years to come.”
Aedan rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s got to be something we can do.”
“They’re both too stubborn to realize they still love each other.”
“We could always magically bind them together until they work it out,” Aedan offered.
“That’s a possibility.” Julie thought for a minute but pushed it aside. “I heard them say that something was going to happen at midnight.”
“Yeah. It seems like some of those mystics think Pravus is coming for them, and others are under the impression Aria and Damian are being sacrificed.”
Julie shifted her weight, making ready to jump up. “We’re getting them out of there before anything happens.”
“Agreed. It’s almost dark enough to go get them.”
Chapter Twelve
Damian was enjoying the view he had at the moment of her perfectly curved butt. Aria was lying on her stomach with her feet swinging in the air as she picked at the dirt along the edge of the circle with her sword.
“You’re not going to be able to dig under that.” Damian had no idea why he said that. He liked watching her and didn’t want her to stop.
“It’s worth a try. Maybe some of the dirt will shift and break the ring.”
“Come here. You’ve been at that for almost an hour. You have to be getting tired of getting nowhere by now.”
Aria stood up and brushed herself off. “It’s well past dark, and more mystics are entering the clearing. Something is going to happen soon. I would rather be out of this ring than have to face whatever they’re planning, stuck in here with no way out.”
“Aedan, Julie, and Markos will get us out of here.”
“Where are they? Shouldn’t they have tried something by now?” Aria was concerned that they had been caught too.
A quick flash of light drew Damian’s attention. “They’re here,” he whispered.
“Where?” She sat down next to him.
“Over by the large group of trees with heavy underbrush.”
“Good. They need to get us out of here so we can kick some magical butts. I cannot believe they turned on us.”
Damian squeezed her hand. “We’ll get them and Pravus.”
Several terrified screams disturbed the quiet night. Aria and Damian jumped up and saw a dozen revenants popping out of the bayous and the ground all around them.
“Oh my gods! Why would anyone want to reanimate dead bodies?” Aria was in her fighting stance.
“We need to get out of here!” Damian pushed against the barrier that was keeping them in. “Damn it.” He threw some magic at the barrier, but it fizzled out. Their circle was cutting off their magic.
“Julie and Aedan are fighting off a few of them over there!” Aria pointed.
The revenants were getting closer to the circle. A red-haired mystic ran to intercept it but fell only a foot away. His pursuer disappeared into the ground to only pop up again close to another mystic.
The red head focused on Damian and Aria. “Help us.” He had Damian’s magic blade in his hand and used it to make a hole in the circle.
They rushed from their prison, and Damian scooped up his property. “I’m glad to have this back. Let’s go!”
Aria pulled out her other dagger and jumped into the fight, swinging blades in both hands.
As soon as she cut down a revenant, another popped up to replace it. Damian fought back to back with her, the two working together seamlessly.
Aria glanced at where Julie and Aedan were fighting across the clearing. Aedan seemed to be having as much fun as Damian was.
Suddenly, the fiends disappeared, and the clearing was quiet.
Aria looked around, panting. “Where did they go?”
“Whoever was controlling them must have made them leave.” Damian was scanning the area looking for more danger.
Julie and Aedan ran up to them. “Are you two all right?” Julie asked concerned.
Aria nodded. “Yeah. We’re good.”
Aedan looked at the circle. “How’d you get out? We were busy fighting, and I didn’t see you break it.”
Damian searched the ground for the mystic who set them free. ”I don’t see the guy who helped us.”
“They let you go?” Julie asked.
Aria scanned for the other mystics. They were regrouping and taking care of the wounded. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Julie nudged Aria. “Pravus,” she whispered.
Pravus strode out of the woods and into the clearing. He raised his hands as he came forward, and several mystics dropped to the ground. He was pulling their life forces and energies.
He stopped about thirty feet from them. “Seems like you’re having a difficult time tonight.” He began to circle the clearing. “I thought for sure you would enjoy my welcoming party.”
The mystics that had fallen to the ground were slow in getting back up and were disappearing into the woods. Aria saw them retreating. “The cowards.”
Pravus moved closer to the group but stopped when he saw a woman on her knees. He grinned wickedly and put his hand out to her, draining her magic and life. She collapsed onto the ground, not moving. He couldn’t drain too many more completely. It took a lot of his energy and magic to steal from others. He filled himself with magic, but it wasn’t his own, and he had to battle it to mesh with his. It was always a constant battle.
“We need to stop this,” Aria murmured to Damian.
Aedan put his hand out to stop Damian from making his way to Pravus. “Our
circle is directly in front of us. We need to make him come this way.”
Julie turned around quickly with her own dagger raised to the neck of someone who was joining their group from behind.
“I mean you no harm. I’m here to help,” said a mystic with dark hair and even darker eyes. Julie thought he looked to be in his early twenties.
“You captured my friends!” Julie accused and pushed her knife closer to his neck.
“It was a ruse to flush out those who were working with Pravus and to lure him here. Your plan wouldn’t have worked, and we needed you to think we betrayed you so Pravus would believe it, too.”
“Who are you?” Julie demanded, not knowing if she should believe him or not.
“I’m Adam. I work for Lucinda as head of her security team in New Orleans.”
Aria and Aedan were busy watching Pravus circle the area. Damian was trying to keep Pravus in sight while listening to Julie’s conversation as well.
Damian turned to Adam. “How do we know we can trust you now and this isn’t another trick?”
“Your circle is about fifteen feet directly ahead, and I can light it with a spell once he makes his way closer to us and steps inside.”
“I’ll kill you if you betray us again,” Damian hissed.
“I won’t. I want to protect my people. They’ll never be safe with him on the loose,” Adam promised.
Pravus was making a show of owning the moment, and his over confidence was going to be his downfall.
Damian knew he had to keep Pravus circling toward him.
“Showing off, Pravus?” Damian called out to him, drawing the man’s attention.
Damian felt a pull at his chest and knew that Pravus was trying to drain his magic.
“It’s not showing off, Damian. It’s demonstrating superiority.” Pravus came closer to them.
Julie sank down to her knees and grabbed her chest. Aedan dropped down next to her. “Fight it. You have to resist him.”
She locked onto his wrist for strength. “I’m not going to let him take all my life force and magic.”
Aria wanted to run to her friend, but she knew she had to hold steady and not appear weak. “How’s your stomach, Pravus?” she taunted him so he would lose concentration and stop draining Julie and the witches.
Pravus snarled and stomped closer. “You’re going to regret you ever did that to me!”
Two mystics rushed Pravus from behind, and he flipped around to face the attack. He immediately started throwing magic at his adversaries.
They stumbled forward, having trouble shielding themselves from the magical deluge. They tried to continue on with their momentum, pushing against Pravus’s magic. They reached him, and one dove for his legs as the other one went for a higher tackle.
A few blows were exchanged, but then the two mystics fell to the ground unconscious.
Pravus stood, dusted off his clothes, made a huge show of straightening his attire, and faced Damian and Aria who hadn’t moved from where they were. They still needed him to come to them.
“Now where were we, Aria? Oh, yes, I was just telling you that I’m going to enjoy making you sorry you raised a hand against me.” Pravus took a step forward. He was ten feet from the circle.
Aria scanned the area, but she couldn’t see any of the mystics. They must have fled in fear when Pravus had drained the first of them.
Julie had recovered enough to stand with the aid of Aedan. He was pushing some of his magic into her to replenish her energy.
“Come to me, Aria, or I will drain the last drop of magic from your friends.” Pravus began to pull from Julie and Aedan, and both of them struggled to stay on their feet.
“Come and get me if you want me!” Aria screamed at him.
Damian put a hand on her arm when she tried to go forward. “He needs to come to us.”
Adam moved closer to Damian and Aria. “Try to pull his energy.”
Aria looked back at him in shock. “I can’t do that!”
“You have to try. Your friends will die if you don’t. He’s still too powerful.” Adam tried pulling the energy himself, but he wasn’t strong enough.
Damian ran his hand up her arm and cradled the back of her head. “We’ll try it together. There’s nothing to lose.”
“It will make us evil like him!” Aria shuddered.
“Not if we expel it right away.” Damian would never allow either of them to turn evil. He let his hand slide back down and laced his fingers with hers. They faced Pravus together.
Julie and Aedan were struggling on the ground, moaning.
Aria concentrated on Pravus, searching for his energy. She found the thread and started to tug at it. “Damian, I found his energy.”
Pravus stopped pulling magic and faltered. He hadn’t expected anyone to try to pull his life force.
Damian was counting the steps Pravus needed to take to enter their circle.
Pravus bellowed and stomped forward. “What do you think you’re doing?” he screamed and started pulling from Damian.
Damian fell to his knees but managed to stumble back up watching Pravus enter the circle with one foot.
Aria began to teeter on her feet. Pravus’s magic felt dirty and evil, but she needed to continue to pull from him.
Pravus took another step closer, and Adam recited the fire spell that lit the circle. Aedan and Julie chanted along with him.
Pravus threw his head back and laughed. “This ring of fire won’t hold me!”
Suddenly, mystics rushed from the trees and started chanting the spell that would hold Pravus inside the ring.
Pravus pushed against the invisible barrier that wouldn’t budge. “NOOOOO!”
Aria and Damian rushed to Julie and Aedan. They were both weak, but they were recovering.
Enforcers flooded the area through portals and surrounded the clearing.
Pravus screamed again and started to recite a spell. The flames leapt high into the sky, and Pravus’ shrieks of terror filled the bayou. The entire circle was engulfed in white hot flames. Whatever spell Pravus tried to use to escape his prison rebounded.
Aria expelled the magic she consumed from Pravus and tried to clear the evil away. She could feel a slight darkness remain, and it chilled her.
The people closest to Pravus had to move back to avoid the scorching heat from the inferno. After a few minutes, the flames died down to reveal a burnt patch of ground with some remnants of cloth from his suit. Pravus was gone.
Markos strode up to Aria and swept her up into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe. I had no idea you and Damian were taken.”
“We’re fine. A little worn out, but some time on the beach will fix that.” Aria hoped the dark magic would leave her system.
Damian was staring at the charred circle in disbelief. “He’s finally gone,” he mumbled to himself.
Aedan staggered over to him. “You’re free from him. She’s free from him.” He tipped his head toward Aria. “You’re out of excuses, my friend. I’m going to go pass out now.”
Damian watched Aria hug Julie tightly.
“I thought I was going to lose you!” Aria screeched.
Julie’s smile was faint. “You’re stuck with me. Well, you’ll be stuck with me after I sleep for about a week.”
“You rest. We’ll deal with everything here.” Aria hugged her again. She needed to keep busy and moving. Hopefully, the more she did, the faster the evil magic would leave her.
Julie pulled her magic blade from her pocket. “Ar, he’s a good guy. Don’t be stubborn and let him go again. You both deserve to be happy.” Not waiting for a response, she left through a portal.
Markos heard what Julie said to his sister. “She’s right. You need to give him another shot.”
Aria gaped at him. “Not you, too?”
Markos gave her a little push toward Damian. “Go talk to him. There’s nothing left to do here. You can give your report to the Legacy High Council later.” She started forward b
ut stopped at her brother’s words. “I love you, Aria. It’s time to let yourself be happy.”
She turned back to him and smiled, trying to keep moving on wobbly legs.
Damian was talking to a group of Enforcers. “We’re going to sweep the area to make sure there were no more revenants around,” one of the Enforcers told him.
Damian watched the group leave just as Aria reached his side. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
Damian offered her his hand without saying a word. He just held it out to her, hoping she would take it.
Aria looked at his outstretched fingers and realized it wasn’t just his palm but a promise of so much more. Taking a huge fortifying breath, she placed her hand in his.
Damian opened a portal and led her through to her townhouse in Florida. She was shocked that he knew where it was.
He shrugged at her. “I’ve kept track of you. Always protecting you.”
“Let’s take a walk on the beach. I love it at night.” She slid open the door and ventured out onto the deck. There were a million stars out, and she couldn’t help but look up at them.
Damian drew her toward him until they were only inches away from each other. He gazed into her eyes and slipped his hands into her hair, holding her gently. “I’ve dreamt of this so many times but never allowed myself to believe it could happen. I would imagine standing with you in my arms and asking you for another chance and sometimes even pleading with you to forgive me. I know you don’t trust me, and I deserve that, but I’ll do whatever it takes, for however long you need, to prove myself to you.”
Aria’s shaking hands fisted in his shirt as she searched his eyes for the truth. “I want so badly to believe you, but I’m afraid.”
He leaned his head down to hers. “I love you Aria. I always have, and I always will.”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“Please give us a chance.”
She nodded and hugged him tightly. “I love you, too. We’ll give this a try.”
He swept her up in his arms and twirled her around under the moonlight, finally claiming her lips. “I knew you still had a thing for me.”