Dillen could only grunt in response, which pissed him off even more. In fact, the entire situation was pissing him off. If this was his next great adventure, he wanted a damn refund. What happened to the golden, pearly gates everyone always went on and on about? What happened to the white light? The only thing he'd managed to see was a fake garden, a crazy-assed woman dressed up like a bride, and a damn garden full of zombies. Fate was a cruel bitch and he wanted to have a chat with her when all this was over. He was pulled out of his rant by the young woman who had warned him earlier.
"Are you okay?"
Still unable to speak, he simply nodded, even though he was anything but okay. His chest was on fire and his body felt like it was being ripped apart. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "How do we get the hell out of here?"
"We don't know," the young man on his left responded.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Dillen asked through gritted teeth.
Before the other two could respond, a woman wearing a black Chanel sleeveless dress with lace panel throughout and a pair of black rose print velvet Sylvie pumps with a green and red grosgrain web strap with a buckle. "What did you not understand about we don’t know? We were hoping you'd be able to help us get out of this Goddess forsaken place."
Dillen was convinced that he'd pissed off the Goddess in another lifetime because somehow he'd landed in a zombie shit storm without an exit. It was raining zombies and they were all screwed when the ones floundering toward them with corpse-white quicklime skin, frenzied rabid eyes, and a rancid rank smell that was a mixture of gangrene, gore compost and corpses reached them. The smell could have risen the dead… literally.
But before he could respond to the sharp dressed diva, another pain hit him so hard that he almost passed out. When his vision blurred and he was no longer able to speak, Dillen knew his time was up. They were all doomed to hell.
CHAPTER FIVE
Cecelia watched the center of the circle intently waiting for something, anything, to happen. Yes, the final candle had blown out, but she couldn’t help wondering at whose expense. Hers? Dillen’s? Ariel’s? None of them understood that there was only a certain amount of life force in the universe. Thus, every time she attempted to bring back a life, she had to steal the life force from other living beings to do so. Her mother had told her to always be careful because only the most experienced of casters were able to control where this life force was taken from. None of them knew what saying the spell again had cost her. Dillen had to come back, or she’d just risked everything for nothing.
No, she couldn't think like that. The spell had worked and Dillen would return, she was sure of it. She had the magic of some of the most powerful witches in the universe working with her to bring back her mate. Granted, it took longer than normal, but that had to be because Dillen wasn't dead. Maybe, Ariel had been right, and he was stuck in limbo. Thank the Goddess, she'd cast a spell that would not only find a loved one, but also bring back the dead. Either way, all the bases had been covered. Now, they had to do the one thing she'd never been good at… waiting patiently.
"Incoming!" Fabio yelled, pulling Cecelia back into the present.
She watched as the swirls of orange, purple and silver magic floating above them turned black and menacing. Once again, her stomach rolled with anxiety and dread. When Dillen's body finally dropped through the portal that had been created by the spell, Cecelia let out the breath she'd been holding. That is, until she saw the nature of his injury. His shirt was covered in blood and he was writhing in pain. The hole in his chest was the size of a geyser. She had seen a lot of weird and gory things as a necromancer, but nothing compared to this.
What in the hell happened to him? Had her spell done this when they tried to bring him back? Or, were his injuries a result of his battle with Paimon? If she ever got her hands on that twit, Brittney, she’d make the foolish witch pay for her stupidity.
Although Dillen was the one injured, she felt the fiery pain rip through her chest like a hot poker before falling to her knees in agony. It felt like someone had set her body on fire and was now slicing her up with a dull, jagged-edge sword. She tried to take in several deep breaths, but nothing worked. The pain only got worse. Through gritted teeth, she turned to look at Ariel in a plea for help. Unfortunately, the lioness wasn't in any better shape than she was. Determined to save them all, she redirected her focus toward Claire, the only other person in the room who would understand their dire situation.
"Help. Him. Or, we'll all die," she demanded, gasping for air to remain conscious.
Cecelia watched as Zelda, Zoe, Zara, and Sophie combined their powers to try and heal Dillen. When the pain didn't immediately subside, she tried not to panic. Had she brought him back only for him to die? Fate could be a cruel bitch, but even she had her boundaries.
"This isn't working. We need more power," Cecelia heard Zoe yell.
"Jango. Bobo. Fat Bastard. Get your asses over here and do your thing. We need more power," Zelda ordered.
"On it," the troublesome cats replied in unison.
It took what seemed like forever, but the pain slowly began to subside. Cecelia's breathing returned to normal, and her chest no longer felt like it was on fire. The cacophony of noise around her had disappeared and the only sound in the room was her silent whimpering. She had no idea when she'd started crying, but for some reason, she couldn't stop. Had they saved Dillen? Was it all over? Why was everyone so quiet? The necromancer in her wanted to know what in the hell was going on. Yet, the introverted, shy side of her wanted to retreat into the shadows.
"Shh! Don't cry, sweet one!"
Squeezing her eyes tighter, she focused on the deep baritone voice that haunted her dreams day and night. A calming, sensual voice she thought she'd never hear again. Maybe Fate wasn't as cruel as she'd initially thought, which only made her sob more.
"Dillen?"
“Open your eyes, Cecelia. It’s okay. I’m okay,” Dillen coaxed in a soothing voice.
When Cecelia heard his voice again, she visibly relaxed for the first time since this mess started. She wanted to open her eyes and jump into his arms, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. Instead, she remained on her knees with her eyes closed. When his thumb wiped away the tears flowing freely down her face, it made her shiver. His touch and voice combined felt like warm water rushing over her body—calming the aches, pain and sorrow. No man, except Dillen, had ever had this kind of an effect on her. It was both comforting and terrifying.
“Please, CeCe. Open your eyes,” Dillen pleaded again, as he wiped away more tears.
Once again, his voice and touch brought a sense of calmness over her body. The unbearable pain had disappeared, and her heart rate had slowed to a steady beat. Now, all she had to do was open her eyes. While his voice sounded normal, she was afraid he wouldn’t look normal. What if they had waited too long? The afterlife was tricky, even for the most experienced necromancers. Was it the reason the entire room was silent? She’d never doubted her powers in the past and was unsure why she was doubting herself now. Yet, in the past, she’d also never had so much to lose.
Tired of the deafening silence, she took in several deep breaths and opened her eyes. Beautiful, warm, chestnut eyes the deep brown of pecan shells were staring back at her. Normal eyes. Eyes she could get lost in for hours, days, years… forever. Ignoring everyone in the room, she quickly scanned Dillen’s body. His skin tone looked normal. His chocolate brown hair could use a trim, but it still looked good enough to run her fingers through. The hole in his chest was nonexistent. The only evidence that it had existed was the blood on his shirt. His long lashes that most women would die for, strong jawline, and full-bodied lips made her want to kiss him on the spot. But she wouldn’t because they had an audience. His body now looked long, lean and powerful. Dillen was the epitome of sex on a stick and every woman in Bass Ackwards knew it. When he graced her with that megawatt smile, her heart fluttered in her chest. I
f she had been standing, she would have gone weak in the knees. The chemistry between them had always been off the charts. Yes, they had a sexual attraction to one another, but it was more than that. When she was near Dillen, it was always like coming home. Not only did he have a wicked sense of humor, but she also experienced a strong sense of familiarity around him. Yet, she continually ran from the man every chance she got. She knew it was crazy and made no sense, but life often made no sense.
“There’s those beautiful eyes I love so much. Are you okay?” Dillen asked, interrupting her rambling thoughts.
“I-I’m fine. What about you?” she asked nervously.
“Now that I’m back in the land of the living, never better,” Dillen replied, as he extended his hand to help her up off the floor.
Cecelia took his offered hand and stood. When he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her, she felt her world turn upside down. Again. His lips were warm, soft and demanding. Any anxiety she'd previously felt had suddenly disappeared. Dillen always had this effect on her. His warm, masculine, woodsy scent wrapped around her like a cloak. When he deepened the kiss, she went up on tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. The moans that slipped from her lips should have embarrassed her, but she didn't care. Dillen was alive and well. She'd brought him back from the dead without suffering any consequences. It was an exhilarating feeling, which was probably the reason she'd loosened the reigns on her inhibitions.
"Um. I hate to interrupt this lovely reunion, but IMCOMING," Fabio yelled again.
When Fabio's words finally registered, Cecelia broke the kiss and turned just in time to watch the portal open and drop not one, not two, but six bodies in the center of the circle.
"Holy hell, it’s raining zombie's. Hallelujah!" Camille exclaimed with a chuckle.
Cecelia turned and glared at her best friend. She should have known messing with the Fates would come back and bite her in the ass. "It's not funny, Cami."
"Of course it is honey. I never imagined I'd see a Zombie Apocalypse in my lifetime. How did you know that was on my bucket list?"
"Mine too," Fabio said with glee. "I see flying yoga in their future."
"Focus, Daddy-O!" Zara yelled, as the wind in the room picked up speed.
When the wind died down and the portal closed, everyone let out the breath they'd been holding. That is, until Claire informed them another portal had opened near the old graveyard.
"What the hell is with you people and this graveyard?" Zelda asked. "I mean seriously, every damn evil being you've fought in this town gravitates toward that freaking graveyard. Is it cursed?"
"No, that would be my house," Sophie said with a sigh.
Symone tilted her head and looked Sophie directly in the eye to make sure she hadn't been joking. "No shit?"
"No shit. Trust me when I tell you that we've tried every spell in the book, but nothing has worked."
"Sugar, you don't need a spell. You need the Ghostbusters," Camille replied, as she took another bite of the gingerbread cookie.
"Camille. Zip it!" Cecelia ordered through gritted teeth. "In case you haven't noticed, we have bigger problems."
"Oh, don't get your panties all in a wad, CeCe. I'm only saying what everyone else was thinking. They've come up with some cool, new gadgets since the last movie. You would know this if you had joined us. But, no. You had to watch a chick flick. I keep telling you. Sometimes a girl needs to watch a movie with a little supernatural action to learn a few new tricks, if you know what I mean," Camille replied with a wink and a smile.
Don't kill her now. There are too many witnesses. Besides, I'd look horrible in prison orange, especially with my red hair. But on second thought, it might be a nice vacation from all the crazies because this necromancer gig is becoming a real Debby Downer.
"Ladies, while your squabbling is amusing, we have bigger problems stirring in the circle," Scroogess said.
"Geez, Scroogey. You think?" Camille countered.
"Enough," Zoe screamed. "I need everyone to calm down. Your emotions are all over the place and working what few nerves, I have left, so put a sock in it."
"Zoe's right," Zelda said, as she bit into the sugar cookie Camille handed her. "Dad, Zoe and Zara, I need you to contain the zombies until we can figure out what to do. Cecelia, Camille, Symone, Claire, Sassy, Jeeves, Mac, Ariel, and Dillen, you're with me. We need to close the portal at the old graveyard and figure out how many more zombies are stalking the streets of Bass Ackwards. The rest of you… have a cookie. They're damn good. The girl can bake," Zelda said, as she nodded toward Cecelia.
"It's a good plan, but how are we all getting there?" Symone asked. She'd barely finished her sentence when the Northern lights suddenly appeared.
"Need a ride?" Scroogess asked.
"Oh goodie! I've always wanted to travel using the Northern lights," Sassy squealed with joy.
Cecelia felt like she'd just walked into the Twilight Zone. In a day, they'd managed to bring back the dead… literally, start a Zombie Apocalypse, and ride the wave of the Northern Lights. Although she'd had some crazy requests in her lifetime as a necromancer, this took the cake. Yet, no one in the room seemed concerned. It was as if they experienced this kind of chaos every day. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. She was simply grateful that Dillen was still alive and for the first time in a long time, she wasn't alone in the battle to come.
CHAPTER SIX
Dillen knew he should’ve been excited when he returned to the land of the living, except his body was on fire and hurt like a son of a bitch. The hole in his chest was bleeding profusely and he had no idea how to stop it. If he hadn’t been dead before, he was surely dying now. Even as the king of his pride and a shifter, his body could only handle so much. He needed a miracle and fast, or his ass was grass.
The minute his body hit the floor, he began gasping for air. Why the hell was it so hard to breathe? He hadn’t experienced any of these problems when he was with Bertie. Maybe, he had been dead, but that hell hole couldn’t have been his next great adventure. Surely, the Fates wouldn’t have been so cruel. Would they? His mind was still reeling from the events of the day, but he had to refocus if he planned on staying alive.
“Help. Him. Or, we’ll all die.”
Cecelia’s voice in pain and agony, helped bring him out of his musings. His protective instincts kicked in and he needed to know what was wrong. Why was she in whimpering in pain? Had someone hurt her? If so, he’d rip out their hearts with his bare hands. Cecelia was his to love and protect and so far he done a shitty job of it over the years, but all of that was about to change. He was home now, and someone above had seen fit to give him a second chance. He need to make amends and fast, but first, you had to deal with the gaping hole in his chest. If he had been a mirror mortal, he’d be dead by now. Thank the Goddess, he wasn’t.
When he heard Zoe yell that they needed more power, in his mind, he let out a small sigh of relief. He knew his friends wouldn’t let them down. They’d been there for one another through thick and thin. It was just weird for him to be the one who needed the help. He was normally the protector. The King of his Pride. The man who was always in control. But that man was now wounded, vulnerable, and in desperate need of help. That man was desperate to get to his mate and comfort her. That man was determined to do whatever it took to make sure that they had a happily ever after.
Once more, he gasped as the pain in his chest begin to subside. Slowly, but surely, he was regaining his strength. Whatever healing powers his friends had bestowed on him, he would forever be forever in their debt. When is chest no longer felt like it was about to explode, he said straight up and immediately looked at Cecelia. Only, she didn’t see him. Her head was bowed, tears were streaming down her face, and she looked as though she was one step away from collapsing. But to her credit, she was holding it together like a champion. He needed her to know that he was okay. That they would both be okay. That she no longer needed to waste tears on
him. Witnessing the sorrow on her beautiful face was too much. He felt like he’d been stabbed in the chest again with a fiery dagger that had gone straight to the heart. Unable to listen to her sobs any longer, he stood and walked to the woman he loved.
"Shh! Don't cry, sweet one!" Dillen whispered in an effort not to startle her.
Dylan watched as Cecelia visibly relaxed at the sound of his voice. It was obvious that she wanted to open her eyes, but something was holding her back. In an effort to set her at ease, he kneeled down in front of her, and gently wipe away the tears flowing down her cheeks. She was so beautiful that it made his heart hurt to see her in pain like this.
“Please, CeCe. Open your eyes,” he pleaded again, as he wiped away more tears.
He watched again as her body relaxed more, and whatever pain she had been experiencing disappeared. When her heart rate slowed to a steady beat, he patiently waited for her to make the next move. Although the beast in him wanted to sweep her up in his arms and carry her to safety, the sensible side of him knew he had to wait her out. If he moved too fast, she would run again and he couldn’t let that happen this time. They needed to come to an understanding and soon. The time for running was over. The one thing he’d learned from his time with Bridezilla, was that life is too short not to be with the one you truly love. When she finally opened her eyes, Dillen let out the breath he had been holding.
“There’s those beautiful eyes I love so much. Are you okay?” He asked in a soft, gentle voice.
“I-I am fine. What about you?”
He could tell by her stuttering that she was nervous. So in an effort to put her at ease, he continued to move slowly and respond in a caressing voice.
“Now that I’m back in the land of the living, never better,” he replied, as he extended his hand to help her up off the floor.
Witchin' Up the Dead Page 4