The Dark Rising

by Lacey Weatherford

  It all made sense now. This must be their plan. Mayla was going to drive him crazy with pain until he was the strongest killing machine on earth. This was a quest for power. She couldn’t receive the Awakening herself, so she was going to try to control it through him.

  “You're wrong.” He shook his head. “She explained it all to me, showing me how it would work.”

  I opened my mouth to argue with him, but he placed a finger over my lips to silence me.

  “Hush,” he commanded. “Mayla told me you would try to twist things around to confuse me. It isn’t going to work.” He opened his mouth, leaning in to bite my neck.

  I couldn’t even scream because he froze my vocal cords. Closing my eyes, I braced myself for the pain, wishing with all of my heart I was back at the bunker safely asleep in my tiny cot.

  Instantly I felt a brief weightless envelope me and my body dissolved away from Vance as his teeth snapped, catching nothing but air. The weightlessness was followed by a cold prickling feeling.

  Looking around, I realized I was standing on a mossy patch of ground near an old dilapidated shack, the wards keeping me out of the bunker.

  Screaming Hex’s name, I ran into the old structure, fumbling in the dark while I tried to find the secret entrance. I continued shouting Hex’s name loud enough to wake the dead, and I desperately pounded on the walls hoping to find a weak spot. As long as I was out here Vance would be able to track my physical pull, and I was a sitting duck.

  “Portia?” I heard Hex’s sleepy, yet frantic, sounding voice just as one of the panels in the wall opened up, his figure revealed in the light streaming up from below him. I ran into his arms and he caught me as I sobbed.

  “What're you doing out here?” he asked. “What happened?”

  “It works,” I cried hysterically. “The jinn cells work.”

  He pushed me back. “What're you talking about?” he said shaking me slightly. “What happened?”

  “He almost killed me! That’s what happened!” I shouted.

  “Who?”

  “Vance! I woke up and I was in his bed. I thought it was a dream at first but it wasn’t. He kissed me and then he turned into a freaking demon and tried to eat me!” I yelled.

  “That isn’t possible,” Hex said shaking his head. “You couldn’t have evaporated that far. The distance is too great.”

  “Well, then something is going wrong with our little experiment because I just served myself up to him like a rare steak on a demon dinner platter!”

  Chapter 20

  I was sitting in a bubble bath of all things. Hex insisted on drawing one to help me relax. He'd even gone so far as to light a candle to give some atmosphere.

  After he shuttled me back into the safety of the bunker, he'd taken me straight to the lab. He had me explain everything to him in detail while he got some tubes out and did a large blood draw.

  I was beginning to wonder if I should've just let Vance feed on me by the time he was finished filling the many vials.

  Hex then filled the bath, stating I was to unwind while he worked in his lab. He left strict instructions I was not to wish for anything, or to contemplate going anywhere, unless I desired to end up in my birthday suit somewhere very inconvenient.

  I was trying to concentrate on how good the hot bath felt. It wasn’t working though. Every time I closed my eyes, Vance’s face would float in front of me. I could still feel his kisses, his arms sliding around me while he stroked and caressed me, the length of his body against mine.

  He remembered everything.

  “He tried to kill you!” I said out loud, trying to snap myself out of it but it didn’t matter. I loved him and that was all my body and heart could respond to. Even after nearly losing my life to him, I couldn’t love him any less.

  He was sick. This wasn’t the real Vance. My Vance was somewhere inside of him, wrapped up in all of the demon trappings and Hoodoo brainwashing. He needed my help, even if he didn’t know it.

  I gave in to the tears, letting them stream down my face.

  He was truly evil. The only reason I'd lived tonight was because he struggled over which way to use me first. It had all been about lust and thirst. I needed to quit deluding myself with thoughts that he was hopelessly in love with me. He knew exactly how to play me.

  The attraction was real, I knew that. He was still firmly bound to me by the spell, and I knew he suffered for me the same way I did for him. I just doubted a demon could really feel love. Love to them was more like feelings of possession. How could true love reside in the heart of a killer?

  I knew from my experience Vance was, at the very least, still feeding on someone else. There would've been no way he could've controlled himself like he did if he hadn’t fed recently. I just hoped whoever the unlucky witch or warlock was, that they received some sort of mercy from him.

  Sighing to myself, I got up and pulled the plug to let the water out of the tub. I'd been in long enough for my skin to start to prune. I flipped on the shower so I could rinse the soapy bubbles from my body, before reaching out to grab a towel off the rack.

  I dressed quickly in a short flannel nightgown which Hex had purchased for me, before I opened the door and headed around the corner to the living quarters.

  “I’m going to bed, Hex,” I called over my shoulder as I continued to towel dry my hair.

  “Good,” he spoke from the lab. “Try to get some rest.”

  “You should do the same. We can work on this tomorrow.”

  “I’ll be along shortly.”

  I flopped onto my cot in exhaustion, my limbs sapped of strength. Falling asleep this time was going to be easy, but it was the nightmares which awaited me I was afraid of.

  When the dreams did come they were frightful. I knew right away I was linked with him again somehow, but I didn’t try to break the connection. I wanted to see what he was up to and gain some more insight on him.

  He was no longer in the bedroom, but fully dressed and out with a group of several people. They were creeping stealthily through what appeared to be small darkened alleyways, coming upon an open area that looked like an old junkyard with abandoned burned out vehicles scattered around.

  My eyes were drawn to the large bonfire which was burning in the middle of the space and the gathering of figures silhouetted against glare.

  Vance, and the people he was with, drifted along, moving with ease through the shadows until they were right up next to the others without raising any alert.

  Suddenly one of the men standing at the fire turned toward me and I could see he was a demon, as were all of the others in the group with him.

  Vance and his followers chose this moment to attack, jumping out of the shadows and firing off a magical onslaught of power toward the onlookers. Mass mayhem broke loose and the demons that were caught by surprise turned to fight back.

  I had no interest in what was happening to anyone present except for Vance, and I watched him intently as he moved with effortlessness through the confrontation. My heart sank and I realized he was like a well-oiled killing machine.

  I could feel the bloodlust coursing through him, singing through his veins as he met with each opponent, easily dispatching them in one way or another amid their cries and anguish. Never once did he blink or show any kind of mercy. The demons he faced were men and women alike. He held no regard for either, moving untouched through the masses. I actually noticed the sardonic lilt turning up the corners of his mouth after some of the more powerful kills he made.

  All in all, the battle was over fairly quickly and I saw what the coven had been after. Huddled together on the far side of the lot was another coven, one of fresh blooded witches who were being magically restrained.

  I watched with a sickening glance when several demons rushed forward and began attacking the innocents, ripping their throats open as they fed on the uncontaminated blood.

  Vance, however, stood still for a moment, looking the group over before his eyes settled on a
young witch with blonde bouncing curls framing her sweet face. She looked to be in her early teens. He moved forward with a slow but purposeful stride, stalking toward her and I could see her eyes widen in fear.

  He grabbed her hard against his body and yanked her head to the side before roughly sinking his teeth into her neck, drinking with relish.

  I knew I had to try and save her. “Vance. Stop it now!” I tried commanding him but either he couldn’t hear me or he was ignoring me.

  I forced myself to wake up, breaking the connection with him and I quickly concentrated on evaporating to his location. I hid in the outer shadows of the circle.

  “Vance!” I called sharply to him with my mind.

  He froze instantly, then dropped the floundering girl at his feet. He turned to look at me, his penetrating red gaze moving over my flannel nightgown that swirled about me in the warm southern breeze. A wide smile crossed over his face and he stepped toward me.

  I closed my eyes, realizing the chase was on and I needed to keep him close if I was to lead him away from the others. Turning, I ran off down the dark alley behind me, suddenly wishing I would have grabbed some shoes.

  He had the gall to chuckle into my head, and I was completely aware he was running full speed after me. I could hear him gaining on me.

  I rounded a corner and popped myself several feet down the alleyway. I looked around, trying to decide which direction to go.

  The alley branched out at a cross section. One way led back toward the city and the other direction led out toward what appeared to be a forested area. I decided to lead him away from other potential victims, turning to run toward the trees.

  “Come on, Portia.” his voice popped into my head. “There’s no need to run. You know I’m going to find you wherever you go.”

  I tried to close my mind harder and I ran into the darkened tree line without answering, quickly moving through the foliage until I was several yards deep. I slipped behind a large tree, pausing to bend over my knees to catch my breath.

  Trying to be calm, I straightened to listen, but instead of hearing him crashing through the trees after me, I found the area strangely quiet. He was close though. I could feel him lurking nearby.

  “Boo!” he said, suddenly and he appeared right next me. I jumped in surprise before evaporating off behind another tree.

  I heard his low, evil sounding chuckle resonate through the trees.

  “Hide and seek. Now this is a game I haven’t played in a long while.” I could tell he was thoroughly enjoying himself. “You know it’s awfully rude for you to show up like this and interrupt my dinner only to make me chase you all over.”

  “You didn’t have to follow me,” I said back to him and I heard him turn in the direction of my voice. I popped away to a new location.

  “What’s the fun in that?” his voice coming from the place I just occupied. I heard him moving through the brush. “Marco!” he called with a laugh. If he thought I was calling “Polo” back to him then he was truly delusional.

  I pressed my stomach up against the tree, and I carefully leaned my head to the side, trying to locate him. Once again I couldn’t see or hear him. It was like he disappeared into thin air.

  I sharpened my senses to listen for even the faintest rustle of sound. There was nothing. I stood still as a statue for what seemed like several long minutes. After a while I began to wonder if he had left.

  I felt his breath move through my hair the split second before his hands grasped me roughly by my arms and suddenly I was frozen into place once again.

  “Hey, baby,” he said seductively, moving his solid body up against the back of mine, pressing me harder into the tree.

  I cursed myself for letting him get close enough to touch me. I followed that curse with another one when I realized he’d frozen my vocal cords again.

  He reached a hand out and pulled my hair away from my neck, before leaning his head next to my ear. “I win,” he whispered in a low throaty voice. He traced up the edge of my ear with his tongue.

  Exasperation shot through me at his words, but I couldn’t respond . I silently cursed his father too, for the new powers he was so obviously exhibiting.

  “Twice in one night. I feel so special.” He moved to trail his lips up and down the skin of my neck as he spoke. “Though I have to say I didn’t care for the way you left me hanging a few hours ago. That wasn’t nice. I was so frustrated I had to go out and burn off some steam. I’m glad I did now.”

  He bit lightly at the surface of my neck and while it wasn’t a full bite, I could tell it was still deep enough to draw blood. I felt little wet welts of it rising up to the surface.

  Inhaling deeply through his nose, he lifted a finger, running it up the side of my throat. He lifted a drop, placing it in his mouth and sucking gently, closing his eyes in complete ecstasy.

  “You have no idea how good you taste, Portia,” he said when he pulled it out.

  He slowly ran his wet finger back over my skin, procuring another drop on the tip. This time he lifted it to my mouth, dipping it inside of my bottom lip and rubbing the blood there.

  “Can you taste it?” he asked seductively as the drop caused a coppery sensation to seep in my mouth. I would have shivered if I could have.

  He quickly flipped me around so I was facing him, and he dipped in to bite me again, this time a little harder. I could feel a small gush trickle out of my skin.

  My blood was on his lips this time when he lifted his head. He leaned in to kiss me full on the mouth, sweeping his tongue heavily inside so the flavor was dripping throughout. I wanted to gag.

  “Do you taste it?” he asked again, pulling back ever-so-slightly. “Laden with all that sweet power, it's the most intoxicating thing I’ve ever savored.” He leaned into kiss me again.

  I could only stare back since his mental walls stood firm, hoping my eyes were shooting lasers of fire, but it didn’t seem to affect him.

  He lowered his head again and this time licked from the base of my neck clear up to my ear. “Delicious.” He nipped at my earlobe, causing it to bleed too, so he could suckle from it as well.

  “Vance. Quit playing with your food,” Mayla’s voice cut through the sultry night air. She stepped out of the shadows into the edge of my peripheral vision.

  “Back off, Mayla,” Vance growled without releasing my ear.

  “You're messing around when you should be doing what you’ve been told,” she harped on him like a mother scolding her child. “The rest of the coven is waiting for you. We still have work to do. Now finish the girl and move on.”

  “I … said … back … off!” Vance snapped, lifting his head to look over at her.

  “Take care of her!” Mayla raised her voice. “Quit delaying the inevitable!”

  “Listen.” Vance angrily turned to face her, holding me with only one arm now. “I’ll take care of things when I’m dang good and ready. Now back off!”

  At this point several other demons stepped forward into the space behind Mayla, reinforcing her.

  “Don’t speak to her that way,” one of the men said. “She's your queen and you will respect her.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” Vance said with a laugh, and the demon’s eyes suddenly flamed, sending a burst of magic out toward Vance.

  Vance released me instantly to deflect the magical onslaught.

  I didn’t waste on second of my opportunity, dissolving away into the night behind him, leaving him to fend for himself. I knew Hex was not going to be too happy with me when I got back.

  The new day brought new training. I’d been up early despite my late night, my head too busy with its thoughts to truly find rest. Hex hadn’t awakened yet, and since I had no idea of when he finally made it to bed after he lectured me for an hour the night before, I grabbed my workout clothing and went to dress in the bathroom.

  The long spandex clothing slid over my body and snapped into place like a glove, hugging every curve on my body. It was a good thing my fi
gure was in shape or it would've look dreadful.

  I picked up my boots and carefully slid my feet into each one, before zipping them up. They had a good sized heel which made me a couple of inches taller. I figured Hex was trying to make me look more formidable as well as a little sexy. He said he intended to play to Vance’s weaknesses.

  I reached to snap the utility belt around my hips, and I couldn’t help but realize Vance would indeed be very turned on if he saw me dressed like this.

  Leaving the bathroom, I ventured into the gym and began doing stretches to warm up. When I was done, I walked over to a random mirrored panel and pushed on it to see if it would open the same way as the others.

  To my surprise it did, revealing a storage closet. I walked around the rest of the room after that, popping open every single secret panel to see what it hid. By the time I was done, I'd discovered a pantry, weight lifting equipment, the generator and an electrical panel, in addition to the storage closet, weapons, and the refrigerator I’d already known about.

  I closed all the panels except for the one to the weight equipment. Pulling out a couple of barbells, I stepped in front of the mirrors and began working my arms out. It felt good to do this since I needed to burn off quite a bit of steam after my experience with Vance last night.

  Most of my anger was directed at Mayla though. I hated that she was manipulating Vance and I couldn’t do anything about it. She'd been smart to attach his magic with her coven. It would make them significantly stronger. I wondered if she was using her Hoodoo magic to control his mind as well.

  Believing that would certainly make things easier on me. It had been more than a little disheartening to listen to Vance talk about wanting to break his connection with me. He’d always handled our physical discomfort just fine prior to this point.

  There was, of course, the possibility the demon coven might be doing something to make it worse for him. He never described our binding spell as feeling like he was being eaten from the inside out before. Whatever the case, it was clear he still desired me, both as a meal and a wife.