Witchling Wars

by Shawn Knightley

  “Tell me what you saw,” he insisted, his voice like velvet wrapping around my body and making me want to tell him all my secrets.

  ‘How does he do that?’

  My arms were folded in front of me, almost like they would protect me if he got too close. Not that there was much space between us. He was only a few inches from me. And I knew if I took a step back, he would follow and maybe try getting even closer.

  He wasn’t like Nathaniel. He didn’t look at me with hesitation or prolonged gazes. He was a man who knew what he wanted. He was a man who was used to getting what he wanted. He was a man who would pursue what he wanted without end. And right now, he wanted me. I could sense his attraction to me oozing from his body. He didn’t try to hide it. Right alongside it was the danger. The knowledge that if he got too close, he would be a very trustworthy ally or a dangerous adversary. One who didn’t let those that displeased him live long enough to regret it. I didn’t want to know what he would do if he thought I was lying.

  “I saw Emily,” I said with an odd amount of shyness that didn’t suit me. It was her emotional transference. I still got it from time to time after having a vision. I recognized it as Emily’s immediately. “She…I…” I stammered, unable to finish the sentence I couldn’t even believe I was about to say. “I saw her strangle Samantha. Brian was luring her.”

  “Was this after she had vixra blood in her system?” he asked. Almost as if the statement didn’t really shock him at all. As if he might have even suspected it long before I had the vision.

  I peered up at him, my eyes giving my answer.

  “She must have been hallucinating,” he said. “Luring can do a vast amount of damage but being driven to murder one’s own blood takes much more indignation. The sort humans feel from vixra blood. I never met the two of them together. Were they close?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll do my best to search for Brian once we’re in Dilton. I will find him if he’s still there. But I highly doubt it. If his goal was to completely derail the Congressman or my plans for him, he’s succeeded. There would be no reason for him to stay.”

  “Yeah, there would,” I said with a certain amount of irritation. “Me. He knows I’ll have to testify. He failed to kill me once. He might try again.”

  “He won’t prevail,” said Tobias, leaning down closer to me. So close that I could feel his aura reaching down to touch mine. It struck like a rolling fog descending down on me with almost enough power to knock me back. And I would have fallen back if he didn’t bring his arms down to touch mine and hold me in place. Almost as though he knew the exact effect he was having on me.

  “Harper, I won’t allow him to get near you. As long as you wear the locket I gave you, no vampire will come near you if they know what’s good for them. They will know better.”

  “My grandmother always said that vampires aren’t known for their discipline or self-control.”

  “Your grandmother didn’t know me.”

  “She said fear all vampires,” I breathed, gently trying to weave out of his arms. He wouldn’t let me.

  “Harper, once the trial is over, I want you to come back here with me to D.C. You’re permitted to go back to your house if it pleases you. And I will follow. But I hope that you will choose to stay with me. It would please the vixra as well as myself.”

  “I hardly know you,” I blurted out. What was he even saying? I was only here in the first place to safely recover while the vixra decided what to do with me.

  “That will change over time,” he said with a little too much confidence.

  With that, he turned around to leave for the night without saying another word and without looking back.

  Smooth. Very smooth. But then again, the man had centuries of practice when it came to courtship. He probably assumed my willpower wouldn’t last much longer. Much like the other women he had courted. He assumed wrong.

  The plane ride back to Dilton was much less stressful than the previous two I endured. The first plane I ever flew on I spent believing I was being taken to my death. The next was bringing me back to Dilton to face the unknown. This time I was going to a trial for the Congressman, who I now knew was innocent of every crime he was being accused of all over the media.

  The plane landed with a jolt and I instantly took off my seatbelt, desperately wanting to see my house again and breathe in the warm southern air that I had grown to miss over the last couple of months. My small town suited me. Washington D.C. was interesting and full of sights, entertainment, and restaurants but all that meant nothing to me. Because D.C. didn’t have the people I loved in it.

  It wasn’t until I got into the expensive car that Tobias ordered to bring us back to my house that I realized Dilton didn’t have my loved ones either. Any of them. Caleb was gone. Emily was gone. Madison was probably being held captive by the vixra, and her girls were at the lake house many miles away from the chaos of everything that happened. Was there anything left for me in Dilton anymore other than a sea of bad memories waiting to drown me the moment I arrived back in town?

  My eyes widened as we rolled up to my driveway. The construction workers were gone and my house had a fresh layer of white paint with blue window shutters.

  “What in the world?” I said as I got out.

  “I hope you like the changes,” Tobias gleamed as I walked up the steps toward the front door. I took out the key from my pocket and nervously placed it inside the lock.

  The door revealed the home that was clearly mine but only resembled it as far as the floor plan was concerned.

  I took a single step inside, knowing Tobias was right behind me.

  The floor had been replaced with wood. They had to be given they were torn to shreds all over the kitchen. And I guess for the sake of matching Tobias had the workers pull the whole floor up. My kitchen now had granite counter tops and a gas stove rather than the old clunky electric one. My walls were decorated with landscape paintings I had never seen before. I wondered if they were originals like the ones from his mansion. My living room had a large sectional couch and the fireplace had been replaced with beautiful white stones that went from floor to ceiling. The roof had been replaced too with luxurious ceiling fans to keep the rooms cool and beautiful lights that lined the kitchen and living room. I went over to the light fixture’s adjustment on the wall and saw that I could dim them as much as I wanted or make them as bright as the freaking sun.

  ‘Shame they’re not bright enough to make Tobias go away.’

  The attention to detail was incredible. Every upgrade Caleb and I might have considered but knew we could never afford had been made. Even thick wooden window blinds to block out the sunlight during the day and give me some privacy.

  “Why did you do all this?” I asked Tobias as he watched me admiring the handy work.

  “Why not?”

  “This won’t get you laid,” I said with more sass than I intended.

  He gave a small chuckle and walked up to me. Convenient given that I was right by the wall and couldn’t get away. But I think he liked doing that. He liked cornering me. He liked the way it made me slightly uneasy but also sent my magic into a tailspin. I closed my palms, telling it to stay where it was. And for some odd reason, it didn’t argue.

  “If I wanted something as simple as carnal desires from you, Harper, there wouldn’t be much you could do to stop me.”

  ‘Was that a threat? Was he really threatening me?’

  He saw my irritation and softened almost instantly. But in a jovial way. A way that enjoyed seeing me a little unwound and uncomfortable.

  “I won’t be staying with you,” he said. “I’ve reserved a place nearby so I can search for Brian. So rest well knowing I won’t be in the same house. At least here in Dilton.”

  “It’s never going to happen, Tobias,” I stated. “I appreciate you taking me in and the generous work you’ve done on my house, but that’s where it ends. I can’t forget that you allowed Emily to get caught i
n this mess. I can’t forget that she died because she was involved in something she couldn’t possibly comprehend. And it got her killed. She’s dead because you let her do things for you. And I don’t care if she said yes or came to you willingly or if she was falling all over herself when she first saw you. She was a young girl. She didn’t deserve any of this. You should have said no. You should never have involved her in any of this. Or her sister for that matter.”

  Tobias’s expression didn’t move. He didn’t show a hint of remorse. “If you knew the forces at play, Harper, you wouldn’t judge me so harshly. If you knew the things I’ve done in that past, you’d never set a single foot near me.”

  ‘Now that I believe.’

  “But you don’t,” he went on. “You live in your small town out in the middle of no-where. Where you always thought nothing could hurt you and if you stayed quiet enough, your life would go by unnoticed. Whether you like it or not, your best chance of survival is with me.”

  “No,” I argued. “My best chance of survival is not having this brand on my side when I appear in court. The entire country thinks I’m part of some gang or that I’m involved in the murders because of this damn thing on my side. Even Eli said it would be better if you removed it.”

  “I don’t take orders from Eli. There are vixra far above his stature.”

  “Then who do you obey? Who is giving you the vixra blood? Trust me with that and maybe I’ll be convinced to trust you. Maybe I’ll even try looking beyond what you did to Emily and Samantha.”

  He sneered at me. “I want that brand on your side at all times,” he said in a rather authoritative voice. Was he going to tell me to call him master next? “I have my own reasons for keeping certain things from you. I also have my own reasons for keeping the brand on you. And one day, perhaps quite soon, you will want it there. Because one day, you might find you don’t like where you are and you’ll want to be found. Your brand allows me that ability.”

  “You don’t sound like a creep. Not in the least,” I taunted him.

  He moved closer and took my chin in his hand the same way he had with Ragna. His skin was like an icicle. I had a distinct feeling he was going to threaten me. To tell me to sweeten up. To do as he says without a single hesitation or else. But he didn’t. He simply scowled at me in such a way that told me not to cross him. A man like him didn’t need words. He only needed to give a simple look in someone’s eyes and they would know they were dealing with someone who was not only dangerous but downright murderous.

  Then without warning his face softened.

  “Don’t question me, Harper. Everything I do has a purpose. I’ll allow you a little privacy by staying elsewhere. But I will be watching at all times. I will know where you are. I will know who you speak with. I will know if you’re in danger. While you might find my presence unnerving, it’s the only thing standing between you and the vixra right now. So try acting a little grateful.”

  He let go of my chin and turned around to walk out my front door. My front door that used to always squeak suddenly moved without a sound except for him turning the knob. “And if you have any hope of making more potions in my home, I’d be a bit more gracious. I told you I have connections. Any ingredients you might need, all you need to do is ask. For any of your needs, all you need to do is ask.”

  ‘Son of a bitch. He did know what I was doing in the library. Maybe from the very start.’

  “But why?” I spoke across the entryway as he walked onto my freshly painted front porch. “Why would you offer all that? Why are you doing any of this for me? Why not just cover your tracks and end it all? Any other vampire would see me as an inconvenience.”

  He scoffed as though my question was the silliest thing he had heard in ages. “I already told you, Harper. You are meant to be cherished. Not harmed. Try to get some rest. I will take you to the lawyer’s office tomorrow morning for your briefing before the trial.”

  With that he shut the door and I was alone in my house again. Alone in the place where Isaac had kidnapped me and Emily. Alone in the place where Nathaniel had killed Isaac. A place haunted by so many unwelcome memories.

  I turned down the lights and walked into my bedroom, stopping at the door the moment I saw my bed with a new blue bedspread and an array of pillows that I most certainly didn’t buy. But my sudden realization was much more shocking than any new material items Tobias might place in front of me to tempt my resolve.

  Georgeanna had said something in the vision I had of her. The tunnel where she walked up to me and I first saw that we were more like identical twins and not just similar like Nathaniel implied.

  She said something that didn’t make sense to me at the time but now it couldn’t be clearer. And I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t made the connection before.

  Georgeanna said that Tobias was old. And he was tired. He had seen a great many things. Did that mean he didn’t want to live anymore?

  ‘Good lord. He wants me to mark him. The coven master to the Catach-Brayin wants me to mark him.’

  But that wasn’t what frightened me the most. From the moment that I met Tobias, my magic acted strangely. It wanted to come out. Not to warn me. Not to tingle at my skin and agitate me. That could only mean one thing. The magic in my blood wasn’t opposed to the idea of marking him. If I let Tobias get too close again, it might very well happen. And there would be nothing I could do to stop it.

  Chapter 5

  New bedspread. New curtains. New dresser. New paint on the walls. New wooden doors. New everything except the very foundation of my house and the items that were inside it. Was it even mine anymore?

  ‘Can I admit he has good taste without rejoicing in the intrusion?’

  I walked right into the bathroom, desperately wanting a shower before bed only to see that my old bathtub had been completely stripped away and replaced with a jacuzzi. One with jets and a waterproof cushion so I could rest my head. Tobias even went out of his way to order bubble bath products and an array of bath bombs I loved so much but could only afford to indulge in a few times a year. They were piled up on a large gold tray like Madison had in her bathroom.

  ‘Quick learner, isn’t he?’

  I shook my head, not wanting to accept it but really wanting a bath.

  I turned the knob on the jacuzzi to run some warm water and took off my blouse, enjoying the feeling of getting the sweat off my body just by removing one shred of clothing. It didn’t take long in the car drive from the Atlanta airport to feel soaked from the Georgia heat. The air conditioner in the car didn’t do much to soothe me. Even after the sun went down. Or maybe that was my nerves once again, twisting and turning inside my stomach. Tobias insisted that we fly at night, saying the media wouldn’t suspect I was coming back to town at nightfall and they would occupy themselves with the Congressman. I let him win that battle given that he was probably right.

  I went over to the counter to brush my teeth before stripping down to get into the steaming bath water when a familiar feeling started taking over my senses. The air grew thick. The light turned hazy gray. The very essence of my house shifted to fog and misery in a matter of seconds. More emotional transference.

  I grieved for my husband. I grieved for the pain of what my sister was going through and prayed I might see her again soon. The pain of not knowing how she was being treated by the vixra and the uncertainty around how she was recovering turned out to be the most painful part.

  But this… these emotions were definitely not mine. They were agonizing. The kind of pain that makes someone curl up in the fetal position, completely despondent and not want to move on. Refusing to move on. Refusing to let go.

  I reached for my chest, taking a deep breath and fearing what I might see next.

  A cry came from a few feet away. A young woman was in my bath. The water was crimson with blood. I took a step closer to the tub, placing one foot in front of another with caution.

  ‘She can’t hurt you,’ I reminded myself. ‘No
t in a vision. This isn’t real.’

  The girl had her head buried in her knees as the water filled up around her. She was waling. Her cries echoed across the bathroom and vibrated from the wall. They reached each corner of the room and slammed back into me, causing my insides to quiver. Or maybe that was just my whole body.

  “Who are you?” I asked, not even sure of what to say. “What happened to you?”

  With a closer look, I saw something on her side through her light blue top. Something that to anyone else would look like a tattoo. But it wasn’t a tattoo. It was a brand. One I knew all too well. The brand of the Catach-Brayin.

  “Emily?” I asked. No. It couldn’t be. This girl looked different somehow. Her body was rotting. Her skin was so pale. Much paler than Emily’s was.

  When the young woman before me let down her legs in the tub as she continued to sob, I saw the hole in her chest.

  “Why didn’t you protect me?” Emily said with a violent jerk of her head right at me. Her eyes were every bit as bloodshot and the veins every bit as black since the last time I saw her.

  “I…I tried,” I stammered, backing up into the shower door. “I tried to, Emily. I broke witchling law to try-”

  “Why didn’t you protect me?” she screamed bloody murder.

  The final syllable of her words left her mouth the bathroom mirror shattered to pieces and exploded across the bathroom, sending shards directly toward me and scattering everywhere. The shards knew no mercy as they stabbed in my legs. In my arms. In my chest. In my neck. I fell to the floor, grabbing my throat as the horrible trickle of blood started making lines down my body and creating puddles on my bathroom floor.

  I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t think. There was only the pain. Emily’s pain. She stepped out of the tub and looked down at me as I fell to the floor with nothing but the ceiling and her rotting body standing above me. I could see the massive hole in her chest where her heart had exploded right out of the confines of her small body. The blood. The flesh. The bones. Everything.