I laughed. “No. Not particularly.”
Our conversation continued much the same. We talked of nothing and everything for the span of thirty minutes. I decided it wasn’t the time to divulge my hidden world to her. Not while she was at work. Not over the phone. Bree was my best friend in the entire world; she deserved to learn the truth about me face-to-face.
I would have to survive the ritual tonight in order to get that chance, which was something I was willing to take on.
Chapter 30
Walking through the woods at night was not my thing. I couldn’t see. The black trail Kyra, Lexy, and Kace had us following was nearly swallowed by the undergrowth of the forest. “Where are we going again?” I tripped over a root embedded only halfway into the ground and nearly fell on my face.
“Whoa there, darlin’.” Dex caught me. I could barely make out the grin twisting his lips in the dim light the moon gave off. “You’re not one for walkin’ through the woods, are you?”
“No, I’m not. Not all of us do this on a monthly basis.” My words came out harsher than I intended. The ritual finally happening had me on edge. “I’m sorry that was a bitchy thing to say.”
“Understandable, sweetheart.” Dex smoothed a hand across my upper back. “I get it. We all do.”
I swatted at a mosquito as I glanced around at the others. Not only was Dex crashing through the woods with me, but also Bianca, Arabella, Luke, and Sage. Bianca and Arabella had come in place of Randal; but also because I had filled them both in on the significance of this wraith and what he had done to their little sister. This had changed both of their perspectives on things, especially Randal’s reasons for wanting to volunteer his life for mine.
Sage had come because wherever Bianca was she would be until Randal woke, but I also felt she was here because she was my friend. I glanced at her. Worry was visible in her features, causing my stress levels to rise. While I was ready to finally be wraith-free, that didn’t mean I was ready to die for it to happen. No matter how brave I might seem.
“These mosquitos are more bloodthirsty than me,” Sage grumbled, swatting at her arm.
“In some ways, vampires are related to mosquitos, aren’t you?” Luke teased. I knew he was here for Lexy and not me, but I was glad for his comic relief. Dex seemed too worried about the outcome of the ritual to offer any. “You both need the components found in blood to survive after all.”
“That means you shouldn’t kill any more of your cousins, Sage,” Dex chimed in. There was the Dex I knew and loved.
I laughed. Maybe the timing wasn’t right; maybe I should have continued to be scared shitless, but instead I laughed. And it felt good. Really good. Thank goodness for idiot guys and their inability to handle stressful, emotional situations without adding in a dose of humor.
“Funny,” Sage growled.
Arabella looped her arm through mine as we continued to follow behind the others into the woods. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but I hoped we reached the destination soon. I was as ready as I would ever be to get this over with.
“It’s not much farther,” Kyra said to no one in particular.
Nerves started to get the best of me, and my knees began to tremble, but I continued. Patchy sections of a star-filled sky and half-moon caught my attention through breaks in the trees. The waning moon had been my marker for an end—my being wraith-free or an end to my control over him—and now it was finally here, looming above me like as eerie hourglass nearing the final granules of sand.
“And we’re here,” Kace said as we entered a clearing a few minutes later.
My legs grew stiff, yet poised. I was ready to run should the need arise. I wasn’t sure if this was the wraith or me. We both had our reasons to be afraid. I glanced around, taking in the setting of where I would die.
Trees lined the area, tall and arrow straight, their trunks dark and barely visible in the night. Overhanging limbs crisscrossed the dirt clearing in front of us, creating shadows that gave the place an eerie feel. A breeze slipped through the leaves of the trees, sending the rich scent of earth to my nose. The sensation of eyes on me captured my attention. My friends were all staring at me, waiting for me to move, to speak, to do something. My throat grew dry and scratchy as I stared back, unsure if I was ready to do anything more than what I was, observing. Finally, I gathered enough courage to speak.
“Where do you want me?” My heart thundered in my ears, distorting my voice.
A chuckle left Dex. “Sounds like somethin’ dirty is about to take place,” he chimed in before Kyra or Lexy could answer. It was clear from the waver in his voice his worry for me was getting the best of him.
“Lie here.” Kyra pointed to a rock slab placed in the center of the clearing. It’s positioning seemed unnatural, as though it were an evil, foreign object corrupting the beauty of the place. “Feet at this end, head here.”
I heard what she said, but my body refused to move. Fear had taken me over; either that or the wraith was forcing me to resist.
“We are all here with you.” Arabella’s voice was soft and sweet, but I could hear a hint of worry buried beneath the surface.
“Thanks.” I was glad she hadn’t lied by telling me everything would be all right to soothe my nerves. I hated when people did that.
“You can do this, sweetheart,” Dex coaxed me. He gripped my shoulders and squeezed, giving me a mini massage. “Step on up there.”
I took in a deep breath before putting one foot in front of the other. My limbs were wobbly. My movements slow. I tried to remember the last time I had been this petrified of something. The Midnight Cauldron popped into my mind. The last time I felt this paralyzed by fear, I was gathering the courage to enter the creepy hoodoo shop in New Orleans. So much had happened since then. A slight smile twisted the corners of my lips upward, as I realized how things had come full circle. The Midnight Cauldron had been essentially my beginning down this path, and now—standing in this clearing cast in the shadows of night—my ending was upon me. It was ironic the way thoughts of New Orleans had floated to my mind in this moment. The strength of my fear from both moments binding the two together in my mind.
“Take off your shoes,” Kyra ordered once I reached the slab of stone. I shifted my gaze to her. She was busying herself with arranging candles and sticks of incense at the base of the rock.
My hands fumbled with my shoes until I was able to slip them off and toss them to the side. Next, I positioned myself on the rock as she had instructed. As I lay there, feeling the coolness of the stone press against me, a stillness descended on those watching as well as the woods surrounding us. It was as though the creatures lurking through the brambles knew what was about to happen, like they could feel the magic about to be used charging the night air into silence. Closing my eyes, I forced my lungs to pull in slow, steady breaths.
You cannot get rid of me so easily, my sweet, the wraith hissed.
His words startled me. I was surprised he had waited this long to speak. It had to be some sort of a record for him, given the situation affected him directly. The sensation of his icy touch trickling through my veins caused my breath to catch in my throat. Fear encased me yet again. I had no idea if he would try to do something to stop the ritual from happening.
“Where did this candle go again?” Lexy’s voice wavered as she spoke. I was reminded how I wasn’t the only one with something at stake during this spell. She could walk away without any powers at all or with a collection of completely new ones.
“At her right foot,” Kyra answered.
I stared into the dark sky above, focusing on the glittering stars. The sight of them calmed me.
“Drink this.” Lexy appeared at my side, holding a silver chalice toward me.
“What is it?”
“Something to keep that ugly wraith of yours at bay until this thing is done,” Kace answered for her. For someone who was an elemental witch, he sure did know a lot about hoodoo. I assumed that came with d
ating a practitioner.
I sat up and took the cup from Lexy’s hand. Instinctively, I sniffed the contents, which probably wasn’t the best idea, considering the aroma resembled puke. My nose crinkled.
“Just drink it; trust me.” Lexy flashed me a sympathetic smile. Obviously, she had gotten a whiff of its rankness. “You’ll want the wraith quiet during this.”
Don’t listen to her. You know you will miss my commentary throughout this pointless exercise, the wraith argued.
Hearing him again was enough to persuade me to drink the nasty stuff. I pressed the cool metal cup to my lips and tipped the contents back. Thick sludge pooled in my mouth, and I had to force myself to swallow. It tasted as horrible as it smelled, but I hoped it did the trick. The situation was stressful enough. I didn’t need to add snide comments from the wraith, or the feel of him squirming around inside of me to it.
“Dang, that stuff is potent smellin’.” Dex gagged.
“You should have tasted it.” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and gave the cup back to Lexy.
“No, thank you, darlin’.” He shook his head. “That’s all you.”
“Complete silence will be needed during this spell,” Kyra insisted. Her words were firm and harsh, but I welcomed them. They meant she was serious, which was something this spell called for. It was my life hanging in the balance after all. “If I could have everyone move back a few steps that would be great. Distance is needed as well.”
I closed my eyes and attempted to focus on breathing. Dizziness had managed to sweep through me, bringing with it a sense of nausea. This was really happening. Soon I would be free from the wraith.
Warmth from the concoction Lexy had me drink grabbed my attention. I could feel it slipping down my throat, and pooling in my stomach, forming a blob of the rancid tasting stuff. After a few moments, the warmth seemed to intensify. A smile pricked the corners of my lips, the sensation reminding me of all the daydreams I had where I’d envisioned the wraith being chased from me by something warm, or of him being melted into nothingness.
Now it was coming true. Sort of.
A noise at the crown of my head had my eyes snapping open. Kyra was setting a candle there. I watched as she situated herself on her knees.
“Are you ready?” Her intense honey-brown eyes bored into mine. She knew what my answer would be, but I nodded yes in reply anyway. “Are you sure, because once I begin, there is no stopping?”
Her words delivered a warning deep into my stomach, causing fear to bloom through my chest. I took in a deep breath, and then released it. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” I hated how small, and frail I sounded. So weak. “Let’s summon this wraith from me.”
Kyra blinked. “This ritual isn’t meant to summon the wraith from you, Kenna. The time for that has long since passed.” There was a sparkle of amusement glistening in her eyes as though she were finding my ignorance of the spell comical. “You’ve allowed him to have access to too much power. We have to sever him from you now.”
Fear clenched my gut. Sever the wraith from me? That was an important detail someone forgot to mention. It sounded even more painful than a summoning.
“What’s the difference?” My voice wavered as I spoke.
“A summoning ritual would have been less invasive and painful. I would have been able to call the wraith out of you. However, because it was allowed to gain so much power within you, that is no longer an option. I will have to sever it from you, as it is now fused to your soul.” Kyra answered.
“How do you know that’s necessary?” Did she have the ability to see the wraith? Had that been why she’d looked at my so strangely when first arriving at my apartment?
“When there is darkness around I can sense it; it’s part of my hoodoo nature. Its presence is strong inside you.” Kyra’s eyes seemed to be boring straight through me. “I can tell it’s gotten stronger since yesterday. You’ve fed.”
“I have. I had no choice.”
“There is always a choice.” She insisted. Her focus shifted to the candle at the crown of my head. She gripped it and closed her eyes.
The ritual to sever the wraith from me was about to happen. I was about to die.
Chapter 31
Whispered words floated from Kyra’s lips. I couldn’t make them out, no matter how hard I tried. A heaviness rolled over me, forcing me to lie flat against the cool slab of rock beneath me. It was almost as though I was being pinned down by the weight of her words.
Panic spread through me as I attempted to fight against the restraint of her words. It was impossible.
“Why can’t I move?” My voice trembled as lead continued to lace my veins.
“Shh,” Kace instructed. “You’re okay. It’s part of the spell. It’s for your safety.”
His words brought no comfort, but my lips clamped shut. I wasn’t sure if it was something I had done, or if it was part of the spell Kyra was performing. I tried to move them again, but couldn’t.
The spell had rendered me mute.
The air flowing in and out of my lungs seemed to be the only thing I had control over. I shifted my focus to it, refusing to let panic have its way with me again. Kyra’s voice grew a little louder. A flickering orange flame captured my attention. The candle Kyra had been holding was now lit, but I’d never seen a lighter or heard the flick of a match. The fine hairs along the back of my neck lifted as I realized Kyra held true power.
Lexy’s voice floated through the night air, mingling with Kyra’s and shifting my attention yet again. Either the language they were using wasn’t English, or there was something wrong with my hearing, because I couldn’t make out a single word either of them said.
As soon as all the candles were lit, I searched my body, feeling for anything that seemed out of the ordinary, any small trace of magic that might have begun to bud. There was nothing, until there was.
A white-hot sensation traveled through my body as quick as a lightning strike. It was gone before I could utter a single cry of discomfort. Something was happening to me. Excitement and fear merged within me, mutating into something I couldn’t name, but enjoyed feeling all the same.
Soon I would be free from the wraith.
I marveled at this thought, basked in its colorful bliss. Everything about it called to me, making my insides hum with pleasure unlike anything I had felt before. There was so much hope, so much promise in the tiny thought.
Pain sliced through me.
Something yanked and pulled inside of me, twisting in a new direction, as it attempted to separate from me. My insides screamed in agony, but I couldn’t push any of the cries past my lips because they were still sealed shut.
Another blinding bolt of pain hit me. Bile rose up my throat. I wasn’t sure if I would vomit or pass out; the pain was so intense. Darkness feathered the edges of my vision. I welcomed it, knowing once it submerged me I would no longer feel.
My mind hiccupped with the reality of the thought, causing terror to spiral through me, because the darkness also meant that I was dying.
The chorus of Kyra and Lexy’s words floated over me, holding me down, gagging me while I burned before them on the slab of stone. I knew there would be pain, Lexy had mentioned it, but I never fathomed it would be this intense. Another wave hit me, and I wished the darkness would hurry in its pursuit to take me away.
Let me die, let me die, let me die.
The words became my mantra. My mantra, because the wraith was silent for once. Muted. Unconscious. My mind was my own again. For a fraction of a second, I basked in the glory of my thoughts. I relished in being the only one inside my head.
Pain seared through my veins once more, causing the ripping, twisting, thrashing to take place inside me again, and I realized then what the sensation I was feeling was. It was the tortuous movements of the wraith trying to outrun the scorching magic chasing him.
If my lips could move, they would have formed a smile.
While I could feel the endless
pain burning my insides, so could the wraith, and this thought broke the connection to the agony for a brief moment. I knew once the magic reached him, he would be no more. All the pain in the world could rip through me, and I would endure it, as long as it meant the end of this damn wraith.
Without warning, the pain I felt changed.
I wasn’t sure how or why, but it doubled as if fanned through my extremities by my breath, heightening its ability to search for the wraith. The darkness came back then, dotting the edges of my vision, and pulling me under for short spurts of time. I prayed for the moment when it would take me completely, when it would swallow me whole so I wouldn’t be forced to endure this anguish any longer.
Words that held no meaning pounded through my skull as they left Kyra’s lips. Beads of sweat formed along my brow and upper lip. The thrashing of my heart grew impossibly loud as time seemed to drag on. I yearned for the moment when the darkness would fully embrace me and pause in its endless game of catch and release with my reality.
A few seconds of numbness tweaked my senses. I thought my torment was finally coming to an end, that the magic scorching through my insides may have clasped the wraith in its fiery hands, but then a flare of something stronger seared through me. It moved through my body with purpose, calculating each turn and twist. I focused on its blazing path, struggling to determine where it was headed. I realized its destination just before it stopped: the center of my chest.
The icy touch of the wraith had resided there for so long that the sensation of heat seemed overwhelming. The magic seemed to flare up, almost as though it was gathering all of its heat for one final blow. Adrenaline flared through my veins as the sensation of needing to crawl out of my skin reached an all-new high. The desire to outrun the magic’s scorching touch pulsed through me, feeding the adrenaline. There was no telling if the sensation was my own or the wraith’s, as we both shared fear of the magic and the endings it brought for us both. As the pain raged on, my heart raced. I willed it to slow its frantic pace, to give in, to be consumed. It was time to let the magic win. My torture wouldn’t end until I submitted. Death needed to take me in its arms.
Succubus Kiss The Complete Series Page 65