by Ann Atkins
His eyes promised violence and blood and death, and I hoped that when Mason was done, this thing was in as many pieces as the door. I would help him rip it to shreds if I was able, but I would just have to settle for watching him do it.
They sprang at each other at almost the exact same time and clashed in midair. It sounded, very much, like two wild animals fighting, and green blood quickly splattered the walls.
Mason seemed to anticipate the creature’s every move, dodging and striking out at exactly the right moment; so far, Mason was virtually unscathed. He had a few minor cuts and abrasions, but nothing compared to his opponent.
One of the creature’s arms had been completely ripped off, and I think one of its wings was broken. There were huge chunks of flesh missing from its body, as well as places where the skin had been shredded and was hanging loosely. Broken yellow bones stuck out of its sides, and it looked kind of like it was wearing its ribs on the outside. It staggered around as if it were drunk, and finally fell to the floor. Mason turned in my direction and rested his sad eyes on me, only for a second, but that was enough.
The creature sprang on him and sunk its shark-like teeth deeply into his neck, and Mason fell to the floor. I started screaming and tried to get up and go to him, but I couldn’t. All I had done was cause the monster’s attention to turn back to me. It began to furiously stalk toward me, and, for the first time, I wished for death. For the first time, I really believed that there was no hope, but I was wrong.
The creature reached its one remaining arm toward me, but it never made contact. Suddenly, its head was lifted off of its shoulders, and I couldn’t understand what was happening. Could it make its head float? And, if so, why would it want to? As I was pondering these questions, the creature’s body fell to the floor, and Mason was standing behind it, holding the head. There was a large, ragged wound in his neck, but he seemed okay.
He dropped the head and ran to my side, wrapping the comforter around my naked, battered body. My eyes filled with tears, and I reached a shaking hand out to touch the wound in his neck. “Are you alright?”
“I can’t even believe you’re asking me that right now, but, yes, I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about. I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you, Allie! I should have gotten here sooner. I should have—”
“Hush,” I said, placing a finger on his lips, “You made it in time. You’re my hero,” I said weakly.
His eyes filled with tears, and it was a few moments before he was able to speak. “And you’re my everything! Allie, if I had lost you—”
“You didn’t,” I interrupted, “and you never will, because I’m going to learn how to defend myself. I am so tired of being a victim … I’m just so tired, Mason,” I said as my voice began to weaken, and I began slurring my words.
“Let’s get you out of here,” I heard him say as I finally passed out from the pain.
The next thing I remember, after that, is waking up in my room. I waited to be overtaken by waves of pain, but I felt strangely numb. There was no physical pain, but the replaying of the horrific dream through my psyche was excruciating. I didn’t think I’d ever feel clean or safe or normal ever again, and even though I knew that this particular monster couldn’t hurt me anymore; others could and would. I had yet to be attacked in the real world, but I was sure that it was only a matter of time.
There was only one way to protect myself; I had to embrace my new powers and learn how to use them, because if I didn’t, I would end up dead, or worse. I had to learn about the third bloodline. The time for hiding my head in the sand was over.
I tried to sit up and was overcome with dizziness and nausea. My whole body was sore, but I wasn’t in agony like I had expected to be. I fell back against the pillows in frustration. My body might not be racked with pain, but I was still pretty helpless, and in no position to defend myself—should the need arise.
“You need to take it easy, sweetheart. There is no need to rush it; you’re safe.”
The voice was soft and melodic and beautiful … and completely unrecognizable. I had never heard it before; I was certain. My eyes began to search for the voice’s owner, and I found her, sitting in a chair in the mini living room. She was wearing a blue shirt and jeans, and her long, curly, black hair hung loose around her shoulders. Her smile was kind and reassuring, and it lit up her whole face. Her eyes were the only things I recognized, because they were Mason’s. This was Sarah Adams.
“You must be Mason’s mother,” I said.
“Yes,” she replied, not seeming surprised that I knew who she was.
“Where is he?” I asked her.
“He went downstairs to give us some privacy while I patched you up,” she answered.
“It was really bad, wasn’t it?” I asked.
“Your injuries were severe. You had several broken bones and open wounds, and you had lost a great deal of blood. I reset the bones, stitched you up, and gave you pain medication. Your clothes and bedding were also covered in blood, so I cleaned you up and changed your clothes and sheets. I also had to … give you some blood.”
“Well, that explains why I’m not writhing in pain,” I replied, trying to hide how freaked out I was over the whole blood thing.
“It was only a little. Mason wanted to wait and ask for your permission, but I didn’t want you to suffer any more than you already have,” she said, looking anxious.
“It’s okay,” I reassured her, wondering how it had been administered, but after she mentioned it, I was pretty sure that they had poured it down my throat. The faint metallic taste that lingered on my tongue wasn’t actually that bad, and that was the most disturbing part of all.
She didn’t respond; she just smiled and reached her hand out to stroke my hair. I felt tears gather in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. She showed more kindness and compassion in five minutes, than my father had shown me in seventeen years. And her son was, obviously, willing to die for me.
“I want to see him,” I said.
“I know you do, and I’ll send him up in a moment, but first, there is something I need to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Do you feel up to traveling tonight? Because it’s too dangerous for you to stay here.”
“Where will I go?” I asked.
“Somewhere safe, sweetheart,” she replied with warmth, laying her soft hand on my cheek. “Somewhere safe.”
Chapter Thirteen
Family
The “safe place” had turned out to be Mason’s house, and while I was glad not to be alone, I really couldn’t figure out how it was any safer than my own home.
They set me up in a spare bedroom with a regular-sized bed, dresser, a desk and chair, small closet, and a TV. No bedroom/living room/kitchen here. This room would fit inside my room at home three or four times over, and I loved it. This room was exactly what it was supposed to be; it was just a bedroom, because the people who lived here actually wanted to be around each other.
I lay back in bed and smiled sadly at the faded yellow daisies on the wallpaper and the little picture on the wall that read “Home Sweet Home.” It would be nice to be a part of this family—if only for a little while—but it was depressing that it had happened under these conditions. As I snuggled underneath the plush yellow comforter, I heard a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called through the closed door. Mason opened it, and I smiled, but he stared uncertainly back at me, and the smile died on my lips. We hadn’t spoken at all on the ride here, and I wondered if he felt any differently about me now. I knew he cared about me, but I didn’t want him to see me as a victim; I just wanted him to see me.
I had been trying to focus on my brightly colored, homey, little room, and be grateful for the fact that I had not been raped and forced to carry the spawn of Satan, but when he looked at me like that, I couldn’t help but be reminded of it all, and I felt dirty and ashamed.
“Hey,” he said, finally giving me the barest trace of
a smile.
“Hey,” I echoed, because I could think of nothing else to say.
“Are you mad at me?” he finally blurted out after a few awkward moments of silence.
“Mad at you?” I asked, flabbergasted. “Mason, why on earth would I be mad at you?”
“Because I gave you blood, even though I know how you feel about it,” he answered.
“Your mom told me it was her decision,” I replied.
“She lied. I was the one who insisted on giving you blood. I just couldn’t stand for you to suffer.”
“Even though I’m still a little wigged out over drinking blood, I’m really not a big fan of suffering either. So, no, I am not mad at you,” I assured him.
“Good,” he said, flashing that one hundred mega-watt grin that I loved so much. “So, how are you feeling?” he asked, pulling the desk chair next to my bed.
“I’m okay,” I lied.
“No, you’re not okay, and I’ll listen if you wanna talk about it,” he said in that sincere way of his that caused me to melt.
But I just couldn’t talk about it! I was reliving it inside my head every moment, and all I wanted to do was forget about it. I spent almost two hours in the tub when we got here, and no matter how hard I scrubbed, I didn’t feel clean. My mind and my sore body wouldn’t let me forget, and I was sure my dreams wouldn’t do me any favors either. I was so tired, and I knew I should sleep, but I couldn’t risk reliving this attack or facing another one; I wouldn’t survive!
“Mason … I can’t,” I said as a tear slid down my cheek.
“It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about it now. Why don’t you try and get some sleep,” he said as he stood up to leave.
“No! I can’t risk going to sleep!” I said, grabbing his hand. “Please stay and talk to me!”
“Allie, didn’t Mom tell you?” he asked, seeming confused.
“Tell me what?” I asked, my voice still a little panicked.
“This house is protected by wards.”
“What are wards?”
“They’re kind of like protective spells. My mom had several covens of witches cast all kinds of different protection spells around the perimeter of the house. It’s kinda like an invisible barrier that keeps evil things out. Plus, she makes all kinds of charms, and they’re all over the house. Look under your pillow,” he said with a smile.
I pulled a little bag of something out from under the pillow and stared at it curiously. “What’s in it?” I asked after a few brief moments of perusal.
“I don’t know. That’s her department. You’ll have to ask her yourself,” he said with a shrug. “So, are you ready to get some sleep now?”
“Not really. Will you stay and talk to me a little longer?” I asked hopefully.
“Of course, I will,” he replied.
“So, is your mom like preparing for the zombie apocalypse or something?” I asked.
“No,” he said with a laugh, “but when you know as much as we do about the supernatural; it never hurts to be prepared.”
“Will this also chase bad dreams away?” I asked, holding up the little bag of mysterious ingredients.
“No, I’m sorry, but I’m pretty sure Mom’s working on that right now.”
“Good, because I’d really love to dream about kittens or puppies for a change. And there is no way I’m shutting my eyes until it’s done.”
“It should be finished very soon. Mom takes all of her woo, woo magic stuff very seriously. Plus, I think she was always disappointed that I wasn’t a girl, so you are her favorite new toy, and she’ll make sure that you don’t get broken,” he said with an adorable grin.
“Well, I’m definitely glad you’re not a girl,” I said with a smile, “but what happens when I go back home, and I have to fend for myself?”
“I’m working on a solution to that problem, and you will not be leaving this house until it is solved. I will always keep you safe,” he said earnestly.
“Tell me what it is,” I said eagerly.
“I’ll tell you when it’s time,” he said mysteriously.
“Well, that’s fair!” I complained, crossing my arms over my chest. “How come you get to know and I don’t, especially since it concerns my safety?”
“Because I’m not sure if it’s gonna work out yet, or not. And nothing that has happened to you is fair; you’ll never know how sorry I am for that,” he said, squeezing my hand.
“You say that like it’s your fault or something, but, Mason, all you’ve done is protect me. I should be the one apologizing to you; I’m kind of becoming a full-time job.”
“Best job I ever had,” he replied with a sad smile.
“Then, you must have had some pretty sucky ones,” I answered, brushing his hair out of his eyes, but when I leaned forward a pain shot through my body, and I winced.
“I’m getting you more pain meds,” he said and stood up.
“Don’t bother, because I won’t take them,” I said, gritting my teeth from the pain.
“Why not?”
“They will make me sleepy, and I already told you I’m not going back to sleep tonight,” I explained.
“Allison, my mom will have her charms ready before the pills kick in, and you’ll fall asleep easier if you’re not in pain.”
“That’s exactly my point, and I won’t risk it. I will have nightmares about what happened, and living through it once was bad enough. So don’t argue with me, because it won’t do you any good. I’ll take the pills when the charms are done.”
“Has anyone ever told you how stubborn you are?” he asked.
“Yes, it’s one of my best qualities,” I said with a strained smile, trying to hide how badly I was hurting.
He finally gave up and sat back down in defeat. He looked like he wanted to pull his hair out. Trying to reason with me often had that effect on people; his pretty face was not the first one I had seen that look of exasperation on.
There were so many questions that needed an answer and a million reasons that I did not want to ask them, but I needed to know. And since I wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon, I finally broke down and asked.
“You told me that my blood was what all these things are after, so why did this one want … what it wanted?” I asked, unable to say the word.
His eyes looked pained, and his body stiffened. I could tell that he knew what it was and why it had tried to do what it did, but he was seriously dreading telling me. But he knew I wouldn’t let it go; so he didn’t try to dissuade me.
“It was an incubus. They are male demons that prey on sleeping women, and some of the women get pregnant and give birth to cambions.”
“Cambions? I’m sure I don’t want to know, but what’s a cambion?” I asked with a sigh.
“A cambion is half human and half demon. They possess all of the demon’s powers but look completely human. The incubi steal these children at birth and train them to do their bidding. You see, incubi can only attack or change their appearance in dreams; their offspring do not suffer from those limitations, and they make powerful weapons.”
“But they’re half human too, so why do they listen if they’re so powerful? Doesn’t their humanity ever overcome their darkness?”
“Some of them are resistant, but because of their demon blood, they are highly susceptible to demonic influence, and they’re almost never able to overcome it.”
“What do they use their children for?” I asked hesitantly.
“The incubi can possess their male children and force them to rape women. Their female children sleep with men and suck away their life force. They also collect semen, which is used by the incubi to impregnate women. They aren’t able to reproduce without it.”
“First of all, yuck! And secondly, if they are using sperm from human men, how are the kids still half demon?”
“I don’t know; I guess they’re able to convert it somehow,” he said with a shrug.
“But why me? This thing wanted me, specific
ally, to carry its spawn,” I said wrapping my arms around myself protectively.
“Allison your powers combined with this creature’s would have produced something extremely powerful, and powers usually grow stronger with each generation. The things that child would have been able to do are almost unfathomable.”
“You say that like I’m the only powerful girl that could be used as a demon incubator. There have to be others as powerful as you claim I am,” I said desperately, not that I wanted anyone else to be attacked, I didn’t, but I just didn’t understand what was so special about me.
“I’ve never come across anyone with more power, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist,” he hurried to assure me. “The problem is that even though you possess it; you don’t know how to control it, and that makes you an easy target,” he said. “Thank God you were able to let me back into your dreams when you did, Allie, but you would have been able to do it a lot sooner with the proper training.”
I couldn’t find the words to respond to what he’d just said. How had I allowed him entry into my dreams? I was barely conscious when he busted down the door and saved the day. I would love to believe I’d played some small part in saving myself, but how?
I finally looked up at him as my mind formed the words that my mouth could not articulate. He didn’t say anything during my momentary muteness; he just waited patiently while I processed his words. I opened and closed my mouth several times before finally saying the words out loud.
“You said I let you back into my dreams. Were we dreaming together in that field of Sunflowers; was that real?” I asked in wonder.
“Yes,” he smiled, “it was. Being part kitsune allows you to dream jump and connect with people you’re emotionally bonded to,” he said, brushing his knuckles softly against my cheek.
“That’s amazing!” I said, basking in his words about our strong emotional bond, but the amazement was soon crowded out by confusion. “Why did I lose you when everything went black?” I asked.
His eyes turned dark and stormy before he answered. “I was caught off guard by his magic and forced out, and I tried so hard to get back in, especially when you started bleeding and your bones started to break and stick through your skin, but I couldn’t,” he said as if he were in pain.