Blood Magic (Blood Magic Series Book 1)

by Ann Atkins

  “What is more precious than a bundle of sleeping kittens?” I asked contentedly.

  He sat behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist and brushed his lips across the back of my neck. “I can think of only one thing … the sight of our baby cradled in your arms.”

  My breath caught and my eyes filled with tears as I turned to kiss his lips. So real was the image in my head, that I could almost feel his child in my arms.

  I had never been happier than I was in this moment, and tomorrow, now that it was so close, suddenly seemed so far. I would count every second of every minute till sunset tomorrow. I could not wait to end this chapter of my life and begin writing a new one.

  We stayed in the hayloft until the last possible moment before making our way down the ladder and heading for the door. There was a rustling sound in the darkness, but I figured it was just one of the animals, and then she stepped out of the shadows.

  I gasped and stumbled backwards as my hand flew to my mouth. Her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes glinted with hatred and madness. She walked past us as if in a trance and opened the door.

  When she was outside in the street she began to rip her clothes and tear at her skin with her fingernails. We watched in shock as blood ran down her face and arms, staining her clothes. Then a bloodcurdling scream ripped from her lungs as she yelled, “Someone help me! Save me from the witch!”

  I woke up screaming and crying hysterically, and almost instantly, the door was thrown open wide, crashing against the wall.

  Joshua and Sarah stood there like avenging angels, ready to take on anything and everything that might cause me harm, but seeing no immediate danger, they sat down on my bed and tried to comfort me.

  Mason held me in his arms, and Sarah stroked my hair and rubbed my back. And Baku tried her best to wedge her tiny body in between me and Mason. They wanted to know what was wrong, but I could only manage a couple of words in between sobs.

  Eventually, I calmed down enough to tell them about my dreams, and I was pretty sure they thought I was nuts; I know I did. Who gets that hysterical over a dream? I should have been upset over my own screwed up life, instead of crying for a girl who had lived hundreds of years before I was even born, but I’ve never done anything that actually made sense, so why start now?

  Sarah offered to give me something to calm my nerves, but I was too afraid that I’d sleep and go back to Salem, so I opted for some hot herbal tea, instead. They wore twin looks of worry on their faces, so I tried to pull myself together.

  I went to the bathroom, blew my nose, dried my eyes, and got dressed. Sarah went downstairs to make tea, and I told Mason to go with her, assuring him that I would be down in just a moment.

  I took a deep breath, as I started down the stairs, telling myself that if I could just act normal, maybe I would feel normal, but a weird noise caused me to pause, mid-step.

  I held myself as still and quiet as possible, barely bothering to even breathe. I listened for a few seconds more, and finally, I realized that they were whispering. Why were they whispering? And why could I hear them whispering?

  They must have given me more blood than usual, because it had heightened my senses. Now that I knew the origin of the noise, I homed in on and struggled to hear what they were saying. Did they think I was crazy?

  The more focused I was, the clearer the conversation became, until I was finally able to hear every whispered word.

  “… Isn’t fair to her,” Mason said. “What’s the worst that could happen if we tell her?”

  “I don’t know, son,” she said sadly, “but are you really willing to risk everything after we’ve come so close?”

  Her question was met with silence, and I held my breath as I waited for his response.

  “No, I can’t risk it,” he said miserably.

  “Then you must keep this secret.”

  “I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  They didn’t say much more after that, so I walked down the stairs making as much noise as possible. I didn’t want them to know I’d overheard. I’m certain they were talking about me, but I knew if I asked them I would probably only be fed a bunch of lies.

  My trust in them was absolute. They had both been my anchors when my entire life was falling apart, and the suspicion and doubt that crept into my mind broke my heart a little.

  I loved them and wanted nothing more than to trust them, but it was clear that they were hiding something from me, and somehow, someway, I was going to figure out what it was.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Spaghetti and Brussel Sprouts

  As I walked into the kitchen, I was greeted by nervous smiles, but the cause of their unease remained a mystery. Were they just worried that I might have overheard something, or did they think I was a total psycho? (Because right now, I felt like the poster child for mental instability.)

  I returned their smiles and settled into one of the chairs in the kitchen, and Sarah immediately pressed a steaming mug of tea into my hands. I took a sip of my tea and sighed, closing my eyes, and wishing that this tea really were a magic cure for everything that was wrong.

  Several bumps and thumps from upstairs startled me, causing me to jump and slosh my tea on the table. Mason and Sarah jumped up and started toward the stairs, but then I heard the patter of little feet and a tiny trumpeting sound, and I knew what was going on.

  “You guys can relax; it’s just Bella,” I explained.

  “Bella?” they echoed, looking more confused than ever.

  “Yeah, my Baku.”

  “You named her Bella? That’s it; no more Twilight for you,” Mason said, laughing.

  I scowled. “That isn’t why I named her that. I named her that because I’ve begun to think of her as ‘my little warrior’.”

  “Oh, it’s perfect,” Sarah gushed, and we shared a secret smile.

  He looked back and forth, from me to her. “Okay,” he finally said, “what am I missing?

  “Bellator is one of several Latin words for warrior. I didn’t think that was very flattering, so I’m calling her Bella for short.”

  “Mom and her vocabulary lessons,” he said, shaking his head. “You know, Mom, I’m starting to think you missed your calling; you should’ve been a teacher instead of a veterinarian.”

  “I’m taking that as a complement, although I know it wasn’t intended as such,” she responded.

  Another thumping sound had us all looking up at the ceiling again.

  “What is she doing up there?” Mason asked.

  “She found a little ball under the bed, and it’s her new favorite toy.”

  “It’s her only toy,” he said.

  “Not for long. After what she did for me last night, I should buy her a mountain of toys.”

  “Do you feel up to talking to us about that?” Sarah asked, placing her hand on top of mine.

  I will never ‘feel up to’ reliving that awful night, but I needed to tell someone, and while I’m still insanely curious to know what they’re hiding, I know they care a lot about me and would never hurt me.

  And although I’m not sure how, I managed to recount every detail without shedding a single tear; I remained calm and collected until the last word was spoken. The same could not be said for Sarah and Mason. Sarah had tears streaming down her cheeks, and Mason kept clenching and unclenching his fists, looking as if he wanted to murder someone.

  “Allison, I’m so sorry,” she said, “I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now, learning such horrible things about the man who raised you.”

  I smiled sadly at her. “Nah, it’s okay; I always knew he hated me; the only difference is that now I have confirmation of that fact. I’m not upset that he isn’t my father; it’s actually kind of a relief, but …”

  “What honey?”

  “I never knew I had parents that loved me; deep down … I always kinda thought it was my fault, that maybe I just wasn’t loveable, but you’ve both shown me t
hat that isn’t true. And seeing how you both are together makes me understand exactly what he stole from me, and I can’t bring myself to care that he’s dead.”

  An uneasy look passed between them, and I felt my stomach muscles clench in response.

  “What? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “He isn’t dead, Allie,” Mason replied. “My attention was completely focused on keeping you alive, and when I turned around … he was gone.”

  “But he hit the wall so hard that it broke, and I thought—”

  “He was just knocked unconscious.”

  “What am I going to do?” I asked shakily. “He’s never going to stop coming after me!”

  He reached out and grabbed my hand and held on tight. “He’s never going to get to you. We’ll keep you safe, and Mom and I will teach you every defensive spell known to man.”

  I jumped up out of my chair, causing it to tip over, and began to pace nervously around the kitchen. “No, it doesn’t matter how many spells I know! That thing wasn’t affected by any of it! I need to understand more about the monsters I’m fighting, so I can learn each one’s weaknesses and exploit them! I’m sick of being knocked down; I’m ready to get up and push back!”

  They both looked taken aback by my intensity, but then a look of pride crossed Mason’s face, and Sarah was positively bouncing with excitement as she ran out of the kitchen to get a pile of books.

  “Please tell me that some of them are picture books,” I said while Sarah was gone.

  He laughed. “Nope, she’s gonna have you buried under all of those dusty old books until you can recite them by heart.”

  I groaned and he laughed again.

  “Be careful what you wish for, babe.”

  “I was hoping my super cute boyfriend could teach me,” I sighed.

  “That is the first time you’ve ever called me that,” he said with a grin.

  “Don’t let it go to your head,” I joked, trying to slow down my pounding heart. I hadn’t meant to say that. Revealing the depths of my feelings for him terrified me, partly because I couldn’t really even admit them to myself. I was so afraid of losing him, and if I never said the words, maybe I could survive it, if I did.

  He studied me for a moment and smiled again, before saying, “What would my girlfriend like to learn about first?”

  Those words made me ridiculously happy, but I tried to contain myself, and I asked the one question that was tormenting me. “What did I do wrong with the wraith?”

  “What’s your favorite food?”

  “Huh?”

  “Just go with me, okay?”

  I sighed, not seeing the relevance, but I answered anyway. “Spaghetti.”

  “What food makes you want to puke?”

  “Brussel sprouts,” I said with a shudder.

  “Okay, wraiths feed on negativity. You used fire and lightning, why?

  “Because I wanted to hurt it, kill it, and then kill it again!”

  “Exactly! You were feeding it spaghetti. It loved the negative vibes flowing off of you when you were trying to destroy it.”

  “So what should I have done, thrown rainbows and hearts and flowers at it?”

  “Actually, that probably would’ve worked. Hate, fear, pain, sickness … pretty much any ugly emotion, those are things it recognizes. Love, kindness, happiness, and friendship—it has no defense against those things, because it doesn’t understand them; in fact, it’s repulsed by them. They’re brussel sprouts.”

  “Sadly enough, that actually made sense.”

  “Yes, there is always a method to my madness,” he laughed.

  “Emphasis on the word ‘madness’,” I replied as I sat down in his lap and kissed him gently. His arms immediately came around me as he deepened the kiss. I sank my fingers into his hair as his hands ran up and down my back.

  We were so lost in each other that we didn’t even hear Sarah come back in, and the sound of several very large, heavy books being dropped on the table startled us.

  “No more kissing! Time to study!” she insisted.

  “You’re just mean,” Mason said, glaring at her.

  “Out! I don’t want you in here distracting her!”

  “I can help her! I’m an excellent teacher.”

  “Yeah, maybe you can run to the store and pick up some spaghetti and brussel sprouts to use as visual aids in your next lesson.

  I laughed; I couldn’t help it.

  “Eavesdropping again, Mom?”

  “Can’t help it, son,” she says, pointing to her ears. “Vampire hearing, you know.”

  “Excuses, excuses,” he replied.

  Her eyes narrowed into slits, and she placed her hands on her hips. “You should just thank your lucky stars that I don’t call you out on everything else I’ve overheard.”

  My face started to heat up at that, and Mason seemed at a complete loss for words. After a few brief moments, he got up and started walking up the stairs.

  “Where’re you going, Mase?” his mom calls after him.

  “Upstairs to play with Bella and to stick pins in my voodoo doll,” he said grumpily.

  “You know that thing doesn’t work,” she called back.

  “Yes, but I never give up hope.” And then he disappeared from sight and she turned to me.

  “Now, what’s bothering you, besides what you’ve already told me?”

  I started to ask her how she knew, but that would be stupid, because she can sense it when someone is lying or holding back. I’m certainly not going to tell her what I overheard, so instead, I talk about one of the five hundred other things that are bothering me.

  “My parents. Do you think there is any way for me to learn more about them?” I cringed at the hopeful tone of my own voice. “I know it’s a long-shot, but I don’t care; I have to know them in some way, even if it’s only through pictures or stories.”

  “I’m sure your father has files on them, but they won’t be easy to get to; we will have to devise a plan to get them without getting caught.”

  “I’m all for not getting caught … but it’s kinda high on my list of priorities right now. They died trying to keep me safe, and my mother’s protection lasted years after her death. They would want me to know who they were! They would want me to know that they loved me and fought for me … and I have to fight for them! Even if all I’m fighting for are names and faces, I have to try! My entire life has been a lie; isn’t it past time I found out the truth?”

  Her eyes filled with tears and it was a few moments before she could speak. “I wish I could say something, anything, to ease your pain, but I can’t. All I can tell you is that you don’t have to go through it alone.” She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing. “Give us at least a week to figure out the safest way in and out. We don’t want to place you in any unnecessary danger. He’s probably counting on your desperation. He will expect you to act quickly and recklessly and emotionally; let’s not walk into his trap; let’s set one of our own,” she finished with a smile.

  “You’re wrong,” I said, and the smile faltered a little. “You always know the right thing to say, and I love you for it.”

  “Oh, Allie,” she wailed as the unshed tears overflowed. “I love you, too, just like a daughter.”

  “Even though I’m crazy?”

  “Why on earth would you say that?” she asked, looking startled.

  “Because I go into hysterics over people who lived three hundred years before I was even born. It’s insane!”

  “No, it isn’t. It’s understandable that you were upset! That poor girl was probably arrested for witchcraft!”

  “Yes, but why do I care so much? It was three centuries ago!”

  She studied me closely for several uncomfortable moments, like I was a bug under a microscope, and she was trying to determine what species I was. Finally, with a loud sigh, she said, “I really don’t think I can answer that. The answers you seek are already inside of you, so why don
’t you tell me, exactly, how strongly you feel about these people.”

  “Should we go into the living room so I can lie down on the couch?” I quipped.

  Her only response was an almost imperceptible smile as she waited for me to answer her question. I guess it was funnier in my head than said out loud. I was stalling and she knew it, so I blew out the breath I’d been holding and answered her question.

  “Annabelle loves Joshua very much, and I always experience the dreams through her. I feel everything she feels, and it doesn’t just magically fade away when I wake up. In fact, it’s getting harder to separate my dreams from reality all the time, and the fact that he looks just like Mason only confuses me more. I feel a million different mixed-up emotions all at once, not the least of which is guilt.” The words flew from my mouth in a rush, and I looked up expecting to see judgment in her eyes—after all, I was kind of emotionally cheating on her son—but there was only kindness.

  “So, because she loves him, you love him too?” she asked.

  “Do you think I’m a ho?” I blurted out.

  She burst out laughing. “Oh, Allison, no, of course not! You can’t help what you dream. Your Fey powers are allowing you to see glimpses of the past, and there is no way to block them out or control them. You are not to blame.”

  “What about, Bella? She takes away bad dreams. Why can’t she take these away?”

  “Bella, only protects you from dream attacks, not psychic visions, and unless you are in danger, she cannot intervene.”

  “But she intervened at the house last night, and unfortunately, the man who raised me isn’t a nightmare; he’s real.”

  “It’s remarkable! I’ve never heard of one doing something like that, but again, you were in real danger; in your dreams of Joshua and Annabelle, you aren’t.”

  “But I don’t think I can bear seeing her suffer,” I said in a wobbly voice.

  Her eyes widened in surprise before filling with sympathy, and she reached out and took my hand. “You love Annabelle too, don’t you?”

  “She feels almost like a sister, but in the dreams I feel like I am her, but I can’t change anything; all I can do is experience it. I didn’t really mind when the dreams were good, in fact, I wanted to go back, but now … I would do almost anything to avoid that.”