by Fawn Lowery
Gasping for breath, Ronna was relieved when finally, the smoke cleared.
The wind continued however, swirling about the room and making awful howling sounds. A large black pot sat in the center of the floor and Drucella stood beside it. She waved one hand and Ronna slid along the wall to collapse on the floor.
“Come. See for yourself the magic of the amulet.”
Ronna’s body ached but she picked herself up off the floor, slowly and with great difficulty, and made her way across the room to the pot before Drucella. All her life she had wondered about the jewel suspended around her neck—could this evil witch really be on the verge of divulging its true meaning? A note of curiosity intensified inside her as she walked across the room.
Or could this be another of Drucella’s tricks?
On guard, she approached the pot carefully. Drucella’s dark eyes were pinned to her face, reading her expression of wary caution. Drucella waved one hand and the wind stilled.
A wisp of smoke rose from the pot, garnering Ronna’s attention. She inched closer, keeping the pot between herself and Drucella, just in case the witch chose to cast her inside or some other equally distasteful fate.
“Look. See for yourself.”
Ronna peered over the edge of the pot. The smoke was dense and heavy and seemed to settle to the bottom of the large kettle. She stared into it, noticing it beginning to clear as more seemed to form from somewhere within the vessel itself. She bit her lip, realizing she was gazing into the witch’s viewing pot that Pemi had spoken of.
A vision began to form, clear and bright upon the murky smoke. Seven yellow jewels appeared and then seven faces. The vision lingered, as though giving Ronna time to view each portion of the message. She studied each of the faces presented to her, identifying Drucella and herself among the seven.
She gasped and drew back slightly, causing the vision to waver before her eyes.
“Do not look away.”
She gathered her nerve and peered once again into the smoke, seeing a face she did not know but feared with all her being. Her stomach tightened—fear gripped her insides. She jerked her head back, dissolving the picture on the smoke.
“Who is that?”
“The dark one.”
“I don’t understand.” She felt shaken inside, wanted so badly to know the origin of the jewel she had worn all her life, yet apprehensive about its history. “Does the devil command the power of the amulets?”
Drucella waved her hand across the mouth of the pot. “Look.”
Nervous, but curious nonetheless, Ronna once more approached the pot. The smoke curled upward in a swirling wisp, leaving the top of the pot and spiraling toward the ceiling. Ronna’s mouth went suddenly dry, fearing the entry of an unknown entity into the room.
The smoke curled and disappeared, reformed and swirled inside the pot. Another vision began to take shape, drawing on the darkness inside the pot and taking form upon the sooty wisp. Seven faces appeared surrounding the male face. They began to spin, slowly at first, then faster, until one face suddenly vanished, leaving only six. The smoke billowed suddenly, claiming the inside of the pot in a rushing fog that rolled and tumbled. All at once it halted its motion, and another picture formed. Ronna blinked surprised eyes at the sight of a small girl child standing amidst other children, an amulet around her neck.
She knew in her heart that the child was herself. She raised her head and locked gazes with Drucella. A quiver of surprise raced through her insides at the glimpse of compassion in the witch’s eyes. Ronna drew back, afraid to trust her eyes.
“You did not choose to obey the dark one. And he cast you out. But because he had already presented you with the amulet, he could not take it from you.”
Ronna grasped the amulet in one fist. It warmed her hand. She caressed its faceted edges, felt the smoothness against her fingertips. For the first time in her life, she didn’t want it gone from her neck.
She pulled in a steadying breath. “So I came from this era? You are my…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word. She stared at Drucella.
“Sister, of sorts. We are of the same coven. Your amulet can do many things but the most significant feat it possesses is the ability to travel through time.”
Shock filtered through Ronna. For an instant she considered wishing herself home—since she clutched the amulet in her hand—but then she glanced at Marcus lying on the bed, being at the mercy of Drucella—
“Each amulet has its own special ability.” She waved a hand and the pot suddenly disappeared with a loud crackle sound. “However, none of the amulets possess the power of renewed life.”
Ronna sensed her sadness at her statement. “Witches are not immortal.” She glanced at Marcus. “However vampires are immortal.” Her suspicions were confirmed. She knew the real reason Drucella had imprisoned Marcus. “You wanted Marcus to give you the gift of immortality—and he refused.”
Rage suddenly returned to Drucella’s face. Her eyes darkened as she pinned Ronna with a steady gaze. She opened her mouth and hissed noisily at Ronna. She waved one arm and a wooden stake appeared in her hand. She waved the other hand and a heavy mallet appeared.
“And therefore he shall die!”
CHAPTER 15
“No!”
The command tore from Ronna’s throat in a loud bellow as she hurled her body toward Drucella. She slammed against her side as she prepared to drive the stake through Marcus’ chest. The sudden force knocked the mallet from Drucella’s hand and upset her balance. She reeled back, clutching the stake and turning threatening eyes on Ronna. With gnashing teeth, she flung herself at Ronna.
Marcus!
There wasn’t time to glance at Marcus—Drucella was enraged. She grabbed Ronna’s hair and clawed at her face with her long fingernails. Ronna screamed and flailed her fists, landing only a few punches amidst the turmoil Drucella was causing.
Marcus! Wake up!
Ronna’s scalp was taking the brunt of Drucella’s punishment. She clutched her fist in her long tresses and pulled brutally as though meaning to scalp her. Ronna lashed out with clenched fists and began kicking Drucella’s legs, hoping to knock her down. The pain to her scalp was excruciating.
“You will regret your actions before I end your life!”
“Get fucked!”
Marcus! Dammit! Wake up!
Drucella was exceptionally strong. She quickly gained the upper hand and knocked Ronna against the wall, then immediately pinned her body against the solid stone with a spell that left her helpless.
Drucella stood in the center of the room and glared at Ronna. Her long hair flew about her head, her lip curled upward in an angry sneer. Her eyes were black as midnight. She propped both hands on her hips and walked toward Ronna.
Ronna tried to think—tried to conjure up a spell that would render Drucella helpless. Her body felt weak and useless, the sudden force of being thrust against the unyielding wall being felt in every bone and muscle. Tears suddenly sprang to her eyes. Was this the end?
“You turn against one of your own.”
Her voice was a low hiss, echoing in the cold dim room. She walked closer to Ronna, her hands on her hips, her eyes holding her gaze with mortal threat.
“This vampire gets his powers from the dark one. He is bound by the curse of the dark one. He has little worth—aside from murderous rampages to feed his lusts and to quench his blood thirst.”
“We are life mates.”
Drucella’s eyes flashed from sage to ebony and the look of menace on her face intensified.
Marcus! Wake up!
She threw back her head and laughed loudly, bellowing into the room at Ronna’s words.
“You are an inept witch. You barely know up from down. You cast your little pitiful spells—making me wretch and spew puke—what good would you be to a creature of the night? You cannot summon him food. You cannot go into the bowels of the earth with him.” She sneered and shook her head, sending her long hair sw
ishing about her shoulders. “You can only spread your legs and offer your body to him.” She raised one fist into the air. “Lust will not sustain his vampire urge for blood.”
Ronna tried to shut out her words. Marcus was more than the blood-sucking vampire she insisted he was. Tears rolled down the crest of her cheek, spilling onto her sweater. She blinked bleary eyes at Marcus’ still form lying so quietly on Drucella’s bed.
Marcus! For God’s sake—wake up!
She blinked her eyes, trying to clear the moisture away as Drucella drew near. She glimpsed a movement at the witch’s hand and saw the appearance of a blazing torch. She raised the fire above her head and drew closer, a look of finality on her angry face.
“I shall put the flames to you—since death by fire is a witch’s curse.”
Ronna shuddered and pulled in a quick breath. Her arms and legs were pinned tightly to the wall. No amount of effort on her part could lift either limb from its rigid position. She was at Drucella’s mercy. She tried to conjure up a spell—tried to knock her off balance as she crossed the room to slay her.
A slight movement at the bed and suddenly the room was filled with a loud murderous bellow. Ronna’s stomach knotted in fright as she glimpsed Marcus darting across the room with such speed that his big body was merely a dark blur.
A scream tore from Drucella’s throat as Marcus grabbed her by the nape of the neck and hurled her body across the room. She smacked against the wall and crumbled on the floor. A leaping bound and he was grasping her again as she lay limply on the floor. A loud threatening roar and he held Drucella by one big hand and cast her against his chest.
Ronna gulped in a frightened breath. The sounds Marcus was making chilled her to the bone. He roared and bellowed, rumbled unidentifiable threats from deep in his throat. She stared in horror as he hissed loudly, throwing back his head on his shoulders and opening his mouth. Sharp fangs appeared and he lunged them into Drucella’s neck, her body hanging limply from his clenched fist.
Ronna closed her eyes, but the ugliness of the moment was too much to offer to chance. She looked on as Marcus drank from Drucella’s neck, feeding on her life’s blood. Finally, when he had drained the last drops of nourishment from her lifeless body, he turned toward the fireplace in the room. Blood smears dotted his face and shirt. He licked his lips, swallowing the final visages of victory down his throat. He cast a hand toward the hearth and instantly a fire roared to life, an inferno that cast itself out into the room with hungry yellow tongues of flame. He flung Drucella’s lifeless body into the blaze.
Ronna gasped in horror and tried to look away. Drucella’s body was immediately enveloped by the angry flame, her long black dress quickly catching ablaze and disappearing—and instantly breaking the spell holding Ronna against the wall. She slipped quickly to the floor, landing on her butt with her legs bent up beneath her. A surprised cry leapt from her mouth.
Marcus stood before the fire and watched, keeping guard to make certain the witch couldn’t escape his wrath.
Ronna stared at Marcus. Could this be the man she thought she was falling in love with? Could she love someone as vicious and brutal as the man she had just witnessed killing Drucella?
He turned toward her suddenly and she saw the full measure of his anger. His eyes glowed red, two live coals situated deep in his skull. He came toward her and she shrank against the wall, a horrified scream inching up her parched throat.
“Ronna, my love.”
His voice was hoarse, though it caressed her senses like soft velvet. He reached for her, raising her from the floor. He took her into his arms and held her.
The feel of his body pressing so firmly against hers sent a wave of comfort washing through her insides. She felt her knees buckle and the next instant, Marcus was scooping her into his arms and crossing the room to the bed. He lowered her to the place where he had laid, her head on the pillow belonging to Drucella.
She objected at first, crying out and levering herself upward in an effort to escape the dreaded place, but Marcus pushed her down, his hands on her shoulders and quite words of assurance on his lips. She gave in and allowed him to push her back. She settled her head on the pillow and let out a long breath of relief. She had almost died. Drucella had almost killed her.
She stared up at the man who had rescued her. He looked different now from the vicious vampire she had witnessed killing the evil witch. His face no longer harbored the wealth of anger that had fueled his big body. His clothing was straightened and his long dark hair was smoothed upon his shoulders. She blinked curious eyes up at him. He showed no signs of the once deadly killer he actually was.
She pushed his hands away. The sight she had witnessed was too gruesome to ignore. Her insides were still churning from the fright the act generated inside her body. She knew the memory would be with her forever—hovering at the edge of her consciousness. She licked dry lips. Her throat felt parched.
“Are you all right?”
His voice was laden with concern. His dark eyes were filled with compassion. He raised one hand to brush her hair off her shoulder but Ronna grasped his wrist before he could complete the act.
“I just want this to be over, Marcus.” She swallowed to ease her dry throat.
He smiled down at her. “And soon it shall be.”
She couldn’t bear to have him touch her. She rolled to her side and sat up on the edge of the bed in preparation of getting up. Her head felt dizzy and she thought she was going to throw up. She blinked her eyes and found she was staring at the dying embers in the fireplace. A cold shard of dread gripped her insides. Were those embers the remains of Drucella? Had her body burned up and really turned to ashes—as she had heard witches’ do when they die? For an instant she felt the pangs of temptation gnawing at her insides. Would she regret not having the guts to investigate the remains in the fireplace to make sure when she finally managed to return home and put the frightening episode behind her?
She placed her feet on the floor and stood up, shaky and unsteady. “Did she really burn up, Marcus?”
He rose and crossed the room to the fireplace. Stooping, he reached amid the glowing embers and retrieved the amulet Drucella had possessed. He held it in his hand, the gold chain draped across his fingers.
“She is dead.” He held the amulet out, offering it to Ronna. “This belongs to you now. Take it.”
Ronna raised her eyes to his face. He was smiling, pleased with his having destroyed Drucella forever. She didn’t hesitate to lift the amulet from his hand and slip it into her jeans pocket. The thought gripped her that with Drucella’s death, the amulet might be put to better use. What, she couldn’t rightfully say, given the circumstances with which she had come about it, but since her own amulet had never been used to do harm—
“What about the rest of the witches?”
“We will destroy them before we leave the castle.” He reached out and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her hair with one hand, gently, lovingly. He kissed her temple.
His nearness unnerved her. She bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly. Things had happened so quickly. One day she was happily running her little witch shop and the next, she was falling in love with a vampire. A lone tear squeezed out the corner of her eye and slid slowly down her cheek. How could she justify the fact that Marcus had just murdered Drucella? How could she have feelings for a man—a creature of the night—that could be so vicious and murderous?
“Come. We must search the castle for my brothers.”
She pushed out of his arms, turning to hide her tear-stained cheeks from his view. She crossed her arms over her chest, wary at revealing her fears to him.
“What is it? I sense your distress.”
“I may not be able to awaken your brothers. Drucella sentenced them to sleep for ten thousand years. I may not be able to break the time spell.”
“Drucella is dead.” He combed one hand through his hair. “Surely her spells can be broken now.” He heaved a long s
igh.
Ronna felt his unease at her news. She resisted the urge to comfort him—though every fiber in her being urged her to reach out to him. She studied his face, so distraught with worry that the sight brought her emotional pain. She bit her bottom lip. If only her heart didn’t melt at the sight of him. She released a long breath and fought the battery of emotions tugging at her insides.
“We must search the castle, Ronna. We must find my brothers.” He took hold of her hand, urging her toward the door.
Ronna’s uncertainty increased. Her feet inched reluctantly across the stone floor. Her fear of not being able to awaken his brothers clung to her insides.
“We will search the remaining rooms along the hallway first.”
“I suspect your brothers are imprisoned in the suits of armor standing at the front entry of the castle, Marcus. Tiana told me as much.”
“Tiana?” He glanced around, as though searching for the tiny fairy.
“Yes. I tricked her. She revealed that your brothers were in plain sight and holding sentry. I think they sleep inside the suits.”
He smiled suddenly, a broad smile that lit up his handsome face. He pulled Ronna into his arms and hugged her tightly.
“I love you.”
CHAPTER 16
His admission unnerved her. Could he know the meaning of love? Could a creature with dark powers know the true meaning of what he had just said to her? She stifled a shiver of remorse. Surely there was some way she could come to grips with her feelings for the man—vampire.
They hurried down the hallway toward the great room of the castle. Their footsteps echoed along the empty space and somehow drilled the feeling of dread deeper into Ronna’s gut. Any second the remaining witches of the coven would appear and God only knew what the outcome would be.