The Illuminated Witch

by Imogene Nix

  “To me!” She heard one of the guards—she thought his name was Jordan. For the first time she heard fear and desperation.

  No one had expected the situation to be as dangerous as it was, she was sure, but thankfully the guards had been ready to employ the shield. They hadn’t expected the fury of the attack, or the creatures that they had faced. The one dog-like warrior had shown itself briefly before disappearing into the melee.

  She shuddered remembering what she’d seen. The black coat, shaggy like an unkempt dog, the long snout and animalistic hind legs were teamed with the face of a human.

  “Come on.” She whispered the words, incapable of more, as she poured more magical energy into the stone.

  That this battle would continue for so long and drain the stone, and by association her, was something else she hadn’t considered. At least she’d learned enough to be able to channel some of her energy into the shielding. She could give them extra time. Her teeth ached, as did her head. The longer she pushed her powers into the stone, the more she felt… Diminished.

  “Celina, you must stop now.” She heard Jordan’s voice and registered that it sounded faint.

  “Soon. I just need to give everyone the best possible opportunity.” She glanced to the side, seeing Javed frown.

  “Let it go.” He indicated his agreement to the warrior. She tried to shift her hands but was startled to realize that no matter how much she might want to let it go, she couldn’t.

  “I… I… Can’t.” For the first time since her mad dash to the stone, panic set in. Perhaps it had been more than she could manage. Maybe she should have thought this through a little better, before rushing off tonight.

  “Celina? You have to let go now. There are others here.” His demand cut through her.

  “It won’t let me.” She glimpsed at the incredulous expression on his face, her stomach curled. “I’m stuck and it won’t let me go.”

  His face blanched and his gaze skittered to the small group of men and women who were rounding the corner of the building.

  “Jordan, get inside the car. Javed, you too.”

  But instead of agreeing, he shook his head.

  “I can’t leave you.” The strain was evident in his voice. She could almost hear the argument that he waged within himself. Leave her here and go get the others, so they might have a chance of surviving. Or try to save her where she was stuck to the shield. But the artifact was far too valuable to be lost.

  Somehow, it contained something important to the prophecy. It wasn’t something that could be endangered.

  “Javed, you have to get the others from inside. The shield will give me protection for as long as I’m connected, I think. Once you have the artifact safely away, then the others can get me out of here.” The panic bloomed inside her chest, but she knew right now there was no alternative. If the prophecy fell into their hands, then they would be exposed, without much time to combat it. In her heart she knew this was merely the first step in the journey to finding out the truth the seer had alluded to.

  And she had given her oath.

  “But you are in danger.” The anguish in his voice tore at her.

  “Get the artifact out of here. It must be protected.” Celina closed her eyes and turned away from him. If these were to be her last moments, then she would be strong.

  He cursed then she heard a sound, the crunching of gravel as he turned away. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.” Then he was gone, feet thudding away as he ran. He entered the building where some of the guards had waited out the attack, keeping the artifact safe.

  Nearby a car rocked, but she knew the others were safe within it. The spell work performed on it would ensure the safety of those within.

  Celina wanted to nod but weariness stole through her body. The last vestiges of warmth bled away.

  She sucked in a deep and unsteady breath, settled her hands more firmly against the ancient block of stone. The heat seared her where it touched and in its wake it left cold emptiness. “I can do this.” Tears stung her eyes and her arms vibrated with the strain.

  Several people approached. She couldn’t stop herself scrutinizing them. Three men and two women, garbed in leather from their highly polished boots to their molded jackets advanced. Their eyes were cold.

  Lifeless.

  Empty.

  Dead except for a tiny silvery shine in the center.

  Their skin was tinged with blue. Magic swirled around them, but it was greasy and oily.

  Bad magic, her mind whispered. She shivered, shrinking from them. Horror filled her.

  “Step away from the stone.” One of the women stepped forward, her teeth bared.

  Celina chanced a small smile. “Not on your life.” Her voice was weak now, taking all the effort she could muster, and her body nearly buckled with the magical onslaught as the stone stole the essence of her being. The air around her crackled and snapped.

  The woman cried out as a shaft of lightening flickered at her.

  “It’s protecting her!” one of the males called and suppressed a small grin. “We need to get her away from it.”

  “I have an idea.” He bent beneath her watching gaze and scooped up a handful of gravel. “Join me”

  Her stomach wobbled. What the hell are they planning on doing? She knew quickly enough as they pelted her, the stone attacking many of the small rocks and pebbles as they crackled and exploded, but the number of missiles were too numerous and the shield was failing.

  They attacked again but this time the stones were larger and while the first lot had hurt, now she was afraid of the damage the second would do.

  The rattle of a car door, a yelling voice filled the air.

  “Oh God, no!” She breathed unsteadily, her heartbeat racing as she understood their intent. But she couldn’t protect herself with her hands firmly attached to the stone and as the missile found its mark she lost consciousness.

  Chapter Four

  A loud bang shook the walls, the ground beneath his feet shuddered. Javed followed the others out of the door, clutching the old sword and scabbard in his hand.

  His heart stuttered. He’d left her out there. He turned, running toward the door and Celina. The stone should have protected her, but fear trickled though him. It wasn’t working the way they had expected. He could hear Idris, trailing him. Swearing.

  If what she said was right? It kept her connected. “Damn it! No, I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

  The instant he opened the door he froze. She lay on the ground, her hair a vibrant red halo, her motionless body and the creatures around her laughing and advancing. He didn’t stop to think, to question the reason for his intense reaction. He just advanced.

  Fury coursed through him as he tossed the artifact to a nearby guard and scooped up an abandoned blade from the ground. It swooped in a wicked arc, slicing and hacking. He moved faster and faster as he surged toward her.

  “Leave. Her. Alone.”

  The men behind him followed, but all that filled his brain was the knowledge that he’d left her alone. Even though his brain told him she should have been safe. And he’d had to protect the artifact.

  The creatures laughed and the rage overtook him. He dispatched them swiftly first this one then the second attacker, their faces now projecting their fear.

  “She’s. Mine.” Each thrust took him closer to where she lay, still and silent on the ground.

  Someone brushed past him. Idris.

  Idris dropped to his knees beside Celina, his face a crumpled white mask of grief. For a moment Javed feared they’d come too late. That she was dead. The way Idris scooped her up against his chest and a pain, rather like a spear to his heart, stole his breath.

  Now that the battle was done, they could leave. His injured guards limped from the relative safety of the building, but he ignored them. He stepped forward slowly and peered down at her white face. Her chest rose and fell. She lives.

  He wanted to shove Idris away from Celina. He nee
ded to take her in his arms, to hold her close against him. His fear had become an almost solid lump lodged in his chest, and he scowled, hoping to keep the emotions at bay just a little longer. But the building need was so blinding that he couldn’t control it. “She breathes yet.” Idris spoke quietly but his words carried the power to right Javed’s world.

  “I’ll take her.” His command had Idris glancing at him, and in that instant he understood and accepted that his protectiveness centered on this one human. She was, indeed, his. He couldn’t, wouldn’t let Idris take her from him.

  Idris might want her, but he was the one she needed. He knew it as surely as he’d felt that instantaneous connection the first time he’d seen her.

  Idris stood, his face pale, holding the unconscious Celina in his arms and with thinning lips he advanced and slid her into Javed’s grasp. Javed sighed as he touched her. He could detect the slight movement as she breathed, and it comforted him—until he saw her neck and shoulders. A deep bruise was already forming at her temple, and he seethed.

  “I’ll take her home with me.”

  Idris bowed formally. Without a word he waited while Javed made his way toward the vehicle. One of the guards held open the door, and he climbed within, keeping her close. Idris followed stiffly and took the position opposite, his face tight. Javed stared down at Celina, noting the seeping blood above the hairline. With care, he pushed the hair away and saw a nasty cut. “She’s got a nasty laceration there. We’ll need a healer when we get to the nest.”

  He heard rather than saw Idris lift the phone from the cradle and make the call. He concentrated only on Celina. The vehicle had ascended, before banking sharply. They were headed home—to their home.

  The journey was swift but silent. He ignored Idris’ fulminating glare. He was master and this woman was somehow connected to him. He glanced up as the car started to drop. “Idris, go ahead and get the door for me.”

  Once they had landed he carried her within, along the marble inlaid corridor to the secured doorway. He watched dimly as Idris, stiff and radiating anger, entered the code. This was a problem he would soon have to deal with, he noted, then dismissed it. It was an issue for later.

  The door slid open to the secured quarters, and he strode within. Unlike his previous home, which had utilized a secured basement, the core of this building was secured with lead reinforced walls. The previous owners being more than a little concerned for their safety had built it with a larger than average panic room. It had been one of the major selling points for him. In the weeks since they had taken over the property, the reinforced walls had been extended, offering them the security they required while resting.

  He reached his personal quarters at the end of the hall and nudged the door open with his shoulder, striding to his own bed ignoring the lush furnishings reminiscent of his own past. He flung aside the jewel toned cushions to make space for her. The bleeding from her head wounds had stopped in the vehicle, but she hadn’t yet regained consciousness.

  “Shouldn’t she have…come to by now?” The concerned tones of Idris’ voice grated, and Javed had to control the bubble of anger that inhabited his chest.

  “Where’s Kharisma?”

  “Master, I’m here.” Kharisma, the nest healer and his one-time lover, entered the room and headed for the bed. “What happened?” She squatted down beside the bed, her medical bag thudding on the floor.

  He briefly recounted their experiences, and she clicked her tongue. “Well before we do anything else, let’s clean her up so I can check that cut on her scalp.” Then Kharisma set to work.

  * * * *

  “Ooh.” Celina woke in darkness. Her entire body ached, and her head pounded. For a moment, disorientation threatened. Maybe the weeks before had been a dream, but when a sound roused her and a light flared, she could tell that wasn’t so.

  Javed knelt beside her. “I’m glad you’ve woken.”

  She winced—even in the quiet his words pounded through her brain. “Where am I?”

  “My rooms.”

  She started, and the percussion instruments in her head drummed louder. A moan escaped.

  “You’re in pain. Let me get you something.” He left quickly. She wanted to call him back. She wanted to get out of his rooms. Simultaneous thoughts came and went, but she lay still, well aware that in her current state she was probably lucky if she could even crawl out of the bed unaided.

  Javed returned, a glass of water and two small tablets in his hand. “Take these. Kharisma said they should help.”

  He slipped one hand beneath her, supporting her, and the shock of skin on skin made her jerk and gasp at once.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Uh nothing. I’m just… I’m naked.” Her voice wobbled, and she looked away.

  “Well, not quite. Kharisma didn’t think you’d be comfortable, so she left your underwear on.” He nudged her hand. “Take the pills. You’ll feel better for it.”

  Wordlessly she accepted them, slipped them into her mouth then gulped the water.

  Javed helped her to lie back down. She gripped the covers tightly, making sure that she was totally covered.

  “Why wasn’t I taken to my own room?” Her voice sounded strangled and for a moment silence reigned.

  She turned slowly to peer at him and, for the first time since waking, saw hunger in his eyes. “I couldn’t let you go.”

  Celina shrank back. “Uh look, you know… I’m not easy. I don’t just fall into bed with any guy. So if you could just pass me my clothes, I’ll get out of your way.”

  No way was she going to fall into bed with him. He might be sexy, handsome, and the most perfect man she’d ever met, but she had no intentions of putting out. Besides which he is a vampire—a master vampire at that. Aren’t there rules about that?

  She pushed at the covers, grunting a little as the aches in her arms and shoulders made themselves known.

  He stepped back to give her room as she stood with a wobble.

  She remembered too late that she was all but naked—her breasts were barely covered by the lacy white bra. Celina had to stop the reflex action of curling her arms around herself—instead she gripped the mattress, grateful for the support.

  But she felt her face flame in embarrassment.

  “You aren’t going anywhere.” His softly spoken words were firm, and she felt chilled.

  “I can come and go at will.” Her stomach churned, and she swayed a little before locking her legs to keep herself upright and still.

  “You wouldn’t make it across the room, and none of my people will enter without my permission. And they’ve all retired for the day. Now be a good girl and get back into the bed.”

  His gaze raked over her. Little fires licked at her wherever he focused. She had to hold back the moan that rose in her throat. There was a distinct tightening of her muscles, except down below where heat began to pool, softening her deep inside. She locked her legs together against the unfamiliar sensations.

  “Oh, and I don’t intend taking advantage of you. I only take willing and conscious women to my bed. Vampire or human.”

  With those words, he turned away and left her wobbling uncertainly by the side of the bed.

  But her body continued to tingle, and for the first time, a sense of something missing in her life assailed her. She slumped down to the bed, a hiss of pain escaping, and dropped her head into her hands. “What the hell have I got myself into?”

  He stalked out of the room. Anger warred with desire. He raked his hands through his hair. Celina thinks I only want to have sex with her?

  Javed stilled, coping with the emotional backlash. Well, on one level she’s right, he agreed. But the situation wasn’t exactly cut and dried, was it? I want more than that.

  That was the crux of his problem. He didn’t really know how much more. What could he hope for? “What would she be prepared to have with me? If anything?” There were no answers for him. Not now.

  In the centurie
s after he’d become a vampire, he’d seen the reaction of women to him and his kind. They had been distinctly bi-polar. He’d been shunned, and called everything from the devil’s spawn to evil incarnate. Others had just wanted the sex with the damned experience, which held no interest for him.

  The last woman he’d had any kind of loving and long-lasting relationship with had run away from him. Losing his wife that way had scarred him. He’d loved Anisa truly, and she had proclaimed to feel the same. However, when it had come to making a choice to stand by her claim, Anisa had abandoned him. Feared him. Hated him.

  “I can’t love you! You aren’t my Javed. He was God-fearing. You are some creature wearing his skin. Evil to the core.”

  She’d glared at him with hate, her eyes glowing in the firelight. Then she’d thrown things at him, pushed through the door and run.

  Left him standing there. Alone. He hadn’t followed her. After all, she’d said everything there was to say.

  “Doesn’t matter. She’s been gone a long time.” Eight hundred years alone with only a casual interlude here and his future stretched out in front of him. But he’d felt strongly that an eternity alone was the price he had to pay for a decision he hadn’t even made himself.

  Seeing Xavier and Hope together had loosened the restraints on his hungry heart. He knew that maybe he could wish for more. He turned away from those thoughts.

  The battle for Acre, all those years ago, had been fierce and protracted. Dirty. Smelly. But he couldn’t escape the memories that cascaded.

  They’d won the battle, beaten back the knights and Christians from the final part of Jerusalem. The celebrations had worn on for days, with many partaking in drink and women, lost in the high of the aftermath of the battle. Many had been uncaring that their behavior went against their own teachings.

  He hadn’t. Instead, he’d remained sober, helped to keep the peace. He’d protected the women who had been accosted on the streets. Rounded up the children and found them safe places to wait out the celebrations and rowdiness.

  On the fourth day, he’d entered the tavern, seeking nothing more than his friends, ready to drag them away from the evils of drink.