“Christ on a stick, what the fuck!” I exclaim in panic, as we come to a screeching stop, knocking over a couple of other dancers. With a muttered sorry, we rush outside. Looking about, I realize there’s no sign of them.
“Oh my God, oh my God, where are they?” I panic.
“Breathe, Candi,” Victor sooths me, rubbing my back in comfort while searching for any sign of our friends. Anger ripples through me, so strong it knocks Victor back a step. Power zips up my arms and lightning hot and strong ripples across the sky. My eyes turn violet; the intensity of the sudden change turns everything violet for just a second, before settling. I feel the change as power vibrates through my body, and sparks shoot from my fingers into a trail of violet fire. “Follow the trail and protect your brother and sister.” A voice like thunder erupts from the sky, into me, and then out my mouth.
A couple of partygoers scream in fear, then giggle, as if to pretend they’re only messing at being scared. Victor and I ignore them; I transform into my wolf, running after the violet trail with Victor keeping pace at my side.
****
I watch as again he lays his hands on her. Her eyes turn violet and all hell breaks loose. Some stupid girls scream and giggle away their fear, but all I can do is stare, transfixed as power, so much power surrounds the witch. Trailing violet lightning, she transforms into a wolf and chases the trail to the caves. “I have to tell the high council,” I mutter in shock as I realize the Double Magick one is alive. As the silver wolf and the vampire disappear into the night, I grimly stare at the spot I last saw them, knowing a war is beginning, and her death will come at the hands of The Protectors.
****
The trail leads us through town toward Hunters Park. With a howl of anger, I run harder toward the caves where we found the bodies. Outside the cave I stop, transforming back into my human form. I turn to Victor. “Can you get through the roof of the cave?”
“I could, but it will take too long and they’d hear me coming,” Victor apologizes. With a frustrated nod, I transform back and slink into the cave. Victor creeps in, hugging the other side of the wall from me. As one, we prowl through the cave, until we reach the back. I spot the red-haired witch shivering on the floor.
The moment she spots me, she gives me a pleading look, and without speaking, she turns toward the main cave, where the two vampires and the werewolf had been. Creeping closer, I spot a figure cutting off Kheda’s clothes; Jasmine’s have already been removed.
I can hear their heartbeats, slow and sluggish. I have no idea what they’ve been drugged with, but it’s fast.
A silent growl vibrates through me as I watch my helpless friends. Fury explodes through me as I realize this unseen person is going to use my best friend as her plaything. A deep, hate-filled roar erupts from me as I pounce. The witch swings around to face me, raising the scissors she’s holding to stab me.
I open my mouth to howl in fury when a ball of violet power erupts from me. It shoots straight at Beatrix. A yelp of fear escapes her as she dives out of the way only to be tackled by Victor. My power bubble smashes into the wall sending shrapnel flying.
I hadn’t even seen Victor move. He punches her in the face, knocking her unconscious. Quickly I swing around to face the red-haired witch, sending a snarl of warning to her as she tries to escape. Transforming back into my human form, I go to Jasmine, checking to make sure she’s okay.
“I’m heading out to the entrance, so I can call this in,” Victor informs me as he puts a gentle hand on my shoulder, before heading out of the cave with his phone in hand. Looking at the red-haired witch for the first time, I realize just how young she is. Probably eighteen years old, if not younger.
“What’s your name?” I demand.
“S-Sarah, Sarah Sullivan,” Sarah stammers in fear.
“Are you related to Beatrix?”
“S-she’s my sister.”
“How long has she been killing, and how long have you been helping her?”
“She—she has been killing always, I think. W- when I was ten, our parents died. I t-think she k-killed them, too. S-she made m-me h-help from then on,” Sarah stammered.
“Christ on a stick,” I mutter in shock. How many more bodies are out there, and where are they?
Victor arrives and obviously heard what Sarah had said. He looks rather pale. It’s unusual; he normally looks so healthy.
“The police and ambulance are on the way,” he informs me. “The thing is…they were already called.” While he keeps an eye on Sarah, I try to cover up Jasmine as best I can. She’s so not going to be happy at the state of her clothes when she finally wakes up. Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrives with the police hot on their tails.
Beatrix has already come to and is throwing insults at Victor and me. She has such a potty mouth. I’m actually quite shocked. Jasmine and Kheda are rushed to the hospital. Words like “IV” and “drip” are mentioned as well as flushing out their systems.
The police arrest Sarah and Beatrix. I think they also wanted to arrest Victor and me, too, not sure what exactly for, but thankfully Nina of all people stands up for us. Victor and I are taken down to the police station so we can give our statements. We’re given a lift to the hospital, which I’m grateful for. I’m so exhausted by this stage, I just want to collapse.
****
Reaching the hospital, we find Jasmine and Kheda easily enough, though they’re in different rooms. Hospitals can be so fussy at times, and very inconvenient. Don’t they know we need to visit both of them?
“I’ll stay with Kheda tonight to keep an eye on him,” Victor informs me, pushing me gently into Jasmine’s room. I’m horrified at how small she looks, as she lies still in the hospital bed. Sorrow shudders through me, as I acknowledge how close I came to losing her again.
“Oh Jasmine, I’m so sorry,” I whisper, as I run my hands over my face in exhaustion. I plop down on the nearest chair, dragging another over to prop my feet up. I must have nodded off at some stage, because I wake up stiff and cold on the floor, with Jasmine peering over the side of the bed laughing at me.
“Hello, sleeping beauty. Are you comfortable down there?” She snickers as I rub my eyes blearily, climbing stiffly to my feet. When I finally register she’s not only awake, but talking to me, I let out a squeal of delight, flinging myself at her.
“You’re okay?” I demand, bursting into tears.
“I’m fine, just so glad you found us. How did you?” she asks as she hugs me in relief. Sitting gingerly back down on one of the chairs, I explain how we found them, and about Sarah’s role in the situation.
“She believes Beatrix killed her parents and has apparently been helping capture people ever since. I’m not sure how much was involuntary, to be honest. But, God, if you or Kheda had died, I’m so sorry.” My eyes well up with tears again. Placing a hand over my mouth to compose myself, I give a slight nod and look at her. I’m ready for whatever she says to me. I just hope she will forgive me.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Candi. You did nothing wrong, and you saved my life,” she reassures me, surprise and confusion in her voice at my feelings of guilt.
“If I hadn’t moved back here, you wouldn’t have been in this situation,” I explain, as if it automatically made me responsible for the killer’s actions.
“But Candi, if we hadn’t moved here, we wouldn’t have met Kheda and Victor. I wouldn’t change that for anything. And the killer wouldn’t have been found, so more people would be dead. I don’t regret moving here, how could I? I’m back to myself and feel better than I have in years. So don’t you dare apologize for bringing me here,” she finishes fiercely.
“Okay, outside of you and Kheda being kidnapped, and almost killed, I’m also happy to have met Victor and Kheda,” I admit.
“I’m glad to hear it. I would hate for you to wish you had never met me,” Victor informs me from the doorway, making us jump.
“Bloody hell, Victor, do I need to get you a cow
bell, so we can hear you coming?” I demand, placing a hand over my racing heart.
“I know a much more interesting way for you to know I’m coming,” Victor answers with a wicked grin on his face, as he prowls into Jasmine’s room, with a wicked gleam of dark promises in his eyes. “I just came to say Kheda’s awake and restless, he’ll also be in to see you in a second, once he can find some clothing to cover up his ass that is.” Victor laughs. “Detective Nina was just in. Apparently, both sisters deny killing the human in the woods, Kheda’s nephew, the female werewolf, and the old witch. The sisters did recognize the human; he worked with The Protectors. They don’t know why he was killed, but they did say he must have gone against The Protectors in some way for him to be murdered. Most likely he warned someone they’d made the list. It appears The Protectors sent someone to stop them from taking trophies. They believe there is another killer out there, so there will be a guard on duty to watch over you and Kheda while you’re here.”
“They do believe the killer has left, after phoning the police to have Beatrix and Sarah arrested. Now I’ve come to take Candi home, so we can get some sleep. We need to rest, for tomorrow, we have a prophecy to find, and we also need to gather more allies to our cause.”
Giving Jasmine a quick hug, I tell her we’ll be back later to check on both her and Kheda. Victor and I leave the hospital arm in arm. As the breeze whispers around us, I hear the voices of my sisters in arms whispering, “We’re coming, sisters, we’re coming.” I look at Victor and realize I hadn’t imagined it. Victor is right, tonight is ours, for tomorrow, we really do have a prophecy to find.
Hand in hand, we walk into the dawn, heading toward Victor’s home. A new day for new beginnings. After the trouble we’ve had, our adventures are just beginning. Thinking of the cards I’d drawn, I realize, they really do make sense.
Seeing my smile, Victor turns me and pulls me into his arms. “I am falling so much in love with you, my Double Magick woman, it scares the shit out of me.”
He kisses me so soundly, words and thoughts fly from my head. All I can do is kiss him back and enjoy the moment.
A word from the author...
Born in Dublin, I moved to England, and then finally back home to Ireland. I now live in West Cork but want to move to Montana, America.
In October 2010, I self-published a book of poetry called Different Kinds of Emotions.
But I always wanted to write down the stories in my head, and finally I wrote my first novel, a paranormal fantasy called Double Magick in the Falls, Book 1 in the Candi Reynolds series.
When I was a child I fell in love with books, amazing stories filled with mystery and intrigue, danger and fantasy. This love has progressed into a passion for me. I also like photography and cemeteries—the older the better.
You can connect with me through the following places.
Website: http://aprilhollingworth.wix.com/april-hollingworth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aprilhollingworthauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/No1Bitchmaster
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4759078.April_Hollingworth
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/April-Hollingworth/e/B00H48PPAG/
Thank you for purchasing
this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
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