Bewitched, Bothered, and Bitten

by C. C. Wood

“Hello?”

  “Kerry! Thank the Goddess.” It was Sally Abrams, Saundra’s sister. She sounded extremely upset. She began speaking, her words slurring and disjointed to the point that I couldn’t understand what she was saying.

  “Whoa, whoa. Slow down, Sally. I can’t understand you.”

  Then one word in the jumble became very clear. “….DEAD!”

  “What?” I whispered.

  With a choked sob, Sally finally spoke clearly. “Saundra is dead!”

  Chapter Twelve

  I don’t remember much of what happened after Sally’s call, only that Finn removed the phone from my numb hand.

  It seemed only seconds had passed when Finn squatted in front of me, worry in his eyes. I glanced around and wondered how I ended up sitting on the couch. I didn’t remember walking over to it, much less collapsing on the cushions.

  “Kerry, we need to leave.”

  I blinked at him, feeling as though I were underwater. I could hear and see, but it was garbled.

  His hand cupped my knee. “Kerry.”

  “Okay.”

  Finn helped me stand, his arms taking most of my weight. He practically carried me out to the car, settling me in the passenger seat, and even buckling my seat belt for me. We didn’t speak on the drive back, but Finn cradled my hand in his the entire time.

  I finally woke from my stupor about fifteen minutes from the city. “I need to speak to Sally.”

  Finn stared at me, his expression empty of emotion. “No.”

  “I need to know what happened, Finn,” I insisted. Saundra’s body had been found at my store and, though I didn’t yet know the specifics, I was almost certain that her death had something to do with me.

  He turned his eyes back to the road, still so calm and collected that I wanted to kick him. “You will, but not right now. I need to get you somewhere safe. Then, I’ll tell you what happened. When the time is right, I’ll allow you to call Sally.”

  If I had hackles, they would have been standing on end at his words. “Allow?” I asked, my tone dangerous. If I was angry then I didn’t have to feel this horrendous grief.

  Finn growled. “Bloody fucking hell, Kerry! I want to keep you safe. Why are you fighting me every step of the way?” The steering wheel creaked as his grip tightened.

  “Because a good friend of mine is dead and it’s my fault!” I screamed. “It’s my fault she’s dead. It’s my fault.” My voice broke as the tears started to fall, all my anger falling away.

  Finn pulled over and stopped the car. His arms came around me and he tucked my head into the crook of his neck. “Shhh. I’ve got you,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”

  I don’t know how long it took before the storm of sobs, guilt, and regret passed, but my throat felt raw and my eyes burned. I pulled away from Finn, trying to dry my face with my hands. He held out a clean white handkerchief.

  I took it from him and dabbed at my eyes. “Thanks.”

  “Look, I know you’re upset, but we need to get to the safe house. Once we’re there, I’ll tell you what I know and you can talk to Sally tomorrow. You’re vulnerable as long as we’re out in the open.”

  Since it was obvious that he wasn’t going to budge on the safe house and me speaking to Sally in person, I decided to pick my battles and let him have this one. “Okay.”

  Finn’s eyes narrowed. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”

  I barely refrained from rolling my eyes. “What? I can be reasonable.”

  The expression on his face clearly showed his disbelief, but he didn’t speak. He rebuckled my seatbelt, then his own, and maneuvered the car back onto the highway. I was surprised when he exited the expressway and headed into a subdivision. The neighborhood had cookie cutter houses and was solidly middle class. He drove to the end of the street and turned left. A sign declared it a dead end.

  He turned into a vacant lot at the end of the cul de sac. “We’re here.”

  I looked around at the large, empty lot in front of us. The grass was neatly manicured and there were good-sized trees along the perimeter in both the back and the front. “Um, are we camping? Because, I hate to point this out, but that’s pretty fucking out in the open.”

  Finn chuckled softly. “Look with more than your eyes.”

  Frowning, I stared at the bare land. Then I noticed something shimmering in the air. I blinked several times and looked beyond what my physical body could see. Suddenly, it was no longer empty. While the other homes on the block had smaller lots, this one had almost triple the amount of property and a large two story house in the middle. It looked a great deal older than the rest of the neighborhood. Almost as though it had been sitting here for decades and the expansion of the surrounding area somehow left it untouched.

  Finn followed the driveway around to the back of the house, pulled a garage door opener out of the console, and pressed the button. I gaped as the garage door lifted to reveal a four car garage. Three bays were empty, the other held a nondescript beige sedan. He pulled in next to the sedan and shut off the car.

  “What is this place?” I asked.

  “It’s one of the safest buildings in the city. It’s protected and hidden by some of the strongest magic in history and even a powerful warlock wouldn’t be able to pinpoint your location if he attempted to scry for you. Still, I’ll need to take your cell phone. While the protection prevents you from being located through magical means, I don’t think it extends to the GPS locator in electronic devices.”

  I nodded and gave him my cell before we got out of the car. He insisted on carrying my bags for me and led me into the house. We walked through a mud-slash-laundry room, then entered a spacious kitchen. I realized that the house was much larger on the inside than it seemed from my view of it before entering.

  “This is beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” Finn replied.

  “Who does it belong to?” I asked. “I’m not displacing someone from their home, am I?”

  He chuckled, gesturing for me to follow him out of the kitchen, through a gorgeous foyer, and up the stairs. “No, you’re not kicking anyone out of their house.”

  I trailed my hand on the banister as we climbed the stairs, admiring the warm tones and smooth finish of the wood. “So, who does it belong to?”

  Finn didn’t respond, merely walked down the second story hallway to a door at the far end. When we entered the room, I saw it was a suite. There was a small sitting room with a television, couch, and chaise and French doors that were open to reveal a large bedroom with an enormous sleigh bed in the center.

  He carried my bags into the bedroom and set them on a bench against the wall. Suspicion curled in my belly as I watched him shrug out of his jacket. I approached him as he carried the garment to what appeared to be a walk-in closet and disappeared inside. Determined, I followed, then stopped short and gaped as I took in every fashionista’s dream. There were rows upon rows of racks, shelves, and drawers. Only half the closet held clothing and all of it was for a man. I had a strong feeling I knew who’s home I was in, but I wanted Finn to say it out loud.

  “Who’s house is this, Finn?” I demanded. “Tell me.”

  Calm and completely unruffled, he hung up his jacket. “It’s mine.”

  Anger surged inside me. “I thought you said we were going to a safe house?” I snapped. “I’m sure that the Faction is aware of where you live, Finn. Please explain to me how that is safer than my cottage, especially since I will need my books, herbs, and other tools to research this prophecy, make amulets, and brew potions.” He stepped toward me, his hand out, and I batted it away as I retreated.

  Finn advanced quickly, his hands gripping my upper arms. My back hit the open closet door and I glared up at him. I opened my mouth to hurl insults at him, but Finn put his hand over my lips, effectively shutting me up.

  “Mmmmhhhmmm bhhhmmmm.” Though it came out completely unintelligible, I still tried to call him a motherfucking bastard.

  �
�Now, now, Kerry. That’s not nice.” I jerked my head, trying to dislodge his hand, but he gripped me more firmly. “Let me finish what I was trying to tell you. I’ve owned this house for decades, but only moved in a few weeks ago. There is no way the Faction knows that this house is here. The Council doesn’t even know of its existence.”

  I stopped struggling and just stared at him.

  “Are you going to calm down?” he asked.

  I nodded slowly. The hand he had over my mouth loosened slightly. I was tempted to bite him, but knew he would enjoy that too much, so I settled for stalking away.

  “Dammit, Kerry. Why are you being so irrational?” he snapped.

  I whirled on him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were bringing me to your house?” I already knew that answer, but, once again, I was going to make him tell me because he was a close-mouthed bastard and I knew he hated it.

  “You know why,” he growled.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Yes, I do, but you’re going to say it out loud.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I know you hate explaining yourself,” I answered, nearly yelling.

  Suddenly, the scowl on Finn’s face disappeared and he smiled. “You are a piece of work,” he muttered.

  The tension and anger that had been holding me up leaked out of my body and my shoulders sagged with fatigue and sorrow. He was right, I was behaving irrationally and out of character. I might enjoy giving Finn a hard time, but he didn’t deserve what I’d been dishing out. “Yes I am, but I shouldn’t be left out of the loop, Finn, and you know that. I need to know the details.”

  “Why?”

  I threw my hands up in the air. “I’m not going to just sit by while the Council and the pack fight this battle. The coven is in just as much danger as all of you and we need to know what’s happening! I can help. The coven can help.”

  Finn studied me carefully. “Is this about the coven helping or something else?”

  I sighed. He saw right through me. This wasn’t just about the fact that he’d brought me to his personal home without telling me where we were going. “What happened to Saundra, Finn?”

  His face went hard, all emotion wiped from his expression, but he didn’t speak.

  “I have to know.” My voice was low. I didn’t want to know, didn’t want any more guilt on my conscience, but, as the next High Priestess, I had to know. The coven would have questions and they would expect me to have the answers.

  Finn ran a hand roughly through his hair. “Fine. Let’s go downstairs. I have a feeling that we both will need a drink before this conversation is over.”

  * * *

  Five minutes later, we were in his study. I watched from my position on the sofa as he started a fire in the fireplace. Once logs were alight and crackling, he walked over to a set of decanters on a small bar in the corner. He poured an amber liquid into two snifters and brought them to the couch.

  “It’s cognac,” he murmured as he handed the glass to me.

  “Thanks.” I sipped it tentatively because cognac had never been my favorite drink, but it was smooth and left a trail of warmth from my tongue to my stomach.

  Finn sat down next to me, rolling his glass between his palms. “Are you sure you want to know the details?” he asked.

  “Tell me, Finn.”

  He leaned back against the cushions and grabbed my legs where they were curled beneath me. As he straightened them and pulled them across his lap, he gently pushed my shoulder so that I reclined against the arm of the sofa. Once I was comfortably settled, he began.

  “Yesterday afternoon, it appears as though members of the Faction entered your store. Rather than finding you there as they expected, they found Saundra instead. From what Conner’s men could gather, they then went up to your apartment. When the warlock and his lackeys discovered you had packed a bag and were gone, they attempted to coerce your employee into giving them your location.”

  A chill permeated my body. They had likely missed me by less than an hour and instead hurt someone I should have protected.

  “She was more than my employee,” I whispered. “What did they do to her?”

  He shook his head. “Kerry….no. I don’t think….”

  “TELL ME!”

  “No,” he stated, his face stony. “You don’t need to know that. I will tell you that she fought hard and wounded at least two of them before they subdued her.”

  “Is that how they knew where my cottage was?” I asked quietly.

  Finn nodded.

  I took a large swallow of the cognac, gasping when the warmth turned into a fiery burn in my esophagus. “She wouldn’t have told them easily. They….they would have had to hurt her badly before she would have given them that information,” I rasped. I closed my eyes, imagining the horrors my friend would have endured in an effort to protect me.

  “Stop, Kerry,” Finn whispered, his hand cupping my face.

  “She shouldn’t have been there. I should have just closed the store, but I didn’t think.” I lifted my lids and stared at Finn, my eyes welling with tears. “You tried to tell me, but I didn’t listen.”

  He pulled me into his lap. “No, don’t blame yourself. I didn’t explain how perilous your position truly is. I should have made you understand what was happening and I never should have let you out of my sight.”

  Finn might not hold me responsible for what happened to Saundra, but I knew in my heart of hearts, that the coven would not feel the same way. The High Priestess and her successor were held to the highest of standards and were expected to put the safety of the coven and its members above even their own. Just as the witches of our coven were expected to do in regards to their High Priestess. We were supposed to have each other’s backs.

  Finn plucked the snifter out of my limp hand, set it on the side table, and, for the second time that day, rocked me gently as I sobbed against his neck.

  Chapter Thirteen

  It was no surprise that I had nightmares again that night.

  After my tears subsided, Finn made me eat some soup and take a hot bath before he tucked me into his bed. Though the room was warm, I lay shivering beneath the covers. Finally, Finn climbed into the bed behind me, his long body stretched out behind mine and his arms wrapped tightly around me. I despised feeling weak, but the last forty-eight hours had been overwhelming and I didn’t have the energy to put on a brave face.

  It was a long time before I fell asleep. That was when the dream began.

  My eyes were covered, but I knew I was in my apartment because I smelled the vanilla and lavender candles I burned habitually. I could hear the low rumble of men’s voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying.

  I was frightened. I tried to lift my hands to remove the blindfold, but they were tied down. I realized that I was flat on my back, my wrists and ankles securely fastened to my bed frame. My terror sharpened, slicing through my mind, removing my ability to think rationally.

  Whimpering, I tried to twist my arms and legs in an effort to loosen my bonds. A spell. I should cast a spell. But when I attempted to speak the words, a gag prevented me. Tears of pure fear welled in my eyes, soaking into the fabric of the blindfold. Goddess help me.

  “Ah, she is awake.”

  I froze at the sound of that lightly accented voice. The blindfold was suddenly jerked off my eyes and I squinted at the bright light. Blinking, I stared up into the beautiful face of a vampire. His hair and eyes were both black and his olive skin was tanned from hours in the sun. Coupled with his accent, his appearance suggested he was from South America.

  “Hello, darling,” he crooned.

  His endearment contrasted vividly with the cold, soulless light in his eyes. I wasn’t his darling. I sincerely doubted he cared about anyone, even himself.

  “Now that you’re awake, there are some things we should discuss.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, his hip resting against the curve of my waist.

  I looked down my body and realized
that I wasn’t myself. I was naked, but my body was not my own. Oh, Goddess, I was Saundra.

  The vampire slapped my face lightly, but it was enough to make my ears ring. “Now, now, it’s rude to ignore your guests.” My eyes flew back to his. “Good, now that I have your attention, I have some questions for you and I expect you to answer them honestly. If you don’t, I’ll know and I’ll have to punish you.” His hands went to the gag. “If I remove this, you won’t scream, will you? Because I would hate to have to punish you for that too.”

  I shook my head. As he pulled the cotton from my mouth, I licked my lips. I wanted to ask him who he was and what he wanted, but instinct told me that would be a horrible idea.

  “Now, I know you are not Kerry Gayle. You do not possess enough power. But, I assume you do know where she is. Is that true?”

  I shook my head, but did not speak.

  Quick as lightning, his hand shot out and he pressed his palm to my stomach. He murmured words in a language I didn’t understand and excruciating pain, the likes of which I’d never felt before, suffused my body. My back arched so hard that only my heels and my head were touching the bed. When I opened my mouth to scream, he clapped his other hand over it.

  When the sensations faded, I collapsed back onto the mattress, panting.

  “I told you that you would be punished for lying to me,” he stated. There was no expression on his face. No disgust. No enjoyment. This entire process held no meaning for him. He didn’t dislike it, nor did he relish in my pain. This was just business.

  He must have noticed my epiphany in my face because he said, “I don’t necessarily want to hurt you, Saundra Abrams, but it doesn’t bother me to do it either. Your suffering has no effect on anyone but yourself.”

  Another vampire entered the room, one side of his face covered in scorch marks. He stared at me with rage and hatred in his brown eyes.

  “Now, Anthony, he wants you to hurt. In fact, he’s hoping you’ll hold out against my questions because he has plans for retribution for what you’ve done to his face.”