by Nikki Landis
“I was bitten by a Thrall.”
Kane and Karter’s eyes widened. Autumn gasped.
Sebastian whistled low. “Damn, Cassie, how the hell did you end up in the Ether?”
Deciding to share my story so we were all on the same page, I began my tale and sat down with a thud on a wooden barstool once I finished, feeling overwhelmed as I thought how impossible this task would be. The fade was dangerous, but I didn’t think for one minute that Roman would let me waltz in there and snatch my essence back up without a fight.
“We’re up against more than the fade and its normal dangers. Roman will be waiting for me.”
Everyone in the room was silent for a few minutes.
“Well,” Gypsy finally announced. “I suppose we better get started.”
* * *
“Listen, Cass, we need to have a plan. Walking in there blind is a bad idea.” Kayde’s hands were on my shoulders as I met his concerned gaze. “I won’t do this until everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing. No loose ends or uncertainty.”
“I know,” I agreed.
Ryder approached us, his face grim. I wasn’t used to that expression from him and my stomach clenched with worry. “We’re doing this. You’re not alone. I think you should take a few minutes to center yourself while the rest of us decide our positions.”
“Good idea.” Gabe pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Go take a nice bath and a quick nap. Once you’re ready we’ll gather everyone together.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I argued, catching the solemn look on all their faces.
“I can smell the taint on you. Your soul is in danger and it’s getting worse.” Gabriel shook his head, caressing the side of my face. “Give us an hour to get things settled. Rest. You’re going to need your strength.”
‘Precious, I’ll go up with you.’
I followed Damian up the stairs as I heard the voices of my friends and loved ones deciding how each one was going to place themselves in danger to save my life. It didn’t feel right.
Maybe I could –
‘I don’t think so. Forget I can hear you?’
Shit. I did.
“I don’t like this, Damian.”
“Which part?” he asked, half amused, his usual sarcasm returning. “None of it is pleasant, pet,” he agreed as he kissed me softly, “but we can handle it.”
His confidence helped but I had a bad feeling that things were going to get a lot worse before it was all over. “Damian?”
“Yes?”
‘If I become corrupted, take me out before I can hurt anyone I love.’ The words were too difficult to speak aloud but I had to make sure he knew what I wanted before it was too late.
He turned to me sharply, his fangs bared as he hissed. ‘Not going to happen.’
‘You won’t do it?’
‘I won’t have to because there won’t be a need.’
Following him into the bathroom, I watched as he drew a bath and then undressed me slowly, his expression unreadable. Taking my hand, he led me to the tub and stood as I lowered into the steaming water and bubbles. The scent of lilac and eucalyptus was instantly soothing and soaked into my skin, lifting into the air as I inhaled.
‘Your Cosan would never let that happen, Cassie. We care for you too much.’ Something in his expression was raw and too emotional for a vampire. ‘You make me feel human, pet. I’m not sure how to process it but I know I want to be here, with you, for a lot longer than a simple contract from the ancestors. Not just until this mess is resolved.’
Such honesty. I never would have believed Damian could be so open. “Thank you, Damian. I’m glad you’re here.”
He left me alone as I lay back against the edge of the tub, my thoughts in turmoil. As the water began to cool, I washed and stepped out, my hand swiping across the mirror. Gazing into the reflective glass, I was certain the woman standing before me was about to go through some serious risks and changes. Would I make the ancestors proud? What if I failed?
Toweling off, I rubbed lotion on my body and ran a brush through my hair. Such mundane and normal tasks but they kept me focused. I dressed before I left the bathroom since leaving in a towel was a terrible idea around Damian right now. We didn’t have time for pleasure today.
Bumping right into his hard body as I walked into my room, I glanced at his face with curiosity. Why was he standing here so stiffly?
“Hi, pet.”
Strange. ‘You okay?’
He didn’t reply.
My gaze swept his face and found the birthmark that proved I was standing in front of the wrong brother. When I attempted to speak, he rushed forward, his hand immediately circling my throat as he lightly squeezed.
“Not a word, little witch.”
Shit. I was in big trouble.
Dmitri Rockcastle grinned with a seductive and wicked smile that was more disturbing than the Thrall inside the Ether.
“Time to meet your fate, little witch, and this time you won’t be getting away.”
Witching Hour
Episode 3 – Witching Hour
…
The Witching Hour has begun …
My essence has been stolen.
Tricked by the rogue witch that's attacked Mystic Hallows from the beginning of Samhain, I'm drained and weakened in a dungeon cell far from home. Each passing hour brings me closer to the edge as I teeter on the brink of insanity. Fantasy and reality blur, my mind deteriorates, and I can't distinguish between friend and foe.
My Cosan is too far away. I need their help to break me and Damian out of this hellhole. Secrets to Damian's past and those of the Nosferatu bloodline are held within these stone walls and become the focal point in a ruthless battle for control. My only help comes from the sarcastic vampire that wants to drain my blood as much as seek revenge upon Dmitri – the vicious twin brother who tarnished the Rockcastle name and joined forces with the damned.
When everything is set in motion, each hour on the clock brings destruction closer. Every tick counts down. I only have twenty-four hours to restore my fractured soul before the changes are permanent. Confronting my enemy is the only choice. It’s time Roman English found out the power of the Salem bloodline once and for all – and I’m not the only one waiting to take him down.
Prologue
October 7th, midnight –
It had been said that the ‘witching hour’ was the most potent time of magic and mischief.
A fleeting moment when witches were blessed with additional power and strengthened beyond their normal capability. This rumor had been repeated many times since the Salem witches hung from the infamous tree during the trials, all thirteen bodies swinging in the wind as a reminder of the turbulent past. It was a promise that I held onto when my life was threatened, and every second counted down to my ultimate demise . . .
My smile faded as I realized Damian wouldn’t hear me. The birthmark proved Dmitri wasn’t the brother I expected to see. I couldn’t explain the connection I had with Damian or how we bonded and were able to hear each other’s thoughts. I assumed this was possible with all vampire/human bonds.
I was wrong.
“Come, pet. The witching hour draws near.”
My ability to cast a spell, scream, run, or alert the others was abruptly cut off when the presence of the rogue witch came forward and my shields were shattered in a single second. My guard down, I had no defense. Right before I lost consciousness, I heard Roman’s deep voice.
“Cassandra, so happy to have you with us.”
My eyes fluttered as I moaned, slowly coming back to awareness as my hands reached out in desperation. Cramped fingers searched for the source of their discomfort only to realize the effort was futile. No clue how much time had elapsed since I last heard Roman’s voice, I was disoriented. A whimper of frustration issued from my throat as the night enclosed my vision in its deceptive shroud.
‘Be quiet, pet. We aren’t alone.’
Damian
! ‘What happened?’
‘Isn’t it obvious? My brother returned and I was betrayed.’
He sounded bitter and angry, emotions I understood but couldn’t afford to linger on. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. I should have been more cautious.’
‘How did he get into my house?’ It occurred to me that I should have asked Damian this question before now.
‘That’s my fault. I challenged him once I learned of his bond and subsequent betrayal.’
What? He issued an invitation? ‘Damian.’
‘Listen, I know you don’t like this but as part of your Cosan, we’re an extension of your bloodline. I had the power to let him in and I did. Hoping he’d show up and I could kill him in front of you, force him to see the folly of his continued threats.’
‘I see.’
‘I didn’t expect him to hook up with that bastard Roman.’
Was the betrayal he was talking about the day Damian and I almost had sex and I met his demented brother?
‘Not entirely, precious.’
‘You invited him into my house. Why didn’t you tell me!?’
‘Calm, little firecracker. I had planned to confide in you later.’
‘When?’ How could he invite someone so dangerous into Howe Manor? ‘Damian, this is unacceptable.’
‘You really think this is important now?’
I didn’t have a chance to respond as a dark and evil presence pressed in on my shields and I began to scream. Pushing in on my skull, hammering against the barrier, it wasn’t long before I heard Roman’s voice whispering seductively in my ear.
“We meet again, Cassandra.”
How was he here the same moment as Damian’s brother? Were Roman and Dmitri working together? That was certainly what it seemed like Damian was saying a moment ago.
‘Yes.’
The room was pitch black and I knew it was much later than I first realized. As the hour began to chime in the distance, I heard twelve distinct pings. Midnight.
“Damian, brother, so good of you both to join us.”
“Let her go, Dmitri. This is between me and you, not some helpless little witch.”
Dmitri didn’t respond verbally. Instead, his fangs ripped into the side of my neck as Dmitri began to feed. Screaming in agony, I tried to move my arms to fight him off, but nothing happened. Weight unnaturally anchored my body down. I couldn’t discern the source.
Snarling could be heard as Damian hissed and yelled, his voice fading into the background as the pain increased and I found it hard to breathe. The pain was so great I began trembling, fighting off the never-ending waves of agony.
‘I’m sorry, precious. Please, don’t fight him. He’ll make it more painful if you try to resist.’
‘Damian.’ My voice was weak, even in my own head.
‘Dmitri doesn’t know about our connection. Don’t let on that we can hear one another.’
My screams still echoed in the night as I fought hard to remain lucid. ‘Help me, Damian.’
‘I will, as soon as I’m able. Try not to fall asleep. Listen to my voice and focus.’
My mind scrambled for a few seconds as I tried to think of something to ask him, anything to forget what was happening. ‘Where are we?’
Focusing my thoughts on Damian and his words helped to chase away some of the pain and horror. My neck throbbed with every drop Dmitri sucked viciously from my veins. Never once did the agony relent. I never felt any pleasure from his bite the way I did with Damian.
Vampires must be more unique than I originally thought. Damian and Dmitri were nothing alike, despite their near perfect mirror image and resemblance.
‘The Rockcastle Estate, specifically the dungeons.’
What? ‘Where is that?’
‘Far from your home, little Raven, deep in my homeland of Romania.’
‘Damian, what’s going to happen to me?’
He didn’t respond as Roman demanded that Dmitri cease feeding. There was a small scuffle. Dmitri leaned back and I fought a wave of nausea, my muscles cramping with the blood loss and trauma.
“No more, Dmitri. I need the witch alive.”
“Don’t dictate to me in my own home.”
Roman’s power filled the room and I gasped along with Damian and Dmitri when the air seemed to press in on our bodies and crush our organs. “You’ve made a pact with the damned. Don’t presume to exert your authority over mine. I’m in no mood to teach you manners, vampire, but I will if needed.”
Snarling, Dmitri answered. “This is my estate. You want the vampire clans to join you, you’ll have to curb your tendency to irritate me.”
Roman’s deep chuckle filled the room and the tension lifted, along with the heavy, oppressive feeling in the dark cell. “I think we’ll work well together, Rockcastle.”
“That remains to be seen.”
Roman approached my side and leaned down, his warm breath fanning across my neck as I shivered. “Twenty-four hours, little witch. Make it count.”
They left without another word to me or Damian, footsteps echoing on the stairs as they climbed higher, up and out of the cool, musty dungeons. Their conversation continued but I didn’t hear any more of their plans. There was no way to know what Roman had in store for me and the Salem bloodlines.
‘Twenty-four hours?’ Damian sounded panicked, even in my head. ‘Until what?’
‘My death.’
He roared aloud, the cell walls almost shaking with the strength of his anger and frustration. ‘We’ll get free. I swear it.’
I wasn’t sure how Damian was subdued but I knew if he could save us, he would.
A small snarl issued from his lips in response. ‘Patience, my precious little pet. Revenge is far too sweet not to savor.’
Until this moment, I might have disagreed. Not today.
As the blood continued to trickle from my neck and the deep puncture wounds, I focused my remaining energy on healing. Shaking from the cold air, I sought the comfort of the ancestors, but they didn’t answer. Romania was much farther from home than I anticipated.
Reality was a cruel bitch, but fate was much more cunning. Vengeance would be swift.
I would make Roman suffer for messing with the thirteen covens.
For the moment, Damian and I were still in danger. Alone and without the other members of my Cosan, we were too vulnerable. We needed a way to contact them, especially the other Salem witches. Our survival was in jeopardy. Once I was strong enough, I’d attempt to reach Gypsy and my aunt and the other witches.
There was one thing working in my favor and the knowledge placed a devious smile on my face. Roman was in for one hell of a surprise. He may have won the first round of this battle, but the war was far from over. He picked a fight with the wrong witchy bitch and the moment that realization was etched into his face would be my hour of triumph.
Damian must have been amused since his low laughter filtered into the air and I felt his presence again in my mind. ‘Yes, my determined little witch, you take care of Roman. Dmitri is mine.’
‘Agreed.’
As I closed my eyes and rested, a flutter of energy pulsed beneath my skin. A small gasp left my throat in surprise. I hadn’t expected to feel it so soon. The witching hour wasn’t the most potent until three a.m. My thoughts immediately latched onto the memory of Kayde defeating the giant serpent in the Ether. The siphon. I’d forgotten how potent that little spell could be when needed.
‘What is it?’
‘Muerte.’ Kayde was brilliant.
‘I don’t get your meaning, precious.’
‘Death.’
‘Whatever trick you’ve got hidden, now is the time to use it.’
Indeed. The timing was perfect.
After all, it was almost the witching hour . . .
The clock is ticking, the hours are passing by . . .
Be careful little spider so you may trick and capture the fly.
Chapter 1
&nbs
p; October 7th, nearly 1 a.m. –
The restraints pinched the sensitive skin of my wrists as I twisted my arms, desperate to loosen the rough leather texture enough to keep my raw and chafed skin from further damage. The pain in my neck and wrists kept pulsing as I focused on my breathing, desperate to ignore the biting sting and steady throbbing. Every second that I remained this weak and vulnerable would lessen my chances of survival. My energy reserves had been completely depleted. I needed a new source to replenish the blood I lost and restore balance to my body.
Several spells would work but there was one I knew Damian would find irresistible.
‘Enlighten me, precious. I have to say I’m intrigued.’
‘The call of the siren.’
Silence lasted for about a minute before I realized he was fighting against whatever dark magic kept him from my side.
‘Aren’t you going to ask what I’ll do?’
‘Pet, I can only assume you mean to use your charms and I can’t think of a better way to spend time with you in a dungeon cell.’
A small giggle escaped my lips. ‘It’s a spell that conjures the ability of a Succubus.’ Yeah, I clarified on purpose.
Damian’s efforts seemed to triple. He let out a frustrated groan when nothing happened.
‘Please tell me that your definition of a Succubus and mine are the same.’
Men. The possibility of sex was always a seductive lure. “Yes,” I whispered aloud.
Several hisses could be heard as Damian’s movements intensified. Minutes later he roared a primitive yell that shook the stone walls and vibrated the metal bars.
‘Nothing worse than a hard cock and blue balls and no way to take care of it.’
Smirking, I had to agree, as much as a female could understand. Mildly humored, I shrugged, knowing he could see the movement in the darkness. The perks of a vampire. ‘I’m certain that’s true.’
‘Tease.’ He didn’t sound upset at all, but rather determined. ‘I’ll fuck you hard when we’re free, my precious. That’s a promise. We have unfinished business and I intend to complete what we started.’