32
The drive took two days, but finally they arrived at the outskirts of Toronto, Canada. Once they were checked in the hotel, they dropped their bags in the room and went out to dinner. For a long time, Amelia was quiet, spending more time playing with her food than eating it.
“What’s on your mind?”
He knew something was wrong, and her hesitation only further confirmed it. Reaching across the table to take her hand, he smiled and pressed her to speak up.
“This may sound strange, after having you come up here with me. I just, I think I want to meet them alone first. I hope you understand.”
“Is that all? Don’t worry, babe, I’m good with that.”
A smile quickly flashed to her face and she leaned across the table and kissed him. They continued their dinner much more normally. It was filled with idle chitchat that would’ve confused anyone in earshot. The rambling on of a werewolf and mage, talking about vampires, it would’ve made for strange looks. Everyone was wrapped up in their own lives and they could simply be wrapped in each other.
They returned to the hotel, and Amelia was restless, worried about how things might go with her parents. Would they accept her back? Perhaps they would deny it completely, considering how young she looked. She couldn’t be sure, and that worried her.
Dhane stayed up all night with her, playing cards, watching television, and finding whatever ways they could to amuse each other and keep her mind off of the reunion. Morning came and they drove for about an hour, until they reached a house in a nice, quiet neighborhood. He parked and sent Amelia off with a kiss.
She approached the door and hesitated to knock, instead glancing over her shoulder towards the running car. He smiled and nodded, and she rounded up her courage. The door opened and a woman answered. After a moment, she left and another, older woman came to the door. It only took a few moments until the recognition took hold and they hugged excitedly.
With a quick look back, Amelia showed delight, and then followed the woman inside. Dhane waited a while longer to make sure everything was fine, then headed back to the hotel. He was both amazed and thrilled that things were working out so well for Amelia.
Strolling through the lobby, the woman at the desk waved for him and he walked over as she pulled out a handful of paper slips.
“Sir, there have been a number of urgent messages over the last hour. Nothing specific, but several different women have called.”
“Thanks.”
The disapproving look on her face almost made him laugh. Instead he took the notes and headed to his room. Several were from Cassandra, and just as many from Samantha. A few also came from Amber. Something was up, that was for sure. Twenty messages in an hour was not a good sign.
He sat on the bed and dialed the phone for Cassandra. Amber answered instead, and clearly didn’t want to be the one to tell him the news. Dhane braced for the worst.
“What going on, Amber? Give it to me straight.”
“I was hoping you could hear this from Cassandra, but when we weren’t able to reach you, I volunteered to stay here and wait in case you called. It’s Lila, sire. She is not well. They have taken her to the hospital, but nobody knows what ails her. Cassandra wanted to be sure you knew.”
Silently he sat, wondering what to do. Maybe Amelia didn’t need him here, now that things were going well, though she was probably planning to introduce him. He felt like he should go back, and see if there was anything he could do to help.
“Sire?”
“Sorry, I’m here. Thanks for the information, and tell Cassandra to call me if there’s anything she thinks I can do to help.”
“I fear you would only be saying goodbye if you returned. Lila is delirious and wouldn’t even know you were here. I am heading back to the hospital and will let Cassandra know that we spoke.”
They hung up and Dhane lay back on the bed. As usual, just when things started going well, some disaster happened to ruin it. These were the thoughts running through his head as he dozed off, exhaustion from all the driving and staying up all night finally caught up with him.
Morning turned to afternoon, afternoon to evening, and a key in the doorknob finally woke Dhane from his sleep. Amelia entered the room, her happiness written all over her face.
“I take it things went well,” Dhane smiled as he rubbed his eyes and sat up. “Wait, how did you get back here?”
“I had a brisk walk, and yes, it went great. I never thought it possible, but I have a family again.”
She sat next to him on the bed and hugged him. With a quick move, he put her onto her back and kissed her deeply. Then he sat back up and she realized something was wrong. First she thought maybe he really had been upset that she wanted to go by herself today. The kiss told a different story, though. Finally she spotted the stack of messages and knew it was something back at the council.
“Dhane, what has happened?”
“It’s Lila. She’s come down very sick. Amber said she’s in the hospital and it doesn’t look like she’s going to make it.”
“Oh dear. I’m so sorry, Dhane. I know you are good friends. You should go back there and be with her, just in case this really is it.”
“Are you sure? I hate to leave you here alone.”
Amelia took his face in her hands and leaned in close. “I’ll be perfectly fine. Everything here is wonderful. You’ll return after you see to your friend, and I’ll be here waiting.”
Her soft lips pressed gently to his, like it was their first passionate kiss, and then it was his turn to be pushed down on the bed. For a while she was in control, and then he was, as they kissed and touched each other. They were gentle at first, gradually becoming more aggressive with each other.
She took the top position again and ran her fingers down his face, down his throat, then clutched his shirt. Claws emerged and she tore it off with one powerful pull.
“Hey, watch those things!”
“Don’t worry, my love, I wouldn’t scratch you.”
Proceeding to tear her own shirt and bra off, Dhane suddenly didn’t care about the claws anymore. Instead he concentrated on her breast, taking her nipples one by one into his mouth, sucking and flicking each with his tongue until they stood firm.
His pants were the next to go, and hers followed shortly thereafter. Naked bodies writhed against each other as they kissed and touched and held each other. With a quick grasp, she took him and put him inside her. What started as love quickly included lust as she thrust herself down on him, and he clutched her breasts tightly in his hands.
Grunts escaped her as she went harder and faster and simply enjoyed the moment. A last, loud grunt brought her to an end, but he wasn’t finished yet. He flipped her over onto the bed and pulled her ankles up towards her head, spread as wide as her shoulders. Once he was satisfied with his leverage, he carefully slipped in, then out.
“Oh God, stop teasing and do it!”
He smiled, but didn’t give in to her request. Once she looked at him with begging eyes, he stabbed into her fully. A cry of her pleasure told him she was ready, and he increased speed and force, penetrating her forcefully until they finished together.
Releasing her legs so they could fall back down, he dropped onto her and kissed her deeply. Her arms pulled him tight and she returned his kiss with force. She wasn’t sure if she could possibly be any happier than she was right now. With her man at her side, or rather, on top of her, and her parents found and happy to see her, things were so much higher than they had ever been. No longer was she a sort of slave to Sebastian’s rule, she was her own woman. She was free, and so was her heart. The happiness would have to take a small break though.
“You should get a shower and head out. I don’t want you to miss seeing Lila.”
With another kiss, Dhane jumped up and headed into the bathroom. Amelia gathered his things to make it easier to pack, though she hated for him to leave right now.
It’s only for a little while...
3 3
The Grand was quieter than normal, with word of Lila’s illness quickly spreading. Everyone was worried where it came from, and if it could be contagious. Several witches decided to take their minds off things by meeting in the council room and playing cards.
At the front door, two werewolves stood guard, instead of the usual one. Xander must be nervous; at least that’s what they figured. There had never been more than one guard at the main door. Then again, there had never been a guard at the back door, either.
“You think that witches’ illness was intentional?”
Tyler shrugged at Dougan. A man of few words, he didn’t want to speculate on something they’d likely never know the answer to. Besides, if it was some sort of attack, he wanted to be on alert for anything else.
“Either way, extra guards tells us what Xander thinks. Why don’t you do a walk around, just to be safe? Nobody is breaking in here on our watch.”
“You got it, Ty.”
The werewolf walked down the stairs and circled around the left side of the building. He wasn’t gone more than five minutes when a loud crash came from around the corner. Dougan ran back into view with panic all over his face.
“Someone crashed through the wall around back!”
“Jesus Christ! Cover the front door.”
Tyler ran around the building to the back and, sure enough, there was a large hole in the wall. It led into an empty bedroom, and the door inside was broken in half. He followed the carnage into the hallway and spotted the intruder just a short distance ahead.
“Stop! I suggest you surrender, or you’ll be in a world of hurt.”
The creature turned around and looked back at Tyler with dead eyes. It was nearly six and a half feet tall, and one arm didn’t match the rest of his body. It was even more obvious by the stitches holding it on. It was a dull greenish color, compared to the pale skin over the rest of its body.
“Last chance, fucker.”
Without a word, the humanoid beast charged him. Surprised by the decision, the werewolf barely changed form before impact. The invader sent Tyler flying backwards, down the hall, and skidding to a halt. A painful cough confirmed he had broken ribs from the impact.
Another crash could be heard in the distance, and then screams and sounds of violence began to fill the place. Spells were shouted, but the rampage continued, and Tyler wondered how many invaders were actually in the Grand.
The creature that attacked him apparently deemed him no longer a threat, and proceeded to pound through another wall and disappeared from view. The werewolf wondered if his lungs were punctured, and how painful it would be to heal from this. He struggled to his feet and started following after his attacker, slowly but determined.
A second creature, this time with an off-colored leg, walked by the hole in the wall. As soon as Tyler stepped through the doorway, a powerful fist sent him flying again. Gasping for breath and sure more ribs were broken, he wasn’t sure he could get up again.
The monster looked at him and was apparently satisfied with the result, as it didn’t come over to finish the job. He was now sure they were guarding something, or someone. With every ounce of strength he had left, he crawled down the hallway, desperate to reach the lobby and find help. The cries and sounds of destruction seemed to be winding down, and he could only hope that it meant the others were doing better than him.
In the lobby there were nearly a dozen bodies strewn about. Near the front door lay Dougan, his neck clearly broken. Some were witches, others werewolves, and all were injured or killed in horrible ways. Most weren’t moving at all.
A loud crash in the distance signaled that the monsters had found what they were looking for. After a few bangs, all became quiet. It was a horrible sound.
Finally footsteps started marching towards the lobby and Tyler dragged himself to some potted plants in the lobby, hiding behind them. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he knew it was best to try and survive, so at least he could give a report on what happened to Xander.
Four monsters stepped into the lobby and marched towards the front door. They were all mismatched in some way: a left arm for one, right arm for another. The third had a left leg that didn’t match, and the forth, a right leg. None of them spoke or showed any emotion or even effort with their movements. They were something Tyler had never seen before.
In between them was a woman he recognized. She was a witch, a member of the council, though he wasn’t sure which one. In her hands was a something bundled in cloth. Whatever was in there must be supremely important. The woman stopped at one of the witches laying on the ground and just starting to move again.
“Sorry dear, can’t have you working against me.”
With a nod to one of her followers, the creature stomped the injured woman on the head and she stopped moving. Tyler cringed and shuttered at the sight. The coldness was beyond anything he’d seen before, and now he just hoped he was hidden well enough to not face the same fate.
With a quick glance around the room, the witch was satisfied with the carnage. The five of them departed and the wolf wished he could just lay there and hope his healing could mend his extensive wounds. Far across the lobby was a phone, and he slowly dragged himself towards it.
He pulled on the cord until the phone fell to the floor and he dialed 9-1-1. The operator assured him ambulances and police were on their way. Now Tyler wished he would just pass out from the pain, but that mercy wasn’t coming. The quietness of death pounded in his ears until finally sirens broke it up and there was some hope of survival.
34
Dhane walked into the hospital and asked for Lila’s room number. The long walk down the hallway and up the stairs let him prepare himself for how badly she might look. He reached the room and glanced inside.
In the bed, nearly as pale as the sheets she was laying on, she appeared dead. His heart sank. The monitors seemed to show that she was still alive though.
“Sir, can I help you?” a nurse asked with concern on her face.
“I just got into town to check on my friend. How is she?”
“We haven’t been able to figure out what’s wrong. It doesn’t look to good, I’m sorry.”
With a nod he looked back at Lila and wondered if anything would have been different had he stayed. After watching silently for what seemed like an eternity, he reached for the handle, and a woman’s hand stopped him from turning it.
“Dhane, I’m glad you made it.”
Cassandra seemed so sad right then. She pulled him close for a hug as tears fell from her eyes. There had to be something comforting to say, but neither could come up with the words. Dhane followed the council head down the hall to the waiting room. Xander threw him a half smile, the best he could muster, and Amber stood, bowed, and then hugged him.
Several nurses went running past and down the elevator, nearly knocking over Terrance, who was returning from the vending machines with Hostess cupcakes.
“What the Hell is that all about?” he asked while opening the plastic. Exchanging nods with Dhane, he continued on to Lila’s room.
“I’ll check and see what’s up.”
Xander walked off in a hurry and Dhane sat down with the others.
“What happened to her, Cassandra?”
“We’re not exactly sure. We did find a cross in her room, which had her blood on it, and a substance they can’t identify. She had a cut on her hand which apparently is where she got infected.”
He shook his head in frustration. The unanswered questions would haunt him, he knew that for sure. Someone knew the truth, and he planned to start by finding Charles and beating the answers out of him.
Xander ran back into the room and everyone stood up quickly.
“It’s the Grand. There’s been an attack.”
Without another word, they all tore out of the hospital and into cars. Within fifteen minutes they reached the war zone. They were all dumbfounded when they got there, looking at the
devastation that had occurred. An ambulance tore away as Cassandra, Amber, and Nicole slipped in among the chaos. There was nothing the police could do to keep anyone out, as they were all searching for survivors and helping those they could.
“Excuse me, officer, do you know what happened here?”
The policeman looked over Dhane and didn’t see him as a threat. More likely, he thought the mage was a reporter who lucked upon this story so soon after it happened.
“Not really sure. Looks almost like a war took place inside. I’m not sure if there will be any survivors. We only have one so far, and he was in bad shape. They just took him off to the hospital.”
The cop pointed towards the road where the ambulance had sped off and Dhane glanced to Xander. With a nod, the werewolf got back into his car and headed to the hospital. A quick ‘thank you’ to the cop, and Dhane headed around the back, to his private entrance. Inside, he noticed his room was completely ransacked.
He was instantly glad he didn’t stop here first and drop off his luggage. Surely whoever did this was searching for Algernon’s spell book, the new one he discovered in Hallow Falls. Of course, that begged the question of how they knew the book existed.
With nothing left to bother trying to salvage, Dhane headed out into the hallway to begin knocking on doors. Hopefully someone survived this, but things weren’t looking good. One by one he knocked, then checked each room using his spell to unlock them. Each was empty.
Having no luck, he headed downstairs and found the others, clearly distraught. As was typical lately, there were no words to comfort or make anything better. Any despair that existed inside Dhane quickly left, and rage took its place. Whoever did this was going to pay.
Without a word he stormed out of the Grand and got back into his car. Fast and furious, he sped to the hospital and parked next to Xander’s car. On his way across the parking log, Xander and Terrance came out of the hospital and they met halfway.
Magestorm: The Embracing Page 10