Liz opened the door to a pitch-black apartment, but she could still sense the vampires’ presence. She flipped on the light in the foyer and Grace followed with her magic at the ready. Dee, Matthew and Genevieve were right behind her.
When Grace walked into the living room, Amelia was waiting for her, sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. “What are you doing in my apartment and how did you get in?” Grace asked in an irritated tone.
Amelia looked up directly into Grace’s eyes with a tear-stained face. “There’s something I need to tell you. I—”
Dee burst into the room, cutting her off, hands ablaze with magic. “You what? You’re a vampire? You’ve been spying on Grace and you broke into my apartment? Did I leave anything out?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“You don’t understand, Dee. Yes, that’s all true, but I never wanted any of this. I came here to warn you—all of you—you’re in danger and you don’t have much time. I don’t know how much longer I can keep him out of my head.” Amelia began sobbing.
“Who? Donavon?” Grace asked.
Amelia nodded and grimaced as if she were in pain, squeezing the sides of her head.
Genevieve and Matthew stood in the entryway listening to everything Amelia was saying.
“Amelia, my name is Genevieve. I would like to ask you a few questions before we go any further,” she said.
Liz had already unsheathed the Sword of Light. Grace couldn’t help but stare. It looked otherworldly. The jewel-encrusted hilt was magnificent and its steel blade glowed in a magical white light.
Amelia wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt. “All right. I promise I won’t harm you. I never wanted any of this to happen.”
“Oh bullshit, Amelia!” Dee piped in. “You could’ve told me the night we went searching for Grace, but instead you put on a show and led those bloodsuckers to my apartment.”
“I didn’t have a choice! Donavon was listening to everything—he could hear my thoughts—and he threatened to kill me. Don’t you understand? That’s why I’m here. Tristan helped me, but you don’t have much time. You have to go!”
“Why should we believe—”
Genevieve held her hand up. “Enough! Amelia, if what you say is true, allow Elizabeth to see inside of your mind.”
“Fine, I’ll do whatever you want, but please don’t let Donavon take me back. I can’t live like that anymore,” Amelia cried and Grace’s heart broke. Liz sheathed her sword and walked toward Amelia and sat beside her on the couch.
“If you bite me, I’ll kill you. Got it?” Liz said with a raised brow.
Amelia laughed a little. “I understand. Let’s just get on with it.”
Genevieve interrupted. “Elizabeth, before you begin, Matthew, Dee and I need to place a barrier in and around the apartment just in case. We can’t allow humans to witness what may take place here tonight.”
Liz nodded and looked back to Amelia. Grace went to sit next to her on the couch. Dee was still seething as she stood against the far wall with her arms folded.
“Listen, Amelia, I’ve always loved you as my sister—the three of us, me, you and Grace have always been together.” Dee paused taking a breath, then continued, “You need to understand why I feel betrayed. If what you say is true, then we’ll deal with it. If you’re lying, then…” She trailed off, unable to think of what Liz would have to do.
Matthew placed his hand on Dee’s shoulder and told her it was time to create the magical barrier. She pushed off the wall and joined Genevieve in the centermost part of the apartment and began the spell.
Grace wanted to hug her friend, but was unsure of how to act around Amelia until the truth was confirmed. She also felt a niggling sensation on the back of her neck as if she were being watched. She glanced up at Liz, but she was looking around, most likely sensing it too.
“Amelia, did you come alone?” Liz asked.
“We’re alone in the apartment, yes. But Tristan is a few blocks away trying to keep Donavon busy. He doesn’t want him to come crashing in while we’re still here. That’s why I said we need to hurry,” she responded nervously looking around with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked sick with worry lines stretched across her face.
“All right, the barrier is complete. Elizabeth, you may complete the spell,” Genevieve told her as she walked back into the living room with Matthew and Dee.
Liz asked Amelia to lie down on the couch and Grace moved to stand near Matthew. She wrapped her arms around herself, praying Amelia was telling the truth. She didn’t think she could bear it if Amelia had indeed turned on her of her own volition.
Amelia did as she was told and Liz placed one hand on each temple and began chanting a spell in almost a whisper. All of a sudden, Liz’s body was bathed in a white light, radiating all around her—all you could see were the whites of her eyes as her eyelids fluttered. Unnatural wind gusted throughout the apartment, blowing Liz’s dark mane around her face and it seemed as if time stood still for a moment. Then all at once, the wind died down and she removed her hands from Amelia’s face.
Liz looked down at Amelia’s tear-streaked face. “You were telling the truth and I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through,” she said, then pulled her up to a sitting position. “Listen, we can help you, but you have to remain strong. Don’t allow Donavon to pull you in. Understand?”
Amelia nodded again because there were no words. She felt elated and frightened at the same time. She knew what Donavon was capable of and all she wanted to do was run and get everyone to safety, but when she looked around at everyone standing in the room, she also knew they had no intention of running. She would have to stay and fight alongside her friends.
Chapter 14
Grace started toward Amelia, but before she could reach her she felt an agonizing pain in her head. She clutched her temples and scrunched her face, attempting to will the pain away. When she closed her eyes, she saw Donavon’s face, his menacing green eyes staring back at her. “What do you want?” she demanded.
“Now, Grace, is that any way to speak to your intended?” Donavon asked in an ominous tone. “After the night is over, you will be mine and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”
“Your intended? I don’t remember agreeing to be yours—I belong to no one,” she snarled. Grace knew she had to be locked in a vision because she was still in control of her body. She could only see his face, but he was attempting to break into her mind. She thought if she kept him talking, she could at least stop him from possessing her body.
“Oh, that is where you are wrong, my love. You wear my mark. I will always know where you are. You belong to me. Once I kill your hybrid lover, you’ll begin to see things my way.”
“Screw you, you psycho piece of shit! You won’t touch him! I’ll kill you myself!” Grace seethed, then remembered her powers and how Dee had pushed Donavon from her body. She thought if she concentrated hard enough, she might be able to do the same. She smiled when she felt her powers come forth.
“What is it, my love? Come to your senses?” Donavon asked watching her face change from one of anger to what Grace assumed he thought might be happiness.
She knew he was bat-shit crazy. “No, asshole, and I’m not your love. Get the hell out of my head!” Grace shouted as she drew from her newfound power and prayed to the ancestors, willing him out of her head. In the background she could hear Matthew yelling and felt his strong arms wrap around her. As her vision began to clear, she heard Donavon cursing and demanding she come back, threatening to kill her hybrid lover once more.
When Grace’s senses returned, she was lying on the damn floor again with everyone standing around her. “I’m fine. I pushed him out with magic this time. Practice makes perfect, right?” she said with a lopsided grin. When no one smiled, she shrugged and sat up on her elbows. “Too soon?”
“Dammit, Grace. Really?” Dee barked.
Grace rolled her eyes and picked herself up off the floor, with Matth
ew’s help of course. He was silent, but she felt he was worried. How she sensed his emotions was beyond her and she honestly wasn’t in the mood to think about it.
Amelia interrupted. “Guys, I hate to break up the party, but they’re coming and Donavon’s pissed,” she said looking toward the front door. Liz had already sensed them. She had her sword drawn, standing next to the wall by the door.
“Amelia, I want you to hide in the bedroom,” Genevieve demanded and Amelia gave her a “What the hell?” look.
“There’s no way I’m hiding,” she said. “I don’t want to die, but I am not leaving my two best friends to fight that monster without me. Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
Genevieve nodded and Matthew took a fighting stance next to her. He kept Grace to his side, while Dee stood by Amelia in the center of the room.
All at once Amelia cried out, dropping to the floor. Blood ran from her eyes and mouth. Dee dropped to her knees. “Amelia, stay with me. Can you hear me?” she asked frantically. There was so much blood. Genevieve, Grace and Matthew rushed over. Liz continued to stand watch by the door, but glanced over at Amelia with a worried expression.
“What happened?” Genevieve asked.
“I don’t know. She collapsed and started bleeding,” Dee answered. “It has to be Donavon. His control over her… Someone grab a washcloth!”
Matthew blurred to the kitchen, checking every drawer until he found a dish cloth and wet it in the sink. He returned and began wiping the blood from Amelia’s face.
“Liz, how far out are they?” Dee looked up and asked.
“About a mile, but they’re moving fast. Is she okay?”
“I don’t know. She’s not responding!”
“Amelia, it’s Grace. Can you hear me?” she asked tapping her face. Amelia began writhing on the floor in pain, more blood seeping from her eyes and mouth. Then she cried out, “Donavon! Stop this!” She arched her back and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Grace got up and grabbed a pillow from the couch and placed it beneath Amelia’s head.
“It’s going to be okay. Just stay with us,” Grace said, stroking Amelia’s hair. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. She wanted to kill Donavon herself for everything he had done, not only to her, but her friends as well.
A thunderous crash echoed throughout the room, splintering the front door into thousands of tiny pieces, tossing Liz to the floor. Her head slammed into the side table next to the window, knocking her unconscious. Donavon walked into the apartment, looking around as if he owned the place and his eyes immediately locked onto Grace. Genevieve and Matthew snapped to attention, wielding their magic, attempting to hold him against the side wall, but he held up his right hand, causing it to ricochet straight back into Matthew’s chest—he went down crashing to the floor.
Donavon stepped further into the room, staring at Amelia, then back at Grace. “I told you I would kill your hybrid lover and I meant what I said. Now you can watch,” he sneered, raising his left hand and glaring toward Matthew’s unconscious form. Black and red flames erupted from his fingertips.
Genevieve countered his magic just before it slammed into Matthew, hurling it back against the wall. Donavon roared, then created another magical flame.
“No!!!!” Grace shouted. “Leave them alone!”
Dee hurled herself over Amelia’s body so she wouldn’t be hit in the crossfire. Genevieve threw out another blast. This time Donavon pushed his magic forward aiming it toward Dee. She flung her hand out sending a fireball toward his abdomen lighting his ass on fire. He quickly put out the flames. That only seemed to piss him off further. Before Dee could stand, black tendrils of dark magic soared toward her chest—he hit his mark. She rolled off of Amelia’s body, still breathing, but just barely. She must have forgotten to drink her protection potion, otherwise black magic wouldn’t have affected her.
Grace stood—her friends—that son of a bitch had hurt her friends—she was gonna kill him. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, but before she could access her powers, Genevieve beat her to the punch and locked onto her own powers—a blue stream of magic slammed into Donavon knocking the wind out of him and causing him to drop to his knees. Tristan, followed by Caleb, entered the apartment just as Donavon went down.
Tristan glanced toward Amelia’s limp, bleeding body and cried out, “No!!!” He ran and scooped her up into his arms, then looked at Donavon with a promise of death in his eyes. “Why her? Why? Answer me, you son of a bitch!” he shouted.
Donavon stood to his full height straightening what was left of his charred clothing, while everyone else in the house looked on. “I see we have not one, but two traitors in our midst.” His eyes were swirling between black and green, his fangs elongating as he spoke.
Tristan gently laid Amelia down on the couch, then looked back to Donavon. “I’m no traitor and Amelia was forced by your hand. You’re sick and twisted. This obsession you have with Grace doesn’t make sense. She cannot further our bloodline. What happened to you? We used to be brothers, but now… I don’t know the man standing before me.”
“Man? I am of the original vampire bloodline, lest you forget. Grace will be mine and I’ll prove to you that she will start a new, more powerful race of vampires with my blood running through her veins. We are the last of our kind, yet you want to consort with the likes of hybrids and witches. You betray your own. You are no brother of mine,” Donavon spat, balling his fists, taking a step toward Tristan.
Tristan shook his head at the sheer nonsense Donavon was spewing. “No, I’m not and I haven’t been for quite some time, but Caleb and I have stood by your side—watched as you led us through your insanity. It ends now!” he shouted, fangs bared as he blocked Amelia’s body.
Grace inched back toward Matthew, watching and listening to their crazy exchange. She knew she had to do something. Liz was beginning to stir near the front door and Caleb was too close. She had no idea whose side he was on and didn’t want to take any chances. She looked down at Matthew’s body, but saw the rise and fall of his chest—he was still breathing. She glanced toward Genevieve and nodded her head toward Caleb. Donavon was hers to take down.
While Tristan and Donavon were busy arguing, Grace took the opportunity to build the magic inside of her. She prayed to the ancestors with every bit of strength she had, asking for their help in ridding the world of the evil that stood before her. She felt the familiar sensation thrumming in her body, flowing through her veins, awaiting her call. She said a silent prayer of thanks, then threw out both hands as a display of pink and gold streams of fire flew from her fingertips landing a blow straight into Donavon’s head. He yelped out in pain, clutching his now-melting face. Grace took two steps forward, allowing the magic to flow again, setting him ablaze from his neck on down until he slammed onto the floor—his body smoking from supernatural fire.
Genevieve held a screaming Caleb to the wall. He watched as his leader was defeated. Liz scrambled to her feet. “Grace, stop! I have to send his soul to God for redemption. You can’t kill him, not like this,” she said, grabbing Grace’s arm to stop the flow of magic.
Grace glared at Liz. “Why? He has to die for what he’s done. What part of him could possibly be redeemed?” she demanded, yanking her arm from Liz’s grasp. Donavon was thrashing on the floor in agony when Grace looked back at him.
“Grace, Liz is right,” Genevieve said. “It is not for us to decide. If we have a choice in the matter, we must send their souls where they belong. Only God can save them now.”
Grace took a step back and glanced at a weeping Tristan. He cared for Amelia, but what about Caleb? “I’m sorry. You’re right,” she conceded, then walked to the couch to comfort Tristan and try to wake up Matthew and Dee.
Liz glanced around and told Grace she was going to recite her ritual prayer, opening up the gateway to Heaven once she beheaded Donavon. Then her connection to him would be broken.
Grace and Tristan nodded, then Genevieve let Caleb fall to f
loor, but continued to hold him with her magic to ensure he didn’t try to escape or save his master. She would have to question him once everything was said and done, then make a decision.
Liz swiftly unsheathed her sword, decapitated Donavon, and then began reciting the prayer of redemption:
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
All that is not of God must die
All that is crushed will be restored
All that is lost will be made new
God, may we repent of ways that do not serve you
And admit to the tensions that tell us where we need to change
Christ is coming walking towards the cross
God, may we see him clearly
Pouring out love
Pouring out mercy
Pouring out peace
May we kneel before him in humble adoration
May we take up our cross and follow
And walk with Christ into the ways of life everlasting.
Once the prayer was complete, the heavens above opened and Donavon’s ashes swirled, then ascended into a bright white light, leaving nothing behind. He was gone. Grace breathed a sigh of relief, and was surprised when Caleb and Tristan did the same. There was no grief, no pain, only silence.
Grace had never in her life witnessed anything so spectacular. After watching Liz send the vampire’s soul up for redemption, she knew in her heart that she had made the right decision—it wasn’t her place to kill him, unless it came down to a life or death situation where Liz wasn’t around. She wondered if their souls would still go to God, but thought that would be a question for another day.
Genevieve was kneeling next to Matthew performing healing spells to wake him from the ricochet-induced sleep. Liz was doing the same for Dee. Grace looked around at her new friends, grateful to have them in her life. She sat next to Tristan, smoothing Amelia’s hair when her eyes opened and she gasped for air.
Tristan pulled her up by her shoulders into a hug, then looked at her face. “Amelia, you’re awake. I thought Donavon had killed you,” he said as a tear streamed down his face.
Marked by a Vampire (The Hybrid Coven Book 1) Page 10