by Selena Page
“Hey. We’ve got two options here, right? Either we can try to fight this thing, together, or we can sit here and wait for it to kill us. I, for one, prefer to go down fighting. And I know you do, too.”
Her face softened as she closed her eyes. “Jackson, this thing…”
“...is big and bad and tough. I get it. We’ll do the best we can.” He turned back to the stove, stirring their dinner. “Grab a seat. You need to eat, and then we’ll figure out our next step. I don’t think it’s going to wait much longer than nightfall, but we have a few hours.”
Cari rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine.” She stepped away from him, cracking a smile and shaking her head. She took a long breath, nodding once. “Thank you, Jax. For being here and helping me.”
“Aren’t you glad this thing killed all those women pretending to be me, and not some other jerk?”
Chapter 12
Carmina was exhausted. She could still feel the power from Jackson’s blood like tiny tingles running along her nerves. It was similar to when they were kids, wrapping herself in his Letterman jacket. It was always warm and safe, and smelled like his aftershave. She could feel him like he was next to her, holding her in his arms.
She sighed and rubbed at her face. No matter how much power they had been able to muster in that moment, it wouldn’t be enough to send Marbok away. She knew that banishing the creature entirely was beyond her scope of power, something that only a massive gathering of witches could do. But perhaps they could drive it off long enough to escape and rally the forces.
She couldn’t deny that she was terrified of the creature lurking in the darkness. Even with an Augmenter—and a powerful one at that—she had no idea if she could do anything.
“All right. So what do we need to do? What do we know about this beast?” Jackson reached over, brushing his fingertips against her wrist. She shivered at the connection, her exhaustion easing slightly just from his proximity. He gave her a warm smile, his deep blue eyes shimmering. If she didn’t know better, she’d almost think he was excited about the whole affair. Then again, he always had been a bit of a thrill seeker.
Carmina shook her head with a smile. “Well, we know he feeds on fear and death. Keeping us isolated in here. He can possess people, he wants to take you, wants to kill me for revenge on my family. Killing, possessing, terrifying—it’s how he gains strength. He can change his form; he can adopt faces...that’s how he killed the women. He took on your face; he drew on your power.”
She paused for a moment. “The last few months...have you had any illnesses? Have you felt off?”
Jackson considered for a moment, nodding. “Yeah. I was out for a few weeks with pneumonia. It was, uh, pretty unpleasant.”
“That’s when he got you, then. When he started draining you. OK, so…” She pulled out a notebook from her bag, flipped it open to a blank page, and scribbled. “I don’t have any real spells for this, so I’m going to have to wing it. But I know how to dispel creatures. If we can gather up enough power between the two of us, it might work, at least long enough for us to get away.”
“All right, good. That’s a start.” He scooted his chair closer to her, leaning in to look at the page, pressing against her shoulder. His presence was warm and comforting, a rock that she could draw on and lean on.
God she had missed him. Jackson had been one of the few bright spots of her teenage years, and she had just let him go. After Jonas died, she couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t handle Jackson’s sweet nature, and his utter desire to please her and help her through it. She’d nearly died in their seeking, and all she had to show for it was a barely noticeable increase in her power and a dead twin brother, and she couldn’t handle it. Three weeks in a high-class resort for troubled teens and another month touring Europe with her grandmother had helped get her brain on track, but she couldn’t go back to Jackson. A Dear John letter sent from Madrid and a transfer later, and she’d never seen him again. Until now.
Despite the fact that she’d left him abruptly, not to mention that she was trying to hunt him down and toss him back in jail, he seemed more than willing to pick up where they’d left off. To forgive her for what had happened in the past. He could have left her for dead when Marbok showed up, or worse, picked up the knife and killed her himself. The fact that he stayed true to her despite all of it made her heart quicken.
Cari gave him a smile and tilted her head up, brushing a kiss against his lips. His eyes registered his surprise and delight at the action, and she wanted nothing more than to do it over and over again, to see the light of desire and warmth shining down at her. If they survived, she was going to do just that. At least until reality pulled them apart again.
“Right. So. Um. Blood, that’s the first thing. We used it earlier, and we can do it again. We’ll need more of it.” Her face heated under his gaze, and she looked back to the paper. “I’ve got a few basics in my bag, so we can work with some of that.”
“OK. Easy enough.” His fingers brushed against her back, and she had to struggle to keep her concentration.
“And sex.”
His fingers paused and he quirked a brow at her, a lazy smile stretching across his face. “Didn’t we handle that one already?”
“Ritual sex. It’s a little different. More intent, more focus, and we can draw from it.”
“Oh, gee. However will I survive?”
Carmina turned to face him, frowning slightly, her voice quiet. “Jackson, it’s not a joke. If I can’t pull this off, we’re both going to die. I might go quick, but he’s not going to let you go easily. He’s going to use you and drain you and snuff you out like a candle.”
Jackson sobered and nodded, cupping her face with one hand. “I know. I’m sorry. Let’s get to work.”
Chapter 13
Outside of the cabin was not where he wanted to be right now, and Jackson kept looking over his shoulder, expecting the shadowy figure to leap at any moment. He could see the open screen door from the corner of his eye, and Carmina’s form moving inside, preparing the spell. It wasn’t the reunion that he’d envisioned for the two of them, but he couldn’t deny it was exciting, albeit a bit terrifying.
Jackson could feel the creature watching from beyond his vision. Waiting. He had to believe that it knew what they were up to, and that it would interrupt Cari’s spell if it could. The creature seemed to know exactly what it was doing and how it was hunting them; this was all part of the appeal to a monster.
It didn’t matter. They weren’t going down without a fight.
He smiled slightly as he dug up a pile of fresh, cool dirt, dumping it into a bowl alongside a tidy pile of plants. According to her, it wasn’t exact, but it would have to do. They would work with what they had.
Jackson straightened, his eyes turning toward the forest as a breeze rustled through his hair. The tingle started at the back of his skull, the voice small and insidious.
Jackson, come to me.
He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing, pushing against the foreign entity. He ignored the voice, refusing to acknowledge it. Like Cari had told him, if he spoke to it, it allowed Marbok to worm deeper inside him.
You are powerful, Jackson. Together, we could be gods. We could rule the earth.
Jackson shook his head, trying to wipe away the visions the creature shoved into his mind. Chaos. Destruction. Death. All at their hands. And through it all, he was smiling.
It would be so easy. I know what she did to you, the way she hurt you. The way she left you. The way she hunted you down, like you were prey. Show her, Jackson. Show her that you are not her creature. Come to me.
He stepped onto the front stoop, glancing toward the woods one last time. The voice laughed, the sound reverberating through the woods.
Moonrise, Jackson. I come at moonrise. You know what side you should be on. I trust you will do the right thing.
“Did you get everything?” Cari didn’t look up from her work, carefully grinding dried herbs
in an old tin cup.
Jackson nodded once, carefully setting the bowl next to her. “Yeah. It’s still out there. Moonrise.”
She glanced up and quirked a questioning brow, her hands still moving in circles.
“It talked to me. Marbok. He’s out there, and he’s coming at moonrise.”
Cari carefully scooped a pinch of the herbs into a wooden platter he’d found tucked away in the linen cabinet. “I heard it, too. Part of it at least. It was trying to only talk to you, but it was like...I overheard him.” She ran her fingers through the dirt, quirking a smile as her shoulders visibly relaxed. Jackson watched as she swirled the dirt and plants together before cupping her hands in the soil and dripped it over the herbs.
A sense of peace settled over Jackson as he watched her work. Every movement was careful, measured, like a dancer on stage. She murmured softly in Latin, falling into a sweet cadence that swelled, filling the room.
Power gathered inside him. His vision sharpened, and he could smell her unique scent, their commingled scent from hours earlier. The silence of the forest was deafening, but he could hear the whisper of the creature as it moved through the trees.
He didn’t dare say a word, for fear of interrupting the ritual. Jackson could watch her for days, her skin taking on a golden hue as she gathered power from the earth and herbs.
Cari’s voice rose to a crescendo as she picked up the knife, her eyes flicking toward his. Jackson caught her gaze and held it as she sliced across her palm. Without flinching, she handed him the knife, hilt first.
Jackson took the blade and mimicked her motions. Cari nodded once and took his hand, clasping it tightly over the platter.
The air grew cold and then hot. A beatific smile spread across her lips as she gazed into his eyes, and the world fell away. In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the creature, not the accusations levied against him. All that mattered was the two of them and the power—the bond—that they shared.
Cari exhaled as her chanting slowed to a halt and let her hand drop from his. She dipped one finger into the platter, swirling it slowly.
As her words faded, the magic subsided. Jackson felt his world return to normal, but inside him burned something red hot. She had awakened something in his soul, and there was no turning back.
“It’s done.” Her voice was raspy, still carrying the power of her words. “One more ritual, and then we’re ready.”
Chapter 14
She was anxious. It wasn’t the first time she’d had sex with Jackson, of course, but ritual sex was different. It created a bond between the two partners that wasn’t often found. After this, she would always be bound to him, in a manner of speaking. Added to the fact that while she knew how to do it, and what to do—she had never before used sex to power her magic.
The stakes were high, and she knew it was risky. Sex magic was hard, because the two people had to truly care about one another. There had to be some deeper connection there in order to raise the kind of power she was going to need. If she failed here, if her magic wasn’t enough and they couldn’t push Marbok into the darkness, hers and Jackson’s death would only be the first. It wouldn’t waste any time heading to Texas where it would slaughter the rest of her family before turning its eye on every other witch in the world.
Cari paused for a moment. Love. She knew it was an important component to this magic, at least in some form or another. Of course, in high school, she felt like she was in love with Jackson. She was 16, romantic, and stupid. Love had seemed like an easy thing, a sure thing. But a decade of life, failed relationships, and more pain than she cared to recall reminded her that love didn’t really exist, not in the way she wanted it to. It was better to be alone with meaningless connections than watch the people who hold your heart suffer. She didn’t want to watch Jackson die. And the thought of the rest of her family dying as her twin had—bloody and screaming her name—made her skin go cold. Even if they had no idea, she held their fates in her hands.
Jackson stepped into the bedroom behind her, and the power in the room swelled. Her earlier spell had awoken something inside him. If they survived this, she would have to ensure he found a safe place to go. Somewhere nothing could use him, ruin him. If they survived, she owed it to him to protect him, one way or another.
“So, what now, Cari?” She could hear a hint of anxiety in his voice. Even the new power running through him couldn’t extinguish the nerves involved in this.
Carmina inhaled deeply, feeling the earth beneath their feet, the smell of autumn lingering in the air. She cleared her mind, pushing aside her concerns, focusing on the power inside her, the power inside Jackson. She leaned over and tapped a button on her phone, the soft sounds of nature filling the room.
She turned to him, gazing up into his eyes and smiling as she padded toward him, resting her palms flat on his chest. “Let go. All of your fear and worry, let it flow away. Focus on the power inside of you; the power inside of me. The world doesn’t matter right now.”
Jackson closed his eyes, leaning close to her, his forehead coming to rest against hers. He breathed in, and she could feel his muscles relaxing as the tension left his body.
Her fingers moved down his chest, unbuttoning his shirt. “All that matters right now is us. The power inside of us, and the bond between us.” She slipped the shirt from his shoulders, exposing his broad chest, running her palms up to cup his cheeks and kiss him tenderly.
Jackson’s hands gripped her hips, pulling her in close as he explored her mouth. Carmina let out a soft sigh into his lips, her hands moving up to twine into his hair. She could feel the power flowing between them, the magic gathering where their flesh touched. Her nerves were on fire, her body begging to feel his.
“Cari…” Jackson shuddered against her as his mouth trailed down her neck, kissing as he pulled the tank top over her head. He laughed quietly, his hardness pressing against her abdomen. “You are wearing far too many clothes, darling.”
She laughed, nipping at his lower lip as she unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them over his hips. “Well then. We should fix that.”
Jackson wasted no time, taking her cue as he stepped out of his jeans, his hardened cock springing up as he fumbled with her own pants. Cari moaned softly as she pressed against him, yearning to be closer.
It was different than it had been before. She could feel the blood pulsing through his veins, his desire for her burning white-hot beneath his skin. Jackson pushed her back carefully, tugging her into the nest of blankets she had built on the floor. Cari straddled his hips, grinding her wetness against him as she leaned down to kiss him, her tongue toying with his.
Their proximity to the earth grounded her, as she drew its power inside her. Jackson’s hands roamed her body, cupping her breasts and rubbing circles around her nipples. She arched her back with a soft moan, her eyes fluttering closed.
Jackson tilted his head forward to kiss the hollow of her throat, murmuring against her skin. “Christ, I love that sound you make.”
Cari grinned at him as she continued to move her hips, brushing against him with every motion. She knew she was driving him crazy, prolonging the moment, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was the two of them, together, and the energy between them.
Jackson slid his hand down her body, one finger slipping toward her clit, circling it slowly and eliciting another delicious gasp of pleasure from her.
“Jackson, please…” Cari let out a soft sigh, and he grinned up at her, catching her lips with his and kissing her deeply. He was never one to turn down such a sweet request.
Jackson grasped his cock in one hand, positioning himself against her entrance, a hand on her hip to help guide him inside. Cari moaned as he pushed inside her, filling her completely.
The dam inside her broke and she opened herself to him, his hands on her hips as they found a steady rhythm that drove him deeper and deeper.
The power between them was building, and Cari could feel it flowing thro
ugh her, through her mind and veins, singing to her. She braced her hands on his chest, and her body felt as though it was melded against his.
As they climaxed together, the cabin filled with a soft white light, and Carmina knew, without a doubt, that they would win.
Chapter 15
“We don’t have much time, do we?” Jackson’s voice was soft, but he was resolute in his determination. He felt the power in him, in both of them. Cari had changed him, and it would be enough. It would have to be enough.
“Moonrise is in twenty minutes. We have just enough time.” She kissed him, her face soft and content.
Jackson traced his fingertips down her spine, reveling in the little sparks that flew between them. He wanted to stop time, to keep them in this beautiful haze of passion, without facing the darkness lurking outside of the cabin. He wanted nothing more than to protect her. He couldn’t help but feel more than a little guilty that she was here, that he had dragged her into this mess. Though there was no one he’d rather be with, he couldn’t stop the fear that it wouldn’t be enough. That she might die.
“Cari?”
“Hmm?” She turned her eyes to meet his, smiled softly, and traced his jaw with her fingertips.
“I love you. I have always loved you.” The words surprised him. He meant them, but he had never before voiced them. He was going to, before she'd left, but he hadn’t wanted to push her.
Cari went very still, her eyes widening. She stared at him as she leaned away, shaking her head and murmuring. “Jackson, you don’t even know me anymore. You’re only saying that because...”
“No, Cari. I don’t care about that. Marbok being here, that doesn’t change the way I feel.” He tightened his arm around her waist and then forced himself to relax, smiling faintly and shaking his head. “I just needed you to know that before we went after it.”
She nodded once and sat up. “We should finish getting ready.”