I raised my hands up. “Why are you saying that to me?”
“I suspect you’re one to speak your mind.”
Rolling my eyes, I gestured for him to hurry up. He sighed, shaking his head as he slowly opened the doors. He revealed a large room with several tables and chairs. Front and center was a large, golden throne. In it sat a man who instantly frightened me. I was about to turn and run, but Mikey grabbed my arm. He shoved me forward, making me face my new fear. This man was the king of intimidation. No wonder Roark was scared of him.
The Leader ran a hand over his head, pushing back his dark hair. His eyes were on me, judging my every move. Like most Vampires, he was physically perfect in almost every way. He could have been Pierce Brosnan’s younger brother. It was amazing.
“Close your mouth,” Finn told me.
“He looks like him.” I know I said it too loudly because the Leader smiling, clearly amused by my statement.
“My Leader, may I introduce the Witch, Sophie Dexter, and the Radar.” Finn apparently didn’t think Mikey was important enough to mention by name. I felt my hackles rise in response, earning a smirk from Finn. He did it on purpose!
The Leader sat forward, eyes trained on me. “I’m Zander, the Lead Councilman of the Vampire Council. Welcome to my home, Sophie.” He gestured widely with his hands.
Shifting uncomfortably, I swallowed hard. “Thank you, Leader.” They had a Leader and a Head Councilman? What was the difference?
“Call me Zander. And Finn, is it not true that she is not only a Witch?”
It was Finn’s turn to shift uncomfortably. “That is a true statement.”
“Then introduce her appropriately. There are not many of her kind, let alone those that survive the change.” Zander gave him an irritated expression. Finn was already walking on thin ice. I felt bad for him, but then I remembered how he introduced Mikey, and that feeling went away quickly.
“Leader, this is Sophie, half-Vampire and half-Witch,” Finn corrected.
Nodding, Zander sat back in his throne, eyes on me again. It was making me anxious. He didn’t seem all that unpleasant so far, but I was ready for the other shoe to drop. When was he going to threaten to whip me? It had to be coming, considering that I could hardly keep my mouth shut.
“I’ve come to ask for Drake’s freedom. We have proof that there was magic on the body at the club, and the subsequent recent victims. The true murderer is actually a Witch.” I could have probably explained that better, but I was too damn nervous.
Mikey took a step forward. “I have concluded that there is in fact magic on the bodies. Whoever performed the magic is, strictly factually, a Witch. It is a Witch’s signature. Unfortunately, I am unable to identify who, specifically.”
“Were there not bite marks? In the report, it states that the victims have been drained of their blood.”
I didn’t know what to say. Hesitating, I looked over at Mikey. “That’s also true.”
Zander stood up, putting his hands behind his back as he paced. “So, Drake could have been working with a Witch. Perhaps his sister-in-law, Stella.”
Shaking my head, I stepped forward. “That bitch has something to do with it, but I know Drake is innocent. His heart is too pure for that.”
Bursting out into a fit of laughter, Zander stopped moving. “Drake? His heart pure? I hope you are smarter than that. He has a history, just like the rest of us. He may be a good man now, but things always come back to haunt us. That includes our murderous desires.”
When I opened my mouth to protest, Zander moved, appearing right in front of me. I gasped in surprise, about to take a step back when he placed a hand behind my head to stop me. He pulled me close, lips barely brushing mine. “There is something about you. You’re different, and yet I can’t put my finger on it.”
Mikey and Finn were staring at us, horrified expressions on their faces. Apparently, the way Zander was acting had to be unusual. Hell, I knew I was freaked the fuck out. I wanted to retreat, to run out of the room screaming, but I couldn’t move. It was as if he had a hold on me somehow.
Or maybe it was his eyes. They were so beautiful—I couldn’t look away. They were a deep blue, mesmerizing, and without an end in sight. Then he kissed me, softly at first. I couldn’t help but to respond to him. Desire spread in me like the fires of hell.
When he pulled away, I went lax in his arms. “Yes, definitely something about you.” He glanced down, staring at my chest. My mind was clearing then and I realized what he was doing. When I raised my eyebrows in question, he looked away. “Your necklace is the Lady of the Lake’s. Explain to me why you have it.”
He made sure I was able to stand on my feet before letting go. Continuing his pacing, he stared at me. Why did I kiss him? I wanted Drake. Was I not in my right mind? I wouldn’t just kiss him out of nowhere. That wasn’t something that I did.
Zander stroked the side of my face and I shivered in response, my knees weakening. Trying to clear my mind, I stepped away. Drake. I was here for Drake. It was a good thing that Roark hadn’t come into the room. I just didn’t know how well Finn could keep a secret. The man was probably laughing with glee in his mind.
“It’s a family heirloom. It was my grandmother’s.”
“Ah, Sophie Dexter, Merlin’s daughter. That explains so much.” There was a twinkle in Zander’s eyes. He was up to something, but I just didn’t know what. Every time he touched me, I couldn’t think anymore. It was a huge problem. A problem I didn’t know if I could fight.
“I will release Drake on one condition,” Zander began. “You must find out who murdered these women and bring the perpetrator to me.”
When I opened my mouth to agree, he held up a finger. Then he trailed it down over my lips, slowly. I hummed in pleasure, my eyes closing slightly in response. “You must also agree to overtake the High Mistress position from Daphne. She has no idea how to lead her people. I have a feeling that you do.”
“I’m not a pure Witch anymore,” I responded, confused as to why he would want me in the position. He was pacing again, but not touching me, so I could think clearly.
“You are an Avalon Witch. They have always been meant to lead the Witches.” Zander said it in a way that left no room for argument, but of course, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
“Are you sure it’s not because I am half-Vampire now?”
Zander waved me off. “It is the way it’s meant to be. It’s written in the Book of Avalon. There is a section that describes how the Avalon Witches are the maintain control in order to keep peace among the races.”
It was starting to get annoying that everyone knew more about my past than I did. Maybe I should have paid attention more in history class when I was younger. Then again, my mother wasn’t around as much as she should have been. I remembered being home alone most of the time, and she would come in at late hours of the night. We would have our dinner at 11:00pm, even when I had school. It was an unusual way to live, but she was loving. Annoying, but loving.
“I’ll have to check that out. Honestly, I’m not interested in pushing Daphne out. She’s already an enemy. I can only imagine what she would be like after I took her job.” I sighed, looking at the doors behind me. I was ready to get Drake and leave. Zander creeped me out, in more ways than one. He was pure temptation. Even though my mind screamed at me that every bit of what he was doing was wrong, I enjoyed it. Guilt filled me as I thought about what Drake might say. It wasn’t like I could keep it a secret. There were witnesses, after all.
“Come along, we will go and get Drake for you.” Zander walked past me, his head held high.
Finn glanced in my direction and smiled. The little bastard knew something was about to happen, yet I couldn’t even begin to figure out what.
Chapter Seventeen
Zander took our group through several hallways, and then down a set of stairs that led into a basement. I began to get nervous, wondering why they would take him down into a dark, secluded area
if he were just answering questions. It wasn’t making sense.
My magic wasn’t feeling as out of control as it had been earlier in the evening. Maybe it was because I had been freaking out more at the time. It was not a good time for me to be unfamiliar with the power the necklace held. I could feel it thrumming on my chest, as if it could sense we were in a dangerous area.
We heard screaming coming from the end of the stairs. Fear trickled down my spine. What if that was Drake? I began to push my way down, not caring that Zander was in my way. He hopped off the steps, bowing slightly to let me through.
“Two doors down on the right, my love!”
I rolled my eyes as I went passed him, ignoring the chuckle. He found me amusing. That was a plus. At least, I hoped my head wouldn’t be cut off any time soon. That was one of the few ways a Vampire or Witch could die. The other was getting pierced in the heart. Though, Witches could be drained dry by Vampires. It was usually a slow death from there; the heart unable to support itself any longer, until it finally stopped. It was a terrible way to go, and it made me sad to think that the murdered Witches had suffered so terribly. Whoever did it was twisted. Could Stella be that horrible?
Hesitating in front of the wooden door that Zander directed me to, I placed my hand on the knob. What was I going to find in the room? Was Drake going to be harmed? My heart started to beat faster, the anticipation torturous. Finally, I opened the door, finding Drake hunched over in the corner. Blood covered his back, his shirt torn in several places.
“Drake!” I rushed over, careful not to touch any of the open wounds.
Drake spun around, snarling at me with glowing eyes. His knuckles were bloodied from fighting someone. At least he didn’t go down without a fight. But it looked as if they’d whipped him. Eyes looking past me, Drake growled, lunging toward Zander. “How dare you send your torturer to me! He is lucky to have escaped this room with his head.”
Zander chuckled, not moving from where he was standing. Finn was holding back Drake, struggling. I looked at Zander, hoping he could see how angry I was. The fire in me raged. I wanted him dead in that moment. He deserved to suffer just as much.
Next thing I knew, I was throwing out my hand, pushing outwards with my power. Zander flew backwards, surprise registering on his face as his back slammed into the door across the hall. It splintered into millions of pieces. Finn immediately let go of Drake and hurried over to help the Leader. “Sir, are you okay?”
Laughing, Zander stood up, brushing off his suit. Delight lit up his eyes as he met my gaze. “She is truly amazing, is she not?”
“She just threw you into a door!” Finn cried, shocked by Zander’s reaction.
“This fine specimen is full of surprises. I can’t wait to see what she does next.” He winked at me. “I think I could fall for this one.”
“She is mine!” Drake growled, lunging again.
This time Mikey stopped him, struggling hard. Vampire strength was hard to compete with. Witches had their own amazing strength, but it was nothing compared to the vamps. My best friend’s face was turning red with the struggle. “Drake, stop this right now. I highly doubt he will be as lenient with you.”
Zander nodded. “Sophie now holds a special place in my heart. This woman is a gift to all of us. An Avalon Witch, who is now half-Vampire. This is fate. This was meant to be, and I can only envision amazing things from her.”
“Do you actually think hurting him wins me over?” I demanded.
“This occurred before I met you, Sophie, love. Torture is how we get our answers in the Vampire world. Had you not won my favor, you would have been treated the same way.” Zander shrugged, picking off a piece of wood from his shoulder.
“But I’m part of the Council.”
“You were part of the Council.” He walked over to me and lifted my chin with his finger. Drake snarled, lurching again, but Mikey kept holding onto him. “Now just go back and claim your rightful spot.”
Shaking my head, I pushed past him. “I don’t want it back. Those bitches can burn in hell. They have been against me since day one, after finding out who I was related to.”
“You can reshape it to your benefit,” Zander insisted.
This time I waved him off, earning a grin in response. Dear gods, the man was a lunatic. “Let us leave.”
“Remember our deal. Drake will be free if you find the killer and take over the position.”
“I just said—”
“Sophie, those are the terms.”
Drake was like a wild animal. He suddenly broke through Mikey’s hold, grabbing Zander by the lapels of his jacket. Spit flung from his mouth as he growled, “She is mine.”
Finn grabbed Drake, but Zander held up a hand. His face became serious as he met his attacker’s stare. “You will release me.”
When Drake didn’t move to let him go, Zander grabbed a hold of him as well, flipping Drake onto his back. Then with one quick move, grabbed his head and twisted, breaking his neck.
“No! What the hell did you do?” I ran over to Drake, lifting his body into my lap. Tears started to collect in my eyes.
“He’s not dead. You should know that.” Zander straightened his coat. “When you’re ready to be with a real Vampire, come to me. Otherwise, I will see you when you find the killer.” He motioned for Finn to follow and walked back up the steps, disappearing from my view.
Full of rage, I sat on the floor, breathing heavily. Mikey tried to calm me down by placing a hand on my shoulder, but I was too furious. “I will kill him.”
“You can’t.”
“Oh, but I will.”
*
The black haze around me was similar to my magic. It surrounded me, swirling around my ankles. Then it would float away in the direction in front of me, as if it wanted me to follow. Hesitant, I finally took a few steps forward, the concrete floor beneath my bare feet cold. Where was I? Nothing looked familiar. The walls were concrete and white, a single light hanging from a chain in the center of the room.
When I looked before me I saw a door, the black haze waiting patiently for me to follow. Continuing forward, I opened the door, peeking through timidly, as if it might be a trap. I didn’t understand why I was barefoot in a strange place. It certainly felt real. I pinched myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. Yep, it was real. My heart started pounding as I realized I had ended up in an unknown location without a memory as to how I got there. Things were definitely not good.
As I stepped through the door, I was met with an identical room. The black haze settled along the floor, swirling, growing faster and faster. It moved up into the air, something forming from it. I immediately took a defensive stance, not sure how well I could fight when I was cold and dressed in the skimpy nightgown I wore for Drake.
“You have no magic here, so don’t expect to defeat me so easily,” came the voice from the haze. It was garbled and unfamiliar, like those TV shows where the kidnapper called the family with his ransom demands. Slowly, the haze disappeared, and I found a figure in dark clothes standing before me, donning a white mask. Though, the shape of the body kept changing sizes, like a broken film. I couldn’t tell if it was male or female.
“How can I not have magic here?” I asked, clenching my fists. It looked like I had to fight the old school way.
“It’s a dream,” the person replied, somewhat amused.
Odd. I could feel pain, though. What kind of dream was it? This meant everything that was being played by his or her rules. I had no idea what to expect. How did I get out of the dream? How could this person drag me into a dream without my even knowing it? Pinching myself awake obviously didn’t work.
“Why haven’t you killed me yet? You have the means, obviously.” I said, shifting because my feet were getting too cold.
“I like the game. Keeping you living life in fear because you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It means I have the control, even though you think it’s you who does.”
Suddenly
, the figure shot in my direction like a black blur. The blow to my face came so unexpectedly, my head snapped back and I stumbled backward. Tears streamed from my eyes, but I regained my balance, swinging out with a fist that connected to the mask. It cracked, disfiguring it so that I could see the exposed skin, but the shape of the body continued to move. It was annoying, and hard on the eyes. I suppose that was the point.
The black haze returned, wrapping itself around my body, even though I fought to get it off me. Pain shot through my entire body, like a million needles poking me at the same time. I screamed, trying desperately to call to my magic, since it was the only thing I knew that would help me. Only, it didn’t come. I was helpless. My fangs were out, and I was hissing like an angered Vampire, trying to get closer to the person, despite that pain.
Laughing, the enemy dodged me, throwing more magic in my direction. The haze swirled around me faster, tightening, until I began to feel as if I were suffocating. My lungs couldn’t expand, and my throat was closing up. I tried to gasp for air, but it wouldn’t come. Gripping my throat, I looked in the direction of my foe. He or she stood, staring back at me, watching. Whoever it was began to reveal their true form, but it was too late. Darkness consumed me as I lost hold of consciousness and slipped away.
Chapter Eighteen
“No! Stop! Sophie, put the girl down.”
Pausing, I blinked several times, trying to focus through the fog in my brain. I looked down, finding a beautiful woman in my arms, her head hanging lax, blonde curls cascading over my arm. Something was dripping on her face—drops of red. This wasn’t normal. Whatever was happening here was not normal. I tried to concentrate, but it was like my thoughts were unable to travel through the sludge of my brain.
“You must not kill her.” An extremely handsome man said to me as he stroked the side of my face.
“I need more,” I heard myself say. My own voice sounded alien to my ears.
The man shook his head. “If you take any more from her, she will surely die, my love.”
Spell Hell: An Undercover Witch (Witch's Brew Book 1) Page 12