by L.H. Cosway
22.
Rita stared up, seemingly stunned that her spell worked. Disbelief coloured her expression as she slowly walked toward the hole in the sky that she created. Finally, Theodore turned around to see what everybody was gawking at.
He put his hand out. It was curled into a fist except for the baby finger. He pointed it at the hole and gave a calm order, “Close.”
The hole didn’t close. He whipped back around to glare at us. Rita stood directly in front of him, and Theodore appeared to realise that she was the one responsible for the dimensional door. His cold eyes cut into her.
I watched the two of them in a standoff when it suddenly occurred to me—when I’d thought Theodore reminded me of someone, I couldn’t put my finger on who it was. Now I realised it was Rita. They had the same eyes, but while Rita’s held kindness and humanity, Theodore’s contained nothing but malevolence and concentrated dark magic.
Another memory sprang forth, of the time I’d been in Rita’s house and Alvie had confided in me, theorising that Rita was so good at magic because her unknown father might be a warlock. Or perhaps even a sorcerer? I shook my head at myself, shaking off the idea. It couldn’t be …
Theodore’s smile lacked warmth as he took Rita in. “I didn’t realise there was a budding young witch present.” There was tightness in his voice that told me he was quietly enraged. How dare a novice cast such a powerful spell against him? “Tell me, child, to which family do you belong?”
Rita folded her arms and gave a laugh. It sounded confident, but I was certain she was quaking in her boots deep down. She put up a good front. “I don’t belong to any of them, thank you very much. You snobs aren’t the only ones who can do magic, you know.”
Theodore was silent. He studied her for a prolonged moment.
“Well, isn’t that interesting,” he mused. He was about to say more when tendrils of dark mist began to lick out of the dimensional door, swirling around him like a shadow. The tendrils slithered about Theodore and his eyes went wide. He struggled against them, zapping one with a bolt of purple magic that shot directly from his hand. In his struggle, he released Delilah, and she ran over to the safety of the vampires. A rush of fear flooded me at the thought that he might actually be able to fight Rita’s spell. He threw all of his magic at the dark mist as it continued to pull him into the hole in the sky, impervious to his power.
Theodore refused to give up, struggling against the pull. Rita rushed forward and shocked everyone when she pushed Theodore into the hole. He fell but grabbed hold of her wrist just in time. Their eyes locked, and some kind of communication took place. I started forward, my instinct to save Rita in case Theodore pulled her into the hole with him. But somebody else got there just before me. Gabriel.
He looked powerful as his hands moved about him, casting a spell of his own. Suddenly the shadowy tendrils multiplied, ripping Theodore’s grip from Rita. Then the hole consumed him, and a moment later it disappeared completely. Theodore was gone. I emitted a breath of sheer relief. I wondered where exactly he’d end up. Was it literal hell? With fire and brimstone and eternal suffering?
Rita fell back into Gabriel’s arms, her breath coming out in rapid bursts. I thought she might be in shock. She’d almost fallen into the hole with Theodore. Then I thought of the split second when they’d stared into each other’s eyes. Had he said something to her? And if so, what? My theory about him being her father seemed farfetched, but then, didn’t it make sense that the only person who could defeat Theodore was his own daughter?
I brushed the thought aside. I had no proof, only a hunch.
A warm hand touched my shoulder, and I turned to find Ethan’s concerned face peering down at me. I was about to pull him into a hug when the stark realisation hit that he knew what I was now. I jerked away nervously. All of the vampires knew what I was.
“Don’t be frightened,” he pleaded.
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “Can you blame me?” Antonia, in particular, looked like she wanted to sink her fangs into me as soon as possible.
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, a look of consternation on his face as he shot his governess a warning glare. His expression said, touch her and die. At least he seemed willing to fight to protect me. Judging by how the vampires were still eyeing me with marked interest, I needed all the protection I could get.
I needed to get off this island, though, and fast.
Ethan slid his arm around me, pulling me tight to his body, his mouth hovering by my ear as he whispered, “I won’t allow anyone to touch you. You have my word.”
Strangely enough, I believed him. The trouble was, he was one vampire, and they were many.
I met his gaze, searching. “Don’t you want what they want?”
His eyes flickered back and forth between mine. “I want you safe. That’s all I want.”
So, he didn’t want my blood? That was … surprising. Then again, Ethan had always insisted he wanted to be my friend, an ally. Maybe he’d actually been telling the truth.
Ethan’s hand slid down to my hip, his fingers making contact with my bare skin where the dress was torn. “That’s really all you want?” I asked, a hitch in my voice. His touch was very distracting.
His mouth moved close to my ear again. “Not all. I’m also extremely interested in getting you out of this dress.” He gently squeezed my hip and my eyes widened, cheeks heating.
My throat went dry. “That sounds like an interesting proposition.”
He laughed throatily, and I clenched my thighs at the sound. What was I doing standing here letting him flirt with me? By all rights, I should be diving into the ice-cold water and swimming to shore before Antonia could sink her fangs into me just like she’d done to poor Matthew.
Ethan pulled me closer so that half of my body was flush against his. I looked deep into his eyes, feeling a pull to lean in and let him kiss me. Something in my gut told me he wanted to.
“Have I ever told that your eyes are quite marvellous?” he asked. “They’re as blue as the Mediterranean.”
“Oh.” I flushed. “Uh, thanks.”
He gave another laugh and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Compliments, Tegan. You need to learn how to take them.”
I was about to reply when one of the chairs from the big wheel came crashing down, landing just a few feet in front of us. Yikes! To my left, the merry-go-round disintegrated before our eyes until it was nothing but a pile of dust.
“This place is falling apart now that Theodore’s magic is no longer powering it,” said Gabriel. “We need to get out of here.” Ethan nodded, and without missing a beat, he scooped me up into his arms. Gabriel helped Rita to her feet as Ethan carried me to the boat, just barely dodging another falling chair.
I looked back over his shoulder just in time to see the mansion begin to crumble, the bricks disintegrating into nothing. Quickly, we all boarded the yacht. The engine started, and we sailed away from Ridley Island. I couldn’t say I was going to miss the place.
Ethan sat down on a bench, still holding me tight. It was cold, so I didn’t mind the possessive gesture. I sat on his lap, and he wrapped his arms around me, both of us looking at the island as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance. At that moment, I remembered Theodore’s party room with all of those people trapped inside. I startled and tried to stand, but Ethan pulled me back to him.
“What is it, Tegan?” he asked in concern.
I didn’t answer as I stared at the pile of dust that was once Theodore’s mansion. The people he’d trapped were gone, too, disintegrated to dust just like everything else that had been there. A sense of sadness filled me up as I mourned for the lives the sorcerer stole.
“Nothing,” I answered finally, falling tiredly back into his arms as a single tear fell down my cheek.
Ethan watched its descent, reaching out to wipe it away. “You’re sad?”
“Yes, but not because of you.”
He tilted his head, his eyes roaming my
face, focusing on my mouth. “I like having you close to me.” His hand moved to my outer thigh, causing tingles to spread through me. I looked away shyly and met Rita’s gaze. She’d clearly been watching us, and she looked concerned. I understood why. What she saw was a woman with True Power blood getting far too close to a vampire. A recipe for disaster if ever there was one.
Antonia, who was sitting on the other side of the yacht, eyed me closely, and I grew unnerved.
“You will bring her to my house once we get to shore,” Antonia said to Ethan. It sounded like an order. His hold on me tightened.
“I think Tegan would prefer to go to her own home and rest,” he replied, his voice resolute.
Antonia didn’t waver and fear coiled in my stomach. “You will bring her to my house, Ethan Cristescu,” she stated, her words broaching no argument. I anxiously scrambled to figure out a way to evade Antonia long enough to get out of Tribane and away from her.
I could see that Ethan was about to argue when I placed my hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I’ll go with her.” His face was a picture of confusion as I turned back to Antonia and bowed my head slightly. I moved out of Ethan’s hold and went to her, kneeling before her in supplication. I gazed at her, my eyes beseeching, and hoped my timid act worked. “Governess, would you mind if I made a brief trip to my apartment before I go with you. There are some things I would like to get, and I’d like the chance to wash off all of this dirt.” Something like a smirk graced her lips. She clearly thought I was a fool to go with her so easily, but that was fine. I needed her to underestimate me. While she was busy being smug, I plucked a stray white hair that had fallen onto her black coat, closing my fist over it tight.
“Very well,” she answered after thinking it over. “But Drusilla will go with you, and when you are done, she will escort you back to me.”
“Thank you,” I replied graciously, before getting up and going back over to sit with Ethan.
When we arrived at the shore, Ethan and Dru escorted me to my apartment in Ethan’s SUV. Ethan instructed Dru to wait in the car, but she insisted on coming up with us and keeping guard outside my door to make sure we didn’t try anything. Ethan agreed, but it was clear he was pissed when he reached my apartment and slammed my door in Dru’s face, making sure she didn’t follow us inside.
“You don’t need to be so rude to her,” I told him. “She’s only doing her job.”
Ethan stood in my tiny kitchen, hands fisted in agitation, his forehead furrowed. “Why are you doing this? Going with Antonia is a death sentence, and you know it.”
I came to stand in front of him, taking his hand into mine. “I’m not going with Antonia. I’m leaving Tribane. I just needed time to get my things. I’m still trying to figure out a way to get rid of Dru though.”
Ethan’s agitation immediately disappeared, and a smile shaped his handsome mouth. “Why didn’t you say so?” he beamed, lifting my hand to his mouth and pressing a kiss to my knuckles as his eyes met mine. “Where are we going?”
“We?” I asked in surprise. “You want to come with me?”
“Why not? Delilah can take care of the club while I’m away.”
Butterflies filled me at the thought, but at the same time my heart clenched in sadness. I pulled my hand from Ethan’s hold. “I don’t think you get it. I’m leaving Tribane for good. Not just for a holiday. I won’t be coming back. Ever.”
Ethan shook his head. “Antonia will not be governess for much longer, Tegan. Soon she’ll be overthrown and it will be safe for you to return.”
“It’s not just about Antonia. There are a whole bunch of vampires who know what I am now, and that information is only going to spread. I don’t think you get the enormity of my situation. I’m going to have to hide for the rest of my life.” Saying it out loud made the reality of what I faced come crashing down on me. “You might not be interested in me for what my blood can give you, but I can guarantee you that’s not the case for the rest of the vampires who were there tonight. They’ll all want a piece of me, and they won’t stop taking and taking until I’m dead.”
The same as what Theodore did to my mother.
Ethan pulled me into his arms. They were so warm and strong and protective. I wished I could stay in his embrace forever, but I couldn’t. I moved away and met his gaze. “I’m sorry, Ethan, but you can’t come with me. This is something I need to do alone. I need to get away from this world, a world to which you belong. If you come with me, then I’ll never escape it.”
He stared at me, a multitude of pain in his eyes because he knew what I said was the truth.
“I’m going to take a quick shower,” I said because I couldn’t stand there and look at him any longer. If I did, I’d only embarrass myself by crying or getting overly emotional. I hadn’t known him long, but our chance meeting at Hagen’s had upturned my entire life. Maybe we were always supposed to meet. Maybe it was destiny. But it was a short-lived destiny, and now I had to go.
I showered quickly, discarding the gown but keeping the diamond jewellery. If I was going on the run, then I’d need every bit of cash I could get, and hocking the bracelets and necklace would provide me with a tidy sum.
Thanks Theodore! I hope those hell flames aren’t singeing your backside, you evil prick.
Holding onto humour right now was the only thing that would keep me together. I dressed in jeans and a T-shirt before carefully folding Antonia’s strand of hair in a piece of tissue paper and placing it carefully in the side compartment of my bag. I’d need it later.
With everything sorted, I sat on my bed and considered my next move. I stared at the four walls that surrounded me. Perhaps it was for the best that I got away from this place. Far too many painful memories permeated in the air since I lost Matthew. He took his life in this apartment to escape Antonia’s predation. The stain of his death would always linger.
With a sigh of resignation, I placed my key on the bedside table, hitched my bag up onto my shoulder, and went out to face Ethan.
He watched me enter the room without expression, but I sensed his conflict. He didn’t want to let me go. The feeling was mutual because I was going to need nerves of steel to walk away from him, from the possibility of us.
I held his gaze and exhaled nervously. “Is there any way that you could, I don’t know, knock Dru out or something? It’s the only way I can think of getting out of here without her following us.”
Ethan nodded. “Leave it to me.” With that, he rose and went to the door. I heard him make small talk with Dru before everything went silent. Then he was dragging her unconscious body back inside my apartment.
“She’ll be out of action for a couple of hours,” Ethan said, leaving her lying on the sofa. “Come along, you need all the head start you can get.”
I wasn’t going to argue with that. We hurried down to his car. Ethan started the engine before looking to me for instruction. “Where do you want me to take you?”
“To the bus station,” I answered soberly.
Ethan eyed me now, a soft look in his eyes. “Do you need money?”
I shook my head, thinking of the diamonds tucked away in my bag. “No, I should be okay for a while.” A pause as I considered him. “How much longer will the blood connection between us last?”
“A month or two, but don’t worry. Wherever you end up, I won’t tell anyone where you are. You have my word.”
“Thank you. I’ve come to learn that your word can be trusted.”
Something about what I said caused a flicker of emotion to enter Ethan’s eyes. It meant something that I finally trusted him. A moment of quiet ensued before I spoke again, “Actually, I know this is a lot to ask, but could you bring me to Rita’s house first? There’s one last thing I need to ask her to do.”
“Does she live on the other side of the river?” Ethan asked, his brow furrowed.
“Yes, but I need to see her. Please, I’ll be eternally grateful.”
Ethan was silent a long mome
nt before he finally put the car in gear and moved off. “What’s her address?” he asked reluctantly. I reached out and hugged his neck. “Thank you,” I whispered, and some of his stiffness subsided. I knew he was taking a big chance driving me across the Hawthorn. I rattled out her address, and Ethan drove pensively. He seemed on high alert as he entered enemy territory on my behalf.
He remained in the car when we reached Rita’s house, scanning the street as I went and knocked on her door, praying she was home. Noreen answered and brought me into the living room where Rita was sprawled out on the couch. She wore a pair of pink wool pyjamas and matching fluffy slippers. I stifled a grin at how different she looked not wearing her usual gothic ensemble.
“What? I’ve had a long day,” she griped. “These are my comfiest PJs.”
“They do look terribly comfortable,” I said, my grin breaking through.
“I’ll leave you two to talk,” Noreen said, closing the door behind her.
I went to sit on the arm of the couch, my expression sobering. “Listen, I need you to do something for me.”
Rita raised an eyebrow as she sat up. “Have I not done enough for you yet? Because I think banishing a sorcerer to a hell dimension is quite a lot for a day’s work.”
I placed my hand on hers, my voice sincere. “You have done so much for me, Rita. You’re an incredible witch, but I do need one more favour.”
She sighed even as a smile tugged at her lips when I called her an incredible witch. “I guess one more can’t hurt. So, what do you want me to do this time?”
I pulled my bag up onto my lap and retrieved the piece of folded up tissue containing Antonia’s hair. “I need to know if there’s anything you can do with this.” I held it out to her.
“What is it?” she asked, opening the tissue to reveal the single strand of white hair.
“It’s hair,” I answered. “Antonia Herrington’s to be exact.”
She arched an eyebrow. “And what, pray tell, do you want me to do with it?”
I inhaled deeply, preparing my explanation.