by Martha Woods
Kristian came down the hallway towards her, sword in hand.
“Go!” he yelled.
She ran past him, up to the second floor.
Tessa took a left and dodged into a bedroom. She slammed the door behind her. She heard scraping on the other side of the door, so loud it hurt her ears. Was the witch using her fingernails? The sound was like a bone being drawn against a chalkboard. The rooms on this floor had connecting doors, and she ran through several before finally stumbling through the last one.
Just as she reached it, she heard a blood curdling scream from the floor below.
She was met in the last room by Jared. “One down,” he muttered as he passed her. Tessa looked over her shoulder to see him swinging his own sword at a snarling witch.
When Tessa reached the third floor, she paused. There was an unnerving quiet. She pressed her back against the wall, raising her blade. She could do this, she could do this, the words repeating over and over in her head like a mantra.
And then she heard glass breaking again.
The witch came in through a bedroom window. Tessa kicked the door closed as the thing came at her. There was a sound like wind rushing forward, and then heat. Tessa watched in horror as the door disintegrated into flames. The witch emerged from the fire, black eyes fixed on her prey. Tessa fell to the floor, lifting an arm to protect herself against the flame.
“Incoming!” Ally screamed.
The witch bent close to her, only inches away. Tessa flattened herself against the wall just as Ally’s blade separated the creature’s head from her shoulders. Tessa felt the air of the blade’s movement. A lock of her hair fell to the floor.
“That was close!” Tessa screamed.
“You’re welcome,” Ally spat. “Get your ass up.”
Only one more, Tessa thought.
Veronica and Ryan waited in the attic, along with Charley. She had been freed from the chair and was waiting with her sword like the rest having been convinced that the witches were well and truly trying to kill her via vampires. The four of them were the last holdouts. The rest were all on the lower floors, fighting. The hope was that there were enough vampires to hold the witches off. The numbers were clearly stacked against the witches, but when fireballs were added the numbers got a bit hazy.
“I know you’re supposed to be on our side for the moment, but stay away from me,” Tessa hissed.
“Gladly,” Charley’s eyes narrowed.
Screaming and fighting was still audible from the floors below. Tessa closed her eyes and reached out to hear thoughts.
“How many of the Calder did you see?” Veronica asked.
“Four in all. I think two are dead.”
“They sent four?” Charley sighed. “Shit.”
“How is Kristian?” Veronica asked breathlessly.
There was a loud knock on the door. A masculine voice called Veronica’s name. She ran to the door, opened it, and launched herself into Morgan’s arms.
Kristian was still nowhere to be found. The sounds of fighting and scraping came from the first floor. Tessa darted forward without thinking. She flew down the stairs, following the cacophony of thoughts.
Kristian was staggering, the witches staying just out of the reach of his blade as they threw balls of fire at him. He was slowing down. The last ball nearly caught him in the leg. Tessa surged into the fray before anyone realized she was there, swinging her machete.
The witch’s head rolled to the floor with a wet thump. The other witch turned to Tessa, hissing from between her sharp teeth. Tessa’s breath caught in her throat. She froze to the spot.
The barely registered the flash of Kristian’s sword arching through the air before the second head met the floor.
As the witch’s body followed suit, Kristian stared at her with wide eyes.
“You saved me,” he whispered.
Tessa didn’t know what to say. It had all been gut instinct driving her. She didn’t know where Kristian was. She didn’t wait for anyone to tell her. She simply had to act. And, for that, she was grateful. Without words, she dropped her machete and flung herself into his arms.
* * *
“It’s a good damn thing our kind heal quickly,” Ally said. “How are you?”
Tessa and Ally stood on the back deck of the house, watching the grim bonfire on the beach below. The remains of the Calders were being piled up along with wood and bits of destroyed furniture. The sun was starting to come up, coloring the horizon in blue and red.
“I’m okay,” Tessa said. She was still shivering, but she told herself it was only because of the sea breeze. She had gone inside and retrieved her pashmina, a bit of comfort. Her fingers tugged at the edges of it.
“Are you going to be sticking around?” Ally asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Tessa lied.
Ally shrugged. “It would be a shame if you didn’t. We could use a gifted witch killer like yourself.”
Ally smirked and winked at her. She freaking winked.
Just that quickly, she was gone. Vampire speed was still something Tessa had not gotten used to. She turned her attention back to the beach. Morgan and Veronica were holding hands. Everyone had made it through the fight alive, if not unharmed. Even Charley was among them. The demon stood apart from the others, unsure of herself. Ally had admitted that she was a problem she had not figured out how to deal with, but it seemed that for the time being the demon was angry enough with the witches to fight on their side. Hopefully, in time she would loosen up and share what she knew on the Calder.
Kristian must have felt Tessa’s gaze on him. He looked up. Their eyes met and locked. Feeling a warmth spread through her, she turned away and went back into the house.
* * *
The first floor sustained the worst of the damage—singed furniture, busted windows, blood splattered on the living room walls. The basement apartment was untouched. No one would have ever guessed at the carnage which took place one floor above by looking around the suite of rooms.
She would miss it. This was the first real home she had lived in since she was a teen. It was the place where she experienced the first real love she had known since long before that.
Love. She bit her lip. She didn’t like to even think that word. It had been something which she had almost given up on completely.
She went in the bathroom. Her hair was a mess. She needed a good, hot bath. But she was so exhausted that it took all her energy just to brush her hair and wipe a cool cloth across her face. All through the fight, she had held herself together despite the fact that she was terrified. She held onto the counter to keep from falling when her knees buckled.
Tessa couldn’t be sure how long she stood there, half bent over the sink, head down, crying.
Until a pair of strong arms slipped around her.
Kristian didn’t say a word. Instead, he pulled her against his chest and held her. He let her cry against his shoulder, leaving a damp spot on his shirt. He held her and rocked her gently. He rained kisses on her face—her forehead, her eyelids, her flushed cheeks—and ran his hands up and down her back, soothing her.
“Tell me you won’t leave,” his whisper begged. “Darling, please.”
Tessa looked into his emerald green eyes and saw a depth of pain that shouldn’t be possible for a man whose heart no longer beat. This beautiful, complicated man was prepared to sacrifice his life to protect her. How could she turn away from the pleading in his eyes? He didn’t wait for her answer. Instead, he kissed her mouth.
He tasted like fire and soot, the ashes of their enemies. His cool lips parted against her own, drawing her tongue against his. He was bitter and sweet, his touch demanding her response. He stepped back from her, looking her in the eye.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you too,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I won’t go.”
Kristian took her in his arms again, steering her back towards the bedroom. She felt her knees touch the back of the
mattress, and then he was on top of her. His hands were everywhere, exploring every part of her that almost left his life. He pulled off her top, discarded her bra. His mouth sought the comfort of her neck and her breasts, where he kissed and sucked her. Tessa sighed, reaching to pull him closer to that sweet spot.
He got off the bed, quickly shedding his clothing. She sat looking up at him, and he smiled, running his cool, smooth hand over her cheek. The flecks of gold in his green eyes shined.
And then he was on her again. This time, she straddled him, bracing herself against his strong shoulders as she rode him. He sat up with her in his arms, one hand against the side of her neck, and bit her.
He had bitten her before. Usually, it was one gentle bite, and then he licked the blood away with his tongue, like drops of ice cream from a cone. This time, he drank from her as though she were the fountain of youth and he were a dying man. For a moment, she felt her head spin, and there was nothing but mindless animal pleasure, his fangs piercing her neck as his manhood moved inside her.
Kristian let go of her neck, licking her wound to heal the place where he penetrated her. He put her back down on the bed and he laid her on her side. She enjoyed every bit of his body, which he gave her again and again…
* * *
When Tessa woke, she was aware of the emptiness of the bed. Smiling, she stretched and got up. The scent of food called to her from the kitchen.
“You didn’t have to cook,” she feigned surprise. “But thank you.”
“You’ve had nothing since yesterday,” Kristian said, pushing a plate towards her. “Eat.”
He’d made her a full breakfast: cheese omelet, toast, and sausage. She took a bite of the meal and groaned. “Damn. That’s good.”
Kristian shrugged. “You need to keep your strength up.”
He took his travel mug from the refrigerator and took a long sip. They took their meal together in companionable silence. When she was done, he looked up at her with a serious expression. “We never finished our talk from before,” he said.
“If you want me to tell you this story,” she said, “you should probably get comfortable. Is it too early for wine?”
“Never,” he said, and grabbed a bottle from the cabinet.
Tessa sat down on the couch with her legs folded beneath her. Kristian sat across from her. As she began to speak, she felt his attention on her, his eyes on hers.
“There’s a lot to my own life I don’t understand. I don’t know why there are so many years of my childhood which I can’t remember. And it’s not like I had the money or the inclination to get therapy to find out. It occurred to me that maybe something traumatic happened before my parents died, but it doesn’t really make sense. I went through a lot of awful things when I lived with the Forresters, and I remember every moment of it. I have read that people react differently to bad things. And that sometimes people who forget large chunks of their memory never remember all of it.
“When I finally got old enough to leave, I was happy. I didn’t need much to live on. And you’re right, I did keep moving because I was a minor and I didn’t want anyone to know. I was a truant, after all. That alone was enough to get my ass busted. I didn’t think the Forresters cared enough to make a big deal about me being gone, but I knew child services would find out at some point, and then the authorities would do whatever they were supposed to when it came to a runaway teen.
“The plan was to get a part-time job that would give me money on paper as soon as I was eighteen and save up for an apartment. A cheap studio would have been fine. And of course, I would continue to tell fortunes. It was a scam, but it was money, and I wasn’t ashamed of it. I figured it was their loss for being stupid enough to fall for the game.”
Tessa paused, trying to gauge his reaction. He nodded to urge her to continue.
“Here’s the thing. I know it’s not exactly normal that I can read minds, but until recently, I never believed in the occult. To me, mind reading was just a fucked-up glitch. Maybe I use some portion of my brain other people don’t. But whatever.
“My eighteenth birthday came and went. I had a waitress job, and I was living in Florida at the time. It was a little backwater town not many people came through, and I found an apartment easily enough. It was small enough that people also knew I told fortunes. At that time I would invite people into my home for the readings as long as they didn’t look questionable. A lot of the people there were older, and I didn’t feel weird about inviting them up. You find the ones who have some pain behind them, a dead spouse, an argument with a child, something, and you reinforce what it is they want to hear. Give them some comfort, and they shell out the cash. I know it sounds horribly callous, but you wanted honesty.”
* * *
“There’s nothing you’ve done that would shock me,” Kristian replied. “Or make me not want to be with you.”
Tessa licked her lips.
“There was a woman. She had this long, silver hair, and I think on the day I met her, she had it in a ponytail down her back. She came up to the apartment for a reading. I noticed there was a presence about her, something different. She sat down across from me, and I remember a chill passed through me. For the first time, I heard nothing. I’ve never come across anyone who could block me from reading them.
“She smiled at me, and her eyes turned black. And then I heard a stream of thoughts. She was asking me about my life. And she told me that I didn’t know who I really was because I didn’t want to, but there was a way for me to know who I was. She called me a traitor. I got up and told that bitch she had to leave. She laughed at me, and she said we would meet again.”
“Did you?” Kristian asked.
“Not exactly. I still have nightmares about her every now and again. And she’s usually carrying a red book with my name on it. Once she gives sit to me, I can’t be rid of it. I shouldn’t be terrified of a book, but I am. Freaky, right?”
“I’ve heard stranger things,” he replied. “Though not anything this strange from a human.”
Tessa smiled. “You know how to make a girl feel better,” she teased. “Anyway, I packed up and I left town that night. I got on the road and never looked back. I made a practice of never staying in any one town for more than a few weeks. I frequented street fairs and any other local gatherings. I’d show up once or twice and be on my way again. Every once in a while, if I stayed in one place long enough, I would hear locals telling stories about vampires and shapeshifters, and other supernatural things. It scared me. So I just kept moving.”
* * *
“Do you think the woman with the silver hair has been behind you all of this time?”
“I don’t know,” Tessa said. “Do you think she’s a Calder?”
“Possibly. There are many things that have black eyes, not only witches,” Kristian said. “All sorts of demons and other creatures do. She could be a shapeshifter. Either way, she might be in league with the Calder. Or maybe she enlisted them to kill you. I’m curious that she didn’t harm you when she was alone in your apartment. Relieved she didn’t,” Kristian said, reaching out to touch her if only to reassure himself she was still there. “You may not have had a belief in the occult at that time but you did exactly the right thing—run and not look back.”
“Would the Calder do that? Take a job from someone else?”
“The Calder don’t do anything that doesn’t directly serve their purposes. They were on the move maybe a week or so before you and I met. Veronica and I had already been in contact with Ally about them. They’d happily take on a contract from someone else if they believed it would help them kill a few vampires in the process.”
“Shit,” Tessa sighed.
“It’s something we’ll have to find out.”
Tessa shrugged. “I’m not sure I want to know.”
* * *
The next few days were spent handling the massive repairs needed for the house. Kristian cleaned the blood spatter from the walls himself before all
owing anyone to come out to complete the other work. They didn’t need to raise more alarm than needed. Every window on the bottom floor was gone. The vampires had done a good job of putting out several fires before they spread, but there were still spots of charred flooring or walls. One bedroom was missing its door, which had been reduced to ashes. Tessa noticed some strange stares and whispers between the workmen. She laughed. Did they think the house was occupied by a bunch of rowdy partiers? That was the most tame reasoning she could think up to explain the widespread damage.
Though all of the other guards left the morning after the four witches were killed, Morgan remained. He claimed he was sticking around for a bit to make sure there was no other threat. Morgan and Kristian were both in daily contact with Ally by phone. She informed them that the track had gone cold for her and the other trackers under her employ. It was like nothing she’d seen before. Usually, there were some rumblings in the underworld about the movement of the Calder, but so far, there was nothing. Charley had been working with her to turn over other demons, but so far, no luck.
One week after the attack, everything in the house had been repaired. New security systems were installed, and the house was protected with new warding spells. Tessa and Kristian sat together with Veronica and Morgan. The fire was roaring. The vampires drank their evening blood, while Tessa had a glass of red wine. She smiled to herself. It reminded her of being at the dinner table as a kid, drinking apple cider on New Year’s while the adults had champagne.
A memory, she thought. A childhood memory I didn’t have before.
“We can expect the Calder will want comeuppance for their four sisters who were killed. It might not be today or tomorrow. They are known for striking when one least expects it,” Morgan said. “This was an embarrassing defeat for them. I can’t remember the last time anyone killed four Calder during an attack. I’m sure they are off licking their wounds and plotting their revenge.”