Blood rushed into my mouth and I weakly swallowed as it sprayed. Instantly, the strength of her powers began to rush through me, feeding the rest of my body. As I grew stronger, I sucked harder, feeling her life force draining.
Her grasp on me faltered as she grew weaker, and I wrapped my arms around her without breaking our connection, grappling to change positions until I was holding her in my arms.
Sean and Milly breached the barrier and came running inside, but I knew they were too late. Raising my hand, I used my power to erect a force field around us. There was no way they were taking her from me. I continued to drink, feeling Portia grow weaker, still.
“It’s too late, Sean,” Milly said, grabbing Sean and pulling him out. “We need to seal them both in and see what happens. We can’t let them out.”
“I’ll kill you myself, you sick bastard!” Sean yelled at me. “I curse you and I curse the day I ever agreed to help you! I swear Vance, if you kill her I’ll cut you into so many tiny pieces that no one will ever be able to find you!”
I knew he meant every word, but I didn’t care. They sealed us back in, and when they were done, I dropped the shield around Portia and me. Wrapping both arms around her, I continued to feed, hungrily.
“I love you,” Portia spoke the words with labored effort, breaking through to my senses. “More than anything, please remember that.”
Satiated enough, I released her. Her blood was singing through my veins, racing to repair my every cell. Her powers mixed with mine, making me feel invincible. Strength rippled through me.
“Don’t leave me,” I said, shifting her in my arms as she flopped about like a rag doll.
“I’m too weak.” She could barely keep her eyes open.
“It’ll get better, I promise. Your blood will regenerate, and you’ll feel better.”
“And then what? You and I will feed off each other until we’re both demons?”
“As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters.” She had to know how much I still wanted her.
“I won’t live like that, Vance,” she replied, her voice sounding sad. “I let you drink from me, but I won’t drink from you. I won’t make the change.”
“You’d rather me make the change while you die and leave me here alone? After all you just did to save my life.” Confusion tore through me. Why would she do that? It didn’t make any sense.
“I’m sorry. It was the only thing I could do to save you. I needed to give them more time to find a cure for you.”
“I won’t let you leave me,” I replied forcefully, the arrogant side of me demanding compliance. “I’ll force you to drink if I have to.”
She closed her eyes and I could feel her slipping from me.
“Portia! Don’t you dare sleep now!” I yelled, shaking her roughly. I’d taken too much blood from her. She needed to drink from me so she could recover.
She opened her eyes.
“Listen to me, baby,” I spoke as I rocked her in my arms, running my hand over her hair in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. “It won’t be that bad. We can both make the change. We’ll be together, in every way. We can make love, just as we always wanted to. We’ll be strong and powerful. You’ll see. Please, baby, see what I’m saying.”
Pressing my lips to hers, I kissed her hard, hoping she would see, but she didn’t respond.
“I want to be with you, Portia. I want to make you mine in every sense of the word,” I whispered into her hair. “Come on, baby, today could be our day.”
Nothing. There was no response at all.
“Do you hear me, Portia?” I yelled. “Do you hear what I’m asking you to do?” There was no way I was going to let her go. She was mine. I had to have her.
Lethargically, she opened her eyes and placed her hands on either side of my head, slowly speaking.
“Vance Mangum, Blessed Be.
I give now, my heart to thee.
My soul is yours to bind and take,
My love for you will never shake.
I promise to always keep you pure,
And never into evil lure.
Let Heaven be our destiny,
I love you Vance, So Mote It Be.”
A strong light emanated from her hands as she spoke, tearing through me like liquid fire, feeling like it was melting everything inside me. I was powerless, frozen—wanting to scream aloud, but nothing could move. I couldn’t even breathe. Seconds ticked away, seeming like hours and I was certain of only one thing. She was going to kill me.
Her hands fell from my head, releasing me from the horror, and my first thought was that she was dead—I’d finally killed the girl I loved. Horror and guilt flooded through me.
Observing her carefully, I noticed her shallow breaths and the slow erratic beating of her heart. Gently, I placed her on the floor and moved as far away as I could.
Sean and Milly melted a hole in the barrier, rushing in to grab Portia and carry her out before sealing the wall again. This time I didn’t even try to stop them. Portia was the only thing that mattered. I deserved whatever I got.
Chapter Thirty
It took me a day to convince Sean and Milly that my transformation had somehow been halted. I wasn’t a raving lunatic, I calmly and patiently answering all their questions. It was obvious to everyone that Portia had healing powers, but no one knew exactly what that meant. Not one witch had ever been healed during a demon conversion before. It had been attempted, countless times throughout history, but failed every single time. My recovery was unprecedented and, because Portia was still unconscious, they weren’t able to ask her any questions.
“Don’t you even think about harming her,” Sean threatened, seizing me by the arm when he released me from the chamber.
I placed my hand on his, gripping it. “Sean, if I live to be a thousand, I’ll never be able to make up for what I put you through. I know that. But please know, regardless of what has transpired, I love your daughter more than ever. Her sacrifice to save me was a gift I will always cherish. My only desire is to see her recovered and healthy as well.”
His eyes locked on mine, and I hoped he could see the sincerity of my words. Finally, he released me, following me as I made my way directly to Milly’s guest bedroom where Portia lay oblivious to the world around her. I crawled onto the bed, wrapping my arms around her. It felt so good to hold her again.
Sean settled into the chair in the corner and pointed to the dresser. “We brought you a change of clothes and some shoes. The police delivered your motorcycle here when they were through checking it after the explosion.”
“Great. Thanks,” I replied, my heart heavy at the devastation that had taken place because of me. “How’s Shelly doing?”
He sighed. “Other than being horrified at her part in all this, she’s fine. Thankfully for her, she doesn’t remember most of it. As soon as you killed your mom, she was released from the spell. Luckily for her, the magic used to cause the explosion won’t be traceable back to her.” He shrugged. “And even if it was, I don’t think there would be many who would believe it.”
“Good. I’m glad she’s better. Hopefully she can repair things with Brad too.”
“She’s already been working on it, though I’m sure it will be difficult for her. Despite all that happened, it’s not in her nature to cause problems. She’s a very sweet girl, and I imagine this will haunt her for the rest of her life.”
Again, I felt at fault, seeing another person’s life damaged and altered by the evil that tainted mine. A moment of silence drifted between us as we ran out of things to say, neither of us wanting to talk about the elephant in the room.
“We need to finalize the plans for Marsha’s funeral,” he finally spoke, bringing up the subject I wished I could completely avoid.
Sorrow flooded through me, my eyes immediately misting over. Even though she’d been dead for days, I’d been totally unaware of her plight. Someone had ransacked our house and brutally murdered her. I had no doubt i
n my mind who was responsible, and it made me sick. She’d given her life trying to protect me.
“Spare no expense,” I muttered. “I want her to have the best send off imaginable.”
“We thought we were going to be having one for you as well,” Sean said, staring at me.
“I thought you were too,” I replied honestly, before glancing back to Portia’s sleeping face and stroking her hair away from it. “You would’ve been if it hadn’t been for her.”
“While I’m happy you’re doing better, I’m still upset with you about how things transpired.” He frowned at me and I snorted.
“I’m upset with how things transpired. I feel terrible about it.” I slid my hand down, grasping hers where it lay on the blanket between us and allowed my healing senses to filter through her, checking for damage. Her poor body was fatigued, exhausted.
“Sean? Can I speak with you for a minute?” Milly’s voice filtered down the hall.
“Do I need to have someone else come sit with you?” he asked, obviously leery to leave me alone with her.
I laughed wryly. “Do whatever you think you need to do, but I won’t hurt her, Sean. I swear it.” I waited until he left the room before I sent my healing warmth into her, sending a burst of magic to her struggling cells. Immediately, her body calmed and I could tell she rested easier, but she wasn’t ready to wake up.
Closing my eyes, I allowed my body to relax, falling asleep and entering her dream state, not surprised to find her dancing in her field of flowers. It was her safe place. Sneaking behind her, I snaked an arm around her waist.
“You did it, baby,” I whispered in her ear. “It’s going to be all right now. I promise.” It felt so good to talk to her like normal.
She turned around, staring wide-eyed at me.
“What did I do?” she asked innocently.
“You saved me. It worked!” Smiling widely, I couldn’t stop staring, wanting to drink in the sight of her.
“What worked?” She appeared totally confused, and I wondered if she even remembered any of it.
“The binding spell, the healer’s magic. All of it.” Laughing, I hugged her tightly.
“Healer’s magic?” she questioned.
“You’ve proven to be a very powerful healer witch.” I couldn’t believe she didn’t remember.
“Then why am I still sleeping?” she asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.
“You still need to rest for a while. Your body was very depleted.” I leaned down, nuzzling my face into the crook of her neck, sighing. “I’m sorry about that.” Her pulse rang in my ears, the sound of her blood calling out sharply to me.
No! This couldn’t be happening. She’d cured me. I didn’t need to drink from her. Immediately, I released her, moving far away from her.
“Vance?” she exclaimed. “Vance! Where are you?”
Moving further way, I felt the tremors beginning to start. They were different than they were earlier, but I was still too scared to be next to her. I would keep my word. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her—no matter what it cost me.
“I’m leaving you for a while, baby,” I said apologetically, wanting to weep at the decision I was making.
“What? No! Don’t go!” I knew she couldn’t see me, but she ran in the direction of my voice. “Don’t leave me!”
“I have to—just for a little while. I’ll see you again someday, though. I promise! I love you!”
Pulling from the dream, I bolted from the bed as if I were being scalded. I had to get away from her. Quickly grabbing the clothing items Sean had brought for me, I stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the steaming water. I climbed in, my muscles spasming as the water cascaded over me. Leaning against the wall, I sucked in a breath, trying desperately to control myself. It took a while, but eventually my hunger pangs subsided.
I left as soon as I was dressed, not telling Sean or Milly where I was going. Driving straight to my house, I found it was still blocked off with police tape, marking it as a crime scene. I didn’t care. Using my powers, I entered carefully, not wanting to disturb anything.
Swallowing against the sob in my throat when I saw the blood spatter, I turned away and hurried to my room, finding it completely empty of all my belongings. There was nothing here. I couldn’t bear to see anymore; so I left, heading to Portia’s instead.
No one was home, but I made my way inside anyway, going to where I’d kept my things while I was here. I grabbed a few clothing items and was stuffing them back into my duffle bag, when my eyes lit on the camera Portia had given me.
An hour later, I was sitting outside the one-hour photo, looking at dozens of pictures of the two of us romping together, happily through the forest. A smile crossed my face, making me long to be back enjoying that day with her, before everything had gone bad. Hunger pangs tore through me again, causing me to groan as I fought against them.
Pulling a picture of her laughing, happy face from the stack, I set it to the side and finished composing the letter I’d been writing while I was waiting.
“Portia,
I’m breaking my word by even writing this letter. Please don’t hold it against me.
First of all, I ask your forgiveness for all the heartache I've caused. I can’t even imagine what I must’ve put you through. Thanks for believing in me and not giving up. It means more to me than you’ll ever know.
I assume it's been explained, by now, that you're a healer witch. Without the gift of your blood, and power, I’d most certainly have lost my life in this battle. Your mom said you wanted a miracle, and you got it. A healer witch has never before been able to heal someone in demon transition. As usual, you've proven your powers far exceed what anyone ever thought they would.
It was the words of our binding spell that finally brought sanity back to me. Thank you for helping me remember.
Second, as I’m sure you've noticed, I'm no longer there. I cannot, and will not, let you live a life where something like this could happen again. I'm going to go find my father and finish this once and for all. If I’m successful, I’ll return as fast as I can. If I’m not, then please know I love you more than anything in this world, and I will be waiting for you to join me in the next.
Please live your life and be happy. I hope to see you again, soon!
My Heart Will Always Be Yours,
Vance
Carefully, I placed the letter and pictures in an envelope, writing her name on the outside. I had no idea what had happened to my cell phone, so I walked to the payphone and dropped the money in, dialing Shelly’s number.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Hey, Shelly. It’s Vance.”
There was a moment of silence. “Please don’t hate me,” she pleaded.
“I don’t hate you. I know it wasn’t your fault. We’ve all been subjected to some pretty traumatic things lately.”
“I don’t know how to make it up to you.” Her voice sounded sorrowful.
“You can come meet me. I need your help with something.”
“Where at?” she asked, and I gave her the address. “I’m sitting at one of the outdoor tables.”
She arrived shortly, approaching cautiously, so I smiled at her and she visibly relaxed. I was happy to see she looked like her old self again, and I realized, now, my spell to reveal her true colors had actually worked. She had still been the same inside, so there was nothing new to show. The spell she was placed under had caused her to act the way she did. Her heart had never changed.
I held out the envelope to her. “I need you to give this to Portia for me when she wakes up.”
She eyed it warily as she accepted it. “Why can’t you give it to her?”
“I need to take care of some things and I don’t want her to worry when she wakes and I’m not there.” The truth was, I didn’t trust myself to touch her again. I couldn’t risk biting her.
“How long will you be gone?” Shelly asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.” I s
truggled not to tremble in front of her as more pain shot through me. Surely, I was simply going through blood withdrawals.
“Well, I hope it won’t be long.”
“Me too,” I replied. “Please take care of her.”
Walking past her, I got on my bike and headed out of town, each mile I drove causing me more pain than the last. I felt like my heart was shattering into a million pieces, but there was no way I could go back.
Journal Entry:
So much has happened. I don’t even know where to begin. I only know I have to find the answers and protect her—even if it’s from me. I won’t fail her again.
It’s time to stop running. It’s time to face him head on. Hold on tight, Dad, because now I’m coming after you.
About the Author:
Lacey Weatherford is the USA Today bestselling author of the popular young adult paranormal romance series, Of Witches and Warlocks, and contemporary series, Chase Walker, and Crush. She has always had a love of books and wanted to become a writer ever since reading her first Nancy Drew novel at the age of eight.
Lacey resides in the beautiful White Mountains of Arizona. She lives with her wonderful husband and children along with their dog, Sophie, and cat, Minx. When she’s not out supporting one of her kids at their sporting/music events, she spends her time reading, writing, and visiting with readers on her social media accounts.
Visit Lacey’s Official Website:
http://www.laceyweatherfordbooks.com
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Lacey Weatherford
Lacey Weatherford - Author
Other books by
Lacey Weatherford
Of Witches and Warlocks series:
The Trouble with Spells
The Demon Kiss
Blood of the White Witch
The Dark Rising
Possession of Souls
Chasing Nikki series:
Chasing Nikki
Finding Chase
Crush Series:
Crush