Megan screamed again, drowning out his thoughts and cutting off his voice. She convulsed a little, wiggling around on the frigid stone floor and she reached out, gripping onto his pant leg. Eric, stop! she shouted through the bond, her voice echoing through his mind.
He vaguely heard Mitchell and Luke, trying to coach her. Their voices seemed to float around him, staying just out of reach of his ears. Tears streaked down Megan’s cheeks in a flood, and he hastily bent over, brushing them away with his thumb.
Eric dropped to his knees beside her, pulling Megan into his arms. She screamed again, and he squeezed her tighter, as he fought against his brain, trying to convince himself that this was okay. It was her choice. If she didn’t want …
Suddenly, Megan’s magic flared, and she shot a blast of bright, white-hot magic at him, hitting him square in the chest. Eric shot back, sliding across the stone, too stunned, too hurt, to try and absorb the magic into himself.
He gasped and snarled, as he stared down at his chest, and bit back the pain-filled holler that was fighting its way up his throat. His T-shirt was smoking, and there was a hole burnt in the center. He stared down, until his blistered skin began to heal, and his shirt stopped smoking, before he was able to pull his eyes away from it.
“You burned me,” he said, as Megan pulled herself to her feet. He felt hot and cold and sick. Sick from hurting her, and sick that she’d hurt him back.
“You wouldn’t stop,” she countered with a shrug, as if to say he deserved it, and Eric figured she was probably right. “I wasn’t ready for that.” She shifted her gaze to Mitchell then and said, “I completely understand why Millie almost killed you for using the bond. You’re right. We’ve got to fix this.”
Megan started brushing at her pants, and straightening her clothes, and as she did, the room fell silent. Eric stared at her back, and he was sure he was looking at Megan as if he’d never met her before, but right then, that’s exactly how he felt. It was as if she was a complete stranger.
“What the hell was that about?” Erin asked, as she swatted at Lucy, who was cowering behind her, and clutching at her. Lucy squealed a little, but stayed safely hidden behind Erin.
“She doesn’t want to be changed,” Eric said, rolling up to his feet. “She doesn’t want to stay with me.” Even as he said it out loud, he couldn’t believe it.
“Like I said, you don’t understand,” Megan said. Her face was an emotionless mask, but her aura was black as pitch. She sucked in a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. Eric thought she would show him something, but there wasn’t a single stitch of emotion in her eyes as she glared at him.
“Do you guys need a minute?” Mitchell asked. His voice was strained, and raspy, and he looked like crap. He should be in bed; Eric knew that, but he couldn’t bring himself to send Mitchell away. It was selfish, and Eric felt awful about it, but he needed Mitchell now more than he ever had before.
Eric was about to say yes, not because he wanted time with Megan, but because he really needed to talk to Mitchell, when Megan snapped, “No. It’s not important now. Let’s go again.”
“Meg,” Eric said pleadingly. She might not need a minute, but he sure as hell did. He needed more than a minute. It was as if everything he’d thought, everything he’d believed in, had suddenly blown up in his face, leaving him lost and confused and utterly empty. He’d already lost her once, and no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t wrap his head around how she could want to leave him again.
“Not now, Eric. We’ve found something that will work, so use it.” And before he could get his head together, she threw her painful thoughts back in his face, and her screams ruptured again, bouncing off the stone walls.
CHAPTER 12
Another scream reverberated through the house, and Amelia nearly jumped out of her skin. It had been deathly quiet as she hastily dressed and strained her senses, looking for the threat; the only sounds she’d heard for the last few minutes were that of her own steady breathing, whistling through her ears, and the soft drip, splat, drip of water. She had begun to think she’d imagined the first scream, figuring she was just on edge while talking with one of the spirits, and her overactive mind had gotten away from her, but this time she was certain it was real. It was a painful sound, verging on bloodcurdling, and she didn’t know where it was coming from.
I’m going to die, Megan’s hysterical voice shrieked through her mind.
For a split second, Amelia’s heart stopped beating and she couldn’t breathe. Panic gripped at her throat, cinching it like a noose and closing off her air pipe. A violent shudder spread along her back, jolting her spine straighter, and tensing her already taut muscles.
Where are you? Who’s hurting you? Amelia sent back in a frantic rush, and she raced out of her bedroom, trying to follow the sounds of Megan’s gasps and screams. She was sure Megan was in the house, but the sounds were distorted, muffled, and it was hard to pinpoint exactly where they were coming from.
Amel… Megan started, but then she screamed again, projecting it through their link. The screams screeched through Amelia, rattling her brain, and piercing her eardrums. It came at her from every direction, from inside and out.
She skidded to a stop and spun in circles, trying to pin down where Megan was. The screams and shrieks felt like an echo as Megan pushed it through their link, and it hit her ears at the same time. It was as if it was coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Amelia’s heart raced painfully fast as she tried to focus. Megan started throwing images at her in a frenzied rush. Eric standing over her, eyes narrowed and lips pulled tight. Mitchell watching her as she dropped to her knees. Luke and Lola standing beside him, doing nothing to help. Erin and Lucy … they were cowering at the bottom of a rough looking stone staircase, trembling, and Lucy was clutching her ears.
The dungeon. Amelia ran as fast as she could through the house until she reached the door that sat slightly ajar. She bolted down the steps, in a blur of motion, hardly feeling the cool stone beneath her feet. A rage-filled snarl erupted from her lungs, and she lunged at Eric.
Amelia was on him before he registered her presence. She grabbed the collar of his shirt, her sharp fingernails digging and tearing into his flesh, and she ripped him away from Megan, flinging him across the room.
Eric landed on his butt and grunted. His blazing eyes were livid as they raked over Amelia. His jaw twitched, but his fangs slowly retracted. He didn’t get up. He just sat there glaring as Megan’s screams broke into gasping breaths.
“What the hell, Eric?” Amelia yelled. Energy surged around her, and her veins warmed as sparks of magic skittered across her skin like flint striking a stone. All around her, the air was littered with thousands of light flares, like lit match tips, as her power grew with her rage. She stalked towards Eric until she was looming over him, casting him in a shadow of crimson light.
“We were practicing,” Eric said, slightly irritated, rolling back to his feet, and dusting off his clothes. There was a crispy looking hole in his shirt, and Amelia wondered exactly how long they had been practicing. She noticed the slight shimmer on the edges and was certain that the hole was from magic.
“Practicing for what?” she snarled. White-hot anger hit her again and her eyes washed red. Her magic flared brighter, swirling in a dark red glow all around her. She felt her fangs slide into place, and she saw Eric’s eyes widen, stunned. He backed up a quick few steps, and put his hands up in surrender, but didn’t say a word.
Amelia heard Mitchell curse under his breath. “Amelia,” he started. She spun on him. He was giving her a look, one that clearly told her that she needed to calm down and that she was overreacting. He started towards her, with his hand outstretched, a gesture for her to take it, but she didn’t move an inch.
“Don’t even try it,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. “What the hell is wrong with you guys?” Amelia didn’t know for certain how many times she had asked that question during
the last two weeks, but it was beginning to feel like a daily occurrence. It was as if all of them had gone completely crazy. One minute they wanted her to bite Mitchell, the next they let Eric inflict excruciating pain on Megan. And each one of them was looking at her as if she was the insane one.
Mitchell dropped his hand and glared right back at her, as if this—whatever this was—was completely normal. And for a moment as he glared at her, Amelia felt like a ticking time bomb. Her magic sparked and flared brighter and brighter, like flames doused in gas. It was as if she had harnessed a blazing fire and it was just waiting to burn everything around her. She gritted her teeth, fighting against the power that threatened to consume her, and went over to Megan.
“You okay, Meg?” Amelia asked, as she stretched out a hand to help her up.
“Um, yeah, sorry.” Megan took Amelia’s hand, and let Amelia haul her to her feet. “I didn’t mean to freak you out. It was just a bit intense that time around.” She shook out her arms, and rolled her neck a few times before nodding towards Eric. “I’m good to go again, Eric, whenever you’re ready.”
“I swear, Eric, if you hurt her again, I’ll burn you up,” Amelia hissed, never taking her eyes from Megan. She was sure she was looking at her cousin as if she were nuts, but then, as far as Amelia was concerned, willingly feeling that kind of pain was insane.
Out of the corner of her eye, Amelia saw Lola take a step towards her. She didn’t make it more than a step before Luke grabbed her, wrapping an arm around her waist, holding her back. Erin and Lucy both moved towards him, as if they were preparing to duck behind him, and Amelia’s magic flared again, burning along her skin.
Amelia sucked in a deep breath, and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to rein in the power. She felt as if she was on the verge of exploding. She could feel the vampire within her, the demon, feeding her magic, adding its own power to it, stoking the inferno hotter and hotter. She knew she should go to Mitchell. She needed his touch to calm the onslaught of power, but right then the thought of touching him after he stood by and let this happen made her feel a little queasy.
She didn’t understand what was happening, or how Eric was even doing this to Megan. Why would he do it? It made no sense. Eric just didn’t do this kind of thing. She was about to demand an explanation when a clammy hand caressed her shoulder, and Mitchell’s hot breath puffed against her cheek as he said, “Amelia, we need to find a solution for the bond. Since you refuse to bite me, they are the only ones that can test it. She’s only trying to do what your mother told you we were supposed to do.”
“Mitch, just shut up!” Amelia growled, opening her eyes and glowering up at him. She stepped away from his soothing touch and her magic sparked hotter. “Seriously, I can’t deal with this crap. Not right now.” Not after taking a shower with one of the spirits. Not when she knew she only had three days, even if she didn’t have a clue what that actually meant. Listen to your lover, girl, the spirit’s words played through her mind again. But how the hell was she supposed to listen to him when he was doing stupid crap like this?
“I’m trying to find a way to get rid of the pain,” Megan said softly, as if she was scared Amelia would fly off the deep end if she spoke in a normal voice, and Amelia had to admit, she was close to it.
Amelia stepped towards Mitchell, ready to give in and let him calm her magic before she burned them all. She reached out to take his hand, but he took a step back, clasping his hands behind his back. “I don’t care what you’re trying to do,” Amelia said to Megan. She was shocked at how calm her voice was, not betraying her nerves or the blinding anger that was pumping through her veins. She locked eyes with Mitchell, arching a questioning brow, and said, “Eric, I’m not joking. I’ll …” Amelia reached out to Mitchell again, and he shook his head from side to side.
“You’ll what?” Eric said, cutting her off, and pulling her gaze to him. He tossed his hands in the air. “Kill me? Burn my skin?” He stalked towards her, not in the least bit put off by the flares of light that were shooting from her skin in random and unfocused bolts. “I’m pretty sure that I’m the only one here that you wouldn’t actually do that to.” He stopped directly in front of her, and reached out, tilting her chin up, forcing her to look at him. He grinned, a half grin, and winked at her. “You love me too much.”
Amelia smacked his hand away. She may love him, but there was no way in hell she’d just stand by and let him hurt Megan. “You want to test your theory, go ahead,” she growled, stepping back and waving her hand towards her cousin. “Go ahead and try it.”
Amelia pulled on her magic, summoning it to the palm of her hand in a fiery ball of light, and Eric’s smile vanished. He growled at her, a deep and menacing sound that came from the back of his throat, and he moved closer, so close that their noses almost touched. His fangs snapped down and his eyes flared in a silent challenge, and Amelia laughed, a cold, cruel sound.
“Amelia, stop it!” Lola shouted. “Dammit, Luke! Let go of me.” From the corner of her eye, Amelia saw Lola struggle uselessly against Luke’s arms as she shrieked, “Mitchell, do something!”
Amelia ignored Lola, and let her fury take over. Her fangs slid into place, slowly and deadly, and the blazing ball in the palm of her hand doubled in size, as she fed more and more magic to it. She snarled a warning at Eric, and he snarled right back at her.
“Enough!” Mitchell roared. Amelia jumped at the sound of his voice. Even if his throat was raw and his voice hoarse, she’d have known that tone anywhere. It was his I’m the boss voice, the one that always made her cringe a little on the inside. He squeezed in between Eric and her, and Amelia noticed that he was careful not to touch her, pushing Eric back and wedging in between them. “What has gotten into you two?”
“Mitch, I …” she started, her magic sputtered and spitted, dying down to a soft red glow, as he promptly cut her off.
“Don’t,” he said, fixing his heated glare on her and raising a hand in warning. “I don’t want to hear why you think that it’s okay to threaten your best friend, Amelia. I’ve been telling you for two weeks now that we need to figure out how to stop the pain and you’ve refused to listen to me. Well, news flash, it’s not just me that could suffer. People, my people, are suffering because of this bond. I may not be a vampire anymore, I may not be the strongest being in this house, but I am still the oldest, and it is still my house and my town. If you’re not going to help me figure this out, then I have to go to someone who will.”
Amelia’s jaw dropped—literally. It wasn’t so much from Mitchell’s harsh words. Yes, they hurt, but that wasn’t why her mouth was hanging open. It was from the tone, and the way he was looking at her. He was … back. Mitchell, strong, in control Mitchell was back, well, almost. Her heart fluttered unexpectedly, and her cheeks flushed. She looked at him, taking in his strength, and his silent command, and warmth pooled in her belly. If it wasn’t for that odor. The bitter, toe curling infectious odor, right then, she would have thought he was better.
“Mitch,” she said a little hesitantly, not wanting to push him, but knowing she couldn’t just stand by and watch what he was doing. “This needs to stop now, and we have to talk.” She dropped her gaze and took in a few deep breaths before she could meet his eyes again. “I just had a shower with the water spirit.”
“You what?” he said in a lethal tone. His body stiffened, and his eyes hardened further, as he clenched his jaw.
“Wait,” she blurted, and out of habit, she hopped back a step, a little unnerved by the dangerous look she saw on his face. There were a few gasps and someone chuckled, most likely Eric, but Amelia kept her focus on Mitchell. “That really didn’t sound right. What I meant was that the water spirit dropped in on me while I was in the shower.” As soon as it was out of her mouth, she realized that it didn’t sound much better than her first try.
Mitchell glared at her, his jaw was twitching, and his hands clenched at his sides. His neck slowly reddened, as a furious flush crept up.
Amelia watched him take breath after breath, as he fought to keep his anger under control, and as he did, she figured it was an old habit. There was nothing, well, at least nothing physical, that he could do to hurt her. Not now. Not as a human, but he still fought to keep himself from exploding. But even though she knew all that, the look in his eyes still made her shrink, just a little. It was so full of pain and anger, mixed with heart numbing betrayal, that it almost masked the sickness that hung around the edges, and in that moment, Amelia could almost forget that he was dying.
“Guys,” Angelle said, breaking through the uncomfortable silence that had fallen on them. Amelia swiveled, as Angelle came down the stairs. Her eyes were puffy and veined red as if she’d been crying. “Um, I just wanted to tell you guys, that Ty, he’s … he’s gone.” She glanced around then, a stunned look on her face as if she had just noticed where she was. She took them all in, and her face screwed up with a confused looking frown. “Why are you guys in the dungeon?”
CHAPTER 13
Hazy smoke filled the air in swirls of scarlet. Amelia’s skin was on fire. She could almost smell the putrid stench of her flesh burning. Her magic coated her, glowing and pulsing, and no matter what she tried, she just couldn’t soothe it.
Mitchell wouldn’t help either. When they had emerged from the dungeon and gathered in the kitchen around the island, he’d made a clear point to sit out of touching distance. But right then, Amelia needed his calming touch. She didn’t think he was mad at her. He seemed annoyed, but not mad. She was pretty sure he was trying to prove something to her, but with her magic racing through her body, hot as flames, she couldn’t concentrate on what he was trying to teach her.
And from what Amelia could tell, the rest of her family was in on it. They all ignored the flame-like magic, and the rancid burning odor, as if everything was normal, while they discussed Tyler’s mark.