Callie - An Enchantress Novel - Book 1

Chapter 35

Callie froze. "What the hell, Sidney?" she exclaimed in shock at her friend's betrayal.

Sidney wept at Demetrious' feet and sent a silent plea into her mind, He knows about your bite. He was just about to kill Sam as a lesson to you for trying to trick him.

Callie looked Demetrious in the eye, shrugged and held her head high in defiance. "Okay fine, I lied. Can you honestly blame me for trying?"

He laughed as he rose from the floor. "I would have thought less of you for not." He turned his back on Callie so he faced Sidney.

Callie beckoned Sophia to her feet. "When I say go," she whispered, "you attack Carlos and keep him busy." Sophia inclined her head a fraction to indicate she understood.

"Now Sidney," he began, wagging his finger at her as if he were scolding a disobedient child. "No more games. This is your final chance to tell me or both of you will die in the most painful way possible."

"Yes Sir, I understand." She sniffled between her sobs. Callie, I see what you have planned, but play along with me for the moment. If this doesn't work, then you can go for it.

"Finally, someone with a bit of sense." He grinned. "Up off the floor then and do get on with it, I have a flight to catch."

"Sidney please!" Callie pleaded as Sidney kicked pieces of the broken coffee table out of the way while she helped Sam to his feet

"I'm sorry Callie, this is the only way to ensure our survival." She sat and crossed her legs. "We're not entirely sure how to control her." She held her hand up to stop Demetrious as he made a move to grab her. "Sam is the only one who can and we think it's because he..."

Sam shook his head, interrupting her. "No don't do it. Please Sidney, she's my soul mate. I can't live without her."

Demetrious backhanded him and sent him sprawling across the room again. He crashed into the television. This time he didn't get up. With his arm cradled to his side, Sam remained where he lay. He kept his gaze averted from Demetrious to give him the impression that he was injured and submissive.

Callie wait, Sidney interrupted Callie's thoughts of attack. "We think it's because he drank her blood when he turned her. It's the only thing that no-one else has been allowed to do because she's his soul mate," Sidney finished in a rush with a glance at Sam to see how injured he was.

Demetrious studied her for a moment before replying, "Hmm, strangely that makes a modicum of sense. I can see no harm in trying that. Carlos, hold her still."

Carlos stepped forward and grabbed Callie by the arm with the intention of spinning her around. Sophia pounced on him before he could force her to the ground. She took him by surprise and knocked the three of them over the back of the sofa. Callie's pink and white Sketcher sneakers kicked in the air for a brief moment before Sophia went sailing through the window, shards of glass and timber following her out. Carlos peered out after her and growled low in his throat.

Morag stood by the fireplace, clapping her hands in a deliberate show of tiresomeness for the delay. "Can we stop with the tedium and just get on with it?"

Callie struggled in Carlos's grip as he forced her to the floor in front of the floral-patterned sofa where Demetrious now sat. Demetrious twisted her hair around his fist in order to keep her head still. He struck without warning, his viciousness drawing an involuntary scream from Callie's lips while he drew deep from her vein for several seconds before the convulsions started.

Her head whipped to the side with the grip Demetrious had on her hair. The flesh at her throat tore open as he was flung backwards. Blood spewed from her wound, soaking both of them in seconds. The blur of a body crossed her limited vision and someone crashed into another by her side.

Carlos and Sidney wrestled on the floor; each landing punches and kicks to the other as they struggled for the upper hand. Both ended up outside through the already broken window.

"Well Morag." Sam stood up and brushed the dust and debris from his clothes. "It looks like it's you and me." Morag flew at him only to smash head-first into the wall when he sidestepped. She fell backwards onto her ass on the floor. Sam grabbed her by the hair and spun her head round so she looked at him. "You aren't the only one who can compel vamps you know." He stared deep into her eyes. "This stops now. You do as I say from now on. Failure to comply with this command will result in your death. Oh and while we're at an understanding, no more of the thunder and lightning, or the wind and rain everywhere you go. It's just irritating and completely unnecessary." Her eyes stared blankly into his. "Get up and go home Morag." He released his grip and let her fall to the floor.

Callie spat into her hand and rubbed the saliva onto her neck to close the wound. Sam turned his back on Morag, crossing to Callie to unwind her hair from Demetrious' grip and help her away from the convulsing body.

Sidney came to stand by the window with the shifter over her shoulder. Blood oozed freely from several wounds on her face and upper body. "Live donor needed?" she asked.

Callie called fire to her hand and sent it directly for Sidney's head. Duck! she broadcast at the last moment. The fireball coursed overhead and landed at the feet of two shifters who were heading for Sidney.

They stopped in their tracks. "We just want to take Carlos home. Thank you for breaking Demetrious' hold on us. If ever we can be of service, just call." He pulled a business card from his pocket and exchanged the card for Carlos. "Our pride is in your debt."

They bundled Carlos and a mesmerized Morag into the cars and sped off down the drive. Four bodies came crashing through the parlour door.

"Damn it we missed the fight," Ash proclaimed. "What the hell happened to him?" he added, pointing to Demetrious.

Everyone turned to look at where the body lay. The corpse had become a mass of melting blubber that soaked into the sofa.

"Want to move the sofa outside guys? That thing seriously stinks," Sidney said with her fingers pinching her nose. "On the plus side, we get a new sofa. That one was a tad girly and outdated."