Shaman - An Enchantress Novel Book 2

Chapter 20

Adie tossed and turned, her mind swimming through the quagmire of foggy pictures. The images slowly came into focus, but any sounds remained muffled. Callie aged five, chatting animatedly with Barbie, the dolls platinum-blonde hair a huge mass of tangles and dog slobber. Adie heard herself giggle as Callie waved a warning finger at the puppy, the owner of numerous tiny teeth marks that covered almost every toy strewn around the floor of their bedroom. 

Callie turned to her and smiled; her lips blood-stained and her elongated fangs clearly visible. The image faded before she could make sense of the vision. The next snapped swiftly in its place. With it, she felt the burning agony as a knife pierced Callie's stomach. She felt every inch of the blade as it sliced her sister open, recalling with vivid clarity the emptiness inside caused by the death of her twin. She then relived the joy of knowing that Callie lived, albeit not as she was.

Next, she saw Callie standing in a cave or a rock walled room, a lavishly furnished bedroom. She was studying a piece of paper with small pictures, seemingly lost in thought. Her head spun to the door as a snake-headed demon entered. Adie screamed a warning to her sister, but Callie smiled and enveloped the demon in a welcome hug. Confusion swamped her as Callie and Sam, Callie and a wolf, Callie and a lion, a puma, a demon, all flashed through her mind like a slideshow. Devon, the last image she glimpsed before everything crashed back into the crushing darkness.

Devon lay in a windowless room with his eyes closed and his arms crossed over his chest, looking immensely pleased with himself as he invaded Adie's dreams. His smile so wide the skin around his eyes crinkled and his molars were clearly visible. He bolted upright as he felt her mind stir, her consciousness regaining control.

Nicolas stepped forward from standing guard by the door when his sire suddenly awakened from his nap. "Sir, is everything okay?"

"Nicolas my dear boy, everything is perfect... Better than perfect in fact." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood.

"Sir, its only 3pm are you sure you want to get up? You normally sleep for at least another four hours."

"Just because I do not agree with the modern way of moving around in daylight does not mean I will not take advantage of being able to do so if it pleases me."

"Yes Sir, but you don't normally wake up until the sun sets."

He strode to the adjacent bathroom and dressed quickly, rummaging through the drawer of the dressing table when he re-emerged. "Where is my charm? I know I put it in here... Ah here it is. It looks like things are about to change. Besides I am eager to test our little witch again after she took the second mark."

"Yes Sir, but she still hasn't woken yet." Nicolas advised him, "It's been..." he glanced at his watch, making a quick calculation in his head, "thirty-eight hours. Sir."

"I am well aware of that. She is stirring and I've no doubt she'll be hungry, bring a tray to her room and tell her to meet me by the lake."  

Nicolas tapped lightly on Adie's bedroom door and entered without waiting for an invitation. Her gaze locked onto his paralyzing him, she pounced on him going straight for his throat. Blunt teeth nipped at his skin as her legs wrapped around his waist, clinging to his shoulders as she attempted to drink from him. She gnashed at his flesh finally tearing a chunk free and her prize flowed freely into her mouth. Suckling greedily, she drank her fill while his hips rocked against her in time with her swallows. He grunted with release, she sunk to the floor sated and full. The wound at his throat already healed.

Adie shook her head to clear the haze that had descended and looked at the man before her. She glimpsed her blood smeared face and semi naked body in the vanity behind him.

"Turn around." She ordered grabbing the robe from the end of the bed.

He robotically turned and stared at the wall as if mesmerized by the delicate floral pattern. She showered and dressed in the bathroom. Nicolas remained facing the wall until she returned.

Placing her hands on her hips, she studied him for several minutes, realizing that he seemed to be in a trance. She replayed the events in her mind and the realisation of what she had just done left her cringing in shame. Had she really just attacked him and drank from him like a vampire would? What was happening to her? And how could she stop him from telling Devon?

She checked his neck and found nothing there, no scaring or traces of blood. She returned to the place she stood when he entered hoping that telling him to remember nothing since he entered her room would work.

Nicolas drank in her near naked body with pleasure, blinked, and she was fully dressed. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. His imagination was getting the better of him since he saw her in a towel that first day.

"Devon would like to see you by the lake once you're finished eating," he said, smiling. "I can wait and walk down with you if you like?"

"Em... I think I can find my own way, thanks."

He looked crestfallen. "I'll see you later?" he asked, hopefilly.

"Eh, yeah sure." she replied, happy he appeared none the wiser of the incident, yet confused by his out of character, friendly attitude.

Devon stood at the end of the jetty gazing out over the lake. Bright sunlight hurt his eyes. He snapped his fingers at Kevin, who waited anxiously several feet behind him.

"Sunglasses," Devon demanded, holding his hand out.

"I didn't know you owned any, where are they and I'll go get them?"

Devon narrowed his already squinting eyes. "Give me yours."

Kevin took a quick glance around and spotted a young shifter sporting a nice pair, the lenses almost black. He whistled to get his attention and waved him over.

"Mr. Aston wants your sunglasses."

Anger with his progeny grew when Kevin hypnotized the young man into giving up his glasses.

"I said I wanted yours," Devon growled, refusing to take the offering.

"What does it matter if they're his or mine as long as they block out most of the sun?" Kevin challenged.

"It matters because I said to give me your glasses and you disobeyed a direct command." He sent a small pulse of power in Kevin's direction to reassert his position as master.

Kevin unwittingly answered it with a pulse of his own, making Devon stagger backwards from the unexpected force.

"How dare you challenge me!" Devon roared, creating an aura of power so intense it sent Kevin to his knees.

Kevin's mind was drowning under the weight of energy Devon sent directly at him. He staggered and fell to his knees, the pain his head so extreme he could feel the blood vessels pop. Blood flowed from his ears. Devon ripped his sunglasses from his face before releasing his mind. His nose connected with the wooden jetty.

"What the hell have you done to him?" Adie demanded, crouching to inspect the wounds.

"I have taught him a lesson. If he survives he will think twice about challenging me again."

Adie had a choice to make. She could heal the vampire and risk Devon discovering that she's a Shaman or, let the man who befriended and helped her die.