Shaman - An Enchantress Novel Book 2

Chapter 22

Adie paced her room. She was tired, her mind working overtime had refused to let her rest. Wearing a track in the recently vacuumed carpet, she paced back and forth, the events of the evening prominent in her thoughts.

"What the hell happened to Devon out there?" she mused. "Kevin fought back, which is a good thing because it means Devon's lost control of him. Devon was out in the sun, something I've never seen him do before, so maybe that's why. But then again, he probably has a charm like Callie, Sam, Kevin and the others... maybe the charm's wearing off? No can't be that. Sam, as far as I know, has had his for centuries. That only leaves me. Did I somehow manage to drain his life force? Take from him what he wanted to take from me?" She flopped down on the bed and flung her arm over her eyes. "I need to find out more about the mark and how it works." She decided. "If I'm able to draw on his energy for healing, maybe I can take it at other times too. But I need to find out if it'll affect me in anyway; I'm already showing signs of a vampire nature." 

Light knocking broke her train of thought.

"Adie?" Nicolas half whispered through the closed door. "Are you okay? Can I come in?"

"Sure, why not." She called back, thinking, I'm surprised you didn't just walk on in like you normally do.

"Can you open the door then?"

She swung her legs off the bed and made her way to the door. She didn't remember locking it and there was no key on her side. "I would if I knew where the key was."

"Damn," Nicolas swore. "One of the guys must have taken it with them. I'll be back when I find it."

"I'll be here. It's not like I can go anywhere," she muttered, going back to bed.

Darkness had fallen by the time Nicolas shook her awake. "Hey sleepy head, I brought you some dinner."

"Great," she replied, sleepily. "I'm absolutely starving." She sat up so he could place the tray on her lap. "Is there any news on Kevin?"

"Vince has him locked in the cells at the moment until Devon recovers enough to decide what he's doing with him."

"But he's okay?"

"He's conscious and he'll recover completely if he feeds."

"What do you mean if?"

"Vince has taken command while Devon recovers and won't let him."

"Why the hell not?" She tore a strip of steak and stuffed it in her mouth.

He shrugged.

"How come I was locked in?" She asked after devouring half the steak on her plate.

"Vince's orders, he doesn't like the idea of you running around unchecked."

"That asshole, if I wanted to run away I'd climb out the window!" Angry, she pushed the tray aside none to gently, making the half-empty glass topple and smash against the plate. The plate flew across the room to shatter against the wall, sending shards in a cascade of white shrapnel. "Argh! Where the hell does he get off locking me up like a criminal?"

Drawing several deep breaths, she tried to calm the rage that seemed to spiralling out of control. Something was wrong with her emotions. Everything appeared heightened beyond reason.

Nicolas clasped her hand in his and began rubbing his thumb across the back of it. "Just think of something pleasant, something that makes you feel happy. Concentrate on that and it will pass."

"What the hell is wrong with me?"

"Devon's ill and he's been feeding excessively from you. This is probably a bit of surplus. Give it a moment for him to take it."

The feather pillow behind her exploded, creating a blizzard of downy feathers to snow on them. Nicolas' head quickly became covered in it. A small feather landed on his nose making him snort in an attempt to move it. The stubborn little thing refused to budge until he sneezed, making the rest of the downy snow slide in an avalanche from his head.

The sight started a fit of giggles in Adie. Her rage immediately faded. She pulled her knees up to her chest and asked, "Can I ask you something?" He nodded. "If I wanted to find out about vampire marks and maybe something about a shaman, where would I go to get it?"

"At a guess, any Shaman business you should be able to find the shaman's home in the caves. As for the vampire marks, I know a little, but only what I've seen Devon do with you and what he's told me about it."

"What's he told you?"

"Probably nothing you don't already know." Adie gave him the same puppy dog eyes that always made Callie confess her deepest secrets. He laughed. "The first mark lets him tap into your power and gives him a more intense aura, which other vamps can feel. You benefit by being harder for him to control or mind roll. The second mark lets him feed from you from a distance and he can talk to you in your dreams. You benefit by being harder to injure."

"Wait back up a bit, he told me all that would happen with the first mark. Are you telling me he gave me a second one?"

"You didn't know? ...I could have sworn he said he gave it to you. Are you sure? You'd see lights or something."

"The other night there were two purple lights, like... eyes that just appeared from nowhere and came at me. He was in my dream this morning too... That bastard, he gave me the second mark!"

"But it's had benefits too right? Like you're faster and stronger, and he mentioned your being more powerful too."

"Yeah there have been side effects alright. And not all for the better either," she breathed vehemently. "I need to go to the Shaman's caves."

She leapt from the bed and put her old sneakers on.

Nicolas stepped back a couple of paces out of the way. "Whoa, right now?" he asked.

"No time like the present. Devon is out of it, and seeing as its dark out, we can be out of here without anyone seeing us."

"We?"

"Yup, you're taking me to the caves because I've no idea where we, or they, are," Adie clarified.

"They're about twenty kilometres from here, but there's no way we can make that on foot tonight."

"Then we'll take a car or something. Come on." She looked into his eyes. "You want to come with me, don't you." She said as a statement not a question.

He blinked, compelled. "Of course I do. What are we waiting for? I'll bring the car around to the back of the house. You go out the window and meet me there in ten minutes."