Paranormally Yours: A Boxed Set

by Alisha Basso

  “A spell?” asked Jan.

  “A prayer,” said Belinda. She turned to the vampire. “You could have killed her.”

  His voice filled with regret, he said, “I know. I shouldn’t have let myself come near her. I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Your vampire and human sides are warring against each other, Nikolas Petrou. If you don’t retrieve your soul soon, it will be too late,” said Belinda.

  “Does everyone know about me now?”

  Jan said, “Just Tessa and us. You know, I just want to stake you right now.”

  “I want to stake myself, believe me. But if I can get my soul back, I won’t have to deal with my dark side. Right?”

  “According to everything I’ve read, that’s true,” agreed Belinda.

  “What am I going to do about Tessa? How can I go searching for my soul with her and trust myself not to hurt her? Or worse.”

  Belinda looked at Tessa, cradled in Jan’s arms. It was obvious Tessa’s heartbeat was back to normal by the look of relief on Jan’s face. “You can’t hurt her. You can’t even touch her. Jan and I have built a protective barrier around her. You felt it yourself. As long as you’re without a soul, you can do her no harm.”

  “And with a soul, I wouldn’t do her harm.”

  “Not physically, maybe. Anyway, it’s imperative that you go to Isla de las Almas as soon as Tessa is strong enough. Because of your limitations, you can’t go by airplane. You can travel only at night. That’s going to slow you down, but it can’t be helped. We’re taking Tessa with us tonight. Here’s my number. Call me when you are ready to go tomorrow night.”

  He looked at the card she had handed him, then looked back up at the witch. “I really am sorry about what happened tonight. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up.” He shuddered visibly.

  “That’s over and done. I can’t say how Tessa will feel about it in the morning, but I’m sure she’ll still be on board with this trip. She loves you, you know.”

  He lowered his eyes. “Yes, I know.”

  “Break her heart, and I’ll kill you,” said the witch.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tessa woke up slowly, her head feeling foggy and her body lethargic. She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, confused at first, but then realizing she was in the guest bedroom at Belinda’s house. She still wasn’t sure what she was doing there, but at least she knew she was safe. The door opened, and Jan walked in, carrying a steaming cup of coffee.

  “Oh, that smells so good!” said Tessa, sitting up and reaching out for the cup.

  “I thought you might enjoy it,” said Jan with a smile.

  “Jan…what am I doing here? I can’t remember anything about what happened last night.”

  “Belinda put a little forgetting spell on you. It’s temporary, but she thought it might help in case you woke up during the night and were in distress.”

  Tessa frowned. “Why would I be in distress?”

  “Drink your coffee and take a shower. I went to your apartment and got you some clothes; they’re on the chair over there. Then come into the kitchen with Belinda and me, and we’ll talk.”

  “When will I remember what happened?”

  “Belinda said you would remember about thirty minutes after you wake up.”

  “Why don’t you just tell me?”

  “It would be hard to explain…and believe. Now take your shower, and I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  After her shower, Tessa felt a little better both mentally and physically, but she still wasn’t up to par. She brushed her wet hair with the brush Jan had brought from her apartment, and when she was finally ready, she went into the kitchen and got a refill on her coffee before sitting down with Jan and Belinda.

  “Do you remember anything yet?” asked Belinda.

  “No, but I know I went to see Nik. It’s all fuzzy after that.”

  “It will come to you soon,” the witch assured her.

  The three women sat and drank their coffee for a few minutes before Tessa’s eyes suddenly widened. If she hadn’t been sitting down, she would have fallen to the floor. She put her face in her hands and groaned.

  “Everything’s okay, Tessa,” assured Belinda.

  Tessa looked at her. “How can things be fine? Nik almost killed me, didn’t he?”

  “Yes, but you’re safe now,” said Belinda.

  “How can I be safe? I was going to go with him to find his soul. Now I’m scared to be around him!”

  Jan said, “We put a barrier around you. It will keep out any vampire that comes near you. Nikolas can’t touch you.”

  Tessa looked down at herself, perplexed, and then looked back at Jan. “I can’t see anything. I don’t feel any different. Are you sure it works?”

  “Yes, it works. We saw it firsthand,” said Jan.

  “You guys were there?”

  “We got there just in time. We knew you were going to try to see Nik last night, and something just wasn’t feeling right to me,” explained Belinda. “This thing just kept nagging at my brain, so I called Jan, and we both went to Nik’s house.”

  “And what did you find when you got there? All I can remember is Nik biting me and it feeling so….” Tessa blushed.

  “The bite of a vampire is pleasurable. You don’t have to be embarrassed by that. By the time we got there, you had already passed out. We built the barrier around you, and Nik couldn’t touch you after that. It burned him, and he had to let go of you.”

  Tessa shuddered. “I don’t know what to think or feel. I thought I loved Nik, but if he could do this to me….”

  Belinda put her hand on Tessa’s arm. “Tessa, he couldn’t help himself. The longer he’s without a soul, the stronger the dark side gets. He’s almost at the point where the vampire side is going to take over completely. That’s why it’s important to get his soul as quickly as possible. I told Nik he needs to be ready to leave tonight.”

  “I don’t know if I can see him after what happened.”

  “You have to, Tessa. Or he will be completely a vampire with no conscience, and he will come after you. He won’t be able to help it. Do you want to be on the run from a vampire all your life, or until he kills you?”

  Tessa sighed in resignation. “No, of course not. I just feel so…I don’t know.”

  “That’s understandable. But you’re strong and you’ll be able to do this,” said Belinda.

  “If he took so much blood and almost killed me, why am I almost recovered?”

  “I said a prayer. God listened.”

  Tessa smiled at her. “Thank you, Belinda. You and Jan saved my life.”

  ***

  Nikolas was pacing again, his face thunderous with rage. But the rage was aimed at himself. It was almost time to leave to pick up Tessa for their journey, but he didn’t want to see her. And he couldn’t believe she would want to see him. When he thought back to the night before, his blood boiled. He was almost ready to stake himself or step out into the sunshine. Anything to protect Tessa. He would do anything to keep her safe. He just hoped the witches’ spell would keep her safe from him.

  Nik flopped down into the chair, exhausted from the emotional turmoil he was going through. How could he face Tessa after what happened? Would he be able to even look at her? Would she be able to look at him without showing her disgust? He picked up the long, flat, velvet box that was resting on the table beside the chair. He opened it up and touched the garnets that Tessa had admired in the store window. Would she even accept a gift from him? He shook his head sadly, and set the box down.

  He walked over to the table that had been splintered during his fight with Marianna. He picked up a particularly sharp piece of wood and hefted it in his hand. It would be so easy. All he had to do was put the point against his heart and give it a shove. He was strong enough to make the wood penetrate all the way through to the other side. He could even give it a twist for good measure. Nik placed the po
int against his chest. He pushed just a little and felt the point bite into his skin through his shirt. Could he do it? There was only one way to find out….

  “What will that accomplish, Nik?”

  He whirled around and saw Tessa’s friend, Jan, standing in the doorway to his library. She began walking toward him, and he stepped back just a bit. Even Jan wouldn’t be safe around him.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I put a temporary barrier around myself before coming here.”

  “Why are you here?” he asked.

  “Belinda told me to come pick you up. She said there was no reason for you to leave your car at her house. We all need to talk before you and Tessa leave for Isla de las Almas.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t go,” he said.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to let a soulless vampire run around stalking my best friend. You have to get your soul back. Otherwise, I’ll have to stake you myself.”

  Nik held out the piece of wood. “Be my guest.”

  “As much as I would like to solve our problems the easy way, Tessa would never forgive me. I know she loves you, and I’m not going to break her heart if I can prevent it. So you just need to come with me and let’s get this trip started.”

  Nik looked into her eyes, but she didn’t waver. There was no fear in this woman. He began to feel a new admiration for Tessa’s best friend. He couldn’t have hand-picked a better friend and protector for the woman he loved. And he really did love her.

  “Lead the way,” he said, picking up the velvet box as he followed Jan.

  ***

  Tessa felt her body tense when she heard the front door open. Her face felt flushed, and she felt like throwing up. She didn’t want to see Nik, didn’t want to face him after what had happened. The wound was still too raw, and it wasn’t the physical wound she was thinking of.

  She didn’t look up as she heard his footsteps on the hardwood floor. There was a long silence in the room as the four occupants all searched for words. Nik was the first one to break the silence.

  “Tessa…I don’t know what to say. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for what happened.”

  She finally looked up at him, and what she saw in his eyes caused her stomach to twist into knots. The look of pure agony in those dark orbs was almost more than she could bear to see. But was his regret enough to put back together the pieces of her heart? They stared at each other for minutes, the two witches staying silent, waiting for them to work things out. Tessa finally spoke.

  “Nik, I can’t pretend what you did was okay. I can forgive you, maybe, but I can’t just erase it from my mind. Do you understand that?”

  “Yes, I do understand. I don’t expect you to forget it; I just wanted you to know that I regret it more than I can say. If you want to give up this trip, I’ll understand.”

  “What, so you can turn into an evil vampire and come after me?”

  “Maybe I’m already an evil vampire, Tessa,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

  “No, not yet. But it’s coming. We have to get your soul back, or you’ll be lost forever.”

  “You could always stake me, you know,” he said softly.

  Tessa felt her heart fill with anguish at the thought. “Nik, no. That’s not an option.”

  “I found him just about to do that very thing to himself,” said Jan.

  Tessa looked at him in alarm. “Why would you do such a thing?”

  “Do you have to ask? I just want you to be safe.”

  Belinda cut in. “Look, we can go on about this all night, but we need to get a move on. Daylight will come all too soon, and Nik has to be protected when that happens. I’ve arranged for your travel already, so all you have to do is pack. Do you both have your passports?”

  They both nodded. Tessa stole a look in Nik’s direction, and she could see he was still tense. She didn’t know what to do to reassure him that things were okay. Because really they weren’t, were they? The man she was falling in love with had tried to kill her. There was nothing okay about that.

  “I just had a thought,” said Nikolas. “If you can do a protection spell for Tessa that wards off vampires, why can’t you do a spell like that to keep her safe from the Keeper of the Souls?”

  Belinda shook her head. “We know nothing about the Keeper. We can’t do a protection spell unless we know something about the person or creature she’s in danger from. There are no references that reveal anything about the Keeper except how dangerous he is. We don’t even know what he looks like. There are no pictures of him…or it.”

  “So we’re pretty much going in blind,” said Nik.

  “I’m afraid so. I don’t know whether or not Tessa told you about the challenges, but there are three. And there’s no hint as to what those are. In other words, the two of you will have no idea what to expect in that cave.”

  “Is there anything you can do to give us even a little protection?” asked Tessa.

  “I’m sorry,” said Belinda, “but I just don’t know much about any of this.”

  “Thank you for all your help, Belinda,” said Tessa. “Every little bit counts.”

  “Are you two ready?” asked the witch.

  “As I’ll ever be,” said Tessa as Nik nodded. “By the way, how are we going?”

  “By ship.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Belinda drove Nik and Tessa to the nearby port, Jan in the front with her, Nik and Tessa in the back, sitting as far away from each other as possible. The faint crackle of magical energy surrounded Tessa, and Nik eyed her warily, not wanting to be burned by the barrier again. He needn’t have worried, though, because Tessa didn’t seem to want to touch him anyway.

  When they arrived, there was no luggage to stow, since all each of them had brought was a backpack. After Belinda conferred briefly with Nik about the island, they waved goodbye to Belinda and Jan, and made their way across the gangplank. The ship was smaller than most cruise ships, and Tessa suspected Belinda knew the captain of the ship. Their passports were given only a cursory glance as they boarded. They were shown to their cabins, and Tessa noticed the porthole in Nik’s cabin had been blacked out with dark paint. Apparently, Belinda really did know the captain.

  When Tessa got settled in her cabin, she lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. What had she gotten herself into? The impact of what she was doing was just now starting to hit her, and she felt a little sick. This mission was going to be extremely dangerous, and she was just a lowly museum worker. How was she possibly going to pull this off? Even with Nik’s help, the likelihood of her survival wasn’t great. She began to shake with the fear that she had held off until now. Alone in her cabin, she was forced to face the reality of what was happening. She began to feel faint, so she got up and splashed water on her face. She felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack, and she feared being alone. Making a decision, she walked on shaky legs to Nik’s cabin and knocked on his door.

  When the door opened, Tessa stood there, speechless. What was she going to say? But she didn’t have to worry because Nik just stepped aside and let her enter. He didn’t even question why she was there.

  “Do you want a drink?” he asked, gesturing to the small bar set up in the cabin.

  She nodded gratefully, and when he poured her a shot of brandy, she gulped it down like it was water. He raised his eyebrows but poured her another. She sipped this one more slowly.

  “Having second thoughts?” he asked her.

  “No, it’s just…I guess it’s just now hitting me how dangerous this is going to be. We were rushing to get this done, and I hadn’t really had time to think about it.”

  “It’s not too late to turn back.”

  “Yes, it is. I can’t go back. I have to do this,” she said.

  “I don’t have the words to thank you for it,” he said, his voice breaking just a little.

  “You don’t have to say anything. There really isn’t anything to say.”

  He looked at her, his dark
eyes unreadable. “There are many things to say, Tessa. So many things I want to say, but I don’t know if I should. If we get through this….”

  “When we get through this, Nik.When, not if.”

  “Okay, when. I know the time isn’t right, but just in case we don’t make it….” He pulled out the jewelry box from the dresser drawer and handed it to her.

  “What’s this?” she said, bewildered.

  “Just open it.”

  She slowly opened the velvet box and gasped when she saw what was inside. It was the garnet jewelry set she had seen in the store window.

  “Nik, I don’t know what to say! It’s beautiful. Thank you so much!” She reached out toward him, but the magic sparked and crackled, and she drew her hand back.

  “I see it’s still working,” said Nik dryly.

  “I almost wish it wasn’t,” whispered Tessa.

  Shocked, Nik stared at her. Tessa held his gaze, not wavering, not looking away. She wanted so badly for him to hold her. She was scared, but not of Nik right now. She was scared of what they had to do. All she wanted was just a little comfort, but the barrier prevented her from getting closer than two feet from him. Yes, he had tried to kill her, but he hadn’t meant to. He couldn’t help himself. This Nik, the one she was with right now, was no threat. Or at least, she didn’t feel as if he was.

  Tessa set the jewelry box down on the dresser almost reverently. “The jewelry means a lot to me, Nik. It gives me something to look forward to wearing when this is all over.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” he said with a smile. “Do you want to stay here tonight? Obviously, I can’t touch you, so you’ll be safe.”

  Tessa breathed a sigh of relief. “Could I? I so do not want to be alone right now.”

  “Of course you can stay. Just stay on your side of the bed. I don’t want to wake up with second or third degree burns.”

  She grinned at him and felt herself relax. Just being around him made her feel safe. Which was ironic, wasn’t it? It must be the barrier that made her relax around him. The truth was, she really did feel sheltered from harm right now. It wasn’t long before she dozed off and slept like a baby.