Paranormally Yours: A Boxed Set

by Alisha Basso

  Not knowing what to do with herself, Tessa ventured outside, hoping to find something, anything, interesting to keep her busy. She saw some people gathered around a larger hut, and she started that way. It was probably going to be a bad idea, but she didn’t want to be alone. When she got closer, she realized it was a bar of sorts. Some people were standing; others were sitting on the ground on top of thatch that was scattered around. A man was mixing drinks at a long table where several kinds of liquors were lined up like soldiers. Most of the bottles were unfamiliar to her with labels she couldn’t read. Hesitantly, she approached the table.

  “Um…what drink do you recommend?”

  Showing dazzling white teeth, the black man said, “I have something special just for you.”

  “Just for me? You don’t know me.”

  He laughed. “I mean for you because this is your first time here. I’ve never seen you here before. Are you here alone?”

  “No, my…friend is here somewhere. So what drink are you making for me?”

  “Just a nice blend of black rum and fruit juices. We have fruits here that grow nowhere else, not even in Bermuda,” he said, still smiling widely.

  “Why do the fruits grow only here?” she asked warily.

  “Magic,” he said with a wink.

  Tessa looked at the drink he had made for her. She hesitated for just a moment, wondering if she should drink it. Then she thought about being alone and decided to take a chance. She took the large wooden cup from him and peered inside. The aroma coming from the drink was lovely. She asked him how much she owed him, but he waved her off and turned to the next customer. She noticed no one else was paying, either. How strange.

  She found an empty spot to sit down, and she crossed her legs as she settled in. Bringing the cup to her lips, she took a tentative sip. Pure bliss! She drank the rest of the concoction as she turned to converse with the others sitting around her. She didn’t have a care in the world.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Wake up!”

  Tessa tried to push the voice away. She didn’t want to wake up. She was perfectly happy in her dream where she was married to Nikolas and living in a big white Victorian with a couple of children running around. She wanted to stay here. But then she felt the toe of a shoe poke her, not so gently, in the ribs.

  “Get up, Tessa!”

  She slowly opened her eyes and glanced up at the man who had taken her out of her dream of paradise. “What?”

  Rough hands grabbed her arms and pulled her up into a sitting position. Then she was hauled up to her feet. She jerked her arms away and stepped back.

  “Nik?”

  “Let’s go,” he said roughly.

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her along until they got to the hut. Then he pushed her inside, following close behind her. Angry, she pulled her hand out of his grasp.

  “Why are you being so mean?”

  “Mean? I find you lying on the ground, drunk, and you ask me that question?”

  “I wasn’t drunk. I only had one drink, I promise.”

  “Not drunk? Then how can you explain being passed out on the ground after everyone else was gone?”

  “What time is it?” she asked.

  “It’s almost dawn. I told you I would be back. What were you thinking?”

  Tessa said defensively, “I was lonely. I just wanted to find some people to hang out with for awhile. I only had one drink, Nik.”

  “Apparently, drinks around here pack a powerful punch. The bartender probably did it on purpose for fun. The others were probably laughing at you while you lay there.”

  Tessa hung her head. “I’m sorry, Nik. I just didn’t want to be alone.”

  “But I need you to be at your best tonight! I just hope a good day’s sleep will refresh you enough to be alert. You’re still pretty groggy right now.”

  Tessa looked back up at him, and she could see he was very angry, the violence just under the surface. She was suddenly afraid.

  “Nik, why don’t you just go ahead and sleep? I’ll lie down here on the mat and sleep, too. Everything will be okay when we wake up tonight.”

  He took a step toward her, his eyes smoldering. She could see his baser nature coming through, and it didn’t look like he was trying very hard to fight it.

  “Stop, Nik,” she said, backing up. “Think about what you’re doing. Fight the dark side.”

  He laughed. “No, I don’t think I will. I’ve fought long enough. It’s time to do what I want to do.”

  “But we’re so close, Nik! We’ll be getting your soul in just a few hours. Surely you can hold on until then!”

  “I don’t think I want to hold on. Soon, I won’t be able to do this anymore. So maybe I just want one last fling. Come on, Tessa, it’ll be fun.”

  He was still advancing on her, and she backed up until she ran into the coffin that was against the wall. She had nowhere to go. His grin was almost maniacal as he came closer. And a part of her wanted him to take her. To bite her savagely, and suck her blood until just before the point of death. Because now she knew how it could be, how it could feel. But would he be able to stop before he killed her? Her baser nature warred with the sensible part of her. Id and superego fought to take over her ego. And still he advanced, sending thrills of fear and anticipation through her. He grabbed her and pulled her roughly against his hard body, but there was no kiss. His mouth went immediately to the side of her neck and bit down hard. She struggled briefly, her logical mind making a last ditch effort to control the situation, but in his arms, she yielded. This time, the pleasure was different, raw and animalistic, terrifying in its intensity. She felt his fangs inside her, drawing, pulling, and she clung to him as if he were her lifeline, although he might really be the death of her. She moaned as she felt her blood flowing from her body into his. The niggling fear in her brain started coming to the surface as she started feeling weak and lethargic. There was something she should do, but she couldn’t remember what it was. The fear grew until the pleasure started turning into something more, something frightening. She started to struggle, realizing she had almost let him drain her. She pushed and pushed, but she was no match for his strength. She whimpered in panic, trying with all her might to shove him away, but it was no use. Even at full strength, she couldn’t overpower him. As weakened as she was, she couldn’t even budge him. Just as she had resigned herself to her own death, something happened. She saw a curl of smoke come up behind Nik, and he suddenly let go of her and screamed. The back of his neck seemed to be on fire, and Tessa rushed to the table, grabbed the pitcher of water, and threw it on him at the same time he dove into the coffin. Tessa grabbed the lid and closed it quickly, shutting out all the sunlight that was coming through the windows.

  After Nik was tucked safely inside the coffin, Tessa collapsed on the floor. She had no idea how she could have had the strength to grab the pitcher and close the coffin. She was so weak she couldn’t even stand. She crawled over to the mat and lay down on the blankets. She was so frail right now, she didn’t know how she would be able to fight when the time came. Nik had been mad at her for getting drunk, but then he had turned around and done something even worse. And she had let him, hadn’t she? She hadn’t put up a fight until it was too late. Would she have been able to say something, do something to make him come to his senses? Why hadn’t she tried? She was so disgusted with herself and with him. This was a messed up relationship; she hoped things would change when Nikolas got his soul back. Right now, she would be perfectly happy if he ended up being just a plain, ordinary human.

  She heard a sound and opened her eyes. She saw the old witch, Ariel, come through the door. She tried to sit up, but it was just too much effort. The woman came over to her and knelt down beside her, holding out a cup that had steam wafting up from inside.

  “Here, child, drink this.”

  “What is it?” asked Tessa.

  “It will heal you. You’ve lost a lot of blood. This will replenish what
you lost and make you stronger. You’ll need your strength to fight the Keeper.”

  “Why do you care?”

  “I’m only protecting my investment, child. I need that chalice.”

  “I guess it was too much to hope you cared about me,” said Tessa wryly, after she had downed the whole cupful.

  “I’m not without feelings. But, at the same time, the chalice is everything to me. Everything.”

  With that, Ariel rose to her feet and walked out the door. After she left, Tessa attempted to rise again. This time she was able to get to a sitting position. She got slowly to her feet, and walked over to the table, picked up an unfamiliar fruit, and bit into it. She was famished. Tessa ate half the loaf of bread and three pieces of various fruits, then she went back to her pallet on the floor. Her stomach felt full now, and she could feel her strength returning. What was in that potion the witch had given her? Whatever it was, she was glad it had been offered to her. She felt like she could do just about anything right now. But what she really needed was sleep, so she stretched out and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

  ***

  Nikolas lay in his coffin, his neck burning as if it were still on fire. This was the first time he had encountered the sun since he was turned. He shifted his head to the side to keep his charred skin from touching the soft blanket someone had tucked inside the casket. He hoped sleeping would heal the wound because it hurt worse than any injury he had ever had, and it would make him weak when he fought the Keeper.

  His thoughts turned to Tessa. He had been angry with her for getting drunk, and then he had made her weaker. Why couldn’t he have controlled himself this one last time? There was some comfort in the fact that he could still feel guilt, but it wasn’t a burning guilt like he used to feel. In fact, he was still exhilarated from what had happened between Tessa and him. She probably thought he was a monster, and she would be right. Soon, that would change if they didn’t both die in their quest for his soul. Hopefully, he could spend his life trying to make up for everything he had done to her. If she would have him, that is. Had things gone so far that she wouldn’t want him anymore? Would she still see a monster every time she looked at him, even after he got his soul back? He wanted to pray like he used to do, ask God to let her still love him, but he knew God wouldn’t listen to one without a soul. So he could only hope.

  As uncomfortable as Nikolas was with his neck burning, he finally slipped into the deep sleep of the vampire. His sleep, however, was filled with disturbing dreams where he killed Tessa over and over and in many different ways. There would be no peaceful sleep for Nikolas Petrou that day.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  When Tessa woke up, the sun was coming in through the opposite window than when she had gone to bed. It was sundown. She knew Nik was close to waking up, and she was nervous about seeing him after what happened. It seemed she spent a lot of time being nervous because of him. She would be glad to get this whole thing over with. As scared as she was, the only way to end this was to fight for Nik’s soul. And it would be done. It might kill one or both of them, but they couldn’t live like this anymore.

  Tessa saw, with surprise, fresh food and water on the table. Someone must have come in at some point, and she hadn’t even stirred from her sleep. It wasn’t surprising, considering what she had gone through early that morning. She ate some bread and fruit, and drank some water, surprised at how good and alert she felt. That potion must have been something else! She used the chemical toilet, glad that Nik wasn’t awake yet. There were some things you needed extra privacy for. After washing up briefly, she changed clothes, and as she did, she saw the pieces of jewelry Nik had given her. Realizing she may never get to wear them again, she put on the necklace, bracelet, and earrings, and then she sat and waited for Nik to wake up.

  As the sun went down completely, the lid of the coffin started rising just like in an old horror movie. She shivered as goose bumps sprang up on her skin. Nik climbed out of the wooden box and, looking uncomfortable, walked over to where she was standing.

  “I was really hoping you wouldn’t see that,” he said.

  “Yeah, well, I was hoping the same thing. Here, let me look at your neck.” She glanced at the skin that had been seared by the sun. “All better.”

  He reached back and felt of the flesh as if he didn’t believe her. The look of surprise on his face was almost comical. “There’s nothing there.”

  “I guess the legends of vampires healing quickly weren’t just legends,” she said. “Well…I guess it’s time.”

  “Yeah. We need to find out which way to go.”

  “True. I wonder if the witches know where the portal is,” Tessa said.

  “It wouldn’t hurt to ask,” Nik said, reaching out to touch the necklace Tessa was wearing around her neck. “This looks beautiful on you.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  They both stood there, making small talk, neither of them really wanting to start this task, but knowing they had to. With a sigh of resignation, Tessa grabbed her backpack, opened the door, and walked toward the hut where she had embarrassed herself last night. When they drew closer to the crowd of people surrounding the hut, a man broke off from the rest and walked toward them. He was beautiful, his skin black as night, his hair hanging in thin braids decorated with colorful beads. The magic emanating from him was so strong, Tessa could actually feel it. This was a powerful warlock. When the man spoke, his voice was pleasant, almost musical, with only a slight accent she couldn’t place.

  “I imagine you’ll be looking for the portal?”

  “Yes,” said Tessa, fascinated by this warlock, not even questioning how he knew. She had learned to stop wondering. “Can you tell us where it is?”

  “Through those trees you will find another clearing. There’s a thicket of flowering plants on the far side. Step through the plants, and you will find the portal.”

  They thanked the man and started in the direction he had pointed. “Are you ready for this, Tessa?” asked Nik.

  “No, but I have no choice. Neither do you. Let’s get this done.”

  When they came to the thicket, Tessa looked at the flowers uneasily. These flowers, like most of them on the island, seemed to be alive. Not in the sense that plants were supposed to be alive, but more like they were aware. Finally, they pushed aside the bright pink blooms and stepped inside.

  “Ouch!” Tessa exclaimed.

  “What happened?”

  “I think one of those flowers…bit me.”

  He looked at her skeptically for a moment, but when he saw one of the blooms stretching toward him, he grabbed Tessa’s hand and pulled her through to the other side. And there it was…a shimmering wall. She could see through it and around it, and it looked like it was just standing free, thin as paper.

  “This is weird, Nik. I can see everything behind it. How can it be a door to anywhere?”

  “I’m not sure, but this has to be it. Come on.”

  He took her hand again, and gently tugged her toward the glittering wall. Together, they stepped through and found themselves in a completely different place, full of rocks and no plants whatsoever. Tessa didn’t like the way this place felt, empty and wrong. She wanted to step back through to her world and forget this whole scary business, but she knew she couldn’t. They had to go on.

  Looking around, Nik said, “I think I saw a cave over there. The Cave of the Lights is supposed to be close to the portal, so that has to be it.”

  They made their way over to the cave Nik spoke of, and as they drew closer, he clutched his chest. “This is it!”

  “Nik, what’s wrong?”

  He groaned. “My soul is in there. I feel it so strongly, it hurts. But I’m okay. Let’s go in.”

  They stepped tentatively into the cave, and Tessa immediately felt the cold dampness seep into her clothes and skin. It made her bones ache. There was some kind of light that allowed them to see in the cave, which should have been dark, but she co
uldn’t explain where it was coming from. It just was. As they stepped farther into the cave, a large stone rolled into the opening they had come through. They were trapped.

  “Oh, that’s so not good,” said Tessa.

  “There are probably going to be lots of things to scare us, Tessa. We have to keep going.”

  “But we’re trapped!”

  “Don’t think about it right now. Focus on our task. It’s so close now, I can feel it calling to me.”

  “What’s that writing on the wall?”

  They walked over to where letters had been carved into the stone of the cave wall. At first, the letters were indecipherable, obviously in another language. Then they started changing and formed themselves into English words.

  Only one with a pure heart can enter with a single companion. You will be tested, and if your heart is found pure, you will face three challenges. Overcome these challenges, and you will gain entrance to the chamber where the souls are kept. There you will meet the Keeper of the Souls. Beware. Your journey will be difficult.

  “How will they test me for a pure heart? And what are these challenges? Nik, I’m really scared.”

  He took both her hands in his. “I know you are. I am, too. And you don’t know what it means to me that you’re willing to do this. If we get through this, when we get through this, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

  Tessa swallowed hard and nodded. They moved past the inscription and continued down the only passageway they saw. The air seemed to get colder and damper as they traveled on a slightly downward slope. They came to a sudden stop when they met a stone wall. There was nowhere else to go. Then rays of light began to shine from a spot on the wall, and the light was aimed directly toward Tessa. Nik stepped in front of her and screamed in agony as the light hit him. She pushed him aside and stepped directly into the light. She felt, not pain, but an intrusion. Inside her chest, there was a sensation of seeking; that’s the only way she could explain it. She couldn’t move. It must have only been about thirty seconds, but it felt like an hour, that she endured the invasion, but the light was finally pulled back into the stone. Then the wall slowly lifted and the passage continued on.