Tegan's Blood (The Ultimate Power Series #1)

by L.H. Cosway

  “Yeah sure, let’s get this over and done with.”

  Rita instructs Gabriel to pour my blood into the large bowl in the centre of the wooden board only when she tells him to. He nods and places the vial in front of him, within arm’s reach. Then she holds both of our hands, Gabriel takes my other hand in his.

  Rita begins speaking rapidly in a foreign language that I don’t recognise at first. It takes me a minute before I realise it’s Latin. I won’t even venture to repeat Rita’s invocation, it is far too complicated for my dim, non-linguistic mind. The only word I can make out is Theodore’s name sprinkled here and there. I hadn’t expected Rita to be quite so educated. The girl just keeps continuing to surprise me. This spell is nothing like the one she’d cast before, instead of swirling, the concoction in the bowl begins to pop and crackle, sparks fly out of it and I’m nervous of them hitting me in the face.

  I almost let go of Gabriel’s hand in fright when a spark flies over my shoulder, but he feels my grip loosen and holds tighter onto my hand so that I don’t inadvertently break the circle and completely ruin the spell. One more sentence leaves Rita’s lips, and this time I am confident enough to repeat it correctly.

  She raises her head up to meet both mine and Gabriel’s eyes, and then says loudly. “Aperiesque ostium inferni dimensionem and you shall open the door to the dimension of hell.”

  Then she signals for Gabriel to pour my blood into the bowl, he lifts up the vial and does so, thereby completing the spell. The three of us sit there and stare at each other for several moments, but it doesn’t feel like anything has changed. It certainly doesn’t feel like the door to a hell dimension has been opened. The three of us crawl out from under the platform, and I feel a certain sense of satisfaction that I have well and truly ruined Theodore’s evening gown. It’s got grass and mud stains all over it.

  When we emerge Theodore still has Delilah gripped by the hair, and he is speaking with Antonia now, who has stepped up closer to him. No doubt she is trying to make some deal about me. I’d wanted to plunge a stake into her the moment I saw the way her eyes lit up when Theodore told everyone what I am. Unfortunately, Theodore doesn’t fail to see me this time as I step out from under the big wheel with Rita and Gabriel. Rita looks up into the sky all around, most likely wondering where on earth her door has gotten to. Oh God, I really do hope that the spell worked.

  “Ah, my human was not taken after all,” Theodore smiles. “Come here Tegan, so that I may return this wench to her rightful owners.”

  “Don’t go near him,” Ethan says to me, his eyes meeting mine for a second. I am almost fond of him right now, as I remember the way he’d defended me.

  Oh, I have absolutely no intention of going anywhere near Theodore, so I step back to stand behind Gabriel. Theodore’s eyes flash purple again, I can see it even though I’m far away. I brace myself, anticipating being transported to some other place again like before. But nothing happens. It’s only when I see the others’ eyes go wide in shock as they stare at the space just behind me that I realise there is something there. I just really, really don’t want to look.

  However I don’t need to look, because when I smell the salt and seaweed I know that the monstrous crow is standing behind me, waiting to lift me up with its enormous talons again. It clutches me around the waist, and I feel so minuscule in comparison to those claws that cut into the dress I’m wearing. It all happens so fast, and just as the bird readies itself for flight, Ethan comes zooming by with his vampire speed, raises his sword and chops the crow’s claw clean off. I drop to the ground with the disembodied claw still tight around me, blood sprays all over me and the horrible filthy nails dig into my skin. I’m definitely going to have to get a shot for rabies if I ever survive this night.

  The crow squeals and caws in pain and anger, and begins to frantically flap its wings. I lie still on the ground, unable to bring myself to touch the dead claw that’s wrapped around me. The bird dives for Ethan, snapping at him and trying to draw blood. Ethan punches it square in the beak with his fist that seems to be made from steel, he pulls his hand back without even a bruise. The crow retreats and I can now see that Ethan had bashed its entire face in.

  “Are you hurt?” Ethan asks, as he flings the dead claw off me without too much effort.

  I am about to answer when I see something big and gaping form several feet above Theodore’s head. At first I think, Oh please no, not another of his monsters, but then I realise that Theodore has no clue that there’s a giant hole hovering above him.

  Rita’s doorway finally came through.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Like Father Like Daughter – Maybe

  Out of everybody present, Rita seems the most surprised to find that her spell worked. Disbelief colours her expression as she slowly walks toward the hole in the sky that she created. Finally, Theodore turns around to see what everybody is looking at, and I would love to be able to see his face right now, but I can’t since his back is to me. His sense of power and control must be shattering before his very eyes.

  He puts his hand out, it is curled into a fist except for the baby finger. He points it at the hole and quite calmly says, “Close” – but the door doesn’t close, and this appears to take him off guard. He whips back around to glare at us. Rita is now standing directly in front of him and he seems to realise that she is the one responsible for the dimensional door, as his cold eyes cut into her.

  It is at this moment that something comes to me. When I’d thought that Theodore reminded me of somebody before I couldn’t put my finger on who it was. But now I know. It’s Rita. They have the same eyes, except for the fact that Rita’s hold life and vitality, while Theodore’s contain nothing but malevolence and concentrated magic.

  And then I recall something else. That time when I’d been in Rita’s house and Alvie had confided in me, theorising that Rita is perhaps so good with spells because her unknown father was a warlock. Or a Sorcerer even. No, it couldn’t be. The resemblance is surely a coincidence.

  Theodore smiles without joy as he gazes at Rita. “So, we have a budding young witch among our numbers do we?” he asks with barely concealed anger. “Tell me child, to which family do you belong?”

  Rita, ever confident and snarky, replies without fear or trepidation. “I don’t belong to any of them, thank you very much,” and she crosses her arms over her chest.

  Theodore is silent, and he seems to be studying her for a moment. “Well isn’t that interesting.” He continues, and appears to be about to say something more when tendrils of dark mist begin to lick out of the dimensional door, swirling around him like a protective shadow. But I know better than that. It is slowly pulling him into its black depths and I can’t help but cross my fingers and pray that it succeeds.

  Despite the mist being incorporeal, Theodore seems to be able to grab a hold of one of the tendrils, snapping it in half with a bolt of purple electricity that flows from his body. He lets go of Delilah now and she runs over to the safety of the other vampires. At first a gush of fear floods through me at the thought that he might actually be able to fight Rita’s spell, but then, as I stare at his face more closely, I can see that he is doing his best to appear calm when in fact he is panicking. I see it in his eyes, the knowledge that he has been defeated by a novice frightens him more than the fact that he is being pulled into a hell dimension.

  It sort of makes sense that Rita could be his daughter, since she would then have the genetic talent to defeat him. Perhaps he came back to Tribane in secret twenty or so years ago and impregnated Rita’s mother. Theodore had struck me as being a Ken doll down below, but perhaps I was mistaken. Perhaps…

  The dimensional door quavers slightly as Theodore strikes it with another bolt of purple energy. Oh no. Rita runs forward, and without missing a beat pushes Theodore back into the hole in the sky before he can do anymore damage. The smoky black tendrils pull on him too, so it isn’t difficult for Rita to strike at him. But Theodore catches
her wrist just as he is half way in and half way out of the hole. Their eyes lock, and some kind of realisation takes place. I start forward, running toward Rita in fear that she might actually fall into the hole with Theodore. But somebody else gets there just before me – Gabriel.

  He looks quite powerful as his hands move about him, he must be casting a spell of his own. Suddenly the tendrils multiply, ripping Theodore’s hand away from its grip on Rita. The blackness rapidly consumes him. Wow. Gabriel was definitely being modest when he described himself as merely an academic, because that spell most certainly did the trick. The last thing I see is Theodore’s deathly white face as he slips away into hell. Or one of the many dimensions of hell I presume. I wonder what it could be like. I have a sneaking suspicion it isn’t all fire and brimstone. There are worse things than burning for all eternity I’m sure.

  Rita falls back into Gabriel’s arms, her breathing coming out in rapid bursts. I think she might be in shock. Maybe it’s because she almost fell into the hole with Theodore. Or maybe it was the fact that in that split second as they stared into each other’s eyes, she realised he was her father. I don’t ask her though, because that is her own private business, and I’m just glad that she’s still here, alive and well. Gabriel brushes her sweaty fringe back from her forehead in an effort to calm her.

  A warm hand touches me on the shoulder, and I turn around to find Ethan’s concerned face peering down at me. I jerk away from him for a second, remembering that he now knows what I am, and that he might very well decide to kill me for it.

  “Don’t – don’t fear me Tegan,” he says in a pleading voice.

  “Can you blame me?” I ask in a whisper, while gazing past him at the other vampires. None of them seem to be ready to sink their fangs into me, but I can’t help noticing the glazed look in their eyes as they watch me with interest. Oh God, I have got to get away from the vampires. I know I’m repeating myself, but it’s the truth.

  Ethan glances back at the others and then at me. “No, I suppose I can’t. But I won’t allow them to get to you.”

  “Really?” I ask, unsure if I should trust him. However, there’s only one way for me to get off this Island, and that’s on fucking Antonia’s yacht. Great. I’ll have to delay my plans to kill her for another while.

  Ethan places his other hand on my hip, and his fingers make contact with my bare skin where the dress is torn. “You are quite mistrusting,” he breathes, lowering his mouth to my ear. “Hmm, what can I say to make you understand,” he pauses for just a second before continuing. “Well, let’s just say that I’m more interested in doing things with you that don’t require the draining of your very precious blood.”

  My breathing hitches in anxiety and I can feel my cheeks heat up. I look up into his eyes, exploring their depths, somehow to figure out his true intentions. Then I recall the way he’d defended my independence, the fact that I am my own person and not something to possess. For the moment I understand that I can rely on him. Only for the moment. I nod to let him know that I will trust him to take care of me.

  Ethan doesn’t move for a minute as we stare at each other. “Have I ever told that your eyes are quite marvellous?” he asks. “They are bluer than any I have encountered before.”

  I fall back into my old sarcastic ways when I reply. “That’s good to know.”

  “Compliments Tegan,” he says. “You really need to learn how to take them.”

  I shrug just as one of the chairs from the big wheel comes crashing down onto the ground in front of us. Oh crap. I look to my left and see that the merry go round is disintegrating into granules of sand.

  “The whole place is falling apart now that Theodore is gone,” says Gabriel. “His magic was what had been keeping it all going, we need to get out of here.” Ethan nods and without missing a beat scoops me up into his arms. Gabriel helps Rita to her feet as Ethan carries me to the boat, just barely dodging another falling chair.

  I look back over his shoulder just in time to see the house begin to crumble, the bricks wasting away to nothing. Quickly we all board the yacht, and seemingly there had been a driver waiting on it this whole time because the moment we are all safely on deck the engine starts up and we begin to sail away from Ridley Island. I can’t say I’m going to miss the place.

  Ethan sits down on a bench, still holding me, but I’m cold so I don’t mind much. I sit on his lap and he wraps his arms around me just after he drapes his coat over my shoulders. I can’t take my eyes off the house as it crashes to the ground, and it’s just now that I remember the room with all of those people trapped inside. I start in fright and begin to get up from my sitting position but Ethan pulls me back close to him.

  “What is it Tegan?” he asks. I don’t answer, but instead continue to stare at the pile of broken bricks that were once Theodore’s mansion. There are gone now. Dead finally, after a life trapped in a constant cycle of drinking and talking and singing and having a good time. I have a feeling it was not as pleasant as it sounds. There isn’t anything I can do to save them anymore.

  “Nothing,” I answer, falling tiredly back into his arms.

  “I like having you close to me,” he whispers. “We still have unfinished business to attend to from the other night,” he continues, his hand moving to my outer thigh.

  I don’t say anything because I’m too embarrassed, what with all of the others being close enough to hear. Rita smirks at me before continuing to talk to Gabriel about something. There seems to be a bond between the two of them now that they’ve practised magic together. Gabriel is definitely looking at Rita in a new light since he has seen what she’s capable of.

  Antonia is sitting opposite us, and she eyes me closely. This unnerves me, but also reminds of what she did to poor Matthew. My heart sinks. Am I going to be a coward and simply let her get away with it? I’m still unsure of the answer to that.

  “You will bring the girl to my house once we get to shore,” says Antonia to Ethan. His hold on me seems to tighten.

  “I think Tegan would prefer to go to her own home and rest,” he replies in a cutting voice.

  Antonia’s position doesn’t waver. “You will bring her to my house, Ethan Cristescu.” Her words are hard like stone. There are no other options, apparently. I anxiously try to figure out a way to evade Antonia long enough to get out of this city and away from her.

  Ethan is about to argue with her when I place my hand on his arm. “It’s okay, I’ll go with her Ethan.” His face is a picture of confusion as I turn back to Antonia and bow my head slightly. “Governess, would you mind if I made a brief trip to my apartment before I go with you. There are some things I would like to get, and I’d like the chance to wash off all of this blood and dirt.” I gaze at her with my big blue eyes, like a frightened little kitten, and go over to kneel down in front of her. This seems to persuade her of my innocence. Although she probably considers my trust to be stupidity, little does she know. I pluck away a stray white hair that had fallen onto her black coat, closing my fist over it and slipping it inside of Ethan’s coat pocket.

  “Very well,” she answers after thinking it over. “But Drusilla will go with you, and when you are done she will escort you back to me.”

  “Thank you.” I reply, before getting up and going back over to sit with Ethan.

  When we get back to the city Ethan and Dru drive me to my apartment in Ethan’s Cadillac. Ethan tells Dru to wait in the car when he pulls up outside my building, but she insists on at least coming up with us and standing outside the door to make sure we don’t try anything. Ethan agrees, but I can tell that he’s pissed when he slams my door in Dru’s face, making sure she doesn’t follow us inside.

  “You don’t need to be so rude to her,” I tell him, taking a moment to sit down on my sofa. “She’s only doing her job you know.”

  Ethan presses both his hands against the walls on either side of my kitchenette. His forehead furrowed when he asks. “Why are you doing this? Going with Anto
nia is a death sentence and you know it.”

  I roll my eyes. “I’m not going with Antonia, I’m leaving Tribane. I just needed the time to get my things. I’m still trying to figure out a way to get rid of Dru though.” I rub my forehead in both frustration and exhaustion.

  Ethan’s worry immediately disappears and a smile shapes itself on his handsome mouth. “Why didn’t you say so,” he beams, before coming to sit beside me and taking my hand in his. “Where are we going?”

  “We?” I ask in surprise. “You want to come with me?”

  “Of course,” he says, without backing an eyelid. “Delilah can take care of my business while I’m away.”

  I pull my hand out of Ethan’s hold. “I don’t think you get it Ethan. I’m leaving Tribane for good. Not just for a holiday. I won’t be coming back. Ever.”

  Ethan shakes his head. “Antonia will not be Governess for much longer Tegan, soon she will be overthrown and then it will be safe for you to return.”

  “It’s not just about Antonia,” I reply. “There are a bunch of vampires who know what I am now, and that information is only going to spread. I don’t think you get the enormity of my situation Ethan. I am going to have to hide for the rest of my fucking life and I’m terrified.” A tear trickles down my face. “You may not be interested in me for what my blood can give you, but I can guarantee you that’s not the way the other vampires will be thinking. They’ll all want a piece of me, and they won’t stop taking and taking until I’m dead.”

  He pulls me into his arms, and they are so warm and strong and protective. I wish I could fall into him and stay there forever. He makes comforting sounds as I bawl into his t-shirt. Finally I pull back and wipe at my face. “I’m sorry Ethan, but you can’t come with me. This is something I need to do alone. I need to get away from this world, a world to which you belong. If you come with me then I’ll never escape it.”