“Nothing you do is good enough. The nerd doesn't really love you, he's probably just saying that to get your magic. You're supposed to be one of the most powerful witches, after all.”
Looking up from where I was a heap on the floor, I watched as Brianna came closer. The air around me was hot, stifling. I wanted to look at Dave as my stomach squeezed. Was she right? No one had been interested in me before, why would such an intelligent man want to be with a book nerd? A dead one at that.
Pushing up on all fours, I looked at Brianna as she came closer. Her hand appeared above my head before she swiped it against my cheek. Pain exploded as blood spurted from the wound. The bitch had a sharp ring on her finger, the gold catching a glint of the bulb overhead.
Clasping my skull, I dug my knees into the carpet, trying to drag as much magic into my body as possible. Brianna's pretty red heels came in line with my face, the front kicking up and throwing my head back with impact.
“Gemma,” Dave called. “Fight back!”
Glancing over at my man, I blinked rapidly. The huge vampire made his way back over to him, his arms outstretched and ready to do harm. If Dave was killed, I would never forgive myself.
Archie was on the other side of me, his hands trembling as the stake pressed firmly into his back.
“You have a choice,” Brianna sang. “Give in to me, drop all that magic bubbling under the surface, and you might all live.”
Relaxing my muscles as Dave grunted, I spat blood from my mouth before I replied. “Okay, I surrender, let them go!”
“Did you hear that?” Brianna asked her vampire friends. “She surrenders!”
The vampires went to stand down, but Brianna waved a hand. “I didn't tell you to stop.”
Frowning, I tried to get to my feet. Letting the magic drop, I left my dagger on the ground, showing her that I wasn't a threat. How much proof did she need to let my friends go free?
“That one can go,” Brianna said.
Her gaze stayed on me the whole time she spoke. Who did she mean? What did she mean? Before I could ask, she ducked behind me, grabbed my head and yanked my hair so I faced Archie.
“I never did like the smarmy goody two shoes.”
“No!” I cried as the vampire thrust the stake straight into Archie’s back.
As the wood connected with his heart, Archie stared at me, his eyes wide and his mouth stretched in pain.
The fear that pulsated from him made my skin icy cold. His own skin started to crumble, his chest almost exploding as his vampire body turned to dust. The last to go were his eyes, the pupils fixed on me in his last moments. My heart squeezed hard in my chest, making it almost impossible for me to breathe.
“You had become fond of him,” Brianna whispered. “But, his obsession with taking down the PFF had become a little boring.”
Releasing my hair, the vampire shoved me to the ground. Tears fell from my eyes as I stayed there, almost touching the dust from Archie's body.
Spinning on her heel, Brianna looked at her vampire friends, threw back her head so her long curly hair hung to her waist and laughed.
The sound sent fury so hot through me, I placed my palms on the carpet and closed my eyes. My shaking limbs throbbed as I pulled magic up into my body, staying silent while it filled me.
“You've forgotten one thing,” I muttered as Brianna's laughter died down.
Feeling into the ground, I connected with the earth beneath the house. My fingers started to sink through the carpet and into the floorboards. Once they were almost buried in the wood, I gripped the floor and started to rock my hands back and forth. The movement caused the ground to shake.
Spinning, Brianna glared at me, her canine teeth extending as she lifted her lips in a sneer. “Oh, no you don't!”
Opening my mouth, I screamed as loud as I could. Magic poured through the sound, creating an ear deafening screech that was strong enough to pierce the vampires’ eardrums. Even Dave cringed as the ground continued to shake.
Releasing the floor, I slowly got to my feet. “I'm an Essex witch!” My shout made Brianna cover her ears, her head bent low. “I will not be taken down!”
Keeping an eye on Dave, I nodded at him to free himself. He thrust his head back, his skull connecting with his captor's chin. The vampire managed to grab his shoulder, his head dropping to my boyfriend's neck.
Lifting my arm, I cast a freezing spell on him, smiling when he literally froze in mid-movement.
“You might be an Essex witch,” Brianna shouted from beside me. “But you're weak. You're done.”
Arms came around me from behind, the vampire who had killed Archie fastening me in a grip. Squirming, I grabbed out my dagger and thrust it back into his leg. He howled in my ear, but his grip tightened. I was about to conjure a fire spell when something smashed over my head. As darkness crept into the corner of my eyes, Dave slumped to the ground, his gaze locked on mine. We had been defeated.
Chapter 9
“Wakey, wakey, witchy poo,” Brianna's voice filtered through my mind.
Ice cold water splashed over my face, making me cough when it went down my throat. Thrusting forward, I spat it out, cringing when it landed on Dave's leg.
“Thanks!” he muttered, his expression grim as I glanced around the room.
We were on the sofa, both of us tied, our arms bound. The rope was thick, cutting into my wrists where they were held in my lap. It was magic-limiting rope. Bastards.
Brianna stood in front of us, her hands on her hips. The other vampires were making a cup of tea, chatting amongst themselves about the latest football score. The contrast of nastiness and sport was an odd one.
“What do you want?” I spat at the woman who was supposed to be my friend. “What in the world did the PFF offer you?”
Crouching in front of me, Brianna reached forward with the intention of tucking my hair behind my ear. I dodged her, my teeth snapping at her fingers when she drew near. The quirk of her lip was momentary as a frown followed.
“Where is your book T-shirt? Those things drove me crazy. I tried to help you, Gemma, I really did... but, the truth is-”
“Shut your mouth, you stupid bitch,” Dave blurted.
His leg was pressed against mine, his hands also tied in his lap. The mass of hair on his head was fluffy and untidy. At least we hadn't gone down without a fight. There was just one problem. Although my team had a rough idea where we were, they wouldn't be allowed to come and rescue us. In fact, now that Dave was no longer in the team, neither of us would be given updates on the case. Which meant that Kate and Jake wouldn't try and contact us anytime soon. Crap.
Leaning towards my boyfriend, Brianna ran a hand down his thigh. Trying to ignore the flash of jealousy that consumed me, I coughed loudly, drawing her attention.
“Sorry,” Brianna said, taking her hand away. “I forgot that he was yours now.”
“As if you have the right to claim you're a good friend.” The words were squeezed through clenched teeth. “Release us!”
Sitting back on her heels, Brianna rocked gently. “Xvair Harvey is our link to destroying the power you have over the ley line. There’s enough to go around for everyone, but you Essex witches have been hogging it to yourselves. It's time that ends.”
Getting up, Brianna paced in front of us. The bigger vampire brought over a mug of steaming tea and handed it to her. She gave him a big smile, her dark eyes kind as he grinned back. How had she manipulated the other two vampires? Were they part of the PFF?
“How long have you been part of the terrorist group?” I asked.
My mood dropped as she settled in an armchair opposite us.
Allowing my shoulders to slump, I pretended to be complacent. In reality, I was trying to cast a fire spell on my binds. It wasn’t working. Ugh, how had they managed to get hold of magic-limiting rope?
My teeth gritted as I screamed inside my head in frustration. I had to keep my cool if I wanted us to get out of the flat alive.
“Paranormals for Freedom helped me when I was in transition. They sold the group differently back then, saying that they were a support group for those of us who had been forced to join this side of the darkness.” Flicking her hair, she glanced between us. “You two were born into a life of middle class ease. My mother and I were thrown into this world, struggling.”
“So, you just joined with a group who want to take innocent lives? Our friendship was a lie all along.”
Sipping on the tea, Brianna closed her eyes briefly before looking over her shoulder at the men. They leant against the work surface, listening to her story. “Don't just stand there, make our guests one too. You better do an extra one, our other guest will be here soon.”
“Other guest?” Dave asked. “Who's that? Xvair Harvey?”
Raising her eyebrows, Brianna looked between the pair of us. “You do make a cute couple, especially now you're no longer wearing your book shirts. You look a lot more grown up, Chica.”
“Don’t call me that! What do you have against me and my books? What have I done to make you want to kidnap me?”
My foot tapped on the carpet, the pent up irritation and throb of my head starting to make me antsy. If I didn't get free soon, I would explode. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing, although, finding out their plans for the equinox might help us to prevent it.
Crossing her legs at the knee, Brianna tapped her long nails against her mug. The vampires were talking amongst themselves again, grumbling about something under their breath. Maybe they weren't as in line with Brianna as she thought. Could they be manipulated into helping us?
“You've been so wrapped up in your fantasy world, you've failed to see the importance of your mission. Guarding the ley line is an honour that shouldn't be taken lightly.” Waving the big guy over when he brought the two mugs of tea, she laughed heartily as he stood in front of us.
“Oops, you can't hold your drinks.” A smirk came to her face as she waved him away again. “Down the sink they go.”
Licking my lips, I tried to ignore the thirst that was slowly spreading through me. According to the clock on the wall, I had been unconscious for thirty minutes. Which meant it had only been an hour since we had arrived outside the pub. No one would look for us anytime soon.
“Anyway,” Brianna said as she regained composure. “Where was I?”
“You were about to tell us why you sound like a brainwashed twat,” Dave remarked.
Glancing at him, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. We were professional agents, that wasn't the questioning technique we used. Although, it was a little hard to be professional when we were tied up in a dirty flat with a bunch of vampires.
“He's a little feisty, no? No wonder you like him,” Brianna said, winking at me. “When Lucien Harvey almost destroyed the ley line, we knew something had to be done. As you know, Joseph and Helen Cambridge are the leaders of PFF, their mission pretty clear. We deserve to live out in the open alongside humans. They have to accept that we're part of their world.”
“That's not the only goal of the PFF though, is it?” My fingers were gripped together tight, my senses on edge as I stared at my former friend. The words coming out of her mouth were treason to the human government.
“No,” she said, glancing at the clock. “Lucien almost drained the ley line of magic. Do you really think we're going to sit by and let any crazy Essex witch destroy our world? Why should one line of witches get to control the magic?”
“Because we were the original witches. Mother Earth forged our blood to the ley line to be sure that all magic is kept safe from those ready to abuse it. You really think the vampires can do anything with the line? You'll destroy it by destroying the witches that are connected to it.”
Tilting her head to the side, Brianna squeezed the mug in her hand so hard, it smashed into pieces, the hot tea running down the arm of her jacket. My heart pounded in my chest as footsteps sounded on the stairs outside the door. Had Xvair Harvey arrived?
“What's happening on the equinox?” I asked quickly.
A smile came to her lips as the footsteps stopped and the handle of the door started to move. A vampire shoved a man into the room when the door was open, laughing when he fell to the ground, his knees banging against the grubby carpet. His hair was shorn off, his eyes wide against his pale skin.
“Gemma,” Brianna cooed as she got to her feet. “Meet your husband to be.”
Dave stiffened beside me, his gaze narrowing on the man currently huddled over on the floor. He wore jeans and a ripped T-shirt, the latter covered in earth.
“He put up a good fight,” the vampire said, kissing Brianna when she went over to him. “Obviously, I won.”
”Of course you did, mi amor,” Brianna replied, stroking her man's face.
I had never seen the vampire before, which meant Brianna had kept a lot from me. Her acting skills were far better than I had realised. I might not have ever allowed her completely into my life, but I had trusted that she was my genuine friend. How wrong I had been.
Crouching in front of the new prisoner, Brianna smiled as she ran a nail across the pulse in his neck. “He smells yummy, all full of untamed magic.”
Swallowing, I looked between the man and Brianna. What had she meant when she said that he was my new husband to be?
“Do you know why you're here, Florian?” Her words were sweet, her tone laced with a false kindness.
Shaking his head, Florian glanced at us, frowning when he saw that we were bound. Before he could reply, the male vampire bent behind him and started to bind his wrists too. The poor man didn't even fight, instead flinching and dropping his gaze.
“I... I...” he stuttered. “... no, I have no idea.”
Glancing over her shoulder at me, Brianna grinned. “A timid one for you, friend. Florian Harvey, meet Gemma Abbott.”
My teeth clenched as my fists gripped the material of the sofa between my legs.
Dave's inhaled breath was sharp and urgent. Everything suddenly made sense. Florian was obviously Xvair's remaining son. The man looked like he had no clue about our predicament. Did he even know he was a witch?
Coughing, Dave drew Brianna's attention. “You're going to try and force him to impregnate her, aren't you?”
Florian's mouth opened and closed as his forehead creased. His gaze raked over me before looking back at Brianna. “What the hell do you want with me?”
Straightening, Brianna clicked her fingers. As her male friend forced Florian to his feet, she paced in front of us, a smirk lining her face. “Florian is Xvair Harvey's last remaining heir. You would be forgiven for thinking that we were going to try and create a baby for Xvair to gain another lifetime, but...” Looking at Dave, Brianna winked. “I can't say what he has planned for you.”
“You can't? I bet you don't even know,” I said, pulling at the rope to try and loosen it.
The rough material cut into my skin, the magic reducing power in them making my wrists burn. If only I could get loose, I would kill the lot of them. They had taken us by surprise, but I wasn't going to let them get away with it. Archie's death would be paid for, and so would our abduction.
Sitting on the armchair, Brianna leant forward, her arms resting on her thighs. “Come the equinox, we'll disconnect you from the ley line and replace you with Florian here. He's an Essex witch, so technically, his blood should forge to the line, especially as he’s such a pure soul.”
“What are you talking about?” Florian barked, trying to wrench away from the vampire holding him.
“He doesn't even know that he's a witch, how archaic is that?” Brianna tutted.
Florian spun suddenly, his leg kicking out and his arm swinging. His soft soled shoe crashed into the vampire’s leg, sending him to the ground.
Brianna's friends put down their tea and was by his side instantly. Roaring, Florian bucked as they grasped each arm.
Nudging me in the side, Dave indicated that I do something.
Brianna
was on her feet, waiting for the vampires to calm down the new witch.
Looking at Dave again, I shrugged. What could I do? There were four of them. I would never be able to defeat them with my hands tied and my magic bound.
“Look,” Dave whispered, glancing down at my hands.
Brianna's super hearing clocked onto Dave's whisper. She spun her head and looked down to where I stared. My binds were loose, cut away from my hands, and yet... I could feel that I wasn't free.
“Get her!” Brianna shouted as I surged to my feet.
Dave's illusion magic wouldn't work for long, but I had to use it to convince her that I was free.
As the vampires started to descend on me, I dove towards the bathroom. My feet carried me faster than I had ever ran, dodging the armchair and thrusting inside. The door shut behind me as I kicked it, my hands instantly locking it as the big vampire banged on the wood.
Searching the bathroom for something to cut the rope around my wrists, I grunted when I found nothing. Almost screaming in frustration, I looked at the window. The thump of someone pushing against the door made me jolt. Jumping onto the closed toilet seat, I kicked the glass as hard as I could, my leather boot colliding nicely with the window. My heart pounded in my chest as the glass smashed, sending shards shattering around my leg. I ignored the bite of pain as a piece sliced my calf.
“Get out here, you bitch!” the man shouted through the door.
The gaping hole beckoned me, but I couldn't leave Dave. Grabbing a piece of glass, I tucked it into my jacket pocket. A grunt from outside was joined by the sound of crashing as the door exploded inwards, forcing me to jump for the window. Sweat lined my palms as I tried to get hold of the edge of the seal.
“No you don't!”
A hand grabbed my ankle as I tried to lunge through the window. Survival instinct wanted to kick in, but I was only pretending that I wanted to escape. I would never leave Dave behind. However, the vampires had to believe my fear so they wouldn't search me for my new weapon.
“Got her!” one of the other vampires called as Brianna came to stand in the doorway.
Spells & Magic Page 8
