by Bethany Shaw
“You don’t need to do that,” she said. “I know it’s disgusting.”
“Are you okay?” he asked again.
She nodded and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her dress. “I think so.” She got up and hobbled to a fallen log, then slid to the ground resting her back against the tree. “It was just too much. The time traveling makes me so disoriented, and then the running didn’t help.”
"We can only rest for a moment," he told her. “I want to be sure we put lots of distance between us and that town.” He could already imagine the townspeople rallying together with their pitchforks and torches.
Cadence nodded. “Just one more minute, please.”
“We’re going to need to figure out a way for you to acclimate better after the spell. If we’d both been disoriented, who knows what might have happened?” Zak paced back and forth, waiting for her to be ready. His eyes darted from side to side, watching for movement in the woods.
“How do you suggest we do that?” she asked, glancing up at him.
Her face was pale, and dark hallows had formed under her brown eyes. She still looked ill, but she shoved off the log and got to her feet anyway.
“I’m still working on that,” he said. “We have a month to figure it out.” And he would figure it out.
“How’d you manage?” she asked. She took a tiny step forward, then another.
Zak fell into step next to her. They could walk at this pace for a short bit. The town was already miles behind them.
“Adrenaline. I’ve been on the run for centuries, Cadence. When it's life or death, you have to be quick.”
"Oh, you mean this isn’t your first incident with an angry mob?" Cadence managed a small giggle as she pointed in the direction they had just come from.
Zak shook his head and chuckled. “No, it wasn’t. My siblings and I have had to flee several places rather quickly over the centuries.”
"What were they yelling, anyways?" Cadence asked.
Zak laughed out loud. "Witch."
"They think we're witches?" she mumbled. “I guess they’re right – about me.”
"Well, in their defense, we did kind of appear in a crowded room. If memory serves, I bet we’re in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century,” Zak said, shaking his head. They were going to have to take care that something like that never happened again. Of course that was easier said than done. Yes, he had lived in this time many years ago, but he couldn't look at the landscape and know this was where a city would be however many years in the future. This was getting dangerous. What if, next time, they ended up someplace worse?
"How can you be so sure about the time?" Cadence asked as she scrunched her brows together.
"It’s only a guess, but that's when the witch hunts started, sweetheart."
“Oh.”
He tried to reassure her. “Relax. Most of the people they lynched and burned weren’t really witches – or not powerful ones, at least. Your magic seems to sense when you are in danger, and I can run faster than they can see. I think we’ll be okay.”
Cadence wrapped her arms around her middle. “I’ll feel better once we get out of this time,” she said. “I’m sure you can understand that.”
“This period was extremely hard for vampires, too – all supernatural creatures, really,” he said. “My siblings and I started watching what we were doing more closely. You never knew who was watching. From here on out, it’s only going to get worse.”
“That’s fantastic,” she said with a shake of her head.
“Finding a witch is going to be difficult.” He sighed as he offered her his hand to help her down a steep ravine.
“Yeah. They’re all probably in hiding,” she muttered, slipping her icy fingers into his.
Zak grasped her elbow with his other hand and led her down the steep incline. “We will figure it out,” he said. “Can you sense when other witches are around?”
Cadence shrugged. “I’ve never really tried. I mean, I knew Jamie and Maddie were witches, but I don’t know if I ever sensed their magic. Can I do that?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, but it would help us out a lot if you could. Maybe you could read a few thoughts and see if you can find one that way.” He placed his hands on her hips and helped her down a large drop.
She slid her hands down his biceps and met his eyes as she landed on her feet. The color had returned to her face, and a fine sheen of sweat beaded on her brow. Despite it, Cadence was still the most bewitching woman he’d ever laid eyes on.
Her breath hitched and her tongue darted out to wet her lips as she cocked her head to the side. She was so close and warm. Zak leaned in, but stopped as he heard galloping in the distance. He pulled back and she opened her mouth, but he placed a finger over her lips.
"Shhhh," Zak said, grabbing Cadence's arm and pulling her down, hiding them effectively in the thick brush. He peered through the foliage and grinned. A well-worn path was several feet in front of them.
"What is it?" Cadence hissed, straining to see.
“Dinner,” he said. “At least for myself.” If his little witch was feeling like herself, he’d consider drinking from her, but she’d been ill earlier.
Cadence scrunched up her face. “Gross.”
“Stay here,” he said
The hooves beat against the ground as the rider drew nearer.
Cadence sighed and shook her head. “No killing, please.”
He rolled his eyes and grinned. “Only because you asked nicely,” he said. “Don’t move.”
She sat down in the brush and played with the bottom of her skirt. He imagined she had no interest in watching him feed, which was good. He didn’t really want her to see that part of him.
Shoving the dense brush out of his way, he hopped onto the path. A single rider on a large brown horse approached. The man was plump enough to feed an army. He would do just fine.
Zak blocked the path, crossing his arms as he waited for his prey to come. The man tugged back on the reins as his eyes met Zak’s.
“Whoa, whoa,” he called, bringing the horse to a stop. “Everything all right, sir?” He fumbled around in a leather satchel, no doubt looking for a weapon of some sort.
Silly humans and their weapons.
Zak darted to the man, gripped his wrist, and yanked him off the steed. “Don’t make a noise,” he said as he met the human’s eyes. The man’s mouth opened, but no sound escaped. Zak chuckled darkly as he lunged, latching onto the man’s neck and drinking greedily. Coppery warmth tinged with alcohol flooded his tongue and he lapped it up, wondering where the man had stashed his liquor. He’d have to ask once he finished.
The man gasped and clawed at Zak, but that didn’t deter him. He continued to suck until his belly was full. If Cadence wasn’t here, he wouldn’t think twice about draining the man dry, but she was probably watching. She would definitely notice if the man and his horse didn’t frolic away.
He pushed the man away and met his eyes. “Go home. Forget you saw me. You had a long trip home, and you saw no one during your journey this evening.” The coercion slipped from his lips easily, and he stepped back as the man struggled to climb atop his steed. “Oh, and one more thing...” He reached out and grabbed a small canteen. The tantalizing aroma of whiskey wafted out of it, and Zak grinned. “I’ll be taking this.”
Zak stepped backwards and shoved the brush aside, slipping back into its safety as the man and his horse galloped off.
Cadence rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. “You could have at least healed him. He is going to make it home, right?”
“Sweetheart.” He smiled as he handed her the bottle. “He’ll make it home. You’d be surprised how much blood a person can afford to lose. I didn’t take as much as you think. He was rather drunk, and it made his blood a bit bitter.”
Cadence frowned at the bottle. “So you can taste it in his blood?”
“Yep, everyone tastes different,” he said. “Blood type plays a big
part in that, too.” Think of it like wine. You have rare vintages all the way down to cheap boxes. You just have to find the right year.”
“And how often does that happen?” she wondered quietly.
“I’ve only sampled perfect blood a few times.”
She raised her brow at him skeptically.
He opened his mouth to tell her it was her blood, but thought better of it. “It’s hard to find someone who hits your taste buds spot on.”
Cadence rubbed her palm over her pulse point and looked away from him. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if she’d glimpsed into his thoughts. It’d be nice to know what was going on inside her pretty little head.
“So, now what?” she asked.
“I figured we’d find a place to make camp, and then make good use of this,” he said, snatching the bottle from her hands and shaking it.
She chuckled and shook her head. “After the night we’ve had, I could use a good drink.”
“Shall we then?” he said, offering her his arm.
After a moment, she slipped her hand through his. They ambled on again, taking care to stay off of the road.
“Do you always compel people after you feed?” Cadence broke the silence.
“If I don’t kill them,” he told her honestly. When was the last time he killed someone? It had been a while. “Why do you want to know?”
She shrugged and tugged her hand free of his as she took a few steps ahead. “Just wondering, is all. How much longer are we going to walk?”
“A bit farther,” he said as he gazed up at the stars. He’d guess it was past midnight. It had been a long day, and he was sure she was exhausted. They’d make camp soon, once he was certain they’d put enough distance between them and the village.
***
Cadence coughed as she choked down some whiskey. “Holy crap, this is strong.”
“Easy, sweetheart,” Zak said as he took the bottle out of her hands and took a sip. The amber liquid burned its way down his throat, and he blinked. Damn, that is strong. Alcohol really is watered down in the twenty-first century.
“Strong, huh?” She raised her brows as he swallowed another gulp. “Can you even get drunk?”
“Yes, but usually not for very long.” Although, with this potent stuff, he could probably get a buzz and keep it for an hour or two if they savored the drink.
“Must be nice.”
“I’ve never had a hangover,” he said.
“I had one in college, and after that night – err, morning – I swore I’d never get that drunk again,” she said as she took a short swig.
“What did you go to college for?” he asked. She didn’t have a job that he knew of. Most witches in the coven helped out in the Wiccan shop. That’s not what they called it, but every natural herb store was a witch's lair in disguise.
“I wanted to be a teacher,” she said. “That was back before everything went to hell.” She tilted the bottle and swallowed several large gulps before setting it on the ground between them. “I was in the middle of student teaching, and just stopped.”
“You mean, after you... hurt... that guy.” He couldn’t say kill. It was still hard to picture her as a murderer, even if it was an accident.
“Yeah.”
“It was an accident, you know,” he reminded her.
“Tell that to his family. He had a mom and dad and two sisters. They were pretty heartbroken,” she whispered, tipping the bottle back again.
“You checked in on his family?” he asked.
“I found his name in the paper the next day. They never found out what happened to him. I drove by his house a few times.” She gulped the liquid.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” he told her. It was obvious she already felt horrible enough about the incident. Her actions only made her feel worse. “His blood is on the witch who bound your powers, on those that kept your abilities a secret from you,” he assured her. “That’s who is to blame.” It was the truth; if she’d been properly trained, that man would still be alive. “Why did your father have your powers bound?”
Cadence sighed heavily. “I never really got a full answer from him. I get the feeling that he hates what I am. I don’t remember much about what happened right after my mom died. It's all kind of a blur, to be honest.”
“How old did you say you were?” She’d been young, from what he remembered.
“Twelve.”
“And you don’t remember what happened after?” he asked again. Sure, he could see how things could be blurry, but at twelve, she should have been old enough to recollect something.
“No. I have vague memories of the funeral and moving, but I didn’t have any real memories again until that spring. That’s when I came out of my funk,” she said as she downed another gulp.
She didn’t remember months? Something wasn’t right. He remembered Serena’s words about darkness. Had someone done something to Cadence?
“Why are you asking me this?” she asked with a frown.
"I find you interesting," he said taking the satchel from her.
"Why?" She giggled as she hiccupped.
"I’ve never met a woman quite like you. You have a fire and innocence about you that is unique,” he said.
Cadence scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know? That is, when you aren’t threatening my coven and trying to kill my friends. You’re a nice guy when you want to be.”
Zak laughed aloud. No one had called him nice in a long time.
“I mean it, Zak,” she said, nuzzling closer. “I should be scared of you, but I’m not.”
Cadence yawned as her eyes fluttered. “I’m sleepy.”
Zak wanted to press her and get to the bottom of her memory lapse, but Cadence yawned again and her eyes closed. He sighed as he wrapped an arm around her. Drawing her closer, he lay back on the ground while cradling her to him.
He stared up at the stars as Cadence snored softly. What had happened to her? The darkness Serena mentioned had something to do with her memory loss and her mother. He didn’t know how he knew it, but it was a gut feeling.
Zak brushed his fingers through her hair and vowed to find out the truth. The past had already happened, and though it held darkness for Cadence, he could control the present and future. And he was going to ensure that her future was filled with light.
***
Cadence groaned and nuzzled into her pillow. It was hard, refusing to budge regardless of how she moved her head. The object beneath her grunted. Cadence opened her eyes and sat up. She didn’t have a pillow at all.
Zak blinked up at her as he yawned.
Oh my God. I slept with him. Again!
She gasped and shot to her feet, tripping over the hem of her dress and collapsing in a heap back on the ground. Great way to make this less awkward.
Memories of last night were foggy. She rubbed her temples in a vain attempt to remember. What happened?
"You okay, sweetheart?" Zak asked, looking up at her.
"Just trying to piece together what happened last night," she said. The first time they’d had sex had been explosive. She couldn’t imagine she could forget a thing like that.
"Nothing happened between us," Zak told her as he sat up.
"I – I – " she stumbled as haziness tugged at her brain. "I was really drunk last night. I probably said some stupid things."
What did I say? Hopefully nothing about Zak.
Zak cocked his head as she had a mini meltdown in front of him. "You didn't say anything stupid." He opened his mouth, and then closed it.
Cadence groaned as she pulled her knees to her chest and put her head on them. "I was talking about my mom," she whispered. The conversation was coming back to her now. She hated talking about her mom. It was painful. Even now, she wished her mother were around. Her father was okay, but he’d never been overly affectionate or understanding. "Do you think it’s weird that I can’t remember the stuff that happened?”
Zak scooted closer and lifted his arm up like he might hug her, but then dropped it back down again. “I don’t know much about magic, Cadence. But I do know when something seems off – and I think something happened to block your memories from you, sweetheart.”
Tears pricked her eyes, and she swallowed down the lump forming in her throat. “I’ve often wondered the same thing.” It felt so good to finally get it out in the open. She’d never told anyone – not even Jamie and Maddie. Hell, she didn’t even allow herself to think about it.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise you,” he said as he stood up and offered a hand down to her. “Riders are approaching on horses. I think it’s best if we get out of here.”
Cadence slid her fingers into his warm palm, ignoring the jolt of electricity that ignited in her. He tugged her up and lifted her into his arms. She buried her face into his chest, enjoying his leathery scent and the safety of his embrace.
It was ironic that the man she should fear the most, her enemy, was becoming a man she could trust and, dare she say, care for. Zakariah Smith was not the man she’d been told about.
Chapter Two
Cadence cocked her head, frowning as she stared at the drawing pinned to the wooden wall with a rusty nail. "Is that supposed to be us?" she asked as she smoothed a hand over her snarled and unruly locks. Her eyes darted around the indoor market. No one was paying them any mind as they got their wares, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t been spotted.
Zak answered with a soft chuckle. His silvery blue eyes danced with amusement as he scrubbed a hand over his stubble.
"I'll take that as a yes," she said, trying to see the likeness but coming up short.
"Come on, sweetheart, they don’t have sketch artists in this time period," he said.
"I guess we should consider that a good thing."
He ripped the paper from the wall and shoved it into his pocket. "We should probably keep moving.” His gaze drifted around the room before landing on her. “There is a reward for our capture. There’s one thing that never changes, and that’s peoples greed for money.”
"Funny, I wouldn't take you for someone who is afraid of humans," she said with a lift of her brow. He could easily outrun an angry mob. She, on the other hand, was a wild card. Her powers might work, or they could epically fail her.
