by Bethany Shaw
“I’m sorry.” Jamie forced a smile. “I didn’t mean to alarm anyone. I’ve been visiting Mr. Hopewell. He’s quite distraught over Cadence’s disappearance,” she lied. Cadence’s father was upset, but she hadn’t seen him. Hopefully Katherine hadn’t either, or her lie was worthless.
“He did take the news pretty hard,” Katherine said. “Do try to be on time tonight. Should you see him, assure him again that we are doing our best to locate her.”
“Have there been any developments?” Jamie inquired, lifting her brow. “I’m sure he would want to know if there were.”
“No,” Liana said as she emerged from the office Katherine had vacated a moment ago. “I’ve performed the strongest locator spells I can and found nothing. They must be working alongside a witch. Fear not for your friend. We will find her,” she promised with a smile.
“I’m confident you’re doing your best,” Jamie said through clenched teeth. She swallowed and smiled, shifting her gaze between the two women. “Thank you for all your help.”
“Of course,” Liana said, beaming. “My children will soon be stopped and they will never bother your coven, or any other, again.”
“You’ve come up with a way to kill them?” Jamie asked. That was the reason they’d resurrected Liana, after all, but she didn’t know the witch had an actual way to accomplish their goal.
“I do. By the next full moon, they will cease to be a threat.”
The same full moon Cadence and Zak were due back. Liana had something sinister planned, but what?
***
Zak breathed in the crisp late morning air, letting it fill his lungs — not that they needed it. Trees and brush flew by in a blur as he raced along the countryside with Cadence in his grasp.
They had gotten a late start today. Truth be told, he would have liked nothing better than to stay in bed with Cadence all day. With the need to find a witch before the full moon quickly approaching and Malcolm probably on their tail, he had made them get out of bed after a wonderful start to the day.
They had started out on foot. He was slowly working on building up Cadence's endurance. Her body needed to adjust to moving at vampire speed. It might help her during time travel — he hoped.
Not to mention, they could travel much quicker this way. Zak couldn't make Cadence faster or physically stronger, but he could teach her how to protect herself, and how to move and predict attacks. That was what he planned to do once they reached their destination.
Cadence groaned in his arms, and he peeked down at her. Her eyes were squeezed shut and face pale. She needed a break from the running. The clearing up ahead seemed as good a spot as any. He slowed his pace, eventually coming to a full stop.
"So where are we going?" Cadence asked as he set her down on her feet. She stumbled to a log and sat down, running her fingers through her tangled locks.
"Rome," he said as he watched her. Knowing she’d never been anywhere gave him an advantage. He wanted to show her the world while he could.
"Rome?” she breathed with a soft laugh. “That sounds fantastic."
"I aim to please." He wanted so much more than just a physical relationship from her. He wanted companionship, friendship... love.
Cadence looked away, casting her gaze over their surroundings before meeting his eyes again. “So, what exactly is this?” she asked hesitantly, moving her finger back and forth between the two of them.
He sat down next to her and took her small, soft hand into his. "I've never been in a relationship before, Cadence. I don't know what I'm doing, but I would like the opportunity for us to try."
Cadence gave him a questioning smile. "You do know this is crazy, right? You and I are two completely different people with completely different morals.”
"I know, but that's what I like about you," he said, rubbing her hand with his thumb as he stared into her eyes.
“That’s not even considering the fact that my coven is at war and ready to kill your clan,” she added with a sigh.
“Perhaps our relationship can help when we get back to our time,” he said. Though given the fact that he had to kill her best friend, he doubted that’d be possible. Still, there was no use thinking about the future right now. Who knew what they’d be walking back into?
"I like you like this, Zak," she said looking at the ground. "I want to find out whatever this is between us. You're a good man. You do have humanity. I just don't understand why I'm the only person who gets to see it. I don't know what happens when we get home. Are you still going to be this guy, or someone else?"
Zak pulled her to him, resting his chin on the top of her head. At the end of the day, when they got home, he would be that guy who had to kill her friend - her sister. "I will always be like this to you, Cadence." That was a promise he could keep easily. He could never hurt her.
"We may never get home,” she whispered. Her body trembled and he squeezed her tighter, hoping to reassure her at least a little.
She had a point. The more time that passed, the less likely it seemed they'd return to their time — their home. “Don’t give up on it just yet. Oliver and your friend are working together,” he reminded her.
“Who would’ve thought your clan and my coven could find peace amongst some of its members?”
“Oliver’s always been fascinated with witches,” Zak told her.
“Really?”
“Witches and vampires can work well together when they share the same agenda,” he said. He peered down at her, lifting his brow for emphasis.
“I suppose you and I do make a pretty good team.” She shrugged.
They did make a good team, but would she ever forgive him for killing her friend? Hopefully. Maddie needed to die to ensure his family’s legacy. There was no way around it.
“We should be on our way. The full moon is tomorrow. If we can’t secure a witch, then we’ll be stuck in this time for another month,” he warned.
“You know I could try to do the spell,” she offered as he held out his hand and they walked side by side.
“No!”
“Why?”
“It’s not safe,” he stated simply. It’d be one thing to send someone through time, but to send herself could be damaging to her health. He didn’t want to think about what could happen to her.
“Other than my magic’s absence when we ran into Oliver, my power seems to be getting stronger,” she told him. “I think the remnants of Katherine’s binding spell are wearing off.”
“Good. We’ll begin training more frequently.” This would give him the opportunity to observe her powers up close before there was any conflict between them. He prayed that they would never come to blows if she harnessed her magic. She was his undoing, and he couldn’t kill her. Hopefully Cadence wouldn’t be responsible for his demise.
What if his mother had sent her here for a reason? What if she somehow knew about the bond? What if she knew Cadence would turn against him?
He gulped as he peered down at the witch beside him. His mother was sinister and evil, but Cadence wasn’t — unless she’d been fooling him all along.
***
“I’m flattered that you wanted to see me again,” Oliver said as he hopped out of his car. His eyes darted around the park, ensuring they were alone before settling on Jamie. She was stunning. Her wool coat clung to her body and her raven hair floated down her back, begging to be tugged. “How can I help you, darling?”
“I spoke with Liana this morning,” Jamie said as she shoved off her car and juggled her keys between her hands.
“What did my mother say?”
“She plans to do a spell at the next full moon, the same one Cadence and Zak should return on. I don’t imagine that is a coincidence,” Jamie told him.
“Of course not. My mother leaves nothing to chance,” he said, his nose crinkling.
“You should know she already has whatever items she needs for the spell, and she thinks this spell will destroy you and your family,” Jamie continued.
Jamie didn’t know that his mother already had the hardest item to find on her evil voodoo spell list. Maddie. The young witch was the key to ending his family. They had to somehow obtain custody of the woman without Jamie’s knowledge. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many people to take the blame if the witch went missing. Jamie’s help might be needed to bring Zak home. His family couldn’t risk upsetting her.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” he said as he ran a hand through his hair. Even if the witch did succeed and bring Zak and Cadence home to them, it might be the last evening his family got to spend together, and it’d be a short one at that.
“You already knew that?” Jamie asked with a frown.
“I suspected she might have her key ingredient.” Did he dare tell her what the ingredient was? Would it give them an advantage? They needed to secure the young witch before their mother could use her against them. Jamie was their best bet at getting Maddie, but how could they do that without betraying Jamie’s trust? They needed both women.
Jamie changed the subject. “I’ve been looking through my spell books to see if we can control what time Cadence and Zak end up in, or if we could even bring them home sooner.”
“Any luck?”
“No, not yet,” she said, leaning against her car. “But I’ll keep looking. I’m positive Liana is working with Malcolm in the past. I’m not quite sure how, but it’s a good bet.”
He nodded. There was a good chance his parents were working together.
“If we could figure out a way to move Cadence and Zak to a time with my magic, then Liana wouldn’t have the up-to-date information of where they are,” Jamie continued.
“You think Liana is controlling the time period they end up in?” he asked thoughtfully. He supposed it was possible. His mother had been the one to send them back in time.
“Do you think it's a coincidence Zak was sent back to the time when he was human?” Jamie asked. “Liana probably hoped he and Cadence would disrupt the timeline.”
“No, it’s not a coincidence,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean she’s controlling their other time hops. Furthermore, if you were able to control where they go, who’s to say that wouldn’t disrupt the timeline?”
“How would me controlling what year they jump to disrupt history?” Jamie asked.
Oliver lifted his brow and shrugged as the corners of his mouth tugged up into a smile. “What’s to say all of this hasn’t happened before? Think what your meddling could do.”
“Them being in the past is dangerous,” she said. “But I suppose you could be right.”
“I think we should let them travel and find their way themselves. Let’s focus on getting them here. At this point, I don’t think anything that happens to them is a coincidence.”
Jamie sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “I suppose you’re right. I just worry what will happen if they confront Malcolm again. Cadence isn’t as invulnerable as your brother. If he gets to her...” Jaime trailed off and covered her mouth, looking away from him.
“If he kills your friend, she’s dead and lost to you forever,” Oliver finished.
***
“We’re here,” Zak said, slowing his pace. He set Cadence on the ground and guided her to the edge of the hill they stood upon.
Cadence inhaled as she stared down at Rome. He watched her eyes widen while zipping over the terrain and homes in the city. The moonlight illuminated the buildings, casting its glow over the town like a light. He turned her slightly to the left and pointed over her shoulder to the towering walls of the ancient Coliseum.
"What do you think?" Zak asked, studying her face.
"This is... fantastic," she whispered, her smile reaching her eyes. “I’m almost glad we missed the full moon.” She clapped her hands together as she gazed down.
"We have a few weeks in this city," he said. His hand wrapped around her waist, and he drew her close while starting their descent. Rome was a large city, which would make it easy for them to blend in until they found a witch and jumped through time at the next full moon. There was so much to show her. He wasn’t sure where to start. “Would you care to see something tonight?” he asked. “Or do you want to wait until morning?”
It had been a long few days of travel. He wouldn’t blame her if she wanted to wait for morning.
“I’m too wound up to think about sleep right now. Show me your favorite place to visit.”
“Very well,” he replied. They continued down the hill and entered the city. The cobblestone streets were silent. Most people were inside for the evening. Lanterns hung outside homes, lighting the walkway in an orangish-yellow glow.
“Where are we going?” Cadence asked.
“It’s a surprise,” he said with a grin.
“I'm not fond of surprises,” she told him as she glanced around at the buildings.
He was glad she was taking everything in. Rome was always beautiful, even more so in this time and place than in the present. Modern technology and transportation had overtaken most of the monuments, blending the old with the new. They were still there, of course, but they didn’t have the commanding presence that they did now.
“We’re nearly there,” he said, squeezing her fingers while guiding her through the streets.
“Let me guess, we’re going to the Coliseum?” she asked.
“What makes you think that?” Zak asked, quirking his brow.
She shrugged as she skipped ahead, spinning once as she marveled at the buildings around her. If she found the homes fascinating, he could only imagine how much she’d love the monuments and architecture of ancient Rome.
“It seems like your kind of place. Didn’t people fight to the death there? That seems like something you would like.”
Zak chuckled. “It is an interesting place, but that’s not where we’re going.”
“Oh?”
He pulled her to a stop and pointed to the large columns that led into the theater. “I present the Theater of Amman.” He waved his hand to emphasize the large structure.
“Wow.”
“Let’s go inside.” He didn’t give her a chance to respond before tugging her into the large amphitheater. Their shoes clicked over the ground as he hurried them along. He made a beeline for the stage and hurried up the steps, drawing her out to the center of it. “Could you imagine performing on this stage?” he asked, pointing out the large seating section.
“No.” She giggled and met his eyes as she shook her head. “I’d probably get stage fright. This looks old, but it’s in remarkable shape. When was it built?”
“In the 2nd century.”
Cadence’s eyes widened as she did a double take and turned in a few small circles. “They had the technology to do all this?”
“The Romans and Egyptians were quite advanced with building,” he said. “The seating is built into the side of a hill. The Romans’ knack for using hills for support is amazing, and it was intuitive for the time.”
“I can tell,” she said while coming to a stop in front of him. “What is it you like about this place?” Her brow furrowed and head cocked to the side as she seemingly tried to read him.
“A long time ago, I used to enjoy the theater here,” he explained. “There was something relaxing about watching the shows.”
“I never pictured you as the theater type person,” she said, staring at him. “Maybe there was a woman you liked.”
Zak shook his head with a chuckle. He’d seduced many women in his time, but he had never pursued one like he had Cadence. “I enjoyed the diversity of the theater. There were comedies, tragedies, even shows similar to dancing like you’d see in modern times.”
“Interesting. Do they still perform here?” she asked.
“It’s used for musical performances and fairs in our time,” he replied with a grin. “Perhaps I’ll bring you to one in 2016,” he told her.
Cadence licked her lips. “I’d like that.”
They had to get to 2016
first. Then they had to remain on the same side. He could be making plans for something that would never come to fruition.
Chapter Six
Cadence dodged to the right as Zak lunged at her, only to have him grab her a second later. He pushed her back into a nearby tree, crushing his chest to hers. The air whooshed out of her lungs and she wheezed, trying to control her breathing. Damn his supernatural speed and strength.
“How would you get out of this? Magic or fight?” he asked. He put his arm against her throat, but not hard enough to cause harm.
His hot breath ghosted over her face, and she inhaled his leathery scent. “Fight.” She wiggled her arm free. Her elbow cocked back as she went to jab him, but he caught it.
“Is your magic not working?” he asked, leaning into her with a smile.
“I didn’t try.”
“Why not?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.
“Because of what happened with Oliver. What if I don’t have it when I need it? I shouldn’t rely on it as my go-to,” she said, glancing down at her precarious situation. Zak was stronger and faster than her. He had her physically beaten.
“Very well. But don’t think we won’t work on your magic, too. The sooner you learn to harness and control it, the better. Then you won’t have any more incidents like you did with Oliver.”
I need her to protect herself, Zak’s voice whispered in her mind. What if next time I can’t get there in time? Malcolm won’t hesitate like Oliver did.
Cadence drew in a breath, startled by the sudden power and by his thoughts.
“How would you fight your way out of this?” Zak asked, snapping her attention back to him.
Maybe she wouldn’t tell him about her mind-reading just yet. If it kept up, she could use it to her advantage. She wiggled her knee, suppressing a grin when her leg wedged free from his. “I have an idea.”
“Yeah?”
Cadence lifted her knee and pressed it to his crotch. “Knee you here.” She nudged him for emphasis. “I imagine that still hurts even if you are a vampire, right?”
She has no idea how magnificent she is, Zak’s voice said again.
