My hands hung low and limp, most of my limbs were limp at this point; the only tightness in my body was in my chest. Distantly, I became aware of a swaying sensation in my stomach, a strange kind of push and pull. At first I thought it was vertigo, but it wasn’t entirely vertigo—it was magic having an effect on my body. It took only looking at the ground and seeing Vikram standing in the garden, his arms stretched, to know he was the one keeping me afloat, and he was doing it with magic.
“Lilith,” a voice called out from behind me. It was Raphael. “Lilith, can you hear me?”
“Y-yes I can,” I said, not wanting to talk too loudly for fear of breaking the magic keeping me up. Slowly, I craned my head around as far as it could go, and I saw him standing at an open window at the other end of the gable I was almost clear of. I must have climbed out of it and somehow made it across the roof to where I was now, only the roof’s incline was sharp, and precarious, and dangerous.
“Wait,” I yelled, “Wait!”
Raphael had started to find his footing on the gable, but he stopped moving. “What is it?”
“I don’t know!” My eyes were burning, stinging from the ice-cold wind biting my face. My heart was pounding so hard I almost couldn’t hear myself think.
“I can’t hold it forever!” Vikram yelled from below.
“C-can you pull me down?” I called out.
“I want to, but I can’t. It’s taking everything I have just to keep you floating.”
It had happened again. I had blacked out again and had tried to throw myself off the roof. I wasn’t sure what was worse: blacking out and being attacked, or blacking out and wanting to kill myself. Either one resulted in my death.
“Okay, Lilith,” Raphael said, “I need you to try and move.”
“Move? Where?”
“Try to take a step back, try and get both feet on the roof.”
I looked at him again. He was standing halfway out the window behind me, stretching for my hand, but there was no way he could reach me unless I turned around and reached for him—something that, right now, I was too terrified to do. As I felt my stomach begin to tighten again, this time not from fear, but by the sudden and undeniable effects of gravity working on my body, I twisted around in midair and reached for him.
Our fingers barely touched when I felt the pressure of Vik’s magic disappear, and I dropped. I fell further and further away from Raphael, my body picking up speed at an alarming rate. Vikram had let me go. The air fell out of my lungs in one final, powerful scream as I plummeted four stories to my inevitable death. I shut my eyes, waiting for the impact, but the impact never came.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the mansion looming over me. Vik came rushing over, but he wouldn’t touch me.
“What’s… what’s happening?” I asked.
Vik pointed across from me, and I saw Dante standing there with one arm stretched, his hand glowing with pale, silvery light barely visible in the clear day around us. Slowly he lowered his arm, and I felt myself gently fall the last foot or two toward the ground. There was no thump, no pain; it was a feather light landing. When I was down, Dante released me from his magical grip and approached.
“Are you alright?” Vik asked.
“I… I think so,” I said, struggling to pick myself up. My legs were Jell-O, and my heart was a hammering, dizzying mess. Vik helped me get to my feet.
“Is she okay?” Raphael yelled from the top of the mansion.
Vik threw him a thumb’s up.
“What happened?” Dante asked.
“She blacked out again,” Vik said.
“Where?”
“I was in the living room,” I said, struggling to remember what exactly had happened. “I was reading, I think. Liam had just made me some tea and we had been… we had been talking. Then he left, and I kept reading. And then I woke up hanging off the roof.”
“Another blackout,” Dante said. “And we still don’t know how this is happening?”
Vikram shook his head.
“I’m just glad you’re safe,” Dante said as he came up to me. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“A little light headed,” I said, “But I’m okay, I think. Is… my cat okay? Has anyone seen her?”
Vik looked at Dante, then shook his head. “No,” he said, “I’m sorry. Was she with you?”
“She was… I remember her sitting next to me and then… she sat up and hissed at me before I blacked out.”
“Hissed at you?” Dante asked.
“Yeah,” I said, “I thought that was weird. Tish is old, and a bitch, but she doesn’t hiss like that, and not for no reason.”
“Do you think she sensed something?” Dante asked Vik, “The same thing Raphael sensed?”
“Maybe. Cats are known to have a sixth sense, some even have very latent psychic abilities.”
“She knew,” I said, “She knew what was happening to me a couple of seconds before I did.”
Dante sighed and tugged on his suit. “Alright, let’s get you back inside and regroup. And somebody find Aiden—we need him here; we’re initiating Lilith tonight.”
“What?” Vik said, his voice rising with protest.
“We have no other choice than to accelerate her initiation,” Dante said. “Maybe drawing her power out of her by force will be enough to turn whatever it is that wants her away, or at least limit the amount of access they have to her.”
“But what you’re suggesting…” Vik trailed off and looked at me, then back at Dante. Something was up. “Could I talk to you in private?” he asked.
“Wait a second,” I said, “Anything you guys have to talk about, if it involves me, I want to know.”
“Lilith, you don’t—”
“Know what I’m talking about?” I asked, my blood running hot. “That’s why you need to tell me about it. If something’s going to happen to me tonight, I have to be told so that I can decide whether I want it or not.”
“If we don’t initiate you, they will keep coming for you, and we won’t always be there to help.”
“It sounds like there’s risks.”
“Dante, drawing her power out of her without the other instructors present…” Vik said, “You know there are risks. What if her power doesn’t want to manifest? What if…”
“It kills me?” I asked.
Dante’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “There’s a risk.”
“How big?”
“I couldn’t tell you. It’s down to the person who prepares the ritual and their level of skill.”
“Which would be you?” Vik asked, his eyebrows pinched at the middle. “It’s impossible to try and do this on your own. We need our mentors back here; they need to be the ones to do this.”
“The ritual requires two experienced supernaturals, and we have two. Myself and the Keeper. We’ll—”
“And yet, we can’t guarantee that initiating her will stop this from happening. We have no guarantee.”
“Is your concern for Lilith’s safety during the ritual, or after?”
“During.”
“Don’t forget I was there for all of your initiations, and they ran perfectly.”
Vik seemed to visibly calm down, but I could tell he still wasn’t happy about the situation. He was worried for my safety during the ritual. Just how dangerous was it? Raphael came rushing out of the front door and into the courtyard. He arrived out of breath, but relieved to see I was okay.
“Thank you,” I said, “All of you, for saving my life just now.”
“It’s no problem,” Vik said, “Actually, it’s Raphael who gets the most credit. Ever since what happened last night, he’s been actively listening for psychic waves. He heard something, then he went to check on you. When he saw you weren’t there, he called me and Liam. Liam went to get Dante, and I came out here; that’s when I saw you upstairs.”
“De nada, corazon,” he said, “I’m just happy you’re okay. We all are.”
&
nbsp; “I’m sorry I’m such a burden. Trust me, I don’t like what’s happening right now. I’ve spent my whole life being in complete control, but I feel like I’ve lost it all now, and it’s making me feel like shit.”
“I know it seems like you’re helpless,” Dante said, “But you have to understand, we’ve never seen this kind of attack take place before. We’re not sure why it’s happening, but we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“Someone has put a target on your back, and they’re keen to take you down by any means necessary,” Vik said.
“All the more reason to initiate her. Tonight.” Dante said, his voice stern and final.
Vik conceded and nodded.
“We’re initiating her?” Raphael asked, “But isn’t that—”
“We’ve been over it,” Vik said, waving his hand. “It has to happen. All we can do is make sure it goes smoothly.”
“Hold up,” I said, “Have you already forgotten what I said? This is my life, my risk, so I should be the one to decide whether this takes place or not, right?”
The others looked at each other, then at me.
“She’s not wrong,” Raphael said.
“Alright,” Dante said, “So, we’ll let you decide. What’s it going to be?”
I didn’t have to think about it. “I want to do it,” I said. “Not because of what you’ve said, but because I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment to come my entire life. I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”
Dante nodded and started toward the mansion. “Then we’ll do it,” he said, “I have to get ready. We meet in the library after dinner. Someone make sure Aiden is present.”
“I’ll go and get him,” Raphael said, and he headed in the other direction, across the grounds, toward the small house on the other side of the massive garden.
“You’ll want rest,” Vik said.
“Yeah, kinda…”
“Let’s get you comfortable in the living room again. This time, Liam and I will keep watch over you while you rest. Neither of us will leave the room.”
“Thank you.” Normally, I’d hate the thought of people watching me sleep, but after everything that happened, I appreciated it.
Vik smiled, placed his hand on my back, and ushered me toward the house. I had no idea what to expect from the ritual, but having Vik and the others around was some kind of comfort. Sure, on the inside I was a far cry from okay. I wasn’t okay, but I was starting to feel like I was ready, at least. And if getting my powers—whatever that meant—allowed me to defend myself against whatever was after me, all the better.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Raphael
For the second time since my arrival I found myself marveling at not only Dante’s observational skills, but his ability to seemingly make things manifest out of thin air. The dress was waiting for me, laying on the back of a chair in my room. On it was a note from Dante, hoping that I would like it, and boy did I.
The dress was black mercury; that was the only way to describe it. I had gone over to it, had touched it, and it had been like running my hands through a river of silk. It was beautiful, the most elegant, breathtaking dress I had ever seen. There were no designer tags, no identifying marks of any kind. I had no idea who had made this dress, or from what, but I was sure it must have cost a small fortune, and that would have put me off wearing it.
Except, I was going to look smoking hot in it, so what the hell?
My en suite bathroom was the most exquisite place I had ever had the luxury of bathing. A huge, seashell shaped tub sat in the center of the room, white with gold and marble trims, as well as a gold faucet. There was an array of fragrant beauty products: bubble baths, shampoos, conditioners, body scrubs, exfoliators, and face masks. While I had used this bathroom before, this was my first real chance to bathe in the tub, and I allowed myself to enjoy it.
But every once in a while, when my mind was at its calmest, my heart would decide to start thumping hard and fast inside my chest. Nerves, I guessed, for what was about to happen. It had all sounded so ominous—a ritual, becoming a supernatural thing. I thought I was ready for it, but what if I wasn’t? Things got worse as the moment came closer.
The only calming thought I had was about slipping into the dress, and when I put it on, the fabric sliding down my body, I did start to calm down a little. That it fit perfectly, meeting the contours of my body, was magic itself. That it made me look the best I had ever looked in my entire life, however, was no surprise.
The dress was cut low at the chest, a deep plunge down to just below my ribcage. It was as soft and delicate as liquid silk. It had a sheen to it, as if possessed of its own inner glow, and felt as light as air. I had also been given a gorgeous set of black heels to go with the dress, completing an already unbelievable look. I felt like a totally different woman; I had never looked this good before.
Never mind the bandage around my wounded arm—I was hot.
I pinned my hair into a messy chignon with little effort, then added some black studded earrings and my new ring as finishing touches. Taking one last look in the mirror, I stepped out into the hall. Raphael, who had been faithfully guarding my door this whole time, didn’t have words. His eyes widened. He took my hands, kissed one of them, and said a word in Spanish. He smirked, knowing that I hadn’t understood, and said, “It means, you look absolutely magnificent.”
I blushed. “Thank you.”
He offered me his right arm, mindful of my injury, and I slipped my good arm through his. Raphael, who was already decked out in a black suit with a white shirt and black tie, was looking pretty dapper himself. It was a far cry from his usual choice of loose fitting, modern, hippy clothes. His shaggy hair was still being held in a ponytail, and he hadn’t shaved, so he still had his Raphael charm.
“If anyone saw us,” I said, “they’d think we’re on our way to some gala event held by millionaires.”
“They would,” Raphael said, “and I would be the lucky man you get to introduce to your colleagues.”
I turned my head up at him and grinned. “So, you’d be my trophy husband?”
“I think so. I don’t have what you would consider a rich man’s prospects, so I’ll never attend such events in my own capacity; I would be happy to be your trophy husband. Though I must say, if that’s a proposal, it’s quite weak as proposals go.”
I went to slap his arm with my right hand, but pain wracked through it, and I winced.
“Easy,” Raphael said. “You don’t want to hurt yourself.”
I sighed and let my arm settle, though it had started to throb. “I also don’t have a rich girl’s prospects,” I said. “My perfect idea of a date night is McDonalds followed by Netflix.”
And a lot of chill, but I didn’t say that last part out loud.
“Good thing we aren’t going to a real gala, then,” he said, gesturing for me to walk into the library ahead of him.
When we entered, the other guys were there waiting for us. Vik, Liam, Aiden, Dante and the Keeper—whom I hadn’t seen since I arrived—were all standing in the center of the room, which had been cleared out. They all stared at me as I entered, and I stared back, looking at each well-dressed man in turn, analyzing their faces for any clue as to what was going to happen next. Uncertainty was all I got from any one of them—uncertainty and concern. They had no idea what was about to happen, and as much as I trusted them, the fact that they were nervous only made me more nervous.
Raphael escorted me to the center of the room and then went to stand in the circle with the other men, closing it around me.
“Hello, Lilith,” the Keeper said, his crystal blue eyes somehow intense despite the dimness. “How are you?”
“I’m okay,” I said. “A little nervous, but alright.”
“You don’t have to be nervous. Dante and I have done this before. I understand the situation is critical, and we just want to help.”
I nodded. “I trust you both know what you’re doing, and I want this.
I feel like this needs to happen.”
Dante and the Keeper shared a glance. “Are you ready?” the Keeper asked.
Dante drew a deep breath as he turned to look at me. He then stretched a single hand out, and in an instant, the ground beneath my feet erupted with purple light. I stared around the glowing circle, watching with fascination as symbols and lines began to appear in the marble floor beneath me. The colors and lights were mesmerizing to look at and seemed to hum as they were brought to life. I could feel the power and magic emanating from them.
“What is this?” I asked.
“Try to relax,” Vik said.
Relax. Easy for him to say. The lines of light weren’t just streaking across my feet, they were also encircling me, creating a ring around where I stood; a ring I didn’t think I wanted to get out of. I had no way of knowing this in an intellectual sense, but the reluctance to get close to the edge mirrored the instinct to keep your fingers off an inert iron, just in case it happened to be hot. A moment later, the Keeper also stretched his hand out, only this time instead of lines being drawn into the floor, they came up and around me as if to create a shield, or a bubble.
I looked around in fear and saw the men’s faces etched in concern as well, or at least most of them. The Keeper and Dante had their poker faces on, hands still stretched, eyes darting around as if each were responsible for directing the flow of light and the patterns being drawn into the floor. All the while, my pulse was racing, reaching the tippy top of its potential speed. If it tried to pump any harder, I would surely pass out.
Dante finally withdrew his hand, but the shimmering, purple lines and symbols written into the floor remained. I couldn’t identify any of the symbols, but the pentagram that now surrounded me was clearly visible.
“Lilith,” Dante said, “are you alright?”
I looked around, then looked at the ground. “I kinda feel like this is going to open up and swallow me whole, and my heart’s running a marathon in my chest, but I’m okay.”
“Good. Then we can begin.”
“Begin?”
“Brothers,” the Keeper said, “we gather tonight to submit Lilith to her truest self, to bridge the gap between the mundane and the supernatural, to awaken within her that which is hidden. Do you come freely and willingly to this circle?”
Serpent's Touch: A Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy (The Last Serpent Book 1) Page 8
