And to make matters worse, his so-called leader, Donavon, could hear her every waking thought if he chose to do so. She had no privacy and they were nearly starving her to death.
Three loud knocks on her door startled Amelia from her internal rant. She was still seething when she yelled,” Who is it and what do you want?”
Tristan sighed. “It’s Tristan. I’m unlocking your door now. Don’t try to escape or attack me. You’ve been warned of the consequences.”
“Yeah, yeah. Donavon will rip my head off and feed it to the wolves. Whatever. Just come in,” she snarked and plopped down on the edge of her bed.
Even though Tristan was her maker, she tried to hate him, but couldn’t. She felt drawn to him and didn’t want to admit it to herself. There was something in his eyes that told a story of loss, yet she felt compassion radiate from him as well. That was when he actually visited her, then she wanted to hate him all over again. However, most of her hatred was geared toward Donavon—he was a sadistic bastard who didn’t care about another soul. The things he made her do were unspeakable.
When Tristan entered the room, he flipped on the light switch and Amelia hissed at him, “What the hell? The light freakin’ burns my eyes, jerk!”
He’d forgotten to turn the dimming switch—newly turned vampires were extremely sensitive to light of any kind. Tristan cringed and dimmed it immediately. “I apologize. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Damn right you weren’t. What do you want? You didn’t answer my question.”
Tristan sat beside her in the chair next to the bed and crossed his ankle over his knee. “Do you want the good news or bad news first?” he asked.
“Oh for the love of all that’s good and holy, just spit it out. I can’t take much more of this,” Amelia barked, standing from the bed to pace the room again. She was tired and hungry. If they didn’t feed her soon, she would surely attack one of them if only she had the strength.
“Here, take this first,” he said holding out a blood bag. “It’s not much, but it’s all I could steal without someone noticing.”
Amelia blurred across the room, snatching the bag from his hand, puncturing it with her fangs. She drank each drop greedily until the bag was completely empty. “Thank you,” she said and even that was a struggle. She hadn’t fed in days, not since the day she was turned when Donavon allowed her to have her fill, then nothing. When she was ordered to meet with Dee to search for Grace at her apartment, it was all she could do to not to snack on her friend, so she kept the meeting as brief as possible. She felt like shit and couldn’t believe this was her life now. She sat back down on the bed, her hunger sated.
“You’re welcome. I can’t let him starve you. It just isn’t right. I know what he’s up to, but first I want to teach you something. The more you rant and rave in here—”
Amelia cut him off. “What? He’s going to kill me? Shocker. I already feel like a dead woman walking,” she said, pulling her long, red curls to the side.
“Listen to me and don’t interrupt again. Do you want to live?” Tristan asked, standing from the chair and grasping her shoulders.
Amelia was shocked that he put his hands on her, not by his strength, but by the sincerity in his eyes. Why did he care? “Yes,” she whispered, looking into his swirling hazel eyes.
“Good, then you have to trust what I say. You have to learn to block your mind. Do you understand?”
Amelia nodded. “Teach me and, Tristan, please don’t make me hurt my friends.”
“Shhh.” He placed a finger to her lips. “Close your eyes and envision a door or a box, something you can slam shut to keep intruders out,” he said as he knelt down in front of her taking her hands in his.
Amelia did as she was told and closed her eyes. She visualized a steel door in her mind—the very same place where she felt Donavon enter several times a day—all she would have to do is slam it shut with only a thought. Once she felt the door in place, she closed it, mentally locking it with a key only she had access to.
Amelia opened her eyes and looked at Tristan. “I’ve got it. Try to invade my thoughts.”
Tristan closed his eyes and concentrated on Amelia. It should have been an easy task, considering he was her maker. He smiled and opened his eyes. “Very good and on your first try. I hit a wall the moment I attempted to enter your mind. Keep the barrier up at all times.”
Amelia felt a sense of relief. Finally, she had a tiny slice of freedom at least with her thoughts. “So what’s the news?” she asked slipping her hands from his and leaning back against the bed.
Tristan scrubbed his hand over his face. “As you know, Donavon has a sick obsession with your friend, Grace. He’s insisting on the four of us going out on a hunt for her tonight. He wants you to lure her out.”
“He what?” she shouted, jumping from the bed to stand in front of him.
“Listen, I don’t like this any more than you do and neither does Caleb. However, we have to go along, at least for now,” Tristan said. “Now that you’ve blocked your mind, you have the ability to warn your friends of incoming danger. I’ll do my best to hold him off.”
Amelia sighed in relief. “So that’s why you taught me to block him from reading my mind, to save my friends?” she asked, looking at Tristan with new eyes, praying it wasn’t another of Donavon’s tricks.
“Yes. He’s gone too far this time. Caleb and I have lived as mere slaves for the past century. Something has to give. This is no life for you. I apologize for what I’ve done,” Tristan said, hanging his head.
Amelia could feel his pain and regret. It filled the room and her heart broke for him. She knelt down in front of him and tipped up his chin so they were eye level. “What about you? Will you stay with him? Can’t you just walk away? Come with me,” she pleaded.
Tristan sighed, then looked into Amelia’s eyes. His own eyes burned with need and he closed them. “It’s not that simple, Amelia. I wish… Well, I wish for a lot of things. I must go. I’ll see you at sunset.”
“But—”
Before Amelia could respond, Tristan was out the door—she heard the locks engage and her heart sank in her chest.
“Bye, Tristan.”
Chapter 13
Genevieve stood and clapped her hands in the family room to gather everyone’s attention. “Dee, I want you to ride up front with me until we get to your apartment. I will have Matthew follow you inside to help you pack. You will only require basic essentials as we will provide anything else you may need.”
Dee and Matthew nodded in affirmation. “The two of us will do a magical sweep of the area before we enter,” Matthew added.
“Very well,” Genevieve said. “Once we leave Dee’s apartment, we’re heading straight to Grace’s home where Dee will make the call to Amelia. Grace, I want you to stay on alert and remember what you learned today. Your magic will come forth at your call, you only need to will it.”
Liz looked to Grace silently reassuring her that everything would work out as planned. After all, the four witches had bonded their magic making them stronger and Grace had nothing to worry about.
“Does anyone have any questions before we leave?” Genevieve asked.
Grace took a breath, feeling nervous all of a sudden. “What if Donavon senses me and I go into another trance or we can’t fight him off? I don’t want any of you to get hurt.”
Liz gave her a knowing smile and responded. “When we cast the circle our magic was bonded, as I mentioned before. You’ll be able to sense him along with Genevieve and Dee. If by chance the protection potion doesn’t keep him from accessing your mind, we’ve got you. I’ve dealt with worse. Remember who and what you are now. You’re much stronger than you were before, okay?”
Grace nodded. She needed that little pep talk and damn her nerves for trying to get the best of her. Sure, she’d only been a hybrid for half the day, but now she had magic. She could fight back and she damn well planned to do just that. Screw Donavon and his mark.
<
br /> “Let’s do this,” Grace said, standing from the couch, picking up her protection potion from the table.
“All right, if everyone’s ready, grab your things and file into the van,” Genevieve said.
Matthew had remained mostly silent throughout the exchange, but he had every intention of protecting Grace with his life. If that vampire so much as looked in her direction, he would kill him where he stood. He knew Elizabeth might be angry with him, but that was a chance he was willing to take. No harm would come to Grace, not if he could help it.
Genevieve’s van was gray with black tinted windows. It had three rows of seating and a large area for storage in the back—it was a tank. Genevieve and Dee sat up front, while Liz sat by the window in the middle seat. Grace sat next her and Matthew on her other side. Although there was plenty of room in the back seat, no one opted to sit back there. No, they scrunched in the middle making a Grace sandwich.
Sitting in such close proximity to Matthew caused Grace’s heart to race. She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans and let out a frustrated breath.
Matthew glanced at her. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“Sure, never better.” Grace replied hastily. She didn’t mean to come across as short, but she had a thing about personal space and everyone was in it. She decided to think about something else, like magic.
Matthew placed his hand on her thigh and she nearly jumped out of her seat. She looked up at him with a heated stare. She couldn’t think of that right now. What was he doing? “It’s hot in here. I’m getting in the back seat,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt and standing just as the van turned a sharp curve throwing her into Matthew’s lap. Shit.
Matthew looked down at her and smiled, showcasing his gorgeous dimples. She wanted to lick his face and kiss him. No she didn’t! Damn her hormones—they were on a mission. She gave him a half smile, removed his hands from her hips and practically threw herself into the backseat, buckling as soon as she sat down. She heard Dee giggling from the front. Grace ignored her and looked straight ahead. They were still twenty minutes away from Dee’s apartment. It was gonna be a long ride.
The sun was just starting to set when they arrived in the Garden District near Saint Charles Avenue. The humidity had dropped to a bearable level and Grace was grateful for the reprieve. Ninety-degree weather sucked. Dee’s apartment was a gated, two-story townhouse that had once been a huge Antebellum home. It was sea green with black shutters, and a large front porch adorned the front of the home, shared by both tenants. Green shrubs and an assortment of colorful plants decorated the manicured landscape.
Matthew drank his potion before stepping out of the van. Grace watched as Dee’s eyes began to glow a greenish hue and Matthew’s were almost white as they reflected from the dying rays of the sun. She assumed they were scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary before they entered the apartment.
***
Once Dee and Matthew deemed the area free of anyone with evil intent, Dee unlocked the door to her apartment only to find that it had been ransacked. Her couch, coffee table—everything had been turned upside down. Papers were strewn about the place. She just stood in the doorway with her mouth hanging open.
Matthew placed his hand on Dee’s shoulder. “I know this is upsetting, but we only have five minutes. We’ll figure out who did this after we ensure Grace’s safety,” he reassured her.
Dee only nodded and walked into her once tidy apartment. She found little trinkets her grandmother used to collect for her when she was still alive shattered on the tile floor and almost broke down in tears. She tore her eyes away and headed straight to her bedroom finding it in much the same condition—her mattress pushed against the wall and altar smashed to pieces. She didn’t have time to cry or worry about it. She went to her closet and yanked out her suitcase, then began throwing clothes inside, along with her under things from her chest of drawers. She rushed to the bathroom to grab toiletries, but Matthew had already packed them in a small bag. That was all she needed—she was ready to leave before she had a breakdown. She’d think about it all later.
Without another thought, she rushed down the stairs and ran back to the van, suitcase in tow. Opening the back door, she threw her belongings inside and ran back to the front seat without saying a word. She was fighting tears that were threatening to spill at any moment. Who would do this to her and why? Then she thought of her last conversation with Amelia and her blood began to boil. She was the only person, aside from Grace and her mother who knew where the hide-a-key was. Since there was no sign of forced entry, it had to be Amelia or those vampire minions looking for Grace. Dee had stayed at her mother’s home the night before and hadn’t been home in over twenty-four hours. Now, she was pissed.
“Amelia is a vampire. I have no doubt now,” she seethed, talking to no one in particular.
“What makes you think that?” Grace asked.
“My apartment was ransacked last night while I was staying with my mom and there’s no sign of forced entry. They had to be looking for clues to your whereabouts. I’m gonna beat her vampire ass.”
“Oh, Dee, I’m so sorry. Maybe she was forced,” Grace said.
“I don’t give a shit,” Dee responded angrily. “Those vampires are going down. It’s bad enough they turned you and now they brought me into their little game. Well, this bitch doesn’t play nice.”
***
Grace didn’t say another word. There was no need. She felt the same way and wanted a piece of the vampire who turned her too. Amelia on the other hand, she wanted to give a chance. She had been her friend for too long and, like her, she was turned against her will, or at least she hoped that was the case. They’d just have to wait and see.
Matthew had already taken his seat in the van and Dee was still fuming when they began driving down the street. Genevieve headed a few blocks away toward Grace’s apartment near Ninth Street. Grace concentrated on her magic and felt the now familiar pull begin in her abdomen, then spread to her fingertips. She balanced a pink magical orb in her hand, rolling it back and forth from one hand to the other. She was shocked that it actually worked when she willed it just as Genevieve had told her.
They arrived at Grace’s apartment complex about five minutes later. Grace drank her potion and was about to climb to the middle door, but Dee had already jumped out of the van. Genevieve called out to her. “Dee, wait a moment.” Dee turned on her heel. Her eyes were glowing a dangerous shade of green swirled with brown, and her pupils were no longer visible. Her hands were radiating what looked like purple fire. She was pissed. Grace stepped outside to stand alongside Dee when she walked back toward the van.
“I’m sorry, Genevieve, but this just got even more personal. I’ll make sure Grace is protected and I’ll inform you once I know the place is clear, or if it’s not,” Dee said, attempting to rein in her temper.
“Very well. Please be careful and try not to allow your emotions to get the best of you. As you well know, that’s when we let our guard down,” Genevieve said, patting Dee on the back. Genevieve turned and climbed back into the driver’s seat to watch the perimeter, along with Matthew and Liz.
Grace looked at Dee before they took the stairs to her second-floor apartment. “Are you going to be okay? I’m sorry about your apartment. I’ll help you in any way that I can. I hope you know that,” she said and hugged her.
“I know, honey,” Dee said, wiping a stray tear from her face. “I’m sorry, but it seems these vamps are hell-bent on destroying anything and everyone around you. You may not be my blood, but you’re my sister all the same.”
“Love you too, Dee. You ready to do this? Let’s kick some vampire ass!”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Follow me.”
As they ascended the steps, Dee stiffened. “Grace, I feel a strange sensation moving through my body—the presence of a vampire, maybe? It has to be.”
They thanked the ancestors for their blessing and the bonding of p
owers. Without Liz’s ability, Grace knew she might not be able to sense them. Dee told Grace to stand behind her, that it wasn’t safe, then placed a call to Genevieve and told her they weren’t alone, but they were going in and she, Liz and Matthew needed to hurry—forget about the back entrance.
Grace no longer felt as apprehensive as she did before, she felt alive and powerful for the first time in her life. She knew Dee was only trying to protect her and she loved her for it, but this was Grace’s fight too. There was no way that she would stand by as a spectator while the others fought her fight. Hell no! She would fight to the death if it meant gaining her freedom from that psycho vampire.
When they reached the second-floor landing, Dee slowly opened the door, balancing a purple orb of magic in her left hand. Grace already had her magic on full display, ready for anything. The duo slunk down the brightly lit hallway, keeping to the right. Grace’s apartment was number twenty-six, only two more doors down.
Just as Grace was about to pull out her keys, Dee placed her hand on her arm and shook her head. “I’m opening the door with magic,” she whispered.
Another cool trick Grace wanted to learn, but didn’t have time to think about. She nodded, then carefully stuffed her keys back in her pocket. The sound of a door opening behind her caused Grace to abruptly turn around—it was Matthew, Liz and Genevieve. She sighed in relief as they briskly walked toward her on silent feet.
Dee motioned for them to hurry, but Liz stopped and looked around. “Move away from the door,” she whispered. “There’s more than one presence here.”
Dee did as she was asked. Grace, on the other hand, remained standing in the exact same spot with her arms folded across her chest. It was her apartment and she was going in with or without them. She was done being afraid and was ready to face whatever danger lurked behind that damned door. They probably already sensed her anyway.
Marked by a Vampire (The Hybrid Coven Book 1) Page 9
