“Perv-tastic? Really?” I laughed. “Sometimes, it’s like you were born in the 1980s and not the…” I realized I had no idea how old Sebastian was.
He gazed at me, our eyes meeting.
“One day, pet. One day you’ll learn all my dirty little secrets.” He winked. “But not today.”
I shrugged, playing innocent, as if I wasn’t intrigued by his past.
“You’re tense. You need to loosen. Shake it out,” he said. I watched as he moved his torso, stretching the muscles, cracking his neck. His shoulders hinged forward and then back.
Again, I mimicked his motions, not sure what else to do.
“Good. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Really, this is no different than magic. You just need to focus. You already have the tools to excel.”
I nodded as I closed my mind. Instinctively, I focused on my breath. Once I was comfortable with the sounds of my body, I moved on to Sebastian’s. His heart thudded lightly in his chest; his breath came in short, low bursts. I wondered why he chose to breathe. Surely, he had learned to break that mortal habit…
“Concentrate, Avah.”
I groaned. I swallowed and started again. But the thought was still there.
I opened my eyes. “I can’t focus on anything but your breath.”
“Fine. I’ll hold it.”
“Just tell me why.”
“Why what?”
“As if you don’t know.”
“Mortals would notice if we were walking around and not breathing. Eventually, you’ll learn to maintain the habit without letting it consume you.”
“Consume? How so?” Now I was intrigued.
“Like when we entered the cave. The water didn’t consume you. Your fear of drowning did. In time, you’ll learn to displace that fear.”
I nodded, stretching my muscles, cracking joints. I exhaled and closed my eyes, attempting to refocus.
I peeked an eye open, and Sebastian was watching me. “Thank you,” I said before closing my eye again.
Finally, I was able to move past Sebastian’s breathing and expand my senses to the trees and flatlands surrounding us. It had been too long since I last heard daylight wildlife scurrying through their lives. The sound was precious to the ear. I had thought I’d never walk among them again. The pain of that thought began to slowly subside, and I realized that was how Jasik and the Hunters felt at every moment of every day. It was frightening.
I began to sink further into the abyss, picking up sounds from miles away. Voices were distant, quiet, barely audible.
Very good, Avah.
My eyes shot open at the internal intrusion.
“Did I just—”
Sebastian smiled and nodded. “You read my mind.”
“Yes!” I shouted before I pounced into his lap, engulfing him in a hug.
He laughed into my ear as he held me tightly.
“In time, you’ll learn to control it without such pretenses.”
I knew I was only able to tap into the ability because of the situation: it was calm, quiet, and I could focus. I wouldn’t have those conditions during battle. But I didn’t care. I was thrilled that I tapped into one of my vampire abilities: the ability to read minds.
“Sit back and refocus,” he ordered, and I quickly obliged. I felt as though it was my birthday. I just wanted more surprises, more presents.
Giddy, I closed my eyes and attempted to reconnect. I could feel a cheeky grin plastered across my face, and I could only guess that Sebastian’s face bore a similar resemblance. As my excitement waned, I was able to hear him again.
This time, I want you to focus on your inner strength. It’s very important that you learn to completely control your shield before we enter battle.
I nodded in response.
I focused on the essence burning within me. It shined brightly, an iridescent energy source just begging to be tapped into. It swirled in circles within my torso. It was powerful, formidable, and beautiful. It moved from my core and spread throughout my body, seeping into every crevice of my being.
Touch it, Avah.
How? I thought.
You know how. The answers are within you. I’m simply a guide.
I didn’t move, didn’t open my eyes. I was terrified I’d lose the connection to my inner self. The thought made me shiver. How could I have not connected by now? How did I not see and feel this power source within me? Focusing on my essence, I lightly probed the goddess within me. She was spectacular, defiant, and in control. She was me—everything I was meant to become.
As the iridescent glow completely filled me, I began pulling it, tugging it outward. In a quick burst, I threw my head back, gritting my teeth, and the shimmery glow within me seeped from my aura. I opened my eyes, staring in awe as it surrounded me completely. I sat within the protective bubble and giggled as Sebastian ran his fingers across the outer edge.
Focusing on him, I slowly enveloped him within my protective circle, and he sat back with a wide grin plastered across his flawless face.
“Bloody hell! Well done, Avah! I didn’t even have to show you how to shield another. You’re a natural.”
I beamed up at him, proud of my accomplishment.
“Now, pull it back within you.”
I closed my eyes, concentrating on my shield. Slowly, in my mind, it retreated back. It pushed against my physical form. I opened my eyes, bringing my arms before me. I watched my shield withdraw toward me, and it glowed against my aura, which burned a bright yellow. The two twirled together, becoming one, until they no longer glowed. Though I couldn’t see them any longer, I knew they were there. I could feel them as they burned against my skin in a protective shield of armor.
I looked up to Sebastian and smiled.
“I can’t read your thoughts,” he said.
I said nothing. Instead, I imagined my invisible shield surrounding my mind. I lowered it briefly, thinking Sebastian’s name, before raising it again.
He gasped, his hand reaching for my chin, raising my gaze to his.
“You are magnificent,” he said softly.
I bit my lip. I found it nearly impossible to control the screaming girl within me.
“I’d say you’ve just about got control of your shield. Congratulations, Avah. That’s quite an accomplishment.”
I pulled him into a hug and whispered in his ear. “Thank you, Sebastian. This is the first time I’ve felt… strong, safe.”
I quickly pushed him away, baffled by my confession. I stared at my hands as I considered my admission. I felt safe with Jasik and, surprisingly, with the other Hunters. But not like this. This was different. Finally, I felt safe in my own skin. I had been terrified for so long. I feared what I was, what I could do. Now, I knew I could control the power within me. I just needed more practice.
I looked at Sebastian. “What’s next?”
“Well,” he said, running a hand through his long, sandy-brown hair, “your healing ability occurs naturally; you’ve now got your shield down. Looks like we need to work on your reader and seer skills, yes?”
“I think I’ve got reading down. I just need practice. What about seeing? That could be extremely helpful,” I said.
He nodded, his hand reaching his jaw as he rubbed his fingertips against the stubble there, as if deep in thought.
“I know I won’t be an advanced seer or reader, but can you at least show me how to tap into it?”
“Yes. You’ll need to learn eventually, anyway.”
“Okay. So what do I do?”
“Honestly, much of the same. It’s all about focusing, connecting with the power within you. I know you want me to hand you a list of steps and say that following them will lead to success, but that’s not how it works, Avah. The answers you seek will be found within you, within that power source. Your being already knows how to do these things. Your mind just needs to learn them now. Unfortunately, you control your mind and what it does and how it thinks. We have to break a lifetime of mortal
habits.”
“Seems mortality really does screw people over.” I chuckled.
“Well, more or less, plum cakes.” He winked.
“Let’s connect again,” I said, eager to see how much I could learn in one afternoon.
SEBASTIAN AND I crept back into the underground cave, where the vampires slept. As I entered, sets of violet eyes opened, watching me cautiously. I ignored them, refusing to let them ruin my good mood. Sebastian and I trained for hours. I still hadn’t gotten complete control of my abilities, but I had seen three future events, read Sebastian’s ridiculously dirty mind more times than I wanted to, and maintained control over my shield. I wasn’t as powerful as Sebastian, but I was getting there.
I sank beside Jasik, resting my head against his chest, and raised my shield. It encompassed each of us: the Hunters and Sebastian. If I was going to sleep beside an army of blood-thirsty hybrids, I needed to know they couldn’t attack us when we least expected a fight.
I closed my eyes, silently praying my shield would remain intact even while I wasn’t focusing on it. Images of my early visions with Sebastian flashed before my eyes: death, decay, witches, vampires… I swallowed down the knot in my throat.
Something was coming for us, and it was nearly ready to attack.
HIS FINGERS LIGHTLY caressed my brow bone, and a small smile formed on my lips. I kept my eyes closed and leaned against his frame. I inhaled deeply, refusing to open my eyes.
“Avah,” he whispered as he placed a kiss where his finger had just lingered. “We must awaken, my love.” He kissed me again, and I groaned against him.
“It’s too early.”
His body tensed, and my eyes opened. I looked up to meet his gaze, but his eyes were focused on something behind me.
I turned and faced Sibyl, her eyes glowing wickedly as she grinned down at me. She stood only a few feet from us. I pushed myself off the ground and slowly stood, still meeting her gaze. What was happening? As my hand grasped the handle of my sheathed blade, her smile grew wider.
“You are something special, Avah,” she said, turning on her heel and stalking toward the group of hybrids behind her. Their number had tripled overnight. I silently thanked Sebastian for leading us here—even if I didn’t feel completely safe around them. Sibyl wanted something from me, and as long as her shield was securing her thoughts I’d never—
My shield! I looked around. I almost hadn’t seen its iridescent shimmer. I smiled, dragging my teeth against my bottom lip as I turned to face the Hunters.
“It stayed up,” I said breathlessly. I looked at Sebastian, who had his arms crossed over his chest. His eager smile matched mine. “I didn’t have to keep focusing.”
“I knew you could do it. You just needed to trust your inner strength,” Sebastian said.
I pulled Jasik to me and into a hard kiss.
Lillie groaned beside us, but I ignored her. No one would rain on today’s parade.
I jumped into Jasik’s arms, my legs wrapping around his waist and nuzzled into the crevice of his neck. I glanced up. Malik smiled softly at me—a rarity for him. I returned the gesture and leapt out of Jasik’s arms.
“We have a lot of work to do,” I said.
I silently called my shield back, shivering in its wake as it reentered me.
“What’s on today’s agenda?” Jeremiah asked. His gray eyes were glowing, but soft circles were cast beneath them. Had he kept waking to ensure my shield hadn’t faltered? It fell to Jeremiah to maintain a shield around us while we slept. I felt a ping of guilt rise within me. I should have woken him, told him about my shield. We all desperately needed a good night’s sleep, and while we had gotten one, Jeremiah didn’t.
“There’s a coven in northern Washington, just along the Canadian border. We’ll find sanctuary there,” Jasik said.
“Northern Washington? We’re going to backtrack?” Lillie asked.
“We know she was near us in Shasta and that she was somewhere cold. We have friends in Canada and Alaska. We can scout the area. Maybe we’ll find something.”
“Shouldn’t we look into Montana first?” I asked. “We’re already here.”
“There are no Rogue vampires in Montana,” Sibyl interjected.
I faced her. “How can you be sure?”
“Because I own this land.”
I knew she didn’t mean literally, but there was seriousness to her tone. I was sure she knew every time a vampire stepped foot on Montana soil.
“Maybe Sebastian and I can do another locater spell together,” I said, turning back toward the Hunters.
Sebastian nodded, though his eyes were lost in thought. “That could work. We’ve already made a connection with the initial spell.”
“Exactly. Do these friends of yours have supplies? We may need to try the spell more than once.”
“Yes, they should be just as stocked as we were,” Malik cut in. His tone betrayed an eagerness I had never heard before. He seemed… excited.
“Good. What about them?” I whispered the question, as if that would stop nearby hybrids from hearing me.
“What about us?” Sibyl said. I rolled my eyes and turned back toward her and the hybrids.
“Well, we’re seeking refuge among beings you don’t take too kindly to. I’m thinking that’ll be an issue.” My tone came out more harshly than I intended.
“We’ll find our own safety nearby.”
I nodded. “Good idea.”
“I’ll stay with them,” Sebastian offered, giving me a knowing glance. I nodded and smiled, though I feared for his safety. That realization hit me hard. I wasn’t sure when I stopped fearing Sebastian and started caring for him, but it had happened, and I couldn’t deny it.
I didn’t want the protection of yet another coven to fall into our hands. We were too preoccupied with finding our own high priestess.
NO ONE SPOKE as we stalked through the woods. The Hunters, Sebastian, and I led the way, while the hybrid army followed in our wake. My skin was crawling, and I kept looking over my shoulder to ensure they were still there. I wasn’t sure what I feared more: finding them gone or finding them too close for comfort.
“Relax, Avah,” Sebastian whispered. I was sure my antsy behavior was rubbing off on him. “They’re not going to hurt you. You’re one of us.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about,” I replied, meeting Malik’s eyes. He shrugged off my concern and returned to small talk with Jasik.
“Stop!” Sibyl yelled, and instinctively, I froze. The authoritative force in her tone was hard to deny. It took several seconds for me to realize she didn’t control me, that I didn’t answer to her. I spun around.
“What is it—” Before I could finish, something slammed into me. I flew backward, crashing into a tree, crumbling to the ground.
“No one move!” Sibyl ordered.
I looked up and stared into the red irises of a Rogue, our noses touching. His hand grasped my hair, yanking my head back. I cried out.
“Hair pulling? Really? Way to take the bitch move,” I spat. I yanked the dagger from my hip and dug it into his neck.
He growled in response, as if I’d only just inconvenienced him, and I brought the heel of my palm up in a quick jab. The Rogue faltered, and I escaped his grasp. Before I could land another hit, he was tossed backward, as if he weighed nothing. I grasped Jasik’s hand as he lifted me from my crouched position, keeping my eyes on the Rogue, who scrambled to his feet.
“Do not engage,” Sibyl ordered, and I glanced at her. I knew she was ordering her hybrid army, not me, and it irked me. How was I supposed to trust her, to work with her?
“Seriously? Thanks for the help.”
“If you can’t handle one measly Rogue, then you will be of no use to us, anyway.”
“Screw you,” I spat as I pushed past Jasik.
She smiled in response.
“If you think I can’t handle one Rogue,” I returned my gaze to my attacker, “especially one who was stupid en
ough to attack alone against dozens, then you have seriously underestimated me.” And I liked it. She knew what I could do in terms of abilities, but she didn’t know my inner drive or my years of pre-vampire training. My inner strength had gotten me through tougher jams this.
“Show us, then.” She either couldn’t or didn’t want to hide the amusement in her voice. Whatever her motive, I was frustrated beyond belief.
“You don’t have anything to prove,” Jasik said, reassuring me. He tried to grab my hand, but I pulled from his grasp. I knew it pained him, but I couldn’t handle his ego right now. I had my own to keep in check. And it was quickly escaping me.
I ran toward the Rogue, my feet slapping the cold, frozen ground in frustrated rage, and I couldn’t help but notice his lack of care at being completely surrounded. One against fifty wasn’t great odds. He brushed off any concern and focused solely on me—almost as if I were his true target all along. I stopped dead in my tracks, skidding to a stop just an arm’s reach away from the enemy.
“What are you doing? Attack!” Sebastian yelled, his voice squeaking.
“You’re here for me, aren’t you?” I asked.
Ignoring my query, he sparred with me. Questions swarmed through my mind; I couldn’t kill him… yet. I spun around, his fingertips brushing against my bare skin as he attempted to grab me. He mimicked my twirl, facing me once again.
“Why?” I asked. “Why me?”
He dove forward. This time, he grabbed onto my arm as I attempted to bypass his attack. His nails dug into my skin, drawing blood. I ground my teeth before landing a mean right hook across his jaw. His head flung backward on contact, and he released my trapped appendage. I heard the faint sound of the bones in his neck cracking back into place.
“You’re surrounded by hybrids, but you don’t want them—you don’t even care. Tell me why!” I yelled. My arm tingled, my body’s healing abilities nearly overwhelming my senses. The Rogue stood, brushing off his clothes in a sad attempt to dismiss my feeble attacks.
“You’re smarter than you look. She didn’t think you’d figure it out.”
Blood Magic (Blood Books Book 2) Page 8
