Uniquely Unwelcome (The Shadow World, #1)

by Brandy Nacole

  He removes his hand from my face and takes a step back. He bows ever so slightly, saying, “Until we meet again, my dear.” Then he vanishes.

  The sound of the fighting echoes behind me. Shaking off my unease, I run back to the opening. There are only three creatures left standing. Ethan jumps on one and tears it to shreds. Danika pins the second, a creature with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a frog, to a tree. I see blood running down out of Danika’s nose, so I know she’s close to drained. I run over to her and take over.

  Danika slumps to the ground beside me once I have the creature under my control. I kick at the creature as I release my hand-hold on her. Her long frog legs tense as she prepares for a quick getaway, but she doesn’t make it. I jump on her back and with one smooth move, snap the creature’s neck.

  Jared hacks the last one to pieces, leaving us in silence. There are dead bodies lying everywhere. Coy crawls out from underneath the table and walks toward me.

  Danika is still lying on the ground by my feet.

  “Are you okay?” I ask. She nods her head as she clutches her side.

  Jared stands off to one side, unsure of what to do now.

  When Coy reaches me, he grabs me, pulling me into a tight embrace. At first I resist, but then I relax, giving in. Being held just feels good right now. I wrap my arms around him, burying my head in his chest, trying to hide the fact that I want to sob all over again.

  Coy softly whispers in my ear. “God, I’m glad you’re okay.”

  I don’t say anything. I know my voice will crack up, and I don’t want to show that weakness here in front of everyone. I look to the side and see Ethan loping over to Danika. He hasn’t changed back into his human form yet.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see a creature in the shadows behind him. I try to warn him but the words don’t come out of my mouth fast enough. The creature jumps up on Ethan’s back, pinning his arms around his torso. Ethan starts snarling and snapping at the creature that actually looks normal—until I see the massive scorpion tail sticking out of his backside.

  I tear away from Coy to help Ethan, but I’m too late. The creature slams his tail right through Ethan. Ethan collapses to the ground, his growl turning into a whimper as his body goes slack.

  I prepare my body to jump on the creature, but Jared is there before me. He jumps through the air with his machete raised, and slices off the creatures head. Green blood starts squirting everywhere, burning everything it touches.

  Danika screams and runs to Ethan’s side. He’s back to his human form, which scares me because Lycans transform when they’re close to death. Blood gushes out of his stomach, running down his sides to make puddles on the ground.

  Danika is shaking him and yelling for him to wake up. “Ethan. Ethan get up. Come on get up.”

  I grab her hands to stop her from shaking him. “Look at me. Danika look at me.”

  Danika looks up. Blood is still running out of her nose. Tears are spilling down her cheeks.

  “We have to get him out of here. He needs help.”

  Jared comes and kneels beside her. He tries consoling her but she pushes him away. “Where? Where do we take him?”

  I look up at Coy but he just shakes his head. “We can’t take him to the hospital. They won’t know how to treat him. Plus we would have to explain a lot that we can’t.” I nod in agreement, knowing he’s right.

  Danika starts to panic. “Where then? We have to do something.” She places her hands around the wound as she rocks back and forth. “Why isn’t he healing?”

  I’m afraid the answer will send her over the edge, so I don’t tell her that the poisonous blood that came from the creature is more than likely eating him away, preventing him from healing.

  A possible solution comes to me. “How about the Lycans? They can help right?”

  “Maybe, but I don’t think he will survive the trip.”

  This sends Danika into a complete panic. I glare at Coy, he could have left out the not making it part. Jeez.

  “Listen let’s get him back to the hotel. You can call the Elders on the way. Maybe they can help. They’ve been able to help with everything else.”

  Danika doesn’t look too sure about it, but at least it’s something.

  Jared has on a big black trench coat that would hang past Ethan’s legs. “Jared, give me your coat,” I command.

  He looks like he’s about to protest, but when he sees my face, he closes his mouth and shrugs off his coat. Smart boy.

  Coy hands me his jacket. “Tie this around his stomach. It will help with the bleeding.”

  I take Coy’s jacket and tie it as best as I can around Ethan, then put Jared’s coat on him.

  “Okay Jared, you and I will carry him back.” Once again, Jared goes to protest but stops. Together, we pull Ethan up and start to drag him back to the hotel. I have Ethan’s left side and Jared has his right, and his arms are draped around our necks so it looks like he passed out.

  On the way into the hotel as we pass the Café, Coy makes a loud remark about drinking too much. Danika is on the phone with the Elders the whole way. Once in Ethan’s room, we place him on the bed. Looking at his torn, bleeding body, fear grips me.

  Ethan has blood all over him. His skin is pale, his breathing is shallow, his pulse is slow and unsteady. Danika gets off the phone, and without a word, she rushes out of the room. Coy brings me the towels from the bathroom and I apply them to the wounds. Ethan’s losing a lot of blood. If we don’t stop it right away, it’s going to be too late.

  Danika rushes back into the room with a duffle bag, and places it on the bed next to Ethan. “Racquel, get me some water,” she says.

  I hurry off into the bathroom, looking for anything I can put water in. The ice bucket will have to do. I return into the room with the water and see candles lit all around Ethan.

  I hand Danika the water and stand back. Danika opens the duffle bag, pulls out different types of herbs and puts them into a cloth sachet. Then she sets the sachet into the water and chants something I can’t quite hear. Once she’s done, she pulls the sachet back out and places it under Ethan, against his back. Then she does the ceremony again, and places another sachet on his stomach.

  Next, she pulls out a huge, clear crystal with jagged points all over it, and places it over his heart. She grabs another cloth. This one she wets and places it on his head.

  I grab my crystal necklace, the small rock now as much of a comfort as a power source, as I watch Danika, feeling extremely helpless. I want to help but I don’t know how. I watch with fascination as she pulls all the ingredients together with determination. Never slowing, never showing weakness over her concern for him. Her face is set with a fierce determination and a conviction that this will work.

  Danika places her hands on each side of Ethan’s waist and starts chanting. Her nose had stopped bleeding on the way to the inn, but as she works on Ethan, a slow trickle of blood returns.

  “Danika, are you sure you should be doing this?” I ask as gently as I can. The nosebleeds are a warning to the Witches. Whenever a Witch, especially a young Witch, uses a lot of power and their bodies become weak, they get that as a warning to slow down.

  Her voice cracks a little when she answers. “I have to.”

  She goes back to chanting. The candles flicker a bit and then their glow starts touching Ethan. It’s mesmerizing to watch. The candles seem to be channeling energy into his body, healing him as the light touches his skin. But then the flames start to flicker and dim.

  Everyone jumps, startled and tense, as her phone rings. Danika curses and snatches it up.

  “It’s not working.” She pauses for a minute as the other person speaks. “Okay, I understand.”

  Then she hands me her cellphone, not saying anything, before turning back to attend to Ethan.

  I take the phone, unsure of who it is. “Hello?”

  “Racquel, honey, listen to me. It’s Eldrida. Danika is weak from the battle.
You are going to have to help her channel energy into Ethan. Do you think you can do this?”

  My heart speeds up and I start to panic. “I don’t know how. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “You can do this. Just concentrate on your energy and send it through to Ethan. I believe in you, Racquel.”

  She hangs up. No more pep talk or instruction, just a click and she’s gone. I sit the phone down on the bed and look at Danika, a little panicked. She turns to me with an anguished look.

  “You have to do this, Racquel, please.” Danika’s voice cracks, her eyes tearing as she pleads for my help. Heart pounding and hands shaking with fear, I walk over to Ethan’s side.

  “What do I do?”

  Danika is quick with instructions, moving back into action, her tears still breaking, but her voice now stronger. “Place one hand on his chest, right over his heart. Place your other hand just above the wound.”

  I do as she says. When I touch his side, I fight myself not to flinch. His skin is cold, very cold compared to the Lycan’s normally hot body temperature. I’m hoping it’s just from the night’s chill and not his impending death. Danika starts chanting again. I don’t know what she’s saying, and start to panic. But then, instead of worrying about the words, I just concentrate on my energy, like Eldrida said. At first I don’t feel anything, but after focusing more, I begin to sense it. I feel a light hum in my body that seems to be getting louder as I concentrate on it.

  It’s a radiant feeling, pulsating through my body with a pale blue glow. I concentrate on that humming light and push it through my hands into Ethan’s body.

  I don’t open my eyes, but I can still see the room become lighter again through my eyelids. As I reach out to Ethan, I can feel what’s left of his energy combining with my energy and Danika’s. I can also feel the presence of the Elders. That must be part of the spell. Somehow their presences are here with us, helping save Ethan.

  A bright light explodes through the room as a jolt of power rips through my body. My skin tingles, my breath catching as I shiver from the rush. The jolt fades as quickly as it comes. When the light completely fades, I hold my breath and slowly open my eyes. Ethan’s eyes are still closed but his breathing seems better, steadier.

  Danika stops chanting and removes the bags of herbs on his stomach. I step back to let her work, wondering if that’s all it takes. The wound isn’t completely healed up, but it’s better. Now it’s just a slight laceration that is starting to blot up. Danika starts crying and lays her head on Ethan’s chest.

  I look over at Coy who looks back with hope. I shrug my shoulders, unsure of the outcome. I reach out to check Ethan’s pulse. It’s definitely stronger now.

  Danika sits back up and places the bag back over the wound. “He needs to rest now. Only time will tell.”

  “So we did it?” I ask.

  “I’m not sure. I think so. But I thought he would wake up.” Danika can barely speak and I know she’s drained.

  I start to turn to Coy for comfort, but stop. I’m still uneasy about what happened earlier between us. As much as I want his comfort, I have to stay strong. Giving in to a moment of weakness will only lead to moments of more pain later. Instead, I collapse in a chair. I hate admitting this but I am completely drained too. It’s even worse than it was before. After a moment of pause, I push my own problems aside. I need to get everyone settled for the night, so I can go rest myself.

  I look up at Coy. “Can you go get Danika a cup of tea and something to eat?” Coy nods and leaves the room.

  Danika quietly protests as she sits by Ethan’s side, looking defeated. “I don’t want anything.”

  I use her motherly attitude, the one she’s been using on me, as I stalk across the room. “You need to eat something. You’ve used a lot of energy tonight that needs to be restored.” I turn around to face Jared, who has been silently standing off in the corner. “Jared why don’t you go get some rest in Danika’s room tonight.”

  Jared walks over to Danika, placing his hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. Do you want me to stay with you?”

  Danika shrugs off his touch, tightening her grip on Ethan’s arm as she shakes her head in response. Jared straightens and walks to the door.

  “What room?” he asks me, his voice controlled, although his expression is a mixture of hurt and defiance.

  “15.”

  Jared walks out the door, quietly shutting it behind him.

  Coy finally comes back to the room with a sandwich and tea. After he gives the refreshments to Danika, I ask him to give me a moment alone with her.

  After he leaves, I pick up the sandwich sitting on the table next to Ethan’s bed. “Here, you need to eat this.”

  “I don’t want it.” She doesn’t even look at the food, her gaze stays fixed on Ethan.

  “You’re going to have to eat this. If you want to help him, you’re going to have to get your strength back. So eat this and then get some sleep.”

  The idea of helping Ethan seems to get through to her. After a few moments she picks up the sandwich, taking small bites. “But there’s no way I’m leaving his side.”

  Once she’s done eating, I try to convince her to go to my room and get some sleep, but she isn’t budging. Finally, I call the front desk to see if they might have a rollaway bed. The clerk brings one, and I set it up beside Ethan’s bed.

  The exhaustion starts taking its toll on me. I start feeling the drain and know I need to get some sleep or I am going to have to go find that blood bank again. I check on Ethan one last time, making sure his pulse is strong and his breathing is steady before heading off to my room.

  I’m almost to my room when Coy steps out into the hall.

  “Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  I want to say no, knowing my hunger and weakness makes me a little dangerous to be around him right now. Plus, I’m still supposed to be mad at him. But I also want some company. I feel so scared and shaken up by everything that happened tonight.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  I open my door and look back at Coy. From the stunned expression on his face, I can tell he didn’t think I was going to let him in. He probably figured I would push him away again. After a moment’s hesitation, he follows me into the room. As soon as we’re alone, all I can see and sense is his warm blood pulsing through his veins, and I know we’re in dangerous territory again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I catch myself staring at Coy’s neck and turn away. I gesture to the only option for seating, the bed. “Make yourself comfortable.”

  I disappear into the bathroom, my breathing harsh and ragged. I wash my face, hoping to rinse away the thought of blood and hunger. But when I walk out of the bathroom, my senses are overwhelmed by Coy’s scent. Obviously my impromptu bathroom trip did little good. Instead of lounging on the bed, Coy’s leaning up against the wall next to the door. His eyes are narrowed into slits and there’s a scowl on his face.

  He obviously notices my distress. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. I silently chant, ‘I’m in control,’ as I make a neutral face. I’m hoping to make Coy think he is imagining things.

  “So, what do you want to talk about?”

  Coy doesn’t answer. He doesn’t move from the wall. His gaze stays fixed on me, unfaltering. I, on the other hand, falter. Not from his intense stare but from the weakness overtaking my body. I stumble forward and grab hold of the wall.

  Coy is across the room in seconds, placing his hands on my shoulders and looking me in the eye. His gaze roams all over my body and returns to my eyes.

  I can feel my body shaking and my vision blurring. I’m overtaken by the scent of Coy and the sound of his blood coursing through his veins. I know that if I don’t get away from him, temptation and survival instinct will overtake my morals and better judgment.

  I shove Coy away and turn my back on him. I try walking to the bed but my body feels like it weighs a ton. I slide down the wall,
my shoulder catches on a nail, ripping my shirt and nicking my skin. I close my eyes and try to regain control.

  I feel myself being lifted into the air. At first, I’m thinking I have fallen asleep and I’m just floating off into a deep sleep. But when my head lolls onto a warm shoulder, I know Coy is carrying me to the bed. I nuzzle closer to him. My cheek rests on his collarbone as my nose and mouth graze his neck.

  Somehow I gain enough sense and awareness to know what I’m about to do. I jerk my head back and try shoving Coy away.

  “Put me down, now!” I say, using what strength I have left to sound firm.

  Instead of tossing me down and letting me go like I demanded, Coy gently places me down on the bed, and sits beside me. “Racquel listen to me. I want you to drink from me. I know it’s something you feel strongly against but you must.”

  He’s leaning over me, looking into my eyes. His gaze is so serene and caring, it impacts my judgment. I want to give in, to trust him as much as he trusts me. I can see his pulse. Hear his heart racing. Pounding. I can almost taste his blood in my mouth.

  But the small part of me that is still holding on to the real me is refusing. I don’t want to ruin everything I’ve worked so hard to maintain, my dignity and morality. I just can’t go down this road.

  I turn from Coy, rolling on my side and burying my head with the pillows. I can feel Coy stand, his weight leaving the bed, but I still hear his steps close to the bed. His heart beat fades for a minute and then comes closer. His weight returns to the bed as he lies beside me. His face is now only a mere inch from mine.

  I try turning over again so my back will be to him once again. I don’t have the energy or will power to fight with him anymore. Ignoring him is my only option.

  As I start to roll over, Coy grabs me by the shoulders and pulls me close to him. He wraps his arms around me, rubbing my back. Never in my life have I ever felt like this. Safe. Yet at the same time I feel scared. Scared of what I’m feeling for Coy, scared of losing it and killing him.

  “Racquel listen to me.” Coy tightens his arms around me. “You’ve lost a lot of energy today. From what I’ve seen, your body stores energy and that’s why you didn’t need so much before. But when you use that energy, your body needs to restore what it has lost.”