by L.H. Cosway
“You don’t know this about me, but earlier this year, my boyfriend Matthew committed suicide. I thought it was depression, but the other night while I was going through his things, I discovered the real reason he’d killed himself. Antonia had been feeding from him against his will. She’d messed with his head so much that he’d decided he’d rather die than continue to be her victim.”
Rita’s mouth fell open as she reached out to place her hand on mine. I continued speaking. “I can’t allow her to get away with what she did to him. I saw this hair on her coat tonight and took it because I wanted to have something of hers so that maybe you could put a hex on her.”
Rita stared at me, her eyebrows crawling all the way up her forehead now. “Hexes are serious business, and they’re derived from dark magic. I’m not sure I want to dip my toe into those waters again so soon.”
I frowned, guilt twisting inside me. “No, you’re right. I shouldn’t have asked.”
I reached out to take the hair back, but Rita stayed me with a hand. “Wait. You’re sure this is what you want?”
“Positive,” I replied.
She worried her lip. “Okay, then. I’ll create a hex. To be honest, I’m quite impressed you thought to take one of her hairs. I keep forgetting you’re half magical since your mother was a witch. The inclination toward spells comes somewhat more naturally to members of the magical families.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I’d never felt particularly magical, though I did sometimes have a sixth sense when it came to danger, a nagging voice in my brain that warned me it was close. Other than that, I’d never done anything even remotely close to the magic Rita, Gabriel, and Theodore possessed.
“Any idea on what sort of hex you want?” Rita asked.
Steel formed in my gut. “I don’t care what it is. I just want her to suffer.”
Her expression turned thoughtful. “Well, I do know a certain spell. Actually, it’s more of a curse. It’s supposed to make bad people suffer for their sins. Like a guilt curse. The person you put it on feels the guilt of every single crime they’ve committed for the rest of their lives. If I curse Antonia, then she’ll suffer for every life she’s ever destroyed. Including your boyfriend’s.”
That sounded … perfect, really. I felt vindicated to know that Antonia would feel guilt. There was a fury in me, one that made me want to take her down. She’d ruined Matthew and clearly planned to drain me of my blood for the power it could give her. As far as I was concerned, Antonia deserved everything that was coming to her.
Rita must’ve seen the resolution in my eyes because she quietly rose from the couch and left the room. When she returned, she proceeded to set up her spell ingredients for the curse. When it was done, the air around me felt different, like something I needed to release had finally been set free. I hugged Rita tight, thanking her for the spell. When she pulled away, she looked suspicious.
“Why exactly were you in such a hurry to get this done?”
I frowned, not seeing the point in beating around the bush. “I’m leaving, Rita. I can’t stay here now that there are vampires who know what I am. Not to mention Finn. He’ll be reporting back to his slayer buddies any minute now and they’ll be coming for me, too.”
She looked sad, and if I wasn’t mistaken, her eyes seemed a little glassy. We hadn’t known each other long, but we’d bonded fast. “Do you think you’ll ever come back?”
“To be honest, I don’t know. Probably not.”
She nodded and this time she was the one to hug me. “Good luck, Tegan. I’ll cast a spell tomorrow that will help you to stay hidden, if you’d like? It might not throw them off the scent forever, but it’ll cause some confusion long enough for you to find somewhere safe to stay.”
Do. Not. Cry. What had I done to deserve her? “That would be great,” I managed, my voice cracking slightly. I was going to miss her so, so much.
“Tell Alvie I said goodbye.”
“I will.”
***
The walk from Rita’s front door to Ethan’s car seemed like the longest I’d ever taken. Saying goodbye to him was going to be rough, but it had to be done. No matter which way you spun it, I couldn’t stay in Tribane. The reality of my situation made me want to go out and buy an army bunker, an arsenal of weapons, and a lifetime supply of non-perishable food so I could hide away forever.
I opened the door and slid into the passenger seat beside him. We sat in silence for several seconds before I spoke, “You won’t have to worry about Antonia punishing you for helping me escape,” I said.
“Oh?”
“I had Rita cast a spell,” I replied, and he nodded, a distant look in his eyes. I felt like he was already withdrawing from me and it broke my heart.
“I’ll take you to the bus station now,” he said, starting the engine.
“Right, thanks,” I whispered.
The sudden tension stifled me, and the drive to the bus station was one of the tensest I’d ever endured. When we arrived, Ethan parked in a spot close to the entrance, and I checked the time on the dashboard. It was very late. I hoped there were still buses leaving. I didn’t care where I went. I just needed to get out of this city.
Ethan’s hands fell from the steering wheel and came to rest on his lap. He clenched one fist, not looking at me when he said, “You could always stay. We could fight.”
“I can’t.” I reached out, pressing a hand to his cheek and forcing him to meet my gaze.
“I don’t want you to go.” There was a potent sadness in his otherworldly eyes.
“If you were in my shoes, what would you do?” I asked softly.
He didn’t answer, instead bringing his face closer to mine, so close his mouth was only a whisper away. His intoxicating scent surrounded me as I focused on his lips and told him, “I wish I was brave enough to stay.”
He gripped me softly by the wrist. “You are. You just don’t know it yet.”
I shook my head, still unable to look away from his mouth. “I wish I could believe that.”
Ethan exhaled a heavy, frustrated breath. “Do you know that I’ve never felt for any human the way I feel for you? It will kill me to let you go, but I won’t force you to stay.”
At this, I lost any semblance of self-control. I closed the small distance between us and gently pressed my lips to his. A rumble emanated from him as he gripped my face and deepened the kiss. His tongue danced with mine and tingles encapsulated my entire body. His fingertips grazed the skin beneath my T-shirt and a burst of desire shattered through me. I let out a quiet moan as he whispered in my ear, “You’re beautiful.”
I wanted to melt.
“So are you,” I said, breaking the kiss and pulling back to take him in. I would never forget him. He was the most stunning man I’d ever laid eyes on. Something in him called to me from the very first moment we met. I reached out and brushed a strand of his messy blond hair away from his face, the gesture sad but affectionate. This goodbye was agonising, but I couldn’t help prolonging it because as soon as it was over I’d have to go and face the fact that I was never going to see him again.
He brought his mouth to mine once more and slipped his hand farther under my top, running his fingers over the lace lining of my bra. My breathing quickened, my thighs clenching at his touch.
“Let’s go to my place,” he rasped, and just like that, reality came crashing back down. I was being cruel by kissing him. All it did was give him hope. I should’ve gone already, should’ve said my goodbyes and left. Yet here I was, shoving my tongue down Ethan’s throat. This was wrong, all wrong. I needed to find the strength to walk away.
This was one of the most difficult things I’d ever done. My heart was screaming at me, urging me to go home with Ethan and face whatever consequences came in the morning. But my heart was fickle and didn’t think long-term. My brain was logical. It told me the correct course of action.
“I have to go now,” I said, drawing away from Ethan.
Several emotions flitted across his face. Then finally, stoic resignation.
A lump of grief formed in my throat. “Tell Delilah I said goodbye and tell Lucas to be kind to Amanda.”
He nodded, looking away, his jaw working. I fixed my T-shirt and buttoned up my coat before opening the car door and stepping out. I was just about to leave when I turned back.
“Just go,” he said, voice rough. Tears filled my eyes as I hitched my bag over my shoulder and started walking toward the station. I tried to snap out of it, but it was no use. I pulled a crumpled tissue from my bag and wiped at my tears. When I turned to look back once more, Ethan’s car was gone.
Grief clutched at my heart.
Inside I found the nearest ATM and withdrew some money. Catching sight of myself in the window, I hurried to the bathroom to clean myself up. I looked a mess, my eyes red from crying.
I gazed at my reflection and hardly recognised the woman who stared back at me. She looked sad but also resilient. I’d been through so much in the last year and it had toughened me, made me stronger. I could survive this, deep in my heart I knew I could. And one day I’d find a way to thrive.
I left the bathroom and walked to the middle of the station, staring up at the destinations all lit up on the screen. Around me, people hurried this way and that, all with places to be.
I clutched my bag tightly as I scanned the list, picking a place at random, somewhere far, far away from Tribane. A voice whispered in my ear, chilling me to my core. It sounded a lot like Theodore, but that was crazy because he was gone.
You can run as far as you want, but this isn’t the last you’ve seen of this city, Treasure.
I shook off the chill, telling myself it was merely my imagination, as I stepped up to the counter and bought a ticket.
Thank you for reading Nightfall. The story continues in Moonglow, book #2 in the Blood Magic Series. Read on for a sneak peek of the first two chapters!
1.
So … I kind of cheated.
Yes, I booked a ticket to a city hundreds of miles away, but I also added a stop in Chesterport first. I couldn’t just leave without seeing my dad, and I definitely wanted to check on Florence and make sure she was settled at her grandma’s house.
I was delaying my journey by a day. It wasn’t a huge deal.
On the bus ride, I distracted myself from the memory of Ethan’s face as I walked away from him by reading one of the books Gabriel gave me, A Short History of the Twelve Families. If I was going to evade being captured by these people, then I needed to learn everything I could about them. The book contained a full chapter on each family, accompanied by a family tree. The family names included Girard, Ridley, Petrovsky, Dragu, Forbes, O’Quinn, Kanumba, Diego, Baumann, Patel, Tanaka, and Williams. I studied each one, wondering which family my mother came from.
By the time I reached my stop I’d read all about the Girards and how they’d traced their origins to French witches from the middle ages. It was truly astonishing. I didn’t know anyone who could trace their family that far back.
As the bus came to its stop in Chesterport, I shoved the book in my bag, climbed off the bus, and started the short walk to my dad’s house. The town was quiet and softly lit by streetlamps. Unlike in the city, everyone here was tucked safely in bed by this hour. Normally, I wouldn’t be on edge walking through the town at night, but there was a vampire governess who’d set her sights on me and I wasn’t able to confirm if Rita’s hex had worked. What if it didn’t and Antonia was sending out a search party at this very moment?
Well, it wouldn’t be easy to find me. No one knew where my dad lived, and though Ethan might be able to sense my whereabouts through our blood connection, he’d promised he’d keep my location to himself until the connection faded.
My heart squeezed at the thought of it fading. There was something oddly reassuring about him being able to find me if he needed to.
I reached my dad’s house and dug out my key, quietly letting myself in. The house was dark, the only source of light coming from a dim lamp left on in the living room. Upstairs, I heard his loud snores. I’d sent a text earlier, letting him know I was on my way, but he must’ve fallen asleep. I carried my bag up to my old bedroom and flopped down onto my bed. The sheets smelled fresh and my heart gave another squeeze—this time at the thought of Dad preparing the room for my visit.
I closed my eyes, but it was hard not to see Theodore’s crazy face every time I did. I needed to quit worrying. Yes, he’d killed my mother, but he’d been banished to a hell dimension, and whatever that entailed, I was fairly certain he couldn’t come for me again.
Finally, exhaustion pulled me under, and I fell asleep in my clothes. The next morning, I woke up to the smell of brewing coffee and fried eggs. I smiled fondly. My dad made a mean breakfast. I quickly washed and dressed, then headed downstairs.
“You hungry, sleepyhead?” Dad asked with a warm grin as I entered the kitchen.
“Starving,” I replied, walking around the counter to hug him. My stomach gave a hungry grumble as I eyed the bacon, eggs, and freshly buttered toast.
“It’s good to see you, honey,” he said, giving me a squeeze before letting me go. Emotion clogged my throat because he sounded like he’d missed me. I’d missed him, too. I didn’t want to leave so soon after arriving, but I knew I had to.
He eyed me as I withdrew to sit on one of the kitchen stools. I lifted a fork and ate a slice of bacon.
“Is something wrong?” Dad asked, running a hand over his salt and pepper stubble. “You look stressed.”
I swallowed another bite, wanting to tell him the truth but not sure how he’d take it. It all depended on how much he really knew about my mother.
I cleared my throat. “Dad, I need to ask you a serious question.”
He studied me closely now. “Okay.”
“How did Mum really die?”
His expression clouded as his complexion paled. “Why do you ask that?”
“Just tell me. I know she didn’t die from cancer.”
“Tegan, I’m not sure what’s going on with you, but—”
“Somebody took her, didn’t they?”
Dad turned away now, his shoulders tense. When he turned back around, he looked perturbed. “Who have you been talking to?”
“I’ve made some discoveries about myself recently. About Mum, too. I know she was hunted and that the person who hunted her got her in the end.”
“But how can you possibly know—”
“I know because the same person tried to come for me.” Dad paled further, his hands fisting at his sides. “Don’t worry. He’s been taken care of. My friend banished him to a hell dimension so he won’t be bothering us again.”
“I think I need to sit down.” He sounded out of it as he went into the living room and sat on the couch. I lowered into the space beside him and took his hand into mine. “Mum was a witch, wasn’t she?” I said softly.
He didn’t answer, just sat there silently, looking like his mind was a million miles away.
“She spent her whole life hiding,” Dad finally replied with a catch in his voice. “When we met, she didn’t tell me the truth for a long time. I had no idea about the world she came from, about witches and magical families and vampires. It took a while for me to get my head around it, and then, after you were born she said there was a chance the same people who hunted her would try to hunt you. She said she cast a spell to hide you, so no one would ever know what you were.”
“The spell is still intact, but some people found out about me anyway.” Dad looked like he was going to be sick. “That’s why I can’t stay. I have to go far away; somewhere they won’t find me.”
Pain shone in his eyes. He looked heartbroken. I was, too. I didn’t want to go. I wished there was a way that I could hide right here in Chesterport, but it was too risky. This town was far too close to the city. Dad rose silently and went upstairs. When he returned, he carried an envelope and a small handgun.<
br />
“Where the hell did you get that?” I said, eyes wide.
“It’s registered and legal. I want you to have it. For protection.”
“What about you? If anyone comes to you looking for me, you’ll need to be able to defend yourself.”
“Don’t fret about me. I have more where that one came from. If anyone comes sniffing around, I’ll blow their heads clean off.”
Wow. This was a side to my father I’d never seen before. “I don’t have the first clue how to shoot a gun.”
“We’ll drive out to the woods this afternoon, and I’ll teach you. It’s not complicated. You’ll get the hang of it quick enough. You can also take the Volkswagen. I don’t want you riding the bus. It’s too risky.”
“Seriously?”
He came forward and gripped my shoulders. “I’d do anything for you, honey.”
I sniffed, trying not to cry. “Okay, well, I need to visit a friend of mine before I go. It won’t take long.”
Dad nodded and handed me the envelope. “Here’s some cash, too. It’ll help you get settled.”
I peered inside the envelope. “This is way too much, Dad.”
His lips formed a straight line like he was trying to hold in his emotions. “Just take it. It’s the least I can do.”
Sadness constricted my throat, cutting off my words, and I nodded solemnly, accepting the money.
“Come on,” he said, motioning me back into the kitchen. “Let’s finish breakfast before it goes cold.”
***
After breakfast, I walked the short distance to Florence’s grandmother’s house. It was in a quiet part of town where mostly older people lived and must have been a pleasant change for her compared to the noise and bustle of the city. The house was picture-perfect with its neat flower beds and hedgerows out front.
I’d texted ahead to let her know I was coming, and the door flew open as soon as I stepped foot on the front stoop.
“Tegan!” Florence exclaimed, hurtling forward and throwing her arms around me. I was a little stunned by her hug and how happy she was to see me, but it was nice to see her looking so healthy and cheerful.
