Craving-Torment (Book #2)

by Claudy Conn

  I took another karate position when I heard a low hard growl and saw a familiar horse-sized gray and black wolf move in close.

  She did have vampire help, but they had not been able to get to me. I had a wolf, you see, and the notion made me grin.

  My wolf had two vampires in his sights and he had them at bay. I saw he was in position to lunge and kill.

  I smiled and used my witch power.

  I was on my feet. My hand went into the air where my sword always waits in my invisible space. Many earthbound witches are able to carry their wands in an invisible space, and call on their wands when needed. I have a sword. Very handy.

  Allora used this sword to kill my grandmother, who before she died infused the blade with her magic. It had responded to me and was now mine.

  It is heavy, but my witch strength was ready for it, and I held it pointed right at Allora’s dead heart.

  This was going to be tricky.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shifter wolf…Hawkeye, take a vampire by the neck and rip his head off its body.

  The other vampire jumped on the wolf’s back, but the wolf rolled over on him, crushing and disabling him before he flipped and took the vampire’s head off, and snapped it into the wind. Blood covered his dear nose.

  Allora saw this even as I did, and bellowed, “NO!”

  I smiled at her.

  She screeched like a banshee, and yes, banshees really do screech.

  The wolf stood his ground beside me and waited.

  We were all drenched with rain.

  I have never killed anything with a sword, but I was game to try. I would have to aim for Allora’s neck, and it was going to be a tricky maneuver.

  My top and jeans were soaked through, making maneuvering not as easy with the weight and tightness of my wet and clinging clothes.

  She stopped to have a good look at me, glanced over at the wolf and said, “I didn’t know witches and dogs socialized.”

  “Learn something every single day, huh?” I said.

  “You know, I don’t think you even know how to use that weapon, little witch,” she said. “Look at you…no more than a newbie nothing, hardly skilled.”

  “Is that what I am? Yet I got the sword away from you the first time we met,” I told her.

  She actually hissed.

  “Hissing, you are good at it. Me, I’m ready for some action. Come on…let’s have a go and see how this newbie does.”

  At my side, the wolf snorted. We looked at one another before I turned and grinned at Allora. I could see she was hesitant. She was also infuriated and that was good. Anger sometimes gets in the way of clear thinking. Might give me an edge.

  “Do you think a wolf and a slip of a girl can challenge me and live?” she screamed.

  Yup, she was outraged, but she still employed caution and began circling us. My wolf moved in rhythm with me, and I matched my steps to Allora’s.

  We were like two cats sizing one another up before we lunged, except I knew who she was. She had no idea who I was and from what she had just said, she was underestimating me. Good, I needed whatever advantages were available.

  My wolf stood aside, I assume to give me space to attack and defend. I liked having him in the wings.

  All at once, I felt my Shama, or is that me now, it feels like I found the spell and enacted it. Hell yeah, my Shama and I were merging. I was being guided by my inner magic, but it all felt so natural, like when you get on a bike you haven’t ridden in years.

  I cloaked myself and the sword. Invisible was a great advantage.

  I heard the wolf’s voice in my head, Smart little witch.

  Allora stood still. “You think going invisible will help you?” she shouted.

  I looked at her and knew she wanted to get my position by making me speak. Ha.

  I took a step towards her on the driveway and swung the heavy weapon with both my fists around its hilt.

  Allora is ancient and smart.

  She listened for the swish of the blade in the atmosphere with her vampire hearing and managed to jump neatly out of its path. However, my aim was spot on and she couldn’t get completely out of the way.

  My blade caught her arm and made an ugly gash. One that would, of course, heal, but it hurt and she screamed with pain and something else, surprise.

  She bled heavily onto the blue gravel. I wished she could have seen the eyebrow I gave her. It said, Score one for the newbie!

  Her fury grew, her face was set and determined, but her eyes were blood-red with primal rage.

  I raised my blade again and made ready to strike. She was an ancient evil and killing her would save so many, I told myself. Killing her was the only solution.

  I moved in, but I couldn’t get close enough. My mark had to be across her neck. Her head had to come off…eeeee…but I had no choice.

  Evidently, she wanted to keep her head.

  She was not going to play my game. Her vampires were dead, their bodies had already burst into flames in the harsh rain, and the wet ashes had been washed away. She was on her own and she suddenly saw that I was not an easy target. Her bleeding had already stopped from the wound my blade had inflicted, but…I saw her rein in her temper.

  “Another time, witch, you won’t be expecting me,” she said. “This is not over.”

  Vampire speed took her away from us, and into the woods away from MacLeod.

  I followed in a poof of my purple smoke and watched her get into her black SUV, noting that all the windows were shaded black.

  I turned and in the pouring rain, standing before me, was one large, handsome, and very naked man. His eyes were yellow…or hazel, I’m not sure. His hair looked to be dark blond, but it was soaking wet, so I wasn’t sure of that either. I knew it was the wolf shifter in human form.

  “Hawkeye,” I said, and then with all my heart, “thank you.”

  “Are we on the same side, Red? It looks like it, but looks can be deceiving,” he said.

  “If we are on the side of the innocents, if we both care about making sure we do whatever we can to keep humans safe, then we are on the same side,” I answered.

  He smiled and said, “You are quite a stunning beauty, but something about you standing soaking wet in the rain, well, woman, you take my breath away.”

  “You,” I said, ignoring his flirtation and trying not to look at his enlarged cock. “Are naked and will catch a death of a cold if you don’t hurry up and go wolf, or get dressed.”

  He laughed. “Later, Red. Later.” He shifted into wolf and loped off into the woods and out of my sight.

  I poofed back to the house, where I immediately uncloaked myself, sent my sword into its invisible space, and started shouting as soon as I entered the castle. “Davis…Mrs. Tunny…time for you to leave MacLeod!”

  * * * * *

  I spelled myself dry and clean as Mrs. Tunny and Davis came running from the kitchen area and she hugged a sweater tightly around herself. “What is it…what is wrong?” she asked, somewhat frightened.

  “They have coom?” Davis asked with a knowing nod. “The vampires have coom.”

  “Yes, but it has stopped raining and the sky has cleared up. It is safe now for you to travel, and I want you both to pack up and go to one of your homes and stay there until you hear from us.”

  Now that I knew Allora could come and go at will, they were no longer safe at MacLeod.

  “What about ye, miss.” Davis took my hand. “Will ye not coom with us?”

  “I am not going to mince words. No. I have to stay and finish this. However, just to be on the safe side, I am going to your car and giving it a blood bath!”

  I saw the shocked expressions on their faces and calmed down enough to be clear. “Blood Wards, my dears, Blood Wards to keep the vamps from coming near you when you are in the car.

  “Don’t go anywhere at dusk or dawn, or when it is raining. Clear?”

  They nodded and went upstairs to pack their things.

&nbs
p; When they returned to me in the Great Hall, we all held hands and I told them, “Stay indoors if there is any question of a gray day. She travels during the rain…easily. Don’t come back here until we call and let you know it is over and safe. Understood?”

  They nodded, but just to drive it home I added, “No matter what you hear…no matter who tells you what, unless you hear from me or Jeremy, you stay put.”

  They didn’t argue but stood staunchly and told me they would rather help. “I know, but these are vampires with super strength and speed. They could snap both your necks and feed on you before you blinked.” I sounded rough and harsh, but I wanted to drive the fact home.

  “Aye then, how will ye be safe?” Mrs. Tunny hugged me. “Coom with us, child.”

  “Mrs. Tunny, I know you guessed, almost at once, that there was something…unnatural about me…” I said.

  She smiled. “Och aye, but not unnatural. I noticed that ye are part of the earth, the sun, the air, and the water that gives light. Och aye, I know what ye are.”

  I hugged her again. That was such a beautiful thing to say. “Wait here until I finish with your vehicle.”

  I ran to the kitchen and fetched a knife, went into the courtyard and cut my wrist open and did a sloppy job of smearing the car with my blood. I needed to get a good part covered before my wound healed. I quickly chanted the Druid Warding Spell, and hurried back to them, and ushered them outside.

  “Go on, be safe so I don’t have to make deals with the devil to keep you that way,” I told them, and watched them ‘til they vanished down the driveway.

  My next step was to let Jeremy know, so I quickly went to the library and penned a pretty long note to him. Yup, I thought, reading it to myself, comprehensive as I told him everything that had happened since last we spoke.

  I stared outside as the rain had stopped and was satisfied that the day had lightened up enough for Davis and Mrs. Tunny to get to their house unmolested.

  Just as I got up from the desk, Jeremy slammed into the library and said, “What is it? What has happened?”

  “How did you know anything happened?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure…I was having a cup of coffee with Tina and I had this gut feeling that something here at MacLeod was wrong, terribly wrong. I didn’t question that feeling but jumped into my car and came as fast as I could.”

  I told him everything that happened in Trinity, then what happened here with Beyland, and then with Allora.

  He made a mess of his hair, then stopped his pacing to stare at me. “Now what, Bobbie? What is your plan?”

  “My plan is you go about your business today. Go to your office…do what you have to do. Make certain Tina is safe somewhere, just in case someone watched you with her…we can’t take any chances. I’m going to find Devin’s cave and bring him home.”

  “How do we stop Allora from entering? We must stop her!” he said agitatedly.

  “We will. We will try and kill her if she returns before,” I said.

  “Wait…I have an idea, Bobbie. If Devin puts the castle in your name, Allora can’t get in. The ownership of the castle will change and negate her invitation.”

  “But would Devin accept? Pretty drastic measures and he would have to trust me…”

  “Don’t be an arse, Bobbie. He has already been trusting you with his life. This will work. Yes, but it has to be legal and the deed has to be registered. Bring him home, Bobbie, and let’s get it done. But in the end, we still have to destroy Allora because she will never give up trying to best us.”

  “I know how, but first, as you say, I’ll bring him home…oh, Jeremy, I don’t know how he can trust me…sign over MacLeod.” I chewed my bottom lip.

  “Only the two of you know the answer to that question. Here is the thing. He has to legally give/sell for a pound the complete ownership of MacLeod Castle and grounds. Then he has to allow me to register the deed in your name. She will no longer be able to enter. It was my sister, his new bride, that invited her into their home, but if this place belongs to you…end of problem.”

  “Yes, of course…but first things first. Let me go and bring him home.”

  “Do you know where the cave is?” Jeremy asked. “Can you get to him without being caught?”

  “I don’t know exactly where it is, but I have a notion, and I damn well don’t mean to get caught,” I said, and a small hysterical laugh escaped me. I couldn’t stop to think. I had to work on instinct.

  Jeremy packed a bag and took up a briefcase. He said as he went towards the front door of the Keep, “I’ll get the paperwork done…then I’m going to get a hold of Tina…I can’t take a chance that she will go in for her evening shift at the inn. I’ll keep her with me. Ring me when you get back with Devin and I’ll come with the paperwork.”

  I watched him head back for his car. The sun and a rainbow appeared and for a moment, I amused myself by thinking this was a good sign, finally, a good omen.

  I went up to the barrier, aware that Devin was nowhere to be seen, and with a thought, my portal opened and I stepped through to the jungle.

  I turned and closed the portal and breathed a sigh of relief. One step completed. Now, I had to find Devin’s cave and keep out of sight.

  Cloaking. I was now pretty good at it.

  My Shama immediately accommodated me. I had to get out of the jungle, where my movements could be seen when I moved through the wild green brush.

  I couldn’t use my purple smoke to travel, as that would be seen if any soldiers were about. I reached the grassy field safely and without seeing a soul. I wondered where the Elfin were and what they were doing? I sped past the cottage and wondered why the Elfin hadn’t posted any guards there. Of course, they thought I was Draoidheil and no doubt also believed we were now safely in The Land of Draoidheil.

  Okay, past the cottage, well past and headed for the highest of the foothills.

  I traveled about ten more miles and stopped to take a breather. Yeah, witch strength, but ten miles were ten miles.

  As I put away miles, I realized this was going to be an all day trek. Two hours later, those foothills didn’t look much closer.

  Luckily, I had changed into my running shoes early this morning.

  I am a jogger, or at least I was before I landed in Scotland, but it looked like I had another thirty miles to do. It was daunting.

  So much had happened since I first came to Scotland.

  It seemed an age since the day I received the invitation to take a job as chief manager at MacLeod. It had been one filled with excitement and anticipation. It was hard to believe that the salary, the location, and the dream job were all on the level. Well, there ya go. Matters of magic are rarely what they seem.

  Still invisible, I safely ran through a stretch of piney woods, taking one footpath after another until I ended at an overgrown section where I followed a deer path to a clearing.

  I looked across the meadow of tall yellowed grass and wildflowers of every shade and for a moment, all I could do was stare. It was breathtaking.

  I looked off into the distance and saw the highest of the foothills where Devin said his cave was carved out, and wondered how I would make it before dark.

  “Hallo,” said a small voice.

  I looked in the direction of the little girl’s voice and found her getting up from where she sat in the grass. She looked to be about ten, with long black curly hair, olive tinted skin, and bright hazel eyes. I saw at once the silver sparkle that surrounded her small frame. She was a young witch.

  “Hello,” I answered, and smiled.

  “You must be her,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “Must I?” I teased. “And who would…her be?”

  “The witch causing all the problems. I heard Mama say it isn’t your fault and that, as usual, the Elfin are being unreasonable. Papa wants peace, but he said we have to stand our ground. We can’t be blamed for witches arriving from other realms. It is what he told the Elfin.”


  “I see. I am very sorry for this trouble. If I could repair it, I would, but they won’t believe I am a witch from another realm.”

  “I know. I listen to everyone going on and on when they don’t know I am there. I am ten…going on eleven. I would handle this matter very differently,” she said in such a grown-up voice I almost laughed, but thankfully, I controlled myself.

  “And how would you handle it?”

  “I would call for a meeting on neutral ground, just like my hero James the Star Setter of the Star Setter series,” she said. “I have read all the Star Setter books and I’m waiting for the next one.”

  “Ah, and then at the meeting, what would you do?” I asked. She was precious.

  “I would tell them the truth and ask them if they wished to go to war on a lie,” she said.

  “Very wise, but sometimes older people are not so wise,” I said.

  “I know, especially because they are suspicious of our magic.” She shrugged.

  “It has been very nice talking to you…er…”

  “I am Rosie,” she said. “And you are?”

  “Bobbie,” I said.

  “I like that,” she said, looking at me with that open manner of hers.

  I touched her nose and sighed. “I love talking to you, Rosie, but I have to go, as I have a long way to travel.”

  “Why don’t you just witch there?” she asked.

  “Witch there?” I puzzled.

  “You know, use your magic? Don’t you have traveling magic in your witch land?”

  I laughed. “Yes, but I am afraid the only form of locomotion I know carries a purple smoke and I don’t want to be followed,” I told her truthfully.

  “You don’t want to be followed by the Elfin,” she concluded with an understanding nod. “So cloak your smoke,” she said simply, and giggled. “That rhymes.”

  “Cloak my smoke?” I asked of no one in particular as I hit my forehead. “Of course. What is wrong with me?”

  “Some of the time, ups don’t think,” she said knowingly.

  “Ups?” I asked.

  “Grown-ups. Don’t you know anything where you come from?” She pulled a face.