Watched

by Skye, Violett

  What's he doing here? What is going on?

  Jeremy stood amazed. His eyes watched the two battle wordlessly in front of him. They moved too quickly for his eyes to track the action. The smell of fish filled the air still, and Jeremy’s skin crawled as he thought of the creature’s wet scratchy scales around his neck. His hands shook and brushed at his neck, removing whatever ick was left there. Off in the street, Jeremy heard grunts and bones cracking.

  Half-way through the blurred bundle of fighting, Dillan called out to him. “Go. Run, Jeremy! Run. Get to my house. It's safe. Hurry. Ella's there. I promise you.”

  Jeremy remained where he stood. His heart beat hard, and his lungs were sore. He was torn between helping Dillan and doing what he was told to do. He didn’t like the guy, but he wasn’t sure if Dillan could win this fight. Then Jeremy thought of Ella facing one of these things, and it suddenly didn't matter that she'd kissed someone else or even lied about France. He wanted her to be okay. Jeremy turned without another look at Dillan and ran into his house. He grabbed his dad’s car keys off their hook. When he returned outside, Dillan and the creature were both gone. The rotten fish smell was the only evidence that he hadn't imagined the whole scene.

  Jeremy ran to his dad’s car and tossed the stick into drive. Uncaring for speed limits, Jeremy broke many rules as he raced to Ella. He’d call Chloe on the way and tell her to meet him at the Stone mansion.

  5 Ella

  Ella slouched in a chair in the dining room. She ignored Dillan and did not return to his room as he asked. Instead, she sat there begrudgingly listening to the damn ticking of the grandfather clock. As much as it had irritated her in the past, she found the steady tick-tick-tick somehow comforting now. It was tangible, something she could hold on to in a world that had gone completely insane and apart.

  She also found the sound more soothing than the erratic chime of the magical ward being tested at by the creatures who threw themselves at the ward now. The sounds grew more frequent, and caught in fear, she felt like she couldn't move. She just sat in her chair, frozen in terror as she listened to things make noise and call out to her.

  They were still outside. That part was good. It meant the wards held still. But she could hear the voices growing in volume. From what she could tell, there were at least six distant voices coming from all around the house.

  "Come out, little girl. We want you. If you just surrender yourself to us, the boy will be safe."

  Tears falling from her eyes, she refused to give in. She bit her lip and fought hard to not answer the teasing voices. Ella wiped a tear from her face and realized that she didn't think she could talk, even if she had to. So she remained where we was, staring out the dining room window. As the clock ticked the time away, she noticed in growing terror the amount of lingering shadows that seemed to float by on the other side of the wall. How is that possible? How many more are coming? When will this end? Will the ward hold? It was that last thought that scared her the most. The ward, that thin invisible barrier of Dillan’s magic, was the only thing keeping them at bay. She knew that it could vanish at any moment. The moment when something killed Dillan.

  More chants taunted her through the window.

  "Come out. You smell so good. We want to see what you must taste like. Won’t you give us a small lick?”

  "Don't keep us waiting, child, we are hungry. It’s been a long time since we last ate.”

  Icy chills ran up and down her back. Her teeth chattered as the physical symptoms of shock and mental breakdown set in. Please, oh, please, make them go away. I am sorry I ever wanted to kill the clock. I’ll be good if you just make them go away and let the only sound I hear be that annoying clock.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw headlights pull into the drive. Her hopes rose slightly, thinking it was Dillan. But she soon knew that it was not Dillan’s car. As quickly as her hopes fell back to Earth, she realized whose car those lights belonged to. They were from Jeremy's dad’s car.

  Wait, this makes no sense. Why would Jeremy's dad come here? To Dillan's house?

  Then she knew.

  He wouldn't. But Jeremy would come here. She knew he’d look for her. Her elation for knowing Jeremy was all right spun another 180 as Ella recalled the shadowy forms of the demon creatures out front. Oh, crap. They’ll kill Jeremy when he steps out of that car. Not the best timing to come searching, Jeremy.

  The magical wards Dillan set would do absolutely no good at all if they got to Jeremy before he crossed the boundary. She raced through the house to the garage, muttering “please, please, please let the magic cover the garage, too,” under her breath.

  Ella pushed the door to the garage open with a bang. Looking for the garage door opener, she slammed her fist down on the button that would open the garage door. The grind of the motor sprang to life as the door slowly rolled up, up, and up.

  "Come on, Jeremy," she said, willing him to hear her. “Head to the garage. Come on, straight in, it’s open. Hurry.”

  The door lifted half way up, still not enough space for the car to pull in. As the door crept slowly open, Ella heard the chanting and evil cries from the shadows. She watched them skirt nearby but not anywhere near the garage. Ella sighed in relief.

  Good, they can't get into the garage. Come on Jeremy, just a little further. Get in here. Don’t let them pull you out of the car.

  As the door continued its climb, Ella saw the creatures make their way to his car. They shrieked and pulled on the door handles. But they weren't able to grasp them. It was as if they were more shadow than solid. She smiled gleefully at their clumsy attempts to hop on the car or work their claws on opening the doors.

  The moment the garage door crested near the top and Ella could see Jeremy's face though the windshield, she motioned for him to pull into an empty spot.

  "Hurry," she yelled, unsure if he could hear her. The moment the car was fully into the garage bay, she hit her fist back down on the button. The door slowly made its way back down.

  Ella rushed into the garage as Jeremy leapt from the car. She hugged him fiercely. And remembering the situation they were in, she dragged Jeremy by his hand into the house and away from the demons and their wails.

  Safely back in the dining room, Jeremy grabbed her and pulled her back to his chest. “Oh, Ella. Are you all right? What are those things?"

  She gulped and nodded slowly. "I'm okay. Mostly.” She wasn’t sure where to start or what to tell him. I’m dead, but I’m still alive? I’m not really sure what all right means.

  "I don't know exactly what they are. Um, some sort of demon, I guess."

  She shivered as she spoke the word demon. Having this conversation with Dillan seemed more appropriate somehow. Apparently, it was also hers now. But this wasn't Jeremy's world, she didn’t want it to be.

  “What do you mean by demon? What is happening? Everything feels so, just…well, everything is just crazy right now."

  Ella smiled and nodded at him. She gulped for unnecessary air in an effort to calm down. What do I tell him? How can this be explained? I wish Dillan were here to tell Jeremy what is going on.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but she never got the chance. A loud, rancorous note rang out from all the demons as they screamed in unison, causing the dining room windows to shatter into a thousand pieces.

  “It’s down. It’s down. He did it.”

  “We can come in and get you now. No more magic to protect you."

  Ella realized what this meant. The ward was down.

  “No,” Ella screamed. "No, you killed him!"

  But this wasn't the time to grieve Dillan's death. She had to get Jeremy out. Dillan said if something happened that she would need to go. He was dead now, and she knew that she couldn't fight all the demons off. She knew they had to run. Plans quickly ran through her mind. A second later, she grabbed her insurance policy envelope from the table and took Jeremy by the hand.

  "Now. We have to go. Now. You drive."

&nbs
p; “Ella, what is going on? What’s happening? I thought we were safe here,” Jeremy questioned as he fished the keys out of his pocket again.

  "He must be dead. The magic failed. The magic that kept them out. He's dead. I can't believe it."

  She looked over her shoulder as one of the demons made its way through the dining room window. It called out to her. She knew that it was a matter of time before the others got into the house as well.

  "See? They can come in now. We've got to hurry."

  She dragged him along behind her as they rushed back to the garage. The garage door began its slow rise up again as Ella shoved a confused Jeremy towards the passenger side of his dad’s car.

  Two creatures swarmed into the garage. They floated under the narrow opening.

  “Nevermind. Time’s up. I’ll drive."

  She cursed herself for opening the door before Jeremy was safely in the car. He was stunned and moved slowly towards the car. Come on, Jeremy. Move it. Knowing that he wasn’t going to make it, she sped ahead of him and hastily made a new plan.

  I'm a vampire. If Dillan can fight them, so can I.

  Ella tackled the first demon, allowing the fear bubbling over to convert into a slowly blooming rage. The demon grabbed ahold of her arm as she tried to stand. Her foot shot out, and she kicked it in the face. The scent of rotting fish assaulted her sense of smell. Ella wanted to retch, but she refused to give in to that urge. There would be time to puke later.

  With the first demon now down on the ground, she gave a good solid kick to the second one who rushed at her. Unfortunately, it appeared smarter than the first. He ducked and grabbed her leg in mid-air, causing her to fall on her back.

  Expecting a sharp pain to rise from her back, Ella was shocked when it didn’t happen.

  Strange that didn't hurt.

  She swung out her other leg and kicked the demon in what looked like gills. Then she stood back up and booted the first demon who was trying to get up.

  A roaring sound started up behind Ella, and Jeremy called out. "Get in, Ella.”

  Jeremy pushed open the passenger side door, and Ella slid into the seat. “I guess you’re driving after all," she said.

  He backed the car out quickly. It was surrounded on all sides by the shrieks of the demons, their eyes, some glowing red and some glowing yellow. Sharp fangs glinting gleefully in the moonlight.

  "Now what, Ella? Where do we go?"

  Her voice was hollow when she answered. "I have no idea what to do next. But we have got to get out of here.”

  6 Isabella

  Isabella woke from her one hundred and fifty year sleep with a crick in her neck. That put her in a sour mood. She sensed—even after transferring most of her abilities to Dillan—all the commotion going around the last few days in and around the Stone Forest.

  Since it was her spell that created the supernatural graveyard in the first place, she felt the tendrils of the carefully laid magics being dismantled grave by grave. When Cedric arose, Isabella decided she would find Dillan and kill the reckless vampire herself if Cedric didn't do the job for her. After all she’d sacrificed, he couldn’t use restraint and keep Cedric locked up. Yep, she was definitely going to kill him. She’d been imprisoned for nearly two hundred years for nothing if Cedric was allowed to roam free and terrorize the earth again.

  Finally awake and free from the magic that bound her, she worked on getting her bearings. Though she assumed she'd find Dillan at his home, she was eager to use her magic again, so she figured she’d try a locator spell.

  “Okay, time to find out what’s going on. Why did you undo the curse and awaken all this evil? Who did you turn? Who got your attention, Dillan, that you would undo all that we accomplished?"

  I wonder what that boy will say once he sees me. Of course, that’s if he’s able to still speak after I wring his neck!

  She muttered to herself as she gathered and prepared the necessary herbs in the forest. She waited for dark to set in so she could do the spell at just the right moment. Isabella didn't have to wait, but the results would be more accurate if she did. She didn’t want to take any chances since her skills were rusty. La Luna, I can use all the help you can give me.

  "I hope she was worth it, you fool of a man."

  She smiled at her chastising, knowing there was no way he could hear her. Yet it made her feel better. Besides, if she got it out of her system before she found him, she might be able to resist the urge to kill him where he stood.

  She began weaving the spell, imploring the moon and nature for assistance in finding Dillan, and as she suspected, the spell told her that he was at his house or at least very nearby. She quickly made her way to his home, ready to give him a thrashing. She also hoped to discover what Cedric had been up to since his recent release.

  Nothing good, that much she could guarantee. No way years of entombment would improve that asshole’s disposition.

  7 Ella

  Jeremy slammed on the brakes. They had barely gotten out of the garage and were surrounded on all sides when a woman appeared in the middle of the driveway.

  Now what, Ella thought. What is Cedric up to now. Is this another one of his tricks?

  “Ella,” Jeremy asked, his voice sounding tired, “what do you want me to do? Should I drive her over?”

  “Hold on, Jeremy,” Ella said.

  At first, Ella wasn't sure who this woman was—was she friend, an innocent person in the wrong place at the wrong time, or another of Cedric's minions? She didn’t want to hit the woman, so she paused to see what would happen next.

  She watched as the woman waved her hands. She tilted her head toward the sky and chanted words in a language Ella couldn't understand. Ella watched as the demons took note of the woman’s presence. Ella decided to see what their reaction was to her. Maybe it was Isabella?

  "Ella? What is this? Who is that?"

  "I'm not sure, Jeremy,” she said a little harshly. Then softer, “Gimme a second. Watch the demons. See how they react to her. I might know who she is, but I’m not sure.”

  The demons hissed at the woman, a reaction that Ella very much approved of. The words the woman chanted now pulled a storm of furious wind, lightning, and heavy rain. Her low voice turned slowly into shrieks that Ella feared would shatter the car’s glass. It clearly bothered the demons also. Good.

  Ella watched as they all grabbed their heads. They covered their ears and slowly moved back from the woman and the car. Their faces looked gruesome, their mouths open in a hideous scream, and their red devilish eyes bulged from their heads.

  “Jeremy! Look! She's on our side. They’re afraid of her."

  "Uh, great! But maybe we should be, too?"

  The End of Book 4

  About Violett

  Violett Skye is a pen name for an author who publishes in different genres. In her efforts to find her own freedom, Violett is experimenting with writing in, for her, as yet unexplored genres. Mostly because it’s fun to try new things and that’s part of her DNA, no matter the moniker attached, but also because in exploration there is discovery. In order to find ourselves in this world, we must do three things. Start. Discover, Find. And then repeat. Each story must have a beginning, a starting point. That place where an idea is a glimmer of possiblity, still unexplored. Every story also has a middle where discovery occurs. We learn about the characters, we learn about the conflict that motivates them, and we adventure together. And finally, each story must find its way through the mirk to find that which it is. A finding, a knowing, that can only happen if Starting happens and if Discovery occurs..

  When you pick up a story from Violett Skye you can be sure that it will be an exploration of a new idea by the author. It will most likely be a tale that features strong women trying to make their way in the world. And because making our way in the world often involves matters of the heart or at least of lust, you can be pretty sure you’ll find some sexy romance. Because with every story idea that is explored, the author is finding
about herself and the world she inhabits.

  Keep adventuring, dear readers. Life is short. Read all the things.

  Vampire Wars, Book 5

  If you like your romance steamier and less paranormal, check out the Becoming series from Violett.

  If Reverse Harem is your cup of tea, check out Violett’s upcoming paranormal romance series, Under Lock and Key. Book 1, Family Secrets is available for pre-order now and will show up in your inbox November 18!