Melynda bent forward and took Rebecca's cold hand in hers. “Rebecca, I know you can hear me. My name is Melynda Morgan. I'm here with Dax Ferro. Dax is Levi's lawyer, and we are here to help you and Levi. I...I am Dax's secretary, and I am also a witch.” Melynda paused and swallowed nervously. She sensed no shock or fear from Rebecca. “I am an Emotional witch, Rebecca. I can draw out people's emotions and see them. If it's okay with you, I'd like to see your emotions, Rebecca. Show me what happened that night through your emotions, so we can help Levi. Will you do that?” she asked softly.
Rebecca's hand grew soft and warm in her grasp, and Melynda saw flashes of soft pink before her eyes. The pastel color was gentle and accepting, and Melynda nodded. “Thank you, Rebecca,” she whispered. “I will begin now. Just relax and...think of Levi. Show me your feelings for Levi.”
Melynda kept one hand on Rebecca's shoulder and straightened up. With her other hand, she drew the symbol of the moon in the air, and chanted softly.
She could feel Dax glaring at her, but she didn't care. This was not about him. This was about Rebecca and Levi. She had to concentrate and get this right.
Still chanting the spell quietly, she stepped back from the bed and moved to the center of the room. A faint light was glowing above Rebecca's chest, hovering just above her heart.
The light pulsed and grew brighter, expanding and spreading down the length of Rebecca's body. She saw Rebecca's lips quiver slightly as the light floated to Dax's side. Melynda's eyes rounded a little, but she kept chanting steadily. Clearly, Rebecca wanted to show Dax something. She knew who Dax was, and she knew he was the one who could help Levi.
“Show him, Rebecca,” Melynda whispered earnestly. “Show him everything.”
The light stretched and twisted into shapes beside Dax. The pure white light was tinged with pastel hues, as it formed into a tall, broad shape. Melynda recognized Levi's muscular silhouette and she smiled a little. Rebecca was trying to show them Levi as she saw him. They were seeing Levi through her eyes.
Levi's facial features began to appear and his silhouette came more distinct, more solid. His image was clear, but it wasn't entirely solid. It was more like a hologram, a very sharp, vivid hologram.
Melynda held her hands out, using Rebecca's emotions to power Levi's image. Levi grew bigger, broader and a dazzling smile materialized on his face. Brilliant blue eyes blinked and turned to stare at Dax. Levi's gaze shifted to Rebecca, and Melynda could see the love shining so clearly and strongly in his eyes. Levi's smile gradually faded and his eyes became fierce and feral as he stared into the distance.
Another image began to take form in front of Levi. Melynda saw a man, shorter and stockier than Levi. The man had an ugly scowl on his scarred face, and his eyes looked crazed with hate and rage. He sported a buzz cut, had bloodshot eyes and had numerous, jagged scars snaking down his neck and arms. The man had been tortured by a blood demon, and Melynda could see the terrible wounds on his neck, wounds that had been inflicted by long, serrated demon fangs.
She felt a brief stab of pity for the man. But that was before she saw what he did.
Rebecca showed them exactly what he did. She didn't flinch and the images remained clear and unwavering.
Melynda had to force herself not to turn away. She couldn't. She had to continue channeling Rebecca's emotions and manifest her emotions, however wrenching and painful they were. She couldn't let Rebecca and Levi down. They were counting on her.
Through shaky breaths, Melynda continued reciting the spell, holding her voice low and steady. Her hands trembled as she held them out, keeping the lifelike images within the sphere of her magick.
Melynda stared at the heartbreaking, horrific scene that Rebecca was dredging from her memory and manifesting for them. She saw the man now, without his scars, but still he had on that scowl. Rebecca was showing them an earlier scene. The man had not yet been taken and tortured by a blood demon. His nature, his violence had nothing to do with his ordeal. He was already abusive, before he was abused.
Melynda saw the man storm towards a sleeping Rebecca and drag her from her bed. The man's image was pulsing blood red, and Melynda could feel Rebecca's terror and fear for her life. Rebecca knew that he was perfectly capable of killing her. She had whimpered and begged, but her pleas only made him crazier. The more she pleaded, the more powerful he imagined himself to be. And the more violent he became. Melynda saw him laugh obscenely before smashing his fist into Rebecca's face.
Melynda staggered back, almost doubling over. She could feel Rebecca's explosive pain and fury. Blinking quickly, she regained her composure and continued powering her spell. Rebecca was trying to show them everything, exposing her pain, her shame, her soul. She trusted them.
“Go on, Rebecca,” Melynda wheezed through gritted teeth. “I'm here for you.”
Dax was watching the images intently, his expression grim. His gray eyes flicked from Rebecca to the man, carefully watching their changing colors and their actions. Melynda knew he was assessing the accuracy of Rebecca's memory, watching for inconsistencies or improbabilities. He was a lawyer, and he never allowed his emotions to interfere with a case. That was what made him such a good lawyer.
A good lawyer, but a lousy mate.
Melynda shook her head. He was not her mate!
Dax Ferro would never take a mate...again. Never again.
He had serious trust issues, but that was his problem, not hers.
Melynda narrowed her eyes and focused on her job. She felt Rebecca's hardening resolve and determination to defend herself. The woman wanted to live. She would not let the brute kill her. She would not let him take her life!
Rebecca's image became even sharper as she twisted in the man's grasp. Biting and scratching, she fought to free herself. Her hands scrabbled desperately on the floor, searching for something, anything that she could use to fight back. Her fingers closed around a pair of scissors and she grabbed it. When the man hauled her up and raised his hand to slap her, she lunged forward. He dodged, and the scissors merely grazed his shoulder. He wasn't in the least bit hurt, but his face twisted savagely when he realized what she had done. She had fought back. She had tried to hurt him. The bitch!
With a roar, he dragged her into the kitchen and slammed her against the wall. Again and again.
The images grew hazy, but still Melynda could see the man attacking Rebecca.
Then the scene shifted.
This time, the man bore the wounds and scars of his torture at the hands of a blood demon lord. He had been confined to a psychiatric hospital after his torture, but he had escaped. Melynda saw him through Rebecca's eyes. This time, his image was weak and yellowed around the edges. Rebecca no longer felt any fear or hate towards him. To her, he was simply a relic of her past. She was divorcing him and picking up the pieces of her life, a life he had tried to destroy. Melynda saw Levi and Rebecca sitting side by side, holding hands and just talking. She saw the smile on Rebecca's face, saw the security and safety she felt with Levi.
And then the picture of calm and tentative happiness shattered.
Melynda saw the man chasing Levi and Rebecca from her home. He was slashing at the air with a long blade as he pursued them. When Rebecca stumbled, Levi picked her up and carried her over his shoulder. He continued running, trying to get Rebecca to safety and avoid a bloody confrontation with the man. Melynda saw them run for miles, and as they neared the beach, the man hurled himself at Levi's back, dragging his blade down his back. Rebecca scrambled away as Levi shifted into his bear form to face the man.
The man might look human, but his eyes revealed that there was no trace of humanity or rationality left in him. There was only murder in his eyes. Levi sought only to defend Rebecca. The bear didn't want to wound or kill the man. Seizing on Levi's hesitation to attack, the man flew towards Rebecca and grabbed her. She fell with him, hitting her head against the rocks. The images began to flicker, and Melynda saw the man stab her repeatedly until Levi sm
ashed into him. Levi roared and crouched over Rebecca to shield her. There were flashes of red and blue, and Melynda glimpsed police cars through the pulses of blinding light. Then everything went red.
Just before the images snapped off, Melynda saw the man again. This time, she saw him in her mind, not as a projected image. The man was glaring at her, his red eyes boring into her mind, her soul. He bared his teeth and hissed, “You. Die.”
She gasped, and he was gone.
Melynda collapsed to the ground, utterly drained, shaking and sobbing.
She felt Dax holding her, and she leaned into his arms, resting her face on his solid shoulder.
His voice was gentle. “Are you all right, Melynda? How do you feel?”
“I'm fine.” She took a deep, painful breath. “Rebecca...”
“She's a survivor.”
Melynda nodded, and sniffed. “She's so brave, so very brave. We have to help her. You have to help Levi!” Melynda clutched his arm. “You saw, didn't you? Levi didn't kill the man! He only protected Rebecca! That man is still out there, and...oh my God!” Her eyes widened. “Do you think he knows...? If...if he knows that Rebecca is still alive, he...he would try to kill her...again!”
When Dax didn't reply, Melynda gripped his hands.
“You saw her emotions, her memories, Dax! You saw the truth! We have to protect her! She...” Her eyes flicked to Rebecca, lying on the bed, hooked up to machines, unable to move, unable to open her eyes to see who came into her room, unable to open her mouth to call for help or release a single scream.
“She might die,” Melynda whispered.
“And then Levi would be facing two counts of murder instead of one,” Dax shot back. “He'd be accused of killing both Rebecca Rose and that missing man.”
Melynda's mind spun. No!
But even through her shock and pain, she caught one word that revealed Dax's view of the situation.
“Missing,” Melynda said slowly. “That missing man,” she repeated Dax's last three words and sucked in a deep breath. “You believe he's missing, not murdered.”
Dax held her gaze for a long while. “Yes,” he said at last. “Phin Lester is at large. But I don't think he'll try to attack Miss Rose again. Not while there is a police officer standing guard outside. Phin is cold, but he's calculating. He won't walk into a trap. He'll lay low. At least until Levi has been convicted of his murder.”
Melynda shook her head. “He's an animal!”
“And animals are smart, Melynda. They can sense danger, and they know how to hide and hunt. They will watch and wait in the shadows, just waiting for the right time to pounce on their target.”
Melynda winced. “So...he'll just hide away, until...Levi has been put down, for a murder he didn't commit.” She narrowed her eyes and spat, “What a conniving, cunning coward!”
Dax inclined his head at her. “I...agree with your assessment of him.”
Melynda was about to turn away. “Really?” She swiveled round to face Dax. “You agree with me? That's a first,” she muttered.
“You have a class tonight, don't you?” Dax said suddenly.
“Huh? Oh. Yeah, it's the last class on Potions. And then we have a week to study before the final exams,” she mumbled. Honestly, she was surprised that Dax remembered. He usually just grunted and dismissed her grudgingly when she knocked on his door and informed him that she couldn't work late because she had to attend class that evening.
“I'll take you to dinner,” he said curtly, steering her towards the door before she could respond. “You need to eat, to replenish your energy. I'll drive you to class later.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Melynda wrapped her jacket tightly around herself, hugging her books and files to her chest. Class had ended a little later than usual, since everyone stayed back to ask the lecturer some last minute questions. It was the last chance to clarify their doubts and questions before the final exam next week. After tonight, the students would be left on their own to study and revise.
But as she hurried along, she found herself thinking of Dax, rather than the exam topics. It was the first time they'd had dinner together. The first time was always...less than perfect. In fact, it was plain awkward.
Dax had been silent and stern as he sat opposite her at the diner. He just made sure that she finished everything on her plate. Then he'd ordered a large slice of apple pie for her, and made sure she finished that too.
The apple pie was delicious and she had rather enjoyed it. As she ate her dessert, his eyes had drifted to the window. From the crease between his eyes, she knew that his mind was on a case. She had seen that look, often when he was poring over a file at his desk. Dax would clear Levi's name. She was sure of it.
She wasn't that worried about Levi. Levi had Dax to defend him. And Dax was a pit bull when it came to defending his clients. Even pit bulls had nothing on him. He would fight tooth and nail, fang and claw, for his clients.
But Rebecca...
Melynda sat down heavily on the empty bus stop seat to compose herself. Poor Rebecca. She was a survivor. She was strong, but right now she was helpless. She was strong mentally and emotionally, but the poor woman was just lying on a hospital bed, completely immobile and defenseless.
Melynda rubbed her arms vigorously. Goose bumps had erupted all over her skin, and it wasn't because of the cold. She just had a bad feeling, a very bad feeling about this.
She feared for Rebecca, and strangely, she feared...for herself.
Don't be silly, Melynda, she chided herself, trying to nip her paranoia in the bud. You're just working yourself up for nothing. You're just worried about the exams. That's all.
Melynda stood up quickly and muttered a “Get Home Quick” spell under her breath. In her haste, she stumbled over a single word in the spell. “Shit,” she gulped. Panicking, she recited the spell again, trying to cover her mistake, but it was too late. She could already feel the magick winding around her. The wind whipped up, and the streets twisted and churned. But it felt wrong.
The spell had gone wrong. Seriously wrong.
It shouldn't be like this.
She should be able to see her house by now. The “Get Home Quick” spell usually brought her to her street in a couple of seconds. She just had to walk a few steps to reach her front gate. But now, everything was swimming and swirling around her, and there was no telling where she was.
She could be spinning into the middle of the city, materializing in the middle of a busy highway. By the time she got her bearings, she might be staring directly into the looming headlights of an oncoming truck.
Melynda tried to chant the spell again, but the more she panicked, the more she slipped up. Her stuttered, garbled spell sounded wrong to her own ears.
“Please...” she whispered.
Her thoughts spun out of control as her fear spiked. Terrifying, tormenting images flashed before her eyes in rapid succession. She remembered every frightening moment in her life and relived every nightmare. Everything she feared and dreaded swam to the fore to taunt and torture her.
Her spell had gone very, very wrong.
Her emotions were now working against her.
Instead of empowering her, they entrapped and endangered her.
Her most recent fear pulsed before her very eyes. She saw what he did and the terror and destruction he caused.
He terrorized his young wife. He beat her, bullied her and betrayed her. And when she tried to divorce him, to finally free herself completely from his clutches, he tried to kill her.
Through Rebecca's emotions and her own fear, she saw everything he did and everything he was planning to do. She saw it too starkly, to clearly. She wasn't sure if the gripping sense of fear and desperation that was slowly crushing her, squeezing her heart and lungs until she couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, was her own or Rebecca's.
Melynda struggled against the darkness which was fast closing in on her. She sensed a presence in the darkness. Twisting round, she
could barely make out the outline of a face.
But it wasn't the face she'd hoped to see. It wasn't Dax. She suddenly wished with all her heart that she could just see Dax one more time. She had been so angry with him, so hurt by him, and she had said many hurtful words to him.
If only...
There was no time for regrets. Her Emotional magick had latched onto her overarching fear and worry, and had drawn something sinister, something very dangerous, to her.
Fear attracted predators and monsters.
They could sense it and smell it.
“No, no...” Melynda croaked. She could see his face now.
It was the face of a monster. It was the face of Phin Lester.
He turned his red eyes on her, and mouthed the same two words he'd said to her earlier.
You. Die.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dax went back to the office after dropping Melynda off at Spell School. Spell School had a city campus, where they held their night classes. It was away from the city center, in a quiet, rather affluent neighborhood. Melynda had been very quiet during the drive, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
He had badly wanted to reach over and hold her hand, but he had stopped himself. She suddenly looked so small and fragile to him, like she would break into pieces if he just touched her.
He had watched her work her Emotional magick at the hospital, and it was very different from what his ex-mate, no, his fake mate, did. It was completely different from what he saw Savannah did. Savannah didn't just draw people's emotions out and give form to them. She manipulated their emotions, twisted them and changed them. She played with them and wound them around her little finger, jerking them around like puppets.
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