by Raven Steele
Before he could respond, I nudged Storm’s gut, forcing her into action. She galloped away, her hooves digging into the earth. My heartbeat matched the rhythm, bu-bum, bu-bum, over and over. I could still feel Boaz’s burning touch on my skin. Bu-bum, bu-bum. His caress sliding toward my breasts, his tongue against my ear. Bu-bum, bu-bum.
I pulled on the reins, bringing Storm to a slow walk. What was wrong with me? I looked over my shoulder, expecting to see Boaz, but I was alone. I shouldn’t have these feelings, but I couldn’t deny there was something that drew me to him. The air hummed in his presence, and it electrified my skin and vibrated my nerves. It was as though the magic inside me was reacting to him, as if he were metal and I, a magnet.
Storm stopped abruptly, jolting me out of my thoughts. She stomped her feet and snorted.
I patted her broad neck. “What is it, girl?”
Without warning, she reared up, and I lost my balance. I tumbled to the ground, my arms outstretched to break my fall, but as soon as my first hand touched the ground, the bone snapped. I screamed and rolled, stopping only when my head crashed into a rock. Stunned, I reached for the back of my head with my good arm and felt something warm and wet. I moved my hand in front of my eyes and held my breath. Blood.
To my right, an unnatural movement caught my eye. Something shaped like a man with grayish white skin from head to foot stepped out from behind a tree. His chest was abnormally large on top of skinny legs. Each bulging rib looked like it was about to burst from his leathered skin. His patchy hair and wide eyes shined a brilliant white; only his lips were a dark gray. The creature hobbled awkwardly toward me, shifting in uneven spurts. There wasn’t anything particularly frightening about his expressionless face, but his intentions clouded and darkened the air around him.
He meant to kill me.
Chapter 6
I scooted backwards on the ground, away from the gray creature whose strides were extraordinarily long. His upper lip flared into a snarl, revealing razor sharp teeth, and he snapped them like a rabid dog. My mind raced, trying to recall any kind of spell I might use against him, but my head was more full of pain than any useable thoughts.
He was almost upon me when out of nowhere a dark blur slammed into the monster, flipping his grayish body into the air. As the beast returned to earth, I recognized my savior. Boaz. He caught the creature in his arms and snapped its back upon his thigh. He rolled the limp figure from his leg, and before the body hit the ground, Boaz was by my side.
“Are you all right?” he asked. His eyebrows pulled tightly together, shadowing the dark tunnels that stared at me.
Words were even harder to access than my thoughts.
“What is it, Eve?”
I wanted to say that I was fine, but my eyes fluttered closed. I forced them open again and attempted to sit up.
“Let me help you,” Boaz said. He reached around my shoulders but stopped suddenly. He must have seen or smelled the blood, I couldn’t be sure which. Very gently, he turned my head to the side and smoothed the hair away to examine the wound.
His face contorted and twisted into rage, but he said nothing. Instead, he stood and returned to the lifeless monster he had killed. With one hard kick, he sent it flying into the top of a tree. The branches groaned under the weight until they snapped, and the monster fell. On its way to the ground, branches tore at its leathery skin, exposing a black substance that oozed like tar from the wounds.
The last thing I remembered before losing consciousness was Boaz picking me up and cradling me to his chest.
I opened my eyes, blinking several times. I was back in my bedroom. The red sheer curtains around my canopy bed were drawn except for a small gap at the corner where the curtains met. I couldn’t tell whether it was night or day; someone had drawn the blinds on my windows.
I was about to call out, hoping Jane might be around, but quickly shut my mouth when I heard Boaz’s voice: “This isn’t the way. You hurt her.”
He spoke low, but the sharp tone of his voice was as if he were yelling. He stood not far away, his dark silhouette looming over Erik’s.
“Sable has already taken care of it,” Erik said. “For now.”
“You better be right.” Boaz crossed the room to my dresser and picked up something small from its top.
“She’s useless to us, Boaz,” Erik said. “You know that. My father gave us permission.”
Boaz dropped whatever he was looking at, and lightning-quick, was across the room gripping Erik by the throat. “You won’t touch her without my permission, do you understand?”
He didn’t answer, but I assumed Erik must’ve agreed, because Boaz said, “Good. And I expect Sable to obey as well.”
He let go of Erik, who stumbled back.
"Now leave us,” Boaz ordered.
After Erik closed the door, Boaz moved to the side of my bed and pulled back the sheer curtains. I quickly shut my eyes and resisted an urge to swallow. Who was this creature that ordered my parents around? His control over them both scared and excited me.
“You can’t fool me, love. I heard your heartbeat quicken moments ago.” He took my hand and caressed it with a firm pressure that exploded every nerve ending in my entire body. I wanted to beg him not to stop, but instead the swallow I’d been trying to hold back came now. The loud gulp seemed to echo throughout the room.
I didn’t dare open my eyes for fear of losing myself to him. At first, hearing him speak, a deep longing had ached within my chest, but what did it mean? Because of his association with my parents, he was someone I should avoid at all costs, yet the depth of his eyes, his velvet voice, and the way his touch took my breath away, made me forget the evil that must surely exist beneath his perfect exterior.
His fingers grazed the side of my cheek. “If you don’t open your eyes,” he breathed, suddenly inches from my face, “then I will be forced to kiss you.”
I wavered only for a moment, wondering what it would be like to feel his lips against mine, but the reasoning part of my mind finally broke through the haze. I opened my eyes.
Boaz leaned back, a slight frown on his face before his mouth curved into a smile. “Another time.”
I turned away to hide the burning heat in my cheeks. In the corner of the room, I locked eyes with Hunwald. “Does he go everywhere with you?”
“Absolutely. Hunwald and I are inseparable.”
At the sound of his name, Hunwald trotted to Boaz, but he kept his eyes fixed on me.
“I don’t think he likes me.”
“Hunwald doesn’t like anyone.”
“That’s comforting. Does he have to be in here?”
Boaz looked at me and then at Hunwald. He pursed his lips as if deciding. Finally he said, “He can wait outside.”
Hunwald’s bushy head jerked in Boaz’s direction as if he understood. Boaz motioned toward the door, but Hunwald stared stubbornly back. Boaz motioned again with a little more force. This time, the wolf turned and left the room, but not without casting me a dangerous look.
“Friendly dog,” I said.
“He’s not a dog, and I don’t have him because he’s friendly.”
I sighed and attempted to sit up, but a tight wrap on my arm made it difficult. They must’ve put it on me while I was unconscious. “Is this really necessary?”
“Your arm was broken. Of course it’s necessary.”
“But there’s hardly any pain,” I said, moving my arm around.
“You have your mother to thank for that. She can do the most amazing things with jasmine.”
I grimaced.
“You don’t like jasmine?” Boaz asked.
“I can’t stand it.”
“Is it because your mother loves it, or is there another reason?”
“Does it matter?” I reached up to tear the bandage off of my head, but stopped. My eyes flashed to Boaz.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Is it difficult for you to be around blood?”
H
e smiled. “Not at all. I’ve been around long enough that my craving for blood is similar to what you might feel toward chocolate.”
“Appetizing,” I said, and tried not to grimace as I unraveled the bandage. It didn’t feel nearly as good as my arm. “How old are you anyway?”
“Old enough to know when a person isn’t safe in their own home. That diablo almost killed you.”
“Diablo?” I wasn’t familiar with the name.
“A diablo is a demon who has taken over a human body. Their unnatural presence slowly kills the human’s body, making them appear like a corpse. They are merciless and determined. If one’s been sent to kill you, more will follow.”
“I don’t understand. Why would they want to kill me?”
Boaz leaned back in his chair. “I have two theories. The first is someone among our kind has sent diablos to kill you. You’re less of a threat if you’re dead.”
This surprised me. “How am I a threat to anyone?”
“You’re the daughter of the most powerful witches to ever exist.”
“But I’m nothing like my parents.” I shuddered. The thought of demons after me was frightening enough, but being compared to my parents was even more terrifying.
“You’re right. You are nothing like them. You’re much greater.”
I shook my head to dismiss what was, in my mind, an empty compliment. “And your second theory?”
Boaz averted his eyes. “Your parents. I think they sent them.”
I shook my head slowly. “They wouldn’t.”
“Perhaps, but I must find out for sure.” He stood. “I should let you rest.”
“Not yet,” I said, wanting him to explain further. Granted, my parents were horrible, but kill their only daughter, their only heir? Surely I held some value beyond my magical abilities. I swallowed the sickness coming up my throat.
“Close your eyes and sleep, love. I need to speak with your father, and then I will return.”
Boaz left, and the room felt overwhelmingly empty without him. After nearly an hour, I threw back the covers and stood. My head pounded but hardly enough to keep me in bed. I smoothed my long, black nightgown and walked to the dresser to see what Boaz had been looking at.
Several items were sprawled across the dark wood surface. They were the same ones that had been there for the last ten years. A grotesque-looking porcelain doll, a ceramic gargoyle and a music box that played a song that was neither happy nor pleasant. None of them represented beauty and love. They were all constant reminders of my parents’ attempt to turn my heart as black as theirs. Only Madelyn’s private teachings had shown me another way.
I scanned the remaining items. Only one was out of place: an unframed photograph of me taken months ago, just outside our home. Jane had captured it with her cell phone and had given it to me as a gift. It was the only picture I had of myself.
After slipping the photo into my top drawer, I walked to the window and opened the blinds with my good arm. It was later in the day than I thought. The sun clung stubbornly to the horizon, any earlier clouds having cleared, but night would soon have its way. It made me think of Boaz. I didn’t think vampires could be awake during the day. I wish I would’ve thought to ask him.
I rested my forehead against the cool glass. Darkness had already reached the edge of the forest. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a familiar movement. My heart skipped a beat, several actually.
Two more of the gray creatures, diablos as Boaz had called them, were moving in and out of the trees. They wandered randomly, their bodies jerking in uneven spurts. They seemed to be waiting for something … or someone. As if sensing my thoughts, their heads jerked in my direction, eyes entirely white.
A chill erupted on my skin. I stepped away from the window and right into Boaz. His arms came around me. I sucked in air at the feel of his body pressed up against mine.
With my back to him, he whispered in my ear, “They will not harm you. As long as I am near, no one will ever hurt you again.”
His breath on my neck made it so I couldn't speak, breathe or hear anything outside of my painfully thudding heartbeat. To be held like this was nothing I’d ever experienced before. It was almost impossible to resist.
But I had to try.
I turned around, weak-kneed, and said with as much strength as I could muster, “I can take care of myself.”
“Like you did this morning?” Boaz brushed past me to the window and closed the blinds. “Learn to use magic, and then you will be able to take care of yourself.”
I could use magic, I wanted to say, but I wasn't about to tell Boaz that. I still wasn't sure where his loyalties lay. I sat down at my vanity to search the drawers. “How are you able to be awake during the day? Isn’t the sun your enemy.”
“I’m old enough that the sun no longer forces my body into a heavy slumber, but it can still burn me if I come in direct contact with it. Why do you want to know? Are you planning on killing me?”
I tried to hide my smile. “Perhaps.”
I finally found what I was looking for: a long, sharp envelope opener. I shoved the silver knife under the material on my arm and jerked upward. It tore in two and fell to the ground. Other than my arm being red from the cast, it was completely unscathed.
“Let’s say then,” I began, thinking of Boaz’s earlier words “that I am able to use magic to protect myself. How will I know I won’t lose myself in the process? I’ve seen how magic has changed the people who enter my parents’ world, and it’s never for the better.”
“Nothing is black or white, love. Life is full of gray. You’ll change whatever way necessary to fit your environment, and in just a short time, you’re going to need all the power you can get.”
I lifted my chin. “I’m not using magic.”
His nostrils flared, and he reached for a book on my bookshelf, one that happened to be hidden behind one of my parents’ approved books. I don’t know how he knew it was there. He tossed it onto the bed. “You are wasting your time and talent, and it’s disgusting.”
I stood abruptly, knocking back the chair I had been sitting in. Magic roared awake inside me. “How dare you! You don’t know what I’ve had to endure living with those,” I struggled to find the right words, “those people who have the nerve to call themselves parents.”
Boaz grinned, his eyes dancing. “Then stop enduring! Maybe then we can start having some fun!”
“Get out,” I demanded.
“You’ll have to do better than that.”
“I said, get out!” I pointed to the door, which flew open at my silent command and slammed into the wall behind it, leaving a gaping hole. I shrank back, terrified. In that small moment, when I had allowed myself to hate, the room had turned cold, and the light darkened. Even the floral smell had turned bitter.
Boaz laughed. “Didn’t that feel wonderful?” He walked to the door and inspected it. “Amazing! You didn’t even have to try. I knew you had it in you.”
“Please leave,” I said, barely above a whisper.
Boaz’s expression darkened. “If that is what you want. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
He tried to shut the door on his way out, but it closed crooked. The top hinge had broken.
I dropped onto the bed, appalled by what I’d done. What if Boaz told my parents? I rolled over and covered my head with a pillow. Boaz had caused this. He’d made me feel hate, the one emotion I tried hardest to contain, and he’d managed to do it after meeting me only a few times.
I still felt it, that angry magic tingling inside me, coursing through my blood like hot lava, darkening my thoughts. If I’d been born normal, would the feeling of hate still have been as strong? The emotion overwhelmed me, filling me to the point where it physically hurt, and the only way to relieve the pain was to expel it through magic.
I needed to stay away from Boaz.
All night, I tossed and turned, my mind tortured with dreams of death and destruction. Boaz was there, the black
conductor, smiling and leading the symphony of carnage. I couldn’t escape him even as I slept.
“Eve,” I heard his voice say. The symphony played louder.
“Eve, wake up!”
His image left my dreams and appeared before me. Unsure of my surroundings, I recoiled in fear. I rubbed my eyes, but when I opened them again, Boaz was still there, looking more devilish than ever. His disheveled hair was pulled into a loose ponytail. Several strands fell into his face as if he’d been running only moments before.
“What are you doing back?” I asked, sitting up. It was barely eight in the morning.
“I never left.”
I furrowed my brow.
“I was going to but a problem arose. I’ve been trying to decide how best to deal with it.”
“What sort of problem?”
“The diablos,” he answered. He crossed the room to the window and parted the blinds to peer out.
“They’re still out there?” I threw back the covers and left the warmth of the bed.
“Yes, and they’ve multiplied exponentially. It’s only a matter of hours before they come into the house.”
“Why?”
He turned around so suddenly I stumbled back. “They’re coming for you. To kill you.”
Chapter 7
“Kill me?” My heart raced. “Erik and Sable—”
“Are the ones who summoned them,” he finished. “I have confirmed it. They excused the staff and left hours ago. I’m all you have left.”
“I don’t believe you. They wouldn’t kill me, not after all they’ve put me through.” But even as I said the words, doubt plagued my thoughts. So what if they had exhausted countless hours trying to get me to become greater than I appeared? To prove I knew more magic beyond an Adept? I never gave them what they wanted. But would they kill me for that?
Boaz looked back out the window. “I argued with them well into the night, but they’ve washed their hands of you, said you were a waste to their kind and an embarrassment. Even Erik’s father, your grandfather, agreed. They all want you dead.”
