“I never said I wasn’t a warlock,” Earl said, lifting his chin a bit in defiance. “It’s true that I am. But unfortunately my magic never evolved much. My master took pity on me and included me anyway. I have enough powers to aid in fixing up and maintaining things around here, but that’s about it.” He flashed a glare at Vance. “I don’t lie. My word is as good as gold.”
“Fat lot of good that word’s gonna do you now,” Vance replied, his eyes still drilling into the poor man.
Earl burst into tears and sunk his wrinkled face into his hands. “I know. What will I do without the master and the others?” he sobbed.
“The first thing you can do is quit calling him master,” Vance growled. “No man—witch or not—deserves to make another beholden to him in such a manner. It’s degrading, and I for one am sick of hearing you say it.”
“Vance!” I shouted at him, angry for his rough treatment of the old man. “Have a little compassion would you?”
Vance glared at me and turned to stomp up the stairs behind him.
“I’m sorry, Earl,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “There are some things about Vance I need to explain to you.”
Hex grunted. “Yeah, like how he mostly resembles the hind side of a donkey’s ….”
“Hex!” I snapped, cutting him off.
He shrugged. “Well, it’s true,” he replied, turning to disappear down the steps into the basement.
“Earl, I’m sorry for all of that. The thing is, Vance is a demon, and I’m afraid he and Hex don’t get along at all.”
“He’s a demon?” Earl said, lifting his head, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Yes. One hundred percent. He also happens to be my husband. We were married before he was changed, but there were unfortunate circumstances that led him to where he is now.”
“How can you trust him? Aren’t you afraid he’ll try to drink your blood?” He glanced toward the stairway cautiously.
I smiled. “Actually, he does drink my blood, but I have a power which causes me to be immune to it, so it doesn’t change me. We’ve been fighting side by side for a long time now against the evil which invaded your life here. He’s proven trustworthy time and time again. Plus, I love him with all my heart and lucky for me, he reciprocates.”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Earl said. “The demons I’ve seen are crazy with blood lust, completely out of control.”
“Sadly, that’s often the case from what I’ve been told,” I agreed. “However, it’s been my experience to deal with demons that are highly cultured and refined. They’ve taken control of the bloodlust by feeding often, and it allows them to be very intelligent in their decision making. To be honest, I fear demons like that even more than the other, because they can take the time to plot and plan against you.”
Hex emerged from the basement at this moment with a perplexed look on his face. “You have some pretty nice accommodations down there,” he said to Earl.
“Yes,” Earl nodded. “This area of the house was maintained this way to keep up appearances. We did most of our living downstairs.”
“Why do you seem so surprised, Hex?” I asked. “You’ve lived the same way for years.”
“I don’t know.” He chuckled. “It’s weird to find someone else doing the same thing, I guess.” He turned to look at Earl. “How would you like some company for a few days? I know you just lost your family, but our coven is currently displaced from their home due to the threat of the same man who attacked you here. This would be an ideal location for us to hide out for a while.”
“Do you think that’s safe? Damien’s already been here, as you know,” I replied.
“Think about it,” Hex answered. “Damien doesn’t know about Shelly’s gift. He doesn’t know we’re following him. He’s already been here and retrieved what he wants. Why would he return?”
“It’s actually a pretty good idea,” Vance said, re-entering the room. “He obviously didn’t have any interest in these other keys, or he would have taken them too. It’s not like he didn’t have time to comb through the place.”
“Of course, if you feel it’s too soon to see the rooms of your loved ones being occupied then we would completely understand,” Hex added, sympathetically.
Earl looked between the three of us carefully for several moments while he considered things. He scooted his chair away from the table and stood, walking over to Vance.
“You gonna bite me, boy?” he asked, shoving his wrist up into Vance’s face.
Vance wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Not even if you were the last bite on earth,” he grumbled with a disparaging look at me.
I couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped my lips at the thought of Vance feeding on that tiny old man.
Earl turned his back to Vance—a true sign of complete trust. “Then you’re welcome to come here and stay.”
Chapter 20
Earl had the place looking surprisingly ready for our arrival in the short while we’d been gone to fetch the others. I transported everyone, plus the few belongings we had with us, by evaporation, being careful not to leave any trace to this location. By the time I arrived with the last of our things, Earl was visiting with the rest of the coven in a warm and friendly manner.
My mom and Krista commandeered the kitchen and set about making dinner for everyone. They insisted Earl sit down, take a break for a change, and get to know his guests.
“If everyone will tell me which rooms they’re staying in I’ll relocate your stuff,” I said when there was a break in the conversation.
“You’ve done enough already,” Vance said, pushing away from the wall to gather our duffle bag. “They can carry their own luggage to their rooms.”
Everyone quickly agreed with him, and I shrugged easily. “Just trying to help out.” I smiled.
Vance grabbed my hand and moved toward the cabinet against the wall. He let me go briefly to scoot the tall chest to the side.
“What’re you doing?” Hex asked, looking at Vance.
“Taking Portia to our room,” Vance replied, reaching for me again.
“You need to stay in the basement with the rest of us. It’s safer that way,” Hex stated, folding his arms over his chest.
“Portia and I will be sleeping upstairs,” Vance said, turning to place his foot on the bottom step.
“You will not. I forbid it,” Hex replied, standing as he spoke the order, and the room fell deadly silent.
Vance dropped my hand and the bag, and turned to face Hex. “Excuse me?” he said. “I don’t think I heard you correctly. Would you care to repeat that?” He was fuming, his body seething as his irritation rippled just under his skin. I wasn’t the only one who could feel it.
“I said I forbid you to sleep upstairs. With Portia’s father gone from the coven, it’s only natural I would step into his place here. I’m the eldest member of this coven now.” Hex held his ground.
“And I am not a member of this coven,” Vance reminded him, and I heard Krista let out a small gasp. “Therefore you have absolutely no say over what I do, Hex. Just be thankful I tolerate your meddling and leave it at that.”
Vance turned to pick up our things again.
“I have say over her,” Hex countered, not backing down an inch.
“What?” Vance exploded, spinning to look at Hex again, and I knew he’d reached his breaking point.
“Portia is part of this coven. We think it would be safer for her to be below stairs,” Hex replied.
Vance strode over to Hex and stood squarely in front of him. “And Portia is my wife! Where I go, she goes. Period.” His back was to me, but I didn’t need to see his eyes to know they were flaming red at this point.
“Not if I can help it,” Hex growled back at him and before any of us could blink Hex’s body was flying across the room, slamming hard up against the wall.
He immediately evaporated from the spot, popping to stand directly in front of Vance and he cocked h
is fist back, punching him in the face.
I shoved my way in between them, just as my grandma and Brad grabbed Hex and Vance by the arms.
“Enough!” my grandma’s voice bellowed through the air, and the two men immediately quit struggling. “How can we accomplish anything if we’re constantly fighting amongst ourselves? You two must learn to work together!”
“Then tell him to back off, Milly,” Vance replied loudly. “I won’t take any of this anymore. Portia belongs with me.”
“That’s right, Vance,” I intervened, looking pointedly at Hex as I spoke. “My place will always be at your side, even if it means I have to sever my ties with this coven.”
Hex’s face reddened, but it was Grandma who spoke. “There’s no need for that,” she said quickly. “We want you both to be with us. Vance, you’re most certainly welcome to return to us if you desire. No one will hinder that.”
“But he’s a demon!” Hex argued, wrenching his arms free and turning to face her. “Milly! You cannot possibly be thinking of letting a full blooded demon join your ranks. He’ll taint everything he touches. He’s proved that already!” He gestured toward me and I winced, knowing he was referring to my drinking blood. “I won’t let you do it! I can’t!”
“That demon you keep referring to is my grandson, Hex. If he desires to be part of this coven then he’ll be made welcome by all of us. We want to help him through this. If that’s something you can’t live with, then you’ll have to be the one to leave. Not him. I won’t do to Vance the same thing your coven did to you.”
Hex looked like he was shocked into silence at her remarks.
Vance grinned triumphantly, and he reached for me again. “Now that that’s taken care of, goodnight everyone!” he called out. “Portia and I will be taking the room upstairs!”
“Not so fast, Vance,” Grandma called out, stopping him in his tracks. “Hex is right. It would be safer if we stayed together as a group.”
Vance turned to stare into Hex’s now smiling face. He let out a sigh and shook his head slightly. “I understand that, but since everyone seems to be as dense as the forest around here, I’ll be a little blunter. I want to take the room upstairs since Portia and I are still newlyweds who would like some amount of privacy to enjoy our … time alone together … without having to share it with everyone who’s in hearing distance.”
There was silence in the room.
“Vance and Portia will be taking the upstairs bedroom,” Hex said gruffly, his face reddening, and everyone quickly murmured their agreements as they turned to visit with Earl once again.
Vance offered his outstretched hand to me. “Shall we try this one more time?” he asked.
“Yes.” I smiled, and he paused only to grab our duffle bag before he pulled me after him.
The ceilings were very low in the area above the narrow staircase, giving way to the idea this had most likely been an attic space originally which had been converted. The smallness didn’t bother me, however, since it lent the feeling of being in our own little cocoon once Vance turned on the bedside lamp.
Furniture in the room was not overly huge, but built smaller to help maximize the space. The bed was full sized, with plenty of freedom for Vance and me to lay on it together. In addition to the bed and nightstand, there was a tall dresser with four drawers and a mirror on top of it, and a whole wall lined with books.
Vance walked over and opened one door to reveal a small closet area, where he tossed our duffle bag on the floor.
“There’s a tiny bathroom through there,” he said, pointing toward the other door in the space. “It’s not much, but it does have one of those old fashioned claw foot bathtubs in it you might enjoy soaking in. There’s no shower though. If you want that, then you will have to go to the basement. It’s got a lot more modern conveniences down there.”
“I’m just happy there’s indoor plumbing and electricity this far out in the middle of nowhere,” I replied. “I was sure the people staying here were living like hermits after observing the place.”
“No,” Vance said. “I actually scoped it out while you were shuttling everyone over here. It’s set up pretty nice. They have a well with a pump and a generator too. The basement has several small bedroom areas with twin beds set up in it and two communal bathrooms. It also has a large living space with books for reading, and there’s even a ritual room and a storage cellar down there too.”
“Sounds good,” I said with a smile as I glanced longingly toward the bed. I was really tired from using my jinn powers to hop back and forth so much. “Maybe I’ll go down there and look around after dinner.”
“Actually, I was thinking we could do something different for dinner,” he said taking a step closer to me, his eyes flaring. “I know you could probably use some of my blood after all you’ve done today, and if I have to keep myself from you one minute longer I’ll truly be a danger to old man Earl down there.”
He grinned slightly, though staying mostly serious, but I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. I knew he needed to feed immediately. He’d taken just enough from me during the night to stave off the worst of the cravings. His wildly wielding mood swings were beginning to be a testament to exactly how desperately he needed the blood to stabilize his emotions.
I tipped my head to the side, revealing my neck. “Well, come on then. What are you waiting for? Let’s get you fed properly.”
He stalked toward me until he was so close he was almost touching me, and he snaked an arm out to wrap around my waist, pulling me the rest of the way to him. He bent his head to nuzzle it into the crevice of my throat, alternating between brushing his lips and his tongue against my skin.
“No,” he breathed against me. “Tonight we do it the right way.” He looked at me hungrily, so many emotions flashing through his eyes. “But first I wanted to tell you just how much I love you, Portia.” He lifted a hand to caress my long hair. “You have no idea how much it meant to me to have you stand beside me in that altercation down there. The fact you’d break the ties to your coven to be with me means more than you will ever know.”
“I keep trying to tell you, Vance, but for some reason you seem to have a hard time believing me when I speak. I love you too. I’m your wife, and my place is with you, wherever that may be. And if it means I step away from this coven to begin the formation of our own together, then that’s what we’ll do. I want to be wherever you are.”
He didn’t reply, instead just staring into my eyes, but a smile teased at the corner of his lips, and I knew without a doubt he was very pleased with what I had to say.
After several moments passed, he stepped forward, moving me backward until I felt the bed at the back of my knees, and he pushed me over on it, his body landing sprawled over the top of me.
His lips searched out mine, and he kissed me aggressively, and I found myself eagerly reciprocating his actions. My hands slipped up into his hair, fingers twisting through his thick textured locks as I kissed him back passionately. He opened his mind, allowing me to link with him mentally, and all of his ardent, hungering thoughts poured into my head, leaving no doubt about what he wanted—what he needed.
I realized I could feel every beat of his pulse as it pounded through his body, and I began craving a taste of him.
Vance groaned at that thought, and it didn’t take long for both of us to succumb as the bloodlust twisted together with our desire, overwhelming us, until we finally fell together in an exhausted, depleted sleep.
I found myself luxuriating in the large antique tub early the next afternoon. I felt completely decadent as I sank up to my chin into my warm bubble filled cocoon. Apparently the previous owner, “master” Eric, had enjoyed a good bubble bath too since Vance discovered a plethora of different scented bottles of both soaps and salts during his morning foraging around.
Vance recovered from our mutual bloodletting much faster than I had, mostly due to the fact I hadn’t taken very much of his blood, but he proceeded to
drink me to the point of my passing out. I could tell he felt bad about that, since he had been doing his best to pamper me today. I kept trying to reassure him it was okay, but he was hearing none of it.
Demons, I thought to myself. Always so stubborn.
My handsome demon appeared in the doorway to the small bathroom right at that moment, all freshly showered, dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt that made his blue eyes positively sparkle. I could tell his mood was much improved from his feeding as he leaned casually against the doorframe, folding his arms over his chest.
“Hey beautiful.” He smiled. “If you’re ready to get out of the tub I have a wonderful looking breakfast all laid out for you here on the bed, courtesy of your mom and Earl.”
“Sounds wonderful,” I replied before closing my eyes and sinking further down in the water. “But I feel like I might want to prune just a while longer. I don’t want to move at all today.”
Vance was silent, and I opened my eyes to see what he was doing, but he’d disappeared from the doorway. I closed then again and shrugged, barely giving it another thought until I heard a noise.
I looked to find him settling down next to me with a tray of food in his hands.
“What’re you up to now?” I asked him suspiciously.
“You want to relax, and your food is going to get cold, so I’m going to help you do both at the same time.” He picked up a fork, stabbing it into a heaping pile of eggs and held it out.
“Vance,” I said with a sigh. “I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself.”
“I know, but this is my breakfast too, and I wanted to share it with you. And unlike you, I abhor cold eggs. Now eat up.” He shoved the food laden utensil closer.
I opened my mouth dutifully and took the bite, chewing while he had several of his own.
“I though breakfast would’ve been over hours ago,” I said after I swallowed. “Didn’t you say it’s past noon?”
“Yes, I did. But I managed to convince your mom and Earl to cook us something special while they were making lunch for the others.”