“Leave her alone,” Vance muttered softly.
Fiona laughed.
“We wouldn’t dream of harming her,” she replied, waving the comment away with a flick of her hand, which all of a sudden made me feel dizzy. “In fact, you’ll be the only one who touches her.”
At this time, Colin and Darcy came forward with the other two individuals and began removing our clothing. I wanted to protest but found that I couldn’t; instead, I woodenly obeyed their commands.
The two women dressed me in some sort of long, woolen, red robe that wrapped around me and belted closed with a rough rope. There was a large hood that was lifted over my head. I wore nothing underneath.
My brain vaguely realized Vance was dressed in something similar, only he was in green.
We were both led out of the room at this point. I found it hard to even focus on where we were going. Somehow I understood we had been led outside, where we were placed into a vehicle.
I couldn’t keep track of where we were traveling to or even how long it took us to get there. In the fog of my mind I did become aware at some point, however, that Vance reached over to hold my hand.
Suddenly it seemed as if everything around me was on fire. I realized then that I was no longer in the vehicle, but I was standing on a hillside next to a raging bonfire, though I had no memory or recollection of how I had gotten there.
There were a lot of other people standing in a circle around the fire, all in black hooded robes. I couldn’t distinguish the faces of any of them as they were hidden in the shadow, but I felt a little nauseated because my vision would shift violently every time one of them moved.
Someone was standing next to me holding my elbow, and another person was standing next to Vance doing the same. These individuals started leading us around the bonfire inside the circle.
I could hear uniformed chanting, and I realized it was a spell of some sort that was increasing in volume, but my mind couldn’t grasp what the words were that were being said.
When we stopped circling the fire, I noticed the hooded individual next to Vance pulled out another needle and injected him once again. He didn’t protest or try to stop them, so I figured he was just as hazy as I was.
The circle parted then, and the two of us were led out of it. We walked a small distance on the exposed hill, guided by our handlers, before we entered a thickly wooded area.
Our guides continued on this way with us until we reached a very small clearing in the trees that was lit by a few small torches. I could see a makeshift mattress, made of straw and covered in blankets, that was on a small wooden platform. Some thin poles held a twig canopy over the top of the bed, and red and green ribbons were hanging from it twisting together in the light warm breeze of the evening,.
The two of us were led over to the bed, where our companions had us sit down together.
I realized then that Fiona had been the person at my side when she leaned over to whisper into my ear.
“Seduce your lover,” was all she said, her voice penetrating clearly through the fog of my mind, before she and the other figure backed away, and we were left there all alone.
I sat still for a moment as her words sank in. In the fuzzy state of my brain I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t remember what it was.
I turned to look at Vance for help, but I couldn’t see his face under the hood, so I lifted my arms and pushed it back from him.
My breath caught in my throat.
Had he always been this handsome? The soft firelight lit his chiseled features to perfection as he looked back at me. I knew I had to kiss him.
I leaned forward then, gently placing my lips against his mouth, tenderly sighing at the contact with him. Suddenly it was as if my touch awakened a raging inferno inside him.
His bright eyes instantly sprang to life, as if fire were racing through them, and he yanked me toward him in a crushing grip against his hard strong body, without breaking the kiss.
I responded equally to him, wrapping my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss as much as possible, and I was vaguely aware of the sound of my voice moaning in response to him.
His hands were tangled in my long hair, and he roughly grabbed it to yank my head to the side, trailing love bites and kisses down the side of my face to my neck, and I lifted my chin higher to give him better access.
I could feel him move his hands then, sliding them to my waist, working to release the knotted rope.
It was then that the thought flashed through my mind that we shouldn’t be doing this, but I lost this thought as my hands found their way against the bare rippling muscles of his chest when his robe slid off his shoulders.
He tossed me back onto the straw mattress then, continuing his trail of kisses over my feverish skin as the firelight danced over us.
All night long he made love to me, over and over again, unable to stop, until we finally collapsed, exhausted, into a deep sleep.
Sometime later, we were roughly awakened. Several people in dark hoods were throwing our robes back over our exposed bodies.
“Don’t speak,” someone next to me whispered into the night air. “You aren’t safe here. We’re here to rescue you.”
I didn’t recognize the voices speaking around us, and I kept shaking my head as I tried desperately to understand what they were talking about.
What was happening? Why had we been awakened by strangers? Why did Vance and I need rescuing? My mind couldn’t grasp it.
The hooded individuals wrapped their arms around us, helping us to our feet, only to begin hurrying us through the dark forest, pulling and dragging us along with them, running.
I could feel the skin ripping on the bottom of my tender feet as we were moved quickly through the untamed brush.
We soon reached a small clearing where there was a waiting vehicle waiting in the darkness. The engine was running, and the headlights blinded me as we were propelled toward it. We were ushered inside, followed by the others who were with us.
“Gas it, Crispin,” a male voice said roughly, and for a moment I thought the voice sounded vaguely familiar.
The engine revved, and the car was thrown suddenly into gear, spewing gravel into the air as we sped off down the road.
Chapter 13
Vance and I both came to, at the same time, in the unfamiliar room which surrounded us. I blinked my eyes a few times before my mind caught up with what I was seeing.
“Where are we?” I asked with a gasp, quickly sitting up.
He slowly rose up at my side, looking around at the soft quilts which covered us in the comfortable bed we were lying in.
“Are you unharmed?” he asked, turning to look at me, before running a hand down my arm, and I knew he was checking me with his powers.
“I think so,” I replied, stretching my neck and back, not feeling anything amiss about myself, other than my tender feet. “Are you?”
“Yes,” he said, and his hand continued its slide down my arm until he found my palm and slipped his hand in mine, squeezing it slightly.
“I don’t remember anything. Do you?” I searched his eyes for answers.
He shook his head with a barely perceptible movement.
“Not much, although some images of the two of us involved in some pretty intimate situations are suddenly beginning to pop into my head,” he replied, not looking too happy about it.
Some of the fog lifted then.
“They forced us together, didn’t they?” I said closing my eyes, feeling a wave of nausea wash over me as I wondered who else might have been a party to our situation last night.
“I’m afraid so,” he replied, leaning over to rest his head in my lap. “I’m sorry, Portia.”
I reached out and stroked his wonderful hair while he lay there, looking at his perfect form in front of me.
“Don’t be sorry. I love being with you. I just hate being manipulated.” I sighed and wished I could comfort him somehow. “Where do you think we are?” I a
sked again, and I looked around the green and white bedroom.
At that moment the door to the room opened, and I stared into the handsome, concerned face of my debonair father.
“Dad?” I squeaked out, jumping off the bed, relief pouring through every cell of my being at the sight of him.
He was over to me in two steps, folding me into his arms, crushing me hard to him in his embrace.
“Hi, Pumpkin,” he said softly, and I began to cry into his shoulder, unable to stop myself.
He allowed me to let the flood gates open on him, and he stroked my hair, murmuring soft words to me.
“It’s okay now, Pumpkin. You’re safe. I won’t let them harm you anymore,” he said reassuringly.
I finally pulled back away from him, and Vance joined me at his side, giving Dad a hug also, and they patted at each other hard on the back.
“How did you find us?” I asked, truly wondering at how he had managed to locate us.
He didn’t answer the question, though, instead pointing over to the dresser where some clothes were sitting on the top.
“Why don’t the two of you change out of those robes and then join me in the other room. You were drugged pretty badly and have been asleep for a long while. There are a lot of people waiting to see you. We’ll talk in there,” he replied.
“All right,” I said, and he headed for the door, giving me a soft smile as he moved away. I had to grab him one more time, just to make sure he was real. “I love you, Daddy,” I said, and I hugged him and he laughed gently.
“I love you too, Portia, and I’m not leaving you.” He chuckled while he squeezed me tightly one more time. “Now hurry and change.”
I watched the door close behind him before turning to Vance.
He smiled at me, and I rushed into his arms.
“We’re safe!” I placed a kiss against his neck, nuzzling my face there in the warmth of his skin.
“Yes, for now. But this isn’t even close to being over,” he cautioned me, before he lightly kissed me back on the lips.
I nodded, understanding what he was trying to explain, but not really wanting to contemplate it at the moment.
“I know,” I responded. “But having someone on our side sure takes a huge weight off.”
“I agree,” he replied, before kissing me proper, and I could feel the relief that flowed through him also. His hands drifted down to move over my scantily clad form, before he pulled away from me. “Let’s get out of these awful robes,” he said.
We opened the door to step out into a narrow hallway with a low ceiling. Following the sounds of murmuring voices, we moved on until we reached a living area. There were easily twenty people in the room waiting for us, most of them we didn’t recognize.
“Mom!” I called out when I saw her as we entered the room. She stood and rushed toward me.
She grasped me tightly to her, and I let the tears fall freely down my face, as did she.
“I’ve missed you so much, precious!” she said, and she held my face in her hands and kissed it on each cheek.
“I love you so much, Mom!” I replied, kissing her back, a small well of happy laughter bubbling up in my throat.
Grandma Milly was right behind her waiting for her turn, as well as Brad and Shelly. Once they were done hugging me, they moved right on to Vance. It was a very emotional moment for all of us.
A tall man with curly blond hair, from the remaining group, stood and made his way over to us.
“My name is Crispin,” he said extending a hand to both of us, and he offered a warm smile. “We met briefly, earlier this morning, though you may not remember it. I’m the leader of this coven here,” he said turning to gesture to the others who were seated in the room.
“Crispin and his coven were instrumental in getting you back this morning,” my dad explained to us.
“Thank you,” Vance said, his eyes moving graciously around the room. “We’re deeply indebted to you.”
“It was our pleasure,” Crispin replied. “I’m just sad we were unable to do it sooner. We’ve been watching the Cummings residence for a long while, but no opportunity ever presented itself.”
“How long have we been prisoners exactly?” I asked. “We were unable to keep track of time.”
“It’s the first of May today. You’ve been held for about three and half months now,” he replied.
I looked at Vance. Three and half months, gone, lost.
“How did you know where we were?” Vance asked him.
“Well, apparently we have a double crosser in our coven. You may know him. His name is Brian Fitzgerald,” Crispin explained looking a bit forlorn as he spoke.
I gasped at the mention of Brian and turned in time to see the angered look which flashed over Vance’s face before he reined it in again.
“Brian is in your coven?” he asked flatly.
Crispin shook his head.
“Not any longer. We were unaware that he was Douglas’s nephew. Apparently Douglas sent him as a spy to infiltrate our coven and keep a watch over what we were up to. We’ve always been openly opposed to the Cummings family.”
I saw Vance’s face fall a little at this remark, before he masked his expression once again.
“I’m sorry that my family has caused everyone such hardship,” he apologized, his eyes quickly darting over every person in the room.
“Vance, none of this is your fault,” my dad interjected with a shake of his head. “Stop taking responsibility for it. We’re just happy that the two of you are safe and that we were able to get you before any real harm was done.”
“Let’s just take them home and get out of here!” my mom spoke up, with a pleading expression on her face.
“We can’t leave,” I said, shaking my head.
“Why not?” she asked. “The safest place for the two of you is as far away from here as possible.”
“My mom is here,” Vance said.
“Your mom?” my dad asked, perking right up at this bit of information. “You found her?”
Vance nodded his head.
“She’s been a prisoner at Bell Tower Hall almost since the day she gave me up,” Vance explained.
“So it was a demon shape shifter that you killed,” Grandma added.
“Yes. I won’t leave her behind, either. She’s helpless. She has no powers to protect herself with either. My father performed a demon kiss on her as punishment for defying him.”
An audible gasp went through the room.
“Why have they kept her in her current state?” my dad asked, perplexed by this revelation.
“They’ve been trying to breed her,” Vance spoke with a disgusted look on his face. “Apparently she carries the blood of the white witch, something Portia also happens to have in abundance. They want Portia and me to have a baby so they can receive something called the Awakening.”
“So that’s why they performed a Celtic fertility ritual on you last night,” Crispin muttered to himself.
“Yes,” Vance replied with a sigh. “And if my memory serves me correctly, they were very successful at it.”
“Actually, they weren’t,” Crispin said with a knowing smile, looking directly at Vance.
“Oh, I assure you, Portia was well … loved last night,” Vance said, shaking his head in disagreement.
There was an awkward pause for a moment before Crispin spoke again.
“I am, how shall I say it, um … aware of that fact,” Crispin said a bit uncomfortably at the blatant referrals to the intimate moments Vance and I had shared. “What I was referring to was the fact that the ritual was never completed.”
“There was more?” I asked, wondering what else could have possibly been done that hadn’t been.
Crispin nodded his head in the affirmative.
“In the ritual, the woman, that would be you, has to wash herself in the first morning dew after seducing her lover. That never happened. We took you well before the morning dew had fallen.”
&nb
sp; “So I won’t get pregnant?” I asked, hopeful.
“Well, not because of the ritual,” Crispin pointed out. “But as your husband pointed out, you did have plenty of … um, exposure of the regular kind. Anything could happen.”
I couldn’t help blushing a little at his comments, and another woman in the group spoke up.
“We could give you some herbs or something that wouldn’t allow the pregnancy to continue if you have in fact conceived,” she offered.
“Absolutely not!” I said in offense before I placed my hands protectively over my womb. “If there is a baby in here, it’s my baby. Mine and Vance’s, born out of a strong love. I would never let anything happen to it.”
“Sorry,” the woman amended, casting her eyes about nervously. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just trying to offer a suggestion.”
Vance reached over and pulled me up close against his side, placing his arm tightly around my shoulders.
“Portia is right,” he said, matter-of-factly. “If we have conceived a child, getting rid of it is not an option.”
I looked at him, and tears pooled in my eyes, threatening to spill over down my face.
“Thank you,” I said into his head.
“I love you,” he replied back in the same fashion, and he squeezed me gently, giving me a loving look.
My dad piped up then, breaking the moment.
“We need to make a plan, people,” he said, snapping his fingers together in rapid succession. “I want to know everything there is to know about this Awakening thing and what it’s all about. We also need to figure out a way to rescue Krista from these people in the process. It’s time to put our heads together.”
Everyone nodded, and talk began rippling throughout the group.
My dad motioned for Vance and me to come sit by him.
“What do you know about this Awakening?” he asked, directing the question mainly to Vance.
“Not much,” Vance replied. “I don’t know where, when, how, or why it happens. I just know that the power of it goes to the witch or warlock with the most amount of white witch blood in them. My grandparents want this power. They believe if they combine the white witch blood that I have with the blood from Portia, it’ll create a child with an extraordinary amount of the heritage. They want to drink the blood of the child. It’s the only way they can assimilate the white witch power. It has to be mixed in with their own bloodline in order for it to work.”