A Witch's Love (13 page)

She took his hand, leading him over to the water. “I feel like I can do anything as long as I’m with you,” she said, meeting his eyes.

He smiled. “Ava, we are going to get through this, together. Whatever it takes, I won’t let them harm you.” Taking hold of her hand, they made their way into the water.

Ava opened the door to Belinda’s, finding her pacing the living room.

“Ava, you’re okay?” Belinda embraced her, hard. “I was so worried.”

Ava held on to her as tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks. She had come to love Belinda and she might never see her again. “Belinda, we don’t have much time. The demons have found us. We barely escaped their attack.”

“Ava kicked some serious demon ass.” Lucas moved to the stair well. “I’m going to get our things. Be ready to leave when I get back.”

Ava nodded, then turned her attention back to Belinda. “How am I going to do this without you?”

The tears were heavy in her eyes as Belinda took her hand led her over to the couch. “Trust your destiny, Ava. Believe in your sisters and in Lucas.”

Ava turned her face away from Belinda. “I know he says he’s not just with me because I’m his mate, but—”

“But what?”

Ava sighed. “I’m just another responsibility to him that he doesn’t want.”

Belinda shook her head at Ava’s words. “Lucas is probably the only lycan I have ever known that doesn’t live with his clan. He is not someone who does things because other people expect him to. I’ve watched you both for weeks, and let me tell you, it’s more than responsibility he feels for you.”

Ava wanted to believe Belinda, but she was still skeptical.

“Come.” Belinda took her hand as she walked over to the bookshelf. She picked up a bag that was leaning against the shelf and handed it to her. “I knew the time would come when you would have to leave. I have packed a satchel with some things you will need on your journey.”

Lucas bounded down the stairs and moved to her side. “Ready?”

The tears Ava had been holding back streamed down her face as Belinda embraced her one last time. “What if the demons come here? You’ll be all alone.”

Belinda held her at arm’s length. “I’m a tough old bird. No demon is going to mess with me if they know what’s good for them. Now be off with you.” She yanked on the only book on the shelf that Ava hadn’t read.

Ava gasped as the bookshelf sprung open revealing a passageway. “You never told me you had a secret door,” Ava said, inspecting the construction.

Belinda nodded. “It will lead you away from here, deep into the forest.”

“Good, the car is parked in the woods.” Lucas placed his hand on the small of Ava’s back, urging her to step into the passageway.

“Take care, Belinda.” Ava tried to smile.

“Be safe, you two,” Belinda said, with a tone laced with emotion.

They walked in silence as Lucas guided her through the dark. They were surrounded in dirt, and a musty smell hung heavy in the air. Was the tunnel dug by hand?

She clutched Lucas’s arm when he stopped. “What is it?”

“There’s a ladder here leading to the surface. I’ll go first, to make sure the coast is clear.” He made his way up the ladder then eased something off the opening. Night air swept through the tunnel as well as a muted light.

She waited in silence, praying the demons hadn’t followed them.

Lucas exited, then extended his hand to her, his words were barely a whisper. “Let’s hurry, Ava, I don’t like the smell out here.” He took hold of her wrist, half-lifting her to the surface.

Ava’s heart began to pound at his words. “Why? What do you smell?”

He placed a finger to his lips, then moved a pile of brush and started to drag the limbs off to expose his car. When the last branch had been cleared, Lucas stiffened, moving to her side with speed.

Three demons emerged from the trees. “Get in the car, Ava. Now!”

Her breaths came in short burst as adrenalin filled her veins. “No, Lucas,” she said, forming a water sphere in her hands. She watched as his claws lengthened.

“The one on the left is mine,” she said as a growl sounded from him, making her shiver. When the demons started to move toward them, Ava took aim, sending the sphere flying through the air.

The water ball hit the demon square in the chest, sending him flying into a tree. Black blood dripped from his chest as the demon made an unholy screech. Lucas made his way over toward the other two, taking out the first demon with a swipe of his claw.

“Ava, the car,” Lucas shouted to her, not taking his eyes off the demon before him. She moved to the Camaro door, about to swing it open, when another demon jumped on the vehicle roof.

She let out a scream before the demon knocked her to the ground. The demon jumped down and lifted her by her hair, causing her to let out a ragged scream. The demon tilted his head at her, narrowing his beaded black eyes. Leaning in, he sniffed at her neck. “We have been looking for you. My Lord will be so happy that we have found you.”

Ava struggled against his hold when, without warning, blood sprayed out of the demon’s neck. The creature collapsed to the ground in a heap and she looked up to find Lucas, claws and fangs bared. Movement to her side caught her attention. A gasp escaped her when she saw the demon’s head rolling near her.

Lucas extended his hand to her, which she took in a death grip.

He opened the door and helped her into the car before sliding into the driver’s seat. “Seat belt,” he shouted, as he revved the engine.

She hooked her belt, just in time to see five more demons running straight at the car. “Lucas!” Her hands gripped the seat.

“Hang on!”

Chapter 10

Lucas threw the car into gear, then stomped on the gas, causing the car to jolt forward.

They hit the demons head on. The car bounded and jerked over their bodies. They then sped across the clearing and up the dirt road.

Ava exhaled, relieved to be on the road. Turning to Lucas, she said, “That was close, they—”

Glass sprayed over Ava’s face as a hand grabbed at her through the broken windshield. She felt the car swerve while Lucas tried to protect her from the demon’s grasp.

Throwing up her bloody hand, she extended her barrier of water, propelling the demon out of the window. “He’s still on the roof, Lucas.”

“Just hang on.” Lucas slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel. The car screeched in protest as the vehicle whirled around in the road. The demon catapulted down the front of the car as his claws scraped into the hood. He managed to stop his tumble and swiveled to face them.

Lucas slammed the car back into gear. “Ava, use a sphere to get him off the hood.” Racing down the road cold wet air engulfed the interior of the car as Ava tried to conjure a sphere.

She focused on her target, but hesitated when the demon began to speak. “He will have you! You can’t hide from him. No matter where you go, we will find you.”

“Ava, throw it now!” Lucas white-knuckled the steering wheel as his eyes narrowed on the demon.

Regaining her focus, she sent the sphere soaring through the air. The demon caught the sphere in the face, causing him to lose his grip. The car heaved over the demon’s body then continued to speed down the road.

Taking a deep breath, Ava turned to look at Lucas.

“Ava, you have blood on the side of your face.” Lucas reached over with a free hand.

“Do I?” She ran her hand over her face, feeling something sharp just inside her hairline. “I think I have a piece of glass in my scalp,” she said, taking a sharp intake of breath as she prodded at the wound.

“Try not to touch it. We should be there soon,” he said, turning his attention back to the road.

“Be where, exactly?” She wiped the blood from her hand onto her shirt.

“My home. We should be safe there, while we formulate a plan to get your sisters back,” he said, shifting the car into a higher gear.

She tried to smile, though the act made her wound burn. “Lake Placid it is, then.”

Traxen shut the door to Zatar’s private chambers. “You wanted to see me?” He bowed before his king.

Zatar sat at his desk regarding him. “I wanted to hear it from you. Why don’t I have the witch yet?” Zatar eyes darkened with every word.

Traxen stepped forward, wanting Zatar to see his confidence in his new plan. “I have just interrogated the sisters and learned the location of their sister. I was headed there, just as you called for me.” Traxen’s gaze was unwavering.

Zatar stood, swiping the desk with his arm. Books and papers rushed onto the floor. “I need that girl, Traxen! She is the oldest and could change any time now,” he yelled.

Traxen nodded. “I understand. I’m doing everything I can—”

“Does that include romancing one of the sisters?”  

Zatar must have seen his startled look. “I have my spies, Traxen, and they all agree you have a special fondness for the second oldest.”

“I umm, well, I—”

“Save it, Traxen. I have a proposition for you.”

“Yes,” he said, unsure of where this conversation was going.

Zatar stood, moving to face him. “How about you and I make a deal?”

Traxen knew he had to be wary of making deals with Zatar. They almost always turned out in Zatar’s favor. Nonetheless, Traxen nodded, wanting to hear what he had to say. “If you get me the sister I want, I will give you the sister you want,” he said with a smile.

Traxen couldn’t help but wonder what was in it for Zatar. “That is very generous but why would you give up one of the sisters?”

“I have been thinking about your apparent inability to sire demons. If you are able to mate with the witch and a demon was born from your union . . . Well, I would imagine that would be a powerful demon to be sure. Something I would like to see. Is it a deal?”

Making a deal with Zatar was risky, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have Ella for his own. “It’s a deal. You will have your witch.”

Zatar’s laughter filled the room. “And you shall have your witch. In the meantime, you are not to touch the witch, understood?”

“Yes, I will leave immediately to retrieve the witch you seek,” Traxen said with a formal bow. He turned, making his way to the door, prepared to do whatever it took to obtain that elusive witch. He smiled. In no time, Ella would be his.

Driving onto the familiar road that would lead to his home, Lucas’s heart began to race. He couldn’t wait for Ava to see to the place he’d made for himself. She was asleep with her head pressed up against the window. He had given her his shirt to use as a pillow, preventing any further injury to her wound. Dawn was approaching as he made his way around the last bend.

He had missed his house and land, especially the privacy that only the forest could provide. After he pressed the electric garage door opener, he rubbed Ava’s shoulders. “Ava, we are here.” He drove into the garage when she started to stir.

“Ugh, my head, we’re here?” She held her head with her hands.

He got out and went to open her door. He helped her out of the car and she stood on shaky legs. She was beyond pale and his shirt held more of her blood than he would like to admit.

“Whoa, I don’t feel so good.” She collapsed in his arms. The loss of blood and overuse of her powers had left her exhausted.

“Hold on, Ava, I’m gonna get you some help.” He carried her into the house then made his way to the staircase. Moving down the hall, he kicked open the door to his bedroom and placed her gently on his king-sized bed.

If water could heal her, then water was exactly what she was going to get. He moved to the bathroom and turned on the water, filling his claw foot bathtub with warm water. He returned to Ava’s side and cringed at the amount of blood on her shirt.

He carried her into the bathroom and placed her into the tub as he knelt on the floor. He waited, hoping the water would start to heal her. He used a cloth to dab at her head wound, washing the excess blood away, then moved the cloth down her body, gently washing away dirt and dried blood from her arms and hands. More blood trickled from her head wound, making him realize this wasn’t working. Didn’t she say she heard him call for her, before the water poured life back into her?

He bent his head down to her ear and began to whisper. “Ava, use the water to heal yourself.” He leaned back, waiting once more for the water to work its magic. Her breathing was shallow and her heartbeats came slow. What if this didn’t work? “Damn it, Ava, I need you. Please,” he pleaded, using the cloth to drip water onto her wound, “Ava—”

Water began to stream up her arm, making its way to her injury. He watched as the liquid poured into her wound, bringing the skin together, while it forced a shard of glass out of her skin. He caught the sliver before it slipped into the water.

The water flowed over her body, restoring her color and making the bruises vanish from her skin.

Her eyelids fluttered as they slowly opened. “Hey, how do you feel?” He reached for her hand.

“What happened?”

“You were injured. The water from the bath healed you.” He tossed the piece of glass that fell from her wound into the garbage on the far wall as he reached for a towel.

She eased out of the tub, then stood. He grabbed a towel from the wall rack and wrapped it around her shoulders.

“Better get you out of those wet clothes.” He rubbed Ava’s shoulders as his gaze held hers.

She nodded, but her eyes never left his.

He leaned down to her and eased his lips over hers. He could feel her inch up onto her tippy toes to reach him better.

He kissed her gently, lavishing in the feel of her smooth lips on his. She deepened the kiss. When he felt her tongue touch his, he jerked back. He wanted her to know the truth about what was coming. She could handle it, right?

“There is something that I have been meaning to talk to you about,” he said, stroking her back.

Her face grew serious. “What is it, Lucas?”

“When the full moon comes, I will change into the beast and . . . Shit. I’ll come for you, Ava. I won’t have a choice. The need to mark you will be so strong I won’t be able to fight it. I’m sorry to have to put you through this—”

“Shh,” she said, placing two fingers over his lips. “It’s okay. I know you would never hurt me, Lucas.”

“I won’t have any control and, damn it, I’ve hurt someone before, I’m capable of anything.” He wished what he said wasn’t true, but he couldn’t change what had happened the first night he’d changed during a full moon.

“Lucas, we will think of something, don’t worry. Have a little faith.” She flashed him one of her gorgeous smiles.

He laughed. “Who is telling who not to worry now?”

“It’s just that . . . When I’m with you, anything seems possible,” she said with a yawn.

“You must be exhausted.” He found his footing then turned to Ava, helping her up. As they entered his bedroom of white lines and walls, he strode to his dresser and removed a shirt. He handed her the item and returned to the bathroom to empty the water from the tub, giving her ample time to change.

When he returned, she was sitting on the bed, removing her locks from inside the collar of the shirt.

She smiled. “Thanks for the top, but this isn’t necessary.”

“Ava, you need your rest. Close your eyes and sleep for a while.” As she laid down on his bed, he joined her, hauling her up against his side and tucking her head underneath his chin. As the silence stretched out and her breathing slowed, he thought she had fallen asleep.

“Lucas?”

“Yes, Ava.”

“I really like smelling like you.”

“Oh really, do you now?”

“Yeah, so when I’m not with you, I will have something that will remind me of you.”

“And where are you going that I can’t come?” He tightened his hold on her.

Her voice was a whisper. “I wouldn’t leave— intentionally.”

Lucas didn’t want to think about what might happen if the demons found this place. “Go to sleep, Ava. You’re safe here.” But for how long?

Traxen marched around the bend with two other demons flanking him. “Unhook those two and bring them to the cage,” he ordered the demons, motioning toward Thea and Cara.

Ella jerked on her chains. “Wait! Where are you taking them?”

She was distraught, but there was little she could do for her sisters. They were in a section of the sewer the humans never used anymore, so it wouldn’t matter how loud any of them screamed; no one would hear them. Their fate was sealed.

The two demons marched out of the sewer carrying Thea and Cara over their shoulders.

“Traxen, where are they taking them?” Ella’s eyes filled with tears as she leaned forward.

He turned to her as the others left their sight. “Don’t worry so, Ella. They are being moved to a cell. There, they will be together, able to move around, and sleep comfortable in a bed.” Why was he telling her this? He should just grab her and take her as he had planned. Screw the consequence.

She became less frantic at his words. “Why would you do that?”

“I now have the information I need and no longer have a use for them. They will await their transition, then be brought to Zatar. Now you and I have some business to discuss.” Traxen moved toward her.

He looked upon her sad, glassy eyes, making the twinge return to his chest. Why did he only have that feeling around her? Did it have something to do with his human half?

“And what business is that?” she asked, defeat lacing her voice.

Surprisingly, he didn’t like seeing her like this. He missed her fighting him and her disrespectful tone.

“Zatar and I have made a deal. If I bring him your sister, then I can keep you.” He paced in front of her. He faced her, hoping to see shock or surprise, yet all he found was contempt.

“Well, it sounds like you made a good deal.” Her lip twitched into a sneer.

She was goading him, he could tell.

He stepped closer, interested in her train of thought. “Why would you think that was a good deal?”

He watched as she did her best to square her shoulders. “Traxen, I know how you feel about me. Even now, I can see how much you want me, and I have to tell you , it turns me on.”

He felt his mouth drop open and promptly pressed his lips together. His cock throbbed in his black leathers, begging to be released. Yet her words were so unlike her he couldn’t help but wonder, what was her game? No matter, he would oblige her and play along. “Does it, now?”

“Hmm, yeah, I’d love to feel you, inside me.” She moved to brush her lower body against his bulging cock. Lust consumed him.
You can’t touch her.

Pounding his fist against the wall just inches from her head, he leaned in, breathing into her ear. “I swore I wouldn’t touch you until I brought your sister to Zatar. If it wasn’t for that, I would take you right here.”

He saw her shiver and thought he had frightened her. Another twinge in his chest plagued him. “Fucking hell!” He shoved away from her but she stayed him with her leg, wrapping it around his hip.