Blood Moon (23 page)

Darby turned to Devon and said, “I made this talisman to repel wood from you.
 
It is an ancient druid spell and is made of oak, the strongest, and most sacred of woods.
 
The carvings on it are Celtic knots, never ending, like my love for you. For added strength and protection, I’ve rubbed it with mint oil, mugwort, violets, rosemary, and holy thistle. The wood will not irritate your skin because I bound all the elements in crushed crystal and oils.
 
Energized by my love for you, it will form an encasement around the oak like a varnish. I hope that it will always keep you safe and remind you of me when you wear it.” She slipped it over his head and kissed him.

“I’ll always treasure it, thank you, Darby!” He kissed her. He looked at the others and said, “Well ,guys, I guess we should get going.
 
We’ll call when we have Allison safe.”
 

Devon smacked his brother on the shoulder as he passed him and then shook Dean’s hand.
 
Rowan hugged him tight and whispered in his ear, “Keep her safe, Devon.”

“With my life,” he whispered back.
 
Darby hugged them all as she left.
 
It felt odd leaving them behind, but at least this way there were less people to be hurt.
 

Devon had already folded down the backseats to make a pretty comfortable bed for Darby to relax. Darby checked her pocket for the spell she had pulled out of the book. It was there neatly folded. Devon was in the driver’s seat and Darby in the passenger’s seat; they looked at each other.
 
Devon said, “Are you ready?”

“I guess. How about you?”

“Same here. Okay, well here we go.” He started the car and they pulled away from the house and headed for the cemetery. There was a back road, barely a road at all, that Devon had found on a satellite image on the web.
 
This was rather close to the mausoleum but in a direction no car would normally come.
 
It was close to the creek and there was tons of shrubbery to hide the black SUV from sight.
 
If one were to peek around the bushes, there was a clear view of the back of the mausoleum maybe a hundred yards away.
 
A vampire, even carrying a lovely woman, could run there in less than a second. If Darby’s projection stood to one side of the mausoleum, he would be able to see her from here too. They lay in the back of the truck and watched the stars come out. It was lovely here, listening to the creek just outside with the frogs and the crickets, and whispering to Devon about nothing and everything. If they didn’t have this horrible itinerary, it could have been quite romantic.

Eleven thirty came upon them quicker than they had anticipated and it was time to get Darby doing her thing. She said her incantation and then Devon laid next to her in the truck and spoke softly to her as he had before until she became relaxed and the tingling started. It didn’t take very long this time, but it gave them some more time to talk about the plan.
 
She was going to walk the long way around to the front of the graveyard where the chapel was so that it looked like she came from that direction and not from behind the mausoleum.
 
She was to stand in front of the mausoleum but slightly to the side so that Devon could keep watch. Once they went over the plan again, she was off to the chapel.

Devon worried about her even though it was her projection going and not her.
 
Somehow that didn’t matter. Any part of her that could be in danger worried him.
 
Right about midnight, he saw her at the mausoleum and with his vampire hearing he could hear all that was being said.

“Rachel? Or shall I call you Cheral?” Darby said.

“Rachel is fine. This is my sister, Sally.”

“So why do you get to bring your sister and I don’t?”

“Because I made the rules.”

“Hmmm.
 
I’d like to see Allison.”

“You don’t make the rules.”

“I do if you want to have the spell.”

Rachel motioned to her sister to open the mausoleum door.
 
Sally obediently opened it and pulled Allison off the floor and into view at the doorway, holding her tight with both hands.
 
She looked scared and a bit sleepy. She had duct tape across her mouth, and her hands were tied behind her back.

“And where is the spell?” Rachel asked. Darby pulled out the folded piece of paper and waved it at Rachel.
 

Rachel smiled and her right hand started to come up as if she were going to do the force field bubble spell. Darby smiled and said, “I don’t think you want to do that.”

“And why wouldn’t I? I have what I want and you can’t stop me, it’s two against one.”

“True, but unless you give me Allison, you’ll never know how to read the spell.”

“What? So you double-crossed us?“

“Double crossing? That’s calling the kettle black, isn’t it?
 
You were about to blast me with a force field.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”
 

“Well, maybe you can read the spell and maybe not,” she said to Rachel. With her mind, she told Devon it was about time and that he was to bring her here unseen and hide.
 
While she distracted the sisters, he would get Allison to the truck.
 

That wasn’t the plan, Darby.
 

I know, Sweetie, but I think it will work – if not, come and help.

Rachel stared at her, trying to probe her thoughts.
 
She could feel her in her head, but Blake had taught her how to shield her thoughts and apparently it was working. Rachel decided she was bluffing and started to raise her hand again and Darby thought to Devon,
Now!

At the very same instant Rachel sent out a force field towards Darby’s projection and Darby disappeared for a second.
 
With a blur of amazing speed, Devon deposited her in the place her projection had stood and hid himself.
 
Confused by what had just happened, the sisters looked at each other.
 
Sally let go of Allison and stepped forward to her sister’s side, ready to fight.
 

Darby smiled, “I guess I’m a bit more powerful than you had anticipated, huh? But I still have the spell and you still have Allison.
 
So are we going to play nice and make our exchange now?”

The sisters looked at each other and it was apparent they didn’t like being told how their game would be played.
 
Sad thing was, Darby thought, that it was all so transparent.
 
In her thoughts she called to Devon again and said,
I’m going to encase myself in a bubble while they blast me; you get Allison.

NO,
he said with his thoughts.
 
At that same instant, both sisters threw a blast at Darby and Devon jumped in front of it, taking the brunt of the hit. His eyes were red and his fangs were drawn. He kept his arms behind him, trying to keep Darby there.

“What is this?” Rachel said? “Another double cross?”

Darby stepped to Devon’s side and said, “No, just keeping things a bit more equal, don’t you think.
 
Now, I can have him rip you apart or we can proceed with our exchange fair and square and all live to fight another day. What do you say?”

Sally looked at her sister with a worried face and Rachel rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
 
Sally pushed Allison in front of her, heading towards Devon, keeping Allison between them.
 
When she got within distance to have the spell handed to her, Devon hissed, making her jump and let go of Allison and then Darby handed her the spell.

Instantly, Devon had Allison in one arm and Darby in the other and he whisked them off in to the darkness and safety of the SUV.
 
With her mind, Darby said to Rachel,
you’ll need a heat source to read the spell.

Rachel was stunned at the strength of the telepathy that Darby had sent her.
 
It was as if she had screamed in her ear, making her squint and taking her off her guard.
 
This left Allison, Darby, and Devon a clean getaway as the sisters were still trying to figure out what had just happened.

When they got to the truck, Devon had them both in and the engine roaring in a split second and they were already moving on the dirt road.
 
Darby grabbed her cell phone as she tried to tenderly pull the duct tape from Allison’s mouth.

“Rowan, it’s Darby.
 
We’re on our way home.
 
We have Allison.
 
Tell Dean she’s fine. See you in a minute.” She flipped the phone closed.
 
Now that she had both hands free, she untied Allison’s hands.

Allison was asking questions at 400 miles per hour.
 
What the heck? How did Devon? Why?

“It’s okay, Allison, we will explain when we get home. And I promise, you won’t be in any more danger. I’m so sorry this happened.
 
I knew they would strike, but I just didn’t think it would be you. I really thought it was going to be Rowan. I’m so sorry.”

“What is he?” She pointed at Devon, horrified. Darby looked at Devon in the rear view mirror and read his mind.
I guess she has a right to know; if it’s a problem I can erase it later.

Darby looked back at Allison, “Well, I believe I told you once, but you thought I was joking.”

“A vampire?
 
Oh no.
 
This is just too much.”

“He just saved your life, Allison.
 
A little respect might be nice.”

“Yeah, wouldn’t want to make him mad, would I? Vampires, witches, werewolves – this is all too much!”

“Come on now.
 
You’ve known Devon for quite a while now, has he ever done anything to hurt you?”

“No, but…”

“No buts about it.”
 

“But vampires kill people. They suck blood.
 
Oh, God, I’m going to be sick.”

“Put your head between your knees and breathe, Allison. Not all vampires kill.”
 

“Is Blake one too?”

“Yes,” Darby said reluctantly.

“You’ve all been lying to me from day one.
 
This is insane.”

“She’s been through a lot today, Darby, don’t be too hard on her,” Devon said as he pulled into the driveway.
 

Everyone was on the porch to greet them. Allison jumped out of the SUV like it was on fire.
 
Dean grabbed her around the waist and swung her around in a circle, not realizing how she was trying to pull away from him.
 

“What is it, Allison? Are you okay?” he said as he set her down.
 
She stepped several steps back from him and the others.

“Okay, well, let’s see? I was kidnapped by two witches and held in a creepy damp mausoleum, only to find out that Blake and Devon are vampires.
 
Not to mention you and Rowan are werewolves.
 
What planet did I beam to? How did this happen? I just want to go home. I can’t do this. This is all too much.”

“You’d be safer with us,” Rowan said.

Darby said solemnly as she rounded the front of the SUV, “It’s all right; I doubt anything else will happen to her. They’ve got all they need now for the ceremony. There won’t be any more deals or kidnapping, just one hell of a fight.” Darby pushed through them and went into the house straight back to the bedroom and closed the door.
 

Devon handed the keys to Dean.
 

“Darby’s right – nothing else is going to happen tonight.
 
Take her home if she wants. But let me say just one thing, Allison.
 
Despite what you think of me or my brother being vampires, and despite how you feel about Dean and Rowan being werewolves, you know Darby, and you know that she would never intentionally put you in any harm.
 
She risked her life for you tonight and everyone here was willing to do the same.
 
You think about that when you are lying safe in your bed tonight.
 
Maybe in the morning you might feel the need to at least offer some gratitude to her, maybe even apologize.” Nobody said a word as Devon went up the porch stairs and into the house.
 

Dean stepped towards Allison, arms outstretched, and she stepped backwards with his advancement.
 

“Don’t, Dean. Stay away from me.
 
All of you.” She turned on her heels and ran home.
 
Dean was lost.
 
Blake and Rowan helped him back to the house and consoled his broken heart.
 

Devon found Darby lying on the bed, facing away from him.
 
He closed the door behind him and went to the other side of the bed and lay next to her.
 
He brushed her long hair out of her face and could see the streaks of tears that traced her face.
 

“You were amazing tonight. You had those girls wrapped around your finger,” he said, wiping her tears away.

She reached out to him and wrapped her arms around him and he pulled her close.
 
She buried her head in his chest and cried. He lay on his back, still with her attached, and stroked her hair.
 

“Why are you crying, Love?
 
It’s over, you won.”

“Did I, Devon? I think we just started something awful.
 
Now everyone I love is involved and could possibly get hurt.
 
I wish we could all just run away from this and go somewhere far away where nobody knows us, somewhere with you, forever. No judging eyes to watch, no whispers and stares, just you, me, Rowan, and Blake.”

“I know, Love.
 
I wish that too, but the hard reality is there is no such place. We’re different, and no matter where we go, we will still be different.”