The Trouble With Spells

  I looked down at his arms and reached over to lift one of them.

  “Look!” I said, and I pointed at the telltale gray streaks that were beginning there.

  He followed my gaze, eyes widening in horror.

  “But how?” He stepped away from me, shaking his head in denial. “The only way for this to happen is if I’m drinking blood.”

  The horrible truth suddenly clicked into place for me.

  “You have been,” I said.

  I ran out of the room, grabbed up the champagne bottle out of the bucket and ran back into the bathroom throwing it into the giant bathtub. It smashed into a million pieces, spraying everywhere.

  “What the ...,” he trailed off, looking at me as if he were wondering if I had lost my mind.

  “They’re poisoning you!” I screamed at him, trying to make him understand what was plainly obvious to me.

  “No!” he said, reaching over to grab the sink to steady himself. “It can’t be.” He shook his head at me.

  “Don’t you get it?” I yelled at him. “Your attitude changes! Always wanting to pick a fight! The headaches! The sex! Everything! It all makes sense!”

  “No,” he said again, his face blanching to a pale white.

  “They aren’t who they say they are,” I said, suddenly paranoid, and I looked around. “We’ve walked right into the lion’s den!”

  The full realization hit him then as he sank to his knees on the floor, grabbing his hair with his hands, and he started rocking back and forth.

  “I’m sorry, Portia. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see it. I allowed myself to be fooled by these stupid dreams of mine.” He looked over at me with tear-rimmed eyes, and I realized how deeply he was feeling this loss.

  I wrapped my arms around him trying to comfort him.

  “It’s not your fault, Vance,” I said. “I was completely snowed by them, too. We do need to figure out how we’re going to get out of here, though. We’re sitting ducks.”

  He nodded his head, then looked up at me with his red-streaked eyes, and my heart felt like it was going to bleed for him.

  I reached out to touch his temples, letting my healing magic flow through him, removing the gray veins and the colored eyes.

  “Thanks,” he said as he looked tenderly at me.

  I kissed his forehead.

  “Brush your teeth,” I told him, trying to take charge of the situation. “I’m going to start packing our things.”

  “No,” he said reaching out to stop me. “Leave them. We can’t haul them with us if we’re on foot, and it’ll alert them to the fact that we know something is going on if we try to leave with luggage.”

  “You’re right.” I watched him splash several handfuls of cold water over his face.

  I just sat there in a stupor, staring at him while he brushed his teeth, wondering what to do now.

  He stepped over to me when he was done.

  “Ready to get out of this place?” He rubbed both of my arms.

  “Yes,” I said. He grabbed my hand, leading me out of the bathroom and over to the closet.

  We quickly changed into the warmest clothing we had with us, donning coats, hats, gloves, and scarves.

  When we were both finished, he grabbed me to him and kissed me hard. He wound his arms tightly around my body, pulling me as close as he could through our layered clothing.

  The kiss was one of desperation and longing, with pure passion and sorrow all wrapped into one. He kissed me as if he might never have the opportunity in his life to do it again, and it scared me because it was almost like he was saying goodbye to me.

  I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, not willing to break this moment while I opened my mouth to his. I found myself suddenly pinned by his body up against the wall as he ravaged my mouth over and over again with a ferociousness I had never felt from him before.

  With ragged breaths he finally tore himself away from me.

  “No matter what happens from this point on, I need you to remember that I love you,” he said, and I could see the hurt in his eyes.

  “I love you, too,” I said, placing my gloved hand on his face. “I’m sorry … about everything.”

  “Let’s get out of here,” he replied determinedly, taking my hand in his and leading me toward the door.

  He slowly opened it, glancing down the hallway and making sure it was empty before we stepped out.

  “If anyone sees us or asks, we’re just going for another walk,” he whispered.

  I nodded.

  We hurried down the hall to the large marble staircase and tiptoed down as quietly as possible. We crossed the foyer and made our way into the vestibule, reaching for the doorknob.

  “Going somewhere?” Douglas’s voice spoke in the darkness, coming from behind us.

  We turned to look at him, knowing it was too late. We hadn’t made it.

  Douglas was standing there, frowning at us in his full demon glory.

  Chapter 10

  Vance quickly raised his arm just as a ball of flame began to form. It danced in the center of his palm. Throwing it out at Douglas, he yelled, “Run, Portia!”

  Douglas effectively deflected the fireball, smashing it into the wall, and charged toward us.

  Vance stepped protectively in front of me, pushing me behind him as he did so, and I stumbled slightly, falling against the wall and then to the floor. He lifted his hand to attack again.

  Douglas reached out and grabbed him by the wrist, lifting Vance’s hand further away from his body.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said flatly, punctuating his words with a piercing stare that promised instant repercussions.

  “Yeah? Well, I’m not you,” Vance replied hotly, defiantly letting the fireball go anyway.

  Douglas had to jerk his head away to avoid being hit by it. The ball of flame soared across the room and crashed into the table at the foot of the stairs, shattering it into a million pieces.

  I lifted my hand from the floor and shot several ice shards at Douglas. Using the hand he wasn’t restraining Vance with, he quickly directed them back toward me. I lifted my hand just in time to wave them off to the side of me, and they slammed hard into the wall, sticking out like spikes.

  Vance tackled Douglas with a roar, and the two of them went sprawling across the marble floor.

  Colin came running into the room, followed by Fiona, both looking around wildly for the source of the noise.

  “Get him!” Fiona commanded Colin when she saw the two men struggling together.

  I lifted my hand to fire at Colin, determined to protect Vance, but suddenly found myself slammed up against the wall and held there by a force field of some sort. I glanced in surprise toward Fiona who had her hand outstretched toward me.

  Colin grabbed Vance by his arms, hauling him up from behind with a strength that belied his thin frame. Vance jerked his arm free and turned around to punch Colin square in the face, knocking him backward, before turning to fire toward Douglas once more, who had just scrambled to his feet.

  Douglas dodged the fireball by lowering his head and jumping toward Vance, knocking him firmly into Colin, who grabbed both of his arms up behind him again.

  Vance continued to struggle against Colin. Douglas walked up to him and backhanded him across the face.

  Vance’s face reddened, and he yanked an arm free once more, lifting his hand to fire again, but Douglas quickly reached out and grabbed it, lifting it high into the air.

  That was when Vance noticed me pinned against the wall, and he stopped his struggles instantly.

  “Release him,” Douglas said to Colin, and he did so, though Douglas kept his firm grip on Vance’s arm.

  “What is going on?” Fiona screamed. Colin quickly moved to douse the small flames that were devouring the wooden splinters on the floor.

  “Our grandson was trying to leave us,” Douglas said while he continued to hold Vance’s arm into the air.

  “Is that true?” Fiona s
aid, as she walked toward us with a look of disbelief on her face, and I suddenly felt the force field around me release.

  Vance nodded his head and yanked his arm roughly out of Douglas’s grasp.

  “But why?” she asked stepping closer, reaching out to place a hand on the side of his face.

  Vance jerked his head away from her before she could touch him.

  “Because I didn’t feel too keen on staying here so you could continue to poison me,” he replied while he glared at her.

  “Is that what you think?” she asked in complete innocence. “That we were poisoning you?”

  Vance nodded.

  “That was the general impression I had when I started vomiting, my eyes turned red, and black started to creep up my veins. Of course, all this happening after spending another evening enjoying your fine champagne,” he accused her, his eyes staring at her, daring her to refute it.

  “We would never poison you,” she said, shaking her head in denial. “We were giving you a gift, something which would allow you to see your true heritage.”

  Vance took a menacing step closer to her, and Douglas put a hand out on his chest to restrain him.

  “Let me make this clear for you,” Vance said, leaning over her, speaking through clenched teeth. “I have no desire whatsoever to become a demon or anything like it. I don’t care what you say or what you do, it will never happen.”

  A sad look passed through her eyes then, and she sighed.

  “As you wish,” she said, stepping away from him and turning to the butler. “Colin, take them to the dungeon.”

  Colin stepped forward, and immediately Vance went back into fighter mode, his arm shooting into the air, the fire hot in his palm as he readied for another attack.

  This time, however, Douglas was ready for him. I saw him reach deftly into his pocket and produce a syringe which he jabbed hard into Vance’s neck.

  Vance only had time to register a look of shock before he slumped over into Colin’s arms, the fireball dropping harmlessly to the floor and dissipating.

  “No!” I yelled, racing forward and reaching out for him.

  Fiona stepped in front of me and grabbed my arm in an amazingly strong grip, holding me back, not letting me touch him.

  “Calm down,” she ordered, shaking me by the arm. Her thin fingers bit into my skin even harder, causing me to wince slightly. “We aren’t going to hurt him. Now, if you’ll be a good girl and come with us willingly, we’ll let you stay with him.”

  I nodded, tears welling in my eyes and streaking down my face, not even trying to fight her. I would do anything she asked as long as they wouldn’t separate us. I knew he would have told me to try and get away, but there was no way I was leaving him behind.

  Fiona never let go of me, dragging me as we followed behind Douglas and Colin, manipulating my body at every turn.

  The two men were dragging Vance’s limp form effortlessly between their bodies, each of them holding him by one of his strong upper arms. He was facing the floor, his head drooping without any control, and his legs were stretched out behind him. He looked like he was dead, and it gave me the shivers.

  We entered the previously forbidden east wing, seeing no signs of construction at all, though I wasn’t surprised at this point, and we were led down the hall to a large bedroom.

  “So this is the dungeon? Nice,” I said sarcastically, lifting my gaze so I could look around.

  “Not quite,” Fiona smiled, yanking my arm in another direction, and I almost tripped. “This way, please,” she added, her calm tone belying the calculated demeanor which lay beneath.

  To my surprise, we entered the large walk-in closet where we stopped at the back wall. Colin reached out and must have activated a hidden spring mechanism. Suddenly a section of the wall slid open to reveal several stone steps in front of us, leading down into darkness.

  “The dungeon is original to the property,” Fiona began, as if she were leading me through the house on a casual tour. “Of course, we’ve upgraded it with electricity and several modern conveniences.”

  We reached the bottom of the curved stone stairwell, and she continued on with her informational lecture.

  “We have several…um…guest suites here, as well as a lovely ritual room where our coven meets together.”

  “Sounds great,” I said facetiously.

  “It really is, isn’t it?” She smiled and patted my arm in a friendly gesture, as if I were being totally serious.

  We stopped outside a large metal door which Colin opened magically, then he turned back to drag Vance through it with Douglas. Fiona shuttle me through the door right behind them.

  I was surprised to find that the small room was actually quite nicely furnished. A soft looking full-sized bed covered in floral bedding was in one corner, pressed up against the wall. Pushed up on the opposite wall was a small oak drop-leaf table with three sturdy chairs that matched it.

  A door that opened in the corner revealed a very small bathroom space complete with a shower, fresh towels, and soaps on the counter.

  Douglas and Colin tossed Vance unceremoniously on the bed, and I wrenched my arm from Fiona’s grasp, rushing over to his side.

  “I’m sorry things won’t be quite as comfortable for you as they were upstairs,” Fiona said. “If Vance decides to have a change of heart, however, maybe we can readdress that issue.”

  I ignored the three of them completely, not even looking at them, until they finally backed out of the room. I heard the steel door slide shut and lock into place, but a plate on the outside of the door opened then, revealing a windowed area with bars.

  Douglas stood on the other side.

  “Let me reassure you that this door has been magically reinforced to the extreme, so you don’t need to waste your energies on it. It can only be opened from the outside,” he said with a smile, before sliding the plate closed again.

  I stretched my body out, lying next to Vance on the bed, wrapping both of my arms tightly around him, cradling his head with one and wrapped my other around his waist.

  “What are we going to do now?” I whispered to myself, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread creep through me.

  Placing the palms of my hands against his body, I let my healing powers flow through him. I could feel the powerful sedative he had been given running thickly through his veins. While I tried to push through the medication, I could quickly see there wasn’t going to be much more that I could do for him. There was some type of magical component added to the substance which I couldn’t seem to overcome. His body would need to work the foreign material from his system. He was going to be asleep for a while.

  Sighing, I laid there for several minutes before I got up and began trying to give myself something useful to do, checking out the room, looking for air ducts, possible weapons, anything that could be used in a spell, but there was nothing to aid in our possible escape.

  I tried using my magic to test out the locks and different surfaces for weak points, finding that things did indeed seem to be greatly reinforced just as Douglas had warned.

  Feeling completely discouraged, I lifted my hands and shot out several ice shards at the door. They bounced harmlessly off the surface, shattering against the concrete floor.

  Giving up for the moment, since I didn’t know what else to try, I went back to the bed, sliding my back up against Vance’s stomach and wrapping his unconscious arms around me.

  I comforted myself with one thought. Being trapped with him was better than being without him. I lay there in his unknowing embrace until I finally drifted off to sleep.

  Vance’s jerking movements against me were what finally woke me sometime later. I rolled over to look at him, and he groggily opened his eyes, blinking several time trying to focus.

  “How are you doing?” I asked with concern.

  He looked at me, concentrating on my face for a few seconds, before he gathered himself together enough to reply.

  “Okay, I guess. Whe
re are we?” He swallowed thickly before his tongue darted out to lick his dry lips,

  “In the dungeon suite, courtesy of your grandparents,” I answered, and I watched for his reaction.

  He rolled over onto his back then and took a look around the room, before turning back to me.

  “Are you all right? They didn’t hurt you, did they?” His eyes flitted over me with a worried glance, and he ran a hand softly down my arm as if to assess my physical well-being himself.

  “No, they didn’t hurt me. I’m fine,” I replied, shaking my head, hurrying to reassure him. “Fiona advised me that if I came along nicely, they’d let me stay with you. I’m sorry if I caved in too easily, but I wasn’t about to do anything that would risk my being separated from you.”

  “I’m glad you’re here,” he said, sort of smiling at me while he sat up, reaching out to pat my leg gently in the process, before turning his attention away. “Now how do we get out of this place?”

  He got up and paced around the room himself, looking things over much as I had earlier.

  “I’ve already checked it out,” I said, feeling more than a little bit discouraged about our predicament while I watched him use some of his powers to test the door and the walls, his gaze moving over every surface.

  He turned to look at me, the hope fleeing from his face, and he nodded his head in understanding and came to sit back on the edge of the bed with a dejected sigh.

  “I think there’s some type of containment field around all the interior surfaces of the room. Our magic will be unable to affect it, I’m afraid,” he said, pausing to stare off into space for a moment. “Portia, baby, I’m sorry that I’ve dragged you into all this again. I should’ve known from the beginning that something wasn’t adding up.”

  “None of this is your fault,” I said, and I sat up, crawling over to kneel behind him and wrap my arms around his shoulders. “We were just tricked, plain and simple.”

  “I’m such an idiot!” he growled, and he pulled away from me, standing to pace the small spot of open floor in the room.

  I followed him off the bed and grabbed him by the shoulders with both of my hands, forcing him to look at me.