Possession of Souls

  I could see thin streaks of red beginning to fill his eyes. I didn’t know if this was because he was angry or if he was aroused by something.

  “Do you feel better?” he asked, his voice laced with concern, but the continued flexing of his jaw belied his calm demeanor.

  “No,” I said honestly, with a slight shake of my head. “There’s something wrong with the blood. It tastes okay, and I can feel the magic, but somehow it’s not enough. It doesn’t truly stop the craving. It only makes me want more.”

  Vance’s eyes flamed fully at this comment. He stepped closer to me, leaning to put his forehead against mine, and he gathered me into his arms.

  “Oh, Portia,” he whispered. “What have I done to you?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, trembling at his nearness, the beating of his strong pulse almost drowning out the sound of his voice for me.

  “The blood you drank isn’t as strong as mine. You’re craving me specifically. That’s why you can’t quench your thirst.” He lifted his head slightly to place a small kiss against my forehead.

  “Is this what you feel like when you drink from someone else?” My gaze locked on the throbbing artery that pulsated just under the skin in his neck.

  He let out a tortured sounding half laugh. “Yes, but only about a thousand times worse. Your blood is so much stronger than mine. Everything else pales in comparison.”

  “How can you stand it?” I asked, my knees shaking so hard beneath me now I had to cling to him for balance.

  “I can’t. It’s constantly driving me to distraction,” he groaned weakly. “Why do you think I have such a hard time staying away from you? I feel like it’s killing me sometimes.” He let out a sigh of exasperation.

  “Bite me, Vance, please,” I begged him, my skin on fire under his touch, every nerve in my body screaming for release. “Feed me,” I added. “I can’t take it anymore. It hurts too much. Please help me, and let me help you too.”

  Chapter 13

  He hardly paused a second to consider my words before he opened his mouth to expose his fangs and tore into his forearm, drawing blood. He lifted his arm to my face, and my mouth greedily sought out the wound as he slipped his hand into my hair.

  I could feel him knot his fingers into the silky strands, yanking my head to the left. I struggled to keep his arm tightly against me as I sucked in generous gulps from the wound.

  He sank his teeth into my neck.

  My body jerked hard, and I cried out at the intimate contact. Vance grabbed me to him with his free arm, holding me close until he had backed me up against the counter.

  I couldn’t believe the power our bond was creating between us as we performed a true exchange, blood for blood. It was both selfish and the ultimate gift ... all in one moment.

  Vance carried it even further—linking his mind with mine. The emotions he felt added to the bloodletting, making me cry out from total and complete intimacy of the moment.

  “Well, well. What have we going on here? A consensual exchange?” Damien’s voice broke into the moment.

  I opened my eyes and glared at him, but didn’t release Vance’s arm, continuing to draw blood, and he remained at my neck as well.

  “Stop it, now, you two,” Damien ordered, but we both ignored him, or tried to anyway. “I said stop!” Damien’s voice came louder this time, and he threw an energy wave out that knocked us both apart, throwing us to opposite sides of the room.

  I was tired, and I didn’t feel like I had the strength to fight him, so I slumped back against the wall. I lifted my hand to wipe some of Vance’s blood away, licking each finger greedily, sucking at the remnants that were there.

  Vance looked worn out, as he toppled slightly to his side against the cupboards.

  “What the hell were you two thinking?” Damien growled, looking between us. “We have a mission to complete tonight! This isn’t something I can just reschedule! I have to have that artifact!”

  I closed my eyes, too exhausted to care even though I could feel the fury emanating from him.

  The next thing I knew, Damien was sweeping me up into his arms, cursing at me under his breath as he carried me to my room, laying me gently on the bed. He grabbed me by the chin.

  “Look at me!” he ordered, and I desperately tried to lift my eyes to meet his. He tilted my head roughly, his gaze hard and glittering like ice, and I could feel him use his magic to freeze my body. “I’m canceling all your appointments for the afternoon. You will lay here and build as much energy as you can before the party tonight. Thankfully you should repair more quickly this time since you were replenishing what he was taking.”

  He studied me intently for a moment before bringing his lips close to my mouth, so close they brushed repeatedly against mine while he spoke. “If things don’t go as planned, remember I’ll consider that a break in your contract, and I will collect!” He dropped the rest of the way, pressing his mouth against mine briefly, but roughly, licking over it with his tongue, before he moved to my ear. “I hear you two when you’re together. You know that, don’t you? Trust me. I can’t think of any debt I’d rather collect more.”

  He moved so he could look into my eyes.

  I glared at him as hotly.

  “I mean it, Portia,” he said, the heat in his voice dripping over me as he slipped the back of his hand down my arm. “I’m a man of my word, most of the time. But you I want, and you I mean to have, one way or another.”

  There was a crashing sound, and suddenly Damien fell on top of me, wood splinters flying all around him. I looked up to see Vance holding pieces of a broken chair in his hands.

  He reached out and grabbed Damien, rolling him off me and onto the floor, before he straddled him.

  “I said stay away from my wife,” Vance snarled, and he staked Damien through both sides of his chest with the wooden pieces he had in his hand.

  Damien groaned loudly, and a dark stain began to spread quickly across his chest.

  Vance stood, stepping over his father and crawled into the bed with me, dragging me into his arms, completely ignoring the fact he’d left Damien bleeding and writhing on the floor.

  Damien slowly crawled to his feet, the makeshift wooden stakes protruding from him, and I could hear him wheezing when he tried to breathe. He made his way to the door.

  “Come and get us when it’s time to get ready to go,” Vance said sharply. “Not a second before.”

  Damien didn’t reply, staring hard at Vance before slipping out into the other room.

  “You okay, baby?” Vance crooned against the top of my head, his lips brushing my hair with a faint kiss.

  I nodded, even though I had tears in my eyes.

  “Just go to sleep, Portia,” he said, hugging me. “He won’t hurt you now. It would foil his plans.”

  I curled up next to him as close as I could get, smelling his blood that was still seeping from his arm.

  He knew exactly what I was doing, and he lifted his arm to me. “Lick it off, and then you can heal it,” he suggested.

  I did as I was told, though I wished I could’ve had more, and that thought stayed with me to torture me in my dreams.

  The person the mirror reflected look older, but ethereal as well, and I realized the stylist Damien had hired last minute was a true master of her trade.

  My black hair was piled intricately on top of my head in swooping curls which were set off with a small red ruby and diamond hair comb that resembled a miniature crown.

  My make-up was just as expertly done, with my eyes dark and smoky, my pale skin powdered to look translucent, but with a slight hint of blush added to all the right places, and my lips were shining with the barest hint of red.

  A string of rubies and diamonds, in a beautiful choker, wrapped around my neck, and the matching earrings graced my ears. Initially I refused to wear them, not wanting to accept any kind of gift from Damien, but then the stylist told me Vance purchased them for me, so I let her help me put them on.


  Everything complimented the red gown I picked out. The scooped neckline hung in loose folds as it curved up over my shoulders and plunged as far as propriety would dictate in the back. The rest of the dress hugged my body tightly until it reached my knees and then it flared slightly, falling the rest of the way to my feet and the diamond encrusted heels I wore.

  When I left the room it was to find Vance staring out the window, looking into the glittering night. He was dressed to the hilt in his all black tuxedo, with his hands shoved into his pockets.

  He would’ve looked completely relaxed, but I could see the tightness in his jaw again while he ground his teeth together. Waves of anxiety poured off him, and I realized he was nervous about going into the unknown.

  “Hey you,” I said quietly, and he turned to look at me.

  His eyes widened in appreciation, traveling the length of me before he pulled a hand from his pocket and motioned for me to twirl around.

  I did as he requested, and I heard him let out a groan as well as a bit of a rueful sounding chuckle.

  “You like?” I asked him, and he came over to wrap his arms around me, sliding his palms up over the silky skin of my bare back.

  “I like it too much,” he said with a bit of grin, and I noticed the red streaks creeping into his eyes. “Yep. Heads are definitely going to roll tonight,” he added.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, stroking his face.

  “I mean, I won’t be able to tolerate the looks you’re going to get from other men. I’ll simply have to kill them.”

  “Whatever,” I said, shoving at him. “You don’t mean that.”

  “On the contrary, I believe he means every word,” Damien’s voice interrupted, and Vance pulled me tighter to him, as if protecting me.

  We both turned, finding him looking very handsome himself, though I wouldn’t dream of telling him such a thing.

  “You look lovely, my dear,” he added with a slight bow toward me. “Just like I knew you would.”

  “I’m not your dear. And don’t pretend this is all some wonderful evening we’re about to embark on, because I wouldn’t be anywhere near here if you weren’t threatening my family.”

  Damien sighed and shook his head. “Can’t you just relax and have a little fun for one night?”

  “Of course I can,” I replied smugly. “Just not with you.” I turned my head to place a quick kiss against Vance’s lips.

  Damien laughed at me, and I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him like a school kid.

  “Can we please get this thing over with?” Vance asked, irritation laced through his voice. “Or is your plan to kill us with boredom and mind games tonight?”

  “After you,” Damien said, stepping to the side and gesturing toward the door.

  Vance slid his hand into mine, entwining our fingers tightly together, before walking past Damien.

  When we reached it, Vance paused to open it, and I felt Damien’s hand slide against my bare lower back as if to usher me out.

  Vance moved faster than my eye could follow, and the next thing I knew he had hold of Damien’s wrist, moving it out from my body.

  “Listen carefully,” he growled from between clenched teeth. “This is how it’s going to work. You don’t touch my wife—I do what you say. You touch my wife—I break your limbs, and all bets are off. Understand?”

  “I could just kill you now,” Damien grinned back at him, not the slightest bit perturbed.

  “But you won’t, because without me, you lose her.”

  The two stared angrily at each other and I could feel the rage just waiting to explode from Vance.

  “Fine. Shall we continue?” Damien said, ever cordial as before.

  Vance pulled me in front of him this time, following as I lead the way to the elevator while he kept himself firmly in between us.

  We rode in silence down to the ground floor, and the attendant didn’t even glance our way, the tension was so palpable.

  Damien directed us to the main entrance, where we found a stretch limousine waiting. A finely tailored young man quickly jumped out and ran around to open the door.

  I looked around while we waited, and I saw a figured staring at us from around the corner. There was no mistaking the tall girl with the long, blond, bouncy curls.

  I had to bite my tongue to keep from calling her name, as she lifted her index finger to her lips to silence me before slipping back out of sight.

  Shelly. What was Shelly doing in Washington, D.C.? And if she was here, who else was with her? How did she find us? Could they help us at all? The questions ran through my head faster than I could answer them.

  “Portia?” Damien’s voice broke into my racing thoughts. “Are you going to get into the car, or do you need a little help?”

  I snapped instantly back to reality and looked up to see the driver staring at me quizzically, as well as both Vance and Damien.

  “Umm, sorry,” I muttered, grasping for straws to latch onto. “I thought I left my clutch up in the room, but then I remembered I don’t have one with me this time.”

  I hurriedly moved forward to slide inside the car, hoping my little fib was enough to cover things up.

  Vance got in after me, taking my hand once again, but keeping his gaze straight forward instead of looking at me.

  “What was that all about?” he asked, his eyes never betraying he was speaking to me mentally while Damien entered the vehicle.

  “I’ll tell you later,” I replied in the same fashion, turning to glance out the window.

  He didn’t give up, and I felt him shuffling through my head. “Shelly?” he said in surprise through our connection, though his face and body language didn’t give away anything. Not that it mattered—Damien wasn’t paying any attention to us. “Are you positive?” he asked.

  “I’m never positive of anything these days. But it certainly looked like her. What she could be doing here or how she might have found us is beyond me.” I looked at him briefly before turning away again. “But if it is her, then that means help is near, and we aren’t as alone as we thought.” That, at least, made me feel better.

  But Vance shocked me with his next words. “If you see her again, and it is her, tell her to get lost.”

  Chapter 14

  “What? Why?” I said, more than a little bewildered by his vehement comment, and I had to strain to keep myself from looking at him.

  “Because it’s too dangerous for her,” Vance replied, as if this statement should’ve been perfectly obvious to me. “We can’t afford for her, or anyone else, to be dragged in as added ammunition for Damien.”

  I realized I’d misjudged him. “But what if the others can help us?” I asked, wanting to hang onto this thread of hope.

  “It’s too risky. You wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if someone else got hurt.”

  He was right on this point, and I couldn’t argue. I chose not to reply at all, instead keeping my eyes focused out the window, watching the city lights pass by.

  Still, the thought of my mother, my grandmother, and perhaps even Hex, along with Brad and Shelly, being out there looking for us made my heart yearn with a longing I almost couldn’t stand. Their presence spoke of family, home, and support, something I’d gone without for a lengthy amount of time, and I desired to have it in my life once again.

  Vance squeezed my hand tighter, tracing his thumb across the back of it. “I’m sorry my choices have made things so difficult for you,” he said softly into my head.

  “You were only doing what you felt was right,” I replied. “And regardless of everything that has happened between us, I will never stop loving you.”

  He surprised me then, when he turned in his seat toward me. He gently cradled my face, and he kissed me long and hard, and I melted into him.

  “Thank you for that, Portia,” he said into my mind, not caring Damien was now watching us with avid interest. “I love you too, more than you will ever know.” He leaned his forehead ag
ainst mine, letting out a soft sigh as his hand trailed down past my neck and over my arm. He sat back against his seat after he laced his fingers through mine, turning to give me another small smile before looking away.

  He met Damien’s look with smug self-assurance head on.

  “Did I miss something?” Damien questioned, his eyes flitting between the two of us.

  “Obviously,” Vance said shortly.

  “Care to enlighten me?” Damien asked.

  “Nothing to enlighten,” Vance replied. “Sometimes a man just feels the need to really kiss his wife.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal.

  Damien squinted for a moment, before he suddenly shifted to an entirely different subject.

  “When we arrive at the party in a few minutes I want you to come in and mingle with the guests for a little while. There will be several people who know me and will be anxious to meet you as well. Do try to appear charming please. This is a heist after all. We don’t want to draw undo attention to ourselves.”

  He gave us both a disapproving look.

  “Once we acquire the artifact, it’s to be given to you, Portia. You’ll evaporate the object back to hotel and place it in the safe. Then you will immediately pop back here before you can be missed. The alarm will be sounded while we are still in attendance. Everyone will be detained, and searched in proper order, as well as the grounds and the vehicles. There’ll be no trace of the torches, and thus it’ll exonerate all of us from being suspects when we’re found clean, and it’ll not look suspicious that we left the party early.”

  “Okay,” Vance said seriously. “We’ve covered the before and after. What about the in between? It would help if we actually knew how we were getting the artifact.”

  “I’ll handle the exterior guards and the cameras, while you and Portia are still above at the party. When I return then the two of you will slip into the vault. You’ll go down a long narrow hallway and turn right at the end. There will be a small storage closet to your right. It’ll be locked. Use your magic to open it and go inside. Be sure to secure it behind you.