Dominion (14 page)

Serenity’s mouth thinned into a line. “If Elizabeth can help rid you of this … thing, she will do whatever is necessary.”

“Even if it puts her at risk?” he challenged.

“She’s already at risk, Sebastian. Look at what almost attacked us in the house.”

Sebastian fell silent and drew back.

Serenity chewed at her lip as they walked. His smoldering presence at her back set her on edge. She didn’t want to fight with him or make him feel bad, but this wasn’t a time to play nicely or worry about hurt feelings. The thought of the demon lurking somewhere beneath the surface terrified her. Part of her wasn’t sure if it was Sebastian she was communicating with or the horrific thing she’d seen trying to climb from his face when she’d pinned him down on the bed.

The strange group wove between the clusters of smaller trailers until they reached a double-wide
trailer
at the back. Serenity caught sight of other women and children darting inside other trailers, the women ushering the children inside, watching the new arrivals with wide eyes.

Iona reached the door and turned back to them, Elizabeth close by her side. The younger girl watched Iona, enthralled.

“Leave us,” Iona said to the strapping men either side of her.

“But, Iona, don’t you think—”

“Conner,” she said, firmly. “I’ll be fine.”

“You can’t take a vampire in there with you.” His Irish accent was strong, lilting the end of his sentences.

“He won’t cause me any harm. His daughter has vouched for him.” Iona’s own accent was faint, but still present.

The big men glowered at Sebastian. He held his composure and stared back.

“I’m not asking your permission, Conner,” she snapped.

“Fine,” he said, though by his expression he didn’t mean what he said. “We’ll be right next door.”

Iona smiled at her visitors. “Come on in,” she welcomed them.

Elizabeth disappeared inside, closely followed by Serenity and Bridget, Sebastian bringing up the rear. Serenity stepped through the oval doorway and into a surprisingly spacious and modern interior. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t the mahogany shined floors or simple cream walls. A bank of white leather couches framed two walls in an L shape. The living area opened out into a kitchen complete with marble counters and dark wood cabinets. Nothing about the place indicated a powerful witch lived here, or a teenage girl for that matter.

Elizabeth spun around, a wide grin splitting her face. “Mom, this is awesome! Can we get one of these?” She ran to the couch and threw herself down, waving her arms and legs as though creating a snow-angel.

“Elizabeth!” Serenity exclaimed, shocked at her daughter’s disrespect for someone else’s property.

But Iona laughed. “Yeah, it is pretty cool, huh? Not many sixteen-year-olds get to live somewhere like this on their own.”

Elizabeth sat up. “What about your Mom and Dad?”

A shadow passed across the girl’s face and, for the first time, she lost the in-command demeanor she carried. “They died,” she muttered. “I was only a baby. I don’t remember them.”

Elizabeth’s lips pressed together, not knowing how to respond to this revelation.

Iona tossed her head, her almost-white hair shimmering down her back. “I’m over it. I can take care of myself.”

Bridget stepped forward. “Iona, we need you to help us rid Sebastian of this demon. He’s a danger to himself and everyone around him. I’ve tried to learn more about the possession, but my magic simply wasn’t strong enough, which is why we’ve come to you.”

“Do you know who is responsible for the possession?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Serenity. “We think so.”

Sebastian shot her a fierce look, his dark eyebrows knitted together. “We do?”

Her voice came out as a whisper, anxious about his reaction. “We think it must be Natasha.”

His eyes widened and flared yellow. “Natasha,” he growled. “Of course, she’d want to do this to me.”

Serenity fixed him with her gaze.
“To us.
She’s doing this to us.”

Realization flooded across his features. “She’s relying on me hurting both of you.” His words weren’t a question.

“She must have known you’d protect us to the death if you had to, that you’d find a way of having her killed if she came anywhere near us. This way, she doesn’t need to do anything more.
This …”
she struggled to say the word, “
demon
takes over, kills us and then you. And she hasn’t needed to come anywhere near us.”

Bridget turned to Iona. “Is there anything you can do to help us?”

“Yes, but first you must find the one responsible.”

“We have no idea where she is.”

Iona frowned, scrunching up her pretty face. “No idea at all?”

“She could be in another country for all we know.”

“Don’t worry, we can still find her. Do you have anything of hers?”

Panic rose in Serenity’s chest.
“No, nothing!
Why would we?”

“What about Vincent?” said
Bridget.
“He might have something that used to belong to her. I don’t know how much stuff he took from the club after Demitri was killed, but he removed most everything that might give the police some clue as to the type of person inhabiting there. He didn’t care about Demitri—not after what he did to us—but he understands the importance of keeping the existence of vampires a secret. There’s a chance he picked up something of Natasha’s as well.”

“Who is Vincent?” asked Iona.

“My son,” said Bridget. “He’s also a vampire.”

“Great.” Iona rolled her eyes.
“Just what I need.
More vampires.”
She chewed at her lower lip, her gaze unfocused. She pointed a finger at Serenity. “So you have a child
with
a vampire.” She continued to point, trailing her finger over to Bridget. “And you, a witch, have a vampire for a son.” Her small nose wrinkled. “Isn’t that like … inbreeding or something?”

Bridget smiled politely, though her blue eyes remained cold.
“Very cute.
If you’ll all just give me a minute, I’ll try to get hold of my son.” She turned away from the rest of them, heading into the kitchen area. As she walked, she fished in the purse
hanging from her shoulder and pulled out her cell phone. She waved it at the small group watching her.
“The beauty of modern technology.”

She turned her back on them again, the phone to her ear. She spoke in quiet tones, quiet enough not to be heard by the humans, though Serenity imagined Sebastian picked up what was being said. At least it was night, so Vincent was awake. She didn’t think she’d be able to stand waiting around for hours.

Iona rolled her eyes again. “Let me guess, vampires with cell phones.
Whatever next?”

Not half a
s
surprising as
teenage
sorceresses
, thought Serenity, but she kept her mouth shut. They needed Iona, however snarky she might be.

Bridget hung up the cell. “He’s close and does have something of hers—a ring. He can be here within the hour.”

Iona nodded. “Good. We can get started then.”

“Get started?” said Serenity.

“I need to find out which coven this Natasha has corrupted to use as she has.”

“Why? Won’t Natasha’s location tell you that?”

“Perhaps, but I need to be sure. Each circle of witches has its own strengths and weaknesses. I need to be certain I know the source of this magic before I go in and try to control it.”

“So how will you do that?”

“I’ll ask the demon.”

Serenity felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. “What?”

She didn’t want to see the demon again. Not after the last time in their bedroom. Seeing that awful darkness, how his features had morphed and disfigured—like the creature was trying to climb from Sebastian’s skin—had been one of the most terrifying things she’d ever born witness to.

Bridget frowned. “In that case, couldn’t you just ask the demon where Natasha is?”

Iona shook her head, her white-blonde hair rippling. “A demon wouldn’t know such things. It has no concept of place names or locations. But it understands magic and will be able to give me the name of the witch who called it.”

“Okay,” Serenity relented. “If that’s what you need to do, I guess we don’t have any other choice.”

Chapter Fourteen

“Let’s get on with this,”
said Sebastian, taking charge. “Where do you want me?”

Iona gestured with her chin toward the bedroom. “On the bed would be best.”

“Fine
.
” He strode toward the bedroom, shrugging his jacket
off
as he went.

Serenity followed. Unlike the simple décor of the rest of the trailer, this room at least hinted that a teenage girl inhabited it. The bed had a floral bedspread and a pink rug lay on the floor. Sebastian slung his jacket onto an occasional chair which was already piled high with clothes and then sat on the bed. Looking awkward, he kicked off his shoes and
lay
back, his head resting on the pillow.

Serenity’s heart clenched. There was something so wrong about seeing such a powerful man looking so helpless and out of place. She wanted to grab his hand and drag him away.

Iona approached the bed, looking down at Sebastian.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You won’t bite me now, will you?”

Sebastian gave a half-smile, curling one corner of his lip to reveal a fang. “I’ll try not to.”

Serenity didn’t want to watch what was about to happen, but she owed it to him to stay by his side. Though he was cool on the outside, she knew he was nervous. The comments only hid how he really felt
,
and being at the mercy of a person who had already owned up to the fact that she didn’t like his kind wouldn’t be doing anything for his confidence.

“Take Elizabeth outside,” she told Bridget. “You know what happened last time.”

Bridget took hold of Elizabeth’s hand. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s wait for your Mom and Dad outside.”

Elizabeth wasn’t going to be removed so easily. “I’m not a little kid anymore. I know what’s going to happen.”

Sebastian half-sat, twisting around to prop himself up on one elbow.
“Elizabeth, do as your mother tells you.”

“But, Dad …” Her voice had turned into a whine.

“Do as you’re told, Elizabeth. Everyone here has enough to deal with without having to worry about you as well.”

Elizabeth’s eyes flicked to Iona, possibly hoping for the older girl to take her side. Iona shook her head. “Your father is right, Elizabeth. You don’t want to see this, not for real anyway.”

Color flooded Elizabeth’s cheeks. Without another word, she pulled her hand from Bridget’s and stalked from the trailer.

“She’ll be fine,” said Bridget. “I’ll take care of her. You just do what needs to be done.”

Sebastian lay back down on the bed. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Serenity stood at his shoulder. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a trapped moth and she struggled to catch a breath. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, sending her into a fight or flight response. But she couldn’t run from this. If Natasha was the one doing this to Sebastian, it was only because of something Serenity had done herself. She was the one who’d killed Demitri. The only reason Natasha put the demon inside of Sebastian was because she’d realized a possessed vampire would be far more dangerous to those around him than a possessed woman.

Assuming Natasha was even responsible. There might still be some unknown foe in the equation, someone they’d never even considered. Yet, in Serenity’s heart, she felt certain the other vampire was to blame. Her parting words, “
I won’t let you get away with this
.
Y
ou haven’t seen the last of me,” cemented things in her mind.

They should have known then not to allow her to leave. After all, she’d loved Demitri. Of course she wouldn’t have just let his death go unavenged.

“Do you need me to hold him down?” asked Serenity, remembering the last time.

Iona laughed, a sound unfitting for the nerves roiling in Serenity’s stomach. “No, there’s no need. I’ll do that.”

Sebastian propped himself back up on his elbows regarding them, his eyebrows raised. “You two can’t be serious?”

Serenity looked at Iona. The girl was a fraction of her own body weight, never mind Sebastian’s. Serenity hadn’t stood a chance of being able to hold him down, even when he’d been asleep. She didn’t understand how this slip of a girl would manage.

“I won’t actually be holding him,” said Iona, amusement tinkling behind her words. “I’ll be using magic of course.” She turned to Serenity. “You can leave if you’d like. I can handle this.”

Though every part of Serenity wanted to flee, to protect
herself
from what she was about to witness, she stood her ground. If something went wrong, she might be the only person who could get through to Sebastian.

“I’m staying.”

Sebastian shook his head. “No, you should go. What if something happens? I can’t take the risk of hurting you.”

“It’s my decision and I’m staying.”

“Serenity …” Sebastian growled his warning.

She folded her arms across her chest. “You don’t have to handle everything alone. We’re a family and families stay by each other’s sides.”

He glowered at her, yellow creeping into his eyes. “I’m a vampire, Serenity. A vampire with a goddamned demon stuck inside him. I’m dangerous!”

“Yes, you probably are. But I’m still staying.”

Sebastian growled again, but fell back against the bed, one hand knotted in his hair in exasperation. “Fine,” he relented. “Let’s get this over and done with.”

Iona had been watching the exchange, one eyebrow lifted, her lips pressed together as she repressed a smirk.

Sebastian glared at her. “What?”

“A vampire backing down to a human.
I never thought I’d see the day.”

“She’s a very stubborn human,” he muttered.

Iona grinned at Serenity. “So, I see.”

“Let’s just get on with this,” he said. “My patience is wearing thin.”

The grin dropped from Iona’s face. “Yes, let’s continue.”

She walked over to stand beside the bed. “Put your hands above your head and lie still.”

Sebastian did as she instructed, his eyes focused on the low ceiling.

Serenity stepped back, her fists clenched at her sides, trying to subdue her rising panic. Sebastian’s head twisted to watch her and they locked eyes.

I love you,
she mouthed at him, trying not to cry.

He gave her a restrained smile in return.

“We must begin,” said Iona. She closed her eyes and spread her hands above Sebastian’s chest. His eyes remained wide and his gaze flicked between the sorceress and Serenity. His fists clenched the bedspread, his knuckles even paler than the rest of his skin, and his biceps strained against the material of his shirt. Serenity recognized the tension in his body.

Iona spoke in a low, steady tone. “I call upon the five elements—air, fire, earth, water, and ether—to give me control over the being who has been banished here. Give me your power to communicate with the demon who resides within.”

Immediately, the air above Sebastian’s body
changed,
became thicker, like heat rising from the sidewalk on a scorching summer day. Suddenly, his right wrist slammed back against the bed. He cried out and tried to jerk away, but the arm didn’t budge. The same thing happened to the left wrist and then both ankles. His head twisted from side to side, trying to see what was happening.

Serenity stood by,
a fist pressed against her mouth, unable to either help or provide
comfort.

Iona didn’t move. “Show yourself to me, demon. What is your name?”

Sebastian’s mouth opened in a wide stretch, too wide to be comfortable. His eyes rolled back in his head and a strange mewling pealed from his throat.

“Tell me, demon,” she demanded. “By all the natural forces of my world, you will tell me your name.”

The muscles and veins in Sebastian’s throat stood out, strained. His jaw was clenched, his teeth clamped together.

“Don’t fight it, Sebastian,” Serenity called. Iona shot her a glare and she fell silent.

The sorceress spread her fingers further, closing the gap between her hands and Sebastian’s chest. The air between them thickened, becoming viscous like a cloudy liquid.

“
Indica
mihi
nomen
tuum
,” she said. “Tell me your name!”

Sebastian’s whole body went rigid and he roared as though being tortured. Darkness flooded his face, starting at the spot between his eyes and quickly covering the rest of his features, rippling over the whites of his eyes.

“Oh, God,” Serenity breathed, stepping back. She’d been here before.

“Speak to me, demon. Tell me your name!”

“Leave me be, bitch,” Sebastian spat. But his voice was not his own, coming from somewhere else. He fell lank against the bed again as if this brief spell of communication had exhausted him and the black flooded from his skin.

Iona flexed her fingers and held her hands above his body once again.

“Do not defy me, demon. I am Mother Earth, I am
Magik
. I am everything you are not, creature of the dark.
Creature of Dominion.”

Sebastian’s limbs strained against the bed. His beautiful face appeared normal, but his head whipped from side to side as he fought against the thing inside him. Serenity knew it would not stay that way for long.

Iona’s voice dropped and Serenity could no longer discern the words being spoken. She spoke in a low, mumbled chant, her stance rigid as she stood above him.

Sebastian writhed, his back arching off the bed, the veins in his throat and temple popped, sweat
sheening
his skin. “
Aaarghh
!” he yelled.

“No!
Stop!”
Serenity yelled. “You’re hurting him.”

Iona turned her face toward her and Serenity screamed and stumbled back. The face she’d just witnessed was not that of the sixteen-year-old girl she’d met an hour earlier.

Her head flicked from side to side in an almost imperceptible movement. With each flick, her face changed, taking on the features of older women. But she moved with speed, so she appeared blurred, not allowing Serenity to get a proper look at any one of them.

“Stay back,” the girl spat, but her voice didn’t sound like her own, the tone deeper and hoarser. She turned back to Sebastian and continued her chant, only now her voice—or the voice she channeled—was louder and more forceful. Sebastian’s roar turned into a scream and the sound made Serenity’s blood feel like it was going to burst from her veins.

“I said stop!”

Serenity threw herself at Iona, grabbing her shoulders and wrenching her back around. The girl gasped and immediately her face went back to normal.

Iona blinked and gazed around as if trying to remember where she was. “My God, what happened?”

“I don’t know.” Serenity trembled. “It was like you were possessed or something.”

Iona closed her eyes briefly and nodded.
“My ancestors.
If I ever find myself unable to complete a spell, they automatically try to pass their power onto me.”

“So you mean you weren’t able to do the spell?”

“The demon is too strong. I was able to pull it to the surface briefly, but that was all. Not long enough to question it.”

Sebastian half-sat, wincing as though his joints were stiff.
“I think I can help.”

Serenity rushed to his side, amazed he was able to sit up and speak as normal, considering what he’d just been through. She placed her hand on his arm and he gave her a grateful smile.

“How?”
Iona asked.

“Yesterday, when I found myself out in the daylight, I made a decision to go back to the other place, the place that looks like this, but isn’t.”

“Dominion,” said Iona. “That’s where you’re going. It’s another level, a place where everything dark has power.”

He nodded. “When I made a conscious decision that I wanted to be there rather than here, I felt myself switch over.

“That’s a dangerous game to play. Each time you do that, you’ll become a little more a part of Dominion and less harnessed to the real world. You might not be able to get back again.”

“Do we have any other options?”

“Yes!” said Serenity. “There must be other options. If we can find Natasha, you don’t need to know how she called the demon, you said so yourself. You said it would only be
better
if you did know.”

“Perhaps,” she admitted. “But we would be going in blind. She could have a circle of ten witches around her and we wouldn’t be prepared for them. What would we do then?”

“You’re the sorceress,” Serenity said, her tone increasing in pitch. “Shouldn’t you know how to handle them? Aren’t you supposed to be incredibly powerful?”

“This is dark magic, Serenity. It comes from another place. Of course I would do my best to subdue both the witches and the vampire, but by not understanding what we are dealing with, we’re increasing the danger ten-fold.”