Magestorm: The Embracing (2 page)

4

Six months earlier
…

Just outside the edge of town, Dhane was aware he had been followed for several miles.  Friend or foe, werewolf, vampire or witch, he was going to find out now.  Ahead was a wooded area and he quickly ducked inside and found the most dense area he could.

It was quiet for nearly ten minutes, and he was beginning to wonder if he had imagined someone behind him.  Then the figure appeared, carefully creeping up the edge of the road, and looking around frantically.  Dhane recognized the figure and stepped out from his hiding spot.

“Why are you following me?”

“I watch you closely, closely.  You are not the great wizard yet, not yet, but you will be.  I see it in you and wonder.”

“Wonder what, Demian?”

“Wonder your path to greatness.  Good or bad, bad or good, you will have to pick one.”

Dhane wasn’t planning on being a great wizard, in following Algernon’s footsteps.  Right now, he wasn’t sure what his plan was.  He wasn’t even sure where he was going.

“I’m not going to be the next great wizard.  I’m just a mage, not much more than a simple man.”

“The wizard said the same thing so long ago, long ago.  Look how that turned out.”

He gave the vampire a dirty look, not that it was noticed.  It was time to get back on the road and away from here, especially from Algernon’s legacy.

“Yeah well, I’m not Algernon.  I’ve got my own path to follow.”

“Then why do you go towards Algernon’s home?”

“Excuse me?”

None of the witches knew where Algernon came from.  Was it possible this vampire knew?  It seemed unlikely.  Clearly Demian never let go of what Algernon had done, and was endlessly watching for any signs of his return in another form.

“To the East lies the town of Hallow
Falls
.  That was where Algernon was born and raised.  Now his name is not welcome, not welcome ever again.  You could find answers you seek, but also much trouble, very much.”

“It seems you know where I’m going
better
than I do.  Have you been there?”

“A long time ago I journeyed there with Algernon.  Then he was celebrated instead of feared and hated.  That was when he still called me friend, before the poison entered his mind.”

Demain
grew quiet and Dhane wasn’t sure what else to say.  Now he knew where he was headed.  Perhaps there were answers there, on who his mother was, and why his father went from loved to
hated
.

“I should get going.  Thanks for the information, Demian.”

“May I go with you?  I have more I could tell, more to tell.”

It wasn’t a good idea.  It could especially be bad if anyone identified him as a friend of Algernon.  However, he may also have information on the town long since forgotten.  Was it worth the risk?

“I suppose I could use the company.  Do you need to go pack anything?”

“I need nothing more than what I have with me.  We should go.  I can only travel in the night.”

“I’m aware of that,” Dhane laughed.  “Let’s get going then, we’re burning moonlight.”

5

The council meeting was uneventful, even with his return, and Dhane was happy to get back to his room.  Once inside, he went straight to his couch and
laid
down.  Lila had wanted to get dinner, but of course it was with her and that vampire she was dating.  No thanks.

At some point he’d have to make nice with the vampire, or Lila would be pissed.  He just needed some time.  And he needed to find out what the vampires were really up to.  It couldn’t be as simple as having their say in what went on among their special kind in this area.  Hell, they had avoided this area for so long, it was very suspicious for them to show up now.  What did they really want?

Dhane drifted off to sleep, but it was a restless sleep.  He tossed and turned, and woke up several times.  At nearly two in the morning he woke and realized he wasn’t alone.  A figure was moving across the room, having entered through a window, and was headed for his bedroom.

He carefully got up from the couch and crept up behind the figure as it peered into the empty bedroom.  As soon as he was close enough, he leapt forward and clutched his arms around the intruder and both fell to the ground.  A spell of illumination revealed his visitor.

“Well now, you have missed me.”

Heather’s grin was not a welcome sight.  He stood up and thought about helping her up before simply stepping back.  Once she was back on her feet and brushing herself off, he noticed what she was wearing.  It was a catholic school girl’s uniform, short plaid skirt and white button up shirt.  Her brown hair was in pigtails on each side.

“What is this, Halloween?”

“No, this was a special surprise, to welcome you home.”

“You are one crazy bitch, aren’t you?”

She stepped up and put her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.  Dhane pushed her against the wall to get her off of him and held her there.  Until he knew what she was really doing there, he wasn’t going to let her go.  She didn’t seem to mind, though.

“You have no idea.”

A hand clutched his groin and he let out an involuntary moan.  That made her smile.  Attempts to play nice with him when they first met hadn’t yielded the results she had hoped.  A switch in her plan to be more forceful had led to a more interesting effect.  He was much more aggressive in dealing with her now.  Perhaps that would lead to the greater things she hoped for.

“It’s not going to…”

Suddenly a strange feeling overcame him and his grip loosened.  He had felt this way before, twice in fact, over the past few months.  The first time, he actually threw up.  At least he was a little more prepared for it now.

The racing heart, sweating, and inexplicable erection that always seemed to be included were hitting him again and at the worst time.  Heather broke his grip and noticed the sudden bulging in his pants.  A smile swept across her mouth as she pushed him backwards again and again.  Finally he fell onto the couch and she took advantage of his clouded mind.

“Don’t…”

“Your lips say no, but something else says yes.”

She unfastened his pants and pulled them down to reveal him.  Quickly her panties were dropped to the floor and she climbed on his lap.  He tried to push her off, but didn’t really have the energy.  So he ended up inside her as she pinned his arms easily.  The feeling was incredible, more erotic than anything he had experienced before.

“Do you know why you are so aroused?  I do.”

Her hips moved forward and back slowly and he moaned.  In only a moment he was sure he would burst.  Heather stopped and let go of his hands, instead putting her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.  No longer able to hold himself back, his hands found their way to her ass and pulled her tightly down on him.  She leaned back and smiled.

“You are connected to that werewolf bitch.  She’s having sex right now, and you’re feeling it.  I would be hurt, if it wasn’t me that you were inside.”

With a laugh she began to move her hips with real intent, and she tore open her own shirt to reveal her breasts.  Leaning back to allow him access to them, his face was quickly buried within, tasted and tugging on each nipple in turn. 

Her moans were loud and her thrusts violent as she drove herself to orgasm.  Moments later he followed suit.  It was the hardest, most exhausting he had ever experienced.  His heart felt like it wanted to burst free from his chest as he collapsed back on the couch.

The grin from the woman looking at him made him feel disgusting.  After his previous experiences with her, had he actually fucked her again? 

“I knew you really missed me,” she grinned as she climbed off him.

A glare meant to display his anger only amused her more.  She pulled her shirt closed and straightened herself.  After picking up her panties, she tossed them onto his lap.

“You can keep those, as a memento of our evening together, and to remind you that you can never get away from me.  I’ve got to get going now.  Fuck you later.”

With a wink she departed the way she came.  Lacking the energy to get up, he forced himself to grab her underwear and tossed them blindly away from him.  He drifted to sleep, a sleep full of nightmares of Heather devouring him whole.

6

Lila paced outside the Winchester restaurant while she waited for Charles to arrive for dinner.  It was an elegant restaurant that catered to the wealthy of Castle Rock.  This wasn’t a place Lila would normally go, but Charles was opening her eyes to all sorts of new and exotic things.

It was hard to believe that she had only dated him for a month.  Everything seemed in perfect harmony, like they were a matched set.  Having never felt like this, Lila was along for the ride for as long as it would last.

He was late and she was starving.  Dressed in a sleek black dress and high heel shoes, and wearing her hair up, she wasn’t going to stand out front much longer.  They knew her inside, so she would eat by herself if she had to.  Finally, at the end of the street, a dark convertible car passed and slowed as it disappeared from view.  That must be him, though he didn’t pull up to the valet for some reason.

“It’s about time.”

She hurried to the corner and rounded it, but the car was gone now.  A roll of her eyes and she turned to go back to the restaurant.  The sidewalk was suddenly too crowded, as two men approached. 

The first man was lean but athletic looking, with a bald head, a pierced eyebrow and pierced ears.  He was dressed in a black suit with an open collar.  The other man had a dark blue suit on and glasses.  Clean cut and broader than the other man, they were clearly different types of men.  With a hunger in their eyes they glared at the witch, and she stumbled back a step.

“Who are you?  What do you want?”

Without a word, the two men changed to werewolves and continued towards her.  Now she knew she was in real trouble.  As she backed up, she thought over a few spells she could try, assuming Rachel wasn’t nearby helping them.  With a thump she ran into something and fell to the ground.  She looked up to see Charles standing over her.

The collarless crimson shirt under the black jacket matched his pants.  His hair was short and spiked, and he didn’t look like you would expect royalty to look.  A million dollar smile on his handsome face always overshadowed any judgments on his looks.

“Sorry I’m late, my dear.  Who are your friends?”

A grin was on his face as he looked from her to the werewolves.  He placed himself between the attackers and his date as he drew two daggers he kept strapped to his back.

“Hope you don’t mind an extra playmate.”

The werewolves looked at each other, and then charged him.  They must’ve figured he couldn’t hurt them, a lowly vampire with a couple knives.  With speed and grace Charles maneuvered left and right, dodging the slashes of their claws and gnashing of their teeth.  It was like a beautiful dance, his perfect steps and deadly accuracy.

Lila wanted to help, but she was caught in the moment.  Sheer awe consumed her as her boyfriend showed off a skill she knew nothing about.  Instead she simply watched as the werewolves suffered cuts here and there, all the while futilely trying to make contact with their own lethal blows.

At last the werewolves backed off, clearly stung physically and mentally by their opponent.  Charles licked the blood off of each blade as he glared back at them, a grin still on his face.

“Any time you boys want some more, I’ll be waiting with my nice silver blades.”

“Fucking vampire, this isn’t over!”

They scurried off into the night and Charles returned the blades to their hidden sheathes.  Lila accepted his hand and he pulled her back to her feet and up against his body.

“All this excitement makes me hot.  Feel like skipping dinner?”

“Unlike you, I actually do have to eat once in a while.”

“To go it is then.”

7

Dhane woke up to a knock at his door.  It was a very gentle knock, so he knew it wasn’t Lila or Cassandra.  Looking down, his pants were still down and he was hanging out.  It was a painful reminder of the night’s events.

A glance towards the windows told him it was daylight, and not early.  He stood and fixed himself before heading to the door.  Without bothering to see who it was, he swung it open and was surprised to see Amber standing there.

“
Greetings,
sire.  I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“You’re fine.  I needed to get up anyway, before I slept the day away.  What can I do for you?  Cassandra isn’t here.”

“I am here to see you, sire.  I was told you may allow me to stay with you.”

Damn, he forgot about that.  The last thing he needed was a witness to one of Heather’s visits, but he already extended the invitation.  Not much he could do now, except try to buy time.

“Yes, I have a second bedroom here that I’m not using.  I still need to get a bedroom set though.  There’s no bed or anything in there.  As soon as I have that, you are welcome to move in.”

“That is excellent news sire.  I have a bedroom set already, if now is a good time.”

Shit.

With a smile and a nod, he led her to the room and left her to decide how she would arrange things.  In moments there were three
werewolves
steadily moving furniture and boxes into the room.  It only took half an hour until they were finished and gone, and Dhane had his roommate.

He sat on the couch and watched everything, and now wondered what exactly she was doing.  It was dead quiet.  Deciding he had to get out of there, he stopped at her door and knocked.

Amber answered the door and he could see the room was already put together like she had lived there for years.  She gave him a warm smile, a change from the indifference she typically showed him, and then from her tip toes gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“That you so much, sire.  I’ve never felt free like this.  I had my own room with the werewolves, but as a greeter, it was always like I was a visitor.  If you need anything from me, I am here.”

“Thanks, Amber.  Listen, I’m going to go out for a while, and I’ll get a key made for you.  Do you need anything, groceries of any kind or whatever?”

“Thank you but no.  I am good now.”

With a nod, Dhane turned and decided to exit through the private entrance.  He wasn’t really in the mood to run into Lila or Cassandra right now.  The decision to return here was beginning to look like a bad one, but he knew there were things he had to do.  Now he knew the truth about Algernon, he wasn’t about to leave the witches.

Down the back stairs and out the door, he was onto the street and headed to God-knew-where.  This seemed familiar.  Strolling down the sidewalk with no idea where he was headed, he realized it was time to focus on gaining some order in his life.  First thing’s first.

The werewolf territory looked just the same as he remembered it.  Seemed strange that the remaining wolves simply stayed where they had been prisoners, but maybe the familiarity was a comfort for them.

Dhane knocked and was surprised when nobody answered.  Another knock with no answer and he began to wonder if they had actually left after all.  He turned to leave, but before he could reach the bottom of the stairs, the door opened and Adam stood in the doorway.

“Greetings mage.
  How may I assist you?”

“I was looking for Amelia.  Is she available?”

“I’m
sorry;
she’s not around right now.  Perhaps you can try back later.”

“Okay, thanks Adam.”

Dhane walked down the stairs and continued towards the hardware store.  If nothing else, he’d get the key made.  Then maybe get something to eat.  It was probably for the best that she wasn’t home anyway.

Once her would-be visitor was safely away, the door opened and Amelia peered out.  Her heart longed to chase after him, to kiss him and touch him, hold him close.  It was best to let him go though, no matter how it hurt.  He didn’t need her in that way, so she would keep her distance.

“You know he really does care about you, right?”

“Yes, Xander, I know.  He cares, but not the way I do, I fear.  If he returns, I will do my former job and greet him.  Then he will leave, and I will remain.”

“I have a feeling you won’t get rid of him that easily.  There’s more in store for the two of you.  Don’t do anything stupid.”

Xander walked off and she stayed and watched until Dhane was out of sight.  She closed the door and walked back to her room.  A stack of envelopes was sitting on the table and she returned to sealing them, as she had been doing before Dhane interrupted.  They were all addressed to locations in Japan and each contained a letter seeking information on her parents.  They also contained one more thing:  a woman’s hope at reconnecting with her family.