Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Staring at the empty room for several moments in shock, I didn't quite know what to do. Should I run after him? I hadn't meant to upset him so much, and I wanted to believe him more than anything in the world, but this was hard for me too. I was unsure if Vance realized exactly how much he'd loved me in the past. He had nothing to compare to.

I started when I heard a knock on the door and for one brief second I thought he'd returned. But why would he knock? Going to open it, I found Shelly standing outside.

"Oh, good! You're okay!" she exclaimed, sounding a little breathless. She glanced nervously behind her.

"Come in." Stepping aside, I allowed her to enter. "Why wouldn't I be?"

She went straight to the couch and plopped down. "I don't know. I had visions all night of Vance doing horrible things to you and you not having anyone to help you. Then when he stormed out of here just now sporting such an angry expression, I was worried."

"You saw him leave?"

"Yes. I've been watching the bungalow all morning waiting for an opportunity to check on you. I was afraid to come over if he was here. I wasn't sure how safe things were. When he left and headed toward the rear parking lot I figured now was a good time."

Smiling at her, I went back into the kitchen. "Well as you can see, I'm fine." Picking up plates Vance and I had left on the table, I carried them to the disposal and scraped them before placing them in the dishwasher.

Shelly appeared and leaned against the doorway. "Did he try to hurt you?" She carefully scrutinized me.

"Not intentionally." I scraped the left over eggs out of the pan, so I could wash it too.

"Then he did."

"Yes," I replied, still not making eye contact with her.

"What did he do?"

"He bit me." I did my best to sound nonchalant, as if we were just chatting about the weather or something.

"How many times?" she continued to press for answers.

"Twice. But it's not as bad as it sounds," I added quickly.

"And how's that possible?" she asked.

"Well, one time happened during ... an intimate moment, and the other was when he woke up first thing this morning." I blushed a little.

"Oh!" she said after few moments, realization dawning on her face. "So the two of you are still ... together?"

"Yes, we are, and I'm very happy about it."

"I don't get how you can do it." She shook her head.

"Do what?"

"Be with him in his condition," she replied, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "I couldn't imagine making love to a demon."

"Demon or not, he's still my husband, Shelly. I made a vow to love him forever and I intend to keep it," I said a little forcefully.

"He's abusing you!" she argued back.

"No he isn't," I answered hotly. "He loves me!"

"He's biting you and drinking your blood!" she yelled, waving a hand dramatically through the air. "How's that not abuse?"

I took a deep breath. "It isn't, because I offered it to him."

"You did what?" she asked in disbelief, looking for a moment as if her eyes were going to bug out of her head. "Why would you do that?"