Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Struggling to keep my eyes open after Vance left, I knew I hadn't regenerated enough after his feeding to even really be conscious. He had forced me awake after the dream.

"Go to sleep. I'll be okay," his voice crept into my head. I didn't have the strength to answer him and I let my mind slip back into the darkness.

I had no idea how long I'd slept when I felt the bed move under the weight of someone climbing into it. A hand brushed over my neck, moving the hair away from it.

"Hello, Portia," a clearly female voice spoke up.

My eyes popped open and I found myself staring into a pair of demon ones, flaring red. My sluggish brain tried to comprehend what was happening as I watched the woman's teeth lengthen into fangs.

She pounced, biting into me, drinking until I passed out once again.

There was a slight humming. My mind latched onto that sound and tried to focus. Slowly, I became aware of my surroundings, and my eyes fluttered open, squinting against the light.

I was in an SUV, from the look of it, lying in the second seat, restrained by some sort of magical barrier. There was an I.V. tube stuck into my arm and a steady stream of blood ran through it, dripping into a medical bag.

Looking toward the front of the vehicle, I could see what appeared to be a woman with long red hair behind the wheel. I also noticed my amulet had been removed and was now dangling from the rear view mirror.

"Who are you?" I whispered weakly, my voice cracking slightly. The woman craned her head around, glancing over her shoulder. I knew her face. She was the lady I'd met at the Fountains at Fontane when Shelly's car had exploded.

What was her name? It was something different. I dug through my memories, trying hard to recall before it popped into my head. She'd called herself Cat.

"Oh. You're awake," she said, appearing concerned. "I guess I need to adjust some things."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, closing my eyes against a momentary wave of dizziness.

She sighed before she spoke. "My name is Catriona Fitzgerald." She offered no further explanation to me. The name sounded familiar, but I had to search my groggy mind for what it meant. Suddenly it hit me.

"You're Brian's mom," I replied, with a sinking feeling, remembering back to when Brian had attacked me in Scotland, right before Vance had decapitated him in a murderous rage.

"Yes," she responded with a sharp nod, and I thought her voice caught for a moment. "He was my only child."

I was in big trouble. She was draining my blood to keep my powers depleted so I couldn't fight back against her. She wanted revenge.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To your worst nightmare," she replied frostily, and I believed her completely, without a doubt.

"Vance will come for me," I stated matter-of-factly, hoping it would scare her into thinking twice about what she might be planning.

"Oh, I'm counting on that. But don't worry your pretty little head. We will be ready for him."

"Who's 'we'?" I asked, picking up on her use of the plural.

"You'll find out soon enough." She continued to stare straight ahead.

"No one has the power to match him. It would be foolish for you to provoke him." I tried to reason with her.

She just laughed at my remark. "We'll take care of Vance, and I think you'll be surprised at how easily we'll be able to."