Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Groaning at the throbbing pain in my head, my mind fought to climb back to the surface, but reality continued to swim at the edge of my vision, just out of reach. I tried to concentrate on the moving objects floating above my face, but instead the motion was starting to make me sick

"Portia? Honey, are you okay?" the concerned voice floated to me, and I instantly recognized the familiar sound.

"Grandma?" Blinking my eyes in rapid succession, I tried to bring her image into focus. "Is that you?" Slowly, the blurriness cleared, and I could see the concerned faces of my loved ones standing around me.

"Hi!" She beamed at me.

"Hi!" I smiled, feeling a little self-conscious. My arms went around her and she reached down, hugging me tightly.

"It's so good to see you, Lollipop," she exclaimed.

"How're you doing, Pumpkin?" Dad's voice interrupted.

"Dad!" I said shifting to sit up. Grandma moved, and Dad hugged me too. Glancing over his shoulder, I saw Hex standing behind him, smiling with satisfaction.

"Where's everybody else?" I asked. A small wave of dizziness passed over me, and I lifted my hand to the tender lump on my head.

"I didn't let them come," Dad answered. "It was too dangerous. Your Mom and Krista would be sitting ducks if Vance decided to use them. Shelly and Brad don't have enough powers to face one demon, let alone a whole coven of them. Needless to say, none of them were very happy with me."

"I bet," I said, thinking about how mad Mom and Krista had probably been over being left behind.

"We told the rest of the coven members to stay home, unless something came up and we really needed them. I didn't want them sitting around here waiting if nothing was really happening," Grandma added.

"How long have I been here?" I turned to look at Hex.

"About five minutes," he answered. "You knocked your head on the counter pretty hard. When I saw you were losing consciousness, I slipped into your head briefly and told your brain to evaporate you back here."

"That was not a smart thing to do, Hex," I said, berating him slightly as I continued to rub my hand over the nice sized knot that was forming. "Vance is going to be livid."

"I don't care," he replied. "I'm just glad you're safely back with us."

I looked up at him quickly. "I'm not staying."

"What?" their three voices said in unison.

"Portia, you can't be serious!" my dad said stepping forward. "He's a full-fledged demon now. Your life's in jeopardy every second you're with him. He could turn on you instantly and kill you. You cannot go back!"

I raised my hand, signaling for him to stop. "I understand what you're saying, but I gave him my word. I intend to keep it."

"This is really unwise, sweetheart," Grandma replied. She sat next to me on the cot, placing her arm gently around my shoulders. "I know you love him, but he isn't the same person you married. Demons are different. They operate from a different place than we do. It's too dangerous for you to be with him."

I sighed, trying to think of a way to make them understand. "I appreciate your concern. I really do, but I'm going back to him. Hex has given me powers that give me an added advantage. I'm safe for the time being." I met each of their eyes firmly while they stared back at me skeptically.