Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

I was awakened in the middle of the night when Vance suddenly pulled away from me and crawled out of the bed. Opening my sleep-laden eyes, I tried to adjust to the darkness, automatically reached for where he had been.

"What's the matter?" I asked quietly.

Head turning toward me, his red eyes glowed in the darkness. "Stay here. Someone's in the house," he replied with a whisper. "I'm going to check it out."

"Let me come with you," I said, throwing the covers back.

"No," he said firmly. "It's probably simply someone from my coven, but just the same I prefer you let me check it out first."

His words cut me instantly to the quick. He called it his coven and it reminded me our magic was no longer bound by the strength of our coven . . . my coven. We were separated in that way and he now belonged to someone else, a bunch of people actually, and they were my mortal enemies.

Vance finished slipping on his clothes and made his way to the door, quietly moving through and closing it behind him. I slipped out of the bed and tiptoed over, grabbing the knob, turning it slightly, wanting to know who was here and why it was so important for them to meet with Vance in the middle of the night.

"What are you doing here, Mayla?" The deep timber of Vance's voice drifted up the stairs.

"I brought you some more blood," her voice answered in return.

There was a moment of quiet before Vance spoke up again. "You already gave me blood tonight."

"Yes, but this is fresh from our outing which you declined to go on this evening. Your refusal to participate caused quite a bit of discord in the rest of the coven. It doesn't bode well for you."

"I told you before, I'll not leave Portia unprotected," Vance answered, frustration apparent in his voice.

"Portia's on a different path than you," Mayla replied. "Your destinies are no longer intertwined. I've foreseen it. It's unwise for you to try to hang onto something which is no longer meant for you."

Anger rose instantly to the surface at her words.

Vance's voice lowered and a menacing quality over took it. "I'm aware of what you claim to have foreseen, but you need to listen to me and listen carefully. I'll never kill Portia and nothing you say or do will convince me otherwise, so just drop it."

"She's tricking you with her powers, Vance," Mayla lied to him, and I found myself suddenly wanting to bolt down the stairs after her. "She knows what she's doing is wrong. If she truly loved you, like she says she does, she would not stand in the way of your destiny."

"Even if you're right, I'll not harm her," Vance said firmly, and she sighed heavily.

"Then come back to the bayou shack with me now and show the others in the coven you're still united with us. We'll hold a ritual together and it'll help to diffuse the unease your actions have caused among us."

"No," Vance replied. "I won't leave her here alone where she could be vulnerable to an attack."

"I give you my word she will not be harmed by anyone in the coven." Mayla promised. "You'll be with all of us, so who could be left to harm her? Or do you not trust her to stay with you if you leave?"

She was baiting him into a trap. If he refused to go, he was saying he didn't trust me and he was no longer standing with his coven. Mayla was definitely crafty I had to give her that.