Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I didn't fight him. I knew he needed my blood to repair himself, and I tried not to wince as his fingers dug into the tender flesh of my upper arms. Drinking from me in great, uncontained gulps, he sucked the skin of my neck roughly into his mouth.

He bit harder into me, trying to get more, and I closed my eyes, a gurgling cry escaped my throat. Head spinning, my limbs grew weaker until I was unable to hold myself up. My knees buckled, and I collapsed back against the stone altar behind me.

Releasing a growl of frustration, Vance gripped me around the waist, pulling me onto the altar and into his lap without breaking the seal of his mouth against my neck. He continued to drink heavily from me for several long moments.

Arms flopping uncontrollably, the blackness rose to meet me when suddenly he stopped, tearing away from me in frustration. He was trembling slightly, cradling me before something akin to the sound of a strangled moan came from inside him.

"You received the Awakening again," he choked out, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I can taste it in your blood. You have it. You and him," he added with a snarl.

His head dropped, and he buried his face into my hair.

I couldn't respond. I wanted to, but I couldn't. Opening my eyes, I tried to assess the situation, slowly looking around for Damien, but I didn't see him anywhere. I was too tired to wonder where he had gone. My attention though, was directed back to Vance when he spoke again.

"So he wins in the end," he said with a tortured sigh, sounding defeated. "I'm mortal and you're not. He can kill me and keep you too. I've failed completely."

I couldn't bear hearing the despair that laced his voice while he held me so tightly. It seemed as if he would were really afraid of letting go, that doing so might actually result in him losing me.

Summoning all my strength, I forced myself to speak. "No," I muttered softly, but it was enough.

Lifting my face so he could look at me, Vance stared. "What do you mean, no?" Tears glistening against his red eyes, slipping silently to travel down his cheeks.

"Don't give up," I whispered, fighting off the darkness swimming at the edge of my vision. "Not yet," I pleaded, trying to give him one more meaningful look, but I couldn't fight it any longer.

I succumbed to the waiting abyss.

An undetermined amount of time later, I woke, finding myself back on the plush bed, or rather in it. The throw pillows had been tossed carelessly aside, and I was lying directly in the middle of the bed with Vance's head on my stomach, his arms sprawled out over me. He appeared to be fast asleep.

Immediately, I tried making a mental connection, just to be sure it was him, but I could feel my answer even before that, the physical closeness of his body relaxing the pull of mine. I breathed an audible sigh of relief.

Lifting slightly, I looked around the cavern for Damien, again not seeing him anywhere. This surprised me—since I was sure he would've wanted to be here to gloat over his success.

My movement stirred Vance, and he opened his eyes. "You're awake," he said, stating the obvious with a sigh of relief. "You were asleep for quite a while this time."

"I'm sorry." I ran my fingers through his hair and he rolled off me, sitting up and scooting against the pillows before gathering me into his arms. "Stop apologizing, you've done nothing wrong. I'm the one who should be sorry."