Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Vance pushed angrily away from the table, standing and glaring at Damien. "You have Mom?" he roared, his eyes flashing red and he stormed toward the demon that held Krista. "Take your hands off of her!" he ordered the man, his voice flat and hard.

To the credit of the demon, he didn't budge or flinch, even with Vance bearing down on him, instead turning to look at Damien.

"Let her go. You're dismissed," Damien said with a nod. The man released her, turning to make his way back out of the room.

Krista stood still, staring at Vance, and I knew she had to be more than a little nervous. She hadn't been around him since he'd lost the Awakening. He was a much harsher individual now.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Vance asked, his voice growing sensitive, and hugging her, belying the very harshness I was concerned about. The tension in her body dissolved away, and she wrapped her arms tightly around her son.

"I'm fine," she whispered, tears shimmering in her eyes. Pulling away slightly, she slid her hands to his cheeks. "How are you?" Scrutinizing him carefully, sorrow, love, and heartbreak were etched clearly on her face.

"I've been better," he said, clenching his jaw and wrenching his face from her grasp. Turning, he glared at Damien again. "Mom, why don't you come and eat breakfast with us?"

Krista came to the table, but didn't go directly to the chair he pulled for her, instead coming over and giving me a hug.

"Hey, sweet girl. How you holding up?" she spoke softly.

Returning her embrace, I shook my head slightly in answer to her question. Krista moved away with a look of sympathy, giving my shoulder a knowing squeeze before she sat down.

"Well, isn't this delightful?" Damien grinned at us. "All of my family, finally together at last, just the way we were always meant to be."

I almost felt like laughing because the situation bordered on being comical. Glancing around the table at the somber stares that met me, it was easy to see that no one present, besides Damien, could find any joy in this outcome what so ever. In fact, we all looked as if we were attending a funeral.

The door opened, and a woman in a maid's uniform hurried in, placing a setting in front of Krista, before quickly leaving the room again.

"What do you want, Damien?" Krista asked point blank as she lifted a dish of food and began serving herself.

Damien smiled at her in a sickeningly sweet way. "Why, to have breakfast with my family, of course. Is that too much to ask?" He placed a bite of food in his mouth.

"You know what I mean. You most certainly didn't bring us all here for a little reunion. Now what do you want?"

I had to give Krista credit, she didn't let Damien rile her the way I did. She kept her voice calm and even, as if this were the most normal conversation in the world.

Damien looked at her appreciatively, and I saw the heat in his gaze as he did. It never occurred to me he might actually still be attracted or care for her in anyway, but maybe he did.

"I have a project under way right now," Damien replied. "It's something I'm going to need some assistance with. Having Vance and Sean here, allowed me to secure Portia's help in this task of mine. Having you and Portia will procure Vance's promise as well now. So, I guess you could say that you're . . . incentive."

"And what exactly am I promising to do?" Vance piped up, looking at his dad with a tight expression.

"You and Portia are going to help me obtain some artifacts I need—keys actually."