The Ties of Darkness (Book Two of the Hidden Secrets Trilogy)

Epilogue

The past few weeks after Erebus's death was rough for me. I woke up screaming from a nightmare of where Erebus kept chasing me with the front of his shirt bloody and him calling for me to save him.

Liam and Jacob would take turns every time I would wake up to help calm me down. I've been able to keep control of my magic usage but something hadn't been feeling right about me being a vampire and having the use of magic with it. I kept worrying about it until I found myself literally sick with worry.

One night Jacob found me laying on the marble floor of the bathroom.

"Anna, what is going on? This is the second week of this," he said, his voice concerned. Liam came in behind him, his face masked by fear and rage.

"I...I'm fine," I managed weekly.

"Fine?! You're fine?! Anna, nothing about this is fine! You're going to hurt yourself or likely kill yourself!" Jacob bellowed. Liam came in the bathroom and picked me up in his arms, my head resting against his chest. I could feel Liam's pain, hating to see me the way I was.

"Jacob what if we took her to see Dane and Shay, they might be able to help her," Liam suggested.

"Dane isn't a witch doctor. He can't help her with this," Jacob said in a frustrated tone.

"A witch! That's it! They'll know how to help!" Liam said hopefully.

"Do you know of any witches alive?" Jacob asked angrily.

"Jacob we have to at least try!" Liam said beginning to get angry himself.

"Try?! Trying isn't an option Liam!" Jacob yelled.

"Fine, don't help her then! I'll do it myself," Liam hissed, when right then I went into a coughing fit and began coughing up blood. I coughed it into my hands and I stared in horror of it splattered into my hands.

"We gotta go...now!" Liam shouted and flitted off with me and Jacob following behind. Liam got us to wherever we were going in five minutes. It was a bar in a small town called Westlon.

"Oh, I forgot about this place, Selene's bar," Jacob said behind us. Liam took us inside and it was cool in the small building, relieving me of my hot and sweaty state.

"Selene you in here?" Jacob called out.

"I'm here hon-" a woman about in her mid-twenties came out from a room in the back behind the bar counter. "Liam, Jacob, long time no see," she said cooly.

"We have a problem," Liam said bringing me over to her. Selene took one look at me and she knew something wasn't right.

"Bring her back," Selene said going to the back room. She took out a small mattress and Liam laid me down on it. Selene began placing candles around the mattress and lit them with her magic. "So let me guess, a vampire with magic powers?" she asked and Liam and Jacob both nodded. Selene sighed. "This is very rare, normally she is supposed to be either a witch or a vampire, but if she's a witch and became a vampire, she shouldn't be a witch anymore," she said. Selene leaned closer to me.

"Honey, did you originate from a family that has had a history of witches in their family?" she asked and I shook my head no. "Have you been practicing any witchcraft?" she asked and I shook my head no again. "Hmm, you might've not known you had magic in you until you were turned and everything for you was heightened and your powers magically appeared," Selene said.

"We didn't come here for a history lesson Selene, she needs help," Jacob grated.

"Shut it, Jacob," Selene said and with a wave of her hand Jacob was silenced, he couldn't even open his mouth. Seeing him trying to get his mouth open was hilarious and made me smile. "Sweet girl," Selene said with a warm smile. She dabbed my forehead with a cool washcloth that had some sort of scented oil that smelled like roses.