First Thirst (Craving 1)

We all just stood and stared at one another.

I broke the silence. “Going to have to face her eventually, aren’t I?” They didn’t answer me, so I pointed a finger at Devin. “One day, if not now, she will discover that I exist and she will come for me. I would rather be here…ready for her, than walking down the street not expecting it. Don’t you get it? This is my fight.”

“She has a point there. At least…I’m here to help Bobbie. The way I see it, this is something we all have to face and be done with. Now is as good a time as any,” Jeremy said, and sighed before adding, “eventually, Allora will realize your bride had a warlock brother and she will come for me as well. Like Bobbie, I’d like to see the hammer dropping and stop it if I can.”

“So, now the question is, how do we ward the place with both Mrs. Tunny and Davis watching?” I said.

Jeremy laughed. “They have seen some stranger things in their time…but first…” He picked up his cell, which had been ringing, and read the message. “I have to go to the office. I’ll be back in time to walk the perimeter with you, Bobbie.”

I watched him leave and turned to find Devin had stepped closer to the clear wall between us. He put his palms up and I put up mine to his. We were all in a fight to the death and knew it. There was no running, and we knew it.

Even with the shield between us, a spark sizzled from his palm to mine. Damn, right through the barrier, a spark like I have never felt before, and it went zapping through my blood, and made my breath hitch.

“Did ye feel that, lass?” he asked huskily.

“Feel it? It almost knocked me out, yeah, I felt it. How is this possible?” I asked, feeling heat course through me as I gazed into his bright blue eyes and saw an amber glow deep in the recesses. He is a vampire, I told my stupid heart. A vampire.

All at once he said, “I can smell yer blood…?” He looked down and at my palm. “Yer bleeding…”

I was. The wound I had made with my scissors last night had opened up. How could he smell it? “Whoa,” I said to ease the fact that this was startling. “How?”

“Tell me, lass…when ye were in yer mind, in yer Shama, what did ye find?” His question was edged with excitement.

“My mother was there in my head. This was the first time I have ever heard her. She left me a memory and told me it was activated when I was in mortal danger. Devin, I…found enormous magical powers, but I only tapped into them for a little while. I just wasn’t there long enough,” I said more to myself than to him. Had I absorbed a power I would be able to call on now to help Devin?

~ Thirteen ~

I STARED AT DEVIN as my thoughts tumbled into one another. I had heard my mother whisper a word, and that word exploded out of me before I knew what I was doing, “Ramabien.”

Waves of gray mist swirled between us, and suddenly vanished. In the swirling mass’s place was a silver sliver opening between our worlds, no more than five feet tall and one foot wide.

I licked my lips and Devin said, “Stay back, lass, we dinnae know what this is…do we?”

“No, but we are about to find out,” I said, and amazed myself by putting my finger into the shimmering opening in front of me. I am adventurous, yes, but this was way dangerous. I could lose a hand, or have it stuck between worlds. What the hell was I doing?

A tingling sensation took over my body and my Shama came to life in my brain all on its own and said, Go ahead, Bobbie…now!

In went my hand, and a force so strong took hold of my entire body and pulled me into what I suddenly realized was a live portal.

The next thing I knew, I was tumbling into tall palm fronds and a jungle of green vegetation and about to land on my face when strong hands grabbed hold of me. His arms were around me, steadying me as I actually collapsed from the recognition that I had just been pulled into another world!

“Lass…how did ye do that? Yer here…yer actually…bloody hell!”

All at once, his lips were covering mine and once again, I was falling into an abyss of sensation.

His lips sparked an erotic reaction in my blood, one I had never experienced before. His mout

h moving on mine, parting my lips as his tongue only licked at my bottom lip, made me want to lie down and spread my legs. No words. No questions.

He pressed my lips apart with his. His tongue found and danced with mine, taking me on a journey of pleasure, and one that I had never imagined possible.

I was locked in that kiss and never wanted it to end. I was locked in that kiss and wanted more, so much more, when all at once, he abruptly pulled away!

He set me on my feet and stepped back from me. His gorgeous head was lowered, as though he couldn’t meet my eye, and he said, “Forgive me, Bobbie.”

“I…I…” was my brilliant response, because I wanted back in his arms. I wanted his tongue in my mouth. I wanted him. Why had he stopped?

“How did ye get through the barrier?” he asked, and dropped his hands from my shoulders. “Did ye figure out how to create the portal—is that it, lass?”