Torment (Craving 2)

My witchy senses, totally on call and alert, demanded I keep watch. I had to see everything she did, analyze its meaning, and find a solution if she attacked.

Once again, I sensed something was terribly off about her. I blinked to make certain my suspicion was correct and discovered that, oh yeah, my suspicion was damned well in the right.

What to do? Wait.

I zeroed in with my Shama and watched her entire body, sword and all, as it faded in and out right before my eyes. I didn’t think this was an optical illusion. I knew better.

Slim rays of moonlight still engulfed her as she took another step forward, giving me an even better view of her person.

Someone in my head—me actually, whispered, You know what to do. Did I?

I could see it all so clearly now and absolutely knew she was projecting herself from another place, and she was having a difficult time maintaining her image here in the MacLeod library.

I concentrated. If I was right, she wouldn’t be at full strength in this state. If I was right, I could have the advantage for a moment or two, and a moment or two was all I needed.

It hit me like an explosion in my head—the sword.

I had already guessed this was the sword she used to kill my grandmother, and then suddenly my Shama gave me a first row seat to the past. I saw it like a 3-d movie playing out right before my eyes.

I saw Allora produce the sword. I saw the surprise hit my grandmother’s face and eyes as Allora began her attack, swinging the sword with her vampire strength.

What Allora didn’t realize was just as the sword met my grandmother’s neck, my grandmother transferred her most potent magic into the sword.

She knew one day her daughter or her daughter’s child would arrive here to rescue Devin MacLeod from the spell she had enacted to enslave him in another realm.

She knew the sword would be pointed at her own blood.

Her magic called to me now, and she showed me just what to do.

It was mine! The sword was mine, and I could feel it reaching for me. Her magic wanted to join with mine. I centered myself on meeting those stretching tentacles of white light the sword sent out to me—my grandmother’s white light.

This sword was meant to respond to me, only me, and it flew across the room into my waiting hand, and I took hold of it.

I also nearly fell over from its weight.

Holy good gosh, it was heavy and full of power, and it was mine.

This sword would never miss its target. It had a magic all its own and was never meant for a vampire’s hand. I wondered briefly where Allora had originally obtained it.

Allora roared with fury, but she made no move towards me. We stood staring at one another, challenging one another, when Jeremy burst into the room!

At my back, on the other side of the invisible divider, Devin was still shouting and breathed with relief. “Finally!” And then, “Ye can beat her back, lass. Together, ye and Jeremy together can beat her back, she isn’t at full strength…she is projecting!”

Jeremy, in dark boxers, now beside me, put out his palm and I know he called down pain on Allora because she held her head and howled with agony before she screeched at us, “I’ll be back and you will both die.”

Just like that, with those last words, she faded out and was gone.

Yeah, and I had the sword.

Jeremy and I just looked at one another for a moment before he said, “She projected herself. A vampire doesn’t have that ability. How…?”

“Don’t look at me,” I said, as I too was astonished. “I’ve never heard of a vampire owning that kind of magic.”

“We dinnae have the ability to project ourselves,” Devin interjected. “Nae even the ancients can accomplish that. She must have a powerful witch working for her.”

Jeremy said, “This is bad, Bobbie, very bad. If she can project herself, she can kill while in that projection, but I am not certain we can destroy her when she is in that state.”

“Well, I don’t know about that because…” I held up the sword for his inspection. I had to use more than my usual strength to lift it. Damn, but it was weighty. “I got this.”