Torment (Craving 2)

As we got closer to the forlorn sandstone house, I couldn’t help but stare at its broken shutters and weathered window casements. What had once been a medieval home of some beauty, had fallen into such disrepair. I wondered why Allora allowed this, but, of course, it would keep people away.

There were some trees lining the long straight drive to the manor house, but most of them were dead and gave the place a completely abandoned ‘feel’.

What had once been stables lay in shambles, with half its roof crumbled into the heart of the building.

If there had ever been grass, it had turned to weeds, overgrown and dry. In truth, the place gave me the heebie-jeebies. Yeah, I’m a witch, but a Witch of the Light. I don’t like dead, decayed, broken, dark and creepy.

Jeremy and I stared at one another, but he immediately put his finger to his mouth. I wanted to ask how it was we could see each other and made a mental note to ask him later.

He bent and took my hand before whispering into my ear, “Now, I will Fae shift us inside.”

* * * * *

Well now, that was better than stepping through a portal. When you go through a portal, it is like stepping into a tunnel of sorts and you aren’t sure just where or how you will end up. Some portals are easier than others, like the silver portal to Devin. It isn’t sticky or gooey like some of the portals I have hurriedly created while I was growing up, but it is slippery.

Fae shifting is neat, clean, and quick. One moment, we were a hundred feet away from the front door, the next, we were on the inside with the front door at our backs.

“Whoa,” I said out loud.

“Shhh,” Jeremy whispered again, and I thought his ‘shhh’ was louder than me. “Vampire hearing,” he said.

I rolled my eyes.

We looked around at the central hall we were standing in. Cobwebs decorated everything, the staircase railing, the large opening to the room to the left and the one to the right of the hall in which we stood.

But I didn’t have time to consider the spiders lurking in the webs all around us because right at that moment, I heard something I wished I hadn’t.

“Uh-oh,” Jeremy said.

“What?” I asked, but knew from the way the vampires were coming right for us.

They could see us. Our cloaking had worn off already. I looked at Jeremy. “Really? It only lasts a couple of minutes?”

“I haven’t had the time to really perfect it. It usually lasts longer…I was sure it would last longer.”

Stupid me, cocky New Yorker me. I just never thought we would immediately incur trouble as soon as we stepped inside the damned manor, but here we were…in trouble!

Oh, and not just a little trouble.

Devin had been correct. We should have listened to Devin.

Ya, fools do go rushing in, and that is what I am, because there were a whole lot of ugly vamps coming down those stairs!

Yeah, some seemed more cautious than others as they made their way down the long wide staircase. They were hissing, and some were growling, fangs on display.

They had picked up our scent and knew we were supernaturals…maybe they even knew we were of the witchy variety. Not sure.

What I was sure of was their fangs were out and their eyes were glazed red, and man, they sure were ugly!

My Shama immediately took over. Every now and then I know things are really bad when my Shama just grabs hold and starts up my magic.

First, I suddenly could see better in the darkened hall than I had been able to a moment before. Jeremy and I looked at one another and I knew we had to work as one.

He grinned at me and held up his ring finger and rubbed!

Two sharp wooden stakes appeared right there in the air, ripe for grabbing. I was a bit off my game so I didn’t grab one, but Jeremey took them both and handed me one.

It dawned on me. Jeremy wanted me to ram the stake into one of the vamps charging at us. Okay. I could do this, I told myself.