Torment (Craving 2)

I was worried about Devin. Would he be safe? Did they have ways to find him? Would he be able to elude them ‘til I set him free? How would I get to him? Would they be watching the border between our worlds? They couldn’t see the border, but Loli knew where Devin spent a great deal of time, especially lately.

Would this entire incident cause war with the Witches in Trinity? That would be horrible…to be the cause of so much unrest. We would have to fix things.

With all these questions making me feel haggard, I went to Jeremy’s door and pounded on it.

He didn’t respond.

I peeked inside. His bed had not been slept in.

I bit my lip. What the hell

? Was he okay? Where was he?

I went to my room and on my door there was a note penned from him.

Bobbie,

You remember Tina Lind? She waited on us recently. Well, she and I…well, we struck up a friendship, and I’m going to take her to the movies tonight and then off to her place for a late er…dessert. Don’t snicker. I mean cake and coffee. It is only our first date, but…you never know, so don’t worry if I don’t get home tonight, and yes, I am wiggling my eyebrows.

I laughed out loud. I adored Jeremy.

Tina was a lovely young woman. Yes, I was very happy he had someone new in his life, especially with all the danger and tension we were constantly facing. Normalcy—a movie and dessert. I wiggled my eyebrows as though he were there to see, and moved towards the bathroom, stripping on my way.

I slipped under the covers after I was cleaned and my red hair was shiny clean. Damn, but I was sure achy-breaky and tired.

I didn’t think I would get any sleep, so it is amazing to me now, as the light shines in my window, whose drapes I forgot to close, that I actually fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillows.

I reached over and touched the notebooks just under the other untouched set of pillows in my queen-sized bed. I had not let them out of my sight. I rushed into the bathroom, mentally reciting an incantation as I took the notebooks with me. My spell would keep them from getting wet. I showered, dressed, and brushed my messy hair into order, picked up the notebooks and headed for the front door. It was already late into the morning!

I stood at the Blood Ward and called, “Beyland, Beyland, Beyland…I have what you want!”

He was there in an instant and smiled when his eyes lit on the collection of books in my arms.

“You have done well, Bobbie Skye,” he said.

“Will you honor your part of our bargain?” I asked, just a bit worried about him keeping his word.

“I will. No one you care about will be harmed by me,” he said.

“And..?” I pursued.

“Ah, you wish to free your day-walker, the vampire, MacLeod. I agreed because that will cause Allora pain. Yes, I will give you what you need to accomplish that!”

“Okay…we are agreed. We have both kept our promises and when the deal is completed, the Blood Oath will be at an end,” I said.

“Indeed, let it be so,” he said. “But, Bobbie, because I loved your grandmother, I will tell you this. In the future, never trust a Dark Warlock…not even me. Now, stay on your side of the Blood Ward and put the books on the ground and send them across with your magic.”

In that moment, I saw the Light my grandmother must have always seen in him, the Light that had allowed her to believe he had given up the Dark Arts.

I smiled and said, “Sure, but first, tell me how to rescue MacLeod.”

“Ah, very wise, though in this instance, I do mean for you to do just that. It is simple really, so simple you will find it difficult to believe you did not find it in your Shama immediately,” he said.

“Blame it on my youth,” I quipped, and grinned at him. I found it difficult to dislike Beyland, at least for today.

“Oh, I do like you, Bobbie Skye. My Lisa would have been so pleased with who you are. Indeed, we, she and I, were robbed, but then, so, my dear, were you. So, yes, do as you have been doing. Open the portal your Shama gave you and enter his realm…”

“How did you know I have been going into his realm…how did you know that?” I was surprised.