A Witch's Love (11 page)

A tugging heat spread to her core. She needed to find her sisters soon, before she forgot he was a lycan and was off limits for her. She turned back to Belinda. “I’m definitely ready.”

Ava stared at the lake, trying to form a water sphere. She’d been trying for days, only succeeding in making the water bubble. She couldn’t help thinking the bubbles were only mocking her attempts.

“I know you can do this,” Lucas said from against a nearby tree.

Belinda and Lucas had decided it was a good idea to keep their distance from her when she practiced. The first time she’d tried to use her powers, the water erupted, drenching them all.

What good were powers if you couldn’t control them? Her anger began to rise at the thought of her lack of control over her powers. Then the bubbling water suddenly calmed.

A sphere rose from the still water. Perfectly round in shape, the fluid ball rotated, mesmerizing her.

“That’s it, Ava, you did it. Now try to throw it,” Belinda said.

Focusing with all her might, Ava thought of her sisters and Maeve, wanting nothing more than to see them again. She faced the forest as the water sphere followed. Holding out her hands, she called for the sphere.

The perfect ball of water appeared in her hand, filling her with renewed energy and strength. The power felt
right
. Looking beyond the sphere, she spotted a large leafless oak tree. With her target in view, she held the sphere over her head with both hands. Using physical and mental force, she surged the sphere forward, hoping to hit her target.

The sphere cut through the air with speed, slamming into the tree with an impact she didn’t think possible. The blast threw her on her back, knocking the air out of her lungs. The next thing she knew, large splinters of wood and dirt pummeled her from all angles. When all else quieted, a loud creaking noise drew her attention. She dropped her hands from her face and carefully opened her eyes.

Her heart fell into her gut.

The tree was breaking apart from its trunk, tipping in her direction.

She tried to let out a scream but only a groan escaped. Something told her to hold out her hands but at the same moment Lucas appeared at her side. He moved over her, shielding her from the impact. As she squeezed her eyes shut, she reached around him.
Must protect him.

Chapter 8

Feeling drips of water on her face, she opened her eyes.
It couldn’t be
. A wall of water supported the weight of the tree, suspending the broken husk above them. She still held her hand out. Was she controlling the water shield?

Lucas lifted his head, gazing at the fortress of water, before he turned to her. “How are you doing this?”

Catching her breath, she inhaled sharply, letting out a cough before responding, “I have no idea.”

She stood, keeping her concentration on the water, manipulating it to cradle the tree then forcing the water to ease the splintered oak onto the ground. A thud echoed through the trees as she turned to Lucas.

Belinda stood next to him with a great smile. “Ava, you did it! You conjured the water at your will.”

“I thought you said that it would take a while for me to find the trigger for conjuring water. That’s why we have been practicing by the lake,” Ava said, glancing at the giant tree she had destroyed.

“You must have found your trigger. What is it?” Belinda bent at the waist to brush the dirt and leaves from her clothes.

Ava turned away from her. “All I remember was being very afraid.” She approached the tree. “Mind telling me how I did that? I mean, chop a tree down?”

“Your powers are great. I have learned much from my books about a witch’s powers, but even I don’t know the extent of what you can do. Believe me, it’s a surprise to me as well,” Belinda said, picking a stray branch from her hair.

Lucas moved to Ava’s side and took hold of her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

She nodded as a harsh laugh escaped her lips. “I never thought I would ever be able to do anything like this.” She wrapped her arms around him. “Now I know we’ll get my sister’s back.” A delicious shiver ran through her as he hugged her close.

“Thank you for coming for me. You put yourself in danger to protect me,” she said, meeting his eyes. He was doing everything he promised he would. He was protecting her and comforting her on this crazy journey to save her sisters.

“I would have been there a lot sooner, if the blast hadn’t knocked me on my ass. That was a pretty powerful shot.”

“Yeah, I didn’t know I had it in me.”

“I did,” he said, lifting her chin with his finger. His words made her heart turn into a puddle of goo, and her skin flushed under his intense gaze.

She couldn’t help but smile. “And so do I, now.”

“We should be heading back to the house. I fear a storm is coming,” Belinda said, making her way through the downed branches.

Ava lifted her gaze to the sky. Dark, threatening clouds had gathered in the skies to their east and were rapidly approaching. Her skin prickled as electricity filled the air.

“Yeah, let’s get inside. I’m not too fond of storms, especially since the night we evoked your powers,” Lucas said, taking her hand.

As they made their way back to the house, thunder echoed through the trees while the wind moved their branches side-to-side. The minute they entered Belinda’s garden gate, the clouds opened wide, allowing rain to pour down on them.

Letting go of Lucas’s hand, Ava turned from the door. She tipped her face upward, refusing to allow the rain to touch her skin while she scanned the sky.

“Ava, what—”

She approached Lucas’s rain-soaked form. “I’m using my powers,” she said, taking hold of his hand, extending the barrier that protected her from the rain to him.

Lucas grinned at her. “You’ve created your very own umbrella.”

She nodded. “I’m controlling where the water droplets land.”

“Very good, Ava. Test the limits of your powers, see where they take you,” Belinda said from the entrance. “Only you will know how far to take them,” she added with a smile.

Peering over Lucas’s shoulder, Ava responded, “I think I’m getting the hang of this.”

Belinda nodded. “You are, indeed, but I think it’s time you did some homework.”

Ava led Lucas over to the entrance. “Homework?”

Belinda nodded solemnly. “Every witch should be learning spells and potions. Not to mention knowledge about the immortal community you are about to join.”

“Does that include demons?” Ava shot a glance back to Lucas.

“It does indeed.” Belinda motioned for them to enter.

Ava paused, thinking over Belinda’s comment. “I guess you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

“Then it’s settled. Tomorrow I will give you some books to study in-between practicing your powers.”

“That’s a great idea,” Lucas agreed. “We also need to start using your powers in combination with the self-defense techniques you’ve learned.”

Ava let out a sigh. “Just add it to the list of things I’m supposed to remember.”

Lucas grabbed her hand. “Ava, it’s important for you to learn as much as you can. It could mean the difference between life and death.” Lucas held her gaze, his expression stern.

Ava raised her chin. “I know, Lucas. It’s hard for me to forget. But don’t worry, the demons won’t find me such an easy target the next time we meet.”

He was getting really tired of this shit. Traxen turned away from Cara, who hung from a hook on the ceiling in his private corridors, to grab a whip. He thought she was the easy one, the one who’d be no problem to break, but he was astounded to find he was wrong. He thought he could scare her into talking, yet he still hadn’t gotten the information he was seeking. “I’m giving you one last chance to tell me where the lycan is, or else I’m afraid that I will have to use extreme force.”

When silence filled the room, he swiveled, finding her gaze locked on him. “Stubborn, are we? Just like your sisters—” A thought hit him like a brick to the brain.

Maybe he was going about this all wrong. He thought interrogating them together would only empower them but, in fact, he could use their affection for each other to his advantage. He had, after all, used the sisters to control Ella.

Grabbing the whip, he approached Cara. “Speaking of your sisters, maybe we should pay them a visit,” he said, unhooking the chains holding her upright. When her feet hit the floor, her knees buckled under her own weight, sending her crashing into the table. Crouching, he laid his hands on her arm then blinked them back to the sisters.

Standing, he tilted his head, regarding the sisters. “It seems I have miscalculated my pets. Your sister here seems to share your stubbornness,” he grated, yanking Cara to her feet. He crossed to the opposite wall of the sewer, anchoring Cara to a protruding hook. He then positioned her body to face the sewer wall. Reaching up, he tore open her shirt, exposing her back.

Ella must have sensed his motives because her chains began to clang against the wall. “No, Traxen!”

“Tell me where the lycan is that has been spending time with your sister. Ava, is it?” he said, on the verge of losing his temper as he approached her. She gave him a hard look over her shoulder, making his skin prickle.

“I don’t know of any so-called lycan,” she spat.

His black blood boiled at her words. “Well, then,” he said, turning toward Cara, giving the whip a snap. Bringing the whip back, he stepped forward, about to snap it onto Cara’s delicate flesh.

“Wait,” Ella yelled.

He let the tension in the whip ease as he faced her. Clutching Ella’s face in his hand, he leaned forward, breathing in her scent. “Hmm, you were saying?”

“Don’t tell him, Ella,” Cara screamed from the far wall.

He watched as Ella’s gaze darted from Cara to him. When her eyes met his, his cock grew hard.

Instincts had taken over his body. His duty as a demon with extra abilities was to procreate with a human woman. Most demons even took pleasure in the act, but could never stomach the idea of mating with a woman . . . until now. Though a rumored witch, she obviously wasn’t one. No, Ella was all woman and brought out a lust in him he had never known.

He’d tried to deny his urgings, becoming disgusted with himself at first, but now with his cock hardening in his pants, he wanted nothing more than to sink into her—

“I don’t know what a lycan is,” Ella said, a hint of fear in her voice. Could she sense his lust?

“That doesn’t matter now.” His anger was becoming more evident in his voice. “Just tell me about the male your sister has been hanging around with?”

Ella’s gaze dropped to the ground, away from him.

Tightening his grip on her face, he was about to pierce her flesh with his claws when a weak scream escaped her.

Stunned, he released his grip, unable to hurt the only creature that had ever tempted him. He turned toward Cara, lost to all control, and uncoiled the whip. He brought the leather back with a crack. Snapping it forward, he connected with Cara’s smooth, unblemished flesh.

Her scream filled the sewer, echoing through the tunnels. The sewer erupted in a calamity of noise. The sisters yelled for him to stop while they strained on their chains. He continued to crack the whip onto Cara’s back, and her screams increased with every connection. Through all the noise filling the sewer, he finally heard what he was seeking.

“Stop,” Ella cried her voice thick with tears. “I will tell you everything!”

He halted the whip. “Tell me now, before I lose my patience,” he said, without turning.

“Ella, no,” Cara whispered between ragged breaths.

He heard sobbing and cursed himself for having to deal with females and their weak emotions.

“Cara, I have no choice, I can’t let him kill you,” Ella cried.

He whirled on the sisters. “Enough! Tell me now, or I will start thrashing her with the whip once more.”

Ella gave him a look of cold disdain before she spoke. “There was a man she was seeing.”

Thea rattled on her chains, distracting Ella. Traxen backhanded Thea, who slumped to the side, unconscious. Turning his glare back on Ella, he caught a glimpse of a tear falling down her cheek. For a second, he had to suppress the urge to reach out and touch the pearly liquid.

“Continue,” he ordered.

She swallowed hard. “His name is Lucas.”

He nodded. “And where can I find this Lucas?”

Her gaze went to Thea’s motionless form, then to Cara’s bleeding back, before she settled on him again. “He said he lived in Lake Placid, but where exactly, I don’t know. I swear,” she said, taking a deep breath.

He leaned into her, feeling her body pressed against his, making his cock throb with need. Taking hold of her neck, he forced her face to his. He felt her struggle under his grip. “Relax,” he said, but she continued to flail.

She fought against his strength, moving her head forward with speed, then connecting with his skull. The impact sent him reeling, but all he could do was laugh. He should have expected that from Ella. Hearing footsteps approaching, he released her with a slight shove.

“My lord, I’m sorry to interrupt, but Zatar has requested your presence,” a servant said, not meeting his eyes.

“Of course,” Traxen said, moving away from Ella. Before he exited, he swiveled to face her again.

Eyes glittering in anger and unshed tears, she lifted her chin and set her jaw, daring him to touch her again.

God, how he loved that spirit. “See you soon.”

A week had past and every day Lucas scouted the area for any sign of approaching demons, while Ava worked with Belinda, reading and studying books. She was trying to learn all she could while they were here.

Lucas knew their time was growing short. They couldn’t stay here much longer. Eventually, the demons would pick up their scent.

Ava had made considerable progress with her powers, learning to use them offensively and defensively. Nonetheless, her powers where still unpredictable. She still lost control of them when she got frustrated with a new technique. On the other hand, the spells she’d learned to cast worked very well, almost too well.

The first time she had used them on him they had been sparing in the yard and he had the upper hand. He was just about to lunge for her, when out of nowhere a large branch appeared in front of him, tripping him to the ground. She laughed for almost an hour, pleased with herself and her new talent.

Being able to manipulate and control nature was indeed a great power. Belinda even made a comment that over time, her powers would grow. If all of her sisters had these abilities, they would be stronger than any immortal for sure. He could see why Zatar wanted to have them

Unfortunately, Zatar and the demons weren’t his only worry at the moment. The full moon was due next week and he still hadn’t told Ava. He wanted nothing more than to come together with her, but not like that, when he was a beast. What if he hurt her,
like he’d done to that poor man?

He had to find a way to restrain himself. Belinda might be able to help him, if he asked. His only fear was that they wouldn’t be here when it happened. Then he would be forced to tell Ava in hopes that there was a spell that would protect her from
him
.

“Lucas, I’m ready to spar when you are,” Ava called from the house.

He had finished scouting the property and had decided to move his Camaro into the woods. If the house were attacked, no doubt the car would be the first thing they would impair. He needed the vehicle intact and ready to use to escape if need be. After all, driving would be faster than trying to swim or run out of there.

Using some well-placed branches and bushes, he hid the Camaro from sight. With enhanced speed, he zipped back to Ava, who was already waiting in the meadow.

“Ready,” he said from behind her.

With a wild shriek, she threw up her protective wall of water, blasting him backward on his ass.

“Oh, Lucas, I’m so sorry.” She raced to his side.

Remaining completely still, he decided to milk this for all it was worth.

“Lucas, can you hear me?” She shook his shoulders.

When he didn’t move, he felt her place her ear on his chest, probably trying to listen for a heartbeat. The idea brought a smile to his face.