Poisonous Pleasure (10 page)

Confused, she looked up at him. “But Dom, where does that leave you? What happens?”

He shifted her in his arms, cradling her like a child. “Nothing can change what I am. I’m still a demon. I’ll still have to collect souls, just not for them. For you.” He paused looking at her. “I can get the bad ones, deliver them to you. Then you can decide where they go. But…” His face looked perplexed as he walked to sit them down on the bed.

Jason shook his head. “You can’t tell them. They’ll come after her. You said yourself. When someone feels threatened, they attack. She’ll be killed if they think she can take demons under her control.”

“You’re right. I’m going to have to go along with what they say. It’s the only way to keep her safe.”

Marcella wiggled from his arms and stood before Dominic’s crushed face. “If they take you, I’m bringing you back. I won’t let them possibly torture you. I can’t.”

“Let’s not think about that right now. We still have some time. At least we know what the link is. We can use it to our advantage if we ever need to. Let’s just hope they give me a new list and be done with it. Now manifest some clothes and go take a shower. We need to be outside for the next part of training for both of you.”

Completely focused on what would happen to Dominic, the clothes didn’t even register as a concern. Flashes of her old wardrobe filtered through her mind, mostly brand name apparel, but a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt caught her attention long enough for her to grab them. Weight settled into her hand, pulling her from the plan to help save her mate.

“See, it’s easy. You try too hard. Now go get ready. This next step will be a lot easier for you than poor Jason. He won’t stand a chance.”

Concerned, Marcella looked toward her boyfriend. She was almost afraid to know what Dom had planned for them next. Would it be extremely hard or dangerous? She almost was afraid to find out.

Chapter 6

Clouds covered the sky, momentarily blocking the sun. Although it was barely noon, the humidity was enough to make sweat break across Marcella’s skin. The breeze that usually came with being along the coast was absent, leaving behind nothing but the heat.

Brush, not an acre from the back of the mansion encircled them. Marcella looked at her surroundings and thought about how dead everything looked. It was downright depressing. The brown colors made the thick clustered trees look dull and lifeless. Footsteps walking up in the distance had her turning in the direction of her men.

“So, are you ready to learn to control the elements? I can’t even do this, but I’m assuming you can, so we’ll test it out. The only supernatural who can perform this hard task are witches. And trust me. You don’t want to mess with them. I once had a spell put on me that left me bedridden for a week. And
that
is hard to accomplish.”

Music began to fill the air. Looking into the sky, Marcella brought her gaze down to narrow her eyes at Dominic. “Is this really necessary? I mean, how am I supposed to concentrate when you’re jamming out in the background?”

“This song
will
help you concentrate. Your first element is fire. Since we’re on the topic of witches, you will become one, feel what they feel, imagine everyday being ridiculed for your religion. Pagans, Wiccans, whatever path they’ve decided, they still believe very highly in their Goddess. I want you to let the music flow through you. Let it drift into your fingertips.”

Dominic manifested a sand pit filled with a large bonfire. The flames reached just over her height. “Now, here’s your fire. Make it rise and fall at your command...”

Marcella no longer thought music was a bad idea. She’d always loved listening to it, but Dom usually did it as a joke. This was nothing to laugh about. The words to the song affected her the moment she closed her eyes. Every word meant something, every sentence told a story.

The lyrics kept mentioning the air we breathe, repeating endlessly in her mind. She felt something for the sentence and the way it was sung. Cobwebs began taking over and she let them. They shot through her so quickly she barely noticed when the wind picked up around her.

For a long time she stood motionless. The song began to repeat and she continued to see darkness behind her closed lids. With every beat of the drums in the background, she felt her heart jump. Air caressed her skin making it feel alive as wind whipped past her again. The words that grabbed her began to reiterate, and she opened her eyes slowly taking in her surroundings.

Everything felt the same, yet not. Dominic stared at Jason, paying attention to what he was doing. Marcy looked at the trees and saw something she’d never seen before. They were alive, pulsing with radiating colors. Greens of multiple shades, shades she never even knew existed, vibrated out against the bark. Captivated, she felt the need to walk over and caress the wall of energy.

Instead of causing too much attention, she leaned down, stoking her fingers through the carpet grass. Life filled her, causing the strongest bond of love to the earth she’d ever felt. Everything her eyes came in contact with had rhythm and almost looked as if it breathed. The feeling left her overwhelmed to praise someone at their magnificence.

Suddenly, she felt the need to speak, but wasn’t sure exactly what planned to spill from her lips. The collector inside stirred, and fought with the Wiccan for control. It was enough to snap her back to reality and focus on what she was supposed to be doing. Deciding she’d take her chances, she parted her lips and let her mind take over.

“Goddess, you have made your presence known, for I feel you. Now, I ask that you hear me. I call to the element of air. Please allow it to hear me and follow my commands.” Marcella placed her palms toward the sky, letting the sun warm her skin. Energy flowed evenly around her. In harmony. “I ask that you let it caress my skin upon my request. With every gust of wind, I’ll know I’ve been blessed.”

The wind picked up gently, slowly spinning around her feet and making its way up her body. “Wind, hear my call. Come to me. Please do as I ask.”

Unexplainably calm, she stood staring at Dominic and Jason, who looked back at her in amazement. “Faster, please.” The air picked up, rotating around her until her hair flew freely around her body. “Now go to my friends and greet them, but return back to me.”

Smiling, she watched their hair blow roughly as the wind did as she commanded. Jason started laughing while his shirt molded to his chest. As quickly as it reached them it retreated and came back to her.

“Thank you, air. You may go.”

Marcella knew immediately that she wouldn’t have to be in witch form to control the elements. Somehow, once she made the connection, something inside of her clicked, releasing the secrets on what she needed to do. Now, it was nothing more than materialization. She’d be able to do it on command. Impressed by how quickly her collector was learning, she shifted to her true self.

Dom placed his index finger out, pointing at her. “Amazing, but you cheated.”

“No, I didn’t. I just tapped into what I knew I’d find. You said yourself go into witch form.”

“You’re twisting my words. I wanted you to stay in collector form and try to tap into being a witch.”

Marcella placed her hands on her hips. “I’m not twisting anything. Maybe you just need to be clearer. Anyway, I don’t want to fight with you. Changing form helped. I won’t have to do it again to tap into the elements.”

The song repeated once again and she bowed her head respectively. “Watch and see.” Lifting, she turned to stare at the fire, debating on what she wanted it to do. Studying the flame, she tried to listen to what the orange fiery glow was telling her, but all she could see was her old body inside the flames, burning off her flesh. Marcella blinked hard, clearing her thoughts. The accident was the last thing she needed to think about.

Words to the song filled her and she let them calm her growing anxiety. The lyrics began to speak of the fire being alive. She lifted her hands as they played. The flames grew, rising a good five feet. “More.” They shot up, higher until she lowered her hand, watching them decrease.

A smile crossed her face when she suddenly had an idea. “Fire, come to me.” A little shocked, she watched a baseball sized orb float across the expanse until it hovered inches above her opened palm.

“That is fucking awesome,” Jason said, walking over to her. “How did you do it? I’ve been trying my damndest, and it doesn’t move for me.”

“Feel it, become one with your element. Trust me. You’ll know when it happens. There’s a feeling that pulses through your body. It’s unbelievable. Turn…Wiccan, and look at the trees. I promise you’ll have a new respect for everything of the earth after you see what I’m talking about.”

“Witch,” Dominic said from beside her.

“No, I don’t like it. It just doesn’t sound right. I prefer Wiccan.”

“Whatever. So, what are you planning to do with that fire? You’re making me nervous. Can you put it back?”

“Of course. I’m sorry.” Marcella willed the small ball of flames back into the sandpit and watched Jason. The tattoos were gone, but other than that his appearance was the same. When he opened his eyes, Marcella watched him stare around in fascination.

“This is the coolest thing I think I’ve ever seen. Everything is so…colorful.” Jason closed his lids, his face taking on a look of deep concentration. Marcella screamed and jumped back as his body became engulfed in flames.

Jason laughed hysterically while he held up his arms and looked at them covered in the glowing color. “This is fucking amazing. It’s not even burning me. Become one with the element, right? Fire is my element. I love fire.”

Leveling his hand, Marcy watched a ball begin to grow in his palm. When it got to the size of a basketball he repeatedly tossed it in the air, and caught it.

“All right, enough lessons on the elements today. Send the fire back to the pit. This was a bad idea. Loverboy and fire are not mixing well with me. Talk about a stupid plan. I should have filled the bathtub for him and made him work on water.”

Dominic stood a good ten feet away from them, his brow creased, full of cautiousness. Marcella wished she knew what his fear originated from. He didn’t seem too scared the night he showed up in her room. Whatever it was, she hoped somehow she’d be able to help him get through it.

The fire disappeared from Jason into the sandpit and Dominic quickly made the whole thing disappear. “All right, now let’s try something else. I’m going to disappear into the house. Let’s see which one of you can dematerialize to the living room first. No walking through the front or back doors, it’s cheating. I’ll see both of you inside, maybe.”

Dom vanished, leaving her alone with Jason. She smiled at him and they both began laughing. “Can you believe what’s happened to us? It’s crazy, isn’t it?”

Her boyfriend suddenly became serious. “Crazy yes, but how are you doing? I’m not sure you’re dealing with what’s happened. I know you, Marcella. You tend to push things away until you inevitably snap.

“Do you remember when your father left your mother and then unexpectedly passed away? For weeks you pretended nothing was wrong, but I knew how hurt you were. It’s the only time I’ve seen you cry besides the night you were in pain. Maybe we should talk about what happened.”

“No. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Look at how defensive you are.”

“Drop it, Jason!”

“Fine. But this conversation isn’t over. You need to talk about things or you’ll never heal inside. I know more than anyone.” He got quiet and put his head down. “See you inside.”

Marcella stood alone, amazed at how fast Jason disappeared. She didn’t even want to try to go inside. Being by herself is exactly what she needed. Looking around the backyard, there wasn’t a chair in sight. She manifested a replica of the one that sat on her old deck and collapsed into it, looking off into the brush.

“Mom,” she whispered. Tears filled her eyes while the image of her mother’s face appeared in her mind. The single word held everything she wanted to say.
I miss you. I want you back
. Her needs were spoken all in her call for the one person she longed for the most.

“Why couldn’t I go with you all? It’s not fair. I don’t want to have to be separated for eternity. I didn’t choose this. Why me?”

The wind brushed her face, making sobs wrack her chest. She imagined her mother’s touch, but knew it was nothing more than a breeze. Marcella wasn’t sure how long she sat, staring mindlessly at the thick foliage of the brush, letting the tears fall down her cheeks until her face felt stiff. The sound of footsteps brought her back to reality.

Dominic scooped her in his arms and carried her into the house without so much as a word. When she felt the coolness of the sheets under her, she buried her face in the pillow and willed herself to sleep. Her body felt emotionally and physically drained. The thought of being awake didn’t appeal anymore than food. She wished she could sleep the next one hundred years away. Maybe then, the loss she felt would have eased.

* * * *

Dominic walked into his room where Jason stood waiting for him. They’d been discussing Marcella for the last two hours and still hadn’t come to an agreement on how to make things easier for her.

“I still think you should have left her alone. How is she?”

“What do think? Her face is swollen from crying. She looks horrible. I should kick your ass for upsetting her like that. If you would have seen her that night, you would’ve been smart to keep your mouth shut. Why do you think I’ve neglected to mention anything about what happened? I saw the outcome first hand. Do you know what it looks like to see a human burn alive? It’s not very pretty. Marcella got to see her own flesh melt off of her face. Imagine knowing your family died in the exact same manner.”

“I didn’t think about it like that.”

Dominic watched Jason walk to the chair next to the dresser and sit down. “Yeah, well next time think before you speak, especially, when it concerns her. You may be her boyfriend, but I’m her mate. Whether you want to believe it or not, we’ll always be closely connected. I can feel the pain she’s going through, you can’t, not like me.”