Unbound, a Paranormal Romance (Book 2 of the Spellbound Series) (11 page)

“Toni!” Dawn’s attire had changed to that of a cream-colored gown that draped her left shoulder and went to just below her knee. She ran toward Antonia as my love dropped her hands from my neck.

I released Antonia from my arms. I never told her of my feelings for her. I hoped I would get another chance.

Dawn and Antonia embraced.

“Dawn, I didn’t know you were still here, and I was worried when I didn’t see you.” Antonia sobbed.

“Don’t worry about me, honey. My momma and I have this covered.” Dawn winked as she pulled back to look at Antonia’s face.

“Momma?”
Antonia asked in bewilderment.

“Lovely for you to finally join us, Circe.”
Hades voice commanded the room.

“Patience, dear Hades, didn’t Bion tell you that I would return?” Circe asked. “Well, Persephone, I expected you, but Demeter, I must say that I am shocked that you have a hand in this.” Circe strode up to Demeter as the unnamed woman followed behind her. “But I should never have given you the benefit of doubt. You will do anything for this wench.” She pointed at Persephone and a smile sparked on Hades' face. “However, Eris, come here and explain to them what you have told me and my daughter.”

I glanced over at Antonia, now with her arms around Dawn as they both watched in awe. Joanna slipped back toward me. Annie was the color of a pomegranate as she looked on. I
smiled,
amused at the fact she’d been outwitted. 

Eris slowly walked toward the group of gods. “Persephone promised to invite me to the next event that all the gods and goddesses would attend if I helped her with her plan,” the petite, blonde woman said as she stared at the ground.

“Continue,” Circe said.

“She had me find the doppelganger human and return her to Hades with the help of the dark-haired witch and the vampire called Catherine,” Eris said. “She’s had this planned for centuries ago but I only recently found the girl that will break the curse,” she finished.

My hand reached and found Joanna’s.

“That is all true,” a voice from behind us stated. We all turned to find Hermes as he joined our group. “However, my father told me that in order for that plan to work, both the doppelganger and the immortal must be
willing
to die.” He stopped at Antonia and placed his finger under her chin as she looked up at him. “Are you willing, dear one?” he asked. When she shook her head, Hermes dropped his hand and walked toward us.

“He is so much cuter than Dr. Stevens,” Dawn mumbled with a giggle. The astonished look vanished from Antonia’s face and was replaced with a smile.

“And you?” he asked Joanna.

“No,” she replied.

He slowly strode to where the group of gods had gathered. “It would seem that a lack of consent foiled your plan, dearest Persephone,” he boasted.

Persephone stood frozen, and then she disappeared into a grey smoke. We all looked around, baffled as to where she had gone. It wasn’t until the muffled shriek came from the Antonia's direction that I realized what had happened. Persephone reappeared with her hands around Antonia’s neck. I turned to move quickly, leaving Joanna’s side to help aid Antonia from Persephone.

“Step closer and she is dead,” Persephone said with a giggle in her voice.

Dawn was the closest to Antonia, but she was still in shock.

“This is my last resort since Eris has ousted my plans for my return to Mount Olympus. Her voice trembled.

“I fear for you, daughter. Please do not do this,” Demeter begged. “Let Hades have the girl. He seems to have competition with the vampire for her love anyway.”

“Shut up, mother, I know what I am doing,” Persephone screamed.

“Hades!
No!” Demeter screamed as Hades disappeared into a black smoke.

All the while, Annie was slowly slithering over to Joanna’s side. As Hades disappeared, Persephone gave a nod. Then everything happened at once. Annie produced a stake and stuck it into Joanna’s heart, as Persephone slit Antonia’s throat with her index fingernail severing her jugular with the swipe. It all happened so fast and in opposite ends of the room. Joanna turned into a million pieces of grey ash that formed a pile at Annie’s feet as Hades restrained Persephone before throwing her to the ground. She released Antonia’s body, which fell forward toward the ground but was caught by Hades before she hit the ground.  

I was at Antonia’s side in a nanosecond as blood gushed from the deep wound at her neck. I bit into the base of my palm and placed it at her lips in hopes that my blood would save her. I looked into her green eyes, now dull and lifeless. My effort was fruitless as there was no beat of her heart or no breaths that escaped her. I pulled my hand away from her lips. My blood would only help if she was an inch from death and not completely gone as she was. Hades lifted her in his arms. In one movement, Persephone had taken Antonia’s life forever.  

“If we are done here, I need to say my goodbye to my love.” He turned and slowly walked back down the wide, candlelit hallway.

“Momma, we have to do something she can’t just die,” Dawn yelled across the room to Circe who was moving to her side. Hermes collected Persephone from the ground to join him, Eris, and Demeter in the front.

I walked over to the pile of ash to pay my respects to my friend Joanna. I knelt by the remnants of a gold bracelet that Joanna had worn for as long as I knew her. Now, the small hearts that connected around the bracelet would be my only memento of my dear friend. Another man’s sobs added to my somber mood as I gazed up to find Kevin consoling Bion. It hit me again that Antonia was gone.

I dropped to my knees near the pile of ash as the pain and sadness engulfed me. At no point had I expected this turn of events. I cried out in pain and my chest ached with heartbreak. I loved both the women whose lives were stolen. I felt like dying. I had no point left in this world with the woman I longed to be with, gone.

The muffled voice and sniffles that belonged to Dawn deepened my sadness. Everyone mourned as she cried in Circe’s arms.

“My sweet child, our magic cannot save the dead from the hand of a god or goddess,” Circe said as she combed her fingers through Dawn’s golden locks.

“But…” Dawn sniffled.

“Shush now. Let us go and say our goodbyes to your friend,” Circe said before they walked down the hallway into the darkness.

Bion and Kevin followed.

“Well, I won’t be of use so I’ll be on my way,” Eris stated.

“Not so fast!” Hermes said as he looked from Demeter to Persephone. “Zeus would like to meet with all three of you for your part in this.”

“Surely you don’t mean me, Hermes.” Demeter smiled.

“Especially you, Demeter.
Come now, Persephone, Eris. The Mount awaits us.” Hermes waved them on, and in a blink, they disappeared.

Only Annie and I remained in the mouth of the hallway. She braced the wall, fear painted on her face. A low growl from my throat added to her fear as anger began to resonate. I placed the bracelet into my pocket as I stood to face the killer of my friend and conspirator in the death of my love, Antonia.

“I didn’t think Persephone’s plan would work, Ben,” Annie said as she inched away with her back against the wall toward the hallway where everyone else had retreated.

My hands balled up in fist. “You risked Antonia’s life on a plan you thought would fail?” I slowly walked toward her seething. “We have a pile of ash where Joanna lay and pools of blood where Antonia died and yet you’re not sorry.” I closed the space between us as Annie turned her head. I elongated my fangs, ready to take her life when Joanna’s words rang in my ears, “
Ben, that
goes against what we believe.”
She was right. As much as I hated Annie for taking Joanna’s
life and the part she played in Antonia losing hers, I could not kill her or even harm her. I turned away from Annie before I dropped my head and walked into the darkness of the hallway. I needed to find Antonia I would finally tell her what I never said to her in her life: that I loved her and I wanted to kiss her lips one last time.

Chapter 10

I stood in the doorway of the sky-blue room where the angels played on the walls. It was warm with those who loved Antonia,
myself
among them. I stepped over the threshold and walked across the room. No heads turned; all eyes remained on her.

She looked like an angel, dressed in a long, white dress that covered her feet. Atop her head were tiny white rose buds that lay as a crown in her silken hair. Her skin was smooth but now dull, the rosy glow faded from her cheeks. I walked closer, my legs weakening as I neared her still form. I caught one of the posts connected to the round bed to stop myself from falling. My disturbance made all of the mourners turn their heads.

“Benjamin, you’ve come to say goodbye, I suppose,” Hades said.

“Yes,” I choked out as Dawn moved so that I could be at Antonia’s left side. I took her cold hand in mine. I was so used to her warmth and liveliness, now her hand was as cold as mine was. I couldn’t believe that less than an hour ago, my lips had crushed hers. I noticed the gash at her neck was healed as I bent and softly kissed her cheek, then moved to her ear and whispered at long last, “I love you, Antonia.” I lingered in that moment.

Dawn’s warm hand grabbed mine. “We all did.” Her smile was warm and comforted me.

I straightened and inquired, “What is going to happen now, I mean, to her body?” I wanted to visit her and express my love as often as I could.

“My family has a mausoleum in Larissa. Her mother and siblings are all buried there,” Bion said somberly.

I nodded at his mention of the location. “She looks beautiful,” I said, speaking my thoughts aloud. Everyone agreed with a yes or a head nod.

“I used a little magic to clean her up and change her from those dreaded modern clothes and shoes she wore. This gown was more fitting,” Circe offered with a genuine smile.

My perception of the gods was all wrong. I thought Hades had been the malicious keeper of all dead souls, when I looked over at him now, he seemed gentle and sincere. It was his wife Persephone who carried the titles of evil, malicious, and vile. I could still remember the wicked smile on her face as she slit Antonia’s throat. I shook my head to erase that memory.

“You all cry for her, still?” Annie asked from the doorway.

“You!”
Dawn said as she released my hand. She marched over to Annie, stopping just a nose-length away. “You’re the reason that we mourn! You pretended to be Toni’s friend but you were no friend to her. You helped put her here!”

“You don’t want to mess with me. I’m still angry,” Annie spat as balls of fire appeared in her palms.

Dawn shook her head. “Have you learned nothing, little witch? I have more power than you could ever imagine, and I am going to make sure that you won’t be able to hurt anyone anymore!” Dawn placed her hands on Annie’s shoulders as Annie tried to shrug her off.

“Take your hands off me!” Annie screamed.

“Not until I take all of your power!” Dawn smiled.

“You can’t. You don’t know the spell,” Annie said with a smirk.

“That’s where you’re wrong, darling. I don’t need spells. I just need to think it and it happens.” As the words left Dawn’s lips, she began to glow with a brilliant white light.

Annie dropped to her knees.

“Don’t kill her, Dawn!” We all turned in shock to find Antonia with her eyes wide open, fixed on Dawn and Annie.

“Toni!” Dawn choked on the name. As she released Annie, her body dropped to the floor. Dawn sprinted back to the bed where Antonia lay and fell into a hug with her friend. 

“How?”
Hades asked as his hazel eyes danced with joy.

I grabbed Antonia’s hand intertwining my fingers with hers, and I planned never to let her go. My
unbeating
heart flooded with joy at
my
love, alive once again. I gazed at her as she looked around at everyone.  

“I’m thirsty.” She frowned as Dawn released her hug. She sat up more in the bed as Circe created a glass of water in her hands and passed it to her. Antonia drank the water so quickly that it ran down the sides of her mouth. When the glass was empty, Kevin took it from her.

“How do you feel?” he asked with a smile.

Antonia sat up straighter and blinked again as her green eyes turned dark. “Kevin, I am well but still parched. The water did nothing.” She seemed confused as she looked up at Bion’s astonished face. “Papa,” she said softly. She shifted on the bed and wrapped her arms around her father.

My eyes met Hades’ and he nodded. “Antonia,” I started.

She looked back over her shoulder at me, and before I knew it, she was in my arms. “Ben, you’re here too!” she exclaimed as she hugged me tighter.

I inhaled her jasmine scent that was so familiar to me

“I am here, but I need to tell you something. Please sit.” I loosened her from our hug though I didn’t want to let her go, ever.

“Yes, Ben.” She looked up at me with furrowed brows. She looked around again and her eyes met Hades. “My love,” she exclaimed with glee. In the next instant, she was in his arms, and her lips met his. “When did you get here?” she asked.