Page 27 of Vampire Sins
“Great,” Silvia announced and swept to the doorway. “Now that you’re all acquainted, let’s get this done.”
Silvia guided us through a maze of halls and descending stairways until I was hopelessly lost. I would have felt nervous, except after the night I’d had with Xavier and Luke, my power was at its peak, rejuvenated by cementing two members of my bond and keeping them close to my side. They easily walked on either side of me, their smooth movements a deception to the lethal protectiveness they harbored for me.
Silvia explained that the witches of the Blood Coven were specialized in the magic that governed the Blood Stone. It was also the magic that governed a vampire’s powers, but Xavier didn’t seem concerned. I decided that the witches merely knew how to tap into it, that source that bled into our world. I was starting to piece it together now.
That source was Hell itself, and with my help, the Blood Coven could tap into it and free the demonspawn.
As we descended, polished walls gave way to crumbling rock. We kept going, our path lit only by the few flashlights we’d brought, until we reached our destination.
Two wide iron doors glowed red with power and bathed the tunnels in a supernatural glow. Heat bled into the tunnel and made sweat gather at my neckline.
“How did Derek lock her in here?” I asked, my voice echoing against the stones.
“He has a Blood Stone, as well,” Silvia lamented. “I’m afraid he’s managed to find a witch who can use it.”
Freya’s face scrunched, augmented by the shadows cast by the flashlight I pointed at her feet. “Our Coven has split. Only Olivia, Iris, and myself, are still loyal to Lady Silvia. The rest have sided with Derek, seduced by his claims for a world where supernaturals can live out in the open.” She curled her lip with distaste.
“And you don’t want that?” I ventured.
Freya glared at me. “Humans wouldn’t know what to do with you, but they have plenty of experience in dealing with witches. We’d be the first to feel their wrath.”
Shame tugged at my shoulders. I hadn’t thought of that. Witches had been plagued by humans for thousands of years. Even the male muses were unable to fully protect them from the vicious nature of humanity against their kind.
“So, how is this going to work?” I asked.
Silvia flared her wings and backed away, giving the witches space as they surrounded me. Luke and Xavier glowered at them, not budging from my side.
“We are witches of the Blood Coven. We can draw your magic to break the seal that has been placed on this door, but it’ll hurt,” Freya said, and I believed her.
Luke inched closer to me. “You don’t have to do this,” he whispered. “We don’t need their help to save my mother. I’m sure we can get her out on our own.”
I rolled my eyes. “Just last night you were all about helping Silvia. Now you’ve changed your mind?”
He shook his head and his hair brushed over his face. “Maybe you were right. Maybe I’m blinded by my desire to understand that there are others like me.” He took my hand in his. “You’ve shown me I’m not alone. I don’t need anyone else like me. I have you.”
I broke his gaze to get Xavier’s opinion. “And you? Have you changed your mind?”
His red eyes glowed, battling the magic the door spewed out at us with his own aura. “I believe you should do what you feel is right, Sonya. That demonspawn in there is your daughter. Do you wish to help her?”
I hadn’t really thought about it. The demonspawn didn’t feel like my daughter. I’d barely met her only a couple of times, and none of them had gone very well. I didn’t know her at all, but was that really her fault?
With a long sigh, I grabbed Xavier’s hand on my left and squeezed Luke’s hand on my right. With them, I could face anything.
The witches fidgeted. The red-head spoke first. “Are you sure you want to be holding hands with Sonya while we access her magic? You’ll feel what she feels.”
Both my men held my hands tighter and gave immediate nods. They weren’t going anywhere.
“Then we begin,” Freya announced, and pressed her hand to my chest where the power of my Blood Stone rested.
Instant heat spread through my body, and when Olivia and Iris pressed their hands over Freya’s, it intensified until it felt like my insides were melting.
I grit my teeth together and growled as the magic ruthlessly tore through me, building until it wrenched free and spilled into the witches. I couldn’t contain my fangs anymore and they extended as I unlatched my jaw with a hiss of pain. Only Olivia flinched away, but at a curt word from Freya, pressed her hand back again.
Once they had extracted enough power from me, their hands glowed red and dripped with molten energy. They chanted in low, monotone voices as they turned and pressed their hands against the door. Light flared at their touch and their chanting escalated until a low rumble swept through the tunnels.
“It’s working,” Silvia whispered, excitement making her wings flutter.
I shivered, suddenly feeling cold, and released my guys to wrap my arms around myself. They were shaking too, and Xavier drew me into his chest. Even though Luke was the one with healing powers, Xavier seemed to recover first, his skin growing hot as he tucked me closer to him.
