at me the way he did her. I’d never seen him so elated; he’d touched her with so much tenderness and amazement. He may have been confused about the year, but he definitely knew what he was doing and who he was with. I didn’t know how I could ever be with him again with that knowledge. I almost wished Maria would have drained me so I wouldn’t have to feel this aching hole in my chest. I sobbed hysterically as the pictures of them continued to flash through my mind. It just hurt so goddamn much. I started hyperventilating and instead of trying to fight it, I welcomed the blackout.
*****
I don’t know how long I was out that time but I awoke to the sound of my name.
“ Karli!” Vance shouted. “Karli, where are you?”
Before I had a chance to respond, Vance, Leo, and a beautiful, twenty-something brunette were bursting into the room charging towards me. Leo’s nostrils flared as his eyes were instinctively drawn to the matching bite marks on my thighs. Maria had intentionally left evidence. Bitch. His eyes flashed with rage before he composed himself.
Seeing Vance was like being stabbed in the gut . Unfortunately for me, I knew exactly what that felt like. Before he could reach me I shouted, “Vance, Erica is in here somewhere. You have to find her!”
He halted. “What?” he asked. “How do you know?”
“Just trust me!” I insisted. “Go find her.”
He cast a wary glance in Leo’s direction. “Go,” Leo said. “I’ll stay with Karli.”
Vance hesitated, but nodded his head. “Tara, you go left, I’ll go right.”
“Got it ,” she replied and they were off to begin their search.
Leo took off his shirt and covered me. He nodded towards the marks. “Are you okay, my love? She drank from you?”
I looked away in shame as Erica and Vance walked into the room. Vance moved towards me in a rather territorial stance and glared at Leo. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Leo looked at me, waiting for a response. “Nothing ,” I snarled.
Vance seemed taken aback by my tone. Erica cleared her throat, prompting me to look up at her. Oh Christ, she was a mess. Poor Erica must have been just as heartbroken as I was. “Are you okay, Kar?” she asked.
“Are you?” I countered.
She started bawling. “Omigod, K, I’m so sorry. I had no idea he was connected to her!”
“It’s okay , Eri,” I assured her.
“No, it’s not, ” she insisted. “I should have known something was wrong. I didn’t figure it out until…until…”
“Would somebody please tell me what the fuck is going on?” Vance shouted.
I looked up and noticed that Tara had joined us again. “The area is clear,” she said. “Now, ladies, could you please tell us what happened here?”
I shook my head as I pulled on my bindings. The effort was futile. “I’ll tell you what I can , but will somebody please untie me first?”
Leo tugged with his supernatural strength but couldn’t break them. “I can’t get them undone. They feel infused with something.”
“They are,” I said. “Jake said they could only be undone with a counter binding spell.”
“Jake?” Vance asked. “As in , Erica’s husband?”
“Oh , God!” Erica cried. Now she was bordering on hysteria.
“Nice, Vance ,” I snapped.
He gave me a confused look and awkwardly tried to calm Erica. When she could speak again she said, “ Karli, I can’t help you. He…he…”
Exasperated, Vance threw up his hands and muttered something in Latin. The leather straps fell away instantly. Rubbing my wrists in relief I asked, “He what , Erica?”
She looked down in shame and whispered, “He siphoned my magic.”
Seventeen
“He what?” The four of us shouted in unison.
Her cheeks reddened. “The binding spell of thirteen…the ritual I did with my sisters. It’s all gone. He not only took my heightened powers, he took all of my powers. He tricked me into coming here. We were going to do some…uh, role playing.” She blushed
*****
I don’t know how long I was out that time but I awoke to the sound of my name.
“ Karli!” Vance shouted. “Karli, where are you?”
Before I had a chance to respond, Vance, Leo, and a beautiful, twenty-something brunette were bursting into the room charging towards me. Leo’s nostrils flared as his eyes were instinctively drawn to the matching bite marks on my thighs. Maria had intentionally left evidence. Bitch. His eyes flashed with rage before he composed himself.
Seeing Vance was like being stabbed in the gut . Unfortunately for me, I knew exactly what that felt like. Before he could reach me I shouted, “Vance, Erica is in here somewhere. You have to find her!”
He halted. “What?” he asked. “How do you know?”
“Just trust me!” I insisted. “Go find her.”
He cast a wary glance in Leo’s direction. “Go,” Leo said. “I’ll stay with Karli.”
Vance hesitated, but nodded his head. “Tara, you go left, I’ll go right.”
“Got it ,” she replied and they were off to begin their search.
Leo took off his shirt and covered me. He nodded towards the marks. “Are you okay, my love? She drank from you?”
I looked away in shame as Erica and Vance walked into the room. Vance moved towards me in a rather territorial stance and glared at Leo. “What’s going on?” he asked.
Leo looked at me, waiting for a response. “Nothing ,” I snarled.
Vance seemed taken aback by my tone. Erica cleared her throat, prompting me to look up at her. Oh Christ, she was a mess. Poor Erica must have been just as heartbroken as I was. “Are you okay, Kar?” she asked.
“Are you?” I countered.
She started bawling. “Omigod, K, I’m so sorry. I had no idea he was connected to her!”
“It’s okay , Eri,” I assured her.
“No, it’s not, ” she insisted. “I should have known something was wrong. I didn’t figure it out until…until…”
“Would somebody please tell me what the fuck is going on?” Vance shouted.
I looked up and noticed that Tara had joined us again. “The area is clear,” she said. “Now, ladies, could you please tell us what happened here?”
I shook my head as I pulled on my bindings. The effort was futile. “I’ll tell you what I can , but will somebody please untie me first?”
Leo tugged with his supernatural strength but couldn’t break them. “I can’t get them undone. They feel infused with something.”
“They are,” I said. “Jake said they could only be undone with a counter binding spell.”
“Jake?” Vance asked. “As in , Erica’s husband?”
“Oh , God!” Erica cried. Now she was bordering on hysteria.
“Nice, Vance ,” I snapped.
He gave me a confused look and awkwardly tried to calm Erica. When she could speak again she said, “ Karli, I can’t help you. He…he…”
Exasperated, Vance threw up his hands and muttered something in Latin. The leather straps fell away instantly. Rubbing my wrists in relief I asked, “He what , Erica?”
She looked down in shame and whispered, “He siphoned my magic.”
Seventeen
“He what?” The four of us shouted in unison.
Her cheeks reddened. “The binding spell of thirteen…the ritual I did with my sisters. It’s all gone. He not only took my heightened powers, he took all of my powers. He tricked me into coming here. We were going to do some…uh, role playing.” She blushed
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