Possession of Souls by Lacey Weatherford Page A

things about magic which I didn’t know or understand. 
    If I were being truthful, most of that irritation came from admitting Damien obviously knew much more about it than I did.  I didn’t like feeling subservient to him.  Someone who was as ruthless as he was didn’t deserve any kind of praise—no matter how fleeting it might seem.
    Lifting my hand out, I absently let my fingers trail over the stone, and I wondered what kind of horrible rituals may have been performed here.  Had people been sacrificed, their blood spilt to feed the delusions of a demented demon maniac? Or was this just a fortunate space Damien had stumbled upon?
    I allowed my vision to follow around the walls of the cave, and I gathered my powers to try to pop to another location.  Nothing happened.  I felt a little panicked and frustrated at my failure.  I thought my abilities were coming back, but I couldn’t seem to make this dematerialization happen.
    I tried again.
    “It won’t work you know,” Vance’s voice drawled from the bed where he lay watching me.  “The cave is lined with special crystals which are preventing your jinn powers from working.”
    “How do you know that?” I asked.
    “Damien mentioned it during one of his earlier gloating sessions to me,” he answered with a shrug.
    “So when we leave this place today I’ll be able to do it again?”
    “That would be my guess.  I’m assuming he’ll want you at full capacity for our little outing.”
    “Not that it will do us any good,” I mumbled.  “It’s not like I can get away.”
    Vance was silent for a moment.  “You could leave,” he said softly.
    “What?”  I twisted my head to look at him.
    He sat up, sliding off the bed and began walking over to me.
    I watched his progress across the room, his eyes never leaving me, and I could see several emotions playing there.
    He climbed the steps to the altar until he was standing directly next to me, and he lifted his hand to reach out and slide it in a caress against my neck.
    “I want you to escape,” he said in a low quiet voice.
    My heart hammered in my chest.  “Don’t be ridiculous, Vance.  I wouldn’t even dream of doing such a thing.” I swallowed at the knot that was forming in my throat.  “Damien would slaughter all of you if I did.”
    Vance nodded.  “I know.”
    “What do you mean, you know?” I asked, shocked.  “Then why are you even suggesting something like this?”
    “I need to know you’re safe,” he said, staring deep into my eyes.  “If that means my death, or even the death of your dad, I’m willing to do that.  I know your dad would tell you to do the same thing.  Get away from here, Portia.  He can’t do whatever it is he’s planning without you, and if he can’t find you, he can’t harm you.  You could go back to the coven and take them to a secure location until you figured out a way to destroy him.  Just get out of here.  Go someplace safe.”
    There were tears in his eyes as he spoke, and I knew what he was asking me to do was extremely difficult for him.
    I turned to him fully, and I placed both of my hands on either side of his face.
    “You listen to me, Vance Mangum, and you listen carefully.  I’ll never leave your side as long as there’s breath in your body or mine.  I love you, and I love that you care for me so much you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for my safety.   I’ve already been through the hell of believing I lost you once, and it’s not an experience I ever care to repeat again.” I couldn’t help the soft cry that escaped my lips, my emotions threatening to get the better of me.  “No, I’ll stay, and we’ll face this thing head on, together, you and I against the world, just like it’s always been.”
    Vance stared at me for a moment.  He leaned his head in then and kissed me, brushing my lips lightly at first, before sliding his arms fully around me and gathering me into his embrace.
    I shifted so I was sitting