Forgotten Visions (The Divinities Book 1) (15 page)

“
You know, that
really is a scary thought,” Khloe said as they took form in the backyard of the Bradenton farm.

Kalissa had to agree. Knowing that demons could follow them was scary. She already knew that they could pick up on their magical signature, but not the fact that they could track them at any moment. “How many other demons can trace us?” Kalissa asked.

“There are many that can trace us, but they would need to pick up your scent first. Teddy-Bear doesn’t need our scent because they’re connected to us through the Sinew,” Melaina said as they walked to the old barn about fifteen feet from the main house.

Khloe relaxed her shoulders. “Oh. That’s good.

Zach and Ayden took Jacen inside the house, with a sobbing Lydia trailing behind. Kalissa and the others went to check out the barn.

“How is he?” Kalissa asked when Ayden returned a few minutes later.

With a grave expression, he shook his head. “He’s weak. He won’t make it through the night.” 

Her chest tightened as unwanted sorrow crept in. “Is there anything you can do? I mean, Lydia is a healer.”

He shook his head. “I offered, but she refused. Said it would be a waste of energy.”

Her vision blurred, her nose tingled, and she blinked away tears. There was only one reason why Lydia would refuse the burst in healing power. Jacen was far worse than Kalissa had suspected. She’d hoped that his sister could heal him, but now, that hope was gone, replaced with sadness and grief.

“Hey, Ayd, what about your Jeep?” Khloe asked, trying to change the subject. Death had fallen upon them again, and it had brought painful memories for them all.

Ayden shrugged. “I’ll send Zach up to get it.”

Kalissa smiled. “Does he know this?”

Smiling back, he said, “Nope.”

“Oh, can I tell him?” Khloe asked. Ayden shook his head. Khloe made a face at him and said, “Fine. You’re a fun sucker.”

Kalissa and Khloe opened the double doors of the barn. Teddy-Bear immediately trotted inside. “It needs some work. It hasn’t been used in years,” Kalissa said as she did a quick walk-through and manifested a notepad and pen that floated in the air, making notes as she spoke. “We’ll need fresh hay. And check the roof for leaks. Teddy-Bear, is there anything you need?”

The hounds shook their heads. “Nope. It’s perfect.” 

“All right, then. Just let us know if you need anything,” Kalissa said as she walked back to the door where the others still stood.

Kalissa and Mel conjured some chairs for everyone to sit in while they told Teddy-Bear about Demetrius’s message. “He’s not getting the Sinew, so we have to fight.”

“That won’t be easy,” Teddy said.

Bear nodded in agreement. “There are some nasty demons out there. Many are far more powerful than you, and some make people do things….” He winced at the thought.

“So we’ll take a stand,” Kalissa announced. Everyone turned to look at her like
she
had grown a second head. “We can’t give him the Sinew. I’m not going to sit here while Demetrius bullies his way into our lives. We’re the only things standing in his way. We have to stop him.”

“We defeat Demetrius, Khan will send others,” Melaina said.

Kalissa crossed her arms over her chest. “And I’ll be there to stop them, too.” No one said anything, so Kalissa continued. “We are the Divinities. In a way, we are the protectors of all
magickin
. That is what I intend to do.”  

One by one, the rest of the group threw in their bids to defend
magickin
and the Sinew. Kalissa wasn’t surprised that Ayden was the first to say he was in, but it did surprise her that Zach also piped up with an offer of his help as he walked across the yard toward them. He wasn’t a Divinity, yet he was willing to put his life on the line to help them. Then again, he did carry the gene. That made him one of them.

“Look, I know that I’m a mortal witch, and I understand your concern to keep me out of harm’s way, but I can be a liaison for other covens and set up a network to share information. I think they should be aware that the Divinities have reunited and are taking a stand in this war,” Zach said with a look that said,
Don’t shut me out of this.

Once a cop, always a cop,
Kalissa thought. “Melaina, it’s your call.”

Melaina nodded. “Very well, Zach, set up your network. With the Sinew here and with its own protectors—” She cut off briefly to look around the room. Teddy-Bear straightened and puffed out their chest in complete agreement with Melaina. “The demons can’t touch it.” 

“Khloe, can you work on a security system for the house and the property?” Kalissa saw Khloe’s face light up. She’d love an opportunity to show off her techie skills.

The next morning
, Kalissa woke early, showered, and dressed in a lavender sundress that made her violet eyes stand out. She left her long, dark blond hair down to cascade over her shoulders and down her back. When she was pleased with how she looked, she headed downstairs.

In the kitchen, she started a pot of coffee and made cranberry orange muffins.

She had just pulled the muffins from the oven and set them on the stovetop when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind. A smile spread across her face. She took off the oven mitts. She’d known he was there, smelled his aftershave as he came into the kitchen, and felt his presence. The bond was stronger. She wasn’t sure of the hows or whys, but it was growing, making his rose on her arm darken.

Ayden placed a kiss on her cheek, brushed her hair from her neck, and kissed the tender spot just below her earlobe. “Morning, beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.

Kalissa turned to face him, leaned into his body, and wrapped her arms around his neck.  She looked into his baby blue eyes and the swirls of silver in them danced. “Morning.”

“Hope I’m not interrupting,” Melaina said in an amused voice as she went for the coffee pot.

Ayden gave Kalissa a quick kiss on the lips, reached around her, and grabbed a muffin before turning to sit at the kitchen table. Kalissa stood there for a few seconds, trying to slow her heartbeat. She wanted to drag Ayden off somewhere so they could be alone. That brought a smile to her face. It was amazing to feel so at ease with him. With no fear or panic—like they belonged together.

When she was able to breathe normally again, she placed the muffins on a serving tray, carried them to the table, and took the chair between Ayden and Melaina.

“Is something wrong?” Kalissa asked Ayden after a few seconds of silence.

He frowned and then quickly replaced it with a smile as if the question had thrown him off at first. “No. I just thought I would stop by on my way to the station.”

Kalissa smiled and glanced at Mel. Mel looked briefly at Kalissa’s arm before meeting her eyes. “You can see it?” Kalissa asked, talking about her new rose.

Mel nodded. “I didn’t want to say anything.” She paused before asking, “The memory spell is broken?”

“Not completely,” Kalissa answered sadly. “But, I am starting to remember a little each day.” She felt guilty about what she had done to Ayden. They’d been so in love, even at the young age of seventeen, that she wasn’t sure how he was able to forgive her, let alone stand the sight of her. As if feeling her mood shift, Ayden reached over, took her hand, and brought it to his lips to place a soft kiss on the backs of her fingers.

“I have you now and forever,” he said with a smile.

Khloe and Lydia came in, fully dressed and looking like they were ready to take on the world. “We’re going to the coven,” Khloe announced, reaching over to grab two muffins and handing one to Lydia.

A wave of grief fell over Kalissa like a heavy blanket. Jacen had passed on sometime during the night. Lydia’s eyes were still swollen and red from crying. Khloe was taking her to the coven to meet Noah and Vanessa so they could make arrangements for the funeral.

After a moment of sorrow-filled silence, Melaina stood up. “Let me get my purse and I’ll go, too.”

About five minutes later, the three women left, yelling their goodbyes as they walked out the front of the house.

Ayden stood up. “I should be going, too.”

Already?
Kalissa thought and stood up to follow Ayden to the door. She watched his backside as he walked, and couldn’t help but notice how his form-fitting uniform pants hugged his ass. Her eyes traveled up his back to his broad, muscular shoulders, and then she roamed her gaze down his arms to his hands. Oh gods, what those hands could do to her…

Ayden turned to face her when they reached the door and gave a smirk that told her he knew where her mind had wandered off to. She met his gaze and smiled. He stepped into her, circled his arms around her waist, and kissed her deeply.

Kalissa returned the kiss, wrapped her arms around his neck, and melted against his body. She wanted him so badly, and decided at that moment, she would stop worrying about the past and start living for the future. Their future. He pressed into her. She sucked in a breath when she felt his arousal against her lower stomach.

Ayden pulled back to look at her. “You okay?”

“Yes…Yes, I am.” She pulled his head down for another kiss.

“You keep that up, and I’ll have to drag you off to your office and have my way with you,” he said against her lips.

“I thought you said you had to go?” she teased.

He kissed her again and walked her backwards to the master-bedroom-turned-office. “I can afford to be a little late.”

Kalissa didn’t need any further enticement. She broke out of his hold and ran the rest of the way to the office. She released a squeak when she entered the room and found Ayden standing in front of her. He’d teleported. “Cheater,” she said, closing the door and then locking it behind her.

When she reached Ayden, his shirt was pulled out of his waistband, and he had started to unbutton it until it hung open, giving her access to his bare chest where she placed her hands. She pressed a kiss over his heart. “How late can you be, Sheriff?”

Ayden sucked in a quick breath as Kalissa ran the tip of her tongue up his chest. “As late as I want to be.”

“Good,” she purred, pressing her hands against his chest while slowly running them up over his pecs to his shoulders to slide his shirt from his arms. She walked him backwards until his legs touched the sofa and gave a little push. Ayden fell into a seated position.

On her knees in front of him, she slowly unlaced and removed his shoes one at a time. She ran her hand up the inside of his thigh to his cock. His leg muscles twitched under her hands, and she loved the way he reacted to her touch. The way his eyes almost glowed with passion. Her hand cupped him through his pants. Ayden pressed into her palm with a moan. Kalissa removed her hand to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his pants.

“Wait,” he said, stopping her hands. He took his gun out of its holster and laid it on the table next to the sofa. Then he removed his belt and sat it on the floor beside his shoes. When he’d finished, he rose his hips so Kalissa could slide his pants down his legs.

Paying him back for the slow torture he’d shown her at the cabin, she ran her tongue up his thigh. Ayden’s soft curse brought a smile to her lips. However, making love to Ayden in an unhurried, sensual way they had at the cabin made her want more. She craved his touch now and loved the feel of him over her, under her, and inside her.

She grasped his hard length in her hand and stroked him up and down a couple of times before she licked from base to tip and then took him into her mouth.

His thigh muscles under her hands flexed and then tightened as if he were fighting to gain control. She made slow strokes with her tongue as she sucked him, and knew the moment he teetered on the edge of release. When he reached that point, she freed him from her mouth. Taking him in her hand again, she stroked him gently, teasingly. Their eyes locked. The silver in his baby blues was so defined his irises almost glowed. She had him right where she wanted, and knew she could command anything of him. The satisfaction in knowing that made her giddy.  

Leaning in to take him in her mouth again, he took hold of her arms and pulled her up his chest to capture her lips with his.