Good As Dead (Dying To Meet You Book 1) (22 page)

Kalliope screamed and covered her ears.

Lainey wasn’t even aware she was there anymore. Her attention still centred on Mercer, watching as the threads became thicker and thicker, until she could barely see him. Then when she spoke the last words of her binding spell, they dissipated like fluffy white clouds. When it was over, there wasn’t a mark upon him.

“No! No, you can’t do this,” Kalliope screamed in fury.

Now that the cave had quietened down, the witch seemed to recover her wits and standing taller, her hands began to move frantically weaving another fireball. Lainey paid her no heed, because her sights were set firmly on Mercer so the dark witch used that to her advantage. Stepping behind Lainey, she raised her fireball and threw it with all her might.

Mercer’s gaze shifted over Lainey’s shoulder and he smiled. Kalliope realised she had made a fatal mistake. Now that she had killed Matthieu, Mercer had complete control of Lainey’s body and mind so the young witch ducked smoothly from the waist down and the fireball flew harmlessly over her head. Then Lainey seized the orb, wrenching it from Kalliope’s grasp. The evil witch could do nothing more than watch helplessly as Lainey twisted her hand, wrapping her own energy around the ball and watching as the colours changed to a pure white and untainted power. Instead of flickering, the sparking threads now formed a solid orb which hovered in mid-air growing brighter and brighter.

When Lainey turned her attention back to Kalliope, she pushed the pulsing ball back to its owner with a burst of impressive speed. Entering her chest, the glowing light spread all through her body and the witch looked down with growing horror. The vision she made was that of a shimmering angel, for all she was lacking was a pair of wings. Then the lights went out in her eyes and she sank to the floor in a sitting position staring ahead, her gaze empty and soulless.

Lainey immediately turned her attention back to Mercer. “Are you all right?”

The vampire wore a wide grin on his face. “Never better.” Looking down at his naked body, he smiled ruefully. “I’m not sure leather is my thing though.”

He began unbuckling the collar from around his neck, completely comfortable with his nakedness. Lainey, on the other hand, didn’t know where to look.

“What did you do to Little Miss Sunshine over there? Is she dead?” Mercer tilted his head, and regarded Kalliope’s lifeless face.

“No.” Lainey smiled.

“Fucking shame,” Mercer muttered, and Lainey couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m not exactly sure what I’ve done but the ball was made up of healing energy, so perhaps it’s resetting her? Who knows, perhaps she’ll wake up tomorrow and join a nunnery or something? Stranger things have happened.”

Mercer pursed his lips, fighting to hold his mirth at bay. “Are you sure you don’t want to kill her? I’m sorely tempted to rip her head off her shoulders. You don’t mind, right?”

Lainey shook her head. “No. I’m a healer, not a killer. Besides, we have much more important things to do next. We need to find Gaius and Guillaume. I can feel them. It shouldn’t take me too long to find them, and they need help. We also need to get you some clothes.”

Mercer eyes twinkled. “That really bothers you, huh? It shouldn’t. You’ve just attached me to your side for the rest of your lifetime. You’re going to be seeing me naked an awful lot, Lainey Hargreaves.” His smile faltered then. “But you’re right. We need to find them. I have no idea what condition she might have left them in.”

Lainey nodded and they began to walk towards the back of the cave and up the stairs that led into the rock. “I’m a healer. I can patch up some of the damage, but I have a feeling Gaius will need a whole lot more than that.” He nodded and reached for her hand while ruffling the hair on the top of her head with the other. “I’m sorry about the binding,” she then stuttered, not really knowing what to say. “I didn’t know what else to do, and I just remember…”

Mercer pulled her close and put a finger to her lips. “Don’t. You did the right thing. My heart was beating double time when I heard you begin that spell. I just wanted you to finish it before she did. Having seen exactly what Kalliope is capable of, I couldn’t go through that a second time. I would have found some way to end my life, I swear.”

“It was my fault though. I couldn’t think of another way, and I know that it must be your worst nightmare to be bound to a witch. I’m sorry, so very sorry. I panicked and the words just spilled out.” Intense waves of emotion flowed through Lainey, followed by a post-adrenaline rush that saw the bottom falling out of her world. “Oh God! What have I done? You must hate me. This is such a horrible mess. What a miserable way to start a relationship.” Her hand wobbled in his.

Mercer picked her up in his arms and pressed her head into his neck. He stroked her hair softly and kissed her. “No, sweetheart, only the foundations for our pairing have been set. It’s up to us what we build, Lainey. If we both set our minds to it, I think we could build something beautiful. What do you say we take a chance?” He slowly pressed his lips to hers and when she looked up at his eyes, they were smiling.

Grasping his hand and feeling the warmth of his fingers as they closed around hers, she said, “Well, I guess it would be wrong not to try. After all, the sex
is
pretty amazing.”

In the next moment, Mercer spun her around in his arms and all she heard was his deep rumbling laughter. It was a good sound. Maybe there was a chance for them. If they seized it with both hands, who knew what might happen?

THE END

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About the Author

Christina Mandara was born in the UK, but has spent most of her life travelling the world. She speaks three languages and has been chiefly employed in the fields of finance and travel. Her favourite city is Sydney and her favourite holiday destination is the south of France.
In her spare time she's usually cuddled up with a good book, exploring the countryside or baking in the kitchen. In fact, she loves her kitchen so much she's one of few woman who wouldn't mind being tied to it! Her first and foremost love is writing, however, and more often than not you'll find her on a laptop spinning tales of romance, erotica or dark, paranormal fantasies.

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