In Darkness We Must Abide (6 page)

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Sheila asked, her voice slicing through the frigid air.

“No,” Vanora answered. She closed her eyes to check the details in the temple within her mind.

The three women were waiting for her to finish the preparations. The fire pit in the temple glowed fiery red and yellow. Checking on her own facsimile of the temple fire pit, Vanora was satisfied with her progress. The coals were no longer on fire, but suffused with incandescence.

“It’s almost sunrise. Maybe you should wait until tonight so we can protect you,” Tracy suggested.

Tracy and Angel were just behind Sheila and Alexander. Vanora had been surprised to see that Tracy had remained at the house, but with the sun making its appearance within the hour there wasn’t time to escape the city. Hopefully, the four vampires would depart at sunset. Vanora didn’t want to see them fall to Aeron’s army of minions.

“She’ll be fine. I’m here.” Greg crouched in the corner, elbows resting on his knees, watching with a scarily intense look upon his face.

“But how is a demon to be trusted?” Angel’s voice was laced with distilled hostility.

Giving Greg a pointed look, Vanora said, “He wants vengeance. He won’t do anything to derail his chance to see Aeron die.”

The corner of his mouth twitching, Greg’s eyes glimmered like the coals. “You’re smart, Snow White. You may just pull this off.”

Vanora rolled her eyes at the nickname.

“I’ve known Greg for a long time…” Sheila said cautiously. “If he swears on his cock not to molest, harm, or do anything I wouldn’t approve of to you, I’ll rest much easier.”

Greg snorted.

“What will swearing on his dick do?” The doubt in Tracy’s words reflected Vanora’s own trepidation.

“He’s an incubus. Swearing on his cock is like swearing on the…” Sheila hesitated.

“…Bible,” Greg finished for her. “But only if lying after swearing on the Bible got you struck with a bolt of lightning.”

“His power is in his…” Sheila flinched, gesturing with one hand toward Greg’s lap, clearly uncomfortable with the continued discussion of the demon’s sexual organ.

“Powerful penis,” Greg said with obvious glee.

“Will anything bad happen to you if you swear on it and break your oath?” Vanora concentrated on Greg, attempting to hear his thoughts. All she heard was the buzzing of flies. It was disconcerting.

“If I break an oath sworn on my own power, I vanquish myself. And that is not something I want to do, trust me. I like being on this plane of existence. A lot. There’s so much fresh pus-”

“I get it,” Vanora said rapidly, cutting him off.

Greg grinned, flashing all his teeth.

…I believe he will protect you…

Vanora directed her gaze at Alexander and slightly nodded. She actually believed the demon would guard her, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some additional assurances.

“Do it,” she said to Greg.

Dramatically rolling his eyes, Greg stood up, placed both hands over his crotch and said, “I swear on my almighty cock that I will protect Vanora against all harm and will not do anything naughty and sexual unless she begs me, too.”

“Gross,” Tracy muttered.

Sheila let out a weary sigh while Alexander just looked amused.

Angel shook his head with disgust. “Vanora, maybe you should wait.”

“I can’t.” Vanora’s voice was firm. “I have to do this.”

“What is
this
exactly?” Tracy asked, gesturing toward the do-it-yourself fire pit. “You’ve been really vague.”

Rubbing her frozen hands together, Vanora considered whether or not she should answer. How much should she tell anyone? She’d confided a bit to Sheila earlier, but the situation was mired in ancient magic she didn’t even understand. So much had been hidden for so long. Yet, she was certain the answers were tucked within her own soul. That was something Carys probably never anticipated. The magic that had created Vanora had also imbued her with the secrets to her destiny. The temple within her mind had been waiting for her all along.

“This is a ritual to help me understand exactly what’s happening to me and also to help me unlock my power,” Vanora finally answered.

“Because you’re a witch?” Tracy sounded and looked skeptical.

Drawing on the golden power that now burned steadily within her, Vanora directed it to do her bidding. The windows all slammed shut at the same time, startling the vampires. “Yes, because I’m a witch.”

Clamping her mouth shut and taking a cautious step into the hallway, Tracy gave Vanora a curt nod.

Angel gave Vanora a proud nod and a slight smile. “Kick ass.”

“The sun is nearly up. We have to hide now.” Sheila didn’t move from the doorway, but her eyes were filled with warmth and love. “I hope you find the answers you need.”

Tears rimmed her lashes, but Vanora didn’t shed them. “Thank you, Sheila.”

…
be careful…

“I will,” Vanora answered Alexander.

The vampire dared to approach and press a kiss to the top of her head. It was so like something Roman would do, she clung to his arm for a second, relishing the moment. Releasing her, Alexander followed the other vampires into the depths of the house. They’d sleep in a crawlspace during the hours of the day.

Vanora’s cellphone let out a little chirp. She instantly snatched it up and peered at the message.

Are you safe
?

Heart thudding hard in her chest, Vanora quickly answered Armando.
Yes, are you?

The ache for him was almost unbearable. The morning before she’d fallen asleep in his arms and now he wasn’t even with her.

Yes, but he wants me to take you to him.

Vanora shuddered, then typed,
Can you resist the edict?

“Is it Armando?” Greg asked.

Vanora nodded, waiting anxiously for his answer.

“Don’t tell him where we are.”

“I won’t.”

The message dinged into her phone.
No.

Pressing her lips together to fight back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, Vanora pressed the phone to her chest.

“Hey, Snow White, it’s gonna be okay once you power up.” Greg gave her an encouraging thumb up.

Greg’s words weren’t that much of a comfort. Armando should be at her side, not the demon. This was all because of Aeron and some ridiculous prophecy.

I hate him
.

We’ll find a way.

Vanora could hear the words clearly in his voice as she read them. She missed him so much.

Yes. I love you,
she wrote back.

She was not only fighting for herself and her sister, but also for Armando. She didn’t know what sort of future they could possibly have, but she wanted him free of his slavery to Aeron.

Love you,
came the simple response that held so much meaning and power.

The first rays of pale sunlight shimmered against the floorboards. The tall oleander bushes outside the window and fence in the backyard provided privacy from the outside world. Wiping a tear away with the back of her hand, Vanora knew Armando was asleep.

“So what do you need from me, mega-witch?”

Greg’s voice was not the one she yearned to hear, but she couldn’t hold that against him. He was trying to help her, though for his own selfish reasons.

“Keep me safe from any danger that might affect me while I’m in the trance,” Vanora answered, regaining her composure. “And don’t stare.”

She shrugged off her coat revealing her nude body. Trembling in the cold, she drew the plain white cotton sheet she had purchased earlier around her body to form a hood and cloak. It provided very little warmth, but she knew it was important to mirror as closely as possible the scene within her mind.

“Shit, Vanora,” Greg breathed in.

“What?” Hostility gave a sharp edge to the word.

“Your skin…” The incubus moved closer, still crouched, and pointed to her arm.

Vanora didn’t see the phenomena immediately, but the longer she stared the clearer it became. Beneath the surface of her skin, it looked like luminescent gold was slipping through her veins. Eyes widening, Vanora lifted her eyes to Greg’s awed face. “My magic?”

“Oh, yeah. That’s your magic. It’s even in your hair.”

Pulling a lock forward, Vanora saw glints of gold sifting through the white strands. “Then I’m doing this right…”

“Yeah, definitely.” Greg retreated a few steps. Though he appeared entranced, he also looked wary. “I haven’t seen anything like this in…fuck me…a thousand years or more.”

Taking a deep breath, Vanora picked up the bottle she had set at her side. Earlier, she had poured Dead Sea salt into the spring water inside. Giving it a few hard shakes, she watched the white sediment swirling within the liquid.

“Okay, here I go.”

“Good luck, kid,” Greg said, and actually sounded like he meant it.

Pouring the water into the palm of one hand, she set the bottle aside. Careful to keep the water from spilling through her fingers, she extended her arm over the fire pit. The heat radiating from it instantly warmed her bare skin.

Vanora closed her eyes.

The temple rose around her. She sat at one end of the fire pit while the three women resembling Lorelei, Carys, and Rhonda stood on the other. Deep shadows filled the temple that was only illuminated by the burning coals in the pit. The bronze box now hovered above the fire pit, the golden light flickering over its surface.

Rotating her hand, Vanora poured the salt water onto the coals. Instantly steam flared upwards, obscuring her vision. The heat of the vapor flushed her skin. The ground beneath her now felt like stone, not thin carpeting, and the air was much warmer and smelled of spicy incense. The sensation of being transported to another time and place nearly sent her into a panic, but Vanora fought the impulse to flee. She had chosen to perform the ritual. This was her taking firm hold of her destiny. That thought calmed her.

When the haze dissipated, another woman sat on the opposite side of the pit. She was also draped in white, black hair with one white streak tumbling over one shoulder. Beneath her hood, a swatch of white cloth obscured her eyes. The three women that had taken on the guises of her mother, roommate, and enemy still stood behind the oracle, but were now embraced by the gloom. In the faded light, they no longer resembled the women who had played such important roles in Vanora’s life.

“At last, you've embrace your fate,” the oracle said, her pink lips smiling.

And in that moment, Vanora was terrified.

Read the next thrilling episode now!

Episode 12: Journey into the White

You can also purchase the other episodes in the series, or the season compilations:

Complete Season 1

Complete Season 2

Rhiannon Frater is an award-winning author of all things scary and lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and furry babies.

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