Witch (16 page)

Sam

"I need you."

Hanna looked up at him, she almost smiled for a second but
then stopped herself. She rose from the chair fluidly.

"For what?"

He felt his gaze grow serious, "How much do you love
me? Like for real love?"

She nodded, "More than anything."

"Would you sacrifice our love to fix me? It's part of
the solution."

She paused before she nodded, "I would."

He put his hand out for her to take. She took it and they were
in the rock garden outside instantly.

She looked confused. He squeezed her hand.

"Hey." He walked pulling her along to where
Ophelia sat with a blanket.

She looked miserable, "Hey." She looked at their
hands together. Sam dropped Hanna's hand and sat down.

Hanna sat down on the blanket. She looked at them both,
"What's the plan?"

Ophelia swallowed hard, "I am going to take the bond
from you both, you have to give it to me willingly."

Hanna frowned, "What will you do with it?"

Ophelia squirmed, "Repair it."

"Then?"

"Then I keep it. Sam will be matched to me. Only one
sided but at least he will have all his emotions back."

Hanna looked down, "Will he ever get over you?"

Ophelia shrugged, "I don’t know."

Hanna looked up at Sam and nodded back a tear, "Lets
do it."

Sam knew all of it was far more than she deserved to
suffer. She hadn’t done anything that wrong. The image of the man groping her
bothered him still but it didn’t seem like the big deal he's made it. Her words
burned inside of him but it too wasn’t the do all end all of the world. He
wished he could take it all back.

Ophelia lit the candles and pulled out the red pillow and
the goblet and knife. She looked focused. She took Sam's hand and dragged the
knife across it. It stung slightly.

She did the same to Hanna who made a brave face. Ophelia
squeezed Hanna's hand over the goblet and then his. She poured wine in and then
cut her own hand. She rubbed their hands together and let the mixed blood drip
onto the red pillow. They each took a turn drinking the blood.

He watched as dark shadows from the moons light crept
along the ground like snakes.

"Ophelia what is that?"

She looked scared as they swirled their way up her legs.
Her lower lip trembled as they made their way up her stomach and vanished. She gasped
and shook her head.

When she opened her eyes they were solid black but stars
sparkled from them. A calm smile crept across her face. It was disturbing.

Ophelia took the knife and the red pillow and bound them
up in a package. She got up and left them there.

Sam looked at Hanna who stared at the wine glass.

"I want to say how sorry I am. Now that the anger is
gone from it all I really think I over reacted Hanna."

She looked crushed, "Don’t say that. Please don’t
make this be for nothing Sam. My heart is broken and I don’t know how to fix
it."

He nodded, "I know. I think you should ask Roland, he
knows stuff."

She got up from the blanket and walked away.

Sam felt sick suddenly. He couldn’t fight it, he was
nauseas. He couldn’t flash.

He stumbled away from the blanket to the inside of the
house. He made it inside when everything went black.

xxxx

He woke to Aimee next to him. She stroked his face.

He frowned, "What are you doing?"

"I found you. I get to keep you."

He laughed and then winced, "I'm in agony again. I'm
thinking Ophelia might have messed it up."

"Stop being a baby. At least you can feel the
pain."

Sam smiled, "I can feel something else."

She frowned.

He laughed, "I'm fucking annoyed with you right
now."

Aimee giggled, "Yay. Can we go back to being the
friends where you sympathize with me and my sadness over breakups? I kind of
missed you having a heart. Or sarcasm."

He sighed, "Sweet friggen god Aimes I don’t want to
talk about it anymore."

She squealed and hugged him, "You are back."

He laughed and felt joy for the first time in what felt
like ages. He thought about Hanna but nothing but wounded pride and a slight
amount of anger floated around in him. He thought about Ophelia and nothing. He
looked at Aimee and smiled, "I'm free." He let his head rest on the
bed next to her. "I feel like I've fought a battle and haven’t slept in
ages but."

She kissed his forehead, "Sleep now. I won’t leave
you. Just in case the horrid heartless other you comes back and tries to take
over."

Sam smirked and rolled on his side trying not to wince in
pain, "You kick his ass if he comes back Aimes. Kick it hard."

Her eyes glossed, "Sam no one knows what it's like to
sink into a pit of despair like me. You've got to have someone there to pull
you out."

He remembered her stories about the days before Aleks and
how sad she was. He fell asleep feeling sad and not for himself.

xxxx

He woke again feeling groggy but the pains that had been
burning through him were gone. He looked around the room for Aimee, but he was
alone. He got up and stretched. He felt a hunger he hadn’t felt in ages. His
need was strong. He could feel it on himself. He pulled on some jeans and a
t-shirt and stumbled out to find food.

A blur shot past him in the hall and suddenly his back was
slammed into the plaster of the wall. A warm mouth pressed against his neck.
Savagely a dark head of hair nuzzled into him. He tried to pull back but she
slammed him into the wall again. Her warm lips caressed his throat. He shoved
hard and flashed.

Giselle stood at the end of the hall he had just left.
Blood trickled down his throat. She licked her lips. He could see the black
eyes from where he stood. He put a hand out, "Giselle calm down."

She snarled at him, "Come here Sam."

He flashed to the kitchen where Aimee sat staring out the
window. She glanced back at him and smiled, "Hey look who's awake. How are
you feeling?" She frowned at the dark blood running down his neck where
his hand was.

He scowled, "Giselle."

She raised an eyebrow, "Did she just blood rape
you?" She sniffed the air around him, "That is pretty unbearable Sam.
What is that?"

He shook his head, "Nothing."

"Doesn’t smell like nothing." She got up from
her seat grinning.

He took a step back, "Aimes, for Christ sake not
now."

She nodded, "I want it now."

He flashed to Lydia's. She was stirring a cup of tea in
the kitchen. She wrinkled her nose, "Oh Sam. Come on. Take care of
that."

He sat at the table, "I can't."

She smiled, "Wait, if you're emitting that then you
must feel again?"

He glanced up at her old face and bit his lip. He nodded.

Her face dropped, "Did you go find the black
witches?"

His eyes darted to the table. He lowered his head in
shame. He had no idea whose marriage Ophelia ruined to save him. He felt sick
when he thought about it.

"Sam."

"Went to Lillian. They gave us the spell."

She dropped the cup of tea, "Sam what have you
done?"

He shook his head, "Nothing."

"Who did Ophelia push the heartbreak on?"

She sat across from him. He couldn’t meet her gaze.

"I don’t know. She just took it and left."

She put her hands over her face, "Oh honey. What have
you done? Your feelings for Ophelia will be so intense Sam. Her being a witch
they will push onto her. You'll force her to love you."

He looked down, "When I think about her I don’t feel
anything."

She sighed, "Babe you haven’t seen her since she gave
away the broken heart have you?"

He shook his head.

"Oh goddess."

He looked up to her frightened face, "Can you
help?"

She shook her head, "No honey."

"Can I stay here?"

She nodded, "Of course you can. Your room is always
going to be your room."

He felt defeated as he rose and stalked off to his
bedroom. The hunger in his stomach and everywhere else was painful but he
couldn’t help but hate the choices he'd made.

Ophelia

The darkness of the shadows scared her. She felt them
tickle inside of her. She sat perfectly still but they moved inside like snakes
writhing around in her belly.

She felt movement in the room and glanced up at Oliver in
the doorway.

He looked worried.

"Are they inside of you?"

She frowned, "Who?"

"The shadows."

She nodded.

He bent and pulled a small dagger from his boot. He walked
to her and knelt on the floor in front of her.

"I have to get them out."

She watched as he took her hand in his. It looked tiny
compared to his hands. He poked her finger on the tip. He put it up to his
mouth and kissed the prick. He pricked his finger and pressed their bloody
fingertips together.

Light filled the spot with incredible warmth.

The warmth ran up her fingers and into her hand. Soon her
entire arm was tingling with warmth. She looked at his blue eyes expecting to
see love or kindness but his face was filled with regret. She watched as the
light shot through her body as if lighting her veins up with yellow glow
sticks. The warmth touched every inch of her. She opened her mouth and a light
beam shot from it.

An agonizing pain stabbed into her stomach. She doubled
over in pain. The light and dark had a war inside of her. She felt the sweat
start to build on her brow.

"Just give it a minute."

She looked up at Oliver. His beautiful face was covered in
anger. She assumed it was directed at her.

She screamed as the pain blacked her vision. She could
hear herself screaming but the sound got quieter.

xxxx

Cold shivers woke her. Her face hurt. The cold stone
pressed against her face, it was painful against her eyebrow. She put her hands
on the cold floor and pushed until she was sitting upright. She felt the gurgle
of her stomach. She heaved once.

"Here." She felt his hands on her back as the
empty garbage pail was put in front of her face. Her stomach retched. The most
bizarre thing happened when she threw up. Black goo came out. The feeling of it
against her lips made her retch more.

"Let it out."

Her stomach was completely hardened as she gripped the
pail. She almost screamed as the black goo shot from her lips.

She coughed spattering it against the stark white pail.

She looked up, "What is it?"

"The part of you that died."

She frowned, "What?" She coughed again. Dark red
blood filled her mouth.

"The shadow kills some of you off when it gets
inside. It kills the light and the good. It's like a cancer. You've let it in
too many times now."

She shivered.

He got up and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.

"Are you full of shadows too?"

He looked pinched for a moment, "Sort of."

"Can you get it out?"

He shook his head, "Mine is different than yours.
Mine is more like pieces of my soul."

"What happens if you die?"

"I will cease to exist. I have let the dark kill
enough of my soul that I if I die I will just vanish."

"God can't help you?"

He laughed, "He probably could but he won't. I made
my choice."

She nodded, "Like my father?"

He nodded rubbing her back, "Your father doesn’t have
an ounce of love or light inside of him. He is completely dead inside
now."

"Did he ever love my mother?"

Oliver looked like he was about to smile, but he stopped
himself. He shook his head, "He has loved power, always."

Ophelia looked at the garbage pail, "Why did you
choose his side?"

"I didn’t believe they deserved what they had."

She frowned.

"The humans. I thought they were nothing. So weak and
pathetic. I didn’t understand why we were trying to save them when we could use
them."

She pushed herself up and lifted the pail. He reached for
it but she moved it out of his grip, "Uh no. I don’t want you to see this.
It's nasty."

He stood up in front of her, she noticed his body's heat
and shivered again.

"I have to take it Ophelia. I have no choice. You
have to get rid of it a certain way."

She held the bucket and shook her head, "No."

He laughed, "Yes." He reached a long arm behind
her and took the pail of goo from her firm grip.

He took it and walked out. She felt sick and disgusting.
Her finger tingled where he had rubbed their fingers together like blood
brothers would.

Aimee walked in looking feisty, "Have you seen
Sam?"

Ophelia watched Oliver leave and shook her head.

"He told me what you had to do."

Ophelia looked at the steely grey eyes of the death dealer
and nodded. She didn’t want to talk about it.

Aimee looked sad, "Is there any way it backfired a
little?"

"Why?"

"Giselle attacked him and he smelled like sex on a
stick."

Ophelia snorted, "Gross image there man. I don’t
know. I've never done any of this shit before. He asked I did. I can't seem to
say no to him."

Aimee chewed her lip, "Come with me. I think I know
where he would hide from Giselle."

Ophelia took her hand and instantly they were standing in
the hallway outside Sam's room.

Ophelia could smell it in the air, "He's here."

Aimee flashed a grin, "That's the worst he's ever
been. Normally he's just tempting. This is nuts."

Ophelia looked at her and shook her head, "Let me go
in alone. You look like you might eat him."

Aimee squirmed a little, "I might."

Ophelia knocked lightly and opened the door a crack,
"Sam?"

"Lydia came running down the hall,
"NOOOOOO."

The sound became part of the background noise. Ophelia saw
and heard nothing beyond the heart beating in his chest. She took a step toward
him. His dark eyes flickered when they saw her.

Sam smiled at her, his eyes grew. He whispered,
"Shit."

She nodded and closed the door.

Sam flashed against her, pinning the door shut. His mouth
was on hers instantly. She was pulling her own shirt off as he was stripping
his jeans off. They flashed and he was on top of her between her legs. His body
slid against hers as his tongue licked up her throat.

His huge hands pulled at her skin, kneading her as if he
was trying to meld them.

She moaned.

A cold rush of air burst between them and she was standing
in the hallway at Giselle's in her underwear and tank top with one sock on. She
looked at Aimee who was wide eyed next to her.

"What the fuck?" She asked breathlessly.

Aimee burst out laughing as Ophelia burst into tears.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god." Aimee held
her hands at her lips.

Ophelia sank onto the floor to sob into her hands. She
felt like a piece of her heart was missing suddenly.

His fingers bit into her arm and she was standing on a
cliff overlooking the ocean. Cold wind whipped her dark hair around her face.

She turned to see Sam standing beside her.

His dark eyes were filled with passion, "I've got to
admit something."

She looked at him, "I know. Witches are more
sensitive to Sirens and angels. Dorian makes me want to touch him and I would
run away with Oliver tomorrow. You, well you make me feel like I found the
other half of my soul.

He took a step closer, "It's not real."

She reached out for his bare chest and ran her fingernails
down his torso softly, "It feels real."

He nodded and took another step closer, "I want it to
be real."

She gulped and let his arms fold around her, "What
about Hanna."

He shook his head, "I can't make myself love
her."

He lowered his lips on hers and gently brushed against
them.

"I don't think I can stop myself."

"Then don’t."

He scooped her up in his arms and knelt on the mossy
cliff. His hands made fire wherever they touched. He ran them along her stomach
and hips and down her thighs. She shivered as the cold wind chased his fingers
along her skin. He bent his face and kissed her arm. He slid her tank top down
her shoulder. His kisses moved along after the fabric, wherever it left he
kissed.

Slow burning warmth started to burn in her stomach. She
moaned as the cold wind whipped across her naked breast. His mouth chased away
the wind with his warm breath landing on her bare nipple. She cried out as he
flicked her nipple with his hot tongue. She felt herself melting into him. His
hands caressed as his mouth sucked and kissed its way down her breasts and onto
her stomach. He trailed along her naval.

She closed her eyes and let the excitement and pleasure
build inside of her. She ached for him.

"I want to love you for real Ophelia."

She realized what he said and moaned, "This is
wrong."

"Yes, yes it is." He murmured into her neck. He
slipped his fingers under the waist of her panties. He slid his fingers inside
and traced the waistband along her stomach. She moaned his name.

He kissed her cheek and then the corner of her lips. She
turned her face to press her lips against his but he had pulled back,
"Sam."

She opened her eyes, "What?"

He looked angry, "Sam."

"Okay."

"You called me Oliver."

She shook her head,
 
"I didn’t."

He nodded, "I heard you crystal clear."

He slid on top of her and pressed himself against her,
"Ophelia I want you but not if you don’t want me."

She swallowed and licked her lips, "I do."

He kissed her cheek, "Do you want Oliver?"

She pressed her lips together and knit her eyebrows
together, "Well it's just that. You know. He uhm. He's like you and all
you guys mess with me. Like I said Dorian and Oliver and you. Sometimes I even
feel like that about Lucas."

He nodded, "But you can tell the difference between
me and them, right?"

She nodded. His weight on top of her was starting to hurt
her back.

He was pinning her to the ground.

She struggled a little, "Oliver I want to go
home."

He pushed her into the ground again, "IT'S SAM!"

She flinched, "I know. You're scaring me. Sam get
off."

He pressed her into the grass, "I want you to want me
Ophelia."

She shook her head as tears started to flow from her
cheeks, "Please not like this Sam."

His fingers bit into her wrists. She felt his erection
pressing into her pelvic bone through his jeans.
 
She felt the darkness coming to her as she panicked.

"WHY DON'T YOU WANT ME? WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME THE
MOST?"

"Sam."

The voice she heard was like angels singing. Sam was
knocked off of her and then in a flash of color she was alone lying on the
cliffs with the wind whipping around her.

She felt relief and the agony of the distance. She sat
upright and pulled her knees into her chest. She shook her head, trying to
remove the look in his eyes. He looked insane. She looked around at the shadows
she had called to her. They slithered around the ground like baby snakes.

They surrounded her like a wreath of shadows in the moss.
The wetness of the moss soaked into the bum of her panties. She rocked back and
forth. She knew why her mother would have called the magic of the garden. The
helpless feeling of being pinned underneath of another person was enough to
destroy a person.

Her attraction and want of him didn't fade or diminish
even slightly. She wanted him more as the distance between them grew.

She looked around for Oliver. She had heard his voice. The
ocean was grey and wild below her and above the sky was filled with angry
looking clouds.

"Ophelia."

She flinched at the sound of her name to see Hanna and
Aimee standing beside her. Hanna's cheeks were soaked in tears.

Ophelia covered her face in shame. Her magic had made a
monster out of the sweetest man alive. Sam wouldn’t hurt her and she knew it.
She had destroyed the pure love he had felt for Hanna and broken both of their
hearts. Not to mention the happy couple she had destroyed the night before.

"I've got her."

She looked to her left to see Oliver standing across from
Aimee. She sat in the middle of them.

Hanna came and knelt on the ground next to her, "Sam
sent me a text. He sent a message saying what he did. He can't face you."

Ophelia felt her eyes fill with tears, "I did
this."

Aimee snarled, "He did this." Ophelia looked at
Oliver, where Aimee pointed.

"He told Sam how to fix it."

Hanna nodded, "Don’t trust him Ophelia. We can get
them back without him."

She watched his eyes sparkle with fear and trepidation.
She put a hand out to Hanna, "I want to go home."

Aimee reached for them and she was in the bathroom at
Giselle's, standing in front of the massive soaker tub.

Aimee was already filling it with water. She looked at
Hanna and smiled, "I can do it."

Hanna nodded. Her lower lip trembled, "Okay. Ready in
an hour?"

Aimee nodded. Hanna walked from the bathroom.

Ophelia felt for Sam but he was nowhere close.

She pulled her underwear and tank off and stepped into the
huge tub. Aimee sat on the toilet across from her, "I don’t have to tell
you what this has done to him."

Ophelia shook her head, "I know why Lydia told me not
to meddle. She told me not to do magic."

Aimee shook her head, "When I was changed at first. I
murdered a girl in the woods outside my town. Dorian let me kill her. I thought
she was a sweet innocent girl." A tear escaped her hard grey eye. She
wiped it away and laughed at herself, "I knew nothing. She was a nanny to
these kids and she hurt them on purpose. She was a bad woman. She would have
become a serial killer possibly. Anyway Dorian snatched her and let me murder
her and he let me believe she was an innocent. He did it to scare the shit out
of me so I wouldn’t murder anyone else. I would remember the look on her face
and never let my powers get the best of me."