Magestorm: The Reckoning (5 page)

12

It was obvious that there were very few actual guards at the Grand.
 After watching for over three hours, Dhane saw no patrols circle the building.  Instead, a guard would pop his head out each of the exits, look around real quick, and then head back in.  And it was always the same guard.  Clearly they were short-handed.

Quietly but quickly, he crept up to the hotel and peered through windows, watching for any signs of life.
 Once he was sure things were all clear he checked the windows, hoping to find one unlocked.  Room after room he checked until finally the sixth empty room had an unlocked window.  Gently he slid it up and listened for any alarms.  There were none.

He climbed inside
and slid it shut behind him.  Next he waited patiently for the guard to come down the hall again and check out the back door.  Once he finished his check, he disappeared back into the lobby and Dhane had about fifteen minutes of freedom in the hall.

The question now was, would Elisabeth keep the spell books in her own room, the library, or the council room?
 Assuming she had taken Cassandra’s suite, it would be difficult to get into that room upstairs.  This floor housed both the library and council room, so that was where he would start.

First came the library, and a spell of
invisibility kept him from any prying eyes that might show up.  The spell was great from a distance, and kept the video cameras from picking him up.  He just needed to be careful not to bump anything.  The library vault was wide open and empty, so it was off to the council room.

He pushed the door slowly open, hoping nobody was inside to catch him.
 Once he could see into the room, a quick glance didn’t reveal anyone, and there were several piles of books on the table.  Perhaps the spell book was among them.

Once he had slipped inside, he crept silently in the dark to where the books sat, wondering why he hadn’t brought a flashlight with him.
 The table prevented any spells, and he couldn’t risk the lights being on, so he carefully worked his way through the stack.  Most of the books didn’t feel right, either in size or weight, and a couple had covers that clearly didn’t match.  Once he had a small stack of possibilities sat aside, he turned and stepped towards the door.

“Hello, lover.”

The lights flicked on and he froze.
 The last person he ever wanted to see again was standing in the doorway.  Wearing tight leather pants and a crimson blouse that nearly revealed everything, the smile on Heather’s face was one of a starving lion that just found a hobbled gazelle.  It was dinner time, and Dhane was on the menu.

Soon he became aware of the other four vampires in the room and he knew he was done.
 The psycho bitch had led him into the one room where his powers were useless.  One way or another, she would pay for this... eventually.

A glance at the books in his hands revealed what he already knew.
 The spell book wasn’t here.  With a swing of his arms, he tossed books in all directions and charged towards the door.  For a moment, he thought he just might reach it.  Instead two of the vampires caught him and he crashed to the ground with a thud.  Overpowered, he struggled none-the-less.

“Relax, lover.
 You’re with me now, and forever.”

“Get the fuck away from me, you bi...”

Her teeth sunk into his neck and soon the fight was taken from him.
 Lightheaded and weak, despite all the fight he could muster, he lost his hold on consciousness.  The last thought to cross his mind was a brief hope that he wouldn’t wake up from this.

“Cover him and take him to my room.
 Put him straight to bed and take your places at the doors.”

Three vampires nodded and carried the mage down the hallway with a blanket over him.
 They would pretend it was the fourth of Heather’s soldiers, if anyone asked.  Once they were out of sight, Heather looked to the other remaining vampire.

“Clean this up and make sure there are no traces of him even showing up here.
 After that is done, you will take charge of the others.  I want nothing to interrupt my honeymoon.”

“If Elisabeth catches you with him, you know what she’ll do.”

“She will do nothing!
 He is mine, period.  Besides, once I have him securely under my control, she’ll get what’s coming to her.”

13

Soon darkness would overtake the afternoon sky, and evening would arrive.  That was when the moment of truth would come for her.  Either she would begin her eternity alone, or she would feel the embrace of the world’s last hero.

Both thoughts made Samantha feel anxious, but in different ways.
 In one scenario, she would feel alive again, touched, held, kissed, and so much more.  However, she would always know the truth, that she was the ‘other option’ to his true love.  Would his second choice be better than no one’s choice?

Stop thinking, just do.

Into the shower she h
eaded, shaving her legs, trimming her pubic hair, and washing thoroughly.  Strawberry shampoo washed through her hair and left its after-smell behind.  Once she was out, her toenails and fingernails were cleaned and colored, her teeth brushed, a nice perfume put on, and then she headed to the closet.

Should I really be naked?
 Maybe it would be better to have something I could remove seductively.  Oh screw it.

She climbed into the bed and laid back, thinking about what might happen.
 Looking at the clock, she realized he probably wouldn’t be home real soon.  Back out of bed she went, and started cleaning things up.  Nervous energy was threatening to consume her.

A knock at the door made her heart leap into her throat.
 A split second of thinking it was Dhane had frozen her for a moment.  The realization that he had a key and wouldn’t knock finally sunk in.  Grabbing a robe and tying it tightly, she hurried to the door and peered through the peephole.

“Hey Cassandra,” she said as she opened the door

The former council head smiled as she entered.  When the whiff of perfume caught her nose, she suddenly wondered if she was interrupting.  Dhane wouldn’t likely be back from where he went this soon.

“Is everything okay, Samantha?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.  Why?”

Cassandra sat on the bed next to her and smiled again.
 This time the smile was sad and Samantha looked down at her hands.  She hated feeling this way and hated that everyone could tell.  Hiding her feelings wasn’t her strong point, it seemed.

“I know you’ve been struggling with things since we had to leave the Grand.
 It will get better.  I truly believe that.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it will.
 Dhane said the same thing.”

“Listen, it’s easy to do something you might regret later when you feel down.
 Trying to grasp onto something for all the wrong reasons won’t make it better.  When all is said and done, you’ll probably only feel worse.”

She nodded, though she wasn’t sure she agreed.
 Perhaps this was what both of them needed, something to rejuvenate them before trying to take back the spell books, the Grand, and everything else.  Regardless, she had put herself out there and it was for him to decide what might come next.  Either he would have her or leave her lonely, and she would accept his decision.

“I appreciate you coming to talk with me and giving your advice.
 However, I think the decision on whether two consenting adults get together is between them.  I’ve offered myself to Dhane, and whatever he wants to do is fine with me.  I don’t believe I’ll regret it either way.”

“I just don’t want him confused, filled with thoughts of should he,
or shouldn’t he.  The death of Lila, and disappearance of Amelia have been hard on him.  I don’t really know where his head is at, even now.  These trips off alone, putting himself in danger against vampires, it’s not him.  He may come to have strong feelings for you, or he may not.  Trying to push a decision like this on him isn’t fair.  Just...be careful with him.”

“As I said, he can decide what to do from here.
 I made a single offer to him, and I’ll leave it at that.  I promise.”

Cassandra nodded solemnly and rose from the bed.
 There was more to say, she was sure of it, but nothing came to mind.  Of course, Samantha was right; this was between Dhane and her.  

“Oh, Cassandra, one more thing.  I contacted an old friend from my previous council.  She did some checking and found a werewolf that used to date Veronica.  I’ve left a message for him.  Maybe he can help us find and rescue her.”

“Ok, great.  Thanks Samantha.”

With that, she said a quick goodbye and exited the room.
  There was a chill in the air as she walked a few doors down to the room she shared with Amber.  Inside, she tried to warm herself by the radiator, but the chill just wouldn’t leave.  Amber walked over to her and put her arms around her.

“I drew you a bath.
 Come and let me bathe you.”

“Thanks Amber, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Amber walked into the next room and Cassandra started to undress.  There was nothing more to say or even think about in regards to their friends.  She could only hope he would make the right decision, whatever that was.

14

“Wake up, lover,” Heather whispered into Dhane’s ear.

Gently petting him, running her fingers over his bare skin, she was lying naked next to him on the bed.
 Attached to the headboard was a piece of kryptonite: a small block of the council room table, removed from underneath where nobody would notice.  No magic would be taking place in this room.

He stirred and realized his head was absolutely throbbing.
 There was a pain in his neck as well, pulsing on the left side.  It took him a little bit to remember where he was.  Surely he was with Amelia.  Yes, that was it.  She had retrieved him from the farmhouse after the attack.  That’s why he was in pain and so foggy.

“Amelia.”

With a smile, she slid her hand down his body and between his legs.
 Gently stroking her fingers across his manhood, he quickly became erect.  This was just what he needed, she imagined.  United again, it would remind him just how perfect they were together, even if he was struggling to realize who he was with right now.

“Yes, my dear.
 Do you want me?”

Soft kisses
up his neck, across his cheek, and to his lips egged him on.  He responded by returning the kiss and her excitement soared.  She yanked the sheet off of him to reveal his naked body and climbed onto his lap.

She took him inside her wetness quickly and forcefully.
 Moans and grunts escaped them both as she rode him hard.  Moving his hands to her breasts, she held them there and encouraged him to clutch her tightly.

Hips in steady motion, she wished he was in
a condition to fuck her the way she wanted.  She would take what she could get though.  The solid erection pumping into her was just what she needed.

As she continued to work him, Dhane began to gain some clarity of the situation.
 What had started as a dream about Amelia was suddenly a nightmare.  His eyes focused and he became determined to get her off of him.  As if on queue, she leaned over him and bit into his neck.  Blood flowed into her, satisfying one appetite, just as the other was filled as well.  Dhane was powerless to stop her.

Try as he might, spells weren’t working and he was too weak to physically overpower her.
 Of course, if he could, she would just think it was foreplay.  It didn’t take long for him to pass out again from the loss of blood.  He managed two words before he did.

“Crazy bitch...”
             

It was over an hour before he woke again.
 This time he didn’t reveal he was awake, instead concentrating on what he could discover about his surroundings.  Slightly moving each hand, he realized his wrists were bound.  Checking his legs, his ankles were tied also.  He was lying on a bed, naked beneath the covers.  Music could be heard from the next room and he hoped that meant he was alone.

Opening just one eye first, he glanced around quickly and closed it.
 He tried it again and this time was sure he was alone.  Opening both eyes, he moved around and pulled on his restraints to test their resilience.  They were sound.  Plopping his head against the pillow, he noticed something on the headboard above him.

It seemed to be some weird black wooden piece of garbage, which had a round disc-shaped spot cut out.
 Why would she have that nailed to her headboard?  Then he realized what it was.

Oh fuck me.

Now he realized just how trapped he was.
 It may be days, weeks, or months before he would get any opportunity to escape.  Perhaps he had made a mistake in trying to do this all alone.  The others were willing to help, but he didn’t want to put them in danger for his own quest for revenge.

The door suddenly opened before he could pretend to still be unconscious.
 Heather smiled at seeing him awake and jumped on the bed to lay next to him.

“Hello there, lover.
 Did you miss me?”

“Yeah, like a urinary tract infection.”

“Oh how you flatter me.”

She forcefully pushed his head to the side and rubbed on the puncture wounds on his neck, like she was checking that they were healing correctly.
 In reality, it was just an act to show him who was in control.

“I need to take a leak.
 Do I just go here?”

“Of course not, you use the bathroom.
 Here, let me undo your straps...”

Once both straps were undone on his wrists, he shoved her away from him, slamming her head against the wall.
 With his captor dazed, he quickly unstrapped his ankles and jumped off the bed.  He reached the door just in time to get thrown back by two of her vampire henchmen.

“I like it rough, but not that rough.”

With fury in her eyes, she got off the bed and walked over to where he had landed on the floor.  Grabbing him between his legs with a death grip, he cried out and took hold of her throat.  With the others behind her, he was in a losing fight.

“Don’t even think about it,” she spat.
 “You belong to me now, and you’ll follow my rules.”

Her fingernails started to dig in, so he released her throat and glared at her defiantly.
 The smile that crept across her face made him want to puke.  She released him and ordered the others to take him to the bathroom.  Before he could hurry through the door, she stopped him.

“Hold on, I have a gift for you.”

A metal collar was put on him, around his throat, and locked into place.  Hanging from the collar and a strong metal chain was the silver disc missing from the piece of council table attached to the headboard.  The bitch had thought of everything.

An image flashed into his mind and almost made him laugh out loud.
 It was Christopher Reeve in the first Superman movie.  The arch villain, Lex Luthor, put kryptonite on a chain and hung it around his neck to keep him weak.  Yeah, comparing himself to Superman now.  No delusions of grandeur there.

Once it was secured, the other two men escorted him from the room.
 With a quick glance around the rest of the living areas, he quickly realized he was in familiar surroundings.  This psycho was holding him captive in his own room.

He thought about where essential decorating items might be, such as stakes to kill vampires.
 Surely he had some hanging on a wall or stuffed under couch cushions, right?  Not quite.  If he survived, he would damn sure make sure to have some hidden weapons in the future.  That was a big “if” at this point.

After using the bathroom, the vampires escorted him to where Heather sat on the couch.
 Shoved down onto a chair, he waited for what was next, just thankful to be getting his strength back.

“So, have you settled down now?”

“Sure, if by settled down you mean waiting patiently for my next chance to get away from you.  Haven’t you figured it out by now?  I’ll never be with you, this little fairy tale will never happen.  I don’t love you; quite the opposite in fact.”

“Well, let me tell you something.
 This little fairy tale will happen, even if I have to make it happen.  I could give two shits if you love me.  But you will be my husband, you will fuck me on command, and you will become the great wizard.  By the time that happens, you’ll understand that I’m actually helping you.  This is all for you, for us.  We will rule.”

Dhane shook his head and wanted to laugh.
 The sad truth was that she believed what she said, and she would do anything to make it happen.  The urge to laugh left him quickly.

“What about Elisabeth?
 I thought you were following her now, making her into the next great wizard.”

“That bitch is crazier than me,” she exclaimed.
 “Besides, she’s so narrow sighted.  All she cares about is destroying you and your friends, even with all the power she holds right now.  Afraid of you, who I captured so easily.”

Standing and stretching, Heather walked over to Dhane and sat on his lap.
 An arm around his neck, she ran her fingers along his chest, up his neck and across his cheek.  She leaned down and kissed him, which he accepted for now.  Once she leaned back from his face, a wicked smile covered her face.

“That’s better.
 You will find things much easier on my arm instead of tied up in my bedroom.  Together, we will be unstoppable.”