Point of No Return (11 page)

“No!” Tasha said stubbornly. “I need him! I
need him to love me, to protect me! I’m all alone here! We’re in
love!”

Titus opened his mouth and growled at her,
revealing his many rows of teeth. Tasha screamed, her eyes wide.
That woke Theo from his stupor and he lunged for her again,
roaring.

I grabbed a hold of Tasha’s hair, and yanked
it back. “Do it, you fool! Or I’ll kill you here and give your soul
to that demon!”

“Never!” she screamed. “I love him!”

“Do it,” Devlin snarled. “Or I’ll kill your
lover before your eyes. And you’ll kill yourself from despair
because of your Everlasting Love.” He yanked an explosive bullets
gun from his back, and pressed it to Theo’s neck. “You know I mean
it, even if they don’t. Release him!”

“I release him!” Tasha screamed frantically.
“Don’t hurt him!”

Theo went to his knees suddenly, then to all
fours, his body racked with tremors, pulling Danial down with him.
Devlin released Theo as he fell, and grabbed Tasha.

Tasha struggled in Devlin’s grip, her eyes on
the gun. “No, please don’t kill me—!”

Devlin tossed away the gun, then gave her a
wide grin, showing her his fangs.

“Vampire,” she breathed, her eyes wide.

Devlin sank his fangs into her throat to the
hilt. Tasha screeched, writhing, but he held her, swallowing her
down even as she fought him.

“Don’t kill her, Dev,” Danial said.

Devlin made no sound, gave no sign he heard,
still swallowing her down just as fast as he could. As she went
slack in his arms, he stopped, letting her fall to the floor with a
thud.

Terian went to her side and put pressure on
her spurting neck wounds, giving Devlin a nasty look.

“What?” Devlin said, licking his lips. “I
don't want that one coming back a vampire. I don't dare heal her,
but you can, if you choose.”

“Devlin, Danial, get ready!” Titus rumbled.
“He’s coming out of it!”

Theo had stopped shaking, and was pushing
himself up off the floor.

“What will he remember?” I said quickly.
“Anything?”

“Everything,” Titus answered. “But all he
will want is you, having you, however he can get you. He hasn’t
felt the full effects of what you share for years now. It’s going
to hit him like a sledgehammer—”

Theo’s head snapped up at that moment and his
eyes darted, and then they focused on me. “Sar,” he said softly. In
that one word was all the love and tenderness I’d thought never to
hear again. Wanting and desperate need enveloped me, squeezing my
heart like a vise. I staggered, then lunged for him.

“Hold her!” Titus warned.

Danial grabbed hold of me. I tried in vain to
shake him off. “Let me go!”

Theo exploded in movement. Devlin and Danial
together almost couldn’t hold him back. “Sar!” he screamed.
“Sar!”

I had to get to him, had to be with him. “Let
me go!” I shouted, breaking free of Danial.

“Sar!” Theo screamed again.

Terian grabbed me, his skin hot. “No, don’t
go to him!”

“Let me go!” I shouted

“A little help, Danial!” Devlin yelled,
grappling hard and fast with Theo.

Just as Danial grabbed Theo’s arm, Titus
passed his hand over Theo in a delicate movement. Theo slumped to
the ground, unconscious. Danial and Devlin both fell with him.

“You could’ve warned us,” Devlin said
nastily, getting to his feet. He and Danial lifted Theo’s prone
form up and put him on the couch.

I went to Theo’s side, clasping his hand. “Is
he okay?”

“He’ll stay like this until you fall asleep,
Sarelle,” Titus said. “Then the dream will start for you two, as it
has before.”

“Why is it always the same night?” I asked.
“Is there a reason?”

“It doesn’t have to be, Sarelle. It can be
any place you want it to be,” Titus replied.

“You mean it’s a blank slate?” I said in
wonder. “Anything?”

“Yes,” he said, giving me a small smile. “Use
it wisely. I don’t expect you’ll ever have this opportunity
again.”

“Thank you,” I said giving him a hug. “I owe
you for this.”

“No, you don’t,” he replied, hugging me. “If
you had not been with Terian when Leri attacked him, he’d be dead.
I know also how you saved him from being killed at Theo’s hands.
It’s I who owe you still.”

“He’s my friend,” I answered uncomfortably,
roasting from his heat.

“Thank you for that, too,” he replied, then
let me go.

“What should we do with her?” Devlin said,
eyeing Tasha’s prone form. “Lash would really like her—”

“Send her home,” I said, grimacing at that
unsavory fate. “Her father can punish her worse than we could.
Maybe he’ll marry her off.”

“You don’t want vengeance?” Danial said,
astonished. “After all she did?”

“This was Samuel’s doing, not hers. She could
never have done it by herself.” I turned to him. “All I care about
is that Theo is free.”

Danial looked at me, then quickly looked
away.

“Bring her to me,” Titus grated out.

Devlin picked Tasha up, and brought her over.
Titus held his hand over her heart, and said something. His hand
glowed, and she writhed as if in pain. Then the glow sank into her
skin, and she stopped moving. “She’ll never again do any magic, or
even be able to handle a spell of any kind,” Titus said, still
angry. “She deserves worse, but this will do.”

“Someone want to clue me in here?” Danial
said. “I have no idea what just happened.”

“Theo was under a love spell,” Terian
supplied. “I wasn’t strong enough to break it, so Sar called Titus.
Devlin came with him. Titus broke it.”

Danial’s eyes narrowed. “I know you,” Danial
said, rounding on Devlin, who was licking his lips. “What did Sar
have to promise you this time, Dev? It had to be a lot, to get your
help with Theo, knowing how you feel about him.”

“Nothing she hadn’t already promised me
before,” Devlin said arrogantly.

Danial moved to speak again, but Titus
interrupted. “I would have done this in any case, Danial. I was
once under a love spell myself. Devlin speaks the truth.”

“Thank you, then,” Danial said, clasping
Titus’s hand. “Can I repay you?”

“The poison you let me take is good enough,”
Titus grinned. “Easily worth tonight’s trouble.”

Danial looked uncomfortable, but just nodded,
and let go of Titus’s hand.

“What now?” I said, gazing at Theo
lovingly.

“My son and I will teleport you and Theo
home,” Titus rumbled. “It’s almost dawn. You’ll sleep at least
eight hours once you fall asleep. You and Theo will wake at the
same time, as before.”

I went to sit beside Theo’s prone form.
“Where is he now?” I said, glancing at Titus. “Waiting in the
dream?”

“No. He’s sleeping deeply, a sleep he can’t
wake from unless you join him in the dream.”

“Why?” I asked slowly. “Is that a side effect
of being released from the love spell?”

Titus shook his head. “No. That I did to give
you time.”

“Time for what?”

“Time for me,” Devlin said, encircling me in
his arms. “Titus, you need to return me to Hayden before you take
Theo and Sar. I need every bit of night that is left. Afterwards, I
need you to get back to Canada and finish up what you were
doing.”

“Very well,” Titus said, turning to Devlin.
“We should go now, then.”

Devlin cupped my face in his hands. “Tell me
you love me, Sar.”

The touch of his cool hands on my face
startled me. I blinked, then leaned into them contentedly. “You
first,” I teased.

“I love you,” he said simply, his golden eyes
searching mine.

I hugged him tight. “I do love you,” I said
softly. “And I thank you for this.”

“Remember your promise,” he said, his eyes
tinged red. “For I will remember it.”

I pulled back from him and nodded.

Dev kissed me again with everything he had.
When he felt me melt into his embrace, he pulled back and sank his
fangs into the side of my neck. I let out a gasp, trying to pull
back from him. There was pain now, though pleasure was still there
faintly.

I forced myself to be calm, to relax as he
sucked persistently. Abruptly Dev stopped, withdrawing his fangs
from me, his eyes melting fire. He kissed my neck gently, then
kissed my cheek. “Remember you are mine, Sar. I’ll come to you
soon.”

I nodded uneasily. Devlin went to Titus, and
they disappeared together.

“I’ll teleport Tasha to the werecompound for
now, and make sure she stays sleeping,” Terian said, picking up her
limp form. “I can contact her father in the morning by reading her
memories, then we’ll get her back home.”

“Go, please,” Danial said, coming over to me.
“I need a moment with Sar.”

Terian disappeared.

“Sar, what he did hurt, didn’t it?”

“Yes, a little. It’s healed, isn’t it?”

“For the most part,” Danial said, putting his
lips to mine. “Hold still.”

I kissed him gently, then drew back and
guided his head down on my neck. Unexpectedly, instead of healing
me, he sank his own fangs in. I let out another gasp of surprise,
shifting uneasily. Danial drank a few long pulls, then withdrew,
healing me.

“Why did you bite, when you know it hurts?” I
said warily, stepping away from him.

“If your pain is returning, this may be the
last time I can casually,” Danial said, grabbing my arm. He
embraced me again. “I wanted to take advantage. I’m worried that
once you dream of Theo, you’ll decide to leave again.”

He’d done it because Devlin had, no matter
what he said. “I promised not to,” I replied. “I didn’t want to do
this.”

“You seemed besotted enough just now,” Danial
said, his tone despondent.

I had been, until Devlin touched me
.
“Titus said there wasn’t another way.”

“Maybe not,” Danial sighed. “In any case,
it’s done. Please, whatever happens, do not cease your weekly
visits to me. I don’t want to lose you again, even if the price is
separate beds. Let us remain Oathed, even if it’s only in
name.”

I stared at him. “I took a vow. I’m not
breaking it.”

Danial looked back, unflinching. “Even if
Theo asks you to?”

I clung to him, wanting to assuage his
despair. “I don’t want that, either. I was and am happy being
Oathed. What I really want is to stay here and not leave,” I
admitted, looking over at Theo’s sleeping form. “This was starting
to work with you, me, and Dev.”

“It still can,” Danial said stubbornly. “If
everyone is respectful of everyone else. When you wake, talk it
over with Theo, and try to convince him of that.” He kissed my
forehead. “For both our sakes.”

“I will,” I said, hugging him. “But I’m
afraid. You’re right about me being affected. I felt like a
different person, those few moments in the great room.”

“Remember who you are, Oathed One, and be
strong: the fearless woman I fell in love with. Remember that I
love you—”

Titus and Terian reappeared. “It’s time,
Sar,” Titus rumbled.

I hugged Danial again. “Can you please
explain what’s happened with Theo to Elle? She’ll accept it easiest
coming from you.”

Danial nodded. “Of course. Go, Love. Call me
when you can.”

Titus picked up Theo’s prone form, and Terian
grabbed my hand. In an instant, we were inside my house. Ghost and
Darkness went crazy yelping, snapping and snarling at Titus. I
grabbed both of them, and hauled them by their collars out into the
backyard.

“Where do you want him?” Titus said from the
door.

I came back inside, as the dogs began to
howl. “In the bedroom, quickly.”

Terian squeezed my hand, then disappeared.
Leaving the dogs outside, I followed after Titus into the
bedroom.

Leaving Theo sprawled on the bed, Titus
turned to me. “Good Luck.”

“Will he be safe, when we wake up tomorrow?
Could this happen again to him or to me, that a love spell might
ensnare us?”

“No, not to either of you,” Titus said
seriously. “What I told everyone was true. You are going to be
bound to each other. Whatever you feel for Danial or Devlin is
going to be weakened and not by a little.”

“Then why are you doing this?” I asked him.
“This goes beyond you freeing him from a love spell, Titus. As far
as I know, you and Theo aren’t friends and from his tone, you two
don’t get along at all. You barely know me. Isn’t Devlin your
master? Shouldn’t you be looking out for his interests?”

“I owe you for my son,” he rumbled, his red
eyes on mine. “You helped him, were a friend to him when no one
else was. You helped him become what he is.” He hugged me again,
his heat almost suffocating. “You have his blood in you, Sarelle.
My blood. We are kin now, according to demon custom. I am looking
out for your interests, but I suggest you keep that to
yourself.”

Titus let me go. I stepped back, sweating.
“Go,” he rumbled gently. “Theo is waiting for you.” Then he was
gone, the blackness ebbing as if it had never been.

I took a deep breath, brought the dogs in,
and then walked out onto the deck with them. It was dawn now, the
edge of the sun peeking out from the horizon.

I watched the sunrise, my belly rumbling.
When had I eaten last? Davy’s? No, that couldn’t be right. What day
was it? Monday? No, it was Tuesday now.

My last meal had been the Chinese food
yesterday at lunch. That had been less than twenty-four hours ago.
God, it felt like weeks...

Ghost barked insistently, pawing at me.

“Yes,” I said fondly. “Let’s go have
breakfast. Then we’ll decide what to do.”

* * * *

After breakfast, and building up the fire, I
took another shower. I had blood, demon residue and dirt on me, and
getting in a clean bed like that wasn’t good. Afterwards, I dried
off, conditioned my hair, and slipped into my blue velvet robe.
Fastening my hair up with a clip, I went into the bedroom. Theo lay
there, still dead to the world.