3: Willow

It's him. He's actually here...

Willow's breath was caught in her throat upon seeing the man from her visions in the flesh. His dark maroon suit complimented his tan skin, his brown hair short and slightly tussled from the cold breeze. He had a clean cut goatee to match his chiseled jawline. His golden and red gaze looked a bit lack luster however, which surprised Willow. From what she remembered from her vision, his eyes melted her body into a puddle of her own pheromones. Even now as he stood nearby, surveying her small garden, she could feel her thighs tingle with excitement. A sensation she had never experienced before.

"Willow, Sugar. Are you alright?" Miss J brought her attention back to the matter at hand. Willow cleared her throat as she did her best to ignore the gentleman.

"Yes, sorry. It's just... it's been a crazy week." Willow said, not entirely lying to her. Aside from the constant bullying from Amanda, she'd been buried in her studies to try and distract herself from the abuse. At least she tried to. She can still feel the light sting of the cuts hidden beneath her sleeves.

"No worries, deary. Now, shut your eyes. Empty your mind for me and I'll take care of the rest." Miss J talked her through the procedure for what felt like the millionth time by now. Willow obeyed her without question, letting her eyelids fall shut. She imagined the clutter that was in her mind being swept away by a broom until the area was finally clear for the old Witch. Power seeped out from Miss J's hands, surging through Willow's veins until it wrapped around her skull. She felt her rummaging through her memories until a tiny section opened up to her. Willow pictured it being like a small box that would be tucked away deep within her mind until it was ready to be revealed. She let Miss J open the lid, showing a leather bound book inside.

"My, what is this?" Miss J asked curiously. The book floated out of the box, turning over this way and that as it was being inspected. The stitching on the cover hummed softly like power was building up within it. Willow felt Miss J attempting to open it, but to no avail.

"I've never seen it before. The text on the cover doesn't make sense to me either." Willow informed her.

"That is strange indeed. The text is a mix of letters between a few languages. Ancient Greek, Ancient Ogham and... Ancient Egyptian. Each letter and symbol is from a different text, so deciphering it won't be an easy task." Miss J told her before putting the book back into the box.

"Have you seen something like that before?" Willow asked her as the box shook for a moment, the book disappearing and a new image took its place.

"No, I haven't sadly. I thought I've read most ancient texts by now, but to come across something like this. Did it give you a location?" Miss J asked her as she started to prod around in the box again. "Oh my!" she exclaimed loudly. Willow's eyes snapped open, breaking the concentration immediately. She had forgotten about the other vision for just a moment. It was too late though as Miss J stared at her with an amused smile on her lips and a cocked brow.

"No location. It was just in my lap is all." Willow told her, hoping she didn't see much of anything, but from the glint in the Witch's eyes, she most definitely did. Miss J glimpsed over to Dante who was kneeling beside the garden box, his fingers grazing over the delicate plants with a thoughtful expression on his sharp features.

"Very well then." Miss J said as she released her hands, looking back at Willow and gave her a wink. Willow wasn't sure what that wink meant, but she hoped Miss J wouldn't say a single word about it to the gentleman.

"It came with a name though. I don't know who this person is, but they could be the one that may be able to read the book." Willow mentioned as Dante rose up from the ground, dusting his suit off. His gaze swept over to hers and for a moment their gazes locked and she couldn't look away. The corner of his lips twitched before he removed his gaze. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in.

"What's the name, child?" Miss J asked her as she began the walk back to the front of the house. Willow walked alongside of her while Dante followed behind. She thought she felt his staring at the back of her neck, but she was too nervous and a bit frightened to glance back.

"Lily." Willow told her, catching a surprised look on Miss J's face, "Do you know this person?" she asked her.

"There are plenty of Lily's in the world, finding the correct one will not be easy." Miss J told her, the expression quickly faded from her face. They walked over to the Prius, Miss J turning to Willow as she pulled an envelope from her purse and passed it over to her. Willow peeked inside and noticed a check inside.

"Miss J, I can't keep accepting these." Willow attempted to hand it back to her, but Miss J clasped her hands over hers.

"My child, this is one of the ways I can help take care of you while I'm not around. I know your Aunt won't lift a finger." Miss J grumbled softly. Willow looked over to the dreaded house, the faint glow of the television still on in the living room and her room light at the top of the second story.

"I'll get a job so I can pay you back." Willow told her, trying to sound confident, but Miss J smiled kindly at her.

"My dear girl, I want you to focus on your studies. You just turned eighteen a month ago. Once you graduate, you can be free of this place forever." Miss J tried to sound optimistic for her, but Willow didn't feel it in her heart.

I'll be free from it alright...

Willow lifted her gaze to the old Witch and gave her a weak smile and a nod. Miss J squeezed her hands tightly before pulling her into a hug. Willow felt the sting behind her eyes as she returned the embrace, wishing she had more time to be with her.

"Will you be at your cabin for awhile?" Willow asked her as they pulled apart.

"Yes, Dante will be joining me as well. We have been tasked to handle a few things." Miss J said and Willow looked over to the man as he stood by the passenger door. He let out a soft grunt, but didn't argue with her.

"Alright, have a good night then." Willow told her, giving her one more hug before she walked over to the driver's side. When she turned to leave, Dante had closed the distance between them, towering just over a foot on her. She inhaled sharply which was a mistake. Being mere inches apart now, his cologne filled her senses and his aura swarmed her like a hot desert breeze. When her eyes met his again, the gold and red mingled with one another, melting together as his hand took her wrist gently and lifted it to his lips. She tensed as his nose grazed over her covered wrist, his eyes shining with hunger and his thin canines pressed against his bottom lip. He trailed his lips down to her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles.

"It's been a pleasure, Miss Willow." he said before releasing her hand and getting in the car. Willow placed her hands over her chest, her heart drumming against the bone as she watched the car drive off. That only confirmed it now. Dante was a Vampire, and somehow their lives are going to become intertwined.

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Willow peered out the window in her study hall, watching the autumn leaves sway in the gentle October breeze. It had been two weeks since she spoke with Miss J about her vision. Nothing else had occurred since then which she was grateful for. She was able to focus on school with a steady mind, or at least was trying to. The encounter with Dante troubled her in a way she couldn't put into words. Her body grew hot when she recalled his soft lips against her skin, and his intense gaze. Her thighs quivered as she pressed them together, her sex trembled at the thought of his touch on her skin. Her cheeks flared and she let out a heavy sigh as the bell rang.

"Willow!" a voice called to her from the doorway as she stashed her books away. Glancing over she noticed Roy leaning into the classroom, a charming smile on his handsome face. He had on his school jacket that was unzipped and revealed a standard black tee beneath it. Dante's face quickly vanished from her mind as she approached her friend. He inclined his head, his hand coming up and rested on her forehead. "Are you okay?" he asked her worriedly. She felt her face get even hotter than before.

"Yes, I'm fine." she quickly said as she moved his hand away, pulling down her long sleeves subconsciously. He gave a light smile and walked with her down the crowded hallway.

"Do you have any plans for Halloween?" he asked her as she stopped at her locker. She swapped out her books for other ones. Exams were coming up, so she needed to focus her attention on that, not on some Vampire.

"I'm not a fan of Halloween, for obvious reasons." she gave him a weak smile. He pouted a bit as she shut the door and he leaned against it. He was only half a foot taller than her, his kind and warm eyes brightening her gloomy state of mind.

"I know it's cliche for you, but it's not all that bad." he said to her. He bit his lip, "Amanda invited me to a party. I can try to convince her to let you be my plus one." he said to her. Willow's heart sunk into the pit of her stomach at his words.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Roy. You know how she is towards me." she lowered her voice as a few students walked on by them. Roy looked at her face, pursing his lips slightly.

"We can do something together, if you want?" he suggested. Willow felt her heart slowly rise from the depths of her stomach.

"Really?" she asked him almost doubtfully. When he nodded Willow couldn't stop the smile jumping to her lips. He smiled in return and in that moment, everything in her messed up world seemed okay.

"We can play board games, tell scary stories, carve pumpkins." he was throwing out ideas as they headed for the exit. Willow listened to him talk, the smile still on her lips when a small group of girls swarmed around the doors. Roy paused, looking over them with a confused look on his face.

"That guy looks so hot." one of the girls said as she pressed her face against the glass door.

"He looks rich to." another said, almost jumping in place with giddiness. Willow and Roy shared a confused look before pushing past them to leave the building. Willow came to an abrupt halt as she gazed at the individual. He stood proud and confident beside a beautiful black Lexus. He wore a blood red button up dress shirt and dark grey slacks. His gaze settled on hers, drawing her in.

Dante.