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Chapter 113
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Southern Canada
The line of vampires loped single-file through the dark woods, weaving its way south and east among the snow-draped pines like a snake slithering through tall grass. A six-inch carpet of freshly fallen snow did not impede their progress in the least, nor did the bitter cold. There were a dozen of the creatures, spaced evenly about five feet apart, all clothed in black and shades of dark gray. Only the leader, a vampire of African descent named Jarubu, displayed any color at all in his outfit: a dark crimson oval that covered most of the top half of his black hooded sweatshirt. Above the oval, Jarubu’s coal black skin reflected so little of the pale moonlight that the inside of his hood appeared almost empty. A tiny gold ring that pierced his right nostril seemed to float within the darkness. The crimson swatch on his chest signified nothing, other than that Jarubu liked to be different.
The faces of his fellows—seven males and four
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 114
Leesa Nyland stood with her arms hanging loosely at her sides, her blue eyes closed, her breathing soft, slow and rhythmic. As the wizard Dominic had instructed, she tried to empty her mind of all thoughts, but she was failing miserably. The tiniest things intruded into her awareness—the low hum of the mini fridge behind her, the way her shoe pinched the inside of her bad right foot just below her ankle, even the weight of her long blond ponytail against her neck and back. The harder she tried to push these intruding thoughts away, the more of them she seemed to notice.She wondered if Dominic’s magic enabled him to sense how much trouble she was having fulfilling her task. Dominic was the last of a race of wizards known as waziri—the last, at least, that had not given themselves over to the black arts. Thinking of the renegade wizards brought Leesa’s thoughts to the mysterious figure they had allied themselves with, the Necromancer, who was trying to
Leesa's Advent Chapter 115
Leesa took a deep breath and then started again at the beginning, counting out her inhales and exhales, increasing the length of each by one count until she reached eight, then counting back down to two. She went through the routine twice before turning her attention to her foot, trying to feel every little detail of the sensation. She imagined she was writing a five page paper just on the way her shoe pinched her….“Open your eyes, Leesa,” Dominic said.The wizard’s voice seemed to come from somewhere far away. When Leesa opened her eyes, Dominic was sitting again.“Why did you stop me? I think I was just getting there.”Dominic smiled. “You were more than ‘just getting there,’ believe me. How long do you think that was?”Leesa pursed her lips in thought. “I’m not sure. Two or three minutes, maybe?”“More like ten,” Dominic said.Leesa’s
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Dominic’s forecast proved accurate.After a brisk fifteen minute walk, Leesa and Dominic returned to her room to practice what Leesa had taken to calling the “everywhere/nowhere” thing. She had just opened her eyes and was about to describe her most recent experience to Dominic when movement outside her window caught her eye and distracted her. She turned her head and saw snowflakes—huge and numerous—floating down outside the glass. Forgetting everything else, she limped swiftly to the window, almost pressing her nose against the cold glass as she drank in the wondrous sight.At first, the giant flakes floated lazily past on unseen currents of wind, seemingly reluctant to let go of the air and fall upon the ground. As Leesa watched in fascination, the flakes began to fall faster and faster, until they were pouring past her eyes in a great white sheet. To someone who had lived in San Diego since she was a little girl, the scene outside her
Leesa's Advent Chapter 117
As soon as they stepped out into the courtyard, Leesa closed her eyes and turned her face up toward the snow. The air was cold, but the wind had slowed at least a little since her walk and the buildings blocked some of its force. Her layered outfit kept her plenty warm. The giant snowflakes tickled her cheeks and chin as they landed and melted slowly upon her skin. When she opened her eyes, she felt as if she were looking up into some kind of magical fairyland—all she could see was a never ending river of dancing white flakes pouring down at her. A sudden smack against her chest pulled her back to reality. She looked down and saw the remnants of a snowball sliding down the front of her parka. A few feet away, Cali had a big grin on her face. “Earth to Leesa,” she said. “Rule fifty-three: when there’s snow on the ground, pay attention! Now get over here and join in the fun.” Cali had no sooner finished talking when a well-aimed snowball thrown by Caitlin crash
Leesa's Advent Chapter 118
He breathed a silent sigh. He had been planning to go to Middletown tomorrow to see Leesa, but doubted he would be able to do so now. Snow was the one thing that made it impossible for him to conceal his nature—the circle of bare mud around his feet gave ample evidence why. And the longer it snowed, the longer it would take to melt. Rave decided he would be patient to a point, but if his wait grew too long, he promised himself he would figure out some way to be with her. He smiled, picturing Leesa playing in the snow, probably with her friends. She would be loving it, he knew—she’d been complaining about the lack of snow all winter. He hadn’t had the heart to tell her he was hoping it would never snow, because he knew it would keep them apart. He wondered if she had figured that out yet. He breathed another deep sigh and turned back into the cabin. It was out of his hands, for now. At least the wizard Dominic was with Leesa to keep her safe. Rave returned to his
Leesa's Advent Chapter 119
By the time the snow stopped falling on Monday morning more than two feet of the stuff blanketed the Weston campus. Classes were cancelled for the day and the entire region was at a standstill. The governor had declared a state of emergency, closed all the schools in the state, and urged the public to stay home and off the roads, most of which were impassible by anything short of four wheel drive vehicles with snow tires. Even those risked becoming stuck in the five and six foot drifts which seemed to be everywhere. Many areas of the state were without power, as snow laden tree limbs broke off and fell onto the electrical lines, snapping them. Luckily, the campus had been spared any power outages.The cook for Leesa’s dining hall had been unable to make it to work, despite living barely a mile from campus, so Leesa and her friends had gathered downstairs for a breakfast of toast, cold cereal and hot chocolate heated in the microwave. Leesa thought if the cook had been r
Leesa's Advent Chapter 120
Getting back up onto her feet proved difficult—when she pushed down with her hands to get some leverage, they just sank deeper into the snow. Finally, after much twisting and turning and pushing, she managed to hoist herself back up. She brushed the snow off her parka and looked at her friends. All three had big grins on their faces. Leesa smiled back. She imagined she’d probably looked pretty funny trying to get up.“I wish I had video of that,” Cali said. “I can see it on YouTube now—California girl drowning in the snow.”They all laughed, Leesa included. For a moment there, she had felt almost like she was drowning—or was about to, anyway.“Since you’re so smart,” Leesa said when she finally stopped laughing, “maybe you can explain just how we’re supposed to roll snowballs in snow this deep to build a snowman.”Cali swung her head from side to side, eyeing all the snow.
Leesa's Advent Chapter 121
Late Wednesday afternoon, Leesa was alone in her room, sitting on the edge of her bed and practicing her everywhere/nowhere meditation. She had hoped the technique would be one of those things where once you got it, you could do it almost every time, but sadly, that had not turned out to be the case. About half the time she successfully reached the intended state of emptiness, but the rest of the time she was unable to flush interfering thoughts from her head. Dominic said this was normal and to try to stop fighting it, because fighting it almost guaranteed the opposite result from what she sought. Not fighting it was easier said than done, however.She expected him to arrive any time now to work with her some more. Dominic didn’t have a phone, so of course they couldn’t make arrangements like normal people. Leesa shook her head and smiled wryly. Everyone had a cell phone nowadays—how had she managed to find a boyfriend and now a mentor without one? She wond
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Serena awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of fresh coffee brewing. She rolled over lazily, reaching out for Raphael, but the space was empty. With eyes still closed, she frowned. Where is that man? That man had probably been out of bed since the crack of dawn, beside himself with nerves for today’s big event, she thought regretfully. They were to be married today. Their lives intertwined for all of eternity. What man wouldn’t have cold feet at the prospect? And they’d known each other such a short time, too. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, and frowned again. She had awakened in the safe house. Last night, she’d killed a man in her own home, and knew she could never go back there ever again. She didn’t care how good the Brethren’s cleanup crew could restore her home. It would never erase the vivid memories and horrors of what had happened there. She and Raphael would have to find themselves a new home, together. Until such time, this place would be it, th
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It’s going to be a long day without Raphael, Serena thought, as she washed and dressed. But she carried on. With so many loose ends to tie up, final checks to be made, people and places to coordinate, she scarcely had time to think about anything else. Except for her father. In the quiet moments between the bedlam of planning a wedding, she reflected upon him and her heart ached. She had arranged for a nursing home staffer to drive him and his wheelchair to the Chapel of the Holy Cross for the wedding. They didn’t usually allow weddings there, but somehow, Raphael swayed their decision. Kemuel promised to wheel her father down the aisle beside her, and she loved him instantly for that. But her dream was to have him walk her down that aisle. A sob caught in her throat, and she quickly shook her head to whisk it away. None of that nonsense, Serena. Don’t be greedy. At least he is alive and here to be a part of it all. As the day waxed on to evening, Serena felt unsettled. She hadn’t s
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Raphael spent the next few days cloistered with Serena, away from everyone and everything, like a honeymoon before the wedding. But every morning he made creative excuses to tear himself away from her for a little while and work with Fred. To make sure she didn’t visit her father, he dropped her off at her shop first so she could plan a small wedding with Callie and catch up on the mountains of paperwork.The healing sessions with Serena’s father went spectacularly, and with Raphael’s charisma, he convinced the nursing home staff to keep any improvements secret from her. They thought it romantic that he came to help with his fiancée’s father’s rehabilitation. Everyone there rooted for him, amazed at his miraculous awakening. All of the therapists worked their tails off during his therapy sessions, wanting to see their severely stroke-damaged patient beat the odds and walk his daughter down the aisle.On the morning of the fifth day, Raphael got Fred walking without any assistance.“Co
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Raphael grabbed her hands. “Do it!” he demanded. He placed them on his temples and spoke to her through their bonded connection. She felt every thought he had had of Sirona over the years straight to the present down their threaded connection. She heard every thought he’d had of her, including every word he had spoken while holding her in his arms at Dr. Chappo’s estate. He sent her everything that filled his heart and soul about her, and finally, at last, she knew.She knew. And knowing was everything to her. He gently brought her hands away from his face, kissing her fingertips as he eased them down, and she took a few steps backward, looking at him as if for the first time. No one before had ever felt about her the way he felt about her, let alone express so strongly all he’d expressed when she’d lain dying in his arms.“You’re in love with me.” She gasped, astonished. Tears welled again in her eyes, but this time, for a very different reason.“Yes.” He took a bold step toward her.
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A bundle of nerves, that’s what she’d turned into. Since leaving her father’s, Serena had been nothing but a bundle of nerves, rehearsing over and over again what she would say to Raphael up on the Rock. Looking all around her now, frightening memories kept popping into her mind, making her think that at any moment, Steve or Wheezer were going to jump out and nab her. Unfortunately, she had gotten to the summit way too early, and now paced like a caged bobcat. It had to stop. The bad guys are dead, Serena. Think positive, and let go the past. So, finding a suitable rock to sit on, Serena decided to do a little meditation to soothe her worried heart. “When I see him, I’ll know the right words to say,” she notified the birds. It may sting for a bit, but it’s for the best.****Raphael showed up at the base of the mountain with time to spare, and noticed Serena’s Jeep already parked. Perfect, he thought. He checked his pocket for the millionth time, making sure the ring box hadn’t fallen
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Raphael watched Serena leave the nursing home from behind one of the bushes in the front. She seems in good spirits, he thought. Only when he saw her disappear down the street did he dare to venture out of his hiding place. He walked into the nursing home and headed straight to the reception desk.“Hello, I’m here to see Mr. Sikes.” He smiled amiably at the receptionist.“Wow, two visitors in one day. Fred’s a lucky guy. Sign in right here, please. You’ll sign out before you leave. Take this badge so we know you belong here. Room 103 is down the hall, make a left, and he’s at the end on the left.”He looked at her name tag, and winked. “Thanks so much, Judy.”Walking down the hall, he found himself fidgeting with the badge in his hand. Am I actually nervous? Hell yeah! Raphael, the man, is about to meet the father of the woman he loves. Raphael, the man, is about to ask for this guy’s daugh
Leesa's Advent Chapter 721
Great! Just great! There’s a leak in my bedroom ceiling. Wait a minute, that’s not right. I’m not in my bedroom. I’m locked away in Dr. Chappo’s house. She remembered more. Being bound to a gurney, her body broken and dying. But I’m not lying on a gurney now, and I actually feel great. How could she be dying and still feel great? And what’s with the rain shower on my face? Slowly her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped.It was raining. Angel’s tears. Raphael’s tears, to be exact.She lay in his arms, and from the way he shuddered and sobbed, she thought maybe he didn’t know she lived. To be honest with herself, she’d only realized this fact just a few moments before. Iridescent wings were outstretched and trembling though no breeze made them flutter so.She gently raised her hand to caress his cheek and whispered softly. “Shh…there now, Raphael, shh. It’s all right. I’m ok
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Raphael noticed a knob on the box. It made sense to dial it to its lowest setting. He followed the tubing to its clamp on Serena’s side and decided to completely clamp it off. Now, no more blood could flow. But he still needed to get the needle out of her arm. He found gauze and tape on the tray stand and proceeded to extrude the catheter from her arm carefully so as not to injure her. He replaced it securely with the gauze and tape. His hands shook. I can’t fall apart like this right now! He quickly shrugged off the threat of paralyzing fear.“Hey, Raphael, this guy says his name is Steve. Isn’t that the name of one of guys who assaulted Serena?” Gabriel asked.“Yes, yes it is,” he said through gnashed teeth. Rage filled him and he clenched his fists, trying to gain some semblance of control. “Bind him, tightly. Make sure he can see Dr. Chappo. I’d like him to see what happens to assholes like him when they choose
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Searing hot pain shot like lightning throughout every inch of Serena’s body. Well, every inch she could feel, which left her very disturbed indeed, because she couldn’t feel anything past her waist. She could barely breathe without severe pain ripping through her chest and back. She knew what that meant—broken ribs. But what about her legs? Where were they? And why did her wrists feel shackled? Oh, dear God! What’s become of me? Her shallow breaths quickened. Her heart raced and fought for freedom behind her aching chest. Tears burst through her closed eyes and flowed untapped down the sides of her face.A voice sliced through the whooshing sound in her ears. A voice she knew all too well, and had come to despise with every molecule in her being.“Uh, Doc, I think she’s coming ’round. What do you want me to do?” Steve asked.“Hmm? Oh, nuffin. Nuffin, Seeve. Jus’ keep watchin’,” Dr. Chappo sl
