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Chapter 163
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Shortly before eleven o’clock on Saturday morning, Leesa and Dominic checked into a small motel along the side of a two-lane state highway about twenty miles south of Albany, New York. An off and on again drizzle made the drive more taxing than it should have been, forcing Leesa to concentrate more on her driving than usual and to constantly fiddle with the setting on the windshield wipers. At least it was daytime, she thought. Tonight, the water on the roads might freeze into slick patches of ice.
The small and very dated motel office was manned by a bored looking guy who appeared to be at least seventy years old, if not older. His face was lined with deep wrinkles and stained with dark liver spots. His bony hands showed even more spots than his face. Still, he flashed a friendly smile when Leesa and Dominic walked in. Leesa guessed the guy was probably happy to see anyone, whether they were customers or not.
They selected adjacent rooms, paid for in cash by Dominic
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 164
Leesa attacked her return to practice with such intensity that Dominic eventually had to tell her to calm down and relax.“You cannot the force the magic,” he said after they had been working for another hour. “You have to let it flow. You are its guide, not its master.”Leesa stopped trying to move the grapefruit sized rock Dominic had placed on the edge of the grass.“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just want to get good at this stuff.”Rave walked over behind her and began gently massaging her neck and shoulders. His warmth flowed into her through his hands and she felt the tension in her muscles begin to melt away.“I know you do,” Dominic said. “And you are doing great—beyond what I would have expected in so short a time. But you must be patient.”“I know. It just seems like it’s always two steps forward and then one step back. I wish I could skip t
Leesa's Advent Chapter 165
Despite her frustration with some of her magic and with the lumpy motel mattress, Leesa slept peacefully through the entire night, wrapped up in Rave’s loving arms. When she opened her eyes, his face was only inches from hers. His eyes were open, and he was smiling at her.“Good morning, beautiful,” he said.“Mmmmm…Good morning.” Leesa snuggled even closer to him. “I could get used to this.”“What? Sleeping on a lumpy mattress in a rundown motel?”Leesa smiled. “No, sleeping in your arms, you dope.” She reached up and brushed her hair back from across her face. “Did you sleep at all?” she asked, knowing how little sleep Rave required.Rave shook his head. “No.” He grinned. “I couldn’t take the chance I might have a bad dream and end up burning you to a crisp.”“Ha! Very funny.” Leesa stretched her arms out above her
Leesa's Advent Chapter 166
While Leesa was practicing magic, the storm outside had intensified. The rain was now coming down so hard it exploded back up off the pavement like a thousand miniature fountains. Leesa watched it with Rave and Dominic from the motel room doorway. It was really quite pretty.“Drive safely,” Rave said.He risked a quick peck on Leesa’s lips. The familiar thrill shot through her, rendering her momentarily speechless.“I’ll see you back at campus,” Rave said. He turned and began jogging away.Leesa watched him as he trotted out alongside the highway, to all appearances just some fool jogger in the rain. The storm didn’t seem to bother him in the least. And why should it, she thought? The rain certainly wouldn’t make him cold, and it probably dried almost as soon as it hit his skin.She was not quite so fortunate, however. Even the short dash to the Blazer soaked her cap and parka. As soon as she pulled t
Leesa's Advent Chapter 167
Ten miles away, Josef strode through a wooded hillside, his waziri senses guiding him unerringly toward the place where his vampire pets had been destroyed. He had received two more rides in his journey south, including one that took him from just south of Springfield all the way to Hartford. He had walked the rest of the way, in the rain for the last day and a half. He did not mind at all. Indeed, he scarcely noticed that the rain had just stopped.He was almost there, he knew, so he slowed his pace, not wanting to miss anything. If there was any trace of magic in the area, he would know it.Finally, he found what he had been seeking—two piles of soggy black ashes, pounded almost flat by the rain, scattered on the ground about twenty feet from each other. Josef stopped and focused on everything his senses could tell him.The first thing he sensed was vampires, many of them. He sorted through the vibrations and counted five, including his two pets. The pil
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Dominic’s grip on Leesa’s shoulders tightened.“You cannot come,” he said. The look in his pale blue eyes was hard, intense. “I forbid it.”Leesa tried to meet his stare with an equally powerful one of her own.“I have to,” she said. “I can help. I know it.”“It’s too dangerous.”“Your concern for me is keeping you from seeing this clearly,” Leesa said, her voice steady. “Hasn’t your plan all along been that your enemies will not be able to sense my magic? That’s how I can help.”Dominic shook his head, but Leesa could see in his eyes that his resolve was wavering.“My plan counted on you having mastered your magic, not having barely begun your training.”“I know. I’m not fooling myself. I realize I can’t hurt Josef in the slightest. Heck, I don’t think I could hurt even an ordina
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Leesa’s heart raced, her body shot full of adrenaline from fear and worry. Josef’s black bolt had pushed to within five feet of Dominic now. In moments, the black magic would overwhelm him. And once Dominic was out of the way, the black wizard could turn his full might against Rave. Rave wouldn’t stand a chance. She had to do something—but what?The growth spell had produced a distraction, but it was much too short-lived. She needed something bigger, something that would grab Josef’s attention in a much more solid way. As hard as it was for her to do it, she pulled her eyes from Rave and Dominic and scanned the woods around Josef, searching desperately for some kind of idea.Ten or fifteen feet behind Josef, she spied a small log. It was about a foot thick and maybe eight feet long. She had never moved anything close to this heavy. But she had sent Edwina hurtling through the air, and she was a vampire. If she could just get the log rollin
Leesa's Advent Chapter 170
The thought of the deadly enemies still searching for Dominic sent a chill through Leesa’s body that had nothing to do with the cool, damp February afternoon. She moved closer to Rave and slipped her arm around the back of his waist, pressing against his side. Sensing her agitation, he draped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Leesa sighed as Rave’s volkaane heat flowed into her. He felt even warmer than usual, his body and lips still heated from the battle. She wished his magical fire could melt away her troublesome thoughts as easily as they soothed her body. She looked at Dominic, whose mind was clearly elsewhere. His blue-grey eyes bore a vacant, faraway look as he absently stroked his pointed, salt-and-pepper goatee with the fingers of his right hand. He looked so ordinary, she thought, in his black shirt and khaki pants. It was hard to reconcile his appearance with the powerful magic he had just displayed. Leesa was pre
Leesa's Advent Chapter 171
Dominic reached into his back pocket and pulled out his old leather wallet. Holding it in front of him, it looked much too large to have fit in his pocket, but Leesa knew the wallet was magic. Not only did it fit in places it shouldn’t, but it somehow held more stuff inside than a good-sized suitcase. She had seen Dominic pull stacks of cash and handfuls of jewels out of it. She wondered what he was going to take out now.Dominic unclipped the brass fastener that held the walled closed and reached inside. His hand disappeared halfway up to his elbow as he rummaged around inside the magic container. When he drew his hand out, he was holding a thick, leather-bound book the size of a small dictionary. The book was much larger than the wallet that had just contained it. Leesa wondered if things shrank when they went inside, or if there was just more space in there than the normal laws of physics would allow. She guessed it didn’t really matter—magic was magic. T
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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
Leesa's Advent Chapter 719
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
