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Chapter 213
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Dral and Bain twisted their heads around and gave her quick “hellos,” then turned back to keep watch on their surroundings.
Leesa pulled one hand from around Rave’s neck and placed her palm on his cheek.
“You’re still not very warm,” she said. “My magic has not returned to full strength, either.” She looked at Balin. “Has anyone figured out how long this might last?” she asked him.
Balin shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. All we can do is wait.”
Leesa frowned. “I don’t like waiting—not when it means you all have to stay so far away.”
She finally unwrapped her l
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By the time Leesa arrived back at her dorm, it was nearly seven-thirty. She had stayed with Rave right up until sunset, when the volkaanes had to leave and head back to wherever they were hiding. She had reluctantly kissed Rave goodbye and then watched him and his companions disappear into the darkening woods. Having gone all day without eating—and not really missing it because she was having so much fun—she stopped for a fast-food burger along the highway on the way home. That, plus some rush-hour traffic outside Springfield and in northern Connecticut had delayed her return.Glad to finally be done with her driving, she eased the Focus to the curb a short way down the block from her dorm, planning to return the car to the rental agency tomorrow after class. Tonight, she was going to be busy trying to make up for missing three of her classes.The day had been well worth skipping class, though. She had gotten to spend more than ten hours straight with Rave,
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After Cali left to return to her room, Leesa plopped back down onto her bed. They hadn’t found too many more details about the attack in Romania, but what Leesa had read was enough. Thoughts about her schoolwork were temporarily forgotten. Even practicing her magic had been shoved onto the back burners of her mind.She needed to talk to Dominic—not only about the Necromancer’s latest attack, but also about the weakening of magic in this section of Connecticut. The problem was how to contact someone who was on the run and who didn’t have a phone or email address. She couldn’t just wait until Dominic contacted her—she had no idea when he might be returning to Middletown, or when he might call next.Her room was too quiet. The stillness seemed to amplify the futility of her thinking
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Leesa’s eyes were glued to the window as she rode the train southwest from New Haven toward New York City. This was her first time ever aboard a train, and while it wasn’t as amazing as her first plane ride—had that really only been seven months ago?—it was still pretty fun. They rumbled through the heart of several cities and skirted the edges of suburban towns. Occasionally, the train passed though open or wooden areas. A couple of times, she even got a glimpse of boats docked in crowded marinas or of the blue-grey waters of Long Island Sound.It was nearly ten o’clock Monday morning, and the train was barely half full, allowing Leesa easy access to a window seat. The earlier trains were much more crowded, she knew from her research, filled with commuters heading into New York for work. Since she didn’t need to be in Grand Central Station until noon, she had been able to take a slightly later train. This one would get her there at eleven-
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Dominic reached into his back pocket and pulled out his magic wallet. He glanced around the subway car to make sure no one was watching. None of their fellow passengers appeared to be showing any interest in a couple they probably guessed to be father and daughter—they were all lost in their own private worlds, faces stuck behind newspapers or listening to music with their eyes closed.Even so, Dominic turned his body sideways and held the wallet between him and Leesa before sticking his hand inside. Leesa watched, no longer surprised but still amazed, as Dominic’s arm disappeared into the wallet halfway up to his elbow. When he withdrew it, he was holding a beautiful rectangular box slightly smaller than his hand and no more than two inches deep. The box looked like it had been carved from ivory, with engraved silver plates reinforcing each of its eight corners. A ninth piece of silver joined the top of the box to the bottom. From its position, Leesa thought it w
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Leesa blinked, not sure she had heard Dominic correctly. “What do you mean, I have to activate it?” she asked. “How? Why? I don’t understand.” Before Dominic could answer, the train pulled into another station and lurched to a stop, the seventh or eighth such stop since they had boarded this train. “I’ll tell you in a moment,” he said. “But first, it’s time for us to change trains again.” Leesa didn’t really want to wait for his answer, but she had no choice. The doors slid open and they exited the car. At least they didn’t have to go above ground to make the transfer this time. They simply hurried across a wide, dimly lit platform and boarded an identical looking train getting ready to head in the opposite direction. Once again, they managed to find a seat that afforded them at least a little bit of privacy. “Now, to answer your question,” Dominic said after they sat back down. “The avatar is activated simply by opening the box, but the box c
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Leesa’s brain was a jumble of thoughts and emotions as she rode the train back toward New Haven. Unlike her earlier ride into the city, she paid little attention to the scenery flashing by her window. She had way too much on her mind right now.An hour or so ago, she and Dominic had changed subway trains one more time, ending up in Penn Station instead of Grand Central to avoid any chance of backtracking and running into his pursuers. While not as impressive and ornate as Grand Central, Penn Station was even busier and more crowded. On the final train, Dominic had showed her how to open the box to activate his avatar. It was amazingly simple. All she had to do was place her finger on the silver square and send any kind of magic into it. She could use the illumination spell, the energy beam, even the plant growing spell. Anything would do. Since the vibrations of her magic were the same as Dominic’s, the box would open to the magic and the avatar would be activated
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Tuesday morning, the witch Jenna paced back and forth across the wooden floor of the living room in her small, secluded home. All her life, she’d had a thirst for gathering knowledge of all kinds, a quest made easier by her shape-shifting abilities, which allowed her to observe things unnoticed, and by her ability to put herself into other people’s minds, which allowed her to learn things even without being physically present. Most of the time, she simply filed the information away in her head, never using it for any specific purpose.Sometimes, though, her accumulated knowledge proved valuable, like when she had followed Leesa home and later used the information to visit her and ask whether her magic had also been weakened. That had proved useful indeed, taking a load off Jenna’s mind by reassuring her that the weakening was not an attack directed at her. It was a perfect example of how you never knew what information might one day prove useful.But
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Jenna had the cabdriver drop her off at Gillette Castle, a normal enough destination. The strange looking hilltop castle looked like it had been constructed out of papier-mâché, but was actually made out of thousands of stones gathered from the local hills. It had been built for an eccentric actor early in the twentieth century and was now the centerpiece of a state park whose other main attraction was its spectacular views of the Connecticut River. The vampire caverns were hidden in the forest a mile or so north the park. She would walk the rest of the way.The air was chill, with the sun hidden behind a thick layer of gray clouds that had moved in since the morning, but the cold seldom bothered her. She skirted the edge of the park surrounding the castle and headed north into the trees.She had learned the location of the vampire lair the same way she learned many things—by carefully watching the world below her in the guise of an owl. Years ago, s
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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
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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
