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Chapter 245
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2024-10-29 19:42:56“I’m pretty sure this welcoming committee is not here for me,” Bradley said, smiling.
Leesa dropped down onto one knee and wrapped her right arm around Max’s shoulder, using her other hand to give the golden retriever his favorite greeting, a vigorous chest rub. His tail wagged furiously as he panted into Leesa’s ear.
Finally, she stood up. Her mom was waiting for her, arms outstretched. Leesa melted into her mother’s embrace, certain she would never tire of hugging her. For most of her life Leesa had received nothing more than perfunctory hugs from her withdrawn mom, but that had all changed since Professor Clerval, with some help from Rave, had injected her mom with the blood of a grafhym, a one-fanged vampire.
Her mom was pretty much back to normal now, and Leesa was enjoying it immensely. As she stepped out of her mother’s embrace into an almost equally warm hug from Aunt Janet, Leesa marveled at how much her family life had changed. For most of her child
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 246
The last thing Leesa thought about before she fell asleep that night was the sound of Max’s four short barks and the feel of his wet tongue across her cheek. She was certain that woof, woof, woof, woof just had to mean “I love you, too,” and the lick could have been nothing else but a kiss from Rave. After all, Max’s tongue had felt unusually warm, hadn’t it? And Bradley had been the first to voice that interpretation, so that gave it extra credibility.She drifted off to sleep with a peaceful smile on her face.Rave carried her in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest as he ran through the woods, moving faster than any forest animal could dream of running. The scent of the green growing things filled her lungs, awakening her senses. Rave’s chest felt even warmer than usual and she turned her face into it, feeling the hard beat of his heart against her lips.His every movement echoed through her body; each footfall f
Leesa's Advent Chapter 247
As if responding to her unspoken thought, the magical bed tilted slightly and she found herself in Rave’s arms. He returned her kiss, opening his mouth and tracing the inside of her upper lip with his tongue.Leesa’s fingers curled into Rave’s thick, dark copper hair as their kiss deepened, her body pressing hungrily into his. As always, his amazing magical heat flowed into her, but she knew that somehow, in this place, his fire would not harm her.With no need to pull back, their tongues explored each other slowly, in no hurry, yet filled with love and passion. This was what Leesa had been waiting for, and it was even better than she had imagined it would be.Finally, their lips parted, and a soft, satisfied sigh escaped into the magic of Azure.Leesa had never felt so loved, so cherished, so fulfilled. And yet a part of her wanted still more.“Rave…” she whispered into his neck as she held him cl
Leesa's Advent Chapter 248
A little more than an hour later, Leesa and Cali sat across from each other at their favorite table up in the fourth floor stacks, their books and notebooks spread out in disarray in front of them. For once, they were actually here to study, not to practice magic. Leesa was also here to meet with Dominic so she could tell him about her dream and find out if she might be in any danger because of it. Still paranoid about the BSI agents’ ability to listen in on her calls, she had simply told Dominic that she needed to talk to him, and that she would be in the last place they had seen each other. She said she would be there all day, so he should come whenever he could. The library made a perfect rendezvous point—it was a good place to study as well as the safest place she could think of to meet.For the first time since they had been coming here, Leesa and Cali did not have the fourth floor completely to themselves. Several other students had chosen the stacks as the
Leesa's Advent Chapter 249
It was nearly midnight when Leesa and Cali finally gathered up their books and headed home from the library. Except for two brief food breaks and a short walk after dinner, they had been studying all day. Leesa was exhausted—she was afraid if she spent any more time studying, she would be too tired to take her tests. She was going to set her alarm early and squeeze in some last minute studying in the morning, but for now, she was done.The night sky was starless and a cold breeze blew into their faces, but Leesa noticed neither. She was too busy concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. When she got this tired, her limp sometimes became an issue and she had to be careful not to trip. Cali seemed to sense this, because she had hooked her arm inside Leesa’s without saying anything. Arm in arm, they trudged back to their dorm, too exhausted to even talk much. The walk seemed longer than Leesa remembered, but finally she saw the dorm up ahead. Plenty of
Leesa's Advent Chapter 250
“So, why did we have to get away from your dorm?” he asked Leesa. “Were you worried there might be volkaanes coming around?”Leesa knew she had to be careful with her answer—she did not want to give Stefan any hint that the volkaanes’ magical fire had been weakened. If the vampires knew that their long time foes were vulnerable, they might decide to go hunting.“No, not that,” she said after a moment. “Rave has been gone for more than a week, and I don’t expect him back for a little while yet.”If Stefan was at all curious about Rave’s absence, he gave no sign of it, for which Leesa was glad.“What then?” Stefan asked. “If not volkaanes, what should a vampire be concerned about?”“Have you ever heard of xenorians?”As usual, Stefan’s black eyes remained expressionless—black mirrors, Leesa usually thought of them as, except
Leesa's Advent Chapter 251
The next two days passed in a bit of a blur for Leesa. Thursday she had her two exams, which she did okay, but not great on. Stefan’s visit had kept her up later than she had planned, making her a bit tired and sluggish during the first test, especially. She had crashed early that night and slept in late on Friday, but one night of extra sleep was not enough to offset a whole week of stress and studying.Cali was out celebrating the end of midterms with Andy, so Leesa was just spending the evening hanging out alone in her room, reading and watching television. She thought about going to the library to practice her magic, but even the four block walk seemed like too much effort tonight. She didn’t think one more day without practice was going to hurt her meager progress.She was watching a rerun of Two and a Half Men—one of the good ones before Charlie Sheen experienced his epic meltdown—when someone knocked at her door. Pushing herself up off th
Leesa's Advent Chapter 252
The night was another cold one, with a cool, damp wind blowing out of the northwest. As the cold air streamed across Leesa’s cheeks, she thought that spring sure seemed to be taking its time arriving. She didn’t know if this was normal for Connecticut—after all, this was her first New England spring. One of her classmates had said something about March “coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb,” so she guessed this year’s weather was probably not all that unusual, not if there was an old adage about it.The cold did not bother her at all tonight—not when she had Rave holding her hand. Even with him obeying her strict instructions to keep his magical inner fire completely in check, she could still feel his natural heat flowing through her hand and into her body, warming her as they walked.They had gone barely half a block from the dorm when Rave suddenly stopped.“What’s the matter?” Leesa asked
Leesa's Advent Chapter 253
For a moment, she could not see anything while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. When her sight returned, she found Rave staring at her, an amused smile on his face.“I would say that was just a bit brighter than anything you created at my house,” he said.Leesa did not need Rave to tell her that. “Yeah, for sure,” she said, staring down at her hand almost in disbelief. She wondered if her ankle weights analogy was indeed coming true, or if perhaps this had merely been pent up magical energy bursting out after so many weeks of being held in check. There was only one way to find out.“Illuminati verdus,” she said again, this time picturing a light above her hand that was about the brightness of the ceiling light in her room.The glow that floated above her palm was softer this time, but it still cast enough illumination to brighten the ground for maybe ten feet in each direction.“Follow me, please,”
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 727
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
Leesa's Advent Chapter 726
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
Leesa's Advent Chapter 725
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
Leesa's Advent Chapter 724
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.
Leesa's Advent Chapter 723
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
Leesa's Advent Chapter 722
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
Leesa's Advent Chapter 720
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
