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Chapter 250
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2024-10-29 19:42:56“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
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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,”
Leesa's Advent Chapter 254
Earlier that same day, BSI agents Smith, Jones and Rome were enjoying a hot breakfast of eggs, sausage and pancakes in an old mom-and-pop eatery across the street from their downtown Middletown motel. The men sat on one side of the worn blue vinyl booth with Rome across from them. The food was surprisingly decent and the coffee was very good. In the middle of lifting a forkful of sausage to her mouth, Rome suddenly froze.Both men immediately stopped eating and looked at her sharply.“What is it?” Smith asked.Rome lowered her fork to her plate. Her eyes narrowed as she slowly moved her head from side to side. Her eyes were only partially focused—she did not really seem to be looking at anything.“Something has shifted,” she said after moment. She held up her hand, forestalling any further questions from her companions.Smith and Jones watched her silently. Concentration turned her already severe features into a sharp
Leesa's Advent Chapter 255
Leesa knew she was probably going to have to get comfortable with Jenna at some point—and now Dominic’s request was giving her a reason to try. “Okay. Should we meet back at school? At my dorm? Or the library?” “No, I have a better place. It will be safer, and it’s closer to where we must go.” “Okay. Where?” “Along Route 66, half a mile west of where we buried the black waziri.” The choice surprised Leesa. She guessed that Dominic wanted Jenna’s help in permanently getting rid of whatever remained of the black wizards. “Rent a car,” Dominic continued, “so you can drive there.” “I’m with Rave right now,” Leesa said. “I can have him carry me.” “No, I want a car, so we can all leave quickly once we are done.” Leesa knew that leaving quickly meant there would be danger involved in whatever Dominic was going to do. “I’ll have Rave meet us there, then. Is that okay?” “Of course. I do not foresee any re
Leesa's Advent Chapter 256
As Leesa predicted, her ride in Rave’s arms was all too brief, seemingly over almost before it had even begun. She told Rave to put her down at least fifty feet from the hidden gravesite—far enough, she hoped, to be safe from any lingering danger from the black magic. Dominic had done a good job concealing the spot beneath which the black waziri were buried. She could not tell exactly where the remains of the evil wizards rested, but the condition of some of the trees gave her a pretty good idea of the general location. As spring warmed the land, green buds and new leaves were beginning to sprout from the branches of most of the trees, but there was a small group whose branches remained as barren looking as in the dead of winter—the result, she was certain, of the black magic seeping through the soil into their roots. She wondered if any of those trees would ever bloom again, or if the evil magic had killed them. Using the bare trees as her marker, she made sure sh
Leesa's Advent Chapter 257
“Okay,” Leesa said. “Tomorrow’s Sunday, and I suppose I can miss a day or two of classes after that.” She looked at Rave and smiled. “That is, if Rave doesn’t mind having me hang around.”Rave grinned and took Leesa’s hand. “I think I can probably put up with you for a couple of days, at least.”“Okay, that’s settled, then,” Dominic said. “Let’s get started. The sooner we get this done, the better.”He strode toward the burial spot, stopping two paces away from a grave that was invisible to everyone but him. To the rest of them, the soil in front of him looked identical to the surrounding ground, but to the wizard there might as well have been a neon sign pointing to the grave, so foul were the magical vibrations he sensed beneath the dirt. Leesa, Rave and Jenna followed him, making sure to remain a few steps behind. Dral and Bain veered off to the left and righ
Leesa's Advent Chapter 258
BSI agents Smith, Jones and Rome gathered around a marble headstone in one of the Middletown’s cemeteries, the one closest to the Weston College campus. Beneath the marker, the sod had not yet completely grown back over the recently resealed grave, leaving narrow seams of dark brown dirt visible in the otherwise green grass.After returning from their drive across the river, they had decided to renew their investigation in the place where they had started it—at the graves of the three bodies that had been reanimated into the zombies who had attacked the girls dormitory. They hoped the dissipation of the strange spell that had been blanketing the entire area would allow Rome to sense traces of magic she might have missed the first time around.The afternoon shadows cast by the still mostly bare branches of the few trees scattered around the graveyard were beginning to lengthen as the sun began its slow descent in the western sky. The nearest tree spread a da
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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
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
