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Chapter 287
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Leesa guided the silver SUV into the parking lot of Whippoorwill Ridge Park, a few miles across the New York border. She had purchased the vehicle for Dominic two months ago through a private ad online, using some of Dominic’s seemingly endless cash. She registered the car in her name—Dominic was too far off the grid to be able to register a vehicle—but it really belonged to Dominic. After decades of relying on buses and trains, the wizard found the flexibility and mobility of the SUV convenient and freeing. Leesa was pretty sure he even slept in the vehicle—if the half-awake state that passed for most of the wizard’s rest could truly be called sleep.
Even though the car belonged to Dominic, whenever the two of them traveled together, Leesa did the driving. Dominic did not possess a driver’s license, and besides, Leesa was a much better driver.
The park looked far different today than the last time Leesa was here. Back then, winter h
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 288
Leesa repeated the process, this time concentrating as hard as she could on picturing Dominic’s arm looking totally unblemished. When she pulled her hand away, only the faintest red line remained, like the leftover scar of a long ago wound. Leesa allowed herself a small smile. It still wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty darn good.Dominic nodded in approval. “Much better.”“When did you learn that?” Rave asked. He glanced down at Dominic’s arm and then back to Leesa. “I’ve never seen you do anything like it.”“Just the other day,” Leesa replied. “Cali was my unintended guinea pig, when she scraped her arm watching me practice my spells with Dominic.”Rave grinned, picturing Cali being magically healed. “I bet she loved that. She loves anything magic, but having it used on her must have been a special thrill.”“Yeah, she was kind of stoked,” Le
Leesa's Advent Chapter 289
Leesa felt a faint tingle begin to crawl up her forearms, almost like a very mild electric current was passing from Dominic’s hands into hers. The feeling was not unpleasant at all. It moved slowly up her arms into her shoulders and then down through her torso. In less than a minute, she felt like her whole body was vibrating softly.If possible, Dominic’s stare seemed to become even more focused. The lower part of Leesa’s right leg began to grow warm. Suddenly, she felt a flash of intense heat just above her ankle, but it was gone before it could bring any pain. Dominic let go of her hands.“It is done,” he said.“What’s done?” Leesa asked. “What did you do?”Dominic held up a finger, silencing her.“Just a moment,” he said. He closed his eyes.Leesa recognized the look of intense concentration that etched itself into Dominic’s features. It lasted maybe ten second
Leesa's Advent Chapter 290
THE RIDE HOME FROM NEW YORK passed quickly. Leesa and Dominic talked some, but mostly she just enjoyed being behind the wheel, cruising at highway speeds through the scenic wooded hills of western Connecticut. She didn’t get to drive all that often, especially on the freeway, so she still got a kick out of it. Since it was pretty early in the afternoon, traffic was light, making driving all the more enjoyable. She wished Rave could be making the ride with them, but of course that was impossible.In less than two hours, they were back on Route 66, heading through Meriden toward Middletown. Just before they entered the town that had become her home, Leesa glanced toward Dominic.“Do you mind if we take a little side trip?” she asked.“Not at all. Where do you want to go?”“To East Hampton, to show Cali what you did to my leg. She’ll be thrilled.”“I’m certain she will be.” Dominic clos
Leesa's Advent Chapter 291
Leesa had not dreamed in quite some time—not one of her special dreams, at any rate. In the weeks after summoning a dream to help her defeat the xenorians, she had been visited by a number of magical dreams, all of which were disturbing and none of which she could remember in any detail. Both her book and Dominic told her this was normal—that once you unlocked the dream power by calling forth a vision, more dreams were almost certain to follow. And they were typically difficult to remember or interpret.After a few weeks, the dreams had finally ceased—until tonight. She knew she was dreaming right now. Somehow, she also knew she was going to remember this one.She and Cali were walking on the sidewalk along the outskirts of a college campus. It was not Weston College—the small lake across the street was all the proof Leesa needed to tell her that. There were no lakes on the Weston grounds.A lush green lawn sloped down to th
Leesa's Advent Chapter 292
Leesa had just swallowed the last spoonful of her cereal when her cell phone sounded. The ringtone—a snippet from Pink about how her critics didn’t like her jeans and didn’t get her hair—told her it was Cali on the line. Leesa wondered what was up with such an early call.Bradley looked up from his second bowl of cereal. Leesa was glad to see his appetite had still not diminished.“Let me guess,” he said. “With that ringtone, it has to be Cali, right?”Leesa grinned as she picked up the phone. “Yep. Pretty fitting for her, huh?”“That’s for sure.”Leesa put the phone to her ear. “Hey, Cali. What’s up?”Cali’s voice sounded even more excited than usual. “Lees, you got a few minutes? You won’t believe the dream I had last night! You were in it with me. I wanted to tell you before I forgot any of it.”The word “dr
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Leesa and Dominic sat in the SUV, which was parked in front of Leesa’s apartment complex. Dominic had driven over as soon as he received her call, not wanting to waste any time hearing the details of what she had to say. When Leesa came outside, he had simply slid over into the passenger seat. With the windows down, the fresh, cool morning air flowed over them. Leesa could smell the sweet scent of a nearby morning glory hedge.As she recounted her dream, Dominic listened with the same look of relaxed concentration he usually bore whenever she told him something important. He nodded now and then and asked one or two questions to clarify a point, but for the most part he just let her tell the story in her own words. When she finished repeating the details of her dream, she told him about the results of her computer search.“I was going to tell you about the dream in any case,” she said. “But when I read the article about the murders, I knew I had
Leesa's Advent Chapter 294
“Are you ready to practice some magic?” Dominic asked.“You bet,” Leesa replied. She started up the SUV. “Where to?”“Let’s try somewhere new, to spread around any traces your magic might leave behind.” Dominic thought for a moment. “You have been to Sleeping Giant, right? Can we find the privacy we need there?”Leesa nodded, thinking about how large the park was.“For sure.”Sleeping Giant State Park held a fond spot in Leesa’s heart. It was the place where Rave had captured the one-fang vampire whose blood Professor Clerval had used to cure her mom. The huge park was a popular hiking spot, but there were many off-trail areas that would provide plenty of privacy, especially with the foliage as thick as it was this time of year.“If a grafhym can hide away there for all these years” she said, “I’m sure we can find a nice secluded spot
Leesa's Advent Chapter 295
The result was nowhere near as crisp and clean as she would have liked, but she did manage to break her beam into several uneven parts. The hard rock was unmarked by the blasts, but that didn’t concern her at this point.“Not bad for a first attempt,” Dominic said. “Not bad at all.” The wizard returned to his seat upon the boulder. “Try again.”For the next twenty minutes, Leesa repeated her effort more than a dozen times. Occasionally, Dominic would stop her and offer some instruction. With each attempt her control grew better, until her final try resulted in quick bursts of energy that were nearly all the same length.Dominic pushed himself up from the boulder. “Well done,” he said. “Now we need to work on the strength of your beam.”He shuffled over to the rocky outcropping, motioning Leesa to follow. She joined him beside the rock wall.Dominic held his hand out so that it was ju
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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
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
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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.
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
