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Chapter 335
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2024-10-29 19:42:56When Leesa awoke the next morning, she sensed right away that something had changed. Yes, she was married now, but that wasn’t it. And yes, she was no longer a virgin—she felt herself blushing as memories of last night’s torrid lovemaking came back to her—but that wasn’t it either. No, it was something much different.
She lay snuggled against Rave in a spooning position, her back against the smooth flesh of his muscular stomach and chest. They were in their magical honeymoon bed, and when Leesa opened her eyes she could see a carpet of red, yellow and white wildflowers stretched out before her. Rave’s right arm hung loosely across her side. She could feel his volkaane heat seeping into her body. She knew he was probably awake and watching her—he required very little real sleep, but had always been happy to lie beside her while she slept, no matter how many hours it was.
She rolled over to face him. As she had expected, his beau
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Leesa's Advent Chapter 336
Balin straightened up and brushed some loose soil from the knees of his pants and then from his hands. He stood an inch or two taller than Rave, but was not quite so muscular. His long, lead-colored hair retained only small streaks of the customary volkaane dark copper. All in all, he looked amazingly good for someone who had lived more than five centuries, Leesa thought. She imagined Rave would look just as good as the centuries passed—she just hoped her wizard magic would allow her to remain equally as attractive.“So, are you two just passing by,” Balin asked, “or do I detect in your manner that you have something more on your minds?”Leesa was not surprised by Balin’s perceptiveness. He had always been able to read Rave quite easily, and as he had gotten to know Leesa better and better, he was getting pretty good at reading her as well.“Well, there is something we want to ask you about,” Rave replied.&
Leesa's Advent Chapter 337
Leesa glanced at Rave and then turned back to Balin. “Only that they’re taken from their mothers and raised communally. I hope no one expects me to go along with that.”“No, of course not.”“Good.” Leesa leaned back until she was resting against the wall behind her. So far, she hadn’t learned anything overly worrisome. If their child’s fire was weak, she and Rave would protect him, especially when another Destiratu arose. “So, what do I need to know about volkaane babies?”“First, volkaane pregnancies always last exactly six cycles of the moon,” Balin replied. “Again, I don’t know what effect your human and wizard natures will have on that, but you should be prepared for a shorter pregnancy, just in case. Volkaanes grow fast.”Leesa wasn’t at all worried about that. Being pregnant for six months instead of nine didn’t sound like a bad thing at all.
Leesa's Advent Chapter 338
After defeating the necromancer and his minions — and losing Dominic in the process — Leesa had seen no reason to return to Weston College for the fall semester. The only book she was interested in now was the book of magic Dominic had given her. It contained all the lessons she needed, and she spent at least several hours with it every day, learning and practicing spells and magic. She was the last of the waziri now, and she was determined to become the very best wizard she could.Progress was slow without Dominic here to guide her, but she had vowed that she was going to make him proud, even if he wasn’t around to see it. Jenna came by now and then to help, but witch magic and wizard magic were very different, so the amount of assistance she could provide was limited. Rave usually watched Leesa practice, lending encouragement and support. For the most part, though, she was having to learn it all on her own.Just because she hadn’t enrolled at Weston didn’t mean she never visited the
Leesa's Advent Chapter 339
Leesa never practiced her magic in the vicinity of the volkaane settlement. To do so risked awakening the fell power that slumbered beneath the earth there, a magic so powerful Dominic said it dwarfed anything he had ever experienced. “Let sleeping magic lie” was a fitting switch on a familiar old saying.While inconvenient, the need to travel to work on her magic had its benefits. Pretty much every day, Leesa got to enjoy a ten or fifteen mile ride in Rave’s arms, cradled snug against his muscular chest and feeling his inner warmth soaking into her body. Being carried by Rave as he raced swiftly through the trees was still far and away her favorite way to travel.She had a few favorite places to practice, most of them spots where she had trained with Dominic. She varied them so she wouldn’t become too accustomed to wielding her powers in any one place. For the same reason, she and Rave occasionally tried a new spot. Almost all of them were deep in the woods somewhere, hidden from sig
Leesa's Advent Chapter 340
Jenna smiled at Leesa. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”Leesa moved forward and gave Jenna a hug.“Nothing successful,” she said, allowing a bit of frustration to leak out in her voice. “It’s good to see you, Jenna.”“I was flying nearby and sensed your magic, so I thought I’d drop by to see if I could be of any help.” Jenna turned to Rave and nodded. “Hi, Rave.”“Hello, Jenna. It’s nice to see you again.”It definitely was nice to see her, Leesa thought. She was always glad to have Jenna around when she practiced. With Dominic gone, the witch was the closest thing she had to a magical mentor. Even though wizard and witch magic were very different, some general tenets of magic held for both. Leesa hoped Jenna might have some ideas about why she was struggling with this growth spell thing.“Your timing is actually very good,” Leesa said to Jenna.Jenna glanced toward the boulder in the center of the stream.“I see by the fresh holes that you’ve been blasting away at that thing.”
Leesa's Advent Chapter 341
Several weeks passed. The child inside Leesa continued to grow. Now when she focused her concentration inward, she could clearly sense the boy’s aura. The energy pulsed in a light, almost yellowish green hue, telling her for certain now that he would possess at least some of Rave’s volkaane magic as well as her own. The yellow tinge to the color made her think the waziri magic was probably the stronger of the two, but only time would tell. How the two magics would interact was an even bigger mystery.She had not yet visited a doctor—in fact, she wasn’t sure if she ever would. She had no idea what kind of readings the magical child in her belly might trigger during any physical exam, but she was pretty sure they would not be normal. And anything abnormal would cause the medical people to worry, which would probably result in more tests and still more abnormal readings. It could be a vicious cycle with no real end unless she admitted to the magic, which she was not about to do. She knew
Leesa's Advent Chapter 342
That very same night, Leesa dreamed.Blackness enveloped her. No, not blackness—more of a purple. A purple so deep and rich and dark as to be almost black. She held her hand up in front of her face and she could see it clearly, but when she extended her arm, her hand nearly disappeared into the void. Farther out, she thought she could see faint, floating white lights surrounding her, but whenever she tried to focus on any particular one of them it somehow became lost to her sight.Almost as frightening as the eerie darkness was the complete and utter silence of the place. It was so deathly quiet she thought she could hear her own heartbeat, but maybe that was because it was pounding so hard inside her chest.She had no idea where she was, no memory of how she had come to this place of cold, eerie darkness.She tried to take a careful step forward, but discovered she could not. Not because her legs didn’t work, but because she wasn’t standing on anything solid. She seemed to be floatin
Leesa's Advent Chapter 343
The next week flew by. Leesa worked hard on the growth spell every day. The stone continued to grow a little more at each session, except on the fourth day, when she had a small hiccup in her progress. The day before, the rock had finally reached the size it had been in Jenna’s illusion. The next day it stubbornly refused to grow any more, despite more than a dozen attempts from Leesa. The difficulty had not been unexpected, and Leesa simply shook it off. She was fairly confident now she would be able to break through that barrier and was determined to do it on her own, without another assist from Jenna. The next day, that’s exactly what happened—the stone finally grew bigger than Jenna’s image.The stone had become too big and heavy for Leesa to levitate—it was now thigh high—so for the last two days she and Rave had simply left it where it sat and returned to the same place the next day to work on it.That spot was in the middle of a stand of pine trees not too far from the bank of
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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
