Blood Magic (Blood Magic Series Book 1) Read online

  When I finally reached my destination, I brought the heavy branch down upon my target with as much force as I could muster. The creature immediately turned its glowing eyes in my direction and started to move towards me.

  “Allison, run!” Mason screamed at me, and I threw the branch at the creature and began to run as fast as I could. I kept glancing over my shoulder as I ran blindly through the torrential rain. I imagined I could feel the monster’s hot breath on the back of my neck; its teeth sinking into my flesh, and its burning eyes watching the life fade slowly from mine. I was looking backward more than forward, so I did not see the large root sticking out of the ground until it was too late.

  All of the air was knocked out of me as I hit the hard ground, and I sliced my head open on a very sharp rock. My vision began to blur around the edges and blood from the cut on my head was stinging my eyes.

  I tried to stand up, but I was overcome with a wave of dizziness and nausea—so strong—that it brought me to my knees, so I began to crawl through the mud as fast as I could.

  But as fast as I could was not nearly fast enough. I felt a terrible pain in my foot and realized that the creature’s teeth were clamped around my ankle. I began to struggle and my leg was pulled out from under me as it began to drag me backwards. I started to scream and kick, trying to dig my fingers into the muddy ground, but it was no use. I was too weak and it was too strong.

  When it finally stopped dragging me, I rolled over onto my side, coughing and choking on mud. And when I looked up, there was far more intelligence in its eyes than there should have been.

  “What are you waiting for?” I screamed, using up all of the strength I had left, “Just kill me and get it over with!”

  The animal began snarling and growling viciously as it circled me, and its eyes only seemed to glow redder. When it finally stopped and leaned closer,

  I could feel its fetid breath on my face, and when it lunged for my throat, I closed my eyes and waited to die.

  Only that didn’t happen. I heard a savage yell and opened my eyes in time to see Mason rip the beast away from me, and throw it across the field, into the trunk of a huge tree. There was a loud crack as it slumped to the ground, unmoving.

  Mason knelt in the mud, cradling my head in his lap, and checking me for injuries.

  “What are you?” I asked him. And before he could respond, I passed out.

  Joshua was on his feet before I even had time to blink, shielding me from her view. He grabbed my nightdress, tossing it to me, and I hid behind him as I hurriedly pulled it over my head. He donned his own clothing after that, but I did not miss the blatant hunger in her eyes; I was surprised that she didn’t run forward and lick him. And then he spoke …

  “Prudence, she did not use evil powers to seduce me! She didn’t have to; I came to her willingly. She is not a witch!”

  “My poor, poor sweet, Joshua. You do not even realize what this harlot has done to you,” she said, condescendingly.

  “Stop talking about her that way! Did you ever stop to think that maybe I’m the one who seduced her?”

  “Why on earth would thou do that?” she asked, blinking her big, doe eyes at him.

  “Because I love her! Do you understand that? Her! Not you. It will always be her!”

  “I do not see why you have to be so hateful,” she whined, like a petulant child, her eyes filling with tears.

  “I am not trying to cause thee pain, Prudence. You are beautiful; and there are many men in town that would love to be with thee, but I am not one of them!”

  I had not uttered a single word during her little tirade; somehow, I knew it would only make matters worse. But I could tell that Joshua’s words were falling on deaf ears, because she hadn’t heard another word he had said after he’d called her beautiful. Maybe it was time I said something after all.

  “Prudence, we love each other and we intend to be married as soon as possible. You don’t have to like it, but you cannot change it,” I told her.

  “Joshua does not love you! We have been together every day for the past month, and he has never spoken of you, not once. You are nothing but a plaything to him. I have spent hours laughing and talking to him about our future. I am the woman he will marry, not some jezebel who runs naked in the moonlight,” she said, with a maniacal gleam in her eyes.

  “I have spent hours with him as well, hours being kissed by him and held tightly in his arms. I feel sorry for you; I do. But the relationship you think you have with him is only in your mind.”

  “Be careful what you say to me, witch!” she snarled.

  “Do not ever threaten her, Prudence!” Joshua said, taking a menacing step toward her.

  And as if she hadn’t heard a word we had said, she replied, “Joshua, you do not know what you are saying! If you would only give me a chance … then you would see how much you could love me. You think you love her, but you do not, and I have to make you see it! I have to make you understand what you are giving up before you are wed locked to … to … that!” She said viciously, pointing at me.

  “Prudence, please, just go home,” he said tiredly.

  “No! I will not let her destroy—”

  “Enough!” he roared, causing both of us to jump in surprise, “You will go home now, and you will not speak to me or Annabelle ever again! I want absolutely nothing else to do with you.”

  “You do not mean that,” she whimpered, reaching out to him, as he stepped back, just out of her grasp.

  Her eyes instantly hardened into violet chips of ice as she said, “You are not going to just toss me aside! You have two days to make a choice between us.”

  “I have already chosen! What will be different in two days?” he asked her.

  “In two days, if you choose me, we will begin a courtship that will eventually end in marriage. If you choose incorrectly,” she said, looking at me, “My friends and I will tell everyone that she is a witch, and … she … will … die,” she told us, drawing out the last three words for emphasis.

  I felt like someone had hit me in the stomach, robbing me of every ounce of air. I could not breathe; I couldn’t think; I couldn’t see! My world had just collapsed around me. And as Prudence stood there smiling coldly at me, I remembered my mother’s words of warning once again. Only now, it was too late.

  “Joshua, No! Joshua, please!” I screamed, as I awoke in an unfamiliar room. I sat bolt upright in the strange bed and surveyed my surroundings. Where was I?

  It was dark, so I flipped on a lamp that sat on the nightstand next to me. I was in a comfy, king-sized bed with a navy blue comforter. There were posters of all kinds of cars covering the walls, as well as a picture of Danica Patrick, in a bikini, lying on the hood of a racecar. A small flat-screen TV was mounted on one wall. There was a dresser, a desk with a laptop computer, a closet, and bathroom, visible through an open door. And in front of a large window, sat a very comfy-looking, green loveseat. It wasn’t as large as my room at home, but still pretty big.

  I was pretty sure it was Mason’s room. And just the thought of him brought back the horrible memories from earlier today. But that wasn’t enough, no—on top of that—I was still seriously freaked out over the dream I’d just had.

  Monsters kept attacking me (in sleep as well as in reality)! I was dreaming about people who had been dead for like a zillion years. And Mason could do things that no human should be able to do! What in the crap was happening to my life?

  “Hey, sleeping beauty,” Mason said, leaning against the door to his room.

  I was so lost in thought I hadn’t even heard him come in. And even though I was still a little—okay, a lot—upset about everything, I couldn’t help but return his smile. He had saved my life (twice), after all; he was my hero.

  And I just couldn’t give a voice to any of my questions just yet, so I said, “How’s Charlie? Did he make it?”

  “A few dents and scrapes here and there, but he is definitely not on the critical list,” he replied, g
libly.

  “That’s good,” I said, as I looked down, playing with the comforter, not meeting his eyes.

  “How are you doing?” he asked, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed.

  “I’m just still trying to process all the crazy,” I said in a wobbly voice, and I was horrified when a tear ran down my cheek.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, as he leaned forward and kissed my cheek, catching the tear on his lips.

  My breath caught in my throat, and I closed my eyes and leaned forward, burying my face in his neck. “No,” I said, my voice muffled against his skin, “I just want your arms around me, because that’s the safest place I can think of right now. Will you just lie down with me? Please?” I asked him.

  “There isn’t anything in this world that I would rather do,” he said, as he climbed under the sheets with me.

  I scooted as close to him as possible and laid my head on his chest. His arms instantly wrapped around me, and I smiled and snuggled even closer. I didn’t understand how I could trust someone that I hardly knew so completely, but I did. I didn’t understand why I was under attack, but I was. I didn’t know the reason I was dreaming about Annabelle and Joshua, only that there was one. And I didn’t know how Mason could make it all better, but I believed he would.

  Surrounded by the sweet scent of him and the comforting cocoon of his arms around me, I felt my eyes grow heavy. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I actually slept dreamlessly and peacefully.

  I did not stir until hours later. Mason was still asleep beside me; I couldn’t see him, but I could hear his deep, even breathing. I rolled over to look at the digital display on the alarm clock and saw that it was only five a.m. Yuck! I hated waking up this early, especially when I had decided not to grace Bitter Springs High—Home of the Mighty Cocks (the rooster, not the other kind)—with my presence today. After almost becoming a Scooby Snack for those dogs from hell, school wasn’t real high on my list of priorities right now.

  I got up as quietly as possible, trying to keep from waking Mason up, and made my way to the bathroom. Sharp pains shot through my ankle as I walked across the floor. I was such a moron! How could I have forgotten about my foot being used as a chew toy today … yesterday … whatever? Probably because I hadn’t felt anything until I’d put weight on it. And what about Mason? I remembered his face being scratched and his shoulder being bitten, but I hadn’t seen a mark on him. Had I imagined that part?

  I hobbled into the bathroom and closed the door before turning the light on to inspect the damage. There were fifteen stitches in my ankle and it looked red and swollen. I had several superficial cuts and bruises on my body as well. And when I looked in the mirror, I noticed a gash on my head that was held together with nine stitches. I touched it gingerly with my fingers and sucked in a sharp breath as a stab of pain shot through my skull. I was betting I had also been given pain medication; that’s why I’d slept so long. But by who?

  While I was busy pondering this, I heard someone gently knocking on the door. I opened it to find Mason staring back at me.

  “You okay?” he asked, smiling.

  “Yeah, I’ll be out in just a sec,” I told him, closing the door. Then I turned the water on while I peed; it made me paranoid, knowing he was just on the other side of the door.

  When I came out, the lamp was on, and he was sitting on the bed waiting for me. I slowly hobbled over to the bed and sat down with him.

  “How’s the ankle?” he asked me.

  “Feels kinda like a giant monster dog tried to bite it off,” I quipped.

  “If you need more pain medicine we’ve got plenty here,” he told me.

  “We?” I asked.

  “Yeah, my moms a vet, remember?”

  “Well, I’m not exactly a kitty cat,” I said.

  “Close enough,” he replied, and I smacked him.

  “I’m guessing she’s also the one who stitched me up, but why didn’t you just take me to the hospital?”

  “Because I didn’t want to end up in a padded room after I explained that we were attacked by Hellhounds,” he explained.

  “Hellhounds?” I echoed.

  He didn’t respond right away. It’s like he was mentally trying to prepare himself for this conversation, and I could tell that he had been dreading it. Finally he took a deep breath and began.

  “They have many names: Phantom Black Dogs, Hellhounds, Kludde. Some believe they are a portent of death. Some believe they are emissaries of the devil. They are known to attack travelers on deserted roadways, and they often appear in electrical storms. They are said to haunt many places throughout Europe, but they are never seen in this part of the world.”

  “So what were they doing here?” I asked, quietly.

  “Someone or something summoned them here,” he said darkly.

  “I’m sorry, did you just say something?”

  “Yes, you don’t live in the world you think you do.”

  “That much was obvious when Satan’s kennel was turned loose on us, but who or what do you think sent them, and why?” I asked.

  But just when I thought I couldn’t be any more shell-shocked than I already had been, he said something that completely rocked my world.

  “I don’t know who sent them, Allison, but I’m almost positive they were sent, specifically, after you. And I don’t think it will be the last attack. I think it’s only the beginning,” He told me, with sorrow and sympathy clouding his green eyes.

  A million questions raced through my mind, and I didn’t know which one to ask first. There never seemed to be any answers, only more and more endless questions.

  Chapter Seven

  Answers

  “No! That’s crazy!” I finally burst out, “There is absolutely no reason for anyone to be coming after me!”

  “There is a reason,” he said simply.

  “What reason? And how exactly do you know all of this, anyway?” I asked, as I jumped up and started to pace around the room. Every step was agony, but right now, I just didn’t care!

  “One question at a time, Allie. Now, come back over here and sit with me and I’ll tell you as much as I can,” he said, holding out his hand to me.

  And it did not escape me that he said he would tell me as much as he can, not as much as he knows. I just stood there for a moment staring at his outstretched hand like it was poison, but finally, I nodded and sat back down, placing my hand in his.

  “Okay, why do you think ‘all the things that go bump in the night’ are after me?” I asked, much more calmly than I felt.

  “It’s because of your blood, Allison.”

  “What’s so special about my blood?” I asked, as I flashed back to the dream of the scary old woman.

  “Your blood is special because you are. Allison, you’re not completely human,” he said.

  “I am seriously starting to question your sanity,” I told him.

  “It’s the truth. You’re the product of three different, very powerful bloodlines. And each individual bloodline only strengthens the power of the others. That makes you and your blood very hot commodities.”

  “What does that even mean, me and my blood? It’s not like my blood exists independently of me!”

  “No, but there are humans who are aware of your existence that would like nothing better than to stick you in a lab somewhere and study you. And as far as creatures go, if one of them were able to drain you of every last drop of blood—your powers would transfer to them, and in the wrong hands that would be very dangerous.”

  “Are there creatures that can attack while you’re sleeping?” I asked him.

  His face instantly darkened, “Why? What happened?”

  “I had this nightmare about a hideous old woman. Right before I saw her I felt like I was being held down and I couldn’t breathe. She had a staff that created frost and fire. And she cut my wrist and tried to drink my blood,” I said, shivering.

  “Black cloak, hooked nose,
gray skin, empty eye sockets, claws?” he asked.

  “Yeah, what was it?”

  “It was a hag. They’re extremely dangerous. How did you escape?”

  “I don’t know. She tried to drink from me, and then she grabbed her throat like she was choking. Then some kind of white light blasted her back into the wall.”

  He didn’t say a word. He just sat there smiling at me.

  “What?” I asked him.

  “It was you. The choking and the bright light. You saved yourself. You may not believe you have these powers, but they’re in there.”

  “No! This is insane! I don’t have any powers; I’m pretty sure I would have noticed by now! So you need to just send out a supernatural memo, and tell all these freaks of nature that they’ve got the wrong girl!” I practically yelled at him.

  “Your powers have been cloaked for most of your life. I’m guessing your mother did this for your own protection. A cloaking spell means that you would’ve never been able to use them, and others who wished you harm, would not have been able to detect them,” he said, as calmly as if we were discussing the weather.

  “Then why am I in danger if this so called spell is supposed to be protecting me?” I demanded.

  “Because the spell has been broken.”

  “How?”

  “When you fell into the lake that night your desire to survive was so strong that it caused you to instinctively tap into your magic—thus breaking the spell,” he explained.

  “What are you talking about? I wasn’t saved by magic; it was you who pulled me out of that lake.”

  “No, Allison, it was you. Do you know what a kitsune is?” he asked me.

  “No, but I’m pretty sure you’re going to tell me,” I sighed.

  “A kitsune is known as a Japanese fox spirit. They have numerous powers: transforming into a fox, the ability to create lightning, invisibility, possession, creating illusions, and manifesting in the dreams of others are just a few.”

  “And you think I’m one of those?” I asked incredulously.

  “A part of you is; I know it. When I found you, you were lying in the snow. You had dragged yourself from the lake,” he said, smiling.