Of Witches and Warlocks: The Demon Kiss Read online

I couldn’t take anymore.

  “That was my choice,” I spoke up loudly, defending him. “He had nothing to do with it.”

  “He could have killed you, Portia!” my mom complained, throwing her hands into the air. “In fact, he almost did.”

  “Exactly!” I said, standing up suddenly. “He almost did, but he didn’t. He was able to stop himself.”

  “After which he basically begged you to surrender your virtue to him,” my dad reminded me.

  I walked over to the railing, looking out at the sea before me. I took a deep breath before I spoke my next words, knowing they would spark a discussion I didn’t really want to have.

  “If it makes you feel any better, I already offered to give myself to him. He refused to take it,” I said softly

  “Uh, no!” my dad said, sitting up straighter in his chair. “That doesn’t make me feel any better. Why would you do something like that?”

  I turned around to face them all, as my tears began to run down my face.

  “I love him,” I said, with all the emotion I could muster. “I’d do anything for him. Anything! I just don’t want a life without him.”

  I looked straight at Vance, letting my words sink in. I needed him to understand the depth of my feelings for him.

  “So you haven’t been intimate together?” my mom asked, softly this time.

  I shook my head. “No. It’s not because we haven’t wanted to, though. Vance feels that part of our relationship is best saved for marriage,” I replied.

  “I can live with that,” my dad said, with an obvious sigh of relief.

  He looked at Vance then, who had quietly been observing our interactions.

  “So what are your intentions exactly?” Dad asked him.

  “Well, right now pretty much everything in my life is hinged on the fact that something needs to be done about my dad. If we can get it all worked out, I would like to ask your permission to marry Portia before her senior year of high school. I figured I could look for a job in Flagstaff and we could get a little place there. She could still drive to Sedona for school, while I start at Northern Arizona University,” he explained.

  “Before her senior year?” my mom asked with a little gasp. “And how do you know that you’ll be able to provide for her adequately, or yourself for that matter? It’s hard to work and go to school at the same time.”

  “I’m guessing you don’t know about the money then either?” I asked, with a sardonic smile.

  “What money?” Dad asked, looking confused.

  “Vance happens to be a millionaire,” I said, enjoying dropping the bomb on them.

  “What?” they said in unison, looking at Vance.

  He shrugged modestly.

  “I had a trust fund,” he offered as a simple explanation.

  “The trust fund Marsha had told us about?” my dad questioned.

  “That’s the one,” he replied, looking completely unaffected by the subject change.

  “I had no idea it was anything like that!” Dad said in shock. “I thought maybe a few thousand ….” He trailed off.

  “We didn’t want to advertise it,” Vance explained simply. “We didn’t know if my dad would try to trace the money. Besides, we were both quiet, down to earth people who liked living things out in a small, comfortable way.”

  “Wow!” was all my dad said in response, his eyes wide as he shook his head slightly from side to side.

  We sat together in silence, letting things sink in, before Dad finally spoke up again.

  “Vance, you’re already like a son to me. It has been hard to watch you go through the trials that you’ve had to lately. That being said, though, Portia is my flesh and blood. Our flesh and blood,” he amended, reaching over to grasp my mom’s hand. “We want the best for her. I know she wants you, and I know the two of you are linked in a special way that has been pretty much unheard of before now.” He paused for a minute, as he looked Vance over again, as if considering his next words carefully. “I guess I’m saying if things work out okay then Portia’s Mom and I will consider your request to marry her early.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Vance replied, unable to stop a smile from spreading across his face as his gaze moved from my dad to me.

  “I do have a couple of stipulations, though,” Dad added, causing Vance to redirect his attention back to him.

  “What’s that?” Vance asked, leaning forward to listen.

  “I don’t want to let her get married before her senior year, and I’d like her to be seventeen first. She’ll have her birthday just a few weeks after school starts. And second, if I see you’re going to be a threat to her in any way, I’ll call this whole thing off. Binding spell or not, it’s her safety first,” Dad was clenching and unclenching his fist, and I wondered if he realized he was doing it.

  “I understand,” Vance replied, looking back over at me. “Her safety should always come first, Sean.”

  “Do you understand, Portia?” my mom asked.

  I nodded my head.

  “Very well then,” my dad said. “The two of you have our permission to officially announce your engagement.”

  “Really?” I asked, a smile that I couldn’t possibly hold back breaking across my face.

  “Really,” Dad said.

  I ran over and threw my arms around his neck, squeezing him in a giant bear hug.

  “Thank you, Daddy,” I said before turning to hug my mom also.

  “Welcome to the family, son,” my dad said as he extended his hand out toward Vance.

  “Thank you, sir,” Vance said, shaking his hand vigorously, and I saw he was beaming also.

  Dad nodded his head toward the glass door which was separating us from those who were inside.

  “Might as well go and break the news to everyone else,” he said as he stood up, offering Mom a hand.

  The four of us walked inside together, and Mom went over to the kitchen counter, picked up a glass and began tapping it with a spoon.

  “Could I have everyone’s attention?” she asked over the din.

  Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and turned to look at her with questioning eyes.

  “Vance has something he wants to tell all of you,” she said, and all eyes turned to look over at him.

  He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my ring finger in front of everyone before he spoke.

  “I have asked Portia to marry me, and she has consented,” he said with a smile, as he stared into my eyes, never looking away from me. “We are officially engaged now.”

  Some people started clapping, and others let out a happy cheer. Soon we were surrounded by well-wishers giving us hugs and kisses.

  It was a wonderful feeling, and I couldn’t help letting out a girlish giggle in all the excitement.

  “You’re my fiancée,” I whispered to him with a smile, as I squeezed his hand in delight.

  He pulled me close to him then and kissed me proper, much to the joy of everyone else in the room.

  I couldn’t stop smiling later that evening, as we strolled along the beach hand in hand, Brad and Shelly walking beside us doing the same.

  We had decided to take a walk after Dad and Grandma asked us to leave for a few minutes so they could meet privately with the rest of the coven.

  “This has been my favorite Christmas ever!” I said with a smile.

  “Why is that?” Vance asked as he gave my hand a tender squeeze.

  “Because I got you for Christmas,” I replied, grinning from ear to ear, still unable to believe it was really true.

  “Well, I hope I’m a gift that you won’t ever want to return,” he said, jokingly.

  “Not a chance!” I said and threw my arms around him and kissed him.

  He responded by picking me up and twirling me around in a circle, without breaking the kiss.

  “Get a room!” Brad complained with a laugh.

  “No kidding!” Shelly laughed, too. “It’s like being stuck in a romance novel or something.�
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  “Sorry.” I blushed, as Vance lowered me back down until my feet were touching the sand, even though I wasn’t sorry at all.

  Vance graciously changed the subject.

  “We’ve been out here for a while now. I’m sure we could head back to the condo if you’d like,” he said as he looked back down the beach in the direction that we had come.

  “What do you think they’re talking about?” Shelly asked.

  “I have no idea,” I replied, shaking my head, thinking it had indeed been a curious thing for them to ask us to leave and to take Brad and Shelly with us.

  Usually when the coven met together, everyone was involved, especially lately as things were almost always regarding Vance.

  “Let’s go find out then,” Brad suggested, and he started moving back in the direction of the condo.

  We walked back up the beach to the grounds of the resort, passed the sparkling swimming pools with Jacuzzis, and through the breezeway to the elevator.

  The coven was still seated together talking when we re-entered the room.

  “Come on in, kids!” My dad waved at us with a smile. “We have some things to discuss with you.”

  The four of us went and sat down, cross-legged on the tile floor, next to the others who were gathered.

  “We have a proposition for you,” Grandma said, looking specifically at Shelly and Brad. “We have discussed this with everyone except for Vance and Portia, but they can feel free to give any comments they have on the matter also.”

  “All right,” Brad said, looking a little bit apprehensive.

  “We’d like to extend an official invitation for the two of you to join our coven,” Grandma stated, looking closely at both of them for their reaction.

  There was complete silence in the room for a moment.

  “But we aren’t witches … or warlocks,” Shelly said, looking over at Brad.

  I was very surprised by this request, but it also seemed to make perfect sense to me, and I wondered why I had never thought of it before.

  “You’ve been offering your services to help further the causes of this coven and the people involved in it,” Grandma continued. “By inducting you as official members you’ll be under the protection of the powers that are in this coven. If we’re to be involved in some type of confrontation in the near future, this will greatly enhance your chances of survival.

  “Plus, there are a lot of things we can teach you that would give you some magical benefits. For instance, making healing medicines or even using some minor spells. You’d be able to keep your magical talismans and learn how to use their powers to strengthen yourselves in other areas. Basically, the power of the coven would supply you with magic so to speak,” she explained as she watched them both.

  “You wouldn’t ever surpass the level of an apprentice witch or warlock, however,” Dad said, letting them know there would be limits to what they could actually do with their borrowed powers.

  “What do you think about it?” Brad asked, turning to look to Vance for some advice.

  “I think it’s a smart idea. I feel foolish for not having thought of it myself,” he replied.

  “What do you think, Portia?” Shelly asked me.

  “I agree with Vance,” I said. “Something like this would’ve protected you from being susceptible to what you went through before, when Vance’s mom placed the spell on you. Both of you are very close to the coven, and you know all of our secrets. Making you official members would not only protect each of you but would protect the coven also.”

  We all sat in anticipation as Shelly and Brad thought things over carefully for a moment.

  “I accept,” Shelly said, giving Brad’s hand a squeeze and looking at him with a questioning gaze.

  He nodded his head.

  “I’ll do it, too,” he replied.

  “Wonderful!” my dad said. “This will actually give us the equivalent of having thirteen witches in the coven even though we’ll actually be fourteen in number. It was a great misfortune for us to lose Marsha.”

  Everyone was silent for a moment as we all recalled Marsha and her sweet disposition. I knew Vance would always love her and be grateful for the help she had rendered him.

  “I propose we dedicate the rest of this evening to Marsha’s memory and induct Brad and Shelly into the coven tonight,” I suggested.

  “That sounds like a perfect idea!” my dad said. “Do we have all the magical items we need here to do that, Mom?” he asked Grandma.

  “Yes, we do. I brought everything I thought we might possibly have need of,” she replied as she stood to leave the room, my dad following after her.

  We soon stood in a circle in the center of the floor, all of us in our ceremonial robes, even Brad and Shelly, which proved Grandma and Dad had indeed planned ahead for this very thing.

  The elements were called, and the circle was cast. Brad and Shelly were officially introduced to each member of the coven with a kiss and the Blessed Be incantation. Afterward they were invited to stand together in the spot that had once been Marsha’s place in the order. Then they were given a candle, which they both held together, which was lit in her memory.

  Vance then spoke of Marsha and of all the good she had done in her lifetime.

  Afterwards he thanked her, becoming a bit emotional in the process, and his voice cracked slightly, over the memories of an individual who had been like a mother to him. When he was done speaking, he leaned over and blew out the candle to signify setting her spirit free.

  Dad then began explaining about the earth and its creations, much as he had when I had been inducted into the coven. Tonight, however, he spoke at length about the birth of the Christ child and all the blessings that His life and death had brought to all of mankind. It was a beautiful Christmas sermon.

  When Dad was done speaking, Grandma presented Brad and Shelly each with a beautiful round, smooth crystal, about the size of golf ball. She said these also held magic in them and she would show them how to use them properly. She explained that between the power of the amulets they were wearing and their crystals, they would probably be surprised by all the things they would now be able to do.

  She did caution them, however, that they needed to take great care with keeping the crystals safe, as they were something anyone could pick up and use. There was no fail-safe charm on them like with the talismans. Also, if they were to get damaged, it could affect the power in them.

  We released the circle afterward, and Brad leaned over to whisper something in Grandma’s ear. She smiled and whispered something back to him, making a slight gesture with her hand.

  Brad stepped forward and gave his ring a slight twist, before he raised his arm into the air and spoke a word I didn’t recognize, swinging his hand and the crystal in a full swoop around his head.

  Instantly large snowflakes began falling from above, over our heads and drifting down, dissipating before they hit the floor.

  “Merry Christmas!” he smiled widely.

  “Merry Christmas!” everyone replied, and we all took turns hugging one another.

  Chapter 9

  When we awakened the next morning, it was back to business as usual for all of us. The warm and fuzzy holiday memories in our heads were placed on the back burner as the coven met together to form a plan with one another.

  The first thing on the agenda was a complete circle which was held over Vance. He was suffering from serious withdrawal this morning that had everyone very concerned about his wellbeing.

  Grandma was working over him now as he lay on his bed, curled up in a ball, dressed only in a pair of long gym shorts, while he fought the spasms that were wracking his body. His eyes seemed even more bloodshot than usual to me, as Grandma passed smoking herbs up and down all over him, while reciting an incantation.

  When she was finished speaking, I quietly brought my concern up.

  “He seems much worse to me while we’re performing these rituals over him,” I complained, feeling
upset about his reaction.

  “The two kinds of magic are warring against each other in his system,” Grandma explained softly. “Try not to let it worry you. We need your positive energy right now to help him.”

  I wanted to beg her to stop, since it seemed he was far worse than he had ever been before, but I also knew she wouldn’t be doing anything intentionally to hurt him.

  As it turned out, his withdrawal phase this morning lasted a much shorter amount of time, though it was so much more painful for him.

  I hadn’t been able to help myself, crying softly as I watched him. He hadn’t screamed out or even made a sound, but I could hear the torture as it ran through his head, and it had been excruciating for him.

  When the worst of it had passed, the coven released the circle and one by one the members slowly filtered out of the room. After they were all gone, I closed the door behind them and went to lie down next to him, wrapping my arms around him.

  He was damp with perspiration, as if he had done a really hard work-out. He didn’t speak to me for a while, as he just lay there and rested, but his eyes never left mine.

  Lifting my hand, I moved to brush some of the sweaty hair off his forehead, away from his face, letting my fingers trail slowly down over his molded features after I was finished.

  “I’m okay,” he said finally, and I could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

  “I want this to be over,” I replied, snuggling up closer next to him, nuzzling under his chin with my nose. He lifted it a little, and I placed a kiss against his neck. “I’m sorry, but I don’t like these ‘treatments.’”

  “They’re helping to some extent,” he said, as he traced a finger slowly in a small circle on my back. “I go through it all a lot faster than usual.”

  “It breaks my heart to watch it.”

  “You don’t have to stay and watch if you don’t want to,” he suggested. “Just wait outside until it’s finished.”

  “No,” I replied. “The coven’s magic is weaker without me. Besides I want to be with you whenever you need me.”

  “Thanks,” he said with a small smile, before reaching up to run a hand against my arm that was draped over him. “I appreciate it.”