Aconite (The Elektita Series Book 1) (14 page)

The door opened
before I was hit square in the face with an invisible wall. No matter how hard
I hit, kicked or ran into it, I was stuck. That mother fucker had really made
me his prisoner. What kind of witch was I turning out to be? Trapped in a house
in the middle of nowhere and no way to get myself out.

"How did he
do that?" I swiveled on my heels, glaring at Richland who had since
followed me to watch my failures from the entryway.

"You mean how
did he do magic? Were you not paying attention to his story at all?" I
thought back to his story. I hadn't given much thought to the beginning. That
night’s end had definitely thrown me through a loop. He had spoken of our
families and their ties.

"He was one
of the main families in our village. La Elektita governed over them." That
made sense. He had said that our families were prominent.

"Yes, there
were three families that held the highest positions under La Elektita. He was a
witch first."

"Then how did
he become a werewolf?" That part was the most confusing and becoming the
most intriguing.

"That is not
my story to tell. One of the rules we carry is to never tell the stories of
others. Well, you being the exception."

All I could do was
shrug. What should I even say to that? I guess I could jump up and down and
pout about how it wasn't fair. I could continue to try to break out of a
magical prison but I doubt that would get me very far.

"Is there at
least something to eat in this house?" My stomach was in knots from lack
of food. I always thought about dieting but this is not the way I had thought
it would go.

"Of course,
I've been stuck in here almost as long as you." Sebastian must have used
magic to keep us in not too long after Richland returned. What a douche.

"Did he
really think I needed a twenty-four hour babysitter?" The fridge was now
stocked to the point of overflow. Now this I could handle. I grabbed a package
of steaks and peeled corn on the cob and set it out on the counter.

"He didn't
know when the Vero would wear off and he couldn't risk you breaking through his
spell." I was really that strong. If I could I would give myself a pat on
the back right about now but the fact that I was powerless at the moment
squashed any self-praise. I rummaged around in the cabinets looking for
potatoes. Steak didn't work without potatoes.

"And Alexis,
please for the love of Gods, stop calling me a babysitter. Frankly, it’s
demeaning for a man such as myself." He spun around giving me a
three-sixty view. I really hope he didn't prove to be anyone but who he was
right now. 

"Do you know
if he brought potatoes?" Where in the hell would he have put a bag of
potatoes? I looked in every cabinet in his kitchen.

"Finally, a
question that I can actually help with." He popped off a stool that he had
been spinning himself in during our conversation and walked towards the fridge.
He put potatoes in the fridge? Sure enough he pushed aside a block of cheese
revealing a small bag of potatoes.

"Why did he
put them in the refrigerator?" I asked, still rummaging through its
contents.

"I was born
in a time when the woman of the house dealt with things such as this. Is there
a problem with the placement of my potatoes?"

I whirled around
butter in hand. Sebastian had appeared out of thin air in the middle of the
kitchen. At least I could pretend that he had. The idea that he could make such
a soundless entry was unnerving.

"I thought
you wouldn't be here for another few hours?" I couldn't hold on to my
nerves but rather let them show. What did it matter anyway?

"Business
concluded early and you are priority at this point." His eyes roamed my
body. They held a heat that I didn't expect from the tone in his voice. His
words were filled with scorn while his eyes clearly felt differently.

"Traitor,"
I grumbled towards Richland. He should have given me some sort of warning that
Sebastian had come in the room.

"What?"
He shot back, hands thrown in the air in mock surrender. I may be the Alesiya
reincarnate but I wasn't truly his sister. He had no loyalties to me.

"You know,
you're not supposed to put potatoes in the fridge. It makes them sweet and
gritty." I didn't know why I threw out that little factoid. If I had to
fathom a guess I would say I was stalling.

"Well, thank
you for enlightening me. Next time I won't make that mistake." He was
patronizing me but I didn't care. I was more concerned about the look on his
face. He remained across the kitchen which was a good thing—distance was a good
thing.

"Are you
hungry? I'm starved; being in a magically induced coma while trapped inside
your house really takes it out of a girl." I knew my sarcasm wasn't going
to do me any good but I couldn't concentrate through his mixed signals. I tried
to stay mad at him. I knew I should be furious but with him standing there,
staring at me like that, I couldn't. He looked like any business man would
after a long day at the office. His white shirt was already half unbuttoned and
his tie hung loose around his neck. The shirt was only tucked halfway into a
pair of black slacks and he had even taken his shoes and socks off. He was
sneaky, and that scared me.

"Were you
planning to be nude for dinner?" I purposefully swept my eyes up his
disheveled body. My attentions sat off a minute ripple in his defined muscles.
Each one moved with my acknowledgment. That was the first animal-like quality I
had noticed. How many others did he have and I had just chalked them up to just
another of his oddities?

"Not unless
you want me to?" His mood swings had to go. I couldn't deal with them.

"Not
particularly." I wasn't lying. I didn't want him to. I didn't think I
would have the control I needed to hold on. Plus, killing me was something I
wasn't willing to brush under the rug just yet.

"Thank you
for that." Richland said, taking the bag of potatoes to the sink.
"I'll wash and slice the potatoes and you can man the steaks, sound good?"
Richland was the perfect blend of the old times and the new. He would make a
perfect husband someday. That was probably why he didn't seem to have a
girlfriend. Most women tend to stick men like him in the friend zone, no matter
how cocky, cute, or rich they may be. Perfect just didn't do it for them. I
made my point by giving my murderer one last appreciative look. The man had
murdered me and my body still craved his.

"Do you want
to deal with the corn?" I wanted Sebastian to help. It would give us a
chance to talk in a normal setting.

"No, I have
work to do. I'll be in my room, call me when it’s done." With that he
turned and headed back towards the door. Richland didn't comment but instead
got to work.

"I thought
work was done for the day." I called after him but with little luck in
getting a response.

"You know I'm
not going anywhere near his room," I told Richland as I unwrapped the
steaks and began rubbing them with a thick seasoning.

"I didn't
think you would," he said, finally letting a bit of his normal charm slip
back through.

The blood curdling
scream was the first sign that the Vero had finished its job. Uncontrollable
pain shot through my chest causing me to drop my empty plate. Glass shattered
and slid across the floor in every direction. The pain had never been this bad.
Richland was at my side to hold me up as my body was racked with waves of pain
emanating from my tattoo. Within seconds Sebastian was at my other side, both
directing me to the bedroom. The screams were ripped from my chest with each
wave up pain.

"No! I don't
want to be anywhere near that bed." I couldn't do it, even if I wasn't
visited with the same memory I couldn't go anywhere near that room. Without an
argument they both turned in unison and walked me to the couch.

"What is
going on?" Richland's voice was panicked. I couldn't help but panic with
him. If he didn't know what was going on I definitely had a reason to worry.

"The Vero has
worn off. Her body is now free to feel everything it couldn't during the time
that it was being suppressed." I couldn't see through the tears that had
begun to well up and impede my vision. 

"How long
will this last?" Each word came between whimpers of pain. If he only had a
time frame it would make it bearable. My tears finally slipped free and slid
down my face. They felt like fire along my skin. Igniting even harsher screams
of pain.

"I do not
know the answer to that." His words were hard and cold.

"Her
face!" The urgency in Richland's voice had the tears coming faster,
burning against my cornea.

"What about
my face?" I reached up to touch it. I drew back soaked fingers. I still
couldn't see but it felt thicker than regular tears. What is wrong with me?

"It is her
body rejecting the last of the Vero. The amount that still courses through her
is far too small to fight against her will." A sense of pride broke
through his hollow explanation.

"Will she
heal?"  I couldn't stand to hear Richland's worry any longer.

"What is
wrong with me?" I screamed the question as I tried to push myself off the
couch that they had sat me on.

"Alexis, the
Vero runs through your veins. It is in your blood. The only way your body has
to fight against it is to push it out in the quickest manner possible." I
still didn't understand what that had to do with my face and why it would cause
Richland to question if I would heal. They let me push myself off the couch.
Richland dabbed a soft, damp towel against my pain ridden-face. I couldn't tell
which was worse the fire that flowed from my eyes or the pain that burned
across my chest.

"Sister, if
you insist on seeing what has happened to you, at least let me wash away some
of the horror."

I let him wash
away some of my tears. I didn't see what good it would do. They were still
relentless in their strength. Sebastian had abandoned me to my pursuit. I took
that as his disapproval. The one lesson that they all needed to learn was, I
didn't give a damn what they wanted. I found my bag with Richland's help and
dug through it. The pain that hammered into me with the same strength of the
tears that fired down my face had me gasping for breath. Finally I found what I
was searching for and flipped the compact open.

Wide purple eyes
stared back at me from a burn-ridden face. I watched in horror as tears slid
down my cheeks, burning its path into my skin.

"Answer him!
Will it fucking heal?" I stared harder into the mirror letting out a
shocked gasp. Every so often a flame or two licked its way up my iris. When
will it end? I threw my compact at the spelled door, shattering it on impact. I
whirled around, crouched on the floor from where I sat in my search for the
compact.

"Answer
me!" I screamed into the room, igniting more burning tears to free fall
down my face. Richland backed away, fear consuming his features.

"It
will." The clipped answer wasn't good enough I needed to know more.

"I have never
seen Vero act this way." Richland was my saving grace right about now. He
gave a voice to every question that I couldn't form through the pain.

"She is
strong, her will has forced the power of the Vero out. I have never seen it
done before only heard stories."

Rage tore through
me at the pride that resided in his words.

"If I am so
strong how come I couldn't fight it before?" I didn't want to accept his
pride or praise. If I was strong then I would have rejected its effects long
before now.

"This
particular elixir is stronger than the average one. I have no doubt that if it
was of normal stock you would not have had to go through any of this."  He
began advancing towards me. Maybe he thought his explanation would put a
bandage on the pain he had caused me, but it hadn't.

"Stay the
hell away from me!"

He stopped in an
instant, irritation plain on his face. Richland came towards me instead and I
let him. He knelt down, scooped me into his arms and poured all his affection
into me. I felt his pain, his sorrow and guilt. He hadn't caused this but yet
he felt it all for me. My power was back and in greater force. Sebastian
struggled where he stood. I realized with knowledge my power increased.

"Let him
go." Richland's words were soothing. "He only wants to help."

"I'll let him
go if he keeps his distance. I don't want him to touch me."

"I don't
think he could even if he tried." Wait, they had said that my wolfsbane was
a shield that none of the Lupo could touch, but here Richland was with his arms
encircling and resting against many parts of the flower.

"How are you
touching me?"

"It’s a twin
thing." His laugh was full and happy pulling a laugh of my own from
between my lips. The tears had lessened and the pain they caused had become far
weaker.

"Your
eyes!" He stared at me in wonder.

"I know they
are flaming and purple." I didn't want to be reminded of another problem I
had. I just wanted to rest and forget for a moment.

"No, they are
fading back into the mirror image of mine."

I wished I hadn't
broken my mirror, I wanted visual confirmation that they really were going back
to normal. I mentally took stock of the other issues and realized the burning
that had spread across my face had died away as well.

"My face, is
it normal again?"

All he could do
was shake his head up and down as he watched the transformation take place. The
pain in my chest still burned and glowed with its presence. One gift at a time.

"Can you stand?"
Sebastian had come into my line of sight but stayed out of my personal space.

"There is
work to be done." Of course leave it to Sebastian to completely disregard
any of this in favor of work. I didn't know if I could stand or that I even
wanted to but he was right. I really hated him for being right. I needed more
answers, but I also had a little voice in my head telling me to stop both of
them and see if I could blast through the entrapment spell placed on the house.
Instead I put that plan away for future use. If I didn't like the answers they
gave me I would deploy that plan with no notice. Mack's words from my dream
floated across my mind. I was safer here than out there. I quickly shoved that
advice away. It was only a dream. Richland said it himself, I only dreamed of
the past.