The Blood Will Run (11 page)

“Give me your sweater,” Devin said.

Alivia took off her sweater and handed it to Devin. He lit it on fire and let it fall to the ground.

“I’m going inside the tomb. I saw some torches in the chamber.

“I won’t be gone long. Stay right here and don’t move.”

Devin disappeared and returned minutes later with six torches.

He dug them into the ground in a large circle around Alivia and lit them.

“I’ll be right back,” Devin said and raced off again.

He dashed about and set down rocks in the center where Alivia sat and within minutes, he built a fire pit. He picked up several twigs and threw them into the center of the pit. He centered a few large logs over them and lit the twigs on fire.

“This should help. I think the shadow thrives on darkness.”

“Devin, do you have any idea where everyone else went?”

“I’m not really sure. It seems like they just disappeared.”“They disappeared or we disappeared?” Alivia stared at him.

“I’m going to get a few more logs to last the night. Don’t move,” Devin said and ignored her question.

He left again. He returned with the logs. He dropped them down in front of the pit and sat down beside Alivia.

Devin slid his jacket off and wrapped it around Alivia. She was shivering.

She tried to smile but couldn’t. Her teeth were chattering.

Devin sensed her fear but didn’t understand why she was shivering.

“Alivia are you cold?”

“Yes…” she said through chattering teeth.

“Come closer to the fire. Maybe if I sit behind you I can warm up your body.”

Alivia nodded.

Devin slid down behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

The flowery scent of her hair sent his senses spiraling into a wild frenzy. It was thrilling and alluring. He nestled his face in her hair and inhaled deeply. He turned Alivia to face him and stared into her eyes. Moments later, his lips brushed against hers lightly. She closed her eyes and returned his kiss. He deepened his kiss and pulled her up onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her. The shock she sent surging through his body heightened his arousal and he began to explore her mouth with his tongue. When her tongue slid over his fangs, he laid her down and leaned over her, never once taking his lips from hers. She responded by pressing her body closer to his and urged him to go further. He cupped his hand over her plump breast and caressed it gently.

CHAPTER TWELVE

A
livia
pushed Devin away.

“You did it again,” she said standing to her feet. “You’ve put me under some sort of trance.”

Devin stood and stared at her. His eyes were blazing with excitement.

He laughed nervously and the dimples formed in his cheeks. He was handsome. No, handsome was too reckless of a word. He was beautiful.

Devin held his hand out to her. “My brother doesn’t deserve you.”

He was using his powers to place her under a trance again. She closed her eyes and thought of Chace.

“What would you know about who deserves who?” Alivia asked opening her eyes.

She was furious. She stared at his extended hand and slapped it away.

“I know he could never love you the way you deserve to be loved. I know you have doubts and I sense those doubts.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no doubts,” Alivia snapped.

“Come on Alivia stop lying to yourself. We’ll end up together. Our destiny is fated.” Devin smiled.

“Why can’t you just get it? I love Chace.” Alivias’ voice was harsh.

“I’m sorry I don’t believe you,” Devin said and stepped closer to her. He brought his hand up to her face and lightly caressed her cheek.

“Stop it Devin,” Alivia said and pushed him away.

”Come on let’s face the facts Alivia, you were created to be with me.”

“Shut up!” Alivia screamed.

Blackness crept into his eyes. “Chace is a fool. He knows nothing about true love.” Then he laughed as if he knew something that she didn’t. “I’m guessing that Chace didn’t tell you about owning Ticklers then.” He had a smug look on his face.

Alivia shook her head. “You’re lying. How could you possibly make me believe that he could be the owner of a place like that? Chace is kind and respects me more than you can imagine. He doesn’t force himself on me. He doesn’t put me in a trance to get what he wants. He’s nothing like you,” Alivia said and glared at him.

“Well I’m afraid he’s worse than I am. There is so much that you don’t know about my dear brother.” Devin laughed.

Alivia glanced around. “Did you bring me here to manipulate me?”

Devin was silent.

“Devin I asked you a question.” Alivia placed her hand on her hip and glared at him.

“I thought if I could get you alone that you would see that we’re meant to be together.”

“Seriously, Devin, really? Is that what you think of me? That I would dump your brother and run straight into your arms?” Alivia breathed in deeply. “I’m really happy to see that you have such a high opinion of me.”

“It wasn’t meant to be an insult to you Alivia. I just thought if I brought you here that you would finally see the truth. Chace doesn’t really love you. But I on the other hand, I truly love you.”

“Love? Stabbing your brother in the back is your way of showing people that you love them?”

“No matter what you say to me or what you do, you’ll never change the way I feel about you.” Devins’ eyes saddened.

Alivia spoke softly. “Devin, please believe me when I say that I’m truly sorry. But I love Chace and want to be with him.”

“Chace will disappoint you in the end,” Devin snapped. “He hungers for different things than you do. He enjoys pleasing woman, many woman. I’m trying to give you the chance to walk away now before you get hurt. Believe me, I know my brother. When he finally makes love to you, he’ll become someone else, someone you won’t recognize.”

Alivia was trying to keep her cool.

“You’ll say just about anything to make me hate your brother for your own selfish reasons. Why? It’s not all about you having my love, is it? There’s something else. What is it Devin?”

“You don’t know the monster. Chace wants, what he wants, when he wants it. He breaks down whoever challenges him until he has it. Then, when the challenge becomes his victory, Chace is gone.”

“I’ve heard enough. This is what you wanted. To get me alone so you can convince me to hate your brother. Well I have news for you. I will never hate Chace. I love him. There is nothing you can ever do to change that.”

Alivia stepped closer to Devin. “Now you’re going to tell me how the hell we get out of here.”

“I can’t do that Alivia, I’m sorry. I’ll tell you how to get out of the shadow of truth circle only when you listen to me.”

Alivia couldn’t believe it.

“I have had just about all I’m going to take from you, Devin De Luca. Tell me how we get out of here now.”

“I’m sorry I can’t do that.”

Alivia was so angry that she was shaking. She held up her hands and with all the force she could muster, she pushed Devin hard against his chest. Devin didn’t budge an inch. Instead, Alivia flew back and landed on the other side of the circle of torches.

☼

“Alivia is that you?” Erica screeched and ran over to her. Before Erica even had a chance to help her to her feet, Chace picked her up off the ground and held her against his chest.

“What happened?” Chace asked and nuzzled his face in her hair.

He was so worried when he couldn’t find her anywhere.

“I’m not sure.” Alivias’ voice was shaky.

“Have you seen Devin? He disappeared when you disappeared,” Erica said.

Alivia shook her head and buried her face in Chaces’ shoulder.

“You can ask her all the questions you need to but later,” Chace said and then looked at Erica. “Alivia is freezing we have to get her back to the Cafe and warm her up.”

Chace carried Alivia to the car and watched her slide into the passenger seat. When he closed the door and turned to walk to the drivers’ side, he spotted Devin standing in front of the gate.

“Where the hell have you been?” Chace asked.

Devin walked toward him.

“I was following the shadow,” Devin answered.

“Did you find it?” Mercy asked.

“No, I chased the shadow deep in the woods, but then I lost it,” Devin said.

“Well that means the shadow is still out there. Let’s get out of here before it comes back,” Mercy said.

Mercy climbed in the drivers’ seat of her car and rolled down the window. “It’ll take me about ten minutes to get the book and another fifteen minutes to get to the Cafe. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Mercy drove off. Once Devin slid into the back seat, Chace drove toward Coven Creek. He turned on the heat and glanced quickly at Devin in the rear-view mirror.

Chace averted his eyes and stared out the windshield.

It was strange that both Devin and Alivia disappeared at the same time.

What was even stranger was that he could smell Devins’ body spray on Alivia.

He glanced at Alivia sitting beside him shivering and shook the thought out of his mind. Alivia would never betray him. He had nothing to worry about when it came to her ever being with Devin. Chace saw the images of how she felt about him in the Cafe. He also saw the images of what she felt about Devin too. He knew that Alivia felt nothing for Devin.

Chace turned the ignition off once he parked the car at the back of the Cafe. Erica and Devin opened the car doors and slid out of the seats. Devin slammed his door and waited beside the car.

Erica bent down and stared at Chace. “I’ll go through the loft and open the front door to the Cafe. I don’t want Jules to see Alivia like this,” Erica said. Chace nodded and Erica slammed the door.

☼

Alivia glanced up at the full moon before she began walking to the front door of the Cafe. She was tired and couldn’t shake the cold that she felt deep in her bones.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Devins’ passionate embrace and gentle kisses popped into her mind.  Despite everything he did tonight, she couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe he was really trying to protect her. That was ridiculous, she thought, Devin wanted one thing and one thing only, he wanted her. Still, she wondered why he would go to such lengths to convince her that Chace was a monster. There was something odd about this whole situation. There was something that Devin wasn’t telling her.

“Come Alivia let’s get you inside,” Chace said wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he gently led her toward the Cafe door.

Erica was waiting for them with the door open and had a handful of blankets in her arms.

“Here wrap this one around her shoulders and use the others to cover her once she is sitting down. I’m going to get her some hot chocolate.”

Erica handed Chace the blankets and walked off. Chace followed Alivia to booth number nine.

Once he covered her with the blankets, he slid in beside her and kissed her on the cheek.

“I was so worried when I couldn’t find you,”

Chace said nuzzling his nose against her ear.

Alivia smiled and kissed his cheek.

Devin slid into the booth, took the Sollecular out of his backpack and placed it on the table.

Erica walked to the booth and put the tray on the table beside the book. She placed the piping cup of hot chocolate in front of Alivia. Then she handed glasses of cherry coke to everyone else. Before she sat down beside Devin, she placed the empty tray on the table next to her.

Devin opened the book and started browsing through it.

“Here,” Devin said and pointed to the middle of the page, “The shadow damnation box requires a spell to trap the shadow inside.”

“Does it mention the spell?” Chace asked.

Devin continued to skim over the page. “No, but I’m assuming the spell is in Mercys’ ancestors’ book,” Devin said.

Alivia pondered over this for a moment before she said, “In the movie the exorcist, the priest commanded the evil spirit out of the child. He said something along the lines of “I compel you’, maybe that might work.”

Chace laughed. “This is not a movie Alivia. It’s real life. I don’t think you can compel an evil spirit into a box by simply saying ‘I compel you’.”

Devin looked up. “I don’t know about that Chace. Maybe she has a point…”

Devin didn’t get the chance to finish what he was about to say. Someone was pounding on the window of the Cafe.

Devin and Chace both slid out of the booth at the same time and rushed to the front window.

“You two stay here,” Chace ordered and went outside with Devin.

Alivia looked at Erica and together they slid out of the booth and went to the window.

☼

“I believe that a proper introduction is in order,” The man in the dark suit said. He was holding Mercy by the back of the neck.

“No introductions are necessary,” Devin said. “You’re Vanstrauss.”

“Since I do not know your names, this leaves me at a disadvantage. Would you kindly do me the honors and enlighten me.”

“Let Mercy go before I rip you to shreds Vanstrauss,” Chace said and bared his fangs.

“I’m guessing that she is some sort of a friend of yours then.” Vanstrauss eyed Mercy who was struggling to break free. “Oh very well,” Vanstrauss said as he flung Mercy through the air and straight at Chace. “She’s all yours.” Vanstrauss smiled wickedly.

Chace caught Mercy in mid air and held her in his arms. When he put her down, he stepped in front of her shielding her from Vanstrauss. Devin followed his lead.

“Mercy hurry up and get inside with Alivia and Erica,” Devin said without taking his eyes off Vanstrauss.

Vanstrauss stepped closer. “Yes, I believe the name of the person that I am hunting for is Alivia Marks.”

“What do you want with Alivia?” Chace asked. He stepped off the sidewalk and stood but a few feet from Vanstrauss.

“I have been told by a rather reliable source, that this girl Alivia would be the only person that stands in my way of remaining here on earth.”

“I’m afraid Alivia is not the Shayvan. Isn’t that right Chace?” Devin said.

Chace nodded.

“This is quite the dilemma I have. If I do not find the Shayvan and kill it, there may be a chance it will find me and suck me back into the torture realm. Now I can’t have that, now can I?” Vanstrauss lifted his brow and then continued, “There is so much to do and so many people I must set straight.”

“You come anywhere near Alivia and I will kill you,” Chace said.

“Well now, this is an extremely difficult decision I must make then.” Vanstrauss brought his hand to his chin and stroked his short beard. “I believe you are the sons of Danzanelli, are you not?” Vanstrauss eyed one and then the other.

Devin stared at Chace, but Chace never took his eyes off Vanstrauss.

“The resemblance is quite uncanny if I do say so myself. It would however, be such a pity if I had to kill one of my oldest and dearest nemesis offsprings’.” He raised his brow as if he had made his decision and then said, “But if you choose to stand in my way, that is exactly what I will do. I will kill you both and think nothing of it.”

“What’s going on here?” A man asked walking up behind them.