~
“I have some more reading material back at the university…” Harold offered.
“Then I guess you need to get back to it…” Morgana said, breaking the standoff between the men, and somewhat grateful to be away at the thought of being Daniella for any length of time.
“Morgana…” Nathaniel warned and the witch turned her eyes up towards him.
“If they don’t have it, they don’t have it.” Morgana said.
“I’ll call you if I find anything I think might help us with the dark magic issue.” Harold informed them, before ushering the young witch towards the curtain and out of the front door.
“Every time we wait…” Nathaniel berated her.
“I know, but if he needs to be surrounded by his stuffy old books … besides, we can drop by the university later and make sure that he is where he says he’ll be.”
“Later?”
“I need to go home, shower and change, and I need to drop in on Claudia along the way…”
“Claudia?” Nathaniel frowned.
“Some of us have friends that we care about. I just want to make sure that she’s ok…” Morgana berated him; even as he took a breath and sighed it back out.
“I like the shower idea…” he grinned and she zapped him, and it felt good to let her magic go…
“I’ll lock the door this time.” She ground out.
“Spoil sport.” He whispered against her ear as she turned to leave, and she felt that shiver run her spine again.
The man was potent when he was in full charmer mode, and she needed to keep her shields up and the brick wall that she’d mentally built between them in place at all times.
Maybe it was spending so much time with him, but she felt drawn in, and that wasn’t a good thing. It would lead to complications, and how she hated complications.
~
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~
Morgana pushed open the door of his fancy car before he’d even got around to open it for her. He snatched it wide and offered her his hand.
“You’re showing your age…” Morgana said – her eyes laughing at him as he raised just one eyebrow back at her.
“I’m a gentleman, what can I say?”
“That my debt is paid and I’ll never have to see you again after this.”
Morgana pushed up out of the seat and ignored his offered hand…
“Perhaps I will…” Nathaniel teased.
In truth, he had no intention of doing something so stupid…
“Liar, liar, set the vampire on fire…” she tossed back to a devastatingly handsome smile that made her insides flutter like a schoolgirl.
“That would be a little harsh, don’t you think?”
“You mean like … overkill?” she teased back.
“A very crispy overkill…” Nathaniel liked it when the witch played along with him. It was few and far between when she truly let her guard down around him, and yet, to him – those moments were priceless…
Morgana spotted Claudia coming down the road. The clip-clip of her high heels on the pavement and the bounce in her step told her that she wasn’t walking like her world had just fallen out from beneath her. Obviously, something had happened to brighten her day…
“I promise to be gentle…” Morgana chuckled and the vampire gave her a playful frown…
“Don’t tease me, witch…” his eyes spoke of something that she wasn’t talking about. They also held a promise that said that she would enjoy the hell out of it, and she tried hard to push that rush of excitement that flooded through her body away…
A sudden yelp took Nathaniel’s attention and he flicked his eyes back to the spot where Claudia had been coming towards them … nothing…
Morgana saw the look on his face and turned her attention away from the vampire towards her friend … only Claudia was nowhere to be seen…
“Nathaniel…” Morgana bit out, but when she turned back towards the vampire; he wasn’t there anymore…
Morgana started off on fast feet. She could hear her heart hammering inside of her chest and feel the tingling sensation of the supernatural all around her as she rushed to the last place that she’d seen Claudia.
The air was thick with magic and something else … mutts … werewolves…
“No … no, no, no…” Morgana bit out as she turned left and right, her eyes scanning the area.
Then she reached out with her magic and tried to sense Claudia in the area – tried to home in on where she was – knowing that the woman couldn’t just vanish into the night around her; she searched for some residue that would give her a direction to follow…
Come on … come on …
Where are you, Claudia …?
Speak to me… show me the way…
Morgana felt the panic rise within her. Claudia was human and it was too much of a damn coincidence that she was targeted out of the blue …
This is my fault…
I will not let this happen …
Not now … not ever…
Come for me if you want me, damn it …
“Take me…” Morgana bit out into the chill of the night air…
Take me not her…
“Come for me … show yourselves…” Morgana called as she turned in place and looked for any sign that her words might just trigger an attack…
Cowards…
Taking a human that couldn’t defend herself…
Morgana’s heart was racing and it ached inside of her chest. She knew that in a screwed up way she was responsible for what had happened, and she needed to make it right…
I’ll find you … and I’ll kill you…
One damn hair on her head…
One damn broken fingernail…
She made that promise because it was all that she could do. The magic that had hung heavy in the air was gone, like it had been swept away by a fast moving twister, and yet there wasn’t even a damn breeze…
Whoever had done it had been suing dark magic – that she could still feel like a brush against her shields…
“Morgana…” Nathaniel was back in front of her, and she looked up at him with so much hope in her eyes that he wanted to head-butt a damned wall and rip someone’s head off at the same time… “She’s gone…”
“What have I done?” Morgana stumbled back a couple of paces from him like she’d been blindsided, and he reached for her.
He didn’t have to feel the torment of emotions within her mind, because they were written there all over her face, all over the way that her shoulders were hunched and her face twisted in self-loathing…
“This isn’t your fault…” Nathaniel made short work of the distance between them. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her towards him as her brain became too occupied with everything else to barely notice the intimate contact between them.
“I did this…” Morgana bit out… and for the first time in her life she hated her gift, her path in life, her destiny…
“No – they did this, but we’ll get her back…” Nathaniel didn’t know if he could make a promise like that, but he’d damn well try to move heaven and earth to do it.
~
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~
“What’s happened?” Harold asked as he looked up and noted the approach of the vampire and twisted look of anguish on Morgana’s face that hadn’t been there when they’d left her earlier.
Nathaniel led Morgana towards where the pair were brainstorming, surrounded by musty old books in the library of the university…
“That human at the shop today…” Nathaniel started…
“The needy one?” Daniella said raising just one eyebrow…
Morgana’s head snapped up and her eyes locked with Daniella’s. For one long moment something passed between them, but then she lunged for the young witch…
“Watch your mouth…” Morgana bit out, wanting to take her anger out on someone with her fists instead of her magic…
“Calm down…” Nathaniel grabbed Morgana around the waist and hoisted her back against his hip. The witch was a handful, but he’d soon locked her in place with an iron grip around her body… “She’s been taken.”
Nathaniel informed them, and Daniella’s lips parted as she bit down on the rush of guilt within her…
“Damn it…” Harold bit out.
“Morgana…” Daniella started, but Morgana was in no mood to listen. She just wanted to find a way to get Claudia back…
“I can’t track her – it’s like she’s cloaked…” Morgana bit out and Daniella nodded her understanding.
“If we join our power as one – you have the essence of your friend within you and we can look together. I’ll follow your lead.” Daniella said, and for the first time since Morgana had met the witch – she felt a connection with her…
Morgana nodded.