~

 

 Morgana could taste the blood on her tongue and she’d bet a pound to a penny that it wasn’t Nathaniel’s. She’d tasted vampire blood when Michael had forced her to take his, and what she was tasting then didn’t have that same sweet – healing goodness to it.

If she was a betting girl; then she’d have said that she was tasting her own blood.

Her head felt heavy like someone had pumped it full of lead, and when she tried to pry open her eyelids; all that she saw was blurred objects and fuzziness. There was also pain – like someone had embedded a pickaxe inside of her skull, and that was without what her body was telling her in no uncertain terms – she’d guess that if she made it to the end of the day then she’d be black and blue over most of her body.

Funnily enough; she didn’t really expect to make it that far.

There was a smell that hung in the air. She couldn’t quite place it, but she didn’t like it either.

Her body had been dumped on uneven ground with hard wood or rocks poking into her flesh. Night still clung on around her and the chill in the air, along with the breeze on her face, told her that she was outside.

The first inkling that she had that she wasn’t alone was when the magic hit her, and hit her hard. Her body convulsed with pain from head to toe and she bit down, trying hard not to scream out and give whomever was wielding that magic the satisfaction of hearing her cries, but it was no use. They dialled up the pain until she couldn’t keep silent a moment longer.

 

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Julian paced near Nathaniel. He knew that the vampire wasn’t in a good way, and he knew why.

The man had linked himself to Morgana – had become tethered the way that some vampires could with humans, and now that she was missing … well, he knew that it was only a matter of time before the bloodlust within him took over.

While it was true that he didn’t owe the other’s in the room his loyalty and wouldn’t give it freely – he also knew that Nathaniel wouldn’t have wanted to kill them – not when he was within his right mind.

He hated to do it, but if push came to shove and Nathaniel lost it – then he’d have to put the man down for good.

Daniella and Jessica were trying to use their combined magic to locate Morgana, but it didn’t appear to be going well. They hadn’t found the dark witch that was protecting the alpha werewolf, and it was a good bet that it had been her that had taken Morgana from right under their noses.

Nathaniel paced back and forth. His hands were fisted as he fought to keep his temperament on a slow boil and not create carnage within the library of the university, but with every minute that ticked by – and he could hear the damn ticking of the clock on the wall like it was his heartbeat – he knew he was getting closer to losing his mind.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway outside the room snatched his attention and gave him something to concentrate on. When Michael came through the double doors with Claudia on one side and Joseph on the other – Nathaniel had to hold onto his need to kill them … if it wasn’t for them then Morgana would still be with him…

“This one is Morgana’s friend, and this one can’t be wiped…” Michael nodded towards Joseph, and a heartbeat later the human was dangling against the nearest wall with Nathaniel’s hand wrapped around his throat and his eyes bulging in his head as the vampire cut off his oxygen supply.

Joseph’s hands clawed at the Nathaniel’s, trying to break free of the hold – trying to garner a breath into his lungs…

“I know you…” Nathaniel bit out – his fangs had elongated and his blood was boiling within his veins…

“He can’t talk to you if you’re choking him…” The Professor said, taking a step towards them, but Julian was at Nathaniel’s side before anyone even blinked.

“Put the weak little puppy down – there’s a good vampire…” Julian was ready to intervene if he needed to, but he hoped that he could talk Nathaniel down rather than kicking off his bloodlust by fighting with him…

“Why can’t he be wiped…?” Nathaniel demanded.

“Well, we could ask him, but he can’t really tell us, now can he?”

“He’s one of mine…” The professor said quickly…

Nathaniel tried to dial back his anger … then he dropped Joseph to his feet and the man gasped in breath after breath and choked them back out again…

Nathaniel turned to eye Harold…

“I’d spit it out now before I get annoyed…” Nathaniel warned him, and he noted the way that Daniella moved a step closer to the professor – guarding him and readying herself for an attack.

“We watch – we observe – we catalogue the supernatural, and we don’t normally get involved.” Harold reluctantly admitted.

The professor stalked over to the tablet on the table and lifted it. A few swipes of his finger later and he turned the display towards Nathaniel…

“Pretty – what is it?” Nathaniel bit out –he could feel the heat rising within him once more…

“A database of everyone that we’ve encountered or watched…” Harold admitted.

“Am I in there?” Julian asked – his interest piqued.

“You all are,” Harold said, holding it out towards Nathaniel as he stalked towards them. Nathaniel snatched the tablet and stalked back towards Joseph – thrusting the tablet down into the man’s hands…

“Find the witch…” he demanded…

“No need…” Maxi announced as she sailed through the open doors like she was a spectre floating on air…

Nathaniel eyed her, and as her eyes locked with his; there was an involuntary twitch of her top lip with the anger that rushed through her at having to be that close to the vampire that had killed her brother.

“You know who it is?” Nathaniel demanded.

“I got behind the magic wards the moment that you stormed the compound and got the witch to drop her guard – it’s Amber…” Maxi said.

She watched as Nathaniel’s chin drop towards his chest at recognition of the name…

“I should have…” he berated himself.

“Who’s Amber?” Daniella asked.

Joseph was already swiping madly at the tablet. His head came up and his mouth dropped open…

“She’s the warlock’s girlfriend…” Joseph said.

“My brother’s girlfriend…” Maxi agreed.

“Payback…” Julian announced.

“Not just against me, but against Morgana…” Nathaniel bit out.

He didn’t like that scenario. If the whole plan had been to get to him then Morgana stood a chance of being used as a pawn, but if Amber wanted her dead as well …

“That’s bad…” Jessica stated the obvious.

“Ya think?” Julian swiped back and the witch snapped her jaws together and scowled back at him.

“If Morgana’s still alive…” Daniella offered that unappealing scenario and Nathaniel bit down on the flash of rage within him…

“She is.” Maxi said and she saw the hope within the vampire’s eyes as he turned the glare upon her. “When Morgana came to see me at your request … I saw…”

“That I was her downfall…” Nathaniel bit out…

“And her salvation.” Maxi reminded him.

“She never told me that part,” Nathaniel scowled back at her.

“I put a cosmic tag on her at the time, and my magic was placed first so it overrides any spell that Amber can weave. Morgana’s back where it all began…”

“The house…” Nathaniel said, starting for the door.

“Where you killed my brother and burnt their home…” Maxi called after him. Reminding him that he was the one who set the events in motion … it wasn’t lost on Nathaniel, even if the man didn’t look back over his shoulder at the witch.

Julian was hard on his heels … Daniella and Jessica were following were following.

When he got to the parking lot Nathaniel’s car was already racing away…

“So damn impatient…” Julian grumbled, heading towards his own car and looking back over his shoulder at the two witches… “Fine, but not a peep about my driving…” he grumbled.