~

 

Nathaniel knew that it could have been a trap – he knew and he didn’t give a damn. All he wanted – needed – was to find Morgana, to know if she was alive or dead, hurt and in need of his help, his blood to heal her … then he’d know what to do about it – what came next.

He remembered the way through the treetops of the woods well. He didn’t slow down or take his time as he ran from one solid branch to the next.

The scent of Morgana’s blood in the air drew him blindly onwards towards the charred remains of the Warlock’s house … his blood was practically boiling with rage and he needed the taste of Amber’s blood upon his tongue to satiate the lust that was burning brightly within him.

In mid-step between one branch and the next; he felt the magic wrap around his body – the pain was clawing at his flesh as if it was flaying him alive. He dropped like a wounded bird, down towards the ground, hitting with a heavy thud, and he was unable to even break his fall with his hands…

Like a steel cage; the magic wove around him, trapping him, and making him feel as weak as a human again…

I screwed up…

Now Morgana’s going to die … because I screwed up … because I’m an idiot…

Think … find a way to Morgana…

Move ... damn it … fight it…

Morgana…

 

~

~

~

 

Julian led the witches through the trees. He couldn’t follow the same path as Nathaniel had because he had the Fae with him, and he wouldn’t follow that path because if it was a trap then he’d be walking right into it as well.

He knew that Daniella and Jessica were already using their magic because he could feel it against his body. He guessed that they had put up some kind of a shield to ward off the dark witch’s magic or ability to sense them – at least, he hoped that they had and he wasn’t being used as some kind of beacon for the witch to home in on…

He didn’t want to think badly of the witches – but he didn’t much like the idea of being bait either.

He could scent Fae blood in the air and if Nathaniel hadn’t already taken the dark witch down then he knew it would be Morgana’s.

He picked up on the scent of Nathaniel’s blood a moment later and his head filled with every scenario possible – including the one where they would find them both dead.

Daniella tapped him on the shoulder and pointed the way that she wanted him to go. He hoped that was a good sign and not some kind of trap that she was walking him into, but he needed to have faith that they were on his side.

He could scent the burned out remains of the building in the air and he knew that they were close … he was just grateful that he wasn’t scenting a staked witch and vampire to go with it.

He heard the yell of pain that was torn from Nathaniel’s lips – it came from left of their location … he had a choice to make – find the witch or help Nathaniel…

Julian pushed ahead. He figured that three witches were better than two, and Nathaniel wouldn’t thank him for a rescue if Morgana was still out there alone somewhere…

They’d come to rescue the witch and that was what he intended to do. Nathaniel would just have to stay alive long enough for him to find the witch first…

“There…” Daniella whispered, pointing to the lifeless body on the ground a few feet from what remained of the house…

Julian was at Morgana’s side in a heartbeat, one of hers … it was slow, but still there, and he wasted no time in biting down into his flesh and feeding her his blood.

Morgana stirred and tried to fight against the taste of vampire blood in her mouth, but Julian wasn’t taking no for an answer. The witch was bloodied and bruised, but she’d live.

He only hoped that he could say the same for Nathaniel…

 

~

~

~

 

“An eye for an eye…” Amber bit out – using her magic to slash another deep wound into the vampire’s skin…

“Didn’t take you for a bible basher…” Nathaniel bit out against the pain. 

As fast as she was using her magic to cut his body; so his blood was already healing him. He guessed that she was going down the torture route until she decided to get to the good part and kill him.

Although, he was losing blood at a rapid rate…

“You killed the love of my life and I’ve killed your witch…” Amber lied, but Nathaniel couldn’t be certain. The woman’s voice was coated in hatred and bile, and it was hard to get a perfect reading on her…

His heart still mourned the loss of Morgana…

“Let me out of these bonds and I’ll reunite you with him…” Nathaniel bit out. There was no doubting that he meant every word…

“I’d prefer to reunite you with the witch…” Amber flicked her hand on her wrist and cut him again, deeper, longer, and it was far more satisfying to her than the previous cuts…

“Well, she’s going to wherever white witches go and I’m going to hell, so, I guess I’ll be saying hello to your boyfriend…”

He rallied against the pain of a thousand cuts as her fury took hold and she went a little slasher crazy…

“Ouch…” Nathaniel bit out, but he knew that he was weakening.

His blood wasn’t moving fast enough within his system to compensate for the amount of damage the witch was inflicting on him, and witch the amount of blood that he was losing there would be little left to heal him.

There was a blinding light that came from nowhere and hit the witch head on. It practically blinded him to what came next, but he could feel the magic within the air – could scent the familiar Fae essence of Daniella and Jessica as they turned their magic loose on the dark witch … and he would have done a damn jig if he could have…

Nathaniel felt the bonds that held him in place slip away as the witch was otherwise occupied, but still he couldn’t seem to rally his body to move…

Kill the witch find Morgana…

Move … damn it…

Move…

Push up … turn the hell over … do … something…

He could feel the darkness trying to claim him…

Vampires don’t faint…

“Nathaniel…”

Morgana…?

“Take my blood…” She said, and he could feel the chilled skin of her wrist against his lips.

His bloodlust was high … He could scent the Fae blood in the air that came from her … but he couldn’t bring himself to bite – to feed – not from her…

“Take my damn blood or I’ll kill you myself…” Morgana bit out, shaking something loose within his brain.

She pushed her wrists against his lips, determined to make him open his mouth and bite down into the flesh, but still he refused the bite – the feeding – the blood…

“That’s the way you want to play it…” Morgana hit him with her magic so hard that hit mouth opened and she forced her wrist inside – his fangs scratched her skin, cutting deep welts into the flesh, and her blood spilled over his tongue…

He was lost in the scent of it – in the taste of it on his tongue – his lust for blood fired within him and he bit down – sucking hard and drinking in his thirst for her…

He’d never tasted anything so damn good before…