I walked to my mom’s door from the street like I had done just a few weeks ago but this time I was filled with doubt about everything. Ben turned me down after I’d told him I’d give him everything. He wouldn’t have me.
I opened the door and walked into my mothers house. It was quiet and I figured she was probably at one of her friends or something. Sitting on the counter was my phone and my bag like my mom expected me to come back for it. I picked it up and turned it on. Everything seemed different even though it was only a short time. Like I’d lived a different life and this wasn’t reality anymore.
I sent my mom a quick text and she responded telling me she’d be home in five minutes. It was odd she didn’t tell me anything else, but maybe she just wanted to see me. I mean I did just poof into the shadows with a guy I didn’t know.
Ben. My heart clinched at the thought of him. Why did I feel so connected to him even now? I wasn’t shadow marked anymore. I was free, right?
Then why did all I want to do was summon him somehow and make him listen to me. I didn’t want to go back to college and dealing with Vampires. I wanted him.
Also, uh Vampires. Why was he so sure I could protect myself all the sudden?
I plopped in the chair and sighed. Why is this so hard?
I closed my eyes before the energy shifted and I knew someone was standing in front of me. I opened my eyes to see that same dark haired Vampire from the shadow land and looked at him in confusion. He smiled.
“What, you thought I was dead?” He said before yanking me out of my chair. I couldn’t react fast enough and he threw me against the wall. “Don’t worry, little girl. I’m not here to take your magick.” He took a step towards me as I pulled myself to my feet. “I’ve got my own.”
I barely dodged the bolt of electricity he shot my way. It splintered the wall and the picture of my sister on the best Rollercoaster on the west coast fell from the wall. I’d been told Vampires could take magick from those they killed if they wanted, but it was so rare, I’d never encountered it before. Of course, I didn’t go looking for Vampires so there’s that.
I pulled at my magick but just enough to throw him off balance. The push of white magick shot at him, but he dodged it at the same time a bolt of electricity slammed into my leg.
I hit the ground and gritted my teeth at the searing hot pain in my calf. He took the opportunity to grab me and pull me to my feet.
“It’s a shame you’re shadow isn’t here. It would be a nice two for one,” he snarled. “I guess you’ll have to do.
My hair stood on end as he charged the air around me. I grabbed his hands and pulled at them. My magick was too far down to get to in time.
Two arms grabbed me from behind at the same time the charge hit. I felt it flow through me into Ben and he fell back. Panic and anger filled me and my magick flared pushing through the Vampire and slamming him against the far wall of my mothers living room. I pushed the magick harder into his body. He pushed back with the electricity he’d stolen from a now dead Witch.
There was no way I was letting him come after me or anyone I loved again. I let go of all control and the magick took on a life of it’s own, ripping through the electricity until it reached him. This time I watched as it pulled him apart and his body turned to ash in front of me.
I stood there for a moment just to make sure this time he was really gone before turning back to Ben. He laid on the floor, his dark form pooling shadows onto the floor.
“Ben, what the fuck?” I said putting my hands on his wounds, but they poured shadows between my fingers. “I thought nothing could kill you.”
“Almost nothing,” he said. “It’s okay. You’re safe and that’s all that matters.”
“You are not dying,” I almost demanded and he chuckled.
“Even you can’t stop death.”
Then it dawned on me. He’d stopped my death with his magick. Maybe mine could work the same. I put my hand on his abdomen and called to my magick. Willing it to come to the surface. Willing it to pull something of mine with it. Light pushed from me around us, blinding me but I kept my hand on his body, the magick searing into my hand.
As fast as the light had filled the space around us, it was gone and Ben looked at me as though I’d done something that shouldn’t be possible and I smiled, pulling my hand away. Where my hand had rested a minute ago a bright yellow and white mark remained.
“What did you do?” He demanded.
“I saved you,” I said, leaning down and letting my lips touch his. “You’re marked by me now.”
“That’s not possible.” He said against my lips.
“You’re mine.”