Chapter 18
Severin
Felix’s eyes had widened when the blinking crystal stopped, and then, instead of exploding like a bomb—which I had believed it would have done—it just stayed embedded in his skin, the tiny crystal shard, sharp and dangerous looking.
He’d let out a soft gasp before slumping back into his seat, his eyes wide and unseeing.
“What happened?!” Peter demanded from the backseat. I was unable to answer him, too busy looking at my fated with fear. Was he dead? No, I could hear his heart beating away, but the crystal had done something.
“Call Dina!” I ordered, trying to focus on driving and to calm my instincts that wanted to beat something. I hated feeling powerless, and right now, I had no idea what to do to help my Felix.
Dina’s horrified voice reached us, “Please tell me none of you were hit, too?”
“Felix,” was all Peter said.
Brent’s voice spoke from the phone, then. “He’ll be fine. I promise. Drive to your castle as planned. I’ll explain when we get there.”
I still did not fully trust the old man, but I needed to. I had no other choice.
“I’ll call my coven and ask them to place mattresses in the foyer. Jenny was hit, too, and my phone is blowing up,” Dina said, her voice determined and furious.
“Okay. See you soon,” Peter said, ending the call.
I caught him staring at the young man he had carried with him, fighting the urge to ask him who he was.
But now was not the time. My gaze slid to my right and I swallowed hard, ignoring the ache in my chest at the sight of Felix’s unseeing eyes, the horror in them, and drove.
“Here!” one of the witches yelled, carrying another mattress. We had three injured before the blinking crystals activated, now we had seven.
Felix was placed next to the other witches, their eyes open and unseeing, too, their expressions filled with horror and fright.
On the other side of the room Astrea and the young man lay, both sleeping peacefully, so unlike the expressions on Felix and the witches faces.
It was clear it was not the same curse they had used on Astrea and the man.
“Step aside,” Brent said, moving through the worried witches, all carrying herbs and healing crystals, none knowing what to do to help, but trying everything they could nonetheless.
When Brent reached Felix and the witches, he kneeled and took out seven small pink crystals from his pant pockets, then placed them over each of their hearts, all on top of their skin so the crystal made direct contact.
He stood, looked around at the witches eyeing him.
“It will take a few hours for them to wake, but they will.”
“What hit them?!” Dina demanded, her hands were fisted at her sides while she waited for him to answer.
“Dual Shard Crystals,” Brent answered, his tone calm but still affected, like he did not approve of his coven’s ways.
“And what do they do?” Dina gritted out her question, clearly done with his calm demeanor.
“They inflict the body with paralysis, whilst simultaneously forcing them to experience the worst pain of their life.”
I could not stop the whimper that escaped me. Felix was in pain? And not just pain, but the worst pain of his life? I felt my vision blur, everything took on a red hue, alerting me that I was losing myself to my vampiric instincts.
Peter’s hand found my shoulder, his grip hard enough to break something, the pain it caused was enough for me to relax, to focus on that instead of my anger. Of my inability to protect what was mine.
With a hoarse voice, I asked, “Are they still in pain?” I had no idea if the crystal he placed on them had stopped their agony or not.
“I’m afraid I don’t know. I only know they’ll be fine. Give them time,” Brent replied, his eyes kind and filled with sympathy. I did not care for his worry or his words.
“Dina?” a witch from her coven called her over to Astrea. Claire sat next to Astrea’s sleeping form, her hand caressing her hair gently. Poor Claire had been hit with so much guilt over Astrea being taken, and now with Felix unconscious too…
“What is it, Nin?” Dina asked, kneeling next to her.
Nin answered, pointing to Astrea. “Dream paralysis. It seems the coven likes to force people into unconscious states.”
I had to agree, even Brent had used a crystal that made his coven fall in front of us, all unconscious in seconds. It was a coward’s way of dealing with war, but I selfishly appreciated Brent’s help so we could get away more quickly.
“Can you help?” Dina asked Nin, then looked to the young man next. “Him, too?”
Nin nodded. “We need more ingredients, but I’ve seen this happen before in my old coven.”
“What do you need?”
“Crushed sunflower seeds, one cup of moonlight blessed mineral water, a sprinkle of lemon zest, one rose quartz for stirring, and a teaspoon of honey.” Another witch wrote down what Nin needed and three of them rushed outside, either to buy the things or gather them.
Peter joined Nin and Dina, his gaze firmly on the sleeping man. “Will he be okay?”
Both witches nodded, making Peter visibly relax. I looked back to my fated, my heart breaking at the sight of him, his eyes still open and frightened, like he was frozen.
A loud gasp came from the witch next to Felix, then she flew up, sitting with her hand on her chest, panting for air.
“Therese!” Dina called, her tone both relieved and frightened.
“Joel!” Dina yelled after getting to Therese’s side.
Joel rushed to her, having been standing to the side and watching the horror show, unable to help until now.
“We need water.” Joel nodded without saying a word and rushed to the kitchen.
Therese was breathing better now, still holding her hand protectively over her heart, and then she began to cry.
Dina’s soothing words of comfort were the only sounds in the room along with Therese’s sobs.
Every witch was awake from the crystal attack, all but my Felix.
“What do your instincts tell you?” Peter asked as he watched me pace the foyer. The rest of the witches had moved into bedrooms, leaving just one mattress for Felix. I wanted to carry him to our bedroom, but Brent told me I was not allowed to move him, that doing so could hurt him more.
“To bond with him,” I admitted. “But that has been what my mind has told me since I first tasted his blood. I cannot do so without his consent.”
Peter shook his head. “He already accepted you, brother. If your instincts are correct, maybe he needs to be bonded before waking up?”
“But that does not make sense!” I argued. But it was then the most beautiful sound reached my ears. Felix groaned, his throat hoarse, like it was dried out from being forced still for too long.
I ran to him, kneeling next to his body. He was blinking his too dry eyes, but otherwise he was still very still. The others had woken up with a start, but not my Felix.
Peter joined me on the floor, handing over a bottle of water for Felix. Taking it, I gave him a smile of gratitude, relieved to have his support when I could not think clearly.
“Water,” Felix croaked, his eyes closed, like they needed the rest from being forced open for hours.
Gently easing him up in a sitting position, I opened the bottle and slowly poured water in his mouth, Peter helping me hold Felix steady.
He drank eagerly, clearly parched, like the other witches had been.
I knew what to expect—since I had watched the others as they came to—and I knew he would soon fall asleep again, too exhausted to remain awake after hours of pain.
A pain I would pretend had not been there, or else I would not be able to control my anger.
“Get him to bed,” Peter whispered softly, likely for Felix’s sake. “I will wait for the witches to return with the ingredients for Astrea and the male upstairs.”
Nodding, I gathered Felix in my arms and hurried to our room. My heart was hurting over everything that had happened today, but I also felt a sense of gratitude for Dina’s coven and my brother.
Gently placing Felix on our bed, I removed his clothes and left him in his underwear. He would need a bath tomorrow, but for now he needed rest, and I needed to hold him.
After undressing myself, I locked the door and joined him under the covers, snuggling into him. He was sleeping softly in my arms and I allowed myself to truly breathe again.