Chapter 5
Back at the cabin, Holly wasted no time setting up for the spell. The air inside felt cozier than before, the scents of pine and woodsmoke reassuring, but there was a nervous energy humming through her that she couldn’t shake.
She had to get this right. She might have a second chance at it but probably not a third.
The fire crackled in the hearth, casting warm waves of light across the walls, while outside, the snow-covered world seemed still and serene, as if nothing could ever disturb its picture-postcard beauty. But Holly knew better.
Demetrius stood by the window like he was watching for something, his tall frame silhouetted against the soft glow of the setting sun. His gaze seemed to be on the horizon, alert as always, his senses attuned to any disturbance.
Moonshadow and Hexi had claimed their usual spots—Hexi was lazily sprawled on the hearth rug, absorbing all the heat he could while eyeing Demetrius warily, whereas Moonshadow had curled up on the blankets again, her silver fur contrasting with the navy knit she was lying on.
“I need to set up a protective circle,” Holly said, her hands full of herbs, candles, and the various other magical items she’d picked up in town. “If you’re planning to brood in the corner while I work, make sure you stay outside the boundary.”
“I’m not brooding.” Demetrius cut his eyes at her. “But I’ll try not to interfere with your witchy business.”
Holly pursed her lips but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at them. “I’m serious. If you mess up the circle, it’ll ruin the spell. We can’t afford for that to happen right now.”
Demetrius moved away from the window and went to sit on the couch by Moonshadow, putting his feet up on the coffee table and picking up the book he’d been reading. “Don’t worry. I’ll behave.”
“I hope so.” Holly nudged his feet off onto the floor, then set the ingredients on the coffee table and started arranging her things on the open floor across from it. She placed the beeswax candles in a wide circle on the hardwood, marking the boundary of the protective field she was about to create.
The scent of lavender and sage filled the air as she carefully sprinkled the herbs and the iron dust between the candles, whispering a few words under her breath to call up the power that she’d been born with.
The energy in the room shifted as she closed the circle. A subtle hum pulsed through the air like the distant vibration of a glass bell. Holly felt the magic gathering around her, prickling her skin, dancing across her fingertips, responding to her intentions.
This was familiar ground for her—she’d been weaving spells since she was a teenager, and protection spells were practically second nature. But this one was different. This was not something simple to be woven into a scarf. The ripple in the barrier was far more serious, and it weighed heavily on her mind.
What really bothered her was that she couldn’t shake the feeling that something or someone was waiting, just beyond the edge of her magic. Watching her to see what she’d do. How she’d respond to that ripple.
Almost like this was a test.
“Are you done?” Demetrius asked, his voice low and calm, as if the shift in the room didn’t faze him at all. Maybe it hadn’t.
“Not yet.” Holly knelt in the center of the circle, placing a small crystal in front of her. The crystal shimmered faintly, catching the light of the fire. “I need to focus my energy into this crystal. It’ll act as an anchor, holding the spell in place and strengthening it until I can redirect it outside to reinforce the barrier around the cabin.”
She’d seen her mother and grandmother cast this spell before, but watching and doing were very different things.
Demetrius nodded, eyeing her with a steady gaze. “And if it works, the barrier will hold against a second intrusion?”
“It should,” Holly said, her brow furrowing as she tried to concentrate. “At least long enough for us to figure out what—or who—is trying to break through. Now, stop asking questions. I need to focus.”
Demetrius remained quiet, his presence a grounding force, as Holly began to chant softly. The words of the spell rolled off her tongue like a melody, each syllable infused with power. The air around her pulsed with energy, and the candles fluttered, their flames dancing in response to the growing magic.
Power built inside her, like a storm gathering strength. The crystal before her glowed brighter, absorbing the magic she was creating, the surface gleaming with it. She closed her eyes and pushed all her intentions into the spell, weaving the layers of protection as if it were yarn, drawing on nature around her, on the earth beneath her, on the very air filling the cabin.
The crystal had nearly reached saturation, but as the magic peaked, Holly felt a sudden resistance—a sharp tug, like someone yanking on one of the threads she had carefully woven. How could that be? This had nothing to do with the barrier. She hadn’t connected to it in any way. Her eyes snapped open, and she gasped, the spell faltering for a split second.
“Holly?” Demetrius started forward, immediately alert, a touch of concern breaking through his usual calm.
Her hand shot up to stop him. “Don’t break the circle. I’m fine.”
“What was it?”
“I—I felt something,” Holly whispered, her heart racing. She focused on the crystal, focused on keeping the magic contained within it. They couldn’t afford for one bit of it to ebb away. “Like … someone pulling on the magic I was creating.”
Demetrius was at the edge of the circle in an instant, his expression tense. “Someone was trying to interfere.”
“Maybe. But this isn’t connected to the barrier yet. Which means whoever’s doing this is after more than just the barrier.”
“That’s not good.”
“No, it’s not. But I need to finish this. Give me a moment.” Holly swallowed hard, refocusing her energy. She pushed through the resistance, tightening her grip on the magic, weaving it more securely around the crystal, pushing the stone to absorb more. She wouldn’t let whoever was out there break her concentration—not now, not when the spell was so close to completion.
The candles fluttered wildly, and the air in the room grew thick with power, but Holly held steady. The crystal’s glow intensified, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, the resistance eased. The crystal accepted the last of the magic.
Holly let out a shaky breath, sitting back on her heels. “It’s done. I just have to take this outside before there’s any more interference.” She grabbed up the crystal, stepped over the boundary of the circle, and ran for the barrier, mindless of the snow and cold.
She stopped at the barrier and pushed the crystal into it, hoping nothing would go wrong. With a flash of iridescent light, the crystal and the barrier melded, the power of each becoming one. The crystal disappeared, the spell it held distributed through the barrier. The protective magic was now locked into place. Thankfully.
As quickly as she’d come outside, she went back in, shivering. She went straight to the fire to warm up, holding her hands out. She looked at him. “It worked. The barrier has been reinforced without any issues. No more intrusions, either.”
“And you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Demetrius’s gaze remained fixed on her, his eyes narrowed. “But someone was definitely trying to stop you.”
Holly nodded, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow despite the cold she’d just felt. “Yeah. That wasn’t just a random thing. Someone out there is not only testing the barrier but making an attempt at other magic sources, too. I don’t know why or what they’re trying to do, but I felt their interference.”
For a moment, they stayed silent, the crackling of the fire the only sound in the cabin. Holly sat in her armchair, mind spinning with possibilities. Who could be behind this? What did they want with the Winters family magic? And why now, during the quiet of Christmas?
Demetrius stood, his entire body tense. “If someone’s trying to get their hands on any available magic, they’ll try again. They’ll try until they get what they want.”
Holly nodded, her pulse finally settling down. “Maybe. Or maybe their last effort showed them the barrier is too strong. Either way, we need to be ready. The barrier should hold for now, but I don’t really know who or what we’re up against, so it’s hard to say how long it’ll last.”
Demetrius’s gaze darkened, and Holly could see the gears turning in his mind, already strategizing their next move. His protectiveness was subtle, but it was there—like an unspoken promise that whatever threat was looming, they would face it together.
For that, she was grateful. Even if he couldn’t do magic the way she could, it was nice to feel that assurance that he would keep her from danger in whatever way he could.
“I’ll keep watch,” Demetrius said quietly, heading toward the window. “You should rest. You’ve done enough for today.”
“You really think that’s necessary?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t want to take any chances.” He shot a quick glance her way, then went back to watching. “I mean it. You should get something to eat and rest.”
Holly wanted to protest, to say she didn’t need rest, that she could stay up all night if it meant keeping the cabin safe. But the truth was, the spell had drained her. The effort of pushing back against whatever had been interfering had taken more out of her than she’d realized.
“I’ll rest, but I’m not hungry. Maybe later,” she relented, standing up and leaving her knitting behind. “But wake me if anything happens.”
Demetrius’s mouth moved into what might have been a smile, but the expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “I will.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him, but there was no point in arguing. Holly headed to her bedroom, exhaustion settling into her bones. The cabin was quiet and warm, and even without the glow of the fire, she didn’t think she’d have any trouble sleeping.
Hexi followed her, curling up at the foot of the bed with an air of nonchalance. But Holly could feel the tension lingering in the air, the uncertainty of what lay beyond the protective barrier.
As she changed into flannel pajamas, climbed into bed, and pulled the blankets around her, she let her mind drift, replaying the day’s events. The ripple in the barrier, the strange resistance in the spell, and the presence of Demetrius —always there, always watching, always ready.
It was funny how quickly she had grown used to the presence of the dark, brooding vampire.
Hours passed, and the woods outside the cabin remained still, but Demetrius’s keen senses were on high alert. He stayed at the window, watching the snow-covered landscape for any sign of movement, unable to shake the feeling that something or someone was out there.
His mind turned over the possibilities. Who could be bold enough to tamper with Winters family magic? And why now, during the quiet lull of winter, when the world outside was blanketed in snow and silence? When it was, of all things, Christmas?
He didn’t have answers, but one thing was clear—this wasn’t over. Not when Holly had felt interference while working on the spell.
Whoever was out there would try again. And next time, Demetrius would be ready. The weight of the small blade he kept on him felt like a reassurance.
The fire crackled behind him, spilling light and shadow across the room, but Demetrius’s focus never wavered. The darkness of the night pressed in, along with the quiet unease that came with the knowledge that another presence lurked just beyond his reach.
As hard as he focused, he couldn’t keep his thoughts from wandering to Holly. Beautiful, sweet, funny Holly. She was really something. Night and day different than Esme, which Demetrius found incredibly refreshing.
He couldn’t help but smile when he thought about the way she had fought through the resistance in the spell with such determination. The way her magic had filled the cabin with such bright energy, even in the face of uncertainty. There was something about her—something that had sparked a sense of connection, however unexpected.
Not something he was looking for. Not even in the slightest, but he felt a real admiration for her fortitude and fearlessness. He couldn’t imagine Holly whining about the temperature of her coffee not being just right or the strap of her favorite designer handbag being too short.
He couldn’t actually imagine Holly with a designer handbag. There was no pretention about her. She was who she was. And that was pretty amazing.
She made his protective instinct come to life in a way no other woman, vampire or otherwise, ever had.
Demetrius shook his head, pushing such thoughts aside. Now wasn’t the time to get distracted. Or involved. They had a problem to solve, and whoever was behind the attack wouldn’t stop until they broke through the barrier or stole all of that magic. He couldn’t be sure what the end goal was.
What he was sure of was that for now, the cabin and Holly were safe. The barrier was holding. And Holly, at least, could rest.
Too bad he knew the peace wouldn’t last.