Chapter Nineteen
We”ve made it back to Chicago, and now I”m wearing a hole in the floor of Sebastian”s mansion as I pace back and forth anxiously. The time for action is at hand, and I can”t seem to sit still. I know we need to move on Adrian quickly, but I can”t stop thinking about what Sage told me after we did the spell.
My family”s magic runs through my veins.
Before I met Drake, I didn”t believe in magic or vampires, but now I”ve been forced to confront the reality of both. The truth is, I don”t know what to do with this newfound power. I wouldn”t even know where to start to learn magic. Sage is the first witch I”ve ever met, and I”m not sure if I”ll see her again after this.
I shake my head in frustration and try to focus on the task at hand: finding Adrian. We know he”s somewhere familiar, but that doesn”t give us much to go on. He”s been alive for centuries; he”s probably had thousands of places that are important to him. How do we narrow that down?
I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see Marina walking toward me. ”Hey, you,” she greets as she wraps her arm around my shoulders in a half hug. ”I”m so glad you made it back safe. I was worried about you.”
”Thanks,” I reply with a smile. ”I”m glad to be back, too.”
”When I”d heard Adrian had you abducted...” She shudders and presses her lips together. ”Well, I”m just glad you”re safe.”
A thought occurs to me, one so reckless and stupid that it might just work. ”Marina,” I begin cautiously as I turn to face her fully. ”Would you be willing to help me learn some self-defense moves?”
Marina looks taken aback by my request. ”Sure,” she replies hesitantly. ”But why?”
”Because I want to be able to protect myself if Adrian tries anything again. I can”t rely on others to protect me all the time. Drake needs me to be more than just a liability.”
”I get it,” she says after a moment. ”Self-defense is a valuable skill to have. I”ll show you what I can, but just keep in mind that with Adrian being a vampire, he”s a lot faster and stronger than you. If he really wants to hurt you, it”s going to be difficult to defend yourself.”
I nod in understanding. ”I know, but I have to try.”
”Okay then,” Marina agrees. ”Let”s get started.”
She leads me out into the garden, where they”ve set up a small training area with pillowed targets, and we find an open area where we can practice.
”All right,” she begins as she takes up a fighting stance. ”First things first, let”s teach you how to throw a proper punch.”
I watch as she demonstrates the technique, showing me how to position my fingers and rotate my wrist as I strike. It seems simple enough, so I give it a try and land a solid blow to the target next to me.
”Wow,” Marina exclaims in surprise. ”Not bad! You caught on quicker than I expected.”
She shows me how to kick and block, and before long, we”re sparring with each other. Our movements are fluid and graceful, like a choreographed dance, and we fall into a rhythm as we trade blows. I know she”s holding back, keeping my human nature into account, but the adrenaline flowing through my veins makes me feel more alive than I”ve ever felt before, and I lose myself in the moment.
Surprisingly, my body responds with unexpected agility and quick reflexes. It”s as if a dormant part of me has been activated, and the movements start to flow naturally as I adjust to the new sensation. My confidence grows, and I find myself grinning widely as I dodge Marina”s attacks with ease.
”Looks like you have some hidden talents, Lola,” she comments. ”All right. Let”s try that again. This time, I want you to really let me have it.”
I do as she asks, throwing everything I have into the next hit. The clash begins, and despite my initial hesitations, I find myself holding my ground. Marina throws a series of calculated strikes, and to my own surprise, I manage to evade and counter some of them. When she lunges at me again, I grab her arm and twist it behind her back, knocking her off balance and forcing her to the ground.
”Nice job,” she praises as she stands up and dusts herself off. ”You”re a fast learner.”
”I had a good teacher,” I respond with a grin.
”Now that you know the basics, it”s time to put them into action.” Marina picks up a wooden stake from the ground and holds it out to me. ”Let”s see what you can do with this.”
I take the stake from her and grip it tightly in my hand. She rushes forward, and I block her attack with a well-timed parry. We trade blows for several minutes, our movements becoming more intense as the stakes grow higher.
Suddenly, Marina lunges at me with lightning speed, and before I can react, she”s knocked me to the ground. She pins me down with her knees, her stake held inches from my chest as she smirks.
”Dead,” she declares as she rises to her feet. ”Good effort, though.”
I let out a frustrated sigh as I push myself up from the grass. ”Is it true that a wooden stake is the only way to kill a vampire?” I ask.
Marina nods. ”It is. There are other ways to incapacitate them, like with silver, but a direct shot through the heart with one of these bad boys is the most effective.”
”Good to know,” I mumble as I examine the stake in my hand. ”How did you become a vampire, Marina?”
”I was bitten,” she explains casually, as if it”s no big deal. ”It”s a long story, but I was attacked while traveling in Europe with my father. He tried to save me, but well, you see how that worked out.”
I wince and blanch back. ”That”s horrible. I”m so sorry. How long ago did that happen?”
”About ten years,” Marina responds with a shrug. ”I”ve come to terms with it. It”s not so bad being a vampire. It was a tricky at first. The guy who bit me just took off and left me alone to figure out all these new... urges. But I happened across Drake by chance, and he took me into his clan. They”re a bunch of old geezers, but they”ve been good to me.”
”I can”t imagine what that must”ve been like.”
”It”s not too different from what you”re going through,” Marina points out. ”Learning that you”re a witch can”t be much easier. The adjustment period is definitely rough, but it gets easier as time goes on.”
”I guess you”re right. I just wish I knew what to expect. Being a witch is so foreign to me, but I have this feeling inside me that I”ve never experienced before. It”s like there”s this energy running through my veins, just waiting to be unleashed. It”s terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.”
Marina gives me a sympathetic look. ”That sounds overwhelming,” she offers gently. ”But you”re in good company here. Try letting it out. See what happens.”
”What?” I snort out my disbelief. ”I wouldn”t even know what to do.”
”I don”t think it”s about knowing as much as it is about feeling. Of course, I don”t know much about witches. Maybe Drake or Sage could help you out more.”
”Maybe,” I concede reluctantly. ”I”m just not sure I”m ready to embrace this part of me yet.”
”That”s fair,” Marina acknowledges as she pats my shoulder. ”All right, enough sappy talk. One more round before we go in for dinner? I”m starving.”
I smile and nod, grateful for the distraction. ”You”re on.”
We square off once more, and this time, I”m determined to win. Marina is clearly more skilled and powerful, but I hold my own, blocking and dodging her attacks as best I can. She lunges at me, and I duck under her arm, spinning around to deliver a solid blow to her stomach.
She stumbles backward, but her reflexes are impossibly quick, and she recovers almost immediately. Her eyes flash dangerously as she charges at me again. When she doesn”t slow down, I hold out my hands, bracing for impact. To my surprise, a tingle of electricity runs up my arms as a surge of energy bursts from my palms. An almost invisible forcefield forms around me, and Marina slams into it, bouncing back with a grunt of pain.
She rubs her shoulder and stares at me with wide eyes. ”Did you just...?”
”I think so,” I say in awe. I stare at my palms in confusion, wondering how I did that. It wasn”t just skill or luck. Magic played a role in that move. My heritage, the witch blood that flows through my veins, asserted itself without my permission or want. ”I”m not even sure what I did.”
”Holy shit, Lola!” Marina exclaims. ”That was incredible! I didn”t even see it coming.”
I laugh nervously. ”Yeah, neither did I.”
”Do it again. Come on, you”ve got this.”
I concentrate on my breathing, trying to recreate the sensation, but nothing happens. ”I don”t know how,” I admit. ”It was an accident.”
”Keep practicing,” Marina encourages. ”You”ll get the hang of it soon enough. You might not be ready to face the magic, but the magic sure wants to face you.”
I nod as I consider her words. I don”t want to embrace my witch bloodline, not yet, but it seems like the choice is being taken away from me. If I can”t control it, it will control me instead.
I sigh and toss the stake aside, giving up for now. ”I”m tired,” I say as I wipe the sweat from my brow. ”I”ll keep working on it.”
We walk back to the house in silence, both lost in our own thoughts. I”m still reeling from the realization that I have magic in my veins, and I”m not sure what to do about it. On one hand, I want to learn more about it, but on the other hand, I”m afraid of what might happen if I do. What if I can”t control it? What if I hurt someone?
When we reach the entrance, Marina turns to me with a serious expression on her face. ”Lola, whatever you decide, I just want you to know that I”m here for you,” she says earnestly. ”You have a shit ton of power inside you, and while that can be a big benefit to our clan, this is your call. Don”t let anyone else impact your choice, do you understand? If you need anything, anything at all, don”t hesitate to ask.”
”Thanks, Marina,” I reply with a small smile. ”I appreciate that.”