words sounded genuine, grief-filled, but this vampire had had a long time to study how humans reacted. My head said, “Be wary,” but my heart wanted to believe him. Stupid conflicting emotions.
“The power of the ring is capped. Each time they use it, the earth reabsorbs some of the power they seek to distribute. The tree in your house does that. That’s why the Ascendance wants control of the house.”
“Charles Merth was in the Ascendance—why didn’t he just give them the house?” I was pretty sure that’s why this ring still existed on his property unchallenged.
“He loved Dorien. I think he believed as long as he kept the house teeming with earth that Dorien would forgive him for continuing to allow the Ascendance to use other witches.”
My heart hurt from the idea of it, but in a twisted way it made sense.
“The Merth land sits on the intersection of the two largest ley lines in the country. The power here could be limitless. Charles was nowhere near powerful enough to control it. He feared it. Dorien could control it. The Ascendance wants it, but releasing it would cause a catastrophe like the world has never known.”
“But it feels so peaceful in the house.”
Max shrugged. “Centuries of wards and powerful earth witches, I suppose.”
So it would be up to me to maintain that peace. If I let go of the house, someone could abuse that power. Damn.
“It’s best if you don’t return here. The gate is warded to protect the property from intruders. Mostly other witches. We’ll talk again, Seiran Rou. I look forward to it.” Max vanished, like poof and gone. I blinked a few times, wondering how that was possible. Gabe never did anything like that. He didn’t have that kind of power rolling off him either.
I shifted back to cat form and ran back to the house as if the devil were chasing me.
Chapter 8
T
HE horrific feeling of that ring lingered, making my fur twitch the entire way to the house. Up the stairs and through the tiny opening in the door I ran, not stopping until I was inside and had shut the door with a heavy body slam.
My fur felt covered in blood and evil residue, pulsing from that nasty ring. I stumbled up toward my room, thinking maybe I’d jump in the shower to clean it off before shifting back. Jamie passed me in the hall. “Back now?”
I ignored him and bolted into my room. The taint of the ring stretched around me. What an awful feeling, like a barrier between me and the earth of something heavy and tar-like. Thankfully I’d left my door open, and the bathroom door. I leapt into the shower, wondering how I’d turn the water on with my paws.
The light flicked on and Gabe stood in the doorway. My heart skipped a beat. Something felt wrong about him being there, but I couldn’t remember why. I pulled away as he approached the shower. The evil had to go before I touched anyone. It felt like sap ready to leech onto the next person and drain them of all happiness.
Gabe turned on the water, letting it fall in a warm rush around me. I shuddered in the cleansing warmth, begging the earth, the tree that had taken over the house, anything to clear away the evil. The shaking didn’t stop, even when the water felt scalding. A fluffy towel was wrapped around me. Gabe picked me up and carried me back to the bedroom, cradling me much like he would a scared child. He curled around me, pulled the blankets off the bed up to cover us, and held me.
I shook in his arms for a while. This was the first time in a couple of weeks since it’d really been that bad. The light from the bathroom comforted me a little. Gabe hummed softly, fingers combing through my fur in small circles. He didn’t ask me to change back or even seem to think it. His touch soothed some of the worst trembles, but my heart still hurt. I wondered where Sam was and how soon before he’d pop back in to interrupt my life again.
I shut my eyes, pressing back the tears, the oncoming rejection. Loving someone had never
“The power of the ring is capped. Each time they use it, the earth reabsorbs some of the power they seek to distribute. The tree in your house does that. That’s why the Ascendance wants control of the house.”
“Charles Merth was in the Ascendance—why didn’t he just give them the house?” I was pretty sure that’s why this ring still existed on his property unchallenged.
“He loved Dorien. I think he believed as long as he kept the house teeming with earth that Dorien would forgive him for continuing to allow the Ascendance to use other witches.”
My heart hurt from the idea of it, but in a twisted way it made sense.
“The Merth land sits on the intersection of the two largest ley lines in the country. The power here could be limitless. Charles was nowhere near powerful enough to control it. He feared it. Dorien could control it. The Ascendance wants it, but releasing it would cause a catastrophe like the world has never known.”
“But it feels so peaceful in the house.”
Max shrugged. “Centuries of wards and powerful earth witches, I suppose.”
So it would be up to me to maintain that peace. If I let go of the house, someone could abuse that power. Damn.
“It’s best if you don’t return here. The gate is warded to protect the property from intruders. Mostly other witches. We’ll talk again, Seiran Rou. I look forward to it.” Max vanished, like poof and gone. I blinked a few times, wondering how that was possible. Gabe never did anything like that. He didn’t have that kind of power rolling off him either.
I shifted back to cat form and ran back to the house as if the devil were chasing me.
Chapter 8
T
HE horrific feeling of that ring lingered, making my fur twitch the entire way to the house. Up the stairs and through the tiny opening in the door I ran, not stopping until I was inside and had shut the door with a heavy body slam.
My fur felt covered in blood and evil residue, pulsing from that nasty ring. I stumbled up toward my room, thinking maybe I’d jump in the shower to clean it off before shifting back. Jamie passed me in the hall. “Back now?”
I ignored him and bolted into my room. The taint of the ring stretched around me. What an awful feeling, like a barrier between me and the earth of something heavy and tar-like. Thankfully I’d left my door open, and the bathroom door. I leapt into the shower, wondering how I’d turn the water on with my paws.
The light flicked on and Gabe stood in the doorway. My heart skipped a beat. Something felt wrong about him being there, but I couldn’t remember why. I pulled away as he approached the shower. The evil had to go before I touched anyone. It felt like sap ready to leech onto the next person and drain them of all happiness.
Gabe turned on the water, letting it fall in a warm rush around me. I shuddered in the cleansing warmth, begging the earth, the tree that had taken over the house, anything to clear away the evil. The shaking didn’t stop, even when the water felt scalding. A fluffy towel was wrapped around me. Gabe picked me up and carried me back to the bedroom, cradling me much like he would a scared child. He curled around me, pulled the blankets off the bed up to cover us, and held me.
I shook in his arms for a while. This was the first time in a couple of weeks since it’d really been that bad. The light from the bathroom comforted me a little. Gabe hummed softly, fingers combing through my fur in small circles. He didn’t ask me to change back or even seem to think it. His touch soothed some of the worst trembles, but my heart still hurt. I wondered where Sam was and how soon before he’d pop back in to interrupt my life again.
I shut my eyes, pressing back the tears, the oncoming rejection. Loving someone had never
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