When the Magic Stops

Following the Light

When we got to the coven compound, I couldn't get out of the car fast enough. Every couple minutes, Logan was making crude comments, making me want nothing more than to use my elementalist abilities and burn his d**k off. Adrian kept reminding me via mind-link that we needed him to get into the coven compound. I had rolled my eyes and promised to leave Logan in one piece, at least until I'd shown my vision to Mom. She would know what to do about what I'd seen. Clairvoyants only get visions of things we're meant to prevent, or at least postpone, but what if my lack of control over my powers is what causes the coven's downfall? If it's my fault that my mother and brother end up dead, I'll never be able to forgive myself. My sister, Imogen, may drive me up the wall, but I love Mom, Liam, Adrian, and Dad, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. They won't get hurt if I have anything to say about it.

The walk to my mom's office was a bit of a blur. I don't remember any of it. One second, I was in the driveway, then the next thing I knew I was standing at the door to Mom's office. After knocking, I waited until I heard my mother call out "enter" before opening the door.

"Mom, I'm home." I hated how my voice shook when I spoke. Mom stood up from her desk chair and rushed across the room to me. I was being crushed in a typical "protective mama bear" hug before I knew what was happening.

"How are you feeling, sweetie? I know my first vision put me in a three day coma." Mom immediately started in on her fussing over me, as if I was five years old instead of twenty four.

"Mom, I'm fine. I had a killer headache and bleeding eyes for a hot minute, but I'm good." I paused for a second. "Training this is going to royally suck, though, isn't it?" Mom just gave me her signature You're not going to enjoy this smile and said nothing. I groaned, and looked at the ceiling. Once again, I couldn't help but wonder why I couldn't have been a normal human girl.

Before anything else could be said, the alarms in my mom’s office started blaring. I looked around the room, startled and confused, because I wasn’t familiar with the alarm going off at the time.

“Mom, what’s that alarm? I’ve never heard that one before.” Mom looked down at me with her usual business expression.

“Unidentified injured supernatural. Let’s go.” She walked toward the door with an incredibly brisk pace, expecting me to keep up. When we got to where the person was, EVERYTHING in me told me to protect the boy that had passed out just outside the gate. He was almost six feet tall, six foot one at most. His hair was a dark brown, but had…green roots? Since he was unconscious, I couldn’t see his eyes. Despite that, every instinct I had was screaming at me that this unconscious boy was MINE.

“Mate.” I didn’t think as I spoke, forcing the gate open and crouching next to the boy to roll him over. It shocked me as much as everyone else around, because it’s been thousands of years since a true mate-bond has actually happened. He had a sprinkling of freckles across his face, but it just added to his charm. What concerned me was the fact that he was barely breathing. I looked around in a panic until my eyes landed on Adrian, looking both concerned and proud. As soon as he locked eyes with me, he ran over to where I was crouched next to the boy that my entire being claimed as my soul mate.

“Adrian, I don’t know if I can heal this. Help me!” I was already starting to cry over a boy I hadn’t even spoken to yet. I wanted to get to know him, spend my life with him, everything that being mates entailed, but I didn’t even know his name, and if he didn’t get help I would never learn it. Adrian looked at my face for a second, then nodded as though he had come to a decision. He pulled his pocket knife out.

“Hold his mouth open, munchkin. My blood should do the trick, at least until he can get proper medical attention.”

Adrian dragged the pocket knife across the palm of his hand, collecting the blood as it flowed out of the cut he’d made in his own flesh just to help his crying baby sister. I propped the boy’s mouth open, waiting until his heart rate regulated and he started breathing normally before I could breathe myself.

When the strange boy in my arms began choking on Adrian’s blood, he stopped pouring it into the boy's mouth. A few minutes after that, the boy's eyes fluttered open, revealing gorgeous, electric blue eyes. As soon as he locked his eyes with mine, a feral growl tore free from his throat as he said, “mine.” I nodded, running my fingers through his hair.

“That’s right. I’m your mate, and you’re mine. My name’s Catrina. What’s yours?” He stared at me like he thought that if he blinked I would disappear, his eyes searching my face for something.

“Draiven. My name’s Draiven.” his voice was hoarse, like he hadn’t had anything to drink for days. I mind-linked Adrian to get Draiven some water. A few minutes later, an open water bottle was being pushed into my hand for him. I gently helped him sit upright before handing it to him.

“Thank you.” He tried to drain the water in one go, but I stopped him.

“Slowly, Draiven. You’ll make yourself sick.” Oh, gods, I was sounding like Mom. “When was the last time you ate or drank anything, anyway?” Draiven shrugged, then winced, since it apparently aggravated an injury. I gently reached out to his shoulder, then jumped back as he shouted in pain when I hit a specific spot where his shoulder blade shouldn’t have been moving but was.

“At least a few days. It’s hard to stop to find food or water when you’re being hunted down for being, and I quote, ‘an abomination that should never have been born.’ Perks of being half dragon, I guess.”

I smirked at him.

“So, you’re a hybrid too, then? I’m half witch, half vampire royal. My dad’s the current reigning vampire king, and my mom’s the High Priestess of the Silver Mist coven, where you passed out, sweetie.” He looked at me, shocked.

“The vampire king? And the Silver Mist Coven? Apparently, I’m in the right place then. My mother told me to find someone named Agatha at the Silver Mist coven and give her a message. Is she here?” I nodded, then turned to look over my shoulder.

“Mom? Can you come over here please?” Mom walked over to me, Adrian, and Draiven, then crouched down next to us.

“I’m Agatha, boy. What’s your message?” She was still in business mode, and as High Priestess, she was intimidating.

“Ma’am, the message my mother told me to give you was, ‘the shadows are watching you.’ I have no idea what it means, but she said you would understand.” When Mom heard the message, her expression darkened significantly. She suddenly stood up, addressing everyone present.

“Lock down the compound immediately. Only the vampire king is allowed in and out. Get the half dragon medical attention, and set him up in the room across the hall from my daughter’s. Warriors are to increase training, and extra sentries are to be posted immediately. Catrina, when you’re not tending to your newfound mate, you will be training with me or Adrian to get your powers under control. Everyone, as of this moment, the Demon War has begun.”