 
Enchanted: Calling the Quarters (Book I)

Enchanted

Calling the Quarters

(Book I)

A Novel

By: J.S. Little
Enchanted: Calling the Quarters

(Book I)

J.S. Little

Copyright 2014 by J.S. Little

Smashwords Edition

Published by dMon Publishing, LLC

Dallas, TX

www.dmonpublishing.com

Cover design and cover illustration by dMon Publishing, LLC.

Front cover photographs by ©dMon Publishing, LLC and Vladyslav Starozhylov (vlad_star) @ Stockfresh.com

Proofreading by Tonya Smith Peterson and Justyn Edward Monares.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

All persons appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

https://www.facebook.com/Enchantedbyjslittle?ref_type=bookmark

Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN): 2014944479

All rights reserved.

Paperback ISBN-10: 0989324958

Paperback ISBN-13: 978-0-9893249-5-3

E-Book ISBN: 9781311973351

Copyright © 2014 J.S. Little
Dedication

I dedicate this book in memory of my good friend, Hannah Watson Shain. May you rest in peace, Beautiful.
Legend of the Devil's Chair

Many people have said that on Halloween night at exactly the stroke of midnight, if you sit upon The Devil's Chair, Satan will communicate to you. The Devil's Chair is located in a cemetery outside of Cassadaga, Florida in the town of Lake Helen. The deceased spiritualists of Cassadaga are buried there.

Because of the extreme interest that has sparked regarding this spiritual cemetery, guards are posted along the gates on Halloween night to deter curiosity seekers. The main interest inside the gates of the cemetery is The Devil's Chair.
Acknowledgments

I would like to thank all my college professors for providing me with the motivation and support to keep writing.

I also would like to give special thanks to Lyly Jade Vo who thought of the name for my hot, steamy sorcerer, Brandon Beaumont.
Chapter One

Traveling to Saudi Arabia with her twin sister had been probably one of the worst mistakes that Alina could have ever made in her lifetime. Alina knew from the moment that she and her sister stepped off the airplane that their whole lives were about to change, and only one of them would be going back to the States without the other.

"Cover up your tattoo," Alina says to Annabella as they're briskly walking side-by-side on the jetway. Annabella had been so high-strung from the Red Bulls' that she consumed on the airplane that it had been difficult for Alina to keep up with her stride.

Annabella's eyes examine her dainty wrist that bears the triple goddess symbol. "Don't be silly."

"I'm serious. It's bad enough that you're not wearing long sleeves and pants. As soon as people see your mark, they're going to know what you are." Alina abruptly stops and slumps over with her hands on her hips as she tries desperately to catch her breath.

Annabella turns around and faces her sister. "What I am?" Annabella counters. "You mean, what we are."

Alina lifts her right wrist and shows to Anna how her cuff is concealing her mark. "They'll never suspect me. I'm dressed modestly," she says. "You; however, are dressed pretty scantily. Why must you always have to draw attention to yourself?" Finally, Alina catches her second wind, and they continue on through the airport.

"Why are you so worried anyway?"

"Like I told you before. Saudi Arabia is among one of the seven countries that still put witches to death."

Annabella tosses her head back, laughing shrewdly, her long, pin straight, platinum blonde hair cascading thickly across her shoulders and down to her lower back. "And you think that the Saudi's know what a triple goddess symbol means?"

Alina insensibly rolls her eyes. "They're not stupid, Annabella. How do you think they identify witches?"

"And you think that our fair-hair and our unnatural looking bright, green eyes don't give us away?" Judging by the vein throbbing on Anna's forehead, Alina knew that she was becoming annoyed. "You're just taking this to the extreme. We'll be fine." Annabella reaches into her designer handbag, pulls out a stick of spearmint gum, and pops it into her mouth. "Now, can you stop rambling on about this, and focus on why we're here?"

Alina shakes her head disapprovingly, listening to the incessant smacking while Anna chews on her fluorescent green gum. "Whatever."

Alina had been correct regarding her assumption. As soon as Annabella made her way to baggage claim, all eyes were on her. Not only was she the only female dressed in an extremely short, satin red skirt and four-inch high heels, but also, her breasts were practically spilling from the top of her V-neck sleeveless, ivory-colored sweater.

Although Alina and Annabella Moonstone are identical twins, they were different as night and day. At the age of eleven was when they stumbled upon their mother's book of shadows of white magick, which was hidden in an old cardboard box high up on a top shelf of her closet. When the two girls opened the mysterious leather book, a sudden wave of magick penetrated their souls, and that began the process of how the twins' lives changed forever. The magick became so overwhelming that they were knocked unconscious, and when they awakened, both had deep, black triple goddess marks permanently etched into their right wrists that appeared as tattoos.

When their mother came inside from hanging the laundry in the sun, and saw her daughters' lying on the floor, she knew exactly what the twins' had discovered. Athena had a great deal of explaining to do when they awakened.

Athena told Alina and Annabella that they were descendants of a goddess. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, an offspring of Zeus, and the creator who formed the cosmos. She possesses extreme power and is a goddess of war. In her wartime past, she avoided bloodshed by focusing on strategy. Athena was the extreme goddess of Athens, but had been despondently weakened by Abeddon as he controlled Athena's mind, which manipulated her innocence. Now, Athena's offspring possess great powers of good that derived from her, but also, they have the evil power that had been bestowed upon them from Abeddon.

Alina did not take naturally to her newfound magick, but Annabella developed a dark side that most likely stemmed from her father. Abeddon was a very evil spirit. He often transformed his spirit into human form by becoming a trusting person to those around him, which he did so by deceiving Athena. She believed that he used his magick to seduce her so that she could bear his children. As soon as the twins were born, he anointed them, sanctifying them into his realm, and was never seen again. Abeddon's hopes were at least that one of his daughters would become dark and evil. Annabella would be the fulfillment of his wish.

Throughout the twins' childhood, they had been forced to wear long sleeve shirts as to not raise suspicion of why girls of their age had been tattooed so young.

Alina took fondly to studying her mother's book of shadows, but Annabella found it quite boring, and began writing her own book of shadows of black magick. The dark spells came naturally to Anna, and she even went as far as practicing the spells on children who attended her elementary school.

It only took one mean, little boy in elementary school to bully Alina for Annabella to cast her first powerful spell. One slight push from him caused Alina to topple off the sidewalk, tearing her beautiful white, lace dress.

Annabella's green eyes changed to red as she bore a hole into the boy's soul that was extremely powerful while at the same time, reciting the words that not only came naturally, but also boisterous, "Manus ardebit!"

The little boy's hands trembled while he looked in astonishment as he watched them catch fire. He remained in the hospital for the rest of the school year with third-degree burns, which constituted in multiple skin grafts.

Alina was despicably horrified at what Annabella had done, but when Annabella realized that she was so powerful, the magick went straight to her head, and she began to feel invincible by not having any regard for human life.

As soon as the twins turned eighteen, their mother disappeared without a trace. Alina felt lost because she had been so attached to Athena, but it really didn't seem to bother Annabella. The only person Annabella truly loved was her sister, and she had promised to protect her always from anything that posed as a threat.

After months of intense searching for Athena, no one, not even the police, could come up with any leads. The twins were forced to put their college plans on hold and fend for themselves in the open world.

Four years later and after working many odd jobs by barely making ends meet, Annabella had been discovered by an International modeling agency as Alina still worked as a barista at an independent coffee shop in Manhattan.

Because Annabella was sent to Saudi Arabia for a week to do a photo shoot, she invited Alina to accompany her. In reality, Annabella didn't want Alina staying behind without being protected. Alina was a very meek and gullible person, whereas Annabella exuded a strong willpower and toughness that Alina simply could not match.

"Look at how that man is staring at you," Alina says, looking at the gentleman wearing a white thwab and a headdress. His outer cloak looked as though it was made of wool. The typical dressing for Saudi men.

"Screw him!" Annabella retorts. "Let him keep looking. He'll wish that he had never set eyes on me."

"Anna, you can't always depend on your magick when someone makes you upset. Keep going that route and you'll soon regret it."

Annabella gallantly chuckles. "Is that a threat, sis?"

Alina shakes her head back and forth. "Not at all, but one day, you're going to conduct your magick in the presence of someone who may be able to take you down."

"Yeah, right."

"You honestly don't believe that you and I are the only ones of our kind, do you?"

"Who cares?"

"I care."

As they walk toward curbside to hail a cab, five Saudi men suddenly surround them. One of them went as far as spitting on Anna and yelling obscenities in his native tongue when he noticed how disrespectfully she had been dressed.

Alina can see the rage settling in Anna's eyes as they changed from their electric green state to a fiery red. Anna swipes the man's thick, pungent saliva from her cheek and scornfully flings it to the ground by her fingertips. She breathes in a long shuddering breath, her skin smoldering hot with anger as she expels the words, "Interficiam in lingua sua!"

The Saudi man attempts to speak, but is unsuccessful. He opens his mouth wiggling a short, bloody stump. The other men look on in confusion at his missing tongue, and then focus their attention back to Anna.

She lifts her hand to her face and wiggles her fingertips, shouting out the words, "Vos autem non habeat!"

The men look down at their now nude bodies, seeing their thwabs pooling around their feet. Pulling up their clothes, they still look on in confusion, mumbling Arabic words to each other.

A cab swiftly pulls to the curb as it comes to a screeching halt, and Anna and Alina jump inside. Anna says over the headrest to the driver, "Movenpick in Al Khobar."

The cab driver nods silently in understanding with a hindrance of a smile traced upon his thin lips while pulling away from the curb.

"What were those men saying back there, Anna?" Alina asks, looking out the back window of the cab, hoping that they're not being followed.

"Shh! Let's not talk about that here," she answers, her head gesturing toward the cab driver. "Too many ears."

Alina relaxes back against the seat. As she reaches into her purse, she pulls out her tarot cards and shuffles them. Pulling a card from the deck, her eyes shoot open in alarm as she's holding the death card.
Chapter Two

Upon entering the hotel room on the twelfth floor, Alina and Anna look around, examining the lavish furnishings. Alina rushes to the large panoramic window and spreads open the curtains, seeing a magnificent view of the shimmering, blue ocean.

Anna walks into the marble bathroom and sees a massive whirlpool bathtub. She opens a bottle of complimentary shampoo on the sink and breathes in the scent.

Alina enters the bathroom and takes the bottle from Anna's hand, inhaling the floral aroma. "It smells lovely, doesn't it, Anna?"

Anna looks at her watch. "Yes, it does, but I need to head downstairs to the restaurant because Mr. Beaumont will be there shortly."

Alina crinkles her forehead, confused. "Mr. Beaumont?"

"Yes, my boss," she answers. "The guy who owns the modeling agency." Anna looks at Alina as though she's crass for not knowing.

"Anna, I know who he is. I just didn't expect him to be here. I thought it was only the photographer and makeup artist coming here."

"Well, he's here, and he wants to see me in a few minutes."

"I'm coming with you." Alina surveys Anna's clothes. "And with you being dressed like a hooch, I'm not letting you out of my sight for one instant while we're here."

"Suit yourself." Anna carelessly flicks her hair over her shoulder, looking into the mirror, applying bright pink shimmery lip-gloss. She peers at Alina's reflection. "Are you wearing that to the restaurant?"

Alina looks down at her long sleeve, white blouse and her long, slinky winter white skirt with the hem dusting at her ankles. "Yeah, why?" She flicks her eyes back to her reflection. "Is it not slutty enough for you?"

"It's just not you."

"Well, contrary to you, I respect the Saudi's traditional dress, and I don't want to bring attention to me."

Anna twists the applicator back on her lip-gloss and slips it into her clutch with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Suit yourself."

* * *

Rounding a table inside the hotel's restaurant, Alina and Anna seat themselves across from Mr. Beaumont. His eyes spark interest as he gazes at Alina from across the table. Alina can sense his eyes examining her, as she, in turn, admires him in his slim-fit executive suit and deep blue solid tie. Her eyes adjust toward his long, masculine finely manicured fingers as he takes a piece of bread from the basket in the center of the table. Pinching off a piece, he pops it into his mouth and chews for a few seconds, and then takes a sip of ice water. He clears his throat. "She really does look exactly like you," Mr. Beaumont says in a deep but gentle voice toward Anna. Wiping his hand on a white linen napkin, he turns his attention to Alina. "Hi, I'm Brandon." His tone is friendly as he extends his hand across the table.

Alina meekly shakes his hand as she stares down at her lap, appearing shy. He lifts her knuckles to his lips and places a gentle, thoughtful kiss to the tops her fingers.

Feeling the brush of his velvety lips upon her hand and a slight quiver in her belly, Alina bashfully flicks her eyelids up as she bats her long, black lashes. "Nice to meet you, sir," she began, "I'm Alina. Anna has told me so much about you." She slips her hand from his grasp, placing it upon her lap.

"All good, I hope." A slight sense of flirtation exuded from his tone.

Anna interrupts, "What did you think an identical twin sister was?" she asks, playfully. She can feel the sudden spark between the two of them, which was making her a tad uncomfortable.

"Well, I thought there would be a few traits that weren't quite the same. But, wow! Alina is the spitting image of you."

Alina can feel all eyes upon their table. She timidly glances over her shoulder, noticing a table full of Saudi men staring at Anna. Alina just shakes her head regretfully from side-to-side, attempting to erase the horrible thoughts running constantly through her mind.

Brandon can sense Alina's discomfort. "Something the matter?"

A little on edge, she responds gently, "It's the way that Annabella is dressed. It seems that she offers no respect to the culture here."

"Not again, Alina," Anna snaps. "Would you just drop it already?"

Brandon purses his lips as he glares at Anna regarding her attitude toward her sister. "Well, your sister is right. You shouldn't attract so much attention to yourself."

"What's the difference between me doing a topless photo shoot tomorrow on the beach and me being dressed like this?"

"Because we're going to be in a secluded area," Brandon confirms making his displeasure abundantly clear in his voice. "I really think that you should go upstairs and change out of respect."

Anna exasperatedly tosses her linen napkin to her plate and stands, pushing out her chair. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Alina lifts her head and giggles slightly.

"So, Alina." Brandon clears his throat. "It seems like you're the nice one."

Alina looks from the top of her lashes, and into his devilish, brilliant, ultramarine blue eyes. He's extremely handsome, which causes her to be at a loss for words. She watches as his fingers curl around the stem of his wine glass, and notices no wedding ring. As she's daydreaming of running her fingers through his course but perfectly styled, chestnut brown hair, and kissing his velvety full lips, she's suddenly smacked back into reality when he boisterously clears his throat once more. "Earth to Alina." His lips temptingly curl into a smile.

She swiftly shakes her head to focus. "I'm sorry," she says, shifting more alertly in her seat. "My mind was adrift."

"So, you're the nice one?" he repeats.

Her cheeks flush to a dusty rose color. "I guess you could say that."

Brandon's eyes focus at the amulet that rests upon the hollow part of her throat. "Beautiful necklace."

Alina brings up her hands to her necklace, her fingers gently stroking the large teardrop ruby. "Thank you. It was a gift from my mother."

Brandon slightly stands from his chair and reaches his hand across the table, his fingers wrap around the pendant, lifting it so he can study it more closely.

Alina swiftly jerks back against her seat, startled.

With a sudden look of panic on Brandon's face, he sits back down in his seat and says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright." Now, I have to re-enchant this thing since he put his grubby hands on it!

Brandon's eyes shift as he looks across Alina's shoulder and sees Annabella approaching their table. "That's much better," Brandon says as he strictly analyzes her clothes.

"I look like Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie!" she snaps, looking toward Alina. "By the way, I had to dress in your clothes because I didn't have anything homely in my suitcase."

Alina sits and anxiously fidgets with her fingers in her lap. Feeling entirely uncomfortable because her protection spell was hindered from Brandon touching her amulet, Alina wished for dinner to be over with so she could go back upstairs, and re-energize her pendant.

While eating their entrees, Brandon looks at Alina bearing a wide-eyed smile. "So, what do you do?"

Alina swallows her pasta before answering. "I work at the coffee house right around the corner from our brownstone."

"Oh, so you both live together?"

"Yes," Alina replies. "Because I obviously don't make enough money to cover our mortgage, Anna pays the major bills, and I buy the groceries."

"Have you ever thought about becoming a model?"

Anna bursts out in wild laughter, her hands smacking on the table, as she almost spews her wine from her mouth. "Alina? Model? She's too damn shy to do anything!"

Alina stares down at her lap in silence, watching herself twiddle her thumbs.

Brandon can sense that Alina is uncomfortable so he reaches across the table, and extends his hand. Alina reluctantly lifts her hand from her lap and slips it into his. A sudden spark of electricity is felt between them. Alina immediately takes her hand away from his grasp, shifts uncomfortably in her seat, and rests her hands on the top of her thighs.

Anna agonizingly rolls her eyes at the tormenting spectacle and looks at her watch. "We best be getting back upstairs. I need my beauty sleep for tomorrow."

"Are you going to the photo shoot, Alina?" Brandon asks, finishing off his wine.

She looks at him, blinking her eyes coquettishly. "Yes, I'll be there."

He stands from the table. Alina is taken aback by how tall he is. Towering over six-feet. "Great! I'll see you two tomorrow morning." Brandon buttons his suit-coat and wipes his lips with his napkin, and then sets it on his plate.

"Goodnight, Mr. Beaumont," Anna says with a hint of petulance.

* * *

Alina and Anna enter the room, giggling. "Mr. Beaumont sure is smitten' on you, sis."

"He is awfully handsome."

"Indeed he is," Anna agrees. "But, I don't want you becoming involved with him. He's a player."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. He's bedded many women. Tosses 'em out like trash after he gets a piece."

"Maybe I should put a love spell on him," Alina jokes. "I doubt he'd want anything to do with me anyway. I can tell that I'm not his type."

"Type? You can't be serious. You're blonde, that's his type. Trust me, Alina. You don't want to lose your virginity to someone like that. Look at how badly I regret my first."

Anna was right. Her high school sweetheart, who she dated for three months before giving herself wholeheartedly to him, dumped her the day after he took her virginity. So much hurt lingered within her heart that she believed that the only way to seek justice on the pain that he had caused her was to cast an evil spell on him. And that, she did. From being the most popular guy in school, he became the most hideous. His face had been covered in severe acne and he had lost all his popularity.

"Did you ever do it with Brandon?"

Anna bursts out in squalled laughter at the odd question. "Are you freaking kidding me? No way! I could never do that with my boss! Heck, I can't even comfortably call him by his first name."

Alina felt more at ease. The last thing she had wanted was her sister's sloppy seconds.

Alina walks toward her luggage and unclasps the necklace from around her neck.

Annabella looks at Alina in wonder. "Why in the heck are you removing your amulet?"

"Because Brandon touched it and now I have to re-enchant it again." Alina opens her suitcase and pulls out oil and incense. After igniting the incense, she rubs the ruby with blessed oil and holds the amulet over the incense's smoke, squeezing her eyes closed as she's deep in thought.

"Give it to me!" Annabella attempts to snatch the amulet from Alina's hand. "I can put a protection spell on this to where you'll never have to recharge it again. Might even throw a spell in there to break you from your darn shyness."

"No, Annabella!" she yells, trying to smack Anna's outstretched hands away. "I don't want any of your negative energy on my amulet! Hands off!"

But it had been too late. As soon as Alina saw the amulet in Anna's hand and her eyes change from green to red, Alina knew that the spell had already been cast.
Chapter Three

Oh my god, Alina!" Anna belts out when Alina steps from the bathroom. "You're wearing your love potion?"

Alina looks down at the floor, embarrassed. "Um, yes."

"You're totally going to try and woo Brandon, aren't you?"

Alina shrugs. "Maybe."

"So, even after my warning, you're still going to try to get with him?"

"Oh, stop! It's not like I'm his type anyway. I just think I might have a little fun is all."

"Like I said before. You're blonde; you most certainly are his type, but you need to be careful. That man will tear your heart apart," Anna confirms. "Sure, he had been nice to you last night, but wait until you see how much of a hard-ass he is during the shoot."

Alina slips into a pair of cream-colored slacks and a matching long-sleeve, button-down top. She slides on a pair of jeweled flip-flops and she and Anna make their way to the photo shoot location.

Although it had been in the 40s in New York City, the weather in Saudi Arabia was quite pleasant at a warm eighty-five degrees. Anna makes her way to a small, pitched tent to change into a robe and a pair of bikini bottoms. Listening to the crash of the waves cascading along the shoreline, Alina sits on a large rock when she sees Brandon approaching. He looks as handsome as ever wearing a black suit and red tie. His chestnut, course hair holds up miraculously in the wind, probably because of all the product holding it in place. The lapel of his suit-coat constantly whips at the underside of his jaw. He smiles so big that his striking white teeth gleam in the sunlight.

"So glad you came," he says as he stops in front of her.

She looks up, squinting due to the sunlight as she tries to maintain eye contact. "Anna is changing her clothes."

"I see." He turns and sits down beside her. "Did you have a good night's sleep?"

Alina nods, timidly staring down at her feet. She slides off her flip-flops and buries her toes beneath the sand.

"You don't talk very much, do you?" His hands are folded in his lap.

Alina shrugs her shoulders as her hands steady herself on the rock. "I guess I don't have very much to say."

Brandon tosses his head back and laughs playfully.

Anna emerges from the tent; her face in total perfection as the makeup artist tries to keep up with her pace in attempts to apply one last coat of lip-gloss to her lips.

"Get your hands out of my face!" Anna belligerently shouts.

The woman screws the cap back on the lip gloss and cowers back inside the tent.

Alina just shakes her head back and forth in disbelief at Anna's outburst. "I don't know why she's so angry all the time." She tilts her head to look at Brandon. "She began acting this way since we were eleven years old."

Brandon chuckles slightly. "Well, there is always an evil twin. You and I obviously know that it's not you."

A strong gust of wind whips by them, wafting the scent of Alina's love potion into Brandon's senses. He breathes in deeply, relishing the fruity aroma emanating off Alina's skin. "What is that lovely perfume you're wearing?"

She shyly looks down, smiling. "It's nothing. The hotel's soap or shampoo, I suppose." She studies her feet as she watches the sand glide through her toes.

He takes in another heady breath. "I've never smelled anything quite like it. It's intoxicating."

Anna comes stomping toward them, kicking up sand from behind with each step. Wearing a silk, black, knee-length robe, she clears her throat and asks, "Are you ready, Mr. Beaumont? I'd like to get this over with."

"Why are you in such a hurry, Anna?" Alina asks. "We're here for a few more days."

"I'd like to get on a plane tonight and jet back home. This place blows."

Brandon stands. "Follow me." Anna follows Brandon toward the shoreline where a female photographer is preparing her equipment for the shoot.

Brandon claps his hand on Anna's shoulder. "Now, like I told you before, although you will be topless, we will not allow any nipple shots in the magazine," he reassures.

She rolls her eyes as if she even cares. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

Brandon meets Alina back at the rock and he takes a seat beside her. They watch from a distance as Anna strikes several poses for the camera. When Anna removes her robe, Brandon's cheeks flush a slight tint of red when he sees Anna's high and firm breasts. He looks at Alina and she knows exactly what he has on his mind.

Alina modestly crisscrosses her arms in front, concealing her breasts, feeling as though Brandon is imagining Anna as her bare-chested.

"Am I that obvious?" he asks, noticing that Alina is hugging herself.

Alina bleakly nods her head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. It's just..."

Alina quickly cut him off, "I know what you're thinking."

Brandon lifts his hand toward Alina's face and sweetly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "What am I thinking, Alina?" he whispers, his palm resting on her delicate jaw.

She feels her belly quicken and her heart flutter with lustful arousal. His touch stirs up a sensation that she isn't too familiar with. Nuzzling her cheek against his palm, she says, softly, "You're thinking impure thoughts, Mr. Beaumont."

He reluctantly pulls his hand away and knots his fingers in his lap. His heart practically freezes, but then pulses at a rapid pace. He shakes his head, attempting to focus. "And how do you know that I'm thinking impure thoughts, Miss Porter?" He breathes in another long inhale of her love potion. "Are you psychic?" he asks in a joking way.

When the twins lost their mother, they knew that suspicions would arise if they didn't change their last name from Moonstone. After Alina conducted in-depth searches regarding their ancestry, she had discovered that the Moonstone name was only related to witches. Rather than having to always explain themselves, the twins thought it would be less chaotic if they changed their last name to Porter, making it easier for them to land proper jobs. Moonstone didn't sound like a serious name for an employer to consider, and they surely didn't want it hindering their chances at finding employment.

"I'm not psychic," she lies. "I can just read people by their mannerisms."

He glances up and sees Anna perched on her knees with her back arched; her breasts elevated high in the air, the brisk wind causing her nipples to peak.

Alina looks down at the ground, feeling a little unnerved at Anna's photo shoot.

"You seem really uncomfortable." Brandon stands and faces her, his tall body blocking the wind. "Did you want to go somewhere else until the shoot wraps up?"

She shakes her head no.

"Are you sure?" He studies her body language. Alina, looking like a frightened child, Brandon offers her his hand. "Come; let me buy you a cup of coffee."

She slips her hand in his and feels a sudden jolt of energy just like the night before. The tingling surge is so intense that she has to steady herself while she stands. "That would be lovely, Mr. Beaumont."

He chuckles under his breath. "Just call me Brandon."

* * *

As Brandon and Alina sit across the table from one another at their hotel's restaurant, Brandon looks down at his cup, shaking his head.

Alina looks at him confused. "What's with the head shake, Mr. Beaumont?"

He looks up; his beautiful ultramarine eyes sparkle. "I'm just amazed at how different Anna and your personalities are."

"Like you said, there's always an evil twin," she teases as she seems to be coming out of her shyness.

"You're so incredibly sweet. It's hard to believe that you two came from the same womb."

When he said "womb," she began thinking of her mother. Sadness began filling her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he says, noticing her demeanor had changed. "Did I say something to strike a nerve?"

"I'm just thinking of my mother."

"What about your mother?"

She fidgets uncomfortably in her seat, knotting her fingers in her lap. "Has Anna not spoken of our mother to you?"

He shakes his head no. "This is actually the first time I've been at an offsite photo shoot. I don't know her all too well. It's strictly business between us."

"I see." Alina unlocks her fingers, lifting her coffee cup to her lips. An imprint of her pink lipstick is pressed onto the rim. "My mother disappeared when we turned eighteen. She hasn't been found."

A solemn expression eludes over Brandon's face. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." She thinks back on the last day that she had seen her mother. Her final words placed her at some sort of comfort, "I love you, Alina. You're an adult now and you've turned into such a strong, beautiful woman. Always trust in your heart, and when you are ever doubtful about something, heed your instincts." And that was it. Alina did find it a little strange that her mother would tell her something like that right out of the blue. It was as though Athena knew that she was going somewhere and wouldn't return. Alina blinks back tears. "I miss her so much."

Brandon reaches for her hand across the table. Alina's fingers fold over his. That sudden spark tingles through her soul at his gentle touch. Her breath hitches in her throat as she exhales slowly.

As he brushes his thumb over her knuckles, his smile warms her heart. "I can't imagine losing a parent," he says. "What about your father?"

Gently pulling her hand from his grasp, she picks up her coffee cup and takes another sip. Setting it down to the table, she looks at him. "He left my sister and me on the day we were born."

Brandon relaxes against the back of his chair. "My goodness," he says in a low whisper. "You poor thing."

Alina rolls her eyes as if she didn't care, but deep down she did. Trying to put on a brave face, she looks at him and says, "I'm over him. From what I have come to realize is that he was a very dark man."

"And that's where Annabella most likely gets her evil side from." Brandon assumes.

Alina nods in agreement.

"And I bet you get your soft and caring side from your mother."

Alina nods once more.

Brandon glances at his Breitling watch. "The photo shoot should be wrapping up. I should walk you back to meet your sister." He stands and pushes his chair underneath the table.

Alina heads toward the exit and Brandon holds open the door for her. As she passes, he breathes in her intoxicating scent once more. He shakes his head attempting to focus as he releases the door.

Catching up to her stride, Brandon and Alina pace down a long corridor that opens up onto the beach. Before they reach the end of the long, empty hallway, he stops abruptly and aggressively pushes Alina up against the wall. His eyes drill a sensual passion through her core. Her stomach tingles as his lips hover only millimeters away from hers.

"I'm sorry to be so forward," he whispers, his breath hot with a hint of coffee and mint. "But, I just have to do this before my body explodes." His lips land flush upon hers and she sinks willingly into his passionate kiss.

Encircling her arms around him, she pushes herself more tightly into his strong hold. Her knees go weak and her face softly lands upon his firm chest. She inhales his woodsy, masculine scent as her face rests flush against his lapel.

With his nose nestled into her fragrant hair, he whispers, "I'm sorry to take you so forcefully like that, but I had to taste those luscious lips of yours." His strong hands stroke down her long, platinum blonde hair.

She lightly pushes him back; her lips curl into an exuberant smile. "I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy it." She crosses her arms over her chest, staring down at the ground, bashfully.

"Allow me to take you to dinner tonight," he offers.

She looks into his steamy blue eyes. "I'm sorry, but Anna wants to leave tonight."

"I can persuade her to stay one more day," he says, confidently. "Please, let me take you to dinner."

She grins irresistibly. "If you can persuade my sister to stay one more night, I would love to have dinner with you, Mr. Beaumont."
Chapter Four

Anna begins filling her suitcase with clothes at a rapid pace. "I can't believe that after everything I have told you about Brandon, you're still going out to dinner with him!"

"It's only dinner. It's not like I'm going to do anything else!"

"Don't you get smart with me, sis."

"It sounds to me like you're attempting to threaten me," Alina counters.

"I would never threaten you!" Anna barks out. "Jeez! You actually think that I would threaten my own sister?"

Alina looks into the mirror and applies her lipstick. "I'm sorry," she says as she looks at the reflection of Anna in the mirror. "It's just; um...you've been so wound tight lately."

"I know I have been. It's this freaking modeling career. I can't even take a crap without someone telling me when!"

"Are you upset that you've become so famous?"

"Well, it does suck when you can't even take a stroll through your own neighborhood without being recognized."

"I know what you mean," Alina concurs.

Because Alina and Annabella are identical twins, Alina was most often mistaken for Anna. Even when she worked her shift at the coffee shop, many customers believed that they were on the show, "I Get That A Lot."

Anna tosses a pair of Christian Louboutin's in her luggage, but then pulls them out. She hands them to Alina. "Here, you take these. Wear them tonight with that long skirt of yours. At least glam up a little something. You look like a prude."

Alina takes the bright red, five-inch pumps from Anna's hand and slides them onto her feet. "Thank you."

Alina brushes her fingers one last time through her long, pin straight hair. "Wish me luck, Anna."

"Good luck, sis. Please don't let that man be your first. He will break your heart into tiny little pieces," she says. "The plane leaves in the morning, so pack when you come back from dinner."

Alina puts her hand on the doorknob.

"And always trust in your heart, and when you are ever doubtful about something, heed your instincts," Anna calls out before Alina closes the door behind her.

Stunned by the comment, Alina's heart beats rapidly after shutting the door. She presses her back against the wall and shakes her head back and forth numbly, trying to make herself believe that she just didn't hear what she had thought she'd heard Anna say. "Nah." She brushes off the comment and then heads downstairs to meet Brandon.

* * *

When the hostess shows Alina to Brandon's table, Brandon's lips curl into an enthusiastic smile. "You look absolutely radiant, Alina." He stands and pulls out her chair.

"Thank you, Mr. Beaumont." She takes a seat and unfolds a linen napkin, placing it on her lap.

He takes his seat. "And you smell delicious."

She glances down at the table, shyly. "Thank you."

"You must tell me the name of that perfume."

"It doesn't have a name. I made it myself."

"You can't be serious." He lifts a bottle of white wine and pours Alina a glass.

"Yes, I am. I make a lot of organic body products. I hope to someday open my own shop of perfumes and jewelry."

"Sounds like a wonderful idea. Have you thought of a name?"

She smiles. "Yes, I have. I want to call it "Enchanted."

Brandon retrieves a piece of sourdough bread from the basket in the center of the table. While he's buttering it, he says, "That's an excellent name." He offers her the bread across the table.

Taking the bread from his hand, she pinches off a piece, and places it in her mouth. She looks around the dimly lit restaurant, admiring the white table coverings, and to her surprise, mostly everyone seemed to be American.

"Was Anna upset about postponing her trip back to the States?"

"A little, but she'll get over it." Alina stares at the flickering candle in the center of the table.

"I'm sure she's told you all about me."

Alina alertly perches up in her seat, shifting her focus from the candle to Brandon. "What do you mean?"

He chuckles. "My playboy ways."

Alina nods. "Yes, she did tell me about your reputation, Mr. Beaumont."

"Please, like I said before, call me Brandon."

"Yes, sir."

"Does my reputation bother you?"

Alina's expression turns serious. "Let me just say that because of your reputation, you won't be getting anything more from me than just the kiss that you and I shared earlier today."

"Oh, I bet I can change your mind," he boasts, confidently.

She shakes her head defiantly. "No, I'm afraid that is something you will not be able to accomplish. I don't care who you are, how wealthy you are, you will not take my innocence from me."

He sets down his wine glass, looking as though he's in utter disbelief. "Take your innocence from you?" he questions.

"I'm still a virgin, Mr. Beaumont."

"Stop calling me that!" He regretfully slams back against his seat, looking defeated.

Their entrees are placed before them and they eat in silence. Because of the two being extremely uncomfortable with the previous conversation, they polish off three bottles of wine. With Alina only weighing one-hundred and five pounds at best, she's totally wasted.

Brandon can tell by the relaxed state that Alina is in that he might have a chance to take her to bed tonight. He stirs in his seat, tugging at his slacks, trying to tame his arousal. He watches her closely, staring at her beautiful lips that he wants to kiss so badly once more. How she conjures up a certain excitement within him that he has never felt before. He wants her badly and smelling her perfume that's filling his senses doesn't alleviate his thoughts. All he can imagine is holding her, him buried deep inside her, their bodies entwined.

Alina looks at the strange expression on Brandon's face, knowing exactly what his thoughts are pertaining to. That was Alina's strongest power, reading people's minds. How badly she wished that she had no powers at all. How this curse has made her life so difficult to live. How she often worries about people finding out who she is and trying to destroy her. The only minds that she could not read were her sister's and her mother's, but that comment that Annabella made back in the hotel room began weighing on her mind. Why would Anna say the exact same thing that her mother had told Alina the day that she had disappeared?

Alina straightens suddenly in her seat, the look of fear, dread, and horror illuminating her face. She places her napkin to the table and quickly stands.

Brandon looks at her and her startled expression. "What's the matter?" He dabs the corners of his mouth with his napkin and rises from the table.

Brandon notices how Alina staggers as she clenches tightly onto the table to stabilize her balance. Reaching out, he grabs her shoulder to prevent her from taking a tumble. "You've had way too much to drink, my dear."

She snatches her wrist violently from his firm grasp. "I can manage on my own, thank you." She flings her long hair over her shoulders and places one foot in front of the other as she attempts to meander her way from the table. She rocks back on her heels, but Brandon prevents her from falling backward. Nuzzling her nose into the lapel of Brandon's jacket, Alina breathes in the scent of his masculine cologne. Leather and musk along with a slight woodsy scent. "Y-you smell like a b-brand new car in a r-r-rainy forest," she mumbles out the words.

He chuckles softly. "I've never been described as smelling that way. I hope it's a compliment." He looks down into her electric green eyes, smiling so wide that the corners of his eyes slightly crinkle.

"You're a v-very h-handsome man." Her eyes are locked into his bright blue gaze.

He folds his arm around her waist and escorts her from the restaurant. "Come, I need to get you back to your room so you can sleep this off."

They step onto the elevator, Alina still held firmly against Brandon's tall physique. She wraps her hands around his neck, folding her fingers at his nape, and pulls him down to kiss her. The kiss lingers until the bell on the elevator chimes.

As they step off and stand in front of her room's door, he holds her hands in front. Studying his face, she tries to read his thoughts, but it's cloudy. "Take me to your room, Mr. Beaumont," she whispers, softly, her breath hot in his ear.

Oh how he wanted so badly to bed her, but not in the drunken state that she's in. He wanted her to remember him, especially if he were to be her first. "Not tonight, my dear. You need to get some rest."

She stares down at the floor seeming depressed at the rejection as she glides the keycard along the keypad above the doorknob. When the door unlatches, she pushes it open. Before she can step inside, Brandon says, "I'll be in the room next door if you need anything."

She nods and closes the door behind her.

To avoid waking Anna, she doesn't flip on the light. Staggering to the bed, she falls face down, and is snoring within minutes.
Chapter Five

The sunlight gleaming through the window was enough to snap Alina from her sleep. As she blinks open her eyes, she feels the thump, thump, thump of the pounding in her head. She looks over at Anna's bed, but doesn't see her. Assuming that Anna has gone downstairs to get breakfast, Alina makes her way into the bathroom to shower.

The constant banging on her brain is maddening. Before she steps into the shower, she walks to her suitcase with a white towel wrapped around her, and pulls out her mother's book of shadows. There has to be a spell in here to get rid of a hangover. She flips through the pages until she comes to a spell on how to do away with headaches.

She grabs the necessities to cast her spell. Incense, a white candle, sea salt, an energized clear quartz crystal, and a bottle of holy water that she had blessed back home. Removing the white sheet from her bed, she spreads it on the floor, casting a circle using the salt, and then creating a pentacle in the center. She places the smoldering incense and lit candle in the middle of the pentacle, removes her towel, drops to her knees and closes her eyes as she feels the heat of the flame on her face. Completely naked, she lifts the crystal to her forehead and runs it across five times, and then sets it onto the sheet. She breathes in deeply, pouring the holy water into her palm, counting backward from twelve to one as her mind envisions herself on top of a snow capped mountain. The cool air fills her lungs, her soul, and she sees her goddess standing in a pure white flowing dress, her long blonde hair flowing in the gentle breeze with her arms extended. Alina allows the droplets of water to fall onto the flame of the candle and then she reaches out her hands to take in the power of her goddess. "Dea sanitatis, ut hoc dolore me," Alina chants three times, her eyes still closed, focusing on her healing goddess. The flame rises and almost touches the ceiling, and suddenly, it's magickally extinguished.

Alina relaxes back on her heels and opens her eyes. She shakes her head slightly, and is relieved that her pounding headache is miraculously gone.

Allowing the incense to fade on its own, Alina wraps the towel around her, gathers her candle and crystal, and sets it in her luggage. She picks up the sheet, shakes off the sea salt, and then spreads it back upon the bed.

After showering, Alina is puzzled to see that Anna has not yet returned. She looks at Anna's bed, realizing that Anna had never slept in it. What the heck?

Rushing to Anna's suitcase, Alina fumbles through its contents to see if Anna's book of shadows is in there. Alina's heart practically stops when she sees that Anna's grimoire is inside the bag because Anna always has that book on her. The small book is always either in her purse, or inside her pocket. She never leaves it behind in fear that it could land in the wrong hands.

Alina's pulse begins to flow expeditiously through her veins. Of course, she's imagining the worse. Shaking the disparaging thoughts from her mind, she picks up her cell phone to make a call.

Alina hears Anna's cell phone ringing from underneath the bed. On bended knee, she lifts the dust ruffle, and swipes the phone off the floor. Without a clue on what to do, Alina sits on the edge of the bed, and remembers the last words that Anna had spoken to her the night before. Tears begin to sting her eyes. Oh-my-goodness! I've lost my sister.

Wrapping her fingers tightly around the amulet suspended from her neck, she closes her eyes, her thoughts drifting in a somber wander as she attempts to envision Anna. Her mind draws a blank.

Alina jumps from her meditative state when she hears a knock on the door. On her tiptoes, looking through the peephole, she sees Brandon on the other side wearing a navy blue suit and powder blue, silk tie. She quickly turns, slamming her back against the door, and breathes heavily. What the heck is he doing here? "Just a minute," she calls out.

She runs over to her luggage and pulls out a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Brandon knocks again.

"I said, just a minute! I'm getting dressed! Jeez!"

As she zips up her jeans, she briskly combs her fingers through her damp hair, and cracks open the door.

Brandon gazes at her as she's standing before him barefoot, no makeup, and her hair in disarray. "Good morning." His voice is warm and raspy. "I was hoping to take you to breakfast."

"Um, I-I, I already ate." She looks over her shoulder, making certain that she didn't leave anything out of her luggage that could raise suspicion on what she is.

Brandon wrinkles his nose as he sniffs inside the doorway. "What's that smell?"

"What smell?"

"It smells like incense. Like a hippy convention."

"Ohhh, yeah...Well, I burn some incense every now and then when I read. It helps my mind absorb the story more easily."

"You seem a little anxious." He surveys her knotted fingers. "Everything alright?"

Her heart starts beating fiercely and her cheeks flush pink. "I'm okay."

He shakes his head back and forth, not believing her answer. Placing his palm upon the door, he pushes it open wider, and takes a step inside.

Alina steps back and watches as he examines the room.

"Something's wrong, Alina. Where's your sister?"

Without a clue what to say, she slumps her shoulders and walks to her bed, falling carelessly to the edge. As she sits, she stares down at her feet, her head sinking in her hands as tears begin to pool in her eyes.

Brandon stands before her, looking down at a very distraught Alina. "Where's your sister?" he repeats, his voice bearing a low, serious tone.

She tilts her head back dreadfully and sighs. Brandon can see the tears about to flow down her pinkened cheeks. He unfastens the button on his suit-coat and sinks down alongside her. Placing his arm around her, he repeats once more, "Alina, where is your sister?"

She looks into his eyes and tries to speak, but the words won't come out. He can see the pain settling in her eyes. Pulling her more closely into him, Brandon guides her head into his chest. Alina inhales his warming scent and the tears begin to flow like Niagara Falls down her cheeks. She wraps her arms around him and nuzzles her face within the confines of his suit-coat, her tears saturating his white, button-down, collared shirt. "She's gone, Mr. Beaumont."

Her incessant whimpering tugs at his heart. "Gone?"

She looks up at him, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "She disappeared like my mother."

He crinkles his nose, confused. "Don't be silly, Alina. Anna probably spent the night with some guy. You know how she is."

"No, I know she's gone. Before I left last night to meet you, she told me the same exact thing that my mother had told me on the day that she had disappeared."

The only thought racing through Brandon's mind was his business, and now with Anna being gone, how it would probably devastate the company's financial intake.

Brandon rises to his feet. "I'm going to contact the authorities."

Alina jumps up and grabs his hands, preventing him from retrieving his cell phone from his pocket. "No! You can't do that!"

"We have to. Don't you want your sister found?"

Alina paces back and forth with her hands on her hips. "Of course, I want my sister found, but there's no way the Saudi authorities will do anything for her, especially after what she had done at the airport.

"At the airport?" he questions. "What the heck did she do there?"

Alina chews nervously at her bottom lip, gazing down at the floor, unsure how to answer that question.

Brandon looks sternly at her. "Alina, what did she do at the damn airport?"

She flicks her eyelids up to look at him. "We were being harassed by a bunch of Saudi men. She yelled profanities at them."

"Is that all?"

Alina knew that wasn't the whole truth, but she couldn't trust him enough to tell him what actually happened, could she? Closing her eyes and clenching tightly to her amulet, she tries to invade Brandon's thoughts.

I wish she would open up to me. How can I convince her to trust me? She's so damn beautiful. Crap! She's driving me insane. I want her to trust me so badly. My God, I'd do anything for that woman.

Alina's stomach knots and her skin flushes pale white.

"Alina, what's the matter?"

"I lost my freaking sister!"

"I didn't mean that," he says. "I meant, you've turned ghostly white suddenly. What are you thinking about?" He steps in more closely, practically invading her personal space.

She stares down at her bare feet. Curling his forefinger under her chin, he tilts her head to look into his eyes. As he tenderly brushes a damp strand of hair from her face, she feels him gazing into her soul. She feels faint, his ultramarine eyes burning into her core.

Brushing his thumb across her bottom lip, he whispers, "Speak to me."

She cups his hand and rests her cheek against his palm, breathing in the scent of his cologne that's wistfully coming off his wrist.

"Alina, please, tell me what's going on."

She takes him by the hand and leads him to a small, round table next to the window. He sits across from her and looks seriously into her eyes. "Please open up to me. I only want to help you, and I can't help you if you don't let me in."

Alina feels a strong sense of trust. Breathing in deeply, she exhales slowly, and sighs. As she fidgets with her hands in her lap, she looks up through her lashes, and says, "There is so much I must tell you. I don't even know where to begin."

He picks up his chair and moves it next to her. Taking her hands in his, a warm smile sweeps upon his face. "Just begin where your heart tells you."

"You're going to think I'm crazy."

"I would never think that of you, Alina. Now, your sister? Maybe."

"That's not funny, Mr. Beaumont. How can you joke about something like that given the circumstances?"

"I was only trying to make you feel at ease," he answers. "It wasn't my intention to upset you."

Alina closes her eyes and can read inside his mind that he is being sincere.

She squeezes his hands tightly and stares into his gorgeous blue eyes. "You must never let what I'm about to tell you leave this room. Can you promise me that?"

He nods.

"Say it, Mr. Beaumont."

"Please, stop calling me that."

"Say it," she repeats.

"I promise."

She takes her right hand from his grasp and turns up her wrist, exposing her mark. "I'm sure you have noticed the tattoos that my sister and I have."

"Yes," he affirms. "We're constantly having to Photoshop them out of Anna's pictures. They're just tattoos. Almost everybody has at least one."

"These weren't put on us the traditional way..." She stops herself. "Well, maybe my traditional way, but not traditional in the sense of a mortal."

"Mortal?"

She shakes her head attempting to focus. "I don't mean mortal, I mean someone who is not what I am."

"And what exactly are you?" he asks, contently smoothing his thumb back and forth over Alina's tattoo.

"I call myself an 'enchantress.' Others use the term 'witch'."

He boasts a hearty laugh, not believing a word she's telling him. She pulls her hands from his and stands. "See, I knew that you wouldn't believe me." She turns her back toward him. "Please, just go."

He stands behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry. You should know as well as I do that there are no such things as witches, vampires, or werewolves."

"On the contrary, Mr. Beaumont."

He rests his chin to her shoulder and whispers into her ear, "So, prove it."

She pulls his hands from her waist and spins around to look at him. "Okay, if it's proof that you want, then it's proof you shall have." She takes both of his hands in hers and closes her eyes tightly. She breathes in deeply and begins to drift to a meditative state.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"Shh...You must be totally quiet," she says. "I'm going to read your thoughts and recite them to you word for word."

He chuckles.

"I'm serious, Mr. Beaumont. Now, be quiet and think of something that you do not want me to know and I will tell you exactly what it is."

He closes his eyes and his mind wanders.

She pulls her hands from his and smacks him hard across the face. His hand meets the stinging red sensation throbbing on his cheek.

"What the heck was that for?"

"I know what you were thinking, pervert!"

"Yeah? And what's that?"

With a chilling glare shooting from her eyes, she says, "I want to rip her clothes off and do naughty things to her."

He steps back with the look of great astonishment.

"Now, do you believe me, Mr. Beaumont?"

"You were just lucky."

"Shall we try it again?"

He steps forward and places his hands in hers. She breathes in deeply and slowly exhales, squeezing her eyes closed. Moments later, she releases his hands and plops down exasperated in the chair.

"You couldn't read me, could you?"

"Would you mind explaining to me how you think that you've fallen for me when you've only known me a day at best?"

Brandon's expression conveys extreme shock. Turning his back, he runs his fingers over his course, brown hair. He places his hands on his hips. "Nah! That was just luck. You guessed what I was thinking."

"You didn't answer me, Mr. Beaumont."

He spins on his heel to face her. "Stop calling me that, Alina!"

She snickers slightly. "You still didn't answer me."

Avoiding the question, he extends his hand to her. Alina takes his hand and rises from the chair.

"Read me again. If you can read me a third time, then I will believe you."

She sighs heavily and closes her eyes, focusing on Brandon's thoughts.

Moments later, she drops his hands to his side, and doesn't speak.

"Well?"

"You have sex on the brain. More than a normal man, I might add."

"According to statistics, men think about sex almost every five minutes."

She walks toward the dresser and begins shoving the rest of her belongings into her luggage.

"Tell me what you read," he pressures.

She shakes her hand dismissively. "Just forget it."

"I want to know if you can actually read my thoughts."

She sternly looks at him. "I said, forget it."

"C'mon, Alina. If you can tell me what I was thinking, I will believe you."

She breathes in as much air as her lungs can fill and expels it slowly. "I want to feel you from the inside."

He gasps.

"Listening to too much Nine Inch Nails?" She assumes because the statement sounded way too familiar to the song, "Closer."

He places his hand at her back and pulls at her belt loop. She turns and instantly, their lips are only inches apart. She can smell the sweet scent of spearmint on his breath, assuming that he must have brushed his teeth before coming to her room.

Brushing her hair away from her eyes, Brandon studies them. Alina's heart beats swiftly and her breathing hitches in her throat.

"Kiss me," he whispers.

She glances down at the carpet, shaking her head in protest.

"Kiss me."

She stands back, turns, and begins filling the final contents of her luggage. "I need to catch the next flight out of here."
Chapter Six

Buckling her seatbelt on the airplane while seated in first class, Alina turns to look at Brandon. "Thank you for flying back with me."

"There was no reason to stay behind. The photo shoot was already wrapped up." Brandon sits and wonders how Alina can remain so calm after discovering that her sister had gone missing. Surely there were others out there like Alina who could provide her with some answers on where her sister and mother disappeared. Where did they go? Why did they go? Will they be coming back? Is Alina the next to leave? Feeling sickened at the thought of her disappearing, he reaches over and takes her hand.

A slight tingle shoots down her spine. The electricity was intense, erotic. My god, she wants that man desperately.

"So, my sweet enchantress," he softly says in attempt so that no one can hear his conversation. "Do you know if there are others out there like you?"

She shakes her head back and forth, uncertain. "No, I'm not sure." She glances down at her tattoo. "If there are, they will have the mark."

His finger strums over the black, triple goddess symbol on the inside of her wrist. "How did you get this?"

She leans in and says in a soft voice in his ear, "When my sister and I stumbled upon my mother's book of shadows, we were knocked unconscious by some sort of magick, and when we woke up, we had this mark on our wrists."

"Have you ever thought of having it removed?" he asks. "Some places offer laser technology for that sort of thing."

She laughs almost evilly. "Duh!" she says, sarcastically. "You don't think I've tried it?"

"Well, no."

"Trust me, it does no good. I'm branded for life." She reclines her seat back and closes her eyes, her hand still held firmly in Brandon's grasp.

"There's so many questions that I want to ask you."

"We'll talk more about it later. I want to rest for now. I'm extremely tired," she says with her eyes still closed.

He nods and relaxes back in his seat.

By the lull of the four engines of the 747 jetliner, Alina manages to drift off to sleep.

"Come closer," a small child wearing a white flowing dress calls out. Alina places one foot in front of the other, going toward the little girl's tiny voice. She was beautiful, full of innocence. Her blonde hair fell just below her shoulders and her bright, emerald green eyes sparkled like gems.

"Closer." The angelic little girl reaches out her hand. "Closer."

Alina steps forward and holds out her hand, but she can't reach the little girl.

"Closer."

Alina steps in once more, but still cannot take hold of the little girl's fragile hand.

A bright light illuminates from behind making the little girl seem as though she's an angel from God. The light becomes too bright for Alina to focus on the girl.

"Closer."

Alina leaps forward, trying her damnedest to take hold of the little girl's hand, but to no avail.

The light shines brighter and Alina's eyes begin to burn. She squeezes them tightly, and then opens them, trying to refocus on the little girl. When her eyes meet the little girl's gaze, Alina is suddenly pain stricken to see a horrible dark figure looming from behind.

"Come here, little girl," Alina calls out with her hand extended.

"I can't move. You must come to me."

The dark figure begins to float above the little girl, red eyes glaring, and a transparent skin, which shows a black heart beating. He raises his arms high above and throws his head back, laughing sinfully. "You'll never reach her..."

The black figure and the little girl are gone in an instant.

Wake up, Alina," Brandon says, slightly shaking her in her seat.

Alina blinks open her eyes.

"You must have had some wild nightmare."

Alina can feel wetness on her cheeks. Taking a napkin from her tray table, she wipes the tears from her face. "I don't know what my nightmare was about."

"It must have been pretty bad. You were extending your hands and reaching out, trying to grab something. You were crying."

"All I remember is trying to rescue a little, blonde girl."

Brandon spreads a scratchy, wool-like blanket over Alina's chest that the flight attendant had given him. "Try to get some more sleep. We won't be landing for another ten hours."

* * *

Brandon grabs Alina's luggage from the turnstile and they walk side-by-side through the John F. Kennedy International Airport.

"Did you drive or take a cab here?" Brandon asks.

"I took a cab." Alina tries hard to keep up with Brandon's swift stride. "Can you slow down a bit? I'm becoming winded."

He slows his walk. "I will drive you home. I have my car parked here."

"That's so kind of you to offer, but I can manage a cab ride. It's no bother, really."

"You're coming with me." His voice struck a strange chord with her. A little stunned by his aggressive tone, she responds, "Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have offered."

They make their way to the parking garage and approach a sleek, metallic black Jaguar XJ. Brandon opens the passenger door for her and then places her luggage inside the trunk. Running her hands across the soft-grain polished leather seat, she inhales the familiar scent of Brandon. Leather and his cologne.

Sliding in the driver's seat, wearing a black suit and silver tie, he looks over at her and smiles. "I bet you can't wait to get out of that long dress."

"Yes, dressing this way is not my style."

"I'm very impressed that you embraced the culture over there by dressing respectful. Can't say the same about your sister, though."

Alina grimaced. "Can we please not talk about her right now?"

"Certainly. I didn't mean to upset you." He places his hand on her left thigh and squeezes gently.

She sprightly swats his hand away and sets her purse in her lap.

He turns over the engine and flicks on the heater. "It's a little chilly. Seems like it's becoming colder earlier every year when autumn hits."

"Yes, it does," she concurs.

"Where to?"

"Huh?" she asks, showing a puzzled look on her face.

"Where do you live?"

She giggles slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable in Brandon's car. She gazes at his fingers wrapped around the gear shift, his hands so masculine and perfectly manicured.

"Where do you live?" he repeats.

She shakes her head and flicks her eyes from his hand to his gorgeous profile. She clears her throat. "Manhattan. Um, Washington Heights, 168th Street and Audubon."

He smiles, nodding. "I don't think you should be alone tonight. Would you like me to stay with you?"

"No!" she says, loudly. She brings her voice down to a softer tone, "I mean, I'll be fine." But her mind drifts and thinks of Anna's disappearance. Maybe I should have him stay with me. That way, if someone is with me, I can't be snatched up like my mother and sister. Then she remembers that her sister and mother obviously knew that they were going away because of the last words that they had spoken to her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Pulling up along the curb of the white brownstone with dark brown trim, Alina steps from the car and waits at the rear. Brandon unlatches the trunk and retrieves the twins' luggage from inside.

Reaching out her hand to take the bags, Brandon says, "I'll take these inside for you."

Alina pulls her keys from her purse and climbs up the steps to her house. Pushing open the door, she enters with Brandon trailing closely behind. He places the bags on the hand-scraped hardwood floors.

His eyes scale the 3300 square-foot, three story home, and he's quite impressed. "Gorgeous home." He observes the abstract art on the walls.

"Thank you," Alina says, meekly. "Anna loved this house. It was her dream ever since we were children to own a brownstone in Manhattan." She looks down at the floor dreadfully. "Sadly, I won't be able to afford to stay here. A barista's salary surely won't pay the mortgage on a house that cost nearly two-million dollars."

"I was meaning to speak with you about that," he says. Shrugging off his suit-coat, Brandon looks at the coat rack next to the front door. "Do you mind if I hang my jacket?" he asks. "I would like to speak with you about something very important."

"Be my guest." Alina could read that he wanted to speak about Anna's work, but because she wasn't holding both of his hands, she couldn't read the exact words in his mind. "Let me see your hands, Mr. Beaumont."

He places his hands mischievously behind his back, locking his fingers. "Not until you call me by my first name, Alina."

"Alright." She callously rolls her eyes. "Let me see your hands, Brandon," she emphasizes.

He presents his hands to her and she grasps them in hers. She takes in a deep breath and expels the air slowly from her lungs with her eyes closed. She focuses hard on his mind. Pulling away from him, his hands dropping to his side, she says while shaking her head incessantly, "Nope! Nuh, uh...not gonna happen."

"You must admit, Alina, it's a damn good plan."

"For you it is. For me? Not so much."

"C'mon, it would be only for a few months. Just until Anna's contract is over, and I sell off my company."

"I can't model! I have a job as a barista." She walks swiftly down the long narrow hallway and into the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee.

Brandon sits at the Caribbean style, dark brown wooden table with banana leaf carvings. He runs his fingers along the woven raffia accents. "You yourself said that you couldn't afford to live here on a barista's salary. You would not only be doing yourself a favor, but me as well."

Alina pulls a mug from a white cabinet and pours a cup of coffee. She offers it to Brandon.

"Thank you," he says.

Taking a bottle of creamer from the refrigerator, she pours some into her coffee mug, and then sets it down on the table.

Brandon pours some vanilla creamer in his mug and stirs.

"I can't model. I'm clumsy. People would know for sure that I was an imposter."

"With proper training we can make you as good as Anna."

Alina takes a hearty sip of coffee and sits down at the table across from him. "But, I can't be nude in front of a camera." Just the thought causes Alina to place her mug to the table and cross her arms in front of her body, concealing her breasts.

"I only have women photograph women. No men will see you."

"But they will in magazines." She shakes her head defiantly. "No, I just can't."

"All your private parts will not be exposed to the public, I assure you. Just like the photo shoot in Saudi, Anna's nipples were concealed by her arms. The only thing that will be visible in Maxim is her ass in a thong."

When he said the words "nipples" and "ass," it made Alina's groin tingle with slight arousal. Staring into her coffee mug, shaking her head, she says, "I'm not sure we can pull this off."

He reaches across the table and folds his fingers over her knuckles. Looking sincerely into her green eyes, he says, "Trust me. We will pull this off."

Alina stands from the table and walks over to the kitchen counter, resting her palms on the cold granite. "I knew one of us wasn't coming back from Saudi."

Brandon crinkles his forehead, wondering what she meant by that statement. "Come again?"

She sighs deeply. "While we were in the cab leaving the airport, I used Tarot and pulled out the death card."

"Do you think Anna is dead?"

She shakes her head. "No, I don't think she is dead. The death card doesn't necessary mean death. It can mean the end of something and the start of a new beginning. As if to be reborn."

Brandon stands and walks up to the counter, wrapping his arms securely around Alina's waist. "I think I should stay with you tonight," he whispers, resting his chin on her right shoulder. "You shouldn't be alone."

She drops her head trying to hold back painful sobs, but her tears eventually stream down her cheeks.

Brandon places his hands at her waist and turns her around to look him in the eyes. Wiping away her tears with the pads of his thumbs, he smiles tenderly. "Let me keep you company tonight."

She tries to step aside, but he places his hands at both sides of her, resting them on the edge of the granite countertop, totally encasing her in his human prison. He leans in for a kiss, but she turns her head away, arching her back over the surface to prevent his lips from landing upon hers. "Please, not now. I can't think of anything other than my sister."

He puts up his hands in defeat and allows her to walk away. She walks into the living room and sits down on the brown suede sofa. Brandon follows and sits down beside her, taking her hand in his.

Grabbing a tissue from the box setting on the cherry wood coffee table, she dabs the corners of her eyes. "There just has to be someone out there like me. I can't be the only one. And where in the heck is my mother?" She begins to raise her voice as she abruptly stands. "And where the in the heck is my freaking sister?!"

Brandon grabs her hand and tries to pull her back down to the couch, but she roughly snatches her hand from his firm grasp. "There has to be answers somewhere. I just don't know where to look."

That night, Alina retrieved some blankets and a pillow from the storage closet and gave them to Brandon so he could sleep comfortably on the sofa. Alina went into Anna's room, rummaging through her closet and drawers trying her damnedest to find something to clue her on why her sister went missing. She remembers her sister's book of shadows still in her luggage, but was reluctant to open it, afraid of releasing her dark magick. Surely there was something in there that could explain where her family went. How come their father deserted them? Why did their mother not speak of him, except about the day that he had left? Who was he? Was Alina not good enough to be with her family? Is that why she was left behind?

Tears well in her eyes as she sits on the edge of Anna's bed, holding her favorite tattered stuffed teddy bear on her lap that Anna had since she was a baby. She squeezed hard, feeling something blunt on the inside. What the heck? Alina looks underneath the teddy bear, trying to find an opening. Nothing. She pulls open the drawer on the nightstand and retrieves a pair of scissors. She cuts the seam and slides her two fingers in the hole that she had made. Clenching her two fingers together, she pulls out a folded up piece of heavy cardstock with her mother's handwritten words:

Madame Abellona

14 Cassadaga RD

Cassadaga, Florida 32706

Alina drops the teddy bear to the floor, studying the paper in her hand. Why didn't our mother just give this to us? Why did she have to conceal it in a freaking teddy bear?

Alina knew that she had to get to that address. Nothing was going to hold her back from the answers that she so very well deserved.
Chapter Seven

"Wake up, Brandon," Alina says, nudging his thigh with her knee.

With his suit-coat draped over the arm of a wingback chair, Brandon lies face down on the sofa wearing slacks and a button-down, white linen shirt. He cracks open his eyes and sees a pair of dark brown Ugg boots. His eyes skim from the boots up to a set of smooth, bare legs, and then he sees Alina standing before him wearing a terry cloth, knee-length pink robe. He smiles looking at the cup of coffee clenched tightly in her hands. "You look radiant this morning."

"Let's cut the chit chat. I need you to go into the kitchen and eat breakfast and then, you must leave."

He sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes with balled fists. "Huh?"

She grabs his hand and pulls him off the couch, leading him into the kitchen.

He sits at the table, confused. "Why are you trying to get rid of me so quickly?"

"I need to catch a flight to Florida, like yesterday!"

"What's this about?"

Alina puts down her coffee and sets a plate in front of Brandon filled with scrambled eggs, two slices of bacon, and a biscuit, along with a glass of orange juice. "It doesn't concern you. Now eat up." Alina taps her foot anxiously. She fills her third cup of coffee for the morning.

"You're hyper. Looks like you've drank too much coffee. Did you even eat?"

"No, I'm too amped to eat." She looks down at his plate. "Now, go on...eat."

Taking a forkful of eggs, he places them in his mouth, and chews. He swallows and takes a hearty sip of his orange juice. "Mmm, these are the best eggs I've ever tasted."

"The secret is milk. Makes 'em fluffy." She still stares at his plate. "Hurry up! Time's a wastin'."

Tearing off a piece of his biscuit, he pops it into his mouth, chews quickly, and swallows. "Why Florida? Haven't you thought of my proposal?" He takes a sip of orange juice.

Proposal? What the heck is he talking about? "What?"

"Taking Anna's spot for the remainder of her contract."

She sits down at the table across from him. "Oh, that." She suddenly remembers. "I have more important things going on at the moment."

Wondering why in the heck she seems in such a rush to get him out of her house, he leans back casually in his chair. "Florida? Really?"

Reaching into the pocket of her robe, Alina pulls out the piece of paper that she took from Anna's teddy bear from the night before, and hands it to Brandon.

He quirks his eyebrow, confused. "Cassadaga? A town full of mediums?"

"Yes. I think I can find out some information about my family."

"I don't want you going there alone. Let me go with you." His eyes show aggression as if he won't take no for an answer.

Anxiously biting her bottom lip, Alina's heart flutters as she imagines spending more time with him alone. But, she crashes back down to a reality when she remembers her sister's warning about him. "It's alright. I'm capable of going there on my own."

"What about your job?"

She laughs loudly. "My job? What about your company?"

"I can have my VP take care of business. I'm sure that you can't just not show up to work."

"I'm not even supposed to be back from Saudi Arabia for another few days. My boss won't know that I've taken off to Florida."

Brandon props his left ankle over his right knee, bearing his black socks. Adventitiously, he brushes his index finger over his chin as if in heavy thought. Abruptly pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he makes a call to his travel agent. "Stephie, I need two round-trip tickets to MCO. Book the second ticket under the name Alina Porter."

Alina attempts to speak, but Brandon throws up his hand indicating for her to keep quiet. "Two o'clock this afternoon?" He waits for a response from Stephie. "Great! You've been a great help." He slides the phone back into his pocket and grins. "Now, it's all settled. Get upstairs and pack your bags. I'll meet you out front in my car at noon."

Alina attempts to speak once more, but his forefinger suddenly finds its way to her lips. "Shh, I'm not taking no for an answer." He stands and plants a gentle kiss to her forehead.

* * *

As Alina repacks her suitcase with jeans and T-shirts instead of the pilgrimage looking dresses that she took to Saudi Arabia, she glances at her watch, noticing that she has fifteen minutes to spare before Brandon arrives. Contemplating whether or not to take her candles and incense, she finally decides to leave them behind.

Pulling a purple and two white taper candles from her cedar chest at the foot of her bed along with some sandalwood incense, Alina places them on her pentacle altar near the window. Igniting the incense and candles with a match, she whispers as she stares into the flickering flame, "Isis, goddess of the world, watch upon Brandon and me and protect us as we travel. Envelop your flame around me and grant us protection. Thank you, thank you, thank you...Blessed be, blessed be, blessed be." Snuffing out the candle, she pulls the incense from its ash catcher, and holds it until it extinguishes itself.

Alina takes one final look into the mirror and brushes on some strawberry lip-gloss. With her suitcase in hand, she walks outside and locks the door behind her. She sets the luggage on the bottom step and waits for Brandon to pull up.

Ms. Miller strides along the sidewalk wearing a maroon tracksuit as she walks her Yorkie. "Good afternoon, Alina. I was meaning to ask if you had any more of that miracle oil. It's done wonders for my skin."

Alina smiles, looking at how less wrinkly the seventy-year old woman appears. "Yes, ma'am," Alina answers. "I do, but I'll have to give it to you when I get back from Florida."

"Sounds perfect, dear." She looks around, confused. "Where's Anna?"

Alina looks at the woman's gray hair piled high on top, secured with two wooden chopsticks. Biting her bottom lip, she says, "Um, she's still in Saudi Arabia doing a photo shoot. I decided to come back early."

"Why are you going to Florida?" Ms. Miller's Yorkie expels a high pitch bark when it sees Brandon's Jaguar pull to the curb.

"Um...can't talk now! I must get to the airport before I miss my flight."

Ms. Miller and her dog just stare, being their nosy selves.

Brandon steps from the Jag and pops open his trunk. Alina attempts to lift her suitcase, but Brandon abruptly takes it from her delicate hands, and places it in the back.

"Thank you." Her smile is warm and inviting.

Brandon opens the passenger door for her and she climbs inside. After Brandon slides behind the wheel, Alina waves her hand to Ms. Miller through the window.

"Who was that?" Brandon asks.

"Just a sweet neighbor. She is rather nosy, but she means well." Alina smells that all too familiar scent of Brandon's cologne mixed with leather. Dang! How it clouded her judgment. She's quite aware that she has to maintain her guard, but with him being so deliciously handsome and smelling so delectable, it's weakening her entire self-control.

Suddenly, she perches up in her seat. Shoot! Anna put a love spell on him! She looks down at her amulet and clenches it tightly in her grasp. Did she place the power on my pendant? No wonder he wants to protect me so badly and why he feels as though he's falling for me. Oh, crap!

Brandon takes a swift glance over at Alina, noticing that she seems a little jumpy. "You okay?"

Her heart feels as though it's about to leap from her chest. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

You'd be richer than you are now if I shared my thoughts. Relaxing back against the seat, she takes in a deep breath. "I'm fine, really."

* * *

Clicking her seatbelt in first class, Alina sets her purse underneath the seat in front of her.

"If you'd like the window seat, we can switch." Brandon places his arm on the armrest between them.

"This is fine."

"You don't seem fine."

"What are you getting at, Mr. Beaumont?"

"What I'm trying to say is, you seem as though you're off in another land."

"Well, perhaps I am."

As the plane levels in the air, Alina reclines her seat back, and closes her eyes. Brandon glances over at her and takes in the scent of her potion. I can't get over that sweet smell. Wanting so badly to touch her, he refrains, and opens a Forbes magazine instead.

An hour later, Alina blinks open her eyes and yawns. Looking over at Brandon, he smiles at her. "You must have had a good nap." He picks up a napkin and dabs the corner of her mouth. "You were drooling."

"How embarrassing." She giggles, slightly confounded.

"Have you ever been to Florida?" he asks.

"No, never been. I don't even know the connections my mother has there, but I'm determined to find out."

"Do you have other family? Perhaps your grandparents, aunts, uncles?"

"If I do, I've never been aware of them. All this time I thought that it was only my sister and me, but I'm thinking that I may have family in Florida," she pauses, "at least I hope."

"So, you have no one else?"

"Sadly, no."

Brandon places his hand over hers, his thumb gently stroking her knuckles. "I'm so sorry." His expression displays pity.

"I've learned to accept it. Why dwell over something that you simply cannot control?"

"You're something else, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Arousing sparks continually flow through her body as Brandon consistently strokes her hand.

"You just lost your sister and look at how well you're holding up."

"I wouldn't say I'm holding up well. I'm just determined to get some answers, and when I'm determined, I stop at nothing until I get what I'm looking for. No time for dwelling. Ever." She slips her hand from his grasp and shifts herself toward him. "So, Mr. Beaumont." She clears her throat. "Why are you selling your company?"

"My goal is to retire at thirty-five."

After obtaining his MBA from Columbia, he acquired the knowledge and the courage to open his own business. Rather than going back home to his parents in San Francisco, he decided that New York City was the perfect place to open a modeling agency. With his extreme attraction to women, he knew that he had the perfect business to have women flocking to his every whim. His reputation is known as a womanizer and because of his extreme good looks; he could have practically any woman he wanted. A little intrigued by Alina's innocence, he found it a little beguiling that she wasn't throwing herself at him like most women. Not only had he been impressed, but also he began to look at her with the utmost respect.

"You plan on having enough money to survive on for the rest of your life within a few months?"

He leans his head back upon the headrest, laughing almost sinfully. "You don't know what I'm worth."

"I don't really care what you're worth, Mr. Beaumont. I only care that you don't do something stupid if you're not prepared for the consequences."

"Well, it's nice of you to worry about me."

The flight attendant asks everyone to prepare for arrival as she strides down the narrow aisle with a plastic bag in hand, collecting everybody's trash. Alina sees the nameplate on the blonde's navy blue lapel as she leans across to take Brandon's wine glass. Alina notices Brandon attempting to look down the flight attendant's blouse. Alina callously rolls her eyes in disgust.

"Thank you, Mr. Beaumont," Cheryl, the flight attendant says.

"The pleasure is indeed, all mine."

Alina shakes her head back and forth and Brandon notices.

"Something the matter?"

"It's nothing," she answers. "Now, I know exactly what my sister was warning me about."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing."

Reaching into his briefcase, Brandon pulls out a red, Polo baseball cap.

"What is this?" Alina asks when Brandon hands her the hat over the armrest.

"You need to put this on."

"What for?"

"The Orlando airport is quite crowded and you don't want people surrounding you, drawing attention by asking you for your autograph."

"My autograph?" Then she suddenly realizes, Anna's autograph. "Oh, crap! I totally forgot about that."

"You might want to put these on, too." Brandon hands her his pair of Ray Ban aviator sunglasses.

Alina takes them from his hand and gazes into her lap, sighing. She had no idea to expect this. Being in New York, it wasn't so bad because there are models constantly roaming the streets and no one really cares, except the tourists, but being in Florida is much different. Celebrities aren't often spotted. She places the sunglasses on her face and pulls her hair through the back buckle of the baseball cap, adjusting it to her head.

Brandon looks over at her, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Cute."

"Whatever." She chuckles, rolling her eyes in contempt. "I feel like a soccer mom."

"A damn gorgeous soccer mom," he teases.

The plane's wheels skid down the runway and come to a stop when it arrives at the gate. Alina pulls her bag from underneath the seat and stands, allowing for Brandon to move into the aisle. Following behind, her eyes are fixated on his firm backside as she looks at the textured lines of his boxer's through his black slacks. Shaking sinful thoughts from her mind, she focuses. "We need a rental car. After baggage claim, we'll go to the rental car area and see what we can find."

"I'll take care of that, Alina. Just leave the car and accommodations to me. You won't need to pay for anything while you're here."

His arrogance began to weigh on her nerves. Never did she allow a man to pay for anything and she surely didn't want this man to start now.

"It's alright. I've already booked you and me a room at the hotel in Cassadaga. I made the reservation when you left my house."

"At least let me pay for the car," he offers. "I won't take no for an answer."

Exiting the gate, walking side-by-side with her hand gripped firmly around the crook of Brandon's elbow, Alina and Brandon make their way toward baggage claim. Brandon had instructed for Alina to stare down at the floor as to not raise suspicion on who she is. All it would take would be one person recognizing her and then a flock of people would be surrounding her, demanding autographs.

"How in the heck did Anna tolerate this crap everywhere that she went?" she mumbles in hopes that Brandon can hear her.

"She loved every minute of it, actually. But, I didn't go on tours with her. My associate told me about how she enjoyed the attention. I've only been to Saudi Arabia with her."

After stepping off the airport's people mover, Alina and Brandon make their way to baggage claim, undetected.

* * *

Seated in the black BMW sedan rental, Brandon reaches over and secures Alina in her seatbelt. She feels a sudden ka-thunk in her gut when he leans over and has his face practically pressed into her breasts. Her breath hitches in her throat and her cheeks flush stains of scarlet as she exhales slowly. "I think I can manage buckling my own seat belt."

"Just making certain you don't fall out," he teases. Only inches away from her face, he studies her expression as he lifts his hand and tenderly strokes her cheek. "So beautiful," he whispers.

Her heart beats wildly and while unable to control her emotions, she presses her lips to his, her fingers grazing against his slight stubble along his chiseled jawline. Brandon's right hand is tangled in her hair as he's holding her tightly to his mouth, his left hand still resting flush upon her cheek. When they pull away, Alina's breath becomes shallow and she begins to feel faint.

"You felt it, too?" he asks, staring into her eyes.

Mushing her lips together, she timidly replies in a gentle voice, "Feel what?"

His hand travels from her cheek to her heart. Her chest rises at the feel of his hand resting upon her breast. "I can feel your heart beating pretty hard."

She gently pushes his hand away and regains her focus, remembering how flirtatious he had been with the flight attendant. "Try all you want, Mr. Beaumont. I will not be another notch on your bedpost."

He closes the door, rounds the front of the car, and slides into the driver's seat. Stunned by her words, he slumps his shoulders. "What in the heck are you talking about?"

"I never thought that you would go to such great lengths to bed someone, but here you are," she explains, "traveling to Florida with me in hopes to have sex with me."

"Is that what you think?"

"It's what I know."

He rolls his eyes, aggravated. "Oh, please. I can have any woman that I want. Do you honestly think that I'm desperate to get into your damn pants?"

"Don't take that tone with me."

He exasperatedly drops his hands in his lap. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

Leaning toward her, Brandon brushes his knuckle across her jawline. "I'm falling for you. You yourself already know that. You read my thoughts at your house."

Alina wraps her fingers around his hand and pulls it away from her face, resting his hand on his lap. "So, Mr. Beaumont...is it a relationship that you're wanting?" A slight smirk traces upon her lips, but she looks down, hoping that he didn't notice.

He beams a wondrous smile. "If you'll have me."

She tosses her head back and laughs loudly. "You'll be like the rest of them."

"What do you mean?"

"After three months of me not putting out, you'll become sexually frustrated, and toss me aside like all the other men I have had in my life," she deciphers. "Wait," she pauses, "I take that back. I'll only give it a month."

He sat stunned for a moment in silence before starting the car. Can he really hold out that long, and how long is he willing to hold out for? Marriage? Certainly he couldn't wait until marriage. Crap! How long would that be? "We'll see, my dear. Now..." He glances her way, bearing a watchful look. "Stop calling me by my last name."
Chapter Eight

Driving along the narrow two-lane road with plush overlapping trees and a gray, overcast sky, Brandon and Alina make their way to the hotel.

"We're coming up on the address inscribed on the paper that was in Anna's teddy bear," Alina says, perching up alertly in her seat. "It should be on the right."

Brandon lifts his foot off the accelerator slightly, and the car begins to slow.

"Right there! Right there!" Alina hollers enthusiastically, pointing her finger toward the house.

Brandon laughs at the excitement in her voice, sounding as giddy as a little girl going to Disney World for the first time. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No," she answers as they slowly pass the one-story, white wooden cottage with a wraparound porch. "Let's settle into the hotel first."

"As you wish."

They drive farther down the road and come to a two-story inn that had been built in the early 1900s. Wooden rocking chairs grace the porch and ambient music plays softly in the background.

With luggage in hand, Brandon follows Alina up the steps to the entrance. As soon as Alina enters, the smell of burning incense fills the air and she suddenly becomes extremely nauseated. She stops abruptly in her tracks and Brandon sets the luggage to the floor. Assisting her to an antique, wingback chair, he brushes the hair away from her eyes so he can get a better look at her flushed, pale face. "Are you alright?" he asks, puzzled by her sudden bout of sickness.

"It's strange. I feel faint and dizzy." She looks over Brandon's shoulder and sees a heavyset woman with long, wavy jet-black hair coming toward her. Holding out her hand, her arm adorned with many silver bracelets that clank at her every movement, she says, "Good evening. You must be Alina Porter."

Alina takes her hand, shaking it, feeling a slight tingle in her touch. "Yes, ma'am."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Madame Catriona," she introduces. Relinquishing her grasp, she takes a seat on the sofa across from Alina. Crossing her legs, she allows her flowing black dress to drape gracefully onto the floor as it dusts at her feet. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but the person who took your reservation over the phone had been misinformed. She had assumed that we had two vacant rooms available, but unfortunately, we only have one."

Alina looks at her in silence, her nausea starting to get the best of her.

Madame Catriona adds, "Because of the mishap, I'd like to offer you and your gentleman friend dinner on me at the inn's restaurant." Her black onyx painted fingernail points across the room, her knuckle bearing a slight crook to it.

Alina glances over her shoulder and sees the restaurant. "Thank you, ma'am." Alina begins to feel even worse, and the uncomfortable thoughts racing through her mind of imagining Brandon and her sharing a room isn't helping. "Does the room have two beds?" her timid voice tenuously cracks.

The Madame shakes her head back and forth. "I'm afraid not, but I can have someone bring up a cot if that's okay."

Alina nods her approval.

Brandon cuts in, "Is there a pharmacy around here? I believe she's a little under the weather." While on bended knee, he places his hand to her forehead to see if she feels warm.

"Down the street a few miles, on Orange Camp Road. You'll find a grocery and drug store there."

"Thank you."

Madame Catriona tilts her head to the side, endearingly. "Dear, were you feeling this way before you entered the hotel?"

Alina shakes her head. "No, I felt fine."

The Madame's lips were thin, bearing a cynical twist. "I'm afraid you have The Gift."

Alina quirks a brow of sudden interest. "The Gift?"

"Yes, dear." She nods. "The reason you became so dizzy when you entered through the door is because you can detect spirits. This hotel is haunted."

Brandon suddenly bursts out in laughter and makes his way onto the sofa next to Madame Catriona. "You can't be serious."

"Indeed I am, sir. I try my best to keep the spirits at bay by displaying open bibles to Psalms 83:18 throughout the hotel, but it doesn't always work," she explains. After a short pause, she continues, "It does keep the demons away, though. It's the good ones that manage to get through."

"And why that particular page?" he asks.

"Because it bears God's name, of course."

Brandon relaxes back against the couch and realizes that the Madame's story may very well be true. After all, Alina confessed at being a witch. How farfetched can the thought of ghosts be?

The Madame focuses her attention toward Alina. "You need to learn to embrace it, dear. You can't allow a gift as powerful as yours go to waste." The Madame reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out a red pillbox, plucking a capsule from it. Standing from the sofa, she offers the tiny, blue pill to Alina. "I will be right back. Let me get you some tea so you can take that pill. It will alleviate the nausea."

"What is it?" Alina asks, examining the pill in her palm.

"Don't worry about that. It's something that I created with special herbs. The ginger in that pill will make you feel as good as new." The Madame walks down a long corridor; her wide bottom swaying back and forth as her skirt dances from side to side, and then she disappears through a swinging, saloon-style door.

"Do you think you should take that?" Brandon motions his head at the pill inside Alina's hand.

She shrugs her shoulders, unsure. "I'll take anything right now to get rid of this nausea."

The Madame returns with a teacup in hand with steam rising from the top. "Here, dear." She offers the cup to Alina. "Sip on this and let it chase the pill down."

"Yes, ma'am." Alina places the tiny pill on the back of her tongue and takes a sip of the hot tea. She inhales a slight hint of mint.

"It's not too hot, is it?"

"It's perfect, ma'am."

"Now, just relax and sip on that tea. I'll have Zileg take your luggage upstairs." The Madame follows the trail back down the corridor and enters the saloon-style doors.

Moments later, a gray-haired, elderly man enters the hotel lobby. "Good evening," he greets, lifting the luggage from the floor, his amorous smile showing his two missing top teeth. "You're in room 211."

"Thank you, sir." Alina takes the last sip of her tea and sets the cup down on a small, round accent table beside her.

"How are you feeling now?" Brandon asks.

"It's strange. I've never felt better."

He stands, reaching out his hand, assisting Alina to her feet. "Let's get to our room so we can unpack our luggage and figure out what to do next."

Never being surrounded by mediums before, Brandon feels a tad uneasy. His mind continues to fight what is really happening in reality because it's difficult for him to accept it. But, knowing about Alina and what she is, snaps him back into his normal realm.

Upon entering the room, they notice a double, wooden, four-poster bed draped in a quilt of pastel colors. Sheer, blue curtains drape the windows, and brochures on the town's mediums are setting on the nightstand. About to pick up one of the brochures, Alina notices five more of those tiny blue pills that the Madame had given her resting on the surface of the nightstand. "It looks like we won't need to go to the pharmacy," she says. "It seems as though the Madame left me some medicine in our room."

"That's odd. How'd she know that you'd be sick?" Then he remembers that she's a psychic. "What about the tea?" Brandon asks.

"I guess I can just get some downstairs when I need it."

Brandon sits on the bed beside her. "I think we should wait and go to that house tomorrow. I'm not sure how that pill is going to affect you, so I think it's best to stay in for the night."

She nods silently in agreement. She takes a brochure from the nightstand, kicks off her shoes, and relaxes back against the pillow that's propped against the headboard. A few minutes later, she sits up alertly, shaking the brochure in her hand. "Brandon! Look!" She shows him a page displaying a picture of the house they are to visit the next day. "It's the house."

He hangs his suits inside the closet, turns, and grabs the brochure from her hand. "Looks like it's a house where readings are conducted." He points to the text on the page that reads:

Palmistry, Tarot Readings, Numerology, and Astrology, $50 per hour. Madame Abellona/Certified Tarot Reader.

Swinging her legs from the side of the bed, Alina is baffled. "Why would my mother have an address of a medium?"

"I guess we won't know until we get there." He looks at his watch, tapping the dial. "It's getting close to dinnertime. Did you want to take the Madame up on her offer and eat at the restaurant downstairs?"

Alina looks at Brandon in a hazy dazed state as if she's looking right through him. He repeats, "It's close to dinnertime, Alina. Are you hungry?"

Still no response. He positions himself between her knees, lowers to eye level, and snaps his fingers in her face. "Earth to Alina..."

Still nothing.

He brushes his lips softly upon hers. No movement whatsoever.

The little girl with blonde hair skips happily through the misty forest, holding her teddy bear close to her heart. Humming an angelic tune, she's suddenly startled when she sees a dark ghostly figure lurking from behind a tree. His red, fiery eyes pierce her soul and she stops suddenly. Her teddy bear falls to her feet and she's frozen, unable to move. The dark figure's ghastly moan fills the forest with fear and all the animals scurry away, frightened. He floats on a cloud of smoke as he nears the little girl. Her eyes grow wide and her breathing stills. Glaring into her chilled gaze, he musters the words from his bloodstained lips, "Don't be afraid." He reaches out his hand; his long jagged nails protrude from his fingertips. "Take my hand. I will show you a magickal land where all your dreams will come true."

"Don't do it!" Alina screams, her voice beckoning throughout the room. "Don't take his hand, little one!" Tears begin to well up in her eyes.

Brandon places his hands on Alina's shoulders and gently tries to shake her from her trance. "Baby, snap out of it!"

Nothing.

He gently bumps her cheeks with his fingertips. "Alina...come back down to earth."

She shakes her head from side-to-side, attempting to gain her focus back on reality. Her breathing becomes rapid and she starts gasping for air.

Brandon's arms wrap around her and he holds her tightly against him. "Baby, it's okay. I've got you."

She yieldingly pushes him back and looks into his eyes as tears stream down her face. "He's trying to take her away!"

"Who, baby?" He brushes Alina's hair from her face so he can study her obscure expression more closely.

"The beast. He's trying to take the little girl."

"You were daydreaming. Everything is fine now."

Wiping her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, she lies down. "I think they're a vision, Brandon. Not dreams. I think someone is trying to tell me something."

Brandon's stomach growls. "Be that as it may, I'm starving and you need to eat. I think you will focus more clearly with food in your gut."

"I believe you're right." She stands from the bed and grabs a pair of white linen slacks and a white ruffle, long-sleeve, wraparound blouse. "I'm going to shower before dinner."

"Perfect." He pulls his cell phone from the inside of his jacket. "It will give me some time to make a few calls to the office."

* * *

Alina and Brandon enter the elegant restaurant with hand scraped hardwood floors and piano music playing in the background. Lavish, white tablecloths drape over the tables that are adorned with a beautifully lit, single votive candle in the center, paired with a single, red rose in a tiny, clear vase. Sitting across the table from one another next to a warm, crackling fireplace, which is odd during autumn in Florida, they look at their menus while sipping on glasses of red wine.

"You look beautiful tonight." Brandon peeks over his menu, eyeing her in her all white attire. "You look so angelic in white."

She smirks and sets her menu to the table. "Thank you. I wear white mostly. I believe it brightens my eyes. Not only that," she continues, "Only the "good" wear white."

"Does that mean the Madame who greeted us today is evil for wearing black?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she slightly grins. "Don't know."

Brandon casually leans against the back of his chair, propping his elbow on the armrest. "You have the most amazing color eyes that I have ever seen. I knew when I saw your sister's portfolio that those eyes would make me tons of money. Electric-green eyes, so beautiful and enchanting."

She blinks and looks down at the table, bashfully. "Thank you. I've thought about getting contacts to change them to blue, but I can't stand the thought of sticking something in my eye." She laughs, bearing a small demure smile.

The waiter approaches their table and sets their entrees before them. Metro hand-cut filet mignon garnished with bleu cheese and a demi-glace, risotto, a bowl of zuppa, and bread spears.

Alina breathes in deeply, inhaling the scent of the vast array of food. "It smells wonderful."

Brandon glances across the table with his fork in hand. "Eat up. You're a skinny little thing."

She rolls her eyes at his "skinny" comment and he takes notice.

"Something I said?"

She huffs a rueful grimace. "Actually, yes," she answers. "I'm so tired of people pointing out the obvious. Yes...I know I'm skinny. Do you honestly think I like being this way?"

He holds up his hands as if being held up at gunpoint. "Whoa, now. I wasn't criticizing you."

"Would you comment on someone's weight if they were too fat?"

"No."

"Well, the way you think that someone who is overweight would feel about being called fat is how I feel when someone calls me skinny."

"I had no idea."

"It's a struggle for me to gain weight. I've tried so many diets and nothing has worked."

He notices Alina becoming more and more irate as she explains, in his mind, her privileged condition.

"I'm just sick of it. I'd give anything to weigh at least one-hundred and twenty-five pounds. Anything!"

"Keep your voice down!" he demands, looking around the restaurant at everyone's expression as they listen to Alina go on and on about her so-called skinny curse. "You're drawing attention."

Alina locks eyes with a gentleman who is sitting with two other men. He stands from his table dressed in a slim-fit suit and silk magenta tie. She perches up in her seat, posture perfect when she sees him approaching her table.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt your meal," he says. "But, aren't you Annabella Porter?"

She looks over at Brandon, not knowing what to say. He nods his approval for her to respond.

"Yes...Yes, I am Annabella Porter." She extends her hand.

He brings her knuckles to his lips and places a gentle kiss upon them. "Very nice to meet you. Your photos do you no justice. You're even more beautiful and mesmerizing in person. Those eyes..."

She pulls her hand away and brushes it against her thigh, attempting to wipe the man's kiss from the top of her hand. "Thank you."

"I'm Blake," he introduces. His ultramarine blue eyes look way too similar to Brandon's. He motions his head toward his table. "And those two men over there are my colleagues."

The two men at the table nod when she looks toward their direction. She smiles.

Brandon looks at Blake, almost sneering. "Is there anything else that you need?"

Blake runs his hand through his dark brown hair. "No. I just wanted to introduce myself. And meet this lovely lady." Pulling out his wallet, he retrieves his business card, and slides it on the table toward Alina. "Well, I'm sorry that I interrupted your dinner." He slowly turns on his heel and walks away.

"The nerve of some people." Brandon's elbows rest on the table, his fingers locked together as he places his chin on his hands, rolling his eyes in disgust.

"He was very nice."

"All he wants is a piece of ass."

Alina almost chokes on her wine when he said that. "And you don't?" The sarcasm shoots like venom from her mouth.

Brandon's hands drop to the table and he leers at her. "I have you know, young lady," his voice stern, which causes Alina's stomach to feel as though it dropped into her pelvis. "I don't have to travel all over the United States for a piece of ass."

"Yes," she agrees. "Your reputation has made that abundantly clear, Mr. Beaumont."

He picks up his napkin from his lap and angrily tosses it onto his plate. "I told you to stop calling me that! Cripes, woman! Can't you get that through your hard-headed, thick skull of yours?" He balls his fist, wrapping his knuckles against his head to make a point.

"I don't like your tone, Mr. Beaumont."

He crosses his legs, shaking his head in dismay. "Whatever. Just finish eating so we can go back upstairs."

Alina picks up the business card and studies it. Blake Christiansen. CEO. Christiansen Wealth Management.

Placing the card inside her purse, Brandon glares daggers at her. "You're not actually saving his card, are you?"

She nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders. "It might come in handy one day."

"Eat!" he orders.

She flashes him a go-to-hell glance and eats the rest of her dinner in silence. Spending the night in the same room with such an arrogant jerk is going to be abundant and utter torture.

Because Brandon's words were so cold, she was thankful for the heat from the fireplace.
Chapter Nine

Closing the hotel room door, Alina grabs her pajamas from her luggage and begins to make her way into the bathroom. Brandon steps in her path and grabs her by the arms, emphatically leering into her electric-green eyes. Her stomach does the drop-into-her-pelvis and she freezes.

"You were very insubordinate toward me at dinner, Alina."

She looks down at her feet, feeling as though she's being scolded like a child.

Curling his index finger underneath her chin, Brandon forces her to look him in the eye. "What should I do with you?"

With her fast-beating heart, she feels as though her knees are going to give out as her legs wobble slightly.

"Do I scare you, Alina?" His voice is taunting, almost flirtatious.

"I-I-I," she stammers.

"Answer me!" His tone more stern than taunting this time.

"Y-y-yes, you do, Mr. Beaumont."

His body relaxes and he drops his arms, feeling as though he had lost a battle. "What is it going to take for you to stop using my last name?"

"When I feel like you're not my boss." She shifts her weight to the side, and attempts to stride past him. "Now, please move."

Stepping aside, Brandon allows Alina to go into the bathroom to change.

As she closes the bathroom door, she presses her back to the wall, almost feeling her heart beating into her throat. Sensing a weird sensation in her groin, she realizes that she's a bit titillated. Smacking herself across the face, she whispers, "Get a grip! Snap out of it!"

After towel drying off, Alina steps from the bathroom dressed in pink flannel pajamas. Brandon is nowhere to be found, so she's confused on where he may have gone.

Hearing the doorknob jiggle, Brandon steps inside, wheeling in a cot. "I guess they forgot to bring this up, so I went downstairs and got it myself." He unfolds the cot and then drapes it in white cotton bed sheets that he took from the closet.

Alina folds down the blankets and climbs into bed. She fluffs the pillow, adjusts it behind her back, and then she rests against the headboard, sitting upright. Pulling out her laptop, she clicks on Netflix to watch a movie.

Brandon takes a pair of blue and black plaid pajama bottoms and a fresh pair of boxer briefs from the drawer and walks into the bathroom to shower.

Caught up in a romantic comedy, Alina shifts her eyes to Brandon when he comes out of the bathroom, shirtless. Butterflies take over her belly when she eyes his lean, hairless chest. She could tell that he takes great care of his body. His muscle tone was much too perfect in her eyes. She likes the fact that he's not overly muscular, and believes he's absolute perfection, appearing like a Roman sculpted statue.

Excitedly biting her bottom lip, she tries her hardest not to break a smile. "I hope the volume on my laptop isn't disturbing you. It's just...there's not a television in the room, and I wanted to watch something. If it bothers you, I can put on my headphones."

He hangs his suit inside the closet, turns toward her, and smiles. "It's fine. What are you watching?"

"When in Rome."

"Ah, chick flick, huh?"

"Yeah."

Walking over toward Alina's bed, Brandon leans over to look at her computer screen. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"You want to watch this?"

He climbs underneath the blankets. "Sure do."

Her heart beats recklessly when she feels his body heat next to her. How she wants so badly to run her hands over his magnificent torso. The way his pants hang right below his hips, teasing her with his faint happy trail.

The pounding of her heart is so intense, she can hear it pounding in her ears. Her hands begin to tremble and Brandon notices. He takes her right hand in his left and brings it up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her fingertips. "You're so beautiful."

Not sure of what to say, her body freezes. Brandon places his hand to her cheek and guides her lips to his. Sinking into his kiss, Alina finally relaxes.

Brandon takes the laptop from Alina's thighs and places it on the nightstand. His hungry, blue eyes gaze toward her as his mouth takes her lips once more. Using his body weight to his advantage, he leans her back, and hovers inches above. She wraps her hands around the nape of his neck and holds him securely as her tongue swirls inside his mouth. His hand begins to wander toward her breasts, but quickly, she grabs his hand, and she sits up in alarm.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Kissing you."

"And that gives you the right to grab my boob?"

"I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean for you to become uncomfortable." He leans in for another kiss.

Alina backs away, avoiding his lips. "Please, just get on your cot. You're moving way too fast for me."

Brandon stands from the bed. "I'm really sorry, Alina." He lets down the blankets on his cot and crawls underneath the covers.

Picking up her laptop from the nightstand and placing it back onto her thighs, Alina continues to watch the movie, but thinks to herself, why do all men immediately go for the boob? All she wanted was to kiss him, not go all the way. He obviously wanted more, but Alina wasn't ready.

She glances over at Brandon and watches as he shifts on the bed, trying his best to become comfortable. "I'm sorry," she whispers toward him.

Brandon looks at her and she can see him smiling due to the glare from her computer screen. "It's alright. I'll maintain my distance."

* * *

Hearing the rain gently tapping against the window, Alina awakens and doesn't see Brandon on his cot. She shivers slightly due to the cold draft coming from the tiny crack beneath the window. As she looks toward the bathroom, she notices that the door is opened, but he's not inside. She's curious about where he might be.

She sits up on the bed, hugging the blankets up to her chest trying to keep warm. As she sees the doorknob jiggle, Brandon enters, holding a cup of coffee in each hand while clenching a McDonald's bag in his teeth.

Brandon sets the coffee and bag on the table. "I hope you're hungry," he says, popping the lid off his coffee cup and pouring in a pack of sugar.

"Yes, I am. Thank you."

Alina steps from the bed, walks to the table, and sits in a chair. Brandon takes a seat across from her.

"I didn't know what you liked, so I got a variety of things."

Alina reaches into the bag and pulls out a sausage biscuit with cheese and a hash brown. She bites off a piece of the hash brown and chews.

"Are you excited about today?"

"Yes," she mumbles, her mouth partially full. She licks crumbs from the corner of her lip. "I can't wait to find out about that address."

"Hopefully, you'll get some answers."

She nods. Unwrapping her biscuit, the nausea starts to come back upon her. She grabs a pill and pops it on the back of her tongue and chases it with coffee. She squints her eyes tightly and squeals as the burn of the steamy liquid runs down her throat. "I guess I should have drank water for that." She coughs.

"Are you okay?" Brandon asks as he sees her eyes beginning to water.

She swallows. "Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't expect it to be so hot." She wipes her mouth with a napkin.

Coming from the bathroom, Alina's dressed in a white long-sleeve thermal T-shirt and white jeans. Brandon puts on a pair of blue jeans and a V-neck, short-sleeve, baby blue T-shirt. Alina admires how Brandon's biceps strain against the sleeves. He notices her intimately eyeing him up and down. "You can see a lot more if you let your guard down."

Her eyes skim the floor as she looks down, embarrassed. She grabs her purse and waits by the door. "Are you ready?"

Brandon slides his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans. "Let's go."

As Brandon and Alina pull up to the modest, white cottage, he shifts the car in park. Alina grabs her purse from the floorboard and swings open the passenger door. As Brandon starts to open his door, Alina stops him. "Wait, Brandon. Let me do this alone."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable about that."

"What harm could it be?"

He shrugs his shoulders, uncertain. "I don't know, but I don't want you out of my sight around here."

She rolls her eyes. "Oh, please...What could happen?"

"Um, you could disappear."

She laughs fearlessly. "I don't think so." Before she closes the door, Alina says, "If I sense there's a problem, I'll text you. Now please, Brandon, go shopping or do something else. There's a strip mall down the street."

He sighs heavily, not feeling quite right about the whole situation. Watching her climb the four front steps leading to the cottage with a wraparound porch, he waits until she enters before he backs away from the grassy driveway.

A woman with platinum blonde hair piled high on top opens the door expressing a warm smile. The woman rests her hand at the small of Alina's back and ushers her inside. Brandon refuses to do as Alina had asked him, so he idles the car in the driveway, listening to some music while clenching his cell phone tightly in his hand.

* * *

Alina is entranced at the woman's electric green eyes, just like her own. Her blonde hair is unmistakably the same color as Alina's.

The woman immediately wraps her arms around Alina, hugging her tightly, pressing her into the bosom of her long white dress, which looks somewhat like a cape. "I was expecting you, my dear," the woman says in a warm, inviting tone.

Alina pulls away showing concern. "You were expecting me?"

The smell of incense fills the entire home and numerous candles burn throughout the living area. Alina glances around at the shabby chic décor, admiring photos encased in wooden whitewash frames that looked to be dated back in the early 1800s.

"Yes, dear. I was expecting you." The woman sits down in a white, wicker chair with a sage green cushion. "Please, dear, have a seat."

Alina sits on a floral print sofa with splashes of sage green color. Teacups resting on a plate are setting on a white coffee table.

"Let me pour you a cup of tea." The woman leans toward the coffee table and fills her cup with hot tea and offers it to Alina.

Taking the tea from the woman's hand, Alina inhales the steam, which smells of mint. "Thank you, ma'am." She takes a sip. "This smells wonderful."

"It's Fiji mint. A very powerful tea," the woman says. "People say that the common cold cannot be cured, but not everyone has had my tea."

"Are you sick?"

The woman folds her hands in her lap, relaxes back against the cushion and laughs. "Oh, no. I just love the taste. But what's it going to hurt to use it as a preventative measure?"

Alina smiles. "I suppose you're right." She sets the cup on a white lace doily on the coffee table. "How did you know my name?"

"I am so sorry," she says. "I forgot to introduce myself. How rude of me." She perches up in her chair. "Alina, sweetheart, I'm your grandmother, Abellona."

Shock washes over Alina's face. Her cheeks flush white. At a loss for words, her hand shakes as she picks up her teacup and takes another sip, her eyes peering over the top.

"I know this comes as a shock to you, dear, but you finding me was no coincidence. Something very dark is coming upon you, and you need my help. Your mother sent you here."

"Y-y-you spoke to m-m-my mother?"

"I speak to her all the time."

"You see her?"

"Mentally, I do."

"Is she dead?"

Abellona chuckles. "No, dear. She's not dead."

"Where is she?"

"There's a lot I must teach and tell you, but..." A knock on the door takes Abellona from her train of thought. "Now, who could that be?"

"It might be my friend."

"Brandon?"

"How do you know his name?"

Abellona acts as though she doesn't hear the question and walks toward the door. When she opens it, a young woman dressed in a flowing white dress enters. Alina's mouth almost hits the floor when she sees a little girl walking in from behind holding a teddy bear. The same little girl who was in her visions. With her heart beating strongly against her ribcage, Alina's speechless. She sees that the mother and the little girl have the same shade of pale, blonde hair and electric green eyes as she does.

The young woman looks toward the sofa, her eyes gleaming brightly, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Oh-my-gosh! Annabella Porter!" She rushes toward the sofa with her hand extended.

Alina stands, shaking the young woman's hand.

Abellona cuts in, "No, dear, this is Alina Moonstone."

"I don't understand." The woman stands in bewilderment as the angelic little girl has an arm wrapped around her mother's leg, looking up at Alina in admiration.

"It's your half-sister, dear. Alina's twin, Annabella, is with her mother."

Alina and the young woman look at each other, their eyes practically bulging from their sockets in astonishment.

"Alina, this is Alethea," Abellona introduces. "Alethea, this is Alina."

Alina looks at Alethea's wrist and notices the triple goddess mark. Her eyes flick back to Abellona.

Abellona lifts the sleeve of her dress and exposes her triple goddess mark. "We all have them." She casually walks back over to the chair and takes a seat. "Now please, have a seat so we can talk."

Alina plops back down onto the sofa. Alethea sits beside her, pulling her daughter onto her lap.

"Who is this lovely little girl?" Alina asks, taking the little girl's hand in hers. Turning her wrist slightly, Alina sees the same triple goddess mark. "She's so young. How old was she when she got the mark?"

Alethea smiles. "This is Aneira. She became marked on her third birthday. She's seven now."

"Where is your mother, Alethea?"

"Most likely where yours is."

Alethea and Alina look over at Abellona, hoping for some answers.

"Alina, I'm sure you have realized by now that this spiritualistic camp here in Cassadaga is a safe haven for people like us."

"People like us?" Alina questions.

"Yes, dear. We're what people call 'White Witches'."

"Meaning that we only do good," Alethea interrupts.

Abellona pours Alethea a cup of tea and hands Aneira a candy cane. "Because your sister performed black magick, she was taken away."

Alina crinkles her forehead, puzzled. "I don't understand. My mother never performed black magick, so why was she taken?"

"Your mother did a great deal of things that you were not aware of. For starters, she fell in love with the darkest of all spirits, your father, Abeddon."

"You know my father?"

"He is also Alethea's father. And, yes, I know him, but I wish that I hadn't."

"Can you tell me about him?"

"To the human world, he is known as Lucifer."

Alina's heart practically drops to her stomach, sickened, as she hones-in on every word that her grandmother has to say.

"Abeddon is a very dark spirit. He explores the darkest reigns of mentality in the weak and he twists a person's desires into his own will, feeding off their innocence, making him stronger. He's a very dangerous spirit. He can deceive the innocent by glamorizing their dreams and manipulating them into believing that he can make their desires come true. He disguises himself into something pleasant to win the trust of those he seeks. He turns illusory into reality right before their very eyes, which gains their trust. Abeddon feels no heartfelt emotion toward anyone, not even family. He robs sorcerers and enchantress's souls when they are in twilight, which is his gateway to a whole new level of his strong powers. This is how he acquires his greatest source of magick." Abellona takes a sip of tea and sets the cup on the coffee table. The girls are still attentively focused in on the conversation.

Abellona continues, "He takes advantage of the victim's twilight state, seeing their most hidden secrets while using that toward his advantage. Your mother and sister," Abellona looks at Alina, and then shifts her attention to Alethea, "and your mother, were taken during their twilight state and is in Abeddon's realm. They are being schooled by him to team up, and to conquer you, so that he can stay ruler forever."

Tears well in Alina's eyes. "But, my mother was not a dark person. She was very kind."

"She wanted you to believe that. She knew that you were the strong one, Alina. A very powerful witch. That's why she didn't allow you to see her dark side. Annabella, on the other hand, saw your mother's ways."

"I just don't understand. Annabella is mentally stronger than me. It's obvious. Look at her career, look at how nothing intimidates her..."

"But good always overcomes evil. Your sister could not penetrate your goodness. That makes you a very strong enchantress because you are not easily deceived."

"Will they ever come back?"

"It will take all four of us to bring them back."

Alina looks confused. "Four?"

Abellona shifts her eyes to little Aneira. "She's our magick charm."

"You're involving this innocent little child?"

Alethea clings tightly to her daughter. "Nana, you can't be serious."

"She's already involved," Abellona confirms. "Hence the mark on her wrist."

"What do we need to do? And you mentioned "human world." Are you saying that we're not human?" Alina's heart begins to race. "Oh, god...What the hell am I exactly?"

Abellona notices a panic attack washing over Alina so she sits down beside her and takes her hand in hers. "Breathe, sweetie. Deep breaths...In and out." Opening a wooden box with intricate carvings, Abellona pulls out a copper wand with a clear quartz crystal extending from the end, and smooths it over Alina's forehead. "That's it, my dear. Imagine the wand taking away your anxiety."

Alina closes her eyes tightly and falls into a deep, meditative state. After becoming relaxed, her eyes flutter open. Another deep breath in and she's finally, fully relaxed.

Abellona smiles warmly.

Alina speaks with infinite calmness to her tone, "There are so many questions filling my head. I don't even know where to start." She thinks hard. "I mean, do we live forever? Can anything kill us? Do I have more family? Why are our eyes so green? Why do we all have platinum blonde hair? Why does everyone in my family have a name that begins with the letter 'A'?"

Abellona laughs. "We'll get to all that, but first, I need to warn you about that man waiting in the driveway for you."

"Brandon?"

"Yes, dear. Brandon."
Chapter Ten

Situating herself in the passenger seat of Brandon's car, Alina secures the seatbelt around her waist.

Brandon looks at her, wondering why she seems so angry. "You were in there for a while. Why do you look so mad?"

Alina tries her best to change her demeanor to a more calming state so that Brandon won't suspect anything with regards to Abellona's warning toward him. She looks over at him, smiling. "I'm starving."

Shifting the car in reverse, he backs from the driveway. "What would you like for lunch?"

"I'm craving barbeque."

"Sounds good to me."

As they make their way onto Cassadaga Road, leaving behind the spiritualist camp, her mind wanders as she thinks of her grandmother's conversation.

Abellona explained to her that Brandon is not aware that Abeddon is trying his best to manipulate him by bringing Alina over to his dark side. Brandon comes from a family of evil sorcerers, but the main wizard of Brandon's kind was placed under Abeddon's evil doings, which caused Brandon's kind not to live on as immortals. Because Brandon was not aware of his extreme power, it became his own weakness. Not able to tap into his magick, he is unable to live among those who are like him.

"Brandon is becoming manipulated in his dreams by your father." That is what Abellona told Alina. "Abeddon is trying his hardest to make Brandon aware of whom he actually is so that he can use his dark magick to his advantage by manipulating you to join Abeddon's quest to become ruler. The only way to rid Brandon of his darkness is to bequeath your virginity to him. Once he has your virginity, he will forever be changed." That's all that Abellona explained about Brandon.

Brandon parks the car. "What is bothering you, Alina? Who was the woman in the house, and who was the lady with the little girl?"

Alina sits, arms crossed, staring down at her lap. "The woman is my grandmother. The lady is my half-sister, and the little girl is my niece."

Brandon is stunned. "Seriously? Your grandmother didn't look a day over thirty."

"Yes, seriously." Alina pushes the door open and steps from the car.

Making their way into the restaurant, they find a booth. Brandon opens a menu and peeks over the top across the table. "Tell me more about your visit."

"There's so much to tell. I don't even know where to begin. And I feel a little silly telling you about it anyway."

Reaching his hand across the table, he wraps his fingers around her wrist, looking sincerely into her green eyes. "You can tell me anything," he reassures. "Have I told anyone about you and your sister?"

She shakes her head back and forth. "No."

"Then, you know that you can trust me."

Looking into his gorgeous blue eyes and the slight stubble on his jaw makes her absolutely melt. Her heart palpitates with excitement as she imagines giving herself to him, her smile enchanting the entire room.

Customers look over at her direction, smiling brightly. When the waitress approaches their table, Alina tells her that she wishes to pay for everyone's meal in the restaurant.

Brandon looks at her, surprised. "What's with the sudden gesture?"

She shrugs, nonchalantly. "Just felt like doing something nice." Alina is now aware that the more good she does, the weaker Abeddon and his army of hellions become.

"So, are you going to tell me about your newfound family?"

She sits back in her seat and crosses her arms in front of her chest. "The little girl that you saw with my sister," Alina explains, "is the little girl in my visions."

The waitress places their entrees on the table. Brandon takes a sip of water. "Really?"

"Yes, and I know why I'm seeing these visions now."

"You do?"

"It has to do with my father."

Brandon cuts into his chicken breast. "Why do you think that?"

"My grandmother told me that my father is the one who took my mother and sister from me. He's a very bad entity. He's attempting to manipulate all the enchantress's on earth to come over to his dark side so he can grow a large enough army to rule the world." She leans in more closely, hoping no others can hear what she is about to reveal. "Brandon," she whispers, "my father is Lucifer himself."

Brandon drops his fork beside his plate and slams back against his seat in utter shock. "I don't know what to say. You're the freaking Devil's spawn?"

"That doesn't matter right now."

"The hell is doesn't!"

"Brandon, my grandmother, sister, niece, and I need to figure out a way to stop him. I was told that I'm the most powerful enchantress of them all, but all four of us must perform a spell together in order for me to overtake him." Tears begin to settle in her eyes. Brandon's heart aches seeing her about to cry. "I'm so scared, Brandon."

Brandon quickly stands from the booth, rounds the table, and sits down beside Alina. Placing his arm around her, pulling her body tightly into his chest, he brushes a blonde strand of hair away from her face. "I'll do anything and everything I can to protect you, baby. I assure you that no harm will come of you as long as I'm by your side."

She nods silently. Her heart aches inside knowing that she's aware of the evil that Brandon comes from, and it practically kills her not being able to tell him.

"My grandmother asked me to stay with her tonight. There's so much that she must tell me."

"Did you want me to stay with you?"

"I'm sorry, but for now, I need to be there on my own. Stay in the hotel room. If I need you, I'll text or call."

"I don't like this idea of yours, Alina. If I'm not near you, I can't protect you."

"Or change me," she mumbles under her breath.

"What was that?" he asks.

"It was nothing."

The waitress places the bill on the table. Alina grabs it before Brandon does, and puts her credit card in the black folder.

"I still can't believe that you're paying for everyone's meal."

She chuckles. "Get used to stuff like this."

The waitress picks up the folder and moments later, brings it back. Alina writes in $1000 for the tip and Brandon's eyes pop in surprise as he sees the hefty amount that Alina leaves the waitress. "Are you using Annabella's money for all this?"

"It's my money now. Besides, it's about time that her money does something good for a change." Alina signs the receipt and places her copy inside her handbag.

* * *

Back at the hotel, Alina prepares her suitcase to take to her grandmother's. Brandon grabs Alina's makeup and toiletries from inside the bathroom and places them in a small travel bag. Seeing a bright pink label on an amber glass bottle, it reads. "Alina's Love Potion." He opens the bottle and inhales, recognizing the familiar enchanting scent. He pinches the eyedropper and places a dab of the fruity scented oil on a washcloth and sets it on the sink.

Stepping from the bathroom, Brandon hands Alina the bag of items. "I didn't want you to forget this."

She takes the bag from his hand, places it in her luggage, and then gazes into his beautiful blue eyes. Her heart does backflips as she envisions sinful thoughts about the two of them alone. He can see the flirtatious look in her spellbinding eyes as he brushes her hair across her shoulder. "You are so beautiful, Alina. Everything about you is unexplainably perfect." His lips peck the tip of her nose. "Your eyes are the prettiest electric green that I have ever seen." Feeling the silkiness of her blonde hair between his thumb and forefinger, he brings it up to his nose, and inhales her fragrant shampoo. "Mmm, nice."

Alina closes her eyes, focusing on his deep, seductive tone. His hands trace up her arms and rest upon her shoulders; his lips only inches from hers. "I want to make love to you so badly that it physically hurts."

Alina's breathing quickens as she anxiously nibbles her bottom lip, and then flicks her eyes up at him. "I must get to know you better before I give myself to you, Brandon. I hope that you can understand that."

He steps back on his heels, looking down in a state of defeat. "I know how precious your virginity is. I respect that. I promise that when you're ready, I will not hurt you. If you decide to give yourself wholeheartedly to me, I will not disappoint you or trample your heart. You have my word."

Tilting her head to the side in understanding, she smiles. "I do believe you, Brandon. I honestly do." She bends down to pick up her luggage, but Brandon takes it from her hand.

"I'll carry that for you."

Setting the bag inside the trunk, Brandon closes the lid, and sits behind the wheel. "When do you want me to pick you up?"

"In the morning. You can meet my grandmother then."

"You know that I'm going to be worried to death about you. I won't get any sleep."

Alina liked hearing that he may not sleep. She sure as heck didn't want Abeddon invading his dreams. "Do you remember any of your dreams, Brandon?"

He starts the car and laughs. "I don't dream."

"What do you mean?"

"I have never experienced a dream in my entire life."

So, he obviously can't remember Abeddon entering Brandon's twilight state. Was that a good thing? Can people not actually dream?
Chapter Eleven

Entering her grandmother's modest white cottage, Alina sits on the shabby sofa while Abellona pours them each a cup of Fiji mint tea. Alina breathes in the incense that's smoldering throughout the house. A great element to cleanse, keeping away negativity and evil.

Abellona sits on the wicker chair next to the sofa and sighs heavily. Her eyes adjust toward the ceiling and her forefinger lightly taps her jawline as she puckers her lips as if in deep thought. "Where to begin..." She sits posture perfect and claps her hands one time. Standing, she extends her right hand toward Alina. "Come with me, dear. I have something to show you."

Alina slips her hand in Abellona's and is led down a long narrow hallway that leads to a brown wooden door. Pulling a key from her white dress, Abellona unlocks the door. When she pushes the door ajar, cold brisk air washes over Alina's body. She hugs herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms attempting to stay warm. As they step inside, Abellona flicks on the light. The walls are encased in white velvet tapestries; a large pentacle made of etching stones surfaces the hardwood floor with white candles placed to the north, south, east, and west. Unlit candles encase the entire room, and antique bookshelves stocked with medieval type literature line the walls.

Abellona snaps her fingers and a small flame ignites the tip of her index finger. She lights each candle on the pentacle and flicks off the light on the wall. Flipping her hand, the flame on her fingertip is extinguished.

"How did you do that?" Alina asks, totally awestruck.

"You haven't discovered your power yet?"

"My power is reading minds."

Abellona smiles, shaking her head back and forth. "Dear, there is a strong power inside you. You just haven't found it. But, the good thing is," she dutifully explains, "you're here now, and I can help you with that."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Dear, please call me Nana."

"Yes, Nana."

Abellona holds out her hand and leads Alina to the center of the pentacle. "Sit, dear. Criss-cross your legs in front and let me see your palms," she instructs.

Alina does as she's told. Abellona notices how Alina is slightly shivering. "I'm sorry, dear. I keep it cold in here at all times. The colder you are, the more powerful the magick is." Abellona removes a white crochet shawl from a coat rack near the door and drapes it over Alina's shoulders. "Is that better, dear?"

"Yes, Nana. Thank you."

"Rest your wrists on your knees, palms facing up." Abellona turns on her heel and walks toward a white armoire. She pulls out a black pot. Setting up what looks to be a black cast iron cauldron, Abellona lights a fire underneath with her fingers, and squeezes three drops of oil into the cauldron. It begins to steam.

"What is that?" Alina asks, examining intently at what Abellona is doing.

"It's a special tea that I'm brewing that will help you discover your power." She walks toward a velvet purple curtain and pulls it to the side, allowing it to rest on her back in order to keep it from closing. She reaches into a cage and pulls out a dead mouse, which is missing its hind legs.

Alina cringes suspecting that Abellona's going to drop the mouse into the steaming tea. Abellona carefully sets the mouse at Alina's knees. Alina looks down wondering what in the heck is going on.

"Don't worry, dear. I won't make you eat it," she jokes.

Alina gulps the huge lump in her throat.

Abellona heads back over to the tea and drops a few herbs inside, but Alina can't tell what they are. Thyme, mint, bay leaves perhaps. She simply did not know.

Pouring the steaming tea into a deep, red chalice, Abellona walks to Alina, and places the cup in both her hands. "Don't drink it just yet. Breathe in the steam; allow it to penetrate your lungs. Close your eyes and inhale. Meditate."

Alina does as Abellona advises. Abellona ignites a white sage smudging stick and walks around the pentacle allowing the smoke to encase the circle. She places a cup of blessed water at the upper right corner of the pentacle, a yellow candle at the lower left corner, which signifies creativity and intelligence, the very reason for the spell; to discover Alina's power. An incense cone smolders at the upper left corner, and a mound of sea salt is poured at the lower left corner of the star.

Abellona picks up a tiny angel figurine from a shelf alongside the wall and places it at the very tip of the pentacle. "This represents spirit," she whispers. She looks at Alina's closed eyes, and smiles. "That's it, dear," she says, softly. "Drink the tea now and just relax. Let your mind wander and when you feel the spirit, allow it to control your soul." Abellona ignites the candles in the entire room with the swipe of her hand.

After drinking the tea, Alina places the empty chalice on the floor, and breathes in the scent of the incense, allowing it to encompass her soul. The light of the flames warms her face and she relinquishes her entire being to the spirit. She exhales deeply. Her heart begins to beat swiftly and her breathing stills. With a trembling right hand, Alina places it flush upon the mouse. Her left hand soon covers her right. Taking deep breaths, her head tosses backward and every candle in the room is extinguished. Hearing a tiny squeak, Abellona quickly flicks on the light. Alina and Abellona look to the floor and they see the tiny brown mouse scurry off with its hind limbs intact as it makes its way to a small hole inside the wall.

"What the hell?" Alina looks on at Abellona, out of breath, appearing extremely exhausted.

Abellona expresses an exuberant smile of extreme satisfaction.

Alina stands. "What happened, Nana?"

Abellona walks toward her with her arms open wide, wrapping them around her. "Oh, dear! You're a regenerative healer and resurrector!" She steps back, staring into Alina's red eyes. "Your eyes, Alina. They're red."

Alina squeezes her eyes tightly and opens them. "Are they still red?"

"No, they're green again." Abellona hugs Alina once more. "I suspected that you were a healer, I just had to know for certain," she says, stepping back on her heels. "You are one powerful enchantress, Alina. You are exactly what is needed to take down Abeddon." She brushes Alina's blonde hair across her shoulders. "Alethea will be so pleased!"

As they exit the room, Alina and Abellona head back into the living area. Alina seats herself on the sofa and takes a hearty drink of the Fiji mint tea. Abellona sits on the wicker chair and crosses her legs, still grinning from ear-to-ear.

"You never told me what Alethea's powers are."

"She's a fire starter."

"Like you?"

Abellona shakes her head back and forth. "No, she can ignite fires with her eyes. She's a strong enchantress as well, but you, my dear, are far stronger than any of us."

"What exactly is your power?"

"Divination."

"Well, we all seem to have that, but what is your extreme power?"

"I am an ice manipulator and healer."

"What is an ice manipulator?"

"I can form anything into ice by using my mind."

"What about Aneira?"

"She's an elemental breather," Abellona answers. "And believe me; she already knows how to use her power."

"Oh my. That's a lot for such a little girl."

"Alethea and I figured it out when Alethea and her late husband were fighting. Aneira began to scream so loudly that lightning struck from her mouth and electrified her father straight to the floor."

"What happened after that?"

Abellona takes a sip of tea and places the cup to the coffee table. "Well, let's just say that we were thankful that it was a very stormy day. I don't want to say that I'm not saddened that Bobby was killed by his own daughter, but that man would beat the hell out of your half-sister. Alethea would never use her power on him, though. She was afraid of the consequences. It seems those of us who use our power for evil, it strengthens Abeddon. That's why we need to train Aneira before it's too late."

"But Aneira didn't use her power for evil. She saved her mother."

"When you take a life or hurt someone who is unlike us, dear, it's considered evil doings."

Alina glances down at her purse that's setting beside her when she hears her cell phone ringing. Picking it up, she looks at the screen, and sees Brandon's name. "Excuse me, Nana, but I need to take this call."

Abellona nods her understanding.

Alina stands from the sofa and walks out the front door. She stands in the yard with the phone pressed to her ear.

"I miss you already," Brandon says, almost breathless.

"That's so sweet of you to say."

"Do you miss me?"

She exudes a quick laugh. "Well, I haven't had much time to even think about you, let alone, miss you."

His heart sinks.

"I'm sorry. I've accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. Surely you can understand giving the circumstances."

He cracks a slight smile. "I understand. Tell me about what you've accomplished."

"I found out what my true power really is."

"I thought it was mind reading." He chuckles.

"It's not a joke, Brandon," she says, bearing a serious tone to her voice. "If you think all this is funny, then you can go back to New York alone."

"Wait! I wasn't making fun of you. I promise." He tries his best to reassure her. "Please, tell me what your newly discovered power is."

"You're going to think I'm crazy."

"Trust me, after everything I have seen in the past week, I will not think you're crazy. I promise."

"My goodness, Brandon. My grandmother placed a dead mouse that was missing its hind legs in front of me and not only did I bring it back to life, but also, its legs were magickally attached."

Brandon's eyes bulged in astonishment. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, Brandon, I am." Looking over her shoulder, she sees her grandmother standing in the doorway of the cottage. "I need to get going. My grandmother still has to answer a lot of my questions," Alina says with excitement in her voice.

* * *

Brandon slides his cell phone in the front pocket of his jeans. He plops down on the bed, shaking his head in doubt. What has he gotten himself into? What is this extreme hold that Alina has over him? Whatever it is, he can't shake it.

Holding the washcloth that is scented with Alina's enchanted love potion, he lifts it to his nose and inhales. "I can't get her off my mind," he whispers, desperation in his tone. "Did she put a love spell on me?" He's irrefutably confused.

Feeling a total pull within his soul, he grabs his car keys off the dresser, and rushes to his rental. As he sits in the driver's seat, he thinks to himself, What in the hell am I going to do? Park in the driveway of Alina's grandmother's home, and hope that she comes out? He slaps the steering wheel harshly, and then rests his forehead upon it. Crap! I can't even think straight.

Brandon starts the car and pulls from the hotel's parking lot. Making his way down the narrow road, he pulls into Abellona's driveway and shuts off the engine. He sits silently, listening to the lull of crickets in the background as he stares at the little white cottage.

* * *

Sitting in the kitchen at a small, round dining table, Abellona spoons some vegetable soup into a bowl and places it before Alina.

Abellona sits across from Alina and crumbles saltine crackers into her soup. "I'm really glad that you found me," she says, blowing on her spoon before placing the hot soup into her mouth.

"I'm really happy to know that I have family. I was so afraid that I was alone in the world."

"Well, your boyfriend seems awfully fond of you. When do you think you will give yourself to him?"

Alina almost chokes on her soup as she hears those words spill from the mouth of an elderly woman. But what age was she exactly? "I haven't thought that far ahead. I must be certain that I trust him before I even consider intercourse with him."

"And, why do you not trust him?"

Alina wipes her mouth with a paper napkin. "Annabella told me that he's a player. As soon as he has sex with a woman, he leaves her. I'm not ready to give something so sacred to him in fear that he may disrespect it."

"I can understand that, dear. But, from what I can read of him, he is definitely in love with you. He wants to be your protector." Abellona's eyes shift toward the living room window. "That's why he's outside, in his car, making certain that you're okay."

Alina looks over her shoulder toward the living room window, and sees the BMW in the driveway. "Should I invite him inside?"

"Not yet. He knows that you need some time with me. He just can't rest easy at that hotel without you by his side."

Alina clenches her hand around her amulet. "I think Annabella had something to do with his protection over me." Her eyes shift down toward the pendant.

"Why do you think that?"

"Brandon touched my amulet on the day that we had met. As soon as I got back into Annabella's and my hotel room, I was about to re-energize it, until Anna snatched it from my hand and placed a protection spell on it. I think she also cast a love spell on it because Brandon has not been able to keep his distance from me ever since."

Abellona's eyes widen, alertly. "You say that Anna placed a protection spell on that amulet that you wear around your neck?"

Alina silently nods.

"This is very interesting." Abellona stands from the table and places her bowl inside the sink. She turns around to look at Alina. "The reason why Alethea and I live in this city is because it's the only place that we're protected from evil. Even your father can't touch us here."

"I had no idea."

"I believe with the spell that Anna has cast upon that amulet, you're protected anywhere you go as long as you keep it around your neck."

"You really think so? My father can't take me away like he did my mother and Anna?"

Abellona nods. "Your sister knew that her father was coming for her. She wanted to be certain that you weren't next."

"But, I don't cast evil spells."

"It doesn't really matter with Abeddon. He's a manipulator. He eventually would have sent you to the dark side."

Alina picks up her empty bowl and sets it in the sink. Abellona grabs both Alina's hands and looks sincerely into her green eyes. "We need to test this theory."

"But, how?"

"When do you need to go back to New York?"

"I was wanting to leave tomorrow."

"Perfect." Abellona taps her forefinger to her cheek, staring up at the ceiling. She snaps her fingers. "When you get home, do not wear your amulet while you sleep. Just for one night. I want Brandon to be with you; though, just in case Abeddon is aware of our plan, he won't take you in the presence of others. I don't want to run the risk of your father swiping you from us. Plus, it will make you aware if Anna had cast a love spell on it. If Brandon is still crazy about you without that amulet around your neck, then we'll know it's not magick forcing him to love you."

"Can't he tell what we're plotting right now?"

"Not in this town. There's an invisible barrier that he can't penetrate. I want to know that if you're not wearing your amulet, if it's possible for Abeddon to invade your dreams."

"He can, even in this town. He's already done it."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Alina sits back down at the table. Abellona takes her seat across from her.

"Because I saw a dark figure with jagged teeth, red glowing eyes trying to persuade Aneira to go with him."

"You saw that?"

"Yes, I think that was my father trying to swipe Aneira."

"That wasn't Abeddon invading your dreams or visions. That was you seeing the future of Aneira." Abellona drops her head between her shoulders, shaking it in dread. "Oh, goodness. We have to act more quickly than I thought."

"But, how?"

"How old did Aneira appear in your visions?"

"The same age as she is now."

"Oh, dear." She lifts her head and stares at the ceiling as if she's looking for answers from above. "Samhain is next month. You must go into battle with Abeddon on All Hallows Eve."

Alina takes in a deep breath almost afraid to exhale. "Battle?"

"You are the only one who can kill him."

"Kill?" she questions. "But, I thought I wasn't supposed to kill anybody." Tears well in her eyes. "Oh, god. I don't think I can do this."

"You want your mother and your sister back, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you have to do this. Besides, he's of our kind. It won't be considered evil doings if you take him down."

"But how can I kill him? He's not human."

"Samhain is our "New Year's Eve." A new beginning. This is the only time of the year when the veil that separates the living from the dead is at its thinnest. It's also the only way to portal creation. You must use this to your advantage."

"I'm so confused. I don't even know where to begin."

"The public has no clue that Anna has vanished. I know that Brandon is having you do modeling shoots in her absence. You need to make the public trust you. People look up to Anna. She's the Marilyn Monroe of today. If you can do kind acts toward the humans, they can help you win The Battle on All Hallows Eve against Abeddon because it will make your magick more powerful."

"You're making this sound like Armageddon!"

"You need to do this. Abeddon already has his army and they're extremely powerful."

"How can I defeat him and his army with only my powers?"

"That is why you need your half-sister, niece, and me. A week before All Hallows Eve, Alethea, Aneira, and I will relinquish our powers into you. You will have every power needed to defeat Abeddon and his army."

"But his army consists of my mother and Anna."

"That's where your resurrecting capabilities come in."

Suddenly, Alina was beginning to understand.

"Also, you must give yourself to Brandon."

"I don't think I'm ready."

"It doesn't matter. You have to do this. If you lose your virginity to an heir of one of the most powerful sorcerers, Brandon will come over to our side. His power will be as strong as yours and you can double-team Abeddon."

Well, there goes testing the theory of the love spell on my amulet straight out the window. "You're absolutely certain that Brandon will cross over to our side? There is no doubt in your mind that he will discover where he comes from and join his family of evil sorcerers?" she asks, uncertain.

"Well, there is a remote possibility."

"How come Brandon's family hasn't battled Abeddon?"

"They lay very low. As long as they stay out of Abeddon's way, he has no interest in them."

"What does my virginity have to do with all this?"

"Your untouched innocence has a strong enchantment over Brandon's world. An enchantress's virginity is the only thing that can bring out his magick. There aren't many out there like him. His kind is almost obsolete. Because you are now aware of this, you have to take advantage. We need him."

Alina slaps her hands over her face exhaustingly, and looks down at the table. "How do I transition into Abeddon's realm?"

"Inside the graveyard right outside this town, there is a chair that people have deemed The Devil's Chair. People believe that if you sit in that chair at midnight, the Devil will take your soul. It's partly true. If our kind sits in that chair on All Hallows Eve at midnight, Abeddon takes you because of the thin veil that separates our world from the Underworld. That's how you will enter his realm."

"I just don't know." Alina shakes her head incessantly.

"But, because this is to take place on All Hallows Eve, the crossover will remain open between midnight and three a.m. If you and Brandon can't defeat Abeddon and his army together, we're all doomed."

Alina can see the worry registering on her grandmother's face. Can Alina actually pull off this stunt?

"Also, After you do a few kind acts or good deeds, it will make you much more stronger."

"What do you mean?"

"Goodness is Abeddon's weakness. That's why he was unable to take you because of all the goodness that you have done for sick children. How you've cared for the families who had children with terminal illnesses. How you not only comforted the parents', but also, the children themselves. How you did multiple fund raisers to make certain those children had good Christmases while hospitalized."

Alina bursts out in laughter. "You knew that I did all those things? I don't believe what I'm hearing."

Abellona looks at Alina a bit disappointed in her joking manner. "This is serious, Alina. Abeddon has already begun his wrath. Look at North Korea...That damn leader over there is like Hitler! Abeddon has already gotten to him and he thinks that idiot believes that he's going to take over the world. Now, Abeddon is focusing on Russia. Putin is trying to take over the entire Ukraine."

Alina realizes that it's suddenly, not a joke. "Can you answer something for me?"

"Anything."

"Why do we all have such pale, blonde hair," she asks. "I mean, look at you. You're my grandmother and your hair is the same color as mine...no gray. And our eyes...Why are they such and electric green? They look odd. And our first names all begin with the letter 'A.' What's that about? And you don't seem to age beyond thirty."

Abellona chuckles. "That's a lot of questions, but I'll be happy to answer them. Our hair and eyes are these colors because it's our trait. The reasoning behind our names is because we are the first of our kind. That's why we are so strong. That's why only someone from our own family can kill us. Any other enchantress who bears a name that starts with anything other than an 'A' are weaker than us. Humans are identified by their surnames whereas we are identified by our first names."

"But, Brandon's name starts with a 'B.' How can he be as strong as me if he isn't from our generation?"

"Because he will share your power. You will be giving him equality of yourself."

"Okay, now your age. Explain that."

"We stop the aging process on our thirtieth birthday, dear."

Alina glances at the clock on the wall, noticing that it's almost two in the morning. "My goodness! Time just flew by."

"Sleep in the guest room down the hall. There's towels and washcloths in the en-suite bathroom," Abellona says. "Oh, and I guess Brandon is sleeping in his car tonight?" she queries.

Alina giggles. "Should I invite him inside?"

"You know, if you allow him to take your virginity inside this town of great protection, both of you will be stronger and well shielded."

Alina's butterflies flutter wildly in her belly. Everything is moving at such a rapid pace, but she knew that she had to make love to Brandon as soon as possible to be certain that he will remain on her side. That would be one less obstacle she'd have to worry about.
Chapter Twelve

Alina walks out the door of her grandmother's cottage and heads toward Brandon's car. Peeking inside, she sees his head tilted back against the headrest as he's sleeping soundly.

Tapping on the window, Alina wakes him from his slumber. Brandon beams a warm smile and stretches when he sees her looking at him through the glass.

Opening the door, he steps out and encircles his arms around her. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "I couldn't stand the thought of being apart from you. I hope that you don't mind that I'm staying here."

Silently, Alina takes him by the hand and leads him up the steps to the cottage. As they make their way to the bedroom that sits off to the kitchen, she pushes open the door and they enter inside.

"Do you want me to sleep here?" he asks, scratching his head, confused. "Where are you sleeping?"

"No, I'm sleeping with you tonight." Her eyelashes flutter as she tilts her head to the side bearing an enchanting smile, indicating that she's ready to give herself to him.

Brandon places his hands on her shoulders, threading his fingers at the nape of her neck. "Are you sure you want to do this in your grandmother's house? Isn't this a tad disrespectful?"

She arches back and laughs softly. Standing on her tiptoes, she goes in for a hot kiss. With Brandon's hands fisted in the back of her hair, he holds her lips steady to his.

She pulls away and stands on flat feet. "Let me take a bath. Wait for me underneath the blankets."

"But, what about your grandmother?"

"She's asleep," she answers. "Besides, she told me to invite you inside." Alina grabs a satin robe from her luggage and disappears into the adjacent bathroom.

Brandon eagerly kicks off his shoes and they clatter onto the hardwood floor. He swiftly strips from his blue jeans and T-shirt, and slivers underneath the blankets, leaving on his black boxer briefs. Suddenly, he remembers that he forgot to take a condom from his wallet. As he rushes from the bed, he grabs his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and takes out a condom. Igniting a candle on the dresser and then flicking off the light, he climbs back into the bed, and tucks the condom underneath his pillow.

Propping himself up against the headboard with his fingers knotted behind his head, his elbows out to the side, he waits eagerly for Alina to join him.

Brandon can hear the water draining from the bathtub. His heart pounds ferociously with maddening anticipation. Never has he been this nervous when about to make love to a woman.

The white wooden door to the bathroom creeks open, and Alina steps out wearing only a robe.

Brandon's eyes pop in amazement as he watches her saunter her way seductively toward him. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asks.

Alina nods silently and slides underneath the blankets.

Brandon pulls her into him. "You're so cold. Are you sure this is what you want?"

Her eyelashes flick up at him as she's held securely in the nook of his well-defined chest. Her French manicured fingers brush over his nipple and he suddenly springs to life.

Curling his index finger under her chin, he guides her lips to his. As they kiss, it lingers, and his fingers expeditiously unties the sash of her robe.

Alina's heart is beating so profoundly in her chest, she's almost certain that Brandon can hear the pounding thumps in his own ears.

Sliding her robe over her shoulders, Alina's pure nakedness is finally revealed to him. With gentle kisses to her neck, he softly whispers, "I'll go slow, baby. I know this is special for you. It is for me, too." He reaches underneath the pillow and pulls out the protection.

Alina's eyes widen in fear when she sees him perched on his knees, ripping open the condom with his teeth. "Do we really need that?" she asks.

He smiles. "Are you on birth control?"

"No, I'm not."

"Well, I think we need this." He jiggles the condom in his hand.

"Please, I want to feel you inside me, not some rubber thing shielding you from me."

He relaxes back on his heels "I think if I pull out, we will be fine. It's not like I have a disease or anything. I've always worn a condom while having sex." He tosses the condom on the dresser and practically devours Alina's mouth as his lips crush upon hers.

Brandon hurries out of his boxers, his chest pressed against hers, their hearts beating in sync. His tongue traces along her ear and his lips press hard into her neck. "My god, Alina," he says, softly. "I've never wanted a woman so badly in my life." He sincerely gazes into her electric green eyes, the flame of the candle making them appear almost golden in color. "I love you, Alina."

Alina feels a thrust so deep inside her that she screams out loudly. Not able to push himself all the way inside, he holds back. "Are you okay?"

Tears begin stinging her eyes and she nods silently.

He kisses her lips and he slowly pushes himself in deeper. Feeling a slight hindrance, he realizes that he had broken through her hymen.

Alina begins to move her hips to his rhythm and his thrusts become swifter. Wrapping her legs around him, she presses her heels hard into his back.

Brandon's body stills and he attempts to pull out of her, but her legs pushing firmly into his back are far too strong for his escape. There was no turning back now. Alina could feel the warm fluid pulsate through her entire soul.

Wrapping her arms tightly around him, she holds him securely into her chest. His breathing becomes more relaxed and suddenly, he's extremely still. She cups his face in her hands and tries looking into his eyes, but they're closed.

Lightly tapping her fingertips to his cheek, she says, "Brandon, wake up..." Another tap. "Brandon! Wake up!" Her voice becoming louder.

Rolling him off to the side, she grabs her robe and shrugs it on as she flicks on the light. Rushing over to the bed, she looks at Brandon in all his manly glory just lying still as a dead man on his back.

"Oh my god!" she yells. "What have I done?!"

She climbs on top of him and places the palms of her hands on his chest, pumping them up and down wildly. "Come on! Come on! Wake up!" She smacks him hard across the face and then splays her palm upon his heart, but there is no beat. "Nana!" she screams out in hopes that Abellona can hear her.

Moments later, Abellona bursts through the door. "What's going on?"

"He's dead!"

"Oh, dear Lord!"

"I need to resurrect him. I can't lose him! I love him!"

"Not so fast!" Abellona rushes toward him and lifts his pale right wrist, searching for a pulse. Her eyes widen in great relief when she sees that his wrist is marked with the triple goddess symbol. "Alina, he's not dead, he's transitioning."

They both stand back from the bed and watch Brandon intently. His bloodless, pale, naked body begins to tremble and Alina reaches for a blanket to cover him, but Abellona stops her. "No, you can't interfere."

"But, he's cold."

"He's not cold. He's trembling because his blood is being replaced by yours."

As the new blood begins to jumpstart his heart, color begins to register on his face. Alina stands beside him, yearning to touch him, to comfort him. As Alina reaches out her hand, Abellona beckons, "Stop! You can't touch him yet."

Alina hugs herself, swaying back and forth impatiently, her heart beating fiercely as she waits anxiously for the transition to complete.

The room fills with ice-cold air. Alina and Abellona's breath is apparent when they exhale. Shivering, Alina grabs a fleece blanket from the top of a cedar chest that is at the foot of the bed, and wraps it around her.

"How long does this take?"

"I've never witnessed anything like this, so I'm uncertain." She looks on at Brandon's naked body. "Damn! He didn't hurt you with that thing?" she asks, referring to the length and thickness of his manhood.

"This isn't time for jokes, Nana. I'm worried!"

After a long hour, finally, they see some movement other than trembling coming from Brandon. Alina and Abellona lean over the bed, examining him closely.

Suddenly, Brandon sits up. Lowering his head, he massages the back of his neck with his fingertips as he emits several tiny groans.

"Brandon," Alina whispers, displaying hesitation in her voice. "Are you alright?"

He shifts his head to the right toward Alina, his eyes still closed.

Unexpectedly, his eyes shoot open and he reaches out his hand, clutching it tightly around Alina's neck. She struggles to breathe as she tries her damnedest to pry his fingers away, but he's far too strong. She looks into his blank stare, as he's seemingly dead to the world.

Abellona frenetically tries to pry Brandon's hand from around Alina's neck, but she too, has no success. "Crap!" She opens the closet door and pulls a gun from the top shelf.

Alina looks at her and tries shaking her head back and forth indicating no, but Abellona ignores her and begins loading the gun with bullets.

Aiming the gun at Brandon's head, she cocks it, holding it steady in her hand.

Tears stream from Alina's pleading eyes, silently begging for her grandmother not to pull the trigger. Squeezing her eyes shut and tensing, Alina waits to hear the bang of the gun, but Brandon relinquishes his grasp, and his hand collapses to his side.

Perching upon his knees, he studies Alina's expression, her eyes still tightly shut. She hesitantly cracks open one eye and sees electric green eyes staring back at her.

"Oh, Brandon!" she squeals relief, wrapping her arms around him, squeezing him into her chest.

"What happened?" his voice is gruff, confused.

Abellona relaxes and turns toward the closet, placing the gun back upon the top shelf.
Chapter Thirteen

Alina splays her hand on Brandon's chest and carefully guides his head down onto the pillow. Abellona paces back and forth unsettlingly in front of the bed. Alina tugs at the blankets and brings them up to Brandon's chin. She gently kisses his forehead. "Get some sleep."

He grabs her wrist before she stands from the bed. "Where are you going?" he asks in a raspy voice.

"I'll be right outside the door, speaking to my grandma. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He releases her hand and allows Alina to take her leave.

As Alina and Abellona step outside the bedroom, Alina makes her way to the kitchen table. Abellona reaches into the cabinet and pulls down two shot glasses and a bottle of Crown Royal. "We need this."

Alina agrees.

Abellona takes a seat across from Alina and fills the two shot glasses. They slam them back at the same time. Filling the glasses with more whisky, they take another shot. After four rounds of shots, the event of the night begins to numb them. Alina and Abellona look at one another wondering who is going to break the uncomfortable silence.

Alina speaks first, "What's next?"

"After you explain to Brandon what has happened to him, you then need to tell him to get you in touch with Anna's publicist so you can start the process." With a slight shaky hand, Abellona pours another shot.

"What do I tell the publicist?"

"Tell him or her, or whoever in the hell it is," she explains, "that you want to donate a crap load of cash to anyone who can benefit greatly from it. Starving children in Africa. Helping the homeless here in the States. Donate money to all the children's hospitals around the world. Anywhere that will make the public aware of what you're doing. It must be global." Abellona stands from the table, rinses out her shot glass in the sink, and then fills it with water. "When you're on camera, always thank Jehovah for what you have accomplished."

"Jehovah?" Alina questions.

"The god of the Christian faith. You'll win all the Christians over if you acknowledge that if it wasn't for Jehovah, you wouldn't be who you are today."

"Oh, I see."

"But do not call him "Jehovah." Refer to him as "God." You'll confuse Christians because many of them do not even know the name of their own god."

Alina silently nods and stands from the table. "If you will excuse me, I'm going to check on Brandon and get some sleep."

"Goodnight, Alina. You did really great tonight."

Alina looks at the clock on the wall. "You mean this morning. It's almost four."

"Time just flies by when you're having fun." Abellona laughs.

"Goodnight, Nana."

* * *

Alina tiptoes into the bedroom trying not to wake Brandon. She quietly closes the door behind her and climbs underneath the blankets. She presses against the warmth of Brandon's body, and is relieved that he's sleeping soundly. He has gone through a great deal in such a short amount of time. Now, she must figure out how to explain to Brandon on what he has become. Will he hate her for this? The thought of him hating her is painstaking. She has given herself wholeheartedly to him and wants nothing more than for him to love her and she do the same in return. How her heart aches knowing that she possibly betrayed his trust. Will she appear so angelic to him after everything that has happened?

* * *

With the sun barely making its appearance, Alina awakens to the feel of Brandon's strong arms around her, his legs casually tossed over hers.

He peeks open his now electric green eyes and looks at Alina's soft pink lips. His warm lips land flush upon hers as she cups her hands to his cheeks. As she pulls away, she looks into his new electric green gaze. "Good morning, handsome."

He smiles brightly. "Good morning, beautiful." His hands wander down to the sash of her robe and he unties it, revealing her perfect, bountiful breasts to him. "So perfect." His lips touch her chin as they graze their way down her neck, her clavicle, and the firm roundness of her mounds.

"Oh, Brandon..." her voice trails off.

"Your skin is heavenly," his words muffle against the deep valley of her breasts.

He hovers above, his eyes searing into her core as he guides his member between her thighs. With his hands on each side of her head, she looks up at him, smiling. He studies her expression as he pushes himself more deeply into her. The look of passion on her face makes his insides reel with delight.

Suddenly, he notices the mark on his right wrist. He becomes distracted and pulls himself away. Wrapping the blanket around him, he sits on the edge of the bed, befuddled.

Alina positions herself behind him and wraps her arms around his chest. Kissing the back of his neck, she whispers, "There is so much I must tell you."

He holds up his wrist to examine the mark more closely, running his index finger back and forth across it. "When did I get this?"

Cinching her robe closed, Alina sits beside him, and taking his hand in hers, she presses her lips to the newfound mark on his wrist. "Brandon, that's not all that has changed in you."

"What do you mean?"

Alina leans over and grabs a handheld mirror from the vanity next to the bed. "Look." She holds it in front of his face.

Looking into the mirror, he gasps in alarm when he sees that his ultramarine blue eyes have changed to electric green. "Am I..."

Knowing exactly what he's about to ask, Alina cuts him off, "Yes, Brandon, you are what I am now."

He sets the mirror to the vanity and shifts his weight toward her. "But how?"

"When you made love to me last night."

Horror washes over his face and he abruptly stands from the bed. "Is this why you were a virgin for so long?" he asks, loudly.

"Please, Brandon. Don't be upset with me," she pleads, tears pooling in her eyes knowing her betrayal. She grabs his arm, attempting to guide him back down to the bed, but he impetuously snatches his arm away, and stands in front of the window, staring blankly into the sun with the blanket wrapped loosely around his waist.

"How could you do this to me?" his voice becoming more subtle.

"There's so much that I must tell and teach you. We haven't much time," she explains, exposing slight haste in her voice.

"What are you talking about?"

She walks toward the window and attempts to wrap her arms around Brandon's waist, but he shy's her hands away. "Please, don't touch me."

"I knew I couldn't trust you! I knew that after you took my virginity, you'd move on to the next whore!"

He quickly spins on his heel and walks toward her, his eyes blazing fiercely into hers. "What do you mean, you couldn't trust me?" He rolls his eyes, disgusted with her remark. "It should be me not trusting you! You freaking betrayed me!"

"Please, give me a chance to explain!"

He raises his hands dismissively, bends down and picks up his clothes off the floor. As he disappears into the bathroom, Alina sinks back down onto the bed, her head cupped in her hands as she sobs inconsolably.

Hearing the shower start, Alina wants so badly to be in there with him. How her heart aches knowing that she hurt him and deluded his trust.

Still seated on the edge of the bed, Alina persistently nibbles on the nail of her index finger, her knees bobbing up and down as she waits anxiously for Brandon to come out of the bathroom.

Moments later, she sees him open the door wearing blue jeans and a polo shirt. She can't help but smile when she sees how handsome he is, but her smile quickly fades when his eyes glare toward her.

"I can't believe this! What's next?" he asks, still perturbed about the deceit. "Is my hair going to turn ghostly white like yours? Like the hair on the kids in the movie, Children of the Damned?"

Alina's eyes are filled with tears while she sees the hurt in his now electric green eyes. "Do you hate the color of my hair?"

"Not on a woman, but it will look absolutely ridiculous on me!"

"Nothing could look ridiculous on you." She slumps her shoulders and stares down at her bare feet. "Please, Brandon. You must forgive me."

He just stares at her, shaking his head in anguish. Alina rises off the bed and hesitantly walks toward him. Reaching out her hand, she silently prays that he accepts it, but he pushes it away.

"Just stay away from me, Alina."

Her heart feels as though it had dropped into her stomach. "You can't mean that."

"I have a lot to think about without you near me clouding my judgment." He slips his wallet into his back pocket and checks his cell phone. "You can stay in this hickey, Florida ass town as long as you like; however, I have a company to run, so I'm leaving on the next plane out of here." He turns to walk toward the door.

"Please, Brandon. Don't leave me!" She's aware that she sounds pathetic for begging, but she needs him to stay.

Before he opens the door, he looks over his shoulder and says, "I expect you at my office in three days to undergo training and a photo shoot. When you arrive, I'll have a schedule drawn up for you on the other photo shoots."

"But...but!"

"Goodbye, Alina." The door closes behind him, sounding like a steel door closing on a vault.
Chapter Fourteen

Abellona sits alone at the kitchen table, sipping on French vanilla coffee when she sees Brandon step from Alina's room. "In a hurry?" she asks.

Brandon walks swiftly toward her, extending his hand. "I'm sorry that I have not formally introduced myself, ma'am. I'm Brandon Beaumont," he says, his voice sounding as if he's being rushed from a burning building.

"I know who you are. I'm Abellona," she replies. "Alina's grandmother."

"I'm sorry to cut our introduction so short, but I have a plane to catch." He rushes toward the front door.

"I'm afraid that you can't go anywhere right now."

Brandon abruptly stops his speedy stride and turns around. "Excuse me?"

"You can't run away. No matter how hard you try, you will not escape your destiny. So, you may as well have a seat, and listen to what I have to say."

With his hands on his hips, he arches his head back, and huffs. "What the hell do you mean?" he snaps.

"Don't you dare use that strident tone toward me, young man. I'm an elder and I deserve respect."

"I'm sorry." He walks toward the table and plants himself in the seat across from her. "Please, explain to me what is happening."

As Abellona goes over all the details to Brandon, Alina sits in the bathtub, still in tears over her broken heart. Never has she seen Brandon so upset. Leaning her head against the bath pillow, her minds starts to wander.

"Follow me," the little girl with pale, blonde hair says in a squeaky voice.

"Where?" Alina calls out to her.

The little girl turns and runs toward a hollowed out tree. The forest is black as night, but the slight light given off by the moon is just enough to see where the little girl is heading.

"Where?" Alina repeats, but the little girl doesn't answer. "Aneira, speak to me."

The little girl disappears into the hollowed out tree, Alina, trailing closely behind, sees that a tall, male figure has latched onto Aneira's hand, relentlessly tugging and pulling, trying to force her from the tree. Suddenly, the figure senses Alina's presence and lets go of Aneira's hand, and turns to face her.

With a glare full of hate, the man targets Alina and walks swiftly her way, his eyes showing determination. Wrapping his fingers tightly at Alina's throat, he squeezes mercilessly as he attempts to strain the life from her body. Alina looks up to the sky, seeing a blinding, bright light casting from above. Aneira emerges from the tree and into an all-white peaceful scene. The man is on the ground appearing lifeless by Alina's power.

Not able to make out who the man is, Alina stands in awe as she looks ahead at the rolling, snow-covered hills.

"We're now safe, Auntie Alina. "See." Aneira points toward the sky, gazing into the sun. "No more darkness."

Alina's eyes focus on the sun as it warms her face. "We're safe now. Nothing can hurt us."

Alina jumps suddenly when she hears a knock on the bathroom door. "Alina, we need to talk," Brandon's voice bellows from the other side.

Alina stands and grabs a towel from the rack. "I'll be out in a minute." Her heart beats quickly, anticipating what he's going to say to her. Is he going to yell at her again? That sinking feeling of her heart in her stomach pangs her once more.

Securing the towel around her, Alina steps from the bathroom, and sees Brandon sitting on the edge of the bed with his hands folded in his lap. He reaches out his hand to her, and she gladly accepts it.

Brandon guides her to sit upon his lap and he brushes her hair across her shoulders, allowing it to cascade freely down her back. "I'm sorry that I acted the way that I did," he apologizes, softly.

"No apologies. You had every right to react the way that you did," she says. "But why the change of heart? I thought that you left for New York." Her right hand cups the nape of his neck.

"Your grandmother explained everything to me. I had no idea who I was. I'm still reluctant to believe it."

"Your parents never told you anything about your heritage?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing."

"I'm so sorry." She looks down at her lap. "Do you not love me any longer?" she asks in a pitiful whisper.

Curling his index finger under her chin, he tilts her head toward him, gazing into her eyes. "I could never stop loving you, Alina."

She attempts to look down into her lap once more, but the hold that he has on her prevents that from happening. His lips brush lightly over hers and she sinks into his kiss. "I could never stay mad at you," he reassures her, softly. His hand makes a stealth move and her towel drops to the floor. He lustfully examines her perfect breasts, her skin, and her flat tummy that his hand is now resting splayed upon. "I must have you again, Alina."

* * *

With a light tap on the door, Alina opens her eyes, yawning. She glances to her left and sees Brandon sleeping soundly.

"Get up, you two," Abellona calls through the door. "I made you some lunch. You can't bump uglies all day. There's things to do."

Alina giggles at Abellona's banter. "We'll be out soon, Nana." Sliding on a pair of white jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt, Alina looks over her shoulder, seeing Brandon putting on his clothes. "Are you okay with all this?" she asks, speaking of Brandon's transition.

He haunches his shoulders and then sinks down on the bed as he bends over to lace his tennis shoes. "Actually, I'm a bit excited. I wonder what sort of power I have." He holds his hands in front of his face, studying his fingertips.

Alina's lips curve into a smile with a touch of humor displayed around her mouth. "Ha, ha." She chuckles. "It's not like fire or lightning is going to shoot from your fingertips."

"You never know."

"Trust me," she says with seriousness in her voice. "I know."
Chapter Fifteen

Alethea and Aneira arrive at Abellona's house and sit at the kitchen table. When Alina and Brandon emerge from the bedroom, they take their seat amongst everyone. Abellona lights a candle in the middle of the table and pours everyone a cup of tea, and offers Aneira a Capri Sun apple juice.

Abellona clears her throat. "Okay, we don't have much time, but these are the steps that must be taken before All Hallows Eve." She unfolds a piece of crumpled, old parchment paper and splays it on the table in front of her. "This paper is from my great-great grandmother. She had once battled Abeddon." Abellona drops her head, shaking it back and forth, grimly.

"What happened to her?" Alina asks, looking at the detrimental mannerism coming from her nana.

Abellona hesitantly lifts her head, taking a tiny sip of her tea. "That's not important right now. What is important is that you pay attention to every detail." She looks seriously at Brandon and then back at Alina. "Both of you."

Brandon shifts in his chair, compressing his lips, trying hard not to say anything. He didn't want to disrespect Abellona while she explains the details of the upcoming mission.

"First of all, Brandon, we must find out if you have other hidden powers. Of course, you will have Alina's same powers, but because you come from Durion, you may possess his powers as well."

"But how will I know?" Brandon asks.

"We'll get to that after I finish explaining the rest."

He nods his understanding.

Aneira shifts constantly in her seat; unable to maintain attention to what is going on at the table.

"Do I need to sit here for this?" Alethea asks, a bitter grimace to her lips as she tries her best to control Aneira.

"You can take her into the living room and play a movie for her." Abellona smooth's the wrinkles on the parchment paper, lifting it up toward the sunlight that's illuminating from the window so she can get a better look. "Now, Alina, as soon as you get to New York, you must start the kind acts. I cannot stress to you how ultimately important this is."

"Yes, Nana."

Abellona shifts her attention to Brandon. "Now, because you were transitioned inside the town's limits, you will be always protected from Abeddon on earth." She shifts toward Alina. "Alina, do not ever," she pauses for a brief moment, "ever remove that amulet from around your neck. The moment that you do, you'll be at Abeddon's mercy and without you being prepared; he'll own you just like he has your mother and sister."

Alina places her hand over the amulet, pursing her lips, appearing a little frightened. "What if someone snatches it from my neck?" The frightening expression suddenly turns to a rueful grimace.

"You just better not put yourself in that situation, dear."

"But what—"

Abellona lifts her hand, shaking it eloquently. "As I repeat, do not put yourself in that situation."

"What if I can't help it?"

Abellona leans in with a warning voice, "Whoever takes that amulet from your neck will possess all your power. Now, do you understand why you should not put yourself in that situation? When you go into battle, you must have it concealed. I just pray that Annabella hasn't told anyone about that damn amulet down there." She points to the ground.

"Down there?" Brandon queries, furrowing his brow.

"The Underworld."

He belts out an exultant laugh. "Hell?"

"Laugh all you want, Brandon. When you see it for yourself, you won't think it's so funny."

His gloating smile suddenly changes to mirthless. "I meant no disrespect."

Abellona stands from the table. "I can understand your uncertainty, Mr. Beaumont, but you better chase those uncertain thoughts from your mind if you want to come out of this alive."

"What if I don't want to go in at all?"

"Then you will be putting the love of your life in danger." Her eyes shift to Alina as she stands behind her, her fingers combing through Alina's snowy white tresses. "I'm sure you don't want to lose this beautiful young woman after you finally won your game."

"Game?"

"Yes, game. You succeeded at what you set out to do. You won her heart."

Brandon looks at Alina, bearing a smile of measured approval. "I wouldn't call it a game," he says, his voice displaying a hint of erotic quality. "I love her. I knew that she loved me when we met for the first time. I could feel it deep within. I just had to convince her of what I knew."

"Divination." Abellona expels a gusty sigh. "You have the gift, too. You just never embraced it before because you had no idea how to use your power." She backs away from Alina and motions her head toward the living room. "Alethea, come in here please."

Alethea walks into the kitchen and sits back down at the table.

"Is Aneira napping?" Abellona asks, placing her teacup in the sink.

"Yes, she fell asleep about ten minutes ago."

Abellona spins on her heel and faces them. "Perfect, let's go to my study."

Brandon takes Alina by the hand and they head to Abellona's room of magick. Brandon, looking a bit alarmed of not knowing what to expect, is slightly hesitant to enter.

"It's okay, Brandon. You will learn so much about yourself in here," Alina assures.

He clenches tightly to her hand and whispers, "I'm not sure about this."

She can hear the tremble in his voice, as his hand slightly shakes in hers. She cups her other hand over his. "I'm here. I won't allow anything bad to happen to you."

He takes in a deep breath and they enter the room. His manly physique suddenly becomes limp as he is overcome with faintness.

"I've got you." Alina leads him to the center of the pentacle, placing her hands upon his shoulders, guiding him to sit. Just cross your legs and take deep breaths." Smoothing her hands over his hair, she leans down to kiss his forehead. "Everything will be okay."

"Now pay close attention to my voice," Abellona instructs. "Remove your shirt and toss it outside the circle."

Brandon crosses his arms in front and lifts his shirt, bringing it up over his head. Alina's breath hitches in her throat when she sees his marvelous pecs glistening amongst the candlelight. Alethea nudges Alina in the side with her elbow. "My goodness, that guy's ripped." She giggles.

Alina smiles and stares at Brandon as he sits silently on the floor with his arms resting on his knees, his palms facing upward.

Abellona retrieves a dead bird from a deep freezer that is hidden behind a curtain. Alina gasps in alarm. How many dead animals does she have stored in there?

Abellona lifts her hand abruptly. "Shh. No questions. You must be silent!" she scowls, thinking Alina spoke out loud not realizing that Abellona was actually reading her thoughts. "Brandon, do not open your eyes. Just concentrate on the sound of my voice."

Brandon nods.

Placing all the elements at their proper place around the pentacle, Abellona paces 'round and then places the dead bird on the floor before Brandon. Walking toward her cauldron, she uses a ladle to spoon some tea into a cup, and then heads back toward the circle. She places the cup to Brandon's lips. "Sip, my dear. Allow the tea to warm your body and meditate. Let your mind wander freely and don't let anything distract you."

He sips the tea as Abellona traces around the circle with smoldering sage, shielding the circle with a protective barrier.

Abellona extinguishes the sage, and stands at the east point of the circle, her back facing Brandon as her hands are lifted high into the air. "Hear me Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East, I summon Air!" A brisk cold wind flashes throughout the room. Brandon's eyes are squeezed tightly as he forces himself not to look, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

Abellona paces to the south point of the circle; her hands held high in the air. "Hear me Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South, I summon Fire!" Every single unlit candle in the dark room is suddenly ignited.

Going to the west point of the circle with her hands held high, Abellona recites, "Hear me Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, I summon Water!" A light mist of liquid rains down upon Brandon's shirtless body. He slightly jerks from the sudden feeling of wetness splashing over him. Alina licks her lips in anticipation as she admires his hard body glistening from the sheen coat of water on his skin.

Abellona walks to the north point of the circle, her hands still held high in the air. Hear me Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North, I summon Earth!" White sand sprinkles down from the ceiling, falling lightly upon Brandon's head.

Abellona recites loudly, "Hear me Guardians of the Watchtowers, I, High Priestess Abellona and Enchanter Brandon, do summon you to stir and bring forth of the powers this Enchanter possesses. Hail and we welcome you!" Abellona spins around to face Brandon. She, Alina, and Alethea stare in wonder as the color erases from Brandon's skin, appearing bloodless. As his body trembles, his eyes flicker open.

The women stand back in amazement when they see that Brandon's once electric green eyes have suddenly changed to a bold brown with fiery red pupils. Abellona's mouth drops in utter shock as she looks over toward Alina.

Alina shows a blank look on her face not understanding what his now brownish red eyes define.

Lightning strikes from all directions within the room causing bookshelves to explode and glass to shatter. As Brandon slowly rises to his feet, he arches his back, displaying his chest to the Guardians. Twitching as if bestowing a powerful orgasm within, he belts out a low, boisterous, shrieking cry and lifts his hands high into the air. With his predatory appearance, he looks over at Alina, his brownish red eyes glaring. She places her hand over her heart and painfully gasps for oxygen.

Abellona can see Alina struggling to breathe, and whisks her magickal hands toward Brandon to stop his painful assault, but to no avail.

Alina instantaneously drops to the floor, doubling over, clutching her hand to her chest. Alethea drops to her knees, shaking Alina, trying to will her to breathe, but nothing is working.

"He's killing her, Nana!" Alethea hollers. "Do something!"

"My magick is useless upon him. Alina is the only one who can stop him! He possesses luring. A power that stems from his family of evil sorcerers."

Alina hears the words spill from Abellona's mouth. She tries her damnedest to stand and then grabs hold of the counter to stabilize her balance. She hobbles toward Brandon with her hands extended, still struggling to breathe, her lips turning fifty shades of blue.

"Don't enter the circle, Alina!" Abellona warns.

But Alina doesn't listen and steps into the circle, embracing her arms securely around Brandon's body. Pressing her head into his chest, she can finally breathe in deeply, his magnificent scent enveloping her senses.

Suddenly, he collapses to his knees and his hand brushes up against the dead bird on the floor. Alina watches as it suddenly flies off banging clumsily into walls. Abellona quickly unhinges a window, and pushes it open. The bird escapes.

Everything in the room becomes still and Alina reclines Brandon on to his back as she straddles atop his massive chest.

As his body lies still beneath her, Brandon's eyes are closed.

Abellona and Alethea stand back hoping that when he opens his eyes, they are back to electric green. Abellona knows that what lies inside Brandon's soul is something awful and this ritual that she incanted brought out his worst.

Alina taps Brandon's cheek, trying to wake him. His eyes begin to flicker open and she's relieved to see that his eyes aren't brownish red anymore. "Do you remember anything, Brandon?"

He nods. "Yes, and why are you on top of me?" He rises from the floor and helps Alina to her feet.

"I was trying to wake you up."

"Don't ever get on top of me like that again!" his voice is loud and demanding.

Alina steps back on her heels, shocked by his blunt tone. "I'm sorry," she whispers, her eyes hurtfully peering down at the floor.

"Stop the damn apologies. It makes you appear weak!"

Alina looks at Abellona and Alethea as the two look at her with pity shown on their faces.

Abellona glares toward Brandon. "You tried to kill her!"

Brandon drops his head, shaking it shamefully back and forth. "I can't explain it. I had so much hatred built up inside me. Hatred toward Alina." He looks at Abellona for answers, but she remains silent. "How can I love someone so much and hate them at the same time?" Looking at Alina, totally confused, he reaches his arms out to hold her.

Sinking into his embrace, Alina rests her head softly against his bare chest as Brandon tenderly strokes her hair. "What does all this mean?" he whispers, caressing his lips upon her head.

Alina shrugs her shoulders, unsure as Brandon grabs his shirt and puts it on.

"To the kitchen," Abellona demands, extinguishing the candles with a fluid wave of her hand. "I'll clean up this mess later."

* * *

They gather 'round the table with shock washed over their faces. Alethea keeps peeking in at Aneira, hoping that she's still sleeping soundly. Abellona taps her fingers on the table's surface unsure of how to even begin the conversation. Brandon is holding onto Alina's hand tightly, both their hearts beating wildly not understanding what had just happened in Abellona's room of magick. One thing is for certain; though, that dark side of Brandon has made its appearance and it doesn't look good for Alina.

Placing both hands in Brandon's grasp, Alina tries to read him, but is unsuccessful.

Abellona's eyes survey Alina, knowing exactly what she's trying to do. "Alina, you can't read him anymore."

Brandon relaxes back against his chair displaying a devilish grin upon his handsome face.

"What's with that look, Brandon?" Alina asks, taking her hands away from his.

He smiles sheepishly. "Nothing."

"You think it's rather amusing that I can't read your thoughts no longer, don't you?"

"It will make our relationship more exciting if you don't know my next move."

"It will also make it more dangerous because I won't know when to protect myself when you go all murderous on me again." She defiantly crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"I would never hurt you intentionally, Alina. You know that."

"I don't know anything anymore!" she hollers, abruptly standing from the table. She looks over at Abellona. "Nana, I need to head back to New York and put in my notice at the coffee house."

Abellona stands and hugs Alina tightly. "Remember, do not remove that amulet from around your neck when you leave the town's limits."

Alina backs away, a tear trickles down her cheek making a trail through her makeup as she nods. "Yes, Nana." She turns toward Brandon. "Shall we go?"

He stands from the table and pushes in his chair. "Yes, we need to get you trained for your modeling session coming up anyway."

Abellona looks at the both of them. A week before All Hallows Eve, you must be here. There is so much that you must learn, and Alethea, Aneira, and I have to relinquish our powers to you."

"Is that really necessary?" Alina asks.

"You need all the magick that you can get before you enter the Underworld." Abellona steps in close, placing her hands upon Alina's shoulders, staring directly into her eyes. "Trust me on this. Besides, we'll be fine as long as we stay within the town's limits. And when it's all over, you'll grant us back our powers."
Chapter Sixteen

Alina buckles herself securely into her first class seat and Brandon sits beside her as he shoves his carryon bag underneath the chair in front of him. Once he's comfortably situated, he grabs hold of her hand, his thumb strumming back and forth across her knuckles. "You're not speaking very much," he acknowledges, noticing how distant she's become ever since they left Cassadaga.

"I just have a lot on my mind, I suppose. Everything is just moving so fast. It's hard to mentally digest it all."

"Are you worried about us?"

"Well," she pauses, "um, yeah. I mean, you almost killed me." Alina can feel someone's eyes on her and when she turns to see who is watching her, she notices a handsome man with light brown hair and perfect white teeth grinning at her from across the aisle. She politely smiles.

The gentleman stands from his seat and leans toward her with a pen and paper in hand. "May I have your autograph?" he asks.

Alina sighs heavily and takes the pen and paper from the man's grasp. She scribbles her name on the paper and hands it back to him with a genial smile.

"Thank you." He ushers himself back to his seat, slipping the paper and pen into his briefcase.

"Get used to that, Alina," Brandon says, referring to the attention.

Leaning her head back into the headrest, she closes her eyes, and drifts off to sleep as they level in the air.

Brandon can't help but stare at her luscious lips. He's becoming excited just thinking of being with her again. Studying her pale, milk-fed skin and how perfect she seems, he wonders if she'll ever age. Seeing Abellona, Brandon was quite shocked being in the presence of an elderly woman who didn't look a day over thirty. It was absolutely amazing.

There is so much that he needs to figure out such as who he really is. How can he love and hate Alina at the same time? Why haven't his parents' told him anything about his ancestry? Are they, too, dark sorcerers? Constant questions race through his mind, becoming a total blur. Who is Abeddon? Why would Alina's own father want to inflict harm upon her? How many others are out there in the world like him?

Freaking mind control is what Brandon remembers hearing Abellona say in her magick room, but she called it "luring." A sly snicker traces his lips and he thinks about trying his luring on a flight attendant.

Watching the tall brunette confidently strut her way down the aisle, he thinks to himself, come to me.

The brunette immediately stops her stride and turns toward Brandon. Walking to his seat, she leans in and whispers, "You needed me?"

A sheepish grin curls at the corners of his mouth. His electric green eyes aren't finished with their demands. Bring me a shot of whiskey.

The flight attendant nods her understanding and heads to the galley.

Moments later, Brandon has a satisfied grin on his face as he slams back his whiskey shot. I can totally get accustomed to this.

* * *

Brandon pulls up in front of Alina's brownstone in his Jag. He steps out and pops the trunk to retrieve her bags. She makes her way up the steps, Brandon trailing closely behind. As Alina unlocks the door and enters, she stops Brandon before he can make his way inside. She bends down, picks up her luggage, and then sets it inside the foyer.

"You're not going to let me inside?" Brandon asks, totally baffled by her sudden gesture of rudeness.

"Not tonight. There's a lot that I need to do, and you'll just distract me."

He leans in, his lips only millimeters from hers. "And, is that a bad thing?" His breath, minty sweet.

Her eyes flicker over him, her heart starting to yearn. "Yes, it's a bad thing." She splays her hand on his chest, gently pushing him away from the door.

"I'm not leaving you alone, Alina. You should know by now how much you mean to me."

She tosses her head back and laughs. "If I mean so darn much to you, then why did you try to suffocate me in my nana's study?"

His eyes delve deeply into Alina as he tries his luring on her. Let me in.

"Ha! I know what you're trying to do. It won't work on me."

Staring down at his tennis shoes, he chuckles. "You can't blame me for trying."

"Goodnight, Brandon." She pushes him away and closes the door, leaving him on the front steps.

* * *

Stepping into a hot bath, Alina reclines against the tub, her eyes closed as she reminisces about the past events. Everything has gone by unbelievably fast and just knowing what lies ahead terrifies her. Not quite understanding why Brandon feels the desire to harm her when he's in his spellbound state, makes her question their relationship. How can she expect to be with someone who loves her one minute and then wants to kill her the next? There must be some sort of explanation out there somewhere that can enlighten her of why Brandon is the way that he is and not to mention, a little more information about Samhain would have been helpful. Why didn't Alina's mother tell her more when she was a child? And why was Annabella the only one who had more in depth knowledge on what they are?

Grabbing a towel from the rod on the wall, Alina steps out of the bathtub, and dries herself off. She wraps the towel around her and bends down to grab a hairdryer from underneath the sink's cabinet. She can feel the presence of body heat resonating from behind. Her heart stills as she's reluctant to move. Closing her eyes tightly, she takes in a deep breath, thinking that her mind is most likely playing tricks on her. When she looks into the mirror, her heart almost drops to her stomach when she sees Brandon standing right behind her.

Clenching tightly to her towel, she looks at him in shock. "How did you get in here?"

He steps in closer, his electric green eyes gazing lustfully into hers. "I'm a witch, silly. How else do you think I got in here?"

"You're a sorcerer, Brandon. Not a witch." Alina places her hand on Brandon's chest, attempting to push him away. "Please, Brandon. Not now."

"I'm both," he replies cockily as he flicks Alina's damp hair across her shoulder and buries his lips at the crook of her neck. Her body tenses, trying to resist his sensual energy. "You don't want me to really stop, do you?" he asks, trailing tiny kisses down her arm to her wrist. Holding her hand to his lips, he lifts his eyes to meet hers. "Answer my question, Alina."

Her heart quickens in her chest and she becomes breathless at his heated glance. "Um...I..." her voice trails off as she succumbs to his embrace.

"That's it, baby." Hoisting her into his arms, Brandon carries Alina to her bedroom and lies her onto the bed gently. Hovering above, he stares longingly into her eyes. "You should never push me away, Alina. It only makes me want you more. You yourself should know that you can never defeat me. I'm stronger than you now because I not only have your blood coursing through my veins, but also, I have the blood of Durion." With one swift flick of his wrist, both of Alina's hands are stretched high above her head, gripped firmly in Brandon's right hand. "I want to possess your body so bad that it's killing me." He lowers his lips to her, passionately claiming her mouth.

When he comes up for air, Alina's eyes follow along his gorgeous body. He rises from above and disrobes in one swift motion, his chest gloriously exposed to her. Licking her lips in wild anticipation, she trails her index finger along the fine line of his happy trail.

"You're mine, Alina. Remember that," he says. "No one else's. You will do whatever I say, do you understand?"

Hearing his aggressive tone places Alina a bit on edge. She had never imagined that he could be so dominating. Sure, it was quite a turn-on to have a man so devilishly handsome want her so badly, but something has changed within him since he had been transformed, and it quite frankly frightened her a bit.

With a nod of hesitation, Alina agrees to his demand. "Only yours, Brandon."

His eyes skim down her entire body, taking in her beauty. "So beautiful. You are the epitome of Heaven."
Chapter Seventeen

"Gary, he knows," Kitty says to Mr. Beaumont when she realizes that Brandon is aware of whom he came from.

Gary looks up from his wire frame glasses and over the newspaper as he sits at the kitchen table. "Come again, dear?"

"It woke me from my sleep. Brandon has figured out the family curse." Kitty walks to the kitchen sink, her palms resting on the counter, gazing down into the drain in sheer dread.

Gary can see her back rising and falling as she's breathing heavily from behind. Folding his newspaper in half, he stands from the table, and walks toward Kitty. As he gently swipes her brunette hair from her shoulders, Gary presses a simple kiss upon the crook of her neck. "You're being paranoid." His hands wander to her tiny waist and he rests them atop her hips. He groans passionately.

"Dang it, Gary! Can you get lust off your mind for once?" She tilts her head toward his cheek. "This is serious."

"Now, how in the heck could he have found out?" he asks, nuzzling his nose into her fragrant hair.

Kitty turns to face him. "I don't know how, but I know that he knows. We have to get to New York quickly. He may do something stupid."

"Relax. You're getting all wound up over nothing. What's the worst that could happen? All he can do is research. It's not like he can use any of his powers. You know as well as I do that he either has to take a fair-haired-one's virginity, or find the crystal, and no one knows where that is. We're all useless without the crystal, you know that." Gary steps back on his heels and sucks in a deep, exasperated breath.

"Ah, yes...A fair-haired virgin. Those are pretty rare." Kitty chuckles. "Can you imagine the power he would possess if he managed to do that? My, gosh! He could practically rule the world." Her joking manner turns suddenly serious. "But, I still need to see him. We have a lot of explaining to do. I'm going to New York whether you come with me or not."

Dreadfully, Gary rubs the back of his neck and then runs his hands through his dark brown hair. He huffs. "Alright. I'll go with you."

Kitty kisses him on the cheek and playfully smacks his bottom on his flannel pajamas. Gary follows her up the spiral staircase to their massive master-suite.

As she pulls the luggage from the top shelf of the closet, she looks at Gary while he's tugging on his jeans. "Should we call Brandon and let him know that we're coming?" she asks.

"No, let's surprise him," he answers.

* * *

Pulling on his pants, Brandon leans over and kisses Alina on her cheek as she still lay sleeping. She rolls over slightly and sees his beaming smile.

"I need to head into the office for a while."

"Perfect," she says. "That will give me time to get over to the coffee shop and put in my notice."

"You're quitting today?" He slips his arms through the sleeves of his shirt, buttoning it up, leaving the collar opened slightly.

"Well, yeah," she replies, assuming she thought that Brandon knew that she couldn't work her barista job any longer, be a supermodel, and fight evil at the same time.

"Why don't you wait until I come back? I don't want you wandering the streets without me."

She playfully smacks him across the shoulder as she sits up clenching the bed sheet over her bare chest. "I can handle myself, Brandon."

He sighs heavily, shaking his head in doubt.

"Besides, I have my amulet. You know nothing can harm me as long as I have this." Her fingertip grazes the large, red stone.

Brandon's lips curl into a smile. "Alright, beautiful. Just please, if you sense anything out of the ordinary, do not hesitate to call me." He bends down with his forefinger curled underneath her chin, guiding her eyes to look at him. "Do you understand?" His eyes show extreme demand.

She nods and he plants a tender kiss upon her forehead.

***

Alina skips down the steps outside her house and sees Ms. Miller standing on the sidewalk wearing a navy blue jogging suit. Reaching into her purse, Alina takes out a glass, amber colored vile and hands it to her.

"Thank you, dear," Ms. Miller says with a smile. You should really sell this stuff. It's a miracle."

Alina grins. "That's why I call it Alina's Miracle Oil."

"Are you heading to work?"

"Yes, ma'am." Alina starts to walk down the sidewalk toward the coffee shop, but Ms. Miller calls out, "The coffee shop's closed up. Couldn't renew the lease."

Alina stops dead in her tracks and turns to look at Ms. Miller, raising a curious eyebrow. "What?" she asks, not quite grasping what Ms. Miller had said.

"Shut down yesterday."

Alina's feet run as fast as her little flats could carry her. Standing in front of the coffee shop's window, she sees a sign that reads, Lost our Lease. Alina gasps in alarm as she pulls her cell phone from her purse. "What happened?" she asks Patrick, her boss, into the phone.

"The city wouldn't renew our lease. Seems some hotshot investor is buying up all the property along the block," he says in a solemn voice. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I sunk every penny that I had into that business and I don't have any money to reopen another shop anywhere else in the city. Rental costs are too high."

Alina presses her back against the glass door and slides down to her bottom, her mouth gaping open in shock. "I'm so sorry." Suddenly, her eyes widen as an idea pops into her head. "Don't you worry, Patrick. I'll figure something out." She disconnects the call and dials Brandon's number. The call goes straight to his voicemail.

She tosses her cell phone into her purse and walks swiftly up the sidewalk to her bank. Realizing that the clock was ticking down to Samhain, she knew this time was as good as any to start on her benevolence. Walking confidently up to the bank teller, she places her purse on the counter. The black-haired young woman looks at Alina over her computer monitor. "Good morning. What can I do for you today?"

Alina looks into the woman's deep brown eyes, hoping like heck that she can pull off Anna's identity, and reaches into her purse, retrieving her checkbook. "I'd like to withdraw one-million dollars please," Alina says without even flinching.

The teller clears her throat, flabbergasted at such a large amount. "Um...you will have to speak with my manager. He must approve it. If you would be so kindly to have a seat over there." She points toward a large number of wingback chairs in the lobby. "Mr. Chaste will be with you shortly."

"Thank you." Alina smiles. She drops her checkbook back inside her purse, and walks toward the lobby to find a seat.

Continuously looking around as if she's nervous, her eyes lock instantly on a tall, thin, balding man dressed in a dark gray suit. He begins walking toward her with his hand extended. "So nice to meet you, Miss Porter."

Alina shakes his hand. "Nice to meet you, too, sir."

With her hand still held in his, he guides her from the chair. "I'm Grant Chaste," he introduces, relinquishing his grasp. He motions with his hand to follow him. "Come, let's speak in my office."

Alina sits in a chair in front of his large mahogany desk. She surveys the room, seeing many pictures of beach scenery. Wearing white linen slacks, she crosses her legs, and runs her hands along the fine, buttery soft leather of the chair's arm.

Mr. Chaste sits and folds his hands on top of his desk calendar. "Miss Porter, I understand that you would like to withdraw a substantial amount of money from my bank."

Alina nods. "Yes, sir." She places her hands in her lap, threading her fingers, hoping not to appear too antsy.

"If you don't mind me asking, why such a hefty withdrawal?"

"I'm going to help out a friend."

"Oh." He relaxes back against his high back, black leather chair. "And who might that be?"

Alina leans over his desk and curls her index finger, flicking it in a come hither motion. "That's none of your business, is it?" she whispers, and then relaxes herself back against the chair. "If you're worried that I'm transferring funds to another bank, don't be. If that were the case, I'd withdraw all fifty-mill."

"Although I know who you are, I still must see some identification. I need to take down your driver's license number."

"Of course." Alina pulls her wallet from her purse and grabs Anna's driver's license. "Here you are." She slides it across the desk.

Mr. Chaste studies it, flashing glances from the I.D. to Alina with questioning eyes.

Alina rolls her eyes. "Jeez, Mr. Chaste. It's me, Annabella."

He pulls out a slip of paper and slides it across the desk. "Do you want the funds in cash or a cashier's check?"

Knowing that carrying one-million dollars on the streets of Manhattan was insane, she elected to have the cashier's check. "Make it out to Patrick Dalton."

Mr. Chaste rounds the desk and stands before Alina, casually crossing one ankle over the other as he leans against the corner of the desk. "Give me a few minutes and I'll have the check ready for you."

"Thank you, sir."

He exits his office and Alina dials Brandon one more time. This time, she leaves a message on his voicemail. "Apparently you aren't too worried about me. I've called you twice and got your voicemail. I'm at the bank, but will be home after twelve this afternoon. I have to head to my boss's apartment for a few minutes." She disconnects the call. Standing from the chair, she walks throughout the office, and looks at the bookshelf. Noticing a leather bound, old book, she pulls it from the shelf, and flips it open to view the tattered pages. The almost faded title reads, "The Fair-Haired-Ones." Intrigued, she flips to the middle of the book and notices an old black and white photograph of a woman with long flowing hair. Underneath the picture, it reads, "Twins of fair-hair will bear the mark of the triple goddess on the inside of their right wrists. Solid indications of the devil's spawn. Witches, who calls themselves enchantress's, to fool those around them into believing they practice only white magick, when in reality, black magick is performed by the evil doer."

Alina quickly closes the book and looks up at the ceiling for security cameras. Seeing none, she stealthily slips the book into her purse and sits back down in the chair. Her heart beats diabolically in her chest as she wants to read more, knowing this book could be the answer of her ancestry. Her legs bounce up and down anxiously waiting for Mr. Chaste to enter the office with her check. Black magick? My sister.

She turns when she sees the door open and Mr. Chaste enters. He extends the check to her with a smile on his face. "Will this be all, Miss Porter?"

She looks down at the floor, not able to make eye contact knowing that she has a stolen book inside her purse. "Yes, sir." She glances up to meet his blue gaze. "I will be back, though. I have a few other hefty withdrawals that I need to do before the week's end." With that, she turns on her heel, and leaves his office.

* * *

Knocking on the door of Patrick's apartment, Alina is stunned to see him answer the door looking extremely exhausted. Wearing only a black and blue plaid bathrobe and barefoot, he invites Alina inside.

"What brings you here?" he asks, walking into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.

Alina looks around at his immaculate, quaint apartment and is quite impressed at its cleanliness. "Sebastian at work?"

Patrick places a TIFFANY & Co. mug in front of her, filled with French vanilla coffee. He rounds the table and sits across from her, slowly sipping his java. "Yeah, he had to open the bookstore this morning." He shifts in his chair, wrapping his hands around his mug, warming his palms. "I don't know how he and I are going to survive on his salary alone. Hell..." he pauses, "Sebastian and my wedding took all of our savings. But, no!" He throws up his hands dramatically. "Sebastian had to have a huge ceremony. Now, he's regretting it."

"I'm so sorry." Alina reaches across the table and grabs Patrick's hands. Looking sincerely into his eyes, she says, "Patrick, you've been such a wonderful boss to me. I consider you more than a friend, you're my family." She bends down and picks up her purse off the floor. Reaching in, she pulls out the cashier's check, and presents it to him. "I want you to have this."

Patrick politely plucks the check from her hand and his eyes bulge in surprise as he looks at all the zeros. "I-I-I..."

Alina quickly interrupts, "You don't have to say a word, Patrick. Please accept my gift. I want you to start over. You have enough money now to lease a coffee shop in the busiest part of Manhattan."

"I will pay you back, I promise!"

She shakes her head back and forth and puts up a dismissive hand. "No, it's a gift. You will not pay me back."

"I honestly don't know what to say."

Alina grabs her purse and stands from the table. Patrick rushes toward her and throws his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I honestly don't know what I'd do without you, Alina. You're like my own sister."

When Patrick came out of the closet, revealing that he was gay to his parents', they disowned him. Patrick's wedding was in Lake Tahoe, California. Alina was shocked when Partick's and Sebastian's parents' didn't attend. The heart wrenching look of disappointment on their faces hurt Alina deeply. Knowing how it felt to lose a parent, she did everything in her power to ease their broken hearts by becoming someone the two could rely on.

"Just make that coffee shop a huge hit."

"You sound as though you won't work for me any longer."

"I'm sorry, Patrick, but I can't. I was actually going to the shop this morning to give you my notice, but I saw that the shop had closed up."

"Why won't you work for me anymore?" he asks. "How about I make you partner?"

She rocks back on her heels and holds Patrick by the hands. "That's not necessary. Besides, I found my grandmother in Florida. I also discovered that I have a half-sister living there as well. Anna and I are selling our house and will be moving to Florida."

"No!" he exclaims. "I mean, I'm not upset that you found some family, I'm just hurt that you're leaving me."

She smiles, looking into his teal-green eyes as she sweeps a stray strand of his bangs across his forehead. "I can come visit you whenever I want, or you can come visit me. It's not goodbye, Patrick."

Tears well in his eyes and he hugs her once more. "Do what you need to do. I am happy for you and I can't express my gratitude enough for your generous gift."

"It's the least I could do for such a wonderful friend." She steps on her tiptoes and kisses his forehead. "I love you, Patrick. Please tell Sebastian that I love him, too."
Chapter Eighteen

"I'll be at your house by five," Brandon says into the phone, sitting behind his office desk.

Alina sits on the couch, crossing her feet on the coffee table. "I'll prepare you a lovely meal."

"Sounds wonderful, baby. So sorry that I missed your calls. I've been in meeting after meeting trying to make up for the days that I've missed. I hope that you understand."

"No need to explain."

"Which reminds me. I need you at the studio in the morning. I can drive you. We need to get this shoot finalized."

Alina unpleasantly rolls her eyes. "What should I wear?"

"Whatever you want. They'll be clothes for you to change in to when you get here."

Pulling the book that she had stolen from the bank from her purse, she studies the leather cover, running her fingers over the raised lettering of the fading title. "Alright."

"I love you, beautiful."

"I love you, too, Brandon."

Examining the book, Alina's heart beats erratically in her chest, banging against her rib cage. Why does this book scare me so much?

Her eyes skim to the first chapter, which reveals information about her father.

Abeddon, who disguises himself in many ways. A human, an animal, or object. He roams the earth, searching for weak, dark souls to recruit into his army. His goal is to rule the earth and will stop at nothing until he possesses every living being within. Full of deceit, he will fool anyone who crosses his path. His children, which some are known as the "Fair-Haired-Ones," walk the earth freely and obtain great power. Some use dark magick, black magick to get what they yearn for. Not only are they identified by having pale, white hair and electric green eyes, but also, they have the mark of the triple goddess on the inside of their right wrist. Only female, these women call themselves enchantress's while they are, in fact, witches. One set of twins will be born from the womb of a powerful goddess. One will be good, the other, evil. The good one will have the power to bring down their ruler and bestow peace on earth to all.

Alina sucks in a deep breath, frantically flipping through the pages of the book hoping to find a copyright date. When was this book written? Do all of his children bear the mark? Is my grandmother his spawn, too?

Alina studies the book more intently, but a copyright date could not be found, but judging by the yellowing of the pages and the rips in the leather binding, the book must be very old, ancient even. She immediately stops at a page when she notices a man having a facial structure that looks similar to Brandon's. Strong, dominate features. Even Roman godlike. Immediately, she believes him to be Brandon's ancestor.

Durion, the ultimate, dark, evil sorcerer. Known for his deceiving, ultramarine blue eyes, gaining trust among skeptics. A very powerful sorcerer who will stop at nothing to take over Abeddon's throne. Durion will become dormant for years to come, but will awaken when his descendant is mated with a Fair-Haired virgin. Durion will possess the descendent and grant him his extreme powers. The decedent's goal is to kill every Fair-Haired-One in existence. He is devoted to his mate, but is very deadly to her. The mate must be always on extreme alert. During rituals and battles, the descendent becomes evil and attempts to kill the mate. The mate's only defense is to relinquish him of all his power. The mate holds the key to world peace.

Alina slams her back against the sofa in total awe of what she had just read. Brandon. Oh my! What have I done? Why did Nana allow me to turn him? Did she know? Alina shakes her head trying to focus. No, she couldn't have known. Could she?

Looking at the clock, she notices that it's almost five. Hiding the book underneath the sofa cushion, she rushes into the kitchen to start dinner. Spaghetti, a garden salad, and garlic bread. She places a pot of water on the stove and grabs a package of frozen garlic bread from the freezer. Removing the bread from the box, she sets it on a pan and waits for the oven to preheat. She chops lettuce and tomato and sprinkles it with shredded cheddar cheese in a large mixing bowl, dousing it with Italian dressing before placing it into the refrigerator.

As Alina stirs the noodles in boiling water, she's startled when she steps back and bumps into something. She swiftly turns around and sees Brandon standing before her. Her heart races. "Jeez! You have to stop sneaking in here! You almost made me have a heart attack!"

He smiles playfully, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. She breathes in the scent of his cologne as her cheek rests flush against the lapel of his suit-coat. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to all this magick. It's quite fun, don't you think?"

She looks up into his eyes. "You must be careful, Brandon. What if someone saw you magickally black orbit through the front door?"

Tossing his head back and laughing, he says, "It wasn't the door I black orbited through, it was your upstairs bedroom window."

Alina gasps in astonishment. "Brandon! You need to be careful and take this seriously. You," she says, eyeing him up and down, "I mean, we, are not supposed to reveal ourselves of who we are."

Brandon sits down at the table and casually crosses his legs, strumming his fingers on the surface. "And why is that?"

Alina rolls her eyes, aggravated as why she even has to explain it to him. "There are people out there who hunt us. Do you want to become a target?"

He laughs evilly. "Like someone could kill us?" he jokes. "Pftt! They wish."

"You sure have become quite cocky ever since we returned from Florida."

Looking down at the zipper of his slacks, he flicks his eyes back upon her, and salaciously grins. "You like cocky?"

She rolls her eyes again and pours spaghetti sauce into a small pot. Facing the stove as she stirs the sauce, she shakes her head in doubt. "I'm really not liking this side of you, Brandon."
Chapter Nineteen

Brandon enters his apartment and hangs his suit-coat on the rack next to the front door. With each step, his black lace-up oxfords click upon the black and white swirled marble tile leading into the main room. He stops abruptly when he sees his mother and father sitting on the black leather sofa, watching television.

Kitty stands wearing a pale pink velour sweat suit and excitedly rushes toward Brandon, throwing her arms around him.

He picks her up off the floor and swings her in circles. "Mom, what are you and Dad doing here?" he asks, placing her back upon her feet.

She looks up into his eyes and her mouth practically hits the floor. She begins to back away slowly.

"What's the matter, Mom?"

Feeling her way back to the sofa, she doesn't cease eye contact. As she sits, she looks at Gary. When he sees the dire expression on his wife's face, he looks toward Brandon, and can see his newly electric green eyes.

Gary jumps to his feet and grabs Brandon by the wrist, forcing up his sleeve, popping off the silver cufflink due to his strength. Astounded, he drops Brandon's hand at his side. "What in the hell have you done?"

Brandon innocently shrugs his shoulders. "It's just a tattoo," he says, nonchalantly. "It's no big deal."

"The hell it is!" Gary's voice bellows throughout the apartment, echoing off the prim white walls. His chest heaves against his pale blue polo, the buttons almost popping off the front of his shirt from the strain.

Kitty interrupts as she settles onto the sofa, "Your eyes, Brandon! Oh, please, don't tell me that you have been transitioned." She pulls at her heart, her breathing becoming erratic.

Brandon furrows his brow in befuddlement. "Transitioned?" he questions. "What do you mean, transitioned?"

"You found the crystal." Kitty assumes. She shakes her head with uncertainty "No, you couldn't have. The crystal would not have changed your eyes or put that hideous mark on your wrist!"

"What crystal?" Brandon asks.

"The painite."

"Painite? I've never heard of such a thing," Brandon replies, running his hands through his hair seeming stressed.

"Okay, Brandon," Kitty remarks, "if you haven't found the painite, then—"

Before he can answer, she cuts him off, "And please don't tell me that you devirginized a Fair-Haired-One." But deep down, she knew the truth. It can only explain his electric green eyes and the mark on his wrist.

He plops down on the sofa, taking his mother's hand in his. She delicately runs her fingertips back and forth across the mark on his wrist. Gary takes a seat in the leather chair across from the coffee table.

"Fair-Haired-One?" Brandon is confused.

Kitty shifts her weight toward Brandon. He gazes into his mother's ultramarine blue eyes and lovingly strokes her dark brown hair. "Mother, I have no idea what you're talking about."

She immediately stands with her hands on her hips. "Cut the bull crap, Brandon. I know what has happened to you. You better tell me the truth, or I will smack the truth right out of you. Do you understand me?"

He relaxes back against the sofa, kneading his fingers into the back of his tensed neck. "I met a woman and fell in love with her."

"Is she a Fair-Haired-One?"

"Fair-Haired?" he questions. "If you're asking if she's blonde, then yes, she has blonde hair."

"And electric green eyes and a triple moon mark on her wrist, too, right?"

He nods. "Yes."

Kitty looks over at her husband, shaking her head in disgust.

"Well, there's nothing you can do about it now," Gary says, acting calmly.

Falling back down to the sofa next to Brandon, Kitty looks at him and asks, "Do you understand anything about what has happened to you?"

Brandon explains his trip to Florida with Alina and how he had transitioned when he made love to her in the town of Cassadaga. As soon as Kitty heard that he was transitioned in that particular town, she knew that his power isn't as strong as she'd hoped. Kitty went into detail that when he transitioned in that sacred town, that he didn't have the full power of Durion. That Brandon's power is mixed with Abeddon, and because Alina is a daughter of Abeddon, that she can strip Brandon of his power at any moment. But, Alina is also confused by her gift. She thought that she knew all there was to know about her magick after Abellona had explained it to her, but after Alina discovered the prophecy book, she knew that there was much more to her magick than Abellona had led on. She even has the power of Durion within her.

"Brandon, the only way you will be able to keep your power is if you find the painite crystal."

"Where is it?"

"No one knows. Some of our kind believes that it's within one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, but no one has really wanted to find it. We wanted our kind to abolish. Only wanting to live as a basic human."

"Am I immortal?" he asks.

"As long as you have your power, you will never age a day more."

"Tell me more about the painite crystal."

Gary stands and walks into Brandon's state-of-the-art kitchen, grabbing a bottle of imported beer from the stainless steel refrigerator, and sitting down at the granite-topped bar.

"I can tell that Dad wants nothing to do with this curse," Brandon assumes.

"You're right, dear. He doesn't."

"Why is finding the crystal so important?"

"According to the prophecy, your girlfriend's father, Abeddon, who people in the human world believe him to be Satan, is going to take over the world. The only person who can stop him is someone of his own blood, or Durion. You, son, have Durion inside of you as we speak. He possessed your body during the time you and Alina consummated your relationship."

"How can you be so sure? How do you know that it's not just Alina's blood pulsing through my veins?"

"Because your hair is still brown. If Durion was not inside you, you would be a Fair-Haired-One now."

He looks down into his lap, shaking his head from side to side, almost ashamed.

"You can remove Abeddon from his throne and become ruler, but you will be a dark ruler, like him. You must know that if you become ruler, Alina will stop at nothing by taking the throne away from you. She can strip you of all your power, and worst of all, she can kill you. Once you accept the throne and Alina dead, we will have our power."

"Her main mission is to rescue her mother and sister," he entails.

"Is she a good person, Brandon?"

"Yes, Mother. She has never done anything horrible in her life. Her sister, Annabella, is the evil one."

Kitty exhaustingly breathes out a puff of air. "Alina and Annabella are the twins indicated in the prophecy. One good, the other, evil. If the prophecy plays out as predicted, Alina will become ruler. She will destroy you as soon as Abeddon is conquered and then she will come after us, ridding the world of our kind. It doesn't matter if we all do good now. Just having Durion's blood pumping through our veins is enough for her to drive us to extinction. You can't allow that to happen, Brandon. You must take down Abeddon, and kill Alina in the process."

Brandon immediately stands, desperately running his hands through his hair. "I can't do that. I love her."

"It doesn't matter. When you're engaged in battle, all feeling toward her will turn to hatred. You will destroy her."

Shaking his head incessantly back and forth, clenching his fists at his sides, he says, "I can't do it."

"You will do it. On All Hallows Eve."

* * *

Climbing into bed with the book that Alina stole from the bank, she turns on the lamp while flipping through more pages, and is rather thankful that Brandon didn't want to stay the night. Although she knew that he was nowhere inside the house, Alina couldn't help but look around constantly to see if he appeared anywhere like he had done before.

Sucking in a dreadful breath, she studies the pages, gaining information on her boyfriend and what is to come of her future. Her nerves are taking control, causing her to feel a sense of nausea, anxiety, and worry. The feeling is maddening, as she believes that she has no sense of control over her own emotions anymore.

Alina remembers that Anna has some Niacin, a natural form of anti-anxiety medication stored inside the medicine cabinet above the sink inside the bathroom. She pops a capsule into her mouth and guzzles it down with some water.

Climbing back into bed, her mind drifts. Durion? She questions herself. Where have I heard that name? She tries to think back on her past when she had been living happily with her mother. To no avail, she simply could not remember where she had heard the sorcerer's name before.

Flipping through the book, she comes to a page that displays several Fair-Haired women standing in a circle, holding hands around a balefire on what looks to be Yule. Underneath the photo, it reads:

The Faired-Haired-Ones. Known for electric green eyes and platinum blonde, long flowing hair. They are descendants of Zeus and are among the innocent of all goddesses. Some bear the mark of the triple goddess on the inside of the right wrist. Some do not. The mark is only granted when a Fair-Haired-One opens the mother's grimoire and then, the Fair-Haired-One will be marked for life. They will possess great power, but the power should be only used for good. It is written that Athena will become manipulated by the greatest of all dark gods, Abeddon, and Athena will give birth to twin Fair-Haired goddesses. One will be evil, the other, good. One will rule the throne, the other will perish.

One enchantress; however, will be gifted the mark at age three. This child is a great protector, and will stop at nothing to protect and guide the new ruler. Government agencies will constantly hunt and try to kill the little one in fear that she will turn against her country and start a World War.

When Alina reads the word, "perish," her heart sinks to her stomach. Am I going into battle against my sister, too? I can't take on my father and Anna at the same time. But, perish? I refuse to kill my sister. The future may be written on paper, but I have the power to actually change it. I can't change the past, but I surely can control what the future will hold, and that is allowing my sister to live. Her breathing becomes rapid, her heart strumming hard in her ears, preventing her to focus. And my mother? Oh, god! Am I going to have to take on my own mother? And poor Aneira. She will be running for the rest of her life.

Startled by the ringing of her cell phone, Alina picks it up from the nightstand and sees Brandon's name on the screen. He tells her that his parents' have come to visit, but are leaving on a plane the next morning.

"You don't want me to meet them?" she asks.

Brandon knows that if she were to meet his parents' that it would cause all sorts of tension and he simply was not ready for such confrontation. "They're just passing through on their way up to Maine," he lies. "You can meet them when they come back through on their way home."

She nods, not saying a word. Just knowing that he's going to try to kill her is making her angry, but she holds in her frustration, and continues on with the conversation. "I understand."

"Is everything alright?" he asks, sensing some strain in her voice. "Do you need me to come over?"

She sits up alertly from her relaxed position on the bed. "No!" she raises her voice through the receiver. She clears her throat and answers his question in a softer tone, "I mean, I'm already in bed. Just enjoy your time with your family. I'll see you tomorrow." She disconnects the call and continues reading.

Suddenly, she slams the book closed. "Oh, god! Brandon's parents' are in town! They know of his power. They will give him more information!" She climbs out of bed, pacing frantically back and forth. Alina did feel at ease knowing that Brandon had no idea of him possibly becoming ruler of the Underworld, which was going to provide Alina an advantage. Now that he may be aware of whom he is, her plans are becoming foiled. Crap!
Chapter Twenty

The next morning, Alina jolts from her sleep by the sound of someone pounding on the front door. Still dressed in her robe from the night before, she quickly dashes down the stairs, cinching the robe tightly at her waist to prevent it from coming open. "I'm coming!" She stands at the door on her tiptoes and peeks through the peephole. Shocked at who is on the other side with the sunlight bouncing rays off his bald head, she speaks through the door, her voice slightly muffled, "What are you doing here?"

Grant clears his throat. "Cut the bull crap, Anna," he says, his voice low and husky. "You know darn well why I'm here."

Alina steps back, away from the door. Grant pounds harder. "Let me in, Anna. I want what you stole from me."

Alina walks toward the door once more, perching on her tiptoes as she examines Grant through the peephole again. Judging by his clenched jaw and his hands balled into fists, she knew that she must give the book back to him. She breathes out slowly and unlatches the deadbolt. He steps inside, towering over her at six-foot-two. "Where is it?"

Her pulse begins to race and her face reddens. She angrily glares up into his blue eyes. "Don't you dare come into my house banging on my door like that!"

"But—"

She points her forefinger with intense petulance. "Don't you but me," she cut him off. "If you want something, you ask nicely. Do you understand?"

"You stole something from me, my dear. And I want it back!" His glare not softening as it slices through her like a hot knife slicing through butter.

"Let me correct you, Mr. Chaste. I did not steal anything from you. I was going to give it back." She backs away from his towering stance, but he moves closer with each step that she takes. Not removing her gaze from his, she stares at him as if she's challenging him to some sort of western duel.

With a sudden grab of her wrist, Grant pushes up the sleeve of her robe, revealing her triple goddess mark. "I knew it!" He drops her hand. "You're a witch!"

"And what the heck are you?" she asks, her voice echoing throughout the house.

"I'm human."

"Then what are you doing with that book, and why do you want it back so badly?" She motions her hand for Grant to follow her into the living room. "Sit!"

He falls heavily down onto the sofa with his head held in his hands. "It's my wife. She is..." his voice catches in his throat as he tries to choke back tears.

"Go on," Alina urges, standing in front of him, tapping her foot.

"She is what you are."

"And where is she?"

He lifts his head to look up at her and shrugs his shoulders uncertain. "Right now, she's considered a missing person with the NYPD. I came across that book as I was going through her things. I thought that she was kidnapped or murdered until I found that weird book. The platinum blonde hair, the electric green eyes, the mark on her wrist...all described in that book. She's a Fair-Haired-One. Like you."

"I know where she is."

Grant nods his head. "So do I. But, I can't get her back. I thought that all this was bull crap when I read about it. Witches? Come on. Who would believe that? I bet there are even vampires and werewolves among us, too."

Alina shakes her head back and forth, rolling her eyes regarding the vampire and werewolf comment. "Could be, but we have other things to worry about right now. My sister and mother have been taken by Abeddon, my father. I plan on getting them back during Samhain." Alina walks into the kitchen exuding a fortuitous gait. "Are you going to sit out there on the couch, or do you wish to follow me for some coffee?" She fills the coffee pot with water and sprinkles some coffee grounds into a filter, and then presses the start button.

Grant sits at the table, his fingers knotted together while twiddling his thumbs. "You mentioned Samhain. You're going to Cassadaga to sit in Abeddon's throne on Halloween?"

"All Hallows Eve," she corrects him as she pulls two mugs from the cabinet. "And yes, that's my plan." She places a mug of coffee before him and sits down, taking a sip from her own mug. "Did you know about your wife before finding the book?"

"No, I had no idea," he says, his hands wrapped tightly around the warm mug. "I did; however, find it rather peculiar that she never got sick. I remember one Thanksgiving that we spent with my entire family, we all got a horrific stomach virus, and Zivena never became sick. I have never known her to become sick. Ever."

Alina crosses her legs and sets her mug to the table. "Zivena?" she queries. "She comes from the Goddess of Life. The last of the enchantress's."

"And you know that, how?" His brows arch, displaying much interest.

"She's a very weak witch. She's the last generation of our kind."

"Do you know why Abeddon took her?"

"He added her to his army."

"So, when you go to the Underworld during Samhain, you will see her?"

"I will most likely kill her."

Grant smirks, thinking that Alina is joking, but soon realizes that when he sees her serious expression, she's not kidding. "What? You can't be serious."

"I will kill anyone who stands in my way from taking down Abeddon. What you do not realize is that I'm very powerful. Once Abeddon is taken down, I can resurrect anyone who I've killed. She will be reborn and brought back to you. Unless she's burned to death, of course."

"Will she remember me?"

"Yes, she'll remember you. She just will not have access to anymore of her power. Her hair will soon turn brunette, her eyes, a dull green, and the mark on her wrist will have disappeared. She will never have to worry about being snatched up by Abeddon ever again," Alina explains, dauntlessly. "Now, I'm sure by now that you realize that I need that book more than you do." Alina stands, indicating for Grant that it's time to take his leave.

"Yes, I understand." He walks toward the front door. "Will I get it back?"

"You will have no use for it. Neither will your wife. It's mine now, Grant. And please, do not tell anyone about me or your wife in regards to what we are. I don't need any obstacles impeding my way between now and Samhain. Is that clear?"

He nods, placing his hand on the doorknob. "Yes, it's perfectly clear."

"Before you leave, I believe that you owe me a bit of an apology for your hectic display this morning."

"I'm very sorry, Anna."

She laughs. "Oh, I'm not Anna. I'm her twin sister, Alina."

His eyes widen in surprise. "You're the good one..."

"Very good observation, Mr. Chaste. I believe that you're running a tad late for work." Her eyes focus toward the ornate German clock on the wall. "Have a pleasant day." She ushers Grant outside and closes the door behind him.

From what Grant has read in the book, just knowing that Alina is the good-one, places him partially at ease. The prophecy specifies Alina as ruler, indicating the future outcome of The Battle. As he walks up the block toward the bank, he stops suddenly in his tracks after realizing that he had given Alina the cashier's check instead of Annabella. "Crap!"

* * *

Looking through her closet for something to wear for the photo-shoot, Alina steps back into what feels like a wall. Startled, she spins around, seeing Brandon. "Dang it! Stop doing that!"

Wrapping his arms around her, he squeezes her into his chest, smelling the top of her hair. Inhaling deeply, he says, "You always smell so good."

She pushes back and his hands drop by his side. "Can't you just knock like a normal human being besides sneaking your way into my house?"

"Now where would the fun be in that?" He chuckles, surveying her in a bra and matching panties. "You look mighty delicious, Miss Porter."

She rolls her eyes. If you think that you're going to get in a quickie before the shoot, you're sorely mistaken, Brandon. And why are you here so early anyway?"

"I sensed that you had a visitor. I had to be certain that you were alright."

"How long have you been here?"

"I was here before you even allowed Grant to step inside."

"You need to stop being so overprotective."

Pulling her into him, Brandon brushes his lips atop her hair. "I will always protect you, beautiful. That will never stop."

She pushes back once more. "Yeah, until you try to kill me," she teases. And then, she's thankful that she didn't go into much detail about the book while Brandon eavesdropped on Grant's and her conversation.

* * *

It was late afternoon when the photo-shoot wrapped up. The photographer and lighting staff were a little put off by Alina's kindness, not ever experiencing such pleasant words from Anna in past sessions. No snide remarks. No dirty looks. No demands. The crew rather enjoyed this new side of Annabella, so they thought.

Deciding to walk home rather than Brandon drive her, Alina steps out onto the sidewalk. She hears sirens coming from all directions. Listening to the cries of a woman from down the block, Alina becomes alerted to the woman's beckons for help. Alina's black stiletto heels clack quickly toward the woman's voice. Police cars, fire trucks, and an ambulance surround the area, blocking the street.

Seeing a woman resting upon her knees, crying hysterically as she holds her young son's head on her lap, Alina kneels down beside her, placing her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Get back!" yells the EMT at Alina. "We need space!"

Alina glares at the man who is dressed in an all-white uniform, and then she glares at everyone surrounding her. They all become still, including the crying woman as Alina casts a temporal stasis among the city and the people, freezing time. The young boy, who looks to be only seven years old, lies still, unconscious. Alina sees a yellow Taxi parked alongside the curb with a dent on the front grill and a busted windshield. The boy was struck by the Taxi and thrown into the air, landing head-first onto the pavement.

Scooping the lifeless boy from his mother's lap, Alina holds his bloody head in her hands and squeezes her eyes closed. As she tenderly brushes his forehead with her fingertips, she looks up into the sky, calling the Quarters for help, one-by-one. She chants for the East, the South, the West, and then the North. The sky grows overcast and a loud clap of thunder clangs in Alina's ears. A burst of power pulses through her and she places the boy's blond, little head in her lap as she continues to sweep her fingertips along his pale forehead. "Sweet, baby boy. May I bestow upon you life, my child," she whispers, leaning down to kiss his cheek. His head rocks slowly from side-to-side and his eyes begin to flutter open. The boy's blood seeps back into his head, and his color comes back into his skin.

Gently placing his body back upon his mother's lap, and resting his recovered head into the palms of his mother's open hands, Alina stands and walks away, but before she rounds the block, she snaps her fingers, flicking her hands in a sweeping motion toward the crowd. The crowd comes alive and the mother peers down into her lap, seeing her son awake as if nothing had ever happened.

Alina walks back to her apartment with a proudful grin illuminating her face. Another kind act, weakening Abeddon's extreme power.

* * *

More days pass and Alina has given to countless charities all over the world, practically draining Annabella's bank account. Because of her utmost generosity, the news hit all media outlets everywhere. People no longer going hungry, homeless shelters becoming stocked with much needed necessities, orphans having suitable living conditions in Africa, sick children being miraculously healed. Ah, yes, Alina's mission is almost complete. Now, it's time to focus on The Battle.

Lying in bed, reading the prophecy book, Alina becomes intrigued when she comes to a chapter of how the chosen twin can morph into an owl. She chuckles to herself as she takes a sip of water, carefully setting the glass on the nightstand. A goddess can transform into an owl to aid her escape from evil. Curious, she wondered if it were actually possible for her to morph into such a beautiful creature. She giggles again as she reads the spell aloud on how to transform.

My goddess, my mother, your heir to the throne. Bequeath to me my wings, so to carry me free.

The light flickers inside the bedroom and a cold, brisk wind can be felt throughout. Her robe opens magickally and drifts to the chair that sets next to the window. With her skin becoming ice cold, she stares at her fingertips as they turn a pale, ghostly white. Standing from the bed, she saunters toward the mirror that rests upon the dresser and peers into it. Suddenly, the light bulb on the ceiling bursts, emanating a loud crack as the shards of glass flow effortlessly down to the floor.

Alina's wings flap as she clumsily flies into the walls of her bedroom, banging her head among the confines, searching for a way out, but the bedroom door is closed. Crap! How can I change back? She wonders. Her wings flutter, holding her high above the dresser as she looks at herself with the help of the full moonlight beaming through the open curtains. Mesmerized by her beautiful, snowy white feathers and emerald green eyes, she tries thinking of how to change back to a human.

My goddess, my mother, your heir to the throne. Bequeath to me as human, take these wings from me, allow my feet to roam, her mind requests.

Alina's bare feet hit the floor and she quickly retrieves her robe from the back of the wingback, Victorian chair. She's breathless, confused on what had just happened. Her eyes search the room for any sign of Brandon. He cannot know of this. He will not know of this.

* * *

With a sincere, gentle kiss to Alina's forehead, Brandon sits up on the bed, the blankets draped loosely around his tapered waist. Alina looks up, smiling at him, her electric green eyes sparkling.

"If we're going to catch the noon flight, we best get moving," Brandon says, standing from the bed and pulling on a black V-neck T-shirt.

Lying on her side, Alina props herself up on her elbow. She looks at the clock. "We have a few hours, lets cuddle for a while."

He grabs his blue jeans from the floor and steps into them, fastening the button below his navel. "No time for cuddling, sweetheart. We must get a move on."

Rolling her eyes and sighing, she flips off the blankets and shrugs on her terrycloth robe, padding her way into the bathroom. Starting the shower, she steps inside, and begins to wash her hair. Her mind drifts as she thinks about the upcoming battle. Fear and excitement races through her belly. Not knowing what is to become of her and Brandon's relationship afterward is maddening. Her heart begins to ache as she painfully imagines what life may be like without him. Yes, she has many doubts. As her mother and Anna explained before they had vanished, that if she's ever in doubt, to always listen to her conscious. It's a divination power that she had been gifted with. A power that she doesn't quite understand, but her love for Brandon pushed those doubts aside with regards to him being dangerous.

Alina believes that she can change him, take away his evil, dark ways. For Brandon loves her the way that she deserves to be loved.

She's startled from her thoughts when she hears a tap upon the door. "I'll be out in a minute!" she calls out.

"I'd like to shower before we take off, too."

Grabbing a towel from the hook on the wall, she steps from the shower, secures the towel around her, unlatches the door, and allows Brandon to enter. His eyes rake over her glistening, wet shoulders. Lowering his head, his tongue traces along her neck and up to her earlobe. Her towel drops. "You taste so sweet, Alina."

He drops his jeans to his ankles and swipes off his shirt. Both stepping into the shower, they're lips locked, their arms embraced around one another, holding on tightly as if it will be the last time they'll ever share a moment such as this.

Brandon pulls away, breathless, gazing deeply into Alina's eyes. "I love you so much that it's painful."

Her chest rises and falls as she breathes deeply, taking in his lips once more. "Oh, Brandon," she whispers. "I love you, too." She hugs herself, peering down onto the black and white marble tile floor. "I'm so afraid of losing you."

Holding her firmly into his muscular, naked body, he softly says into her ear, "No matter what happens, just always know that you mean the world to me. I knew it the moment that I set eyes on you for the first time. You literally took my breath away." He rests his chin on the top of her head, gazing down at the curve of her rear. "You are so perfect, beautiful. You consummate my entire being, Alina."

Turning and wrapping her arms around him, she holds him unyieldingly against her. "Please don't ever hurt me, Brandon."

He curls his index finger underneath her chin and guides her eyes to look at his face. "I will never hurt you."

"But when you transform, your goal is to kill me."

"I've learned to control it."

"How?"

He steps from the shower and wraps a towel around his waist. Grabbing her towel off the floor, he wraps it around her securely. "Never mind the how. You'll just have to trust me."
Chapter Twenty-One

Pulling from the airport in a black BMW sedan rental, Brandon and Alina make their way onto the highway toward the small Florida town of Cassadaga. Brandon notices Alina fidgeting with her hands in the passenger seat. He places his right hand on hers, attempting to ease her tension.

She peers longingly out the window, staring at the choppy water of the St. John's River as they drive over the high bridge.

"Penny for your thoughts," Brandon interrupts her concentration.

She looks at him and smiles. "I'm just daydreaming."

He squeezes her hand gently and then places his hand back upon the steering wheel. "It's going to be alright," he assures. "I won't let anything happen to you."

She runs her hand over the large gemstone of her amulet. Taking in a deep breath, she expels the air slowly from her lungs.

"I can't wait for all this to be over with."

She looks over at Brandon and raises a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"All of it," he answers. "The witchcraft, the screwed up families, everything."

"And what do you think will happen when it all comes to an end?"

"We finally can be together without worrying about that devil nonsense!" Brandon is becoming frustrated as he rakes his hand through his hair. "Don't you find it rather, um, shall I say, farfetched?"

She chuckles slightly. "I do have to admit that it is rather strange to be caught up in this life, but it's who we are now, Brandon. You can't change that."

Pulling into Abellona's grassy driveway, Brandon shuts off the car, shifting his weight toward Alina. As he takes her by the hand over the console, he brushes her knuckles against the slight stubble of his jaw. "I honestly love you, Alina." His eyes display honesty as he stares into her gaze.

Her stomach tingles and she bats her lashes, peering down into her lap, shyly. "I love you, too."

Abellona opens the front door of her modest cottage and invites the two inside. Alina hugs Abellona tightly, taking in the fruity scent of her hair. Abellona steps back and wraps her arms around Brandon, her cheek buried in his defined pecs. "You sure are a tall one." She smiles, helping him shrug off his jacket, and placing it on the coat rack. "Come." She motions her hand toward the sitting area in the living room. "Have a seat while I pour us each a cup of tea." Abellona sits in the chair and Alina and Brandon sit on the sofa across from her. Abellona leans toward the coffee table, picking up the antique teapot and pours each of them a cup of tea. Alina watches intently as she sees the steam rising from the top of the porcelain teacup.

Abellona takes a sip and places her cup back onto the matching porcelain saucer. She leans back against the chair, crossing her legs, smoothing out her long white skirt with her fingertips. "I saw you on the news, Alina," she says. "Quite a few times."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Seems you have done quite well with your good will."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Please, call me Nana," she corrects. "What's up with all this ma'am crap?"

Alina shrugs her shoulders unconfidently. "I'm nervous, I suppose."

"About The Battle?" Brandon shifts toward her, taking her hand.

"Yes, Brandon." She looks directly into his eyes. "The Battle."

"I told you that I'd protect you. I won't allow anything to happen to you."

Abellona interrupts, "Have you been having anymore visions?"

Alina flicks her eyes toward Abellona. "No, Nana. No more visions."

"Aneira has been having visions."

Alina sits up alertly on the couch. "Really? Has she explained them to you?"

"It's hard to understand her because she's so young, but from what I can make out of what she had told me, she sees snow. Lots of snow."

Alina and Brandon look at Abellona with inquisitive glances. "Snow?" Alina queries. "In Florida?"

"Anything's possible."

"I'm quite aware of that, but did Aneira say where the snow came from?"

"No, she didn't elaborate."

They all continue sipping on their tea and speaking of what's to come. Alina, becoming extremely nervous, is worried about the following day when she is granted the powers of her family. Leaving them behind in Cassadaga without any power was not settling well with her. She's constantly reminded that as long as they are within the confines of the town, they are safe. Still, Alina didn't buy it. She just didn't feel right relinquishing them of their powers while she heads off to the Underworld to try to take down the most powerful ruler of all.

Alina often thinks of who she is. How can she have such a good heart when she comes from such an awful spirit? Sure, her mother was a goddess of purity and goodness, but in most cases, by what Alina is accustomed to, evil usually is dominate over good. They always say that good will prevail, but will this reign true when it really matters? And then there's Brandon. The son of the darkest sorcerer of all, who now has his father's powers possessing his soul. Will Brandon's goodness outweigh his own evil? Alina can only hope. Fear is planted in the back of her mind about Brandon actually killing her. She's felt his strength, seen the rage in his eyes, saw the look of determined death to her on his very own face. It chills her to the core. If she can just push those fears aside, she can focus on the mission. She does need Brandon and his powers to help her win, but when she conquers what she is set out to do; will he transform, and kill her in the end? Can he really control it, or will he want to control it?

* * *

Stepping from the steamy shower, Alina towel dries her hair, wraps the towel on top of her head, and looks into the mirror above the white pedestal sink. She notices Brandon standing behind her as she looks at their reflections. "Would you stop creeping?" She unwraps the towel from her head and swiftly cinches it around her body.

"Oh, you like it," he jokes, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"And, can you shave? Your darn prickly whiskers hurt!"

Lifting his chin from her shoulder with his hands on her waist, he spins her around to look at him. "What's wrong?" he asks, not liking her harsh tone.

She looks down at the white tile floor, shaking her head in dismay. "I'm sorry," she answers in a soft whisper. "I'm just scared as heck." Her eyes rake over him as she fixates on his well-defined chest.

Standing in only blue jeans and bare feet, he rests his forehead upon hers. "I know you're scared. It's only natural."

"You're not afraid?"

He steps back, pulling down his jeans, and kicking them off to the side. Alina stares at his rock-hard bottom, hungrily nibbling on her bottom lip as he enters the shower, and then closes the curtain.

"No, I'm not afraid at all. I'm confident in this mission and you should be, too. Fear is going to be your downfall, Alina. You need to overcome it; otherwise, it could be the very death of you," he pauses, "of us."

Alina fingers through her hair and puts on a set of white satin pajamas. Sliding underneath the blankets, she waits for Brandon to finish showering.

He steps from the en-suite bathroom, a white towel draped around his waist. Alina's breath hitches when she sees how his caramel skin glistens from the spots that he had missed while drying off.

He runs his palm over the top of his head and water droplets spring in all directions. Flinging the towel from his waist and setting it on a chair, he sits down on the bed, and flips the blankets over his abdomen.

Alina rolls toward him, propping herself onto her elbow. "You're not going to wear underwear?"

"All commando, baby."

She flops down on her back, rolling her eyes.

"What's wrong now?" he asks.

"You could at least put some shorts on. Jeez!"

Placing his arm around her waist, he pulls her close. She can feel his excitement pressing into her thigh.

"Brandon! Get it out of your head. We're not doing that!"

"Why?" he asks, not knowing why she's acting so disgusted by him.

"This is my grandmother's house. We're not doing that here."

He tosses his head back and laughs. "Sweetheart, this is where you lost your virginity. May I add that we've had sex in this bed more than once. Why does it matter now if we have sex again, here in this bed?"

"I just don't feel right about it, okay?" She rolls over, her back facing him. Reaching toward the lamp, she flicks it off, and the room becomes dark.

Brandon leans in and kisses the back of her head. "Goodnight, baby."

* * *

After a fulfilling breakfast, Alina looks up at the clock, noticing that it's time for Alethea and Aneira to arrive for the power channeling. With only a week away from the major Battle, Alina is on edge. She looks across the table at Brandon who is wiping his lips with a napkin. He smiles and lifts his coffee mug to his mouth. "You look tense," he acknowledges, setting the mug onto the table.

She breathes in deeply and jumps suddenly when she hears the knock on the door. Abellona hollers from the table, "Come in!"

Alethea and Aneira step inside the house. Alina admires Aneira's frilly white dress and white patent leather Mary Jane shoes. Her platinum blonde hair secured beautifully by a pink satin ribbon.

Seeing Alina sitting at the table, Aneira runs with her arms open wide, practically knocking Alina backward in her chair, her head buried in the valley of her breasts.

Alina kisses the top of her hair. "I guess you're glad to see me." She chuckles.

Aneira's beautiful electric green eyes meet Alina's gaze as she smiles brightly, nodding her angelic little head. Aneira takes Alina by the hand and leads her into the living room.

Still dressed in her satin pajamas, Alina pads across the floor, her hand locked in Aneira's as they sit down on the sofa. Aneira says nothing, just looking at Alina in absolute amazement.

"What is it, sweetie?" Alina asks.

Aneira takes her tiny hand and gently rakes her fingertips through Alina's hair.

"Would you like to brush it?"

Aneira nods, smiling.

"I'll be right back." Alina stands from the sofa and heads toward the bedroom through the kitchen.

"If she's bothering you, let me know," Alethea says toward Alina's back as she disappears into the bedroom.

Stepping from the bedroom with a brush in hand, Alina responds, "She's fine. She's adorable."

Sitting back down on the sofa, she hands Aneira the hairbrush. Alina turns her back and allows Aneira to stroke the hairbrush down her long, blonde locks.

"It's soft," Aneira says in a tiny voice.

"It's just like yours."

"Yours is much longer. Mommy says I can't have my hair too long because I may get lice."

Alina chuckles, remembering when she and Annabella were younger. Coming home from school with lice was horrible. Alina can still hear her mother cursing under her breath, Lysoling the sofa cushions, mattresses, and delousing their heads. When their mother raked the black, fine toothcomb through their heads, it felt like their hair was being pulled out by the roots. Alina often wondered why her mother just didn't put a spell on them to make the lice magickally go away. Perhaps that was a power her mother didn't possess. Soon, Alina will possess every possible power. Soon, all evil will be put to rest.

Alethea looks across the table at Brandon, eyeing him speculatively.

Brandon sets his fork next to his plate, looking at Alethea's judging green eyes. "What?"

She shakes her head back and forth. "Don't think I don't know about your goal."

Not liking her tone, Brandon responds, "And what goal is that?"

"Killing Alina and taking over the throne, you jerk!" Alethea abruptly stands from the table and stands over Brandon.

He looks up at her, his eyes glaring. "You better sit the hell down."

Abellona stands and tries to calm the situation. "Now, you two better behave. I don't want any of this negative crap going on around my great grandbaby." She looks at Brandon. "And, I'd appreciate it if you don't use that language in my presence."

Brandon shifts his gaze toward Abellona. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again," he says, respectfully.

Alethea huffs, storming out the front door. Alina stands, accidentally knocking the hairbrush from Aneira's hand. Looking over her shoulder, Alina sees Abellona standing in the kitchen shaking her head back and forth in disbelief.

"What happened?" Alina asks.

Brandon strides past Abellona and into the living room. "It's nothing," he says, before giving Abellona a chance to answer the question. "Alethea's just being presumptuous."

"Presumptuous about what?" But before she could give Brandon a chance to respond, Alina bolts out the front door and sees Alethea standing in the yard, puffing frantically on a cigarette.

"What's wrong, Alethea?" Alina asks, snatching the cigarette from Alethea's fingers, and stomping it into the ground. "These will kill you. I didn't know that you smoked."

Alethea picks up the cigarette from the ground and lights it again with a purple Bic lighter. "I don't, but I'm starting now."

Alina reaches her hand toward the cigarette once more, but Alethea blocks it. "Please, just let me smoke this one cigarette."

"Alright, but you must tell me what has gotten you so upset."

Alethea looks down at her tennis shoes, shuffling the sand and grass beneath her feet. "It's Brandon."

"What about Brandon?"

"He's deceiving you, Alina. You can't see that?"

"You don't think that I know that, Alethea?" Alina looks over her shoulder toward the house and sees Brandon and Abellona peeking through the window. "I found a prophecy book that explains everything in great detail. I'm also enchanted with blessed intuition, so even without the book, I would have figured out Brandon's plan eventually."

"Prophecy book?" Alethea puffs more on the cigarette.

"It belonged to a man who was married to a Fair-Haired-One like us. She was taken by Abeddon, but she left behind the book that explains everything about us."

"Where is this book you speak of?"

"It's back home in New York, but because I have literary manipulation, I was able to mentally absorb everything that the book contains."

"Does it explain that Brandon is possessed by Durion? That he can also do power channeling?"

"Yes," Alina answers. "I'm fully aware that Brandon has the ability to take control of others powers. I'm prepared for all that."

Alethea tosses the cigarette butt to the ground, smudging it into the dirt. "I think this is all a bad idea. You should let it be. Let Abeddon do what he's set out to do."

Alina glares into Alethea's green eyes. "Are you freaking kidding me? He's had criminals running amuck on the streets here on earth. Killings, robberies, so much crime that shouldn't be here. Would you really want me to just give up? His goal is to rule the earth and I be damned if I'm going to sit around and allow that to happen knowing full well that I'm the one who is supposed to stop it."

Alethea starts up the steps to the cottage. "Suit yourself. Just say I didn't warn you." With that, the door closes and Alina is left standing in the yard with her mouth gaping open.

Am I in doubt? Alina shakes the thought from her head. Heck no, I'm not in doubt. I'm so ready for this to be over with.
Chapter Twenty-Two

Naked, her palms resting on her knees facing upward, Alina sits at the east of the pentacle waiting for Aneira, Alethea, and Abellona to take their places for the power stripping.

Brandon sits alone in the living room, anxious, waiting for the power extraction to be over with. Thoughts continually race through his mind of how more powerful Alina will become when it's complete. Will he be able to overtake her? Does he even want to attempt it? He tugs near his heart at his black V-neck T-shirt, feeling as though needles are penetrating his skin. Battling with extreme torrid thoughts, his head slams against the back of the wingback chair, shaking back and forth as he attempts to wipe the disparaging thoughts from his mind. You will kill her after YOU defeat Abeddon. You will make certain that the goddess resurrects no one whose blood pulses like hers. You will become ruler and those like you will rise, becoming my army, and I will rule again through you, my son.

Brandon clenches his fists tightly. "No!" he hollers, his voice bellowing throughout the house.

Alina looks alarmed when she hears Brandon's voice. She looks at Aneira, Abellona, and Alethea with concern on her face.

Abellona smiles at Alina as she sits naked at the northern part of the pentacle, elbows on her knees, her palms facing upward. "No worries, dear," she assures. "Brandon is just battling with his demons."

The room is dim with only candlelight flickering throughout, the smell of dragon's blood incense filling the air. Alethea strips Aneira from her dress and tights, positioning her at the west corner of the pentacle. Aneira sits cross-legged with her palms facing up, resting on her knees. Alethea bends down and kisses Aneira on her forehead.

"I'm cold, Mommy."

Alethea smiles. "It's alright, baby. This will only take a minute." As Alethea turns on her heel, Alina watches Alethea's bare backside as she pulls a silver sword from the wall. She turns and walks toward the circle. Holding the sword firmly in her hand, she takes Abellona's palm and slices it across until a thin line of blood appears. Abellona lifts her hand, holding it over the flame of the candle in the center of the pentacle, allowing the crimson droplets to fall onto the fire. The flame shoots suddenly high into the air. As it flickers back down to normal, Alethea takes the sword, and does the same with Aneira's palm. Aneira's eyes fill with tears from the pain, but she handles it quite strongly, and mimics the same gesture as her grandmother by allowing her blood to drop freely among the flame. The flame sparks high and flickers back down. Alethea walks toward Alina and slices her palm. Holding her hand over the flame, Alina's blood trickles down, sparking the flame to rise.

Alethea takes her spot at the south point of the circle and runs the sword across her own palm. She looks at Alina with still eyes, hoping that Alina will change her mind. Holding her palm closed, she whispers to Alina, "Once my blood hits the flame, there is no backing out. Are you ready for your responsibility?"

Alina nods her understanding as she watches Alethea lift her open palm above the flame. The flame pulses out a strong bolt of white lightning, piercing directly through Alina's heart. Alina is slammed forcefully to the floor, her body frantically convulsing. Aneira, Abellona, and Alethea grasp hands, watching in amazement at Alina's jolting body seizing on the hardwood.

"Make it stop, Mommy!" Aneira calls out, trying her best to release her hand from Alethea and Abellona's grasp, but to no avail. Alethea and Abellona hold the child's hands tightly.

Alina begins to scream out words in Latin, her body still shaking violently. Flames shoot from her eye sockets and her hair turns as black as the midnight sky. Her skin begins to bubble as if her blood is boiling through her veins. The Latin words screaming from her mouth causes Brandon to pound on the door in a frenzied rage. "Open the damn door!" he yells.

But Abellona, Aneira, and Alethea still grasp tightly to one another's hands.

The pounding on the door becomes excessive and finally, Brandon breaks through. Standing in utter shock, he watches his nude, beloved Alina gyrating on the floor. He rushes to scoop her into his strong arms, but when he touches her skin, a bolt of electricity shocks him, which slams him up against the wall. Her hair now blonde again. Electrokinesis.

"Stop this madness!" he yells, glaring at the girls. "You're killing her!"

They're silent as they stare in wonder at their beautiful goddess.

Brandon manages to pull himself up off the floor and walks back over to Alina. He reluctantly touches his forefinger to her abdomen, and is thrown across the room by Alina's powerful force.

Alina turns into an owl in an instant, then a black cat, and back to human form.

"She's shape shifting." Abellona says, loudly.

The air in the room goes cold and a gust of wind comes out of nowhere.

"Aerokinesis," Alethea says. "She's controlling the air and the wind."

Abellona smiles knowing that Alina is becoming stronger. Her body is taking on every single power that is known to their existence.

Alina slowly rises from the floor, glaring in the direction of Brandon. He looks at her with extreme fear on his face. His hands move to his throat, seeming as though he's trying to release invisible hands from making him choke.

"Aura choking," Abellona acknowledges.

Finally, Brandon is able to take a deep breath. The wind slows, and the room becomes calm and warm.

Alina's eyes look toward Aneira and suddenly; the little girl is nowhere to be seen.

"I can't see her, but I can still feel her hand in mine," Alethea says to Abellona.

"Cloaking," Abellona says.

Aneira becomes visible a few seconds later, but Alina changes into liquid form as she puddles to the floor.

"Liquification." Abellona watches as the puddle of water turns back to human form.

Alina's eyes shoot toward Brandon, and he is changed into stone.

Abellona chuckles slightly under her breath. "Petrification."

Brandon changes back to human form moments later. "Crap!" He rushes toward Alina, but is hesitant to touch her anywhere.

The fire from the candle burns out, and the incense is extinguished. The atmosphere is extremely quiet, as Alina lay still and naked on the hardwood floor. Abellona stands and grabs each of them a robe from a hook along the wall. They shrug them on and Brandon looks at Alina still lying naked, appearing as though she's asleep.

He pushes his index finger gently into her forearm and is relieved that he's not being shocked or transported across the room unwillingly. Looking over at Abellona, he demands, "Don't just stand there! Get her something to wear!"

Abellona carelessly tosses a fleece blanket at Brandon. He scoops Alina into his muscular arms, draping the blanket over her naked body. "Wake up, baby," he whispers, carrying her into the bedroom and placing her upon the bed.

Abellona, Alethea, and Aneira change into their clothes and head into the living room. Abellona takes Aneira by her hand, running her index finger over the sword's cut. "Nothing," Abellona says, softly. "I can't heal her."

Alethea pulls the first aid kit from a drawer inside the coffee table. "Why are you surprised, Nana? Alina has all of our powers now. And since when have you been a healer?"

Abellona smiles at Aneira as she takes a Band-Aid from Alethea's hand. "You know very little about me, my dear." She presses the Band-Aid over the cut. "I'm glad the power stripping was a success."

* * *

With a light tap to her cheek, Brandon tries to waken Alina who is still sleeping, cradled in his arms. "Baby, please wake up," he whispers, gently brushing his fingers along her delicate cheek. Lifting her head slightly, he leans down, pressing his soft lips to her forehead. "C'mon, baby. Wake up for me." He watches her chest move up and down steadily as she breathes. Extreme exhaustion has taken its toll upon her.

Brandon places her underneath the blankets, disrobes down to his underwear, and slides in alongside her, holding her firmly against the warmth of his body. Feeling her wiggle puts Brandon's worry at ease. Her eyes slowly flutter open and she's staring at the moonbeam emitting through the window. Taking in a deep breath, she whispers, "Brandon."

"Yes, baby. I'm right here."

"Is it over?"

"Yes, sweetheart, it's over."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"No, everyone is fine."

She rolls her body over so she can look at Brandon more closely. The moonlight shimmers on his face and she can see a bruise on his forehead. "Did I do that?"

His lips curl into smile. With his arm still wrapped around her, he pulls her close so he can kiss the top of her hair. "Yes, you did."

She sits up alertly, examining the raised welt and the purple hue of her abuse. "I'm so sorry. If I would've known, I—"

He presses his index finger to her lips and interrupts her statement, "But, you didn't know. It's okay."

Lifting her thumb to the bruise, she runs it across, closing her eyes. When she opens them, the bruise is magickally gone. She smiles widely.

"I love to see you smile, beautiful."

"I fixed you."

Confused, he asks, "What?"

"Your bruise is gone."

He springs from the bed. Flicking on the light, he peers into the mirror above the dresser, and notices that the bruise has vanished. He looks over his shoulder and sees Alina sitting upright, smiling as brightly as ever. "See, I fixed you."

Walking back toward the bed, he leans over, cupping Alina's face in his hands, staring into her eyes. "Yes, you did fix me." He slides underneath the blankets, holding her. "My god, Alina," he whispers. "I can't imagine life without you now."

She grins. "Why, because I can fix you?" She chuckles.

"No, because I'm so deeply in love with you that it hurts and it would kill me if I ever lost you."

* * *

The next few days, Alina practices all of her powers at a secluded area down by the Spirit Pond that runs into Lake Colby. Brandon stayed behind while all the women joined Alina. They went through almost every possible scenario of how her powers might be utilized during The Battle. Alina was definitely a powerful enchantress now. The most powerful white witch in history.

Alethea still can't put the thought of Brandon's goal to rest. She knows that he's bad news, but deep down, she believes that Alina can handle him. After all, he only possesses her power of resurrection and healing, not all powers of all witches combined. However, he does have the power of Durion, which is dark, dangerous, and his power of deceit may knock Alina off-track. That's Alethea's worst fear—Alina putting complete trust in Brandon at the most crucial time, and him using that trust against her, and overpowering her.

Brandon could charm any woman he set his mind to. Looking as though he had been stripped from the covers of GQ magazine, he was indeed bewitching, but is Alina strong enough to put his captivating bearing aside and focus on what is to come? Alina is quite aware of what his goal is. Even though he says that he would never harm her, she knows that once he's in his darkened state, that he has no control over what he does. His only goal is to kill all the Fair-Haired-Haired-Ones. Including her. No matter if she is his virgin. No matter if he says he loves her so deeply that it hurts. He will want her dead as sure as anything when the time comes. But, will Alina be prepared and strong enough to fend him off?
Chapter Twenty-Three

October 31st. Samhain. The beginning of the Winter Solstice. The Battle...

Donning on her white, cotton stirrup leggings, a fitted, thin cable knit turtleneck sleeveless sweater, and a pair of white, high-top tennis shoes, Alina peers at her reflection in the mirror in the bedroom. Smoothing back her hair and securing it into a hair elastic, she takes one final look and steps out into the kitchen. She sees Brandon sitting casually at the table drinking tea and wearing all black, appearing as though he was about to pull off a big bank heist. Abellona stands at the sink, washing a few dishes and she turns around, looking directly at Alina. "You look ready for war," Abellona says, folding a dish towel, and flinging it onto her shoulder.

"I am," Alina responds, confidently. "And, all black, Brandon?" She looks at him, shaking her head back and forth. "You look like a criminal."

"Thanks," he says, jokingly.

Alina looks around before sitting down at the table across from Brandon. "Where's Alethea?"

"She went home. Aneira wanted to stay here, so I told her that I'd keep an eye on her."

Alina can hear the television in the living room playing some kind of Disney cartoon.

"She's watching TV," Abellona says.

All three sit at the kitchen table with uncomfortable silence filling the air. Brandon strums his fingers on the table, staring off into space.

Alina decides to break the silence. "I hear there will be good weather tonight."

"Indeed. Still hot, though. This Florida heat is just plain awful," Abellona says.

Brandon tries to hold back from laughing. "Seriously? You two are honestly talking about the freaking weather?"

Alina eyes dart across the table in Brandon's direction. "Well, do you have anything better you'd like to share with us?"

"I think you should go down by the pond and train some more," he suggests.

"I've done more than enough training, Brandon." Alina stands from the table. She paces back and forth, appearing disheveled. "Dang! I can't sit still. Time seems frozen!" She studies the clock.

"Don't you dare perform chronokinesis!" Abellona belts out, knowing full well of Alina's intention.

"It's maddening having to wait!"

"I know it is, dear. Why don't you and Brandon go to the mall or something? Get your mind off tonight."

Alina looks at Brandon and sees him grinning. "Good idea."

* * *

"On second thought, bad idea," Alina says as she sees two teenage girls rushing toward her, screaming as though they've seen One Direction.

"Oh.My.God!" One girl yells. "It's Annabella Porter!"

"Can we have your autograph?" One girl pushes a swimsuit calendar in Alina's face that she must have purchased from the mall's bookstore.

Alina takes the calendar from the girl's hand and signs her name largely across Anna's face. "There," she hands the calendar back to the girl.

"Why are you in Florida?" the girl asks, flinging her blonde hair across her shoulder, her blue eyes glimmering.

"I'm here to celebrate Halloween," she answers.

The two girls rake their eyes up and down Brandon's physique. "Boyfriend?"

Alina chuckles. "You could say that." She slides her hand in his. "If you'd excuse us." Alina and Brandon turn to walk away.

"Nice meeting you!" The blonde girl yells toward their backs.

"You too," Alina calls over her shoulder.

Taking a seat at a small, round table inside the food court, Alina sits, unwrapping her taco and removing the lid from her queso. She dips a tortilla chip into the cheese and pops it into her mouth. "I can't wait until Anna gets her butt back here," she says, chewing. "I hate not being able to go anywhere in public without being harassed."

Brandon leans back in his seat and takes a deep breath. "What if she never comes back?" His eyes concentrate on the knife slicing through his orange chicken. "And you'll always look like her. That's something you can't avoid unless you change your hair color."

"She's coming back, Brandon," she assures herself. "Why in the heck do you think I'm going to see my father tonight?"

"To rid the world of possible great evil." He shrugs, taking a sip of Coke.

"Not only that, but also to bring back everyone who Abeddon has abducted."

"How are you going to explain all these missing people suddenly coming back to earth? Have you thought about that?"

That was something that had never crossed her mind. How would the missing women explain to their families on where they were and why they had been abducted? She shakes her head, trying to erase the thoughts. Getting them here was her goal, once she accomplishes that, those people can explain to their families themselves.

Alina looks down at Brandon's masculine hands, his fingers long and lean. She flicks her eyes up to his handsome face, admiring his chestnut brown hair, and his now electric green eyes. She misses his blue eyes. His green eyes convey a look to her that is unsettling. Yes, the green eyes indicate goodness from a goddess, but for some reason, seeing those eyes in Brandon doesn't sit well with her.

Her eyes shift to the hem of his sleeve that has inched its way up past his triple goddess mark. He must hate me. She thinks to herself. The horrific look in his eyes the night that she changed him tore at her heart. She felt deceitful taking away his innocence. But he wasn't innocent. His blood pulses with her blood along with the blood of Durion. Durion. Durion. Durion.

Brandon snaps his fingers in Alina's face. "Earth to Alina..."

Squeezing her eyes tightly, she then springs them open, smiling. "Sorry," she says. "My mind was adrift."

"What were you thinking about?"

Taking a final sip of soda, she stands from the table, and pushes her chair underneath. "It's nothing." She looks at her watch. "We need to head back. It's getting close to that time."
Chapter Twenty-Four

Standing in the front yard and with a trembling hand, Alina strokes Abellona's cheek before she walks to the cemetery to sit in Abeddon's throne. "I promise that as soon as I prevail, I will bequeath your powers back to you." Alina turns to look at Alethea. "And you as well."

Tears streak down Alethea and Abellona's cheeks. "Please promise me that you will take care of her," Abellona says, looking at Brandon.

"I promise," he assures.

Alina looks around. The yard only lit by the light of the moon. "Where's Aneira?"

"She's sleeping," Abellona answers. "Now you two best be going. You only have three hours of the portal staying open. You must transport there and back within that time frame. You cannot miss this chance." Abellona kisses Alina and Brandon on their cheeks. Tears stream down her face as she watches them walk away.

Alina and Brandon walk hand-in-hand down the dark and narrow street. The town is quiet, no cars anywhere to be seen. People are fully aware of what Cassadaga is, especially on All Hallow's Eve. Not one person who wasn't an enchantress or Medium would step foot in the quaint little town on Halloween. They knew the gateway to Satan lies within the cemetery where the veil of death has thinned, allowing communication to the great unknown.

Their feet stride down a now gravel road, their hearts pumping furiously within the walls of their chests. When they come to the cemetery's gate, two guards are standing at the entrance.

"You can't go in here," a deep voice orders. The guard's hand clenched tightly around a steel baton.

Alina flashes her hands toward the guards and they fall to the ground, sound asleep.

The entrance is locked, but Alina's eyes exude advanced electrokinesis of pure electricity causing the locks to melt off its hinges.

"We could have just jumped the fence," Brandon teases.

"Now, what's the fun in that?"

They make their way toward the throne, a chair made of red brick, nestled among some wild growing weeds. Brushing off the dirt, Alina takes Brandon's hand, and they sit upon the eerie chair.

Placing her hand upon his heart, Alina feels his rapid beats. He cups his hand to her cheek and gazes endearingly into her eyes. "I love you so much, Alina. Please have faith that I will not harm you, intentionally."

Alina gasps when she hears the word "intentionally." "Brandon!" she raises her voice, confused as he had reassured her earlier that he could control his evil doings.

He pulls her head into his chest and holds her securely. She can smell his masculine scent as the chair begins to vibrate slightly.

"Oh, Brandon," her voice starting to sound frantic. "It's happening!"

"Be strong. I've got you."

The ground rattles and branches suddenly break away from the trees. What looks to be a massive thunderstorm looming overhead only amounts to the extreme fear that Alina had been feeling. Brandon's strong arms embrace her tightly as they wait for the inevitable. What are they to expect? How will the Underworld appear to them? Is it full of fire and death? Alina had no clue. All she knew is she wanted her mother and sister back and wasn't going to stop until she got what she set out for.

Brandon grumbles under his voice, his arms clenching even more tightly around his beloved Alina. Thoughts race through his mind of confusion of what's more important. His love for Alina or his rule of the Underworld Kingdom and possibly, Earth itself. Shaking his head, he nuzzles his cheek into the crook of Alina's shoulder. Unexpectedly, everything around them stills and all goes quiet. With her eyes clenched shut, Alina feels a hard thud when a wave of extreme heat surrounds her and Brandon.

Peeking through one eye, Alina lifts her head to look at Brandon. He raises his head and looks into her eyes, smiling. "I think we're here, baby," his voice gruff.

Alina blinks her eyes and scans the perimeter. "Yeah, I think this is it." She stands from the brick chair and brushes the sand off the back of her white pants. Brandon stands and takes her hand. "Do you know where to go from here?" he asks.

"I'm not sure. But this darkness looks familiar to me." She glances around, looking at the dead trees jutting out of a midnight forest. "Everything seems so dead."

A flash of red light illuminates the sky, but is gone in an instant. "What the heck was that?" Alina peers up, hoping for more light.

"Should we stay here or should we walk?" Brandon's hand is still clenched tightly in Alina's.

"Perhaps we should walk. For some reason, I'm being pulled toward the west."

"The west it is, then." Brandon smiles.

As they walk, the sound of dead, black leaves crunch beneath their feet. A slight dimming of the moon barely lights the way of where they are headed; only Alina's instinct can lead them. She stops abruptly, grabbing hold of Brandon's bicep.

"Why are we stopping?" he asks.

"Shh! Did you hear that?"

They both stand in silence. "It sounds like someone is following us."

"You think so?"

"Shh! There it is again." Alina's pulse races as she hears the sound coming closer and closer toward them. She feels a presence. "Who's there?"

Feeling a tug on the hem of her sweater, Alina jumps. "Oh, crap!" she screams.

"Auntie Alina. It's me, Aneira."

Alina feels the top of Aneira's tiny head, running her hands down her hair, and then cups her face. "Baby, how'd you get here?"

"I snuck out of Nana's house."

"But how?"

"I followed you to the graveyard."

"But how did you get here? You weren't on the throne with us." Alina pulls Aneira toward her, hugging her tightly. "Oh, god, Brandon. What the heck are we going to do about this?"

Aneira interrupts before Brandon can answer, "I'm supposed to be here. It's in my dreams. I'm supposed to show you where to go and how to get back."

Alina thinks back to when she remembers a little girl in her dreams, guiding her through a dark forest, and then finding a white wonderland. But there is no white wonderland here. Only darkness, death. The smell in the air even lingers of the demised.

"When I stepped out of the town's limits, I was whisked away here in an instant."

"So, you must have gotten here before Brandon and me," Alina assumed.

"Yes."

"And you know your way around this horrible place?"

"Yes."

Alina clings onto Aneira. "Are you scared?"

"No."

"Good," Brandon belts out. "Now show us where we need to go."

They walk deeper and deeper into the black forest until they come to what appears to be a tall, gothic structure. Beams of red light flicker from the narrow slits of the windows, and a booming sound echoes from inside the brick walls.

"What the heck is that?" Alina asks.

"Not sure," Brandon says.

"It's Abeddon's fortress," Aneira answers, not fazed at all by the grim appearance of the jutting tall structure that seemed endless.

"How are we going to get in there?" Alina tries to conjure up an attempt on how to rescue her mother and sister unscathed. "Brandon, can you black orb yourself into one of the rooms and see if you can find them?"

"Just cloak yourself," he suggests. "Do you honestly think that your sister and mother will come to me?"

"Anna might. She knows you."

He laughs. "She knows me, but has no idea of what I've become. She'll ask tons of questions that I won't have time to answer."

Brandon is right. Alina knows how Anna is, and is quite aware of the constant grilling she'd give Brandon. "Okay." Alina breathes in deeply and expels the air from her lungs, coughing. "The air here is disgusting. Smells like rotting flesh." She smooth's her hand over Aneira's head. "You stay right here with Brandon, okay?"

Aneira nods. "What if you need us?"

Alina looks toward Brandon. "If I need you both, I will channel you mentally." Alina knows that she will need them. Her enchanted intuition is extremely bold. "And if I have to, I will power channel all of them and use their power against them." Kneeling to the ground on bended knee, Alina looks closely into Aneira's eyes. "You stay here with Brandon. Do not leave his side," her words spoke sternly.

Aneira nodded her understanding.

Taking in a deep breath, Alina slowly makes her way toward the daunting fortress. Kneeling behind a brick clad gate, she peeks over, hoping no one is watching. She examines the wooden drawbridge that is held closed by heavy, rusty chains. Seeing light illuminate one of the rooms near the top of the fortress, Alina studies a silhouette through the window, hoping that it's her mother or Anna. Judging by the specific way the woman is running a brush through her hair; Alina can tell that the woman must be Anna.

Alina waits for the light to flicker out and for Anna to fall asleep.

Not long after, the light shuts off, Alina waits in silence as she prepares to dream leap into Anna's mind.

Alina squeezes her eyes tightly, allowing her mind to drift to the room where Anna is now sleeping.

Anna tosses and turns on the bed while Alina invades her mind.

"Alina, how did you get here?" Anna sits up on the bed in alarm as she imagines seeing Alina standing in her bedroom's doorway. "Answer me, Alina. How did you get here?"

"Don't worry how? Concentrate on how I will get you out."

"But, I don't understand. You can't possibly believe that you can take me from this place."

Alina walks toward Anna's bed and sits. Studying Anna's red eyes, Alina shakes her head in total disgust. "He's ruined you, Anna."

Anna runs her forefinger over the bump in Alina's sweater where her amulet lays concealed against her skin. "I'm happy to see you wearing this, dear sis."

"And I'm very appreciative of the spell that you have cast upon it before you had left."

"Has it protected you?"

Alina nods, a tiny tear trails down her cheek. "It has."

"You must leave. What Father has planned will kill you for sure if you try to interfere."

"I'm not afraid of him."

Anna's eyes shoot open in alarm. "You should be."

Smoothing Anna's hair over her shoulders, Alina smiles. "There's so much that I'm capable of now."

"You can't defeat him."

"You will be surprised at what I'm able to accomplish." Alina stands. "Where's Mother?"

"She's in Father's chamber. He won't let her leave his room. I haven't seen her since I've been here."

"Who else is here?"

"Others like us. We've all been trained for Battle." Anna stands as fear rushes through her veins, realizing who Alina has become. "Oh! You can't be who Father has trained us to defeat!"

"I am, Anna."

"By yourself?"

Alina shakes her head back and forth, looking down at the cement floor. "No, Anna. I'm not alone."

"Who is with you?"

"I can't tell you. I'm afraid you'll tell Father."

Anna crosses her arms in front appearing shocked that Alina didn't trust her. "I won't tell him. I can help you."

Alina's lips curl into an accomplished smile. "I'm so glad that you said that because I need you, Anna."

Now that Alina knows where her mother is being kept and what room Anna is in, she's ready to go forth with the mission.

Alina stands silently, eyes closed as she concentrates heavily. Performing dusting on herself, Alina teleports to Anna's room transformed into grey, dust-like particles. She floats above Anna's mahogany wood, four-poster bed, and then settles down beside her.

Feeling the weight of the bed shift, Anna rolls over, rubbing her eyes with closed fists. She flicks on the light beside her bed and is shocked to see Alina lying beside her.

"Oh.My.God! I wasn't dreaming! You're really here!" Anna squeaks.

Alina cups her hand over Anna's mouth trying to muffle her voice. "Be quiet! I don't want to be discovered." Alina stands from the bed, motioning her hand. "Come."

"Where?"

"Ask questions later."

Anna climbs out of bed and shrugs on her robe. "I just can't leave. Surely after your dream leaping, you know why."

"How did you know that I performed dream leaping on you?"

"Because I never would have agreed to hold anything back from Father."

Just then, the door to the bedroom swung open and Alina saw the fierce, red eyes of Abeddon glaring angrily at her. She looks back toward Anna. "I can't believe you!" Alina stares boldly at her sister, power channeling, and taking control of all Anna's magick. Alina became even stronger when the power relinquished from Anna into her. Alina waves her hand and places Anna into sleep induction as she rests soundly on the bed.

Focusing her attention back to her father, Alina's green eyes glare ferociously at him. The only thing visible to her was Abeddon's fiery, red eyes hovering in a cloud of dark smoke.

Abeddon transforms from smoke to a corporealization state. He now took the form of a tall, muscular man, but still bore the same red eyes.

"I knew you would come," Abeddon says in a deep throaty voice. "And, right on time."

"What have you done to my mother?"

He throws his head back and laughs boldly. "Your mother is happy here. You disappointed her. She wants nothing to do with you any longer. You're weak. A waste." A flame shoots from his right eye, heading straight for Alina.

Alina performs deviation, and the flame adjusts its course, and heads directly toward Abeddon. He shifts to the side, avoiding contact with the flame.

"Ah, I see you've been practicing."

Alina scrutinizes him, looking at his cutoff jeans. His large, naked pecs bounce up and down as he attempts to intimidate her with his bulk and strength.

"What else do ya got?" He performs electrokinesis, but as the bolt of lightning shoots from his open palm, Alina does another deviation maneuver.

This time, his own lightning hits him in the gut. He doubles over from the pain, and a bout of blue-green steam expels from his navel. As he's paying special attention to his electrical burn, Alina transforms herself to an invisible state, and heads toward Abeddon's chamber.

Abeddon is fully aware of where she's headed, but before he meets her in his chamber, he channels his full army by using telepathy.

The fortress becomes bustling with women prepared to cater to Abeddon's command. The brick hallways are roaming of women and children with their red eyes charged with powerful, dangerous magick. Alina enters Abeddon's chamber and sees her mother standing at the foot of the bed in a black, flowing gown. "Mother," Alina says as she transforms back into her human self.

"Alina," Athena whispers, looking at her beautiful daughter who she hasn't seen in years. "My beautiful, Alina."

Alina rushes to her mother and throws her arms around her. "I've missed you so much."

Athena takes in the scent of Alina's hair, but abruptly pushes her away. "Baby, what you're about to take on is impossible." Suddenly, Athena's loving gaze changes to hatred due to Abeddon's manipulation. The door swings open swiftly and Alina turns, seeing her father standing in the brick archway with his massive female army of witches standing behind.

Alina gulps down the large lump in her throat and then looks across her shoulder at her mother. Athena floats above Alina and gracefully steadies her feet to the floor, taking her place beside Abeddon.

* * *

Brandon's becoming impatient as he watches lights flicker from the fortress and numerous silhouettes casting shadows through the windows. He knows that Alina has made herself present and because of his enhanced intuition, he's aware that it's time to take control of the situation. He kneels on bended knee, holding both Aneira's arms. "Now, I'm going to find you a place to hide and I do not want you following me. Do you understand?"

Aneira nods.

Brandon walks over to a tree that bears a large, hollowed out archway. He steps inside and examines it, making certain there is nothing in there that can harm Aneira. He pulls her inside. "You stay here. When you hear my whistle, that's when you know that it's safe to come out. Do you understand me?"

"Uh, huh."

"When you hear my whistle, know that I'm coming for you."

Aneira nods.

"I'm going to cover up this hole with some shrubbery and leaves. Do not remove it," he spoke strictly. He kisses her on the forehead. "Good girl." He exits the tree, leaving Aneira safely inside. He piles up leaves and twigs, concealing the entrance.

Brushing his dusty hands on his jeans, he begins making his way toward the fortress.

* * *

Alina stands in a battle stance, waiting for one of them to make the first move. A presence fills the air beside her and she looks to her left. Brandon appears after black orbing himself into the fortress. She whispers under her breath, "Where's Aneira?"

"She's safe," he whispers back, his eyes focusing on Abeddon in the archway of the chamber.

Abeddon's interrogative eyes rake over Brandon, wondering why he bears the mark on his wrist and has green eyes. "You're male."

"It's nice of you to notice," Brandon says, sarcastically.

"How is that possible? How can you bear the mark and have those eyes, but have dark hair?" And then it eventually hits him like a sharp blow to the head. "Your blood pulses with Durion's blood." It's abundantly clear to him now. "But, how?"

Athena's eyes shoot open in surprise as she realizes the reasoning behind Brandon's power. Not even seconds after, does Abeddon realize the same.

"You took my daughter's innocence?"

"Indeed," Brandon says, matter-of-factly.

Athena steps back slightly alarmed, knowing fully that Abeddon has finally met his match. Not only is he going up against his own daughter who now acquires every possible power, but also, Brandon, who has the full power of Durion, and Alina's magick as well.

Abeddon grabs hold of Athena's bicep before she can make an escape. "Where do you think you're going, you faired-haired wench?"

Athena tries arduously to pull her arm from Abeddon's grasp, but is unsuccessful. "Please, you're hurting me."

"Let her go," Alina demands, her eyes searing rage toward Abeddon.

"You do not command me to do anything!"

Brandon steps forward. "Unhand her. Now."

Abeddon laughs loudly. He turns his back with his hand still clutched around Athena's arm, leading her to the exit of the fortress. The drawbridge lowers, and his army follows behind as if in a zombie-like trance.

Alina looks at Brandon and motions with her head to follow them.

Standing outside, the sky still wickedly black, Alina and Brandon clasp hands, their eyes searching for Abeddon's intent.

Abeddon's army stands behind him and Athena as they're prepared to take on anything that Alina and Brandon plan to muster up. Alina's eyes focus on Abeddon's hand wrapped tensely around her mother's neck. Watching Athena's chest rise and fall with her back pressed firmly against Abeddon's chest is chilling. "Don't hurt my mother!" Alina yells, her chest erect, and her body standing firmly. "Unhand my mother!"

"You have not addressed your father properly since you have arrived, my sweet Alina. Address me as sir."

"I do not respect you. I will do no such thing."

"Then, I have no choice." Abeddon's hand squeezes tighter around Athena's throat, and with a quick flick of his wrist, the sound of her neck snapping sends shivers down Alina's spine like fingernails on a chalkboard. Athena's lifeless body collapses to the ground, her black gown splayed along the dirt. Abeddon's army just stands behind as if unaffected by the gruesome display.

Alina lets go of Brandon's hand and rushes toward her mother. Abeddon belts out a deep, boisterous laugh as he watches in amusement while his daughter cradles Athena in her arms. With Athena's head resting upon her lap, Alina's eyes shoot actual fire at Abeddon, but he dodges the current, and one of the army maiden's is struck to the ground, and then she goes up in flames.

Abeddon still laughs and then he focuses his attention on Brandon. "Ah, my boy. The son of Durion. You think you can defeat me?"

Brandon watches Alina as she stares up into the darkness, and then closes her eyes tightly. Alina fans her hands over her mother's forehead, over her throat, down her breasts, her abdomen, all the way to the tips of her toes of her bare feet. A cold, brisk wind comes upon them and then Athena's eyes begin to flutter open.

Abeddon looks amazed when he witnesses the power of resurrection coming from his own flesh and blood. Alarmed by her power, he's finally aware of what strength he is up against. He steps back on his heels and voices over his left shoulder toward his army, "Stay back! I will handle this." As he raises his arms, redness is shone overhead. Like fire. Heat casts down upon them and Alina magickally lifts to her feet, hovering in the air only inches from the ground. With her back arched, Alina feels as though her breath is being ripped from her lungs. Brandon watches her body twitch as she gasps desperately for air. Unable to speak, she still floats above the ground as her life is draining away.

Athena stands and tries to interrupt Abeddon's focus so that Alina can be released from his magick, but Abeddon pushes her aside and she trips to the ground. "Stand down, you wench! You are no use to me anymore," he remarks. "You were only a ploy to lure Alina here. Do you not think I know the prophecy?"

Athena, in a weakened state, turns her head up to look at him as her palms rest upon the dirt.

"Speak, you wench!" he commands.

Athena just shakes her head in silence as she shifts her gaze toward Brandon. Brandon can see the pleading in Athena's eyes and realizes that he must act quickly to free Alina from Abeddon's intense deadly force.

Brandon's eyes change to blood red and he shoots his gaze at Abeddon. Immediately, Alina falls to the ground. Athena rushes toward her, enveloping her arms around her, holding Alina tightly into the comfort of her warm bosom.

Brandon expeditiously strides toward Abeddon, not ceasing eye contact. Abeddon paces backward, slowly inching his way toward the fortress, but Brandon keeps charging forward with extreme determination registered on his face.

Alina can see the redness in Brandon's eyes and tears begin to stream down her cheeks.

"What is it?" Athena asks, wiping Alina's tears away with the silk fabric of her gown.

"We need to get somewhere safe. When Brandon turns like this, he's dangerous to me, too."

Athena helps to lift Alina from the ground and they rush toward some nearby trees, hiding behind them as they watch The Battle continue on between the two.

"What should we do?" Athena asks.

"One of them will have to finish the other one off. Sadly, whoever lives is the one I must kill."

"Even if it's the person who you love?"

Alina nods. "Yes, Mother. Even if it's Brandon."

The Battle lasts for what seems like hours and Alina is aware that time is drawing near for her to escape back to earth. Fires start, lightning bounces in all direction, but neither Abeddon nor Brandon are affected by the power that each possess. Until finally, Brandon expels a loud roar that causes everything around them to shake. The fortress sways as stones begin loosening from its structure. The fortress is crumbling and Anna is still inside.

"Mother, I must get Anna out of there!"

"It's too late!"

Alina shakes her head, not accepting those words. "It's not too late. Wait right here!" Alina sprints toward the fortress and rushes inside, up the grand spiral stone staircase toward Anna's chamber. When the door flings open, Anna is nowhere to be found. Alina searches frantically, going from room to room, but the fortress is much too big, and Alina is running out of time. Finally, she sees Anna lying on the floor, unconscious in the hallway. Alina scoops her up into her arms and begins running toward the entrance. Before she exits the fortress, she sees all the other women swaying back and forth in their zombie-like trance, trying to enter the fortress. Alina relinquishes them of their magick by a quick flick of her hand.

Alina rushes from the front door, over the drawbridge, and places Anna near a stream that's vastly flowing of fresh human blood. She looks on in horror wondering whose blood could be coursing through the water. Shaking the thought from her mind, she rushes back toward the fortress and directs the other witches outside. Not even seconds after the last witch exits, the walls of the fortress come crashing down. Alina looks on in worry, wondering if that means that Abeddon has been dethroned.

Athena rushes up to Alina, breathless, her black gown now transformed to white. "Abeddon is conquered. He's gone!"

Alina throws her arms around her mother, hugging her tightly. "Where's Brandon?" she asks, her voice muffled in Athena's long, blonde hair.

"He ran off."

"Where?"

Athena motions her head toward the east. "That way."

Alina knew he was headed toward Aneira. "He's going to hurt Aneira!" Alina looks at Anna and the other women, and with a quick flick of the wrist, the color comes back into their bloodless bodies, and they suddenly appear human again.

Anna studies her hands and snaps her fingers, but nothing happens. "My magick?" she questions her ability. "What has happened to my magick?" She glares fiercely at Alina.

Alina looks at Anna sternly. "When you earn my trust, you will be awarded your magick."

Athena snaps her fingers and notices that her magick has been depleted as well. The others do the same and begin to grumble among one another.

"You're all safe now," her tone is vociferous. "I will soon take you to a place where you will no longer have to worry about being abducted by evil. Where you can live out your lives as normal humans." She turns to her mother. "Mother, watch over them while I take care of Brandon."

"But—"

Alina interrupts, "Don't worry, I know what I have to do." Alina darts off swiftly toward the east. She hears faint whistling and then, eventually sees Brandon standing next to a tree, trying to pull Aneira from it. Alina swallows the huge lump in her throat, realizing that she's about to do something that is totally against her principles. Brandon's eyes shift in Alina's direction and Alina notices that they are still blood red.

"Get your hands off that child. Now!" she orders.

Relinquishing his grasp from Aneira, he pulls his hand from the hollow tree and stands erect. With no words spoken he rushes toward Alina at an alarming speed. Alina shifts her weight to the right and Brandon zooms right by.

Shaking her head, an evil grin spreads on her lips. Brandon stops to turn around, and charges her once more, but she does the same maneuver, and he zooms by her again.

"We can do this all day. You know as well as I do how this all pans out. You may as well not fight it, I'm more powerful than you, so we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way."

He stares on like a raging bull, fire in his eyes, and his skin glistening with sheen sweat. His eyes lock on hers and she suddenly weakens. She can't move, suddenly frozen by his gaze. He scampers toward her and extends his hands, wrapping his fingers firmly around her neck.

Gasping for air, she remembers the power that has been bestowed upon her and she concentrates heavily before her life is slowly drained from her body.

Her clothes instantaneously rip from her flesh, and she prevails by morphing into a beautiful, white owl. Brandon's hands drop to his waist as he looks on in confusion as her wings flutter high into the air. Her green eyes focus on him and he drops hard and limp to the ground, lifeless. She not only took away his magick, but also, his life. As she gravitates to the ground, she transforms back into her human state and looks toward the tree at Aneira who is poking her head out to see a beautiful, nude Alina walking toward her, her long flowing hair cascading down her body, concealing her breasts.

Snow gently falls to the ground and the atmosphere is lit by beautiful, gleaming sunlight. The once dead, blackened trees of the forest are now bursting with green leaves, and glorious, colorful flowers are sprouting from the ground. Such a beautiful sight.

Aneria brushes her index finger across her cheek, flicking away a tear. "Auntie Alina. He's gone?" she questions, unsure.

Alina kneels down before Aneira and nods. "Yes, baby. He's gone."

"You're the heir to the throne now." Aneria drops to her knees and bows before Alina.

Alina looks down at Aneira's blonde, little head, trying to fight back tears. "I don't want this. I don't want any of this. I just want a normal life." Alina helps Aneira to her feet. "Come, child. We must get the others."

* * *

Alethea and Abellona stand in the front yard of the cottage. Police are scattered everywhere in fierce attempts on trying to find Aneira. Abellona looks up into the night sky. Slowly, white flurries of snow begin to trickle down, tickling her and Alethea's faces. They look at one another as they extend their hands, watching the snowflakes becoming larger, the snow gently coating their palms.

"It's snowing in Florida?" Alethea looks at Abellona with a questionable eyebrow raised.

Abellona hugs herself, bearing a wide, appreciative grin. "She won."

"What?"

"Alina. She's our goddess. She's who we worship now. She won. This snow is our gift from her." She wraps her arms around Alethea and whispers, "And Aneira is fine. I can feel it. Alina is protecting her right now."

Alethea pushes back from Abellona's embrace. "How do you know?"

"Because my divination has returned," Abellona answers.

Alethea looks toward a police car that's parked in the driveway. Taking in a deep breath, she stares at the flashing red and blue light on the car's roof. The light stops rotating and burns out. "I have my power back too."

"Close your eyes, Alethea. You will find Aneira."

Alethea closes her eyes and she focuses heavily on the Underworld. A smile slowly brushes upon her lips. "She's wrapped in Alina's arms right now. She's safe." She opens her eyes. "She's safe, Nana."

Abellona calls to the police who are preparing to go into the woods behind her house to begin the search, "Aneira's fine!"

An officer with jet-black hair walks toward the two. "Come again," he asks, his flashlight shining brightly in their eyes.

"Please, put that thing away," Abellona says, squinting at the light. "There's plenty of light coming off the lantern on the porch."

He clicks the button and slides his flashlight in his pants loop. "Now, tell me what you know."

Abellona smiles, playfully tossing her hands in the air and then clapping her hands. "It's the darndest thing. I totally forgot that I allowed Aneira to sleep over at my granddaughter's house. I guess with this old age comes forgetfulness."

The officer chuckles. "Old age?" he questions. "You don't look a day over thirty."

She laughs and brushes her hand flirtatiously over his taught forearm. "Well, thank you for the compliment."

"You're sure she's in good hands?" he asks.

Abellona nods. "Yes, I can assure you, Officer. All is fine."

The officer presses the button on a speaker that's attached to his collar and sends a call on his radio to end the search. He focuses back to Abellona and Alethea. "Boy! This snow is coming down hard. I wonder what the heck is going on."

Abellona shrugs her shoulders. "Not sure."

"Weird. It's seventy degrees. How's it even possible?"

"Act of nature, I suppose." Abellona takes Alethea's hand. "You boys be careful driving back to the precinct in this stuff."

He nods and smiles. "We will, ma'am." He hands her his card. "And if you need anything else, don't hesitate to call."

"Will do." With her hand in Alethea's, Abellona leads her inside.

They see breaking news on the local news station on the television when they enter the living room. "A strange occurrence is taking place right now in the tiny town of Cassadaga. Reports indicate that snowfall of approximately three inches have been reported, although it is not becoming visible on the Doppler radar. We ask that you stay clear of the town until the snow melts."

Alethea and Abellona just look at one another with beaming smiles on their faces.

* * *

Making their way hand-in-hand through the now brightly lit, white forest, Aneira and Alina come upon the others. The once flowing red stream of blood now flows with sparkling, clear water and even the sounds of birds chirping are heard high overhead. Athena, now draped in a beautiful white, flowing gown is surrounded by her daughter and the others. No longer in zombie-like states, they all appear enchanted and full of life. Rushing up to Alina, Athena throws a white, full-length crochet wrap over Alina's nude body.

Athena looks closely as her eyes rake up and down Aneira. "Who is she?" she asks.

"She's the daughter of my half-sister, Alethea," Alina says, still holding tightly to Aneira's hand.

Aneira stands in a pigeon-toed stance, staring down at the snow covered ground.

"How many more of us are there?" Athena asks, smiling toward Aneira.

Alina shrugs. "I'm not sure, but judging by how many are here, I'm thinking that the Fair-Haired-Ones who are of good are still on earth living magnificent lives." Narrowing her eyes, judging the ones of evil, she says, "I will not reward you your powers until you have earned them. I will; however, allow you back to earth, but you can only stay if you do kind acts. Once I am convinced that you have changed for the greater good, I will then reward you back your magick. Until then, we have a lot to do." She kneels down so she can be eye-to-eye with Aneira. "And you, little one," she says. "Will have my complete protection."

Aneira blinks, smiling brightly, nodding her head.

Anna steps forward and stands beside her mother. "When will I get my magick back?"

"You are no different than the others." Alina points to the crowd. "You will be awarded your power when I know that you have changed for the better."

"That's bullcrap!" Anna stomps her foot out of frustration.

"Not off to a good start, are you?" Alina focuses her attention on the crowd and her mother. "The fortress is gone. Abeddon and Brandon are dead. There is no reason to stay here any longer."

"Brandon is dead?" Athena asks.

"He tried to kill me, Mother." Alina turns her back and motions for the others to follow. "When we get to the spiritualist camp, you will all stay in the main hotel until we can have some cottages built. It's a safe haven, a sanctuary for us. We cannot be harmed there."

"I don't understand," Athena says. "We're all safe now because the Dark-Ones are dead."

"We're never safe, Mother."

Just like in Alina's dream, Aneira holds tightly onto Alina's hand and leads her through the wintry forest. Alina can see Brandon lying on the ground in the distance almost entirely covered in snow. Her heart tugs at her regarding the loss of her love. Feelings of regret begin to overwhelm her and she tries her hardest to shake them from her mind. He can't harm anyone now. I took away his magick. He can become human again.

Once they reach where Brandon is lying, Alina relinquishes her grasp from Aneira's tiny hand, and drops to her knees by his side. Her eyes trail up and down his beautiful body as she clenches the crochet wrap tightly at her neck. Taking her right hand, she hovers it above his forehead with her eyes closed. She concentrates heavily as her hand wavers down his entire body until she reaches the tips of his toes. Aneira, Athena, and the others just stand silently in amazement as they watch Alina attempt to resurrect Brandon.

His fingertips twitch and his eyelids slowly flutter. Alina stands and looks at the clan. "Okay, let's get a move on."

"But you're just going to leave him here?" Anna asks. "He has no magick. How will he get back to earth?"

"He's smart," Alina answers. "He'll figure it out." With a swift wave of her hand, they all disappear from the Underworld, leaving Brandon behind.

* * *

Brandon opens his eyes and sees a beautiful, brightly lit sky high overhead. Rubbing his hand across his forehead, he then pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to come to his senses. Resting on his elbows, he looks around and sees snow falling all around him. As he peers down at his legs, he shakes the snow from his jeans, and attempts to stand. He looks over at the tree and rushes toward it, but Aneira's not there. What the—

He looks all around him, seeing an array of splendid, colorful flowers and green, leafy trees. He's confused. Where has everyone gone? Where's Alina?

Before he darts off where Abeddon's fortress once stood, he lifts his right hand to brush the cold, wet snow from his hair. He gasps in alarm when he sees no triple goddess mark on the inside of his wrist. Rushing toward the trickling, blue stream, Brandon kneels along the bank, peering into the water at his reflection. He sees his sparkling, ultra-marine blue eyes staring back at him. Rising to his feet in sudden awareness, he breathes in deeply, and then hollers at the top of his lungs as loud as he can, "You're going to pay for this, Alina!"

The mysterious snowfall in Cassadaga, Florida during Samhain.

Abeddon's throne. Also known as The Devil's Chair located in the cemetery outside Cassadaga, Florida.

Photos contributed by Karen Duncan.
About the Author

Janie is an active member of the Wicca faith and High Priestess who only practices white magick. She resides in Frisco, Texas, which is a suburb outside of Dallas.

Look for her books at major book retailers throughout the world.

Enchanted is an ongoing series that will have new books released annually.

Look for Enchanted: Quest for the Painite (Book II) late 2014.

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