Each time my glass emptied, someone else brought me another one. As a witch, it was hard to get drunk, but it wasn’t impossible.
Simon came up to me and kissed my cheek. “You’re flushed.”
“The wine,” I admitted.
“Step outside?” he asked.
I was about to answer when a shrill laugh went through the room. I closed my eyes as the world seemed to spin. I hadn’t drunk enough for that, but something wasn’t right.
“Hannah,” Levi’s voice came over the crowd, and my heart fell as everything went silent. “I don’t remember inviting you.”
I stayed next to Simon, trying not to show that I was off-kilter. I wrapped my hand around the pentagram and cat charm I wore around my neck that kept me safe from her magic.
Hannah walked through the crowd, and they parted for her as if they all were scared of her. I felt her magic reach out to me, but I didn’t fear it. Not tonight. I said the first thing that came to my mind.
“You owe me a window for the Hummer.”
Simon snorted but caught himself.
I tried to stand tall, but I swayed. Something was very wrong, I felt pinpricks in my body, no my veins, in my stomach and my lungs.
It felt familiar, but there was no name to the sensation.
“Something wrong, Abigail?” She stopped just out of my reach. “You look pale.”
“You’re not welcomed here.” I tried to find my diplomatic mind. I forced myself not to move as the world started to tilt.
“We just wanted to come and wish you a happy birthday.” Hannah held her hand out, and Samuel appeared in front of me.
He stood out in his crimson suit with white tie. Even the ribbon holding back his hair was red. He smiled at me, showing me just a hint of fang.
My heart pounded as he held his hand out to me. “Just a dance.”
The world stopped tilting, and I assumed it was because adrenaline pushed me through. I glanced at Levi, unsure of what to do. Levi nodded, though his face was completely blank.
I put my hand in Samuel’s, his skin cold against the fire burning in my body. As soon as he twirled me, I realized why the feeling was so familiar.
I was drugged again. Thrills was running through my body, and the reaction would worsen soon, and right now, Samuel was touching me.
He put his hand on the small of my back as we began to waltz. I didn’t know the piece that was playing, but I hoped it was a short dance. With each step, the pain in my body became worse, and the world was starting to turn colors again.
I kept my eyes down, attempting to not look at Samuel to see what the drugs transformed him into. I didn’t want to see a red cracking face or a monster. He would see it as a move of submission or fear, but that was okay right now. His time would come.
The white tiles of the floor started to fall away, and I closed my eyes as Samuel guided me across the floor. The music ended, and he pulled me into a hug, nuzzling my neck.
“You’re mine,” he whispered, and I felt fangs pierce my neck.
The agony in me exploded at the bite, and I went to shove him away, but the drug had me weakened, and my body started to relax. I flashed back to Ira as Samuel pulled at my blood.
“Enough.” Levi’s voice boomed over the room, and Samuel laughed, letting go of me.
I stumbled away, trying to find my footing on a floor that seemed to be falling to pieces. I couldn’t look at Levi, I couldn’t look at anyone. Someone came to my side to steady me. I didn’t want to be touched, and I threw a circle up around me. Crashing to my knees, I poured everything I could into the circle.
I looked up as my body shook, and I saw Samuel, the smug look in his eyes, and I knew what I needed to do.
I refocused my magic and lashed out at the bastard. The last thing I saw before my world went black was him laughing.
Hands held me down to the bed as I cried out. I couldn’t open my eyes. I couldn’t form a thought. But I couldn’t let him get me. I couldn’t let Samuel drink from me again.
“Abigail.” Levi’s voice came through the chaos, but I didn’t want him there. He’d told me to dance with that monster.
My blood was still on fire as I tried to fight against everyone holding me down. Samuel would come after me again if he wasn’t already in the room. I tried to force my eyes open, but they refused to listen.
I cried out as pain moved through me again. This time my eyes did open, and the faces I saw were cracked with pieces were falling out. “Thrills.” I tried to reason with myself. “Thrills,” I said again and tried to force my breathing to level out. My body shook as it became cold. “Oh goddess,” I whispered as I tried to recognize the faces through the cracks and colors.
“Help,” I screamed as everything changed again. I felt like I was freezing as the hands continued to hold me.
“How the hell do we get her down from this high?” Levi snapped.
Sleep. I need sleep, but chunks of skin were falling away from faces only to be replaced with strange swirling colors. Fear was flooding through me as pain started to flow through my neck. “He bit me,” I gasped. “Ira’s power.” I tried to sit
