As the wood connected with his heart, Archie stared at me, his eyes wide and his mouth stretched in pain.
The fear that pulsated from him made my skin icy cold. His own skin started to crumble, his chest almost exploding as his vampire body turned to dust. The last to go were his eyes, the pupils fixed on me in his last moments. My heart squeezed hard in my chest, making it almost impossible for me to breathe.
“You had become fond of him,” Brianna whispered. “But, his obsession with taking down the PFF had become a little boring.”
Releasing my hair, the vampire shoved me to the ground. Tears fell from my eyes as I stayed there, almost touching the dust from Archie's body.
Spinning on her heel, Brianna looked at her vampire friends, threw back her head so her long curly hair hung to her waist and laughed.
The sound sent fury so hot through me, I placed my palms on the carpet and closed my eyes. My shaking limbs throbbed as I pulled magic up into my body, staying silent while it filled me.
“You've forgotten one thing,” I muttered as Brianna's laughter died down.
Feeling into the ground, I connected with the earth beneath the house. My fingers started to sink through the carpet and into the floorboards. Once they were almost buried in the wood, I gripped the floor and started to rock my hands back and forth. The movement caused the ground to shake.
Spinning, Brianna glared at me, her canine teeth extending as she lifted her lips in a sneer. “Oh, no you don't!”
Opening my mouth, I screamed as loud as I could. Magic poured through the sound, creating an ear deafening screech that was strong enough to pierce the vampires’ eardrums. Even Dave cringed as the ground continued to shake.
Releasing the floor, I slowly got to my feet. “I'm an Essex witch!” My shout made Brianna cover her ears, her head bent low. “I will not be taken down!”
Keeping an eye on Dave, I nodded at him to free himself. He thrust his head back, his skull connecting with his captor's chin. The vampire managed to grab his shoulder, his head dropping to my boyfriend's neck.
Lifting my arm, I cast a freezing spell on him, smiling when he literally froze in mid-movement.
“You might be an Essex witch,” Brianna shouted from beside me. “But you're weak. You're done.”
Arms came around me from behind, the vampire who had killed Archie fastening me in a grip. Squirming, I grabbed out my dagger and thrust it back into his leg. He howled in my ear, but his grip tightened. I was about to conjure a fire spell when something smashed over my head. As darkness crept into the corner of my eyes, Dave slumped to the ground, his gaze locked on mine. We had been defeated.
Chapter 9
“Wakey, wakey, witchy poo,” Brianna's voice filtered through my mind.
Ice cold water splashed over my face, making me cough when it went down my throat. Thrusting forward, I spat it out, cringing when it landed on Dave's leg.
“Thanks!” he muttered, his expression grim as I glanced around the room.
We were on the sofa, both of us tied, our arms bound. The rope was thick, cutting into my wrists where they were held in my lap. It was magic-limiting rope. Bastards.
Brianna stood in front of us, her hands on her hips. The other vampires were making a cup of tea, chatting amongst themselves about the latest football score. The contrast of nastiness and sport was an odd one.
“What do you want?” I spat at the woman who was supposed to be my friend. “What in the world did the PFF offer you?”
Crouching in front of me, Brianna reached forward with the intention of tucking my hair behind my ear. I dodged her, my teeth snapping at her fingers when she drew near. The quirk of her lip was momentary as a frown followed.
“Where is your book T-shirt? Those things drove me crazy. I tried to help you, Gemma, I really did... but, the truth is-”
“Shut your mouth, you stupid bitch,” Dave blurted.
His leg was pressed against mine, his hands also tied in his lap. The mass of hair on his head was fluffy and untidy. At least we hadn't gone down without a fight. There was just one problem. Although my team had a rough idea where we were, they wouldn't be allowed to come and rescue us. In fact, now that Dave was no longer in the team, neither of us would be given updates on the case. Which meant that Kate and Jake wouldn't try and contact us anytime soon. Crap.
Leaning towards my boyfriend, Brianna ran a hand down his thigh. Trying to ignore the flash of jealousy that consumed me, I coughed loudly, drawing her attention.
“Sorry,” Brianna said, taking her hand away. “I forgot that he was yours now.”
“As if you have the right to claim you're a good friend.” The words were squeezed through clenched teeth. “Release us!”
Sitting back on her heels, Brianna rocked gently. “Xvair Harvey is our link to destroying the power you have over the ley line. There’s enough to go around for everyone, but you Essex witches have been hogging it to yourselves. It's time that ends.”
Getting up, Brianna paced in front of us. The bigger vampire brought over a mug of steaming tea and handed it to her. She gave him a big smile, her dark eyes kind as he grinned back. How had she manipulated the other two vampires? Were they part of the PFF?
“How long have you been part of the terrorist group?” I asked.
My mood dropped as she settled in an armchair opposite us.
Allowing my shoulders to slump, I pretended to be complacent. In reality, I was trying to cast a fire spell on my binds. It wasn’t working. Ugh, how had they managed to get hold of magic-limiting rope?
My teeth gritted as I screamed inside my head in frustration. I
