Cradling Meryn in his arms, Jem touched down lightly in the small courtyard beside the beach hut shortly before dawn. Hearing his arrival, Trine threw open the door, swathing the area in light.
“Meryn!” she gasped as she saw him standing there with the exhausted vampiress in his arms.
“She collapsed,” explained Jem as he stepped unsteadily inside.
“Lay her down before you fall down,” said Trine, rushing to open her bedroom door. “You look as though you’ll collapse too!”
With his mother settled on the bed, Jem fell to his knees on the floor, his own exhaustion overwhelming him now that he knew she was safe.
Quickly, Trine fetched him a glass of blood infused wine, discreetly whispering a strengthening spell over it. He drained it in one long thirsty mouthful.
“Is Meryn hurt?” asked Trine, kneeling beside the unconscious vampiress and taking her hand in hers.
“I don’t think so,” he replied, feeling the warmth of the wine coursing through his parched veins. “She’s just knackered. We worked for hours without a break.”
“Doing what?”
“Sealing Anna into her illusion,” he revealed.
“Sealing her in?”
He nodded, “Meryn has created a shell over the illusion that Anna placed around her tomb. It was safer than trying to touch her dark magic creation. It took both of us all our strength to seal it.”
“And when did you learn magic?” quizzed Trine, raising one pale eyebrow as she stared at him.
“My mother taught me a couple of bits and pieces when we were all stuck at the castle. Basic stuff,” he replied, hoping she didn’t see through his white lie. “She’d been chanting for over an hour before she asked for my help. Was easy enough to copy what she was saying.”
Looking doubtful, Trine turned her attention back to Meryn.
“I’ll sit with her,” she said softly, gently stroking the vampiress’ hand. “You go and get some rest.”
Dragging himself to his feet, Jem nodded, “Waken me if she wakes up.”
“I will. Promise. Now, go. Sleep!”
Screaming obscenities into the still night air, the dark angel stood staring up at the full moon. She’d tried every incantation and spell she knew that should have allowed her to transport beyond her illusion and all of them had failed.
Meryn! She had to be the one behind this Anna deduced… her and her son. Unless she could find a way to break the spell, she realised that she would be trapped in her own illusion with nothing to feed her. She would die a long painful death by desiccation…
Coral McCallum 