Chapter 14

Tabitha smiled as Bram held the door for her to walk into the bustling restaurant. Her eyes widened in awe at the stunning decor. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over the elegant tables, each adorned with crisp white linens and delicate floral centerpieces. The soft strains of a string quartet filled the air, mingling with the gentle clink of silverware and the murmur of conversation.

Beside her, Bram stood tall and handsome, his dark hair perfectly tousled and his hazel eyes sparkling with excitement. He placed a gentle hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward their table. "I wanted to take you somewhere special," he said, his voice low. "A place as beautiful as you are."

Her cheeks flushed, a flutter of butterflies dancing in her stomach. "Bram, this is lovely. I haven't been to a restaurant this pretty unless my parents were hosting some kind of event. Being here with you is so much more meaningful."

He grinned, pulling out her chair and gesturing for her to sit. "Well, get used to it. I plan on spoiling you rotten from now on."

As they settled in, perusing the menu and sipping on mimosas, Bram began to share stories from his childhood. He regaled her with tales of his misadventures with his siblings, his voice animated and his laughter infectious. Tabitha found herself giggling along, enchanted by the humor in his words.

As they settled into their seats, the waiter arrived with menus bound in rich, supple leather. Tabitha ran her fingers over the embossed gold lettering, marveling at the array of dishes offered. Bram leaned in conspiratorially. "I heard their eggs benedict is to die for, but personally, I'm eyeing the stuffed French toast."

Tabitha grinned, the decision already made. "Stuffed French toast it is, then. Great minds think alike."

The waiter returned with two chilled mimosas, the effervescent liquid glinting in the sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. As they sipped the refreshing drinks, Bram launched into a tale from his childhood, his voice rich with nostalgia.

"Did I ever tell you about the time my siblings and I decided to start a band? We were convinced we were going to be the next big thing." He chuckled, shaking his head at the memory. "I was on the drums, banging away with all the finesse of a drunken gorilla. My brother had this old beat-up guitar that only had three strings, and my sister... Well, she had a tambourine and a whole lot of enthusiasm."

Tabitha leaned forward, her chin resting on her hand, utterly enchanted by the story. She could picture a young Bram, his face scrunched in concentration as he pounded out a rhythm, his siblings dancing around him in a whirlwind of energy and laughter.

"We spent weeks practicing in the garage, driving our parents absolutely crazy with the racket. But we were determined to put on a show for the whole neighborhood." Bram's eyes sparkled with mischief, his grin widening. "So, one Saturday afternoon, we set up our ‘stage' in the front yard. We had a bed sheet for a backdrop, and we'd made these ridiculous costumes out of old Halloween outfits and whatever we found in the attic."

Tabitha giggled, the image of a pint-sized rock star Bram in a mismatched costume too sweet for words. "I bet you looked adorable," she said, her voice filled with affection.

Bram laughed, the sound deep and rich. "Oh, I was a sight to behold. Picture this: a little bear shifter in a top hat, a sequined vest, and a pair of bright red pants that were about three sizes too big. I had to keep hitching them up every five seconds to keep them from falling down."

Tabitha's laughter mingled with his. "And how did the performance go?"

"It was a disaster." Bram's eyes crinkled at the corners, his smile wide and genuine. "We started off strong, but then my brother's guitar string snapped, and he just kept strumming away like nothing had happened. My sister got so excited that she started shaking her tambourine like a maraca, completely out of rhythm. And me? Well, I was so focused on keeping my pants up that I lost my grip on the drumsticks. They went flying into the audience, nearly taking out poor old Mrs. Henderson from next door."

Tabitha clutched her sides, gasping for breath between peals of laughter. "Oh my goodness, Bram! That's hilarious!"

He grinned, reaching across the table to take her hand in his. "But you know what? Despite the chaos, despite the fact that we were probably the worst band in the history of music, we had the time of our lives. We were up there, living our dream, and nothing could take that away from us."

Tabitha squeezed his hand, her heart swelling with affection. "That's what matters most, isn't it? The joy, the laughter, the memories you made together."

Bram nodded, his thumb tracing gentle circles on her skin. "Exactly. Okay, your turn. Tell me a story from your childhood."

Tabitha hesitated, her gaze dropping to their intertwined fingers. "Oh, I don't know. My childhood was pretty boring compared to yours. I don't think I have any stories worth telling."

Bram's fingers tightened around hers, his eyes soft with understanding. "Tabitha, I want to hear everything about you. Every detail, every moment, no matter how small or insignificant you think it might be. You're important to me, and I want to know all of you."

She took a deep breath, a slow smile curling her lips. "Well, there was this one time when I tried to make a love potion for my crush in third grade..."

As she spoke, the words flowing more freely with each passing moment, Tabitha found herself lost in the memories of her past. She told Bram about her disastrous attempts at magic as a child, her voice light with laughter and her eyes bright with nostalgia.

Throughout her stories, Bram listened intently, his gaze never wavering from her face. He chuckled at her mishaps, his thumb tracing soothing circles on the back of her hand. "You know, I think I would have had a crush on you in third grade," he said, his voice teasing. "A cute little witch with a penchant for trouble? Irresistible."

Tabitha laughed, her heart skipping a beat at the playful glint in his eyes. "Oh, really? And what makes you think I would have given you the time of day?"

Bram leaned in, his face mere inches from hers. "Because I would have done everything in my power to make you smile, just like I'm doing now."

Her breath caught, her pulse racing at his proximity. "Well, Mr. Hartley, I must say your efforts are paying off."

He grinned, his lips brushing against her cheek in a featherlight kiss. "Good. Because I plan on spending a lot of time making you smile."

The darkness was a living,sentient thing, writhing and pulsing with malice. It enveloped Tabitha in a suffocating cocoon, pressing in on her from all sides until she couldn't tell up from down, reality from nightmare. Wispy black tendrils, cold as the grave and twice as strong, snaked around her throat, constricting like a vise.

Tabitha thrashed wildly, legs kicking and arms flailing as she fought to break free. Her lungs burned, starved for oxygen, and her heart raced like a trapped hummingbird behind her ribs. She reached for her magic, that familiar well of power that always surged to her defense... but it slipped through her grasp, sputtering weakly.

The shadows seemed to sense her desperation, her mounting terror. They tightened their hold, digging into soft flesh, bruising and cruel. Tabitha's vision swam, black spots dancing at the edges like macabre fireflies. A scream built in her aching chest, but she couldn't give it voice, couldn't draw breath to make a sound.

Suddenly, laughter rang out through the oppressive darkness - a sinister, mocking cackle that froze the blood in Tabitha's veins. It echoed in the void, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once, a disembodied voice dripping with malevolent glee.

"Poor little witch, all alone in the dark," it crooned, falsely sympathetic. "Did you really think you could escape me so easily?"

Tabitha's heart stuttered, fear clawing up her spine with icy talons. She knew that voice, had heard it taunting her in the waking world. The rogue mage – the one who had attacked her on the road and left her broken and bleeding. But this was impossible. How could this person be here, invading her dreams?

"You underestimated me," the mage hissed, answering her unspoken question. "Thought you were safe behind your flimsy little wards. But the mind is my playground, and yours is ripe for the taking."

Incorporeal fingers brushed against Tabitha's temple, a mocking caress. She flinched violently, trying to twist away, but the shadows held her fast.

"The power is wasted on you." The whisper slithered through her mind, insidious and vile. "Once I break you, it will be mine. It belongs to me."

Dread settled like a leaden weight in Tabitha's gut. She knew she should fight, should rage against this violation... but her strength was fading, siphoned away by the relentless crush of darkness. Her muscles went slack as the shadows forced themselves down her throat, invaded her nose, her ears, burrowing into her very being.

Distantly, she was aware of her physical body contorting on the bed, back arching grotesquely as phantom hands squeezed her neck. Choked, garbled cries escaped her bluing lips. But in the nightmare realm, she was paralyzed, helpless, succumbing to the rogue mage's sadistic whims.

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, carving scorching trails down her ashen cheeks. A wretched, broken cry built in the back of her ravaged throat. This was how she would die - alone, defiled, powerless. Everything she was, everything she'd ever been, unraveled and consumed by ravenous shadow.

And then like a lighthouse beam cutting through impenetrable fog... a voice. Bram's voice, distant but insistent, laced with panic and desperation.

"Tabitha! Tabby, wake up! Come on, love, breathe for me!"

A lifeline, thrown into the abyss. A tether back to herself, to the waking world. Tabitha latched onto the sound of her lover's pleas, letting them fill her, bolstering her flagging will. Bram was out there, fighting for her, calling her home. She couldn't let the darkness win, couldn't abandon him to grief and pain.

With a titanic burst of effort, Tabitha wrenched her magic up from the depths of her soul, letting it explode outward in a blinding nova of emerald light. The shadows recoiled with an enraged shriek, the grip loosening just a fraction. It was enough.

Tabitha tore herself free, clawing her way up from the suffocating depths. She kicked and thrashed, punching through the cloying layers of the nightmare like a drowning woman breaching the surface of a fathomless sea. Bram's voice grew louder, clearer, a blazing beacon guiding her back.

With a ragged, wheezing gasp, Tabitha's eyes flew open. She jolted upright, hands scrabbling at her bruised throat as she gulped in desperate lungfuls of air. Her heart was a wild, galloping thunder in her chest and her entire body trembled like a leaf in a gale.

But she was awake. Alive. The shadows retreated to the far corners of her mind, hissing their frustration, temporarily thwarted. Tabitha collapsed back against the sweat-soaked pillows tears of relief sliding unchecked down her face.

Bram was there in an instant, crushing her to the safety of his broad chest. "There you are," he breathed, voice cracking with emotion. "You're okay. I've got you."

Tabitha clung to him like a lifeline, burying her face in the crook of his neck as great, shuddering sobs wracked her battered frame. Bram held her through the storm, whispering fierce promises and declarations of love against her temple.

"What happened? You were thrashing and choking in your sleep. It looked like you were being strangled by some invisible force." Bram's normally deep voice was razor-edged with fear.

A shudder rippled through Tabitha at the memory. "The mage," she rasped, her throat raw. "The one who attacked. It invaded my dream, tried to kill me." A violent cough racked her frame and she doubled over, wheezing.

Bram swore under his breath. "Hold on, let me get you some water."

He pressed a kiss to her sweaty brow before slipping out of bed. Tabitha immediately felt bereft without his comforting embrace. She curled in on herself, trying to will away the lingering sensation of icy fingers around her neck.

Bram was back in seconds, a glass of cool water in hand. He helped Tabitha sit up, supporting her as she sipped carefully. The liquid soothed her scratchy throat, chasing away the last cobwebs of the nightmare.

"This can't keep happening," Bram bit out, barely leashed fury vibrating beneath his skin. "It's not enough that this person almost killed you once, now they're attacking you in your sleep?"

Tabitha reached out to lay a calming hand on his arm. "Bram, it will be okay."

"You could have died. Again."

Tabitha cupped his face between her palms, forcing him to meet her gaze. The pain in his eyes tore at her heart.

"You won't lose me," she said fiercely. "I'm not going anywhere. This mage caught me off guard once, but it won't happen again. Attacking me in the dream realm was a mistake. Because now? Now I can fight back on my terms."

Determination crystallized in Tabitha's chest, diamond-hard and unbreakable. She wasn't some helpless damsel waiting to be rescued. She was a witch, a protector, a force to be reckoned with.

Closing her eyes, Tabitha reached for her magic, letting it flow through her veins like molten sunlight. She wove it around herself, a glimmering shield of protection and power. Intricate spells spilled from her lips - ancient wards to guard her sleeping mind, alarms to alert her of any foreign presence, counter-curses to deflect malicious workings.

When she opened her eyes again, they glowed an eerie green, lit from within by the strength of her magic. Bram watched her work, awe and pride slowly replacing the fear on his face.

"No one will ever breach my defenses again," Tabitha declared, her voice ringing with unshakable conviction. "Not in body, mind, or spirit. I won't be caught unaware a second time."

Bram let out a shaky laugh, pulling her into the circle of his arms once more. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are? Strongest, bravest woman I know."

Tabitha smiled against his neck, breathing in his comforting pine scent. "I couldn't do any of this without you, you know. You're my anchor, my strength."

"We'll figure out who's doing this. And in the meantime..." He tucked her more securely against his broad chest, enveloping her in safety and love. "I'll be right here to chase away the bad dreams."

Cocooned in Bram's embrace, wrapped in her own magic, Tabitha felt a deep sense of peace settle over her.