Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

F ear strangled my heart as my magic swirled around me like a dark tornado. Maybe I was the blood witch, and no amount of sugarcoating would change my destiny. I could feel the reality of my surroundings shift as if I were tearing the fabric of time and space. Long tendrils of shadow wrapped around me like inky fingers as the training facility began to fade away.

I tried to stop what was happening, to halt the geyser of power erupting from my core, but the boundaries of the room continued to blur as my magic responded to some ancient call within. It was a primal power intent on my survival, and the cut at my throat had unleashed something I couldn't control.

The air crackled with energy as my hands fisted at my sides and I prayed I didn't destroy everything and everyone around me. Amidst the tsunami of chaos, I heard Cass call out.

"Raven, you need to control it. I can't see you."

Cass confirmed my fears. I was creating a shroud. Probably the same magic the traitorous witch was using to pop in and wreak havoc before disappearing without a trace. My body was still in the room, but an experienced witch could hide in the shadows and bend light around themselves, so they were invisible to the naked eye.

"I can't stop it," I yelled. My power surged again, and I closed my eyes tightly to attempt to rein it in. The rookie mistake of Kirnen's blade had set off a rush of power that threatened to overwhelm me. There were legends of powerful witches who had destroyed themselves because they possessed too much power and didn't learn to control it. There hadn't been a witch like that for hundreds of years, but here I was, about to obliterate myself.

The shroud was like a one-way mirror. While Cass could not see me, she and Kirnen were fully visible. The rookie death dealer stumbled to his feet with an expression of shock and trepidation. While he couldn't see me, he could sense the power pulsating in the room as Cass stared at me with determination. I knew that look. She would sacrifice herself to save me, but she had no idea what to do.

Part of me was surprised Rene hadn't busted down the door and demanded me to stop. I tried to draw on my training as a young witch and anchor my power, but I had possessed so little when I was alive those techniques did nothing to lessen the flow and the shadows consumed me further, as if my very essence were slipping away.

Cass reached for the bolas she had dropped on the ground when my magic had blasted outward. I hadn't seen it burst from her hand, but she had likely been more concerned about me and Kirnen.

She hoisted the weighted cord and began to spin it in the air. Her eyes flicked from one side of the shadows to the other and I knew she was guessing at my location within it. The stones at the end spun so quickly I could no longer track them and when she released them, it was like a propeller in the air. This time they were aimed low, and I yelled when they impacted my knees.

The force sent me forward, but the thick cord held my legs fastened together and I crashed to the floor with a loud thump. The shadows began to rise, attempting to feed off my power as the room trembled, but the darkness began to fade and Cassara's eyes focused on me, alerting me I was within her line of sight. My shoulders shook as the last traces of power faded like a receding tide.

I moved to a sitting position as Rene stormed through the door. His eyes went between Cass and me and he looked angry, but unsure. It probably looked like Cass had thrown the bolas to test me.

"What is going on? I felt a disturbance," he asked.

I began to unwrap the bolas around my legs as Cass stood.

"We had a little incident. I am not sure if it is because I used the bolas on her the first time or if Kirnen accidentally cutting her, had an adverse effect, but her power... exploded."

Rene knelt down beside me as I pulled the bolas from my body and placed it on the floor. "It wasn't the weapon. When Kirnen cut me... something happened. My power expanded. Or I accessed something dormant. It is hard to explain, but I didn't have any control over it. I'm just glad Cass was here to use the bolas on me."

Rene helped me to my feet. "It's the reason I had one assigned to you. There is nobody to help you with this aspect of your training. Cass will carry the bolas, so if you need assistance, she is there for you. It will not be used to constrain you. Just to diminish your magic if you have an outburst."

I should have known that Rene would consider the safety of those around me. Hell, that bolas had saved my life. "Thank you. I didn't realize how much I needed something like that, but Cass thinks I will be able to overcome its effects, eventually. It isn't like a witch box."

"I am aware of that, but by the time you learn to circumvent the bolas, you will have learned to control your magic. This is just an interim safety precaution."

Kirnen and Cass approached us, but I could see the young death dealer was apprehensive. "May I ask how you can be so powerful? I was unaware that any witch possessed such skill."

Rene put his hand on the small of my back. "It is because she is mine. Kirnen you will keep these events private from the clan. You may only discuss any concerns about this incident with Cass or the other death dealers."

Kirnen nodded. "Raven, I did not mean to cut you. My blade slipped when you countered my last attack. I assumed since you were a fledgling, you would be slower. There is no excuse for my error."

Guilt was a bitch, and I hated it. He felt this event was his fault.

"Kirnen, I had no idea this would happen, so there's no way you could have. Vampires heal from a simple cut. I should never have blasted you into the weapons wall and for that, I'm sorry. All I can do is promise that I'll have more control the next time we spar."

Kirnen looked me over cautiously. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, and he had every right to be leery of me. Had he been human, he would be dead right now? "May I return to my quarters? I didn't rest after returning home. I apologize again for cutting you." He nodded respectfully to Rene when the overseer released him by motioning toward the door. And he strode toward the exit.

The click of the door closing echoed through the massive room as if we were in a tomb and I put my hand over my eyes to stay my tears. What the hell was wrong with me? I knew Kirnen wasn't trying to kill me. Nobody did that in front of Cassara. He hadn't lied when he apologized. He felt responsible for my outburst. No wonder the clan didn't trust me. I couldn't even trust myself.

Rene pulled my hand away from my eyes. "Raven, tell me what happened? Cass looks like she has seen a ghost. What kind of magic did you call forth?"

"That's a loaded question. I have seen it before, but I never possessed this magic."

He glanced at Cass. "You have seen it before? You mean you are taught its use in witch school?"

I shook my head. "They didn't teach that kind of magic in school. Nobody had that kind of magic. I had never seen it before the traitor."

Rene's eye flickered. "What?"

Cass wet her lips. "She created the shadow thing that the witch traitor uses to mask her presence. Raven was encased in shadow and hadn't disappeared yet, but she was close."

Rene's eyes narrowed on me. "How does this magic work? What is it called?"

My shoulders sagged. "I wish I knew. The only thing I can compare it with is a form of shroud. The shadows form around me and then the light begins to alter the exterior. The closest thing I can compare it to is a cloaking device. This is the magical version and until that nasty witch used it, I had never seen it before. Now that I have experienced it, I can feel how it works, but I don't know how to turn it off. Once I began feeding the magic, it didn't want to let go."

Rene's eyes narrowed on me. "Your magic is evolving far too rapidly. Do you have any idea why?"

I grunted. "You may as well ask me why I died, or why I survived transition. I'm sorry, but there is no explaining what I am or what I am turning into."

Rene pulled me against him. "Do not worry about it. We will take all the necessary precautions to keep you safe."

I searched his eyes. "How?"

He touched my face gently, brushing his knuckles over my cheek. "We will contact Ursula and get those tests. We will appear to be acceding to her wishes, but they will reveal all your magics so we have a better understanding of your power and how to control it."

While trusting Ursula was about the last thing I wanted, I had grown up with witches and knew how the tests worked. They would give me the information I needed as well as access to the high priestess' knowledge. She wouldn't want a more powerful witch than her roaming around unfettered, and I was beginning to suspect I was exactly that. How I had become this was still a mystery. One I may never solve.

Rene stared at me for some time, and I frowned. "Raven, can I contact her? I would never do so without your permission."

I was about to remind him that he was the overseer, but I smiled ruefully. "Yes. I appreciate you asking me. I will do the tests."

Rene took out his cell phone and pulled up Ursula's contact. She picked up on the first ring. "Ursula, Raven will do the test tonight; make the necessary arrangements." He was quiet for some time. "I will make no further concessions. Either have things ready for us tonight or we will not accede to your wishes." He hung up.

Cass folded her arms. "What did the witch say?"

Rene kept his eyes on me. "She is making all the necessary arrangements. We will go to the coven building at dusk."

I nodded, and my eyes drooped. While my power had seemed endless when it was cascading out of me like a rushing waterfall, my stamina appeared to lack the same enthusiasm. "Okay."

Rene took my hand. "You are tired. Expending your magic drains you quickly. We will retire until dusk."

My eyes met Cassara's. "Thank you for helping me."

She shrugged casually. "It was nothing."

Rene cleared his throat. "It was not nothing. She could have expended all her power had you not acted so quickly. A witch dies if she drains her life force using magic. I do not wish to test that premise with Raven."

Cass held the back of her hand to her mouth. "He is just pissed I got to tie you up before he did."

The laugh escaped my lips before the image of me bound naked made my heart stutter.

Rene sighed. "Please check on Kirnen."

He led me from the training facility and almost every vampire kept their gaze on the floor. I had no idea what havoc my magic had caused in the rest of the mansion, but it was obvious they felt it.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we ascended the stairs, and we were alone in the hallway. Our suite was pristine and comforting as we entered. "I need a shower."

Rene grabbed the hem of my blouse and pulled it up over my head. "That is a good idea."

I put my hand on his wrist when his fingers moved to my pants. "I can undress myself. You don't have to shower with me."

He moved closer to me and didn't relinquish his hold. "But I want to, and you are barely able to stand by yourself. You are exhausted and I would never take advantage of such a situation, so you are quite safe... today."

It was implied that tomorrow was a whole different story, and a shiver of anticipation skated up my spine. I allowed him to remove my clothes before he discarded his and I followed him to the shower.

He turned on the tap and checked that it was warm before guiding me into the large marble shower. The water cascaded down my skin and seemed to wash away my sins as Rene grabbed a vanilla-scented shampoo from the shelf. He lathered it into my hair as I relaxed into him.

There was something decidedly soothing and decadent about someone else washing your hair, and I found I liked it a lot. "I could get used to this."

His lips were at my ear and his words were far louder than the shower of water. "I expect you too."

My heart stuttered, and I froze as he rinsed the shampoo from my hair.

"Relax Raven. It is just a shower."

Yeah, that was easy for him to say. I was completely reliant on him and would be dead if it weren't for Cass and him. I took the towel from him and wrapped it around my body when he passed it to me before following him back to the bedroom.

He dried off and ended by using the towel to get the excess water from his hair. It was hell on a woman with any kind of libido to witness him naked, and I turned away and proceeded to dry myself. If I kept staring at him, I would not be getting any sleep and Rene was right. I needed it.

My body tensed when he touched my shoulder. "Get into bed, Raven."