Page 3 of Chosen, Eternally

A n iron-like vise wraps around my waist and pulls me away from James, throwing me over the ledge.

My head hits the concrete when I land, and for a second there, every ounce of oxygen is expelled from my lungs.

I can’t breathe, can’t speak. Can barely think.

But once I realize who the mysterious figure— figures , plural—who interrupted one of the most religious experiences of my life are, my system kicks into gear.

A shot of magic is injected into my veins, my body recovers at an impossible rate, and I’m able to get to my feet in fight mode. I’m not even bleeding.

“ Fucking vampires ,” I mutter right before shooting a Mobilization spell right at the second vamp’s chest—a woman with dark, straight hair. She yelps as she flies ten feet in the air and falls with a heavy thud on the grass by a petrified James.

When I run to his side and kneel by him to check whether he’s okay, I notice all the color from his face has been drained. And how could it not be, when you just saw your best friend of ten years throw someone through the air without so much as laying a finger on them.

Not sure exactly how I’m going to explain this, but just a minute ago we had confessed our true feelings for each other. This thing with James is real, so I was bound to tell him at one point. This was just… ripping the band-aid. Violently, but still.

“Well, hello there,” a tan, five-foot-eight, dark-haired vamp interrupts my musings.

If he were a human, he wouldn’t look like a particularly threatening man.

Just your average Joe, with a runner’s body, at most. But I know better.

I know just how strong and cunning vampires can be.

I know their powers and talents because I’ve spent countless hours learning about them—even well before I knew it was my destiny to protect this town from them.

“Hey, there.” I wiggle my fingers at him, taunting. “Listen, I hate to be that girl, but you’re kinda cramping my style here. Would you mind coming back, oh…” I tap my index finger pensively to my lip. “I don’t know. Maybe never?”

The vamp chuckles darkly. “Yeah, right. Sorry to inconvenience you, but I hear you’re the little witch of the hour, Miss Goode. The Chosen One? The ‘ Protector ?’” He air quotes my new title.

The vamp studies me, his gaze traveling up and down my body as he and his two buddies circle me and James. “We just had to come see what the whole fuss was about.”

My teasing smile falls. They already know? I haven’t even accepted the job, for crying out loud! The news was supposed to be embargoed to the witch community and definitely should not have leaked to the fucking vampires of all people.

Gods, witches are such gossips.

“Cate? What’s he talking about?” James asks. All the color has drained from his face, and he looks like he’s two seconds away from passing out.

Shit . I need to get James out of here somehow. Unscathed.

“Just… The new job I told you about.”

“Why did he call you a witch?”

“I-I don’t know.” It’s a pathetic answer, but it’s all I can manage at the moment. I’ve trained in combat a bit , but it hasn’t been enough that I can confidently keep up a secret identity and battle three vampires while protecting another human. My multitasking abilities aren’t that developed.

“What do you mean you don’t know ? What’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”

Vamp Number Three—tall, dark, devastatingly handsome—sighs dramatically and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Sorry, but can we save the teen show romance drama bullshit for after the fight?”

“We’re not teenagers,” James retorts, somehow offended by this.

“Not really the point, my dude,” Vamp Three says.

Well, he isn’t wrong.

“Listen, lady and gents,” I address them. “Do you mind if I just send my friend here on home? He was just on his way out, and?—”

“He definitely didn’t seem like he was on his way out,” Vamp Number Two snickers, her eyes alight with humor. “Maybe we should invite him to our little party here.”

With the speed of lightning, I move in front of James and take a protective stance against these vamps. There’s no way I’m going to let them hurt the love of my life.

Over my shoulder, I look at James. “Run as soon as they’re all distracted and don’t look back,” I whisper, too low for the others to hear.

With wide eyes, he panics. “What? No. I should be the one defending you , not the other way around.”

“ No .” I say it with such finality, he doesn’t argue anymore.

When I turn back to face the vamps, I ask “Can we get this over with?” with faux confidence. “I really have somewhere to be.”

Vamp One snorts. “Alright, then, little witch. Give me your best shot.”

I pull my hands to my chest, feet spread apart as I get into position, and cast an Energy spell.

While my Protector powers haven’t fully settled in yet, I can feel the true strength of the magic building between my hands.

A blue ball of energy swirls between us in a mesmerizing glow, so beautiful it’s hard to believe how deadly it truly is.

Once I feel the surge of power reach its limit, I release it, throwing it in the direction of Vamp Number One.

It hits him square in the chest, blasting him through the air, knocking him out of the fight.

There’s no way I can help the triumphant smile that spreads across my face—but it’s short-lived. Somehow, he gets to his feet and lunges at me, though a little shaken. I brace myself for hand-to-hand combat, but something knocks me on my side taking me out this time.

What the hell? There’s no way he should’ve survived that spell. Not even without my powers being fully developed. How did I mess that up? Is he some kind of super vamp, or am I just inadequate?

“Cate!” I hear James call over the ringing in my ears. “I’m gonna fucking kill you, you fuckers.”

Oh, no.

Deer-legged, I struggle to get to my feet and stop James before he does something stupid, like try to save me. If I weren’t so bruised and terrified, I’d almost find it adorable.

“James, no. I have this!”

But it’s too late. His body is already mid-flight as he throws himself at Vamp Number Two, who easily wraps two arms around his waist and tackles him to the ground.

“ No! ” I scream. My lungs burn as I push myself to run to his aid. Simultaneously, I begin to cast an Explosive charm to throw at the fucking vampire who dared touch the man I love.

But just when I’m about to release it, just when I’m a few feet away from my love, a blow to the head knocks me unconscious, robbing me of the greatest happiness I could’ve ever imagined for myself.