Page 20 of Obsessed in Blood

And he was pretty sure he didn’t want to. “So what next?”

She turned and hit a button on the wall. The door opened, and two vampires walked in. He stood straighter but had to widen his stance against the feeling he was standing on a floating dock. Whatever the red mist was, its effects were slowly dissipating.

“Relax, vampire. This is Frederick and Jamison. They’re here for my safety.”

He gave her two bodyguards a long perusal. They appeared more diligent than threatening, and he leaned against the wall of the pit. He had to trust that Colantha wanted to help Cressa, even if it meant lowering his guard with two unknown vampires.

“Step out of the pit.”

She took his place and sat cross-legged. Her face relaxed, though her posture remained rigid. She pulled out her own medallion, rubbed it, then focused on the candle. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but if she began to sway and mumble foreign words it wouldn’t have surprised him.

He leaned against the wall and waited.

Fifteen minutes later, she blinked and stood. One of the vampires helped her out of the pit.

She stood in front of him and met his gaze. Her dark eyes appeared worried, which increased his own anxiety.

“How committed are you to finding her?”

“I’m not leaving without reaching her.”

“Jamison, take him to the cabin.” She walked to the table, lifted the glass, and drank the last of it. “The cabin is sparse but has food, water, and this juice in your kitchen. The juice provides the mental clarity required for the work we need to do. It will be physically and mentally challenging. Are you prepared?”

“Yes. But I need my phone to contact my cadre.”

“Your vampire has been told to wait. You will be returned to him once we’ve accomplished our task.”

Jamison held the door open for him.

“Did you reach her?” He needed to know she was all right even if she’d been mesmerized to believe him her enemy.

“Not in the way you think. The connection was fuzzy. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s been deeply mesmerized. We will need to work quickly.”

Jamison led Devon across a small expanse of the courtyard. He opened the door to a small cabin and then left after reminding Devon of his thirty minutes. The place was indeed sparse, but Devon didn’t think he’d be spending much time in it.

He checked the bedroom and found a black martial arts gi in a drawer and he changed into it, surprised they fit well. He found makings for coffee but decided to drink the juice as requested. It was surprisingly refreshing, and within minutes, colors appeared more intense than usual. By the time he walked back to the central cabin, he was eager to start.

He followed Jamison to the room he’d been in before, which was most likely the training room Cressa had spent time in. The only light came from the spotlight over the table and four candles that had been placed at even distances around the pit where a blanket covered the bottom.

He turned when the door closed and found Colantha standing there. She wore a long caftan over a full-body leotard, similar to what Simone wore for everyday wear. She walked into the center of the pit and sat down.

She waved at him. “Come join me.”

The pit was barely able to hold both of them as they sat cross-legged, their knees touching.

“This first attempt will be what you might call a joy ride. I’ll be bringing you to various constructs. We’ll visit a few and see how it goes. If it appears you’re having difficulties with the transitions, I’ll stop.”

“Do I need to be wearing the medallion for this?”

“No. But it won’t bother me if you do. I’ll be in control.”

“All right. Do we need to hold hands or something?”

“Only if you’re scared.”

He scowled.

“Prepare yourself, vampire.”