VIOLA


    I couldn’t answer Emery. I pressed my hands against the sides of my head, trying to ease the throbbing ache that had taken root in my body. A dull, insistent pain throbbed—just like before. It echoed through my chest, rippling outward, matching the ache I’d felt in the chamber and the forest. This was Matic’s pain.


    I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to focus.


    Damn it. Why had I attacked him like that?


    What did I do? Grabbing his cock and stroking him, eliciting moans and devastating sounds that seemed like they pierced my core. I should’ve squeezed his dick until he was puddy in my hands but instead, I concocted a half ass plan to seduce the crazy Vampyr.


    The way his lips claimed me—it was more than pleasure or revenge; it spoke to something deep, something intrinsic… something more than just wanting to possess or dominate me.


    I knew I couldn’t fight him head on, but in those fleeting moments... I wanted him.


    Oh my God! My body had wanted him and that was the most terrifying part.


    What the fuck was happening? My thoughts screamed, and the ache in my body pulsed again. Matic’s pain. I needed to shut it out. Emery was here, and she pinned Matic, but the heat still crept up my neck.


    “Are you okay?” Emery’s voice sliced through my haze, dragging me back into the present.


    “I don’t know…” I answered and breathed through the dull ache.


    “Vee, he has a fucking hard on, he clearly bit you and when I walked through the door, you hit him over the head with a pot. So, I’m going to assume he’s a fucking piece of shit, or this is all foreplay. And you need to clarify which one it is.”


    I made the mistake of looking behind my friend, and I caught the flicker of shadows dancing at her fingertips before she clenched her fist. It seemed similar to Matic’s powers, but my friend was a necromancer and didn’t summon shadow monsters from hell.


    My focus was drawn to the Vampyr pinned against my window, suspended mid-air. His blood-streaked body resembled carved marble—chiseled, every muscle taut and defined, a sight that was almost surreal. Even covered in blood, he still managed to be a vision of dark, lethal beauty. And what hung between his thighs…


    My fingers twitched, unbidden, recalling I had held his throbbing cock in my grasp. Sucked his bloodstained thumb, as Matic shoved it between my lips.


    Damn it. I forced my focus higher, landing on the fading mark on his forehead. It caught my attention, mostly because back in the forest, when Matic had waged war against the witches and the warlock, it had glowed—bright, searing, as if flames burned beneath his flesh. Now, the mark was receding, its glow extinguished, leaving behind something almost beautiful in its subtlety.


    “I swear to the Gods,” My angry friend was now focused on the Vampyr now. “If you had messed with her mind to make her forget what you did…”


    On an aching cry, I gasped as she surged more magik into Matic, making him suffer. He growled


    in agony and when she heard my whimper, she stopped momentarily stepping back toward me.


    “What is happening to you? What did he do?”


    Matic’s strained voice sliced through the tension like a blade and on a deep inhale, I glanced at him to find that the Vampyr was smiling.


    A cold, menacing grin. “It’s not what I did,” he panted. “It’s what she did... and you.”


    His words were a taunt, and my heart clenched as Matic asked. “Do you want to tell her, or should I?”


    “What’s he talking about?” Emery asked me. “This is fucking foreplay isn’t?” She eyes me.


    I grimaced, forcing my eyes away from the Vampyr and turned to my friend. “Not foreplay. We’re connected,” I said, words a struggle to get out. “Whatever harm you cause him, I feel it.”


    She blinked, completely confused. “How is that even possible?”


    I sucked in a deep breath, my hand instinctively moving to my midsection as the ache settled deeper inside me. “I don’t know…”


    Emery glanced back at Matic, her face hardening as everything started to sink in. “Damn it,


    Viola, what the hell did you do?” Her voice came out sharp, frustration dripping from every word.


    I opened my mouth, ready to explain, but before I could, her eyes darted back to me. “How dangerous is he?”


    Matic’s voice sliced through the room, low and chilling. “Extremely,” he drawled, the hint of a cruel smile curling his lips. “But you’ve yet to even graze the depths of what I truly am.”


    When Matic fought the witches and warlock, one witch stayed behind to speak with me. She said he was chaos given form—destruction walking.


    And I had accidentally teleported this creature into my home. Back in the forest, when Matic had me pinned, all I could think about was the teleportation spell and my home, repeating it over and over in my mind.


    I couldn’t do it yesterday, while trying to leave the club but I did it today.


    What the fuck was happening?


    I royally fucked up. I never shouldn’t have listened to those voices and followed my vision. Matic was far more dangerous than either of us could comprehend and I dragged Emery into my mess.


    “You think you’ve seen the worst of me, witch?” Matic’s voice dripped with menace. “You can’t kill me and when I’m at full strength, your magik won’t even leave a bruise. You’ll be lucky to crawl awa-”


    On instinct, Emery’s magik surged again. It hit Matic with force, and he coughed up blood, and snarled. At the same moment, a sharp whimper tore from my throat, the dull ache of his suffering flooding through me, mirroring his pain.


    Gripping the countertop, my knuckles paled as the connection between us burned deeper, relentless and unforgiving.


    “Stop! Emery!” I gasped, doubling over as the ache twisted my gut.


    Emery’s eyes widened, the shock of what she had done washing over her face. She quickly withdrew her magik, her voice barely a whisper. “Holy shit… You guys are really connected.”


    I cursed, drawing in deep pulls of air and trying to fight back nausea.


    Matic chuckled in the background, and glaring up at my friend, I was annoyed but not with her. More with myself and what I did.


    “You can let him down,” I said as the ache slowly ebbed away. “He won’t hurt me. He can’t.”


    “Can’t and won’t are two very different things,” Matic taunted, blood still dripping from his lips, his eyes locked on mine.


    My friend glanced between Matic and I, her brows creasing with frustration as the gravity of the situation fully sank in.


    With a sigh, Emery released her magik and Matic hit the floor with a rough, muffled grunt as his body dropped to the hardwood floor. A sharp jolt of discomfort surged through me, and I winced, the ache in my chest flaring in response to his impact.


    “Emery!” I yelled at her.


    “Shit. Sorry,” Emery muttered, though her gaze never left Matic, she stepped closer toward him.


    With a flick of her wrist, Emery’s magik lifted Matic onto his knees and pinned his arms tightly to his sides. His muscles strained, and though he couldn’t move, he remained infuriatingly calm—despite still being very naked, no longer aroused and at the mercy of yet another witch.


    “Vee,” Emery called over her shoulder. “He needs…pants.”


    I blinked, the oddness of the moment hitting me like a punch. “Right. Pants.” Scrambling, I darted to my bedroom, and grabbed the first pair of pants I could find—one of Jamal’s track pants, of course. He left them lying around my apartment more often than not.


    Back in the living room, Emery released just enough of her grip on him, and he made a sound that felt almost like relief. His muscles, once coiled tight under the force of her magik, started to relax. His shoulders dropped, the tension in his jaw easing as the invisible grip around him loosened.


    I threw the track pants at Matic, and he caught them effortlessly. “Track pants,” I told him. “Put them on.”


    Matic’s low voice rumbled in response. “These trousers are atrocious.”


    Emery, standing just beyond me, didn’t hesitate to further. “Try anything, and I will tear your soul from your body. It will be slow and agonizing.”


    It wasn’t a hollow threat as Emery’s fingers twitched to act.


    “How delightfully archaic,” Matic replied calmly, and his gaze fixed on my friend with an unsettling intensity.


    “Don’t test me,” Emery shot back, her voice hard.


    For a heartbeat or two, I glanced between them as they locked eyes, both of them glaring, silently contemplating their next move.


    I had no idea what they were reflecting on because from where I stood, Emery couldn’t hurt Matic without hurting me. And Matic, now, I could say for sure, was weakened, and seemed to struggle with one witch, when he had effortlessly handled four back in the forest. Granted, one had escaped, but I’m assuming she realized he was a force far beyond anything she could handle on her own.


    Glancing away from the naked man in my living room, I watched Emery as she never once tore her sight away from Matic. Her eyes were trained on his upper body and the tension in the room felt almost unbearable, so I finally broke it with a question.


    “I told you that I was going away, so why are you here?”


    She shrugged, as if this were the most normal thing in the world. “I wanted to borrow a dress.”


    “A dress?” I echoed the answer, the absurdity of it pulling me out of the tension for a moment. “I knew it! I thought things were disappearing out of my damned closet for weeks now.” Then a sudden thought hit me, and I gasped. “You stole my shoes and that pretty gold purse, didn’t you?”This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I gave my friend an emergency key months ago and it wasn''t meant to hijack my belongings.


    Emery shot me a look, almost offended. “About that… I’ll have to give you money for the purse. The strap broke.”


    I glared at her, half in disbelief. “You had me thinking I was going crazy. I was about to buy a damn camera to see who was stealing my stuff!”


    She scoffed. “I was going to give it back, but don’t distract from the topic at hand. Why did you lie to me about going away?”


    “I didn’t lie.”


    Before she could fire back, Matic’s voice slithered into the conversation. “These atrocious excuses for trousers don’t fit.”


    Assuming it was safe to look back, I did so cautiously, and, of course, he was right. The ends of the track pants hovered awkwardly between his ankles and knees, looking utterly ridiculous on his tall frame.


    “Yeah, those are my boyfriend’s,” I muttered, eyes flicking between his face and his towering stature. “And you’re… definitely not five-eleven.”


    “Retrieve me another pair,” he demanded, his tone sharp and leaving no room for argument.


    Emery and I exchanged shocked looks and my friend stepped closer, “Did he just bark orders at you?”


    “I think he did,” I planted my hand on my hip and gave him a look. “There’s nothing else, and those will have to do.”


    Matic’s scowl deepened, irritation clear on his face, but there were no better options. He would have to deal with it.


    While Matic simmered in silence, I sauntered closer to my friend. “Emery, you’re using actual magik.”


    Emery crossed her arms, her expression softening just enough to let her guard down. “It’s almost Halloween. My powers always get stronger around this time, and harder to conceal.” She gave me a wry smile, a flicker of humor creeping into her voice. “Usually, by now, we’re in clubs or at Halloween parties, not trying to restrain a damned Vampyr. So, I get why you forget that I have them.”


    She wasn’t wrong. Halloween was right around the corner—and what that meant for other witches and warlocks… their powers were heightened, almost untamable.


    In the background, Matic drifted silently through the room, his dark eyes scanning the surroundings. Emery kept a close eye on him, as I knew any other time of year, my friend concealed a high percentage of her abilities, burying them deep to avoid facing her lineage.


    Emery had always rebuked her bloodline, moving in with her warlock father who’d also given up a life of magik.


    However, Halloween made it damn near impossible to ignore any form of magik. Well, for most witches and warlocks, anyway. I had always been the sad exception—But tonight... tonight, power thrummed beneath my skin, unfamiliar yet unmistakable.


    Matic prowled the room like a caged predator, his fingers trailing over the spines of my worn paperbacks. His brow furrowed as he plucked one from the shelf, flipping through the pages.


    Placing it back, his gaze locked onto the framed photos adorning my walls. He leaned in close, crimson eyes narrowing as he studied pictures of my friend and I, as if trying to decode some hidden message in our frozen smiles.


    “So, you didn’t lie to me but how did you end up back here with a bloody Vampyr?” she asked.


    I hesitated, my eyes lingering on Matic a little too long and flashes of the forest came to the forefront of my mind. How he was grinding against me, without a care in the world that I didn''t want that. Didn''t want him.


    Yet, I kissed him back and stroked his pulsing cock...


    Damn it. As Matic silently roamed my home, curiosity etched in every movement and focusing back on my friend, I recounted everything to Emery—starting from the night at the club, to the visions, the chanting. Jamal and his uncle, and how it all led me to Phantombrook. The library, and the secret bookcase. I laid it all out, right up to how we ended up back here.


    Matic’s voice cut through the silence as he approached my flat-screen TV, his fingers hovered over the surface before tapping it lightly. Everything here was so far removed from what he knew—an entirely new world for him.


    He spoke out, “None of what you’ve said makes any sense.”


    Both Emery and I turned to him. She pointed at Matic, her gaze darting between the two of us. “I agree with him. You freed him, and now you’re sharing pain? There has to be more to it.”


    “And don’t forget,” I added, “We also share magik.” At first, I thought it was mine—the tingling, the surge of pure energy—but back in the forest, when the storm surged, the sensations followed Matic’s control.


    But even if that was true, how could that even happen?


    “That might explain why I haven’t been able to access my full powers,” Matic said, his voice low, eyes narrowing as he continued to inspect the TV. “If you’re draining them.”


    “You weren’t listening,” I snapped, my voice rising. “I said we share powers and it was just a random thought. A theory at most.”


    Matic’s growl cut through the air, sharp and unyielding. “Exactly. What’s mine stays mine. I don’t share.”


    “Either way, I am not stealing anything from you!” I shot back, frustration bubbling over.


    “Says the little witch who claims not to be my wife, yet smells and tastes just like her.”


    “Oh my God,” I practically yelled, exasperated. “You need to stop insisting that I’m Katherine!”


    Matic straightened, towering over me as he took a step forward. I stumbled back into Emery, who immediately moved in front of me, standing between us before I even had time to react.


    “One, you wouldn’t dare,” she challenged, her voice sharp, defiant—protecting me. “Secondly,” She glanced behind her, her striking blue eyes studying me. “Why does he think you''re his wife?”


    I didn’t answer right away. Deep down, something told me Matic would dare, just to prove her wrong.


    Nevertheless, the Vampyr stopped just short of her. His gaze flickered between me and Emery, his crimson eyes darkening as a low growl simmered in his chest.


    “I don’t know,” I finally answered, exasperated. “Maybe you can beat it into his skull that I’ve only ever been Viola Bennett.”


    “You must have mispronounced one of the words,” Matic muttered, his glare fixed on me, though Emery still stood in his way.


    I shook my head, briefly looking away. “I don’t even know what I was repeating. It was like… I didn’t need to know. The words just came out, as if I understood them without really understanding why.” My voice softened as the memory of the chamber returned. “When I was down there, it sounded like someone else was chanting with me, but I was alone.” The more I thought about it, the less certain I became. “It felt like someone was speaking through me…”


    Emery’s brow furrowed. “Did you see this other person? The one whispering with you?”


    I didn’t have to look at Matic, to know that he was watching me.


    Hesitating, I shook my head. “No, I didn’t see anyone. I just… heard a faint woman’s voice.” A cold knot twisted in my chest, tightening with every passing second as I struggled to fit the pieces together.


    “Wait a minute… Halloween is in a week,” Emery muttered, mostly to herself.


    “Okay, and?” I shrugged, confused.


    Her face lit up with realization, and she grabbed both of my shoulders and shook me. “Halloween!”


    “What’s Halloween?” Matic questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.


    Emery and I answered in unison, “Samhain.”


    “Ah, the veil between realms is thin,” Matic responded, understanding dawning on him and he murmured something else but Emery stole my focus.


    “All Hallows’ Eve!” she added, her voice growing more excited.


    “Em, I swear to God, if you say that wo—” I started, but the words caught in my throat as the realization hit me. “My powers have never surfaced this time of year.” I told her the obvious, but Emery already knows this. The thought sank in, heavy, undeniable. “And whatever happened in the forest—how I teleported us back here—that wasn’t me. It was Matic’s magik.”


    Matic raised an eyebrow, glancing at Emery before looking back at me. “Do you want to tell her, or should I?”


    Emery looked at me, nodding as she continued, “Yeah, I get what you were talking about—back in the forest, teleporting here. But before all of that... the visions, the chanting, the fact that you released Matic?”


    I shook my head, still grappling with the enormity of it. “It was probably his powers calling out to me.”


    “Yes, five centuries,” Matic drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. “Five long centuries, waiting for the perfect little witch to be born... Viola Bennett.” His eyes gleamed with dark amusement as he took a step closer. “You have no idea how patient I’ve been—watching, waiting—until the right one finally heard my call. And here you are.” He tilted his head, studying me with a twisted smile. “Aren’t I lucky?”


    My glare burned into him, but it did nothing to dull the sharp edge of his words, cutting into me like a blade. My jaw clenched, and my nails dug into my palms, the heat of his sarcasm crawled up my spine.


    “You don’t have to be an asshole,” I bit out, refusing to look away.


    The Vampyr''s smirk faltered for the briefest of moments, his eyes softening as they flicked over me. Then he spoke, “It’s almost amusing,” Matic continued, leaning too close toward me and his voice was deceptively light. “The way you keep denying what your friend and I already know. What you already know, deep down.”


    I blinked, unable to form a response, because the damned Vampyr was right. As much as I wanted to claim they were his powers, everything was pointing in the opposite direction.


    I knew it, but how was I supposed to admit it? Use it? Embrace it? It didn’t make sense.


    Emery hooked her arm through mine and yanked me back. “You can back off,” she said to Matic. “You heard Viola—she hasn’t had powers like this before. She needs time to feel and accept it.”


    Matic shook his head. “We don’t have time.”


    “There’s no we,” Emery snapped, her eyes flashing with defiance. “There’s you and your problems.” She pointed at the door. “Leave, and go deal with your drama elsewhere.”


    He gestured between us, his eyes narrowing. “From what I’ve gathered, Viola never had significant powers before tonight. Samhain only enhanced what was already there. It wasn’t chaotic or overwhelming like it is for most witches—it was almost calm. Or,” Matic paused, considering, “It could be because only a fraction of her powers have been awakened. Unlike witches and warlocks who already possess their full abilities, and then Samhain sends their magik into overdrive—overflowing with energy—for her, it’s been dimmed for so long, the awakening is slower. More controlled.”


    My mind raced, trying to piece together what exactly he was saying.


    My weak powers were enhanced?


    Slow awakening?


    Dimmed?


    “Holy fuck,” Emery said, turning to me with a frown. “That makes sense."


    The Vampyr smirked, and said. “That’s just the tip. I know you’re dying for the rest.”


    Emery groaned, rolling her eyes. “You’re infuriating and that still doesn''t explain why or how she’s tied to your magik.” She eyes him, daring him to give a straight answer.


    I said, “Emery, either way, he can’t leave.”


    She turned to me, eyes narrowing. “And why not?”


    “They were trying to kill me too, not just Matic.”


    My friend glanced between us, her posture tense. “Someone better start explaining.”


    Matic’s gaze shifted to Emery, his voice dripping with condescension. “You seem more well-versed in our world and its systems. You understand more than this little witch over there and you can''t see the obvious signs?"


    “Can you just elaborate already?” Emery asked, her frustration evident.


    “I have a name. It’s Viola Bennett,” I reminded him, my irritation growing. His cryptic tone was getting under my skin, and I was just as lost as Emery.


    The Vampyr sighed,  “In five centuries, it seems the education system for magik has declined,” He muttered, almost to himself. “My powers... they’re there, but it’s like trying to grasp smoke. I can feel them, but they slip away.”


    Emery jumped in, “Either, your body needs time to adjust or the spell wasn’t fully broken."


    Matic nodded, "Yes, exactly."


    "That’s why you’re both connected—emotions, pain, and magik. It’s like you’re tethered…”


    My skin crawled at the thought of being bound to Matic—someone so dangerous, so unpredictable—made my stomach twist. But beneath the fear, there was something else. Something I didn’t want to name, a pull that terrified me even more than his power.


    I wanted to scream, to run, to deny everything. This all had to be a theory that would prove to be wrong.


    Matic furthered, “Viola’s powers weren’t fully awakened. They’ve been relying on the energy of Samhain.”


    “The spell is tied to Hallow’s Eve," Emery clarified. "It completes at 11:59 p.m. on Halloween night—just before midnight."


    “So, they are teaching you a thing or two after all. Remarkable,” Matic said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    I glanced between them, my mind racing. “The witch in the forest... she said they wouldn’t stop coming,” I reminded Matic, though this was news to Emery.


    A knot tightened in my chest as their words sank in. 11:59 p.m.—the time loomed over me like an invisible weight, each passing second bringing us closer to... what? Until they hunted us down and slaughtered both Matic and I.


    The Vampyr added, "We need to survive until midnight on Samhain. I can only theorize what happens if one of us dies before then." His jaw tightened. "If I die, my magik could surge through you, and that kind of chaos would tear you apart. But if you die..." He hesitated, something flickering in his eyes—concern, maybe—before it vanished. "You broke the seal. You''re the anchor point of this tether. Your death might do more than just kill me—it could trigger the seal again, trapping me back in that prison realm. We''re walking blind here, but neither of us can afford to find out which theory is correct."


    And there it was—the reason for Matic’s concern. He didn’t want to be resealed away.


    “In other words,” Emery continued, her tone grim, “you’re bound together in this, whether you like it or not. Midnight on Halloween is your only chance.”


    “That’s in…” I paused trying to mentally remember today''s date.


    “Six days,” Emery said as I studied their faces, waiting for one of them to crack a smile, to say this was a joke. There was no humor in their eyes.


    No reprieve.


    Just the cold reality, tightening around me like chains.


    The countdown had begun, and there was no way to stop it.


    I could feel the weight of Matic’s gaze, the heat radiating from his body, as if the tether he spoke of was a physical thing, pulling me in.


    A chill crawled up my spine, seeping into my bones.


    Fuck me.