Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 11248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
“Vampires and witches aren’t meant to mix. It will only end in pain for all those around you.”
Pertcha inches forward and I get a flash of Tabatha being sentenced to death by the Grand Coven for allowing a member of the coven to marry a vampire. My heart speeds up, and pain starts to radiate from the center of my chest. I blink and it’s playing out before me. I can smell the fire. I can hear Tabatha’s screams as the flames rise until she’s consumed by them.
I blink and flick my wrist, but it does little to stop Pertcha this time. I realize what she’s doing right as vines of ivy spring from the frozen ground, wrapping around my wrists.
“It won’t work on me,” I say, finding my resolve. “You can’t make me feel guilty over who I love.”
Pertcha growls and advances. I pull against the ivy vines. They’re wrapped so tight around my wrist they hurt. I splay my fingers, ready to summon hellfire to free myself and burn this bitch to the ground, but Pertcha holds out her hand. It’s like she’s squeezing my heart from the inside, and I cry out in pain.
This is how she feeds. That’s why the victims died of heart attacks. She’s using the guilt of their past to quite literally cause heartbreak.
But not me.
Because no one will ever tell me it’s wrong to love who I love.
Lucas is a vampire. I’m a witch. The ancient rules saying we shouldn’t be together are just that: ancient and out of date. Our love doesn’t hurt anyone.
“I swear to God,” I start, yelling through gritted teeth. “You will regret…this…ahh!” I pitch forward, heart beating so fast it’s hammering in my ears. Gritting my teeth, I push past the pain. I just need to concentrate enough to—suddenly, the pain stops. I jerk up to see Lucas behind Pertcha, who’s mouth is hanging open in shock. Blood drips down onto the snow behind her.
Lucas jerks his hand back with the sound of breaking bones and snapping ligaments echoing through the otherwise silent forest. The vines around my wrists wither away, and Lucas shoves the writhing demon to the ground. Pertcha’s heart is in his hand. It’s small and shriveled, reeking of sulfur.
“Merry Christmas, my love,” he says and holds out his hand.
I break free of the vines and throw my hand out, setting the heart on fire. Lucas drops it to the ground and comes to me, taking me in his arms as we watch the heart burn into a melted puddle of smoldering goo on the forest floor. Pertcha’s body starts to boil and bubble just like her heart, and Lucas turns me at the last second, shielding me as the body explodes and rains molten demon parts around us.
Scarlet barks, free from whatever Pertcha used to restrain her. She bounds over, sniffing what’s left of Pertcha’s body. It’s over. The demon is dead and won’t claim the lives of anyone else.
I look up at Lucas, wiping a drop of thick, dark blood from his face. “How’d you know I was here?”
"The dark energy shifted to the woods outside our house. It was easy to put two and two together. I ran home as fast as I could to inevitably save you from demons.”
“Hey, I totally had that. I was just about to burn her to a crisp when you showed up. But, we did make a great team. We saved Christmas!”
Grinning, Lucas rests his forehead against mine. “And stopped a demon. I’ll deal with the body later. Let’s go home. We have Christmas movies to watch.” He wipes his bloody hand on his shirt and wraps his arm around me.
“Demons and all, I think this will be my best Christmas yet,” I tell Lucas as we step over the demon remains. “Because I have you.”
Snow starts to fall again and Lucas pulls me to him, kissing me with fervor. “Merry fucking Christmas, Callie King.”
My arms go around him, kissing him once more. “Merry Christmas.”