Page 20 of Fateful Reunion

“Charles is gone.”

“Fuck!” Zane cursed.

“How the fuck did he get past us?” Grayson asked. “I heard nothing.”

But Roxanne knew better what Charles was capable of. She should have been prepared. “Probably used a spell to leave the house unnoticed.” She glared at Ilaria. “Where did he go?”

Ilaria’s lips quivered, her eyes shifting to Roxanne’s hand. Roxanne followed her gaze and realized only now that she’d drawn her weapon and was holding it in her hand. No wonder Ilaria was scared. Slowly Roxanne holstered the gun, but before she could repeat her question, her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and checked caller ID.

“Haven,” she answered the call. “What have you got for me?”

“You’re not gonna like it,” the witch-turned-vampire started.

“Let me make that decision.”

“Well, I found a lot of stuff about marks and such. But most of it was inconsequential, except for one particular mark. It’s called the Mark of Cain. Any witch born with the Mark of Cain is considered property of the devil, born evil. It says once she attains all her powers, she’ll be able to destroy mankind.”

“Fuck!”

“You said it,” Haven replied. “Witches carrying the mark are hunted by every coven. They’re feared because of their power, because they use it for evil, so the good witches of this world formed a group of slayers with the sole mission of killing witches with the mark.”

“Is there anything about what this mark looks like?” Roxanne asked, though she already knew the answer.

“I’ll read it to you: the mark manifests as a birthmark in the form of a pentagram, growing with each year into an intricate design of symbols—”

“—and signs that pulse as if alive,” Roxanne finished.

“How the—”

“I’ve just seen one.”

“Ah shit! You gotta get out of there, now!” Haven yelled through the phone. “When it pulses, the evil wants to break through. You can’t stop it. Once the evil is unleashed, nobody can defeat it.”

“Thanks, Haven, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Roxanne, you’ve gotta—”

Roxanne disconnected the call and shoved the phone back in her pocket. A sideways glance told her that her colleagues had heard every word Haven had spoken.

Their guns were pointed at Ilaria. The girl shrieked.

“I’m not evil,” Ilaria whimpered. “Please, I’m not evil. I’m fighting it. Charles, he helps me fight it.” Tears sprang from her eyes.

Roxanne had never seen a person so scared. When she locked eyes with Ilaria, suddenly her own past washed away, and all she saw was a child that needed protection, a child that would have been killed had it not been for the man who put his own desires aside to protect her.

“I won’t hurt you,” Roxanne murmured and approached slowly so as not to frighten the girl even more.

“Stay back, Roxanne,” Zane warned. “It’s not safe.”

She looked over her shoulder and motioned him to remain calm. “She’s just a girl.” Then she continued her approach.

Ilaria watched her every step, shivering uncontrollably. “Don’t.” She lifted her hand. “Please. Don’t come any closer. What if it tries to hurt you?”

“You won’t let it,” Roxanne coaxed softly. “You’re stronger than that.” At least she hoped so. Ilaria had to be stronger than the evil that was trying to control her. Or they would all perish.

Roxanne swallowed her fear and sat down on the bed, then gently pulled Ilaria into her arms. For a few seconds, Ilaria remained stiff, but then, hesitantly, she slid her arms around Roxanne’s back and held on for dear life. Roxanne brushed her hand over the girl’s hair, when the sound of the front door slamming startled her.

Ilaria screamed. Beneath her other hand, Roxanne felt the mark pulse anew.