Watch of the Wicked (Devil's Witch Book 3)

Colin looks between me and Stella, but I can’t help to ignore the look of lingering disapproval he saves for me as he hands me the vampire baby with a grimace.

We know too late about what has become of our town. Colin told us everything the cops put him up to. Stella was the one who had to witness us being forced here by them. I don’t remember anything, but Stella said she thinks they had me under a spell.

The truth is, I was wrong about everything. Nick really had it out for the coven all along and now we believe the legend truly has taken place seeing as the portal was activated and we’re stuck in the other realm. We entered into this domain through some kind of mirror in a tiny office we think belongs to the mayor of this disturbing place.

I’m surprised Stella and Colin haven’t asked me if I remember anything about being here after my first death, but I don’t. I know I was here though the first time I died because we found my name along with my family’s in the office of deceased supernaturals. It’s right in the center of this town they call Hegley Hallow. The name didn’t ring a bell to me, but I know we’re in the in between all the same. This is where our kind go in death and the population is about to spike when the vamps kill all of the witches.

We’ve already been stuck here a day. We were assigned an apartment in a black brick building to share for free. Everything else is free too including their Hallows Eve event going on nonstop. The streets below our building are congested with a bunch of people dressed in black pointed hooded cloaks. It’s creepy and if they aren’t dressed in hoods, they’re running around in freakish painted masks carrying lit pumpkins. I think it’s kind of dangerous too because the pumpkins seem to be lit with real fire and children are running around with them.

We’re all cooped up in the kitchen of our apartment and avoiding the strange parade outdoors. “We’re dead...d-dead. Dead!” Colin repeats for the millionth time.

“You’re okay now. We were all tricked.” Stella coos while hugging his side until his body stops shaking.

Stella discovered a bite mark on her wrist just like me when we first arrived here. I don’t know if we were turned or not, but none of that matters now since we’re dead.

Colin has been traumatized by it all. Once we got here, whoever sired him lost control over him and now he remembers everything. Including Nick eating him. I shudder while looking down at the baby. It doesn’t need to drink from me since its technically dead now like us too. However, it still gets hungry like us and demands I feed it. Stella told me just to let it cry, but I feel like if we don’t feed it we’re being cruel. Although, at the same time, it is stealing my blood away and I don’t know if I’m producing any more since we got here.

I just can’t believe Nick really was after this all along. I feel used and dirty knowing I’m still torn about it, but at the end of the day what he plans on doing is outright mass murder. We’ve already seen a bunch of familiar faces wandering around outside on the streets such as Marcella and Patty.

I’m not ready to confront any of them because if this truly is my afterlife I’ll be tormented by them forever about my misjudgment. I’ve thought about finding my parents, but I just can’t handle the thought of living out the rest of my life here while above somewhere Wixton is suffering.

“We have to get out of here.” I say.

Stella smiles, but there’s no hope in it. I think she wants to stay here since she’s still afraid of the vampires. Feeling tired, I walk over into my bedroom and set the child down in the crib we found in town at a furnishing store. It’s better than the cauldron one Stella and I made for it. I still can’t believe everything here is free.

I walk over to my bed and scoot under the covers watching the glow emitting from a hilltop in the distance outside my window. I think that’s where all the townspeople are headed. I watch the crowds of people parading around outside for a long time until I fall into a deep sleep.

The sound of the baby’s crying wakes me up. Sleepily, I make my way out of bed and over to its crib. Then I pick him up and carry him over to my bed. When I sit down, he grabs my bruised finger and clamps down on it. I wince, but try not to move too much as he drinks away.

When I hear something move in the corner of my room I shrink down into my pillow. “Valerie, you look drained.”

My heart races hearing his voice for the first time in months. I squirm uncomfortably with him seeing me feeding the child and knowing he could have been the one guarding it up in the attic.

When Nick steps out of the shadows and into the dim light I notice he’s still dressed in uniform. His hair is combed back impeccably like I remember it always being. He walks stiffly to the side of my bed. I clutch the child tighter to me seeing his blue eyes darken into a purple and then a very dark red. His jacket seems to fit him a little tighter and it makes me wonder if he gained a little more weight.

“How did you get in here?” I ask him growing concerned with his prolonged silent stare.

“I walked in through the front door. I suppose Will didn’t mention my arrival. I helped him with the hex this morning and then headed down to the station. Heinrich called me alerting me to the town’s...emergency situation.” He explains.

For the past few months, or really, ever since he left, our town’s been in a state of emergency. I didn’t think Will would ask for his help at this point after the attic incident. I thought Will would have told me if Nick was in town anyway.

I roll onto my side facing away from him with the baby, “Don’t lie to me. Am I dreaming? I shouldn’t be here. Stella and Colin told me everything you’ve done. We aren’t in the human realm anymore. You’ve dumped us here while you go on your murder spree.” I whimper feeling sick.

“I wouldn’t ever lie to you. Also, I wouldn’t let it feed from you unless you wish to sire it.” Nick warns, “Otherwise, it will inherently think you to be its mother.”

I gasp while looking down at the baby. How am I supposed it get to stop feeding? I don’t think I can. My finger throbs in pain. I think it did more than bruise it. It may be broken. The bed dips behind me. I tense up engulfed in the aroma of mint and mud. I can feel his face near mine and the shadow of his chest as he reaches over me toward the baby.

I look up at him not knowing what he’s going to do. He bares his fangs at the baby with a menacing hiss as if it poses a real threat. It’s small eyes bug out in surprise and it retracts its fangs immediately. After it recoils away from my finger, it nestles back down in my arms as if nothing happened. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it definitely was not him scaring the baby half to death...and me too.

“I’m surprised you didn’t make it cry.” I say in wonder.

“It must be trained well.” He replies and I can hear the smile in his voice.

I shuffle onto my other side facing him with the baby between us.

“They found it in Will’s family’s house. It was being kept up in the attic.” I explain quickly afraid he may know it already if it truly was him who devoured Patty. Then I continue, “He found a snake up there too...it ate Patricia.”

Nick takes the vamp baby and sets it in its makeshift cauldron crib. I don’t really know if he’s listening, but he had to of heard me. His stare is downcast as he lays next to me on my other pillow.

I follow Nick’s stare finding it to be on my bleeding finger that’s healing fairly slowly. Warmth washes over me as he uses our conjoined magic to heal it with amazing speed. A drip of blood drips down onto my nail and I wipe it off on my shirt.

“Thanks, but did you hear me?” I ask him.

His gaze leaves my hand and lazily travels up the length of my body to my face. When his eyes return to their normal blue I relax a little more.

He smirks, “I’m sorry to hear this news. I’m sure Will has been traumatized just as sure as I am he’s got you convinced it was me.” He says in a husky voice and I can’t help being a little annoyed by his tone.

He’s making fun of Will experiencing such a terrible thing. I’ve already known what he’s done. He knows it too and I don’t know why he can’t just admit it.

“Was it you?” I whisper searching his face for any microexpression that could give him away.

I don’t want to believe he did it, but I’m also fairly certain it wasn’t the devil either. I can’t imagine Nick eating another person. Only a real subhuman could be capable of such a thing. He has morals, well, I think he does -- even if he truly does hate the coven as much as I’m starting to think. Still, I have no reason to think Colin would lie about Nick.

I’m left to swim in my own confusion and doubt. I sniffle, afraid everyone really is right about him. “No.” He answers in his usual calm and collected tone. Unfortunately, his face remains stoic and I wish I could be satisfied by it, but I’m not.

“I don’t believe you. I don’t think I can trust you anymore either. You wouldn’t talk to me for months and it was your own choice to shut me out. Now, I’m...I’m shutting you out too. You killed Colin and who knows how many more. I know you’ve started killing witches already. Get out of my dream.”

Nick clicks his tongue, “Is that what you really want?” He asks lightly.

“I know you aren’t your father Nick, but I know you have many roles. One of them, in particular, being the leader of a satanic cult of vampires vowing to kill the coven. You lied to me so many times. You’re a willing follower of the devil and a coward for pretending to be in the right. Y-you ate Colin and sent us all here!” I whisper in horror.

He inclines his head reaching my eye level, “The devil has given me everything I wanted. I will do everything in my power to kill every last witch to pave the future for our new generation of neo-vampire hybrids. But you’ve known this for some time now. However, you’ve kept silent about this because you already decided to side with me long ago...beginning right after William staked me and left me to die.” Nick states with certainty.

“You can’t murder innocent people. Not all of them are so terrible.”

“It is not murder. Death is their atonement.” He tells me sounding firm.

“Please...” I plead, but his stoic gaze remains unchanged, “Tell me, what good has the devil done for you?”

“He gave me you.” He says in a low voice.

My face reddens, “I’m not the goddess you believe me to be! I’m just a witch. You should hate me too by your own logic!” I whisper-yell.

However, I may as well be talking to a brick wall. His mind is already set and he clearly isn’t interested in changing it any time soon. “Are we not laying together speaking in the tones of lovers...and the fate of this world that we hold in our hands?” He whispers while ducking his head under my chin. His words are so dramatic. Has he always been this intense? Does he really think of us as ‘lovers’ though or is he just trying to get some other point across? It’s such an old fashioned term.

Tears drip down my face, but I’m too afraid to speak knowing how radicalized he has become. He’s gotten rid of everything standing in his way between him and his idealized society. He doesn’t care about me. I swat his hand off my waist fuming with new anger and disgust.

I answer in a waver, “Innocent people a-are dying. You can’t let your people keep acting out of hand.”

“And what of the coven? They must get what they deserve and you know it,” Nick counters with conviction, “I won’t ask you to agree with me about it, but please stop pretending to be upset with me for taking action.”

I giggle against my will when he starts placing light fleeting kisses up my neck as if in an effort to beg me to understand. “S-stop it.” I stutter breathless and he pulls away resting his face in the crook of my neck setting my body on fire. My breathing settles, but my traitorous heart won’t stop racing.

“Just wait a little longer for me. I’ve already recreated a perfect society. The child you delivered will be the first neo-vampire youth. I’ll be coming for you both.”

He’s really gone insane if he thinks the vamp baby is mine.

Nick sits up a little pulling the covers over us. Then he leans over me to turn off the lamp. Darkness shrouds the room and his arm rests over my waist loosely.

Suddenly, his grip on me tightens and he reels me flush against him connecting his lips to mine. I try to swat his hand away from my hip, but he won’t let go. He rolls over me pinning me beneath his heavy weight. Then he lifts himself up so he hovers just above me. “I know you love me.” He whispers slowly while staring right into my eyes, but his statement comes off more as a question hanging in the air between us.

His gaze is full of lust, but it’s not for me. It’s for everything he’s gotten away with so far and think’s he’ll be able to establish. Still, no one’s ever looked at me like the way he is right now. He lowers himself back down on me and I gasp when I feel his arms sneak beneath my back. One of his hands slips up underneath the back of my shirt and I squirm against his touch feeling completely vulnerable and revolted by the new aggressive way he’s behaving.

He watches me with amusement dancing in his eyes as tears trail down my face. Something passes over his face and it darkens as his hand creeping up my back grips the nape of my neck. He settles back down on top of me stroking my hair back with a shaky hand. His other hand starts massaging the back of my neck and I bite my lip to keep from moaning in pleasure.

I twist around and eventually he moves his hand out from underneath me. “What’s wrong with you?” I sob.

“I’m trying to please you.” He whispers while nuzzling my neck. “You didn’t seem to mind the other times.”

I go still hearing this disturbing revelation from him. What am I even doing here with him? I’m acting like a silent little lame lamb before getting eating alive by a wolf. It’s the conjoinment making me act so submissive and still. Yes, that must be it.

“I don’t believe you.” I retort.

“Then believe this if nothing else -- you’re coming back with me.” Nick whispers against my forehead.

“Can’t you see? The devil’s just using you. You’ll never find happiness or whatever you think will make you satisfied.”

I squeak in suprise when he pulls me up into a sitting position facing him on his lap.

“That’s why your my goddess. You have faith in me even now. You still wish for me to succeed. You are just unwillingly to admit it, but we don’t need words to understand eachother anymore.” He says suggestively while rubbing my back.

“You’ll never get what you want.”

His tongue invades my mouth and despite myself I melt against him as he holds me while we kiss. After some time, he pulls away from me and settles us back down on the bed. He rests his chin on top of my head and circles his arms around me. “I already have.” He whispers. It takes me a moment to remember what we were talking about before.

The murders.

The lies.

The unspeakable things he’s done to those closest to me.

The mouth I just kissed was the same one that devoured Colin, Patty and who knows how many others he’s eaten alive.

I go rigid imagining the sinister things swirling around in his mind. The things he whispers to me now thinking I’ll forgot when I wake up, but I never do.

I haven’t forgotten a single dream with him or the vile things he’s promised to do in order to get what he wants. Such as the things he whispers to me now. He must think he has me right where he wants me, but I’ll never seek refuge in him again.

“No!” I shout while waking up.

Immediately, I look to the pillow beside my own. Seeing no one there, I shut my eyes in relief. After the vivid dream, I don’t think I’ll be going to sleep any time soon. I don’t think I even want to go to sleep ever again. I may see him again and even if it was a dream; it still felt very real.

It was like he was right here with me.