The Vessel

By Felicia Tatum

Scott and Olivia survive a nearly deadly school dance, but the aftermath of their meeting has everyone who loves them looking for answers. And when Olivia is thrust into a terrifying situation that pushes her to her limits, she must learn for herself what she is capable of.

She loves Scott, but her parents have disappeared, her grouchy brother has come back to town, and mysterious men are tailing them both. As mysteries swirl around Olivia’s family, Scott must help her discover more about who she truly is—while he races to find the last living descendant of Devlin Hart, the sorcerer who cursed the Tabors family.

With all of this, can their new love grow? It is further tested by an unexpected rival with a claim on Olivia’s heart. Scott will have to fight his jealousy to continue to woo the woman he loves. With the stress of searching for so many answers on his shoulders, will Scott be able to keep Olivia’s heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Felicia Tatum
• Release date: Apr 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301460540

Book preview

1

SCOTT

My eyes fluttered open, but a blinding light made me squint them closed again. I reached up and felt something warm and sticky on my head. When I allowed my lids to open a crack, I saw my fingers coated in blood. A groan escaped as I tried to gather my thoughts. Clutching my side, I turned my head and a searing pain shot through my temple. Ow. Everything hurt, from the throbbing in my ribs to the aching in my skull. Glancing around, I realized I was on the floor in an unfamiliar place. Broken glass shone all around me. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the couch turned on its side, the rest of the room in disarray.

I lifted up enough to look around, holding my body on propped elbows. The room was a disaster and looked like burglars had been here, but long since left. Up on the shelf in front of me, I saw a picture of my Livvie smiling widely. Oh, no! I remembered. I was at her parents’ house and she was gone.

She had been taken.

2

OLIVIA

The air around me was chilly and damp, not at all like May. It could have been night or day. I’d been counting the hours, but I wasn’t sure if I missed any. Lying flat on a bed, I was once again strapped down. My arms were spread above my head, tied to the headboard; my legs were movable, but held together at the ankles with strong rope. Some sort of spell kept me weaker than ever. I was magically blindfolded every day, so I didn’t even know what my captor looked like, but it helped me count the days. I hadn’t seen Scott since the day after the dance. That awful morning would forever be etched in my memory. It had started off perfectly, with Scott and me waking, tangled in each other and basking in our love…

My legs were intertwined with his while his arms held me closely. Snuggling closer, I leaned up to kiss his cheek, but he beat me to it, kissing me on the nose. Laughing, I snuggled my face under his chin, breathing his scent in deeply. His fingers traced my spine, sending chills all over my body. I moved my lips to his neck, sucking and biting his skin. He moaned and I straddled him, our bodies hot and wanting each other. His hands were on my hips, pulling at my skin and moving me closer to him, when we were interrupted by a knock at the house door. Both of our heads snapped up, looking in the direction of the knock. His apartment had a door to the outside and one connecting the apartment to his parents’ house, so we knew it was a family member.

Just a minute, Scott yelled, pulling on a shirt.

I was still in his old clothing without a bra on, so I wrapped a blanket around me and walked to the living area to sit on the couch, leaving Scott to deal with his guest. I could hear the muffled voices of two males. Curiosity got the best of me and I leaned my ear closer in their direction, straining to hear what they were saying.

Yeah, she’s here…no, it’s fine…yeah…it’s ok…we’re going to her parents’ house soon…yeah, Scott was saying.

The other voice was too muffled for me to hear, so it just sounded like gibberish. I stood, glancing in the mirror on the wall, checking my hair and wiping the sleepiness out of my eyes. I heard Scott shuffling through the hall. Who was that? I asked as I walked toward him.

His arms reached for me, and I snuggled into his embrace. Sebastian. He was being nosy. He paused in thought. Which is actually kind of odd behavior for him. He usually doesn’t care.

I lifted my face to look into his. I’m sorry, Scott. It’s obvious you would like a better relationship with him.

He shrugged. Yeah, but not really anything I can do. We need to go talk to your parents.

I furrowed my brows and said, Oookay. Quick change of subject. Is something wrong?

He tensed, and I knew something was going on. No, he said too quickly. Ok, yes. We forgot about the curse. In all the chaos of yesterday, we somehow forgot about the curse. We’ve met, Livvie! You’re gonna die if we don’t do something. Fast. Soon. Now. He grasped me tighter as if he thought holding me would make it all better.

The curse. Die. I had completely forgotten about the curse on Scott’s family. I wasn’t entirely caught up on all the details, but I knew that if we met before October, I would be destined to die on my eighteenth birthday. It wasn’t October. It was only May. Nerves took over, and I began to shake. Dying wasn’t something I was ready to do. What did this mean? Was there any way out of it? A month ago I wouldn’t have believed it, but now…?

His arms tightened and held me closer. It’ll be ok, Livvie. I’ll figure something out. I won’t let you die.

His voice was full of emotion, and I knew he didn’t know if he believed himself. Tears were surfacing, but I pushed them back, determined to not upset him more. I pulled back, smiled weakly, and nodded. Let’s eat something so we can go talk to my parents. I grasped his hand and led him to the kitchen. I rummaged through his cabinets until I found some cereal and poured us both a bowl. We ate in silence so loud it was deafening.

The car ride to my house was lengthy and nerve wrecking. I didn’t know how they were going to react to Scott…or my attire…or everything that happened last night. They must know something about my supernatural abilities, though, or they wouldn’t have been so secretive with me. The distant behavior, the notebook my mother was writing in documenting how nothing had happened to me yet, and their repetition of how they couldn’t discuss anything with me. Though the signs were that they were aware, I dreaded revealing to them how I’d hurt Aiden, how the fire materialized in my hands while the power coursed through my body. What if…what if they didn’t know anything about it? What if my assumptions were wrong, and I was walking into a situation that would completely shock them? Before I could ponder my questions more, we pulled into my drive.

The front door stood open, and I instantly knew something wasn’t right. Mom and Dad were cautious, almost unreasonably so when it came to locking the house. My stomach clenched, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up straight. Scott…something is wrong. My mom and dad would never leave the door open like that.

He looked at me quizzically, Babe, maybe they just came outside or something. Don’t be so jumpy. Aiden is incredibly wounded right now. He can’t hurt you, or them. He caressed my hand and smiled at me reassuringly. My heart still beat fast, but I tried to calm myself as I stepped out of his truck. Scott was already by my side, his hand gripping mine tightly. I stared straight ahead as we walked.

When we got to the door, I was struck with the overwhelming feeling of danger. My eyes burned as many scents flooded my nose, and I wondered what was happening. Stumbling into Scott, I peered at him in concern. He comforted me, then ushered me on. I stepped halfway in and called for my mom. I was answered with silence. I tried my dad. Still nothing. I looked back worriedly at Scott, and he motioned me forward. He didn’t look as calm as before. I walked out of the entryway and gasped in shock at the sight before me.

The couch was on its side, the cushions strewn all over, a table knocked over with shattered bits of glass surrounding it, and chairs and pictures were broken all over the place. My heart felt like it would fly out of my chest. I pulled away from Scott and ran to the kitchen. I stumbled over various objects in the floor on my way. Every room was a disaster. Panicking, I ran back to Scott and threw my body into his arms. He got them. He has to have gotten them. The prickle in my skin wouldn’t go away. Was it still unsafe here?

Scott smoothed my hair back and lifted my chin so I could face him. Livvie, there’s no way this is Aiden. He wouldn’t have had time. And the wards were still up before the dance. I didn’t tell Sadie to disable them until after you harmed him.

My thoughts jumbled as I tried to figure out the situation. My house was ransacked, and my parents were missing, or so it seemed. Tears welled in my eyes as I surveyed my home. Scott…

He shushed me and said, Let me go check upstairs and call my grandma. She’ll know what to do. Just stay here. He kissed my forehead and hurried up the steps.

I held my hand in front of my mouth and tried to not cry. Inhaling deeply, I heard a shuffle behind me. My back straightened as my skin crawled. The power flowed through me, wanting to protect me as I realized I wasn’t alone. Before I could yell for Scott or turn to see who it was, someone gagged me and held me so tightly I was defenseless. And this someone was magical, because we were out of my home in an instant. Struggling against my captor, I fought to remember how to access my power. Before, it came when I was angry, but fear coursed so heavily through me it blocked my ability to think straight.

I wasn’t sure what all happened, but I was blindfolded in the process. Suffocating in what I believed to be a trunk, I attempted to concentrate on using my magic, but all I really knew how to do was create fire. Fire in a car didn’t seem like the best idea. Before I could do more, I was moved to a room that was magic proof or something. I couldn’t burn the ropes off of my hands, speak, or see anything. I was completely useless in rescuing myself.

The rest of that day was a blur. My captor eventually moved me to another location where he/she kept me tied to the bed or a chair most of that day. My hands were raw from the ropes and my muscles weak from not using them. After then, I was allowed to move, but only when he wasn’t around. Every day I was magically secured again while my captor came in to torment me. I was fed twice a day, but never anything that tasted good. And I didn’t get to feed myself, probably because a fork was too much of a weapon. Whoever captured me wanted to make sure I didn’t get away, and to keep me at my weakest. He/she was succeeding.

It’d been about a week, and I lay there wondering what Scott was doing. I knew he was looking for me, but did he even know where to begin? What if my captor had an accomplice and Scott was hurt that day? So many questions rolled around in my brain. I wanted to cry but knew it would only make me more lethargic. I’d been bound to the chair moments before, so I knew I was about to have company. My head lolled to the side with the creak of the door. Was it wooden? My senses were heightened since my sight was cut off. I wasn’t gagged anymore, and I usually tried to speak to the captor. Hey. Are you letting me out? Why won’t you tell me who you are? It’s not like I can tell anyone.

Of course, I wasn’t answered. I heard a lot of movement and scraping. It sounded like there was furniture being moved in. Big furniture. I struggled against the ropes, but it was no use. I wasn’t going anywhere. The arranging went on for about fifteen minutes. I heard a sigh and the door shut softly as my binds disappeared and light flooded my eyes. I was alone. The captor had once again left me. I was letting my thoughts trail, and my eyes adjust, when I heard it: the softest of moans. A painful moan. Turned out I wasn’t alone anymore. I had a roommate.

3

AIDEN

My body ached intensely. My eyelids were too heavy to open, so I lay still, listening to the fast beating of my heart. My legs felt broken, ribs bruised, and I desperately wished my arms were disconnected from the rest of me. The pain was too much. I didn’t know where I was. I wasn’t even sure who I was. I tried to groan, but no sounds would come. Weak and weary, I drifted off into unconsciousness with questions swimming in my mind.

4

SCOTT

Livvie had been missing for five days. I never even heard her scream when she was taken, but felt her panic racing through my veins. I’d flown down the stairs to find her gone, right before I was clocked from behind. I was with her less than 24 hours and lost her. I’d been searching ever since. And her parents…I still didn’t know what happened with them. The whole house was a disaster area and there was no sign of them. It could have been a burglary, or a bad business deal, or someone from the magical world. Something wasn’t right with the whole situation. Spells bounced back when we tried to trace Livvie’s path, or get a reading on who had been in the house. All signs pointed to a magical being as we searched for Livvie and her family.

I enlisted Juniper and Mark to help me. My whole family were doing all they could. Juniper was a huge asset with her newfound powers, though she was still adjusting. She knew Livvie better than any of us, and having her heightened senses was going to be wonderful if we ever got a lead on her whereabouts.

All of us were on edge. We couldn’t figure out who would take her. The Crimson Calamitous was injured so badly he wouldn’t be hurting anyone any time soon. So either he was working with someone before, or there was another enemy after us. Both scenarios were going to end up with us in a fight.

I couldn’t even visit her in her dreams. When I tried to espy her, my spirit was sent flying back to my body with such force that I was bruised all over. Whoever held her hostage was magical, and they had her in some sort of protection force field, or they had cast a spell to make connecting with her impossible. I could only imagine how frightened she must feel. I must find her. We had to save her.

5

OLIVIA

How I wished I’d had time to learn my abilities. Whoever was holding me somehow masked my new roommate. Every time I glanced that way, I saw nothing but a blank wall. I could hear breathing and the occasional groan, but no matter how hard I squinted my eyes, nothing appeared. The key in the lock alerted me it was visiting time.

He came in early this morning, only binding my eyes this time. He must have spelled me, though, because no matter how hard I tried to move my hands to release my eyes, they wouldn’t budge. My captor finally spoke in a deep, threatening voice that was a little scratchy. He spoke much deeper than was natural, which made me think he was masking his true voice.

Quiet. Don’t make me regret letting you move around freely, he demanded.

I snorted. You call this freely? I was too weak to run as it was without having proper nutrition in days. I didn’t need any other bodily harm.

Yes, he said bluntly. I heard him moving through the room, his feet shuffling across the hard tile floor. He didn’t say anything else before he left.

The shutting of the door freed my hands and I peeled the blindfold off quickly. When I finally pulled myself together, I sat up. Everything around me spun and blurred. I grasped my head in an attempt to stop the movement, but nothing worked. My temples ached and my neck felt too weak to hold me up. I gradually leaned back down to rest, trying not to make myself physically ill. Sadie showed after effects of magic at the dance, and I wondered if that