Sucked Away

By Charissa Dufour

Barely surviving the resurrection of the warlock Sedgrave, Ashley has healed in body, if not in mind. As she slowly tries to piece together her mind, sorting past from present and friend from foe, the time of her joining- a ritual designed to bind her to her seethe-comes upon her. Before the ritual can be completed in full, it is interrupted by a ragged pack of werewolves seeking asylum and protection.
Meanwhile, a storm is brewing in the mystical world with Ashley at its center, and before she knows it, her calm existence is once more Sucked Away.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charissa Dufour
• Release date: Feb 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310314193

Charissa Dufour

My journey to become a writer began in 8th grade, when I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and pulled from school to recover. During this time, I was left alone for hours on end and it was then that I discovered new friends within the pages of books. I also learned the blessing of creating my own friends by writing down the stories that plagued my lonely mind—as demented as that sounds. Therefore at the ripe age of fourteen, I wrote my first novel. It sucked! But I kept going and now I am an Indie Author with numerous books out. I never imagined that first horrible novel about a man who crash landed on his long lost home world would turn into a lifelong passion.I now live in Chicago, IL with my amazing husband and two rambunctious kittens, Groot and Rocket.

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Sucked Away

By Charissa Dufour

© 2014 by Charissa Dufour

All rights reserved.

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Chapter One

I woke with the knowledge that I hadn't been unconscious for long. I was in my tiny apartment, my gray cat sitting next to me on my bed. I could feel his purr vibrating my arm. I groaned; my burned shoulder, gashed throat, shredded back, and gouged stomach all singing out their own misery. I barely even noticed the discomfort of my wrists where they had been chafed by rope. Something was shifting my body in a way that made the wounds scream out. I inhaled sharply and forced my eyes open.

A face I knew, but couldn't name, leaned over me, his hands working to bandage my stomach. He paused when he saw that I was awake. I stared into his green eyes, recognition slowly taking place. He was one of the vampires that had tried to sacrifice me. Before he could tie me up again, I bolted off the bed, colliding with a gray-haired man carrying a large, green cooler. I couldn't name him either, but something about him was familiar.

Before I could make it to the damaged doorway, a pair of hands grabbed me and spun me around. It was Josh. I couldn't forget him. He was my only friend in this world. My body started to shake—a mixture of fear, exhaustion, confusion, and thirst.

Shhh… shhh, he whispered as he pulled me to his chest, and wrapped his arms around me.

I laid my head on his shoulder.

It's okay, Ashley. You're safe.

We need to bandage her wounds, the green-eyed man said over the sound of something dripping on the floor near my feet.

The sound of his voice sent new waves of panic through my body. I cried out and tried to pull away from Josh.

What's wrong with her? asked the strange man.

Again, the man's voice made me try to bolt from the room. Josh held tight to me, keeping me from leaving the small apartment.

I don't know, but she's scared of you. You need to leave.

What? he asked, his voice tinged with confusion. Ashley, what's wrong? You know me.

I didn't know him. And I didn't know how he knew my name. The intimacy of his words scared me even more. In an effort to free myself from Josh's grasp, I jerked in the other direction. It surprised him enough that he loosened his grip. The momentum sent me to the floor. I skidded under the computer desk and pulled my knees up under my chin.

The green-eyed man knelt down to look at me. I huddled tightly, wrapping my arms around my knees, and tried to disappear into the dark corner. The man looked at me, pity making him look soft and friendly, but I didn't trust those gentle eyes. How could I, after what he had done to me?

Nik, back away, ordered Josh.

The green-eyed man, Nik, obeyed with a heated glare directed at Josh. Josh took his place beside the leg of my protective desk.

Make them leave, I whispered, my eyes pricking with tears.

Josh nodded.

Everyone out, he ordered.

The man with the cooler set it down and left without asking a question. Nik hesitated. Before Josh could insist, a new pair of legs appeared from the doorway—I couldn't see the face of the newcomer, hidden as I was under the table.

Where is she?

I knew that voice. Again, I couldn't recollect a name, but I knew he was powerful. I had an image of him tearing someone's head off. A shudder ran through my battered body. Josh must have pointed at the desk because a moment later the powerful man knelt down to look at me.

She's still bleeding.

I glanced down and saw that I was indeed sitting in a growing puddle of blood.

I think we have bigger problems right now, Mikhail, Josh said in a deferential tone. She doesn't seem to remember much, including Samuel, Nik, or you. She's freaked out. It may be best if you two leave.

But she remembers you?

There was a pause where I assume Josh nodded.

She seemed to remember us before, during the attack.

I don't know, but I'm the only one she trusts right now. Hasn't she been through enough? demanded Josh in a voice that was slowly growing more aggressive.

Right. C'mon Nik. Call us, Josh, if you need help. We have guards in place.

Nik and Mikhail left, closing the door behind them. After a second, Josh knelt down to look at me. He didn't ask me to crawl out of my hole, which I was very grateful for. Instead, he dragged the green cooler across the floor and opened it. From within, he withdrew a blood bag and slid it toward me. It bumped against my toes, sloshing quietly.

Without taking my eyes off him, I lifted it to my lips. I must have blacked out or something, because the next thing I knew, the ground around me was littered with blood bags, some of them even floating in the pool of blood surrounding me. I felt a little better, though my skin crawled with general filth, and my shoulder still burned.

Ready to come out now? Josh asked from his perch next to the empty cooler. I noticed he had consumed a few blood bags himself. I glanced around, making sure no one had returned during my little binge. The room was empty. I scooted toward the opening, leaving a trail behind me, but stopped at the edge.

What happened?

They raised Sedgrave, but you didn't die. Do you remember the sacrifice?

I stopped to think about it. I remembered it. I remembered it happened many different times in many different ways. My eyes started to burn again. I nodded. Yes.

And you remember me.

I nodded again.

But not Nik?

I thought about it. A few images came to me. Him crouching to defend me, a few words of ridicule, him lighting a tree on fire, him standing in a Civil War movie. No, that wasn't right.

Maybe, I hedged.

I didn't want Josh to know just how close I was to a complete breakdown. Surely he didn't need to know that I couldn't remember how I had become a vampire, or what my parents looked like, or if I'd gone to college. I knew him and that the gray lump of fur staring at me was a fae, but that was about it.

You don't remember Nik or Mikhail? Josh asked hesitantly.

I shook my head.

Can you tell me what you do remember?

I swallowed the tennis ball that had somehow lodged itself in my throat. Um…

Just tell me anything you feel certain about. Who am I? he asked when I didn't respond.

Josh. You are my friend. You… you found me when I was in trouble, but I don't remember why I was in trouble.

Josh smiled and nodded. What else?

Is the cat a… a fae? I asked, the word sounding wrong to my ears.

He laughed. Yes.

What's wrong with her? another voice asked.

I glanced around frantically, wondering if someone had slipped back into the apartment. Josh pointed at the gray cat, who was staring at me.

The cat is a fae, so he can talk.

I nodded slowly, taking in what he said.

What else do you remember? Josh prompted.

This is my home.

Josh nodded.

But that was it. I couldn't recall anything else. For a few fleeting moments, I saw glimpses, but they seemed more like windows into someone else's life. I couldn't claim them as my own. I felt hot needles pricking my eyes. I blinked furiously, only to feel moisture roll down my cheeks.

Josh nodded slowly. Maybe Periphetes will know something about this. We'll find a way to get your memories back, he insisted as he extended a hand to help me up.

I nodded and took his proffered hand.

For now, let's get you cleaned up.

Before we could move toward the edge of my bed, a soft knock sounded on my thin door. Josh looked at me a moment before waving me to the bathroom—not that my toilet would be much of a defense against anything we'd faced thus far tonight. Nonetheless, I obeyed. He stepped up to the door and spoke.

Who is it?

She's hurt, stated a familiar female voice from the other side. It sounded aged, yet playful.

Josh cracked the door open and peered through the narrow slit. From where I stood in the bathroom doorway, I could see a shocking head of white hair. I wracked my brain, trying to remember who this woman was. Josh glanced over his shoulder at me. Evidently, my face showed my confusion.

It's okay, Ashley. It's Helen, the wizard who helped us figure out that Richard was after daywalkers.

My brain worked slowly as I pieced his words together. The idea of this white-haired woman being a wizard seemed right, felt right. But who was Richard? I got an image of a powerful, yet portly, man waddling around me and causing me pain. Slowly, Josh's statement made sense. I nodded with more confidence.

Josh opened the door the rest of the way and allowed Helen to enter. She eyed Josh, whose small wounds were completely healed. My more extensive trauma—including the sword-shaped whole in my stomach—were a few steps behind. Her eyes ran up to my shoulder. I looked down to see burned flesh through the tattered remains of my shirt.

How did you know it was all over, or that she was hurt, or where to find us? Josh asked, the questions spilling out, one on top of another before Helen could even open her mouth to respond.

Josh, she sighed in a patronizing voice. I keep my ear to the ground.

Helen stepped forward and gently pulled a small piece of fabric from my shoulder. I hissed in pain.

He cast sunlight on you.

Then why isn't it healing? Josh asked. "We heal from sunlight very quickly, especially with the amount of blood she's consumed.

Some wizards and warlocks can make the effects more concentrated, longer lasting. Sedgrave is very powerful, but I brought something that may help.

What's in it? I demanded. I wasn’t about to have someone I kinda, sorta knew lather me up with some mysterious substance.

A number of herbs and oils brewed together with a little magical touch. Here, smell. Good? Now sit down, she ordered.

I obeyed more out of confusion than willingness and perched on the corner of my mattress. Helen handed the small jar to Josh and began carefully prying away the charred fabric from my flesh.

It includes aloe vera, of course, green tea, calendula, plantain, and witch hazel, she added.

I got the impression she was telling me this, not for my own edification, but to help distract me from the work she was doing. I felt grateful. Though her fingers were cold and gentle, each piece of fabric removed constituted a new experiment in torture. I felt an unfamiliar urge to turn around and rip her head off. Was this how it always felt to be a vampire? If so, I wasn't sure I was cut out for it.

These musings felt familiar. Had I debated this with myself before?

Finally, she smeared the magical salve across my shoulder, down my arm, and across my collarbone. I sighed. The salve instantly relieved the pain and sunk deep into the burned tissue. Before I could truly appreciate the relief, Josh stepped in and began covering the burned area with bandages. Though the salve was still dulling the pain, it couldn't keep Josh's rough hands from bringing back old, painful sensations. I held my breath as he secured the last of the bandaging. Even without a shirt, I looked more like a mummy than a person; nearly every square inch of my upper body was covered in bandages.

Apply the salve every time you change her bandages, and let me know if the burn gets any worse, Helen said by way of parting and headed for the door.

Wait, exclaimed Josh as he reached for her arm. Just before his fingers touched her sleeve, he seemed to recall who she was and withdrew his hand. Do you know anything about why Ashley would have lost her memory after the ritual?

Helen smiled, as though Josh's statement had put the puzzle pieces together for her. Her eyes darted to where I sat on the bed and back to Josh.

I couldn't tell you. I wasn't at the ritual.

No, but you knew when it went down and when it was finished.

So I did. I don't know why she lost her memories. Or why she's even alive for that matter. But trust me when I say, Ashley will be key in the weeks and months ahead.

With this final, ominous statement, Helen slipped out of my apartment. Josh followed her to the door and pushed my dresser across the entrance. The deadbolt was broken and unlikely to do any good if someone came visiting. Just as Josh finished adjusting the dresser, a ghostly image of a small, fluffy terrier burst through the bottom drawer. It yipped playfully as it trotted around my tiny apartment, sniffing different pieces of furniture. Muffler hissed and spat at the dog—the flecks of spittle going straight through the transparent image—before jumping up onto the bed. He growled deep in his chest and glared down at the dog, who seemed completely oblivious to Muffler's angry complaints.

Ah! I howled, as I pulled my feet up onto the bed, as though the dog had been a giant spider. What is that?

You don't remember the dog at the graveyard?

I don't even remember the graveyard.

Josh spent the next few minutes describing our trip to the graveyard. Halfway through his story, images of the dark evening began to return to me.

And so the dog's been following me around ever since, he said in a defeated tone.

A smile pulled on my lips. Despite everything that had happened—whether I remembered it or not—I couldn't help but laugh at the idea of Josh being haunted by a dog. Though I only had a few detailed memories of Josh, a feeling of friendship and camaraderie surrounded me when I thought of him. I knew instinctively just how annoyed he'd be with his present situation.

Damn, yapping dog, he complained as he swung his foot through the dog's image.

I chuckled at his failure to vent his frustration. It felt good to laugh, as though, for that brief moment, I wasn't completely lost and clueless.

You should get some rest, Josh added when he noticed my smile fade.

I nodded slowly as I crawled to the head of the bed and climbed under the bloodstained blankets.

Whaboutyou? I slurred, my eyelids drooping despite my effort to stay awake.

I'll stand guard. Someone has to. We don't know when Sedgrave might attack again.

Too true, I thought as I drifted off to sleep.

It wasn’t really an end. More like a very gory beginning.

Josh leaned over my shoulder, watching my progress as I typed the last few lines of my newest book. I had a feeling my publisher would be blown away with the sudden transformation in my writing. It wasn't a work of fiction like my past efforts; it was my real-life story. Granted, I wouldn't be telling anyone that. They'd lock me up in a padded room and swallow the key. I couldn't blame them for that response. Even I had trouble believing the sudden change my life had endured.

Endured was the right word. My first week as a vampire had been full of clinging tree faeries, slobbering werewolves, frozen houses, and vampire-sacrifices. I'd survived it, but just barely. I now spent my days and nights cooped up in my studio apartment, trying to reassemble my life. It wasn't going well.

I had a lot of ground to cover. Granted, I had been nearly tortured to death—a difficult feat considering how hearty we vampires are. I'd been whipped, skewered, and burned, but the worst of it wasn't what had happened to my body. The ritual, which we thought required my life, had taken my memories—my very essence. So I guess in some ways it had taken my life, it just did it in a way none of us expected. I had regained a lot of my history, but not all.

This is fabulous, whispered Josh from his position just above my right shoulder. Though he spoke softly enough, it startled me, pulling me from my own thoughts.

Thanks, I murmured.

Hardly, sighed my cat from his position on the desk, next to my antiquated computer.

Tereus was a gray Scottish Fold. Though I'd named him Muffler when I first got him, he had asked me to call him Tereus after I discovered he could talk. It turned out my cat was really a very old and powerful fae, trapped in a cat's body after he impregnated a friend's sister.

You want a fabulous book read Les Miserables.

Don't listen to him, urged Josh. Hugo rambles.

Josh was the one member of Mikhail's seethe that I thought of as a friend. The others I put up with out of self-preservation. I had no chance of survival if I wasn't part of a seethe. They provided support and safety during rough times, which already proved to be a necessity in my life. I just didn't like it. I'd been a lone wolf—forgive the phrasing—for such a long time, I wasn't sure if I could conform to a group again.

C’mon. You should start getting ready for tonight, said Josh, still keeping his voice soft; he knew how easily I was startled.

He gently placed his hands on my shoulders and guided me away from the computer. Josh had spent many hours, days even, helping me recover. He'd even gotten me wireless internet so that he could work from my apartment. Though Josh had been a jazz pianist when he was human, he was presently trying his hand at trading stocks online. So far, he was barely paying his own bills.

Granted, he had fifty years of savings he could tap into if necessary.

I forced my shoulders to relax under his hands. I felt a little better after getting the story down on paper, but not well enough to face this night. It was my Joining—a short ceremony to finalize my initiation into the seethe, followed by one hell of a party, or at least that's how Josh had described it. Whoever had been put in charge of my Joining had decided to make it a masquerade. Josh was very excited, while I was considering ways to run away. This would be my first time out of my apartment since the attempted sacrifice; attempted, as I didn't technically die.

Nevertheless, a powerful warlock had been freed.

I watched Josh move to my closet and pull out the dress someone had purchased for me. I took it and silently went to my bathroom to put it on. Josh stayed, knowing I'd need help with the laces. I slipped into it, the girlish part of me reveling in the stiff fabric that draped from my hips in heaps of emerald loveliness. The bust was tight and strapless. I held it on as I came out of the bathroom and allowed Josh to lace up the back, which left my pale skin half revealed to the small of my back. Just as he finished, a small, half transparent puppy burst through my closed door.

It bounced around the room, ignoring Tereus as the cat jumped onto the bed and hissed at it. It came up to where Josh and I stood and tried to bite the lower folds of my dress. We both turned away and ignored it. The ghost dog had been haunting Josh ever since we dug up its twisted mistress, who had chosen to be buried with her dog.

You look beautiful. I got something to go with it. Now, this is just to borrow for the night. So don't lose it, he added before opening a felt box.

I felt just like Julia Roberts as I stared at the overwhelming display of silver, diamonds, and emeralds lying on the cushion.

I smiled reflexively. It's gorgeous! Josh, where did you get it?

I know a guy.

I smiled again, the movement feeling unnatural, and turned around so he could help me into the ornate necklace. Josh—or a sick display of diamonds—was the only person who could make me smile.

Now let’s get your hair and makeup done before your date arrives.

I tensed at the thought. I couldn't help it. Nik had insisted on escorting me to my Joining. He claimed he had the right, considering how much work he put into keeping me alive. Never mind that he'd wanted to kill me himself when I was first turned, or the fact that Josh had asked me first.

I’d a long list of enemies at the time, and Nikolai considered me a threat to the seethe's safety. He wasn't wrong, but Mikhail had chosen to protect me, mostly just to piss off Richard, the Lacey seethe's primus. Evidently, when you're a couple hundred years old, that's enough motivation to risk countless lives. I didn't get it.

It'll be okay, Josh said as he pushed me toward the bathroom.

My curling iron was already plugged in and hot. I sat on the toilet lid while he curled my hair. The ghost dog ran into the bathroom, lost control on the linoleum, and skidded through the edge of my tub. I couldn’t tell if it had any control when it interacted with the world around it or not, but occasionally it couldn’t go through a wall or chair leg. Today, evidently, it was the floor that it connected with.

Where'd you learn to curl a girl's hair? I asked, immensely grateful that he could.

I studied a few years of college theater. I know my way around a bobby-pin.

I laughed. It felt good. I hadn't spent much of the autumn laughing. In fact, this might have been the first time. It wasn't that I was depressed. Rather, I couldn't remember what was funny and what wasn't.

Josh wanted me to allow Jordan and Chloe to visit—my only two friends from my human days. The problem was, I knew if I saw them I wouldn't be able to carry on a normal conversation, not to mention I would probably kill them. Josh had made the annoyingly accurate point that if I didn't start getting out, I'd never recover the rest of my memories, or gain any control over my blood lust.

Even so, there was another problem, and one I refused to mention to Josh. To see Jordan and Chloe, I would have to see Nik. They were now both Nikolai's sheep: Jordan because he'd stumbled upon