Demon Within

By Lacey Weatherford

On the hunt to find his demonic father, Vance is seeking to find a way to stop the bloodlust that has infected him, so he can once again reunite with the girl of his dreams, Portia. He struggles to keep the evil inside of him from contaminating her and the rest of the coven, as they close in on the location of Damien. But when the worst happens, Vance finds himself in need of the very power he hates. Can he succeed in controlling it? Will he Destroy Portia in the process? Or will it consume him, turning him into the very demonic creature he's trying hard not to become? Find out in Book 2 of the Book of Shadows Saga.

Note: Book of Shadows is a companion series to the #1 Young Adult Bestselling Paranormal Romance series, Of Witches and Warlocks. It is the same storyline, but told from the main character perspective of Vance Mangum. While the general storyline will be the same, there are new scenes and additional dialogue included, making for a fun and unique retelling, and giving readers the chance to get to know the character and his inner workings even better.

Begin the series from Vance's perspective with Book of Shadows 1, Fire & Ice. This series can be read apart from the Of Witches and Warlocks series. Of Witches and Warlocks begins with book 1, The Trouble with Spells.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lacey Weatherford
• Release date: Mar 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463855393

Lacey Weatherford

Lacey Weatherford was born in Ft. Meade Maryland while her father was serving in the military. She has been a life long resident of Arizona, spending most of her time growing up in the small rural town of Clay Springs.It was while she was attending the small country school in Clay Springs, that she read her first "big" book at the age of eight. It was a Nancy Drew novel and Lacey was instantly hooked. She read every book that she could find in the series and decided that she wanted to write stories too.Lacey spent a lot of time at the library from that time forward, even volunteering in her later teen years and early twenties. She would don a crazy clown outfit for the Friends of the Library fundraisers in an effort to help get the new town library built.When she and her husband moved away from the area, Lacey took the opportunity to take some creative writing classes at the local college to help further along her interests. Several years later, they were blessed with the opportunity to move back to Clay Springs with their family. The town had finally succeeded in building their library and Lacey had the opportunity to be President of the Friends of the Library for a very short time, before relocating.Lacey and her family still live in the White Mountains of Arizona, where she continues to write young adult novels that have a fantasy/fairytale or paranormal bent to them, as well as being sure to include a great romantic storyline

Book preview

Prologue

Gunning the engine, I throttled my motorcycle faster, trying to outrace the bloodlust churning inside me. Thirst made me reckless, but at the moment I didn't care since it was taking me from the only girl I'd ever loved.

Portia. Even thinking her name left me aching with loss, both physically and emotionally. It was for her I was doing all this. I wasn't afraid to die, as long as I could complete this one last task. Then it could all be over. I simply had to know Portia and the rest of the world, were safe from the monster I'd become, and the beast who'd created me.

The motor roared hotly, threatened to the limit, yet I still added a burst of my own magic to increase the speed, not caring if the frame could handle it. I was angry, and hell-bent on the destruction of said beast—my father, to be exact. He was responsible for the current perdition I found myself living in. I didn't know where I'd find him, or how I'd do it, but when I got my hands on Damien Cummings, I was going to kill him in the most painful way possible. He would never terrorize me, or anyone else, ever again.

Religiously, I wasn't sure on my view of the afterlife, but I hoped there was an Underworld that tormented souls, or a demonic hell. All I knew was I wanted him to suffer for eternity, even if it meant I had to join him to see it happen.

Wheels eating up the asphalt beneath me, I finally saw the lights of the next town. I'd hoped to travel farther, but I could tell I was getting sicker and needed to find lodging. Madness stirred my insides, my hunger rising. I needed to get off this road and find a place to settle in. Speeding along even faster, I dangerously wove in and out of the traffic on I-40, not caring one whit about all the loud honking when I narrowly missed other vehicles, passing them on the wrong side near the shoulder of the road. I didn't slow until I saw the first sign signaling lodging was available at the next exit in Gallup, New Mexico. I didn't care if it was seedy and rat infested, or a five-star hotel. I just needed a room.

Now.

This was worse than death. It had to be.

I was being devoured from the inside out by fire I couldn't contain. Thankfully, the torture came and went, but the cravings were driving me insane, burning through my body like molten lava consuming everything in its path. It was stronger than anything I'd ever felt, and I literally could do nothing about it. The demon within me demanded to be fed. Immediately. But I had nothing to give it, nor did I want to.

Tremors shot through me uncontrollably. I struggled, pulling myself up from where I'd just been vomiting to glance into the mirror of the bathroom sink. Red streaks flashed through my irises as I stared in horrified amazement.

Closing my treacherous looking eyes, I allowed myself to remember the way it felt to sink my teeth into Portia's soft flesh, biting through until her warm blood sprayed into my mouth. It was both salty and sweet, laced with incredible power. Her magic infused me, making every part of me feel even more alive, pulsating with energy impossible to describe. I was suddenly more superhuman than I'd already been. She had no idea the strength her power carried, but I did. Thinking about her made my teeth feel like they were lengthening in anticipation, but they never appeared. Even so, the edges felt sharper, and I ran my tongue against them, surprised when they actually drew blood. But it wasn't my blood that would satisfy me. I wanted Portia's.

I wanted to do more than taste her. I wanted to be on her, in her, drinking her, all at the same time, hearing her both scream and moan while I claimed her in every possible way. Lust was an equal match for the blood cravings, beat for beat, creating a whole new kind of agony for me, and my body no longer felt like my own. It was as if I'd become some kind of sick, rapist, serial killer.

I was possessed. What kind of disgusting, depraved creature had I become?

Portia's magic might have stopped my demon conversion from completing, but the monster still lurked inside me, waiting to be released into full power. I needed to prevent it, control it, somehow. I refused to succumb to the desires churning within. Love didn't destroy, and I loved her! I loved her more than giving in to the pain of this terrible affliction. I loved her more than my own life. Still, my thoughts only made my passions for her flare stronger.

Groaning, I staggered into the shower, turning the cold water on full blast. I dropped to the bottom, seeking relief as I pressed my naked body against the cool tile, wishing something would take this plague away before I drowned in it—or worse, hurt someone.

As long as I felt like this, there was no way I could see Portia. She was too precious for me to risk turning or killing her, like some kind of horrific vampire. I feared if she heard the thoughts tumbling in my head, she'd never come near me again. I'd rather die than hurt her, even though I knew I was wounding her right now with my absence.

Man, I'd screwed up royally, but there was no changing my past mistakes. I'd made my bed, and now it was time to lie in it. I couldn't risk causing her additional harm.

I was afraid. I needed help but didn't know where to find it. Hopelessness and despair overwhelmed me, leaving me lost with nowhere to turn.

How did one conquer something evil when it actually lived and breathed inside them?

1

Voice Entry:

Hey, Portia,

I don't even know why I'm doing this, other than the fact I miss you so badly. It's weird to not be able to hear your thoughts or feel you nearby. I purchased this phone since my old one got lost when I was taken. You don't have the number, but it's best this way. If you begged me to come back, I don't think I could resist, and it's just too dangerous for us to be together right now. I really wish I could call and make sure you're doing okay.

I want you to know that I love you so much. Even though you'll be angry when you wake up, please know everything I'm doing is to try and protect you. I'll do my best to keep things recorded on this if I'm able. If something happens to me, hopefully, it will find its way back into your hands.

My condition is eating me alive. I feel like I'm going crazy half the time. The most acute agony is the one in my heart, though. I can't stop thinking of you or wishing I was by your side.

I miss you, and not just because of the physical ache that separates us, or even the bloodlust that comes and goes. My thoughts quietly accuse me, saying, You left her behind, but I had to go. I almost destroyed you. If it hadn't been for me, this evil would've never touched your life. I need to fix this if we have any hope of a future together. When it's all over—if I succeed—I hope you'll be able to forgive me and take me back.

It's that hope which continues to drive my actions now. Still, I have no way of knowing if there is any help for my condition. I may be on a quest that has been doomed for failure from the beginning, but I have to try and stop this madness—and him.

I'm shopping for some magical supplies today, attempting some kind of spell to reduce the pain I'm in. There has to be a way to bind or banish this power inside me. I swear I'll fight this until my last breath, but regardless of what happens to me, please know, you will always own my heart.

No matter how hard I tried to focus, my thoughts repeatedly drifted to Portia. Was she okay? Had she finally awakened from my horrific assault on her? Was she angry with me? I missed not being able to feel her close by, the ever-present ache inside me a constant reminder of the distance between us.

Focus, dammit, I growled under my breath, irritated that I couldn't seem to keep my mind on the task at hand. Just getting to Albuquerque today had been a significant feat in itself. I thought I was going to pass out on the road before I got to the next hotel. Upon arrival, I tried sleeping without much luck, before finally settling on the idea to turn to magic for help. I looked up metaphysical stores on my new phone, finding the closest one and called to make sure it was open. Now that I was here, I needed to get in and out before anyone noticed something strange going on with me. Maybe if I were lucky, I'd get some food too. I had to find a way to keep my strength up even though eating wasn't really appealing at the moment.

Glancing at the items on the shelf, I grabbed some white sage and two small crystals, one of selenite and the other clear quartz. Depositing these in the handheld shopping basket, I quickly snatched a bag of thin, colored candles, some cord, and a small satchel, along with a large bag of sea salt, and headed to the register. It didn't seem like much, but maybe I'd be able to work some sort of spell. I swallowed hard as I approached the counter, immediately able to tell the cashier was a full-blooded witch. The smell of her was intoxicating. I held my breath as much as possible, attempting to keep from making eye contact with her, or she'd plainly see my red eyes. Remembering my sunglasses in the pocket of my leather jacket, I grabbed them and slipped them on, before paying her and rushing from the store.

Adrenaline thrumming, my pulse pounded erratically as I considered how easy it would be to come back later and attack. If I could control myself, I could drink from her without killing her, but I'd need to figure out a way to keep her from sounding an alarm to others. Irritated, I pushed the wicked thoughts away, not willing to make the list of my dirty deeds grow any longer than it already had.

Arriving back at the hotel, I emptied the contents in the middle of the bed and grabbed my phone, opening it to the notes app. I sat down at the desk and started tapping the keys, constructing both the words of my incantation, along with a list of the specific attributes I wanted to bind and banish. I wasn't stupid enough to believe that I'd come up with some sort of miracle cure, since stopping a demon conversion was reportedly impossible. Portia had managed to do something for me that no one thought probable, though, and she did it based solely on instinct. Perhaps I'd get fortunate enough to stumble upon some magic that would make things better.

As luck would have it, there was also a full moon tonight, the perfect time for banishing things, and I planned to add that power to this ritual. At the very least, I'd be setting my intentions to the Universe, and that would draw more good magic to my cause.

Three hours later, I finally felt like I had something worth working. It didn't help that I had to stop several times as waves of bloodlust rolled through me. I was unwilling to write the spell when those happened, worried I would taint it somehow as the evil inside me attempted to take control—not to mention the tremors made it difficult to write or concentrate.

It was near midnight, the moon glowing high in the sky, when I pushed the curtains open, letting the white light flood into my room. I'd been lucky enough to have a north facing view, so I situated the table in the center of the pane to be an altar.

Using my powers, I scattered salt for protection, making sure to include my bed in the circle as well. Lighting the four colored candles in the corners, I called the elements. Taking my athame, I inscribed my name in the black wax candle and lit it, placing it in the middle of my makeshift altar, next to the negativity cleansing selenite and clear quartz crystals. I then ignited the white sage, and walked around the circle with it three times, chanting.

"Dark as night,

Bright moonlight,

Black and white,

Clear the evil from this site."

Once I was finished, I released the sage but kept it floating in the air, drawing it entirely around my body, from head to toe and back again.

"As Heaven above,

As Earth below,

As the Soul within,

As the Body without."

Grabbing the length of cord, I held it up toward the moon, draped over my palms.

"God and Goddess,

Hear my plea,

Give my soul

Back to me.

Bless my heart,

To stay strong and true.

Let no evil,

To me undo."

Lowering the cord, I began wrapping it tightly around the black candle.

"I bind the evil inside me.

I bind the thirst.

I bind the pain.

I bind the desire to harm.

I bind the need to feed.

I banish these! I banish these! I banish these!

In their place, Lord and Lady above,

Grant me the capacity to conquer with love.

Help my mind stay true and clear.

Allow me to forever lose these fears.

Into the light, I wish to be,

Please grant my wish,

Unburden me.

So Mote It Be."

Letting the candle burn down, I watched as the wax melted, becoming ever intertwined in the cord. I took the remnants and placed them in the small satchel I'd purchased, along with the crystals, and sage, intending to bury them in the morning when I awoke. Tonight, however, I would sleep inside the cast circle, giving the magic plenty of time to absorb.

I placed the satchel under my pillow and didn't even bother to remove my clothing, instead falling into bed exhausted. Hopefully, this spell would do something. I didn't have any adverse reactions at the moment—a good sign—but I wouldn't know for sure if anything had changed until more time passed. Taking advantage of the brief respite from my agony, I closed my eyes and let sleep claim me.

2

Opening my eyes, the first thing that caught my attention was the daylight streaming through the window. Raising my head, I glanced at the time, and a rush of excitement flowed through me when I realized I'd slept for six hours straight. The spell must be working!

Smiling, I resisted the urge to give a whelp of victory as I sat up, running a hand through my messy hair.

Bam! It was if I'd suddenly hit a brick wall as the intense craving for blood screamed through my body. One second, I was sitting up, the next I was writhing on the floor.

God help me! I prayed through gritted teeth as I curled in a ball, my muscles spasming. It was even worse than before. What the hell had I done?

Rolling to my hands and knees, I crawled into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Gingerly, I removed my clothes and got in. I was getting awfully sick of taking cold showers, but it was the only thing I could think of as I tried to cool the heat burning inside me. Fire was my natural magic, but the bloodlust was something wholly different. It was like setting an acid fire to my insides. It felt corrosive like it was eating away my blood vessels and melting everything in its path. As usual, images of Portia flashed in my head, memories of drinking her blood and how it calmed the fire raging in me, filling me with power. I wanted to feel that way again, healthy, whole, mighty, not like the weak being I was now, shaking and shivering in the bathroom.

The chilly water was also an attempt to stop the lust raging through me. I always wanted to have sex with Portia, but that was because I loved her. Now, the desire bordered on obsession, domination. It wasn't the pure emotion I had before. It was twisted into something else—something I absolutely refused to give into. I wouldn't lay a finger on Portia while feeling this way. Not ever. I struggled to push her from my mind. I felt possessed, and I didn't want these thoughts associated with her. She was the one unsullied thing in my life, and I wanted her to stay that way. I was tired of having everything I loved taken away from me. I'd already lost my mom and Marsha, not to mention friends and countless places that had once been my home. I wasn't about to let Portia be added to that list.

Redirecting, I thought only of the man—the fiend—behind all of this, my dear old dad. I hated him. Rage filled me as I tried to hold his image in my mind. I hadn't seen him in a long time, thankfully. It had been hard, at first, to equate the man I thought I knew to the man Damien Cummings really was. I'd never known his true demeanor, being continually hoodwinked by his powers. I wouldn't become like him. I couldn't. I had no idea how to defeat him though. It would certainly be hard to do from the floor of the shower. I had to get a better hold on myself.

I was freezing, I realized suddenly, surprised. The scorching sensation stopped as if someone had flipped a switch. Rising, I turned the water warmer and proceeded to clean up, all the while wondering when the agony would return. Once finished, I was amazed that nothing more had happened. I actually felt hungry for some real food for a change.

Quickly dressing, I gathered my few belongings, along with the satchel from my spell, and headed out to my motorcycle, packing the saddlebags. Even though I planned to stay longer in Albuquerque, I felt it was wisest to keep switching hotels, so it would be harder to follow my path, if anyone tried. After grabbing some breakfast, I drove toward some low-lying foothills on the edge of town, finding a secluded area to bury the satchel. Afterward, I retrieved my phone and put the addresses I had into the map app. Locating the closest one to my current position, I placed my headphones in so I could hear the directions and listen to some rock music. Gunning the engine, I took off, letting dirt and rocks spew in my wake.

So far, there'd been no reoccurring tremors or spasms, and the bloodlust seemed under control. There hadn't been a time since my near conversion that blood didn't sound desirable, but at least it wasn't coursing through me, uncontrollable. Maybe the spell had helped after all. Only time would tell, but I was going to take advantage of my current condition as long as I could.

Approaching the first location several minutes later, I slowed, doing a cursory search for any activity in the surrounding area before deeming it safe to move toward the building itself. It wouldn't do me any good to walk into a trap. Better safe than sorry. After concluding there were no charmed wards in place, I used my magic to open the locked door and entered.

Creeping through the lower level offices, everything seemed vacant. I made my way quietly up the stairs instead of trying the elevator, only finding more of the same. I returned downstairs and headed into a large loading bay. A metal filing cabinet was tucked away in a corner niche I didn't notice at first. After carefully studying it, I tried opening it, but it was secured. A small burst of power took care of the lock. It certainly didn't seem like a place my dad would've kept necessary files since it was so easily broken into. He knew other witches and warlocks existed. I couldn't imagine him being so careless. There was a substantial stack of invoices inside though.

Ruffling through the papers, I released a frustrated sigh before tossing them aside. Turning to observe the warehouse space, I pondered on the large, empty wooden shipping crates that had been left behind. Other than being marked ‘Fragile,' I didn't see anything that would suggest what the cargo was. The only thing I was sure of at this point, was that my dad wasn't here. Checking the list of addresses I'd copied from the file in Sean's office, I mentally crossed off this location. Time to move onto the next.

Firing up my motorcycle, I peeled out of the parking lot in frustration, my temper rising. The trail I was hunting seemed cold so far. While I certainly didn't expect to find my father at the first place I looked, I was beginning to doubt I'd ever locate him at this rate. He was always trying to catch me. I assumed turning the tables and going after him would make him easy to find. Of course, there was the option of doing something that would alert him to my whereabouts, but I felt the element of surprise was the only real advantage I had.

I could tell the next warehouse was abandoned before I got off my bike. Even so, I still used stealth and sorcery to gain entrance. After tiptoeing around and finding nothing, not even a paper trail, I released a burst of angry magic that caused all the doors in the place to slam against the walls.

Immediately, my rage fueled the demon attributes running in my blood, causing a longing ache and the need to feed to burst through me. Cursing, I tried to rein my temper in, not wanting to start another full-fledged attack. Still, I was shaking by the time I made it to my motorcycle. I decided to take a break and go check into another hotel, just in case I needed to stop for a while. Once that was taken care of, I entered the room and sat on the bed, waiting for the next bout to fully take hold of me.

Several hours had passed when I woke with a start, unaware I'd drifted off to sleep. I was hesitant to celebrate the fact that an attack hadn't appeared, since I'd had one after I thought I was in the clear this morning. This time, however, while I had a nervous, restless feeling, I didn't feel sick. The craving for blood was more intense than when I checked in, but I could function. It was definitely a positive sign. I'd gotten more rest and food in the last few hours than I had before leaving Portia's. I decided to grab some lunch and then check the next place on my list. I needed to keep busy while I felt good. Who knew how long it would last?

Not surprised to find another musty warehouse, I instigated my search the same way I had with the last two. This location, while vacant also, still had pieces of office furniture in some of the rooms, as well as a substantial amount of the same empty wooden crates. I found another filing cabinet in the warehouse bay. Riffling through the remaining papers, I was turning up nothing fast. Irritated by this point, I wished I could just blow the whole place up. What the hell was my dad doing? Where had he gone from here? I was no closer to answers than I had been before.

Staring blankly at the invoices, my thoughts were still consumed with Portia. I wanted so badly to call someone and see how she was doing, but I knew if she had any clues to my whereabouts, she'd be following after me—if she could manage to convince Sean to let her go. I was pretty sure I was at the top of his shit list at the moment. There was no doubt in my mind that the man hated me after what I'd done, not that I blamed him. I hated me too.

Suddenly, as if thinking of her had conjured something, I felt Portia's essence flood through my senses. Only then did I realize that the constant terrible ache that signaled our separation was gone. I'd been so focused on the bloodlust pangs, I hadn't noticed. It wasn't possible though. The only way I could feel like this was if she were close by, and I was sure she wasn't here.

Slowly, I turned around, my body automatically tuning in to her frequency. Eyes widening, I drank in the sight of her standing there in the doorway. Was I hallucinating now?

Portia? Her name slipped past my lips, and I expected her to disappear. There was no way she could've found me. No one knew where I'd gone.

Hello, Vance. Her voice sounded like heaven, even though I noted a tremor, almost as if she was afraid of me, but she didn't disappear. I started toward her, anxious to hold her and know that she was real. She hurried closer, matching my pace and apparent eagerness.

Don't touch her, the inner voice in my head cautioned, and I stopped immediately, just shy of her. What are you doing here? I asked, needing to keep the space between us when the apparition didn't disappear.

I came to do this, she replied. Her fist landed hard against my jaw, causing me to stagger backward, and I stared at her in shock, the punch catching me completely unaware.

What was that for? Maybe I really was dreaming, because none of this was making any sense. Portia would never hit me. She wasn't aggressive like that. I rolled my jaw around trying to work out the pain.

That was for leaving me and going off on your own, you stupid jerk! Her voice rose higher, echoing off the empty walls of the bay.

I needed to make her understand. Portia, I was trying to protect . . .

Don't you dare try to feed me that ‘protect you' line of bull again! I have had it with you, Vance! I think I've proven, on several occasions, I'm not the one who needs protection!

My eyes widened, unable to believe the small, pissed spitfire in front of me was actually my girl. I let my mind link up with hers, sifting through her thoughts. Wow! You're really angry! I said, through our connection.

Get out of my head! she shouted out loud. You've lost the right to be there! You cut me off without warning all the time, only to step right back in whenever you want!

She spun around and started moving