Scene From The Demon Kiss

Portia is Taken from Vance's Point of View:
Spoiler Alert!! If you haven't read book one or book two, you may want to save this post for later!

I rolled over in bed, my hand automatically reaching out for Portia’s warm body next to me, only to discover that she wasn’t there. I lifted my head momentarily in confusion before dropping it back to my pillow when I remembered she had elected to spend the night in her room to help ease Shelly’s anxieties.


Closing my eyes, I let my thoughts drift loosely over the argument the two of us had been in earlier. I felt so irritated with myself. I hated hurting her in any capacity and yet that seemed to be all I was capable of doing lately.

I suddenly felt extremely frustrated over everything. Everything was spinning completely out of control and I, nor anyone else, seemed to be able to get a handle on it. My dad was wreaking havoc on all of our lives. I needed to put an end to this nonsense so we could all get on with living again.

Tossing the covers back, I sat up and got out of bed, deciding that I needed a drink of water. I reached over to grab a pair of sweatpants I had tossed onto the end of the bed earlier, slipping them on before I left my room.

I moved quietly, not wanting to disturb any of the others who were sleeping, and padded my way into the kitchen. (click the title to continue)

Setting:After the Binding Ritual

From Portia's point of view:
I curled up on my bed in a tight ball and I wrapped my arms tightly around myself, trying to hold it all together. I vaguely wondered if this was what drug addicts felt like when they were going through withdrawals. I ached with such a sick feeling inside of me.

I was quickly coming to the conclusion that Vance and I must of done something very wrong when we performed the binding ritual. It physically hurt to be away from one another.

We had managed to hide our little problem from everyone around us for the last week by doing virtually everything possible to stay together. Vance would “leave” the house for the night, only to crawl into my bedroom window a couple of hours later.

This was the situation which I found myself in right now. The gap in time before he arrived back by my side was so nauseating. I didn’t think I could take much more of it. There was an actual physical pull with the sensation, so strong that I could almost sense the very direction he was in at times.

Relief flooded my mind when I heard him lift the sash to climb into my room. I lifted my head to look at him, seeing the strain on his features as well. He reached the bed in two strides, gathering me up into his arms.

Instantly, the pain was gone, just as if someone had flipped a switch. And just as quickly as it departed a new sensation replaced it. I had taken to calling it liquid fire, because my veins sizzled at his touch.

He crushed his mouth to mine, kissing me hotly for several long moments with his wonderful mouth, before he pulled back away from me.

“I’m sorry you’re hurting so badly,” he said, a slight crease forming between his eyes, as he traced his fingers over my face and I could feel my pulse dancing in response to his touches.

“You’re hurting too,” I reminded him with a sigh, reaching up to smooth out the worry lines in his brow with my finger. “I think we need some help. It’s not getting better like you hoped it would.”

“I know,” he said with a nod, taking my hand in is and bringing it to his mouth to kiss the finger I had just been rubbing him with. “I’m thinking we should go talk to your grandma tomorrow. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” I answered, holding his gaze as he looked at me full of concern. “We definitely need some advice.”

Vance reached out and slid one of his hands over my head, smoothing down my hair in a gentle caress. He leaned in to kiss my cheek before standing up to walk to the head of my bed, pulling the covers down for me and then patting my spot.

“Climb in. You look exhausted.” he said looking back at me. “I promise I’ll tuck you in all nice and comfy.” He smiled at me and I happily obliged him, laughing softly as he lifted the covers to my chin and tucking them around my shoulders.

He joined me on the bed then, laying on top of the covers, draping an arm over my blanketed body and my eyes drooped heavily as everything suddenly seemed right in the world.

“Goodnight Vance,” I whispered.
“Goodnight Portia,” he replied. “I love you.

Setting: Prequel to The Trouble with Spells

From Portia's point of view:
“Maggie Pratt was totally drooling over the new guy in math today,” Shelly chattered on as I walked next to her on our way to lunch.

“What new guy?” I asked her as I shuffled some things around in my bag, looking for my cell phone.

Shelly stopped dead in the hall and gave me one of her “are you kidding me?” stares.

“You haven’t heard about the new guy?” she asked incredulously, her eyes wide.

I laughed at her, finally locating my phone, and then moving to push the door to the school open so we could step outside into the bright sunshine.

“Apparently not, if I’m asking about him,” I smiled at her, giving her a slight eye roll.

“Oh my gosh! You have got to see him! He is positively dreamy, in that smoldering, kind of sulky way. I think he is one of the top five best looking guys I have ever seen in my life! He sits behind me and Maggie in class. We could hardly concentrate on what the teacher was saying.”

“So does the new guy have a name?” I laughed at her. Shelly was forever going on about some boy she liked, through lately she had seemed to have a little thing for Brad Anderson. “Or does he just go by ‘new guy’?”

I received an elbow to the ribs for my sarcasm.

“His name is Vance Mangum,” she replied with a sigh. “He has dark hair, and an awesome body, not to mention he has the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen. AND he drives a motorcycle!” she added as if that were the most amazing thing she had ever heard of.

I laughed out loud at her.

“Lots of people drive motorcycles, Shelly,” I said, turning my head in the slight breeze so the wind could blow my hair away from my face.

That was when I saw him. He was sitting under a tree across the lawn. I knew it was him because he was exactly what Shelly had described, except that he actually was the best looking guy I had ever seen. I felt my heart rate pick up, when I saw he was looking in my direction, and I locked eyes with him for a moment. He turned his face away though, as if he hadn’t even noticed I was there, but had been looking through me instead. I suddenly felt a little crestfallen.

“He’s sitting under the tree over there,” I said, while Shelly opened the door to the cafeteria, and we entered the building together. “You’re right. He's hot.” I added and I was totally depressed then, because I knew Vance Mangum would never even know I existed.

Explosion: The Trouble with Spells

(Spoiler Alert: If you haven't read book one, you may not want to continue with this post!!)
My head jerked up, the explosion rattling my desk, and I thought my heart was going to explode when, through our mental connection, I felt Portia’s body slam up against the wall.

Ear splitting screams immediately filled the air as students panicked, jumping up to run in mass hysteria from the classroom, congesting together in the doorway in their haste to get out.

I moved too, pushing and shoving at people who were in front of me as I clawed my way through the chaos out into hallway. There was a horrible groaning, and I held my breath in horror, as I recognized the signs of the ceiling structure failing and collapsing somewhere in the building.

“Portia!” I yelled out loud, my heart pounding erratically. “Hang on! I’m coming!”

I ran through the hordes of terrified, screaming students who were running toward me, pushing against those who ran into me or tried to turn me in the other direction, all while dodging the occasional ceiling tile that fell into my path as well.

Through our mental connection, I felt, more than heard, Portia as she screamed out loud then as pain ripped through her body when she tried to move.

“Oh Portia! Don’t move! I’m almost there!” I called out frantically and I felt a sickening wave rush through me because I knew then she was injured badly.

I rounded the corner lifting my head to survey the damage in this hallway and stopped dead at the sight in front of me. Suddenly it was as if everything was moving in slow motion. Students ran unseeing around me, as dust particles floated through the air in a halo like effect around … my mother.

Shock held me still as I looked at the face I hadn’t seen in years, trying to figure out how she could possibly be here and how she fit into this scenario.

She smiled at me, and I thought I saw her eyes flash a bright red color.

“No!” I said, taking a slight step backward. Then I saw a full demon mask slip briefly over her features. “NO!” I shouted louder, and this time I moved to take a step toward her, but I felt something sharp stabbed into my neck and instantly my world went black.

Setting: Prequel to The Trouble with Spells

From Shelly's point of view:
I hung up my cell phone and did a little girly dance for joy around my bedroom. After I was done, I plopped down onto my bed and immediately hit the speed dial button for Portia.

“Hey Shell. What’s up?” she answered after a couple seconds.

“Oh! My! Gosh! You will never guess what just happened!” I said excitedly with a girlish giggle. “Go ahead. Try! Try to guess what just happened!”

Portia was quiet for a moment as if she were thinking.

“Umm, Brad Anderson asked you out?” she replied and I felt my air bubble momentarily deflate.
“How did you know?” I asked, feeling slightly irked with her that she stole my thunder.

“Well, let’s see,” Portia laughed. “He’s all you have talked about for practically the last year, and he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of you at your sweet sixteen birthday bash when your parents said that you could officially go out on dates. I can add, you know. It‘s obvious he likes you too.”

“You think so?” I asked, my bubble suddenly inflating once again to the extreme. “Oh, I hope you are right. Brad is so cute!”

“What are you doing for your date?” she asked me, and I felt a twinge of guilt at my answer. “He’s taking me to Prom.”

“Oh. That’s cool,” she answered me in a voice that sounded like she was trying to be excited for me. “I bet you will have a great time.”

“I know your parents won’t let you go yet, but I will tell you all about it I promise!” I said, trying to cheer her up. “Every little detail of who wore what, who they came with, and who had the worst hair.”

She laughed at me then.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from the queen of fashion,” she said.

“And then next year we will double together and have a marvelous time! That will be way more fun than going without you!” I said, really wishing that she could go with me this time.

“Sounds great,” she laughed and I was so thankful that she was my best friend.

Shelly kisses Vance: The Trouble w/Spells

From Shelly's point of view:
I had been enjoying immersing myself into my new group of friends lately, not ever being able to recall a time where I felt so free or uninhibited. It was funny really, considering how I had always been so much into appearances in my life, but now … well, I just didn’t care.

If I’d have known just how liberating it was to do things like drinking, smoking, and just general hanging out and partying, I probably would have done it a lot sooner. My parents didn’t seem to care what I was doing. For that matter no one really seemed tocare about it.

Well, except for one person, and suddenly I found myself wanting that one person to care more than anything else in the world.

Vance Mangum. The boy was like man candy. Easy on the eyes and constantly looking delicious enough to eat. I wanted a taste of that candy. I wanted one really badly.

The funny thing was that Vance was supposedly the main squeeze of my late best friend Portia Mullins, and while he was always with her during the day, it was me he was lurking around at night.

I had relished in this discovery, and had made it my mission to try to draw him into my web. I flirted with every guy that even looked at me. I had even made out with several of them right in front of him trying to goad him into some kind of action. But he just sat on the fringes of everything, observing me with those piercing blue eyes and a look of curiosity.

It didn’t matter where I went either. Anywhere I was, he was there too, watching me … always watching me. I was a willing actress for his stage too. But darn it all, the boy was sure taking his own sweet time to make his move.

That was when I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I arrived at the school early this morning, determined to catch him when he got there. But when he finally showed, he was with her. I couldn’t help the scathing look I sent in her direction, and I was totally irritated when she seemed puzzled by it.

I watched them walk into the school while I took another drag on the cigarette I was discreetly hiding in my hand before I tossed it to the ground, crushing it with my foot.

“Hey kids,” I said to my little group I was hanging with. “Wanna go have a little fun?”

I didn’t wait for an answer, striding off across the parking lot, but I heard them following behind me.

Walking into the school, I looked around for my prey, spotting him easily in the crowd where he was standing near his locker. I strode off down the hall, pushing people out of the way when necessary, until I reached his side, pointedly ignoring Portia ,who was standing next to him.

“Hey Vance,” I said, in what I hoped was a sensual sounding tone.

Vance turned around to look at me then, with a somewhat quizzical look on his face, as if he were surprised to see me.

I moved right up against his delicious body, wrapping my arms around his neck, and planted my lips against his. I was totally frustrated though when he stood stock still, not kissing me back at all, so I proceeded to smear my lips all over his in a sudden desperate attempt to save face.

After getting no reaction from him whatsoever, I stepped back from him then, running a finger down the side of my mouth.

“I knew you’d be hot,” I said and I couldn’t resist reaching a finger out to trace down the front of his chiseled body.

I made it to about his belly button when his hand suddenly reached out and grabbed mine, pulling it away from his body.

“What the heck are you doing Shelly?” he asked with an incredulous look.

That was when I realized I had read the situation completely wrong, but I didn’t have the time to recover because suddenly his little minx swung back and punched me smack in the face. I actually felt the bone in my nose snap right before the blood started spraying.