Page 65 of Stalked

“CALEB, WHAT THEhell are you doing?!” I didn’t wait for a response before I got my answer.

His eyes were midnight black, and the look on his face was filled with pure distaste—he was possessed, just as we suspected Cami had been.

“Seems a little cowardly, don’t you think?” I taunted. “Using my friends to get to me instead of fighting with your own hands.”

When his expression didn’t change, I grabbed a large rock from the ground and threw it with every amount of strength I could muster. It hit Caleb’s head, grazing the side of his temple. It wasn’t a direct hit like I had aimed for, but it was enough to make him lose his balance and topple over a large branch behind him.

I needed to lure him as far away from my family as possible, so I spun around and ran toward the forest, hoping he’d chase me. With my hand outstretched, I was about to reach the tree line when a blaze of flames lit up in front of me, blocking my path. I skidded to a stop and swung around. Caleb’s hands were raised, but only for an instant, then brought back down to his sides. I could tell that getting him into the forest would no longer work. I had to think of another strategy. Without hesitation, I held up my hands toward the water and started channeling the green light into my fingertips. Caleb stopped moving, threw his head back, and started laughing.

Ignoring him, I used the power from my hands to pull Joel closer to where Lily was sitting. Then, harnessed my magic to direct the nearest fallen tree branches toward them, wrapping their ankles and waists to the bench to keep them secure.

The entity inside Caleb looked on curiously, tilting his head, dark eyes glittering. I had to act fast. My hands flew up toward the bay, and with my mind, I commanded the waves to pull toward the forest and cleanse the burning trees. The water did as I commanded, pulling up into the park and sweeping away the blazing fire around us. It reached only up to our ankles, but it wasn’t enough.

Caleb was in front of me in a split second and pushed my arms to my side, keeping me secure in his grasp.

I smiled. “You’re too late, fucker.” The water came crashing down over our heads in a massive tidal wave. Caleb’s grip faltered, and I held my breath as the water pulled us under. We were being washed back out into the cove, but I was able to make my way to the surface as the torrent started to calm down. Caleb was already on me and grabbed my hair. I spun around and punched him straight in the face.

He screamed, releasing his grip. “Bitch!” he cried out.

I hoped my punch would slow him down, even for just a moment, so I could escape. I quickly swam to the shore, which took every ounce of energy I had, but before I could reach Joel and Lily, Caleb was behind me, grabbing me by the waist. I kicked my legs frantically, trying to get away from him. He walked steadily toward Lily’s car; unfortunately, my struggle didn’t slow him down. My breaths were labored as he forced me into the passenger seat. Fear rose to my heart.

What is he going to do?

“Mercy.” I winced at my name coming out of his mouth, but I realized the tone had changed; it was gentle.

“Caleb?”

He looked at me, the amber in his eyes fighting through the darkness like flashes of bright lights. “Are you still wearing the necklace?” he asked with a clenched jaw. I fingered the stone resting on my chest, under my sweater, as I watched him grip his head in pain.

“Caleb, is that you?”

“Mercy, I need to make sure you’re wearing it, so it doesn’t latch on to you, too?” he snapped, removing his hand from his forehead and throwing the back of his head against the car seat. “Mercy?!”

“Yes, it’s right here,” I answered quickly. “It’s on.”

Caleb placed his hands against his head, using his magic to fight the creature inside him that fought to latch on, to gain control again. “Get out!” he shouted. “Get the fuck out!”

I reached for the door but froze when black smoke leaked through his eyes and down his neck and chest. I slapped my hand over my mouth—it looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie. The black smoke oozed out of him, and my stomach rolled at the sight. I didn’t want to watch, but my eyes were glued to his face. The black smoke moved my way but only hovered near my chest before it disappeared out the other window, leaving the car.

Caleb groaned, coming back to himself. “Are you okay?” he asked.

He closed his eyes, and while I couldn’t see the black color, I knew he was back, and the darkness was gone.

“Are you??” I let out the rest of the breath I was holding in. “Holy shit, Caleb. You were possessed. How did you even get here or know where to find us?”

Caleb panted, gripping his fingers around the steering wheel. “The portal Joel created was still open, so I hitched a ride here. As I saw you approach Lily on the beach, black smoke took over my body. I think I must have touched your jet stone while we fought, allowing me to gain enough power to force it out.

“What do we do now?” I asked, but before Caleb answered, I drew my gaze to the front window of the car.

Several feet away, a tall, slender man with frosty-white hair stared back at us. He smoothed his hands down his long, black coat, while his dark gray slacks moved slightly against the wind. His thin lip curled, showing his pearly white fangs.

He wasn’t a witch like we had suspected; the creature in front of us was a vampire. I shivered at the look of malice in his eyes. He might look beautiful, like an angel, but nothing was angelic about him. He reeked of evil. My heart pounded hard against my chest as the blood rushed to my head. I gulped. “Who is that?”

Caleb paled and shook his head. “Ah, shit.”

I gripped his arm, not daring to look away from the horrifying creature in front of me. “Who or what the hell is that?”

Caleb turned in his seat, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. “Remember the demon I told you about who had mated with an angel, which resulted in the vampire race?”

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