📎A/N. Well we are heading into the final few chapters of Witch Doctor... and the pressure is on to stop Leviathan from stepping through the door... Will they work out how in time??

This chapter is another longish one, so you'd probably better get comfy. We also get a chance to see into Ryker's past. I must caution you, it's not pretty. Don't say you weren't warned ;)

Take care, and thank you all so very much for your continued support...

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The scent of cinnamon wafted into the last thread of sleep and Keira pulled the covers closer. Her eyelids were heavy, and she couldn't gather the strength to open them. It couldn't possibly be time to wake up. She had just fallen asleep.

The sound of rain punctured her foggy brain, and she rolled over with a loud groan at the effort. From under the sheets, she reached for her phone.

6:15.

Why did she feel so tired?

The dull cloud lifted, and Keira shot up into a sitting position in record time. The reality of their current predicament, as well as where she was, smashed across her in waves.

6:15? Damn. I was only supposed to nap for one hour, not three.

Keira rubbed her eyes, then glanced over towards the bedside table. A cup of green tea sent tendrils of steam into the air.

At least that explains the cinnamon.

She regarded the vacant spot beside her and groaned inwardly. Keira still couldn't believe she gave in and ended up in his bed.

There were many things she should have done. She should have marched straight upstairs; she should have told Ryker he was a little presumptuous; she should have done any of the thousand things that ran through her mind. Instead, she followed him, thankful that for once, she didn't need to make a decision.

At least she had the satisfaction of shocking him, if his expression was anything to go by. He was expecting an argument, not for her to give in so easily.

Keira also didn't think she was up to discussing her mother's message in detail — something she would be forced to do with Dayna, or at least that's how she justified it to herself. If she was honest, it was for the simple need to feel safe. How she felt safe with a vampire was a strange experience in itself. While vampires were nothing like the creatures depicted in urban myth, they were without a doubt, dangerous.

Keira pushed her hair off her face and reached for the tea. She took a sip of the hot beverage and glanced to her right. What she had thought rain, was, in fact, the shower running in the adjoining bathroom.

I wonder if the shower is big enough for two?

The thought was out before she could stop it. Her mind was heading into very murky territory, and she willed it to reverse just as quickly as it had arrived.

Keira had been very careful with the men she had allowed into her bed over the years. She wanted no emotional attachment. If there was any chance her heart might get involved, she cut off all ties. The only way to protect herself was to keep an emotional distance. This time, if she allowed anything to happen between her and Ryker, she wasn't going to walk away unscathed.

How did I allow myself to get into this mess?

The man was far too tempting to ignore, and if they got out of this alive, there was no doubt she'd allow him to find her runes. Keira knew full well she was just another conquest for Ryker. She had no illusions about him. However, at least she could nurse her wounds back in LA, well away from Salem, Essex County, and its very sexy sheriff. At the idea of not seeing him again, an uncomfortable twinge pricked at her, and she attempted to ignore the implications.

Keira's mind drifted back to the bizarre turn of events that led her to his private wing towards the back of the large house. It wasn't until she had stepped into his bedroom, the practicalities of her unwise choice sprung to mind.

As if reading her mind, Ryker had rummaged through a drawer, threw her one of his t-shirts and pointed to a door on the other side of the room. By the time she had changed and returned, he was propped up in bed, reading a thick police file. She was thankful he was still fully clothed. Nervous, Keira hovered and carefully folded her clothes, conscious of the fact the shirt only came up to mid-thigh. While it covered more of her than Dayna's everyday wear, she still felt exposed.

Without looking up, Ryker said, "You have ten seconds to get in. Otherwise, you won't like how I make you get in."

Not needing to be told twice, Keira rushed to the bed and slipped under the covers, grateful he was still on top. She rolled over on her side with her back to him and snapped her eyes shut as she willed her heart rate to slow.

A short while later he turned out the lights, and she felt his weight shift in the bed. An arm reached around her waist, and he chuckled when she stiffened at his sudden touch.

"Relax Doc. I said I wanted to make sure you sleep. This way, you can't sneak off when I'm napping."

It took less time than expected, but she managed to do as he said. Despite his cooler body temperature and closeness that rattled her somewhat, she hadn't felt as comfortable and secure in years. Without knowing how Keira had fallen asleep in record time. Whether it was his promise to keep her safe or her utter exhaustion, was anyone's guess.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

Keira was so deep in her own thoughts she hadn't heard Ryker's sudden appearance and nearly spilled her tea. She quickly averted her eyes. Ryker was toweling his hair dry, a worn pair of jeans sat low on his hips, his feet bare, and his torso equally bereft of clothing.

A half-naked Ryker first thing in the morning was a little too much eye candy when the end of the world was nigh.

"Ummm... no, it wasn't you," she mumbled. "I just couldn't sleep anymore."

Ryker threw the damp towel onto a small armchair and made his way to the bed.

"Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

Keira pulled the sheets closer to her body. "I do no such thing," she said.

Ryker shrugged. "Have it your way. But what does 'cerebrum fluctus' mean?"

"Where did you hear that?" she asked as her eyes opened wide in shock. There was no way he had overheard the private conversation between her and Dayna the previous night.

"I told you Doc, you talk in your sleep."

Keira wiped at a non-existent stain on the bed covers. How much should she tell him, if anything? Realizing it was too late to hold anything back, she took a deep breath.

"It's one of the spells that appeared in mother's grimoire and was used by the witches to disrupt the control Leviathan had over the original Vampires. We think it might be key to helping us now."

Ryker scratched the back of his neck. "But she doesn't have vampires under her control, just Legions who have taken over human bodies."

"I know," she said as she leaned forward. "But if we can work out what link she has with them, or how they can take over the body of a human, we might be able to adjust the spell accordingly."

Ryker didn't look convinced. "That doesn't seem much of a plan."

Keira placed her now empty cup on the side table. "Unfortunately, that's all we've got." She pushed the covers down and swung her legs off of the bed. "Somehow, between now and this evening, the CrossRoads need to learn the five spells mother left us. I need to determine what the others are capable of, and Dayna and I have to work out how to use our new powers, or more accurately how to call on them without killing ourselves, you, or the others."

"And what's the plan for after lunch?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You know you're not remotely funny."

"Oh, but I am," he said with a grin. "You're just in denial because you're finding it difficult to resist my charms."

Instead of replying Keira rolled her eyes and snorted.

Ryker reached over to a gray shirt he'd left on the bed, and pulled it over his head. "I'll let you freshen up in peace and meet you downstairs."

***

As Ryker approached the main living area, he could see there was already movement downstairs. He followed the noise and wasn't surprised to find Ananya placing a tray in the oven.

He made his way to the fridge that held their supply of blood. "Hey ladakee," he said, using the pet name they had used since she was a young girl.

Ananya wiped her hands on her apron and smiled. "Good morning. I've just put another batch of biscuits in the oven for you and the others."

Ryker smiled appreciatively. Despite knowing they could fend for themselves, their ward was forever making sure they fed properly. She had even pointed out 'healthy' human donors over the years. Ananya was convinced they could fall ill with tainted blood.

"I don't suppose you know where Keira is?" she asked as she began to whip up a batch of pancakes.

At her unexpected question, Ryker nearly choked on the blood. "Why?"

Ananya shrugged her shoulders. "Just curious. She didn't come up, and I got a little worried. Dayna didn't seem to be concerned, she was convinced Keira was with you."

She didn't fool him, she was more than curious, and it was killing her not knowing.

"So...?" she prompted.

"So, what?" he asked in the hope she would get the hint that he didn't want to discuss the topic.

"Was she with you?"

Ryker banged the empty cup on the counter top. "Yes, if you must know. But you can be assured her virtue is still safe if that's what you're worried about."

Before he could say anything further, Ananya giggled. "You must really like this one."

"You haven't raided the top shelf this early in the morning have you?"

Ananya waived him off. "In all the time I've known you, you have never brought a woman home. I never thought I'd live to see the day you had a female in your bed and you didn't take advantage of the situation."

Instead of replying, Ryker poured himself a second cup of chilled blood and wandered over to the nearest door that led to the back patio. He didn't want to admit it, but Ananya was right. In all his years, he'd not once brought woman home or even had the desire to do so. Oh, he'd had his share of women. More than he could count, or remember. However, it had always been on his terms and well away from what he considered home at the time.

I must be slipping in my old age.

Ryker had vowed never to let a woman get inside his head or defenses again. Images of Gabrielle pushed through from a painful memory, and a cold hand clutched at his scarred heart. The hate he felt for her knew no bounds; even after all these centuries. She had played him and betrayed him in the basest way possible. He had been so besotted with her that he ignored the signs that something was not quite right with the beautiful Baroness.

How could he? She was stunning, sophisticated and wealthy. This alone was attractive as she wasn't after him for his family's fortune. Never in his wildest dreams did he think she was a creature so vile and nefarious as to revel and take enjoyment from the misery and destruction of others.

As with many of his generation and standing in Victorian society, he had been compelled to marry at a young age to strengthen the position and wealth of his family. He and Susan had nothing in common apart from the fact they both came from noble families. While not a happy marriage, it wasn't one of unhappiness either. Susan knew the role she needed to play, and he, in turn, knew his. Their amicable marriage lasted three years. His young bride was fond of riding and often took her horse out for a morning canter on the estate. He was in London on business when one fateful morning her steed bolted unexpectedly, and she fell as it took off. The doctors assured him she hadn't suffered. She would have died the instant she hit the ground and broke her neck.

Society gave him his allocated time to grieve and then demanded his return. After all, Ryker was an eligible widower; it was his duty to continue his line. It was at this point Gabrielle entered his life.

It was their mutual predicament that first attracted him to her. She was a widowed Italian Baroness on a grand tour of Europe with no desire to remarry, he was an English Earl who had no desire for another loveless union.

They met at St. James Court during a Royal Easter ball and were inseparable over the next few months. Ryker had been so enamored with her that he ignored the signs something was not quite right with the elegant Gabrielle de' Medici.

Ryker had been devastated when he received a note letting him know she was leaving London and returning to her estate in Italy. Even though she had a day's head start, and ever the naïve romantic, he followed her to declare his undying love and beg her to return to London and become his bride.

After combing the French countryside, he caught up with her traveling party in a small town just outside Paris. Her distinct carriage alerted him he was not too late. Ryker had been so eager to see her that he didn't question the unsavory part of town she'd chosen to spend the night or the loud tavern they were parked outside. He'd expected to find her footmen with the carriage. After finding it empty, he headed inside and seek out where Gabrielle was staying. When he stepped inside, he scanned the crowded room for the footmen or Lukas, Gabrielle's house steward. They were nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps they had taken a room upstairs?

After confirming with the barkeep, that a 'genteel' woman had booked them out, he headed upstairs. While it wasn't proper he be seen at in ladies sleeping chamber, he knew her reputation would not be sullied as Isobel, her lady's maid, would be present.

Her room was at the end of the corridor. Even so, the raucous noise from downstairs floated up to the boarding rooms. Ryker knocked and waited for an answer. When no reply was forthcoming, he knocked again. He leaned closer to the door to hear any movement from the other side. The moment he heard an odd noise he became concerned.

Believing she was in danger, Ryker broke through the door and raced inside. He was two steps in before he ground to a halt, convinced his eyes deceived him. There was no way what he witnessed was real. It couldn't be. Not his precious and innocent Gabrielle.

Isobel, the quiet and mousey lady's maid, was sitting on one of the footman's laps, naked as the day she was born. Her back to his front, his hands kneading her pert breasts. However, this was not what had disturbed him the most. Lukas lay on the bed writhing in pleasure as Gabrielle bunched her skirts around her waist and rode him with such force and speed it defied logic.

They had been so focused on their debauched act, it took a moment to notice his presence. Gabrielle, without stopping, called out "Get him."

A moment later, the second footman had a death grip on his arm and had swung the door closed. Ryker was unceremoniously dragged towards the middle of the room where he was pushed to his knees. They made him watch as she continued to take her pleasure. Each thrust cut further into his already breaking heart. Ryker had chased after her, wanting to spend the rest of his life with her, only to find her copulating with the hired help.

When she was through with her lover, she rose up and made her way to where he was forcibly restrained. "Oh my poor pet, have you taken ill?" she asked. Her lyrical voice and accent no longer the charming combination he once thought. "You are so pale and so far from home. When we parted, you mentioned nothing of your intention to travel. What a happy circumstance that our paths have crossed again so soon. Tell me, my dear Earl, what brings you to France?"

At her words, the others began to laugh. Not the joyous laugh of humor, but one that hinted of malicious intent.

"What's the wager he was chasing after you to declare his undying love," said Lukas as he buttoned up his britches. He ambled across the room and reached over to cup Gabrielle's exposed breast. "I wager he hasn't slept since receiving your note." Lukas then bent down and suckled on her enlarged bud, not once taking his eyes off Ryker. The man was taunting him and knew just how deep to cut into his already fatal wound.

Gabrielle threw back her head and joined in their laughter. "They are so predictable aren't they."

Ryker was forced to watch until Lukas had finished and she covered her ample bosoms. She cocked her head and regarded him. "But this one at leads kept me interested for a short while, perhaps I'll keep him around for sport. I always wondered what he would taste like."

A cold chill had raced up his spine at her strange words. It did not make sense, yet he knew he was frightened for his life. With his wits returned, Ryker struggled under his captor's heavy hand and attempted to break free. Their iron control of his shoulders ensured he was unable to move unless they allowed it.

When he looked up, the Gabrielle he knew was gone. In her place was a creature the likes of which he had not seen before. The face was the same, but the eyes had taken on a red glow around the outside of her irises. Her teeth, while always having incisors a little longer than normal, elongated to appear like sharp stakes, ready to rip flesh from bone. With one hand, she reached out and grabbed him by the neck. As she did, the second footman loosened his grip. Ryker struggled valiantly and called for help.

"Silly boy, they can't hear you over their own noise; and even if they did, none would come to your aid. Now stay still, I wish to feed."

Confused at her words, and powerless to stop her Ryker watched with horror as she bent forward and whispered in his ear, "We shall see just how long you can last."

The next instant, rough hands held him by the shoulders again and locked him in place. Gabrielle grabbed his arm and a cold dampness spread across his skin as she licked the underside of his forearm, leaving a thick layer of saliva in her wake. Without taking her eyes off him, she grinned, opened her mouth and bit into his flesh. Ryker screamed at the action, only to realize a moment later, he felt no pain. She lifted her head up and watched as blood began to flow down his arm.

Gabrielle frowned. "Pity, I thought it would be blue." She shrugged. "No matter."

A measure of self-preservation kicked in, and Ryker began to struggle under the steel grip. However, it was to no avail. They were immovable objects, and he had no choice but to watch the unfolding events, fearful for his life and his sanity.

She brought her head down again and began to lick at the red fluid which oozed from the wound she had inflicted. He felt the pressure of her grip at his elbow release and the blood began to flow more freely. Like a cat, she lapped at it as if savoring every drop. Gabrielle released all pressure on his radial artery, and he was shocked at the volume of blood that now poured. With the additional flow, she placed her lips over the incision and began to drink.

At first, he was in too much shock to register anything other than he was in mortal danger. When he began to feel light-headed with the amount of blood she had taken, Ryker was sure his life was at an end. With one last feeble struggle, he attempted to escape and called out for anyone that might hear his plea.

When no rescue was forthcoming, he cursed her and the others to hell and back. After sending out a prayer for his soul, darkness overtook him, and he didn't fight it. In the span of a few short minutes, his heart had been crushed, and his grip on reality had crumbled along with it. Ryker was painfully aware evil walked the earth in human form. It was clear that Lukas, Isobel, and the others were just like the vile creature that took his lifeblood.

He awoke a day later, weak and disorientated. They had left Paris and were now heading south towards Italy. Over the next month, he wished for death on a daily basis. However, Gabrielle had other plans for him. She allowed him just enough time for his body to replenish the volume lost before feeding off him again. He was nothing but a plaything for her and her coven of vampires. Her companions, while forbidden to drink from him, took pleasure in torturing him. His strength, already debilitated from the loss of blood, was powerless to fight back with the daily beatings. To make matters worse, he was forced to watch when they ripped into the necks of unsuspecting travelers they happened to meet on the way. If he thought the amount of blood that poured from his arm was significant, it was nothing compared to the gush that occurred the moment they severed their victim's artery.

He had learned that the saliva they applied to the area before penetrating the skin contained both an anti-coagulant which kept the blood flowing, and an anesthetic, which numbed the pain from the bite.

He could always tell if they intended to kill, or just maim their victims, based on the area in which they chose to take the blood. The jugular always meant they would leave a dead body behind. The arm, inner thigh or lower neck, would leave the unsuspecting traveler weak and disorientated, but alive.

By the time they reached Gabrielle's castle in the northern part of Italy, Ryker was a walking corpse. In the course of the month, they had broken his body and spirit. He was nothing but a toy; something to be used, battered and eventually discarded.

He was convinced that she would put him out of his misery once she arrived home. To his dismay, the horror had just begun. Instead of killing him, the Primordial Vampire chose to turn him.

She turned him into his worst nightmare; a rabid animal with an insatiable thirst for blood. Ryker had blocked out that particular period in his life and didn't wish to revisit it. However, once he had mastered his madness and was able to control his baser instinct, all he could think of was killing her and the others. As a new-born vampire, he didn't have the strength to take them on—yet. Nor did he have the ability to defy her commands. As his sire, she held an invisible force over him.

Despite how broken he was, a spark of his former self still held onto the last shred of humanity that remained.

They were in Prague when his ability to defy her finally emerged. While he had slaughtered and killed at her command in the past, this was now at an end. They had stumbled on a magnificent estate overlooking an extensive manicured garden and lake. Gabrielle liked it so much, she wanted it for herself. The only problem? The family which occupied it.

It wasn't a surprise when she ordered them to eliminate the entire household. Without question, they complied. After they had taken their fill of the downstairs staff, Ryker was ordered upstairs to rid the house of the remainder of the extended family. When he entered a small child's room, his bloodlust cleared and that small twinge of who he once was, surfaced. As he gazed down at her sleeping form, he knew he did not have it in him to take the life of one so young. Before he could whisk her away to safety, Lukas entered the room, immediately took stock of the situation, and called out for Gabrielle.

What happened next was forever etched in his memory, a constant reminder of the difference between his sire and the man who had rescued him from the precipice of death.

After dispatching the rest of the household Gabrielle and the others responded to Lukas's call. In a last ditch attempt to save the girl, he stood between the bed and the small horde of vampires.

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes, and she stared at the spot behind him. Her voice was as hard as her stone expression. "Kill her."

The effort to resist her will was almost debilitating, but Ryker refused to budge. He would have no part in taking any more lives on her say so. When Gabrielle realized he had severed the connection, her rage knew no bounds. In a surge of fury, she ordered the others to restrain him and watch while she fed from the child, then broke her delicate neck when she was done.

The pain he endured then, was nothing to the agony of watching the young girl die. Lukas, along with the others, made sure every bone in his body was broken before they dumped him in a ditch and left him for the vultures to pick at.

As was his habit, Lukas took particular pleasure in torturing him and drew out the beatings for his own amusement.

Even though he had been turned a decade before, he was still considered a newborn and was not capable of matching the strength of the others. They outclassed him in every way. He was no competition for their superior strength and speed. Something, Lukas was more than eager to remind him on a regular basis.

Even with his healing abilities, it would take days for his body to mend enough to be able to escape from the mud in which he was tossed. Ryker waited patiently for the end to come. Surely, whatever deity looked down on them, would take pity on him and free him from the agony of almost dead.

However, fate had other plans. Deacon, in his endless wander across Europe, had stumbled upon him just as the snow began to fall. Another day and he would never have been spotted under the blanket that began to settle around him like a coffin.

After he recovered, and under Deacon's tutelage, Ryker healed in body, mind, and spirit. He owed Deacon not only his life but his sanity. Gabrielle, however, had left a scar on his heart that had remained. A reminder to never trust or open his heart to a woman again.

The sound of laughter from inside the house brought Ryker back to the present. He cocked his head and listened. Keira and Dayna had joined Ananya and were discussing pancake toppings.

Ryker closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His fascination with the red-haired witch was nothing more than that, a fascination. She was an itch that he needed to scratch. There was no doubt he desired her and wanted nothing more than to explore all that he knew bubbled under that prickly surface of hers. But that was it. It was physical, nothing else. Once this was all over and she was gone, he'd go back to his old life and forget her.

When he stepped back into the house and met her warm smile. He wasn't as sure.

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📎A/N. Wow! Ryker has quite the past... and a horrid one at that. Gabrielle certainly did a number on him and scarred him for many lifetimes.

I also have a particular dislike of this Lukas person, and suspect there is more to his and Ryker's interactions that we are not yet privy to... What do you think?

Next chapter will be posted Thursday afternoon (PST.)

Until then, don't forget to vote.

Take care,

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