Devils Roses 04 - Witch

brightened up, "I believe there is." Her face sunk again, "But then you'd lose your emotions again."
    He shook his head, "I want things to be normal again."
    Lydia squeezed his fingers, "I think we can make it work. I can't believe I never thought about that. When we get back okay?"
    He nodded, "Okay."
    He let go of the older woman and walked to Hanna. He looked down at her fingers and slid his hand around them. He felt her shiver.
    Hanna smiled at him as a blush crossed her ruddy cheeks.
    He smiled back. He forced his eyes to remain focused instead of wander and look at Ophelia. He made himself see Hanna. It hurt.
    He realized how hard it would have been for her mother to force the love and why she would have been so broken from it. He promised himself he would love Hanna more than anything again, soon.
    Lorri flashed in with Giselle and Brandon. Sam smiled at him.
    He raised an eyebrow at Sam, "You okay?"
    Sam laughed.
    Dorian appeared with Ari and Luke.
    Luke looked at Hanna and Sam and raised an eyebrow. Sam shrugged.
    "Giselle you need to compel everyone so that if Ari accidentally pushes a human, you still remember everything the way it is now."
    Giselle gave Lorri a dirty look, "You just barged in on me and my fang bang and now you are going to boss me around?"
    Lorri growled at her.
    "Fine whatevs. God. Take a chill pill." She walked up to Sam first and winked, "I want you to remember this in case Ari pushes a human. Ari's magic doesn’t work on your brain. Remember everything up to the point Ari pushes. Also I want you to unbutton your shirt and..."
    "Giselle."
    Sam felt his fingers slip up to the buttons on his shirt.
    "Sam, stop it."
    He heard it but he couldn’t stop his fingers. They unbuttoned the first one.
    "Stop dicking around Giselle."
    "Sam stop trying to take your clothes off."
    He nodded, "Okay." He felt foggy for a moment.
    Giselle went around to each person and said the same thing.
    Lorri looked around and finally settled her eyes on Oliver.
    "We have no choice but to place our fates with you."
    He bowed slightly, "I am here to help." His eyes darted to Ophelia. Sam felt jealousy raging through him as the fog in his brain lifted.
    "Oliver pulled his cell phone out and showed a picture to them all. It was a small garden with roses and lilies.
    "Flash here. It's the weak point. Follow me through and we'll split up." He took Ophelia's hand in his and was gone instantly. Sam flashed pulling him and Hanna through fast. His feet were in soft earth in a warm garden. The smell of flowers filled the air.
    Hanna gripped his hand before he could take another step. She pulled him into her. Her lips met his with force. She kissed him desperately. He let go of her hand and pulled her up into him.
    "I missed you Sam." She whispered into his face as she pulled back.
    He hugged her tightly and smelled the scent of the strawberry shampoo in her hair. He closed his eyes and let it be enough.
    "I love you Hanna."
    She rested her head on his chest.
    "Sam." He looked up to see Lorri giving him the evil eye from across the bushes and flowers.
    Lorri pointed to the right, "Oliver says your mom is to the right. She stays in a room that’s guarded." Her eyes flashed to Hanna, "Nothing hurts you. You can get through."
    Hanna nodded and squeezed his hand, "Okay."
    He felt a twinge in his stomach as he started toward the huge white metal door at the end of the room. He hadn’t seen her in years. Would she remember him?
    Aimee grabbed his arm, "Flash if you get into trouble."
    He winked, "You too."
    She squeezed his arm. He pulled Hanna to the door and looked at her. She nodded and they slipped out into the hallway. It was freezing when they got out into the hall. The door sealed like a freezer door would. It wasn’t that the hall was cold but that the garden was sweltering.
    Sam pulled her along. She was watching their backs. No one came. No cameras filled the halls. He was a ball of nerves. The huge white hallway was silent.
    "This is creepy." Hanna whispered.
    "Yup. It feels like a trap." He followed the hall and turned right at the end of it. The hall opened into huge great room with a fireplace and couches. No one milled about in the beautiful room. It reminded him of a hunting lodge or Luke's family's home.
    He stopped and waited and when nothing moved, he flashed them across the room to the hallway. It looked more like a house on that side. The hallway seemed like a hallway in a house, not a fortress.
    He