Blood Magic

by Jennifer Snyder

  Fran pushed open the door at the back of the room and stepped outside into the chilly air. We all followed. Strands of my hair flew around my face as a strong wind whipped around behind the building. I adjusted my glasses and shoved my hands into my coat pockets.

  “What is it about Adele you’d like to speak with me about?” Fran asked. Her attention shifted to Hazel. “I assume because of the need for privacy it must have something to do with her certain practices and beliefs.”

  So she did know what Adele was. Interesting.

  “Yeah. It does,” Hazel insisted. “I’m looking for something of my grandmother’s. Something important. Did you happen to keep any of her possessions by chance?”

  “Some.” Fran frowned. She wrung her hands together as though the topic of conversation made her nervous. “Not as much as I would have liked, but I didn’t have the space for everything. Besides, the sight of some of her things were too much. They made me miss her more.”

  “I understand.” Hazel placed a hand on the old woman’s shoulder in comfort. “Do you remember what of hers you did keep?”

  “Is there something you’re looking for?” Fran asked. “Something specific?”

  “Yeah,” Hazel insisted. Another breeze whipped around us sending more of my hair flying all over. “Her necklace. One I remember her wearing all the time when I was little. It was silver with a turquoise stone in the center.”

  My teeth chattered as another breeze kicked up. Screw the beach in winter. It was too damn cold and windy.

  Benji pulled me into his side, and I wondered if he’d forgotten he wasn’t much warmer than me, even though he’d recently fed. Even so, I leaned into him. His touch was something I would never shy away from, regardless.

  “I remember that necklace well,” Fran insisted. “In fact, I kept it because I knew how much it meant to Adele. She never took it off.”

  Relief trickled through me. Thank goodness.

  “I’m so glad you hung onto it,” Hazel breathed.

  “Is that what you came for?” Fran asked.

  “Yeah.” Hazel nodded. “It was a family heirloom.”

  “That it was,” Fran grinned. “One I’m sure your grandmother would have wanted you to have.”

  “Where is it?” Ivette asked. Her tone made it clear she was ready to get the amulet and hit the road. I was right there with her.

  “Why are you all so interested in the necklace?” Fran asked. “You seem as though you want it for something more than sentimental value.” Skepticism pooled in her eyes.

  She knew something was up, and that it had everything to do with Adele’s beliefs and practices—as Fran had put it before—I could see it in her eyes.

  “Like I said, it was a family heirloom I’d like to have,” Hazel insisted without hesitation.

  Something sparked in the depths of Fran’s eyes, but I didn’t have time to figure out what it was because she turned and motioned for us to follow her back inside.

  “It’s next to the register. I noticed when Adele passed that the stone lost most of its color.” She glanced over her shoulder to look at Hazel, making me feel almost as though she was waiting for her to clarify as to why. “I had the intentions of giving it a good cleaning today, but was interrupted each time I tried.”

  We followed her through the backroom of the store and to the register. Scott leaned against the counter, texting with someone on his cell.

  “You can head to the back and continue sorting the new items for me,” Fran said to him.

  Scott crammed his cell in his pocket and headed in that direction without a word. Fran glanced around the register. I spotted the jewelry cleaner, but not the necklace.

  “It was just here,” she said, more to herself than any of us. She bent at the waist to rummage beneath the counter. “Where did it go?”

  She slipped from behind the register and headed after Scott. I pursed my lips together. Was she pretending to have lost it? The thought was one that looped through my mind.

  When Fran came back she looked pissed. “He didn’t take it, but I think I knew who might.”

  “Who?” Hazel asked.

  “Leah,” the old woman spat. “It wouldn’t be the first time that little girl stole from me.”

  “Who’s Leah?” I asked.

  “A teenager who comes in here often. She likes the vintage vibe, but is really drawn to gothic things.” Fran placed a hand on her hip. “She was eyeing the necklace while talking to me. Heck, she even asked if it was for sale. I told her it wasn’t and then she started going on about a leather skirt she wasn’t sure would look good on her. That little brat!”

  “Do you have any idea where she might be?” Ivette chimed in.

  “There’s no telling,” Fran said. “I’m gonna call the law on her this time though. Make sure she learns to keep her sticky fingers off my merchandise unless she’s buying it.”

  When she picked up a phone near the register my stomach dipped. She was serious about calling the police. We needed to find this girl before they did. If not, it would be hard to get to the amulet if it was stowed away as evidence somewhere for the night.

  “We should go,” I said, hoping everyone else was on board.

  Fran’s attention drifted to Hazel. “I’m sorry. I wish I had the necklace so I could give it to you. Write down your number. When the police find it, I’ll be sure and let you know.” She held a pad of paper and a pen out to Hazel.

  Once she finished jotting down her number, she hugged Fran and we headed to the parking lot, empty-handed. My insides deflated. It would take time to find this girl—time we didn’t have.

  Chapter 10

  “What do we do now?” Benji asked as we pushed through the double doors.

  “The only thing I can think to do is perform the blood magic locator spell from the book like Adele suggested if we couldn’t find the amulet,” I said.

  It was the last thing I wanted to do—performing blood magic sounded scary as hell—but we didn’t have any other options. Adele had said it was the only way to find the amulet, and we needed to find it.

  Now.

  Blood magic wasn’t a type of magic I was familiar with, though. It wasn’t something I’d normally have deemed as gray magic or being neutral either. It seemed more along the lines of dark magic to me. At least, that was what I’d always heard it associated with.

  “Should I drive somewhere secluded so you can perform the spell in private?” Benji asked as we walked to my car. “Or are you wantin’ to do it in the parkin’ lot here?”

  “Driving somewhere else might be best. That way there’s no risk of someone seeing me.” The last thing we needed was someone thinking we were doing something satanic and calling the cops on us. “Any ideas as to where?”

  A chilly breeze whipped me in the face. I quickened my pace the instant my car came into view, eager to get out of the cold.

  “What about the beach? With these high winds, I doubt many will be there,” Ivette said. “We could park there and you could perform the spell in the car.”

  “Sounds good to me.” I popped open the passenger door to my car and slipped inside.

  Benji cranked the engine and sat for a moment, waiting on the car to warm. A dinging noise sounded. We were almost out of gas.

  “New plan. First, we get gas, then we head to the beach so you can do your spell,” Benji insisted.

  “I’m glad we’re stopping. I’ve been craving something sweet. The stress of all this must be getting to me. Chocolate is needed,” Hazel said from the backseat.

  I agreed with her logic. Chocolate fixed everything, and I could go for something sweet myself.

  “Actually, stopping somewhere might be a good idea. I’ll need a map of the town anyway. Don’t gas stations still sell those?” I asked. I knew Mirror Lake had a few stations that did, but I wasn’t sure if it was a standard thing or if we were behind the times.

  “They should,” Benji said.

  “If they don’t
we could always compare cell phones and see who has the biggest screen. Then you could use it,” Hazel suggested.

  My nose wrinkled at her idea. “I would if I was using tea or something else, but this spell calls for blood. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not use my phone or anyone else’s for that.”

  “Yuck. Forgot about that part,” Hazel said. “Let’s hope they have a map at the nearest station then.”

  “Oh, please,” Ivette sighed. “A little blood never hurt anything.”

  Benji tapped around on his phone, searching for the nearest gas station. “My phone is actin’ weird. It’s glitchy as hell.” He beat it against his palm.

  “I doubt that’s going to help,” I said with a chuckle.

  He flipped the phone so I could see its screen and flashed me a smirk. “Just did.”

  I rolled my eyes. He pulled up directions to the nearest gas station then pulled out of his parking spot and headed in that direction.

  The station wasn’t far from Fran’s thrift store. When Benji pulled up at a pump, I got out in search of a map. Hazel went with me, ready for the chocolate she’d mentioned, and Ivette stayed behind in the car.

  A haze of rain had started to fall, making the beachside town seem even gloomier than the chilly winter weather already had, and I rushed inside the station. Hazel went straight to the candy aisle while I scanned the wire racks near the counter. There were plenty of brochures listing local attractions and coupon books for restaurants, but I didn’t see any maps.

  “Can I help you?” the old man working the station asked in a gruff voice. He leaned over the counter to get a better look at me and what I was doing. From his tone, he sounded as though he were aggravated with me already.

  “I’m looking for a map,” I said, flashing him my polite smile usually reserved for guests at the inn. “One of Oak Island.”

  “What for?” He leaned back in the chair he’d been sitting in and reached for a lit cigarette in a glass ashtray beside him.

  I’d been under the impression it was illegal to smoke indoors anywhere, but then I remembered Eddie’s bar back home and figured the older generation made their own rules for things like that in this tiny town too.

  “Um, to use.” I didn’t know what else to say. What else did normal people use maps for?

  The old man’s eyes narrowed behind his thick-rimmed glasses as he took a puff off his cigarette. It was clear he thought I was being a smartass. My gaze dipped to the fingers holding his cancer stick. His nails were yellow and brittle. Obviously, he’d been a smoker for years.

  “You aren’t going to use it to roll up drugs and smoke ‘em, are you?” He asked, his eyes never wavering from me.

  I blinked. “Excuse me?”

  “Never mind.” He waved my words away and rolled his eyes. “Second shelf from the bottom.”

  My gaze snapped to the second shelf, and sure enough, a stack of maps sat there. I pulled one from the stack and unfolded it to check it spanned the entire town. When I noticed it did, I glanced at the price. $4.50. My lips pinched into a thin line. It sucked paying so much for something I would use for two minutes.

  I knew I couldn’t do the spell without it though.

  Once I paid for the map, I made my way outside. Benji was still at the gas pump, finishing up. I slipped into the passenger seat and held the map up.

  “Got one,” I said to Ivette.

  She was on her phone, texting with someone. Was it Julian? I wondered if everything was okay back home. No one had sent me a text about anything.

  “Is that your brother?” I asked.

  She glanced up. “Yes, I was checking in with him.”

  “How are things going? Has Bram made another move yet?”

  She shook her head. “He said things have been quiet.”

  Her words didn’t put me at ease. Either Bram was still planning his next move, or he was patiently waiting to strike.

  Hazel climbed into the backseat with a grocery bag of stuff and a huge smile on her face. It was clear junk food made her happy. I could relate.

  “I got some extra stuff in case anyone wants anything. I wasn’t sure how long it would take to find this girl, so I figured I’d plan ahead with provisions.” She dug in the bag and pulled out a couple of bottles of water. “Anyone thirsty?”

  I took one, knowing I should probably drink something. I always seemed to have a hard time drinking water in the winter. Especially cold water. I preferred warmer drinks like tea or hot cocoa.

  “Thanks,” I said as I set it in my cup holder. I checked my phone, but there were no messages or missed calls. Exactly like I’d thought. However, I did notice my battery was nearly dead, and I had no charger with me for it. Great.

  “No problem,” Hazel beamed. “I got a few small bags of trail mix, some pretzels, and of course chocolate if you want anything to snack on. Oh, and teriyaki-flavored beef jerky. My favorite.”

  “Road trip staples.” I smiled. “I’ll have a few pieces of beef jerky. And, maybe some chocolate.”

  Even though we had no idea where the amulet was, I couldn’t deny myself chocolate.

  By the time we made it to the beach, the rain had picked up. That combined with the cold weather had the entire place deserted. Benji parked my car in a tiny sandy lot and left the engine running. I grabbed my bag, setting it at my feet, and pulled out the book on gray magic.

  I flipped to the page I’d marked earlier and skimmed the page, stopping when I got to the warning again about being connected too long to spirits of the other side who had wielded blood magic while living. Apparently, it wasn’t a good thing. They could latch onto you through the connection with your blood, allowing them a chance to live a second life.

  Same as when I’d read the words of caution before, I kept them to myself not wanting to worry Benji. Besides, it was a risk I had to take thanks to the situation we were now in.

  My gaze drifted down the page to the section where what I needed for the spell was listed. One scrying crystal, one red candle, a map of the area, and blood to activate the incantation and direct the crystal to the right object or person. Now that I had a map of the town, I had everything I needed.

  “Do you need the backseat, or are you fine with performing the spell up there?” Hazel asked.

  “I think there’s enough room up here. I can put the candle on the center console,” I said.

  Benji turned the heat down and positioned the vents so no air blew directly on where the candle would be. He motioned for me to pass the book to him and then held it up so I could read the spell without having to hold the book myself.

  “Thanks.” I situated myself in my seat so that I faced him.

  “No problem.” He winked.

  I flashed him a smile and then placed the red candle on the center console. Next, I unfolded the map in my lap. It was bigger than I thought it would be, which I guess was a good thing. At least then we would be able to narrow down this Leah girl’s exact location. The scrying crystal was next on the list and then the blood.

  Was it smart to draw blood while crammed in a car with two vampires?

  It was Ivette and Benji, though. Neither of them would hurt me intentionally. I knew that. I exhaled a slow breath and rummaged through my things in search of something to pierce my skin with.

  My stomach dipped when I realized I’d forgotten to bring something with me.

  “Crap. I don’t have anything to cut myself with.” I opened the glove box and rummaged through its random contents but didn’t find anything I would be able to use. “I can’t believe I forgot to bring a freaking knife. I didn’t even think to buy something while we were at the stupid gas station.”

  How the hell was I supposed to do this spell without my blood? That was the most important ingredient.

  “Use my pocket knife,” Benji suggested. He wiggled around in the driver’s seat so he could get to his pocket and grabbed out the Swiss Army knife he always carried.

  I made a disgust
ed face when he held it out. It was the same knife I’d witnessed him dig dog crap out of his boot with once when we first started dating. There was no way I would use it to cut myself. I didn’t feel like catching a funky infection.

  “What?” He grinned. “You have sanitizer wipes. I just saw you pull ’em out of the glove box. Use one or two on it. It should be fine.”

  Knowing I didn’t have another option besides his or Ivette’s fangs—although, it might be hot to have him bite me—I grabbed the knife and then dug out the wipes from in the glove box. After cleaning the blade, I mentally prepared myself for cutting the tip of my finger.

  “Is it sharp?” I asked, hoping it was. I didn’t want to have to saw the tip of my finger off to draw blood.

  “Sharpened it just the other day,” Benji insisted. He lifted the book back into position so I could read its pages from where I sat.

  “How much blood do you need?” Hazel asked.

  “Not much. Just a few drops,” I said, hoping I was right. The spell didn’t give an exact amount.

  “Will you two be okay with the smell of her blood filling the car?” Hazel asked.

  I silently thanked her. I didn’t want to ask that question out of fear of hurting Benji’s feelings.

  My gaze locked on Benji. His body had stiffened as though it wasn’t something he’d thought through either. He seemed unsure he would be able to handle it.

  Should I say something? My mind had gone blank.

  Ivette leaned forward and placed a hand on his forearm before any words came to me. “Look at me,” she said. Her voice was low and soft. Benji lifted his gaze to hers and I held my breath. Something passed between the two of them, I could feel it, but I couldn’t name it. “You will be fine. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. Both of us will be okay.”

  When she removed her hand from Benji’s arm and leaned back in her seat again, confidence and certainty bloomed through the color of Benji’s eyes. Had she just used her gift on him? Was it possible?

  I glanced at her. She smiled and gave me a thumbs up, confirming my theory.