by Ben Alderson
Without looking, I toss my empty cup in the air behind me, and it lands in a garbage can several feet away.
“Nice shot,” Will says.
I shrug it off, even though he’s right. It was a nice shot. Probably too good for a human, but it’s something I’ve done many times before, from this very table. Only this time, George isn’t sitting across from me. Even so, Will makes me feel… comfortable. Like how I feel with George, only different. I don’t understand why Will is affecting me the way he is, and I can’t wait until the girl’s blood—and memories—are completely out of my system. I can’t risk feeling this way for him. I need to protect my own, not him.
“Why haven’t you gone to the police?” he asks.
“Why haven’t you?” I counter.
“Because it sounds crazy. Think about it: on the night of the full moon, we were attacked by these enormous wolves.”
He’s struggling to describe what he saw that night. That’s good. Maybe his mind will trick him into rationalizing what happened.
“No one would believe me. They’d think I was crazy or on drugs or something.”
“It does sound farfetched,” I agree.
He winces as though my words hurt him. “You were there. You know what happened. We need to make this right. We have to go to the police.”
I groan. For fucks sake. The last thing Hillcrest needs right now are human police officers investigating the disappearance of a group of college students. Once they catch wind of the girl’s death, they’ll be all too eager to take over the investigations.
I nod, knowing what this means. I exhale slowly, unable to shake the feeling that swells in my heart. It swarms within me, choking, suffocating, until it spills over, dripping down my cheeks.
I hear him gasp as he studies my face. Instinctively, I reach to shield myself. My fingertips are stained crimson. I jump from my chair and run. I run as fast as I can, not caring about exposing the truth behind the dots he’s surely connecting now that he’s seen my tears.
My feet slam against the concrete sidewalk that leads to my house. I rush inside the safety of home and don’t stop until I’m tucked neatly beneath the covers of my bed. I hide there, knowing Chad wouldn’t dare enter. The floor creaks behind my door, and I know he’s there, waiting for permission I’ll never grant. I refuse to let him see me like this—so caught up in the girl’s memories and feelings for a boy I don’t even know.
He is unstoppable, headstrong on a righteous path, and that’s all I need to know to be intent in my choice. The moment I made my decision, pain stronger than anything I’d ever felt encompassed me. The monster in me chuckled as I regretted my past kills.
I don’t pride myself in killing, but I don’t stop myself either. And now, I must deal with the consequences of my actions.
Even though the girl is long gone, dead and soon to turn to ash as her remains are set aflame by the town’s Elders, her memories live on within me. I fear I may never silence them or her or these feelings she’s invoking within my cold heart.
But there is one thing I do know, wholeheartedly and as sure as I am that my identity as her killer will be revealed.
I have to kill him.
George
“I have picked the three of you for this task, as you are the best pupils I have, and I know you will get the job done quietly and efficiently.” Elder Jane stands before us, the sun creating a halo of light around her wiry frame. Under the cover of her day job, she is dressed in her police chief uniform I have always known her to own. But beneath the tie and jacket, I know the truth. She was chosen by the council to lead the witches in Hillcrest. I always wondered why Mother was not picked, since our ancestry line is stronger and older than Elder Jane’s, but it seems the council did not see Mother as ‘well enough’ to lead after Father’s death. Mother never covers her disdain for Elder Jane. Her jealously is evident whenever she is mentioned.
Regardless of what Mother thinks, I like Elder Jane. I always have. She is levelheaded, just, and kind. Not once has she wasted breath to force me to join a coven. She always respects my choice to be a solitary witch—unlike Mother, who thinks I’m weak for not joining and leading a coven. She tells me every chance she gets that I don’t take after her since I lack her ability to manipulate and control those weaker than me. In my mind, that is something I am thankful not to have.
“I trust you will return with answers as soon as you can. This inquisition is messy. It will not be long until the humans begin asking questions regarding her death,” Elder Jane says.
“I heard they are blaming a supernatural,” Dani says. Dani is a quiet witch with long sun-strand hair and chestnut eyes almost too big for her face. She was in my class of witches trained alongside Elder Jane. Like me, she kept to herself. I would often see her gaze glued to the pages of a different book every day.
“Rumors are toxic, but in this instant, true. I regret to say, whatever you find will be important and possibly incriminating evidence against the supernatural who committed this crime,” Elder Jane explains.
“But that would mean they have broken the treaty,” Dani replies, brows creasing and hands rubbing together. “Does the council know?”
“Of course they know,” Elder Jane rolls her stormy green eyes. “Which is why I need you to cease your questions and go now to find out what has happened. Wolfsbane Forest is vast, so you each must split up to find some answers. I’d like, very much, that this inquisition and any evidence you find remain confidential. I fear if news leaks before a proper investigation is complete, the vampire clan and wolf pack may become rabid toward each other. We are here to control the situation and ensure a fair penalty is in place.”
“Dad told me the wolves are to blame because of the full moon last night.”
“Samuel, be sure to tell your father that gossiping is frowned upon by the council. He should know better than to spread fake news.”
Samuel’s pale face reddens before he looks away from Elder Jane. He is the youngest of four brothers and, from my understating, fire is their element.
Witches can tap into all four elements, but it is uncommon to have great control over more than one. Samuel controls fire, and Dani controls earth. That is why they have been picked, I guess. Plus, being trained by Elder Jane grants them favor in these situations. But me? I know why I join them. I have control over all four elements. My bloodline permits it. Elder Jane uses me, just like Mother, during certain situations. It is not uncommon for her to call me, but this is different. I feel it in my bones.
For the tenth time, I check my phone to see if Savi has replied, and all that glares back at me is the empty screen. Was she still with the human boy? And why? Chad acted strange, enough to make the nagging doubt in my mind double. Somehow, call it intuition, I know Savi is involved in this girl’s death. I only hope I’m proven wrong.
Elder Jane takes a call and waves us off without another word. From the hush tone of her voice, I can sense it’s not a positive conversation. I don’t envy her, not with a human death and the wolf death and multiple missing teens she doesn’t even know about yet. I could clear up the latter two problems by telling her what happened last night, but telling her I witnessed the wolves’ feast would throw Savi and me in the middle of the missing wolf case—the wolf I killed. Soon, I’m sure, the alpha will come to her and claim he senses a witch’s involvement in the disappearance of his pack member, but I can’t worry about that now. I must focus on the task at hand.
Dani, Samuel, and I walk in a line toward the forest’s edge and ready our powers. From training, I know a witch’s spell casting can come from three different places in his or her body. Some come from the mind, others the soul, and rarely the heart. Three ports of energy in a witch, neither one more powerful as a source than the other, but having a place to call on helps with concentration.
A simple thought combined with an exhale is all I need to open the twisting coil of power deep inside of me. In my stomach, chest, and mind, I feel
my awareness stretch like a waking cat. With my awakened power, I sense Dani and Samuel do the same. Although there are no visual signs of being a witch, I can still feel the way another connects to his or her innate ability, like the brush of breath on cold skin or the warm kiss of the sun. It’s how I know when a vampire is near. I feel the same tingle that creeps down the back of my neck. It is one of my own gifts. All Alcott witches remain alert around other supernaturals. This extra sense was needed before the treaty, when enemies came at us from all sides.
Before me, I see a blur of a presence streaking through the forest. It looks like silver-colored steam, like strands of moonlight that cut through windows at nightfall. This light that lingers in the forest is a sign that someone has been here.
It’s me.
It’s my imprint left over from last night, when I met Savi.
My heart skips a beat as I worry they might sense it, but deep down, I know that would be impossible. Thanks to the cloaking charm I put on both Savi and me, it would take a powerful witch to break my spell. Dani and Samuel don’t have that kind of power.
“Why don’t you both take the main path? I will skirt around and see what I can find,” I say.
“George Alcott, you don’t change, do you? Never wanting help from anyone…” Samuel grunts as he rolls his sleeves to his elbows. “I knew this would start with you wanting to go alone. Do you want Elder Jane’s appreciation that desperately?”
“Sam, stop,” Dani interrupts.
“Well, if you think I am sticking with you, Dani, you are wrong. My coven would never let me live it down.” Samuel stalks off into the shadows of the forest, leaving Dani and me behind.
Dani mumbles something under her breath.
“He is a prat,” I say, using an old English term that Father used when he was alive. “Don’t let him get under your skin. I know I don’t.”
Dani shrugs. “It shouldn’t bother me, but it does. The McCain brothers are all the same. Notorious for being big-headed, egotistical asses. I can’t help but find them each as grating as the next.”
“Then we both agree on something,” I reply. “Want to search together? I could do with your skills.”
“Sweet, but that’s a lie. We all know you can do this alone.”
“Perhaps, but the company would be nice.”
Dani fights a smile and nods.
I wave my hand. “Lead the way.”
Turns out Dani is not as quiet as I previously thought. She bombards me with questions regarding mundane topics like reading and movies. I didn’t question her as she walks off path through the forest. She seems to know where she is going.
There is something about Dani that lights up as she speaks on things she loves. We move from books to movies to boys, ending in convulsions at mention of a disastrous date she had recently.
“What about you? I don’t see you around with anyone much.”
“Nope. Hillcrest is so small. There really is no one I am interested in enough to put effort and time into entertaining,” I reply. “Even the thought of it makes me skin crawl,” I say, squirming.
“Don’t I know it,” she laughs. “Although, I am talking to a girl, not that it will go anywhere. She’s human, and plus, it’s strictly online. My family wouldn’t appreciate me talking to her.”
“Because she’s a girl?” I ask, pulling a face of disgust.
“Goddess no, they don’t care about that. Their issue would be because she is human. So backward right? I mean, what does it really matter? It’s not like witches and humans have never been with each other before, so I don’t see the big issue. If she were a vampire or wolf, then I’d understand.”
I fake a laugh, an image of Chad conjuring in my mind’s eye.
Thankfully, Dani stalls, hands raised around her as if she is reading the gentle touch of air. Her sudden stop brings me back from my distraction, and I open my awareness again to read the location.
“It happened here.” Dani’s voice deepens as she continues, “I sense a struggle and loss of blood. The earth still feels her death like an echo of a memory.”
She proceeds to look around the forest bed for remnants, but I know she will not find any. Not with what I can see.
The imprint left in the air is familiar to me. It’s a blur of crimson and silver. The silver represents my own energy mixing with the other. This is the energy I used when creating the protection charm. Crimson has always represented Savi. My Savi.
I also see the imprint of the human girl’s dull gray energy. It is directly beneath where Dani is standing. I fear if she touches the bloodless ground, she will see what I see, know what I now know. How could Savi do this?
I can’t help the relief of knowing that Dani will not sense Savi’s presence. Not with my cloaking charm across it. But I can see it, and the damage is done.
“I don’t see anything else but the dead human’s imprint,” I lie, distracting Dani.
“Strange. Perhaps it didn’t happen here, and the body was just planted here before it was found?” Dani suggests.
“Why don’t you keep looking, and I’ll tell Elder Jane what we’ve found so far? Perhaps we need someone else to assess the area?”
“Good idea,” she agrees.
“You think you will be all right out here?” I ask.
Dani nods, already walking away from the area of question. “Of course, you really think the wolves will risk breaking the treaty to hurt me?”
Her question is light and innocent, but it turns my stomach. It seems it isn’t the wolves she need fear…
I fake a smile and turn to leave, worried if I open my mouth, I will either scream or vomit. Only until I am far enough from Dani do I begin to run. My legs are strengthened, fueled by my frantic heart.
Savi drinks blood from blood bags and the occasional animal, but this proof goes against everything I’ve ever believed to be true. Chad must have known. That is why he acted so out of character when I confronted him. If he was hiding this, what else could he have kept from me?
Anger, confusion, betrayal… emotions burn through me as I run through town. As I make my way toward Savi’s house, I consider what she’s done. Savi killed an innocent, but so have I.
My head spins, causing me to stall. Gasping for breath, I send a text, knowing Savi could not ignore this one.
Meet me at your house, I message. I know you killed the human.
She replies almost instantly. Hurry.
Savi
My eyes burn from the loss of tears spilled. The pain in my gut still lingers, but I’m too weak to cry again. The ache is something new, something I haven’t felt since the night I killed the girl.
Hunger. Real, raw, honest hunger. I drink a blood bag daily, but that’s only to maintain strength. I don’t crave it. I never have. But I’m weak from crying blood, and I need to refuel. I need my strength for what’s to come.
The boy. The human collegegoer who’s messing up my life. If I hadn’t saved him the night of the bonfire massacre, I wouldn’t be in this position right now. The irony weighs heavily on me. I killed a girl but then saved a boy. Shouldn’t that balance out the universe?
I turn over in bed, sheets tangling around me as I wrap myself in a cocoon of fabric. Staring out my bedroom window, I watch the clouds dance across the sky. In a few hours, it will be nightfall, and the mistakes I’ve made will be cast in shadow, where they were always meant to remain. I don’t like seeing them splashed across television screens.
The breeze picks up, sending more yellowing leaves flying from their once-home. Our garden is filled with them now. Chad and I aren’t exactly gardeners, and we’ve put the care Mother had for this manor to shame. If I survived this inquisition, I’d be better. A better sister, a better friend, a better vampire…
I glance at the clock and groan. It hasn’t even been thirty minutes, yet it feels like hours have passed since I ran away from my problems at lightning speed.
I know he saw me. I dashed out of there with vampi
re speed. He blinked, and I was gone. How am I to explain that if I see him again?
I grunt as I stand and walk to my en suite bathroom. My eyes are puffy, my cheeks stained red. I splash some water on my face to clear the evidence. Vampires are seductive creatures by nature, but I wouldn’t exactly call us emotional. Chad will be suspicious if he sees me this way. I reapply some makeup, and only when I look semi-normal, I exit my bathroom, making my way to the kitchen to refuel.
Unsurprisingly so, I find Chad waiting for me in the hallway. We don’t speak, and I’m sure the look on my face is conveying the fact that I’ll stab him in the eye with a fork should he even ask about my day. He wraps an arm around my shoulder, and I lean against him. We stay that way for a long while, until the pain becomes but a distant memory.
“It’ll get easier,” he promises. “Once her blood is completely out of your system.”
I nod. I’ll keep her memories forever, of course. That’s the price I pay for taking her life, but unlike now, they’ll hold no control over me. Only I can call them forth, not some triggering word, feeling, or place. By day’s end, she will be gone, and my mind will be clear.
Tomorrow, I’ll kill the boy, and all will be right in my world.
I hope.
I finish my third blood bag and wash the mug, setting it on the shelf to dry itself. Mother used to chastise me for doing that. It leaves water stains, she said. Knowing that I may soon see her leaves me in a funk. While I do miss my parents, I’m not ready to leave this place yet. Sometimes, I wish vampires were immortal, like they are in the many films and television shows to embrace this century. Other times, I don’t want that burden.