by Chris Cannon
“Bane,” I spoke through gritted teeth.
“What?” He sounded about as innocent as an ancient demon could manage. “I thought colored hair was in style?”
“Not your choice to make,” I snapped. “Boun-da-ries. Remember?”
“I’m not familiar with that concept.” Blue light flashed and then he was gone.
“Sage?” I turned to him like he might have some answer.
“Never trust a demon.” Sage stood and headed for the door. “Maybe Carol can fix it.”
I stalked out of the library to my car, climbed inside, and pulled down the visor mirror. A cobalt stripe stood out in contrast to the rest of my hair. The part of my brain that wasn’t pissed off noted that it was kind of cool. The sensible part of my head didn’t like that Bane did things without asking. “I may be stuck working for Bane, but that doesn’t mean he owns me.”
“I’m not sure he understands that,” Sage said.
Carol greeted us at her front door. She opened her mouth to speak and then froze for a second. “What’s wrong?”
“That seems to be the new catchphrase of my life.” I walked past her and flopped down on the couch. “Bane stole some of my hair and gave me this as a replacement.”
“He took your hair?” Carol asked.
I nodded.
“First of all, rude. Second of all, hair is a component used in spells that are aimed at a particular person.”
“So now he can create magic tailored for me?” I gave into my instincts and stomped my feet on the floor. “Why does this keep getting worse?”
“Because Bane is evil,” Sage said. “And you should never let him touch you.”
“It’s the only way he’ll answer my questions.” I slumped farther on the couch. “Carol, is there any defensive magic you can teach me?”
“We can start with some basic spell casting.”
Goblin stood behind Carol. He showed me a slim black leather book with a silver binding and then put it behind his back.
“I’ll gather some books and we’ll get started.”
After Carol left the room, Goblin gave me the book. “For your mother.”
My fingers itched to flip the pages, but I slid it into my backpack.
…
Jake
Sybil had barely been in the truck for ten seconds when she wrinkled her nose. “Don’t tell me that necklace is in here somewhere.”
“It smells that bad?”
“It’s like rotten garbage that’s been sitting in the sun all day. Can you put it in the back with your tools?”
“Promise not to bite me?” I was teasing, sort of.
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll try to control myself.”
“Okay.” I grabbed the charm and put it in the tool box in the bed of the truck. Funny, but I kind of trusted Sybil. I probably shouldn’t, but I did.
I got in and started the truck. As we headed back to the road, Sybil turned on the radio which played varying levels of static, but no music.
“I need to get that fixed.”
“I’m not sure this heap is worth repairing,” Sybil stated.
“It has character,” I defended.
“Which means it was free and you don’t have money to buy anything else.”
I slammed on the brakes. “Feel free to get out.”
She turned to me. “Sorry. Visiting my sisters always puts me in a foul mood.”
“Why?”
“For years I offered to turn them and they refused…every time. Now look at them.”
Was what her sister said true? “Are you afraid of being alone?”
“Isn’t everyone?”
“Don’t you have vampire friends?”
“Yes, but family is different. You know you can count on them.” She frowned. “Yes, Vi. It’s much better since you came along.” She glanced at me. “I really do like her.”
“What does she do all day?” Vi used to talk to me a lot.
“She makes funny comments. I’ve been introducing her to new food. She likes reading murder mysteries.”
“I’m glad she’s happy.” And I was. I kind of felt responsible for Vi.
“You are a sucker for a sad case, aren’t you?” Sybil said.
“Was that a vampire pun?”
“Unintentional.”
Since she was being chummy, I said, “How’d you end up a vampire?”
“I was driving home from the movies one night. The roads were icy. I skidded off the pavement and hit a tree. Airbags didn’t exist back then and I never bothered with a seat belt so I went through the windshield. I lay there, not sure if I’d bleed out before I froze to death.
“There were no cell phones. No one was coming to help me. I remember thinking there were so many things I wanted to do with my life. Then a man showed up. He said he could save me if I wanted to be like him. I was weak from blood loss. Figured he was a dream, but I said yes anyway. A few hours later, I woke up in a stranger’s house. He and his wife were kind to me. They helped me through the transition.”
“How does that work?” I asked.
“They gave me a cup of blood. I drank it. My body healed, my senses heightened, my pain went away, and I knew what I was.”
So she actually hadn’t chosen to become a vampire, she’d made the best of a bad circumstance. “What did you do next?”
“My new family warned me against going home. I ignored them. There were a few hours until daylight so I ran back to our farmhouse at inhuman speed. Violet greeted me at the door, and then she screamed and backed away. I thought it was because I was covered in my own blood.
“I told her that I’d wrecked the truck, but I was okay. My mom and dad came running from the other room. They reacted like Violet, cringing and backing away. I dashed past them up to my room and barricaded the door. In the mirror I saw myself.” She reached up to touch her fangs. “Fangs tend to freak people out, which is why we use glamours.”
“Did your family come around?” I asked.
“They left me alone that night. I cleaned up and tried to sleep. The vampire who turned me appeared at my bedroom window and asked me to come outside. He suggested I stay with him until my family understood, so I did.
“A few weeks later I came back. By that point I’d figured out how to glamour my fangs. When my mom opened the door, she cried and hugged me. Said she didn’t care what I was as long as I came home. My dad wasn’t so welcoming. I could tell he was afraid of me. Peggy and Violet welcomed me, but they were standoffish.
“My dad asked me to go for a walk. Said he’d always love me, but I couldn’t move back home. When he was a teenager his friend’s father had been turned. He’d tried to live a normal life with his family. One night he’d snapped and killed everyone in the house. Then he’d killed himself.”
“So he was afraid you’d lose control?” That kind of made sense, not that I’d say that out loud.
“I understood his concern, but it still hurt. At first I visited my family every night and then a few times a week. It was strange to watch my sisters grow and change and pass me by. I’d always been the oldest. After a while, I didn’t know them anymore so I made a new family and only visited occasionally.”
“Was becoming a vampire worth it?” I asked.
“Yes. I wasn’t ready to die. I’m more powerful as a vampire than I ever could have been as a human woman.”
“Since we’re being honest…if you hadn’t been in an accident…if you were living a normal life, would you have chosen to become a vampire?”
“I can’t really answer that because it happened the way it did. I think everyone has to decide for themselves if it’s worth it. Ask yourself this, Jake. Is what you have in this life at this time worth holding on to?”
“Yes.” I had Zelda and Meena and a new job. My
mom would come back around eventually. I had a good life.
When I pulled into a parking spot at the hardware store, Sybil leaned in super fast and kissed me on the cheek. “You’re a good listener. Thank you.” And then she was gone, leaving the door of the truck open.
I grabbed the tools and the old lights from the farmhouse, shut the passenger door, and went into the store. Dale was in his office. I handed him the clipboard with Mrs. Connor’s signature on it.
“Everything go okay?” he asked.
“Yes. She asked me to bring the old lights back here.” And I wasn’t sure what to do with them.
“Set them in the break room. I’ll look at them later to see if they’re salvageable.” He checked his watch. “We close early on Sundays. You can clock out now.” He handed me a piece of paper. “Here’s where you’re going tomorrow. Be here by nine. It’s barbecue season. Everyone wants a new grill.”
There were two addresses on the page. I nodded. “Thanks. See you tomorrow.”
When I reached my truck, I dialed Meena’s cell. She answered on the third ring.
“Hey, Jake. I bet my day has been weirder than yours.”
“I met Sybil’s younger sisters who are in their seventies.”
“Interesting, but Sage transformed into a tiger and almost ate someone who threatened me and Bane turned my hair blue.”
“Holy crap.”
“Exactly. Meet me at Carol’s. We’ll compare notes.”
I touched Meena’s hair. “I hate to say it, but the blue streak is cool.”
“If I’d done it myself it would be cool. Since I didn’t have a choice, I’m going to try and bleach it or change the color.” Meena sighed. “Tell me about Sybil’s sisters.”
I told her about Mrs. Connor and her warning that Sybil turned people because she was lonely.
“That might be one of the hazards of being immortal.” She leaned back on the couch. “Do you think Mr. Dale knew he was sending you to the house of a vampire?”
“He did tell me not to accept anything to eat or drink. Claims his brother got food poisoning, but maybe it was because of Sybil.”
“Do you think she’d try to trick you into becoming a vampire?”
After today I didn’t think so, but I wasn’t sure how to explain that to Meena so I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m leaning toward no, but I can’t be sure.”
“Bane said people can be turned into demons,” Meena said. “I find that slightly terrifying.”
“How would that even work?” I understood how you’d turn someone into a vampire or a werewolf—if werewolves were a real thing—but a demon?
“I don’t know and I’d like to keep it that way.” She rubbed her temples. “All this crazy stuff is giving me a headache. On a positive note, I can now use magic to light a candle. It requires several ingredients and a few drops of my blood, so it’s a heck of a lot easier to carry a lighter or some matches.”
I leaned closer and spoke in a quiet voice. “Do you get the feeling this magic stuff isn’t as helpful as it ought to be?”
Sage and Goblin rounded the corner and both gave me the you’re-an-idiot look.
I knew what they’d been doing. “Eavesdropping is rude.”
“So is stupidity,” Sage responded. “Meena is a novice. Once she learns more she will be powerful.”
“Will I be as strong as a demon?” Meena asked.
“No,” Sage said. “But—”
“Will she be as fast as a vampire?” I asked.
“What’s your point?” Goblin asked.
“Jake’s point and mine is that I’ll never be as strong as Bane or have the advantages of a vampire.”
“Well maybe you should ask Sybil and Bane to turn you. Become some super-demon-vampire-witch hybrid,” Goblin said. “You could start your own coven.”
“That could be cool,” Meena said.
I about choked.
“Joking,” Meena said. “I’d prefer to be human with the ability to defend myself from any and all supernaturals, but that doesn’t sound likely.”
“Keep practicing,” Sage said. “You’ll gain abilities. You can combine spell components ahead of time and keep them on hand for whenever you need them.”
“Like a cake mix?” Meena said.
“Does everything go back to food with you?” Sage asked.
“Yes,” Meena and I said at the same time. Both of us laughed.
“Jake, why don’t we go have lunch somewhere and pretend we’re normal people without supernatural issues.”
“Sounds good.” I stood and held out my hand. “I can drive and Sage can take your car home.” That way cat-man wouldn’t be joining us.
“Works for me.” Meena pulled her keys out of her pocket and threw them to Sage. “If my dad asks, tell him I’ll be home in time to cook dinner.”
Chapter Fifteen
Meena
“What do you want for lunch?” I asked Jake.
“I have pizza at Zelda’s if you don’t mind going there.”
“That sounds kind of nice. I won’t have to worry about people staring at my hair.”
I followed Jake to his truck. When he opened the door, he said, “What the heck?”
I opened my door and noticed the Bluetooth speaker and tablet, sporting a red bow. Jake picked up the tablet and flipped through a few screens before hitting play. A classic rock song blared through the speaker at a volume that startled me. Impressive.
“Someone left you a gift?”
“My guess is Sybil.”
“When was she in your truck?”
He frowned. “Did I forget to mention that I gave her a ride back to town?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Yes.”
“Sorry. It’s been a crazy day.”
“It has been.” I climbed into the car and took the tablet. “Do I need to be jealous?” I was halfway joking. This was not a cheap gift.
“No.” He leaned over and I met him halfway. It was a quick kiss but it felt right.
“Goblin gave me a gift, too.” I opened the backpack and pulled out the book as he drove toward Zelda’s. “He slid it to me when Carol wasn’t looking. He thinks it might help with my mom.”
“Anything good in there?” Jake asked.
“I’ll let you know.” I scanned pages only stopping when we reached our destination and headed inside.
Sitting in Zelda’s kitchen, the spicy smell of sausage and pepperoni filled the air. My stomach growled. I flipped another page in the book, hoping to find something helpful. “This is all about reaching out to people and communicating.”
“Why do you sound disappointed?” Jake checked on the pizza, grabbed an oven mitt, and pulled it out of the oven.
I snagged a napkin from the center of the table and used it as a bookmark. “I want a way to wake her up.”
He cut the pizza in fourths and brought the whole thing to the table. “I know that’s what you’re hoping for, but before you wake her up, it might be a good idea to see if she’s still in there.” He sat and grabbed a piece of pizza.
“No plates?” I asked.
“No dishwasher,” he replied. “So I try to cut corners where I can.”
“Lazy logic.” I set my piece of pizza on a napkin. “But it works.”
Jake wolfed down his first piece of pizza and grabbed another one. Before taking a bite, he said, “Do you need more training to contact your mom, or do you think you could do it now?”
“I don’t know. Goblin seems to think I can jump right in. Carol not so much.”
“What about the astral projection thing my aunt does? Could you talk to your mom like she talked to her son?”
“Maybe. According to what I’ve read, the first step is figuring out how to meditate.”
“Sounds like a j
ob for YouTube.”
“Good idea.” After we finished eating and cleaning up the kitchen, we went into Zelda’s library room and sat on the couch. I searched for videos on my cell. “There are a ton of videos on meditation for beginners.”
“Click one and let’s see what happens,” Jake suggested.
I hit the play button. The sound of running water and crickets chirping preceded the ringing of a gong. “Make sure you’re seated in comfortable position. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.”
“Why does it matter if you’re breathing through your nose or your mouth?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know.” I closed my eyes and tried to follow the instructions. The woman’s voice was soothing and I felt my body relax.
The commercial that came on after the video ended made me jump out of my skin.
Jake laughed. “I guess it did help you relax.”
“Stupid commercial.”
“I have an out-there idea,” Jake said. “Sybil told me she became a vampire because she didn’t want to die. After she was turned, her injuries healed. Do you think your mom would wake up if a vampire turned her?”
“You want me to turn my mom into a vampire?” Was he nuts?
“No. We both gained some interesting information today but if you could have your mom back as a vampire would you do it?”
“I…I don’t know.” Why was I even considering this? “Could vampirism cure bipolar disorder? I mean it fixed broken bones, but could it fix someone’s brain?”
“I don’t think YouTube has an answer for that,” Jake said. “Sybil might.”
Did I want Jake to contact Sybil? It’s not like she didn’t show up on a regular basis. “Maybe we could ask.” I frowned. “Which would be better, an amnesiac mom who might still have bipolar disorder or a mentally healthy mom who might want to drink my blood?”
“We don’t know if either would work, so you don’t have to choose,” Jake said.