by N. J. Cooper
“I’ll give you a new deal. I won’t out you to your brother if you agree to let me and him work out whatever happens between us, if anything. I’ll keep the fridge stocked with food so he stops asking questions, I won’t comment on your extracurricular activities with the people you bring home and I won’t tell the guard that you are sucking from humans that don’t know what you are and aren’t technically volunteering.” Hayley countered. Julie’s eyebrows raised as Hayley stripped herself of clothes and pulled on some denim jeans. Julie mulled for longer than Hayley had thought she would and by the time she had slipped into her burgundy silk blouse, put on her cream sweater and slipped her feet into some dark brown boots, Julie was only just responding to her ultimatum.
“One more thing I need from you,” Julie bargained. Hayley zipped up her suitcase.
“Shoot.” She prompted.
“I need you to cover for me with Rick. I was turned by a random who taught me nothing about this life, over five years ago. I have had a huge learning curve, but I still struggle with control. So, I go out, I party every night, I distract myself with girls like Mae who worship me because of what I am and what I make them feel, but my brother disapproves. He wants me to stay in, settle down, build up my career. I want that just not as much. I need you to tell him that I stayed in some nights when I don’t. That I went to bed early. Ate a proper meal, all the things my parents worry about that he has for some reason picked up on. I already have to hide everything from them, I’m sick of lying to him too.” Julie explained, her sincerity striking Hayley right where it hurt. The girl was feeling lonely, that was obvious and eventually she would need someone to help pick her up when she crashed, as all lone vampires did. Hayley didn’t mind appeasing her until that time because it was better than the alternative of Julie going on a blood bender.
“So you want me to lie to him?” Hayley checked she had the right idea. Julie shrugged.
“Yeah, pretty much. Then I’ll keep out of your business, otherwise I’ll make your life with my brother completely hell.” She warned. Hayley chuckled to herself. Julie knew nothing of hell. Being on the run watching everyone she had dared to trust, betray her for the right price was hell. Her family and her walls were the only thing she had left. Hell was what she was trying to escape with this job.
“I’ll do it. But only because I think you are only doing this because you want some of the burden gone of being a supernatural with no one to turn to, and I don’t mind being there if you need me. Just let me know. So, I’m going to head out with your brother, and you are going to go cook that girl out there a damn good meal to put some weight back in her body that you are draining.” Hayley ordered then left before Julie could protest. Hayley smirked as she walked out. She waved to Mae then met Rick downstairs who was holding out the door to his car for her. She climbed in and nodded to his question asking if everything was okay. They made it to Ridgewood New Jersey as the sun was setting, and Hayley found herself leaning forward to get a better look at the villa that was just ahead of them along the leaf covered, overgrown driveway.
“Wow.” She said in awe as her designer eyes took in all the ornate features of the old building that although were covered in moss, vines and a lot of weather damage, could be stunning when recovered. She climbed out of the car quickly, moving down the rickety stone path, the grass tickling her legs where it hung overgrown from its roots in the garden. Rick followed her, equally intrigued.
“This is old. I’d say Victorian era easily.” He noted. Hayley nodded and stepped up onto the porch. Her fingers ran along the designs carved on the door in fascination. Such art, such craftsmanship, a jewel hidden out in the middle of empty fields. She began to wonder why it had been left abandoned for so long when her supernatural blood tingled in warning. A howl on the wind had her instincts prickling. Goose bumps raised over her skin as she frowned, looking over the property and stepping back from the door.
“Are you coming in?” He asked with a proud smile, still in awe of his acquirement. She nodded slowly and followed him in with wary steps. She was met by a dark, stale and dusty home, filled with dark-wood accents, a long hallway and right where the kitchen used to be was a huge open hole, gaping with burnt edges.
“Damn, I was hoping it would be undamaged. The lawyer didn’t say anything about a fire.” Rick cringed walking over to inspect the barren, ash covered room. The old stove had half wooden logs in its burner with the door open but that was the only part still usable. It would be a total rehaul but that’s not what had Hayley shivering, her eyes darting around every corner. It was the feeling that they weren’t alone. That they were being watched by something she wasn’t sure wanted them there.
“Maybe this place isn’t worth it then, Rick.” Hayley tried, knowing it was going to become more apparent that they weren’t welcome, and she was desperate to avoid revealing what she was.
“Are you kidding? This place is amazing. Can’t you feel it? This project is going to be legendary.” He grinned; the total opposite of what Hayley wanted him to do. Damn it. She looked around, her eyes flaring yellow to see through the darkness, her werewolf side bristling at the threat that hovered so closely yet invisible. She turned back to Rick who had leant down to pick up a piece of broken wood when he cursed loudly, shaking his hand and dropping the wood.
“What happened?” Hayley demanded but he shrugged.
“Think it was an old nail or something. Got my finger.” He said showing her the prick on his finger that was stained with his blood. She didn’t know if there really had been a nail but the second his blood hit the floor; she knew that’s what the stalker had been waiting for. The blood dripped in three specific droplets to the hardwood floors, soaking in as a howl ripped through the air. The house shook and groaned as the howl pierced her ear drums. She winced, glancing at Rick to see if he was affected but he heard nothing. He turned to go back to his inspection except he was different to her. He was glowing. A bright gold glow that shined so bright, it lit up every corner of the kitchen area under her wolf eyes. She cringed back from the brightness and reverted to her blue human ones before moving closer to him. She had to get him out of the house, now.
“Hey, we should go look at the schematics for this place back at mine or the office so we can get out of here. It’s getting pretty dark and it’ll be easier to work in the light.” She improvised.
“Yeah, guess you’re right. C’mon. This place is going to take a lot of work but once it’s done, it’s going to be awesome.” he grinned excitedly, his true passion for architecture warming her cold heart. As she ushered him out the door, she swore she could hear cackling through the wind.
Later that night, lying in her bed she called her mom to find out about what had happened, explaining how he had cut his finger and the blood had seeped in to the floor, then the glowing and the howling, hoping her mother, who was the wisest witch she had ever known, would know more about what had actually happened or if Hayley was just being paranoid.
“Oh sweetie. I’m sorry to say this, but it looks as though you have gone and accidentally unlocked a dormant portal, one that was last unlocked by a very evil sorcerer and only locked again by a blood sacrifice. My guess is that Mr. Benton is a descendant in that bloodline which is how he unlocked it.” Her mother explained softly. Hayley groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Of course, we unlocked it. Wait,” Hayley gasped sitting up, “This wasn’t the place Onyx used as a nexus into the supernatural realm was it? That was the last evil portal I can remember existing.” Hayley remembered, praying she was wrong but of course her mother’s wistful sigh confirmed her fears.
“Darling, you know the answer to that. You also know that you are going to need to close that portal again. It isn’t open yet but if there was howling then my guess is you have a coven of witches waiting to take possession of the portal. If they do, they’ll control the crossings between veils and the only way to do that after a sacrifice, is to make another in the same
bloodline.” Her mother explained. Hayley clenched her eyes shut, her stomach turning at what her mother was saying.
“So, whatever is there, wants to kill Rick and use his blood for a sacrifice to possess the portal?” Hayley clarified.
“Yes, Hayley. And you can’t let that happen, okay?” She warned. Hayley sighed. She fell back onto her pillows with a gruff huff of air. All she had wanted was a normal life with a thriving career and a Prince Charming as hot as Rick to sweep her off her feet and make her fall madly in love so she could have a white picket fence and 3 beautiful, blue eyed children-was that too much to ask? Apparently it was, because she was going to have to pull some serious sleuthing to get to the bottom of who wanted that portal opened and stop them, without Rick finding out what she was or letting Rick die.
Note from the author:
Thank you so much for finishing Kyla and Zarek’s story with me. It has been an amazing, emotional, exciting time and to finish this series is a huge accomplishment. Kyla and Zarek are my first official characters and I am so close to them. Their world is expansive and although their story is done, the creatures under their rule have more to say. I am looking forward to delving more into this with my next series, The Seven Sisters.
HAUNTED SACRIFICE
Is coming soon!
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