Forging Family

by Bob Dattolo

  “But…what are you going to do if their families get involved?”

  “Include them and kill them?”

  She froze again, sitting back, “Are you really? You have that much power? You’re not even remotely afraid of what they could bring against you.”

  Mom spiked another bit of meat on her knife, “My daughter is frighteningly powerful. Unless these boys or their families have far more available to them, I am not liking their chances. If it were possible, I would bet this house that none of them even make her bleed for more than a minute before they’re dead.”

  “Motherfucker…that’s crazy.”

  Melissa put her cup down, “Like I said, the stuff I saw in the between lands? Yeah…they’re freaking dead. Like sooooo dead. The best part is that they can’t even get away from her that way.”

  “Uhh, what?”

  Instead of giving away any secrets, Melissa smiled over at Sumi eating from her bowl. She doesn’t have to eat as much if she’s in her smaller cat form, “You met Sumi? She was dead for thousands of years…think about it.”

  Silence descended on the table for a few minutes while we all chewed. “Freaking hell…they’re fucked.” That got laughter from everyone.

  “Now…what do we want to do?”

  The others looked at me, “I’m not sure? What do you want to do?” Melissa asked.

  “Nothing in particular.”

  Mom raised her fork, “Jen is coming over tonight? We don’t have any plans to go out, we just wanted to see each other? Is that all right?”

  So my mom is going to see her girlfriend? Let’s see, does that bother me, “That’s fine with me. I liked her.”

  “I like her as well.” We both knew that she meant more than like. She may not be a total lesbian, but Mom is more than willing to commit where love is found. I like that in her.

  “Then in that case…anyone want to go for a swim? I’d like to pop over to Rachel’s place if I can do that before then?”

  Mom raised an eyebrow, “I see. Why?”

  “Umm, there’s a strong chance that she has magic now? We connected just a bit, and I think I need to convince her parents that she needs to be here.”

  Marisela finished chewing, “Who is Rachel?”

  “Friend from my last school? Vampire. Been one for about nine months now, I think. She’s the one that I got into the fight with the vampire gang with.”

  “Uhh…okay?”

  Mom smiled, “That’s fine with me. How long do you think you’ll need?”

  “I’m not sure? Maybe a half hour? I can bring everyone with me while you wait for Jen?”

  Marisela pushed away her empty plate, “How about you go visit Rachel, Marisela and I clean up the kitchen, and you get ready for your girlfriend to come over?” I love that neither of them cares in the slightest that they’re both girls.

  Mom brightened up, “I would love that.”

  I emptied my plate and put it into the dishwasher, “All right. In that case, I’ll be back. I have my phone on me if anyone needs me sooner. I’m just a portal away.”

  Mom gave me a hug before I opened the portal and stepped through, appearing on the front steps of Rachel’s huge house. I thought about appearing inside the place but didn’t want to freak them out. Yelling from inside alerted me to the fact that things aren’t going too well, so I rang the bell. I figured I’d give it two rings before I pounded on the door. Then either walked in or portaled in.

  No one came on the first ring, but someone finally approached after the second. Mindy, Rachel’s parents’ girlfriend, opened the door. Yeah, they have a joint thing going on. No, Rachel didn’t know about it before she was turned. Her brother did, it’s what drove him to the gang to begin with.

  “I’m sorry, now isn’t a great time…” she froze as she recognized who I am.

  “Hey, Mindy. Can I come in?”

  She closed the door partially, blocking the rest of the space with her body, “I’m sorry. Now isn’t a good time. You’re part of the issue…” She looked ashamed to say that, especially since I was pretty much the catalyst for saving Kevin’s life. Or…for him not being lost to them? That’s probably more accurate. After all, he did die and come back as a vampire, so…yeah. We weren’t there in time to stop him from being killed. Or beaten. Or raped. He had oh so much anal sex prior to being changed. It’s rather funny now, since he ran away because he couldn’t handle the whole parental girlfriend thing, and the last time I saw him he was being taken from behind while inside of a girl and had a dick in his mouth.

  As I’ve said, we’re nothing if not flexible that way. Friction is friction, and we’re not averse to trying new and different things that would curl the toes of the average human.

  The yelling got louder. Something about evil, although I can’t make it out over the echoes and overriding yells from both parents. “Look, please let me in. I’m trying to be nice here.”

  She gripped the door tighter, “You’re trying to be nice? You’re a kid. Get out of here before I bend you over my knee and spank you.” She began to close the door and froze when I smiled at her.

  “I might be okay with that. I have to say, being spanked feels much better when sex is involved. But…if that’s not how you meant spanking? We might have a problem.” The thing inside of me bulged against my skin, and I realized it’s the angel of death version of me wanting to come out and play. I guess I’m sort of like a shifter that way? Cool!

  She didn’t move as the yelling inside intensified, so I created another portal to my side, winked at her, and stepped through it. The side of the house blocked her, so when I ended up behind her, she was leaning out, looking along the house towards where I disappeared.

  “I’m not out there, Mindy. Perhaps we should see if we can stop this before there are some deaths in this house?” She screamed and whirled, but I didn’t wait for her before moving through the massive home. It was the largest home I’d ever seen until I saw Mom’s. Now I have a far better idea of what large is when you’re talking about houses. The fear-filled woman didn’t start following me until I passed into the next room and almost made it to the hallway beyond it. All the while, the yelling got louder.

  “You’re not going there! That’s final! We have a school picked out for you. Kevin is doing fine where he is. You’ll do just fine in the local high school. I’ve had enough of your…” Her father came to a stop as I walked in, smiling at everyone.

  The parents stood over a sitting Rachel, who was sort of bent over herself. It’s so easy to see that the parents think they’re cowing her, when she’s actually trying desperately not to destroy them utterly. I picture this place doused with blood and chunks of bodies in the next ten minutes unless I calm this the hell down.

  “Have either of you forgotten everything you ever learned about vampires since the last time I saw you? Seriously? What makes you think you can yell at her like this?”

  Marcie, Rachel’s mom, pointed her finger at me, “This is your fault!” Spit flew from her mouth. “You come in here with your bullshit and now both of our children are evil vampires?! You’re lucky we haven’t killed her in her sleep!”

  I froze them with a wave of my hand and lifted them up, bringing Mindy over to them. I also moved them away from Rachel.

  “You can get up now. They’ll be quiet at least for a bit.”

  She looked up at me and, sure enough, she’s vamped out of her mind. Black eyes, huge fangs, and claws that are designed to allow her to rend and tear with abandon. “You’re here!”

  “I am.”

  She practically flew across the floor and crashed into me. Thank God I was anchored for it, otherwise we’d have been through the wall on the other side of the room. She was just going that fast. To her parents and Mindy, it must have looked like she teleported, because the scent of shit filled the air from at least one of them.

  Rachel was crying and holding me tight, squeezing me until my ribs began to creak. I’m okay with that, becau
se I was doing the same to her.

  “Are you all right?”

  She looked up at me and nodded, “I am. You’re here now!”

  “I am here.” I waved past her, “How long has this been going on?”

  She looked back, fangs still out, “Since before school ended. They started acting weird on the phone. Demanding that I come home. Things like that. I never told anyone because I didn’t want anyone to worry.”

  “Umm…what? They were pretty much okay with you being a vampire before this. What made them change?”

  “I don’t know? I don’t get it.” She patted her stomach, “Umm…two things? I’m sort of…”

  I tilted my neck, “You’re hungry?”

  She looked away, “Yeah…”

  “Then go for it. Have you fed recently?”

  She shook her head, then nodded quickly. “Umm…once.”

  “Who from?”

  “The mailman. I’m sorry for that…”

  “Why are you apologizing?”

  “I didn’t want you to think that I…”

  I hugged her and pulled her head into my neck, “I know you wouldn’t hurt him just for the hell of it. Now feed. We need to talk about your parents.”

  She bit in, and our connection blasted wide open as more of my magic flowed into her, bumping into the egg I left behind before. As it did, the entire structure quivered, as if changing somehow. Without warning, I rammed it with a narrow, yet vastly powerful ray of golden light…and the egg shattered.

  Shattered, and I felt Rachel come alive far beyond what she was before.

  Chapter 17

  She collapsed in my arms, fangs sliding free, and I picked her up, cradling her. She may not be my love, but this house is about to become empty of three fewer adults if they try anything.

  As she nestled against me, I let my constrained magic out, taking my senses along, as I searched the house and the surrounding yards.

  Huh, not very many dead bodies in here. Very few bugs or rodents. There’s a bird up in one of the chimney pipes and a dead squirrel in one of the gutters, but that’s it. The ground underneath has a good selection of bodies, but nothing huge. The grounds going out about a thousand feet have more to choose from, but nothing new or exciting. Unless I wanted my own wolf pack to follow me around.

  Maybe later.

  Then I felt it.

  Inside the house, I felt something that had me staring at the adults again as they struggled against my magic. The anger in their eyes tells me that they’d be yelling at me if they could. They’d be moving to hit me.

  There’s just no way in hell they’d do that. None. They were so thankful that we brought Kevin home, even though he was a vampire. They were thankful to me. Unless they suddenly gained religion, I’m not seeing them changing this much. Certainly not to the point that they’d try to browbeat a vampire that was barely stopping herself from dancing in their remains.

  Except now I feel it.

  Rachel came alive again in my arms and I set her down, holding her hand as she swayed, unknown feelings pouring through her. “What…what is this? Why do I feel like this?”

  I squeezed her hand, getting her to look back at me, “Do you like it? You’re a magic user now.”

  Her mouth fell open, “What? That’s impossible!”

  “Umm, not impossible. I just learned it was possible the other day. Do you…” I decided to bite the bullet, “Mr. Reynolds? Do you know he’s a vampire?”

  She nodded, “I didn’t for the longest time. Then after connecting with you, I could sort of feel him.”

  “Right. He’s a vampire, he’s also a necromancer. He followed the prior version of me. He was…well, he was what he called a vessel. A living embodiment of her power, I guess. A vampire that gained magic through being connected to her. Just as you are to me.”

  She moved closer, “What does that mean? I belong to you?”

  “Umm, no more so than anyone belongs to anyone else? We’re connected through magic.”

  “Do you not want me with you?”

  I feared a trembling lip or a tear, but neither came, “I always want you with me. I know we’re not girlfriends, but we’ve lived each other’s lives. More so than anyone else I’ve ever met. I’m willing to have you with me as long as you’re willing to stay. I don’t own you. I don’t want to own you.”

  Her smile lit up the room, “Thank you! This is…wow…”

  I laughed, “I know, right? Now…you have magic. Can you sort of spread it out a little? Feel around the room?”

  She concentrated, struggling to gain any control of her wildly gesticulating magic. Over about ten minutes, she began moving it with a purpose.

  “Fantastic! Now…can you follow my magic? Most people can’t really feel other people’s magic when it’s out, so I’m hoping you can feel mine.”

  Her magic wrapped around mine, “Umm, I sort of can, but I think it’s because of our connection. I can’t really see or feel it on my own, but I can through you. A bit.”

  “All right. Follow this, then.”

  Her magic moved along with mine, probing into her parents and Mindy. She gasped and her magic pulled out, “What the fuck is that?!?”

  I pulled my magic out and approached her parents, leaving them floating there. “That, Rachel, is a spell. The same spell that was in place in school. That Armand and the principal put on the other teachers. On Steph. Someone is controlling them. Forcing them to be like this to you.”

  “Who the fuck would do that?” Her magic really flowed out, making me proud to see how strong she is.

  “No idea. At a guess? One of them? The principal was still around. He may have known how close we were getting? No idea.”

  She looked back at them, “How do we remove it?”

  I had her follow my magic in again, “We remove it like…this!” The spells disappeared as I crushed them, and her parents and Mindy twisted and jerked in my spell loosened before I lowered them, letting them collapse on the couch together. Rachel held me as the adults cried and huddled together.

  Her father was the first to look at us, “I’m so sorry…I have no idea…”

  I held up a hand, stopping him, “You heard what we said. You were all under a spell. One designed to have you lock Rachel away and push her…probably until she slaughtered you. Then she probably would have killed herself, at least that’s my guess.”

  He looked at his daughter, “Rachel never would have hurt us!”

  She nodded slowly, “I very nearly killed you all while you were sleeping last night. I stood over you for more than two hours, desperately trying to fight it off. I barely managed to do it. When Ceri came in…you have no idea how close I was…”

  “I’d say you all were about ten minutes away from being dead. Violently so. Not that it’s your fault, but I don’t want to hide something here. You know that vampires are violent. It’s their nature. You know not to push them. Threaten them. Try to lord it over them. The fact that she listens to you about anything proves how much she loves you. I can’t even tell you how much love she has for you that you weren’t dead from what I saw when I came in. I was tempted to kill you myself, frankly.”

  Her mom blinked away her tears. Barely. “You were going to kill us?”

  Rachel nodded, “It was everything I could do not to do it. Everything. You kept attacking and attacking. You didn’t listen to anything I said. Nothing.”

  “But…but you’re our daughter!”

  “She is. She is your daughter. She’s also a vampire. A very good one, by the way. A very powerful one, too. Even more powerful now, but I won’t go into that. She would have killed you and…I’m betting hated herself for it. Maybe not, but I think so. She’s too connected to you not to hate herself after the fact. You’d still be dead, though.”

  “But…Rachel? Baby…?” Her mom held out her hands, but Rachel took a step back.

  “That’s not a great idea. You guys were under a spell, which caused this garbage, b
ut to her? In her mind? It was all of you. She can get through this, but now isn’t the time to try for a hug. Or, dear God, don’t yell at her for something. She may be moving back from it, but she’ll kill you so hard if you go over the line. It won’t matter that there was a spell involved on the first part. Now there’s no spell, so it’ll all get lumped together in her head.”

  “So she hates her parents? Hates us?” Mindy asked.

  Rachel quivered behind me, “Hates? No. Not really. Not like you think. Then again, that won’t stop the killing. Do you want my recommendation?”

  Mindy looked to her partners before nodding, “Yes. Please. How do we fix this?”

  I smiled, knowing we’d be getting things moving here. “You fix it with space. Enough space and time and she’ll be able to pull back and not associate you three with what’s been going on. And you allow her to be happy.”

  Her dad tried to lean and see her face, “Rachel? You’re not happy?”

  She finally looked back around, but didn’t meet his eyes, “I told you. I need to be with Ceri.”

  “Why, though? Why do you need to be with her? Are you…together?” He asked.

  “We’re not girlfriends. We’re more than that.”

  His eyes widened, “Umm…married?”

  We both laughed. “No. More than that, even. I can’t explain it. Or, no, I won’t explain it. Suffice it to say that we connected. She shares some of my power. It’s not romantic. In fact, she has magic now. A lot of it. A whole lot. She needs to come with me and learn from my mom how to control it. Learning that and being closer with me will help her a ton. Then, in a month or so, maybe seeing you guys again won’t make her want to watch you scream until you die.” I sighed. “I know that sounds dramatic and stupid. I do. Yet I also know that’s a thought that keeps running through her head.”

  They looked stricken, with her mom starting to cry again, “Ba…baby?”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I begged you to stop. To back off. I really did. I’m sorry I feel this way. I need space to get it to go away.”