by A. L. Larsen
Augustine came into the room, freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a black cashmere sweater (the one set of clothing he had here). “Aw, don’t let him do that,” he whispered to us before heading over to Bryn and guiding him off the window seat with an arm around his shoulders. “Come here Brynnie, sit on the couch where it’s more comfortable.” He led him over to the sofa and deposited him at one end, and Bryn immediately curled up in the corner and hugged his knees to his chest.
“So, now that it’s dark out,” Alastair said, watching Bryn closely, “we were thinking about heading to Chinatown to see if we can track down Jin.”
“I was there last week, looking for him,” Augustine said. “His family has moved out of their apartment on Washington. I didn’t have a chance to follow up, though, and find out where they’d gone.”
“Why were you looking for him, Gus?” Joey asked. “Did you think of some other terrible thing to do to Alastair, and needed Jin’s help again?” Augustine sighed almost imperceptibly.
My phone beeped and I pulled it out of the pocket of my jeans. It was a text from Carrie that said: Just went by and took a look at your house. It’s fine. Been keeping eyes and ears open for the Order, but they haven’t reappeared. Hope you’re well. C.
I sent a reply and a thank you and stood up. “So, let’s go to Chinatown and start asking questions, find out where the family moved. Bryn, why don’t you come along? It’d do you good to get out.”
“Rather stay here and sulk, thanks,” he murmured.
“Augustine, do you need to go out and feed before we take off?” Alastair asked.
“Already did, soon as it got dark. I got takeout.” He put a blanket over Bryn as he said, “And if you or Joey want any, there’s plenty in the fridge.”
“I swear to God, there had better not be a person stuffed into the Subzero,” Joey growled.
Augustine stared at him for a long moment, one eyebrow raised. And then he said, “No, you git. I got a bunch of blood units from the county hospital. I compelled a doctor to bring them out to me.”
“You know, you’re not actually British,” Joey pointed out. “I’m not sure what brand of eurotrash you are, exactly. But whatever it is, I’m sure calling people gits doesn’t fall under your jurisdiction.”
“In all, I’ve spent almost six centuries living in the UK over the course of my life. Which makes me more British than everyone in this room, combined,” he huffed.
“Is there nothing you two won’t bicker about? Joey, come on, stop goading Augustine. Let’s go track down that warlock,” I said. We said goodbye to Bryn and headed out the front door.
Augustine walked us out, and when we reached the courtyard, he pulled out a business card and wrote two addresses on the back of it, then handed it to me. “On top is Jin’s last known address. The bottom one is a Chinese restaurant that smelled really good when I was down there. Could you bring back some takeout for Bryn? He seems to like things with pigs and cows in them.”
“Yeah, no problem,” I said, slipping the card in my pocket.
We rode the bus across town, and emerged into a different world. Chinatown was vibrant and alive, a mosaic of smells and sounds and color. Alastair took my hand and we wound our way down the crowded sidewalk, his expression guarded. Joey was the opposite, cheerful and exuberant as he took in the experience with all his senses. He darted into a bakery, then caught up to us and handed me a little bag of almond cookies. “I couldn’t resist. These smelled so good,” he told me, and took a long whiff when I handed him a piece. A block later, his nose guided him into a little apothecary shop, and when next he caught up to us, he handed me a little shopping bag with handmade soaps wrapped in beautiful papers. “I thought you’d like these. There were a ton of unique fragrance combinations. And you should have seen the herbs and medicines in that shop! I could have spent all night in there, just smelling things.”
“Thanks, Joey,” I said with a grin. “You make hunting rogue warlocks fun.”
“I try. Ok, that’s just weird. I’ll be right back.” And he was off again.
Alastair paused in a little alcove to wait for our companion, and I smiled up at him. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He grinned at me and kissed me gently. We didn’t say anything else. We just held each other securely, my head on his chest.
Joey rejoined us after a couple minutes and put a little bag in my hand as he said, “Let’s keep going. Jin’s former apartment should be on the next block.”
I started walking and both guys fell in step, one to each side of me. “Joey, what did you hand me?” I asked, peering in the little white bag.
“It’s a mung bean bun. Say that three times fast. Mung bean bun, mung bean bun, mung bean bun!” Joey smiled brightly. “It smelled really interesting. And it’s vegetarian. Thought you might like to try something new.”
“Thank you again,” I said.
We were in luck when we arrived at Jin’s former apartment. The door was open, and an Asian kid of about twelve was sprawled out on the floor, concentrating on a Gameboy while wearing an iPod. Joey waved to get the kid’s attention, and the boy leapt up, pulling the earbuds out as he said, “Dude, you scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry. We’re looking for the family that used to live here. Any idea where they moved to?” Joey asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “My mom’s the landlord, she’s back there painting the bedroom. That’s why the door’s open, so I don’t die of fumes,” he added, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, they left a forwarding address, it’s stuck to the fridge. You know, in case any of their mail comes here by mistake. They probably want to be real sure to get all their mail, cuz I bet that’s how they get their lottery checks.”
“They hit the lottery?” Alastair asked.
“Yeah. How lucky is that? Their mom said she didn’t even remember buying the ticket. Next thing you know, they bought a big house in Pacific Heights and moved out of this dump,” the kid said. Then he looked guilty and added, “Don’t tell my mom I called it a dump. She works real hard trying to make it nice. It’s just not exactly a big house in Pacific Heights, you know?”
Joey jogged to the kitchen, and returned less than a minute later. “Got the address. Thanks. What was your name?”
“Raleigh. And yeah dude, it was no problem.”
When we got back outside, Alastair said, “I want to check on something. You two go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.” He kissed my cheek and took off.
As Joey and I strolled down the street, he grinned and said, “That’s exactly what I would have done.”
“What is?”
“If I suddenly discovered I had magical powers, I’d conjure up a fake lottery ticket for my parents. Make sure they were set for life. I was thinking this warlock was a total jerk, but it’s cool that he’s obviously looking after his family.”
“Well, no one’s ever really all bad,” I said.
“Augustine.”
“What?”
“You said no one is all bad. But you’re wrong, because he is.”
“If that’s true, then what’s he doing helping Bryn?” I wanted to know.
“Maybe he’s just trying to impress Alastair or something. Who knows? I have no idea why Gus ever does anything.” Joey paused and then shot me a sidelong glance. I immediately knew what was coming. “So, speaking of families Lu, you know, we are back in the bay area….”
“You promised to stop harping on this, Joey.” My mother was in prison about an hour from here for growing and selling marijuana. I’d never visited her since her arrest five years ago, and Joey really thought I should go see her. He subtly and not-so-subtly worked it into the conversation every couple days. “As far as I’m concerned, my Aunt Claire was the only parent I ever needed.”
“But Claire’s gone now, Lu,” Joey said gently. “And your mom’s still here. I’m not saying you have to be best pals or anything. I’m just saying maybe you should visit her. I’ll go with you,
it’ll be fun. I always wondered if prisons have gift shops, so let’s go find out. Maybe they sell black and white striped t-shirts. Or little metal cups to clang on the bars.”
He was trying to make me smile, and it worked. “Even if I did decide to go, you couldn’t come with me. Visiting hours are probably during the day, when the sun would roast you like the super gross crispy duck hanging in that window. Oh geez, this is actually the place Augustine suggested to get takeout for Bryn,” I said, noticing the sign on the restaurant beside us.
“There are late visiting hours at the prison on Thursday nights for the after work crowd. Six to eight. And I wonder if you can buy a whole one of those ducks. Bryn might like that,” Joey said, and I punched him in the arm. “Ow! Was that for looking up visiting hours, or for suggesting we buy a duck?”
“Visiting hours. The duck only merits a look of total disgust, not bodily harm.”
“I know I’m meddling. But come on. Just once, ok? We can go tomorrow night. I’ll go with you, and you can punch me in the arm the whole way there.”
“No.”
I’ll be your best friend,” he cajoled.
“You already are my best friend. But if you keep being such a total pain, I’m going to have to reassign that honor.”
“Alastair can’t be your best friend. He’s already your boyfriend.”
“There’s no rule he can’t be both. Ted was. And who said anything about Allie anyway? I was actually thinking Augustine had BFF written all over him,” I teased.
“No, that’s not BFF, it’s WTF. You misread it.”
I grinned at that. “Language, Joey.”
“What? I didn’t say anything. That could stand for ‘what the flapjacks’ for all you know.”
“You’re so bizarre,” I said with a smile. “I love that about you.”
“Oh yeah. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m the total package.”
I watched Joey for a minute, chewing on my lower lip. And finally I said, “Ok, maybe.”
“Are you agreeing that I’m the total package?” he grinned.
“No, I’m agreeing…I guess…to going and seeing my mom. I mean, as long as I’m here….”
Joey grabbed me in a hug and lifted me off the ground. “Lu, that’s great! I’m so happy you’re doing this.”
“I see that,” I said as he put me down.
“Can I come along?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see.”
Alastair came up to us then, grinning enigmatically. “Hey,” I said. “What’re you up to?”
“Who says I’m up to anything?”
“That grin, that’s who.”
“So, should we head to Pacific Heights?” he asked.
“Totally smooth subject change,” I told him. “And let’s swing by Bryn’s first with some Chinese food. But no ducks,” I said, shooting Joey a look before going into the restaurant.
About an hour later, after delivering some takeout to Bryn, we finally rang the doorbell at Jin’s family’s palatial new residence. “That must have been some fake lottery ticket,” I murmured.
The door swung open, and a muscular Asian kid of about sixteen took one look at us and said, “Oh hell no.” He started to slam the door, but Alastair stopped it effortlessly.
“So you know who we are then,” Allie said.
“Yeah I know who you are. You’re a couple damn vampires. And what’s she supposed to be? A snack for later? You need to get the hell off my property. And I mean now.”
“Or what?” Joey asked, taking a step forward.
“My brother isn’t the only one with skills. I may not have as much power as he does, but I got enough to take care of punks like you.” Both the Asian kid and Joey were doing that stupid thing guys do, puffing up their chests and getting right in each other’s faces.
“Jeez,” I muttered, and yanked Joey back a few feet, then got between him and Jin’s brother. “Could we dial the testosterone down to nonlethal levels here?”
“Move, Lu,” Joey growled.
I glanced at Alastair and said, “How about if you take Joey for a walk around the block? This isn’t helpful.”
Alastair looked concerned but did as I asked, taking a muttering Joey by the arm and leading him down the stairs.
“I ain’t talking to you either,” the guy said, crossing his arms over his chest. The fact that he didn’t close the door, though, said differently.
“Look, do you want vampires showing up at your house all night, every night? If you just take two minutes now and talk to me, the visits stop. You’ll never see us again.”
“This house is warded. They can’t get in here,” he said.
“I could make some comment about how you have to come out some time, but I didn’t actually come here to threaten you. I came to talk.”
“So talk. You have one minute.”
“Is Jin here?”
“Nope.”
“Do you expect him back tonight?”
“He doesn’t live at home anymore.”
“Do you know where he is?” I asked.
“Yup.”
“Would you tell me?”
“Hell no.”
“Ok, look, let’s start over. Hi. My name’s Luna. And that tall, dark haired guy that was with me? That was my boyfriend Alastair. Your brother cast a spell that wiped away all his memories. He stole his entire past, every memory he had, of his family, of his life, of who he is – your brother took everything from him.”
He frowned a little, arms still crossed over his chest. “He’s just a damn bloodsucker. Who cares what happens to him?” He was trying to act tough, but the fact that he still hadn’t slammed the door in my face was a good sign.
“I care. And you know why? Because he’s a really good person. He even fights other vampires, he keeps people safe.”
“He does?”
“Yeah. Not that he’s been able to do that since his memories got wiped,” I said. “Do you know how disruptive your brother’s spell was? Alastair had to be told his own name. That’s how much was taken from him. What was done to him isn’t right, and I think you know that.”
The guy uncrossed his arms now and fidgeted as he said, “It wasn’t my idea. I just want you to know that.”
“Were you there when the memory spell happened?”
“Yeah. Me and Mikey, we worked with Jimmy. That’s Jin’s real name, by the way. Thinks he’s all gettin’ in touch with his roots, takin’ a Chinese name and whatever.” He rolled his eyes.
“The three of you went to work for a vampire named Augustine.”
“That’s right.”
“Remember that house you bombarded a few days ago? I was inside it while that was going on. It belongs to a really good friend of mine, nicest guy you’d ever want to meet,” I said.
“Damn. I didn’t know there were any humans inside that house.” He looked upset. “We were told we were fighting vampires. And yeah, ok, the dude we were working for was a vampire, but we thought he was one of the good guys. That’s what he made it sound like.”
“Yeah, it’s really tough to know when Augustine’s telling the truth. I’ve fallen for his lies on more than one occasion.”
“See? That’s what I mean.”
“How’d you get mixed up with Augustine, anyway?”
“He came up to Jimmy in our old neighborhood, said he recognized his potential or whatever. Said he could teach him how to use his magic, show him how to control this power that my brother has. And then this Augustine guy, he said me and my brother Mikey had a little of that power too. Not like Jimmy. But he said if we worked together, we’d be totally powerful. Like superheroes, you know?”
“I get it,” I said. “Hey, what’s your name?”
“My name’s Tyler. And I wasn’t looking to hurt people, I swear. I never wanted that. We just wanted some easy money,” he said. And he added quietly, “We wanted to be superheroes.”
“You can still fix this, Tyler
, you haven’t done anything irreparable. No one died when you attacked that house. And Alastair still has a chance of getting his memories back. But he needs Jimmy to remove the spell, no one else can do it.”
“Jimmy’s not gonna cooperate,” he said. “He doesn’t care about anything but himself these days.”
“Will you please tell me where he is?”
“Vegas. But he won’t help you. In fact, soon as he sees your vamp friends, he’s liable to burn ‘em up. That’s why I guess I don’t really mind telling you where he is. You can’t hurt him. You even try, and he’ll take you down. That’s how powerful Jimmy is.”
“He’s out of control, isn’t he?” I guessed.
“Not yet, but he’s getting there. He’s been on this power trip. Cut himself off from the family, except for Mikey, cuz Mikey does what you tell him. He’s there in Vegas with Jimmy.” Tyler looked me in the eye and said, “Jimmy’s only fifteen years old. He doesn’t know how to control the magic. And it’s just a matter of time – either it’s going to kill him, or someone else is going to kill him because they see him as too big a threat.”
“Does your mom know what’s going on?”
“No. She thinks she hit the lottery and doesn’t really find it suspicious that she hadn’t actually bought a ticket, that’s how clueless she is. And she thinks Jimmy’s on some year abroad program with his class. Like, way to not even check with his school and find out if that’s legit.”
“Do you think Jimmy would listen to you? Maybe you can come to Vegas with us and talk to him. It sounds like he needs help, and so does my boyfriend. Maybe you can convince him to lift the spell, and then we can find a way to help Jimmy.”
“You can’t help someone that doesn’t wanna be helped. And as for your boyfriend, I’m really sorry for what we did to him. I wish I hadn’t been involved in that, cuz it was wrong. But I’m not going with you.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s pointless.”
I sighed dramatically and said, “Alright. Well, wish us luck. I just hope your brother doesn’t barbeque those two guys I was with, because they actually mean more to me than anyone in the world. But we’ll go to Vegas on our own and try to undo the harm that was done. Take care Tyler, see ya around. Well, you know, unless I’m caught in the crossfire and get killed too while trying to help my boyfriend.”