by M. J. Caan
In the end, help came from a most unexpected source. A reporter for the National Enquiring Minds weekly wrote a story detailing her wild, passionate night with a werewolf in the wilds outside of Trinity Cove, stating that she could one hundred percent attest to the legitimacy of the rumors that Trinity Cove was bathed in constant moonlight; and she was now pregnant with said werewolf’s baby. Needless to say, no self-respecting news outlet wanted to be a part of any coverage that could possibly include such lurid details, and thankfully called their reporters home.
But closer to Trinity Cove, many adjoining towns knew what we had become. And they gave us a wide berth, steering any would-be tourists away from the town and the once-alluring Singing Falls. The hiking trails remained closed after the tales of gas leaks and explosions that had caved in a large part of the mountain. The Falls themselves were considered unreachable by authorities, and stiff financial penalties along with potential jail time dissuaded thrill seekers and climbers from venturing too close to the National Park.
Of course, the now and then reports of strange beasts being sighted in the woods around Trinity Cove were enough to keep most at bay as well.
For the most part, our little town settled down and became a lazy brotherhood of like-minded individuals with the single mindset of “live and let live.”
“I like our new town,” I said. “It feels homey.”
“Agreed,” said Aunt Vivian. “But there is the still the question of the vampire…”
I squirmed uncomfortably against Cody. “He’s dead, Aunt Vivian. You know that.”
“We never saw a body,” she replied. “Do you really think he could kill his own brother?”
We all knew who she was talking about. Elion had remained quiet long after the fight had ended, refusing to speak about Mallis. “If he weren’t dead, we would know by now. And if he’s alive and shows his face around here again, we’ll deal with him.”
Elion had been allowed to settle in the town, one of the very few vampires that were granted asylum. He had taken up residence in a large, abandoned home in a gated community in one of Trinity’s ritzier enclaves. Despite everything, he had become a close friend, one that I had grown to respect. But I never questioned him further after that morning in the clearing. One day, when the time was right, I had a feeling he would open up about what had happened. But until then, he deserved as much privacy as the family of fairies that had moved in next door.
“Yes we will,” said Cody, leaning over to give me a quick peck on the cheek. “Oh, hey—we need to get going. We are supposed to meet Esmee and Isla for dinner, plus I told Kendra we’d swing by and help her get her new hot tub up and running before then.” He separated himself from me and stood up, taking the tray of now empty tea cups with him as he headed back into the house.
“Where is your brother and his boyfriend?” asked Aunt Lena. “I wanted to introduce them to that nice new family next door. You know, the mother is nearly five hundred years old and doesn’t look a day over thirty! She said she would show me an herbal recipe for a face cream that will melt the ages away! I can’t wait!” She also hurried off into the house, looking for my brother and Jhamal.
Aunt Vivian looked at me and gave me a wry smile.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Nothing, dear. I just hope you realize that you have done a good thing here.”
I smiled in return and nodded. “Humans will eventually move back, you know.”
“I know,” she said. “And they will be welcome. But I think that the ones who do return will know what they are getting into. Word is spreading, no matter how we try to keep it quiet.” She stood up, stretching her arms overhead.
“What about you, Aunt Vivian? What are you going to do?”
“Me? I’ve heard a rumor that there is a Jinn that has opened a bakery around the corner from our coffee shop. I’ve always wanted to meet one of them. I think I might just pop over and say hello.” With that, she too headed into the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts on the deck, looking out with wonder at the dusky world I had helped create.
This town was no longer what it once was. But it was becoming what it could be: realizing a new potential, one where witches, werewolves and shifters could live in harmony, forging a brand new tomorrow. The thought made me smile as I realized that, with all the pocket communities that now made up our town, all the magnificent creatures that were living and working together here, there would never be a dull moment in Trinity Cove again.
My phone rang and startled me back to reality. I looked at the number flashing on the screen and smiled as I raised it to my ear. “Hello, Hope. What’s up?”
“Girl! You are not going to believe it but we have been invited to a party this weekend at Elion’s place. He says he knows an elf with some kind of wild ale drink that will make us see heaven! We have to go!”
“I thought you were terrified of vampires?”
“Well…yeah. But Elion is not so bad on the eyes. I mean, for someone that is older than Moses…”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I made my way indoors. Like I said: things would never be the same again.
The End
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About the Author
MJ Caan is an emerging author of Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction. He lives in North Carolina with his spouse and their four legged shadow named Ember. Author by day, Sorcerer Supreme wannabe by night. Feel free to follow his adventures online at all of his social media accounts.
The Return Of The Witch is the third installment in his Shifter Wars series.