Magic, Mystery & Zombies: YA starter set

by Elle Klass

  “How did James get out of the house?”

  “You’re full of questions.”

  “Gran, please?” Her amber eyes begged her to continue.

  “I guess we won’t sleep until you hear more.” She sighed then continued. “The other Slayers were close enough for communication. Emerald made mental contact with James and Alda, whose brain waves had nearly ceased. So Indigo teleported them out, Amethyst did everything he could to bring Alda back, but it was too late for Alda. Her body left the house but her spirit never did as she died in the house, therefore becoming trapped until I released her spirit by taking possession of the Garnet amulet and killing the Bloodseeker inhabitants inside it. The Slayers carried her aged, withered form outside St. Augustine. The low, soggy ground made the trek difficult so Indigo transported them to the watchtower. Today the place houses St. Augustine’s Lighthouse. They buried her between the trees symbolizing she would forever watch and protect the city from Bloodseekers.”

  Sniffling, Alison wrapped her arms around Gran and buried her head into her chest. Tears drizzled from her eyes while her intestines wound into a knot. Awareness of who and what she was settling in her body. “Oh Gran. I don’t think I want to be a Slayer.”

  “Ally, you don’t have a choice. It’s almost time for me to pass the amulet to you.”

  If Alda’s body withered displaying her true age when she lost the amulet, what would happen to my Gran once she passed possession of the amulet to me? “I can’t lose you Gran.”

  Gran caressed her hair. “Ally, I’ve lived over two hundred years, slayed thousands of Bloodseekers, and raised a family. It’s almost my time.”

  Alison lifted her head and sniffled. “You’ll die?”

  “Ally, we all have to die. Alda didn’t die because she lost the amulet and aged, she died because the Seeker took too much of her blood. He rushed her aging process. Her ghost was still a young lady.”

  More afraid of losing Gran than becoming a Slayer, she hugged her tight and fell asleep in her arms.

  Good morning! Rodham implanted the thought in Alison’s head.

  Morning.

  You’re not very perky today.

  Was I ever perky? she wondered. I had a long talk with my Gran last night. She suddenly felt enraged that he hadn’t answered the question she asked him telepathically last night, instead he carried on a conversation with her Gran and disregarded her. I’m ignoring you.

  He sent her a chuckle. Err… she didn’t respond and tried her darnedest to mask any thoughts she was having.

  The coach called last night after you left. He asked me to join the team. I was the number one tight end last year, so I’m staying after school for practice. Be by around six for your workout.

  She didn’t respond to him. Squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush she brushed her teeth with more vigor than usual as she was upset, ignoring his comments inside her head. Drops of blood mixed with the paste as she spat in the sink and rinsed several times. She pulled a comb through her hair. It caught in a tangle and she yanked, furious. She squealed as the hair pulled from her scalp, causing pain. Alison dropped the comb and grabbed her keys, accepting the day was a bad hair day.

  Gran sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee. She set her mug down, and flashed a smile at Alison. Her garnet eyes carrying the secrets of her past. The thought of losing Gran still lingered in Alison’s mind. She would do anything for her and that meant harnessing the power of the amulet, yet at the same time as losing her. Full of emotion, she darted towards Gran and folded her arms around her. “I love you.”

  “I love you Ally.” She kissed her cheek. “Now get. We’ll talk more, later.”

  Ignoring Rodham, Alison drove herself to school. It wasn’t simply his snubbing her last night, they couldn’t be together. The electric tingle that raced through her body every time he touched her was more than attraction for each other, it was their magic connection. Is that all our attraction is? she wondered.

  Third period, Lacey greeted her with a smile. “What happened? I didn’t see you with Rodham today?”

  “He has football practice after school.” It was the truth, even though it wasn’t the whole truth. Alison didn’t know her well enough to engage in conversation about Bloodseekers, Slayers, and magical amulets, so football practice was the best excuse.

  Lacey’s wavy golden-blonde hair fell across her shoulders, and cerulean vibrant eyes smiled at her. “Are you going to the game Friday?” She stuffed a stick of gum in her mouth and held the pack towards Alison.

  Alison slid a stick out of the pack and crammed it into her mouth. She hadn’t considered going to the game. Heck she knew books, not football. “I don’t know, maybe.”

  Lacey rotated her pink glossed lips sideways. “Do you have a car?”

  “Yeah,” Alison answered, not sure where this was leading.

  “Give me a ride to the game and I’ll pay your way in return.”

  That would make her mom all kinds of happy and even though she was still giving Rodham the silent treatment watching his muscled body run across the football field would be a treat. “Deal.”

  “Cool! What’s your number?”

  She punched it into her phone and called Alison who saved her number.

  “I’ll text you directions.” She turned around as the bell rang.

  Alison’s brain was thought central, she had so many questions. 1. Why didn’t the Topaz Slayer, the one with the ability to see the future, see Alda was going to perish? 2. Did she/he know my Gran would be the next Garnet Slayer? 3. Should I call them Bloodseekers or vampires? 4. What other supernatural creatures exist? 5. Can the spell binding Seekers and Slayers be reversed? 6. Why are Bloodseekers…

  Mr. Turner’s words became background noise as she jotted down the questions inside her head instead of taking notes. She’d get those later from Lacey.

  “An archaeologist from Flagler College has been digging in St. Augustine. They’ve found houses… buried under St. Augustine.” Alison jerked her head from her paper to his face with such force she strained her neck, causing a dull ache. Houses buried under St. Augustine? Now, Mr. Turner had her attention.

  The original Bloodseeker spelled herself to gain immortality. The seven Slayers’ light combined, killing the Bloodseekers on the surface of Earth. When Gran accepted her amulet, an entire house of Bloodseekers sank below the surface of the city. They’ve been trapped beneath. The archaeologist, unknowingly, has dug up the house, releasing the Bloodseekers trapped inside it! She put a line through question three, answering it in her thoughts: Bloodseekers. Vampires were the stuff of folklore, but Seekers were very real. She penned more questions.

  7. Is the original Seeker still alive?

  8. How will I find the other Slayers?

  9. How do we kill them underground?

  10. Is he only attracted to me because of the magic? She hoped not.

  Sixth period, both her favorite and most loathed class of the day. Normally, she enjoyed mindchatting with Rodham and watching his full lips and dimple when he smiled - that made up for the boring subject matter, monotone voice of their teacher and Veronica’s daily visual assault. That, combined with her physical assault, such as brushing past her so closely that her huge backpack hit Alison in the face, stepping on her foot, or any other abusive action she could think of that looked like an accident.

  This day, sixth period was torture, Veronica didn’t abuse her physically, but watched her with a devilish smile across her face. Alison assumed she noticed the tension between her and Rodham. Rodham attempted to talk with her, but Alison did her best to ignore him, not think about him, and listen to the teacher drone on talk about living a healthy lifestyle.

  Alison’s safe world of fiction was becoming nonfiction at an alarming rate, and she wasn’t ready for it. When the bell rang, she bolted from the class and ran to her car. Tears streaked her face as she drove home, thinking about Gran, and her and Rodham never being together. It wasn’t fair, she�
��d never had a boyfriend, or experienced her first kiss, now she had to give him up. Her world was crashing fast, too fast.

  She parked her car and wiped away her tears. Entering the apartment, she ran to her Gran and hugged her as hard as her puny arms allowed.

  “Ally, we have plenty of time left,” she whispered into her ear.

  “Do we? You know this for sure?”

  “Yes, once you take the amulet I will age faster, but not so fast that I’ll wither and die immediately. Sit.”

  Alison sat on the couch, Gran beside her. “Your mom left early to cover part of someone else’s shift before starting her own. We have the evening to ourselves. What do you want to do?”

  “Spend time with you, no Slayer or Bloodseeker talk - just us. Can we forget it all for tonight?”

  Gran smiled. “Yes, Ally. We can. But you have to know we can’t avoid it forever.”

  Alison relaxed as she and Gran played blackjack and poker, using candy as money. Alison felt the amulet’s pull. It didn’t speak in words as Rodham’s did, it was more an urge that she stifled. At some point she knew the urge would be more than she could resist.

  Rodham knocked on their door a little after six. Alison peeked her eye out the little hole, then pulled the door open. He immediately shot out, “I’m sorry Alison. Your Gran was passing on knowledge to me. I shouldn’t have ignored you, but her thoughts are so strong, I couldn’t control it.”

  “Is that Rodham?”

  “Yes, Gran.”

  “Invite him in.”

  Alison slid the door open and moved to the side. He brushed past her, his hand grazing against hers causing electric tingles to dance through her body.

  You think it’s the amulet, but I liked you before all of this, he said telepathically.

  She liked him, too, before they knew about Slayers and magic. Maybe he’s right, it’s not the magic but something more.

  Gran joined them and they gathered around the coffee table. Rodham took the chair, Gran took the couch and Alison stuffed a couple throw pillows beneath her butt and took the floor.

  The electric current between Gran’s and Rodham’s eyes sizzled and sparked. Gran dropped her hands to her lap and sighed. “The emerald amulet disappeared twenty years ago. The Slayer it belonged to unexpectedly passed away. When that happens, we retrieve the amulet if it hasn’t yet been conceded to the next descendant in line. The Amethyst Slayer and myself showed up, but the amulet was gone. We searched and our hands came up empty.”

  “My great uncle Maurice died almost twenty years ago, before I was born. Was it him?”

  “No, her name was Hannah.” She cleared her throat. “In 1827 we found her, half white, half black. We bargained with her master. He conceded her for a pretty penny. She was his daughter.”

  He sat quiet for several minutes. “How come I never heard of her?”

  “Records weren’t always kept real well. She was pregnant when we found her, and gave the baby up. His skin was so white, a wealthy family took him in. Many decades later your mom was born. The black nearly bred out of her.” The crackle between their eyes the only sound in the room.

  The silence gnawed at Alison, she couldn’t take it anymore, and sought to change the subject. “Tell us more about the moon’s effects on the Seekers?”

  “They are strongest during a new moon and look most human. As the moon moves away from the sun, during the waxing phase and closer to a full moon, they appear least human-like and become foolish bloodsucking creatures of the night. They go crazy.”

  Alison thought back to the night the Bloodseekers moved in. The moon was in a gibbous phase. During the full moon they disappeared. Their boisterous partying made sense.

  She glanced towards Rodham, his face devoid of expression. He didn’t appear as though he heard them talking, staring, eyes blazing towards a blemish on the wall. Alison reached into his mind. Are you there? I’m ready for my workout.

  He blinked and shook his head as if waking from a dream. “Let’s go.” He cleared his throat and stood, his eyes meeting Gran’s with a charge. “Thank you.”

  She nodded in response as they left.

  Throughout the drive they mindtalked. After ignoring him all day, she realized how much she relished and missed conversing in private. He saw the story unfold through Gran’s words as she listened, the non-magic human way. Last night, Gran filled his head with pointers, since he had no mentor of his own. Guilt and jealousy crept over Alison and she acted selfishly foolish. She apologized.

  When they arrived at the gym, she pumped more baby weights and jogged on the treadmill, all the while carrying on a telepathic conversation with Rodham.

  Bloodseekers are more difficult to read. It’s like their brains work on a different frequency. When I close my eyes, I hear them better and get visions. Last night, one stood outside your window - watching. She can’t see your Gran but she knows she’s there.

  I knew it! Can she get inside?

  No, they have limits. That’s what my power is for, seeking their weaknesses. They know we took the amulet, that I have it and connected with it…

  How did they get it?

  That part is still a mystery. I’m getting better at listening to them, but it takes more concentration. Your Gran says St. Augustine is the paranormal hub of America. He ran on the treadmill beside her, not breaking a sweat.

  She stopped and wiped her face, perspiration trickling down her cheeks and chest. Did she tell you I can stop working out once I take possession of the amulet?

  He cracked a smile. No. But the good news is the other Slayers will be drawn to St. Augustine.

  They finished their workouts and headed home. Plenty of lights lit up the parking lot, but that didn’t change the freaked out sensation she experienced walking towards the building. When they reached her door, he leaned in and sent a thought: I want to kiss you as much as I can before you put that amulet on. His lips played against hers, gentle and soothing. She melted into the kiss, savoring its sweetness and sparks of electricity. Heels tapping against the pavement interrupted their private moment.

  Alison tilted her head towards the sound. Two sets of eyes glared at them from a few feet away. The Bloodseekers moved forward, surrounding them. The blue-eyed one cocked her head, and placed her hands on her hips. She hissed, “So you’re it, not much to look at. If we kill you now it might be another hundred years before your replacement is born.”

  Green Eyes licked her lips, edging closer. Rodham and Alison had no weapons and Gran was inside, probably asleep. Dread and helplessness crept up Alison’s spine.

  Rodham tucked her closer to him, pushing her head towards his chest. She dreamt of standing this close to him from the day they met, although she fantasized very different circumstances. Energy pulsed inside her as she took in the bulk of his chest, and the steady thump of his heart.

  “You won’t kill us yet,” Rodham spat out.

  Blue Eyes cackled and brought her right hand to his face, cupping it. “You stole from us, you will pay.”

  From the corner of her eye, Alison caught movement behind Green Eyes.

  Chapter 11

  Rodham

  You’re mine, both of you! We will drain every last drop of your sweet blood.

  Rodham pulled Alison close to him as the Bloodseekers surrounded them, looking far more human than the first time, he saw them for what they are. Their ears had a more rounded appearance, and their faces weren’t as long and droopy, but their eyes still gave him chills, set far into their eye sockets with color instead of glowing black marbles.

  Hold her still, voiced Gran telepathically, as a bone-chilling scream bombarded his ears and echoed throughout his body. He couldn’t tell if it was only in his head or if everyone else heard it too.

  The tip of a wooden stake erupted through Green Eyes’ chest, ripping her flesh and puncturing her heart. Alison gasped and tightened her grip on Rodham. Green Eyes collapsed backwards into Gran’s arms and slid towards the ground where
Gran placed her in an upright position, putting her foot against her back and slipped out the bloody stake. She took a few steps in reverse. Green Eyes fell backwards, her head hitting the cement.

  Claudia! They will pay!

  Walk towards Gran, said Rodham telepathically as he unwrapped his arms from Alison’s and took a step in front of her, shielding her from Blue Eyes. Alison stepped away as directed.

  Blue Eyes’ pupils enlarged as she lunged toward Rodham. In that second, Gran slipped the stake into Alison’s hands. Alison jumped between Blue Eyes and Rodham, holding the stake with both hands in front of her. Blue Eyes reached for his neck, grasping Alison’s instead, her mouth open, fangs pronounced as they plunged for her pulsing vein.

  Rodham grabbed Alison’s arms and shoved the stake upwards to avoid the dull end plunging through Alison instead of the Bloodseeker’s heart. A surge of noise unleashed inside his head, and he heard the ocean lapping against the shore, a car alarm buzzing, flutters of birds within the trees, and the chattering of many voices. He closed his eyes, focusing on one sound at a time. A distorted male voice floated inside his head, the voice familiar yet too twisted to understand.

  His feelers reached out and stretched across the vast landscape. The noises curled inside him, he scanned the area searching for the voice - he knew it was close. It disappeared into heavy breathing and the rhythm of weighty footsteps moving further away until they vanished. Killing the Seeker made his senses more acute, his Slayer power would increase with each kill.

  Alison

  Alison’s sixteen years of life flashed through her mind as Rodham grabbed her hands, pointing the tip of the stake upwards, jarring into Blue Eyes as she lunged for her. A jolt of electricity from Rodham’s touch buzzed through her body as the tips of her fangs grazed Alison’s skin. “You little witch!” were her last words as the stake went through her heart, sounding like a thousand smashed large bugs.

  Her head fell against Alison’s shoulder. The only thing keeping the edge of the stake from plunging through her was Rodham’s firm grasp on it. It gouged further inside Blue Eyes as he pushed her away. Gran rushed towards her, and eased her to the cement, softening her fall.