Charmed to Death

by Rose Pressey

  “Will you stop that?” I whispered to the cat.

  They’re dirty. What do you want me to do?

  Marissa and I stared at each other. We were at an impasse. Who would make the first move? Soon my question was answered when she leapt from the ground and made a lunge at me. It was almost as if she flew across the air. Now we were rolling around on the ground, fighting each other. She had a fist full of my hair and wouldn’t let go.

  You two are fighting like girls.

  I didn’t need the cat’s comments in my ear. I pushed with all my strength, trying to get her off me.

  Oh, for Pete’s sake, do I have to do everything around here?

  Everything? At the moment he was just being extra annoying.

  Punch her, Halloween. Don’t forget to use your legs too. I guess I need to step in and put a stop to this.

  It was hard to fight with him yelling in my head like that. At least the other vampires she’d brought along were still immobile from my spell. I had no time to even think of another spell. I was so confused and shocked that she had jumped at me like that. Now I had to keep her fangs away from my neck once again. The next thing I knew, the cat was actually on her back. The screeching was ear-piercing. I couldn’t tell if it was the car or Marissa. He swiped at her repeatedly with his claws. This was really weird. She reached back, trying to grab him, but was unsuccessful. He was coming at her so quickly she couldn’t keep up.

  “He’s going to claw my eyes out. Get that thing off me,” she screamed.

  Again, she tried to swat at him, but he was too fast. She was missing completely because he was just too quick. I laughed as she struggled to get away from him. Marissa rolled onto her back. I suppose she figured that would get the cat off her back. All that did was get him straddled her chest. He hissed right into her face. She had fangs, but apparently she was too terrified of my furry friend. Apparently he had more skills than I realized. Was he attacking her with some kind of magic?

  She screamed out again when the cat scratched her face. He was really going at her. Finally, she tumbled off me. I’d never seen a cat attack a vampire. Plus, the vampire was so scared. At least now she wasn’t fighting me. She collapsed to the ground with the cat still on her chest. I wasn’t sure what he’d done to her, but she didn’t move.

  Now there was the little matter of the brooch. Somehow it had disappeared from her shirt. Had it fallen off? How had she gotten it off so quickly? Did it fall off during the fight? If so, then I would have a hard time finding it out here in the dark. I couldn’t leave it out here until the morning. I had to have it tonight. I peered down and started walking around the area where we’d been fighting.

  What the hell are you doing? There’s a vampire over there that you might still have to dish out an ass-whooping on.

  “I have to find that brooch,” I said.

  She still has it. Now get over there and take what’s yours.

  “Why didn’t you say so to begin with?” I walked over to her and looked down.

  “Okay, give me the brooch.” I wiggled my fingers.

  She glared at me and hissed, as if I was going to be scared of that now.

  “You can do that all you want, but it doesn’t affect me, so hand over the brooch.”

  Still she didn’t budge.

  “If you don’t give it to me I’ll be forced to look for it, and you won’t enjoy that.”

  Okay, the things that came out of my mouth. Where did I come up with this stuff? I mean, what was I going to do? All I would do was search her pockets for it. What would I do, tickle her to death?

  Oh, I really don’t want to see that. You want me to claw her again?

  “I don’t think that will be necessary,” I said.

  Marissa scowled when she saw me talking to the cat.

  She doesn’t like me much. Yeah, the feeling is mutual, honey.

  She didn’t offer to move and give the brooch to me, so I reached down and started searching her pockets. I couldn’t believe I was searching a vampire for a strange piece of jewelry.

  When I reached into her shirt pocket I felt the jewelry, then yanked it out. The pin on the back pricked my finger, but that pain was nothing compared to the fighting I’d been through tonight. Blood dripped from the tip of my finger. The vampires stirred just a bit. Had that tiny bit of blood really set them off? Could they detect just a little speck?

  “Ah-ha, I found it,” I said with glee. “I’ll just take this now. It’s mine in the first place.”

  Oh yeah, biotch, I guess she showed you.

  “Who says it’s yours?” she said.

  “Well, considering it was in my house, I say it’s mine.”

  “Just because it was here doesn’t mean it’s yours. Just like the Book of Mystics isn’t yours either. You don’t deserve that.”

  “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say,” I said.

  It was true, I didn’t know how the brooch had gotten in the manor or why the book was telling me I needed to find them. If the book said so then that meant that I was the one supposed to have them, so I wouldn’t let her put any kind of self-doubt in my head.

  “You’re really bad at being a criminal, by the way. You didn’t even come prepared with a weapon. It’s as if you decided to do things on a whim, but I know that’s not true. You planned all this… and not very well, I might add,” I said.

  She narrowed her eyes. “I am good at this. You’ll see.”

  I walked away from her, listening to her complain about the brooches and the Book of Mystics. She said one day she really would be the leader of the vampires. Yeah, right. Good luck with that.

  You really made her mad.

  Ugh, more thoughts from the cat.

  “She’ll get over it,” I said.

  I was excited now that I had the other brooch. I pinned it to my shirt next to the other one, and, sure enough, they fit like puzzle pieces. Now what would it do? It didn’t hum and buzz like the other one had. There was no special feeling that came with it. I couldn’t sense any special powers, so I wasn’t sure that it would help me with anything. Maybe the Book of Mystics was wrong, and I only needed the first one to be able to communicate with the cat. Was there another pet somewhere around getting ready to talk to me? Just because I had another brooch? I hoped not. I was almost positive that one was enough.

  I think the brooch looks lovely on you.

  Now I was getting fashion advice from a cat? I thought it was pretty too though, so it was a nice addition to any outfit.

  I couldn’t help but wonder if someone would come to find the brooches. Namely the witch who had been promised the additional piece. Now not only did she not have the one she’d had before, but she didn’t have the promised one either. This would not make her happy. I looked around to see if by chance the witch was hiding anywhere. After all, she knew where I lived. It was only a matter of time until she got into the house and tried to take the brooches from me. Of course I was wearing them so she would just try to snatch them off of my shirt. It was evident that she wasn’t afraid of confrontation either. What did she want with the brooches? Was that why her magic had been so good?

  Hello? What are you thinking? The cat caught my attention. You need to snap out of it and back to the real world.

  Yes, back to reality… such as it was.

  Just as things had settled down I felt someone staring at me. When I looked out across the way I was almost positive that it was the witch peeking out from behind a tall oak tree. She was standing behind the trunk. As usual she wore a long black dress. It was hard to say for sure, but I sensed that her dark eyes were fixed on me. Was she laughing?

  Whoa, what is that?

  "It’s the witch. I suppose she came back here looking for trouble.”

  Well, she’s found it. Thomas is my name and trouble is my game. Does she want a piece of me too?

  Thomas was really feisty when in cat form.

  Is she laughing at us?

  “Yes, it loo
ks that way,” I said.

  Let her come over here. I’ll give her something to laugh about.

  Something told me she wouldn’t be intimidated. Though after the way I’d seen Thomas fight maybe she should be. I hoped she decided against a confrontation.

  No such luck.

  The next thing I knew, she was rushing across the yard toward me. I readied myself for whatever battle she was getting ready to unleash on me. I’d already fought with her before so I was prepared to do it again. The vampires were moving more now. They were coming out of the spell. I had to keep my eye on them and the witch at the same time. That was impossible.

  As the witch moved by she looked down at Marissa. Marissa reached out for the witch, as if asking for help. The witch stretched her arms out and thrust a spell on Marissa. Marissa stopped reaching for the witch. She’s cast a spell making her completely immobile. I’d opted for just not coming after us, not totally paralyzed. Good thing for Marissa was that it wouldn’t last long. The witch was just toying with Marissa.

  Looks like the witch isn’t pleased with Marissa.

  “Well, I guess that’s something we have in common,” I said.

  It’s the only thing you have in common other than you’re both witches.

  The witch turned her attention to me again. She stretched her arms out toward me. The static energy filled the air and carried across the wind. When it hit me, nothing happened. It fizzled away. I chuckled. She was nothing without the brooch. Now it was my turn to show her real magic. I was probably feeling a little overconfident, but it was nice for a chance. It wouldn’t last. Within minutes I would be doubting myself. It was just the way I was.

  Do something more, Halloween. Don’t let this bitch, er, I mean witch get the upper-hand.

  I was doing all that I could at the moment. He could feel free to step in and help at any time. What happened to all that talk just a few moments ago? If he wanted to be a tough cat then I’d really like to see some of that about now. He was just causing a distraction for me at the moment and that wasn’t helping. I had to push his talking out of my mind. He was saying something, but I refused to listen right now.

  I waved my arms and recited the words at her. And just like that, with a flick of my wrist, she turned and walked away. I watched as she moved across the yard and back over to the tree line where I’d first seen her. I was waiting for her next move, but it never came. The spell had cast her away, but I was second-guessing if it would really work.

  The return attempt at a spell never came. With no other actions she walked into the densely wooded area. Tree branches swayed wildly as she went further into the woods. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Suddenly the branches stopped swaying. Did that mean she was gone from this area now? Was she gone for good? That was doubtful. A calm still feel over the area. I hoped this peaceful feeling would last.

  I guess we showed her.

  We? I asked with a raised eyebrow. Seems like all you did was talk and distract me from my magic.

  Hey, I’m here to help, but if you’re going to be ungrateful… I can leave.

  Seriously? You would do that?

  No, I would not leave and wipe that smile off your face.

  Would she really go away that easily? I wasn’t sure if I believed I would be that lucky. The witch had obviously wanted to get the brooch from the vampire. Why hadn’t she tried harder? Had she seen the brooches on my shirt? Nevertheless, I was glad that she was gone. Now I had to worry about the vampires and the witch. It seemed as if at any moment this relatively calm scene could turn upside down.

  Wow. Thank goodness she is gone. She was so mean-looking.

  The cat was right beside me again.

  “Yeah, not only was she mean-looking on the outside, she was mean on the inside too,” I said.

  Good riddance.

  “She has no power without the brooch.”

  It was scary to think how close she had gotten to possessing both brooches. In the hands of the wrong person could they really be dangerous? Obviously, she had great power with just one. My magic didn’t seem any different from wearing one. Of course I hadn’t worn both for long yet.

  You are an excellent witch, Halloween. And I’m not just saying that because I’m your familiar.

  Chapter 26

  Movement caught my attention. When I looked over, a swarm of detectives were rushing from around the side of the manor. Finally, they had arrived. Where were they five minutes ago? Oh, well, I wouldn’t complain. At least they were here now. They could take care of the vampires. They rushed over and started handcuffing them. The detectives would drag them away, and I wouldn’t have to deal with them any longer. Of course they didn’t go silently or easily. They hissed and flashed their fangs as they were being carried away. Marissa reached out for me as she was lugged past. She was nowhere near close enough to reach me, but that hadn’t stopped her from trying. The detective yanked on her arm, pulling her back. I couldn’t believe she’d actually thought she could get by with this.

  Oh, tough vampires. We’re so scared. Looks like you have something stuck in your teeth. Is that spinach you had for lunch? We’re not afraid of your fangs.

  You do realized they can’t hear you.

  Yeah, it makes me feel better to get it off my chest.

  “Whatever makes you feel better,” I said.

  Now I had to figure out what to do with my crew.

  You should get them blood, like I said. That will make them feel better.

  I looked at the cat. “You’re right. I need the blood. Nicolas has a bunch in the refrigerator. I just hope it’s enough for them.”

  Well, some is better than nothing.

  The cat was wise.

  I ran for the house. Once inside I grabbed the tote bag that I took to the farmers’ market and filled it with glass bottles of blood. This stuff was gross. I couldn’t believe they drank the stuff. My mother would freak out. She’d never liked this blood stuff, but nonetheless, she had to do it. I rushed back across the yard with the bottles in the tote bag clanking against each other as I ran.

  I hope you don’t break them. That would be messy.

  I reached the gate again and rushed through. “Okay, everyone, you have to drink this blood.”

  My mother and Annabelle stared at me with wide eyes.

  “No way, no how. I’m not drinking that. That’s disgusting,” my mother said.

  “You’re a vampire now. You have to drink it. You need your energy. If you don’t you’ll die.”

  My mother narrowed her eyes and grabbed the bottle from my hand. She opened the top and started chugging the stuff. She handed me the empty bottle after a few seconds. “There, are you happy?”

  “Well, you’ll stay alive, so yes, I’m very happy. Thank you.” I pulled out another bottle.

  Annabelle was still staring at the bottle.

  “You’re next.”

  “I don’t think I can do it.” Fear flashed in her eyes.

  “You can and you will,” I said, trying to sound forceful.

  She released a deep breath, took the bottle, and looked at my mother. My mother nodded. Annabelle closed her eyes and just started chugging it. When she was finished she handed the bottle to me.

  “Now don’t you feel better?” I asked.

  “Yeah, just peachy.” Annabelle wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

  Thank goodness everyone was better.

  I had to admit that the cat had helped me so much. He had given me the spell. How he’d known it I wasn’t sure. I turned around and looked for the cat. He was gone.

  “Oh, no. Where did the cat go?” I asked.

  “What do you mean?” my mother asked.

  “The cat returned,” I said. “Did you see him here talking to me?”

  “I wasn’t paying attention to much of anything to be honest with you, Halloween,” my mother said.

  I sure hope that the cat returned. I was really starting to like him. I hoped he hung around. He said h
e was here to help me, after all, so why was he gone now? Was he just here for this one time? Didn’t he know that I would always need help? That was just the way I was. Nothing ever went perfectly, but then that was life… never perfect. And somehow that was what made it perfect. I really didn’t have time to go around looking for the cat right now though.

  Movement caught my attention and I looked to my right. Thomas was standing over beside Liam and Nicolas, talking to them. How had he gotten here?

  I marched over to him. “Where have you been? Don’t think you can just pop in and out like this. You need to just stop being weird and leave them alone.”

  “Halloween, everything is okay. Just calm down. I told you I was here to help you,” Thomas said.

  I stared at him. “When did you tell me that?”

  Nicolas and Liam stepped away, as if they wanted to give us a chance to speak in private. Why I wasn’t sure.

  “Just now when we were fighting the vampires.” Thomas gestured.

  I was so confused. What was he talking about? That was when it hit me. “You’re the cat.”

  “I was wondering when you were going to figure that out. I’m your familiar.”

  “Get out of here. A gray and white straggly cat is my familiar? Whoever heard of such?”

  “It’s true.” He shoved his hands into his pockets.

  “So you’re really not their cousin?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I’m their cousin. That much is true.”

  “Cousin Thomas, the magical cat,” I said. “I’m still confused.”

  Chapter 27

  Nicolas and Liam had stepped closer to us, but they didn’t mention anything about what Thomas had just told me.

  “Where is the vampire leader?” I asked.

  Cassandra was the only one still missing. That made me feel sick inside because I worried that the vampires had done something terrible to her.

  “She was never with us,” Liam said.

  “I haven’t seen her since the other day,” Nicolas said.

  “I have to find her, but I have no idea where to look,” I said.