But Rachel couldn't imagine any parent thrilled with seeing their daughter with her boyfriend in her room at three o'clock in the morning.
“Hide!”
Kevin reached into his backpack.
“Rachel? Are you still up?”
Mom poked her head into Rachel's bedroom. She only saw Rachel standing near her bed, looking over a map.
“I thought I heard you talking.”
Rachel turned around, her heart hammering in her chest. Kevin was nowhere to be seen, his backpack gone from the floor.
“Sorry, Mom. Didn't mean to wake you up. I was just talking to Kevin on the phone.”
“Well, hang up and go to bed. When's he coming over for dinner?”
“Soon, Mom.”
Mom laughed. “Did you tell him you were whispering his name when you were asleep on the couch the other night?”
Her face grew hot. “Uh, no, Mom. That hasn't come up yet.”
“That was so damn funny. I thought your father was gonna have a heart attack from laughing so hard.”
“Goodnight, Mom.”
Rachel was quiet as she listened for Mom's footsteps to fade away.
“Kevin? Are you here?”
She gasped when she felt a hand on her hip and an arm around her shoulders. Kevin's body pressed up against her back, his breath on her neck.
“Being invisible is fun,” he said. “Now what happened on your couch?”
“Nothing,” she said, leaning her head back on his shoulder. “I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to drive you home. Not with Mom waking up.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “That's okay. I don't mind the walk.”
She heard him making noise, shifting his backpack, moving near the window.
“Thanks again, Rachel. I owe you.”
“Yeah, you do. Starting with a kiss. Right now.”
She smiled as invisible hands touched her face and his mouth found hers.
“Goodnight,” he whispered in her ear.
Her bed was two feet behind her. It was very tempting to grab him and pull him down. They were overdue for some teenage affection, and making out with an invisible guy was something she was sure not many girls could claim they'd done. But she let him go.
She heard him climb out the window and land on the ground just outside. He was nearly to the sidewalk when his invisibility wore off. She smiled and closed the window, and lay in bed alone.
She tossed and turned for five minutes before turning on her computer, and started to research vampires.
*****
Kevin slowly cracked open the front door to the apartment. Every light was turned out. He could hear Kristin quietly sleeping in her room.
He nearly tripped over Oscar as the feline walked by his feet.
“Damn, Oscar. Don't kill me.”
He picked up his purring cat and hugged him a moment before letting him loose. He turned on the kitchen light to brighten up the dining room and pulled out his spell-book.
Kevin read. He didn't just search for journal entries on vampires and werewolves, but also every obscure recipe, every journal about hunting a random evil creature. Not everything he read was clear, such as the recipe involving the blood of a goat that granted no rest, whatever that meant.
He tried to steal himself for another confrontation in a few hours. He didn't know how it would go, but he was determined to not end up in a grave again.
Before falling asleep at the dining room table, he discovered a few interesting tricks concerning vampires, including one very interesting recipe.
The sun was up when Kristin shook his shoulder. She still wore her pajamas, getting ready to take a morning shower.
“Hey,” she said. “What's going on? Are you reading?”
He closed his book and wiped his eyes. “Nothing.”
“What time did you get in last night?”
“I don't know. Three-something?”
“Out with Rachel?”
“Yeah.”
She headed to the bathroom, stopping briefly at the door. “My little brother, the stud.”
“That's me. Listen, Kristin. I probably won't go to school today. So don't throw a fit when you get that little automated call ratting me out.”
“You stayed out most of the night, and now you're not going to school?”
He nodded.
She came back to the dining room and sat at the table, quiet for a moment.
“I like Rachel, Kevin. I do. But this isn't gonna end up with me getting called into your school, telling me how your grades are dropping, is it?”
“Would they do that? You're not my mother.”
“I know who I am,” she said, her voice rising sharply. “I'm your sister. Just...I don't want all of this ending badly.”
Last night it ended in a coffin.
It wasn't easy lying to Kristin, but it was too much to even put into words. Witchcraft, werewolves, vampires, magic.
For the moment, he was satisfied to let her think he was going through puppy love.
“It won't end badly,” he said, a lump in his throat. “Don't worry, Kris, I'm not gonna let my new girlfriend take over my senior year. She wouldn't let me, anyway.”
She hugged him around the shoulders.
“Okay, enjoy your day off.”
He doubted his day would be full of joy.
Chapter 19
Victoria threw the sheets off her, letting them land on the floor. It was nearly nine o'clock in the morning. She was supposed to be in the middle of a deep, relaxing sleep. Dreaming about Jake and rivers and rivers of creamy blood, but sleep eluded her.
She wrestled with an emotion that she normally did a much better job of handling.
Guilt.
Kevin's face kept staring up at her as she sealed him in the coffin and shoveled dirt on top of him. His neck broken, slumped to one side.
He was a witch.
Centuries ago, witches were deemed too powerful to be allowed to live. The Black Death that raged across Europe in the fourteenth century started as a witch's noble idea to cure aging. It went terribly wrong, and killed nearly a third of Europe's population.
Since then, every supernatural creature capable of thought had agreed that a witch, no matter if they were good or not, had to be put down.
Victoria had done it before, without hesitation.
So why was she losing sleep now?
Kevin was so young, no doubt still in high school.
That didn't matter. He was still a witch, and judging from his strength, a full-blooded one.
She did the right thing.
Didn't she?
She paced naked across her basement floor. It wasn't like her to doubt herself.
It was a common misconception among the humans aware of the supernatural world that vampires were these perfect creatures. A long life gave them wisdom, the blood made them beautiful. While partially true, vampires still made mistakes. Her instincts were wrong at times, like when she first met Alex a year ago, and thought he was evil.
It wasn't a matter of good or evil with a witch. Witches had to be destroyed. End of story.
Then why did she feel horrible?
Not bothering to put anything on, she picked up her phone and dialed a number.
“Hello?”
She closed her eyes. His voice calmed her nerves.
“Jake. God, I miss you.”
“Victoria? Shouldn't you be in bed right now?”
“I need to talk to you. I...killed a high school boy last night.”
Silence.
“You did what?”
“But it wasn't just a boy. It was a witch.”
“I hunt vampires, Victoria. I'm afraid witches aren't my area.”
“Witches have to die. It's just how it goes.”
“Was he doing something terrible? He was a bad guy?”
“That doesn't matter.”
“You sound just like me, last year, before you taught me different. I used
to kill every vampire I could find.”
“It's not the same thing.”
“How so?”
“Witches are so strong, even the ones with the best intentions can do serious harm.”
“So, you don't even give them a chance? You ran into a boy witch, and killed him?”
She hesitated. “Yes. But it's never bothered me until now.”
Jake's voice grew louder. “You've done this before?”
“Yes.”
“You told me that not all vampires are evil, that I should judge them by their actions, and not by what they are. Is that what you did with him? Did you judge him by his actions? Are you gonna be the one to tell his mother what happened to him?”
“Jake-”
“Victoria, I have to go. We'll talk about this later.”
The phone went dead in her ear.
Her arm went limp, the phone falling to the carpet. She paced, balling and opening her fists. The rage built up as she felt a tear run down her cheek. Crying was something she hated. The last time she cried was over the death of her friend William Sloane.
She laid several towels on the carpet and grabbed a bag of blood from her refrigerator. Imagining it was a human throat, she tore into it. She relished the blood as it coated her fangs and ran down her throat. Some poured down her breasts and stomach and dripped onto the towels. Not satisfied with one bag, she grabbed another.
She panted as she lay curled up on the blood-soaked towels. Her eyes were as black as saucers.
She didn't bother cleaning up as she slipped on a robe and slippers, then turned on her laptop and adjusted her camera.
The vampire Bradley looked irritated, but smiled when he saw Victoria. If her robe shifted a few inches in either direction, he'd get quite a show.
“Victoria?” he said, noticing the blood all over her. “Looks like you had some fun. I'm guessing the werewolf didn't have a master? You killed him?”
“You knew there was a witch here, didn't you?”
Bradley's hesitation told her all she needed to know.
“We suspected, we didn't know. There's been some odd stories in that area, even more as of late. Don't worry, you'll be compensated for any trouble you might have had.”
“He was just a boy.”
“And?”
“Next time you need an assassin, call someone else.”
She disconnected the call.
The mess she made caught her eye. Her towels and robe were covered in blood. Pulling the towels off the carpet, she was relieved to see they hadn't bled through. Her temper was famous in certain circles, but rarely did it lead to bloodlust.
It was a good thing no humans were around.
She took one step toward the bathroom when she heard something in the living room above her.
Footsteps.
Very quiet, very deliberate. Someone was sneaking around.
The blood interfered with her sense of smell, but she finally picked up the scent.
A witch.
“You're kidding me.”
A large part of her basement roof disappeared, leaving nothing but a hole in its place.
She didn't see the witch drop through the portal, but heard him land on her carpet, near the entertainment center.
There was a glimmer of light.
The light didn't only blind her, it burned her.
She shouted in pain as the beam of light caught her in the face, forcing her to turn her head and drop to one knee.
“Neat little trick, isn't it?” Kevin said. “A witch can touch a mirror, and make it absorb daylight. And from what I read, you guys don't like daylight much.”
“Kevin? Oh, thank God-”
She howled as Kevin shined the light on her again. It burned away an eye and part of her cheek. She collapsed on the floor, trying to pull her robe up to cover her head. He shined the light on her bare legs. The pain was agonizing as flesh melted away, leaving only bone.
“You're one resilient kid,” she said, her voice sounding strange. Her tongue was burnt and swollen.
“Yeah, they teach us a lot in school.”
He was still invisible, but his voice was close.
Summoning all her strength, she lunged to her feet. Her claws found his throat. She dug her fangs into his shoulder through his shirt. He cried out as his invisibility potion wore off.
The blood tasted horrible in her mouth.
“I could kill you right now, but let's call a truce,” she said.
He grabbed her robe with his free hand, pulled it down as far as he could, and pointed his mirror at her chest. She tossed him across the basement before collapsing again. He sailed over the bed and smacked the wall. He grabbed for a bottle of water from his backpack as he pulled himself to one knee, blood trickling from his mouth.
Victoria put a hand to her breast, only to feel a gaping hole. Blood poured onto the carpet.
Surprise settled in when instead of feeling more light, she felt water being thrown on her.
“Rachel?” Kevin said. “What are you doing here?”
“Kevin? Are you okay? I got some holy water.”
It had been a long time since Victoria felt such raw pain. It had been even longer since she laughed uncontrollably.
It hurt to laugh. She looked up with her remaining eye to see a dark haired girl with skin as pale as hers standing over her. The girl held a flask, and tossed more water on her. The hole leading to her living room above her closed up, becoming a ceiling once again.
“Holy water?” Victoria said. “Did you bring garlic, too?”
Kevin slowly approached Rachel. The girl was obviously very dear to him. He was distracted, only for a moment, but a moment was all she needed.
Victoria jumped to her feet and grabbed Rachel by the throat. The vampire used the rest of her speed to cross the basement and lift Kevin by the shirt. Both teens dangled in her grasp, one in each hand.
She looked back and forth between the two of them. Her strength was waning, but she had to make her point.
Or there was the very real possibility he could kill her.
“Kevin and Rachel. Listen. I could kill you both, right now. Oh, you might survive with your little magic, but she wouldn't. Don't make me kill an innocent girl. I want to talk. Can we have peace talks?”
Kevin looked at Rachel, who was struggling to breathe, her eyes full of panic.
“Yes, yes,” Kevin said. “Let's talk.”
“Good.”
She dropped them both to the floor. Rachel fell to one knee and clutched her throat as she coughed. Kevin knelt next to her and put a protective arm around her. He gingerly held a bottle of water to her lips.
Victoria noticed the witch was fond of water, no doubt another potion of his.
She limped back a few steps and dropped to one knee herself. The pain was starting to subside. Her body was trying to heal, but she would need to give it a little help.
Kevin approached her, Rachel a step behind, and offered her the bottle of water.
“Drink this.”
“I don't need your witch tricks,” she said, pushing his hand away.
She limped to the refrigerator, slipping out of her robe along the way. Kevin and Rachel gasped at the sight of the nude woman covered in blood.
Victoria went through bag after bag, draining each one. She drank slow and carefully, not wanting to spill a single drop.
Her body began to heal.
Rachel leaned into Kevin's arms and turned her head at the grisly sight. The hole in the vampire's chest closed up, and her eye grew back. The burns all faded away as new flesh took form.
He looked at the naked, beautiful vampire. She threw the last empty blood bag on the floor, no longer caring about trying to save the carpet.
She crossed the basement and opened a dresser against the wall. Rachel didn't take her eyes off the woman, making sure to stay close to Kevin.
Victoria shook her head as she tossed a pair of sweatpants and a tank top on the couch.
She disappeared into the bathroom and started the shower, not bothering to close the door.
“Holy water,” she called. “If I was really a dangerous, monstrous vampire, you'd be dead.”
Kevin leaned close to Rachel. “Only daylight and fire can kill a vampire. A stake through the heart just puts them in a coma.”
Victoria raised an eyebrow as she rinsed off, impressed with the youth's knowledge.
“Well, that would have been useful to know before I came over here,” Rachel said, putting her hands on her hips as she gave Kevin an angry glare.
“What are you even doing here, Rachel?”
“I'm trying to help you.”
“Hold it,” Victoria said, emerging from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. She crossed the basement and dressed behind the couch.
The vampire laughed, and looked at the pair. Kevin had the look of the star receiver on the football team, all cute, lean, and muscular. Rachel looked like she belonged in the library. Not jaw dropping gorgeous, but cute, with a very nice figure. She had a look that told Victoria she probably got picked on a lot.
They were an odd pairing, but somehow fit.
“Kevin and Rachel. You're dating, I presume?”
Rachel stood in front of Kevin defiantly, guarding her boyfriend, staring intently at Victoria.
“You presume correct.”
Kevin smiled, a look of surprise on his face.
“Cool your jets there, little girl. My name's Victoria.”
Rachel held up a finger. “Kevin, I've seen her before.”
Victoria adjusted her tank top and slipped on a pair of sandals. She stifled a yawn, wishing she was asleep, like she was supposed to be.
“I doubt that, Rachel. Walton isn't exactly a hang out spot for me.”
“No. On the internet. Tyler showed me the video a hundred times.”
“Really? Would you mind showing me?”
“They took it down, but Tyler kept it. I know his password. Hold on.”
Rachel sat at Victoria's chair and logged into the school's system, signing on as Tyler. Victoria and Kevin watched over her shoulder as she browsed his video folder.
Victoria shook her head as the carnage at Camden Yards filled the screen.
“Wow. I don't think I ever saw this one.”
A Witch to Live Page 17