by Devon Ashley
“It’s time to go,” added Mira, tapping her watch.
“Where are you guys going?” Noel asked.
“To the festival down in town,” answered Emily.
She didn’t seem too enthused. Abby had a feeling she was bullied into going by two very neglected friends.
“It has your typical stuff. Carnival, rides, fireworks.” Mira’s eyes lit up at the very thought of it. She probably didn’t get out much. With uncertainty, she added, “Do you guys wanna come?”
“What’s the weather like?” Abby wasn’t really interested. She had far more pressing matters on her mind.
She immediately regretted asking. Mira flung open the shades and sunlight streamed in right up to the edge of the sofa. Abby and Noel jolted backwards, jerking their legs into their chests. Emily’s mouth dropped open in shock, only silently laughing once she realized the sun was a foot shy of reaching them.
Luckily, Mira and Darby were too engrossed with the view to see their reactions. Abby and Noel had settled down again before they turned back.
“Beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky.”
“I see that,” replied Abby. “Maybe I’ll meet up with you guys later tonight.”
“You’re sure?” asked Darby. “It should be really fun.”
“Yeah. Truth is, with red hair, pale skin and freckles, I’m a little allergic to the sun.”
“Oh, we’ve got sun block,” offered Darby quickly.
Noel chuckled. “Yeah, that’ll help.” He never even looked up from the book.
“That’s okay, really,” affirmed Abby.
“Sun block with SPF 1000 would still burn her,” added Noel.
“It’s true. Literally fire-red,” said Emily, waving spirit fingers as if they were flames.
“Well, okay. Maybe we’ll see you tonight then.”
“I’ll meet you guys at the back in five, okay?” declared Emily.
After pleasantries were exchanged and the girls had left, Emily closed the curtains again.
“Thank you,” said Noel.
“Not a problem. But you might want to push that sofa a little further back.” She smiled as she left the room.
“Holy hell!” cried Noel, stretching out from his scrunched-up position.
“There is no way in hell we can predict each and every one of their actions before they do something like that.”
They readjusted themselves on the sofa to more comfortable positions.
“You realize we almost blew our cover right then, right?”
“It’s only Emily. We’ve told her one secret, one more wouldn’t kill us.”
“Can we please keep it to a minimum?” Noel asked. “Need to know basis only.”
“I think that philosophy is out the window with her. Before this is over, she’s gonna know more about us than our associates.”
“I know. Scares me too,” he said, returning his attention to the book.
“Emily’s right though. The books in here won’t be too useful. None of these will give us even the slightest indication that Morphus has a weakness.”
“Everyone has at least one weakness.”
“Oh, yeah?” Her suggestive grin mad Noel smile as well. “What’s yours?”
“Temperamental red-heads with the tendency to straddle the fine line between good and evil.” Playfully, he added, “…and myself.”
“Oh, well, you’re in luck.” She seductively straddled his lap and tossed the book to the floor. “Cause there happens to be one right here.”
Abby felt his arms wrap behind her and pull her in until their bodies were flush. She pressed her lips tightly to his ear and gently yet forcefully breathed the hot air deep from her lungs into his ear, finishing each breath with a gentle bite. His body lifted with each breath and his hands pressed deep into her body, massaging the length of her back. His soft moans intensified. He roughly stroked her head and pulled her neck towards him, fervently kissing and biting her neck. Her muscles tightened as she tipped her neck back further and shivers shot through her body.
Abby made her way down the mountain using what she assumed was a trail. The fir and evergreen trees were littered with decayed needles and white powdered snow. Three sets of footprints led the way, weaving through the tightly packed trees. The trail was well overgrown; it was clear hunters weren’t allowed to leave very often, if ever. Abby wondered if the three hens down in town flew the coop.
Abby felt light on her feet, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Her mood was more uplifted. Her time with Noel had completely released the negative energy this place had so quickly built up inside her.
The festival in the town square was well under way. The gentle fall of snowflakes and the burning of the wind chill did nothing to dampen the mood. The festivities were alive with an eclectic range of food, booze, music, fireworks, costumes and carnival rides.
Abby saw Emily, Darby and Mira through the crowd. They too had managed to find costumes. Mira was a glittering fairy, Darby a Swiss bar maid and Emily an Athenian goddess. Whether from the liquor or the cold, all three were cherry red in the nose and cheeks.
Abby watched from afar but didn’t join them. A squeaky wooden sign swinging in the wind down the back alley drew her in.
The bell on top of the door rang as she entered Twindel’s. The wicca store was brightly lit with candles and warm to the touch and senses. It was filled to capacity with books, trinkets, gems, incense and candles - most available for the pretend wicca. The business cards on the counter listed Madam Melina Twindel as the store owner.
The lower and mid bookshelves were filled with amateurish rubbish that preyed on the eager, non-magical customers: love potions, hex spells, tarot cards, etc. The upper, out of reach section of the bookcase was far more alluring. Aged leather bindings with gilded lettering told Abby these books were more likely the real deal. She pulled a book on dark magic and opened it out of curiosity. A little hardcore; Abby was surprised the book wasn’t kept behind the counter with the other more dangerous items.
From the side, an old, overweight gypsy with beads in her long, white, braided hair emerged from the darkness down the hall.
“Find something that interests you, dear?” Madam Melina asked kindly.
“No. I was just surprised to come across it. Not too many shops carry the subject.”
“I carry everything. White and black and everything in between.”
“I’ve noticed. Do you ever sell any on the subject?” asked Abby curiously.
“Not to anyone with the power to actually make them work. Would you like one?”
Abby was flipping through the pages. Some of the spells included damnation and infliction of pain. “Really shouldn’t.”
Abby returned the book to the gypsy. Her palm was immediately seized as it sparked Madam Melina’s interest. Holding tight, she closed her eyes. Underneath the eyelids, her eyes forcefully twitched every which way. When she opened them again her amazement had changed to despair.
“You’re right. You definitely don’t need this book,” she said with sad eyes. She inspected Abby’s hands more closely. “You have very rare and unusual marks. Have you ever had your palm read?”
Abby shook her head no. She had faith in many of the wiccan ways but palm reading was never one of them.
“Your life line is thicker and longer than usual. And you have such an old soul.” She pulled her hand closer. “Oh.”
“What?” Abby asked, not particularly too interested in the answer.
“Your fate line is broken into so many pieces. And through all three stages of your life.”
“What does that mean?” Abby asked.
“That destiny will never be your friend,” the gypsy said sadly.
She wasn’t sure if it was the gypsy’s use of the word destiny or the intense aroma of the incense, but Abby left Twindel’s in a daze. She wasn’t the first witch to hint that Abby’s purpose in life, her destiny, would not be a kind one.
Loud pops and a blinding glare hit Abby as she stepped into the town square again. Fireworks glittered in the sky and drew the attention of most of the crowd.
Not too far away, Emily, Mira and Darby were liquored up and still enjoying the festivities. A sudden yearning for solitude, Abby headed back towards the trail out of town. Her hope was short-lived as Emily spotted her backside and stumbled after her. Darby and Mira followed.
“Abby, you made it!” Emily slurred happily.
“Actually, I’m on my way out.”
“What? Why?” cried Darby loudly.
“What time is it?” asked Mira.
“Almost two.”
“Damn. How long does this thing last?” asked Darby.
“I don’t care,” whined Emily. “I have such a headache.” She looked to her in drink in disgust, then offered it to Abby. “Do you wanna finish this for me?”
Abby’s faced puckered at the overwhelming scent. “Alcohol is hard on my system. Makes me do crazy things.”
“All work and no play make hunters go crazy,” added Darby, using her finger to draw a circle on the side of her face for dramatic effect.
“Something like that.”
Abby turned to leave. Emily passed the drink to Mira and followed. Mira did the same to Darby. She turned to unload the drink but there was no one left. She shrugged what the hell and downed the drink.
The sky began to thicken with snowflakes once more. Hiking back up the mountain was no easy feat. Abby tried her best to keep them from sliding back down. They were not making it easy for her, constantly giggling, slipping and falling.
“Exactly how many drinks did you guys have?” asked Abby, slightly annoyed after the fourth tumble.
“Just one,” said Mira innocently.
“After another,” added Darby and she and Emily burst into a fit of laughter.
“I’m not so much drunk as I am sick,” groaned Mira. “One too many corn dogs. But these two licked the barrel clean.”
Abby felt a twinge down her spine and suddenly halted. She said firmly, “Shut up and stop.”
The hunters stood as quiet as they possible could. Abby tried to sense their surroundings - nothing but the rustling of leaves in the wind. No distinct scents in the air. No singing birds, no chirping insects. No tracks were in the snow but their own; four sets coming and going. The girls began to giggle again.
“Do you hear that?” asked Abby in a hushed tone.
“What? I don’t hear anything,” said Emily in a not so hushed tone.
“Exactly.”
Abby pulled a five inch dagger from her backside. Within seconds it happened. A speckled green and white blur fell from the upper limbs of a cypress tree. No more than five feet high, the reptilian-like creature landed with a heavy thud atop Mira, knocking her unconscious on the ground. Its chameleon-like scales changed to match the glittery pastel shades of Mira’s fairy costume. Gasping in shock, Emily and Darby stumbled backwards on to one another, causing it to sway its head towards them, hissing and exposing its many teeth.
As the creature hunched down, ready to spring, Abby moved closer to draw its attention away from them. It leapt towards her, growling and swiping its claws continuously. She dodged its every erratic advance until the final swipe. Claw marks were sliced into her arm as she moved in to snap its neck. The creature slumped lifelessly to the ground, the scales altering once more to match the freshly stomped forest floor.
“Well. That was a buzz killer,” Darby said foully as she and Emily rose to their feet.
Mira too began to stir and move around. “What the hell was that?” she asked as Emily helped her up.
“Looks like a grinloch demon,” answered Abby solemnly.
“Really quite ugly,” added Darby.
Worriedly, Emily pointed to Abby’s left side and said, “Your arm.”
Abby looked down. Three claw marks spanned five inches of her upper arm. Blood was trickling out.
“It’s just a scratch,” she replied, putting pressure on the slashes. “Look, the manor is only about a half mile more. Think you guys can make it on your own?”
“You’re not coming?” Mira asked anxiously.
Mira was more worried about the half mile she would have to hike without protection than Abby being left alone in the woods with demons about.
“No, I’m gonna clean this up. Just stay quiet, stick to the path and you’ll be fine.”
“But we were already on the path,” whined Mira as Darby led her on. Emily unwrapped the thin muffler from her neck and passed it to Abby.
“Here. Be careful.”
“Thank you.” She wiped the blood away. “Are you sober enough to get them back safely?”
“Yeah,” she replied drearily. “If ever there were a sober-inducing moment, that was it.”
Two hours had passed and Abby still hadn’t found the grinloch’s mother. Unlike the uneducated hunters at the school, Abby knew what the creature was that attacked them. The youngling that jumped from the tree was probably more scared than the huntress it landed on. Hell, given its age, the thing probably fell out of the tree. Even more so, she was surprised the mother left it alone to fend for itself, even if temporarily.
Abby paused in the woods. The air had changed slightly. There was a bitterness that wasn’t there before. She found the source within minutes.
The demon was in a small break in the woods, still unaware of her presence. Abby looked down at her dagger with regret. The weapon was inadequate for a beast this size. It would take something longer to pierce through the scales.
On all fours the grinloch didn’t seem too daunting. But Abby knew it could extend the hind legs and stand just as easily on two as it could on four, allowing the front appendages to be used as arms. The mother was easily twice Abby’s size. The razor-sharp teeth and three inch claws were of particular concern. She would have to get close for the dagger to pierce the underbelly – really close.
Abby slowly retreated backwards, her eyes dead set on the demon.
SNAP!
The sudden sound caused the demon to rise up off her front set of limbs and stand on two alone. Within a second of snapping the twig, the demon was shooting towards her, swiping its claws. Abby whizzed quickly towards the demon. She thrust the dagger into the grinloch’s side, but it barely pierced the thick reptilian skin. She struggled to remove the weapon and received several damaging swipes for her effort. The searing pain was excruciating. She knew she should retreat, but the dagger was her only weapon. The grinloch’s talons slit into her as easily as a knife through butter.
The grinloch lifted her up by the throat and dangled her in the air, her claws pricking the skin. Luckily for Abby, suffocation was not going to injure her further. She kicked her way up the demon’s chest and pushed herself up and out of its grasp, somersaulting backwards. She felt a burning sensation as the claws scratched her neck during her escape.
She pulled the dagger with all her strength. Blood flung from both the demon and herself as she ripped it out and away. As the demon screeched in pain, she stabbed the thinner abdomen skin and sliced upward, splitting the stomach open.
Abby was hit with a force that sent her flying sideways for several yards, slamming her into a large pine tree. Stunned and angered, Abby and the demon were fixed in a stone-cold glare, both bleeding heavily.
Abby’s breath deepened. Heat developed within her chest and spread through her body. Her eyes turned black as night. She shut them tight, shaking them off. No. Not now, not here. The hotness faded. When she re-opened her eyes, they were a blinding shade of white. She looked to the clear, dark sky above her. Fierce winds and rumbling thunderstorms rolled in fast. The light from the moon faded to nothing and left them in complete darkness. A lightning bolt cracked and struck the grinloch directly in the head. The pulsation sent the demon’s body plummeting lifelessly to the ground.
Abby collapsed to the base of the tree. Her eyes returned to normal as the weather dissipated as quickly
as it came. The moonlight and stars returned. She lay there, slumped against the tree as her blood continued to seep from her body.
Chapter Twelve
Noel had spent the better part of the night deciphering an ancient book in the library. Unfortunately, he learned nothing new. He looked at his watch…one-thirty. Abby had left before midnight to check on the girls in town. Surprised she was still out, he wondered what was keeping her. Abby and Noel were never ones to join in celebrations, so it was doubtful she did now.
Deciding on a break, he tossed the book aside.
Noel was not the only person to migrate to the kitchen for a late night snack. Surrounded by night crawlers, one would be more likely to find solitude midday than midnight.
Valerie was standing by the stove, waiting for the tea kettle to boil. She acknowledged his presence by raising her eyebrows but said nothing.
He rummaged through the cabinets until he found some chips worth munching on. One of the few benefits of being a vampire, his body didn’t actually require food intake to survive. Water was helpful; it kept his skin from drying out, but he never truly thirst for it. He ate to keep suspicions to a minimum – and the junk food was delicious.
“So which one are you?”
“Valerie,” she said dully. She didn’t even bother to turn around.
“So why haven’t I seen you training with the other hunters?”
“I’m no longer active.” She turned to look at him and added bitterly, “The Order prefers to take advantage of another one of my gifts.”
Noel waited for her to continue but she didn’t. Apparently, she only offered an exact answer for questions.
“Which would be…?”
“I have visions of all the hunters. I inform the Order of anything that may lead to their demise.”
“Ahh. Preservation of the school’s star pupils. Then you’re clairvoyant?”
“Unfortunately,” she said acrimoniously.
“I’ve befriended a few gypsies with your gift.”
“Try curse.”
Noel pulled a soda from the fridge. “Wouldn’t be if you were anywhere else in the world. The Order has a way of screwing up their protégés.”