by Mandy Rosko
"How was New York?" Jackie asked.
"Yes, honey, tell it again." Patty rolled the only chair from the backroom out for Carly to sit in and grabbed the stool from behind the counter for herself. Jackie stood, leaning her back against the front of the counter.
Great. A story about the exciting, glamorous life her sister lived. This wouldn’t be depressing at all.
Carly sighed through a smile and leaned back in her seat. "There is never enough time to do everything that you can do or see in that city. I can't wait to go back. You should come with me some day Jackie, maybe I can get one of my friends to give you a job as a photographer or something."
"I don't have any experience in that. I’m a writer." She wanted to be at least. Working in her mother’s business left little time for the things Jackie really wanted to do aside from churning out a poem once in a while that would never see the light of day.
Carly waved away the comment as though it were a fruit fly. "I'm sure that doesn't matter, just being my sister you could have any job you wanted in New York, you could see the sights and get paid so much money."
"Oh, she wouldn't go anywhere. Jackie's a homebody, aren't you baby?" Patty said.
Jackie tried to smile. She went to finish clearing away the broken pieces of the china mug instead.
"Jackie, what happened?" Patty asked.
She saw no point in lying about it. "Warming charm went bad."
Carly laughed. "You should practice more, you're twenty-nine years old. Too old to be still breaking things with charms."
"That's true, but if I hurt myself I always have these to fall back on." Jackie tapped her lips, the source of her natural power, a rarity among magic and the one thing Jackie had that Carly did not.
Carly spared her a half a glare and went back to chatting with Patty. Jackie threw the pieces of the mug into the trash. Neither her mother nor her sister caught the anger in her body language when she returned to her spot against the counter, watching her sister feed her mother exciting stories of the city.
Tall, beautiful, successful Carly, the apple of her mother's eye, even though she ran away from home at seventeen to become an actress when everyone told her how unrealistic it was. No one expected she'd actually make it as a model and decide to stay there instead of continuing to pursue acting. And Patty just thought the world of Carly.
Carly who ran away from Griffon City because there was no future of fame and fortune there for her, proved everyone wrong by making it and, unlike when they were kids, could now actually get away with being a snobby bitch because she'd been right all along.
As opposed to Jackie. Jackie who opted to put her own dreams of travel writing on hold, stayed working at her mother's little shop because Patty wanted one of her girls to take on the business she created. Keep it alive for her when she wasn't around anymore to do it herself.
She refused to admit she was more than a little jealous.
"And my picture is going to be in the next issue of Vogue! I'll be eating a strawberry to promote a new perfume: Berry Strawberry Delight. There’s going to be a commercial to go with it where I’m basically in a pool of strawberries looking all seductive at the camera, like, you know you want this."
Patty flustered out a breath of excitement. “Strawberries?”
Carly nodded. “Something like that. I’ll be swimming in them before I suddenly catch a much more exotic scent, I leave the pool and there’s the perfume, just waiting for me.”
Damn. Jackie had to admit that was pretty amazing.
"Wow," Patty giggled and hugged Carly before pinching her rosy cheeks. "My little girl, you get so much excitement, just like your sister."
Jackie tensed. "What?"
Her mother suddenly didn't look so happy, and Carly grinned devilishly. "While we were out shopping mom ran into Mrs. Hill, whose daughter works at GCPD, she overheard Detective Miller talking about the case of feral vampires running around and apparently your name came up."
Jackie eyed her mother carefully. Who the Hell was Mrs. Hill, why was she sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong, and should she make a run for it? "It did? Must have been a mistake."
Patty shook her head. "Don't try and play us for fools. You lied to me about Michael picking you up for a date yesterday and you didn't even have the decency to let me know that I nearly lost my daughter."
The irritation they radiated thickened the air and surrounded her, trapping her on the spot. "I didn't want you to worry about me."
"Well, you got what you wished for. I'm not worried. I'm angry. You're lucky you weren't bitten, and you’re lucky I don’t kill you myself."
Jackie didn’t want to argue. "Yeah, I am lucky. Looks like you came home at a bad time Carly. The city's a bit dangerous right now." Maybe she’d go home to her pent house in New York.
Again, Carly waved the idea away, leaned back in her seat and crossed her bronzed, glossy legs. "If it was really so dangerous the police would have issued a curfew, which they haven't. The situation is under control."
Jackie hated that she made sense.
The bell to the store tingled again and Evey came in.
Jackie sighed. Thank God, a distraction.
Evey looked like the stereotypical vampire, average height, thin, paler than the dead, black hair that went straight to her shoulders, shiny black high heels with black jeans, a black tank top and black leather jacket. As gothic as she looked, Evey pulled off the style really well, or she would have if not for the white roots showing down the middle of her head, signaling it was time to dye her hair again. Behind her sunglasses Jackie knew were a pair of red eyes, because Evey was an albino vampire.
An albino who looked younger than Jackie by only a few years, but just in the way Evey called her Jacklyn and not Jackie, was a hint towards being much further up there.
Was it nighttime already? The sun wasn't entirely set, but it was down enough that a vampire could walk around without feeling more than a little hot.
Evey saw the people sitting around the store and stopped, not used to the sight.
Jackie decided to spare her. "A six pack?"
Evey nodded. "Please, type O."
Jackie pulled the box of blood-filled glass bottles from the fridge and put them on the counter. Evey took this opportunity to lean close. "Isn't that your sister?"
Jackie took her money, rung in the order and whispered back, "Yeah, do me a favor and stick around. I need to talk to you."
Evey shrugged and took her change. Jackie then took one of the bottles, popped the cap and handed it to Evey so she could heat it up herself.
“I’m kind of off today,” she explained.
Evey shrugged and muttered the spell to warm her blood. Jackie watched enviously as the glass didn’t shatter because the spell worked properly for her.
She knew it wouldn't be long before Carly got bored and wanted to leave.
"Mommy, can we go now? We can still get some shopping done," she said enticingly.
Wow. That was actually sooner than expected.
Patty was only too willing to go along with it. "Oh yes, and then we can go to the theatre together. Uh, Jackie, would you like to come? We can wait until closing time."
"No, no, you two go. You know I'm not much of a shopper." Truthfully, Jackie would have loved to have gone along, but after everything that happened she knew she wouldn't be able to enjoy any of it until she found out what happened to Kyle.
Carly took Patty's arm and pulled her close. "Well, that takes care of that. Shall we go?"
"Let's."
They both skipped out of the store merrily, like a couple of tweens on their way to the mall, the door bell chiming behind them.
Evey removed her sunglasses, revealing her eyes. "I really can't believe people dress like that," she said, shaking her head at the skimpy outfit Carly left the store in.
Jackie’s lips quirked, she took the stool back and offered it to Evey and used the chair for herself. "I can't believe peop
le dress like you do. Don't dye your hair again, it looks like a skunk line when your roots start coming out."
The only reason why Evey’s black hair didn’t fade so quickly was because of the magic she used on it.
Evey took a swig from the bottle. "White is too easy to notice in a crowd."
Jackie shook her head, deciding not to get into the things that Evey didn't tell her about and ask again who she was hiding from. There wouldn't be a point since Evey never gave a straight answer.
“I used to dye it red,” she said.
Jackie blinked at the new information. “Really? Why?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I had a male friend who enjoyed it like that. Said it matched my eyes quite prettily.” She took another swig of her blood. “Of course, that was back when I was still human.”
Jackie grinned. She never knew Evey had been the dating type. She’d never seen her with a man before. “So, what was his name?”
She cleared her throat. “Jacob.” Evey put her bottle on the counter, and Jackie suddenly felt as though she were running a bar. “So, what is your problem today?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"When they’re together it is."
Jackie drummed her fingers against the counter. "You know, the ironic thing is that this time it's not entirely them that's bothering me."
Evey had the bottle midway to her lips, and she set it back on the counter to give Jackie her full attention. "Oh?"
"You heard about the ferals right?"
"How could I not? I'm thinking of leaving the city for a while because of it. The last thing I need is to be attacked by a group of them."
"Yeah, uh, anyway, you used to be a witch, right?"
Evey took another swig of her blood. "I still like to think I am. It is how I get around without the thickest glasses you’ve ever seen."
"Anyway, have you ever heard of a curse that could turn a man into a vampire by night, but then turn him back into a normal guy again by day? That's not possible, is it?"
"Technically, Jacklyn, nothing that we do is possible."
Jackie grumbled and flicked an imaginary piece of dirt from the counter. "Well, I can't really do much of anything."
"You're referring to that man they picked up last night, aren't you? You were the woman the newspaper wouldn't name."
Jackie sighed, no point in hiding it. "Yeah."
"Do you need to hide from this man? If you need a place to stay you’re more than welcome to stay with me."
Jackie shook her head. "No, no I don't think I do. I don't believe he's dangerous. I mean, if I didn't believe before then I do now, and the only reason I called Mike on him was because I thought he could help him. I didn't think Mike would bring every cop in the city with him and charge Kyle with murder."
Evey blinked. "You didn't hear?"
Jackie's heart fluttered at the tone in Evey's voice. Oh no, what if she told her that Kyle really did do it. That she’d been fantasizing about a murderer all night. She swallowed hard. "Hear what?"
"They let him go this morning. And if you're the one who turned him in then he's probably out looking for you now if he really is dangerous."
As if on cue, the power blacked out.
SIX
Jackie fumbled through junk drawers in the dark for the candles, trying to ease her breathing and not panic. She told herself it was only a blackout when she found them, nothing more. It was winter and the snow fell heavily outside, a blackout was possible.
When she couldn't find so much as a lighter to go along with them she concentrated to the best of her ability, snapped her fingers to produce a flame, and lit the candles herself.
She couldn’t even be proud of herself for not managing to blow up the wicks since the sight she was met with wasn't much better. Shadows hung long over the shelves and various items and jars sold in the store. Her legs itched to run outside just to get away from it all, but her feet refused to move.
Instead she handed a candle to Evey, forgetting that her vampirism allowed her to see in the dark.
Evey took the candle anyway but didn't move another muscle on her body. She stared up and ahead as though searching, her head cocked slightly to one side, and Jackie realized Evey was listening.
"What do you hear?” She whispered. “Is he outside?"
Evey shook her head, her red eyes glowing in the dark. It was creepy and yet comforting. "I don't think it's your man."
Jackie didn't understand, and her fear grew more and more with every passing second without an answer. "What do you mean? How can you know that?"
"Because there's more than one person outside, and they're crawling along your walls."
Vampires. Ferals.
Jackie wished her mother and sister stayed another fifteen minutes. They were talented witches who could take care of themselves and help Evey. Jackie would only get in the way. She wished she were a better witch. Garlic spray wouldn't save her tonight, and neither would healing kisses.
As if reading her thoughts, Evey grabbed Jackie by the scruff of her grey sweater and dragged her into the back room. "We need to hide you. Do you have any boxes big enough to fit you inside?"
There were plenty of boxes, but she'd already emptied out the bigger ones and broke them up for recycling.
Jackie didn't need to tell her this; Evey found the pile of flattened boxes, sighed and shook her head. "Unbelievable."
The crash of a front window had them both spinning. The ferals were inside, all they had to do was come into the back room and they were found.
"Come on!" Evey grabbed Jackie again and all but threw her under the back counter.
It wasn't a good hiding place. Anyone could come in and see her without needing to bend over. "What are you doing?"
"Shh!" Evey turned the lock on the knob just as the door violently began pounding. They had only seconds left before the ferals clawed their way in and ripped them up.
Evey grabbed several of the flattened boxes and handed them to Jackie before pushing her into the corner.
Jackie knew what she was going to do. She was going to fight, and all those ferals would tear her to shreds.
"Hold these over yourself and don't make any noise. No matter what happens."
Jackie grabbed her arm, the pounding at the door louder and the hinges screamed for mercy. "We could run out the back door. We could get away."
"There's still some out there. Stay there." Evey shoved the boxes at her and Jackie held them in place with her knees tucked as closely to her chest as she could put them. If anyone were to look at where she hid, it would appear as old boxes leaning against the wall under the counter. She took the garlic spray out of her pocket and held it close. Aside from the boxes, it was the only thing she had to defend herself with.
She couldn't see so she listened. The door crashed and the high pitched shrieks of the hungry ferals pierced her ears. They were breaking the door apart, piece by piece but had yet to get in.
She heard Evey pick up the phone before slamming down the receiver. It didn't work.
Jackie couldn't stand not knowing what Evey did so she lowered the flat boxes she held just enough to peek.
Evey stood in front of the door, chest heaving and fists clenched as she watched the ferals tear it apart to get inside.
She braced herself and marched to the door. "You all want us so bad? Here!"
"No!" Jackie screamed when Evey thrust her entire arm through the broken hole of the door for the ferals to get at, but a flash of light so blinding had her lifting the boxes to shield herself with again.
The catty shrieks of the ferals and heavy thumps of bodies dropping followed before the light faded and disappeared entirely.
Jackie blinked away the giant bright dot in her eyes and lowered the boxes. She gasped at the sight that met her and threw them off. She crawled out from under the counter to where Evey had fallen over, her back to Jackie and curled in a fetal position.
Jackie gently took her shoulder and ro
lled her over. Tears streamed down Evey's cheeks as she clutched her charred, skeletal arm to her chest. It smoked, crumbling black dust that was once skin through Evey’s fingers. Jackie nearly gagged at the smell of burnt flesh.
"A solar charm?" She asked instead.
Evey nodded and, like a soldier, forced a smile. "I haven't used one of those since before I was bitten, and it wasn’t a good idea then either." Her voice was hoarse.
She blinked her red eyes and released her blackened arm to wriggle her good fingers in front of her face. “It was so bright. I cannot believe I’m not blind after that.”
Jackie laughed, tears streaming down her own cheeks as she pulled off her sweater and wrapped the thick grey material over Evey's lifeless arm, leaving herself in her purple bra.
Jackie couldn't believe Evey did that for her. For them. She put her arm through the hole in the door, using the door as a shield for the rest of her body and cast the most dangerous charm known to a vampire, and the most difficult charm known to a witch.
"Hopefully you'll never have to use it again," she said, pulling Evey up and leaning her against the wall. "It'll take months for that to heal.”
"Days.” Evey corrected. “Vampire, remember? And better a few days injured than forever dead."
"You've just earned a lifetime supply of type O."
Evey grinned tiredly. "Damned straight I did."
Actually, why would it have to take so long to heal? Jackie took Evey by the face and planted a long kiss on her left cheek.
Her arm did not heal. The skin did not thicken out to a normal white. Nothing happened.
Bewildered, she kissed the same spot. Again nothing happened.
“Nervous?” Evey asked.
Jackie’s lips trembled as twin tears spilled down her cheeks. She wasn’t just nervous, she was completely frazzled, and her magic refused to work for her. Right when she needed it the most.
“I guess you really will need a hospital,” she said.
Evey’s eyes became half lidded. “I’ll be fine.”
Jackie didn't want to leave her, but she had to get up and check on the damage and body count to make sure they were safe. Slowly, she peered through the hole that took up nearly a quarter of the door. Three dead feral vampires, charred and smoking beyond any human recognition, lay dead on the floor. The giant hole through the shop window blew in cold air from outside. Jackie shivered, praying that someone heard the commotion, or at least saw the bright flash of light and called the police.