by Bea Biddle
Sylvester didn't acknowledge her words. He had returned to the edge of the roof, something in the distance had caught his eye. Karen walked on shaky legs, joining him. He was biting his bottom lip, his sharp jaw working back and forth as he narrowed his eyes. "What do you suppose that is?" he asked. ”There, do you see it?” He pointed, forcing her to follow his line of sight. “Tell me what you see.”
Karen eyed the building he was pointing to. The old abandoned shipwright by the river, it was an eyesore that they were preparing to tear down next month. But that wasn't why he was pointing. A flash in one of the windows caught her attention. She narrowed her eyes like him, straining to focus. The light appeared in another window. "Probably just a guy with a flashlight. A security guard?" But then a larger flash lit up the whole bottom floor, bathing it in a dull gray light. She searched her mind for another time she had seen a light like that. The basement at Dead End. The light from the rift. As soon as that realization came to her, she saw the figures through the big windows. Even shrouded in ever moving shadows she could see them. Horns. She stumbled back as if she had been punched. "No. No, no, no, no," she hissed. "Tell me that's not what I think it is."
"I don't think I can," Sylvester breathed. "Get to safety. Somewhere you'll bloody well stay. I need to find Alyssa.”
"I'm going back to my parents," Karen stated as they both whipped around, ready to run.
”Stay,” Alyssa demanded. She stood before them like a beacon in the night. Illuminated from within. Karen gasped loudly. Her nerves were in tatters and Alyssa appearing behind them was not what she needed. The Witch frowned at the sight before her. "So, there it is? I'm surprised we haven't spotted this before. Sylvester, you've been here countless of times since they started arriving, why haven't you seen this?"
"I tend not to waste my time above Vein, I much prefer to be inside," he said with disdain at the idea.
"Of course, you do." Alyssa nodded. "I will contact The Witches. We'll close it down and finish this mess we're in. It's about time too." Alyssa scoffed at the sight, the gray light pulsating, stopping then flaring up again. "Unstable. Good. Sylvester, take Karen to the diner. I have to go see a Vamp about attempting to damage my property.” For the second time that night, Karen felt words cut her like a knife.
"Alyssa," Sylvester argued, "She's not-"
"Don't," she snapped, "We'll have this dealt with as soon as I can get to The Witches, then hopefully we can all go back to normal. And as for you, young lady," she growled, her words drenched in irritation. "It might be better if you didn't wander off. Unless, of course, you are determined to put yourself in more danger. In that case, perhaps you could go offer yourself to the Demons as well? I'm sure Cef would appreciate that."
Karen opened her mouth to reply, but Sylvester's firm grip on her shoulder shut her up and walked her away. "Not now, Kare-bear."
She jerked her shoulder away from him. He hadn't scared her since the first time she met him at the diner, but she couldn't look at him in the same light anymore. Everything clashed in her brain. He had changed her view of him on that rooftop. That night had changed her view on everything. "Don't- Please. Please, just don't touch me," she whispered unsteadily. Shivering as she took a few steps away from him. She hadn't meant to do that. She hadn't meant to jump from him as if his touch hurt her, but she really just needed time.
"Relax," he hissed. "I'm only dropping you off. I have other business to take care off. Business that does not include babysitting bloody humans." He cast one last glance at Alyssa before pushing Karen on her way again.
Alyssa stared into the depth of the shipwright. "Oh, and Sylvester? Karen?" she called without moving. "I want this information kept away from Ceftion. He's not in the right mind to leave well enough alone. These unwanted guests of ours would love to have Cef's head served on a silver platter. Let's try not to tempt him into giving them just that."
eighteen.
Sylvester walked a few steps ahead of her. The snow fell softly, whirling in the air around him, making him look ethereal and even less like a human being. His thin shirt was wet with snow and clung to him, with every step his fancy shoes echoed in the empty street. He didn't look back at her, just led her along like a dog on a leash. He hadn't spoken to Karen since they left Vein. She preferred when he yelled at her, the silent treatment was worse than anything.
He led her through alleyways and under bridges, through empty streets she had never even set foot on and backyards she was pretty sure they weren't allowed in, rather than walking the streets. Helicopters were still circling around above the city, she could hear sirens, police cars speeding. This was ridiculous, she didn't know how many Demons there were, but it couldn't take the whole of New York's police force to bring them down, could it?
They stepped into another alleyway, just across from them was the dark street she knew so well. She could just about make out the blinking neon sign welcoming them at the end of it. She sighed in relief and pulled her jacket tighter around herself. Sylvester had grudgingly retrieved it for her back at Vein. "Thank fuck," Karen breathed when they dived into the shadows, walking in the dark with the flickering Dead End Diner sign guiding them.
Sylvester said nothing, just kept walking and Karen hurried after him. "Inside. Now," he demanded as they reached the door, barking at her, "And do not leave. I'm not going to be chasing after you if you run straight into the arms of another bloody Vamp, alright?"
"You don't have to keep reminding me, I said I was sorry," Karen whispered in defeat. "Just- just go back to your sadistic orgy club and leave me alone. I'm sorry I ruined your fun for tonight."
Sylvester took a deep breath, ran his hand through his white hair, wet from the snow. "Believe what you will, but you did scare me tonight. Although you are a bloody annoying human being, I would rather our friendship didn't end here."
Karen's hand rested on the doorknob to the diner, unable to say anything in return. She had clutched her Skarram in her pockets all the way there, it had given her a sense of security. Not that she knew how to use it, she had found that out the hard way, but she was desperate to keep a little hold on anything that could possibly help ease her mind. She sighed deeply, then shook her head. "Honestly, I kind of wish I had never started working here. I wish I had never taken a shortcut through Central Park. I wish tonight never happened." I wish I was still kept in the dark. I wish I had never found out just how much I don't know about anything, or how much I don't fit in. She had been kidding herself, thinking this place had been the answer to her prayers. Excitement. Fun. Happiness. But then, also death. Torment. Despair. She was so confused. She could feel her bottom lip quiver reluctantly. "You know, I thought Garth not making it to lockdown that night was a freak accident. But these things happen all the time, don't they?"
Sylvester bit the inside of his lip as he thought about that. Opening his mouth to answer, he thought better off it and shut it again, simply nodding his response. ”I'm sorry tonight happened, too.” They stood in silence, watching each other. The wind prickled her skin, pelting her with snowflakes and hail. She shivered. After a few moments, Sylvester squared his shoulders, took a deep breath and stepped away. "Take my coffin for today, I will find another place to rest," he said turning his back to her. And then he was gone.
✽✽✽
The diner was empty apart from Zac, who was busy clearing tables, but nice and warm and inviting. She wanted to punch herself in the face, it was ridiculous feeling so at home at her workplace. Especially this workplace. "Hi Karen, what are you doing here?" Zac greeted with a giant smile, "I'm just closing up, with everything happening downtown, it's really quiet here so- Is everything alright?" he asked once he noticed her weary expression.
Karen let herself fall on a chair like a sack of sand. "I've messed everything up," she said in a sigh, then groaned, sliding her head down to rest on her arm on the surface.
"Oh," was all Zac could get out.
"I never want to see another vampire
as long as I live," Karen breathed letting her head fall off her arm and onto the table with a loud thud.
"You don't mean that." Zac chuckled and shook his head at her. "Sly is Vamp and he's- he's-". That constant blush crept up in his cheeks again, but this time it angered her.
"Sly is a vampire," Karen growled without thinking it through. Lifting her head, she gave Zac a hard stare. ”He's a bloodsucker, a seducer, and he doesn't give a shit about anyone but himself. Just like the rest of them."
"That's not true," Zac said quietly. He started wringing the rag in his hands, it slipped right through a few of his fingers as he started to lose concentration. His stuttering grew worse. "He's always very considerate and nice and he's always-"
"Only because it's beneficial to him, Zac. He's just as sick as the rest of those fucking psychos. I wish you would stop idolizing him. Are you that in love with him that you've gone completely blind to what he is? Him with his fucking toys. He uses people left and right. You see him with a new one every damn day, and you're still panting after him. Why? He's as sick as the rest of them. This whole damn community of yours is sick. Everything is so, so sick.” She buried her face in her hands, growling loudly.
Zac dropped the rag on the floor, having lost all concentration. His jaw tensed as he whipped his hair out of his face. "I know Sly can be, well, Sly, but he does the best he can. I'm not blind, I do know what he is," he mumbled. "You're human. You don't understand us, you probably never will."
Karen lifted her head, meeting his eyes, desperately regretting the hurt she saw in them. ”Zac, I didn't-”
"I don't remember Sly ever being anything but nice to you," he added. ”In his own way.” His voice was soft, his tone gentle, but that only made his words hit her harder than if he was yelling at her.
”I know,” Karen agreed. "I'm so sorry. It's not him I'm angry at, and it's definitely not you. It's me. I'm angry and embarrassed and I'm just lashing out. Fuck,” she breathed with anguish, rubbing her forehead. ”I am so sorry, Zac.” Way to go, Karen, let's just alienate all your friends tonight. ”I'm not really myself right now. I'm in way over my head here. Please forgive me.”
”It's alright," he whispered, shrugging. Picking up the rag on the floor he threw it at her with a slight smile. "I'll forgive you once you help clean this place up."
The rag landed on her head, but she accepted it gladly. Peeling it off her forehead she nodded. ”Deal.”
Zac scratched his neck awkwardly. "So, uhm, is it really that obvious that I'm- you know, about Sly?" he asked, nervously, the familiar blush creeping up on him again.
”Were you trying to hide it?" Karen asked jokingly. Zac scrunched up his nose with a wide grin, chuckled in a bashful manner as he wiped his face with his hand. His blush spreading fast. Karen laughed out loud, jumping up and ran to him, managing to knock over her chair in the process, and embraced him in a crushing hug. Hugging the ghostly presence was like embracing moving water, but she felt the tightness where he hugged her back.
”I guess, I'm just super transparent," he deadpanned with a smile.
Karen laughed louder at that, her body shaking with it until tears sprang from her eyes. She needed that. She needed to cry about everything that had happened and laugh in a friendly embrace. ”Funny,” she managed to get out between laughs, wiping her eyes furiously. ”Ghostly humor,” she said and nodded at him, ”I like it. I can always count on you Zac, you are so great.”
”You know, for what it's worth, I'm glad you started working here. Even though you probably don't understand our ways. We are the way we are, Karen, and we're not all bad. But, I mean, some of us...” he trailed off with a small shrug. ”Well, some of us need a bit of help in that department. That's why we have security. You just need to tread carefully. Just like with humans, I trusted humans and look where I ended up.”
”Trust me, I had a rude awakening tonight. I won't be making the same mistake again," she mumbled against him, holding on to him with everything she got. He didn't ask about it, she appreciated that more than he probably knew. He flipped his hair out of his face with a deep breath, trying to blow it out of his eyes. Karen lifted her head and touched the elusive strands, letting them slide through her fingers. "Do I need to give you a haircut? I'm good with scissors."
”You can't," Zac breathed in annoyance, "Ghosts can't change their appearance. I'm stuck with it." He grumbled at his shaggy hair that always managed to fall in his eyes.
Karen was about to huff out how unfair that was but never got the chance. The next second the door to the diner flew open, hinges screeched at the impact. It slammed against the wall, the tiny bell ripped from its place from the force. It slid across the floor, stopping only when it reached Karen's feet. She could have screamed out in shock if everything hadn't happened so fast.
"What are you doing here?" Cef roared at her from the door. Slamming it shut with such force the walls practically quaked. He thundered into the diner, moving towards her with fire in his eyes. "What the fuck are you doing here? Why aren't you in Queens?"
Karen bit her lip, swallowing hard. She knew this was inevitable. She knew he would find out. Damn, Sylvester, you could have given me more time. She tried speaking, tried to explain, as she watched him stalk towards her, before turning sharply and stomping away, then spun on his heel, marching towards her again, but she didn't know what to say.
Cef lumbered back and forth, back and forth, growling and groaning furiously, his hands waved in the air at her as if yelling and screaming at her. ”Do you enjoy toying with me? Is that it? Do you enjoy pissing me off? Is that fun for you?" he eventually shouted at her before she even had a chance to think of a few apologetic words. "I thought I made myself perfectly clear, Karen. I told you to stay the fuck away from here. Away from the city." His coat whipped around him with every turn he made, heavy boots hammering on the vinyl floor that made her fear for the plastic. His beanie was gone, his horns were free and his dreads were everywhere. "You stay put where I damn well tell you to."
”Oh. Oh, hang on a minute,” Karen heard herself splutter. ”Stay where you damn well tell me to?” she repeated in disbelief. ”Don't give me that. What you made pretty clear is that you don't care.” She threw her hands in the air in much the same fashion as him as she rolled her eyes at the words. ”Apparently, I just can't be your pet right now.”
”Stop that!" he yelled, pointing an angry finger at her. "Stop that right now. Don't play games with me. You know damn well that I needed you to stay far, far away from me and you damn well know why."
"Why?" Karen growled.
"Oh, you little- you know I needed you safe," he hissed at her, finally stopping his relentless pacing up and down the floor. "You know I needed you to stay away so you would be safe."
”Why didn't you just fucking say so?" she yelled back at him.
”I did,” he ground out through a clenched jaw and gritted teeth. His brows lowered over eyes that still sparked with fury, his forehead furrowed and his hair in disarray, it all made him seem much larger than he was. A mountain staring daggers at her in the middle of the diner. ”I did say so. I said stay with the humans, stay where you are safe. Stay put.”
”No, do you know what you did?" Karen spat, fuming as well. "You barked out insults at me. You made me feel so dumb for trusting you, for allowing you to- to- to-" She faltered, biting her lip. "To you know,” she stuttered, fighting the blush. ”You acted so horribly, as if you got what you wanted and then threw me away like a used fucking tampon.”
”Like a what?” his eyebrows shot up at the unfamiliar word.
”It's a little thing you use to- No, never mind!" she growled at him. "You were awful to me. The things you said made me feel so cheap, so used. And apparently, everything we shared was a giant lie so you could get a little action between the sheets with the clueless, oblivious human."
Cef started rubbing his temples furiously, groaning loudly. ”I didn't mean it like that. I- You know exactly what I m
eant, Karen. You- you-”
"I- I- what?" Karen snapped, "What is it that I know exactly? I can't read you, Cef, everything you say is completely contradictory."
Cef, rubbing his forehead, his eyes shut tightly as he tried assembling words in his head, growled at the ceiling. "Vein?" he blurted out, "Vein? Of all places? Was I not enough for you? Vein?” He shook his head, his entire body shook with it, dreads whipped him in the face.
“He hypnotized me with his glamour, his- his- his deadly charm thing. I'm sorry if I feel like it wasn't completely all of my doing. I had absolutely no intention of going there."
“And I am going to kill that Vamp!" He hissed out the promise with another angry finger shaking at her. "Kill him again I mean. I am going to wring de La Fontaine's damn neck. He is going to wish he was never turned, wish that he had stayed dead the first damn time." Demon curses fell from his lips, angry, harsh sounds she had no way of deciphering, but the tone gave them away.
Karen huffed. “I wish he was dead, too. I mean dead-er.” As glad as she was that he was finally being held just a little bit accountable, she was not ready to give up the fight. Cef had come at her with guns blazing and she never took kindly to being attacked. “You hurt me, Ceftion,” she yelled. “Gaston may have taken advantage, but I was hurt.” And vulnerable, she admitted to herself, Hurt, vulnerable and an easy target for a strong Vamp. Fuck, I was dumb. Once again, she found her anger aimed at no one but herself. “And I'm apparently a prize to be had among Vamps. I'm glad everyone decided to tell me that before I was abducted and taken to a vampire club.” Her words were coated in sarcasm. She leaned back on the counter, crossing her arms over her chest with another angry huff, watching as Cef once again began pacing up and down the floor. “I'm so very glad Vamps are just allowed to walk around free to pounce on young women.”