by M. J. Caan
They both burst out laughing at that. It was nice to know they hadn’t lost their sense of humor; even on the possible eve of their deaths.
“Alright. Time to get serious,” said Jasmin.
She removed the cap from the vial and carefully added two drops of blood into the potion. Instantly, the contents of the mortar began to smoke and hiss.
“Is that normal?” questioned Torie.
Jasmin shrugged. “No idea. Obviously what we are dealing with isn’t entirely human, so who knows. Alva? You seen this before?”
Alva shimmered next to them. “You must have done something wrong,” she said. “That only happens if you add the blood of something dead.”
She leaned over the brew and whispered something in a language Torie didn’t understand. The brew settled down, turning murky and then crimson at Jasmin’s words.
“You have got to teach me that as well. What language was that?”
“A language older than any that is still spoken in this world. You will be surprised at how quickly you’ll pick it up. It is the language of hexes, and once you are exposed to it, you will become fluent in no time.”
Torie nodded, looking at the putrid liquid. “What do we do now?”
“Get me a small empty jar to put it in. Then, we activate the tracking spell and go find this bastard.”
Torie looked at the jar on a shelf and started to try summoning it. The thought of failure was too much for her to handle and, with a sigh, she walked over and grabbed it, passing it to Jasmin who gingerly began filling it with the potion.
“Now, go get Elric and Fionna. It’s time.”
When she returned with their friends at her side, Jasmin placed the vial with the remaining blood on the floor in front of her.
“Take my hands, Torie,” she said, reaching out. They clasped hands above the vial. “Repeat after me, and envision the spell finding the killer.”
“Oh daughter of the moon, of wax and wane,
send this blood back, from whence it came!”
Torie closed her eyes and began reciting the spell with Jasmin. Together, they repeated the incantation four times before Jasmin stopped and dropped Torie’s hands.
The vial of blood ruptured, sending dark red tendrils of smoke into the air. It roiled, gathering into an angry cloud that looked like a thunderhead with the dying light of a sunset shining through. Rising, it swirled between them and then headed for the windows at the front of the house.
“Follow it!” said Jasmin. “It should take us right to the—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the cloud stopped, spinning in place like a small dust devil, before splitting open in a shower of crimson sparks and disappearing.
“What happened?” asked Torie. “Did the spell not work?”
“No, it worked,” said Jasmin. “I can’t imagine why it would just stop like that. Unless…”
Just then, Torie’s mother shimmered, her form becoming dimmer, her face a mask of surprise and fear.
“Torie! Run…there is something wicked heading this way!”
But before anyone could respond, the front door shattered inward under the force of a powerful kick. A figure dressed in black, face covered in the darkness of a black hood, stepped inside.
“Forgive me, witches,” it said in a raspy voice. “I am commanded to kill all of you; but first you will turn over whatever evidence you have. Do that, and I will make your deaths painless.”
And then, faster than any of the women could react, it launched itself at them.
24
Torie was the closest to the shadow, and she felt a sudden burning on the side of her face as it struck her before racing on towards Jasmin.
It was close to making contact, when a large blur broadsided it. Elric, in full wolf form, knocked the killer sideways into the wall, pouncing on the creature with a roar that nearly deafened all in the room. Despite his size and the ferocity of his attack, the shadow figure had regained its balance. It struck out with a fist, and Elric howled in pain.
Fionna leapt to his side, taking up an iron poker from the fireplace and bringing it down with all her strength onto the creature’s head. She heard a satisfying grunt of pain before an open-handed slap sent her spiraling across the room.
Jasmin whirred into action; reaching into her purse, she pulled out the jar that contained the potion she and Torie had created. She raised her hand to throw it at the shadow, only to suddenly find her arm locked in mid-air, enclosed in a grip of iron. The killer had become a blur, rushing to her before she could even throw it. She screamed in pain as the grip on her forearm tightened and she knew that at any moment the bones in her arm would shatter.
“No!” screamed Torie, throwing her hands out. Again, the same force she had felt at the vet’s office flew out of her, sending the killer and Jasmin tumbling across the room to crash into the kitchen.
Before either of them could react, Elric was in his hybrid werewolf form and sprinting to their side. He grabbed the killer from behind, locking his powerful arms around him. Fionna ran to his side, throwing herself around the attacker’s legs, adding her own shifter strength to Elric’s to hold him fast.
It was at that moment Torie moved to pick up the jar Jasmin had dropped. She loosened the cap just as Elric and Fionna were losing their hold on the more powerful killer.
“Go to sleep!” she said, throwing the contents into the shadow’s face.
Immediately, the figure slumped, held aloft in Elric’s arms.
“It’s not completely out,” said Elric, his voice sounded like rocks being churned in a cement mixture. “It’s fighting the spell!”
Jasmin was on her feet and moved to stand in front of them. She reached up and snatched back the hood revealing the killer’s face. Her hand flew to her mouth in horror.
“Arnold?” she said. “It can’t be.”
But it was. The vampire’s head lolled, his chin on his chest. The potion should have put him to sleep, but he resisted, lifting his face to Jasmin’s. His eyes were red, his lips drawn back in a grimace.
“Jasmin,” he said weakly, “please…I don’t want to hurt anyone. I can’t stop myself…you need to get out of here before…” his voice trailed off and his head dropped.
“Before what?” she urged, backing up to stand next to Torie.
Still held fast in Elric’s grasp, Arnold snapped to attention, his face a mask of hatred and anger as he looked at Jasmin.
“Before I have to hurt you all.”
He roared in defiance, raising his arms to break free of Elric’s hold. He lashed out again, sending both Torie and Jasmin sprawling. Then, pivoting on one leg, he cast off Fionna and turned to face Elric.
Twisting free of the werewolf, he snapped one of Elric’s arms, relishing in the yelp of pain it elicited. Then, using his superior strength, he grabbed the wolf, one arm around his waist, and with the other he grabbed Elric’s shock of hair, pulling his head back so that the werewolf’s throat was exposed. He leaned back, extending his fangs to their full length, and leaned in, targeting the lycanthrope’s neck.
Torie was on her knees, watching the horror unfold. There was nothing she could do. Her head hurt from multiple blows, and her lungs screamed for oxygen. She watched helplessly as the creature that had killed her mother, and was about to kill someone she was just beginning to develop feelings for, lowered his teeth, his weapons, onto Elric’s throat.
No.
This was not something she would allow. No one else was going to die under her watch. She felt a swelling of strength she had never known as her magic bubbled up inside of her, waiting for her call. She held out her hand.
“Fangs!” she said, her voice powerful and resolute.
Instantly, her hand was filled with what felt like hard, slick rocks. She looked down and realized they weren’t rocks at all; but rather, shiny white, very pointy, teeth covered in red saliva.
She dropped them in disgust as she looked up at Arnold.
The now de-fanged vampire stood in shock, one hand covering his mouth, blood seeping through his fingers. He had dropped Elric, and the werewolf was struggling to get enough oxygen into his system to quench the fire that threatened to burn through his lungs.
Fionna crept up slowly behind them, her hand at her side, holding something that Torie couldn’t make out.
No, not holding…covered in something. There was a glint of light as it reflected off the object over her fist. Arnold sensed her presence at the last minute and turned. But it was too late. She sent her fist rocketing into his jaw. The vampire’s head snapped around and he dropped like a puppet with cut strings.
Torie ran over to them, looking from the collapsed vampire to Fionna, who was shaking her hand and grimacing in pain.
“What is that?” asked Torie incredulously as she pointed to Fionna’s hand.
“Solid silver brass knuckles,” Fionna said. “Sometimes, old-school is the best school.”
“Where did you get something like that?”
“From me,” said Elric, now fully human and massaging a bruised shoulder. “Living in a place like this, with a potentially supernatural killer running around targeting shifters, you can’t be too careful.” He winked at Fionna, giving her a warm smile.
Jasmin stumbled up to them, one hand on her head as she surveyed the fallen vampire.
“Jasmin, are you okay?” asked Torie, examining her friend’s forehead.
“Nothing that a couple weeks of sleep and a few bottles of Midol won’t fix,” she said.
Bending down, she checked Arnold, placing a finger on his neck.
“Is he…alive?” asked Fionna.
“I have no idea,” Jasmin said. “Vampires don’t have a pulse, so I guess. I mean, he didn’t turn into ash or a puff of smoke, so that must be a good thing, right?”
“Do they do that?” questioned Torie.
“No. They don’t,” said Elric. “They are notoriously hard to kill. You have to remove their head and then burn it.” He bent down, reaching for the unconscious vampire.
“No!” said Torie. “I mean, don’t do it; at least not here. It sounds like it would be really gross.”
“Um, you just ripped all his teeth out,” said Elric.
Torie blushed. “But, I mean, it sounded like he didn’t know what he was doing. Or at least he wasn’t in control.”
“She’s right,” said Jasmin. “He kept telling us to run; that he couldn’t stop himself. I think he was just a tool that someone was using.”
“You think the hedge witch is behind all of this?” said Torie.
Jasmin nodded. “Who else would be stupid enough to create a potion that could bring a vampire under their thrall? Especially one as old as Arnold. The question is why would one attempt this?”
“What do we do with him?” asked Fionna. “I don’t know much about vampire physiology, but I’m betting he won’t be out for long.”
Torie looked at Elric. “I don’t suppose you have silver chains, do you?”
Elric’s eyes grew wide. “Actually, I do! But by the time I get them and get back—”
“He could be awake and ready for round two,” finished Jasmin.
“He killed Taylor. I say we let Elric finish him,” said Fionna.
“Works for me,” came a voice from behind them. A diminutive figure stepped into the room through the broken doorway. “Saves me the trouble of having to do it myself.”
“Breonna?” said Jasmin. “Are you—?”
“Yep,” said the vampire’s assistant. “I’m all hedged out.”
She pulled a vial from the pocket of the jacket she wore and threw it to the ground. It shattered on impact, releasing a thick smoke that split into two clouds, each billowing towards the two shifters. Both Fionna and Elric dropped to the ground when it assaulted them, flooding their systems with sleeping potion.
Jasmin quickly raised a hand, swirling it in mid-air, creating a gust of wind that was strong enough to carry the magical smoke out the door and away from herself and Torie.
“Nice,” said Breonna. “I’m not here for you two. I just need one more shifter and then I swear I’ll be out of this town for good. You’ll never have to see me again.”
Torie took a step to the side, putting some distance between her and Jasmin without taking her eyes off the young hedge witch.
“Is that why you’ve been having Arnold hunt them? Harvest blood and whatever else from them? What are you doing with shifters?” Torie asked.
Breonna shrugged. Her affect was flat and emotionless. “I’m not doing anything with them. I’m just doing what I was paid to do. What they do with the shifter parts they ask for…not my business.”
Before Torie could ask who they were, the hedge witch reached into another pocket, taking out a second vial. She drew her arm back to throw it at the witches. But this time Torie was faster. She threw her hands out, blasting Breonna away from them and sending the vial clattering out the door.
Jasmin approached Breonna before she could make her way to her feet. She held out both hands and said:
“Unclean creature I bind you in place,
locking you now in time and space.”
The spell wrapped around Breonna like quicksand, freezing her where she lay. The girl’s eyes looked around frantically as she realized she couldn’t move. Her face twisted wildly as her anger began to turn to fear. “What…what did you do to me?” she mouthed, her words slurred by her inability to properly control her lips and tongue.
“Just a little spell that will keep you nice and still for us while you tell us what’s going on,” said Jasmin.
Breonna’s frozen eyes hardened. “I’m not telling you anything. Because I don’t know anything.”
“We’ll see about that,” said Jasmin. Elric was beginning to stir, and she made her way over to help him to his feet.
He saw the hedge witch locked in place and a growl escaped his throat as he walked over to her.
“Do you recognize her scent?” asked Jasmin.
Elric nodded his head. “Yes, she is the source of the magic that cloaks the vampire.”
“You don’t scare me,” said Breonna. “You old witches don’t have the balls to take out Arnold; and he killed a lot of your friends. Stop posturing and let me go. Maybe we can work something out.”
Something in her tone, her smugness, her youthful cockiness, struck at Torie. She walked over to the young witch and pulled her hair back until she was looking up at them.
“Little girl, let me tell you something,” said Jasmin. “This is not Buffy and you are most definitely not the chosen one. I will not think twice about letting this wolf eat you.”
“Wait,” said Torie, her voice cold and calm, “I have a better idea.” She leaned over Breonna and smiled. “You saw what I did to Arnold. I wonder what I can pull out of you?”
She held her hand out, palm up, in front of the wide-eyed girl.
“What is it that a hedge witch would be most afraid of losing? Oh, I know…” she narrowed her gaze and stared at the girl before speaking a single word. “Fingers—”
“No!” screamed Breonna, stopping the summoning. “I don’t know much but I’ll tell you what I can. Just don’t finish that; please.”
Jasmin looked at Torie and nodded.
“Okay, then talk,” said Torie.
“I’ve never met the man before; the guy that hired me. He just gave me a list of very specific parts, organs, bones, that he needed from shifters.”
“What was he doing with them?” asked Jasmin.
“I don’t know. He just said he wanted to—” Her voice trailed off and her eyes grew wide.
“What?” said Torie. “He wanted to do what?”
But this time when Breonna answered it was not the same voice they had just spoken to. It was deep and raspy; one that reminded Torie of that little girl from The Exorcist.
“No, little witches. You will not learn anything from this one. But soon, maybe soon
er than you know, we’ll have a chat in person.”
With that, Breonna’s eyes rolled back in her head and her face went slack. A foul-smelling vapor escaped her open mouth. She moaned, deep in the back of her throat before her head slumped forward and she breathed her last breath.
Torie jumped back, both hands over her mouth to stifle a scream.
Jasmin waved her hand, releasing the body from the spell that held it in place.
“Jesus,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.” She walked over and placed two fingers on Breonna’s neck. “Wow. Dead as a doornail.”
“What now?” said Fionna.
“Now we call the sheriff,” said Torie. “And give him the body of a killer.”
There was a muffled moan and they turned to see Arnold sitting up. He looked around the room before reaching a hand tenderly to his mouth.
“What happened…is she dead?” he said, his words muffled and wet.
“You’re okay,” said Jasmin. She went over to her friend and helped him to his feet. “Do you remember what happened?”
Arnold’s face grew slack, his eyes began to dart back and forth wildly. “Oh no. What have I done? All those shifters…I…oh no, Taylor!”
Jasmin caught him as he collapsed forward.
“I am so, so sorry. I didn’t have control. I didn’t want to do any of those things. I wanted to stop. I even tried to kill myself once, but I couldn’t do it.” He looked around the room at everyone. “You should kill me now. I don’t want to ever be in that situation again.”
“She’s gone,” said Torie. “I am betting with her death, the spell that controlled you is broken as well.”
Torie’s mother appeared in a wisp of smoke that took on her transparent form.
“She’s right,” said Alva. “I have my memories back. I remember what happened that day I was… I was killed. She was with you. She threw some type of dust on you and whispered in your ear. Then you attacked me and Ellie. But it wasn’t your fault, Arnold.” She choked back tears, but for Arnold it was all too much. His eyes welled up and red tears flowed down his cheeks.