Portion Disaster

by Zoe Arden

  "What did you say?" my dad asked, running to my side.

  I shook my head, clearing it.

  "Colt's been hurt. I don't know what happened but he's not moving."

  My dad, Eleanor, Trixie, and I ran into the back. I ignored Damon for now. I could talk to him later. Dean had moved to the far wall at the back of the bakery. The knife that had been lying at his feet was gone. My dad knelt and began assessing Colt's condition.

  "I think he's been stabbed," my dad said.

  My eyes shot toward Dean. "Where's the knife?" I demanded.

  Dean looked at me, wild-eyed, and ran out the back door that led to the alley. I took a step to follow him but Colt began to groan. His eyes fluttered open.

  "Colt?" I asked, kissing his mouth gently. "Colt?" I placed my hand on his cheek. His eyes looked up at me but they were glassy and void of alertness. "Colt?" I said, louder, panic gripping me as his eyes closed again.

  "Ssh," my dad said, pulling me away. Eleanor and Trixie raised their hands and began reciting a spell I only vaguely recognized. It had to do with safety and recovery. I buried my head against my father's shoulder, afraid that if I looked at Colt again, I would see that he had finally stopped breathing.

  The faint aroma of sulfur hung in the air. I hadn't noticed it at first but the more I stood there, the stronger it became. I finally dared a glance at Eleanor and Trixie to see if they might be causing the scent, and I saw Colt's whole body engulfed in a yellow light so soft it was almost white. Suddenly, his head shot up. He let out a loud cough and opened his eyes.

  "What happened?" he asked.

  Relief washed over me. I ran back to his side and planted a million kisses over his face. He winced as his chest convulsed with laughter.

  "I'm sorry," I said. "Are you okay?"

  "I don't know," he said. "My head feels weird. Why am I on the floor?"

  "You were attacked," I said.

  "Attacked?" he asked, his eyes widening. He coughed again and his eyes drew together in pain.

  "Don't try to move," Trixie said, pushing him back down so he was lying on the floor again instead of sitting. "Eleanor and I did a quick stability charm but you need a real doctor to help you."

  "I called Dr. Dunne," Damon said. "He should be here any minute." We all looked over at him. None of us had heard him come into the room. I'd completely forgotten he was even here.

  "Thanks," I said and offered him a quick, small smile. He'd probably come here to make up. I'd let him know later that I accepted his apology and hoped we could still be friends. I should probably apologize, too.

  Damon smiled back. Colt coughed again and his eyes fought to stay open. "Who attacked me?" he asked, his voice raspy.

  I looked at my aunts and father. "I... I think Dean did," I told him, then shook my head. "But I don't know for sure."

  Dean had been the only one in the room with him but the look in his eyes when I'd found Colt unconscious had been pure and total surprise. I wasn't sure if anyone could fake that kind of shock. When he'd said he didn't do it, he'd sounded so sincere it was hard to ignore. But then why had he taken the knife? Had it been the same knife used on Trevor? I suspected that it had. The size of it had been an exact match.

  I cradled Colt's head in my hands, trying to make him comfortable. It seemed like forever before Dr. Dunne finally showed up. Nurse Sadie Belle was with him, along with a couple of paramedics. She shot my father a comforting smile, and I noticed her squeeze his arm as she hurried past him to Colt.

  "What happened?" Dr. Dunne asked.

  My father explained that he thought Colt had been stabbed. Dr. Dunne lifted his shirt and I turned away.

  "The wound's not deep," Dr. Dunne said. "He's lucky."

  "So, he's okay?" I asked.

  "He will be. I just need to get him to the hospital." The paramedics lifted Colt onto a gurney and wheeled him out. He tried to smile at me as he rolled past but it didn't last.

  "Are you sure he's okay?" I asked. "He can hardly keep his eyes open."

  "I'm fine," Colt said but it came out all garbled.

  "I didn't say he was okay," Dr. Dunne replied. "I said he will be okay. I need to clean his wounds and stitch him up. What was he stabbed with?"

  "A cake knife," I said, and everyone looked at me. "I saw it on the floor," I told them.

  "Bring it along," Dr. Dunne said. "I want to test it for poisons and hexes."

  "It's gone," I told them.

  "Gone?" Eleanor shouted. "Who took it?"

  "Dean Lampton."

  Dr. Dunne looked confused for a moment.

  "Doctor, we're ready," Sadie called from out front.

  "I suggest you call Sheriff Knoxx and inform him what's happened. If you find the knife, bring it to the hospital." Dr. Dunne hurried out of the bakery. I caught sight of Natalie Vargas and several others peering in through the windows.

  "Great," I muttered. "Just what we need. Fresh gossip."

  "Want me to get rid of them?" Damon asked as Natalie stepped inside.

  "I couldn't help but notice all the commotion," Natalie said, feigning concern. "What happened? Tell me everything."

  I looked at Damon gratefully.

  "Yes, please," I whispered, and suddenly Damon was whisking Natalie out the door.

  "Bakery's closed for the rest of the day," he said, shooting a look to Eleanor, who nodded.

  Sadie poked her head back in. "Are you riding with us, Ava?"

  "I'll meet you at the hospital," I told my family and hurried outside.

  "Lots of tourists out today," one of the paramedics said. "We'd better use the sirens or we're liable to run them over." He flipped the sirens on and I groaned. If people weren't paying attention to us before, they certainly were now. Whatever. A hundred Natalie Vargases could spread gossip all around Florida if they wanted to, if only it meant that Colt would be okay.

  * * *

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-THREE

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  I sat in the waiting room, counting the seconds on the clock as I held my breath. When we'd arrived, Colt's color had seemed better. His eyes had looked more alert. Whatever they'd given him on the ride over had added some pep back into him and I'd been grateful for it.

  Trixie, Eleanor, and my dad sat nearby. Sheriff Knoxx paced up and down the corridors. He was on the phone talking to Warden Banks, who wouldn't stop calling. Apparently, Sean had immediately reported the situation to him. I wasn't exactly sure why the warden should care, I could only assume he was hoping that this would somehow come back to bite Polly or Calista.

  According to Felicity, who was keeping Lucy informed on everything that happened in Mistmoor, no one had seen or heard from Calista since the night of my party. Her mother and grandmother were forcing her to keep a low profile. I couldn't say that I blamed them.

  "No, Warden Banks," Sheriff Knoxx said, his voice tired and annoyed. "Polly Peacock was nowhere near the bakery when it happened. Don't you think your henchman would have—okay, not henchman, Sean—but don't you think he would have seen Polly Peacock there? That's what you're paying him for, right?"

  The warden wanted up-to-the-minute information on what was happening and refused to cut anyone a break, even Sheriff Knoxx. Deputy Elwin Muster, who had taken Otis' place when he was elected mayor, stood nearby with his notepad in hand, ready to jot down anything Sheriff Knoxx said.

  "Coffee?" my dad suddenly asked.

  "Yes, please," I said, and realized I should probably text Lucy. I sent her a quick message explaining what had happened in case she hadn't already heard.

  The sliding hospital doors opened and Russell came in, looking frazzled. His face was white, even for a vampire.

  "Where is he?" Russell demanded. I could tell he was on the verge of freaking out and wanted to tell him something that would ease his worries.

  "He's okay," I said. "Dr. Dunne is with him. He'
s awake now and should be just fine."

  Russell relaxed slightly. Eleanor had called him for me on her way over to the hospital. I was glad we were all together. The last thing I wanted was to be alone right now. Damon had stopped in for a minute but only to tell me that if I needed anything, I should let him know. He didn't want to stay and get in the way. I told him he wouldn't be but I wasn't sure how Colt would feel about it if he'd found out Damon was hanging out with me in the waiting room. I was glad when Damon had left.

  My dad returned with coffee for everyone. Russell drew a small flask from the side pocket of his coat and slipped something thick and red into his coffee. He stirred it up and drank it. The color began returning to his face. Everyone pretended they hadn't noticed. It wasn't unusual for vampires to add a shot of blood to anything they drank.

  "So, can someone please explain to me how this happened?" Russell asked.

  Everyone looked at me. I shrugged and told them what I'd seen when I entered the back room. Dean standing over Colt, the knife at his feet.

  "Are you sure it was the same knife that killed Trevor?" Trixie asked.

  "No, but it looked like it. Remember, Eleanor special ordered that knife. It was twice as large as a normal cake knife."

  Russell shuddered.

  "Colt's strong," I told him and squeezed his hand. It was ice cold but his eyes were warm and vibrant.

  "If Dean really did this to Colt," my dad said, his brow furrowing, "is it possible he killed Trevor, too?"

  "Why would he?" Trixie asked.

  Russell cleared his throat. "Trevor was part of an anti-vampire group who call themselves Vampire Defenders. They're a lot like Mothers Against Paranormal Predators, only they're made up of witches and wizards and all they care about is getting rid of vampires."

  My mouth dropped open. Everyone looked at each other. "I've never heard of them," I said.

  "They like to keep a low profile. They're careful about who they recruit... and who they threaten."

  "Threaten?" Trixie and I said together.

  "Dean told Colt not long ago that their little group had threatened to hex COMHA's headquarters with some kind of blood boiling spell if they didn't get all the vampires out of Heavenly Haven."

  "But there's only a handful of you here to begin with," I said.

  "And Melbourne is one of them," Trixie cried, her face turning beet red. "What would people here do without him? He supplies this island with the best coffee in the world!"

  I thought that might have been a bit of an exaggeration but said nothing. Trixie was particularly sensitive about Melbourne.

  Sheriff Knoxx had finally managed to hang up with the warden and join our conversation. Elwin Muster stood next to him with his pen poised. The sheriff was looking at us like we were all crazy, even Eleanor.

  "Are you saying that you think Dean Lampton, the head of COMHA, killed Trevor Bailey because Trevor threatened him?" Sheriff Knoxx asked, trying not to laugh.

  I shrugged. "It's possible."

  "It's ridiculous," Sheriff Knoxx said. "I'm well aware of Vampire Defenders. They're a small group. There's maybe twelve of them and all they do is make empty threats."

  "What about my son?" Russell asked.

  "What about him?" Sheriff Knoxx asked. "Vampire Defenders didn't kill Colt. And you don't really think Dean tried to kill him, do you? Why would he do that?"

  Everyone shrugged. No one had a good answer to that, even Russell.

  Dr. Dunne stepped into the waiting room just then. His face was sour. Russell and I stood up.

  "Can we see him?" I asked.

  "Well..." Dr. Dunne said, his cheeks reddening. His eyes were clouded. "There's been a change in Colt's condition."

  "A change?" I squealed. Eleanor and Trixie each took one of my hands. "What do you mean?"

  "What's happened to my son?" Russell demanded.

  When Dr. Dunne didn't answer him fast enough, Russell pushed past him and ran down the hall until he found the right room. It was easy for him, with his heightened vampire senses. He could probably smell Colt. I chased after him. We paused together outside the room, looking in. Colt was lying unconscious in a hospital bed. Tons of machines beeped and blurped back at us. A breathing mask was over his face.

  Dr. Dunne caught up to us. "He won't wake up," he told us solemnly. "And I don't know why."

  "But he seemed okay when we got here," I said.

  "I thought so, too," said the doctor. "Then suddenly he just... went to sleep."

  Russell went to Colt and took his hand.

  "Something's happened to him beyond a simple stabbing," Dr. Dunne said quietly. "Something dark."

  "The knife?" I asked. "Could it have been hexed?"

  "It must have been. That's the only thing that would explain this. If we had the knife, I could test it but, until then, I'm flying blind."

  There were light footfalls behind us. Sheriff Knoxx, my aunts, and my father stood there, looking worried.

  "I put out a notice to all officers, including the ones in Mistmoor, to keep an eye out for Dean Lampton," Sheriff Knoxx said. "Even if he's not responsible for this, he may know something that can help. He was the last one with Colt before it happened."

  "Thanks." I turned back to Dr. Dunne. "Did Colt say anything before he lost consciousness?" I asked, remembering what he'd said about knowing who the killer was.

  "Just nonsense," Dr. Dunne replied. "Something about sulfur and black mist."

  My eyes widened. "What about them?" I asked.

  Dr. Dunne shrugged. "Nothing, really. He just kept saying they were the key but the key to what I couldn't tell you."

  * * *

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-FOUR

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  "Ow!" Eleanor said as I accidentally stepped on her toes. "Watch it."

  "Sorry," I whispered. We were standing huddled in a corner of the hospital hallway just outside Colt's room. Trixie and my dad were with us. Sheriff Knoxx had stayed in the room with Colt and Russell, which was just fine with me. I wasn't sure I wanted him to hear this just yet. If I was wrong, I'd feel like a fool.

  "What is so important you're trying to run us all over?" Eleanor asked.

  "Sulfur," I whispered hurriedly, looking around. Part of me was still paranoid I was being watched. Sean had been just outside the bakery; why shouldn't he be here, too? I didn't need him reporting back to Warden Banks about my every move or thought. "Dr. Dunne said Colt kept talking about sulfur."

  "So?" my dad asked.

  "Did any of you smell sulfur the night Trevor was killed?" They all wrinkled their brows.

  "I don't remember," Eleanor said. "Maybe."

  "What about you?" I asked Trixie.

  "I don't know. I think I did, actually. It hadn't occurred to me until now."

  "I smelled it, too," I told them. "And I think Colt did as well."

  They stared at me blankly. "Don't you see? It's a clue. What does the scent of sulfur signify?"

  "Rotten eggs," Eleanor said immediately. I rolled my eyes. "What else?"

  They looked uncertainly at each other. "Tricksters," my dad said.

  "What are tricksters?" I asked. They all laughed. I bit back the irritation rising in my throat. Sometimes I almost forgot what a newbie witch I was.

  "They're like demons but less scary," Eleanor said. "They can take a corporeal form or an ethereal one. They're found wandering around in nature, most often. They're like sprites that way; they like the forests and lakes."

  "And they like to play tricks on people," Trixie said. "Mess with them. That sort of thing. The most benign ones will do silly things like tie your shoelaces together when you aren't looking. The most hideous ones will act more like a demon, possessing your body and refusing to let go."

  "Do they ever kill people?" I asked.

  "They're not known to," my dad said.

  "But they can," Tr
ixie added, her eyes darkening. "Especially if they're being controlled by a witch."

  "How can a witch control a trickster?" I asked.

  "If they were to conjure one up instead of coming across it naturally," Trixie said, "they would have power over it. The trickster would have to do its bidding."

  My dad shook his head. "Technically, Trixie's right, but it's ridiculous. Tricksters leave telltale signs of their presence all over the place. I haven't seen any—"

  "Like sulfur?" I asked, cutting him off.

  He reluctantly nodded his head.

  "Yes, sulfur is one of their signs."

  "And black mist?"

  Eleanor looked at my dad then at me. She nodded.

  "What else?" I asked them.

  "Black eyes," Eleanor said. My heart almost stopped.

  "Black eyes?"

  She nodded. "If a trickster's taken possession of someone, it can cause their eyes to turn solid black."

  "They can possess people?" I asked, hardly catching my breath.

  "Oh, yes," Eleanor said. "Most entities can to one degree or another."

  Oh, my roses.

  My heart skipped a beat. I suddenly wished that I had told Colt what I'd seen the night of my party. Maybe he wouldn't have thought I was crazy, after all. From what my family was describing, Polly sounded as if she was possessed by a trickster. If only I could make sure...

  "What are the other signs?" I asked them. They began to rattle off a list of signs to look for that indicated tricksters were possessing a person.

  "Greasy hair," said Trixie.

  "And yellow fingernails," added my father.

  "Their breath will probably smell like garlic, too," said Eleanor.

  "But they can only inhabit witches and warlocks. Not humans," Trixie said.

  "Why not?" I asked.

  She shrugged. "They can trick on them as well as any witch but something about human bodies turns them off."