by A M Boone
“The fire department thinks it was a gas explosion?” I shrugged. “I’m going to go home before the news shows up and I get interrogated for the second time today.”
“Where did Santiago go?”
“Back to his dorm.”
“But that’s three miles away. You just let him walk?”
I swallowed. How did I even answer this? Normal humans weren’t supposed to know non-humans existed. And if I were super unlucky, they could even be part of the weird Mother of Light cult.
“He just felt like walking. He wanted some time alone.”
They both eyed me, but they couldn’t prove anything.
“Do you want me to accompany you to the hospital?” I asked.
The emergency workers eventually talked them into going to the Rose Creek Hospital, and they went. While they were getting herded into ambulances, I took the time to slip away. I could deal with them later.
* * *
As I drove home, I was still jumping at anything that even vaguely looked like a hooded figure. But nothing seemed to be around. Just people milling on the main streets and near Johanna Winston.
But as I was walking across the parking lot, someone—or something—snuck up behind me and whispered in my ear, “I’m so sorry.”
I pressed the button on the bracelet, and whipped around, but by the time I could aim, it was gone. What the hell was going on?
My heart pounded against my ribs, and I sprinted across the parking lot, my hands clammy. Vincent said that someone already tried to kill me… Would I have to kill someone? Harm someone again? What was this doing to me…
Someone was hanging around my apartment door.
I aimed the gun at them and snarled, “Why are you here—”
They stepped into the light, and I relaxed. I’d know that crop of red hair anywhere.
“Felix? What are you doing here?”
He held his hands up, chuckling. “Don’t shoot! I’m innocent, I swear. Vincent sent me to make sure you got home okay.”
“I’m fine.” I pushed the button again.
“I heard that you nearly got blown up?”
“Yeah, they collapsed the police station… But I’m fine.”
“Good. When Vincent realized what happened, he nearly lost it. Losing two assistants in the space of a year isn’t great for the psyche. But y’know… Since Daniel… He hasn’t been the same.” He sighed. “I miss the old Vincent.”
“What was he like before?”
“Less of an ass. More playful. Less reserved. Less likely to eat people. Daniel brought out the best in him.”
“Do you… do you hate me?”
He cocked his head to the side. “Why would I?”
“I guess…” I rubbed my arm. “You think I’m trying to be a replacement for Daniel.”
“Nah. You and Daniel couldn’t be more different. He was innocent and sunny, and you’ve seen some shit.” He shrugged. “I admit I was a bit skeptical about him picking up some random fourth off the street, but after what you did to Neil, I think you’ll be good for him.”
Fair.
“Vincent’s weird like that. Most cubi… we don’t care where we get our next meal from. I usually just hit up a bar or club and go with whoever seems the most appetizing, but Vincent… He likes making connections. He doesn’t get bored.” He leaned back on the railing, staring at me intently. “He was fine with exclusively feeding off of Daniel the entire time they were together. I couldn’t do that. I’d go crazy.”
“Oh.”
Should I pry? I could learn more about Vincent and Daniel, but if Felix went and blabbed to Vincent, it’d end badly for me.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Could you tell me more about what happened to Daniel?”
A small, yet uncomfortable look came over his face. “Oh, fuck me. I really shouldn’t be talking about this, but I know he’ll never willingly bring it up, so… Sure. On one condition.”
“What is it?”
“Another kiss from the lovely lady.”
I paused. Vincent could be watching us right now…
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? He’s possessive…”
“Just one thing for another.”
“All right.”
He tilted my chin up and kissed me lightly. No tongue, just his powder soft lips on mine. Even so, he pulled energy from my body as I squirmed against him. Something about it was different than Vincent’s, more gentle, closer to Felicia’s than his.
“Fuck, that’s good,” he moaned, grazing his lips against mine. His face was heavily flushed.
We both took steps back.
“Okay, so for context, Vincent and Daniel met back in the eighties. Vincent had just donned this persona, and Daniel was a sophomore in college at MIT, if I recall correctly.”
“Persona?”
“We’re long lived, so we change our names and move somewhere else once people start getting suspicious.”
“Couldn’t you just shapeshift yourself older?”
“It’s kinda hard to get laid when you look ninety-five.”
Also fair.
“Daniel was an idiot, but I mean that in the most loving of ways… He summoned a demon without specifying what type. Should’ve been happy he got Vincent and not a Destroyer or something.”
“Oh.”
“When you summon a demon, you can bind them to your will for one favor. Daniel, being a horny teenage boy, asked Vincent to fuck him.”
Figured. I was just as much of a horndog at nineteen.
“But he caught feelings and set out to find Vincent so he could be around him more… Vincent liked his spunk and took him under his wing. And slowly but surely… they fell in love.”
Even though it was wrong, something about this set my teeth on edge. Was it jealousy? Ugh. I had no reason to feel this way—even if it meant I’d always be second in his eyes. Daniel would always be there first and foremost.
“But yeah,” Felix said. “They were inseparable after that. He marked him so he’d be under his protection, and they lived together. I’d never seen him that happy before. Whenever he was around, his eyes lit up… I didn’t get it.”
I nodded feebly, tears pricking at my eyes. Something about this story was too intimate. Like I shouldn’t be hearing it. Like I shouldn’t even be here.
“And it was great for the next thirty years. Vincent started pushing Daniel to get turned, since he was getting older, and it took almost a year for Daniel to agree to it. Religious upbringing.” He shrugged. “The week before Daniel was gonna be turned… Well, Vincent won’t talk about it much.”
“You can turn humans into cubi?”
Probably not the question I should be asking…
“Yeah. Only the queen can do it, and she doesn’t like Vincent much, so it took her a while for her to agree.”
So Vincent’s home realm had a monarchy. At least I was learning a little about the demonic world.
“Anyway, I don’t know the entire story, but from what I heard from bystanders and Vincent… They’d just finished a date and were hanging out in San Francisco. Someone hired a mage to kill Vincent by dispersing his magic, Daniel saw it coming, shoved Vincent out of the way, and got hit. Instantly killed. He didn’t suffer.”
What a way to go. I nodded again.
“I’ll always remember the way he described it. ‘He collapsed, and the light left his eyes.’” He stuck his hands in his pockets. “Vincent confronted the mage, and when he learned he couldn’t be brought back, that the spell destroyed his soul… He lost it. I didn’t hear from him for three weeks after that.”
“Lost it?”
He glanced around. “Probably shouldn’t even be saying this, since the walls have ears, but—” He choked, the color draining out of his face.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’ve… I’ve said too much. But he changed after that. Became darker. More ruthless. And I was just trying to figure out what
to do. How to console him. We’re demons, we’re not good at that. I remember sitting up late at night just wondering about what happened to my closest friend.”
Another nod. Daniel’s death was bad, but I had no idea it was that bad. And it’d only happened six months ago? Vincent was probably still reeling, and here I was, taking everything he’d given me for granted. Not even the material things. He’d given me a new lease on life, out of nothing more than the kindness of his own heart.
Felix shifted a bit, staring at me. “So. That’s the story. As I said before, I only know about it secondhand. Don’t tell him I told you anything. Don’t feel like losing any limbs…”
“I promise.”
“Good. You seem smart, and you’ve got a bit of magic. I think you’ll be fine.” He pinched my cheek. “And you’ve got that esper boy orbiting around you, so…”
I smiled.
“Anyway, I’ll let you go. Stay safe.”
“You too. Night.”
He disappeared in a shimmer of light, leaving me completely alone.
I went into my apartment, my stomach churning and thoughts whirling. Vincent was hurting so badly, and he put up that hard façade to cover it up. What had I gotten myself into? Maybe I’d gotten in over my own head…
I sighed and collapsed onto the couch. Maybe vegging out and watching TV for a few hours would calm me down from the fact that someone wanted me dead.
But just as I was zoning out to late night talk shows, my cellphone buzzed. Santi.
Are you okay?
Fine. Made it home in one piece, spoke to Vincent’s friend, Felix…
About?
Vincent and Daniel.
His previous assistant…
How did he know that? Vincent didn’t tell him… Maybe it was just the rumors swirling around the supernatural world. I idly played with my bracelet as Santi’s messages flew by. He cared so much. I couldn’t help but smile.
Then one from Vincent. Did you make it home all right?
Perfectly fine. Ran into Felix on my way home.
Good. I’ll see you Wednesday night.
I typed another message, but deleted it. Not now. Maybe later. Part of me wanted to grab him and never let him go. Try to make him feel better. The other, more rational part, knew that was stupid. Vincent had to heal on his own terms from Daniel’s death.
It was almost unimaginable. Having the person you’d been with for more than thirty years sacrifice themselves for you. Could I do the same for him? Shove him out of the way, knowing that I faced certain death?
No. At the end of the day, I was a coward. I truly didn’t deserve him.
* * *
The next day, after an almost silent class, where everyone stared at me like I’d grown a third arm, I went to my parents’ house, a cozy one story building facing 580.
They were pseudo-empty nesters, with only Esme living there, since Elliot and I moved out a couple years back.
I parked my car outside and lingered, my heart racing, then adjusted my sunglasses and headed up the front stairs. Momma didn’t need to see this. It’d break her heart. Even if she wasn’t in the loop.
But I had a lot of questions for Daddy. Why didn’t he tell me I was a witch? Why didn’t he tell me about other supernatural beings?
My head spun as I knocked.
Momma opened the door, beaming at me. “Ana, it’s been so long. How have you been?”
We were each other’s splitting image. Medium brown skin, overweight, with long dreadlocks. Though, Daddy always said I took more after my grandfather in temperament, being a quiet workaholic to Momma’s boisterous and laid back.
“Fine. Just hanging in there.”
“I heard from Tony’s parents that he disappeared? What’s going on with that?” she asked.
“No idea.” The words came out quicker than they should have. “He went out to some club in Rose Creek a month ago and never came back.”
“Oh… I see…”
“Is Daddy here?”
“He’s in the bedroom. Do you want anything to eat? I was just finishing up dinner…”
My stomach did a flip-flop, and I shook my head. “No, I’m fine, but thanks.” I set my bag down near the front door, and went to the back of the house.
My parents’ bedroom door was closed.
I knocked gently. “Daddy?”
“Ana!” He flung open the door. “It’s been nearly three months, what’s up?” He threw his arms around me, and I couldn’t help but smile with him. Elliot took more after Daddy in my opinion, with dark brown skin, loosely curled black hair, and bright hazel eyes.
“We need to talk.” I wriggled out of his grip.
“Oh?”
I closed the door behind me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?” The smile slipped off his face.
“That we’re witches.”
He froze up, then took a step back from me. “I never wanted you to find out…”
So… it was true. He was a witch. It wasn’t just pretty words from Vincent.
“Why? Do Esme and Elliot know?”
“They know.” He let out a long, low sigh, his shoulders slumping. “You just never had any magic, so I decided not to tell you. I didn’t want you to hate your siblings, or be jealous they had magic and you didn’t. It’s a roll of the genetic dice,” he said quietly. “Some fourths, like Esme, are as powerful as full-blooded witches. Some, like you, have no magic at all. What brought this up?”
I swallowed, then put his hand to my sunglasses. He gently took them off, then stared.
“Oh… Ana…”
And in that moment, he’d never look at me the same way again. I wasn’t his little girl anymore, his youngest that he babied and pampered. I was a woman. A woman who made bad decisions again and again and again.
“What did they promise you?”
“Anthony… He beat me,” I whispered. “A lot. It started after we got married. He’d cheat, lie, steal, and if I had the audacity to say anything, he’d just scream at me or hit me until I shut up.”
His eyes widened, and he wrapped his arms around me again, squeezing me so tightly I couldn’t breathe.
My voice cracked. “A month ago… He was cheating on me with some woman at a club in Rose Creek. I chased after him. I couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted a divorce.”
“All right,” he said quietly.
“I ran into a man there. He… he offered to get rid of him, and I took the deal.”
“I see.” He pulled away from me.
I tugged down my scarf, revealing Vincent’s mark. “He marked me. Told me I’d have to work for him for ten years to pay off my debts.”
If he could have gone pale, he would have. “That’s his mark…”
Why was it that everyone supernatural knew who Vincent was? Sure, he was rich and powerful, but…
He collapsed onto his bed, shaking. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have gotten rid of him… I could have saved you…” His shoulders shook, and he buried his face in his hands. “I’m a failure as a father…”
He wept, and my stomach dropped into my feet. Why didn’t I tell him? Why did I decide to carry that burden? Did I think I deserved it? Did I think he’d magically change back and it’d all be a nightmare?
“No, you’re not,” I finally said. “I made the contract out of my own free will.”
He swallowed and wiped the tears from his eyes. “I just… We all know what happened to his past ‘assistant,’ and if that happened to you….”
“I’m stronger than I look.” I sighed, rubbing my arm. “I think I’m doing pretty well, actually. He got me a better apartment, a better car, a better wardrobe…”
“Ana, I’m not going to lie. I hate everything about this. But you’re stubborn. You’ll keep going until you can’t anymore.”
I smiled at him. He didn’t match it.
“Don’t tell anyone,” I said, slipping my sunglasses back on.
�
�Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
“What do you do for him?” He gave me a look.
“Collect on wayward debtors.”
“Oh.”
“Do you know anything about him? He’s pretty secretive…”
“I can tell you a little.” He rested his hand on my shoulder. “His mother was a cubi, his father… something else. I couldn’t tell you exactly what, but if you see his true form, you’ll be a gibbering mess for days.”
A gibbering mess? It couldn’t be that bad, could it? Was his true form some writhing mass of tentacles and wrongness? I shivered.
“To be honest, I could feel the change in your energy—in your soul—when you walked through the door.” He sighed. “He’s one of the most powerful supernaturals in the human world, and if you cross him…”
You’d die. I’d seen that too many times already.
“That’s all I know. I was told to never make a contract with him. He’s notorious in the supernatural world.”
“Right.”
Another sigh. “Stay safe. I’ll do whatever I can from the sidelines to protect you.”
“Thanks.”
Momma knocked on the door. “Ana? Robert? Dinner’s ready!”
We both went out, and she stared at us.
“What happened in there? Feels like someone died…”
“Nothing,” I said. “Just discussing a few things.”
Esme wandered out from her bedroom. “Dinner?”
Esme was the best looking of the three of us, slim and curvy, with dark brown skin, and long curly black hair that tumbled to her waist.
“It’s ready. And Ana came to visit!”
“Lil’ sis!” She gave me a noogie, and I laughed. Maybe I could pretend things were normal.
Dinner was a pleasant affair, as per usual, but Daddy kept giving me little looks, as if I’d disappear right then and there. Momma and the others were oblivious, and thank god for that. I couldn’t deal with my entire family coming after Vincent. Santi was bad enough.
* * *
The next few days went by normally until Wednesday night.
Vincent texted me with his usual spiel about dressing in a suit and looking nice, and I waited outside for him.
He rolled up in his convertible, as per usual, giving me a small smile. “Miss Delacroix, you look well.”