by Vera Sparks
“I’m sure Alex can keep an eye on you for the night, I’ve got an errand to run, but call me if you need. I’ll be back by morning,” my father stated as he leaned on the counter with a sigh.
“What kind of errand?” I asked as I moved the two bottles to the side.
“A work one.”
“What do you do? I’ve been meaning to ask but we’ve been pretty full-on, even my memories of your work life are funny.”
“I deal with supernatural issues through my organization. I investigate things that need investigating and report back. My organization runs parallel to the Council, although they’re not as trigger happy, they prefer thorough investigations. We’re hoping that the more we grow, the more likely the Council will begin to use us as a first point of contact before getting involved themselves. We at least offer a proper investigation into things first before coming to a decision. Many supes are becoming aware of us and use us first before going to the Council.”
“Oh, cool,” I said, impressed. I’d heard everyone speak not so highly of the Council, that they liked to shoot first and ask questions later. And here my father was trying to change that.
“I’ve heard of you guys. The Protectors, right?” Alex asked for clarification.
“That’s right.”
At least I finally knew what he did for a living.
“Where do you live too?” I asked as I glanced down at Axle, who had laid down on the floor beside my stool.
“I used to have a home in LA, but now I travel all over the country for work, so I sold it to cover travel costs, although my work handles most of it.”
I nodded as I eyed the mortar and pestle. Other potion recipes were dancing around my mind, and I was quite keen to practice them. But I also liked the sound of a nap. All this had already tired me out.
“Your mother’s potion book,” my dad said as he clapped his hands together in a pink glow. As he drew them apart, the book formed in his hands.
“It might be easier for you to practice your magic with potions rather than casting spells over the next few weeks,” he suggested.
“Yeah, probably,” I sighed. “Good luck with your work errand. I’ve got to go to the toilet. Stay safe,” I said as I slid off the stool. I used the counter to hold myself upright as I circled around to the kitchen side to hug my father.
“I’m glad you’re back to normal again,” he murmured. “Might I suggest a shower though?”
I stuck my tongue out as I pulled away, suddenly ultra aware of my body odor. I’d caught whiffs of it but I was too preoccupied. Axle was watching me from his place on the floor, and Otis stood firmly beside my father.
“Here, let me help you to the bathroom. Good luck, and we’ll see you before dawn,” Alex nodded at my father.
“Rest up princess, you need to focus on getting better,” my father said before he picked up his jacket and headed for the door with Otis in tow.
Alex took my arm, and I thanked him as we began the slow walk to the bathroom.
“I can carry you?” he offered.
“No, I need to get these useless things working again,” I muttered as I scowled at my legs.
Alex waited outside the bathroom as I peed, and when I’d finished and started washing my hands, I saw my reflection and my breath caught.
My facial features were too defined from the weight-loss, bags under my sunken eyes and all my skin was drawn tight. My hair was an oily mess, and I struggled to take off my pajama top to continue eyeing the damage.
Once it was off, I slumped at the sight of my boney chest. My collarbone protruded in an ugly fashion and my ribs were extremely noticeable, my breasts had shrunk to half their normal size and my hips jutted out from my waistband. My shoulders stuck out, the bones easily distinguishable and my arms were taut and skinny.
I looked down at my shorts and I sighed. My legs were so skinny and boney, my feet even had all the bones showing.
No wonder I ached everywhere.
And the thought of trying to get the rest of my clothes off resulted in me grumbling. I’d need Alex to help me even bathe. God dammit. I couldn’t do anything for myself.
I eyed the shower and instantly decided against it. Standing was not easy, and every extra movement only tired me more.
I started drawing a bath as I called for Alex, and I was glad I hadn’t locked the door as he came in.
I caught a glimpse of my protruding spine in the mirror and grimaced as Alex came in. The distressed and pained look in his eyes at my body made me look away in guilt.
“Oh Ivy,” he sighed. He walked over and kissed me gently on the forehead. “We’ll get you back to yourself. It’ll take time though.”
I nodded, annoyed at the wetness in my eyes and the lump in my throat. I hadn’t realized just how bad it was.
Alex helped me undress and supported me as I climbed into the bath.
I was ashamed and embarrassed of my body, even though he’d seen me naked before. Just not like this.
He didn’t say a word as he got to work running his fingers through my hair and soaking it.
“I’m sorry, this isn’t your job,” I apologized.
“Stop saying that. It’s my choice,” he stated as he reached for the shampoo.
I shut up as I took some comfort in his gentle, cool touches. At least the hot water overrode his icy hands.
I relaxed as he shampoo’d my hair, despite how my bones pushed against the porcelain tub in an irritating and rather painful ways. I had no cushioning left on my body.
I enjoyed the floating sensation in the bath after all the work my body had put in for the evening. Alex was careful as he finished up with my hair and left the conditioner in it while he assisted me to wash properly.
The whole ordeal became sweet after my initial shame wore off. He was so tender with his touches, so gentle and careful. It made me appreciate him so much more.
“Do you shower?” I asked suddenly.
“Occasionally. Being undead means we don’t sweat, we don’t get hot or cold.”
“Do you use the toilet?” I frowned. How did their bodies work anyway? There was so much we didn’t actually know about the vampires among us.
Alex let out a hearty laugh as he slid his soaped up hands down my right arm.
“Only if we eat actual food. Which we can do, for appearances. Although there is no point of it and no flavor.”
I nodded as I closed my eyes, enjoying the warmth of the bath and the way Alex handled bathing me. I thought about my magic, how memories of the things I’d done seemed to bring back my ability to use it more, like with the potions.
“Ivy,” Alex’s voice was strained.
I opened one eye, concerned, and then focused on his confused face.
“What?”
“You just went translucent for a moment,” he murmured, his soaped up hands poised above me.
“What?” I sat up properly, giving him a stupefied look. Like when I was ghostly?
“You just did, I swear,” he said, his eyes filled with unease and uncertainty.
I focused, trying to bring forth my old abilities. Imagining myself stepping into the ghost realm. It wasn’t as easy as it used to be, but I managed it as the room fell into shades of grey and Alex leaped to his feet.
I gaped at him, and stared down at my body. It had even gone wispy like it used to.
Jesus, had I died?
I panicked and pulled myself out of the ghost realm, and Alex drew in a sharp breath as I reappeared before him.
“What the hell is going on?” he growled.
“I still have my abilities,” I murmured as I rested my hand on my chest. There it was, the consistent beat of my heart at a regular rate. I was properly alive. I could tell that much.
“I’ll call your father, he needs to know,” Alex said bluntly.
“Well, wait,” I halted him. “Can you at least help me out of the bath?” I gave him a sheepish look.
He softened and did as asked, e
asing me back up out of the warm water after rinsing the conditioner out of my hair. I didn’t want to be left alone in the bath, and he’d washed me well enough.
He drained the bath after wrapping me in a towel, and then we both went back out to the living area where Axle was waiting patiently by the couch.
I sat down with Alex’s help and Axle leaped up to sprawl out beside me and rested his head against my leg. I ran my bony fingers through my wet hair as Alex made the call.
From the distressed muffled voice I heard, my father was worried.
“She’s still alive, her heartbeat is normal for a human, she smells whole, nothing else I can see that’s changed,” Alex shot me a look.
I shivered at the cool nip of the air, and Alex noticed this as he flitted to the bathroom and returned with another towel for me to wrap around my shoulders. I smiled gratefully as I removed the cold wet hair from my shoulders. It certainly helped.
I closed my eyes as I listened to the conversation, grateful for Axle’s warmth beside me.
It sounded like my father believed it was a side effect from being in spirit form for so long and my body being held in the middle realm. But he couldn’t be sure, and he wanted to consult with another Warlock. He asked Alex to keep an eye on me and keep me safe. I managed to make that out as Alex stood stock still a few feet from me.
“Always,” was his reply as the call ended.
“Well, still having my ghost abilities is pretty cool,” I mumbled, already prepared to sleep again. God, I was so tired and drained already.
“As long as it doesn’t mean anything,” Alex murmured as he sat on the side opposite Axle. He went to wrap an arm around me but decided against it. He couldn’t help he was as cold as the dead.
I tapped the pendant around my neck, I’d forgotten to take it off in the bath, but I doubted it would have any issues getting wet.
The movement made another memory burst into my mind.
“Buster isn’t your familiar,” my mother sighed as I pouted at the small mutt we’d rescued from the shelter. He lolled his tongue out and I patted his head.
We’d just attempted a ritual to test our connection, and my mind played out how we’d done it, what we’d used, the incantation.
“How will I know if I find the one?” I asked, no older than seven as I patted the short-haired, brown mutt, a terrier mix we believed.
“You may just feel a connection with them from the first moment, something special. They’ll feel it too,” my mother murmured, her soft blue eyes settling on the dog as she patted him as well.
“I hope I can have a familiar one day,” I said softly. “Like you.”
My mother smiled, and I caught fragments of memories of a white cat perched on the bookcase or counters around the home.
“You will,” she said gently as she pulled me onto her lap. We were sitting on the floor in the living room of our old house, and I took the moment to take in the memory of it. She stroked my hair as Buster sprawled out beside us, his tongue lolling out happily.
The living room was quaint and cosy, not cluttered, but not sparse either. A bookcase was filled with an assortment of leather-bound books and normal books, along with my own children’s books.
The beige couch had two blue cushions on it, and the fireplace was lit. I cuddled into my mother, enjoying her warmth and the smell of her floral perfume. The perfect memory in her arms.
The images faded, and I blinked, realizing Alex was watching me curiously.
“My father gave me this pendant, it’s returning my memories he took,” I explained.
Alex just nodded but smiled. “You looked happy.”
“I was with my Mom, we were trying to test my connection to the family dog, see if he was my familiar. He wasn’t. Turns out my Mom had one, a white cat. I wonder what happened to it,” I mused as I absently played with Axle’s ear. He sighed at the touch.
“Have you tried with him?” Alex asked as he flicked his head at Axle.
“Not yet, I will once I’m well again,” I said.
“Well, how about we get you dried and dressed?” he suggested.
I nodded and allowed him to lift me up despite my body groaning in protest. Axle just watched quietly as Alex carried me back to my room.
He blow-dried my hair while I sat on the edge of the bath, and I closed my eyes as the warmth washed over my skin.
Alex took the moment to trace the ugly scar on my neck gingerly, and I heard his intake of breath at the sight.
“It wasn’t you,” I murmured as I caught his hand before meeting his eyes.
He was sad and furious, all at once.
“I hurt you,” he breathed.
“And I’ve forgiven you. I’m alive, I’m well. You didn’t kill me,” I gave him a soft smile.
Alex relaxed at the words, but I could still see the war going on in his eyes.
He continued drying my hair, and by the time he was done, I was close to drifting off to sleep.
He hoisted me up in his arms and carried me to the room, flitting around quickly as he dried and dressed me, taking the utmost care with my fragile body.
Before I knew it, I was curled up in bed beside him, grateful for his body beside me despite how cool he was to touch.
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close as he spooned, and I smiled as the bed shifted under a new weight, and I felt Axle nudge up to squeeze in beside me. The warmth of his body overrode the coolness against my back, and I put one arm over his soft fur gratefully.
This was exactly where I wanted to be right now.
And with Alex’s help, I’d be back to myself in no time.
* * *
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