The Curse that Bites

by Kennedy Layne

  Bollocks! It can’t be, dear hexed one!

  I managed to push my gloved hands off the ground and kneel back atop my winter boots just as bright headlights appeared from behind me to illuminate the area through the falling snow. My premonitions usually lasted less than thirty seconds, but this time it had seemed to go on forever.

  “Lou?”

  I could hear the concern in Knox’s voice as he must have quickly shoved his Land Rover into park and all but launched himself out of his vehicle. I could only imagine what he thought at finding me collapsed in the snow on the side of the road, but I’d had a few seconds to fortify myself for the battle ahead.

  I would move heaven and earth to ensure Orwin’s safety.

  We both will, dear hexed one. I might bemoan those conspiracy theories of his, but I’ve become quite fond of our constant banter.

  Knox’s brown boots he’d grown accustomed to wearing since his time in the military appeared before me. There was an added bonus to looking at things this low to the ground, because I had finally discovered what had been so odd about the blanket of snow that covered the road and knit its way throughout the trees.

  There were no animal tracks in the fresh snow, which wasn’t that odd until you looked closer and realized there weren’t any tracks underneath the fresh blanket of white, either.

  None at all.

  “I’m okay,” I managed to say, finally able to control the shivers that had settled in.

  A spot of warm cream will help heat us right up, dear hexed one. We can compare notes to ensure that your premonition never sees fruition. We’ll be able to stop whatever this is from happening. As you well know, we have a battle ahead of us, and it is best we break this gently to Mr. Cornelia. We’ll fortify a plan to ensure the alien hunter’s safety. He might not like the idea of me sticking to him like glue, but it will be for his own good in spite of his allergies.

  No, Orwin wasn’t going to like this at all. And now was not the time for weakness, not when one of our own was in danger. I gratefully took hold of Knox’s hand as he helped me stand, nodding to him when his dark gaze searched mine for reassurance that I wasn’t hurt. Not physically, anyway. The pain of seeing someone I deeply cared about in one of my premonitions was something else entirely.

  “Let me guess,” Knox said in concern, using his warm thumb to gently brush away a few flakes that had landed on my cheek. He must have left his gloves inside his vehicle. “Another vision?”

  Yes, and it was a doozy. I’ll leave you to catch our resident werewolf up on the specifics while I go and attach myself to Mr. Cornelia’s side. I can’t promise I won’t come across a bit paranoid after this experiment, but I’m sure it’s nothing a spot of warm cream can’t mend.

  “Yes, and this premonition hits a little too close to home,” I replied to Knox, knowing full well he couldn’t hear Pearl. He probably hadn’t even known she’d been near me during the vision. “Knox, the victim in my vision was Orwin. He had some type of bleeding injury to his neck, and he somehow managed to find an abandoned cabin out here before he bled out. I’m assuming somewhere on this mountaintop.”

  “His neck? Well, I might know the reason why,” Knox replied grimly, his golden eyes practically glowing as he scanned the ridge of trees that sloped down into an abyss of darkness. “We’re in vampire territory, Lou. I could smell that rancid copper scent back at the gas station.”

  That would explain the muted tones of Mother Nature in the immediate vicinity, the snow void of any animal tracks, and my vision of Orwin clutching his neck. Just as with any other form of supernatural beings, not all vampires were bloodsucking murderers. There were many who were able to control their urges, using blood banks to satiate their thirst.

  Unfortunately, it only took one bad apple in the orchard to turn the harvest.

  “That nauseating odor seemed to be drifting down from the mountain, but I stayed behind for a few minutes to make sure the little town was clear of any vamps.” Knox had dropped his hand from my arm as he continued to peruse the tree line. His vision was unparalleled as a werewolf, just as all of his other senses were heightened to the max. His body heat had all but seared my skin through the thick material of my coat, and my arm was now cold without his touch. “Whoever would establish a lair this far out from civilization is trying to cover their tracks. They’re attempting to go undetected.”

  “Is that why Pearl didn’t catch their scent?” I asked, grateful that Knox’s headlights illuminated the RV a short distance away. I witnessed Orwin set his hands on top of his head in disbelief. It appeared that Pearl had already spilled the beans, and now Piper was stepping out from the safety of our traveling headquarters. “Why would the vampires need to mask their presence this far from town? Why go to all that trouble?”

  “Good question.” Knox’s tone indicated that he didn’t like the possibilities that inquiry left open. Then again, neither did I. “Piper mentioned on the phone that you had a bit of engine trouble. Was Orwin able to get the RV up and running? This storm is picking up faster than anticipated. If we waste any more time, we won’t be able to drive up or down this grade.”

  “I think that’s the crux of our dilemma,” I murmured, having already weighed our options. They weren’t good, and the others weren’t going to like my decision. “For whatever reason, someone doesn’t want us to leave this mountain.”

  “Something tells me we aren’t going anywhere.” Knox regarded me cautiously while the falling snow picked up its pace once again, as if we needed another warning of what hid in the shadows. “I’ve got to hand it to you, Lou. You don’t back down from a fight.”

  Word to the wise, dear hexed one.

  Knox had begun the short trek to where his Land Rover was still parked on the side of the road by the time Pearl had rejoined me to escort me safely back to the RV. He would follow behind until we were able to come up with a strategy to keep Orwin safe while we deciphered more details about my premonition. If I knew with one hundred percent certainty that his imminent death took place on this very mountain, I would do everything in my power to make sure he was far away from here at the appointed time.

  “I already know what you’re going to say, Pearl.” I advanced forward to where Orwin and Piper stood next to the open door of the RV. This perilous situation hadn’t been in the cards, but that was usually the outcome with these visions. We’d learned to adapt. “You’re going to point out that I should also know when to run away from danger. I’ll tell you this—whatever is preying on this mountain hasn’t taken us into account.”

  Run? I would never consider such a thing, Miss Lilura. Retreat and regroup would be more like it. My words of wisdom have more to do with a specific herb upon hearing your discussion with our resident werewolf. I’m not particularly a fan of the pungent bulb, but I believe it’s time that we stock up on some garlic…and lots of it, dear hexed one. We’re most likely going to need it come morning. Besides, I could do with a spot of Italian for dinner.

  Chapter Three

  “Orwin, you of all people should know for a fact that not all of Lou’s premonitions come true,” Piper said reassuringly, setting a hot cup of coffee in front of Orwin. Unfortunately, the slight tremor in her hand spoke volumes in regard to the comfort she was trying to bestow upon our friend. It also didn’t help that he could basically hear all of our thoughts, which were no doubt filled with our own uncertainty and worry. “We have the ability to change the future. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again. We’ll make sure that you’re never left alone, we’ll take precautions with various wards and incantations, and we’ll also take out the protection crystals that we have in our inventory.”

  Don’t forget the garlic and wooden stakes, my sweet Piper. We’re not dealing with mere humans here. It would behoove us to remember that vampires have super strength and speed.

  It had taken us close to an hour to drive twenty miles, but we’d finally made it to an overlook that was large enough to fit the fifty
-two foot RV, my 4x4 Jeep Wrangler, and Knox’s Land Rover. We’d popped the hitch free of my Jeep and managed to pull it around to the front of the RV, just in case we needed another vehicle besides the Land Rover to cover ground quickly.

  The snow had begun to fall harder and faster than anticipated, which had pretty much made the decision for us to stay on this mountaintop. The RV had plenty of room for everyone to spread out and get comfortable while we planned for the inevitable attack. We’d switched back to the generator without any further problems, providing the entire RV with lights throughout and power for all the accessories of a luxury state-of-the-art recreational vehicle.

  Orwin had been able to make some improvements during our journey east. I only nodded my understanding when he’d explained how he’d co-opted a high-bandwidth, full duplex non-encrypted channel on a decommissioned geosynchronous mil-star satellite he could tap into anytime we needed it. He also mentioned some omni-directional satellite antenna he’d installed on the roof of the RV, but I’d zoned out by the time he’d finished his sentence. The only thing I’d needed to know was that we had access to the internet.

  I could pretty much guarantee that Orwin wasn’t thinking about satellites and antennas now. He, Piper, and I had claimed the main dining table, while Knox had pulled over the leather office chair from Orwin’s desk so that he had a bit more legroom. He was rubbing his five o’clock shadow the way he did when he was overthinking a tactical problem.

  “This is insane,” Orwin exclaimed in exasperation. He didn’t even bother to reach for his coffee. Maybe we should have popped the cork on something a bit stronger. Then again, we all needed our wits to forestall any impending attack. He’d asked me the same question five or ten times in the last hour, and my answer hadn’t changed in those sixty minutes. “Are you one hundred percent positive it was me?”

  Oh, yes. There was no mistaking your cowlick, alien hunter. That’s quite the mega swoop you have going there.

  “Orwin, we’re in vampire territory. Knox picked up their scent during our last pit stop, and you were gripping your throat in my vision. We both know what happens to wizards and witches when we’re bit by one of them, and it’s not pretty.” I leaned forward to point at a spot on the map we had laid out on the table. “We’re probably another fifteen to twenty miles from the campsite, and another thirty miles from where we think Cassandra Opal Saruman fled to after leaving Minnesota. Once this storm passes, we have a serious decision to make in order to keep you safe while figuring out why a vampire would want to attack us. We’re not exactly easy targets, and they’d know that just by observing us for more than a few minutes.”

  We also needed to deal with the fact that a college girl up and left campus in the middle of a semester after finally agreeing to meet with us. What was even stranger was that she’d fled to a small town in the middle of the West Virginia mountains for no apparent reason. It had taken over a week, but Piper had finally managed to finagle her way into the medium’s dorm. She’d stealthily swiped a brush with strands of Cassandra’s hair that had been embedded in the bristles. We were then able to cast a locator spell, leading us directly on this path up this particular mountain. It was a little too convenient that we were suddenly running into a pack of assassins now that we were getting close to her location.

  I’d repeatedly said before that I wasn’t one for coincidences, and I wasn’t buying it now, either. Still, I wasn’t going to risk Orwin’s life in our attempt to locate and speak to Cassandra. We were trying to save lives through our endeavors, not place more at risk.

  So, are we splitting up our merry band of sleuths? I’ll escort Mr. Cornelia and my sweet Piper far away from here, while you and Mr. Emeric try to figure out why one of the vilest undead creatures would want a taste of our alien hunter. Not to say that you’re not delicious, Mr. Cornelia. I’m sure you are, especially with all that sugar you ingest daily. Don’t you worry, though. With me by your side, I’ll make sure you stick to a healthy diet with plenty of garlic.

  “I don’t profess to be some type of Ultimate UFC fighter, so my first instinct is to take your advice and leave, Lou,” Orwin said, completely ignoring Pearl’s well-laid out plan and talk of changing his diet to Italian garlic bread with a side of spaghetti noodles. It was hard to take him seriously when that cowlick of his was a bit askew, especially after Pearl had called attention to it. He’d been running his hand through the thick black strands in worry and innate fear, trying to figure out why Count Chocula would want to feed on him. Who could blame him? “That might not work, though. Have we considered that one of these vamps would just follow me in another vehicle, carrying through with this premonition in a new location? Separating the team might be a very bad idea. It could put all of us at risk.”

  Quite the conundrum, I must say. Either way, Mr. Cornelia, I will be your sidekick until the typical twenty-four hours have passed before the hexed one’s premonition has expired, as it has every other time in our most recent past.

  “This is karma at her finest. This is all because I turned Billy’s pet hamster into a mouse back in the fifth grade, isn’t it?” Orwin slouched against the back of the booth and sneezed. Had he not done so, I would have thought the slight rocking of the RV had been caused by the strong gusts of wind hitting us from the west. Being cooped up inside with a cat and a werewolf was wracking havoc on his allergies. “I knew that day would come back to haunt me.”

  Karma favors the patient soul, alien hunter.

  While Orwin and Pearl continued to debate what drew karma’s attention, I took a sip of my coffee. The pumpkin spiced flavor undertone wasn’t a surprise, given that Piper loved everything pumpkin. The flavor was oddly comforting, not that I’d let her know that. As it stood, the interior of the RV had pumpkin scents coming from practically every outlet. I’d swear that Piper had bought all the pumpkin spice liquid air fresheners that Yankee Candle had available.

  “Piper, have you scried for the medium’s location today?”

  It was the first time that Knox had spoken since we’d sat down to go over the details of my premonition. He was more of the listening type, taking everything in before offering up his opinion. His rich voice carried loudly throughout the interior of the RV, catching all of us by surprise. Piper had already slid back into the booth beside me after making sure everyone had something hot to drink, including Pearl’s spot of warm cream.

  It was much needed after that vision, dear hexed one. Those premonitions do take their toll, you know.

  “No, I was going to wait until we’d reached the campsite,” Piper replied, giving Knox an inquisitive stare, along with everyone else. It was obvious that he had something on his mind, and I was grateful that someone else was thinking along the same lines as me. “The weather might interfere a bit if I try right now. The elements are in a fury, but I’ll see what I can do.”

  Knox nodded his appreciation, reaching out for his own coffee mug that just so happened to have a pumpkin painted on the side. Piper had made herself a cup of tea, and she took it with her when she went to retrieve the items needed to ensure that Cassandra was still at her last known location. Piper scried every day, and the result had always been the same.

  I loathe to point this out, Miss Lilura, but the medium could have been made aware of our impending visit and might have arranged for our situation, as it currently stands. This chase we have been chosen to be a part of might very well be skewed in her favor.

  “I agree with Orwin. Dividing the group into two is a bad idea,” I finally declared, saying aloud what Orwin was already hearing inside of my head. He was probably getting hit with everyone else’s thoughts on what the right thing to do was in this sensitive situation, but he would ultimately follow my lead. That type of responsibility weighed heavily on my soul each and every day, but I would lay my life down for each of these people who’d become my family. “In the end, it might not matter what decision we make. Orwin still might end up in that isolated cabin holding the side of hi
s neck. We need to prepare for the worst.”

  “Ohhhh, this is bad. This is really bad,” Orwin whispered, shoving his fingers underneath his glasses so that he could rub his bloodshot eyes. I wasn’t sure if that due to fear or his allergies. “I don’t belong on the front lines. I’m much more of a support guy. You know what I mean, useful behind a computer screen and all that.”

  Pearl had known where I was leading this discussion. She’d even begun to silently move her position closer to me before my suggestion finally penetrated Orwin’s haze of disbelief. There was no question that he needed to remove the protection spell he’d cast upon himself against Ammeline Letty Romilda. If worse came to worse, Piper needed to be able to save his life.

  My moving away from a boiling pot is called self-preservation, dear hexed one. Shall I do the countdown? Three, two, one…

  Chapter Four

  “Oh, no. No, no, no,” Orwin protested vehemently, finally comprehending what I’d truly meant by preparing for the worst. His glasses were now a bit lopsided from rubbing his face as he began to shake his finger in my direction. He’d proven Pearl right with his reaction, but she was already positioned on the back ledge of the booth beside me. “I know what you’re suggesting, and there’s got to be another way. You know firsthand how long it took for me to locate all the material components for that protection spell. The day will come when we meet up with Ammeline Letty Romilda, and I made sure I was well-protected against her magic so that at least one of us would have the ability to reach the source of her power before she turned us all into slithering reptiles or something just as heinous.”