The Curse that Bites

by Kennedy Layne

  Vampires survived on blood, but they did eat food and drink ordinary beverages to blend in with society. A lot of what you read or heard over the years regarding the blood-sucking creatures were completely a Hollywood myth…with the exception of garlic and wooden oak stakes. It wasn’t that garlic actually hurt them in any way, but the scent did make them somewhat nauseated. A lot of the reeking herb could bring them to their knees for the brief seconds needed to get a running start.

  “…thanks, Hal.” Tina had her hair pulled up into a messy bun, similar to how Piper wore hers when we were on the road. She shot us a smile. “Jerry and Cassie are up at the fishing cabin, but those roads are usually the last to get cleared after a snowfall like the one we had last night. It’s a good thing it wasn’t a blizzard, or else we wouldn’t have seen them for a week or more.”

  It appeared I’d gotten quite used to living in the state of Washington after leaving the Salem coven, because I personally believed eight inches of snow qualified to be considered for at least a mini-blizzard. Contrary to popular belief, Washington didn’t get that much snowfall compared to West Virginia.

  “They’ll probably make it to town this afternoon or tomorrow morning.” An older man stepped out from behind the divider, his sharp blue eyes taking me and Orwin in with intense scrutiny. He had a hearing aid in his right ear. Other than that, he appeared to be a healthy, seventy-some year-old man. “Tina says that you’re related to Cassie. She’s a sweet girl. I’ve met her a couple of times over the summer when Jerry brought her in for a piece of Sylvia’s homemade pie. The best pies on this side of the mountain, if you ask me. You say you’re her brother? I can see the resemblance.”

  Technically, Orwin and Cassandra looked nothing alike. Well, if you discounted the black hair and brown eyes. I could have said that Cassandra was my sister due to the same hair color, but the older brother routine resembled reality since Cassie’s true older brother was still residing within distance of their coven. Hal seemed to have bought the cover story hook, line, and sinker.

  “I hope the family emergency isn’t something serious,” Hal said, focusing on Orwin’s reaction. “Cassie did mention that her aunt was sick, now that I think of it.”

  It appeared that the older gentleman wanted to run us through one more test, but this was an easy one to pass. We’d been trying to seek out Cassandra for quite a while now. A couple of my premonitions had sidetracked us along the way, but Orwin had been able to put together quite the dossier on the young medium.

  So, how was it possible that we’d miss someone by the name of Jerry?

  If he was Cassandra’s boyfriend, then the dramatic tale we’d conjured about her seeking shelter from any danger that might be prevalent held no weight. She would simply be a college girl who’d skipped a few days of school to be with the man she loved. If that was the case, then where would vampires fit into all of this?

  “Our uncle is actually the one who hasn’t been doing well,” Orwin corrected Hal with a sad smile. He pushed up his glasses with his index finger. “I tried to call Cassie, but I couldn’t get any calls through to her cell phone.”

  I hadn’t noticed it before, but there had been a slight stiffness in Hal’s shoulders. It dissipated gradually until Hal nodded his approval.

  “I remember now,” Hal responded with a small smile, which had more to do with his approval than it did with his memory. He had carried with him around the corner a stack of envelopes, which he now waved to the older couple enjoying their breakfast. He still carried on a conversation with us. “His heart?”

  “That’s right,” Orwin responded, shifting his stance so that he could take a step closer to Hal. I realized that the six foot gap he needed to be within distance from someone to read their thoughts was just out of reach. “Is there a way for me to get a message to Cassie?”

  “Not all the way up there at the fishing cabin.” Hal began to make his way over to the older couple, unknowingly putting more distance between him and Orwin. “I’m sure they’ll be stopping in for the package Jerry has been eagerly waiting on, so you’ll want to settle in for a bit. Food is good, and the pie is even better. Never too early nor too late for a good piece of pie. That’s my take on it.”

  It was moments like this that I missed having Pearl by our sides. She’d be able to convey what Orwin was thinking, giving me the ability to make a decision. The underlying energy in the diner seemed a bit…edgy. There was no other way to describe it.

  We had a choice to make. Either we stayed and enjoyed breakfast while hoping that Jerry and Cassandra made an entrance, or we actively sought them out. The nudge I received in the arm by Orwin conveyed his choice loud and clear. There wasn’t a remote chance I was getting him to leave the safety net he considered to be this diner anytime soon.

  We were about to have ourselves a delicious piece of mystery pie.

  Chapter Six

  I’d gotten in the habit of watching my surroundings ever since my encounter with Ammeline Letty Romilda, much like I imagined a soldier who was in combat watched his surroundings. Knox called it situational awareness. I just thought of it as covering my rear end.

  The older couple had thanked Hal for their mail, not bothering to hide their interest in the ongoing conversation. It was also the reason I’d noticed that only one person didn’t seem to be intent on hearing the latest gossip, and that happened to be the young woman reading her book in one of the back booths.

  “We’ll do that,” Orwin said, not taking Hal up on his offer quite yet. “We have another friend who was checking the other parts of town, hoping to spot Cassie. We’ll go outside and flag her down.”

  We’d unhooked my red Jeep from the back of the RV after parking it at the campground. Piper had Pearl with her, so I wasn’t too worried when they opted to drive up and down the main thoroughfare of this practically deserted small town. The cold weather didn’t help things, but Cassandra Opal Saruman had come to hide in these mountains.

  At least, that’s what we’d thought in the beginning.

  Now that we’d been given some answers, this might simply be a case of two college students in love taking time for themselves to enjoy a tryst. Why then had I foreseen Orwin’s death? I’d almost had myself convinced that either Cassandra had sought help from a nest of vampires or they’d kidnapped her for her witchcraft abilities, but Jerry sounded like he was a prominent member of this town. What were we missing?

  “We’ll be back for that piece of pie,” I said with a wave, taking Orwin’s cue that he wanted to speak with me outside and away from prying eyes and ears. He hadn’t been close enough to Hal or the other patrons to pick up what they may have been thinking, so I’m assuming an interesting thought had crossed Tina’s mind. “Thanks for letting us know about Cassandra being up at the cabin.”

  Orwin and I quickly stepped outside, bracing ourselves against the bitter cold. It was an impossible feat, but we didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing us between the piercing gusts of winds and the rumble of the snowplow clearing the main street through town once again. My red Jeep was easy to spot coming toward us from the east.

  “Tina gave Jerry a heads-up that we’re looking for Cassandra, but not for the reasons we would assume.” Orwin lifted a hand when Piper could finally see us. She turned into the parking lot, claiming one of the many open spots that lined the side of the building, bypassing the two fuel pumps that were located between the front door and the street. “Tina has no idea that there is a nest of vampires living in these mountains. She just thought Cassandra should know that her brother is in town.”

  It was a good thing that Cassandra did have a brother, but we had no idea if the sibling had any idea about Jerry and West Virginia. If she hadn’t ditched class and come here for love, then she would now know that someone had picked up her trail. That would have made sense had Jerry been a vampire, but it was sounding more and more as if he was human.

  “Researching information online can definitely have its disad
vantages,” Orwin explained before blowing his warm breath into the palms of his hands. “Cassandra never mentioned Jerry online. Not once. What we have discovered by being here is that Tina knew Jerry from high school, he flunked out of college, fell in love with Cassandra, and they’re most likely heading into town this afternoon. I, for one, wouldn’t mind staying in a public place until this evening.”

  “What if Jerry is a warlock who has been camouflaging this area for a nest of vampires?” I put the question out there, because Orwin was right about us being at a disadvantage. “We have no idea who or what we’re dealing with, other than Cassandra being a medium.”

  “I should stay here at the diner,” Orwin proposed, his brows disappearing behind his glasses as he frowned. “Gas station or supply post, whatever this place is actually called.”

  I completely understood why Orwin would want to stay inside the diner portion of the building until the timeframe passed on my premonition, but I was hoping we’d locate the vampire who thought it was acceptable to drain the life out of a warlock without there being any repercussions. Breaking the unwritten peace treaty between vampires and witches wasn’t the brightest idea, especially when said warlock had powerful allies.

  “You realize that Jerry and Cassandra aren’t going to come into town, right?” I had wrapped my burgundy scarf around my neck in a manner that allowed me to tuck the edges into my jacket, but that didn’t stop the bitter cold from weaving its way through the fabric. The brutal winter weather wasn’t the only thing leaving me cold. “We’re going to have to go to them, which means finding the location of Jerry’s residence when he’s in town.”

  We’re one step ahead of you, dear hexed one. You see, Jerry and Cassandra are already in town. My sweet Piper was wise enough to bring the map from the RV, along with the amethyst she used during her locator spell.

  Pearl had joined us, leaving Piper to shut off the Jeep’s engine. She grabbed her crossbody purse and slung it over her winter jacket, that just so happened to be a burnt orange, similar to that of a pumpkin spiced candle. There was no way she’d be able to wear that coat out into the woods and not be spotted from a mile away.

  “Cassandra is close by?” Orwin asked, the hope lacing his tone hitting me squarely in the chest. In all the months of being hexed, I’d never once feared for my life. Maybe my sanity, but never my life. “Lou, stop with the guilt trip.”

  One would think that I’d never forget Orwin’s ability to read minds within a six foot distance, but it was harder to control my thoughts than I was willing to admit.

  “Sorry,” I muttered, blinking furiously when my eyes began to water from another gust of wind. “Pearl, how close are Cassandra and this Jerry person?”

  Miss Lilura, you will be pleased to know that we might not have to go anywhere near that wretched cabin. Miss Saruman and her beau happen to be parked around the other side of the building, and they are using the back entrance to retrieve a package as we speak.

  By this time, Piper had joined us and continued to let Pearl explain that we should split up, though she would accompany Orwin back inside so there wasn’t a chance he could be snatched out of the parking lot.

  “It’s not like I’m foolish enough to take candy out of a stranger’s hand and hop into a white van,” Orwin protested, shoving his fists back inside his coat pockets.

  Should the kidnapper be a little green man with a map of the universe, I have no doubt that you’d take your chances, alien hunter. I hope that you’ve taken your allergy medicine this morning, because I’ll be by your side the rest of the day.

  I could hear Pearl mention how she’d love to enjoy a spot of warm cream during breakfast as she walked away with Orwin, doing her best to keep his mind off the premonition. She was doing a good job of it, too.

  “Let’s go,” I said to Piper, not wanting to waste any more time. It would have really helped to have Knox in on this endeavor, though I wasn’t worried we couldn’t handle this confrontation on our own. “First things first. We make sure that Cassandra knows we’re not here to hurt her, and also mention that we know about the vampire’s nest. If she doesn’t, then we’ll improvise. That should at least get her talking to us, giving us a chance to change the outcome of my vision.”

  Piper’s blue eyes deepened with worry as we both broke into a light jog, mindful of the icy areas in the parking lot. Neither one of us said anything else until we’d made it around the corner, finally catching sight of a young man who must be Jerry speaking with Hal in the open doorway.

  Whether or not Jerry was a human, vampire, or a warlock, I was betting on him knowing about Cassandra’s bloodline. I would work out something to say to the older gentleman after we’d had a private conversation with Cassandra. In the meantime, I did the only thing I could that would guarantee things would work in our favor.

  With the residual energy that I was always harnessing from the earth, I expended the momentum and all but shoved Jerry into the older gentleman as gently as I could and slammed the door shut behind them. Cassandra had been a few feet away, huddled in a long black dress coat that probably cost more than my entire outfit. She’d been born into one of the wealthier covens, which could be the reason she’d kept Jerry hidden from her family thus far.

  Should Jerry turn out to be a vampire, that type of union would never have been allowed into the fold due to the danger of the coven being exposed to the world. Same with a human, which gave credence to Jerry being a warlock and possibly the one cloaking this entire mountain for the undead to have a place to rest.

  “How are we going to explain your little shove to the people inside? A gust of wind?” Piper asked in disbelief, holding up her hands to Cassandra to indicate that we weren’t a threat. That was kind of hard to do after the brute force I just utilized, but it had been necessary. “Cassandra, we just want to talk! I promise that we’re not here to hurt you or Jerry.”

  It was easy to see that Cassandra was torn; she didn’t have the same abilities as me to protect herself—what she had was even stronger than telekinesis. It was evident from her hesitation that she’d yet to come into her full powers. Did she not know that even a sliver of her ancestors’ powers could hurt us in unspeakable ways?

  “Cassandra, we’re in trouble,” I said hastily, having already distinguished that she was exactly like Piper. She wouldn’t be here helping Jerry otherwise, which proved that she had a heart of gold. It didn’t matter if she was here as a friend, lover, or just to lend a helping hand. The situation might very well be reversed, and she’d either sought out Jerry’s help or the other way around. Either way, her heart was in the right place. “Please give us five minutes to talk to you.”

  I wasn’t beyond begging to make sure that Orwin lived to see another day. Piper and I had slowly been walking toward Cassandra, not wanting her to make a run for the vehicle. We had no idea if the keys were inside, and neither one of us wanted to be run over with a car.

  “Please, Cassandra. It’s a matter of—”

  A horrible, muffled scream came from behind the door which I’d all but shoved Jerry through in my attempt to have a moment alone with the young medium. Something terrifying must be happening inside…the one place where Orwin and Pearl had sought safety.

  Chapter Seven

  “Orwin!” I called out, having been the first through the thick greyish door. Piper and Cassandra were close on the heels of my winter boots, but Jerry and Hal were nowhere in sight in the room that must serve as a mail storage facility. I didn’t waste time and made my way quickly into the small dining area. “Orwin!”

  I kept expecting him to answer, but all I could make out were the frightened screams of the other patrons. The high-pitched panic had been coming from Tina, who was cowering behind the counter of the cash register. An older gentleman was trying to calm his wife, who was practically barreling her way out through the front glass door. The woman who’d been enjoying her coffee was lying flat in the booth with her hands over her head in protectio
n, while Orwin appeared unharmed and crouched over the man who’d been enjoying his breakfast earlier.

  “Piper, I need your help,” Orwin called out from a kneeling position on the hardwood floor. “He was hit in the head, but he’s still breathing.”

  That wasn’t simply a hit to the head, Mr. Cornelia. Miss Saruman’s beau certainly had an arm on him, didn’t he? Nice of you to join us, dear hexed one.

  “What happened, Orwin?” I asked, hoping that Pearl would take my hint and keep talking. Tina had finally composed herself and was already frantically speaking into the phone, most likely with whatever police presence this small town utilized as law enforcement. Cassandra had skidded to a stop in order to hear what Tina had to say, although she kept a wary gaze on all of us as Piper tended to the victim. “Please tell me that Jerry…”

  Miss Saruman’s wariness is due to her detecting my presence. She can hear my thoughts. In turn, I can hear hers. The two of you might want to take a look at the bag next to the table. It explains quite a bit, although I do see our medium deciding if she’s going to make a run for the door.

  My gaze dropped to the black duffel bag that had been stored underneath the table where the unconscious man had been eating his breakfast. Sure enough, a wooden handle stuck out of the bag. The crossbow certainly began to clear up a lot of the mystery that had surrounded this mountaintop. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take time to inspect the weapon without taking a chance that Cassandra would utilize my distraction to her advantage and make good on her getaway.

  My sweet Piper’s latest patient does indeed appear to be a vampire hunter, dear hexed one. We now know the reason for the concealing incantation. It appears as if Miss Saruman disguised her friend’s home in order to protect him from an agonizing death. Am I right, Miss Saruman?