by Penn Cassidy
Fe snapped her fingers and said, “He needs to pay a visit to the blood bank! Yikes, I completely forget he’s probably starving.” She rushed over to him and spoke in a soft voice for only him to hear, but whatever she said caused his fangs to slip out. He suddenly looked pained.
I wanted to go to him, but I held myself back, knowing he didn’t want or need my help.
Freddy watched his brother, grimacing as if he too could feel Norman’s discomfort. His brother looked back at him, and Freddy nodded firmly. Norman shook his head and whispered something back to my auntie, who smiled kindly and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Okay, change of plans,” she announced. “Wait here for Pip and Maddie, and we’ll be right back.” With that, she spun away in a flurry of colorful robes. Norman, looking uncomfortable, followed closely, placing his hands in his pockets.
“Jessica, can you go with them just to make sure he’s okay?” I asked quietly. She responded with a four legged salute before hopping down off me and skittering after them.
They walked a ways down the street, coming to a building that looked like it belonged in the eighteen hundreds. It had a gothic vibe with the towering grey columns, turrets, balconies, and huge steel doors in front. A sign on top of the building said Blood Bank. We all knew what was happening and what went on behind those doors, yet none of us spoke, realizing that Norman was going to have possibly the hardest adjustment.
“There you are!” Auntie Pip called out, coming our way. “We were just heading to the Witches Den for some potions. Been having a bit of a pest problem, gnomes in the garden again. But this is nice, too. Where did Fe run off to?” She was still chewing on mouthfuls of sickly sweet spiderweb candy. I cringed just looking at it.
“Uh, blood bank with Norman.” I pointed over my shoulder and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear when three angry gazes swung my way, as if it was my fault yet again.
I mean…it kind of was, but I didn’t like the looks. It was just a reminder of how I’d fucked up their lives. Well, at least they had lives, thanks to me. Maddie slid to my side and looped her arm through mine, grinning around a mouthful of purple cotton.
“This place is crazy awesome, like a real life haunted attraction all year round!” She was beaming. “This place is right up your alley, Tobs. Have you even looked around you yet?”
She was completely right. I felt oddly at home here, but I’d been afraid to voice that, thinking maybe it would be just one more reason for them to blame me for all of this.
In every direction I looked there were shops of extraordinarily odd things. Some of the buildings looked straight out of the Renaissance, with the decaying dark wood and stained glass windows. Some buildings seemed to be leaning slightly sideways, while others were tall and slender with curved chimneys reaching up towards the double moons. Fairy lights were strung up between the shops and arching over the street, where there were virtually no cars, just people walking around.
I spied a cute window full of books, belonging to a place called The Wicked Quill. A small wooden door led into the shop with planter boxes hanging off the front, filled with lavender stalks. Evening primrose flowers were planted along the inner walkway, giving it a homey feel. I adored reading, and I suddenly couldn’t wait to get inside and find a good book to curl up with.
“And over there you’ll find Ghost of Our Pasts movie theater,” Pip announced, gesturing down the street. “It plays the best mortal made films. The creatures here tend to find it fascinating, the way mortals dress up and pretend to scare each other. Fascinating, yet horrifying at the same time.” Cobwebs hung from a black and white striped sign above a scrolling marquee.
“Is that a bubble tea café?” Maddie gasped, already heading that way before I could stop her.
Fog was coming out of the tea shop windows, which were cracking a hair, and an old, rusted cauldron shaped sign was swinging back and forth, squeaking in the breeze. The sign read Toil and Trouble Tea. I would’ve been all for it, if it wasn’t for the questionable looking crone out front, stirring a pot of something bubbly as she cackled. I didn’t know what she found so funny about a bubbling cauldron, but my stomach turned at the thought.
“Candy is one thing, but there’s no way I’m going in here,” Michael said with a shudder as we all watched the witch pluck a grey hair off a wart on her chin and add it to her cauldron.
My stomach flipped again. I hoped she was just making a potion, and not trying to pass that crap off as tea.
“Okay how about this,” Pip suggested. “I’ll take Maddie, Micheal, and Jason to the Witches Den for some potions. We would have gone there regardless for some school items and gnome repellent. Freddy, be a dear and go with October to the book shop. I can see those wheels turning and she’ll go with or without you, but I’d rather you keep an eye on her.”
Freddy was still scowling towards the blood bank, impatiently waiting for Norman, but he nodded to Pip absently.
Pip leaned in closer to me, and lowered her voice as she said, “Look for some books on necromancy while you’re in there. The bookkeeper has a lovely collection of antiques. Your dad didn’t leave his things behind, and I’m afraid our grimoires won’t do you much good.”
I nodded grimly. I supposed I was on my own for now. Plus she was right, I should definitely look for some how to guides or something if I wanted to learn how to raise the dead…or how not to. I didn’t bother waiting for Freddy, because all he would do was bitch at me, so I took off into the bookshop without saying anything as everyone split up in different directions.
An old-fashioned bell chimed the moment I opened the door, and the comforting smell of parchment, ink, and coffee beans filled the air. I took a deep breath, feeling relaxed for the first time since being here, and smiled as I glanced around at the rows of shelves filled with books. The original hardwood floors were scratched up and aging, showing that this place got a lot of love and care. The shop was way bigger than I thought it would be from the outside. It was more like a library, and there were only a few people milling around here and there.
A book floated through the air and then placed itself on the bookshelf right before a man came around the corner with his face buried in another book. He adjusted his wire framed glasses perched on his nose. His dark brown hair was wavy and parted to the side but kept getting in his face, and he let out a frustrated sigh as he pushed it away, just as he spotted me standing in the doorway. Freddy finally got his head out of his ass and followed me in.
“Welcome to The Wicked Quill,” the man said with a welcoming smile. “I’m Baen, owner of this fine establishment. If you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask.” His voice was like smooth honey dripping over a biscuit, the New Orleans southern drawl notable, and I started to wonder what the South looked like in this world.
Dear god, the possibilities are endless.
I could only nod like an idiot with my mouth slightly parted, because this guy was gorgeous. Yet something about his hazel eyes was harsh, contrasting the softness of his smile. He had caramel colored skin kissed lightly by the sun—or moon? I supposed he was naturally tanned.
Baen pushed his glasses up his nose again, flashed a white toothed smile, and walked around another bookcase while I leaned to the side, following him with my eyes. Damn… He was tall and strong with rippling muscles under that white button-down shirt, and those tan pants were pulled over heavy brown boots, as if he was about to go for a hike in the jungle. He was a bookish explorer type, and I immediately felt like fanning myself.
“Stop staring,” Freddy growled low in his chest. I startled, looking up at him. His eyes were narrowed on Mr. Hottie, as if he was suddenly planning the guy's very gruesome death.
“Shut up,” I muttered, attempting to shove him aside and follow Baen. “I just have to ask him where I can find necrom—”
I barely got a step away before Freddy was pulling me by the hand in a different direction. He practically sprinted down row after row of bookcas
es, until it felt like we were traversing some hidden labyrinth.
“You don’t even know where you're going!” I shouted, but still tried to keep my voice low. “We need a directory or something. There's no way we’ll find what I need like this!” He just smirked over his shoulder. “Freddy, come on!”
He stopped at the very back of the shop where it was quiet and noticeably darker without so many overhead lights. Some of the lights even flickered. “Every book store is the same, Carrot Top. The forbidden books are always tucked away in the back,” he said with an eye roll at my dubious expression.
He skimmed a few shelves, muttering to himself as he scanned the titles. Back here, there seemed to be older books, some still coated in dust and cobwebs. He hummed in the back of his throat and reached for a book near the bottom, just as it slid out, right into his hand. He shook his head and handed it over to me with a shiver. Rolling his shoulders, he said, “Well, that was easier than I planned.”
The moment the old, black leather book made contact with my fingertips, the lights flickered off and then on again, then the book snapped open with a sudden gust of wind that whipped my hair over my shoulders.
“That was…” He glanced from me to the book and back again, gulping loudly.
“Creepy,” I finished for him before looking down at the page splayed open in my hands.
Freddy stepped closer, reading over my shoulder, his body heat like a furnace. It made it easier to dive into the unknown, pretending that he was here to keep me safe. I decided to read out loud as I leaned back into his chest, needing the extra support to do this. He placed his hand on my waist and just kept staring at the book as I cleared my throat.
Necromancer: Those with the power to speak to and summon the dead. It is said that the person(s) who bears this gift will lead a cursed life. The purpose of death is to provide rebirth, therefore the dead should stay dead. Necromancy is the art of wielding the balance of life and death by utilizing one's own soul. Not only does the soul suffer while wielding this power, but so does the one welding the soul.
Above all, a necromancer's power is coveted yet feared, and those who know the truth will seek it for themselves.
I slammed the book closed, unable to keep going. Reading it was like reading about my own impending doom. A ‘cursed life,’ it said.
How on Earth was I supposed to learn to control a power I knew nothing about? How, when my parents never told me and now they were gone forever? There was no one left to help me.
Is it hot in here?
Maybe I was beginning to panic, but I was suddenly sweltering. I felt trapped in the back of this store, like the bookcases were closing in on me, and it was becoming difficult to breathe.
“October, look at me!” Freddy demanded, spinning me around by the shoulders to face him. His emerald eyes held me captive.
“I hate it when she cries…” his voice whispered softly in my head as he gazed down at me, but once again, his lips didn’t move. What the hell was this? Was this some kind of freaky side effect of bringing the guys back? I couldn’t handle any more of it!
Also…was I really crying?
“Freddy, I can’t—it’s too much.” I sagged in his strong arms, feeling like everything was going to collapse in on me. The gravity of our situation was beginning to hit home. Something about reading those words in that ancient tome made all of this so fucking real.
“Fuck it,” he growled, sounding strangely relieved and possessive. I barely parted my lips to question him when his lips captured mine.
At first, he was almost hesitant as our lips grazed. His body was very still and cautious, almost as if he couldn’t believe he’d made the first move. But the second I allowed my tongue to swipe his lower lip, he snapped like a rubber band and went in for the kill. He kissed my—no, he devoured my mouth with a hunger that had me reaching for more.
I gripped his blond locks in my curled fingers, trying to draw him even closer, and felt his hard length grinding against my thigh. My pulse raced, and I throbbed for him in places that hadn’t been touched in a long time. He suddenly reached down, grabbed the backs of my thighs, lifted me up, and pushed me against the rough wood of the bookcase, leaving me gasping. Books fell around us as he dug his nails into the shelf above my head and held onto me with his other hand right under my ass. He was in perfect control of my movements, forcing my hips up and down, rolling along his thick cock straining beneath his jeans.
“Tell me to stop, October,” he hissed under his breath, forehead against mine. “Tell me…” He struggled to get the command out before biting down on my bottom lip when I didn’t respond in time.
“P-please, Freddy,” I whimpered. “I need to feel.” My voice came out strangled and breathy.
I knew we shouldn’t be doing this in a darkened corner of a public bookshop, but dammit, it was like waking up from a dream—no, a nightmare, and getting what you’d been missing and craving all this time. He groaned, placing love bites on my neck and biting down harder against the tender flesh, right between the soft tissue where my neck and shoulder met.
I could tell he was struggling to hold himself back. The look in his eyes said he was ready to fuck me right here and now, but instead, he whispered, “Not like this, not here.” I went to argue, my need too strong to contain, but he stopped me with a kiss, whispering again against my lips, “But I’ll give you what you need. This is all about you.”
He dipped his hand between us, skimming his fingers up the inner part of my thigh, teasing back and forth before slowly moving in the direction I wanted him. His calloused palm covered my pussy, and I squirmed against the friction. I held my breath as he ran his fingers over the edge of my black stockings attached to my garter belt. His lips curled in an animalistic snarl, and something like a growl fell from his lips.
Freddy tore the fabric of my small thong with ease, leaving me bare and open under his heated gaze as he drew his upper body away. My hands were franic, needing to touch him back. The soft material of his shirt was beginning to drive me crazy, so I grasped the labels of his plaid button down and ripped it open, sending buttons scattering everywhere.
Our kiss was like two waves crashing together. There was a force between us that seemed to build and heat with every swipe of our tongues, demanding control. He ground the heel of his palm over my soaking core, and I leaned forward, biting down on his bicep over his shirtsleeve to stay quiet. I could hear the comings and goings of people and activity in the front of the store.
“Are you going to let me play with this pretty as fuck pussy?” he whispered against the shell of my ear, circling my clit with his middle finger leisurely as I panted in a heated mess against the side of his bicep.
By now, my eyes were starting to roll back in my head, and I could already feel the scalding hot sensation crawling up my thighs from the need to come.
“Just touch me, I need…” I lifted my head and grabbed the back of his neck to pull his lips down to mine, slanting slightly until there was barely any space between us. “I need you to make me come,” I breathed out hotly against his lips, barely touching.
He didn’t waste any more time, gliding his two fingers into my pussy before slowly withdrawing as his tongue stroked against mine. The way he kissed me, I knew he was mimicking the way he’d lick my clit when he got the chance. The thought sent strikes of pleasure and anticipation zinging through my body.
Just when I was about to start begging on my knees for him to go faster, his fingers curled inside me, and he pulled back to watch my face. He smirked wickedly, those green eyes swirling with need that matched my own. I bit my lip to hold back a moan as he sped up, using my juices to swirl the pad of his fingers around my swollen clit. Then, in a move so fast I almost lost my mind, he moved his fingers in and out harder and faster until I was riding his hand, chasing my orgasm.
“You’re close, aren’t you, October?” he whispered, his voice lower than I’d ever heard him. It rumbled like an animalistic growl. �
��Come for me, baby,” he demanded, his eyes flashing colors so fast, I almost missed it—yellow, like a full harvest moon, before turning back to a deep forest green.
He moved his hand faster as his thumb started circling my clit, which left me seeing stars. Ecstasy crashed over me, taking me for a ride as I came all over his fingers. He groaned in pained need as he watched me lose myself in his arms. My chest rose and fell rapidly against his, and I watched dazedly as he pulled his fingers out of me and brought them to his mouth. He hummed deep in his chest the moment he tasted me, closing his eyes.
“Fucking delicious…eat her out all…”
Yet again, his mouth didn’t move, but his voice bounced around in my head and sounded like he was about ready to give in and drop to his knees.
“Shit!” He set me down fast, pulling my skirt back into place before frantically buttoning his shirt. He failed, given there were so many missing buttons.
It was then that I heard my name being called through the store. I scrambled to rearrange my outfit, patting down my crazed sex hair. How did he hear her before I did? We’d been so wrapped up in the moment, I’d been deaf to everything around us. I stood there staring at him in panic, glancing down at his straining erection that he was trying to adjust, but it wasn’t working.
“Go! Walk it off or something. Hurry before they turn the corner.” I frantically waved him away. “Freddy, go!”
He stared down at me for a long, tense minute with something like a promise in his gaze, but also a warning. I knew I was in for it later. A thrilled shiver trailed down my spine.
“Not a word, October,” he whispered, using my name again. I loved the sound of it coming off his lips. His eyes were full of want as he added, “This isn’t over.” He didn’t give me a chance to respond before turning the corner in the opposite direction from the voices heading our way.
I couldn’t decide if I needed to thank him or yell at him for making me come undone like that in a strange bookstore where anyone could find us. I wasn’t sure if I should be horrified at what I just did in public, or mad that I fell under his spell like I told myself I never would again. He’d been all bossy and demanding and sexy, while also sounding like a wild animal. It’d turned me on…
