by Giger, S. L.
“What do you want?” the middle-aged guy next to me murmured.
“What are you and why are you going into a bunker with the humans?” We both kept our heads low. The way the others shielded us from the outside, they obviously didn't want me to draw any more attention to them.
“Why wouldn't we? Among them, we are safe.”
“How can you be safer in a human bunker than in a magical one?”
His jaw tensed and he lowered his voice even more. “We have some friends who wouldn't be able to enter.” He looked at a couple in front of us. The man had his arm around a woman who had a heartbeat. “Plus, if you had paid a little attention to what's going on, you might have noticed that only magical creatures are targeted by the virus.”
I turned my head toward him in surprise.
“The deaths in Las Vegas?” he said. “It was a school of wizards. Somebody knew there was magic in one place and poisoned them. With us Vampires, it doesn't work.”
I held my breath. I was talking to a Vampire!
“But whoever wants to find and kill us does a good job. One convent in Italy defended themselves after they were detected and ripped off a few heads, but the attackers knew exactly what vampires’ weaknesses are and arrived with corresponding weapons. The whole family was killed, including their human friends.”
My jaw dropped.
“Since then, we have been even more careful.” He turned to me and growled, “You should do the same. Hiding underground is natural for us.”
“Where is the girl?” a soldier called.
“You’re saying in all these acts of terror or outbreaks of the flu, magical creatures were targeted?” I said in a rush.
“That’s what’s being said.” He traced his tongue over his teeth.
I stopped shuffling ahead with the group for a second and was immediately pushed by the ones behind me. “Well, good luck in the bunker,” I stuttered, and left the queue. “I’m here,” I said to the soldier. “All good, I’m going home now.”
I walked away and had to walk quite a distance before I was sure that they couldn’t see me anymore, so that I could take off in Siren speed. If what the vampires said was true and humans weren’t targeted victims at all, then the world looked much better for Alex, my friends, and my family in Switzerland. Perhaps, then, it would be best if they also went inside a shelter until it was quieter up here – so that they wouldn’t be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Chapter 14
I waited impatiently for Alex to return from his job at the deli. When he didn’t show up, I changed my mind and visited him there. He was about to hand a customer a brown paper bag filled with her order when I entered the shop. He smiled and nodded at me.
“How have I earned the honor of this visit?” he asked me after the lady left.
“I found something out this morning that I need to share with you.” I paused. “How can it be that you still work so much? Doesn’t the fact that people are going out to eat less frequently affect you, too? Jimmy had to cut our shifts back a lot.”
“The customers don’t linger for long, but they still come and take their food as usual. What was it you found out?”
I shot a glance behind his back into the kitchen to see whether anybody was there.
“It’s okay, I’m alone,” Alex said.
“I went to check out this bunker in Nevada. I thought it would be a trap for the people because they’d all catch the flu in there and die but turns out that humans most likely won’t or can’t catch the flu. Only these stupid attacks by the underground movement are a danger for humans now.”
Alex furrowed his brows. “How did you come to a conclusion like that?”
“Oh, a Vampire told me,” I said casually.
“Brr, I assume you’re not kidding.” Alex shivered. “Did you see his teeth?”
“No, and we only talked briefly. They weren’t so happy that I just approached them. But he pretty much said that all these outbreaks of the flu were only among magical groups. It sounds like someone is poisoning magical creatures and wants it to look like a simple flu!”
“You’re saying that all these people who have died in the past years were somehow supernatural?”
“The ones who died from the flu, yes. The bombings also affected a few humans.”
Alex pursed his lips. He wasn’t convinced. “How trustworthy are these Vampires? I mean, they locked themselves into a bunker filled with human blood. Maybe they only needed a reason for you to go away.”
That left me speechless for a moment and I tried to think back to my meeting with them. “No, they were very calm, and they were there with human friends. I think they’re like us and can resist temptations. Plus, they really sounded concerned because some other family clans had been killed.”
“But even if he is right and, above all, magical beings are poisoned, how can we know that it doesn’t affect humans?”
“Okay, perhaps that was a false conclusion. I can’t be sure about that. But what’s important is that our friends are safer if they get evacuated. On top of that, I have to find out where the aggressions are coming from.”
The bell jingled and another customer entered the deli. I stepped back from the counter so that he could place his order.
“Well, I’ll go talk to my parents now,” I said to Alex. “I’ll see you later.”
“Mhm, bye.”
I exited the deli and then hovered with my finger over the screen of my phone for a moment. Roisin was God knew where, so I only contacted Luke, Melissa, and Cathy to meet with me. Shortly past midnight, everybody was off their shifts and we met at our house on the Cape.
We all sat on the couches and chairs around the coffee table.
“Doesn’t it sometimes strike you as odd that we never have a snack or a cup of coffee to distract ourselves with while talking to each other?” I asked as they waited for me to speak. “It seems so brutally direct.”
“I don’t want to have to pretend when I am around my own kind, and I find it quite agreeable when one cuts to the point,” Cathy stated. “So, why are we here and where is Roisin?”
“She is looking for Minotaurs in Turkey,” Melissa said.
“Typical. Goes on vacation while everybody else is working hard.” Cathy raised an eyebrow disapprovingly.
“No. I’m glad she has those connections. She might learn something about the person we’re fighting against,” I said. “Which brings me again to what I have to tell you.” And then, I repeated what I already told Alex.
“Wow, I am amazed that a Vampire talked to you in public away from the Dance of Scheherazade.” Luke’s eyes were wide. “They hate to smell other supernatural races and claim vast territories for themselves.”
“I think they felt pressured because the soldiers were paying such strict attention and they didn’t want to draw even more attention to themselves,” I said.
Cathy had a pensive look on her face. “It would make more sense, wouldn’t it? Because if it were a real virus, you could trace its path, but the human doctors are clueless.”
“But if that’s the case, it would interest me even more to know what motivates this person to exterminate the magical world so discreetly,” I said.
“Well, his or her subtle plan is working.” Cathy’s lips flattened. “With all the outbreaks of the flu and the turmoil in the countries combined, he has created quite a lot of chaos already. Even the magical creatures are too afraid to show reactions anymore and go into hiding instead.”
“Yes, the bombings and killings of innocents are a real problem.” I lowered my eyes, thinking how one of my friends could have died during the assault in Boston. “But now that we can assume, they won’t catch the night flu, we could try to get more of them out of the danger zone.”
“How do you want to do that?” Melissa asked.
“We need to get them into shelters until it’s quieter up here,” I said.
Cathy shook her head. “There are enough bunkers,
and they are free to go in there if they want to. We are not their caretakers. Besides, it could take us months to be able to transform male Sirens. They wouldn’t be able to stay in bunkers that long.”
“But the risk of falling victim to a bombing is high, and it’s getting worse.” My lips quivered. “I’m thinking about my family above all. I want to protect them.”
“Yes, I think it’s a good idea,” Melissa said. “I will help you with that.”
“I’m sure someone in the magical world could create long-term bunkers that are agreeable for humans to be in as well,” I said. “Like the mirror room. We all have human friends we want to protect.”
“We’d have to talk to magicians,” Melissa said. “That would not be such an easy undertaking.”
“Hold on.” Luke interrupted our trains of thought. “We plan to just go with this lead that the flu is only a threat to us?”
“To me, it seems very plausible,” I said. “And for you, it doesn’t change anything. You still want to find a solution as quickly as possible, now maybe even quicker.”
He nodded. “Yes, tomorrow we can finally start. Okay, get in touch with some magicians, then. The Library would be the surest place to find them. It might be good for the underworld to know that a pocket of resistance is forming.”
Melissa and I nodded at each other. We’d go to The Library and find some magicians to consult.
The next day, I was curious to see how the lab looked, so I accompanied Alex when he met up with Cathy and Luke, who were there already. The lab was in the basement of the science center. The only light source came from the unnatural glow of a white neon lamp. Otherwise, it looked like an outdated kitchen with a microscope, some glass vitrines, and a few more faucets than a normal sink would have.
“Oh, well – not exactly what we have at the hospital, but we’ll make it work,” Cathy said. “I will bring the rest of the equipment we need from the hospital. And now that we actually have something to present to the university, you will be working on two things,” she said to Alex.
“Oh, what else?” he asked eagerly, happy to learn that he had another task.
“We need to test liquids for cardiac pacemakers to make their battery last longer than ten years. I’ll show you the process, and you need to record the results on the chart every day.”
“Wow, cool, an actual task in human medicine.”
“And you’re okay with the heartbeats?” I asked Luke. He, Cathy, and I automatically paused and paid closer attention to the subtle background thudding from the students above ground and the loud throbbing of Alex’s heart.
“I won’t be here that often, but for now, it’s all right – it’s isolated quite well, and the cool temperatures seem to have a soothing effect on me.”
“Good. And what’s your plan now?” I asked.
“First, we should try to get two natural parent cells to merge. Meaning, one of Luke’s cells with one of my or your cells, which we will extract from our spit,” Cathy explained, almost a little too patient for her usual self. “And as we work on that, we also need to figure out what other circumstances are necessary for a positive outcome.”
“Why, what else could be necessary?” Alex asked.
“Well, perhaps the transformation needs to happen in a certain place without any distractions, or maybe the man needs to be in love with the person who transforms him,” Cathy added matter-of-factly.
“Well, in that case, we would fail anyway, wouldn’t we?” Alex said. “Or are there potions for true love?”
“I’m afraid there aren’t,” Cathy said.
“But you were changed by Melissa?” Alex addressed Luke.
“Yes.” He nodded.
“At some point, I’d like to hear the story of how you got to know each other,” Alex said. “It might be helpful.”
“Sure,” Luke responded. “But then Melissa should be there as well. She can tell the story much better than I.”
Then I watched them a while as they labeled different flat plastic plates, but since I was more standing in the way than anything else, I said goodbye. I called Melissa to go to The Library with her after she was done with work. We met at a corner of Bryant Park and entered the public library together.
“When were you here last?” I asked Melissa.
“I don’t remember. A long time ago.”
“Why do you never come here? It’s such an awesome place.”
“It is, but if I read, I want to read for pleasure, and in here you only find non-fiction. Once the initial excitement is over, you won’t come here simply because you can walk through a wall and be invisible.” She smiled. “But my heart would beat a tiny tick faster right now if it was able to beat.”
My insides still quivered with fear and excitement when I stepped into the storage room. I went first and followed the same procedure as last time. Again, my body disappeared, and I could easily slip through the wall. I marched to the bottom of the staircase and took a lantern. Shortly thereafter, a second lantern rose from the shelf.
“Nathalie, is that you?” Melissa’s voice asked.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Okay, let’s go.” We entered the beautiful library, but I wasn't here to marvel at architecture. We had a mission.
“How can we find out if we are actually talking to a magician?” I whispered.
“I guess we have to approach the lanterns and ask,” Melissa replied. “We should check in the mirror room.”
We opened the door to the mirror room and saw the shimmer of several lanterns. It looked like the room was decorated for some kind of ceremony. We approached the two lanterns closest to us.
“Excuse me, are you perhaps magicians?” I asked, but nobody answered. We waited for a response, but nothing came.
“Let’s move on.” Melissa found my arm and pulled on it.
We walked to the next group of lanterns and I whispered again.
“Why are you interrupting our peace?” a low male voice growled.
“I’m sorry. It’s important. I take that you’re not a magician?”
I only heard another growl, so we walked away again. A lantern approached us.
“I overheard you whispering,” a woman said. “Why are you looking for a magician?”
“We have information about the flu and need the magicians’ help,” I said.
“I’m afraid there is nothing we can do. As soon as we use our powers, a physical force field will send off an alarm. Minutes later, the place will be bombed, or the night flu will hit that area the following night. The ministry voiced a magic ban – nobody on Earth is allowed to use magic at the moment.”
“So, you also know that magic is being targeted,” Melissa said.
“Yes, that’s why my family and I are here.” The woman sighed.
“Please, can we talk somewhere quieter?” I asked. Not that anyone was speaking in here besides us, but that was exactly the point. The two hostile answers earlier made me think that not everybody in here might support our idea.
After a brief hesitation, the woman agreed. “I’ll get my husband and my two daughters.” The lantern moved away and soon four lanterns approached us. Together, we left the mirror room. I took the closest staircase and wandered up to the next floor, where I spotted an empty table between one of the galleries. This seemed like a much less exposed place. We sat down at a dark wooden table. A picture similar to Rembrandt’s ‘The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp’ hung on the wall behind us.
“Now, you know that we are wizards. What are you?”
“Well, I know that you’re wizards, but that doesn’t tell me how you live and what you can do. I’m fairly new to this world,” I said. I bit my lower lip and waited eagerly to see if they’d tell me something more.
“Sirens,” Melissa jumped in, to my disappointment. “I believe you know what they are?”
“Oh, the keeper of our school’s island is a Siren,” another woman’s voice said. It was hard to tell her age from the voi
ce. She could have been anything older than about twelve.
“Oh, what’s her name?” Melissa asked.
“Ana Lindgren,” another girl said.
“No, don’t know her,” Melissa said.
“So, the school you go to is a magical one?” I tried again, completely forgetting that I was on a mission.
“Yes, but only for girls,” the second girl said. “We learn to improve our spells.”
“Did you have your powers your whole lives?” I asked. “How can you use them?” I flinched when something jabbed the side of my body. Since we were invisible, I couldn’t give Melissa any sign that I would come back to the topic once I had a basic knowledge about what kind of magicians they were.
“Excuse her,” Melissa said, “she was only transformed a year ago and before that had no idea that the magical world existed.”
“Oh, you were a human,” the other girl said.
“That’s no problem. I know most of you live a more solitary life,” the mother said. “We are born as wizards, but our powers are only fully developed at about eight years old. Then, it’s decided which school you can attend. The schools are all divided into different spell sections.”
“And what did you learn?” I asked.
“My husband and I went to a school that concentrates on teleportation and beaming. But of course, we also learned simple spells you need in your daily life, like how to clean the dishes, that sort of thing.”
“So practical.” I smiled. “Do I imagine you with a wand and in a black robe?”
I heard the woman and the girls chuckle.
“No, we wear normal clothes,” one of the girls said. “And the power is within us. We use our thoughts and guide them with our hands.”
“And what is your school’s focus, if I may ask?”
“We build and decorate things,” the first girl said. “Houses and gardens above all, but my favorite class is when we can create magical dresses.”
“They helped in a project to rebuild a city in China after an earthquake. The people would have had to live in emergency shelters for years if the girls and their friends hadn’t rebuilt their houses for them.” The woman sounded proud.
