by Jason Fuquea
I sighed. “Witches, Vampires and Werewolves, WTF is my life coming to,” I thought. The ladies walked around encircling me and stood equal distances apart forming a geometric pattern. One of the four ladies removed her hood. She had braided blond hair and wore a crescent moon necklace. She also has what looks like tattoos on her face and down her neck, although no upside-down A. Her eyes are blue, like mine were before I became whatever I am now. She spoke in a deep voice, “How are you able to walk in the light, light kills all of your kind.”
I replied, “I’m not a freaking Vampire.” I protested. Reaching under my shirt I pulled out my silver cross and shinned it at them. The ladies gasped and stepped back.
“What are you, how can you walk in the day and silver not burn you?” Her words faltering as she spoke.
“I simply am not a Vampire,” I said sweetly.
“I’m something else,” Lilith said changing our voice, as I raised my finger up to the barrier and where my finger touched, I could feel the energy. I pushed my nail through the barrier and sparks ignited – I smiled my full smile showing my fangs.
A slight burnt tinge filtered through the air as the magical material separated and flapped open in the nonexistent wind. I moved my finger down from head height to the floor slicing the barrier, cutting the magical fabric.
The Witches all started to chant in unison; an eerie melody that turned their words into magic around my thighs. Looking at all the Witches only one of them had an upside-down A on their forehead. “My guess is the upside-down A is something that only I can see, not a tattoo, but a warning,” I thought.
The magic around my legs seemed to be hardening, forming thick barbed chains encircling my legs. At once and without warning the magical chains latched against me. Pain hit me as the barbed chains pierced through my icy skin and embedded into my Demonic flesh following the commands of the Witches.
This magical weaving differs greatly from that of the single witch. This magic is stronger, and my predator side took notice. Fear is a lost human feeling, but this pain is very real. The magical bindings are melding with the wood of the floor attempting to pull me down.
I knew I was stronger than this magic much more so, and not something to be trifled with by these Witches. Lilith came to the front of my mind pulling on my predator side searching within me for something.
In her voice, one not of my own, with thoughts that are foreign, Lilith called from within and whispered, “Silentium.” The Demonic tone is instinctual and exact, not remotely human. Immediately and without resistance all sound became void. The word Lilith spoke cauterized all noise, sounds, and rhythms.
The Witches are mouthing soundless mimes now. No sounds of cars going by, or music blasting from the speakers above can be heard. It’s like being a thousand miles below the surface of the ocean or in the vacuum of space. The magical barbed chains around me no longer contracting their movements halting.
With great effort I tore my legs free from the imprisoning magical chains, ripping my flesh and bone away in chunks from the barbs. Pushing the chains to the floor now coated with my flesh, I moaned. As soon as my legs were free, I felt a jar inside me and then pain, pain, inhuman Demonic pain burst from my chest as my ribcage is forced forward by my heart’s command. My heartbeat causing all wounds to heal spontaneously and in turn ceasing all pain. Lilith groaned with pleasure, “Yes, Yes, More, and laughed out loud with her seductively low-pitched haunt.”
Moving into my rhythm, or shadow walking as I called it, I stepped forward through the slit in the magical barrier. I made my way to the Witches one by one. They are all severely slowed in a soundless mime, one is running for the door, one is reaching into their pocket for a magical amulet, the other three are reaching for each other, seemingly to prepare a spell.
I kneeled down near the witch I considered the head of the coven. She’s the one going for a magical amulet and who questioned me. I took the amulet from her and on contact absorbed whatever magic was in it, then tossed the useless thing to the floor. Lowering my mouth to her neck, automatically my Kris like fangs extending slightly allowing me to pierce the flesh of her neck without mauling her too badly.
I drank of her sweet liquid and as I did could see her life in visions, her fears, who she is and was during her past. The small coven has been attacked by Vampires constantly, she lost her two children from Vampire raids. Others in the coven have also lost their loved ones or their lives in turn.
Vampires are known to rape and torture Witches just for sport. The coven leader’s name is Katie and she has only been a coven leader a few months. She is hoping I’m an important Vampire, and if I am, the coven can enslave me gaining leverage against future vamp attacks. She thinks old and powerful Vampires can change shape and resist the sun, so I’m probably old based on what the shopkeeper witch described. I didn’t see evil deeds in her memories, just the struggle to survive and the tasks required to do it.
Witches are powerful together, but alone a single witch can be killed by a Vampire easily. Vampires are inhumanly fast and can see through darkness, not to mention they are many times stronger than a human. A Vampire can also smell something different about a witch scent from that of a human scent, so hiding or surprising a Vampire isn’t an option from what my blood drink is telling me. Ambushed, a single witch has no chance.
Pulling back from her and making my way drinking the other Witches is very enlightening. All of them have similar stories except for one. One of the Witches, the one with the upside-down A on her forehead has a lover that was changed into a Vampire by the virus.
She is still in love with him. She allows the Vampire to drink from her and even share her at times with other Vampires. She is both enthralled and willfully enslaved in his grasp.
She’s been telling her Vampire lover about possible opportunities to kill Witches for months. She even begged the coven leader Katie to let her come along today with the ulterior motive of reporting back to her lover if indeed the Witches caught a master Vampire.
“In other words, she is a vamp spy,” I thought. The witch spy’s name is Amanda and her lover’s, John Maddox. The same shithead John from the hotel basement bar who threw drinks on me.
Chapter 9
Interfectorem
Stepping back into normal time I said, “Dicere.” Without Lilith doing it for me. At once the music started playing, birds singing, and the Witches gasping at their wounds. “I have no idea how I knew the command, but it’s as if I also speak a Demonic language now.” Lilith laughed.
Struggling to speak Katie said, “What have you done to us?”
I waited a few seconds, “Sweetie, not one thing other than drink your blood,” I said in my raspy voice. “I needed to know why you tried to trap me, and drinking your blood is the fastest way to get up to speed on the situation.”
Katie groaned and said, “Please don’t kill us, we have families, children, and we were not going to hurt you.”
“I know,” replying calmly, “but we do have a few things to talk about. Before you ask me, I’m not a Vampire in the traditional blood-sucking since, I’m something else. And no, the Vampires will not spare any Witches on my behalf, again because I’m not a master or old Vampire or whatever they call their oldest.
“In fact, I’m only twenty-three. Lastly, I’m not going to kill all of you. I’m going to let you decide the fate of the traitor in your group. I don’t know witch law, but It’s as good a time to learn as any.”
Katie rolled up sitting on her knees now. “Traitor, none of us are traitors, we are a family, a coven, these Witches are my sisters,” she said.
“Sisters can be bitches too,” I pointed my finger at Amanda, “That one,” I said.
Amanda looked at Katie and started her rant, “Me, I’m the one that asked to come along to capture this woman Vampire, how could I be a traitor. I’ve been with this coven for over a year, even
before you were voted coven leader.”
Interrupting Amanda, I said, “Don’t believe her Katie. Amanda, I’m not real big on lies, and I already have a fun-filled day planned, so please let’s stop with all of this bullshit and tell everyone about John Maddox and how you’re his blood whore.”
Amanda’s cheeks turned slightly red at my allegation, “John was my fiancé, and was claimed by the Vampire virus over five years ago – everyone knows that. I’ve not seen him since and am a loyal witch through and through.” She glared sternly at me.
“Katie, surely you have some way to tell if she’s lying, right?” I asked.
Katie said, “We don’t spell other Witches without their permission, but yes, we can tell.”
“By all means, sweetie, spell her and ask her if she’s let John and the other Vampires feed on her. If she refuses to talk, I’ll kill her right now.”
“Amanda,” Katie said. “Tell me the truth when I ask you.” Katie made a few strange gestures in the air and asked Amanda, “Have you had any contact with John in the last few months?”
Amanda’s eyes started to well up, she began to sob. Shaken and slowly she answered, “Yes.” The other Witches made gasping noises. I could see disgust making itself known across their faces. Amanda stood and dropped her robes. She has no bra or panties on and is completely naked.
Her toned body is covered in vamp bite marks. From her nipples to her inner thighs hundreds of fang punctures are visible, some fresh. It’s a sad sight to see and grotesque how they have abused her.
The worst part is that I know how she feels about it all. When I drank her blood, I could feel how she wants bitten, she’s insanely enthralled in blood lust needing it. She wants to be drunk from and shared. She doesn’t see what they do to her as wrong, it’s a reward and makes her lover happy. She will let Vampires do whatever they want to her, she will help Vampires do whatever they want to her coven, and she truly doesn’t realize the Vampires only let her live to help kill other Witches.
Katie started to cry as she looked at her sister witch that betrayed her coven. “She must feel like she failed her,” I thought. These girls are all sisters. “Katie, what’s the punishment for Amanda’s actions?” I asked.
Katie took a few seconds and spoke, “She willingly supplied Vampires with her blood, allowing her mind to be read and ultimately helping to kill her sisters. Death is her punishment.” Tears dripped off her chin.
These Witches have been through enough. I can’t let Katie, or the others live with this death. This death, the death of their traitor sister, I could prevent from being forever on their consciences. Amanda caused their coven to be attacked and caused Katie to have her own children murdered at the hands of Vampires, but even so, executing Amanda would continue to hurt the witch coven.
These Witches are not evil like most Vampires are. The witch blood clearly showed me how the Witches were the ones assaulted and hunted.
Shadow stepping to Amanda, and placing my icy hands around her neck, twisting effortlessly, I turned her head around completely, breaking bones and sinew. I stepped back, and waited for time to catch up with my actions. It was an instant painless death. Amanda fell to the floor dead, unmoving like she had somehow fallen asleep while standing, her eyes still open.
I lowered my head and silently thought, “Father, forgive me for this that I have done, and all of what I am about to do. I act without evil as your vindicator.”
The Witches seeing Amanda fall didn’t move, all of them were covered in tears. After a few minutes, Katie started chanting what I am assuming is a spell making Amanda invisible. I can still see her, but she is surrounded in a glistening fog of sorts. One of the other Witches moved her hands in an upward movement and Amanda’s dead body lifted off the ground, floating. It only took a finger to move her now.
Two Witches took Amanda, nodded at me then walked out of Adventure Travelers. Katie and the shopkeeper are both looking at me.
“Katie, I’m sorry, I know your coven is going through a lot. I’ll see what I can do to help. If you need anything, I’m on the second floor of the Decatur Blood Bank Apartments.”
Katie said, “You’re a kind of Demon, aren’t you?” I nodded. She continued, “A Demon helping Witches, the other covens will never believe me. Meeting a Demon and living to tell the tale is rare.”
Smiling I said, “Just call me Casper the friendly Demon.”
I looked at the shopkeeper witch. “Shanetta, next time, just talk to me, my bark is worse than my bite.” She’s the newest of the Witches and was freaking out when she saw me. She has a great heart and is one of the purest of the five. She’s an air witch and quite talented. Her barrier would have been impossible for a Vampire to escape from. “It’s amazing what you can learn from a few sips of blood,” I thought.
“What’s your name Shanetta asked me?
“I’m Alice, nice to meet you.” I said. Shanetta smiled and I knew the witch didn’t fear me anymore. It feels good to have witch friends – of sorts. “Lilith giggled,” at the comment.
I left Katie and Shanetta to work out the “everything” that just went down between us all inside Adventure Travelers.
Chapter 10
Lilith
Back at Jackson Square where Christina now drew a crowd, I walked over to my favorite wrought iron bench with the red sun-blocking material and sat down. Charley’s restaurant is serving lunch still, and the smells are wonderful. Still, I’m not interested in human food, but it is a nice smell all the same. I am thankful for all the good smells, as New Orleans can have some bad ones at times.
Tonight at midnight, I will start my infiltration of the Vampire world. For now, I will sit and listen to Jackson Square. The strange thing is, life in New Orleans is so serene on the outside. It has a pretty, candy-coated shell, but once you bite in, blood pours out.
To the normal person, everything here is about culture and history and how the two forged these historical roads, iron fences, gardens, and buildings. To the vacationer, it’s eclectic shops oozing with old-world craftsmanship and character along with wonderful native foods and performing artists energizing the air.
How would anyone believe a Vampire virus even exists, much less that it’s running rampant here. Werewolves are making pacts with the Vampires. Witch covens are fighting Vampires looking for a way to protect their families. Humans are being brought in by Vampires to be blood workers and worse vamp toys. “It’s all too much and something must change.”
It’s been about half an hour since I sat down. Today’s slight breeze is nice, the clouds giving a break from the midday sun every few minutes and Christina filling the air with joy.
“Looks like a storm later,” I thought to Lilith. I got up from my bench and walked over to Chester. Chester is a man much older than his appearance gives away. Today he’s dressed in traditional performing attire. Suspenders holding up his dark navy pants. A white long-sleeved poet shirt with lacy frills on the ends covering his lean frame.
He also never performs anywhere without his coat-tail jacket; it lays on the ground beside him. His hair is slicked back, with a part directly down the center. His classic red handkerchief has a few coins sitting on top just below his legs standing in a perfect performance stance.
Christina is pristinely beautiful and well oiled, singing precise and fierce. Walking closer I can smell Chester’s distinct blood wine scent. Chester is a great guy, just a human caught up in the world of the supernatural.
Walking up to me, Chester met me with his eyes and voice and said, “Alice, seeing you gives me the same pleasure as unwrapping a present on Christmas day, how are you on this ever-brightening afternoon?” he said with a British flair.
“Chester, please forgive me, I don’t have any coins to show how much I appreciate you two. I feel less than human,” I said chuckling.
Chester grinned and went into a deep bow an
d said, “I am afraid your coins are not welcome here, my lady. Please forgive me but your company is all that I will accept.” We both laughed at our shenanigans and I sat down next to him with my legs crossed.
He ended a wonderful set and I spoke up, “Chester, what happens to the humans that get attacked or drained by Vampires but don’t die?”
“Tulane Hospital is the most equipped facility to handle such a case. It does not happen often, but when it does, that’s who takes the misfortunate that cross over into our world. Most Vampire bites heal quickly, and don’t cause the victim to bleed out as the saliva seems to stop the bleeding. But, if a Vampire drinks too much or is rough and mauls the recipient, that’s another story.”
“Thanks, Chester, I may take a trip to Tulane this afternoon and see firsthand.”
“Very well, young Alice, until we meet once again.” He gave me a parting bow.
I walked around the corner into the alley behind Charley’s restaurant and moved into my rhythm disappearing from sight. Within a blink of time, I had moved the eighteen blocks to the emergency entrance of Tulane Hospital.
I continued at my speed until I was past the closed emergency room doors. I knew during the daytime it would be rare to find a Vampire attack but wanted to look around nonetheless.
Normal emergency room activities are going on, and thankfully no critical accidents have arrived so far today. I made my way to the stairwell and slowed to a human rate.
I moved up the stairs effortlessly to the third floor where a sign read “Healthcare Services, Newborn and Delivery.” I opened the door and walked slowly keeping my head down and not making eye contact. I turned the corner and read another sign that said “Nursery.”
I continued to walk as the solid wall on my right changed; now becoming floor to ceiling glass. Several nurses are manning the busy nursery. The glass wall section is around twenty feet long and allowed a view of several rows of plastic incubators and open beds that infants are occupying.
