by Candi Fox
“Yes, we do. You shower, while I grab my potions and supplies. I will take a quick shower when you are finished.”
“What you don’t want to join me?”
“That would not be a quick shower.”
“True.”
Harley ran down the lab to grab some potions. She was surprised to find Emery in the lab working. Harley filled him in on what was going on while she packed her magic travel bag.
He surprised her even more by asking to go with her. Never hurt to have extra magic might in a fight. Harley had the feeling they were in for a big one.
“I want to see you in action. Perhaps, I will give this paranormal crime thing a whirl.”
Harley smiled at him. It was smile or laugh. Sometimes the way he said things made her want to crack up. She told him they would be leaving in twenty minutes.
Aiden was out of the shower and dressed by the time she got back up the stairs. She took a quick shower, tucking her long hair in a cap so she wouldn’t have to mess with it wet.
Aiden sat on the bed and watched her while she dressed. She thought about asking him to leave, then shrugged and thought what the hell. They were going to see each other naked anyway, of that she had no doubt.
He was just getting a preview. Maybe it was Harley’s way of giving him a chance to back out. She did not have the body of a twenty-year-old. Maybe a twenty-five-year-old. She kept in shape, so what if that shape had more curves than the average girl.
Sometimes she was brave and confident. Today she didn’t have time to lack confidence. She was going to be facing five killer vampires. It was the only way to save the last family. They would have to take out the vampires.
Emery was waiting for them by the time they got downstairs. Harley introduced Aiden and Emery as they headed out. Aiden sat in back allowing Emery to ride shotgun.
Harley filled them in on the way to Oklahoma City. The three of them formed a tentative plan on how they wanted to deal with things.
She wouldn’t know an exact plan until she spoke to Lieutenant Meyers. He could have already set some plans in motion. Her plans would hinge on that.
They didn’t have any trouble finding the house. It was rural, though not as rural as the previous ones. The neighbors were about a quarter of a mile down the road. This could pose a problem. She would figure it out once she talked to Meyers.
The house was two stories and looked to be a new structure. The outside was brick and not aluminum siding. Large glass windows lined the front of the house.
The windows could prove to be a defense problem. Harley would have to spell them. The problem would be how to spell them without tipping off the bad guys. Maybe she wouldn’t make them unbreakable.
The garage was detached. That would help. Several windows on the second floor of the home as well. Some vampires could fly. Harley was glad they had a few hours to plan and do spell work before dark fell.
The walkway was cobbled stone. It looked a little out of place in rural America but would be perfect for rural England. She stopped looking around and approached the door. Aiden and Emery just stood and waited for her to do her thing, following her without comment.
Lieutenant Meyers opened the door. He led them down the hall to a large living room. The family, or what she assumed to be the family, sat at one end. Six officers sat around the remainder of the area.
Extra chairs had been brought in from the dining room to accommodate everyone. Meyers introduced Harley to the family. Harley introduced Aiden and Emery.
The Chamberlains seemed a little uneasy around Aiden. Most people were uneasy about jesters. They were still largely an unknown in the paranormal world. Too little was known about them, other than they usually worked as hitmen.
That alone would be enough to make the average human family a little nervous. She wanted to ease their fears.
“No worries. You can trust Aiden. He is here to help us.”
They all just stared at her. Ahh… well, she tried. Harley took one of the empty seats and waited for Meyers to fill her in.
“Harley, the first thing I need you to do is take a picture of these fine people. It will come into play later.
“Secondly did you bring the camouflage potions?”
“Yes, I have them as requested.”
Harley took several pictures of the family. She had an idea what he wanted them for since he asked for the camouflage potions.
She dug into her bag and handed him five small vials. The potion was pale green and tasted like toadstools. It worked, taste wasn’t everything. Meyers handed the potion to the Chamberlain family and told them to drink up.
The faces they made were priceless. Perhaps Harley should have taken photos of them instead. The youngest girl was a tween. Harley would give her a score of ten for the worst face.
She thought the girl was going to throw up. She gagged for about five minutes before someone handed her a drink. The potion would hide their location and their scent. It would also make anyone looking at them just see a “generic” person that blends in with a crowd.
In other words, unless you knew them well, you wouldn’t be able to pick them out of a crowd. Someone who studied their photos and didn’t know them personally would not be able to find them, at least not easily.
It wasn't foolproof. No plan really was. It would give them a chance to capture the vampires without putting the family in any actual danger.
Her first priority would be to scan the area and give the all clear so the family could be moved to the safe house. Harley sat down in a comfortable chair. Closing her eyes, she opened her senses. Slowly she expanded her senses to a five-mile radius.
It would take a while. It was a large area and she was looking for something specific. She was looking for vampires. She was also looking for anyone that could be bespelled or have a dark aura.
In other words, she was looking for anyone that might be spying on the family. Again, this was not a foolproof way, but it would at least give them an idea of what was going on around them.
Harley gave the all clear. Two of the officers loaded the family up in an SUV and took them to a supernatural safe house. There would be more officers there. All of them trained to handle the supernatural.
They would be armed with silver bullets, holy water and more. The thing about holy water, or using a holy symbol, is you must have faith. If you didn’t have the faith to put behind the symbol, it would do you no good.
Holy water had to be blessed by someone of faith and used by someone of faith to be of any use. Faith was required in many things. The holy rollers, who were all talk, would be in deep shit if they met a vampire and tried to use a cross or holy water against them.
It didn’t have to just be a cross. Any person of faith could use their symbol. Harley had a silver medallion of Freya she wore. She never took it off.
Once they were alone Lieutenant Meyers filled them in on the rest of the plan. The Oklahoma paranormal teams did not have any vampires working for them. He called in a favor.
Five vampires from New York would be arriving at the airport within the hour. A team of witches was spelling the coffins and the vampires to get them here in the daylight.
Before they arrived, the team went to work darkening the room. They would need to make it light tight, so to speak. The van with the vampires would simply back as close as possible to the house and they would make a dash for it. The spells would make sure they were not injured.
Since the garage was not attached it was impossible for them to back the van into the garage, and let the vampires in that way.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Dusk found Harley at the nearest crossroads. She was naked. Having called the four quarters, she was ready to cast her spells. Emery had anointed her with sacred oils and then backed out of the circle.
She would be casting magic outward so she just needed to set the circle for her own benefit. She breathed in and out slowly, centering herself.
I call upon thee, Diana,
Goddess of the hunt.
Goddess of the woodlands, and the wild animals.
Please bless us mortals with your protection. Give us your strength, your courage, and your wisdom.
Allow us to use the speed of the great cats, and the strength of the bear.
We ask that you assist us in our plight against evil this night.
Goddess that illuminates the darkest night. We ask for your blessings this night.
Thank you, Goddess, for your blessings this night.
Harley switched gears. The reason she was at the crossroads was to call the faeries. She wanted to ask them to allow her use of glamour magic.
Harley intended to cast the magic on the vampires making them appear to be the Chamberlains, in all ways. To do this she had brought fresh cream, honey cakes, and several shiny stones.
The gifts were placed on each side of the crossroads. She first realized she had an affinity for faeries when she was twelve. Harley had seen her first faerie flitting around a rose bush.
Over the years, she learned that faeries were like natures angels. They came in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Each of them had a purpose. Of course, there were dark fae and light fae.
The dark wasn’t necessarily evil and the light wasn’t necessarily good. They were each just an aspect of nature. Without darkness, there would be no light.
Tatiana queen of the faeries I beseech you this night to listen to my plight.
I offer you these humble gifts in honor of your great beauty.
I ask to borrow a little of your glamour.
Allow me to wrap others in your power.
Hiding who they are. Play this game with us this night.
Harley bowed her head and waited. She felt the presence of the fae almost immediately. It was like nothing she ever felt.
The frigid wind blew across the road. It was nearly cold enough to snow. Yet Harley stood there enduring the cold. She was being wrapped in the warmth of magic.
The gifts she offered disappeared and a soft glowing light landed on her. She felt like tiny feet and wings were beating all over her bare skin.
Her skin began to take on a soft glow, as if the moonlight were directly over her, softly lighting her skin. Harley felt like a vampire from the Twilight series.
She was blessed but would be an easy target. Shrugging she thought she would take the trade. The Fae didn’t bless many.
After the tingling stopped she walked down the road and back to the Chamberlain’s house. She was careful not to touch anyone as they walked beside her.
The magic was for the five vampires. There were three men and two women, just like the Chamberlain family. Alec, Dorian, Phillip, Mary, and Lesa.
Emery opened the door to allow her inside without making physical contact with anything. The vampires were waiting in the living room. The sun hadn’t set all the way, and they were playing it safe. Who could blame them?
She started with Alec shaping his face like the father. Emery held her phone up so she could see. Next, she went to Dorian, who would be the oldest son. Phillip would be the youngest son. Mary was Mrs. Chamberlain and Lesa would be the youngest girl.
She sat down when she was done. Her skin was still softly glowing. She was confident in the plan they had all put together.
Lieutenant Meyers had not only secured the family, he had also secured the artifact. It was locked in a vault, even Harley didn’t know where.
She had spelled the house and the grounds to let them know when the intruders had arrived. The “family” would be having a quiet dinner.
Each one of the team members chose a hiding spot. Harley, Emery, and Aiden were in a large hall closet. It was not twenty feet from the dining room.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
The hard part was always waiting. Darkness had settled in about two and a half hours ago. No sign of the vampires. Tonight could be a bust. She hoped not. She would have to repeat the spell work each night until they confronted Perovsky’s vampires.
Suddenly the alarms went off and they were moving fast. Everyone in the house knew the vampires were on their way inside. The sound of broken glass tinkled all over the house.
It sounded like they had entered in several points. Harley had to hold back reacting. She needed to wait until they were closer to the family. Until the trap was completely set.
She heard grunts and screams of pain. Taking a deep breath, she drew her sword as she exited the hall closet. She was met with complete and total darkness. It was so inky black, she couldn’t see anything.
Harley took a deep breath finding her center. She felt, rather than saw her way into the middle of the fight. Sensing two vampires bearing down in her direction, Harley dodged to the right. She knew she could only avoid one of them.
The swipe coming at her from the left completely missed. While one from the right hit home. Not has hard as it would have since she had gone toward the blow. Razor like claws sliced through her side.
Harley spun around swinging her sword connecting with her attacker. She was sure the blow hadn’t been fatal. It had given her enough time to cast a spell to dissipate the darkness.
Soft light began to emanate from the spot where she stood. She counted to five before moving. She wanted the rest to see but didn’t want to be a literal beacon.
The fight was moving swiftly around her. She could barely keep track. Harley was worried about the human task force. If she was having trouble she couldn’t imagine what was going on with them.
She didn’t have time to figure it out. The bodies would have to be sorted later. Harley heard Aiden begin to laugh. She had heard that laugh before.
Instinctively covering her ears, Harley began to hum a tune. She didn’t want to hear the jester. She didn’t want to be incapacitated.
The air rushed out of her lungs as she was tackled from behind. She tried to roll with the impact and only half succeeded. A ghoul was lying half on her, his jaws snapping perilously close to her neck.
Harley swung the sword upward connecting with its shoulder. The blade stopped when it hit the bone. The surprised ghoul howled in pain. Leveraging herself off the floor, she pushed the blade in deeper, cutting toward the neck.
A strange vibration went through the sword and down her body. Suddenly the ghoul was laying in two pieces. She had somehow sliced it in half.
Harley didn’t have time to be horrified as the ghoul’s greenish, foul smelling blood splashed all over her skin.
It left red welts behind where it hit bare skin. The room was clear now from the unnatural darkness. Besides the vampires, there were at least a dozen ghouls in the room.
Emery and Aiden were locked in battle with multiple ghouls. Aiden’s laughter must have only lasted a few seconds. No one was lying on the ground. She wondered what stopped him. Perhaps he realized that they hadn’t warned the others.
A jester’s laugh would be just as fatal to the good guys as it was to the bad guys. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aiden’s face spread into a wild grin as he gouged out the eyes of the of the ghouls.
She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to someone enjoying inflicting pain on others. Maybe it was something the jesters had no control over.
She was suddenly face to face with one of the Russian vampires. He was tall. Taller than she was by a good several inches. His shoulders seemed impossibly broad. He seemed to fill up more space than was physically possible.
Since he caught Harley by surprise it was easy to catch her gaze. Not all vampires had the ability to snare someone via gaze but, this one did. He drew Harley into his eyes and she felt as if she were falling down a long tunnel.
She fought to gain her footing. Her mind reeled as the vampire peeled back her defenses like you would peel a grape. He seemed to be able to peer into her very soul.
She knew what he was doing and it was too late. He was pulling out her darkest fears. He was pulling David out of her memories.
David stood before her imploring her to help him. He begge
d her to save him. He was being attacked by vampires and only she could save him.
“Save me, Harley. I love you.”
She knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. She felt the strong need to protect him. Harley turned her sword against one of the police officers who was about to shoot her husband. Why would he want to shoot, David? She didn’t understand.
Harley felt conflicted. She wanted to protect David, but she knew she shouldn’t kill a police officer.
She sliced through the skin on his right hand, making him drop the gun he was holding. David was encouraging her to finish the officer off. He wanted her to cut out his heart.
Harley shook her head. No, that was wrong. She couldn’t do that not even for David. She flipped the sword around using the hilt to knock the officer out.
She hadn’t carried out David’s exact wishes, yet she had saved him from being shot. She tried to lead David out of the house to safety.
He refused to follow her. Did he want to get hurt? Instead, he led Harley deeper in the house. He led her to what looked to be the master bedroom. Moving a large floral painting away from the wall Harley saw a wall safe.
David asked her to open the safe. Harley hesitated and then tried to open the safe using the combination dial. She didn’t know the combination. No one had given it to her.
David demanded she open the safe. He told her it was the only thing that would save him. He told her that he could leave the house after she opened the safe.
Harley studied the safe for a few minutes before casting a spell. She cast it a few times before she heard the click. David must have heard it was well.
He pushed her aside, roughly, and eagerly opened the safe. He roared in anger. The safe was completely empty.
“NO!!!” David grabbed her roughly and shook her. “What did you do with it?”
“What did I do with what?”
“The shard, you idiot. Where is the shard?”
Harley knew what he was talking about. She hadn’t known where the shard was kept or even that there was a safe in the master bedroom. How would David know about the shard? Something was off. Something was off.
