by Sara Stone
"One, two, three!" he counted off and whipped open the front door. We all charged out, not wanting to get stuck in the doorway when getting attacked. All I could hear was the buzz of my pulse thundering in my ears as I ran out to the walkway.
Miraculously the ward was still holding in the front, so they were all stuck on the street, unable to get at us. Ulric started throwing fire left and right. Some of the vampires dodged, and my eyes couldn't trace them. They were blurs of black, running every which way to get away from the fire. I tried to focus on the one in front of me, telling myself the guys would be able to handle themselves.
I threw an icicle at it, missing his heart. It lodged in his shoulder, and he howled in pain. He ran at me as he pulled it out with a wicked smile on his face. The hole in his shoulder mending itself as he went. I stood there transfixed with what I saw. I couldn't move. At the last second, I threw fire at him while dodging his attack. The fire engulfed his cloak first as he threw himself to the ground, rolling around wildly, trying to put out the flames. I hit him with another blast before he could get up and come back after me. I watched as his body sunk in and dusted away in ash.
Chaos ensued as I watched the other vampires surround Ulric and Judson. Apparently, I wasn't thought to be a threat. Ulric and Judson stood back-to-back as they were being circled like prey. Judson had a machete he was swinging at any that stepped close. I had no idea where he had pulled it from, but he knew how to use it. The vampires would move just out of his reach. Ulric was chanting, the fire in his palms expanding into massive fireballs ready to take them out, when they all swooped in at once.
Judson managed to decapitate one on the upswing and seriously wound another on the downswing. Ulric took two more out with a well placed fire spell. They turned to dust instantly, but another was quick to take its place. I ran with all I could to get to them. They had somehow ended up on the far end of the yard, close to the opening in the wards.
I wanted to send icicle after icicle at Ulric's attacker, but was too afraid I would hit him in the process. Ulric hit him in the face with fire so hard his head flew across the street like a soccer ball. We both darted towards Judson as he was being pulled one way and another as different attackers toyed with him like a cat would a mouse. His machete was covered in a sickly reddish-brown blood mixed in with ash as he fought them off, but despite the damage being done, they were healing faster than he was killing them.
The blows that he was taking sounded and looked horrible. I tried not to hurl as one landed a punch to Judson’s thigh with a sickening crunch. He went down to his knee but fought to stay upright. He didn't even yell in pain. I ran to him, reacting on instinct alone, even though part of that instinct wanted me to run into the house and cower.
Ulric reached him a second before I did, his palms swirling with fire, matching my own. We stood behind him, facing off with the last two.
"We need to keep one alive."
"What do we do? Play rock paper scissors?" I asked, getting a scathing look from Ulric. Judson chuckled. My use of humor did nothing for the nerves racing through my body. I tried to cover the tremors, but if I had been holding something, it would have been shaking like a leaf.
"Which one of you is willing to give up?" I asked the vampires. Neither looked like the type. Their faces contorted into menacing snarls as they moved into defensive positions.
While we stood facing off, a few more slipped out of the darkness silently, blocking us in. I didn't count them, but it was clear we were outnumbered again. Ulric extinguished his hands as he placed a healing hand onto Judson's leg and chanted. I made slow circles watching for the imminent attack. My heart rate had picked up after the first attack. The thundering of my pulse in my ears seemed to drone on as I took in how bad the situation had become.
I chanted for my spark to surround us, to protect us as Judson was being healed. I chanted like it was the last prayer on a dying man's lips. As I held out my arms, the vampires watching intently for the attack, waiting for a moment of distraction to make their move. The fire in my palms blazed but didn't change into anything, staying in the orbs I had learned how to form. Frustration and terror began to sink in as I realized if more than one attacked at a time, I wouldn't be able to prevent them from overtaking us. I pushed my frustration into my chant and watched the orbs rise as they twisted and turned in the air around us.
Ulric stood and pulled Judson to his feet, both taking a fighting stance as they took in the grim sight of our attackers. They could easily tear us apart before we could take another step. They were too busy to, focusing on the fireballs shooting through the air.
A lone attacker raced in and swiped long jagged nails towards me, scraping me across my middle. I screamed in pain as his nails felt like hot pokers until an orb blasted him in the face, sending him flying backward as he turned into a cloud of ash. I was focused too much on the pain, which caused the orbs to flicker. The cuts across my belly bloomed a large stain of blood. Our attackers had been charged with the fight and adrenaline before, but now each vampire went into blood raged frenzy. They were no longer holding it together. Each one attacking, trying to get to me. If they hadn't been distracted by my blood, they could have quickly taken us out together as a group.
Three more charged out of the night at me, ready with their hands and claws extended for the attack. This was it. I was going to die a horrendous and painful death in my front yard. I pushed the last energy into my chant before falling to my knees, exhausted and spent with the use of all that magic.
Just as the vampires were in reach, the floating orbs started circling us quickly. We were surrounded by a pulsing ring of fire. It took out the first vampire. He hadn't had time to stop before it slashed through his neck. The circle expanded, taking out three more in just as gruesome a way. The sickly colored blood that had been all over Judson's machete now covered me as it splattered on impact with its target.
The circle began to twist and turn as it grew, each orb taking its own route, effectively creating a cover for us. With as fast as the vampires could be, the orbs were faster, streaking through the air looking like a solid ring of fire. I held a hand to my middle, feeling sick as I felt how much blood was seeping from the jagged wounds. I was starting to fight off lightheadedness from the blood loss. I knew if I lost consciousness that my spell would dissipate, and it was not only protecting me but the guys as well. I couldn't leave them to defend my unconscious body as well as each other.
I fought for control as I began to wobble over, praying for it all to end. I tried to push myself off the grass to my feet. I wondered how the old trees in the yard hadn't been ignited by the flames. I could feel the heat from the orbs on my face. It was not in a painful way, more like a warm glow from a cozy winter fire in the hearth. I stood up on shaky legs, raising my arms up as far as I could without opening the wounds on my middle. The guys were transfixed by the orbs, not daring to cross the boundary they created.
As I prayed for it to end, a swift wind picked up in the circle, lifting me up. My sneakers were no longer on solid ground. I hung in the air with my arms stretched out, beams of purple haze surrounding me in a cocoon of magic. I felt the tingle all over my body, relishing in the buzz coming from it. The soft glow lit up the area like a strong camping lantern. The orbs danced around faster until they spread out, taking each vampire out with it. The gore of the scene below me took on a horror movie feel before the ash of the bodies and heads blew away in the breeze.
I floated back down gently, releasing the orbs and a silent calm enveloped us as we stood there panting with our efforts. The guys turned to me with ear-to-ear grins at our success. I laughed at their faces, causing shooting pain to burn through my middle. I winced and sucked in a breath through my teeth, putting a hand to the gashes.
Their faces paled, seeing the blood. Judson swooped in, picking me up and taking me inside the house. Instead of putting me on the couch, he walked us upstairs to my room with Ulric in tow.
"We mu
st stop meeting like this," I tried to lighten the mood, but he wasn't having it. I was aware that he held me yet again while taking me up to my room. I felt like we were skipping first and second base, sliding right on into third. My thoughts made my cheeks warm, and I had to duck my head to hide it.
He put me gently on the bed so I could lie down while Ulric did his healing tricks. He must have grabbed a bottle of salve on the way up. Judson stood by the bed, watching Ulric closely. He lifted my torn shirt until it reached just under my breastbone to see the damage. The four cuts ran from my ribs to the top of my hip bone. They were scalded red and still oozing fresh blood. He put salve on his hands before gently rubbing it around the reddened skin. Judson was barely masking his anger at Ulric touching me, or because I was hurt, I couldn't decipher that.
Once the salve was applied to my wounds liberally, he started his chanting with his palms tingling along the way. Within minutes the open cuts were raised welts, only slightly pink and sore like a day-old bruise. He wrapped my middle with a bandage covered in a smelly concoction of who knows what, nodding in acceptance at his work.
"The wards Mabel placed on the house are no longer effective. We need to set new ones tonight if you are up to it," Ulric said.
"I can do that." I was sore but felt much better than I had outside.
"After the display of magic you used out there, I'd say you can." He was grinning like a Cheshire cat. As my teacher of sorts, I could see why he would be pleased, not only himself, but with my progress.
I got the book of spells and went looking through it. I found the one that Gram used, but Ulric was weary of it, as it had just failed. He was stumped as to why they would give out when they had protected the house from the explosion of Judson's truck a few days ago.
He prepared the herbs in a metal bowl to make sure it was done correctly. It needed to be stirred clockwise twenty times with the dust off the mantel. However, the exact words were to use dust from the bones of the house, which had to be mixed with a hair from my head and a pinch of aloe, a dash of freshly ground cinnamon, ten petals off of a delphinium flower, a hefty dose of dried witch's hazel as well as mugwort, a pinch of tobacco, wormwood, and a drip of myrrh resin.
Once it was mixed, we smeared it around the house's base at the four corners, repeating the same process with the fences around the front and back yard, then the garden, just in case. We made enough to wipe it around the windows, as Ulric said it added an extra layer of protection. As it was my home and these were my wards, I set a specific chant so that those closest to me may enter, but others would need me to open it to them. There was no way to magically keep out normals, but anyone with any type of magical ability would be locked out, or so we hoped.
Gram had layered her wards as time went on. She would even redo them every so often just to make sure. Being the coven leader had its perks as well as its downfalls. After the first outcasted witch showed up meaning harm to her home, she made sure the wards would hold against anything they could throw at it. It was strange to see Ulric’s hesitation. He was adamant we get it done, but his worry laid in whether they would hold. Something had broken down Gram's wards, which one by itself was nothing to scoff at, but multiple ones failing at once had him scratching his head.
While Ulric and I finished with the wards, Judson had been busy calling in a favor to get my window fixed pronto, which took some stress off me. I was not planning on sleeping in my room with an open window, wards in place or not. Judson would have it replaced first thing in the morning, so that meant me taking the couch or sleeping in Gram's room. He must have noticed the look on my face because he offered me to take the guest room at his place. Seeing his place was too tempting.
Chapter Eight
My cell phone rang before I had to decline his invitation. I was happy about the interruption. I wanted to see where he lived, but not enough to be stuck trying to sleep in a room near his. My screen lit up with a blocked number.
"Hello?" I asked, curious who would be calling this late.
"Where are all my vampires?" a deep, altered robotic voice asked. I couldn't tell if the voice belonged to a man or a woman.
"You mean the vamps you sent to off me? I scattered their ashes in the wind." I laughed at my own witty joke.
"That wasn't nice of you. Those things cost me a lot of money and time." A pang of sadness overwhelmed me for a second upon the realization that all those lives lost didn't matter to anyone. Only that they hadn't succeeded in killing me.
"My bad, next time you should come yourself." By this time, the guys noticed the conversation. I put the phone on speaker as we all held our breath, hoping for some answers about the cursed witches and something to lead us to Mandy's killer.
"Now, now, Dahlia, that's not how you should be talking to me." The robotic voice was giving me the creeps. The caller knew my name and had my number. They admitted to sending the vampires. The sassiness faded as the seriousness set in.
"Who are you? What do you want?" The hand holding the phone was shaking.
There was a long laugh, still robotic through the voice changer. It sent dread coursing through my body.
"How are those wards holding up on your old house?" Well, they knew a lot more about me than I did them. They were toying with me. Looking for reactions and specific things, I was bound to say. While I was trying to keep them on the line, Ulric and Judson tried to set up a spell. I had no idea how to not give away information. My nerves were taking hold in my belly as I scrambled over my words.
"They are good. I hope you don't mind being an empty nester. You did send me a lot of help—I would have never known about the wards." My voice quivered on the lie betraying my nervousness.
"Don't play games with me. That's how people end up hurt or worse, like your little friend. What was her name again? Mandy, was it?"
"Shut your mouth!" I yelled into the phone. The rage boiled in my blood as the caller taunted me.
"Now you see who is in control of this situation. While your guy friends try a locating spell, you need to think about how disrespectful you've been." On the words “guy friends,” the voice held so much venom, I held the phone out as far away from me as I could, afraid of it leaking through. Judson and Ulric worked harder and faster. Whatever they were trying to do, needed to get done. I was having a hard time listening to the caller's taunting.
I walked around to each window, closing the blinds and making sure each one shut tight. I felt I was being watched while I went; uneasiness rolled around in my belly.
"Don't think I can't still see you, Lia," the voice said, putting emphasis on my nickname. I had just finished closing all the windows. They were watching.
"Why are you doing this?" I cried out, my frustration rang through my voice loud and clear.
"Simple, because I can." The cockiness sending me over the edge.
"Listen here, you mother...." Judson's hand grabbed my arm, which drew my attention to him instead of the phone. He shook his head at me, warning me not to go off on him. He pointed toward Ulric, who was casting a spell. I tried to center myself as I took a deep breath before I spoke again.
"Why are you targeting witches?"
"I have already answered all the questions that I am going to answer. I know you are trying to locate me, and you're wasting time. You won't find me until I let you."
Ulric kept going, trying harder and harder, pushing more into the spell than he could give. I could see his pale skin turning ashen and bags under his eyes starting to show. His wariness swept over me. He couldn't sustain it, and then we would have nothing to go on.
I handed the phone off and grabbed Ulric's hand. We hadn't gone over how I could help, but I would try anyway. I couldn't let another witch get attacked by a hoard of vampires. This needed to stop. I found my spark, calling it forth, relishing the warmth and familiarity of the tingles it brought with it. Ulric smiled as I felt the warmth rush into my hands. Ulric's chanting was unfamiliar, and I couldn't keep up. I did the only t
hings I could think of, and I tried pushing my spark into him. It wouldn't budge at first, so I kept pushing harder and harder. The effort was making me lose my breath, as if I had been running around the block. Sweat beaded and ran off my forehead and wetted my palms as I kept trying.
I tried again, this time trying to push my magic into him with brute force instead of the source of my magic. Little by little, Ulric accepted it. He was pulling only a little at a time. Otherwise, it was sure to overwhelm both of us. His skin started to look normal again as my magic rejuvenated him and the spell. The bags under his eyes were gone, making him look stronger, more defined, as his voice started to rise.
On the map that had been set out, I watched a crystal bounce around as if it had a mind of its own. Its opaque white color became an iridescent glow as the crystal took up what we were spelling it to do. It kept hopping between a few areas before circling around a nearby town. As I pushed the last of my reserves into Ulric, the stone stopped on one point, putting a hole into the map with its vigor. He pulled his hands out of my grasp, leading me to the sitting chair. I had pushed the last of my magic into him. Already drained from the attack, this had me grasping at the wisps of my reserves.
Judson had been standing there watching us as he held the phone, from which laughter came through loud and clear. He was scowling with a slight tremor in his hand as he watched us work the spell. He walked the phone over and placed it in my waiting hand.
"Time's up," I said before ending the call before I got taunted again. The laughter was enough to cause considerable doubt. I didn't want to hear anything else. I couldn't handle the thought of failing. Not when it came to the lives of others.
Ulric gently placed his healing hands upon me. Any magic I used wore me down. Lately, there had been only big things I tried to do with my magic, not having a clue as to what I was doing. I was thankful Ulric knew what he was doing. Who knows what would happen if he didn't? It frustrated me. I should know what to do and not do, but it was a slow process of learning how to control my spark.
