by Danica Rayne
He gave me a small smile and pecked my nose.
Kayden said, “When I was a kid, I used to wonder what it would be like to be human.”
Finn signed, and Ryker interpreted for him. “And I spent most of my nights dreaming what it would be like not to crave humans.”
“Humans have it easy,” Kayden said. “They don’t spend their days wondering.”
“You’re wrong,” I told him. “Every human at some point in their lives wishes they lived a different life, or were someone else. Someone richer, someone prettier, someone braver.”
“True that,” Ryker said. “I guess no one is ever truly happy.”
“That’s depressing,” I said. “Life is what you make it. Everyone has the choice to be happy.”
“That’s true, too,” Ryker said.
My phone buzzed. I fished it out of my pocket. “It’s my aunt. You think something happened back home?” I quickly pressed on the green button. “Aunt Bea?”
“I’m so glad you’re alive!”
“What?”
“I haven’t heard for you in over an hour. Did you see the witch?”
“Not yet. We still have a long way to go.”
“What do you mean? Where are you?”
“Portland.”
“Portland? Why are you still in Oregon? I thought you would have entered California long ago.”
“Um…” I cleared my throat. “We had a few setbacks.”
“Setbacks?” Her tone was laced with alarm.
I was about to lie to her, but it was time I stopped doing that. Aunt Bea was involved now, and I had to stop worrying that something would happen to her. “A group of demon bats attacked us. And then we were nearly suffocated by gargoyles.”
The only sound I heard was her heavy breathing.
“But we’re okay,” I assured her. “We’re just resting for a few minutes.”
Finally she spoke, her voiced overflowing with unease. “Levi was worried supernaturals would chase after you.” She sighed. “Maybe it was a mistake to send you off by yourself. I should have come with you.”
“I’ll be fine, Aunt Bea. I have the guys with me.”
Aunt Bea was quiet for a few seconds. “Yeah, still a little wary about you running around with supernaturals.”
“Are you serious right now? What do they have to do to prove they’re good guys?”
“I do think they’re good guys,” she said. “I do, Alivia. But they are what they are. How are you so sure they’re not affected by all of this?”
“What, you think they’ll hear the calling and turn their backs on me?” My eyes moved to the guys. Kayden was listening intently, Ryker was tracing some cracks on the ground, and Finn was playing with his phone, trying to seem distracted. “Sorry you have to hear this,” I whispered.
Ryker shrugged. “We’re not too surprised. We knew this day would come.”
When I focused my attention on my aunt, she was in the middle of saying, “You don’t truly know a person until they’re put to the test. Who knows, maybe they’ll join forces with the demon lord—”
“I don’t want to hear this right now, Aunt Bea, okay? Just let me focus on the mission.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry, Alivia. It’s not my intention to hurt you or make you upset. It’s just that I love you so much, kid. I’m not telling you not to trust your friends, just please be careful, all right?”
I puffed out some air. I understood where she was coming from. But it still sucked. “Fine. How’s everything at your end? The shield’s still up?”
“It’s still standing. Levi and I took down only a handful of supernaturals. Edgewood is still pretty dead, but it’s slowly starting to come to life. Some people have even braved leaving their houses.”
I puffed out some air again. I had to do whatever I could to keep Edgewood safe.
“I have faith in you,” Aunt Bea said. “You can do this, kiddo. Just believe in yourself and your ability.”
“And in my friends,” I said.
She was quiet for a few seconds. “And in your friends.”
Good. Maybe she would finally warm up to the idea that there were some good supernaturals in the world.
Liam stirred, his eyes fluttering.
“Aunt Bea, I have to go. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay, sweetie. Good luck.”
I rested my hand on Liam’s arm as his eyes opened. “Hey. You feeling okay? Is the headache gone?”
He blinked for a bit like he didn’t know who I was or where he was. Then he moaned as he stretched his arms above his head. “I felt like I slept for twenty years. Why the heck are we on a roof…Oh, crap. And here I thought it was just a terrible dream.”
“Unfortunately, this is our reality. Think you’re good for travel?”
“Hell yeah. I’m not going to let you down. But how long have I slept? I’ve held you back.”
“Don’t worry about it. I just spoke with my aunt. The shield is still holding…do you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
Kayden was already leaning over the wall, his ears perked at the two people smoking on a balcony a few floors below. They were dressed in business suits, which probably meant that this was an office building.
“Monsters?” the skinnier guy said. “What nonsense will they come up with next? Edgewood’s a crazy city.”
“It’s not nonsense,” the heavier one insisted. “I’ve seen it online. Monsters exist, Terry. They walk amongst us.”
The other guy laughed like he was high. “Do you hear yourself, Mcdougle? Monsters? What next, fairy godmothers and the tooth fairy? It’s all a hoax. I’m headed back in before Sanders grills my ass.”
The heavier one remained outside, staring out in the distance.
Kayden released a breath. “The last thing we need is panicking humans on top of everything.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Okay, I’m as good as new,” Liam said. “Who’s ready to meet a witch?” He crouched on the ground and spread out his arms. “All aboard Dragon Airlines. Alivia, you get a first class seat, best in the house. The rest of you? Eh, you can survive on economy.”
That made me smile. I knew I could always count on Liam to make me feel better.
“Step right up to the Mighty Dragon,” he announced as we headed toward him.
“Enough with that already!” Ryker playfully slapped Liam’s back.
“I’m just trying to lighten the mood…Kayden looks like he’s gonna pass out and Alivia’s got a permanent worry line on her forehead.”
“That’s because we thought you died, dummy.” Ryker playfully slapped his back again. “You scared us to death.”
“Oh. Was it really that bad?” Now he had a worry line on his forehead.
“It’s okay,” I said. “We’re all okay. Now let’s hop onto The Mighty Dragon so we can save the world.”
“Aye, aye, captain.”
Chapter Thirteen
Luckily, we managed to get to our destination within an hour, due to Liam’s super-fast flying. The only problem we’d run into were two more demon bats. This time, we’d anticipated them and took care of them before they could try to knock into Liam.
He lowered us on the roof of a building a block away from our destination. Kayden and I broke the lock on the door, and the five of us made our way downstairs. To our luck, this was a large apartment building and no one paid any attention to us as we walked out.
Kayden used his phone to guide us to the witch’s house. We found ourselves standing before a small building with a sign that read “Madame Agnes. World’s Best Fortune Teller.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ryker said. “A fortune teller? That’s the witch?”
“It’s obviously a front,” I said, reaching for the doorknob. A small bell rang above as I stepped inside.
A strange scent attacked my nose. Spices. I couldn’t see much beyond a few feet, since the hallway was dark and the shades were shut. It w
asn’t just the lack of light and the smell, there was something spooky about this place.
“Hello?” I called.
“We’re closed!” a female voice yelled from inside.
“We’re not here for a reading,” I said as I moved further into the room, where, thankfully, there was light. A small one, though. But ugh, the spicy smell was pretty strong here. I stood in a small foyer, where a red velvet sofa and matching recliners were crammed inside the tiny room. The same sign from outside was hanging on the wall, along with some quotes about destiny and the impending doom every person will eventually face one day.
“I said we’re closed.” A woman stormed in from another room, where she was in the middle of drying a coffee mug. “Didn’t you hear me?”
“Oh sorry, we’re not here—”
“Did you have an appointment for today? Look, just call tomorrow morning for a new one.”
“We’re not here for a reading,” I repeated. “We want to speak to Agnes.”
The woman stopped with her drying and stepped further into the room. She studied me closely, soaking in every feature on my face. Then she looked at the guys, and her eyes got so wide she looked like a cartoon character. A sliver of panic passed over her face. “Madam Agnes only speaks to people who made an appointment. Now I kindly ask you to leave or I’ll call the police.”
Her hands trembled, nearly dropping the mug. I took a small step closer. “You know who I am, don’t you?”
Alarm once again rode across her face, but she quickly masked it with confusion. “Sorry, dear, I have never seen any of you in my life.” Her gaze flashed to the guys again, the alarm growing greater. She knew what they were. “I don’t like strangers. Leave me house or—”
“Don’t you get strangers every day?” Liam asked.
“Not your kind,” she spat. She ran over to a landline hanging on the wall. “Ten seconds or I’m calling the police.”
“Please,” I begged. “You know who I am. You know who they are. And you know what’s going on out there. Our world is being threatened by a demon lord. We’ve traveled all the way here to ask for your help.”
“My help?” She laughed, a high-pitch one. “Ask for my help?” She stormed over and got so close to me that I was forced to step back. “Who do you think the demon will come for first?” she hissed, grabbing the front of my shirt. “Who do you think gives power to slayers?” Her grip was so tight that I was having trouble breathing.
“Let her go.” Kayden squeezed himself between us. “We don’t want any trouble.”
“No trouble?” Her voice held nothing but fury. “You brought a vampire into my home.”
“It’s open to the public,” he said. “And I’m not going to hurt you.”
“It’s fine, Kayden,” I said. “I’ll handle this.”
He didn’t move.
“Kayden.”
Once he stalked away, the woman released me, a stern expression on her face. She pointed at the door. “You’re putting me and my mother in grave danger, you selfish girl! We don’t want any part of this. We left that kind of life years ago. And now you’re going to drag us back in? Get the hell out of my house!” Her voice rang so loud she killed my ears.
Lifting my chin, I said. “No. I’m not leaving until I speak to your mom.”
“Selfish brat! For years we were on the run because of the likes of you! Selfish slayers, always squeezing us for help and information and not caring what troubles befall us.”
“Look, I’m sorry you’ve—”
She laughed in that high-pitch manner again. “You’re sorry? Do you think that’ll erase years of heartache?”
“Oh, stop the theatrics and let the girl in, Mildred,” a voice said from deep inside the house.
With her eyes pinned on me, Mildred said, “No, Mama. I’m putting an end to all this. Just as I should have done years ago.”
“She likes to think she’s the boss, slayer,” the voice said. It sounded like it belonged to an older woman, and there was a hint of an accent, though I couldn’t place it. “But we both know who wears the pants here. Come in, girl. And bring the supernatural boys with you.”
I glanced at the guys, the hairs on the back of my neck standing. I didn’t know why, but that voice made me feel really nervous.
“I won’t allow this, Mama!”
“What did I say about control, girl?”
A large hand shot out of the back room and clamped around my middle, lifting me off the ground and snatching me away.
“Alivia!” the guys called.
“No, Mama!”
The hand deposited me into a room, where a woman sat at a table. She looked young, around her late twenties. She had a purple turban on her head and a crystal ball and tarot cards were laid on the table. There was no light, just a few candles sprinkled around the room. And the scent of spices was so strong I thought I was going to gag.
The woman held out her hands. “A bit much, I agree. But it pays the bills. Some humans will believe anything.”
Her voice was much older, though. The combination of an old voice and a young face was a little creepy.
“Well why are you just standing in the doorway like that? Step inside so the handsome boys can come in.” She waved me inside.
The guys filed in, each one looking both confused and a little terrified as Agnes scanned them from top to bottom. She leaned back, placing a finger on her chin. “I must say I’m impressed. I’ve never seen such well-behaved monsters before.”
“They’re not monsters,” I snapped.
“Potato, pohtahto.” She gazed at them with interest. “So it seems the doctor has actually managed to make gentlemen out of you. Much kudos to him, and to you. I didn’t think it was possible.”
“Can we please get to the point?” I asked.
Her eyes snapped to mine, full of fury. “Oh, so you want to get to the point, do you? How about we first discuss how you got us in this mess to begin with?”
I swallowed. “What…?”
“Foolish girl. You think I don’t know you led the hellhound to the last pillar? Yes, I know everything.” She flicked the cards away, making them float in the air. She placed her hands flat on the table and leaned forward, her eyes narrowed at me. “You were so foolish that even my enchantment couldn’t stop you.”
“Your enchantment?” I asked.
She slammed her fist on the table, and the crystal ball tumbled away. “Yes, my enchantment! But you had to break it, didn’t you? Foolish, girl. Didn’t you know it was there for your own protection?”
I just stared at her. This woman must be crazy. What the hell was she—
My gaze flicked to hers. “The animated objects at the museum. That was you?”
“Of course it was me! I put a charm on the book to protect it! So we wouldn’t find ourselves in this current predicament. All my efforts gone to waste because of a stupid, incompetent slayer.”
“We didn’t know!” Ryker said. “Alivia was trying to stop the hellhound. Stop harassing her.”
“You will speak when you are spoken to.” She whipped her hand and a muzzle appeared on his mouth.
“Hey!” I yelled.
She flicked out her hand, and I was thrown against the wall, an invisible force pressing my back into it.
“I should kill you,” she hissed as she pressed my spine harder against the wall. “You and your mother, both incompetent, selfish slayers. I should put an end to your line. That’s all the two of you have ever caused. Problems!”
“Let her go!” Liam launched himself at the witch, but she used her other hand to stop him in mid-air.
“Don’t test me, dragon,” she warned. “Another peep from you and your kind is one step closer to extinction.” She waved her hand, throwing him against the wall.
“I…I’m sorry,” I struggled to say. “I know…I screwed up. I know I did. But…but that’s…why I’m here. To fix…my mistakes.”
She stared at me for a moment, and her h
old on me loosened a little. Just as I was about to suck in a normal breath, she tightened her hold on me. “You’ll just make more mistakes. Cause more problems. Your line will end right here. And another slayer will rise to protect Edgewood.” An invisible force choked my neck.
“No!” Liam cried.
Finn rushed forward and started signing frantically, his movements so fast they made whooshing sounds in the air. The witch winced and grabbed her head, slightly releasing me in the process, though I was still pinned against the wall.
“Stop, stop!” the witch cried. “Wendigo, get your thoughts out of my head!”
Finn didn’t listen. He continued to sign—and I assumed communicate through his mind—more urgently.
“I TOLD YOU TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS OUT OF MY HEAD!” She swept her hand as though she wanted to slam him into the wall, but Finn stomped on the ground and thrust his hands out, sending the force back at her, knocking her off her chair.
The witch stood up, her surprised eyes pasted on his. Then she started to laugh. “Well done, young man. The only thing that could have stopped a hex like that was the power of love.” Her eyes moved between the two of us. “All right, wendigo. Let’s see what you have to say. But enough of these thoughts in my head.” She swept her hand again, and Finn grabbed hold of his throat. “It’ll take a second,” she said.
Finn coughed. He actually coughed. And then he opened his mouth. I gasped when I saw a set a normal human teeth.
“D…don’t…don’t blame Alivia.”
The other guys gasped, too. Finn was talking. He was actually talking. His voice was exactly as it sounded in my head.
“It hasn’t been easy for her….being thrown into such a big responsibility without any warning…Most slayers have years of training before they inherit the title. Most go their whole life slaying only a handful. But it’s been much harder for Alivia. She’s had to deal with a demon lord trying to open a portal.”
The witch regarded him quietly. Then she said, “The only one responsible for that was her mother. Her mother was the one who forced her to undertake such a big responsibility.”
“How did she do that?” I asked. Somehow during their conversation, the witch had freed me from her hold. I moved forward until I stood next to Finn. “What did my mother do?”
