by Tobi Grim
“Um… no, most of them aren’t magickal,” She took the glass and followed him to one of the couches, Sledge sitting across from them, she gazed up at the dragon skull, was it real? “Two are, but one I don’t think would even know, and the other would have only been given a desk job at The Organization. Nothing special. And one had a small amount of wolf-blood in him.”
“And what conclusion do you draw from that? Why would this Eastern Man wish to be involved with such… humans?”
Lupa sipped her drink and let her eyes wander around the room. He was right. It still didn’t make any fucking sense. What the fuck was going on? “He must be using them… for something…”
“Indeed. Or perhaps, neither are associated? Perhaps The Eastern Man knows of your case and wished to distract you with making it appear as though they were one and the same?”
Shit. “Yeah… I dunno. I thought I had it figured out this morning but… it slipped away from me.” Lupa rubbed her head. “It’s like… I should know… someone is using something to heal themselves or make them look a particular way. And that should make sense. It means something, but I just can't put my fucking finger on it.”
“A disguise? Or something more?” Hammer was watching her with the trace of a smile on his face. It was like he was enjoying her head running around in circles.
“I’m not sure… but my wounds healed seriously fast. Hawk… was pretty busted up when I went to him the other morning. Now he looks fine. Not a mark. I don’t even have a mark from where you opened me up. Not a fucking trace.”
“A Mitasyon?”
“A what?” Lupa finished her drink and looked at Hammer, confused.
“Does your Organization teach its witches nought?” That fucking smile that made her shiver, “It is a mutation spell, it makes its caster look exactly the way they did the moment they cast it. If I were to cast one now, I would not appear to age, if I were injured I would heal extremely quickly. If you were to cast it upon yourself, and you were to say… be impregnated, it would never show.”
“Why don’t more people use it?”
“Because, my sweet witch, it requires blood magick, and blood magick is a risk all on its own. It would twist your being to be something bitter and filled with hatred, you would be suspicious of everyone, and eventually it would destroy all humanity within you. And of course, the risk of being discovered. A magick I am sure your Organization has banned.”
“I dun seein’ that… feelin’ that man who dun angry at his girl for… sleepin’ with a wolfblood, thinkin’ maybe she usin’ it to hide a pregnancy?”
Lupa looked to Sledge. Could it be that? But who… “Do you remember what I looked like? You said I didn’t look like me…”
“You hair bein’ long again. Aint rememberin’ much else… but you aint lookin’ like you…”
Mrs Jay? Did Isabella actually have a wolfblood brother? And if she did… where was he… this shit was getting way too complicated. Sure, Lupa wanted to work, keeping busy, and she didn’t mind being involved with Hammer’s shit that much either… but both going on at once? With so many fucking questions?
“Why me?” Lupa groaned, leaning back against the couch and closing her eyes, the Pop she’d taken earlier had been wasted with all the shit happening around her.
“Perhaps, Little Red, the world knows you are able to handle the big questions. And perhaps, you need to see this to become the witch you are meant to be, not what The Organization wishes you to be.”
Lupa rolled her head along the back of the couch to look at him, “Well… tell it to leave me alone for a while, would ya?”
Hammer smiled and got up, “Another drink, my fine people?” Both Lupa and Sledge nodded, “Very well. But on the matter of our Eastern Man… we meet with him in two days. Friday evening. Will you be able to join us, wolf witch?”
Lupa groaned inwardly, “He’s going to know me…”
“I have an idea on that,” Hammer refilled all their glasses, “but it means Protector Hawk will not be able to attend…”
Lupa sighed and tipped back the entire glass, “What is it?”
“I can hide all your magickal self, no witch or wolfblood visible to The Eastern Man. And then, we shall change your hair, and your clothing, and he should be none the wiser.”
“My hair?”
“Do not look so concerned, a wig.”
Lupa snorted and tipped back the drink Hammer had filled again, “That’s not going to look suss at all.”
“Would you prefer we dye it?”
“Fuck no. Fine. We can give it a shot, have you come up with something then?”
“Not precisely. But by Friday morning I shall. Now, I am afraid I will have to get Sledge to return you home. I have an… appointment to attend to.”
Chapter eighteen
“Ask questions, seek truth…”
Lupa followed Sledge back outside, watching as Chui and an older Asian woman walked to the door, both giving her a look of contempt as they passed. Sledge, however, gave them a nod and Chui’s shoulder a quick squeeze before opening the door of the black muscle car for her.
“Whose car is this?” Lupa asked as Sledge hopped in.
“Mine. Hammer buyin’ it for me, and he likin’ to drive it every now and then,” Sledge started the engine and took off.
“How old is Hammer? You know… seeing as Chui is his daughter…”
Sledge threw her a suspicious look, but she just shrugged. Lupa was feeling a bit tipsy now, but it’s not like she was grilling him, she was just curious.
“Chui aint really Hammer’s daughter,” Sledge finally said, turning out of Blackwater and towards Lupa’s house, “But him sayin’ he is for her mother’s sake. Chui’s mother was a whore, and she dun gettin’ pregnant and losin’ her job. Hammer sayin’ he take responsibility if the baby dun workin’ for him when it old enough. Chui aint knowin’. Hammer only bein’ real young when he tellin’ her mother that.”
Lupa tapped her finger on her leg. Interesting. Why take in someone else’s baby? “Is…Mallet his?”
“Why you askin’ such strange questions?”
Lupa shrugged and looked out the window. She didn’t know really. “Fine, you got any kids?”
The car did a small swerve as Sledge coughed, “Aint thinkin’ so!” He slowed the car down near the front of her place, but didn’t stop, taking off again. “Thinkin’ you better come back to mine.”
Lupa turned around half out of her seat, searching the rapidly disappearing street, “What did you see?”
“Someone watchin’.”
She sat down and sighed. When was this shit going to stop being so fucking crazy? “Hey… what was that place you took me to before we went to Hammer’s?”
Sledge gave her a quick sideways glance, “Just bein’… a place Hammer havin’ to go to.”
Lupa rolled her eyes and folded her arms. Whatever. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander until Sledge stopped the car, opening her door for her and peering at her closely. Lupa wanted to smack him.
“There’s no more spell, stop looking at me like that. I’m fine.”
Sledge closed the car door, locked it, and strode up the alley to his front door. “A’right, aint meanin’ to make you uncomfortable. Wantin’ a drink?”
“Oh fuck yes,” Lupa stepped through to his apartment, leaning against the bench as he got things out, “Hey… where did you find that silver chain? If it went missing?”
“Aint really rememberin’… thinkin’ it was just in a draw.”
“Right… how’d it get there?”
Sledge shrugged, pushing a glass of tequila at her, “Aint knowin’…”
“Think someone’s been in your place then?”
Sledge looked around the room, his eyes narrowing, “Gimme a minute.”
Sledge started checking around the place, holding his hands out like he was trying to feel for more magick. Lupa sighed, he hadn’t felt it in the chain, why would he feel it in his
apartment? She followed him and ran her fingers over everything. But that feeling wasn’t anywhere.
“You had anyone over recently?” Lupa watched Sledge rub his neck uncomfortably.
“Maybe. Thinkin’ they put it in?”
Lupa followed him back to the kitchen. “Possible…”
Sledge looked her over, then he shrugged and picked up the tequila bottle. Walking over to the couch, Lupa followed and sat next to him. He was peering at her carefully.
“You bein’ a’right now, witchy girl? You seemin’… not like yourself.”
“Just stressed out a bit,” Lupa knocked her glass back and let him fill it again, “There’s just so much… going on… and all those people dead…” she threw her glass back again, “I can’t believe someone practically killed an entire fucking town… who even does that? And why? Why kill everybody? They didn’t take the blood, it just doesn’t make sense…”
“Aint thinkin’ it mean anythin’ good.”
“No.” Lupa didn’t want to talk about it anymore, she’d had enough of questions without answers, and she could deal with it all tomorrow, a new day, with new eyes. “Hawk’s doing some more research tonight… can we talk about something else?”
“If’n you wantin’… what makin’ you askin’ about Hammer’s kids?”
“Just curious. Just making conversation really. I don’t know. You ever wanting kids?” Lupa regretted asking that the moment it slipped out of her mouth. Fuck.
“Aint knowin’… thinkin’ I don’t. Never wantin’ to be like my Da… thinkin’ no one would be wantin’ kids with me neither. Aint knowin’ what it could be bein’ like…”
Lupa got that. Being part witch and part wolfblood changed everything, or could change everything, when it came to that sort of… well…. She had said a similar thing to Grey… fuck.
“I got pregnant once.”
Lupa slammed her mouth shut. Why the fuck was she saying that? Why the fuck had that come to her mind? No. No no no she couldn’t think about that. She hadn’t thought about it in almost ten years. No fucking way was she…
“Yeah?”
“It doesn’t matter. I… never mind. You got a stereo? It’s too quiet…” Lupa felt her eyes stinging. No no fucking no. She needed to drink more, drown out the dark place trying to claw its way into her. Fuck.
Sledge got up and flicked the radio on, heavy music blared from it drowning out the silence, he sat back down and refilled her glass, peering at her as he handed it to her. She chugged it and put it back on the table, pulling out a smoke and lighting it.
“Wantin’ to go out dancin’?”
Lupa startled, “What?”
“Thinkin’ you needin’ a distraction. Can take you out if’n you want? There a place down the road that bein’ like the one you at…”
Lupa looked down at herself. Well, she did look like she should be out partying not sitting around thinking about… “Sure!”
Sledge smiled and stood up, “I’ll change my shirt.”
Lupa watched him go into his room and quickly pulled her bag over, tipping the last Pop onto her hand and taking a swig from the tequila bottle. This would cover the dark place for sure. And the idea of Sledge dancing at a club… the smile spread over Lupa’s face. Now this, she was looking forward to seeing.
✽ ✽ ✽
Inside Lupa felt Pop taking its hold on her, the feeling was welcomed warmly as she pushed her way into the warm bodies moving around her. Sledge had said he was going to get a drink. Lupa let the music wash over her, heavier than where she had been with Dameon, but just as enticing.
“Here,” Sledge was holding a bottle of water out to her.
Lupa smiled and accepted it, taking a long drink. She handed it back to Sledge and noticed a woman trying to talk to him. She closed her eyes and let her body sway with the collective. Time seemed to melt away from her, she couldn’t think, it was perfect. She opened her eyes to grab Sledge and saw his hand on the woman’s face, it looked so… intimate. Panic swelled in Lupa’s chest, she turned and started pushing her way towards the bathrooms. She leaned against a wall, why the fuck did she care? Her eyes blurred and she blinked quickly to get focus back. Sledge could do what he wanted, it’s not like they were… fuck it. Stupid drunk and drug filled thoughts, she was being an idiot.
“Hey, cutie.”
Lupa turned towards the voice; a skinny, blue haired man was grinning at her. Shoving him against the wall, she kissed him hard. His hands wandered over her body in clumsy movements, grabbing her tit in a childish squeeze. Lupa pushed him into a toilet cubical and slammed the door, pulling his face to hers to kiss him again. Drown it out. He slid a hand under her shirt, grabbing at her boobs like they were pillows. He slobbered on her neck and shoved his other hand up her skirt. Lupa shook her head, this guy had no fucking idea.
Pushing him off of her, she pulled the cubical door open and stalked out, the boy yelling out as she walked away. What a fucking useless waste. She slammed into Sledge’s chest, stumbling backwards as he steadied her.
“You a’right?”
“Fine. Move. I wanna go.”
Lupa shoved herself past him and back into the crowd, the music feeling like an assault on her now as she rushed towards the exit. The rain was pouring outside as she started running away from the club. She could barely see, was she crying? Or was it the rain streaming down her face? What a fucking idiot.
“Lupa! Wait!”
Lupa ran faster, she didn’t want Sledge to catch up to her. She couldn’t look at him right now, couldn’t be around him. She rounded a corner and searched the streets, where the fuck was she? And where was she supposed to go? Whatever, she ran down an alley which led to another street she didn’t recognise, she kept running until she couldn’t breathe. She stood hunched over and panting. Where the fuck was she? She just wanted to go home… oh shit.
Lupa turned her eyes to the building next to her… she wanted to leave. She wanted to go and curl up in bed… fuck. Her body started to heat up, she took a step towards the building. She should leave, she should turn around, run back and find Sledge and get him to take her home… but she couldn’t stop her feet from moving towards that damn building.
Her vision blurred… screaming in her head, the boy who’d raped her was in front of her mind’s eye, beating the shit out of her, smashing his fists into her stomach… blood on her hands, pouring out of her mouth… a voice telling her to run, run far away… she was crying and begging not to be left alone… bodies everywhere, stomachs torn open with beasts feeding, calling to her… being held down while the boys put their cigarettes out on her naked body, laughing as she screamed….
Someone was scooping her up, her body felt like it was on fire. She tried to push them, tried to reach out and get them the fuck off of her, but her body was falling, falling away from her as she blacked out.
✽ ✽ ✽
Lupa groaned, her eyelids felt too heavy, it felt like she was trying to pry open a locked door but finally she succeeded. She was sitting up… the room around her was filthy. Fuck. It wasn’t Sledge who had found her then. Fuck shit fuck. Glancing around, she saw her bag was hugging the wall in front of her, but her hands and feet were tied to the chair…
“Someone awake, ey?”
Lupa lifted her head to see a tall, filthy man staring down at her; his hair was long and hung together in clumps, his eyes were pale and creepy.
“Who the fuck are you?”
The man backhanded her, “Aint nice to speakin’ to me like that.”
Lupa gritted her teeth and dropped her head, letting her eyes wander around the room, gently testing how tight the ropes around her wrists and ankles were. She smiled to herself, if she could build up enough magick, then she could burn the ropes and get out.
“What do you want with me, then?” Lupa asked, leaning back against the chair, letting her body pool her magick.
“Man across the river sayin’ if any witchy shit steppin’ into his b
uildin’ then I catch them. Catch you I did. He comin’ for you.”
Fuck. How long did Lupa have? And was there another black thing inside of her? Would it hinder her escape? “I see… is he paying you?”
The man crouched to look at her in the eyes, smiling with rotten teeth, “Him more’n pay me. He give me magick too.”
Fuck. Was this guy just handing out magick? Doubtful… “Yeah? You know I have more magick in me than he does?”
The man stood back up and walked out of her sight, “Oh I knowin’, you burn me bad like. But you aint givin’ me magick.”
Lupa smiled, not turning around. Good. She had burned this fucker. She let the bloodfire trickle around her ankles, struggling to keep it focused in one spot. They had to learn how to at school, but she so rarely had to control her power so carefully.
“You smell good,” the man was leaning over her shoulder, loudly sniffing in her ears.
Lupa felt sick. She gritted her teeth, now was her chance, she needed to act quickly. She let the bloodfire pour out of her body, burning the ropes around her wrists and the man’s face next to her. He yelped and jumped away, Lupa making a dive for her bag and spinning to keep her eyes on the disgusting man.
“You’re fucked. Hammer will hear about this.” Lupa pulled out her knife and stood up, letting the black lightning in her body jump down the blade. The man cringed and pushed himself into a corner of the room. “Don’t try touch me you fucking creep, I’ll fuck you up. I’m leaving now, I suggest you get the fuck out of Black City quick.”
The man covered his face and huddled further into the corner, Lupa couldn’t hang around, there wasn’t much time if the black thing was inside her somewhere. She ran to the door, throwing herself out and finding herself in the putrid halls of Sable Towers. She pulled her phone out as she ran, calling Hammer.
“My wolf witch?”
“I’m at Sable Towers, someone grabbed me… I… accidently stepped into one of the spelled buildings. I’ve gotten out but I don’t know how long I have ‘til I pass out and… The Eastern Man is coming for me.”
