by R. L. Wilson
I’m getting to a point where I can use my magic and not get so tired. It feels good to have respect from the other super-naturals.
“It’s possible you will remain cursed forever.”
I’m getting dizzy from all this information. I glare at Kato innocently as I try to contain my composure. I want to say “Is this shit real, why me?” I’m beyond pissed, who would have ever thought to curse my family?
I’m sure he would agree this situation is not a good one for me. Other people have had curses, but never as strong as the curse placed upon my family. I wonder what one of my ancestors did that was so heinous that such a strong curse was initiated.
Since gaining visual healing, the tattoo has not increased in size. It’s not glowing and I’m not tired. It could be a good thing. I’ll keep it to myself.
“I’m sure. I want to try.”
He gathers a small cup of water and drops a few herbs into it. Steam flows from the top. The water is piping hot. The scent of mint fills the kitchen. He slides the cup across the table. I grab the cup and turn my head. The scent is strong. The strongest scent of mint I’ve encountered. But if it will strip this curse, I’ll try it.
I take a swallow when my phone vibrates. I peek at the phone screen. Morgan’s name flashes across the screen.
“Hello?”
“You need to get here,” Morgan yells over the phone.
“I’m on my way home.”
“All of our stuff is gone.”
“Okay. I’m coming.”
Then, to Kato, who is flipping pages, “I’ve got to get home.” I hope he has given me the right remedy this time.
He grabs a lid from the cabinet and covers the cup.
“This will have a lasting effect on you. I’m hoping a good effect. Be sure before you finish step one this is what you want.”
It wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear, but maybe it’s true.
Is it as hard for people to forget as it is for me? I can’t help but think maybe he is angry at me for the beating he took. Is this potion safe to drink? Randy said whoever tried to break the curse fooled me.
I’ll keep the potion and drink it later.
The movers are driving off as I arrive. Morgan’s face is red but she isn’t shouting or swearing. Night has fallen, the moon is bright. It cuts through the thick fog consuming Silver City.
Morgan shoots me a mean stare with her hands on her hips. “They told me to follow them. They didn’t tell me where we’re going,” she says.
“What are we going to do?” she asks, following me inside the apartment. My footsteps echo through the living room. All that’s left on the floor are mismatched socks and old bills. I walk in the kitchen with Morgan’s continuous blabbing trailing behind me.
The kitchen is bare, all that remains is the cursed yellow curtains and the twirling ceiling fan.
“Who’s going to pay the rent at this new apartment? This shit doesn’t make any sense.” Morgan whines.
“Prentiss, and it will be fine.” I give her a dismissive wave and race to my bedroom, finding a pair of old sneakers and the vanilla scent of my body mist.
“I’ll find the address, Morgan, let’s go.” I scan my contacts on my phone and send a text to Prentiss asking the address to the new apartment.
I’m not telling her about the beating Kato took; she would have an anxiety attack. And she wouldn’t go to any apartment affiliated with Prentiss.
We slip out of the apartment and step onto the stoop. A guy across the street catches my eye and waves me over. I narrow my gaze and concentrate on his face. His face is familiar but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s foggy…possible I don’t know him at all.
I tuck away the potion in my purse. I contemplate drinking it now but I’ll wait until later; my tattoo isn’t growing anymore.
“Who is he?” Morgan whispers to me as we creep down the stairs. I squint and recognize Brian, a dragon who lives around the corner. I tremble. What the hell would Brian be calling me for?
“I’ll be right back, Morgan,” I say and we walk toward Morgan’s car.
I get closer to Brian, my vision sharp. He wears a red and black jacket with black jeans. It wasn’t typical for the dragons. The dragons usually wore blue. What is this shit all about? He better not try to intimidate me because with one sharp stare I will destroy his ass.
Chapter 17
He pulls his hands out of his pockets and I’m on alert. He smiles, his blue eyes tracing my body from head to toe. I sense there is more he wants to say, but he doesn’t. His eyes are mysterious, like he’s hiding something.
“What’s up, Harmony?”
“Hey.”
He acts as if I don’t know the dragons are into it with, well, everybody. At least that’s what I heard. We do have one major thing in common; I can’t stand Prentiss and the dragons can’t either.
He scans the scene. “I heard you had a problem?” He steps closer to me.
“Oh yeah, what problem?” I can feel the heat radiating off his body. The dragons stay hot and they can melt you in a matter of seconds. I’m not scared of him. I’ve known him most of my life, and the dragons never fuck with anyone without reason.
“Prentiss.” He rubs his hands together. “Help me help you?”
“What do you have in mind?”
Brian’s superpower is he’s a planner. He always maps things out. He has plan A and B and C. He was a great planner in high school, he always had a theory and an outcome of everything. Too bad he doesn’t use his smarts for something constructive.
Before he can tell me, what plan A is, we’re surrounded. Three of Prentiss’s workers stand around us like we’re new victims they want to sink their teeth into. Three has multiplied into six. Some of these guys I don’t know.
“What the fuck, Dan?” Brian says, walking within inches of Dan’s face. He’s a husky guy with a mean sneer. His fist is the size of a cantaloupe.
It’s time for me to get the hell out of here. I’m not getting my ass kicked for Prentiss, Brian, or anybody else.
Morgan gets out of the car and makes her way over, as a masked figure walks in my face. The mask, a gold and black color which isn’t the dragon’s color, not sure who he is.
“What’s the problem here?” he says.
His creepy voice sends goosebumps up my leg. A werewolf with thick brown fur prowls with him and sniffs around my feet. The masked man must be supernatural, who else walks around with a werewolf? He removes his mask and opens his coat, then pulls out a small purple bottle. My heart skips a beat and my hands tremble. What’s in his hand?
“This is a potion,” he says with a smile, his beard checkered with black and gray, his teeth sharp and the color of slime. I have never seen him around
He glances at the bottle and narrows his gaze at me. He hands the bottle to me and before I could grab it.
“No, thank you,” Morgan says. She grabs my arm and turns to leave.
He lets out a loud scream, piercing my eardrums, rendering me immobile for a few seconds.
I turn as he lunges toward me and Morgan. My first instinct is to run, but he is nearly on my back. Besides, I’m here to make a plan with the dragons to get Prentiss off my back. I’ll be damned if a crazy-ass supernatural will run me off.
Morgan slides her foot, which becomes entangled with the masked man. He falls to the ground.
The werewolf lunges toward me, knocking me down as well. Do werewolves eat witches? I would rather find out when one’s not standing in front of me. I spring back to my feet with my eyes on my enemy.
The werewolf may have four legs and razor-sharp teeth, but I have witch dust in the bracelet. I snap the bracelet loose, crack open one charm, and fling the red dust in the eyes of the werewolf. He steps back, whimpering in agony.
I hiss over my shoulder at the supernatural and tell him not to move. He continues getting off the ground, looking at his werewolf. He lunges toward me. I attempt to crack open another charm but it’s too l
ate. His nails are scratching my bare face. With one swift sweep I knock him back to the ground, blood trickling from my face. I stand over him, staring down at his face. Instead of seeing how to heal him, I see how to take him out and make him ill to the point of death. I know if I stare long enough. I could kill him with my gaze.
Another man walks along side of me and whispers something and before I know it the man falls to the ground in agony holding his abdomen whimpering.
I yell at Morgan to get in the car at this moment. I don’t look at her because I have no control over my sight.
“NOW, MORGAN,” I scream.
Seconds later, the clack of her shoes hitting the pavement gives me relief. A dragon walks toward me; I know him from around the way. I’m trying to take control of my vision but if he gets to close, he’s going to get a swift ass-kicking.
A hard whack to my head and everything goes black.
Chapter 18
With my head pounding, I reposition myself, unable to open my eyes. A heady, distinct aroma of tainted blood fills the air. Prentiss is near. I exhale and blink, trying to pry my eyes open. The room is dark and unfamiliar. I hold my breath, trying to block the scent. I exhale and it’s still present and stringent.
My laser-sharp vision should highlight the room. But it’s not working. I try pulling my right arm to my chest but there is resistance. I can’t move either of my hands—they’re tied behind my back. I stay calm and rub my face across the surface I lay on, the smooth cold texture of leather. I’m confused, staring at my surroundings, not sure how I got here.
A cracked vase sits on a brown table in the corner. I narrow my gaze and concentrate, hoping to repair the vase. But nothing happens, it doesn’t move. Shit my, healing is gone! What happened?
The sound of deep voices in close proximity reaches my ears, but I can’t see anyone. Two deep baritone voices. One voice is Prentiss, the other who knows. My racing thoughts drown out the voices. I’ve got to get the hell out of here.
The footsteps get closer and my eyelids quiver. What are they going to do to me? If I’d known this is my last day on earth, I would have spent more time with Momma. What would she do if I’m gone? As I struggle to free myself, a second set of steps echo. My body is rigid with fear and I have the mother of all headaches.
Someone flicks the light switch on the wall and there stand Prentiss and Randy, both with blank expressions on their faces. My face warms from terror and a roll of sweat trickles down my back. Randy scutters toward me, and my heart nearly explodes. This shit didn’t go as planned.
He reaches in his pocket and I close my eyes. If this is the end, I don’t want Randy’s face to be my last vision. A jingling sound then he grabs my right arm and tilts my body forward. The clank of the handcuffs sliding off my wrist is music to my ears. I open my eyes to Prentiss’s wide smile with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I’m happy you are awake, are you ok?” He steps closer to the couch.
I sit up and scan the room, wondering what the hell is going on. I’m stuck in the Twilight Zone. The floral wallpaper was a dead giveaway of how long it’s been since he decorated this house. The pictures and furniture are all antique. Judging by the way Randy is barefoot and wearing shorts, I assume this is his house. He’s got to be over a hundred years old, because some of this furniture is. Prentiss takes a seat on the couch next to me.
“Do you know what you have done?” Prentiss says. “Something no other healer has ever been able to do.”
“You have tapped into powers I have never seen before,” Randy says. His face is bright; I can hear the excitement in his voice.
“It’s dangerous, you know. Other people might see you as a weapon. Keep the collar on,” Prentiss says.
“No, I don’t need the collar anymore.”
“What? Yes, you do,” Randy says. He darts his eyes and attention to Prentiss. “She needs to be kept under surveillance at all times. No one can get near her; she is our most valuable asset.”
Prentiss stands “I know. I got this.”
“With her, we can take over everything,” Randy says.
Everything, they’re trying to take over everything? I won’t be part of this. They don’t know it yet, but my visual healing is dead and I hope it never comes back. If Prentiss wants to go around controlling other paranormals, he won’t get my help. Prentiss and Randy can figure this out alone.
Prentiss and Randy march out the living room toward the hallway. I sit up on the couch, curious where they’re going. Randy stops and pivots. “No, you stay here.”
“She can come,” Prentiss says. He waves his hand. “Come on.”
I follow the duo through a dark hall to a bright room. The light in the room was fluorescence and so bright it brought pain to my eyes. I use my hand to block the light. Prentiss unplugs one lamp from the wall and leaves the overhead light on.
The room is tiny, and a huge waist-high table in the center takes up the majority of the space in the room. I’m getting claustrophobic. A large map and a computer sit upon the table. Small pins are stuck in different areas of the map.
“First, we start here, then move here,” Randy says pointing at the map. It was a map of Michigan.
“What do you think, Harmony?” Prentiss says.
“About what?” I shrug. I know he is not asking me to be any part of this plan he has.
“Us taking over not just Silver City and Night Heights. I’m looking at the big picture: I want Detroit.”
My mouth drops and goes dry. His evil ass! I knew he had a dangerous plan. I bite the inside of my mouth, holding back my words. I can’t let him know how I really feel. He’s treating me like a trusted ally. Letting me in on his plans. That’s what I want, him to believe we’re working together.
“The other paranormals work together as gangs. The dragons work for the dragons and this is their area,” Randy says pointing to a spot on the map. “The elves work for the elves here, the shifters live and work here.” Randy looks at Prentiss then me. “No one keeps them under control.”
“That’s the reason there is so much needless crime,” Prentiss says.
The room temperature drops with my heart to my feet. These two are dark and twisted. Randy looks at Prentiss like he’s a shiny new toy on Christmas morning.
“I will make all of them my slaves. They will all work for us.” Prentiss folds his arms and his lips curl into a smile exposing his fangs.
All the wind is knocked out of my body…I can’t breathe. I take a seat in the chair. A tightening sensation consumes my chest. This must be what a heart attack feels like. I cover my face with my hands.
“Harmony, this is good news. Don’t worry, you will work for me. You won’t be a slave.”
Chapter 19
How the hell do I get myself into this shit? I’m riding in the back of the car Randy is driving. He’s supposed to take me to my new apartment, my new life. He’s the person I hate most in this world, next to Prentiss.
Prentiss may be too simple to know, but Randy knows I hate his ass. I’m not sitting in the passenger seat, it’s too close. Some of his devious ways may rub off on me.
“Are you excited about your new house?”
My eyes dart around the car. He must be talking to someone else. I don’t have anything to say to him.
He looks at me in the rearview mirror with raised eyebrows. I stare back then roll my eyes and glance out the window. I see a young girl jumping rope on the sidewalk. Wishing it was me, I lean back in the seat. Remembering the time Morgan and I were kids, had no worries, no fears…those were the best times of our lives.
My life will be normal once I destroy these assholes.
The car stops and I look at the house. “This isn’t Silver City or Night Heights. Where the hell are we?” I ask with an attitude.
“Your new home,” Randy says.
“Is this a supernatural community?”
“No, this is Bayside, no paranormals live here.”
Why the hell
would Prentiss get me an apartment in a human community?
The streets are clean and the birds chirp. It is nice and I can blend in with humans. I guess it will be safe for me and Morgan.
I get out of the car as Randy is saying goodbye. I slam the door. “Which building is it?”
“The gray one, 627, first floor,” Randy says pointing to the left.
The building is three floors with a glass door and brass numbers.
I roam toward the building which has a wrought-iron gate with doorbells. I twist the knob and find the gate is locked.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Randy says.
I turn and he sits there with a sneer, jingling a set of keys in his hand. I walk to the car and snatch the keys and he slaps a collar around my neck. I jump back and grab at my throat; the collar doesn’t move.
“What the hell is this for?”
“I noticed your last one was gone. I know someone helped you break it, so I gave you a new one.” He winks.
I can’t stand this motherfucker. As soon as he leaves, I’m snatching this shit off.
Opening the doors of the apartment makes me jittery. I’m on alert, as there’s no way to know who’s in here.
The apartment is dead silent. I see my furniture from the old apartment and stacks of boxes. I don’t see Morgan. The living room has a large picture-framed window. The apartment is spotless, no dust or cracks in the walls.
I could get accustomed to this. But I have to remember who this came from. In the blink of an eye, this could all vanish.
I walk past the dining room into the kitchen. My heart thunders. I’m not sure if I’m going to have to kick someone’s ass.
There is a rumbling sound and I twist backward, but nothing’s there. A few seconds later, the rumbling sound is there again. It’s coming from the black refrigerator. I walk over and swing the door open. There is an icemaker at the top of the freezer.
I exhale and wipe the sweat from my forehead. The real question is where is Morgan? I grab my phone and the screen is black. Damn, the battery is dead. I look out the kitchen window and see a deck in the backyard and a large garage.
