“Please,” a man cries, dropping to his knees in front of a woman in a suit. “Spare my family’s lives—”
A blond-haired man appears behind him and twists his head. The loud crack makes me jump as the man slumps to the floor.
The porcelain queen raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “His family?”
The blond man jerks his chin towards a door with a nasty smirk.
Vampires have taken over the world. Except this isn’t some SYFY show or movie. This shit is real.
I feel sick.
Then I’m back to the original scene, it seems like we’re in a church of some sort. There’s a flash of silver, the cloaked figure, and a black-haired woman bound to a marble slab, begging for her life. Focusing on the terrified woman’s eyes, I see her taking her newborn baby somewhere safe because she knows something bad is going to happen. Then the cloaked figure slices her throat.
Then that newborn baby is in front of another cloaked figure, and the baby turns into a man, getting his throat slit. Then there’s another baby who turns into a woman I recognize.
Grandma Delliana?
Another cloaked figure slits her throat, and then there’s another baby who turns—oh my God—into my mom.
“No!” I jump to my feet, knocking the water over in the process. A gust of wind crashes through the small attic, extinguishing all the candles.
Darkness.
“Nessa?” Someone calls, and the flashlight clicks on. I don’t reply. Once the light hits the trash bag I left out to clean up the mess, I dive for it and regurgitate.
CHAPTER NINE
~ Temporarily Homeless ~
Someone rubs my back but I don’t lift my head from where it’s pressed against the cool dining room table. I take circles very seriously; they are a part of my religion, after all. So, when I jump up during one, cause the wind to make the candles go out, and then vomit…. My friends aren’t morons. They’re freaking out, and I can’t even begin to form the words to explain what the future holds if something doesn’t change.
I hear Kyle at the back door, throwing out the trash with my stomach contents in it. He’s the only one with a strong enough stomach to do it. The others kept gagging at the mention of it. Someone sets a glass of water in front of me, but I don’t even look up to see who was nice enough to bring it but I do sit up. The table isn’t soothing anymore, nothing is. I focus on my hands, more specifically, at the ring that my mom passed down to me. It used to belong to Grandma Delliana.
Oh Goddess.
Kyle rubs my shoulder. “Feeling any better?”
I try for a smile, but my eyes brim with tears. I’ve never acted like this before and I hate worrying them, but I still can’t find the words to explain.
I used to go hunting with them when we were kids for Goddess’ sake! Mostly because of boredom, and a little curiosity. I’ve never gotten physically sick though. Disgusted, a little bit, because of the poor bunnies, but not ill. So, they know something is very wrong. And there’s the fact that I’m not talking.
Eventually I glance up to find them all at the table. Devin’s sitting close beside me, rubbing my shoulder and my back. Why’re you so touchy, feely lately, Mr. Devin? He catches me watching him, and he gives a small smile.
If I don’t start talking soon one of them—I’m thinking Nicks—is going to try to either slap or yell it out of me. Peeking at the clock on the far wall, I calculate that Mom and Billy aren’t going to be back for another hour.
They’re staring at me, probably trying to mentally will me to say something. Soon, I start getting that relaxed feeling again. It’s okay to talk, to tell them what I saw—bending Devin’s hand backward I zap him in the process.
Yanking him closer to me, I growl, “Never try to manipulate me.” Then I let his hand go, dismissing his wounded expression. “I’m hungry.”
My intuition jerks my focus to the ceiling. There’s something there I need. I’m up and out of my chair, making my way back to the attic.
Going up here without my bodyguards to shadow me is a surprise, a nice one. For once I get to be by myself. Following my sudden gut feeling, I shove a dresser out of the way and move a few floorboards to find a hiding place for some of her books that I’ve never seen before. For some reason she didn’t want me to see these.
Hauling them back down the stairs is when I start wishing my buff vampy friends had accompanied me. They only weigh thirty pounds each. I also discover I’m out of shape.
Coming back into the dining room, I drop the books on the table and plop back down out of breath.
“Can you let us go now?” Nicks asks carefully.
“Huh?” What is he talking about?
“We can’t move.” Devin moves to stand, but it’s like an invisible force is keeping him against the chair.
“Bullshit.” This is probably something they cooked up to try to make me feel better and talk. They’ve always known how much it’d mean to me if I got some real talents.
“Why would we lie?” Nicks clenches his hands into fists.
“Seriously?” I yank on Devin’s arm. He doesn’t budge, but that could be his vamp strength. I get back to my feet and try to shove him with all my power, nothing.
“Ow.” He sounds serious.
“I didn’t do it.” They don’t seem too happy. “Did I?”
“Unless someone sprinkled magic fairy dust on my ass without my noticing then I do believe you did.” Nick’s reply is rather more sarcastic than I feel is called for.
“That explains why you didn’t follow me.” I wince. “I don’t know how to undo this. Mom’s never told me anything about this…um…abracadabra?” Nothing happens. “Uh…allakazoo? Ollie ollie oxen free?” Still nothing, “Whoop, whoop, move bitches!”
“Be serious for once,” Nicks snaps.
Kyle starts to look a little panicked. “Concentrate, dude.”
“You can do it,” Devin reassures.
Jake frowns but stays as silent as always.
“Okay, okay.” I take deep breaths like I do in the circle and focus. Then with will I muster from somewhere deep, I see the invisible bands wrapped around them, and, to release the straps, I close my fist, dragging it back in. “Anything?”
“Yeah,” Devin says. I peek over at them and they all stand up and lean to inspect the books in front of me.
“That’s what you get when you come here. Something that’ll never happen anywhere else….” I like to point out the bright, sarcastic side.
“Casa de Freaksville.” Nicks snorts, and I flip him off.
Then, turning serious, I pass some books down to them. “It’d take me hours to go through all of these, and we don’t have that much time.”
“So, what’re these?” Kyle rests a hand on the dusty book in front of him.
“Books my mom was trying to keep hidden. She didn’t want me to know the truth.” I carefully open my ancestor’s leather journals. My fingers trail over my four times great-grandpa’s signature, he signed his entries just like I do. This is how we witches document important events, I don’t think a publisher would accept one of our entries.
“What truth?” Nicks turns another page of his.
“That I’m really a Smurf from Saturn.” He throws me the bird, I sigh, and bend to the yellowed page again. “You’ll find out once I know more.”
“At least she’s back,” one of them thinks.
“Heard that,” I call, blinking at the fancy, swirly cursive I attempt to read. And I thought my handwriting was hard to make out.
A little while later, I want to barf again. My suspicions are confirmed. Witches are back on the main menu.
Peeking over the top of my book, I frown at what I see and slam my book on the table loudly.
They jump. Guilty bastards.
The only two actually reading were Devin and Kyle, because they’re sweet. Jake was dozing off, and Nicks was texting away on his phone.
“Find anything, anyone?” I glower at the g
uilty ones, not expecting results from anyone but Devin and Kyle.
“Not really.” Kyle roughly rubs his face. “Only stuff about the wars and how witches played a key part in them.” Ooh, I’ll have to check that one out later….
“You tell me what you found first.” Devin’s troubled expression probably mirrors mine.
“Since y’all weren’t doing anything, I’ll tell the long version.” I give them both pointed looks, they groan. “Back in the day, the official reports state, a girl named Abigail was kidnapped, her body never found. Before she disappeared, she had a premonition something bad was going to happen and took her newborn to safety. Years later, Joseph—the son of Abigail—disappeared right after his daughter was born. Body never found. Delliana—daughter of Joseph—disappeared after one of her shows on Broadway. Later, her daughter was adopted by a nice family, but the girl never forgot her mom.
“What links these cases to each other is that every single one of those innocent people were witches.” I let this sink in before continuing with my brief history lesson. “They were killed by whoever the hell has made a New Born.” I point to the page I stopped on. “The reason no one has been able to make New Borns is because you need to sacrifice a witch for the magic to fully work.”
Silence greets my statement.
“Samantha Gilmore—Delliana’s daughter, my mom—is next in the line to be sacrificed.”
Jake’s rubbing his jaw. Kyle’s gaping at me in horror. Nicks looks pissed, and Devin’s glaring down at his hands. “What are you hiding?” I want to ask but bite my tongue. He lifts his eyes and all I see is pain and sadness. But before I can investigate further Nicks breaks our concentration by asking. “What’re we going to do?”
“Make her get the hell outta Dodge.” I already have a plan.
<<<->>>
My mom comes into the kitchen the next morning and the surprise on her face makes me laugh. I hand her a plate full of scrambled eggs and real bacon. Upon the rare occasion I do cook, it’s for me, and I’m a vegetarian. “I can cook when I want to,” I sassily inform her. She takes the plate and goes over to the table but continues to stare at me like I’ve lost it.
Next Billy comes in and he freezes when he sees me cooking. “What’s going on here?” he whispers to Mom, who shrugs as she eats her eggs. I set a plate down on the table for him and go back to making my fake bacon. It actually tastes like how you’d think fried dog treats would, but I don’t want to tell my mom that. She likes waking up early to cook for us. I don’t know why. Getting up early sucks more than having to cook.
“Thanks?” he replies slowly, and sits down beside my mom.
After I’m done making mine, I join them and try to eat even though I feel their attention on me. Soon enough, I get tired of it and slap the brochures down in front of them. “What’s this?” Mom pages through the pictures of the bed & breakfast in South Carolina.
“I was saving it for your anniversary, but then I thought, why not now? Y’all both work hard, and you deserve a break and some time together.” She’s so excited about this.
“We can’t afford this.” She pushes it away.
“Yes, you can,” I sing cheerfully. “I put in my money from walking dogs and working at the library. Kyle and Nicks added some, too.” Not to mention the donation Devin made to the cause. “Y’all can stay down there for four weeks.” A tear slides down Mom’s cheek. “Oh, I hope you don’t mind, Billy, but I called your work and requested time off for you. They all agreed it’s time for you to use your comp time.” With comp time, you still get paid so I know my mom doesn’t have much more to argue about.
His eyebrows go up. “That’s so generous of you….”
“That’s so sweet of you guys but I can’t accept—” my mom starts.
“Too late. I’ve already called and made reservations. You need to leave tonight. I mean, unless you’re going to let this opportunity pass up and not go.” I add with a somewhat devious grin.
“What’re you up to?” she asks, leaning closer to me.
“Damn, Mom, I want the whole house to myself to have parties and sex with random strangers while my boyfriend watches. Whaddya think?” I wiggle my eyebrows at her horrified expression. “You’ve always been there for me, and I want to do something for you.”
“Seems legit to me, let’s go,” Billy replies eagerly.
“Okay, you go pack. I’m going to smother my daughter with affection.” She kisses my face, making me try to squirm away. That is, until he’s left the room. “What’s really going on?”
“What would be going on?” I snort, resting my arms on the table. “Nothing ever happens here. The only thing I’ll be doing while you’re gone is hanging out with the guys.”
“What about the N.B.?”
“You can deal with it when you get back. I don’t think he’ll go anywhere.”
She gives me a disapproving shake of the head. Not fully believing I’m innocent.
It takes a little more convincing, along with some compulsion from the guys when she was asleep, but, eventually, she gives in and leaves me alone in the house. Devin’s mind-manipulation abilities can convince almost anyone of anything. He’s tried them on me before, but I guess since my mom wants to go, it makes it easier. We used to do this to her when we all wanted to go to the fair and she was reluctant.
It was a lot easier this time, or so it seemed. The guys aren’t as good as Devin is, not that I’d voice this opinion.
Like they were watching outside, the guys come through the door as soon as the car disappears down the road. Surprisingly, with Devin not far behind the rest of them. Maybe they’re finally getting along. That hope is crushed when I see their separate cars. But maybe this is a start?
“I’m surprised they went.” Nicks peeks outside with a worried frown. Needless to say, everyone’s been on edge since our discovery “Now, I just have one question.” He shuts the door. “Where are you going to stay while they’re gone?”
“Here.” They all snort and shake their heads. They don’t think I can take care of myself. I cross my arms over my chest, and they all take a step back.
Except Nicks. “There’re people out there killing your kind, Nessa. Don’t let your ego get in the way of your safety.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Whatever but you’re not staying here by yourself.” He holds his hands up. “So, either you stay with one of us, or we stay here with you.”
“You can stay with me,” Devin volunteers quietly. “I have extra rooms and no parents to ask questions.”
“Where are your parents?” Kyle frowns.
“They died a long time ago.”
Kyle’s eyes widen in sympathy. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. It was a really long time ago.” He waves it off. “Nessa, if you want to…?”
Nicks puffs his chest out, “And what about the New Born?”
“He’s fine, able to control himself now. He was even at school the other day with no incidents.”
Ha. There’s so much more arguing but, in the end, I give in and go get my bags together. Four weeks. Who the hell knows what all I’ll need, so I pretty much pack my whole room and then some.
CHAPTER TEN
~ Undercover Vamp, Plus One ~
Walking into Devin’s apartment for the second time is still weird. Especially because I’ll be staying here for four weeks. Four full weeks, but, hell, at least Billy and Mom will be safe. They—mainly my mom—have been texting me every half hour. Making sure I’m okay. It doesn’t bother me too much. It’s nice to know they’re safe.
Peeking into the shadows of the massive apartment, I don’t see the New Born right away. I still haven’t learned his name, and I don’t know if I’ve fully forgiven him yet, either. But it’d put me slightly at ease to know where the little bastard is.
Trailing behind Devin’s tall form down the hall—I guess to my new temporary room—I don’t want to be caught off guard.
I don’t think I’ll be getting too much sleep.
He opens a door to a roomy bedroom. “Is this okay?” Beads of sweat dot his forehead. I didn’t even know vamps could sweat. But, then again, I’ve never really sat down with them and played twenty questions about their functioning and how things work.
“It’s fine.” I toss my bags on the very welcoming fluffy, blood-red comforter and turn to face him, “Why’re you so nervous?” And so cliché with your apartment? Vampire, blood-red things? All right, where’s the bat cave?
“I’m not,” he answers calmly, leaning against the doorframe, and picking at the end of his shirt.
“You’re sweating in all of the stress spots.” I raise my eyebrows slowly, taking in his awkward stature. “Not to mention playing with your shirt…. So, try again.”
“When did you get so smart?” He wipes his hands on his black jeans.
“If you’re re-thinking my invite for the full four weeks, then just tell me and I’ll go. No problem.” Hell, I wouldn’t want to deal with me for that long. I wouldn’t blame him one bit if he showed me the door, especially with my newfound powers springing out at random times and attacking people.
“No.” He shakes his head roughly. “That’s not it at all. I don’t mind company.” He shoves a hand through his hair, making it stick up all over the place. “It just makes me uneasy standing so close to a bed with you in the room. I’m scared you might actually jump me this time.”
A startled laugh bursts out of me and he blushes.
I can practically smell his deceit. “What is it really?” He’s hiding something. It’s always been there, but I don’t think it’s something too horrible. Being patient isn’t easy for me, but he’ll tell me when he’s ready. Now is not that time.
“Nothing,” he replies. “I’m making something special for dinner, and I’d better go ahead and get started on it. The bathroom’s down the hall to the left. You’ll be sharing with Toby—the New Born—if you need anything else just yell.”
Freaksville Page 8
