Love Charms

by Multiple

  “Aye,” the first chuckled, her jowls vibrating like Jello. “It took me four washes to get that blood out of my dress.”

  “It was such an ugly dress,” the second joked.

  They playfully shoved each other back and forth as we moved to the edge of the bridge. I’d always heard that goblins were strange creatures, showing their affection by beating each other to a bloody pulp, but it was a whole other thing seeing it with my own eyes.

  The first punched the second with her elbow, sending a stream of green goblin blood soaring to a rose bush, instantly incinerating it. The second head-butted the first, knocking both of them into a cyclops standing in front of them. He didn’t even flinch…no one did really. Everyone was caught up in the excitement of the trial.

  I leaned over to Mom’s ear. “Should we do something?”

  She gave me a look I hadn’t seen since I tried to clean her house. “Don’t get involved in goblin business.”

  “But-” My words caught in my throat as the second woman got too close to the edge of the bridge and fell backward…tumbling into the frothy water.

  Both her companion and I lurched forward, but before the goblin even touched the water, a water creature with the head of a serpent and the body of an octopus wrapped its tentacle around her, snatching her up in midair. It crushed her into nothing before she could even scream.

  “Oh my god,” I said hoarsely, stepping backward.

  Whoops of delight echoed through the line as the clear water turned a muddy green.

  I reached out and touched the goblin woman’s shoulder, my heart aching for her. She’d almost jumped in herself. Clearly they were close. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Save it, necro,” she said acidly, wrenching from my grip like it was poison. “You should be more concerned that one of your fellow blasphemies is next.”

  I jutted my lip out, falling back in line. That was what I got for trying to help a goblin.

  “Hey Jay!” A familiar voice called from behind. I whirled to the back, searching the line for the source. When I saw his face, I smiled in spite of myself. Riley.

  He was dressed to kill, in a sleek two-piece suit that accentuated his muscular physique. His curly hair was coiffed and cut close. He maneuvered through the crowd, growling every so often when people gave him the stink eye.

  He stopped a few feet from me and Mom.

  “Wow,” he breathed, scanning me in a way that brought heat to my cheeks. “You clean up nice.”

  I cleared my throat, smoothing my unruly hair. “You’re not too shabby yourself.”

  Mom did some throat clearing of her own.

  “Oh yeah,” I said, shuffling nervously. “Mom, Riley Carpenter. Riley, Mom.”

  Riley jutted out his hand. “I can see where Jade gets her good looks from.”

  “Aren’t you the charmer,” Mom said with a raised eyebrow. “Though you’d have to be, I suppose. I didn’t raise my daughter to spread her legs for anything supernatural that moves.”

  My eyes went wide. “Jesus, Mom! How could-”

  Riley held up a hand. “I deserved that.” He shot the wolves behind us a look and they averted their eyes to the ground.

  “I’m no homewrecker, Mrs. Murray-”

  “I’m Ms. Goode,” Mom corrected icily. “I haven’t been Mrs. Murray in a long, long time.”

  “My mistake,” Riley said apologetically. “But I do care about Jade. A lot.”

  I blushed as he glanced over at me, flashing me a smile that reduced me to a bumbling idiot. “Um, I-”

  “That’s very friendly of you,” Mom said curtly. “But Jade is happily in a relationship with a good vampire.”

  “Good vampire,” Riley repeated with an edge. “Kind of an oxymoron, isn’t it?”

  I could see Mom’s eyes flashing dangerously, so it was time for me to step back in. “So what are you doing here, Riley?”

  “Moral support,” he said seriously. “I figured the Great Hall would be filled with people that want you to fail, so someone in your corner who’s rooting for you is a good thing.”

  My mouth twitched as his words sank in. The Riley I knew all those years ago was definitely a sweetheart. He picked up a bouquet of dandelions and brought me Chinese when I was homesick, but this was Romeo and Juliet status. How did he know that having someone at my back that wasn’t counting on my demise was exactly what I needed?

  Even Mom unruffled her feathers a little. “That’s very kind of you, Riley. Jade and I appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” he shrugged, the machismo rearing its head.

  We finally walked up to the large stone entrance, the portcullis dangling above like iron teeth groaning menacingly.

  A svelte woman clad in medieval robes stood as a sentry, scanning the three of us. “Names?”

  “Willow Raven Goode,” Mom answered.

  “Riley Carpenter.”

  “And Jade Murray.”

  The woman grinned then, yellowed fangs showing. “Our guest of honor.”

  She gestured at a similarly clad woman to her right who stepped up as she ushered us inside the city walls. There were stone structures scattered about, stables where cattle and dirty humans stood chained cowering beside a centaur who barked at them in a foreign tongue.

  “Where are we going?” I asked Mom, my throat bone dry.

  “To the Tower,” she answered. “The bastards like to wine and dine you before Trial.”

  The vampire whirled her raven head toward my mother. “I’d mind my tongue, witch. I’m sure we can fit in a second Trial for treason.”

  Mom inclined her head, steam shooting from her ears.

  We entered a second wrought iron gate that was lit by an elderly woman holding a torch. The flames burned with blue embers that stroked the ebony night. The woman was dressed in rags, her skin grubby and smudged with what I hoped was dirt. I would have believed she was a statue if her eyes didn’t follow our every move.

  The air in the Tower felt different: ancient and full of secrets. There was a harsh stone staircase that weaved up into the darkness.

  The vampire gestured toward the stairs. “After you.”

  I glanced up into the inky abyss, fear wrapping its familiar claws around me. “Actually, I’m not all that hungry.”

  “Pshaw,” the vampire said dismissively. “You can watch everyone else eat then.” Her fluorescent eyes narrowed. “After you.”

  I obliged, my hand trailing the iron railing as I wound up the stairs, taking it one step at a time. The fabric of my dress seemed to cling to my skin as if it too was terrified of what lay ahead. As we continued our ascent, the only other sound was the thundering of my heart.

  We reached the landing and Riley walked over to the window. “Wow,” he whistled. “Long way down…but what a view.” He beckoned, but I shook my head.

  “I’m having a hard time keeping it together as it is,” I said through clenched teeth. “Sightseeing isn’t going to help.”

  “Ah,” he said embarrassedly, shuffling back to Mom and me. “My bad.”

  The vampire stood in front of two iron doors, flashing a disconcerting smile. “The Final Supper awaits.”

  Before I could make a crack about the whole innocent until proven guilty thing, she pushed open the great doors, revealing a lavish dining room hidden in the weather worn tower.

  In this room, we weren’t in an overrun garden in North Carolina, we were transported to 17th century Europe. Erotic silks and furnishings covered the walls, masking the harsh stone beneath. A crystal chandelier draped from the ceiling, sending glitter over the extravagant dinner laid out on the table. At the forefront of the table was a whole boar, its tusks white and glistening. Beside it were tomatoes and soup and other vegetables. Behind the vegetables were scrumptious pies, tarts, cakes with icing, and a chocolate fondue fountain.

  There were two people huddled near a lounge area, their heads bowed.

  “My Lord, My Lady,” our vampire host said effusively.

/>   The two robed people turned to the light.

  “YOU!” I gasped. The woman wasn’t just any woman but another vampire. An Old One. Athanasia.

  I swiped a butter knife. I knew it would ultimately be as effective as popping rubber bands at her, but something was better than nothing.

  Her disgustingly beautiful face shone with delight. “Jade Murray. It’s lovely to see you again.”

  I brandished the knife. “What are you doing here? Kidnapping me again?”

  Mom stepped forward, her eyes flashing. “What do you mean, again?”

  Riley took a few cautionary steps forward. “We all need to calm down.”

  “Of course you’d say that,” I spat, the memory of my abduction rushing back. “You were part of it.”

  “This wolf had you kidnapped?” Mom said, her voice rising. She gave Riley a look that was filled with hate. “I knew there was something I didn’t trust about-”

  “Silence,” Ana thundered, her voice rattling the windows. She took us all in her crosshairs then continued. “I am the Watcher’s counsel. I will be addressed with respect.”

  My mouth fell open. My boyfriend’s maker, who clearly was no fan of mine, would be prosecuting my case. I might as well just surrender to the Executioner now.

  Words failed even Mom, who balled her fists into tiny stones of anger.

  Riley wheeled me around to face him. “Jay, I swear I didn’t know-”

  The crack of my hand making contact with his cheek cut through his belated explanation. He reared back and when he snapped his head forward, his eyes were slits of anger, his whole body shaking.

  Hitting a werewolf definitely wasn’t the smartest thing I’d done all day.

  “Control your dog,” our vampire host said with a snarl of disgust. After a moment, Riley’s face returned to normal.

  I turned away from all of them. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that this could very likely be my last day on earth and I was with a guy who’d been in cahoots with someone like Ana. I couldn’t believe I could die – and other than Mom, I was all alone.

  “Humans are such curious creatures,” Ana said, beckoning a human servant to her. The woman was plump, wearing only a modest shift. Her one distinguishing trait was her long, chocolate hair that Ana swept to the side, revealing a neck riddled with puncture wounds.

  Ana stroked the woman’s hair. “I mean, the dog came to your aid, clearly showing he has affection for you.” She leaned in, her mouth tracing the woman’s neck. “Yet you take your anger out on him…while my child Jacques, the one you’re really angry at, is nowhere to be found.”

  The woman let out a strangled gasp as Ana’s razor sharp fangs sank into her neck.

  I turned away, not wanting to look at the white-hot pain in her muddy eyes. Most of the humans in the Great House were runaways and homeless…people who wouldn’t be missed. They were slaves, treated like little more than cattle and walking blood banks and meat for the supernatural that resided within the walls.

  When Ana finally pulled away, the woman staggered then scrambled back to the corner, holding a hand over the gaping hole in her neck. It was a futile gesture because blood just oozed through her fingers, creating a dark river on her pallid skin.

  Our vampire host bared her fangs, extending a hand to the woman. “Come with me, child. I’ll make it all better.”

  Ana pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped her blood-soaked mouth.

  We all just stood in front of the table, trying to ignore the woman’s screams as she pleaded for her life. I closed my eyes and attempted to steel myself, reminding myself that they were doing her a favor. No slave brought to the Great House was granted freedom. Their only escape was death.

  “Eat, Accused,” Ana said icily, presenting the table.

  I jutted out my lip. “I don’t have much of an appetite.”

  Ana stroked her chin. “Are you afraid, Accused? Terrified that your actions will cost your life?”

  “No,” I shot angrily. “I just have a problem with a monster judging me.”

  In a blur of movement, everything in the room changed. Her companion held Riley in one corner and a cyclops held my mother. Ana had wrapped her claws around my neck, lifting me from the ground. I saw nothing but stars – I felt nothing but pain reverberating from the core of me.

  “I could just end you now,” Ana snarled. “You’d die with more dignity instead of in the Great Hall with my brothers and sisters waiting with bated breath for your demise.”

  I grimaced, scrambling for oxygen as she tightened her grip. “What on earth does my Jacques see in you, necro?” Her eyes glittered with hunger. “Maybe I should taste you and find out.”

  “I wonder what The Watchers would think if they knew their Prosecutor was harassing the Accused.”

  The lack of oxygen to my brain must have made me hallucinate…the voice was so warily familiar. It was a voice I knew well. But he hated me. He wouldn’t come. Not for me.

  Ana released her hold on my neck and I fell to the floor, coughing and wheezing. When I looked up, I saw him. It was Jack.

  He stepped into the light, his fangs bared as he gave Ana a look of sheer contempt. “Athanasia.”

  “Jacques,” she said brightly. “How nice of you to-”

  “Save it,” he growled, his muscular body rippling beneath his dark suit. “If you ever lay a finger on my girlfriend again, I’ll stake you myself.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  He Loves Me

  I followed Jack back into the hallway, still touching my neck gingerly and reeling from the surprise of his arrival. “What are you doing here?”

  “I-” He tucked a midnight strand behind my ear as he shook his head. “I love you, Jade. You drive me insane and you can be quite insufferable. And we won’t even talk about how you still reek of that damn were.” His lips curled into a reluctant smile. “But not even the sun could keep me from your side tonight.”

  I felt my heart flutter in my chest as he brought his lips to mine, melting into me. For a moment, I wasn’t in a tower in the Great House. There was nothing but that kiss and our love.

  “Ahem,” Riley cleared his throat.

  Jack whirled around, his shaggy golden hair framing a really pissed off expression. “Can I help you, werewolf?”

  “This is all sweet and what not, but we have to go down to the Hall.” He flashed me an apologetic shrug. “Sorry.”

  “No, you’re not,” I said with an eye roll.

  Mom breezed from the dining room, her face brightening when she saw Jack. “Lovely to see you, honey!”

  He inclined his head then turned to me, extending his hand. “I’ll be right beside you. Every step of the way.”

  I took his hand and followed him down the winding stairs. I tried to ignore the dread that built in my stomach, like some wild animal scratching for freedom.

  I didn’t think Jack could look past the Riley mistake to stand by me, but he’d proven me wrong. Now that he was here, I realized that there’d been a spark of hope that he’d show up. In spite of myself, I found that seed of hope blooming into optimism for the Trial as well. Maybe everything would turn out alright after all.

  We got out of the stone tower, weaving through the crowd of spectators all gathering around the entrance of the Great Hall where the trial would take place. I scanned the multitude in awe. “There are hundreds of people. I’ve only seen the Great Hall once before, but there’s no way all these people are going to fit in the audience, right?”

  Mom gestured at the fountains scattered around the courtyard. “The water is enchanted,” she explained. “Those who can’t afford the hefty price of an audience ticket can watch the proceedings out here. For a modest fee, of course.”

  “They sold tickets for my trial?” I asked incredulously, weaving around two young fairies licking ice cream cones.

  “300 a seat,” Jack answered glumly.

  “Kids get a discount,” Riley offered.


  I shook my head with disgust. “And to watch in the fountain?”

  “Twenty bucks!” A chunky creature with razor sharp teeth answered, all smiles. His skin was a purplish gray with three sets of eyes regarding our party with interest. “You lovely folks looking for a ticket?”

  “No, we are not, troll,” Mom snapped, ushering us away.

  The troll said something in a foreign tongue then hobbled off to sell more tickets.

  We stopped at the entrance to the Great Hall where a vampire was standing guard. “Tickets, please.”

  “I’m the Accused,” I said quietly. “And these three are my support.”

  His violet eyes sparkled. “May the gods be with you, love.”

  There was something in his voice that told me he was hoping for anything but.

  Jack squeezed my hand as we pushed our way inside. The first thing that popped into my mind was a cathedral I’d gone to as a child. Stained glass windows covered the ceiling to the floor. But instead of etchings of biblical figures, it told the story of The Watchers. Each of the master races had a representative – a vampire, a werewolf, a fairy, a troll, a demon, an angel, and a witch. Each race had a stained glass window that represented their story.

  The vampires’ window was stained with blood and corpses. The werewolves’ window was defined by the luminescent moon. The fairies’ was dominated by nature, and so on and so forth.

  Human slaves stood at each pew, ushering audience members to their seats. Our vampire host from earlier breezed down the aisle, her face flushed, probably full of that poor woman’s blood. “Follow me.”

  As we walked down the aisle, all eyes turned to face us.

  “Just ignore them,” Jack said firmly. “They don’t matter.”

  “Right,” I said unconvincingly. The pews were lined with row after row of creatures that were hoping for a guilty verdict. The closer I got to the bench before the Great Table, I found myself wondering, wasn’t I guilty? The lawyer met his end because I came to see him to warn him about the ghost. The woman was found after I did a summoning for her. Wouldn’t they both be alive if we’d never crossed paths? Would I even be here if I minded my own business?