Submerging Inferno

by Brandon Witt

  “Did you really think I’d need a spell to find you? I knew where you’d be. However, you kinda took my ride. I had to borrow one from Caitlin.”

  In a rather awkward fling of my body, I shot up into a sitting position on the bed. “Caitlin’s here?”

  Finn let out a genuine laugh. “Lord, boy, you should see your face! Priceless. Wish I could have taken a picture to send to Cate to show her what effect she has on men! Not that she’d care, I guess….” He continued to chuckle until he realized he hadn’t answered my question. “Oh no. She’s not here. She just let me borrow her car.”

  “Really? That’s pretty nice of her.” I couldn’t picture Caitlin slowing down if she saw me dying by the side of the road, let alone agreeing to allow me in her car.

  “Well, don’t tell her this, but she’s not really all that horrible. I don’t think it hurts that she isn’t quite as convinced that the Royals are after you anymore.”

  “She isn’t? Why?”

  He gave a pained expression. “They don’t leave messes. They are very careful to go unnoticed by humans.” He motioned to the room. “They never would have left the house like he did.”

  I followed his hand’s arch around the room. “But, Finn, they didn’t. Look at it. Everything’s gone. It’s like she was never here.”

  He let out a sigh. “That was me. I asked my family to come by here.”

  “But everything is fixed. The table is back to normal. The hole in the wall, the sliding glass doors, everything.”

  “We are witches, remember?” He gave me an apologetic grimace. “My folks came down here with Cate and Cynthia and took care of everything. I hated to have to take care of business when you were going through so much, but it wouldn’t serve us very well for vampires to be discovered either. Plus, I’m not sure what trouble you could have gotten in if the police had found your place torn up and you gone.”

  I stared at the floor numbly. It was too much to take in. “So, all her stuff….”

  “It’s all in my garage, at least the things that could be salvaged. You can go through it when you’re ready.”

  I shook my head, the hole in my chest ripping a bit further. “I don’t think I can do it. I can’t just go through her stuff and decide what to keep, what to give to her family.” I let out a groan. I hadn’t even thought of her family.

  Finn turned my face to his with a gentle pull. “Hey, you don’t have to worry about any of that right now. It’s all safe and packed away. It can stay there until the time is right. Your stuff is there too.”

  “My stuff? What about my room?”

  “All at my place.”

  “But, I live here. I have to—”

  Finn interrupted. “Brett. You’re not staying here. You can’t. For one, you’d drive yourself insane being here where all this misery happened. Plus, the vampire knows where you live, somehow. If you stay here, he’ll be back.”

  Part of me wanted to say Good, let him come! But I didn’t feel it. I was too tired, too spent. “Fine. Then I’ll need to just get a hotel for a bit, until I can find a place.”

  “You’re staying with me, Brett.”

  I shook my head. “No. Absolutely not. Sonia died because she lived with me. I don’t need to add more people to that list.”

  “Sonia didn’t know what was coming, and she didn’t have anything to defend herself with.” He reached out and took my hand. “I have my powers, not to mention my family. Plus, I’ll feel a whole lot safer with a fire demon under my roof who has already burned the vamp halfway to a crisp once.”

  “Finn, I couldn’t even protect Sonia. We both know that I won’t be able to protect you either, if the vampire comes around again. Besides, you don’t need me. You’re just trying to be nice.”

  He took my hand and held it tightly. “I don’t know that, actually. I don’t think you’ve even begun to realize your power. And I’m not trying to be nice.” He glanced down at our hands. “I want you to stay with me. No expectations or anything. Just stay until this gets figured out. We are in this together now, and I’m sure there are going to be a lot more questions you’ll have about everything.”

  I watched his thumb slowly caressing the back of my hand and felt his other hand still making Sonia-like circles on my back. “Okay.”

  Chapter 20

  THE absence of hate in her eyes didn’t detract from her distrust and accusation. It was clear that, even though Caitlin no longer thought I was going to bring the entire Vampire Cathedral down on top of her family, she wasn’t ready to forgive me for getting her brother involved in this mess. Nor did I figure she’d decided to trust that a fire demon wouldn’t turn wild and slaughter everyone around.

  We were in the driveway of her house. I had followed in Finn’s truck as he drove Caitlin’s car. A few minutes after Finn had run into her house to use the restroom, Caitlin had walked purposefully out her front door. Coming to a stop beside the driver’s side of Finn’s truck, she stared at me.

  I debated whether I should get out of the truck. If she wanted to hurt me or put some kind of spell on me, I doubted being inside would offer much protection, but better safe than sorry.

  Cautiously, I rolled down the window.

  I could see her battling with the words she wanted to say, probably trying to decide whether she wanted to curse me out or spit in my face. Her voice was barely audible. “I’m sorry to hear about Sonia. Finn says you were really close to her.”

  Due to the surprise of her cordial words and my throat closing up at the mention of Sonia’s name, I simply gave a weak nod.

  She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, like a bloodhound trying to sniff out clues. “Did you really not know you were part demon?”

  Apparently sympathy time was over. “I….” My voice cracked and stopped my words. I cleared my constricted throat, trying to push away the thoughts of Sonia. “No,” I managed to squeak out.

  She cocked her head to the opposite side. “You didn’t know about witches and vampires?”

  “No.”

  She leaned in closer. “What do you want with my brother?”

  I suppose I should have seen that question coming, but I didn’t have an answer. I opened my mouth but closed it again. What could I say?

  “Finn thinks you’re all innocence and helplessness. You’re his new lost little puppy. And maybe you really are as naïve and dull-witted as you would have to be to not realize you’re a demon, but that doesn’t change a thing.” Her words came out in a snarl. “If he so much as gets a scratch because of you, I swear, fire demon or not, I will destroy you.”

  Her piercing eyes bored into mine. I couldn’t think of anything to say, not that I could have spoken if I had.

  After a few more intense seconds, her eyes shifted once again, the anger receding. “I am sorry about Sonia.”

  I tried to nod, but the chasm in my chest made me immobile. Visions of the house torn up and all the blood in the bedroom flashed behind my eyes. In my head, I could hear her screaming as she ran through the house, trying to get away from him.

  “Everything okay, Cate?” Finn’s voice caused me to jump, bringing me back to the moment.

  Caitlin turned casually to look at her brother. “Of course.” She took a few steps toward the house, passed Finn, and then turned back around. “Where is he staying tonight?”

  I saw a flash of irritation cross Finn’s face. “Caitlin, you know very well that he’s staying with me.” She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. “And he will be for the foreseeable future.”

  Her gaze left Finn and found me as I watched them from the truck. “It might be safer for him if he stayed here with me. I’m sure the vampire has your scent too, Finn. He doesn’t have mine. If he comes looking, this would be the safest place. No sense for Brett to lead him right to you. I’m sure Brett agrees with me.” Her eyes drilled into me. Her pretense of caring about my safety probably even sounded false to her ears. “Don’t you, Brett?”

  Before I cou
ld open my mouth to respond, Finn’s hard voice broke in. “Cate, you can be such a bitch. I’m not sure what you’re trying to prove, but back off. Brett and I will be fine. Plus, what would all your little girlfriends think if they saw a big, handsome man coming and going from your place? You’ve got a rep to keep up, you know.”

  Finn took two steps and pulled open the door. “Scoot over. I’ll drive, okay?” As I slid across the seat, he began to step up into the cab, without looking back. “And whatever spell you’re getting ready to cast, big sister, I’d think twice.”

  “Fag,” I heard Caitlin mutter as the engine turned over.

  Finn began to reverse out of the driveway as he stuck his head out the window and gave her a big wave. “Thanks again for the car, sis!”

  Caitlin flipped him off before turning around and storming inside.

  WE WERE several blocks away before Finn said anything. I had already zoned out, staring through the window into the night, doing my best to not think about Sonia, to not think about anything.

  “So, wanna tell me what happened to my steering wheel?”

  I glanced over at him. His hands were smaller than mine, and they were encased by the deep impressions my hands had made. I’d forgotten. “Sorry. Again.”

  “A little mad while driving I see. I’ll have to invest in a fire resistant suit, just in case you get upset with me when I’m sitting too close to you or something.” His gaze darted over to my face before returning to the street. “Sorry. I was kidding. It’s not a big deal, really.”

  “Maybe Caitlin’s right.”

  He let out an exaggerated guffaw. “What? Did you hit your head in the middle of all this mess and I didn’t know it?”

  “Finn, I’m serious! It’s not safe to be with me. Obviously, the vampire is after me. He’s already killed Sonia.” My voice broke again at her name. I held up my hand when Finn started to speak. “There’s no reason for him to have to kill you and your family too.”

  Finn let out a deep breath and set his jaw. “Listen, if you don’t want to stay with me, if you would rather be somewhere else, then just say so. However, if you’re just worried about the vamp or letting Caitlin get to you, then don’t. Just don’t. We could argue and go back and forth forever and not get anywhere. Whether you stay with me or not, my family is involved. I’m involved. Too late to change that. There’s nothing you can do to make it any different.”

  The uncharacteristic anger in his voice caused me to stay silent. He probably was right. If the vampire was coming, he wasn’t going to stop just because I wasn’t at Finn’s house. Me not being home hadn’t saved Sonia.

  The anger left his voice. “Do you have a problem staying with me? If you do, it’s okay. Just tell me now.”

  I shook my head.

  “Good. It’s settled, then. No more discussion.”

  We drove in silence for the final few miles before he pulled into his driveway. He turned the key, and the engine shut off.

  I shifted to look at him when I heard him start muttering. Both his hands were suspended a few centimeters over my hand indentions in his steering wheel. As I watched, the edges of the black vinyl slowly began to creep together, filling in the crevasses, like skin growing over a wound at an extremely accelerated pace.

  When the steering wheel looked as good as new, he peered over at me and grinned coyly at the astonishment on my face. “See, no harm done.”

  DESPITE apparently sleeping for nearly two days at Finn’s and again at my house, I was struggling to stay awake as I sipped the coffee, sinking deeper into the sofa in Finn’s living room. I looked around, taking in the room for the first time as Finn got something to snack on from the kitchen.

  It was a tiny house, nothing overly special or unusual about it. However, it was clean and simply decorated in a way that gave the impression that he’d spent a lot of time carefully choosing the few items that had been incorporated into this home. The ceiling was high and vaulted, and the room was painted in a palate of browns, tans, and a dusty blue. I was starting to drift away in the corduroy cushions as Finn returned from the kitchen.

  “You are the sleepiest man I have ever met. You’ve slept more than half the time I’ve known you.” He grinned at me as he set a platter of pastries on the sleek coffee table in front of me. I assumed they were from his bakery. “Try this one.” He pointed to one that had rosemary sprinkled over the golden crust. “It’s blue cheese, shredded chicken, and cashews. I made it up. Mom thought I was crazy, but now it’s her favorite.”

  With a groan I leaned forward and reached for the pastry. Considering that I hadn’t eaten since Sonia died, I should have been ravenous, but the last thing I wanted was to eat. I didn’t think I’d ever be hungry again, something Sonia surely would have said was impossible.

  I watched as Finn grabbed a pastry and plopped into the armchair next to the sofa. He took a huge bite, noticed me watching him, and flushed. “Well, how do you like it?”

  “It’s good. Thanks.”

  He glanced down at my plate. “You haven’t even tried it! Come on, you need to eat.”

  I eyed the pastry, then returned my gaze to Finn’s face, my thoughts chaotic. “How bad is your room burned?”

  He chuckled. “It hadn’t spread too far, just the mattress and up the wall behind the bed.”

  I gaped at him. “It spread to the wall?”

  He shrugged, unconcerned. “Nothing big. I got the fire out before I left to find you, obviously. I’ll fix the rest before we go to bed.”

  “Sorry.” I really did feel badly for setting his bedroom on fire, but my voice sounded flat and detached.

  We sat there in an awkward silence. After a few more bites, Finn reached over and snagged a sugarcoated empanada. I noticed him glance again at my untouched plate, and with an effort, I picked up the pastry and took a small bite from the corner. As I chewed, not tasting, I began to think about what Finn had done in the truck.

  He had repaired the steering wheel as easily as if he had been simply breathing. I imagined it would be the same when he fixed the burn marks in the bedroom, just like his family had obviously used magic to fix the house. I vaguely remembered Paulette saying something about using the elements to do spells. If everything in the world was part of the elements, then there shouldn’t be much they couldn’t affect in some form or another. Everything alive is part of the elements. Everything that used to be alive….

  I glanced up at Finn so suddenly he flinched in surprise. I was finally awake. “Finn, magic!” As if he could read my mind.

  He looked at me questioningly. “Yes?”

  “You can do magic!”

  His eyes continued to narrow as he tried to understand. “Well, Mom hates it being called magic, which is making something from nothing. She prefers—”

  I broke in. “Whatever she wants to call it, you can do magic. You can fix things, like you did with the steering wheel”—my voice rose to a nearly manic level with every word—“like you’ll do with the bedroom, like your family did with my house!”

  “Okay, sure, Brett. Yes, I can do magic.”

  “You use the elements of whatever you are working on, right?”

  He nodded hesitantly.

  “Can witches affect anything on the elemental level?”

  “It depends on how much power a particular witch or warlock has, but in theory, yes.”

  My mind started making connections. This could work. This would work. “Do you have more power if more than one of you is trying a spell?”

  “Yeah, generally.” His voice took on a wary tone. “Brett, I think I know where you’re going with this—”

  I cut him off. “All we have to do then is find her. Whatever the vampire did with her body, we can find her. Just do a little locator spell for the vampire.”

  He shook his head. “Locator spells aren’t completely reliable in the best of times. They for sure aren’t going to work on a vampire, who’s technically dead. Besides, Brett, there is no way to�
�”

  “I’m sure if several of you tried to use it, or maybe even focus on Sonia, maybe since she was alive more recently—”

  “Brett, it won’t—”

  “You could bring her back! Just affect whatever elements have to be tweaked to heal her. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before!”

  Finn gave me a slow, sympathetic smile. “Oh, Brett, I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “That’s not how it works. No witch can bring back the dead. Even if we had arrived seconds after, we just don’t have that kind of power.”

  I looked frantically around the room, trying to find something that would help. Then a thought hit me. “Then what does?”

  “What?”

  “What can heal her? What does have that kind of power? You said there are other magical creatures. Werewolves, vampires. Are their only evil sorts of supernaturals? What about unicorns or phoenixes or… or… or whatever has a good sort of power?”

  He put his hand on my knee. Unintentionally, I jerked away.

  “Brett, nothing has been given that kind of power. Nothing that I know of can raise the dead.” His eyebrow twitched as another thought hit him. “Well, except for angels. They have that kind of power. However, by definition, they are bound to only do what God instructs.”

  “Then let’s find an angel!” Unbidden, I stood up.

  A sad laugh escaped him. “Brett, it’s not that simple. You can’t just go hunt down an angel. It’s not like they hang around on street corners. Have you ever seen an angel?”

  “Well, how would I know?” I tried to stop the anger in my voice, but I couldn’t seem to soothe it. “I didn’t know Ricky and Christina were witches, and they’ve been in front of my face for ages! I didn’t know there were vampires, but that didn’t stop one from taking me and killing Sonia, did it? I didn’t know there were demons and come to find out there’s one in the fucking mirror! There might be an angel living right next door. Maybe we should go ask!”