A Witch to Live

by Glenn Bullion

  She smiled and nodded, awkwardly touching his elbow in return.

  He bent down and grabbed a few stacks of paper, all organized neatly.

  “I've got three different papers here,” he said, then handed her a few pages stapled together. “And for our presentation, we're gonna do the big love scene from Romeo and Juliet. All you have to do is read the lines.”

  She looked at the hours of work he held in his hands.

  “When did you do all of this?”

  He flashed an irritated look, but not at her. He wrote extra papers to make some easy money next semester. Instead, he had to use them to basically save their grades.

  “Don't worry about it. Are you ready?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, let's go.”

  They went back in the classroom. Everyone talked quietly amongst themselves. All eyes slowly went to them as Kevin dropped his books off at his desk. Rachel stood by, afraid to leave his side. Public speaking simply wasn't her thing.

  “Let's have some fun,” Kevin said.

  He took off his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair.

  Rachel took notice, and everyone else in class had a similar reaction, only some more audible than others. There were quiet whispers as they made their way to the front of class.

  He wore a blue tank top. As always, nothing fancy, nothing Rachel hadn't seen before. But he had such a nice body, and never showed it. She had to look.

  She wasn't the only one.

  Kevin noticed the whispers and stares.

  “What?” he asked sharply.

  “Damn, Kevin,” someone in the back asked. “What steroid are you using, and can I have some?”

  His eyes searched across the room, confusion written on his face. The girls were giving him strange looks and smiles.

  “I've worked out every day for the past four years. No roids here.”

  The girls who weren't paying attention before certainly were now.

  “Okay, guys, let's get a move on,” Hawkins said. “Kevin, your presentation?”

  “Right. Our partners couldn't join us today, so it's just us. Everyone knows the best damn love story ever told, Romeo and Juliet.”

  “Language, Kevin.”

  “Sorry. Rachel and I are gonna do the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet.”

  “Can I be Juliet?” a girl asked.

  The class laughed.

  Kevin dropped to his knees, to pretend Rachel was up in the balcony. She tried not to laugh.

  All eyes were on him. He had the class in the palm of his hand. Even Mister Hawkins smiled at the way he delivered his lines.

  Rachel loosened up. Kevin had the knack to easily relax her, even in front of a class she knew didn't like her. She met his delivery with her own, looking deep into his eyes and batting her lashes.

  She noticed that even though he held the lines in his hand, he didn't look at them.

  He slowly stood up as they played the scene, to act as if he was climbing the balcony.

  After Rachel delivered her last line, Kevin stood up fully. He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her.

  She didn't see it coming. The balcony scene wasn't new to her, but she never dreamed Kevin would go through with a kiss. She squealed at first, and put her hands on him to push him away. Instead of pushing, she gripped his shoulders and closed her eyes.

  Then it was over.

  She was barely aware of the class whistling and hollering. Kevin grabbed her hand and bowed. Rachel did the same. Her face turned red, but she couldn't get the smile off her face. Her lips still tingled.

  She saw the jealous eyes of the other girls, and knew Kevin's life was about to change.

  Mister Hawkins was clapping and laughing. “That was very entertaining, guys. Great job. You know, it's always up for debate if they actually kiss at the end of the balcony scene.”

  “Hey, in my version, they kiss,” Kevin said.

  “I like your version,” Tessa Hayes said.

  The bell rang. Kevin and Rachel tried to leave, but Hawkins motioned for them to stay. She watched the girls stare at Kevin as they filed out of class.

  She didn't blame them.

  “That was a hell of a change of plans,” Hawkins said. “But your group as a whole is missing two papers. So I have to bump a few points.”

  Kevin produced the two extra papers he wrote. It felt like he was giving Hawkins one hundred twenty dollars.

  “Rachel and I put these together ourselves late last night,” he lied. “So, you got four papers, and me and Rachel kissing in front of class. What more could you ask for?”

  Hawkins looked at the papers and smiled. “Assignment accepted.”

  Kevin and Rachel left the classroom. As soon as they hit the hall Kevin leaned back against a locker. He didn't bother wearing his jacket. Everyone that walked by, even teachers, stared at the new Kevin Mishnar.

  “Holy crap, that was intense,” he said. He looked at Rachel and squeezed her arm. “Are you okay?”

  She smiled brightly. “That was...fun,” she said. “Do you always write extra papers just for the hell of it?”

  “Doesn't everyone?”

  She laughed. She almost touched her tingling lips, but managed to stop herself.

  “So, what was that at the end there?”

  “The kiss? Sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel weird.”

  “Oh, no. It's okay.” She felt her heart beating faster just thinking about it.

  “Too bad I'm out of practice. I suck at kissing.”

  She shook her head with enthusiasm. “I wouldn't say that.”

  He turned red. She didn't believe it was possible.

  “Uh, thank you.”

  He leaned in close to her ear. The chills started again. She wished he would stop doing that, and wished he wouldn't pull his head away all at the same time.

  “You kiss awesome yourself,” he said, then leaned back. “I have to get to class.”

  She nodded, her head swimming. “I'll give you a ride after school,” she said. The words took on new meaning with how she was feeling.

  He gave her a bright smile. “I'll meet you at your car.”

  She smiled in return, feeling a touch of sadness as he rounded the corner.

  She would enjoy their friendship as long as she could, until one of the gorgeous girls who kept staring at him stole him away.

  *****

  Kevin had the apartment all to himself on Saturday afternoon. He was stranded, as Kristin was out at the car wash, but he didn't mind. Music was playing, a glass of soda on the table, the sliding glass door open to let in some air.

  He had a wet Oscar trying to fight his way out of the tub.

  “You need a bath,” Kevin told him. “You stink.”

  Oscar meowed in protest. Kevin laughed. There was nothing funnier than a wet kitten.

  A knock came at the door.

  Wrapping Oscar in a towel, he crossed the hall to the living room and opened the door to see Rachel. He smiled at first, but noticed her expression. She looked miserable.

  “Rachel? Are you okay?”

  “Can I come in?”

  He stepped aside, and let Oscar loose on the floor. The kitten took off running to the bedroom.

  Rachel turned around and looked at him. She tried to smile, but could only manage to lift one corner of her mouth. “No jacket?”

  He shook his head. “I've gotta grow up sometime. I can't wear it forever. What's wrong?”

  Her lip twitched. “Paul and Donna. They're dead.”

  “What?”

  She started shaking. “Police found them not too far from Make Out Point. They were...torn up, like a wild animal got to them.”

  He grabbed her shoulders and led her to the couch. She sniffled for a moment, trying to fight the tears that were coming on. He went to the kitchen to get her something to drink.

  “I'm sorry,” she said, already standing back up. “I just wanted to talk to someone.”

 
“It's okay,” he said, and gently set her back down. He handed her a soda, of which she took a long drink.

  “They probably went up there to have sex,” she said. “I was so mad at them. At the library, I thought they were going to ruin our project. They were getting hurt, and I was worried about class.”

  Kevin wrapped an arm around her. She leaned her head into his chest as she cried.

  “You didn't know,” he said. “Don't beat yourself up.”

  Oscar jumped in her lap. He circled a few times before curling into a ball. Rachel smiled. They both reached out to pet him, and their hands touched for a moment. Kevin pulled his hand back and awkwardly set it on his lap.

  “See? Oscar still loves you. He says to not be hard on yourself.”

  She laughed. “Is that what he said?”

  “Yeah. We talk to each other.”

  They relaxed on the couch with the music playing for a half hour. Rachel seemed to relax, but acted a bit self-conscious, constantly pulling at her shirt and brushing hair out of her face. She kept a good distance between them, nearly on the other end of the couch.

  “What are you doing tonight?” he asked. “Any plans?”

  “Yeah. My dad is back in town. I think he's finally taking a break from traveling. We're celebrating and going out to dinner.”

  “Ah, that's cool.”

  “But I got some time before I have to go. Want to watch a movie?”

  He smiled. Any excuse to spend more time with her was fine by him.

  “That's a good idea.”

  After putting a DVD on, Kevin took the chance to sit just a little closer. Rachel didn't seem to mind.

  Chapter 9

  Victoria hated nightclubs. The music was too loud for her sensitive ears. The scent of blood was beautiful, and nearly made her mouth water. But the scent of alcohol was just as strong, and burned her nose.

  Nightclubs also gave mortals the excuse to basically act like idiots.

  She did like to dance. Being drunk was a state of mind she wasn't able to achieve. But if she tuned out some of the music, focused on the blood, and moved her body in rhythm, she could have a good time.

  She could feel eyes on her, male as well as female. Feeding would be an easy task tonight.

  She hadn't tasted warm blood in months. The cold stuff was starting to get to her. Mortals would compare it to eating one cold pizza after another, when there was a microwave five feet away.

  A hand fell on her shoulder, and she turned to see Alicia.

  “I'm gonna go get a soda,” Alicia said. At nineteen, she wasn't yet old enough to drink. “Keep me company?”

  “Sure. Let's go.”

  Victoria wasn't lost on the irony of the friends she recently made. A four-hundred-year-old vampire, spending time with a bunch of twenty-somethings.

  It all started with Alex. Fate saw fit to drop him in her lap. Alex was the most unique supernatural being in the world. He and Victoria, along with former vampire hunter Jake Bachner, and the ghost of her cop friend William Slone, saved the world when a vampire outbreak struck Camden Yards a year ago. The general public thought it was a domestic terror attack. Only a handful of people knew the truth behind the outbreak and the government cover-up that followed.

  Alicia was one of them, being Alex's sister. She was nearly caught in the crossfire, having to fight for her life in the middle of Baltimore's Camden Yards with hundreds of vampires around her.

  Alex and his fiancée Cindy were on a romantic cruise in the Caribbean for the past week. Victoria laughed at the thought. The last time she saw the sun with her own eyes was the day before she woke up next to her dead family.

  She hoped they were both having a good time.

  Alicia was very close with Alex and Cindy. The three of them grew up together. In their absence, Victoria spent as much time with Alicia as she could. She liked the young one very much.

  “God, I can't wait till I'm old enough to get a drink,” Alicia complained as they pushed their way to the bar. She looked at the woman serving drinks with her breasts nearly hanging out of her shirt. “Just a soda, please.”

  “When you turn twenty-one, we'll close down every bar in Baltimore,” Victoria promised. “At least until about two hours before the sun comes up.”

  Alicia laughed. “Alex and Cindy will love that.”

  Victoria put a hand on her shoulder. “I miss them, too.”

  “Thanks for hanging out with me.”

  “Anytime, Leese.”

  Victoria's gaze fell on an attractive bartender as he crossed in front of them, handing out drinks. She sniffed the air, trying to cut through all the other scents, and tune into his.

  Very strong young man. No alcohol in his blood. He wore perhaps a touch too much aftershave. But he would suit her needs very well.

  She went from an elder vampire spending time with her young friend to a seductive predator. She used to enjoy the seduction part, but now it was just a means to an end.

  “Excuse me?” she said, flashing her brightest smile.

  The man turned toward her and stared into her bright green eyes. She tossed her red hair over her shoulder. The bartender was already smitten. Victoria may have been centuries old, but she had the figure of a thirty-year-old woman who was permanently in shape. Perky breasts, beautiful pale skin, tight body.

  She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, drawing attention to her hips, and motioned for him with her index finger.

  “Could I have a moment of your time?”

  The man smiled and leaned across the bar. Alicia watched with fascination.

  Victoria gently put a hand on the back of his neck and leaned close to his ear, like she intended to whisper.

  She sank her fangs into his neck.

  He tried to pull away at first. Then he went into the trance mortals experienced when a vampire fed from them. He put his hands on the bar to hold himself up and tried to lean into her.

  Victoria didn't concern herself with the witnesses around them. It looked like another make out session, one of many happening all over the club.

  It was difficult to stop. The blood was liquid heaven pouring down her throat. Her senses felt sharper, her muscles stronger.

  But one thing she had learned over the centuries was control.

  The bartender's pulse started to race. She could sense the erection in his jeans. The only thing more sexually satisfying to a mortal than sex itself was feeding a vampire.

  Withdrawing her fangs, she ran her tongue along his neck, over the wounds, and felt them heal. He leaned on the bar to catch his breath.

  Victoria licked her lips and leaned back. The bartender didn't move until his female partner came up to him.

  “Dan? Are you alright?”

  His eyes were glassy, but he managed to nod. “Yeah, just a little dizzy.”

  “Go sit down, take a break.”

  Alicia kept her eyes on Victoria as Dan sat and nursed a glass of water.

  “Did you just-”

  “Do I have anything on my lips?”

  Alicia shook her head.

  Victoria closed her eyes and enjoyed the copper taste of Dan's blood still in her mouth.

  “I needed that.”

  “I thought he was gonna shoot a load right at the bar.”

  “Another second or two, and he would have.” She searched the nearby area, a smirk on her face. Everyone was too focused on their own drinks and conquests to even notice the feeding before their eyes. “Nightclubs do have their advantages.”

  Alicia laughed. “You are a crazy woman.”

  Victoria nodded, and flashed a regular smile, without the fangs. “Why, thank you.”

  *****

  Victoria dropped Alicia off at her house at two in the morning. It was fun driving through the city streets with the top of her Porsche down. Alicia smiled and waved at guys in their cars and walking the streets. Victoria pretended she was a thirty-year-old mortal and did the same.

  She arrived a
t her mansion at three, plenty of time before the sun came up. She walked through the deserted first floor and entered the code at the door to the basement.

  Her basement was one large finished room. The only room that had walls was the bathroom in the far corner. Her living and entertainment area was in one corner, the computer in another. Her bed was in the center of the basement. She liked to sleep in the middle of everything.

  There were no windows, of course.

  She watched television for a while before taking a hot shower. After shedding her clothes she crawled into her big, beautiful bed for a good day's sleep.

  Right before she fell asleep, there was a ringing.

  It wasn't her cell phone. Her eyes fell on her computer, and she realized it was a Skype call. She received so few calls over the Internet, she forgot what the ring sounded like.

  Only a very small select group of people had her Skype address.

  She slipped on a robe and crossed the basement. There were times she hated the twenty-first century. Science was making everything crazy, much more complicated than it needed to be. Centuries ago, her biggest fear was a mob with weapons and fire. Now she had to worry about ultraviolet light and powerful weapons that didn't strain in piercing the heart.

  The vampire outbreak she handled in Camden Yards was a case of science-gone-wrong. But there were advantages, and keeping in touch with friends from across the globe was one of them.

  Sitting at her desk, she adjusted the camera on the monitor, and clicked the green answer button.

  She smiled at the man looking at her. It had been over thirty years since she'd seen him last.

  “Jonathon? Wow, is that you?”

  He flashed a toothy smile and bowed his head. “Hi, Victoria. Actually, I go by Bradley now. Are you still Victoria?”

  “For the moment.”

  He laughed. “You've always been partial to that name.”

  Very few people knew that was her mother's name.

  “Where are you?” she asked, trying to get a better look at what appeared to be a library in the background. “Are you still in London?”

  “Of course.” He looked her up and down. “Looks like you're settling in for the day.”

  “Yes. It's a shame you're not in the states. We could go out for a drink sometime.”