Kristin was right behind him, trying to move around to step through the portal.
“No, Kris,” he said, grabbing her by the good shoulder to stop her.
“Well then what did you put the hole in the wall for?”
He searched through his backpack and found his invisibility potion.
“Drink some of this. Just a swallow.”
Kristin nearly gagged as she tasted the disgusting mixture. Kevin took a quick swallow and covered her mouth, leading her away from the portal. Their pursuers stepped into the supply room from the outside, using the portal Kevin created.
Kevin felt his sister's breathing hitch as she vanished a few seconds before he did.
He could finally study them as Kristin and he hid in the far corner of the supply room. Nothing stood out about them as they glanced around. They were dressed in jeans, tee shirts, sneakers. They looked like ordinary people, except they carried guns and were trying to kill Kevin.
A man with red hair and freckles held out a hand as he peered through the second portal.
“They're in the store. The kid's got enough crap in there to make anything magical he wants. Remember, he's the target, not his sister. Spare her if you can.”
“Should we call Santos?”
“Not yet. Let's deal with this first.”
They filed through the portal, one by one. Kevin held onto Kristin's hand, not letting go long after the wall reclaimed the portal or their invisibility wore off.
Several minutes passed before he stepped away from the wall and paced.
“I'm the target, huh? When I get done with them they'll wish they never even heard the word magic. That guy wasn't lying, I can make so many potions here. I could kill them all with a bag of flour-”
“Kevin!”
He turned to face his sister.
“I've been shot, you ass! I'm bleeding.”
His senses came back to him and the anger faded as he watched his sister slide down to the floor. Half of her shirt was stained with blood. Sweat beaded on her forehead.
“Oh God, Kristin. I'm so sorry,” he said, kneeling in front of her. “Are you okay?”
“What do you think?”
“You look sick, real pale.”
“I feel like I'm gonna throw up.”
“From getting shot? Is that normal?”
Anger flashed across her face. “How the hell should I know? Do something. Use your magic or whatever.”
He fought panic as he stood up. He finally noticed they weren't in a supply room, more like a washroom. There were cabinets and shelves lining the walls, and also a sink and hand dryer against the back wall.
“Give me some of your water,” she said. “That'll heal me.”
Kevin shook his head. “Not with a bullet in you. I need a magnet.”
“A magnet? What for?”
He didn't respond as he searched the supply room. He was calm at first, quiet. As the seconds stretched into a minute, he started to fear he couldn't help his sister. Paper towels, soap, rubber gloves, trash bags. No magnets anywhere.
“Kevin.”
Turning on his heels, he looked down to see Kristin holding up her purse. The color was gone from her cheeks as she waved it weakly back and forth.
“My purse has a magnet that keeps it closed. Will that work?”
Kevin dropped to one knee in front of Kristin, his hands shaking as he prepared. He dumped all his bottles of water on the floor and grabbed the closest one, watching it turn blue from his touch. Kristin handed over her purse. He opened and closed the flap several times, feeling the magnetic pull. Kristin gasped as he started hacking at the flap of her purse with his pocket knife.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to hold the magnet.”
“Why?”
“That's how the magic works. By touch.”
“I don't think bullets are magnetic,” she said, laughing weakly.
“The outside part might be. Anyway, that's not important. I'm just doing what the voices in my head tell me.”
“Are...you serious?”
He said nothing as he leaned closer to his sister, running the magnet between his fingers.
“This is going to hurt. A lot.”
“Why? What-”
She was cut off by the worst pain she ever felt in her life.
Kevin held the magnet near her shoulder. Kristin winced in pain and shouted. The bullet inside her ripped through tissue and muscle and shot back through the entry wound, colliding with the magnet in Kevin's hand.
Kristin ripped the bottle of water from his hand as he tried to hand it to her. She drank deeply, blood flowing from her wound. Kevin pulled her blouse away from her shoulder and watched the wound heal, though she was still covered in blood.
The ordeal was finally over. Kevin nearly collapsed on the floor. Kristin rolled over to her hands and knees and vomited. Part of Kevin thought someone should have heard Kristin's screams of pain and would burst into the supply room any second. But no one came.
He looked at the bullet and magnet in his hand, and then dropped them to the floor.
“Are you okay?”
Kristin shook her head as the last of her stomach emptied before her. “What a stupid question.”
Kevin managed a small laugh before the anger took over again. “They're in the store. We have the element of surprise now.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“I'm saying we attack them this time.”
“That is the dumbest thing you've ever said. How about we go to the police?”
“And tell him what, Kris? That some guys are chasing me because I'm a witch?”
“Well, what's your plan? Go all Rambo on them in the damn grocery store?”
“Rambo's got nothing on me. They wouldn't even see me coming. Martha told me there's nothing more powerful than a witch. I could make so many potions-”
“Will you just listen to yourself? They have guns, and they're shooting at us! Hell, they shot me. And you want to play hero? I could have been shot in the head, and I'd be dead.”
Kevin finally started to calm down, Kristin's words finding their mark. The fact that he could have lost his sister weighed on him.
“You're right. God, I'm so sorry.”
She pushed herself away from the pool of vomit. “Don't worry about it. Let's go to the police.”
“No. That's still not a good idea. I know someone that can tell us what's going on. We have to go back home.”
“You mean drive back? I don't think we're just gonna climb in my car and drive back. Those gun freaks are probably watching it.”
Kevin climbed to his feet and helped Kristin up. He slung his pack on his shoulder. Grabbing his magic marker, he created a portal leading back outside and gave Kristin a sly smile.
“Don't worry about it. Just stay close.”
Chapter 25
The first thing Rachel saw when she regained consciousness was a black cloth in front of her eyes. There was a bright light somewhere in front of her. It took her a few seconds to realize her head was covered.
She heard a familiar voice, just next to her.
“I don't know what you want,” Victoria said, panic in her voice. “Look, me and my friend were just having fun in town. We don't have anything you could possibly want. Please don't hurt us.”
“Victoria?” Rachel muttered.
“Rachel, you're awake! Do you know what's going on?”
A new voice, a man.
“Good. I thought she'd be asleep forever.”
Someone yanked the bag from Rachel's head. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked around. They were in an empty warehouse of some kind. A carpenter's work-light was just a few feet away, throwing lights and shadows everywhere. She tried to think of any warehouses in their town, but none came to mind.
The fear she felt turned to terror when she realized she was handcuffe
d to the chair she was in.
Victoria sat next to her, tears streaming down her face. Rachel watched as she struggled against her handcuffs, and had to wonder if handcuffs could restrain a vampire.
There were four men in front of them, no longer bothering to wear masks. Two of them casually sat in chairs and read magazines, as if they didn't have a care in the world. One paced as he fiddled with a gun. The final man stood just in front of them, looking back and forth between them.
“These guys kidnapped us,” Victoria said. “Right outside the burger place.”
“Look,” the man said. “We don't want to hurt you. Just answer some questions we have, and we let you go. It's that simple.”
Victoria sobbed and shook her head. “I keep telling you. We don't know anything about anything. Just let us go.”
“Will you please shut up? You've ran your mouth for ten minutes straight. Please, just shut it.”
Rachel had trouble speaking. “Look, mister-”
“Please, just call me Tommy.”
“Mister Tommy, I really don't know-”
“We know your boyfriend's a witch. By pure luck, some of our associates ran into him earlier today. He disfigured three of my friends. We need to find him. So, please, tell us where he is. We've been watching you, and we know how close you two are.”
“A witch?” Victoria almost spat out. “Did you say a witch? Please, what drugs are you on, and can I have some?”
Tommy clenched and opened his fist. The man pacing with the gun took a step forward, but Tommy stopped him with a wave of his hand.
“Frank, relax.”
“I don't care how pretty she is,” he said, locking eyes with Victoria. “Her voice is getting on my nerves. I'll beat her till she can't talk.”
“Victoria, that's your name?” Tommy said. “Please, don't say another word. I won't be able to keep Frank calm forever.”
Victoria looked down at her lap, then up at Frank.
“Sorry. Please, just don't do anything to us.”
“I don't know where he is,” Rachel said. “I haven't seen him all day.”
“Fine. But I know you can talk to him. We don't know how they do it, but we know witches can talk to anyone they want, anywhere in the world. Probably one of their little magic trinkets, and we know he would have given his girlfriend one.”
Rachel's breathing hitched. The beautiful necklace around her neck suddenly felt like it would strangle her.
“I...don't know what you-”
Frank stepped toward Rachel. Tommy pushed him back by the shoulders. The other two men finally jumped to their feet to help keep Frank under control. Rachel cried as she tried to shrink in her chair. She pulled uselessly against the handcuffs.
“Give me five minutes alone with her,” Frank said. “That's all I need.”
“Frank,” Victoria said.
All eyes went to the beautiful vampire, who finally sounded like the woman Rachel remembered. She looked up at Frank, a dangerous gleam in her eye.
“Don't threaten my friend again.”
Frank shifted his attention to Victoria. The two men behind him laughed. He kneeled in front of her and placed the barrel of his gun against her leg. Only Tommy had a curious, almost confused look on his face, like he could sense something wasn't quite right.
“Or what?” Frank asked. “What will you do if I threaten your little friend again? Please, tell me. Oh, let me guess, you'll kill me?”
She smiled. “Not right away. I'll make you watch as I kill your family first. Trust me, the last thing you should be worrying about right now is any old witch. You should be worried about the next thing that comes out of your mouth.”
Frank looked scared, but only for a moment. He took a step back and pointed his gun at Rachel.
“We should kill them both,” he said. “The witch will come to us if his friends are dead.”
Victoria spoke again. This time her fangs slurred her voice.
“Silly mortal.”
Rachel barely saw what happened next.
Everything happened in quick flashes. Victoria moved nearly faster than Rachel could see, and it created a strange effect, like strobe lights going on and off. One second, Victoria was still in the chair. The next, she was gone, and Rachel looked up to see her with her fangs buried in Tommy's shoulder. He fell to the floor, screaming in pain, and she was gone again. One of the men fired a single wild shot before he was on his knees with part of his face peeled away.
Victoria stood a few feet in front of Rachel. The vampire held Tommy easily off the ground, a hand wrapped around his throat. Although, it wasn't her hand that held him. Her fingers were longer, unnatural looking, with huge claws jutting from each fingertip. Her eyes glowed red as blood dripped from her fangs down her blouse.
This was the same woman Rachel foolishly doused with holy water.
She was also the same woman Kevin nearly killed with his magic.
A shiver went up Rachel's spine.
Rachel had no experience with dead bodies, but she had serious doubts the men on the floor in front of her were alive.
The sounds of violence were gone. The only sound in the warehouse was Tommy struggling to breathe.
“Laughlin?” Victoria asked. “Santos? Miller?”
“S-Santos.”
“Ah. Who hired him?”
“Don't know.”
“How long have you been on the job, spying on Kevin and Rachel?”
“Just-just a week.”
Victoria dropped him. Tommy fell to his knees and clutched his throat, coughing up blood.
“No one comes to harm,” he said. “Not his girl, not his sister. Only the witch.” Tommy looked up at Victoria. “A vampire. You missed our radar completely. Why is a vampire helping a witch?”
“Because he hasn't hurt anyone, and he's my friend.”
Despite the shoulder wound and the claw marks around his neck, Tommy laughed.
“Friend. You know how dangerous they are. I wouldn't be surprised if you've killed a few wicked witches yourself in your time. Maybe even a few not-so-wicked ones. You know the rules. It doesn't matter if they're good or evil. 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.'”
“Cute. Real cute.”
Rachel flinched as Victoria slapped him hard across the face. Blood sprayed from his mouth and ran down his face as she grabbed him under the jaw.
“Listen, very carefully. Tell Santos the job is over. If he doesn't back off, I will kill him and his entire team, which includes you, and everyone they're close to. Do you understand?”
“You damn blood-sucker.”
“I'll take that as a yes. Now run, very fast, before I remember how thirsty I am.”
Rachel and Victoria watched as Tommy sprinted across the warehouse. He jumped in the same van they used to kidnap the both of them, and sped away through the open warehouse door.
Rachel trembled as she locked her gaze on Victoria. The vampire searched the bodies of the three men on the floor, and found a set of handcuff keys in Frank's pocket. She undid the broken handcuffs on her own wrists then circled around Rachel to free her.
“What the hell just happened?” Rachel asked.
“Witch-hunters. Santos, in particular. Believe it or not, Santos is a good guy. He just hunts witches blindly. He doesn't do a great job with hiring, though. I've dealt with others like him. Hell, the guy I have sex with right now wasn't too different from Santos not long ago.”
Rachel replayed the night's events in her mind. Victoria showing up to greet her on the street, acting terrified when they were in no real danger.
“You knew this would happen.”
“I had a hunch. It's the only real reason I've been hanging out in your boring town.”
“Do you know who hired this Santos guy?”
“I have a good guess.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes at Victoria as another thought crossed her mind.
“You knew the witch-hunters were watching us? You used me t
o lure them in?”
“I guess you could look at it like that. Or you could think that maybe I was watching out for some people I've come to like, and that includes you.”
“Thank you,” Rachel said sheepishly. “Were you serious about...killing all of them?”
“We'd better get moving. I don't know where we are, but we're not in Walton. Probably just a town or two over. We weren't in the van too long. We need to get cleaned up, get a ride back, and find Kevin. Sounds like he's had a fun day.”
Rachel was unnerved at Victoria ignoring her question.
“I can call Kevin on the necklace he gave me. It's magical.”
“Good. You do that.”
“What about these guys?” Rachel asked, gesturing to Frank and his associates.
“Nothing we can do for them. They're dead.”
*****
Kevin kept an eye on Kristin as she pulled up to their apartment building and killed the engine. She leaned back in her seat, not bothering to leave the car. Kevin shifted and took a drink of water.
Kristin hadn't said a word the entire drive home.
“Uh, Kris? You okay over there?”
She closed her eyes and let out a weak sigh.
“So, tell me, what did you do to that guy watching the car?”
“Invisibility potion to sneak up on him. A little bit of grass, sugar, and water to make him think monsters were attacking him.”
“And the voices in your head tell you how to make all this stuff?”
“It's not really voices. Just suggestions. The ingredients pop up, and I make them. It's how I cured a werewolf, too.”
“A werewolf?” she said, her voice getting louder. “A freaking werewolf?”
He put a hand on her shoulder. “I'm really sorry, Kris. But this is who I am. I didn't want it to all come out like this. I wanted you to meet Martha, and she could help me explain all this to you. But she's on vacation and, well-”
“And people are trying to kill you and her because you're witches.”
“Yeah. Looks that way.”
“We're supposed to just go into our apartment and pretend like this didn't happen?”
Kevin had already noticed the Porsche parked a few cars over. He hoped the night would get better, and not worse.
A Witch to Live Page 24
