by Alex Owens
At the same time, I opened up my mental barriers just a bit to see if I could get a read on Venna. If I was lucky, I’d snag some information without her knowing it. If I was unlucky, then she might cook me into the porridge or something. Pretty good odds, I’d say.
It turns out that I was neither lucky nor unlucky. I was just a dummy not to consider who I was dealing with first. Venna’s mind was an impregnable fortress against my puny brain scanning trick. It was like Humpty Dumpty running head-long into The Wall... instant headache and cracked ego.
Well that was fun, I thought.
After a very pregnant pause, where Venna regarded me with keen eyes, she turned and walked up the hill. I knew I’d touched a nerve and part of me wanted to continue prodding her, but I wasn’t sure that was the best idea. I still didn’t know Venna’s ultimate plans, where Quinn was being held or why we’d all been segregated to different parts of the castle.
Really, I was in no position to poke the hornet’s nest, so I did the only thing I could do. I followed her back to the castle, up to my room and watched her lock me inside again without so much as a goodnight.
Chapter Seventeen
The next night I was escorted to the banquet hall by a mute human girl who clearly read the memo about looking a vampire in the eyes. If she bent over any further to avoid my face, her nose would be dragging the ground. Poor thing, she was going to get scoliosis if she kept that up. Rounding the last corner, I spied the rest of my peeps just up ahead, including Bette and my daughter, clutched in Pete’s arms.
“Quinn!” I called out and jogged to close the distance between us.
“Mom!” She wriggled out of her dad’s grasp, which he didn’t seem too happy about.
We collided in the best bear hug I’d ever had. I covered her face with kisses and sniffed her hair. She seemed clean and taken care of, so that was something. I scooped Quinn up and stood, walking to the crowd.
“I’ve missed you, Bug,” I said, tickling her belly.
Quinn squirmed against me, her legs dangling back and forth. She was probably approaching the age where she’d be too big to carry around, but dammit, she was my baby. I’d hold her like that for as long as I was able, even if she was thirty-five with kids of her own. Now that would be something to see. I sincerely hoped that we all lived that long.
“Are you guys okay?” I hugged Cass quickly with my free arm.
“Everyone is fine.” Clive said, stepping forward to kiss me on the cheek.
Anger, or maybe it was jealousy, radiated from Pete’s direction.
Not to be outdone, Bette also leaned over to kiss my other cheek and whispered, “I’m glad to see you are unharmed, bella mia.”
I smiled, but had to bite back my amusement. Not at Bette, no.
Unlike when Clive had kissed me, Pete couldn’t quite decide how he felt with Bette showing me affection too. I’d forgotten that they’d never met before, so I should have anticipated his reaction. Half excited by the sensual contact, half disgusted that his wife was a whore, and half trying to picture Bette and me naked, together.
Yes, I’m horrible at math. I’m pretty sure we’ve covered that already.
Two attendants flanked the banquet hall doors and when the tower bell announced the hour, the attendants stepped aside, pulling the doors open. All banter quickly ceased as we entered the dining hall. Holy shit on a shingle, it was like walking into a Hogwarts’s set.
At the center of the room sat a circular wooden table, every bit of twenty feet in diameter. Above the table hung a huge stag-horn chandelier, lit with thousands of twinkling fairy lights. More lights floated high above the table, though I couldn’t tell if they were normal candles or of the more magical variety. A cello played itself nearby, in the corner of the room. And I mean only a cello—there was no actual person playing it, at least as far as I could see. Nonetheless, the bow moved back and forth over the strings as if it was being held in a virtuoso’s capable hand.
The table setting was equally impressive. A massive bouquet of blood red roses had been arranged in a sparkling gold vase. Crystal glasses twinkled in the flickering lights and hundreds of tiny votive candles had been lit inside jewel-toned Murano glass cups. The effect was warm and homey and magical. It was too bad that I saw the display for what it was... an attempt to put us at ease and off of our game.
“Ah, good, you are all here. Please, take your seats.” Venna breezed in the room effortlessly, clothed in what appeared to be a period ball gown topped with a flowing, formal robe. A heavy layer of powder covered her face and by the gods, she’d added a fake beauty mark to complete her look. I felt sure that we’d missed some sort of dinner attire memo. Or, she was just cracked.
Either Venna had been alive so long that she couldn’t keep her time periods straight, slipping back and forth between period-specific fashions, or she simply didn’t give a shit and wore whatever pleased her in the moment. In her place, I’d have gone with the latter, but it was becoming increasingly clear that with Venna it was likely a case of the former.
We each gravitate towards a chair. I claimed the seat opposite of the one Venna stood before; I wanted to keep her in my sight at all times. Clive sat on my right, with Bette taking the seat on the other side of his. I could tell by her hesitation that her place was protecting her maker, but she wanted to be able to protect me as well and was not too happy about having to choose between the two of us.
Quinn climbed into the chair to my left, leaving Pete and the Cass to fill out the rest of the table, with the exception of one empty chair between Venna and Bette.
Venna clapped her hands and a fire bellowed to life in the enormous hearth at the front of the hall. Several gasps could be heard at the sight of it, but I kept my mouth shut. I assumed that would be the first of many displays of power for the evening and I wanted Venna to think she had to do a lot more than that to impress the likes of me, even if I did think it would be a nifty skill to have.
She took her seat at last and a procession of waiters arrived holding trays of fruits, cheese, bread and sweets to each of us. Goblets were filled, some with an amber colored liquid that smelled like honey, and some with the dark viscous blood that smelled divine.
Looking at the table, it was sort of funny the way everything broke down. To my left, Quinn, the Jackass-formerly-known-as-Pete, and Cass had plates covered in normal food samplings and the honey beverage, but to my right all of the plates sat empty, save for the blood cups perched on top of them. Straight ahead, Venna had neither.
Interesting. Did she no longer require sustenance? Or was it an act? Either way, I felt like I had no choice but to refuse as well.
While the others ate and drank, I leveled my gaze at Venna. It was time to demand answers. I’d played the nice little guest for as long as I could bear. Bat-shit crazy or not, she would talk, even if I had to piss her off to get things flowing.
“So, do you want to tell me why we’re here now?” I asked, running my fingertip around the edge of my empty goblet until I could hear the crystal singing. I used to love the sound, but with my vampire ears the singing crystal was oddly irritating. I could only hope that Venna was bothered by it as well.
She regarded me coolly for a full minute before answering.
“Magic always has a price, dearie. I gave you quite the gift two years ago,” Venna tapped her fingernails along the table, I’m sure for dramatic effect. “But now you’re debt has been called; I’m exacting my payment.”
“Uh, you gave me a gift? I don’t think I realized that. Care to enlighten me?” I said.
“Why don’t I show you?” she said, waving her hand towards the center of the table. Almost like a hologram, a clear orb rose straight up from the table. Or through it, coming up from below maybe? Shit, I don’t know. It was just there, like a spherical television screen in 3D. The orb held a flickering image of me and Bette, back in her tent in Orlando at the Music industry conference that changed my life.
Then the image
frame moved, slightly out of time and grainy. Although there was no sound, I could tell that it was showing the moment that I’d started playing the bewitched violin, despite not knowing a damn thing about the instrument at the time.
How did I know that? Because the magic that came from me and that cursed thing was fucking visible on her all access t.v screen. It streamed out of the violin, and into me, through me even, in colorful ribbons of smoke and light. It was quite the show, and not one that I was happy my child was watching. Mommy would have a lot of explaining to do later. I suppose Pete would need some answers too; maybe he would get them eventually.
“Right... that gift,” I said casually and winked at Bette.
Venna stood and flicked her hands in the air. The orb disappeared with an audible crack and a long sheet of parchment materialized in front of her, ancient and luminescent. The paper floated down to the table, where Venna dated and signed it with an ornate quill that magically appeared in her hand.
“You have the magic, so now you must pay your debt.” Venna narrowed her eyes at me, like she was daring me to try and argue with her.
I wisely stayed silent. Hey, there’s a first time for everything.
She relaxed a little at my acquiescence and resumed her little speech. “This contract, once signed by both myself and of course, you, will be binding and unbreakable. Any attempts at breaching the contract will result in immediate death of the one at fault. It is what you would call, iron clad.”
She sent the contract floating in my direction. “You will fill in the name of your sacrifice and sign the contract... you have no choice. I’ll allow you five days to consider whom you will miss the least.”
“Sacrifice? You must be joking?” I said, looking wildly around the table.
In the creepiest voice yet, Venna’s words cut through the air like a knife. “I never joke when it comes to magic. You’d be wise to take me seriously.”
She wanted me to cower in fear, to cry with hopelessness. She wanted me to plead for mercy with tears running down my face. Well, none of that was going to happen. I could feel her malevolence heavy in the air, but I would not give her the satisfaction. I scrambled to come up with a response that would deny her and at the same time give me a bit of leverage.
To buy myself some thinking time I tried to stand, but found myself rooted to the chair. Venna laughed and waved her hand in my direction, effectively removing the magical cloaking spell she’d cast. Once the veil was lifted, I could see an intricate set of runes inscribed all over my chair and the floor surrounding me. They glowed pale blue and radiant.
“What the hell?” I muttered, my head on a swivel.
“Whoa, cool,” Quinn said to her father, who promptly shushed her.
“Insurance,” Venna cackled. “I have plans and cannot have you ruining them prematurely. You will sit there and listen to all that I have to say about you and your friends, and only when I release you will you be able to move. Your magic won’t work, so save your strength. I do believe that you are going to need it.”
I looked around the table at everyone I loved, or at least wanted to keep alive, and for the first time I felt a deep, frenzied fear. Venna had rendered me useless. I couldn’t even save myself right then, let alone anyone else.
Oddly enough, everyone but Quinn and Clive weren’t looking back at me. The rest of them, Cass, Bette and Pete were staring at the floor, the wall, or anywhere else but in my general direction. My gut churned, sure that something bad was coming and that it was probably something I’d never expect.
I smiled at Quinn and said, “It’ll be okay baby. Everything is fine.”
She tried to put on a brave face, but I saw one lone tear run down her face and my granite heart cleaved in two. I looked to Clive, hoping he’d give me the same reassurance I’d given Quinn, but he just looked me hard in the eye with a blank expression on his face. I didn’t know what to make of that at all. Feeling more on my own than ever, I dug back into my familiar bag of tricks and pulled out a handful of smart-ass-itry.
“What’s with the games and grandstanding? My father always told me the magicians with the least talent needed to use more smoke and mirrors to cover up their inadequate performances. I’m beginning to question if you’re a true witch at all.”
Probably not smart to insult a woman who had magically bound me to a chair, but I never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the box. At any rate, my attempt to rattle Venna made zero impact. She continued on as if I hadn’t spoken at all.
Venna circled the table, her robes flowing behind her. I could have imagined it, but I swear she seemed to be sucking the light out of the room as she went round and round. It definitely became darker in the room, save for the glow that encircled Venna as she moved.
“Your husband,” Venna stopped behind Pete’s chair and patted him on the head.
“Ex-husband,” I watched him flinch and felt nothing. Not concern, not contempt. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. I was positive that I didn’t care one way or the other.
Venna spoke again, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“You have him to thank for your vacation to my beautiful country, my Italia,” she smiled and waited for me to catch her meaning.
“Wait, come again?” I glanced at Pete’s guilt-ridden face, then back to Venna.
“You American’s are so slow to comprehend things. Fine, I will draw it out for you.”
Venna draped herself over Pete’s lap, putting a hand on either side of his head. Her fangs popped out and he flinched so hard that I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d pissed his pants.
She stood abruptly, already over toying with Pete. He adjusted his shirt collar, but said nothing in his defense. I was not surprised in the least. Whatever he’d done, he’d never own up to it and he’d never, ever, apologize for it.
“You should pick him,” she said. “Your husband switched the child’s schedule, delivered us to your doorstep and made the travel arrangements. His assistance had proved invaluable.”
Venna chuckled to herself and spun around to face me. She cackled like a maniac.
“Didn’t see that one coming, now did you love?” she said.
Son of a motherless whore. That bastard... he set the whole thing up? Why in the hell would he do that? Did he know he’d effectively killed Morgan then? If not, I’d be sure to clue him in... right before I ate him.
From there my thoughts deteriorated rapidly. A red haze descended over my vision. I fought it back by remembering my daughter; I stopped myself for Quinn. That, of course, and focusing on a million ways to torture Pete without killing him. All of my ideas were terribly painful, of course. It was the least he deserved after risking Quinn’s welfare, not to mention poor Morgan.
As Venna moved away from Quinn to her next target, I had a moment to question Pete’s motives. What had he hoped would come out of all of this? Did he want me to die so that he could get his hands on my money? Or was it only about Quinn? I ran out of time to think about that, because Venna stopped once again, behind my best friend.
“And Cassidy, our little fairy princess.” Venna glanced up to me, I guess to see if I’d been aware.
I didn’t react, at least I hope I hadn’t shown my surprise. Something told me that Venna was taking great pleasure in unmasking all the liars in my life, so whatever I could do to take some of that away from I’d do. It made me feel like I was in control of something, at least.
But really, Cass was a freaking fairy? Like the Tinkerbell kind? Or the Maleficent kind? Or the freaking fairy godmother kind? Either way, that was a big can of screw-you to swallow.
“Yes, yes.” Venna played with Cass’s curls, bouncing them in her upturned palm. “Her father is the Fae King, you see, and she’s been reporting back on you since the very beginning.”
“I’m sorry, I had no choice...” Cass blurted before Venna silenced her with the flick of a hand. From the way Cass wriggled her mouth, I could only assume she’d found her lips ma
gically glued together. Given the degree of her duplicity, it was actually a fitting punishment.
I couldn’t look at Cass; her betrayal hurt too much. So I glanced at Quinn and tried to put on a brave face. She brightened just a bit and I sighed, hoping that in the end she wouldn’t have to be exposed too much more of this shit. I could practically hear her innocence dying at an alarming rate.
“Ah, and we have my marionette,” Venna circled behind Bette’s chair, brushing a strand of ebony hair as she passed, “were she not under my long-term employ, you would not have been located. Your magic would have likely stayed dormant, and our paths may never have crossed. I owe Bette a measure of gratitude for turning you into a fruit too sweet to resist. I will enjoy plucking you.”
Bette did not look up. It was quite unnerving, to see a vampire playing the part of a scolded dog. I didn’t know exactly how Bette had betrayed me, but I was quite certain that she had. The guilt that she was putting off was practically A-bomb size.
Before I could think on Bette’s role in my downfall any further, Venna moved on to her next, and last target. Damn it, not him too. Couldn’t there be one flipping person in my life that was loyal and true? Was that too much to hope for?
“And this one,” Venna stroked the side of Clive’s face, “has been an unknowing partner, in that he seduced you for his own gain, which seems to have expanded your horizons and your capacity for power.”
He clenched his jaw under her touch, but said nothing. His gaze never wavered from mine, and I felt slightly better knowing that whatever she had left to say, I’d be able to read his expression better.
Venna continued, “And there’s more....Without knowing why, he was persuaded to test your physical and magical limits, so that I could know exactly what I was dealing with in regards to you.”
So he’d betrayed me too? Or not? I was confused again, but oddly Clive looked a little out-of-the-loop as well. I scrunched my forehead in thought.
Venna leaned forward, bent at the waist and whispered into Clive’s ear, though it was still loud enough for me to make out the rest of what she said.
