I immediately returned, “No.” Sort of. Yes. “What? What are you talking about?”
“I can see it. Don’t be scared of her. She’s all talk.”
“That’s easy for you to say. I’ve seen her shoot people.” I hadn’t, but I needed to find a way out of this before I caved in and offered this woman everything I owned. “Hasn’t she told you about me?”
“Yes. A little.”
I interrupted. “Then why the hell would you want to hang out with me?” I hadn’t assumed Gretchen had talked me up to her daughter.
“Dude, do you even own a mirror? Tall, blond hair, blue eyes. I mean, sure you look a little haggard right now, but scars are sexy, and I’ll bet you clean up nicely. And you can ditch the aw shucks attitude too. I know who you are.”
She looked into my eyes and I felt like she was staring into my soul. I slammed the doors to my soul shut and her smile faded.
“Let me in, Mike. We can have a lot of fun.” She lowered her head.
I felt drunk. Beautiful women had that effect on me, but not like this. This had been something entirely different along the lines of moonshine or grain alcohol. I swore at myself because I couldn’t figure it out. I’d been in love once before and it had ended tragically, so although intrigued, I wanted to tread lightly.
“All right. Let’s set some ground rules first.”
She nodded, a smile developing on her curling lips. “Now we’re talking. Tell you what, why don’t we get out of this room.”
I turned around and realized we were the final two at the meeting. “Okay. We can talk while you give me a ride home. We can set our ground rules on the way if you want?”
She stopped in front of her car and peered into my eyes again. “You don’t have a car, do you?”
“No. How’d you know?” How in the hell did she know that? I squeezed into her Mazda Miata as she profusely apologized for the size of the car.
“Lucky guess.” Her smirk indicated that it was not a lucky guess.
I stared at her hand on the stick shift as she threw it in reverse and backed out. She turned the car around, and asked, “Why are you afraid of me?”
“What?” I asked, and of course, my voice cracked. I should have gone with Bogart’s deep voice.
“Guys are always intimidated by me, and I always thought maybe it was the cancer. But you shouldn’t care about that, right?”
I lied. “Look, I’m not intimidated by you, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say you were a great-looking woman...”
She interrupted my stammering. “Great-looking? Who says that?”
I took a wild guess and went with nobody in their right mind. She threw the car in third gear, and said, “I mean, beautiful, gorgeous, hot, sexy, those are the words people use, not great-looking.”
“It’s basically the same thing. I’m not so eloquent with the ladies.”
“Okay. Sorry to berate you.” She giggled and it relieved a little tension. “It’s just—great-looking is something you say to an ugly girl to make her feel better about herself.”
She was Gretchen’s daughter all right. Tough as nails and holding me accountable for every syllable.
“Trust me when I say, any guy would be Powerball jackpot lucky to land a girl like you.”
“So then what are we doing playing around like this? I don’t have a boyfriend and I assume you don’t have a girlfriend from this pitiful performance.”
“That is an accurate assumption, but we aren’t doing anything, remember? You’re taking me home.” I just realized I hadn’t been giving her directions, but she had taken a direct route toward my house. “How do you know where I live?”
“My mom said you live in Blawnox. Did she lie? And just so you know, she didn’t tell me that you had cancer.”
Right, good reminder. “That’s because she doesn’t know. Partners don’t share everything. Could we keep it a secret between us please?”
I watched her think about the prospect of blackmail for a few moments until she came to her senses and remembered the code of the support group. Her eyes shifted and she pushed her lips out. “Deal. We can talk about it more at your house.”
“At my house? It would be a bad idea to have you in my house. Really bad. Public setting, maybe, but I thought you were just dropping me off. That was the plan.”
“Plans change. Are you doing what you thought you would three years ago?”
She totally changed the subject in a rather deft manner, but she had a point. I said, “Not exactly. My house is pretty messy too.”
She immediately squashed that cover up. “I don’t care.”
I won’t belt out my cheesy Bogart line, but why this girl? Why right now? Why Gretchen’s daughter? She seemed so perfect. Was this a cruel joke to tease me? Why was she so damn intoxicating? If only I could have said that out loud.
Had I mentioned that women messed with my head? It wasn’t good for a wizard. We needed to remain sharp at all times, if not for ourselves, for the communities we protect. “I just got a new dog. Honestly, Colossus probably went to the bathroom all over the place so you probably don’t want to get involved with any of that.”
“Aaawwww. You have a dog. What kind?”
That backfired rather nicely. “He’s a cocker spaniel.”
“Why did you name him Colossus? Cool name by the way.”
“Thank you.” I really appreciated the compliment. I started the long story about rescuing him in the rhododendron until I realized how boring it was. “Just ironic because the Colossus of Rhodes was huge, you know, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and my new partner is just a wee little guy.”
“Oh my God. That is so sweet.”
I looked over at her glossy eyes and realized my plan to drive her away from my house was spectacularly backfiring. However, I made a mental note of the efficacy of cute dog stories on women and stashed it away for future use. It was like a freaking aphrodisiac as the temperature rose in the car.
“Yeah, so you probably want to get home anyway, huh?” I tried one last time.
“I just want to hang out with a fellow survivor. Don’t get me wrong, my Mom is great and she is so supportive, but it’s just not the same as hanging out with someone who knows what you’ve been through. You know, the fight.”
I had known. And she knew that I wouldn’t refuse an offer wrapped like that. “Just for a little bit.”
“Ack. Yay,” she squeaked.
“Seriously. And we are never going to tell your mom about this. If you pass out because my apartment is too gross, it’s on you.” I tried my last feeble attempt to push her away.
“I think I’ll take my chances, thank you.”
We pulled up to my house and parked across the street. I turned to her with a smile. “Sure you don’t want to call it off. It’s not too late. I won’t be mad.”
“You know what, forget it.”
I tried to defend myself and she barked, “Fuck you. Get the fuck out of my car. I’m going out of my way to be nice to you and you want nothing to do with me. See ya.” She shooed me away with her hand.
Oh snap, daughter bear had fangs. And I liked it. I had a weakness for strong women.
“You have to understand what kind of position this puts me in. In pretty much any other situation possible, I would be all over you. I’d be embarrassing myself, mind you.”
She giggled. I let out a huge exhale and continued, “You are beautiful. Intoxicating. Even a blind man could see it.”
She blushed and turned away. I said, “It’s just the situation. I’d love to have you in but we need to keep it on the level.”
“Okay.”
I opened the door and stepped out as Satoku fished around her center console for something. I smiled and breathed in a little of the crisp October air. I looked up at the stars to enjoy the night.
A red streak crossed the cloudless sky and crashed through the roof of my apartment.
Damnit.
Chapter 20
/> I OPENED THE PASSENGER door and leaned in.
She asked, “What the fuck was that?”
“Yeah, so about that. I’m going to have to take a raincheck on our ren dez vous. Some detective stuff has come up. I’ll explain it all later.”
The red streak let out a mighty roar that shook the structure of the duplexes. Alayna was going to kill me for that roof damage. If I could just hold it to that, I might be okay.
She surprised me with her words. “No. I’m not letting you off the hook that easy. You probably planned that.”
“How the hell could I plan something like that?”
“Mike, I know you’re a wizard. I know they can do stuff like that.”
“Is there any way I could make all this up to you?”
“Yeah. Take me on a date. A full-fledged date.”
I had two choices. Take my chances with some demon that just flew through the sky, or take my chances with Gretchen Meyer. Neither seemed like a good idea and with the direction in which this train was heading, I might have to deal with both just to save my house. The beast in my attic threw a chunk of my roof past my head.
“You know I can’t do that. How about we discuss it at the next meeting? You’re going to die if you stay here.”
“No. I said I want a date. And you’re paying now.” She opened her door and got out.
I lifted my head and smacked the back of it into the top of the doorjamb. I shook my head and opened my jaw to get rid of the pain. “Are you crazy? Get back into the car.”
Dozens of neighbors had come outside and the beast roared again. Satoku seemed unfazed by the death monster thrashing around my attic. Thrashing around my attic!
The box.
“Satoku, I changed my mind. A date it shall be. When is good for you?” I grabbed the house key out of my pocket.
“I don’t know. You pick.”
You don’t want me to pick. There wasn’t a good time for me right now. “How about Halloween night? We could hang out for the eclipse?” Remember, the event I had been fired up for until a few days ago.
“I don’t get off until midnight. And it won’t be a real date, but if you want to get together when I get out of work, we could do that.”
“Absolutely, it would be my honor. I’ll see you then, or at a meeting before then, if chance should have it.”
I smiled and ran across the street as she screamed, “Goodbye.”
I stopped on my sidewalk, turned around, gestured a grand bow, and blew her a kiss. “Goodbye, my dear.” I had a flair for the dramatic, sue me.
I darted to my front door and shoved the key in. I craned my neck around to see Satoku driving away as I turned the key to open my door. I forced my way in and saw my buddy.
“Sorry Colossus. I’ll get to you in a few minutes.”
Reginald banged against the wall. “Everything alright over there, Mike?”
“It’s great, Reg. Whatever you do, don’t come over for a little while. I have to take care of something.”
I don’t remember if I hit any or all of the steps on my way up. I ripped open the secret door to my attic and almost passed out from the smell. It wasn’t a putrid scent, but it stung my nostrils and made my eyes water. It was sulfuric acid or oil of vitriol if you were a classicist.
I decided to jump into my attic anyway as I tucked my necklace under all my layers. I couldn’t let this creature get that wooden box. The box could be the key to this entire puzzle. I couldn’t screw anything up more than I already had as I climbed the little ladder and poked my head into the attic.
A strong wave of magic was swirling around my dark attic as the creature thrashed around, smashing everything in sight. It held up a large antique music box that I planned to sell. The demon crushed the box along with any hopes of me making some cash off it.
I prayed the floorboards would hold up to keep the secret box safe. I could only see a red cape until the creature turned to face me.
She looked like an Empusa, but not the textbook definition. Her thick red hair transitioned into a cape that I assumed acted as her wings. She wore a long, emerald glove to her elbow on one arm and her right consisted of a golden mechanical arm and hand. The tall, thick vampiric demon had pointed ears and exposed four fearsome fangs as she smiled at me.
Pardon me if I don’t return the courtesy. She wore a tight black suit resembling a one-piece bathing suit and her bronze skin glowed in the starlight. Her right leg was protected by blue armor and she had the hoof of a horse instead of a foot.
She stopped her thrashing and focused on me with glowing purple eyes. I didn’t feel quite right about fighting a woman, but I’d be damned if I was going to let her get that box. She hissed a mighty hiss and I could feel the wind in my hair. The smell came next. Heavy and thick and stinking of raw game, mainly the organs.
I screwed up. I should have centered myself so I could access my magic much easier. Instead, I had rushed in unprepared. I used all my faculties trying to get a sense of her power.
Oh shit.
I acted quickly and manipulated the air in the room. “Aer sit potentia. Praebueris fortitudinem. Aer sit potentia. Praebueris fortitudinem.”
I started to develop heavy pockets of air and condense them. I projected the powerful pocket of air at the Empusa. She calmly deflected my wave to the side and it crashed into a bookshelf, knocking it to the ground and sending old books everywhere.
The old volumes kicked up a few decades worth of dust and the Empusa started choking. While she was distracted, I rushed her, lowered my shoulder and rammed it into her belly. It felt like running into a brick wall and I fell. I needed to scratch that move from my repertoire.
I grabbed a clump of dust off an old duffle bag and heaved it into the sexy vampire’s face. She gagged and I did something I never thought I would. I punched a woman in the face. A vampiric demon who was trying to kill me, mind you.
She stepped back, shocked. I could tell she hadn’t been hit in the face before. Maybe she was just a bully that needed to be punched in the nose.
The hissing wail that she released indicated otherwise. She reached back with her golden arm and backhanded me across the cheek. I was surprised my jaw didn’t break as I spun around from the impact. I tried to remember how to defeat these creatures and it finally came to mind.
I needed my vampire kit from downstairs. I wanted to use magic, but it would only destroy the house and piss off this demon.
She pointed a golden index finger toward my face. I tried to assess what she was doing when I noticed the tip of her finger had turned orange. Sulfuric acid shot from her fingertip as I ducked. A spray of the skin burning liquid streamed over my head and a few stinging droplets landed on the back of my neck.
I jumped up as the Empusa rushed me, planted her shoulder in my gut and toppled me to the ground. That was how the move was supposed to work. We rolled around on the ground and fell through the secret door.
Even though I landed on top of her, the eight-foot drop knocked the wind out of me. A strong, golden hand engulfed my face and started to smother me. I ripped and clawed at the powerful grip to get loose.
Nothing.
I decided to take one out of Gretchen’s playbook.
The Empusa must’ve been getting a sexual arousal from the fight so I reached out and grabbed her taut nipple. I yanked and twisted at the same time and suddenly I could breathe again. Perhaps I had found a weak spot. I punched her in the other breast from close range using the Bruce Lee One Inch Punch technique.
It jolted her back enough so I could get to my feet. I ran for the steps with the ultimate goal of grabbing my vampire kit from downstairs. I reached the top step and a death grip clutched my shoulder. She dragged me back and wrapped her powerful arms around me from behind. She squeezed, and the air rushed out of my lungs.
She tightened her hold and I started to see spots and became lightheaded. I threw my head back and heard the crunch of broken teeth. My head throbbed but it broke the ho
ld and I spun around. The Empusa spat a spray of blood in my face and kneed me in the testicles.
I supposed that was fair for my earlier actions. She pushed me back and tackled me onto the steps.
We tumbled over each other a few times and thumped down the flight of twenty-five steps before crashing into my front door.
Reginald pounded on the wall. “Mike, say buddy, you need me to come over and help you out?”
I screamed at the wall. “Just fine, Reg. Thanks anyway. We can talk later.”
I wiped the salty blood out of my eyes and ran for the vampire kit. I needed to get my specially crafted crossbow that shot blessed holy crosses to kill vampiric creatures. I didn’t have any silver bullets or special lights to scare her away.
Her hissing increased to a fever pitch as she wrestled my front door before slamming it shut.
My kit wasn’t in the place I had left it.
Damnit.
I ran into the living room as the Empusa released another Super Soaker strength blast of sulfuric acid. I bent backwards Matrix-style to avoid the spray that covered my couch and singed the fabric. I felt a deep pain in my lower back as I collapsed and jumped up again. Running to the other side of the room, I searched around on my bookshelf for the vampire kit. I knew it wasn’t there but panic had kicked in.
The vampire clutched my upper arm and spun me around several times before tossing me into my bookshelf, which crashed to the ground and knocked the one next to it over in the process. I pushed a pile of heavy books off my chest and sat up.
I looked around for the Empusa, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. I turned right and caught a quick, blurry vision of the bottom of her hoof, right before it blasted me in the forehead. I crashed onto my back, dazed. The room spun around in a circle and I could barely make out the image above me.
The Empusa lifted her hoof, lining up her stomp to smash my head into the hardwood floors. I knew the wizard game could be a dangerous one and getting my head smashed in by a vampiric demon seemed a fitting end to a short, magical life.
Chapter 21
I HEARD SIRENS AND swirling blue and red lights replaced the image of the Empusa. Was I dead? It sure felt that way. I closed my eyes as the front door was busted off the hinges and the Blawnox Police rushed through, guns raised.
Bloodline Awakened Supernatural Thriller Series: Books 1-3 Page 10
