by Zoe Arden
"Why are you both in here?" It wasn't unusual to find them both in my room, but they didn't normally sleep on my pillows. It was like they were protecting my head or something during the night.
"Tootsie and Snowball smelled many things last night. Bad vampire and skunk. We did not like them." Snowball bumped her wet little nose against my hand. I scratched her head for her.
"It's okay," I told them. "Mama got sprayed by a skunk and the vampire man... well, he's gone for now."
Snowball lifted her head and sniffed. "He is close."
Somehow, of all the things that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, I found Snowball's simple comment that a vampire was close to being the most frightening. I got out of bed and dressed quickly.
"Is Colt downstairs?" I asked them. Tootsie stretched lazily on my bed. One large paw hung over the edge of the mattress. I had an irresistible urge to shake hands with him.
"Detective man left early," Snowball said.
"He did?"
Snowy nodded.
"Did he say where he was going?"
He'd probably gone home. I was sure that a clean pair of his own clothes was just what the doctor ordered. I wanted to touch base with him, though. Now that he knew about everything with his dad, we needed to come up with a plan. I was glad there were no more secrets to keep. Everyone knew Melbourne was alive—well, everyone who needed to know. The rest of Sweetland would find out later, and that was probably for the best.
"He left Mama a letter," Snowball said.
"Where is it?"
"Downstairs. Snowball told him not to go, but he had no time. Must hurry, he said."
I frowned. Must hurry? Hurry where? Why? Maybe he was just as anxious to come up with a plan as I was. Probably even more so now that he knew Russell's part in all of this. I bet he'd gone home to change then headed straight for the sheriff's station. Hopefully, it had aired out by now.
Downstairs, I found Colt's note sitting for me on the coffee table. It was in an envelope with my name on it. I started to tear it open when Sheriff Knoxx's voice carried through the room from the kitchen. I went in there to find a pot of coffee sitting between my dad, Trixie, and Eleanor. Rocky was lying at the back door, but unlike his normal self, he appeared to be wide awake, his head cocked to every sound. His ears stood on end. I wondered if he smelled vampire and skunk, too.
"Good morning," I said. "Full house today, huh?"
They all looked at me grimly as I came in. "What's wrong?" I asked.
Sheriff Knoxx sighed. "There was another attack last night. One of your neighbors."
"Our neighbors? Who?"
"Bettie Stokes."
"Bettie Stokes! Is she okay?"
Bettie was a seventy-year-old witch who lived about four houses down from us. She was always making cheese pies, which she gave out at Christmas parties She enjoyed feeding people, especially since her own family no longer lived in Sweetland. Her husband had died some years ago and her children had grown and moved away.
"She's fine," Sheriff Knoxx said. "Or rather, she will be. She's at Sweetland Hospital right now."
"When did it happen?" I asked.
"Just after we left the station last night."
"Oh, my roses. Russell! He was here! He and Colt got into a fight."
"I know, Eleanor and your dad already told me."
"He threatened me and Colt," I said. "He must have left here and gone straight to Bettie's. Poor Bettie."
"She's a tough old girl. She'll be all right. His teeth only pierced her skin. He didn't get any blood. Her familiar jumped on his back and scared him off."
I laughed. Bettie's familiar was a giant raccoon named Henry.
"Did you tell Colt all this before he left?"
There was a strange silence that followed my question. "Yeah, I told him," the sheriff finally said.
"What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"Like what?" Trixie asked.
"Like my nose is on backward."
They all exchanged a look. Eleanor kicked my dad under the table and he cleared his throat.
"Honey, Colt didn't think it was such a good idea for him to stay here anymore."
"It was only for one night. By the time we got back it was late and Russ had just attacked us. I asked him to spend the night."
"It's not that," my dad said. "Colt is welcome to spend the night any time he likes. It's just that, well..." He looked to Trixie and Eleanor for help.
Eleanor turned to me. "Colt left, Ava."
My heart thumped. "What do you mean? Like he went home to change?"
"No," Sheriff Knoxx said. "He left Sweetland Cove. He thought we were safer here without him. That if it was his blood Russell was after, then he was only dragging us down by staying here."
"That's ridiculous," I said.
"We all argued with him, Ava. None of us could convince him to stay."
"Why didn't someone wake me?"
"He asked us not to," Eleanor said.
"Since when does anyone here listen to others?"
The letter in my hand was shaking. I finished ripping the envelope open and let it fall to the floor as I pulled the sheet of paper from it. Colt's handwriting was scrawled across it.
Dear Ava,
You're not safe with me there, so I'm leaving. I need to get far away from everyone I care about and figure out a way to stop Russell. Once I do, I'll be back. I hope you understand.
Love,
Colt
Understand? Was he insane? Of course, I didn't understand. Now was when we needed him the most, more than ever. How could he not see that?
I put my shoes on angrily while everyone watched.
"Where are you going?" Trixie ventured.
"To find Colt and bring him back," I said.
"What if he doesn't want to be found?" asked Sheriff Knoxx.
"That's his problem."
"Good luck," Sheriff Knoxx said. "I hope you do."
* * *
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
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Lucy looked at me over her coffee. "I'm not sure this is such a good idea," she said.
She pursed her lips and looked around, as if people could hear us talking. I reminded her that was impossible in the Coffee Cove. There were far too many enchantments around each table. No one could hear anything we were saying.
"It's the only way," I told her.
"What if something goes wrong?"
"It won't."
Lucy scoffed. "You can't be sure of that."
I licked my lips, trying to think of the right thing to say to get her to agree with me.
"Okay, yeah, fine, you're right. There's no way I can guarantee my safety, but remember that it's my safety that we're talking about. No one else's.
"Yeah, I'm very aware of that, Ava. That's my whole problem. Why don't you let me stay with you tonight? I'll spread the rumors you're all alone, crying your eyes out over Colt, just like you want. But wouldn't it seem more believable if I were there to comfort you? Just like I would if this was real?"
I sighed. My plan to capture Russell all by myself was not working out. I'd sat up all night trying to figure things out. I needed a way to lure Russell to my house. A way to actually get my aunts and father out for the night at the same time. I'd initially thought I could get to Russell during bakery hours but had quickly realized that wouldn't work. Russell would want the cover of darkness. He thrived on darkness.
"Ava, are you listening to me?" Lucy whined.
"Yes. I hear you. Your points are valid, but I still think it's the only way."
Lucy frowned. She kept looking around and I suddenly realized it wasn't because she was afraid of being overheard, she was afraid that Russell might jump out of nowhere and attack us. I'd come in and laid it all out for her. No holding back.
I told her about Melbourne, about R
ussell, Colt's departure, all of it. The fact that she was still sitting here was a testament to her friendship. Most people would have bailed the second I mentioned a vampire attack. Not Lucy. She was fearless.
My plan wasn't perfect. I knew that. I would get Lucy to help me spread the word that Colt had run off, broken my heart, and left me alone to wallow in my own misery. I would be alone at the house, where Russell would come to find me because even if we were broken up, I was still the most likely one to know where Colt had gone to. Russell needed him; therefore he needed me.
When Russ got to my house, I would be waiting for him. Ready for him. He would think that he was coming to attack me, but I was the one who would do the attacking. I'd been by the Sweetland Library and gone through every single book they had on vampires. I'd even poured through the stuff online, and there was a lot of it. I had a stake, I had holy water, and I had garlic. I knew that sunshine wouldn't kill him, but Melbourne had admitted freely that stakes never failed. The holy water and garlic ideas I'd taken from the books and online sources. There were enough people who said it worked for me to believe it.
Planning to stake Colt's father was not exactly an easy decision, but it was the only way to bring Colt back, and the only way to stop any more deaths at the hands of him and Vlaski. Once Russell was gone, I would find a way to get to Vlaski. Maybe he would come for me when he heard I'd destroyed his right-hand man.
"If something goes wrong, and it almost certainly will," Lucy said, tapping her fingernails on the table, "what am I supposed to tell your dad? Huh? What about Eleanor and Trixie? They'll never forgive me if anything happens to you."
"If it makes you feel any better, Rocky, Tootsie, and Snowball will be there, too."
"They will?" Her eyes lit slightly from within, just enough hope that this might work out.
"Sure."
I actually wasn't sure at all. I'd wanted to get all the familiars out of the house, too, if I could, on the off chance they would somehow put Russell off and he wouldn't show up. Tootsie and Snowball had both expressed to me that they could smell vampires. I wasn't sure whether all familiars could and wondered if that could somehow keep Russell away. What if Snowy tried to do something to help me and it backfired?
"Okay, fine," I said, “you can come over when your shift is through."
"Yay. You've come to your senses."
"So, now will you help me?"
"Of course. How should I get started?"
"Just follow my lead."
I threw the coffee cup in front of me off the table. It shattered and the cold coffee still inside splattered everywhere. It drew attention. Even if no one could hear us, they could still see what was going on. I buried my head in my hands like I was crying.
"What are you doing?" Lucy whispered.
"I'm making sure that I'm seen. Remember to tell everyone you meet today how upset I am over Colt, okay?"
"Will do," she said and patted my back like she was comforting me.
I suddenly stood up and pushed the chair back hard enough so that it fell over. I made a big show of it, waving my hands wildly through the air. When I got away from our table and I knew people would be able to hear me, I let out a loud wail and threw myself onto the counter, startling the people who were working behind it.
Since leaving to work for Mayor Thomas, Megan had been replaced. The new kid stared at me, a little terrified and a lot uncertain. William Carney rushed over to me. "Ava, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
"Colt left. My boyfriend left. I'm never leaving the house again after today."
"There, there, now," William said, patting my back much like Lucy had done. "You go on home like you said. Get some rest, then later—"
"Later I'll be at home, eating ice cream by myself. Everyone else has somewhere to go tonight except for me."
I knew I was laying it on thick, but I had no idea where Russell was hiding and needed to make sure that word of my lonely demise reached him. That meant every single person in town had to know about it. I finally crawled off the counter and made my way outside, wailing and moaning the entire time. I caught one last look at Lucy, who was trying not to laugh.
"Poor Ava," she said loudly. "She shouldn't stay home alone all night. Not when she's feeling like this. I'll go over there after my shift."
William Carney looked around, uncertain whether Lucy was talking to him or someone else. I winked at her as I left. On the way home, I paused dramatically every few feet, kicking and screaming on the ground, until I'd finally made it home. I was acting a lot like a child throwing a tantrum, but that's what I wanted. I knew how the gossip mill around here worked, and I would use it to my advantage.
Around eight, my aunts and father rushed in, looked wild-eyed.
"Ava, honey, are you all right?" my dad asked. He sat next to me on the couch and scrutinized my appearance, looking for signs or symptoms of illness.
"Yeah, why? You guys are home early tonight, aren't you?"
Now came the second hardest part of the evening.
Eleanor looked at Trixie, a confused expression on her face. "Well, we thought, that is, we heard that you were a little... unsettled about Colt's leaving the other day."
"Oh, that, no, I'm fine." I popped another potato chip in my mouth and flipped the channel on the TV. "I'm just looking for a good horror movie. Wanna watch one with me?" My family hated horror movies.
"Ava," Trixie said, "I'm confused."
"About what?"
"Well, Lottie Mudget came into the bakery a little while ago and told us that you were roaming around town all day like you were about to jump off a bridge or something."
"That's ridiculous," I told them. "I'm fine. Besides, Colt's letter wasn't a breakup. He's just worried about me, that's all. It was sweet, actually. He'll come back eventually. He did last time. I'm not bent out of shape about it."
I could tell they were all weighing my words, trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't. "Seriously, guys. I'm fine."
My dad looked at Eleanor. "Maybe I should cancel my date with Sadie for the evening."
My heart started beating double time. Keep calm. "Don't be ridiculous, Dad. Lottie Mudget is a worse gossip than Margaret Binford was, you know that. Only half of what she says is ever true."
"More like a quarter, if you ask me," Trixie interjected. I smiled, grateful.
"Precisely. What I don't understand is why any of you would take her word over mine."
They started looking guilty now. I wished I didn't have to lie like this. I was the one who should feel guilty, but if my plan worked then Russell would be caught and Colt could come home. Sweetland Cove would be safe again.
"Okay," my dad finally said, rubbing the top of my head like I was still two. "Sorry we doubted you."
"Did you guys close the bakery early just to come home and check on me?" I asked. They nodded sheepishly. I shook my head. "Go out, have fun."
"So, you're staying in, then?" Trixie asked.
"Yeah, Lucy's coming over when she gets off. We're watching movies and eating ice cream."
That seemed to satisfy them. If Lucy was here that meant I wouldn't be alone. An hour later, I had the place to myself. I even managed to convince the familiars to go outside and play tag. This time, Rocky was 'it.'
I gathered everything together. A vial of holy water from that ancient church around the corner from the bakery, a baggie filled with crushed-up garlic, and a stake. I'd gotten the stake from Dale's hardware. It was really more like a two by four, but I had carved it to a point at one end. From what I had read, that was all I needed for a proper stake. There were no specifics like the type of wood or size or anything like that. It just needed to be wood. If I could get a toothpick into Russell's heart, even that would work.
I hid everything behind some pillows on the couch and tried to act normal in case Russell was watching me. I made popcorn and checked the time. It was almost ten. Lucy would be here soon. There was a soft creak from the stairs. I
turned to see him standing on the bottom landing, watching me. I'd never even heard him come in.
I jumped, even though I'd been expecting him. It was startling to see someone standing in your house that you hadn't let inside.
"So, Colt left." He stated it as fact, not a question.
"That's right," I said. My throat was dry again. It seemed like it was always dry lately. "So, you have no reason to be here." I was trying to play it cool. Scared victim, not ferocious vampire hunter. I made my way toward the couch, toward the pillows.
"I assume you know where he is."
"Why would you assume that?" I asked.
He took a step forward. "Ava, I need you to tell me where I can find him."
"Why?"
"You know why. He's the last piece of the puzzle. I need him to complete my mission."
"Your mission? You make it sound like you're an astronaut. You're nothing but a killer intent on taking down the world around you."
"It's what I came here to do."
"What happened to you? You used to be one of COMHA's top agents. How could you go from that to this?"
His smile faltered. "Tell me where Colt is, and I won't hurt you."
My legs were touching the couch. I lunged at the pillows, flipped them back, and grabbed the holy water. I threw it on Russell. It stained his face, drizzling off his chin and down to this shirt.
He looked at the wet spot on his shirt and shook his head.
"Got you!" I cried triumphantly. Russell wiped the water from his eyes and took a step forward.
"Holy water?" he laughed. "Didn't you check with Melbourne before trying something so stupid?"
My triumphant cry faded fast. "You mean... holy water doesn't work?"
"Of course not. That's an old wives’ tale."
"Oh."
I grabbed the bag of garlic and flung it at him. A few pieces went down the front of his shirt. He looked at it, picked one off his shoulder, and put it in his mouth. "You're joking, right? I love garlic."
