Chris growled in frustration. He had to leave. He couldn't be caught here. How could he possibly explain what had just happened?
Evie's friend, Lucy, came out of the café, carrying a heavy, worn-looking coat. She saw Chris standing next to Evie and frowned, her eyes drifting to the bay window seat Chris had been perched on only a minute before. Chris could see the wheels turning in her head, a million questions coming to the surface. He cursed under his breath. This was exactly why he had to leave.
He crossed the street to Lucy and picked up the coat from her hands. She was an easy connection.
"I came out after your friend, understand?" Chris asked. "Whatever you think you saw, you didn't. You're mistaken."
She nodded, a dazed look on her face.
"I pulled her away at the last possible second but I was just a patron. You don't know who I am. OK?" Chris asked.
She blinked up at him.
"Answer me, Lucy."
"Yes," she said.
"Good," Chris said, sighing in relief. "Now, be a good girl and call 911."
She nodded, her hand already drifting to a pocket in her apron.
He turned around and marched back to Evie. She had slumped against a parked car, her eyes on him. She was swimming in his coat, the sleeves longer than her arms. At least she looked warmer. She saw the coat in his hands and her lips tugged down in disappointment. Chris handed her the coat and watched as she shrugged out of his coat and handed it to him. He put his coat on and paused. It smelled like her. He might never take it off again.
He heard the sirens of ambulances and police cars in the distance.
"I have to go," he said.
"What?" she asked, snapping away from her spot. "But the police-"
"I can't talk to the police." Chris could see a million questions on her face. He snapped at that. "Don't make me regret saving you, Evie."
She staggered back a step, her lips parting as she gasped.
Chris felt bad about that, but he couldn't get involved.
"A patron, someone you'd never seen before, pulled you out and then walked away," he said. "It's the truth. Nothing I can say will change that."
She nodded, not meeting his eyes.
Chris stood there for a moment, feeling conflicted. Part of him wished he could take back what he said, but another part knew he was doing the right thing. He had to think of his clan. People started rushing to Evie, regulars at the café and coworkers. No one spared him a glance. Chris sighed in frustration and turned to walk away. Each step was a struggle. People were clustering around Evie now. They were asking her if she was OK, if she needed a doctor.
"Chris," Evie called.
He turned around. They were on opposite sides of the street now. But at that moment, with their eyes locked across the space like that, he felt like he was right next to Evie.
"Thank you," she said, her voice a whisper lost in the chaos around her.
He nodded at her, his lips tugging in a smile.
Chris forced himself to keep moving down the street, walking without looking back. He had to put as much distance between himself and the crash as possible.
But he knew he would be back for Evie. Soon.
Chapter 14
The myths were gathered at Moonlight, in the back, secret rooms good ol' earthlings couldn't get to. The place was owned and run by elves. It was a safe, neutral ground. Elves had washed their hands clean of the whole vampire affairs and petty squabbles.
Besides the elves Switzerland-like attitude, Moonlight had an extra feature that made it attractive to all myths: the secret back rooms. Since Moonlight was a nightclub that earthlings also visited, the myths did most of their myth-like things in these secret dens. That was where the succubi and the incubi stayed, where they could have the bizarre, magical drinks the elves loved so much. It was where they could take their glamoured "blood donors" or play card games with potions and amulets. Once a month these rooms were used for something called The Random Market, a gathering of shady mythological characters that a group of renegade witches ran for their own shady purposes. It was said that one could find anything at the Random Market... all they had to do was ask.
This particular December evening, the Random Market was buzzing with activity. Myths from all parts of the world had flocked to Thunder Bay and they all wanted something.
Tamara was having tea with her aunt and uncle. Her eyes slid from time to time to the men and women walking around, keeping an eye on the events and making sure everybody played fair. They all wore coats in shades of white and golden, pins of eastern dragons. These renegade witches were called, fittingly, White Coats.
Aunt Sandra followed Tamara's stare. She let out a disgusted tsk sound. "Queen Vanessa really should look into these White Coats."
"You think they're dangerous?" Tamara asked.
"They have their fingers in every pie of the Witching Realm, which makes them untouchable." Aunt Sandra shook her head. "I don't like it."
"For a small group to come out of Brazil and start doing business with everyone like that..." Uncle Baltus let his disapproval hang in the air, like his words. He turned to Tamara and gave her a bright smile. "How about a shot of something stronger for this cold evening?" He turned to Aunt Sandra and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Maybe some Strawberry Passion for my little strawberry?"
Aunt Sandra swatted Uncle Baltus's arms playfully.
"Maybe later, sweetie." Aunt Sandra winked at her husband. "But I think Tamara is old enough to have Honeysuckle, don't you think?"
Uncle Baltus leaned back. "Are you sure?"
Tamara gasped. Honeysuckle was one of the drinks witches weren't supposed to have. She'd be high as a kite for hours, until her faster-than-normal metabolism burned it.
Aunt Sandra nodded.
Uncle Baltus picked up her hand and started doing a disgustingly accurate Gomez Addams impressions. "Oh, Tish, I love it when you-"
"Oh my Gods!" Tamara rolled her eyes. "Please, stop."
They both laughed at Tamara.
"Three Honeysuckles coming right up!"
Uncle Baltus left Tamara and Aunt Sandra alone.
Tamara followed her uncle with her eyes, suddenly uneasy to be left alone with her aunt. Tamara would be lying if she said Aunt Sandra's reaction to her friendship to Lucy and Evie hadn't stung. It wasn't just her suspicion; it was also the fact that she couldn't see all the wonderful things Tamara saw in her two friends.
"I'm sorry,” Aunt Sandra said.
Tamara's attention snapped back to her aunt.
"Sometimes I still see that little girl who offered candy to every stranger that passed her by instead of the young woman you really are." Aunt Sandra leaned closer and patted Tamara's hand. "If you trust your earthling friends, I'm sure they are worthy of it."
Tamara relaxed, her lips curling into a smile. "Thank you."
"The Murray girl looks nice enough." Aunt Sandra sighed. "If a little silly, but-"
Tamara nodded. She loved Lucy, but she was silly.
Aunt Sandra looked towards the cart the elves used as a mobile bar. She laughed.
Tamara followed her stare. Uncle Baltus was trying to balance three glass bottles with amber, swirly liquid inside in his hands and nearly dropping everything.
"Please, Tamara, help him... before he pulls a muscle or something."
"Sure." Tamara and her aunt exchanged a last smile before the girl jogged to her uncle. "Need any help?"
Uncle Baltus, who Tamara had seen fight three goblins during training, looked completely mystified by the small bottles.
"Are the bottles giving you a hard time?"
"They're super cold." Uncle Baltus straightened his back, trying to look dignified. "You know how I feel about cold things."
Tamara took one of the bottles from her uncle's hand. She caught sight of a tank being pushed by five burly men in white coats. A mermaid was inside. Her skin had that blue glow of the merfolk while her tail and hair were an odd color, between
pink and violet.
She swam in her tank, happy to be seen.
Tamara opened her mouth to say something when she heard Uncle Baltus hissing low next to her.
"What the fuck?"
Her head snapped. Uncle Baltus never cursed.
She spotted the earthling just as easily as her uncle. Witches felt the energy around them; each thing had its own pattern. In a sea of different energy signatures, an earthling’s low hum was easy to spot. He was a few feet away from Aunt Sandra, who was staring at the tank and waving at the mermaid, a smile on her lips.
The earthling, a young man, removed his long coat. He was wearing a vest covered in explosives. Something that looked like a remote control was in his hand.
Tamara dropped her bottle of Honeysuckle and started running towards Aunt Sandra.
"DIE SUPERNATURAL SCUM!" The young man screamed.
He pressed a button and the world exploded.
Want more Her Blood Sings?
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Disclaimer:
Copyright© 2014 by Vivian Wolkoff
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, are coincidental and not intended by the author.
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Her Blood Sings: Episode 01 Page 7
