Dead End Diner: Book one

by Bea Biddle

  “Where is Alyssa?” he asked, cutting into her thoughts.

  “Some Witch business or the other," Karen answered, trying to sound casual. Adding a careful shrug.

  “And Sly?”

  “He told me to take his coffin for the day, he would rest elsewhere,” she recited from memory. Cef nodded at that, folding his arms over his chest, still staring at the tv. Now back in the studio talking about the weather. More snow, go figure. His jaw clenched, she could almost hear his teeth grinding together along with the wheels in his head. She hesitated, but forced herself to ask anyway, “Are- are you leaving now? Going to patrol?”

  Cef rolled his head to look at her, his features softened remarkably fast. "Do you want me to go?" he asked. She shook her head furiously, biting her lip again. He grinned, that crooked, oh so sexy, devilish grin that made her melt inside. The satyr grin. "Are you done?" he asked, meaning the pancakes that they had devoured. Not a crumb left. She nodded. "Then ask me to stay."

  “Stay, please,” she breathed, knowing exactly what was to come, her body throbbing at the idea. Then she shrieked in surprise. Cef had swung her from the desk and thrown her over his shoulder as if she was a bag of potatoes. He marched determinedly out of the office. "What the-? Where are we going?"

  “There's a coffin waiting for us.”

  “In a coffin, Cef?” She couldn't stop her excited laughter. “I'm going to need therapy.”

  Nineteen.

  The lid creaked a little when Karen finally tiptoed out of the coffin. She stretched and yawned, feeling more rejuvenated than she had in years. She had slept like a log, the coffin was more comfortable than she remembered, and snuggling close to Cef had her feeling nice and warm and protected. It was as if the last couple of days hadn't even happened.

  Cef was still sleeping. She glanced at his naked form, sprawled inside the oversized coffin, one leg hanging out over the side, his broad chest rising and falling with every deep breath. He was so beautiful. In a completely rugged and barbaric warrior way, she quickly added in her mind, but still, devastatingly beautiful to her. She decided to leave him there, it felt like he needed the sleep.

  Finding her phone in the discarded pajama pants, she saw it was late, too late, she had overslept. Oh no, the dinner rush! She didn't have spare clothes, there was no time to get any, she would have to work in her mother's ugly pajamas. Great. She cast another glance at the coffin as she bolted through the door, hopping on one leg as she pulled up her pants, she couldn't help but smile to herself at the sight of him in there. She was definitely going to need therapy, she was a sick, sick individual.

  She ran up the stairs and into the kitchen. Pete was in full swing, plates of meat being pushed out through the window in the wall. He was always busy, always looked like a hurricane of meat juice and mince and knives and plates, but today he seemed faster than usual.

  Zac's head appeared in the window as he grabbed a few plates. "Good evening, Karen," he greeted her with a smile, but he was huffing and puffing as he flicked his hair out of his flustered face. "Transformation week is just around the corner, the Weres are hungry, and literally starving if you ask them. Without any Demon sightings since last night, everything is almost back to normal here." He grinned at her. "I could do with some help."

  "Is Sylvester back yet?" she asked as she tied on her apron. For the first time since she started working there, she felt her stomach drop at the thought of going out there. Vamps. She would encounter Vamps. She really didn't want to walk out there. How could she face one again? The thought made her feel sick to her stomach.

  "No, he hasn't shown up yet, he was supposed to be here by now," Zac said, trying to balance too many plates at once. "Have something to eat first, though. Don't worry about me." He shot her an apologetic smile as he disappeared. Karen groaned. She couldn't leave him hanging. She picked up her notepad. There was no time to brush her teeth, instead, she popped several pieces of gum in her mouth at once, rushing her chewing. She snuck a peek through the swinging doors into the diner, allowing a second of mental preparation.

  Every table was filled, every stool occupied, but not a Vamp in sight. Instead, Weres filled the diner, scoffing down everything on their plates in a frenzy. She had blissfully forgotten how they ate during transformation week, she shuddered at the sight.

  A kiss on her neck made her turn. It was Cef, fully dressed, with a steamy cup of coffee. "I'll get out of your way tonight, but I'll be back later. If I ask you to stay here, and not run off putting yourself in danger, would you?"

  "You're leaving? But the Demons? Aren't they still looking for you?" Karen asked.

  Cef drank his coffee in one mouthful and placed his cup on the table. It was immediately removed by Pete and dumped in the soapy water in the sink. "Efficient, isn't he?" he asked, dodging the question. Karen raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him and he added, "I'll be fine, Karen, I need to see for myself that they've gone."

  "And if they haven't?"

  "They definitely haven't." He kissed her, lingering as long as he could allow himself on her lips, before walking out through the doors, leaving her in the kitchen with Pete.

  ✽✽✽

  Zac had somehow managed to reattach the bell to the door, but every time she heard it Karen held her breath. Every single time the door opened she expected a Vamp, but not a single one showed up that night. The place was crawling with Weres demanding raw meat and they kept Karen on her toes, had her running back and forth between the kitchen and the tables. As soon as a few Weres left, their spaces quickly filled up again. Between her and Zac they could barely keep up with the demand and often had to deliver the bad news of a longer waiting period. That was usually Sylvester's job, he had a way with customers, even starving Weres. Despite her wish to never see another Vamp again, she was missing him.

  Not until the sun’s rays started showing outside did the Weres start clearing out. Once the last one had walked through the door, Karen collapsed on a chair. "That was exhausting!" she huffed at the ceiling.

  "Yes, that was a bit of a rush, wasn't it?" Zac agreed from behind the counter. "We could really have used Sly."

  Karen nodded. Stupid Vamp, staying away, she growled in her head. She didn't want to miss him. But it wasn't the diner without him, he was supposed to be there. She didn't say any of those things out loud, instead, she landed on a simple, "Yeah."

  "Zac, bring me a glass of white wine, please. And quick." Alyssa had appeared in the middle of the diner, surprising both Karen and Zac. She sat down on a chair by Karen, moving slowly, as if highly exhausted. Zac nodded and scrambled to fish out the bottle from the small fridge under the counter. He filled up a beer glass instead of a wine glass, but Alyssa nodded approvingly and gave him a thankful smile when he placed it in front of her, then drank from it like she had been thirsting for days. "That was good," she breathed and slammed the glass down with a loud clang. "Those damned Witches think everything can just wait until they decide they can be bothered. But they are now on their way here so we can close that damned rift and be done with these last Demons. Everything will go back to normal. How has your night been? Busy I assume? Transformation week starts tomorrow after all."

  “So many Weres," Karen agreed in a tired sigh. "Not a single space for Vamps. not that any has shown up tonight," she said, "It's so strange."

  "Is it? Is it really strange?" Alyssa asked her. "Don't tell me you don't know?" Karen didn't. She could only give Alyssa a blank stare. "Sylvester asked them to stay away from this place for a while. Damn him. And just because of your little mishap." She got off the chair and stretched, her bones cracking loudly. "It's costing me money, that bleeding heart of his." She scoffed.

  "I never asked him to do that," Karen blurted out. She didn't trust what she was hearing, Alyssa must have been mistaken. Sylvester wouldn't do that for her. Surely. "They're all sick anyway, I mean Vamps," she grumbled.

  "Sick? Yes, very," Alyssa agreed with a nod. "I guess we're lucky to have Sylve
ster still, I didn't think he'd last this long. Pain in the ass he might be, but he's still my employee.”

  "What do you mean?" Karen asked.

  "We lose a lot of vampires each year. The vampire population is quite thin. It takes a rather special kind of person to be a Vamp, most can't take it for more than a hundred years or so, even less sometimes. It's not fun, Karen, watching your loved ones die, watching the world change without changing with it. Without any apparent end to anything, least of all them. Suicide runs in their heads most of the time I believe. Sylvester has been a special case, he's holding on, I don't quite know why. He must be made of stronger stuff." Alyssa looked around the room, examining the surroundings. "Where is that damn Vamp anyway?"

  "He- He didn't show up today," Karen stuttered, worrying a nail between her teeth.

  "Costing me money and then not showing up for work? See, that damn Vamp is just one headache after the other," Alyssa grunted.

  "Well, I mean, he does sleep out some days," Karen offered.

  "But he knows how to show up for work," Alyssa countered and stomped to her office. Karen heard her turn on the tv and then heard her curse loudly. Karen and Zac exchanged a look before both ran to her. "I can't believe I went to beg The Witches presence and the Demons are gone."

  The same reporter from yesterday was on the screen, no police this time but crowds of smiling people waved at the camera from behind him. "It has been over twenty-four hours since the gang known as the Demons were cornered on Fifth Avenue. They have caused wreckage and destruction all over town, but it appears their rampage is over, and they have completely disappeared from the streets. They have not been seen since. It is not known where they came from, or where they went to, but they are gone, to everyone's relief. The community clean-up of the streets has had a positive turn out and as you can see behind me, hundreds of volunteers are already on site to help out, even though it's only seven in the morning." He finished with a fake yawn, possibly for the amusement of the news presenters back in the studio seeing as they were the only ones laughing. "So, if you're watching this and you are in New York, come on down and help out. There's hot coffee and fresh buns available for-" Alyssa snorted and turned off the tv.

  "Of course, they are not gone," Cef said from the doorway, none of them had heard him come in. "I could smell them all over town. Something is brewing, I just don't know what. Is Sylvester back yet?" Both Karen and Zac shook their head. Cef growled under his breath. "I'm starting to get a really bad feeling.”

  ✽✽✽

  Another couple of days passed. There were no signs of the Demons. New York had gone back to normal, yet Cef could feel them, their scent wafted through the streets, taunting him.

  But it was Sylvester's disappearance that was on everyone's mind. Ever since Alyssa had told her about the tendency for suicide in Vamps, Karen had been on edge. She missed him dearly, even if he was a Vamp. And she regretted their last exchange of words, she felt guilty and ashamed for treating him as she had. He was her friend. He had proved that time and time again, no matter what other nonsense he had tried convincing her off. And she was more than worried.

  Cef was as well. He spent most waking moments searching for him, patrolling the cold streets for any sign, any clue of his whereabouts. He had found nothing and none of his usual contacts knew anything. He had barely slept the last two days, something that was beginning to show on his face.

  He was pacing up and down the diner floor, waiting for Karen. Each morning when they walked back to his apartment, he allowed himself to escape into her arms, allowed for his worries to be taken away for a few stolen moments, allowed for her to soothe him, to comfort him the way a Demon needed. The way she herself needed. And after, Karen demanded that he rested for at least a few hours. He complied, but that was all he allowed himself before he was back on his feet, marching the length of the city again and again.

  ”Cef," Alyssa said with a sigh, tapping her fingers on the long-stemmed wine glass in front of her. "Relax, please. You're getting on my nerves." She tried to appear at ease, but her booted foot swung frantically under the table, betraying her. She was agitated. She was waiting. They were all waiting for something to happen, something was in the air. Nothing felt safe, yet nothing appeared out of the ordinary except for Sylvester's absence.

  ”I wish I had found the rift, I wish I knew what was going on,” he stated with irritation, snorting at a wayward dread, blowing it out of his face. “The Witches are on their way, you say? I take it they know where it is then.” It was not a question.

  Alyssa huffed. "They are letting me keep you, Cef, that's all that matters now. Stay away from Demons. If The Witches think you're going to be causing more trouble they will change their mind. You know it doesn't take much."

  “I want to tear Tamas limb from limb,” Cef growled.

  Alyssa bit the inside of her cheek as she contemplated him. ”And I want you safe, Ceftion,” was all she was willing to say. Cef scoffed at her but didn't press her further. There was no point with Witches.

  A gentle knock on the door interrupted them. It stopped Cef from his pacing, Karen from wiping down tables, and Alyssa stood up, ramrod straight. The tension in the diner was evident, all expecting the worst at any moment. And then the head of the little, pudgy Mr. Thomas to pop into the diner. He closed the door after him, a nervous smile plastered on his face. He dapped his forehead with his white handkerchief before he cleared his throat. An obvious stalling tactic from the small man. ”Excuse me,” he addressed the room politely, ”I need to speak to Miss Edwards.” He stepped forward cautiously, eying the surroundings, especially Cef, with guarded hesitation.

  "Yes? Mr. Thomas, good morning," Alyssa greeted briskly.

  "Ah, yes, there you are,” he said with a chuckle, ”And a good morning to you, too. Bit cold isn't it? Though-”

  ”Mr. Thomas.” Alyssa's sharp voice cut through his further stalling. ”Please?” she said, softening her approach.

  Mr. Thomas swallowed audibly, nodding at her. "Well, there is no easy way to say this, I'm afraid," he started. Taking off his hat, letting his bald head shine in the lamplight, holding it with shaky hands that clenched and unclenched around it, he wiggled his nose and his handlebar mustache moved up and down. Karen wanted to yell at him to get to the point. "But, it appears- Well, it doesn't just appear to have been, it most certainly has been. I'm afraid your vault has been broken into."

  ”My what?" Alyssa shrieked. Wind coming from seemingly nowhere blew around her, chairs scraped and screeched along the ground. Mr. Thomas held on to a table in order to stay upright, his poor mustache flapped in the gust of air that almost knocked him to the ground, losing all shape.

  ”Exactly how did this happen?” Cef was by Mr. Thomas side so fast he didn't see him coming. He had the small man by the collar of his jacket, lifting him up from the ground to face him, his feet dangling in the air. He growled angrily and gave him a shake, roaring at him, ”How did you let this happen? How? How did this happen?”

  ”We- we- we don't know,” Mr. Thomas struggled against Cef's iron grip, attempting to cower and hide but he was trapped in the Demon's clutches. And a furious Demon was not something he could easily deal with. ”It was a normal day, everything was as it should be. Nothing out of the ordinary. But they were upon us so fast, we were taken by complete surprise. There was so much smoke, we could not see. My Witches, my Witches, Witches trained for every emergency were taken completely off guard. They stormed the place, these Demons. We have no clue as to how they knew about us, or how they knew to go straight for that vault. But they did, and they did.” Mr. Thomas clawed at Cef's large hand to no avail. “We managed to exterminate a handful of them, but they just turned to dust in our hands as the rest of them made their escape.”

  ”Your vaults are supposed to be the safest.” Cef spat, giving Mr. Thomas another shake. ”What did they take?” He knew what they had taken, knew what had happened the minute Mr. Thomas crossed the threshold, but
he needed to hear the words before he could let himself react.

  "The stones, the stones," Mr. Thomas stuttered. His face was turning alarmingly red. “They escaped with the stones.”

  "Put him down, Cef," Alyssa ordered, "Now." Cef dumped the short man on the floor. He stood up and dusted himself off. "You may leave, Mr. Thomas," Alyssa said, smoothing her hair from her face and straightened her coat that the wind had rearranged. ”You can trust that I will come by shortly to survey the damage. Off you go."

  ”Yes, Miss Edwards, Thank you.” Mr. Thomas nodded at her gratefully, bowed several times before he bolted out the door.

  "How can you stand there so calm?" Cef growled at her. "They have the stones now. It doesn't take a genius to link it to Sylvester's disappearance either, or to the Demons suddenly retreating. They have Sylvester, and now they have the stones."

  "Easy Cef. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. This will be dealt with," Alyssa said, "The important thing for you to do now is just to stay calm."

  "Stay calm?" Cef spat, he reached for his coat that was slung over the back of a chair, "Stay calm? Sly is important to me, Alyssa, don't tell me to stay calm when I know who has him, I know who's holding him. Where are they?"

  ”He's important to me, too, Cef," Alyssa hissed, "But I have my orders."

  ”I don't give a damn about your orders!" he bellowed, loud enough to make even Alyssa flinch. "Where are they?" Narrowing his eyes at her, his nostrils flaring, his hands fisted around his coat. She still said nothing. She huffed, her jaw clenched tightly. Eventually, she took a deep breath, but instead of speaking, she exhaled slowly, shaking her head. "I know that you know," Cef continued, his voice cracking, straining as he tried to keep it under control. "Dammit, Alyssa. You somehow always know. Tell me where they are, where they have him. Where the rift is."

  Alyssa's face was hard as stone, returning the look he gave her. "I can't help you, Ceftion."

  Cef's muscles tightened as he stared her down. An unspoken conversation passed between them. Cef broke the moment, turning away with an impatient huff. "I need to find him, Alyssa."