Silverthorn (5 page)

“Quiet, Lulu!” I said. She obeyed immediately but a groan lingered in her throat like a car engine sounded with the gear stuck in park. She showed her incisors as well and appeared willing to use them at my command. I found it fascinating (and somewhat humorous, despite the circumstances) that she believed she could tear Darius into pieces.

“Why do you want the sword so badly?” I asked.

“Because…” He grinned even wider. “Zephora wants it.”

Knowing that I had something they both
needed
sent a sliver of confidence through me. It didn’t completely settle my nerves, but I breathed easier. “She’s not the only one. Mephisto wants it as well.”

His eyebrows drew inward, pensive. After a few moments of uncertainty, revealing that he didn’t know the shapeshifter, he looked at Kendall. “The sword is more valuable than her. I imagine the opposite is true for you.”

My friend’s mouth dropped open, but she didn’t utter a word.

I had no doubt that Darius could kill Kendall with ease, but he needed her alive, so he could torment me with the
possibility
that he might kill her. However, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t kill Brandon to convince me of his serious intentions. Fearing that Darius might resort to that plan of action made it difficult for me to respond…until another idea popped into my mind. “I could say the same thing about you with regard to
The Book of Souls
.”

He chortled. “That’s a myth. It never existed.”

“Just because you’ve never seen it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

“In all that time, I have never seen any of your ancestors consult a book containing magical spells.” Darius looked deep into my eyes.

I felt the familiar pluck in my mind that occurred when Alexis had tried pushing thoughts into my head. But unlike my sister, who used that skill like a blunt instrument, Darius caressed my mind with reasons to comply:
isn’t Kendall’s life more important than a sword? Friends are more significant than material possessions, are they not? Wouldn’t Kendall save you if our positions were reversed?

Kendall licked her lips and cringed, as though doing her best to fight the impulse to comply with Darius’s commands: most likely silence and conformity. Then her resistance folded. Her face implored me to give in to Darius’s demands.

“Serena?” Darius asked. “Eyes on me, please.”

“Of course.” I complied as requested. A light buzz hummed in my mind, making everything serene. “Yes, our friendship is more important than material objects.” I enjoyed the calming influence that settled in my head. There was no stress or indecision. Everything was peaceful.

“I seek only the sword. Hand me the item I request, and I shall not harm your friend.”

“Yes,” I said and turned around. “I’ll get it for you.”

Lulu didn’t turn with me. She dug her paws into the carpet as though about to launch herself at Darius. Then she started barking.

As I turned back toward my puppy, another thought entered my mind:
invite me inside. I can help you search for The Book of Souls.
I bent down with a smile and petted Lulu’s head and neck. “We should invite him in. It’s rude to keep visitors waiting outside.”

Lulu barked at me.

Yes, please invite me inside. We can chat over a cup of coffee
.

I nodded. “That sounds nice…”

Lulu lunged toward me and threw her paws onto my forearms, barking louder than ever before. “What’s wrong, Lulu? It’s impolite to be rude to guests.”

Lulu barred her teeth and dug her nails across my skin.

The intensity of her bark and the scraping of nails across my skin cleared the haze from my mind. It felt like I’d waken from a dream state.

Invite me inside.

Ignoring the foreign voice in my head, I blinked and shook my head to offset my momentary confusion. He’d compelled me to follow his orders! I was ashamed to have fallen under his control so easily. From here on out, I had to be mentally alert at all times to avoid a repeat offense.

“No,” I said, meeting Darius’s gaze, feeling pride sift through my pores at the idea of winning this small victory. “You cannot enter my house.” I looked down at Lulu, who backed away and stopped barking. Her tail wagged as she licked her lips. My dread disappeared as my heart exploded with affection for the only other member of my family. “You just saved our lives, Little Lu!”

She jumped up and tapped her right paw against my hand.

“That’s my girl!” I exhaled, feeling like myself again as I looked at Darius. “Nice try. But you’re not getting the sword.”

Kendall smiled. Her eyes no longer looked clouded from outside influence. It seemed Lulu’s barking had also freed her from Darius’s mind-control tactics. “Good. No one person is worth giving up the sword.” Although the firmness in her voice made it clear she meant those words, she couldn’t stop her hands from trembling.

I appreciated how my friend would sacrifice herself for the better good of humanity, but I could never do that to her. Just as important, I couldn’t do that…because I didn’t know how I’d go on if I’d lost her after losing Grams. Although I also counted Brandon as my best friend, Kendall and I shared intimate details about everything, and we had ever since meeting in middle school. I couldn’t lose her! Not now. Not ever.

But I couldn’t let him know how deeply I cared about her. “I’ll give you anything you want, but not the sword.”

Darius smirked. “You have nothing else I want.” Then he blinked a few times, and his head lolled to the side, directing his attention to Kendall. “This can’t be right.” He opened his eyes wide, but a second later his eyelids partially closed…and he yawned. “What did you do? I haven’t yawned since…” Intensity returned to his eyes. “You drank alcohol before I picked you up!”

I recalled Darius stating that vampires who drank from the living were influenced by whatever lingered in that human’s blood. Not only that, but the affects were amplified ten-fold.

“It’s not like we’re an item or anything,” Kendall said with the stirrings of a smile on her lips. “Technically, you kidnapped me.”

I couldn’t have hoped for better luck. I also remembered Darius saying that, as the first vampire, he didn’t need to consume blood unless he bled out, and only vampires he sired needed regular infusions of blood. I presumed that, because his blood was so pure and hadn’t mixed with human blood in who-knows-how-long, it took awhile for the chemical properties in the alcohol to penetrate his bloodstream.

“Right before he snatched me outside the venue,” Kendall said, “I had a couple shots backstage with the headlining band.”

“So,” I said, turning my attention to Darius to sum things up. “You’ve basically just had twenty shots of liquor.”

He spun his head towards me as though it was a bobblehead, and he wavered in place on unsteady legs. He removed both hands from my friends’ shoulders to regain his balance.

“Whoa,” Brandon said, grabbing Darius’s arm. His body immediately straightened, and he appeared more alert. “Hey,” he said, a grin perking his upper lip. “I feel…strong!” He turned to Darius, and with a flick of the wrist, pushed the vampire backwards with ease.

Darius staggered backwards about six or seven feet before righting himself.

“We just defeated a master vampire!” Brandon said and turned to Darius with a grin. “You just got beat by a girl, a little doggie, and a guy who pounds sticks on a drum kit.” He laughed. “You should be Dr. Evil’s sidekick.” He lifted his left eyebrow and put a pinky finger to his lips.

“No, Brandon,” Kendall said. “Let’s leave the drunk vampire alone, okay?”

Darius’s potent blood apparently allowed him to recover from the alcohol’s affects incredibly quickly. He stood straight and glared at us. Then, he charged toward the front door.

Kendall and Brandon rushed into my house a second before Darius ran forward, barely stopping in time to avoid banging into the invisible barrier that prevented unwelcome vampires from entering my home.

Kendall no longer appeared relieved but ashamed, disgusted. “The only problem is…Darius compelled me to…to…”

“What?” I asked, fearful of what she might say. “What did he make you do?”

Darius had difficulty standing upright, but only for a few moments. Soon enough, he began to regain his poise. With a mere shake of his head, he seemed to have returned to normal.

His nearly undiluted blood had overpowered the aftereffects of the alcohol. So while the effects were magnified, so was the time Darius needed to combat those same effects.

A smirk returned to his face. He lifted his left wrist, which had a tiny tear, revealing a smidge of blood. “I convinced your friend to sample some of my blood.”

I flinched as though Darius had attempted to hit me. My stomach dropped, and it felt like my life force had left my body.

His grin brightened. “My blood has already mixed with hers. Even though it is a foreign substance, it does not act like alcohol or illegal substances and let her natural body functions flush it out of her system. It remains inside her.” Darius released a patronizing grim. “If Kendall happens to die with my blood in her system, she will be reborn as a vampire. Think of it as my insurance policy on reclaiming the Soul Sword. You see, I may very well decide to send every creature her way over the next three days in hopes that they end her life. Unless, of course, you would prefer to hand over the sword now. In that instance, I would be happy to rescind my orders.”

“Never!” Kendall said, stepping forward with a determined look on her face. “You’re not getting the sword. Besides, I can just stay here. Vampires can’t come inside, so I’ll just wait three days.”

“Indeed, you have that option. But homes do occasionally catch on fire. In those cases, those inside most often exit to save their lives. Granted, house fires are rare. But accidents do happen.” He smile grew.

“You are truly sick,” I said.

“I am only sick of your stubbornness. I’ve provided you with various options. Keep in mind I will send creatures your way, which may include werewolves, demons, shapeshifters and the like. They are not bound by the rules that forbid vampires from entering a home without an invitation.”

“All of this because you love a woman who died centuries ago?” I asked. “Loyalty like that is touching…if you didn’t love such a psychopath.”

“What would you know of romance or lifelong commitment and dedication? You’re barely old enough to drink a pint of—”

“Blood? Sorry. Not interested. I prefer water. It keeps my skin soft. And it’s way better for my complexion, so…”

Before responding to my remarks, Darius stepped back. “By all means, continue with your childish outbursts. Persist with your disrespect. It only increases my desire to turn your friend into a nightwalker. You should know that, when it occurs, it will be...all your fault.” He bowed. “I suspect we’ll be seeing each other again soon. Good evening, ladies.” He spun around and walked away.

“Well,” Kendall said. “The next few days will be exciting.” She gave it a second thought. “That is…if I’m still alive a few days from now.”

CHAPTER FOUR

“Do you really think he’d burn down your house?” Kendall asked.

“Yes,” I said. “It would be a last resort, but he’d do it.” I didn’t want to linger on such a depressing thought, but I think we both needed to talk about what happened, so I redirected my thoughts. “Did you really drink blood from his wrist? You should have stopped and asked for a mug. It’s more conventional, not to mention more sanitary.”

The frown on her face revealed that she didn’t consider this a laughing matter. “I was completely dazed. I would have done whatever he asked. Part of me didn’t want to follow his orders, but he made it sound like the most reasonable thing to do.” She shivered.

I knew exactly what she meant. Lulu wagged her tail at my feet, drawing my attention. “And you saved our lives, didn’t you?” She whined and wagged her tail quicker. I reached down, scooped her into my arms, and kissed her forehead. I looked at Kendall and adopted the voice-over tone that countless advertisers had used in infomercials: “Do you have a vampire problem? Are they nesting in your home? Threatening to kidnap your kids and unload them at vamp camp? Then look no further than Little Lulu.”

While Kendall’s solemn expression softened a little, Brandon broke out laughing.

“Lulu has claws sharper than vamp fangs. So on each mission, rest assured that she can break any mental stranglehold. If you call now and place an order for Lulu to protect you for one mission, we’ll throw in a second mission for free! That’s right the Shih-Tzu vampires call Little Lucifer will clear out every vamp from your home. Operators are standing by, so call now!”

When Brandon’s laughter died down, Kendall’s somber expression returned.

Who could blame her? If one of the creatures Darius would inevitably send our way managed to kill her, she would turn into a vampire. I did my best to overlook the fact that, without my family history, she wouldn’t be worried about dying. The guilt from knowing she endured that torment made it difficult me to contemplate the predicament. Unlike me, however, she preferred not to broach the subject. Instead, she would ponder the situation by herself in private. I always thought seeking the advice and perspective of friends reduced some of the inner torment of agonizing circumstances, but Kendall never wanted to bother others with personal matters. In this instance, however, I was responsible for what happened to her, and as painful as it might be to face that truth, I needed to own up to that. I just wished she would allow me to help her work through this issue.

There was a knock at the door.

Lulu barked and squiggled in my arms, so I set her down. I had no illusions that Darius had returned. Doing so would make him appear weak. Besides, he wouldn’t have lingered, probably too eager to turn more humans into vampires, so he could send them after us. I looked through the peephole.

Celestina stood on the porch with a worried expression. Behind her, a cab waited at the curb.

I opened the door and Lulu sprang outside and sniffed at my niece’s shoes.

Celestina broke into a smile. “You got a dog?” She bent down and threw her arms around Lulu, who took in all of the affection with a grin of her own. Apparently, she needed only a moment to distinguish between those with good or bad intentions.

“Her name is Lulu. What are you doing here so late?” I asked, frantically looking her over to see if anyone had hurt her. I didn’t see any marks of abuse. Although that settled some of my anxiety, I still figured something had to be wrong. “Are you okay? Come on in.”

“I’m fine.” My niece stood up and walked into the house as Lulu jumped around her, eager to get as much attention as she could from yet another visitor.

I motioned for the cab driver to take off. I needed to tone down my puppy’s attention-seeking behavior, so I said, “Hey, Lulu. Chill!”

She sat down and panted, still wagging her tail, little whines escaping her mouth as though following my orders required the utmost obedience.

“Good girl,” I said, amazed that she seemed so in tune with me that she understood my commands and followed them. I turned to Celestina. “Now what happened? Why are you taking a cab here so late at night? It’s way past midnight.” Did Alexis even know her daughter had left the house? That question worried me more than Celestina’s unexpected visit. If so, and my sister was at home and happened to check on her daughter, she was probably beside herself with worry. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to bring that up now. Chastising my niece now wouldn’t garner any true confessions; she’d feel judged and unworthy of my trust.

“Granny isn’t,” she said, “Granny anymore. It’s weird. But I think she’s someone else now. She’s not mean anymore. She doesn’t yell or scream or anything. She’s not nice, either, but she’s not mean. And she talks funny. Most of the time she’s sleeping.”

“That’s because she’s not your grandmother. Last week, when we last saw each other, after you saved my life, you weren’t able to save her.” Seeing her confusion, I said, “You saved her
body
, but not her soul. That’s when Zephora, the first witch in our line, entered your grandmother’s body. Now she’s in control of it.”

“So Granny’s dead?”

“Yes.” I didn’t feel the least bit of sorrow at her passing, since she had physically abused Celestina, manipulated Alexis at every turn, not to mention collaborating with Zephora beyond the veil in an attempt to return her to the land of the living, so she could rule every paranormal creature.

“Good.” Her eyes filled with tears, probably out of relief. She lowered her head, ashamed. “She was so…evil! I hated her!”

I pulled her in close and pressed her against my side, holding her tight, feeling her frame hitch with every sob. I watched as Kendall silently drew Lulu away with a toy, so my niece and I could have some privacy.

“Mom thinks there’s nothing wrong with Granny, but she slurs her words a lot. It’s because of all the drinking she does, isn’t it? I looked it up on the Internet. That’s what happens when you drink too much. And she drinks too much, well, all the time. She’s…an alcoholic.” Her cheeks flinched and her shoulders protruded, as though admitting those words came with a physical cost she hadn’t expected.

I didn’t dare contradict her or defend my sister. Doing so could confuse or upset Celestina, so I just held her tightly as she cried.

“Mom’s never around. She’s always working or taking night classes or exercising. Or out meeting men.” She remained silent for a bit. “Are you mad at me for coming here?”

That simple question pushed moisture into my eyes. “No,” I said, smiling as I pulled away from her so she could see how much I cared for her. “You are
always
welcome here.”

Celestina met my grin with one of her own before turning away, probably feeling shy for revealing happiness.

That gesture told me that she often hid her emotions from others, fearing that they might judge her feelings. It burned me up inside, although not in the flame-throwing sense, and I took a few moments to regain my composure.

“So this is your place, huh?” Celestina asked, glancing around my living room. Even though she’d never visited, our line had the ability to sense each other’s presence at any given time, allowing everyone but me (except while astral projecting) to locate each other.

“Yep,” I said. If Grams hadn’t left me her home, I wouldn’t have had any place to live. “Would you like something to drink? Water? Lemonade?”

“I’ll take a vodka on the rocks,” she said.

Shocked, I did a double take, unsure what to say or do at that request.

“Relax, Aunt Serena.” She grinned. “That’s Mom’s favorite drink…at least when she’s not drinking right from the bottle.”

I couldn’t help but smile in relief. “Lemonade it is.” I went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, got out the pitcher, and filled up a glass. I held it out to Celestina, who took it and swilled it as though she’d spent the last two days wandering the desert in search of something to quench her thirst. “Have you eaten?”

“Aunt Serena, it’s, like, two o’clock. I’m usually asleep by now.”

It was her attempt at trying not to inconvenience me. “How about a ham and cheese sandwich? Or hey, I make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

Her eyes lit up. “Yes, please. And milk?”

“Of course.” I went about setting up a late night snack for her. “And cookies. We can’t forget cookies.” I dreaded asking my next question, but I had to push forward because I needed to know if she could be completely honest with me. “Celestina…I’m really glad you stopped by, but did you sneak out of the house to come here?”

She lowered her head and nodded.

At least Celestina knew when she had broken common parenting rules, although I had no idea if Alexis had set…any ground rules. “I’m not upset with you.” I put the peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a plastic plate, set it in front of her on the island in my kitchen where she sat on a stool, and then poured a glass of milk for her. “Am I disappointed in you? Yes. But I’m not upset.”

“But Mom’s always gone. How could I tell her? Tonight, she came home, slammed the door, and bumped into the walls in the hall until she went into her bedroom. I heard the bed springs pop, so I knew she fell into bed. A minute later, she was snoring.”

I wanted to scoop her back into my arms and tell her that no child should have to deal with such an errant mother.

“I can’t leave during the day. Granny…I mean, that woman doesn’t teach me the basics anymore.” Seeing my confusion, she said, “English and grammar? Science? Math? History?” She shook her head. “Now she teaches me magic for an hour. Then she falls asleep again. She’s always tired.”

I supposed Zephora was tired due to her unfamiliarity with human form, since she last inhabited an individual during the Great Depression. Furthermore, she slipped into a body whose previous tenant may have been a substance abuser, or so I suspected based on an offhand comment Alexis made the other day.

“What kind of magic does she teach you?” I asked.

“Stuff I never thought possible.” A wicked smile took shape. “I can do
sooo
much now.” She caught sight of Lulu, who stepped into the hall and looked in the other direction. “Check this out.” She unfurled an arm and pointed at Lulu.

My dog’s legs spun around so that she faced us. Whining in confusion, her legs plunked into the carpet in our direction against her will, releasing light howls as she did so in an attempt to break free of the mysticism forcing her onward.

“What are you doing?” I asked, appalled that Celestina would force a harmless dog against her will. “Stop it!”

“Why?” asked Celestina, puzzled. “I’m asking Lulu to come here. So I can pet her.”

“You didn’t ask her. You forced her. There’s a difference.”

“Why are you so mad? I didn’t hurt her. I would
never
hurt her.”

“If you wanted her to come, you should have called her. Don’t force her to do something she might not want to do.”

Celestina took a bite from her sandwich, eliciting a bitter expression.

“Do you understand?” I asked.

She lowered her eyes and nodded.

I preferred not to scold her, but I wasn’t sure if my sister followed up on rules she set up, but instead gave Celestina free reign. Lacking a
true
parental figure, she might not respect authority, and since I didn’t want her to grow up callous, only to abuse her abilities and harm others. I also wanted to make sure she respected her elders.

My niece comprehended what I said, but didn’t respond. Instead, she chewed so hungrily that it looked as though she wouldn’t let anything come between her and that sandwich.

“Hey, Brandon! Can you come in her a sec?”

He entered the kitchen a few seconds later. “What’s up?”

“It’s experiment time.” I gestured to my niece. “Don’t think twice about what I’m going to ask of you.” I whispered,” Use some magic…and take that sandwich from her.”

As directed, Brandon concentrated on Celestina for a fraction of a second.

The sandwich slipped from my niece’s hands, zipped through the air, and Brandon snatched it in his hands a second later. Startled by that ability, he turned to me with a look of pure joy. “That rules! I can cancel one ability and pick up another one.”

“Hey,” Celestina said, her brow scrunching in anger. “That was mean!” She raised her hand toward Brandon.

But I stood in front of my friend. “Wait a minute. Brandon did the same thing you did to Lulu. So why are you so upset?”

Celestina bit down hard on her lower lip, doing her best to contain her anger.

Unwilling to get involved, Brandon tapped his thigh, attracting Lulu’s attention. They left the kitchen and headed to the second bedroom.

I set my gaze on Celestina. “Free will is the one thing in this world that everyone has. No matter whom your parents are or what they do. I don’t care where you live or what situation you’re in, everyone has a right to make their own decisions. Don’t
ever
take that from them. Even God wouldn’t do that!”

My niece looked at me, perplexed. Then she looked side-to-side, as though trying to identify circumstances that would allow her to disregard my statements.