COPS Grave Peril

by Yygriega

Harry answers the question "Who you gonna call?"

C.O.P.S.

Grave Peril

Chapter One

Over a year passed from when I moved out before I got to see my own sister socially. She didn't come to the reunion, though she rarely did, but she was always hard at work. It was mostly because SI was being investigated by internal affairs and we all knew they wanted to fire someone. They were like sharks, circling our group, teasing us, making us wonder who was on the menu. My sister was both the most likely and least likely candidate. She was the best cop, we all knew it, but she had a falling out with Commissioner Fairweather, which was equivalent to resigning for anyone less. Then the lobo killings started and she came to me begging it wasn't werewolves. It not only was werewolf attacks, but there were Loup-Garou attacks as well.

Turned out a few FBI agents took the law into their own hands and acquired hexenwolf belts. They tried to frame a loup-garou named MacFinn and ended up murdering a good friend of ours, Carmichael. The good news was that no one was fired and we met a gang of college kids who became werewolves to fight crime. After the funeral, things in the ghost community got strange. My sister and her new partner, Stallings were sent to the college campus to kill a rampaging ghost beast, I was sent to the lovely Campbell family home to exorcise a poltergeist, and then a demon summoning cult leader was also causing all kinds of trouble about town.

Fortunately my old friend Michael Carpenter Knight of the cross, showed up to dispatch the demon. CPD raided the compound, arresting the cult leader and returning the teens to their parents. A different teen, too pale for her black hair to be natural, who wore all black and claimed to be cursed with visions of doom begged me for my help. I made her a charm and sent her to church. Now Michael and I were rushing to Cook County Hospital to slay another ghost. Agatha Hagglethorn. We found her in the maternity ward cradling her stump at the end of her left arm, singing to the babies. The song put them to sleep and her presence was stealing their breath. I tried to exorcise her, bad idea. She was too powerful and opened a rift into the Nevernever. Her world looked like 19th century Chicago but a bit off. It had all the major points crammed together with no extras, no homes, just a greatest hits of sorts. There were places there from earlier too.

We managed to defeat the ghost there but soon found ourselves chased by hounds for some reason. A beautiful red haired woman calling me godchild emerged from the wreckage of our assault on Agatha, and put out the flames, covering everything with moss and plants. She smiled and it creeped me the hell out. We retreated through the gate to our realm. When we returned there was a flickering of the lights and they all returned. A chorus of crying babies poured over us, somehow refreshing from the dead eerie silence and darkness before. We exited the nursery to be held at gunpoint by CPD. My partner relaxed and holstered his weapon then gave the signal for the other strategically placed uniformed cops and to relax as well.

"Harry, for God's sake, please wear your uniform. At least your badge." Johnson scolded me,

"And let IA harp on me about every little thing I do?" I smiled down at him. I nodded a what's up to the other cops who left with a huff.

"Why are you so stubborn? You're about to be fired." he shook his head. "Hello Michael. My partner giving you trouble?"

"Not at all." Michael said happily.

"Next time call in too. I knew what you were doing, but CPD didn't."

"I couldn't my radio has been on the fritz all week. I think I'm channeling dead radio. White noise."

"You serious? That's… that's actually kind of cool. Useful if there are any more disturbances." He said knowing full well I would add 'in the force.' I smirked. We made our way back to the car, letting Johnson scold me. Johnson was scrawny, shorter than me by a head, and had big ears that earned him the name Radar. His bright red hair was always in perfect military trim and shaved off his neck, but he was hard to take seriously despite his extensive experience, knowledge and skill

"Harry?" Michael looked concerned.

"Yeah I'll take you home." The drive was filled with Michael's rantings about love. It was hard to explain to the Knight of Love that I didn't want to admit my feelings for Susan for fear that she wouldn't return them. Our relationship and we took a long time to kindle and had gone through some trials over the three years we had truly been an item. If I told her I loved her that would add weight to our relationship. If it wasn't strong enough it might break. I didn't want that and Susan didn't either. We had practically said it already.

"And what about your sister?"

"What? Gross!"

"No I mean the two of you were like best friends, siblings, and team mates before. Now… she's just your boss. I also find it worrying your first thought when I mentioned her was-"

"It was just a weird transition. Susan then Karen… She's under a lot of scrutiny and it's predominantly my fault. She's trying to be professional but still take care of little brother at the same time. She's conflicted." I waived for him to drop it. "I was trying to fly under radar recently, but no dice. It seems no matter what I'm doomed to be her bane." I sighed. Michael suggested I not come in. Charity never liked me much but less now that she was 8 months pregnant with her husband running about town with me in toe.

I got home then called Susan to apologize for missing another date. She was actually working late anyhow and forgot as well. She came right over to my apartment to cuddle on the couch with me and talk. She asked me a lot about Michael but I made her swear not to publish any of it. I told her all about the ghosts, what she hadn't talked to me about on the last date when all the ghost stuff started.

"Sometimes I wish…" she began to say.

"Wish what?"

"It's so selfish."

"Just come out with it."

"I wish I was more important to you."

"What? Don't think you aren't important to me."

"I don't mean it like that I just… I wish you were all mine. See? It is selfish."

"I am yours." I kissed her as firmly and passionately as I could. I wanted to say I loved her but I was too afraid to form the words. We were interrupted by a knock at my door. Susan's kiss tightened into a toothy grin then she swayed up to the door. I stopped her, the hairs on my neck prickling. When I opened the door there was a blond duo, a male and female twins by their looks. "How may I help you?"

"Bianca bids you greetings, we are not here for blood but peace." The man said with a bow.

"Speak for yourself brother." The female licked her lips, flashing large cumbersome looking fangs and a tong Gene Simmons would envy with black spots on the bottom like a dog's.

"Forgive my sister, she's on a diet."

"I see. Make hers a blood lite." I snipped. Susan choked.

"My name is Kyle Hamilton and this is my sister, Kelly. We extend to you a formal invitation to a party held in honor of Madame Bianca. As representative of the Wizard Council for the Chicago region, your attendance is required." Kyle presented me with the invite. It was fancy. "We are to celebrate Bianca St. Claire's ascent to rank of Margravine of the vampire court. The safety of all invited guests is assured by word of the assembled court." I looked at the two then understood. He was obligated to play nice, but she wasn't. I shut the door in their faces then said thanks and took Susan away from the doorway.

"What just happened?"

"Vampires are throwing a party."

"Can I come?"

"No. It's too dangerous. You ARE important to me, so very important. I can't let you go because I'm sure this is a trick. Bianca has it out for me. I'm a cop and a wizard, neither ever managed into a vampire's good graces."

"But he said all guests will be safe."

"There are ways to lose a welcome, I'm a professional at that. No, I can't let you go."

"But it could launch my career!"

"Or kill you or worse."

"Damn it Harry, haven't we been through enough together? Haven't I proved I can take care of myself?" no she hadn't. She fainted when we soul gazed, was burned by a demon when she froze from fear, she sat in a van filming from a reasonable distance when she actually came on a mission with me, and she didn't even notice the angry ghost beast on the university campus as it charged at her. Karen dispatched it with shotgun shells packed with ghost dust before it could tear into her. She was like my Lois Lane, always getting into trouble and thinking she could handle herself but always being saved. I wanted her to truly be safe.

"Susan, I cant. I don't want to piss of the Wizard council any more than I already have."

"Wizard council. Like the vampire court?"

"Yea but wizards deal in secrets, they don't like people knowing about them."

"But you tell folks you're a wizard all the time."

"Yeah, and they hate that."

"Are you like, some sort of ambassador?"

"Not quite. There are billions of practitioners in the world. We all take a sort of aptitude test when we come into power to gauge if we are wizards or not and our raw power ranking. There are only about 400 wizards currently living, and in their ranks 100 of the most powerful are responsible for whatever magic hoopla goes down in their area. I rank number 40 in the world so needless to say, anything kooky and I have to keep an eye on it then tell the white council, our governing body about it. Kyle made it a point to remind me of my duty so I would recognize I'm obligated to go. Which I still wont."

"But what happens if you don't?"

"Meh. I'll be made to feel real bad for being impolite."

"And if you do go…"

"Killed. Killed or worse."

"What could possibly be worse?"

"Being made one of them. If you taste their blood you become one. You have to drink someone to death to get the full package but you'll in the least be a creepier, more depressed Wesley Snipes before that."

"Harry, I think-" I didn't let her argue it any more, I could tell she still wanted to go. Instead I pulled her into a passionate needy kiss that led to a lot more. She scolded me for distracting her but we continued.

Chapter Two

I dreamed of my encounter with the red haired woman. She reached for me alone in the fire and put it out to make a rolling green landscape of renewal nourished by the ashes. Her hair was wild and curly with all the colors of hot flame and her eyes were green with cat like slits. Her canines came to a point and ears tapered to a steeple like a Vulcan. I realized she was a wild fay a Leanansidhe. Not a, the! She insisted. And though I am of the wild I am avowed to Winter. She touched her chest and bowed her head. She caressed my head before I saw her reach for me, and kissed it lightly. Dear child, your mother promised you to me in exchange for my promise to always follow you protecting your spiritual well being.

"My mother?" I asked. A tall woman with dark brown curly hair, deep and wise brown eyes, and a defiant chin combed my hair out of my face and looked directly into my eyes. She smiled warm and sadly into them and held my face. My son. She whispered sadly then turned away. Lea took my hand and led me to a large stump to sit then lowered me into a flat position. I followed her whim, drowned in her beauty and grace, then she kissed my forehead and a sudden pounding throbbing berated my ears. I woke up and glared through my low-lit living room at the door as it was pounded again. "On my way!" Susan took the blankets, making no real effort to cover up, and closed herself into my bedroom. I threw on some pants then answered the door.

"Michael, you know what time it is?"

"Time to get to work." He said with determination. I sighed and welcomed him to wait in the living room while I got shaved and brushed and into my uniform then we went on. "Had you sent anyone to Father Forthill?"

"Yes a troubled teen with doom visions, why?"

"He contacted me this morning. Something had spent the night trying to break into the church."

"Something?" I dawned mom's amulet, thinking of the woman in my dream then kissed Susan before I left. When we got there I checked out the scene then used the phone to call in to CPD what happened. The place was wrecked. Bushes were torn by the roots out of the ground, cars were shredded, a tree was half torn out of the ground. Something strong did this, and left no blood on the thorns of the rose bush. No footprints either.

"so a ghost did it?" O'Toole asked over the phone at the same time as Michael.

"Lets hope not. Its done too many things normal ghosts just cant do." I answered. O'Toole said something to someone then a female got on the phone.

"What are you saying, Harry?" My sister asked with the concerned tone of a parent asking their son why their face was bruised.

"I don't know what it is yet, I jut got here. Gimme some time."

"I'll call up Morty, in the mean time. He sounded like he was planning a vacation when all this crap started up. If this is more than what we know about we'll need him to stick around."

"good luck with that." I grumbled. I liked Morty but not as much as Dad had and Karen did. He was a wimp and a con artist, but he did have talent as an ectomancer. "There's a girl missing too. Black hair, brown eyes, malnourished, pallid complexion, Father Forthill said she showed signs of withdrawal and physical and emotional abuse. Wears all black. I gave her a charm to protect her. Hopefully she is still wearing it, I might be able to track her down if a black and white doesn't pick her up."

"Damn it Harry, you sure like picking up strays." My sister swore. "I'll put a bolo for her, have her brought to my office or a cell made soft and nice for her I guess." Karen said trying to switch gears from mom to cop. "Be careful." She said in a still very mom tone.

"I will, sis." I replied before hanging up. I spoke some more with Father Forthill then with Michael and we created a plan of attack, research what this thing was. After Michael left me at home, where Susan had apparently left but cleaned up a bit, I hit the books, and spitball suspects off of Bob. It wasn't long into the day before the phone rang and door was knocked on at the same time.

"Hello?" I answered the phone.

"Harry, thank god. Get in the car."

"What car?" bang bang bang. "Oh I get it." I hung up on Karen and put the candles out by waiving my finger as if switching off a light switch and expending a little will. I came out and locked up then turned to Stallings and Rudolf ready to go. Rudolf didn't like me. He outranked me despite being an ass and I showed him up constantly. We were all sure he was well connected but he wasn't a good cop so nobody really liked him either.

We arrived at Mickey Malone's house in the burbs. He was a good cop, about to retire. He was injured during our raid on the cult a while back so he was at home on medical leave in the mean time. When I arrived the yard was a mess, animals were just dead in a radius around the house, looking like their necks were snapped. Mrs. Malone invited me in, saying Karen needed her down by the door ready to do so. I came up to the room and my sister was standing by the foot of the bed where Malone was cuffed to it's frame, grinning like a mad man bouncing the entire bed. He screamed like a coyote and started laughing, rocking back and forth. The smell of sweat and urine stung my nose as the ghastly sight of his deep scratches and blood stained nails stung my mind.

"He attacked Sonya, she locked herself into the room and called shortly after I got off the phone with Morty." Karen explained, brushing her dark brown hair out of her cornflower blue eyes. The action tickled her little turned up nose so she scrunched it up and sniffed making the exasperated face into something much cuter. "Thank god we got here in time. He had just finished tearing apart the closet doors. He was scratching and biting, spitting. We had to-" she stopped to keep from crying. It was unprofessional but damn it, I hugged my sister. "What happened to him?" she cried into my chest. Mickey laughed a truly evil, unrestrained laugh.

"Let me find out." I opened my sight and beheld the tortured and ravaged man. A slithering barbed wire wrapped around him, constricting as it cut. I gave it a chance and peeled it from him, careful not to let it take hold of me. My sister backed away from me, glowing fiercely with her hands clasped at her chin praying. She became brighter and the coils became easier to tear away from Mickey. "The window, open the window!" she didn't hesitate, and threw the window open. I flung the wire serpent out into the sunlit yard and conjured fire with all the anger and fear within, to eliminate it. A purple explosion rattled the glass and set off car alarms, throwing my sister and me from the window to the floor.

I realized then that I was battered and tired. I was too sore to get up, and still felt phantom slithering sensations up my arm to my throat. My sister rolled up to kneel over me, checking me for injuries. There were none so she moved on to examine Mickey. Karen checked with me and with my approval let Mickey go. Sonya came back to hug and kiss her husband, and my sister helped me slump out of the room.

"Tell me what did this to him." My sister burned with fury.

"You talked to Morty?"

"He said the spirit world is getting tampered with to make the veil between realms thinner… that something came through bigger and bader than he had ever seen before. He called it a nightmare."

"I don't think it's a coincidence, sis."

"How do we kill it?" she hugged herself then forced her posture into something more business like. We were in front of people; I couldn't hold her hand or anything comforting. I couldn't even tell her how to stop the new bad guy.

"I don't know yet. Fire should work… divine intervention has worked so far. I'll find it, sis. When I do, I'll kill it."

"Damn right." She smiled weakly. I let myself relax, which was ill advised, Karen helped me to my feet and pushed me into the washroom nearby so I could puke then pass out. It kind of felt good to puke this time. I mean the act it self is never appealing but the relief I don't know... I hadn't retched like this since seeing Carmichael torn apart by the Loup-Garou.

I woke up on my own couch to Karen explaining things to Michael on my house phone. She was pious like him so it was probably a nicer conversation for Michael than talking to me directly. When she hung up she had said "and also with you." Oh god. The phone rang again seconds after she had put it down. She returned to pick it up. "Harry Murphy's… Oh Susan, don't panic but Harry is beat up pretty bad. He threw up and passed out too. I don't think he ate or drank anything all day either."

"Don't tell her that." I protested.

"Yeah, Leonid Kravos, why? You shouldn't even know that, who told you?" after a pause she hissed. "Don't you dare-" she looked at the phone and put it away. "Damn that woman sometimes. I understand being career oriented but can't she at least pretend to care about the consequences?" my sister checked my temperature then gave me painkillers and raided my fridge. She grumbled the whole time, making me pancakes with a side of bacon I thought was bad but never tossed. She fed it to me though so it must have been fine. I scarfed it all down and polished off my milk since it would go bad soon as well.

"Hey Bob." I said, nudging the skull on my coffee table. He and I argued, and then he requested a ride along during my next date with Susan. He eventually turned to hitting on my sister until I threatened him with a hammer. I explained everything that happened from the beginning in detail but also quickly. Karen chimed in with what she learned without me. Surprisingly enough Bob got serious. He advised me to skip town. I went over the basics, if someone tried hard enough, left an imprint on the world when he passed he could make a badass ghost. Make enough badasses and provoke them a bit and it thins the wall.

"But who would want that and why?" my sister interrupted us. I forgot she was there.

"Dunno. It could be any number of things, black wizard, elder things, gods. Kali loves trying to end the world when she's out on the town." Bob answered.

"How does Lydia figure into all this?"

"There are bigger fish Harry." Karen chimed in again.

"Leave it to captain chivalrous to think about damsels in distress when a possible god and its pet nightmare are breaking all the rules trying to touch off apocalypse."

"I feel like she's part of it. The thing wanted her last night for a reason. Bob you have my permission to possess Mister until sun down."

"Why?"

"Collect information, look for the girl. Do not hang out in any ladies locker rooms or sororities. No strip clubs either." I glowered at the spirit. My sister got a call and had to leave so I tracked Lydia by the charm I gave her. It took me to an abandoned looking building where Kyle and Kelly Hamilton were in white full body motocross suits with motorcycle helmets though they were loading up a van. The spell pointed to the van. I waited till they left for whatever they were collecting and tried to get Lydia. She was limp, eyes open and blurry, in a euphoric looking sleep. Vampire spit.

I dodged Kelly's sneak attack, then Kyle's areal attack. It felt like a scene out of Kill Bill. They in their white form fitting padded leather and helmets, me in my dumb uniform and cover. I knew aikido, but wasn't half as good as my sister. She had taken out three assailants at once before, granted not vampires, but I struggled with just the one, the other made it impossible to keep up. I caught a break and blasted Kelly into her brother then into the building wall, causing it to crumble. They emerged from the wreckage so I went on to plan B.

I used force to smash in Kelly's helmet when she got close, she screamed and retreated into the building through the new hole. Kyle was a better fighter and didn't give me much of an opening. Soon I was tired and out of breath but the vampire kept going. I called fire and shot it at him desperate to escape with my life and hopefully the girl. Kyle pinned me, flesh mask melted away, his back burning in the sun. he tossed me into the van and his sister jumped in with him. They both were just batty now. I struggled to get free but their superior strength overruled. Kelly took my face and licked it while her brother bit into my trapezius. But I felt nothing but pleasure. Kelly giggled then took a bite of me too.

Then I heard a rumble and in a second of clarity I rolled out the van and stumbled more than ran away. The building collapsed, eliminating the shade for a cloud of blinding dust around them and unfiltered sunlight. They couldn't follow after me and I was in no condition to save the girl. I figured she was sedated and thrown in the van so she could be used for something. Cassandra's tears being most likely.

Chapter Three

I cant remember the drive home but I do recall falling against my pillow, smelling hints of Susan and feeling my cat rumble against me as I fell asleep. My dream recreated the assault on Cult Kravos but instead of winning the day, Michael didn't show up and I had to watch my friends get hurt then get bitten by the demon. I woke up screaming, feeling the part of me that was missing in the dream. I dragged my self into my sub basement and curled up inside my circle then closed it. I prodded the puckered fang wounds and the places where Kelly had licked me.

After some time shivering in the circle I heard Bob's voice out of his skull. "Harry, are you okay?" I nodded. "I think I know now, what were dealing with. Unfortunately it's already taken a bite of you."

"I don't understand." I stammered as I tried to control my shiver. Bob explained what happened and we realized the Nightmare was invading dreams. It didn't have to go through the threshold and probably possessed Lydia to walk out once she fell asleep. I tried to use my magic to light the candles in the room with a flick of my finger. When it didn't work I focused hard and finally got it muttering the words.

"It got you right in the magic." Bob said curiously.

"This thing has my powers?"

"Not all, but a chunk yes. Ghosts go after those directly related to their deaths so this corroborates the demon ghost theory."

"Karen!" I called my sister and told her I was on my way.

"I know you told me so 5 minutes ago. Are you saying you'll be late?"

"That wasn't me, if I show up in less than 20 minutes don't let me near you."

"You're talking nonsense, are you still sick from the exorcism?"

"No, damn it, the Nightmare might be wearing a Harry David Murphy costume to get close to you. Do not let me near you… unless its me- just ill be there in 18 minutes, no sooner!" I warned my sister then rushed to CPD I got to the desk clerk to find myself clad all in Black in my duster with my fingers knuckle deep in the clerk's head. I turned to face me and smiled. "Get the hell away from him!" I shouted, aiming my staff at him. He dropped the sergeant who immediately shriveled into a fetal position, eyes wide with terror. The nightmare produced a black staff out of thin air (which looked totally cool but menacing as all get out) and aimed it back at me. I howled fuego just as he howled ventas servitas. He pushed the flames back at me; I shielded myself weakly and was thrown to the floor to be literally walked over by the nightmare. I got up and looked but he was gone so I assisted the sergeant. He was too far-gone; I had to put him to a dreamless sleep. It took a lot more effort than usual and I never was too good at that spell in the first place.

Karen came down the stairs and I explained all I had learned to her and got her to check out Kravos's spell book for me. I called Michael to warn him but he didn't pick up. Karen drove me to his house; I was too battered and weak to do much for myself. "Merciful father, what's happened to him?" Michael asked Karen about me, rocking his youngest, a girl named Holly in his arms. I dared not sleep but I sorely needed rest. I envied the little blond girl in her daddy's big safe embrace.

"It's been a long night. The nightmare took a bite out of Harry and made him into a perfect copy, magic and everything. Harry hasn't been by today has he?" Karen asked.

"No." Michael wearily replied looking at me in the car. Karen relayed what I told her to Michael and he nodded silently listening. "Let me put away the child." He went back upstairs and Karen let herself in. I heard him mention Charity then I saw Father Forthill walk up the sidewalk toward us. Michael opened the door just as Forthill raised his hand to knock.

"Oh. Need a sitter? My car broke down not far from here."

"Strange ways indeed." Karen said with a smile. She and Michael piled into the car then took off looking for Charity. We stopped at a convenience store nearby and spotted the van. We checked it and saw the motor was tampered with and leaking. We went inside and asked the clerk who said we just missed my lookalike by seconds. We followed the trail to the cemetery and were assaulted by ghosts in our pursuit. We quickly came across the nightmare who threatened to hurt Charity and the baby. While it attacked me, Charity kicked him off balance and fled to Michael who prepared his sword to attack. Karen positioned herself away from Michael and me but not across in case she had to shoot.

It came after me, but Michael cut at it with the sword of love. Charity suddenly toppled over and cried out. "The baby!" Karen went to her side and held her belly.

"Guys the baby is coming." Karen's voice sounded half panicked.

"Great timing." I grumbled. The nightmare vanished then appeared behind the women. He backhanded my sister away and lifted Charity by the throat.

"Drop the sword, knight." Michael obeyed without hesitation. Charity pressed her crucifix into the Nightmare and he burned where it touched. Michael dove to catch Charity in her fall, then Karen grabbed the sword, it blazed with fiery fury and she swung down on the nightmare at an angle. It tried to dodge and got a silver slash down its body that burned hot white. He moved to claw at my sister as she prepared another swing but I tackled it full force and we tumbled down the hill into the running water from the grounds flooding in that area. He simply melted as I held his head under the water.

We got to the emergency room in time. Michael was too concerned to really provide much support. We left him there with Charity. I tried for hours to summon the demon but he wouldn't or maybe couldn't show. I became frustrated but my sister tried to calm me. She spoke to Michael and Susan for me while I tried. He came to me after some effort, but not wholly. He taunted me then vanished, and here I was sore and sleepy. Karen had built up the fire and helped me out of my lab then took my uniform off of me and put me in a blanket.

"What happened?"

"I forced it to focus solely on me. Now it wont hurt anyone else."

"Until it kills you." She whispered to me. I saw her face form into a worry like the wife of a boxer watching him lose a fight. I smiled insipidly and leaned on her. "What do we do now?" she asked.

"We go to a costume party."

Chapter Four

I stepped out of the car with a jingle from the spurs on my cowboy boots. The denim pants were awful tight but it was the only costume I could find for people my height on such short notice. I considered a tasteless vampire costume but I didn't want to stir the pot of bats if I could help it. I checked over my cow vest sewn onto a yellow western shirt and dawned the brown cowboy hat, feeling every bit the sheriff my badge claimed I was. Karen got out the driver side then pulled out my wizard staff with a blue bow tied at the top then fished out a stuffed sheep, looping her wrist into it's collar and followed behind me in our walk up the long driveway to the mansion. We didn't want vampire valet in the car.

A white Rolls Royce Wraith pulled next to us, and a handsome man with long black hair and silver eyes offered us a ride. We respectfully declined, he smiled boyish and stunning then let the driver head the rest of the way to the front door. He was being let out by the time we came close and turned to eye us with that lazily charming smile again. A leg came out of the door and he ambled over to help the lady out of the car.

The two of them were an impressive pair. She wore black, green, turquoise and brown feathers in strategic areas to feign decency then had a bustle of peacock feathers that trailed behind her. The heels were black and dangerous looking without an actual heel in the back, and clear plastic over the top so her foot almost looked bare. She must have been dusted with shimmering something too because light glittered off the ample amount of skin that showed.

"Harry, you're drooling." My sister teased.

"Am not"

"Are too"

"Am not."

"Are too." We argued as we approached.

The man wore a white loincloth and Spartan sandals with white feathery wings on a harness that was also white leather crossing over his chest. A gold circlet adorned his black hair while a gold sword was sheathed at his hip. "You must be Harry Murphy!" He said excitedly as he bowed to me and took Karen's hand to kiss it. The stuffed sheep dangled from that hand so it looked silly. He smiled at her and she swayed a bit then backed away.

"Now who's drooling." I said to her. She glared at me. "Who the hell are you?"

"I the hell am Thomas Raith of the white court."

"A lust vampire." I thought out loud. I looked at Karen. She was fidgeting cutely with her sheep.

"This is, Justine." He introduced the girl.

"Charmed. This is my twin sister, Karen." I introduced. Karen curtseyed which did things to her chest I shouldn't have noticed. It wasn't fair. She wore a white corset with baby blue ribbon and white lace, short puffy sleeves with the baby blue ribbon again, and a petticoat that was too short in the front and quite long and layered in the back with lots of frill. Underneath it all were white lacy panties and garter holding up white opaque stockings with blue ribbon bows on the clips and black baby doll shoes that gave her nearly four inches of height. A headband trying to be a bonnet framed her hair and her hands were adorned with frilly white lace gloves.

The vamp snorted then cleared his throat. "Well, shall we?" I gestured for them to go on ahead of us then put my hand on the small of Karen's back to lead her since her hands were full.

"Have you been to many court functions, Harry? May I call you Harry?"

"I'm not that harry. Maybe a bit fuzzy." I replied. Not that I liked a vampire being so familiar, but I really didn't care.

"Shall I go over the etiquette?"

"Nobody gets to partake of my bodily fluids do they?" I asked. Karen and Thomas snorted together.

"Ha. Well, perhaps if you'd wish, but no, not formally." Thomas answered. I walked into that one. "Well what I mean is first we mingle, then we are presented with gifts then we may be free to leave but that's when the dancing and orgies usually break out so not a lot of folks take off so soon."

"Why are you helping me?" I asked trying not to imagine the dancing orgies.

"Why not?"

"You're a vampire."

"Not a very good one, I'm afraid." He responded cheerily. "Then again, I could be lying." This time I snorted. I offered him my hand and he took it without hesitation. He felt like a practitioner, but not like the nightmare. I relaxed and he smiled. "Passed the test, eh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I entered the main hall looking down a tall flight of stairs to the ballroom floor. A man took my invitation then handed it back to me and announced my arrival to the crowd below. A spotlight shone on me so I grabbed my belt with one hand and tipped my hat with the other. Karen rolled her eyes at me. We proceeded down the stairs, the ring on a string hanging off my back thumped against me as I stomped gracelessly down the narrow steps. I looked at Karen who managed poise in shoes I'd never seen her wear let alone walk in before. She used my staff as a third leg for stability and the petticoat exaggerated her hips movement drawing more attention than I would have liked. Especially from my pants.

"Why did you wear this particular outfit?" I asked her.

"It's the only costume I had." She replied.

"You've never worn anything so skimpy trick-or-treating before."

"It isn't for trick-or-treating Harry." She whispered to me, blushing under the porcelain doll makeup. I tripped on a step then recovered. She tried not to laugh at my reaction. Thomas was announced then more guests arrived. I was too busy trying to shake hands with everyone. I even had the chance to parlay with Bianca. That was disturbing.

As we mingled some more Karen whispered to me. "They're surrounding us." I looked around and sure enough red court vampires in red cloaks and masquerade masks were closing in at all sides. "Lets move a bit more, make it harder on them." She suggested. A couple in matching red lace body stockings and masks approached us and raised the masks to reveal themselves as the Hamilton twins.

"The Murphy twins, how pleasant to see you tonight." They greeted us warmly. A passing waiter was stopped so they could take some champagne and offer us flutes as well.

"The Hamilton twins, it seems we're living in an Alexander Key story. Care to help us find our space ship?" Karen asked as she took her flute but didn't drink. What the hell, the twins drank theirs. I clinked glasses with theirs letting a bit of mine slosh into theirs then after the uninhibited Kelly downed hers I sipped mine. Kyle eyed my sister like I look at the burger king double-whopper.

"I figured if you didn't bring your reporter friend you would have brought a bodyguard." Kyle drawled

"You know how sisters can be. I'd say she's better than some thug." I retorted. We made a move to leave but Kyle put himself in my way.

"I will kill you tonight, Murphy." Kyle whispered to me.

"Don't bite off more than you can chew." I tipped my hat and we moved on. Thomas came bustling after us and seemed to relax when he saw our champagne mostly full.

"The champagne is poisoned." He said. I immediately put mine down and brushed my hands off. Karen did about the same. We looked around everyone who had champagne were blissfully sprawling on the floor and in chairs. I ran to a plant and induced vomit then thought about it.

"We have to get you out of here, Harry! They're poisoning everyone to get to you." Karen said looking around.

"Vamp spit… Turns every sensation into pleasure, and makes you tired and happy and dizzy. It's a recreational drug." I explained to my sister. "This way they cant be blamed for drugging me. It was everyone and not a bad drug."

"That's a matter of opinion." Karen grumbled. Thomas laughed.

"Well let me know if you need any more help." I watched him lead Justine away.

"Nice guy."

"Drooling again." Karen smirked. She dug into the sheep's ass and produced some bottled water and passed it to me. I gulped it all down then left the bottle on a table. Next we met a dragon dressed as a roman centurion, smoking without a lit cigarette. I guess I pissed him off but my polite and pretty sister saved me. I shook his hand in an apology and he too figured it was a test. Next we approached little red riding hood. It turned out to be Susan, uninvited.

"You got to get out of here." I whispered to her, leading her to the stairs.

"Like hell I will. This could be the story of a life time!" Susan demanded.

"You don't get it!" Karen hissed at her.

"So you can bring your sister, but not me?"

"She knows what she's doing. She may not be a wizard but she's grown up the same way as me."

"Relax, I remember, no licking, don't look in anybody's eyes, no deals, don't say too much."

"By coming uninvited you don't share the rights of a guest. You can be attacked freely without breaking any accords." Karen blurted at her.

"Meaning the big bad wolf will be free to gobble little red riding hood all up." My godmother said cheerily. I turned to look at her. She wore a hooded long belled sleeve sheer blue gown that fell to the floor. The hood was secured over Lea's tight bun and the body of the dress clung tightly to her curves and glittered in the low light. She carried a wand that sparked at the tip without fading or traveling down the length like mortal sparklers, and despite already being the nearest thing to see-through her gown was also low cut to display a diamond tiara necklace.

"Why fairy godmother what big eyes you have, or are we straining the metaphor?" I asked.

"Dear child, I'm too busy being one to make one. Do you like the costume?"

"Depends. You wont turn my sister to a horse and buggy will you?"

"Perish the thought. I would turn the reporter into it." She smiled.

"We were just leaving." I said ushering Susan to the door.

"To hell we are. I didn't come here to be sent away, and I'm not a child you can make all my choices for. I'm staying." Susan spat.

"Dear child, if you do not leave now, you won't get the chance again," the sidhe woman cooed.

Karen just grabbed Susan and tugged her up the stairs toward the door. Susan struggled but on the narrow steps in the sexy black heels she dared not risk a fall. Suddenly Hamlet stood ahead of them on the stairs and from where I followed the girls I saw the skull that looked fresh, with flesh still attached in places. She picked at it and ate the meat then smiled with wood colored teeth. I felt the same energy from the nightmare and the coils of razor wire around Mickey Malone.

"Greetings Wizard," Hamlet bowed before us.

"We were just leaving." I said with a bow of my own.

"Ah but it is the hour to mingle. I would like to introduce myself." She bowed theatrically with flair of one hand. "I am Mavra of the black court."

"The undead vampires." I thought aloud again.

"A real vampire?" Susan asked excitedly. Mavra shot her a hungry smile.

"It's a pleasure, really, but we must be on our way." Karen said, pulling Susan to one side to pass Mavra. Mavra moved too quick to really register with just sight so she stood two steps above the women.

"Ah, but one of you can not. She is uninvited and therefore it is my right to punish her for infringing on my mistresses hospitality."

"Crap" Karen and I said in unison.

"Well you got me." Karen said. "Go ahead, Harry, take Susan and get out of here."

"What? No, I'm not leaving you here."

"Harry, you brought me because you trusted me to be able to protect you, not just the other way around. Stop being chauvinistic and get Susan out of here."

"Oh and I'm some fragile princess here? Please save me from chivalry and self-sacrifice! What are you doing?" I began to root around in Susan's basket; Mavra was keeping a distance for a reason.

"Taking a look in your pic-a-nic basket." I gave my best yogi impression. I found a clove of garlic and flicked it to Mavra. She dodged. Heh. "It seems you are going to let us by or else you'll have a wizard of the council, an officer of the law, and a lady with a basket full of vampire slaying goodies to deal with." Mavra began collecting darkness into her hands and Karen hooked her left wrist into the collar on her stuffed sheep and brought my staff to the left hand, by me. She reached under the bustle of her dress ready to draw.

Mavra rushed behind me, the women acted in unison, instantly drawing big wooden crosses. I took my staff and turned to face Mavra. The crosses glowed against Mavra's dark power. "How is she doing that? Can vampires do that?" Susan asked, not hiding the fear in her voice.

"Wizards can." I answered.

"Come, and test yourself against me, wizard." Mavra hissed.

"You're trying to get me to act. You won't be the first to break the truce. Girls, go ahead." We backed up the stairs as a unit but Mavra dropped her arms and smiled.

"It would seem the hour is up." Mavra said triumphantly.

"What hour?" Susan asked

"The hour to socialize. Now it's time for gifts." Mavra stood aside and eyed Thomas as he came to my side.

"Mind if I stand by you? I'm not well liked here." He showed a burn in the shape of a kiss on his neck.

"What is that?"

"Your godmother kissed me. Knowing full well it would burn."

"Well, Damn."

"Well put." He laughed. We waited while the lights dimmed and spotlights shone on Bianca and whomever she gave a gift to at the moment. First it was the dragon a small box with something too shiny to make out was presented to him and he bowed then took it. He said his thanks and bowed again then Thomas was called forward. Justine came to stand with me as he went to accept his gift soon as he was gone she turned to me.

"Take us with you."

"Pardon?"

"They hate us all, they plan to kill us. We should stick together. We all need friends sergeant Murphy." She whispered. I looked at the girls and Karen shrugged and Susan wasn't paying attention.

"I guess we do." I said.

"So you'll help us?"

"He's a vampire. He's eating you."

"He's also a person, with thoughts and feelings."

"Yes, damn it, I'll help. And ill need help helping you."

"Thank you!" she pressed herself into me and I felt the heat from Susan's glare. Thomas returned with an envelope.

"What happened?" I asked.

"A condo in Hawaii and a one-way ticket." Thomas said with all the dread of saying a one-way dingy ride to a shack in Antarctica full of cannibals.

"Just one, eh?"

"She told me I should get out of town."

"Nice of her." I grumbled. Next Lea was presented with a sword in a box, and Lea gave me a pointed look before presenting Amoracchius to Bianca. "How did she get that?"

"Harry, isn't that Michael's sword?" Mavra was called forth. Once she was out of earshot I whispered among my friends.

"Bad news folks this was a set up. The nightmare, the attacks on our friends and family, all of it."

"To what end?" Thomas asked.

"Force us here. She's going to pull a Vlad Tepesh Inauguration on us."

"Dear lord." Karen whispered.

"I'm lost, what happened at his inauguration?" Susan asked.

"He invited all his enemies to a feast and peace talk, locked the doors and slaughtered them all." Thomas filled her in.

"It's safe to bet were already locked in. our best play is through the garden out the gate."

"We'd never make it." Susan shook her head.

"You will, I'll cover the extraction." Karen said, putting an arm around Susan.

"Ixnay on the upidstay anplay." I scowled at my sister. "We need a plan that gets us all out safe, together."

"No Harry, this is my job. I'm supposed to stand between people and those who wish them harm. Even if it kills me." She had a resolve I knew was unbreakable, and I knew she was hard to land a hit on.

"There has to be another way out of this."

"Why don't we just leave right now?" Susan asked.

"It would be rude." Thomas replied. Mavra was heading back now. The announcer called my name and I strode over to Bianca. Two cloaked figures brought out something heavy and Bianca presented it to me. There was literally a drum roll and she revealed the tombstone it read 'Harry Murphy, he died doing the right thing.' She had her servants take it away to be planted in Graceland cemetery for me.

"What happened?" Karen asked.

"She wrote it on my damn tombstone."

"What?" Susan asked.

"And now, I'd like to celebrate my new gift." Bianca announced. She took Amoracchius and waited to be presented with a sacrifice: Lydia.

"Oh no. They plan to unmake the sword with the blood of an innocent." I whispered to my friends. Mavra made a noise that sounded like rocks in a vacuum and I looked to see her laughing.

"Jesus Mary and Joseph." Karen whispered as she dug into the ass of the sheep and drew her SIG. Thomas drew his sword and tucked Susan and Justine at the center of the 3 of us.

"What's going on?" Susan asked.

"I'm about to do the right thing." I answered bitterly.

Mavra shrieked a gravely cry and came after us from behind, Susan still held her cross and brandished it at the vampire. She zipped around us to where Bianca held the sword. The vampires in red all flooded after us.

"Their bellies, empty their blood reserve and they cant heal." Thomas advised us. Karen stuck her crucifix into her cleavage and pulled a Japanese dagger with no hilt out of her bustle just in time to use the sig to block a sword and the dagger to cut open her attacker's gut. He collapsed convulsing in pain and rage, but three more swarmed her.

"Karen!" I shouted as I saw her take a knee. A swarm came for me, I shouted a spell and a torrent of wind and fire dragged them down the stairs away from us, their flesh masks melting away. One sidestepped the torrent and tried to snatch Justine, only to be sliced in half by Thomas. I looked at Karen to see she had cut guts of all the vamps that swarmed her and was now stained red and black on her white and blue outfit. Her bonnet and one sleeve were gone and angry bite marks covered her bare shoulders.

"Bianca, we have to take her out." Thomas shouted. Karen aimed and fired on Bianca's midsection Mavra deflected the bullets with a spell so I used one of my own. "Vente venteferro!" I called and the sword of love sparked and glowed in Bianca's hand. I called again and the sword pulled my direction until she tried to sweep it down on Lydia and instead it flew from her grip and fell into the crowd. Mavra blew after me, hands pooling darkness. Karen dashed down the stairs and dove into the waves of vampires after the sword with far more agility than I thought her shoes permitted. Susan clutched her Crucifix, Thomas covered my flank with his sword and I threw fire at the front, searching the crowd for my sister as we moved down the stairs toward the garden.

One vamp broke our ranks and seized Susan but she reached into her basket and smashed a baby food jar of holy water on his head. His flesh melted away as if it were acid. Three more took advantage of her now being away from us and captured Susan, discarding her basket and sinking their fangs into her flesh. Bianca blurred by and took Justine, licking her face with her long dark tong. Thomas swept his sword at the woman but she dodged then held Justine up as a shield.

Karen had the sword of love glowing and trained on Bianca with Lydia and a chain of other mortals, doped to the gills and barely able to stand holding hands behind her. The crowds dispersed into a ring around where the sword's light fell. Now she had their attention, but was too far for me to help. She was easing the lazy crowd toward the escape route. Thomas pulled the same direction as well, but it was away from where Susan and Karen now stood. Things looked dire. I watched my sister sink as her eyes lulled around in her head. She shook her head and looked around, struggling to keep her mind clear.

Things were desperate, we were losing, and so I reached down and conjured fire from the depths of my fear and pain and anger, then let out a deafening blast. I heard myself shout then a womp, then nothing. Things crashed around us, support beams fell, people were sprawled on the floor, all the tables and curtains were ablaze. Thomas was pulling me to my feet, Bianca and Mavra were bringing themselves to theirs. Karen struggled heavily to hoist Lydia into a fireman's carry and join us. I told them to get out; I had to go back for Susan.

"Burn you greasy bat-faced bastards!" I screamed. The flames grew and spread, strangling the room. Thomas slung one mortal then took Lydia and stepped through the broken glass out into the cool air outside. Karen didn't want to leave me but when she saw my face and my rage she touched my cheek with a cold small hand and told me I was a good man, then left to drag another mortal out the broken glass.

And then it all went black.

Chapter Five

I was somewhere black and smoky where I couldn't see far ahead of myself. Me, dressed in black, wearing my duster appeared making the slithering smoke part enough to clearly see each other. "There you are." He said smiling, beginning to pace around me. "You know what's happening to your body right now?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Cant be that bad. I don't feel a thing."

"Jokes? Jokes won't save you now." Suddenly I felt angry bites into my extremities, hot claw marks across my torso and face, and sticky wetness from my own blood pouring out. When I recovered I found myself screaming in a fetal position on the ground.

"Hells Bells, Kravos, you get that line from a villains handbook?" I swore, gaining my feet.

"So you knew after all." He said, changing to himself. "No matter. I'll have my fun then let the vampires finish you off." He flung at me but I took control of my dream, I changed my hands into long fingered claws and my teeth grew long and sharp, my lips peeled back like a shark's and I unhinged my jaw. My mouth extended into a muzzle and I caught Kravos as his advance on me faltered and gobbled him all up.

"You snuck up on me last time. I was ready for you now." I gloated

My body ached more violently than ever, my flesh felt burning hot, and the light was all too bright. I was flat on my back in a wash room the size of my old apartment, one wall lined with industrial sized washers another wall had complementing dryers. A table stretched across the center with folded towels piled at one end. I spotted Justine cowering inside a drier and spotted two other bodies on the floor, moving enough for me to know they were alive. A red-cloaked body hid between a washer and the wall in a dark nook, almost invisible and hard to access for anyone bigger than a small woman.

Everyone smelled so strongly, but not in a bad way. It wasn't perfume; it was body odor but almost made me think of the smell of ham or raw burgers. I got so hungry I contemplated tasting the yummy smelling people on the floor. Instead I stood, now realizing my clothes were torn to shreds, and found among the folded towels a basket of clothing. I rummaged through it until I found boxers with rubber duckies on them and traded my shambled costume for those. I walked over to Justine and kneeled by the drier. She shrank to the very back and shivered. Her costume was also ruined and there were bites all over her. All over me for that matter.

"I'll get you out of here." I said to her. She began to laugh nervously then all out barked with laughter. I grabbed a towel and brought it to her but when I tried to lean into the drier she hissed and scratched my face.

"Don't come near me!" she seemed feral and bonkers.

"What did they do to you?"

"To YOU! They did it to you. Bianca did it. She changed you not me. I can tell. I know you think I'm crazy. The doctor says control I need control. I'm not crazy. You. They did it to YOU." She kicked at me until I closed her in the drier and she calmed a bit.

"Okay…" I checked on Susan she seemed fine just unconscious. She had plenty of bites on her. I went back to Justine and opened the drier door again. She coiled in the back with her new towel. "What happened?"

"Everybody wanted a taste, but Bianca wanted to play with you. She did things to you, gave you a taste. Left you here with us."

"Gave me a taste?" I asked. The fear in the girl's face made me think. "We gotta get out of here." I woke Susan, she was so frightened looking at me but I assured her I was fine. Really I wasn't she smelled like food. I wanted to eat her and my belly growled hot and angry demanding I feed. I looked at my hands, felt my face and began to focus on breathing, controlling my hunger and fear, and anger. "I can use this… I can use this to our advantage."

"How? Oh God, Harry your face." Susan whispered. I grabbed Justine and shoved her and Susan together then dragged them behind me. I kicked the door off it's frame and it splintered against the wall across the basement. The Hamilton twins blocked the doorway immediately, still wearing their lingerie but without the human flesh masks.

"I will enjoy tearing you apart, Wizard." Kyle gloated. I called red furious light to my hand and threw it at Kyle and his sister. We cops like to call the doorway a fatal funnel. You don't want to sit in one spouting idle cliché threats; it makes an easy target. The red light enveloped them and melted their flesh until they were black smoke and wet greasy stains. I dragged the ladies behind me, laughing in a way that didn't sound like it belonged to me. The red spell wasn't my own either it was Kravos. I felt him inside me. I wondered comically if it would pass or I would have to pass him.

The basement had a drain in the center and bodies piled in the corner, some strewn about the room. I reached out with my senses and felt nothing alive in the room with us. "They're going to pay for this." I hissed in a foreign voice to my own. Susan flinched and Justine clung to her tightly. I cocked my head to the side. The sounds were so much more to me now. I felt like I was hearing in 3 dimensions. It was hard to even process with my simple human brain. Things were clearer and louder but still the same in a way.

I beckoned the girls up the stairs and pushed them to a crouch at the top of the stairs. "Wait till I make a hole then run. I'll follow and defend you. Justine, I think you should take point since you were the only one who saw how we got here." I whispered. She nodded making a cracking noise with her neck at first, then huddled with Susan a couple steps down and out of the doorway. I called sheer force to shatter the door, sending wind after it hoping, and on a small scale succeeding, in staking a few reds in the torsos with bits of door. Two fell from their bellies rupturing, and one was staked in the heart, the rest were just annoyed.

Bianca stood directly across in a lovely white night gown she held her hand out to me and I felt an overwhelming need to be by her side. I wanted her touch, her approval, and her love. I stopped and looked around then began to laugh that evil, foreign laugh. There were five men in suits with machine guns, half dozen vamps were still standing after my door trick, and Bianca was trying to enthrall me to walk into the middle of them. "All this for a guy in rubber ducky underwear?"

The men opened fire. I called up a barrio then retaliated with more red light. It followed the men as they fled then swung around to engulf the next nearest body. That took care of three of them and a nearby vamp. I smiled and gathered more of the red energy. Bianca gathered black energy, sucking the light out of the space around her making pools of darkness in her palms. We stood there while a man strode to the sidelines. He was good-looking, south American, and noble. Duke Paolo Ortega was one of the highest-ranking vampires of the red court.

"Nice suit." I said to him.

"Thank you." He replied polite and cheerful.

"Ill bite. What's this?"

"I am here as witness. Nothing more."

"Of what?"

"Of Harry Murphy of the wizard council breaking the Accords and laws of hospitality during a congregation of the vampire courts."

"She started it." I said childishly. He smirked.

"But she has held to the letter of the law and for that it is you who has murdered her bondsman, and inflicted damage to her property. I will report what I've witnessed to the red king and he will declare war on the wizard council."

"What is it good for? Absolutely nothing- say it again now. Uh." I sang over him after the word 'war', kicking my leg straight out then bending the knee and kicking my foot side to side like MJ.

"Harry, I will forgive your recent lack of civility, and allow you and the white bastard's whore to go free, thusly evading conflict. As payment you had taken someone dear to me. You may not have intended such but it matters not. I wish for retribution. Two deaths as payment. Two whom you hold dear to save the lives of those who will fall if you allow us to declare war." Bianca chimed in.

"Fair offer." I said mildly.

"You said I could leave with Justine… you meant your two deaths included Susan." I said looking back at Susan. She poked her head out, fear in her eyes, hair a mess. "I love her." I said, looking at her. She began to tear. I think I might have too. My large black eyes turned to Bianca. "For the sake of one life, for the love of one woman… That's what all the best wars are all about!" I let the red light chase it's prey. I called a torrent of fire and wind and blew the remaining vamps and guards into one group. "GO!"

Justine took Susan at a dead sprint. I heard their bare feet slapping the marble floor. I rushed to follow them and slashed angry red gashes through the air behind me cutting and melting any vamp foolish enough to follow. Bianca cast her darkness at me and I pulled another attacking vampire between us. The darkness merely consumed him then faded like smoke.

Once we rounded a corner I made a big circle around me and focused. I called the spirits of the dead victims below, felt many more buried in catacombs beneath the mansion. I called them too. As I broke the circle an eruption of spirits poured out. Angry betrayed seduced specters, desperate for the strength to avenge themselves. I gave them the strength, poured all I took from Kravos into them and let them free.

With my new strength and speed I gathered Justine and Susan and ascended the stairs like I could fly. We escaped while the walls caved in, the spirits would make sure nothing survived. I collapsed to the ground and let all my weariness catch up to me. The girls were safe. I noticed after the fact that fire trucks were parked on the street down the driveway, a black police car pulled up and Karen, still in costume covered in blood came out of the back seat. Thomas came out the other side and gathered Justine into a full body hug while Karen and Susan fused over me. My appearance didn't seem to faze her, but I heard her voice crack while she ordered the SI team around the scene. I fell into darkness. I was so tired and in pain.

Chapter Six

When I regained consciousness, I felt a familiar cold on my wrists. "I like where this is going." I tried to jest.

"Harry? Are you… you again?" Karen asked.

"If I say yes, will you let me use the bathroom?" Karen cautiously moved to unlock my cuffs and untie my feet. I breathed in her scent and the smell of her room. They were familiar, nostalgic, and warm. I forgot what Karen smelled like, and now I smelled her in Technicolor. I must have been growling because she took a defensive position and backed away.

"While you were out, you weren't totally out. You tried to bite us, grab us, lick us…" I used the facilities and washed my face and noticed I was clean and changed.

"Where's Susan?" I asked. Karen looked down. She was in her favorite pajamas; CPD shirt and yoga pants.

"She didn't handle things as well as hoped. After she helped me tie you down she said to tell you she was sorry and she took off." Karen whispered.

"Jinxed."

"What is?"

"Love."

"Would it be safe to come closer?" Karen asked. I froze. To me she didn't smell like my sister any more. She smelled like a steak dinner. I skirted around the room to remain far as possible from her.

"Better not risk it."

"Well, Amoracchius was stolen while Michael was with Charity. I returned it and told the staff it was a religious thing so they would let him keep it. He named his baby Harry."

"What'd the kid ever do to him?" I joked. Karen smirked half-heartedly.

"I medically discharged you."

"You fired me for getting hurt?" heat rose in my flesh, and I felt a scowl in my nose and brow. She flinched.

"I had to. IA was on my ass to drop you, so I did it medical so you still collect a percentage of your pay. I also applied for a private detective license on your behalf. You can still do what you do this way. You couldn't have remained a cop as a vampire."

"I've read about plenty of folks making it work." I said defensively.

"In your occult investigations novels maybe. This isn't a Justin Gustainis story; this is your life... Morgan called about the war. The wizard council will be coming to town to discuss things with you."

"Swell. Lost my job, my girlfriend, my humanity… wonder what the council will have to say."

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"They don't apologize."

"No, I'm so… so sorry… I wasn't there for you…" Karen stood there, face flushed, eyes bloodshot, looking more blue than human eyes could ever perceive, her trembling lips were red and swollen from her chewing them, and her freckles darkened with the blush. Karen was one of those girls who looked cute frowning, crying, sneezing, with snot stringing from her nose to her hand, screaming bloody murder- any way. I barely registered how I got there but next thing I knew she was in my arms clinging to me crying hard. "I let them do this to you…"

"Don't think of it that way. It isn't healthy." I kissed her hair, causing her to flinch. I felt her back through the thin shirt, then ran my hand up her neck and combed her hair with my fingers. She pressed something into my hand and it burned so I jerked the black-clawed hand out of her hair. It was her crucifix. She looked at me then grabbed the cuffs. I rolled my eyes and let her cuff me. "You should at least wear a sexy costume while cuffing me to a bed."

"Pervert." She retorted. She brought me Bob to talk to while I was tied up and he explained to me that in Mexico and South America there was an organization of half reds just likes me and they had ways of suppressing the urges. I made the journey there and back in time to meet with the council, covered in tattoos that almost made me look like a Maori-style tiger from the neck down. Some of the pattern was on my face where a beard would grow if I were one of the fortunate few who could grow a decent beard.

I was basically chastised for starting a war, made to give testimony though they surely didn't care about how it all happened. They were put off by my new condition, but all in all nothing that locking myself up in my lab and ranting for hours about it didn't fix. Susan moved to New York and sent me letters for a while but I got the feeling she didn't want to even do that much. I stopped looking for them. Karen and Michael, and even Thomas stopped by to check on me. My sister more than the others by a long shot. A few times I felt good enough to handle company and had a few beers with her, chatting about things.

She actually convinced me to trunk-or-treat with her. A bunch of the guys from CPD go to this elementary school and park in formation so to make a path through the backs of a bunch of cars. We decorate the trunk and hand out candy to kids who come by. There's a place set up to sit and eat and someone makes hotdogs and popcorn balls and brings little bottled waters and cokes. The school staff and firefighters participate, and some volunteers from the churches and local businesses join in. Karen had a maid costume with a badge and a notebook in her lap apron, the CPD uniform cover, and a fake meter that was tall as her. "What are you supposed to be?" I asked.

"A meter maid… it's not obvious? I knew I should have been Kami from street fighters." She grumbled. I dressed up as Belo Lugosi's Dracula, with black and white makeup and costume so I was all grey scale. The fun part was wearing fake normal teeth over my real fangs. That made some people laugh, scared some kids. Human interaction felt good. So what if there was a war. I needed to do this.

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