Chapter 1: Starving
Standing outside the Stormy Brew Magic Shop, Keith expects many things from the witch's shop. That it's not open at its designated time on the door, is not one of them. The sign states that the place opens at 6 am and closes at 9 pm Monday through Friday, on Saturday it is only open 9 am until 3 pm and is closed on Sundays. Yet, here he is at ten in the morning, waiting for the shop to open.
He has been out here for four hours waiting, but nothing. He can tell there is an apartment above the shop, but it shows no sign of life from what he can hear. There is no sign on the door telling people that she is out of town for the day, or anything to explain why it is still closed. Though, no one else has stopped by to see if the shop is open, like the whole town of Hidden Vale knows something he doesn't.
Given that he is from out of town, it wouldn't be a surprise. He is just a Hunter sent to check out this shop. Potions of all kinds have been leading back to this small-town shop for months now. None were illegal, just a lot of crimes have something tied to this shop, and he is supposed to check out the witch running it, to make sure her practice is completely clean.
"You must be from out of town," an elderly woman states resting her hand on Keith's forearm, pulling him from his thoughts.
"Huh, yeah," he replies rubbing his head some. "Can you explain why the Witch hasn't open this shop yet?"
The woman chuckles, "Young Sky goes out once in a while with her friends, when that happens the whole town knows her shop will open late. She should be up by noon at the latest, though be warned, she's an odd one." With that she left him there to wait for the shop to open.
"That doesn't really help me out," he mutters to himself before going up to the door and peering inside.
The tingle of an enchantment runs up his arms, nothing harmful from what he can tell, just a warning spell. "Does she use magic as her security alarm?" He questions backing away from the door.
In the apartment above he starts to hear a bunch of thumping, slamming of doors and something glass breaking. Brows knitting together, he tries to figure out what is causing all of the ruckus when the door flings open nearly hitting him in the face. In the doorway stands a blonde dressed in only an oversized shirt, looking like she just had a heart attack.
"Sorry, I hope you didn't wait long," she pants looking up at him with bright green eyes. "I'm used to the locals waiting for me, no idea someone from out of town would want something from here."
Keith has to take a moment to process her words, for her lack of pants caught him off guard, as well as the sweet scent she gave off. He's only ever known bagged blood and has never been interested in drinking straight from the vein. This is the first time someone has smelled so good to him.
A quick shake of the head clears his thoughts, "Uh, are you the owner of this shop?" He asks looking away from her.
"Yeah, again sorry about the wait," she apologizes opening the doorway to him. "Come in and let's get you what you need."
Keith enters the small shop and right away takes notice of how stuffed to the brim it is, yet he doesn't feel closed in or entrapped. The shelves are stocked in a neat and orderly fashion, they are also spaced far enough apart, and everything just seems to have a place without making it looked overcrowded.
The blonde takes up her place behind the counter, leaning on her arms as her steady gaze follows him around the shop, "Anything specific you are looking for? Or do you need something made or something else? I have blood supplements and bags of it."
Keith looks at her in shock, "How did you know –?"
"I'm a witch, I enchanted the doorway to tell me what type of being walks through my door. It helps me get them the right things without asking too many personal questions. I sell everything possible for everyone. And it's not illegal."
He frowns when he realizes that she has a point. So far nothing looks shady, and she doesn't seem to act like she's hiding something either.
"So what do the Hunters want checked out? I can show you everything you want to see. I hide nothing," she states fiddling with a small bottle on the counter.
"Okay, there is no way you know I'm a Hunter." Keith replies coming over to the counter.
"Being a Hunter means your income is unstable and you have to travel a lot. Your clothes look worn but well cared for, yet you carry this lone ranger aura that really gives it away. That also tells me you are also only half vampire, so you must not drink as much blood," Sky explains while somehow holding an innocent face. "Plus, your hair makes you look homeless as Hell."
Keith growls at the witch, "Well, what about you being pants-less?"
Sky looks unphased as she rests her chin on one hand and point up with the other, "I live above the shop, I can get dressed whenever I want." She says it so matter of factly before straightening up, "But if it bothers you so much, just say something."
Is she serious? She has a history of serving her customers half naked? Just how sane is this woman? Too many questions run though his head while he tries to figure her out. He can see a bored look pass over her tired features.
"So what all do you want to see? The sooner you conduct this little review, the sooner I can get back to my life, got a few curses to break."
Keith recalls reading that this Witch is cursed and hasn't been able to remove the spells from her being. Most Witches would have gone to great lengths to fix that situation, but Sky hasn't done that. Cursed for over five years and yet she lives her life like a normal person.
"They want a review of how you go about business, so I'll be around for a while," he informs her.
Sky groans while she stretches out her limbs, "Alright, so then you'll need a place to stay." She hops over her counter and goes back to the door and locks it. Putting a sign in the window for her costumers to see. "Follow me, you look like you need a shower really bad."
Puzzled, Keith follows her to the back and up a set of stairs that lead to the apartment part of the building. First thing he notices is the large number of cats that sleep in her apartment. Kittens out number the full-grown cats, but there have to be about twenty all together laying across the couch, floors and counters.
"Sorry about the cat mess, my brothers don't like dealing with kittens when their cats get knocked up," Sky apologizes petting a couple of the cats. "That's the bathroom you'll use, shower and make yourself look less homeless."
"Are you seriously going to let me stay here?" Keith asks watching her go into a room.
"Locals aren't going to like you, for being a Hunter, and you're safe here. Plus it allows you to watch me around the clock to make sure I'm not doing anything illegal."
"You know, this whole open book thing is a little weird. Any other Hunter would be leery of all of this," Keith explains looking around.
"But not you?" she questions, wandering over to hamper in a room and pulling out a pair of short-shorts.
"Eh, I've always been a little different from all the other Hunters," Keith deflects shrugging and looking around. Besides the dozens of cats and kittens around the apartment, Sky has a lot of bookshelves with knick knacks and photographs of her friends and family. It has the feeling of home, that comfortable, warm and relaxed feeling.
There are dishes in the sink and dryer rank, blankets lay across the couch cushions, and some soda cans sit on the coffee table. He feels almost a little too at ease, like his gut is telling him to stay here forever. There is a feeling of belonging even though he just walked through the door.
Sky comes out of the room dressed, but not in a way Keith expected: knee high boots, black tights, short-shorts, off-shoulder, loose half top, topped off with a witch's hat and jewelry. She seems to know she has looks that can kill and uses them as much as she can without being too skanky.
"Does my outfit not match?" Sky asks checking her clothes again.
Busted for staring, Keith shakes his head, "No, you're fine."
"You're pretty cute yourself, but you're gonna need to try a little harder for a date Mr. Hunter-Inspector-I-Met-Five-Minutes-Ago." Her heels click on the wood floor as she strides across the room and opens a door to a full bathroom, "Well, shower and put on some clean clothes."
"You won't hide anything while I'm in the shower?" Keith jokes heading towards the room.
Sky smirks with a raised brow, "The only place you are not allowed to enter is the second floor of this apartment – it's my library of grimoires."
That part he understood, no witch would dare to let someone into their library unless it's a family member or fellow, trusted witch. He only nods before heading into the bathroom.
"You can leave the door open if you don't trust me still," Sky teases scrunching her nose in an adorable way.
He closes the door in reply to her statement.
-NABT-
Keith watches Sky work the shop for the day, taking note on how she cares for each customer through all their needs. Doing everything for them, from writing down instructions in highly detailed fashion, to telling them vague reminders. Opening jars for the weak handed and collecting everything off the shelves for them.
She is loved by her guests, each one praising Sky's hard work and kindness. Nothing slips past Sky's sharp eye, young children sneaking things into their parents' baskets is one example. She handles people's budgets very well, flexing her prices a bit for them.
In the afternoon a woman with burgundy hair walks into the shop, and while Sky pays attention to some potions she is making. "Stella, can you get that one grimoire from my library?" Sky asks without looking away from her work.
"On it," the woman replies going upstairs.
Keith gives a puzzled look, "She just-."
The woman reappears and drops the book behind Sky, "Here ya go."
"Thanks," Sky replies. "Can you measure out ingredients of those picky potions?"
"Gotcha," she chirps heading over to the station that is set up.
"Why are you letting her run around like this? You let her into your library!" Keith exclaims looking at Sky in shock.
Holding up a single finger, "she's my best friend." Putting up another finger, "Very trusted."
Turning back to them slightly, the woman points her thumb at Keith, "Speaking of very trusted best friend, care to trust me with this guy's name?"
"Oh yeah, Stella this is- Hmm, I never did get your name earlier," Sky responds, looking to Keith.
Stella scoffs, "You don't even know his name, but you let him into your back room?"
"Well, I know that he's a Hunter and he's here to do the latest report on me," Sky retorts.
"This Hunter has a name you know," Keith growls, noting that Sky has the nerve to flirt without knowing someone's name.
"Well then, why don't you tell it to us. Or should I just refer to you as Mr. Hunter?" Stella quips.
Keith instantly understands the friendship seeing the similar attitude. Crossing his arms, "It's Keith."
"I'm Stella and I'm sure from your files you know Sky's name," Stella smirks jabbing Sky in the side getting a high-pitched squeal.
"Don't do that! I'm in the middle of potion brewing!" Sky snaps moving away from her friend. "You're supposed to be helping me out!"
That grabs Keith's attention as most Witches don't need help with making potions. "Why is she helping you with potion making in the first place?" He narrows his violet eyes at the two of them.
Sky holds up both of her hands, "These scars come with side effects, so I have issues with measuring certain ways – Stella is certified to help me." Red, lightning shaped scars race from her finger tips up her elbows. "Some days I can make an appropriate pinch, others I can barely pinch at all."
At Keith's raised brow, both Sky and Stella point to a hanging certificate just at the other side of the door to the sales floor. "Also, even on her good days, I'm much neater than Sky is," Stella smirks toward her friend.
"Shut up," Sky pouts, "You didn't grow up in a house full of boys."
"That's really not an excuse, but I'll let it slide," Stella teases then goes about measuring for the Witch.
Keith watches as Sky gives vague lists to Stella, who then follows what she is saying with ease. They aren't speaking in code, but it feels like it since they understand each other so well. Descriptions are barely given, placements on the shelf unnecessary. Stella knows everything Sky speaks of and knows just what to do with it. It is a remarkable sight to see such teamwork. He has never seen such inter-race compatibility.
One thing becomes clear to Keith, if anything happened to Sky, the person at fault would have to deal with Stella, and vice versa. They are sisters even without blood. The two can go from arguing about a subject to suddenly telling dirty jokes in mere seconds. Both girls have a playful banter that can sometimes get really heated and catty, yet they laugh with each other at the end of it. They pick at each other's fashion; Keith has never seen such a close relationship.
"Keith, can you watch the counter?" Sky asks after a while, looking up from the brew she is working on.
He looks confused for a moment, "Huh? Yeah."
Stella comes out a moment later, "Sorry, she needs to be alone to finish off that potion, nothing against you."
Shrugging, he just stands by the counter as Stella runs around restocking the shelves. The motion of everything seems to slow down when the traffic of customers nearly comes to a halt. Things quickly get boring, no matter what he does, even small talk with Stella is useless because she drops it when it gets too personal for her or Sky. Sky hasn't come out of the potion room for the last two hours.
"How does she stand it when it gets this slow, with the hours she has set?" Keith asks rubbing his neck. His feet are tired, and he is coming to realize that retail work is not meant for him at all.
"Even I don't know how she deals with this boredom, but she does," Stella replies leaning against the front of the counter. "But no one ever really gives her credit for the work that she does. So much of this she actually does by herself, barely asking for help unless she really needs it."
"Do you know what caused the scars on her hands?" Keith asks thinking about the lighting scars that race up the Witch's arms.
Stella shakes her head, "That's for her to tell. I know the story, but she never tells all of it."
"That's a family level of knowledge…. And the doctor, obviously" Sky says appearing from the back room. "You only need to know the basic gist of what happened and the extent to which it disables me."
Sky is blunt about things and has been an open book about everything, but not this or her curse for some reason. It bothers Keith, but he knows pressing for answers isn't going to get him anywhere, only time and trust will.
-NABT-
Crash, slam, thud, bam.
A series of muffled noises draws Keith's attention in the middle of the night. He puts his notes down and gets up. Sky's feet thunder past his room, which tells him she didn't cause the sounds. Now that he thinks about, the sounds came from the shop.
"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Sky yells.
A break in. A break in is happening in the place where he is staying and he's just sitting there. Quickly, he throws open his bedroom door and races down the stairs to find Sky face to face with three people in black masks.
"There's the Hunter," one says pulling out a knife.
"A lot of people are upset that a Hunter is here, thought we'd get rid of him," another explains.
"You won't be hurting anyone under my roof," Sky says with a hard voice.
"Too bad for you then," the third burglar says in a cocky manner.
"What's that mean?" Sky asks trying to look around. "Wait, four of you entered…"
Keith starts to look around when he hears Sky say that. Pain radiates from his side, causing him to curse as he turns around to find the fourth person stabbing him.
"Keith!" Sky cries out dropping the other two.
The masked person retracts the knife from Keith and the group taking off. He falls to his knees holding his side, trying to slow the bleeding.
"Oh my god, Keith!" Sky exclaims rushing over to him, "let me see!"
He really didn't get to protest as she pulls his hands away and fills his blood-soaked shirt, "it's not healing. Why aren't you healing?" Her green eyes large with worry as she tries to figure out the reasons behind his lack of healing.
"I haven't had blood recently," he admits.
"The hell is wrong with you?!" She yells jumping up and looking around.
One of the large front windows is shattered, several shelves are broken, and all kinds of glass and ingredients cover the floor. Searching around, Sky finally finds what she's looking for and rushes over.
Keith sees the glint of a blade and before he can stop her, she takes up an athame and cuts her palm.
The sweet smell of her blood hits Keith like a train, "Sky, no –." She cuts him off by shoving her hand over his mouth.
"You're an idiot for not drinking your blood more regularly, now drink." She says looking him in the eye.
In this moment, he see what kind of spirit Sky has and he is going to lose this fight. The allure of her blood is driving him crazy. He gently grips her forearm in both hands and with one last hesitant glance, bears his fangs and sinks them into the tender flesh. As the sweet flavor hits his tongue he begins to gulp it down, snaking his arm around her waist to draw her closer.
Sky shivers when his tongue slides sensually across her palm, and the motion attracts Keith's now scarlet gaze. She must have forgotten the pleasurable effect that comes when vampires drink from the vein. She feels her heart begin to thunder with adrenaline being caught in the gaze of a truly superior predator.
Keith can feel the jolt of Sky's heart as it pushes the blood more strongly through her frail blood vessels. The instinctual fear and creeping arousal inspired by the endorphins in his bite adding a pleasing tang to her natural flavor. As a little moan slips from the Witch's throat, his eyes slide closed in bliss. He only comes back to himself when Sky begins to wilt in his grip, quickly pulling his elongated fangs from her tender flesh. He slowly leans his face back into her palm, breathing long and slow to keep his composure. He desperately thinks of how much he wants this woman kept well and safe to stimulate the after set of chemicals to his bite and help speed her recovery.
"Oh," Sky gasps as Keith pulls away more than an inch, "Done already? You can take more if you need, you know. I'm not some weak little girl who can't handle losing a little blood." She feels her face heat in a painful flush as he breathes a slight chuckle past his lips dyed in her crimson blood. He gently presses his lips back into the meat of her hand and she braces herself for the return of that wonderful curling heat low in her belly.
"No more tonight, sweet heart. Thank you for that. Now let's get you something to drink and back to bed," Keith murmurs softly as he hefts Sky into his arms.