The pain was excruciating. I just wanted to die for the peace it would bring me. I had no idea where I was, I had no idea how I got there or where I was but I knew my Aunt Paige was there. And yet through all the pain, all I could care about was, 'she's gonna go insane!' After someone was done probing and frying my back I felt a warm glow emanate from my wounds. The warmth was comforting and it traveled around my whole body. Bit by bit I became more aware of my surroundings. I was also aware that I had no top on. I opened my eyes again squinting in the dim light. The first thing I saw was Paige.
"Ehhmm. What happened to my top?" Out of all the things I could have said that was what concerned me the most. Paige handed me a red T-shirt and conspicuously I put it on. I sat up on the red leather square seats I was laying on and looked at my surroundings. I completely died inside of embarrassment when I realised where I was.
I was in fucking Fangtasia! I just wanted to curl up and die all over again.
"Paige, why are we here?" I asked her, why in hell would she bring me here. I had just been attacked by the owner who was sitting not too far from me on the edge of a booth. I glared at him
"You." Was all I could say, he looked rather amused by my chagrin.
"That's not a very friendly greeting to someone who just saved your life." Eric said getting up from his seat.
"Excuse me! You tried to kill me tonight!" I screeched. Paige looked horrified by my words and looked from me to him and then sat beside me putting a comforting hand on my back. I will still weak.
"I didn't try to kill you, I mistook you for something else." He was very composed, he didn't even apologize.
"Mistook me for what?" I barked bemused. I couldn't tell if he was lying or not, sure it was dark out but he was a vampire for Christ's sake. The night is when they do their hunting. I was so confused.
"I mistook you for what really tried to kill you." That had thrown me off my anger. As soon as he said it an image of the beast flashed through my mind and I jumped slightly. In all my years of growing up in the craft I had never heard of or seen such a thing.
"What was it?" I asked meekly, my voice hoarse from shouting and screaming, my rage had cooled and all that was left was this feeling of vulnerability, I was glad Paige was with me.
"That I don't know." He went over to bar and got a glass of water and handed it to me. I looked at Paige and I reluctantly took it. It was then I noticed the woman passed out on the same kind of seats across the room. She had blond hair and was quite petite but that was all I could see of her. She was wearing a bigger red T-shirt than mine. Eric followed my gaze.
"She was also attacked by the same creature, she barely survived." He spoke.
"Will she be okay?" I asked concern filling my voice.
"She'll live." He replied simply. There was a silence for a moment while I drank the water and then decided it was time to go.
"Well, thank you Mr. Northman for your hospitality but we'd better be going now." I started getting up, swaying slightly only to be caught by Paige.
"Take it easy P.J, you just had your back torn up." Paige lectured.
"I'm fine, honestly." I reassured her and stepped away brushing her off. I refused to look weak in front of the enemy.
"You're welcome Miss Halliwell, I am very glad you lived and I will see you soon." He grinned at me, he had an ulterior motive and that made me very worried. I would be seeing him again and I would be dreading it.
Paige orbed me back to my house not before asking me did I want to stay the night at hers.
"Paige, really, I'm okay, I'm a big girl now, I can stay home alone, don't worry." She tried to convince me a few more times but I told her to go home and take care of my little cousins. Eventually she left and I went inside and collapsed on my bed. As I was starting to fall asleep the image of the bull creature came into my head once again and a shiver ran down my spine. Even though my back was completely healed, I could still feel it. The beast tearing its claws into my flesh. I knew that that was not the last time I was going to see it. I knew I had to find it, even though I really didn't want to, but it was my obligation as the Twice-Blessed child of the Charmed Ones to vanquish it. As I accepted my fate I turned over in my bed and drifted off asleep.
The first thing I did the next morning or rather the next evening when I got up was get straight into a shower. It felt so good to have the events of last night wash away down the drain. One thing I couldn't get off my mind though was, why did Eric save my life? I didn't know him that well, in fact I had threatened him enough for him to be allowed to hate me. Did he really mistake me for someone else out in the woods? Did I even want to know the truth? Did it even really matter he was a vampire after all.
But one thing I definitely knew was that I owed him now. It killed me to admit it but I did. Who knows what he was going to have me do.
All these thoughts swarmed around my head along with how hot he was and I ended up cutting my shower short. I did my makeup after I dried my hair to it's fluffy waviness and I decided to go dark on the eyes to cover up my tiredness. I was expecting company tonight.
At about eight thirty I was sprawled out on my couch when there was a knock at my door. I let out a loud groan. Time to face the music. I got up and reluctantly answered the door. It was Eric, of course... He stood outside on my little porch like a giant. How did even know where I lived?
"Good evening Ms. Halliwell." He spoke. I hated how much I was attracted to him. His very presence was seductive.
"Mr. Northman." I replied simply hiding my lustful feelings. Wow, it had been a long time.
"How are you feeling tonight?"
"Listen, can we skip the small talk and get down to business. You saved my life, meaning I am indebted to you, now what do you want." I just wanted to know what he was going to have me do then get it over with.
"Very well. May I come in?" He asked.
"No, I'd rather you didn't." I'm not stupid enough to invite a very old vampire into my house.
"Fine." He quipped sounding a little frustrated, "A friend of mine in the Dallas area, a Sheriff, has gone missing. Now while the circumstances of his disappearance are unclear, he must be found."
"So you want me to help you find him?"
"Yes."
"And after that my debt is paid?" This sounded too easy.
"Yes."
"Alright, I'll help you." I smiled, I turned around to go back inside.
"Where are you going?" He looked confused.
"To find a map and crystal, give me a moment." I ran into my kitchen and found my scrying tools. I was so happy. This was all I needed to do. Find some vampire and then freedom. I almost skipped back to the door. I spread the first map out onto floor of the porch, it was a map of America.
"Do you have anything of his? A piece of him like hair or personal item, anything like that.?" I asked. I was little unnerved when he went and bit his wrist. He held it out to me.
"Are you and this vampire related?" I wasn't sure if he understood what I had meant.
"Yes." I reached up and dipped the crystal in the blood bubbling from the holes in his wrist. I swung the crystal around the map. Nothing. I tried each state. Nothing.
"How closely are you related." I wondered.
"Very close." He insisted. I groaned loudly. He ignored me. I pulled out a map of the world. I was a good twenty minutes scrying over every continent. Still nothing.
"God dammit."
"What is it?" He asked, his voice serious.
"Well the way I see it, there are two possibilities. Either he's dead..." Eric glared down at me and I was a little worried about my well-being if I kept going with that theory.
"Or either he doesn't want to be found or someone else doesn't want him to be found."
"How is that possible?" He asked, he really wanted to know all the information. I wondered if all vampires cared about each other this way or was it just that he and this vampire go way back. I decided I really didn't care. Though his loyalty to this vampire was impressive for someone as emotionless as him.
"Well a witch or demon could easily cast a cloaking spell."
"You think a witch has him." He glared daggers at me as if I was the one who took the guy. Jeez, vampires, they think every witch knows every witch and is somehow involved with that witch's affairs.
"It's possible... I suppose if he was a very old vampire he could resist a tracking spell." I babbled. If a witch did have him, I felt sorry for her if Eric ever found her.
"He is over two thousand years old." He stated.
"Well then." I said standing up bringing my tools back inside.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be any more help to you, see ya around." I was trying to make an escape.
"Wait." I stopped still in my doorway, I really just wanted him to leave.
"When I said I wanted you to help me find him I didn't mean casting a spell and waving a crystal."
"You know in some way I knew that." I groaned pressing my head against the door frame.
"You're not the only person I have employed to assist me. There will be a car to collect you tomorrow afternoon."
Ah shit.
