Chapter 10
Kelly woke up the next morning sadly. She pushed herself up…and noticed an envelope lying on her bed. She picked it up in confusion. Is Jack pulling a prank? Robert, Ryan? Michael, Duck? She opened it and pulled out the paper inside, unfolding it…
Forever, remember?
She quickly rushed from bed and into the living room to meet up with the others. "He was in my room last night!"
"Who?" Tech asked warily.
"Austin! He was in my room!"
"What?!" He practically fell out of his seat but caught himself. "Are you sure?!"
"Positive!"
"I thought a Vampire couldn't come in unless you invited them in," Jack said.
"Jack, have you learned nothing so far about that?" asked Daniella with a sneer, "Once you invite them in, they're always welcome."
"Well, there's gotta be a spell to reverse it, right?" Sarah asked, "Like a barrier? A 'no shoes, no pulse, no service' kind of thing?"
"How do we know there's not one up already or something?" Duck asked, "I mean, if there wasn't, wouldn't he have just taken her out in her sleep?" Everyone glared at him at that one. "I'm trying to help!"
Daniella sighed and started putting dishes away as she continued: "Look, it's classic battle strategy to provoke an opponent. Once they're off their game, that's the perfect moment to strike."
"In other words, the 'nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah' approach to battle," Michael smirked as he gamed away.
"Yes, Michael, once again you have managed to boil a complex thought down to its simplest possible form. How do you do it?"
"Guys, we have to do something," Kelly said, "He's obsessed with me. You remember what he said happened when he was obsessed with Damiana?"
That made everyone freeze. They all remembered. The first thing he'd done was to kill her family.
"I can't let that happen again. He's got an all-access pass to the tower and we're not always together!"
"We can find a spell to remove the invitation!" Daniella said.
"And what about until you find the spell?!"
"Look, I know you're concerned, but you need to keep calm! We don't have a choice here!"
"So what you're saying is just ignore him and he'll go away?"
"…yes."
Michael scoffed. "How come Kelly doesn't get a snotty 'once again you boil it down to the simplest form'? Witch's pet!"
Downstairs…
Paige was gathering a few things.
When Tech walked up.
Paige looked at him. "Hey."
"Hey."
"Just getting a few things I left here last time."
"Noticed."
"Things not going so well? You've got that tone in your voice again."
"No, it's just…since Austin lost his soul, he's regained his sense of…whimsy. He was in Kelly's room last night while we were all asleep. We're trying to fix a spell to keep him out of the tower."
"Oh! This might help." She reached into her bag and pulled out a book, handing it over. "I was going over some old books since…the other night. I don't think you have this one."
He cautiously took it. "Thanks."
She sighed. "Look, I know you feel betrayed…"
"Well, that is a side effect of betrayal."
"Tech, I was raised by the very people Wolfe hurt the most. My duty to them was the first thing I was ever taught after I heard what I was. I didn't come here to hurt anyone, I was only helping the first few times. I only lied to you because I thought it was the right thing to do. I was wrong. I made it mistake—I'm only human."
"Not entirely."
"I didn't know what would happen. I just want things to be right here. I want to make things up to you."
He looked at her…and finally gave a slight smirk. "I understand. But I'm not the one you need to make things up to." He took the book and walked off.
At Brenda's place…
Brenda was on the phone as she paced around her room, getting ready for bed. "I'm sorry, but I gotta agree with Danni on this one. Wolfe's only doing this to get you do something stupid. You just gotta not let him get to you!" She sighed. "I swear, men can be such jerks sometimes. Dead or alive. And Wolfe over there went over the top with it."
"Understatement of the year, much?" Kelly sneered. She sighed. "I just hope Danni can find a 'keep out' spell soon. I'm sure I'll sleep easier when I can…sleep easier."
Brenda smirked as she went over to her fish tank. "I'm sure she'll come up with something. She's like the Bookkeeper Witch. Until then, just keep happy thoughts and—" She then looked at the fish tank…and noticed an envelope lying on the desk beside it. She rested the phone in the crook of her neck and picked it up to open it.
"And what?"
Brenda pulled the paper from inside. "Watch your back, Slayer"? She then noticed there was more in the envelope.
"Brenda?"
She pulled it out.
Her fish lay dead on a hook.
Twenty minutes later…
"Thanks for letting me stay at the tower," Brenda said, curled up on the couch.
"No problem," Jack smirked, "Oh…uh…sorry about your fish."
"It's OK. We hadn't really had time to bond yet. Although, for the first time, I'm glad I couldn't afford a puppy."
Kelly sighed, lying there. "It's so weird. When stuff like this happens, my first instinct is still to run to Austin. I can't believe it's the same person. Except that he's the exact opposite."
"Well, almost."
Kelly looked at her Slayer friend. "What do you mean?"
Brenda sighed, then looked at her. "You're still the only thing he thinks about."
At the factory…
Sean sat there in his wheelchair, glaring at the wall.
Damiana walked in, carrying a puppy. "Sean…I have something for you." She walked over to him. "She's an orphan. Poor thing. Her owner died…without a fight. Do you like her?" She finally came to Sean and knelt down beside him. "I brought her especially for you. To cheer you up. I've named her Sunshine."
"How appropriate."
Damiana turned, Sean following. "Why, Austin. Where have you been? The sun is almost up. And it can be so hurtful. We were so worried."
"No, we weren't," Sean sneered.
"You must forgive Sean. He's just a bit testy tonight. Doesn't get around much anymore."
Wolfe smirked. "Well, maybe next time I'll bring you with me, Sean. It might be handy to have you around if I ever need a really good parking space."
"Have you forgotten that you're a guest in my home?" Sean growled.
"And as a guest, if there's anything I can do for you, any responsibility I can assume while you're spinning your wheels…" He then looked at Damiana. "…anything I'm not already doing, that is…"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Sean punched him, knocking him back.
He just laughed.
Damiana smiled and handed Sunshine to Sean. "You two boys." She walked over to the desk. "Fighting over me and all…makes a girl feel…" Suddenly, she gasped. She leaned over in pain and groaned.
Sean looked at her. "Dame, what is it, pet?"
"The air…it worries. Someone…an old enemy…is seeking help…help to destroy our happy home."
Across town…
A guy in a magic shop was pricing things.
When Paige walked in.
"Welcome," he said in a thick Romanian accent, "How may I serve you today? Love potion? Voodoo doll?"
"I need an Orb of Thesulah."
He smirked and dropped the accent: "Oh, you're in the trade! Sorry about the spiel, but Valentine's season is coming up…" He sighed as he started going through the back room. "Sad fact is, Ouija boards and good luck charms—that's what pays the rent around here. Anyway, how'd you hear about us?"
"My uncle told me about you."
He then looked over. "Oh…Paige, right? I'm sorry to hear about your uncle. He was a good customer." He sighed and handed her a box. "Well, there you go." He took off the lid to reveal a glass orb. "One Thesulan orb: spirit vault for the rituals of the undead. I don't get many calls for those. Sold a couple as New Age paperweights last year."
Paige sighed and handed him her cash card.
"By the way," he said as he fixed the receipt, "you do know that the annals for the Ritual of the Undead were lost, right? Because without the annals, the text is gibberish."
"And without a translated text, the Orbs are useless, I know," she said as she signed.
"I only mention it because…well, I don't do refunds."
"It's OK. I'm working on a computer program. It should revive the texts and translate them to English. Thanks." She took the box and headed out.
"No problem. Oh! By the way. Not that it's any of my business, but what are you planning on conjuring up if you can decipher the text?"
She shrugged. "A present for a friend of mine."
"Really? What are you gonna give him?"
She just held up the orb gingerly…letting it glow in her hand. She smiled. "His soul."