Chapter 6: Yeah, Not Catching on Fire Would Be Optimum

So yeah, sorry I've been so dead on this site lately. I literally almost died. Ha, weirdly uncomfortable humor makes me feel better. Also, COVID is no joke people. Wear the freakin' mask and social distance. I am ok now. Thanks for all the messages I got. It really made me feel better. :) Also, caution: this chapter was written under the influence of copious amounts of oxygen and cough medicine. I'll leave the disclaimer at that. Hopefully, things will calm down enough so that I can start posting regularly again.

And ahh, I loved coming back to this site to see all the reviews you left me. I'm seriously thinking about printing them out and decorating a binder, like an awesome review scrapbook. As always, leave a review for me. I need copious amounts of sarcastic humor. That stuff is better than my inhaler.

Songs for this chapter:

"Take Care of Business" by Nina Simone

"Follow My Voice" by Julie Byrne

Sabrina lost track of time as she and Caroline wrapped around one another. It was the sound of metal scraping against metal that brought her back. Caroline looked up with a pinched brow and make-up streaked down her face. Sabrina met her gaze before they followed the sound, finding Reyna sharpening an intricately curved dagger.

Sabrina's voice was questioning, "Reyna, what.."

"This is how I deal with emotional stress," she deadpanned.

Caroline snorted before wiping underneath her nose. "And you wonder why you're single?"

A shadowed smile crossed Sabrina's mouth. No. Not everything was gone yet.

Reyna surprised Sabrina by not offering a scathing remark.

Caroline swiped underneath her eyes. "So can we… like get up now? My legs are falling asleep,"

Sabrina chuckled, "You might be picking me up off the floor. Hmm, so vampire legs can still fall asleep, huh?"

"So," Reyna drawled. "Are we just going to ignore the fact that you have claws and scales? Or is that a tomorrow problem?"

Caroline's head whipped around, her curls flipping to the opposite shoulder. "Oh, that is seriously a today problem,"

Caroline quirked a brow as they stood. Sabrina felt the voice inside her accept Caroline as fiercely as her need for water and whisper, 'Mine,'

Sabrina returned icily, 'Ours,'

Sabrina turned a derisive stare against Caroline. "I'm not exactly thrilled about coming back as a bad reincarnation of Flipper either, Care,"

"Neither will Mom if you keep shattering her glasses every time you get upset,"

It was then Sabrina finally noticed the damage she had caused. Shards of glass lay scattered across the chairs and table with the water splashed across the plates and placemats. She squeezed her eyes closed.

"Man, your mom is gonna kill me,"

Miriam trotted back down the stairs. "Mom won't be too happy about what?"

Sabrina stepped in front of the table while the three of them said, "Nothing,"

-O-

"So we're not going to mention the fact that our death days are a day apart. Unimaginably weird. Even for us,"

From her place on the couch, Sabrina answered, scoffing a laugh, "It's just like our birthdays again. This is just like you to try and upstage me,"

Caroline laughed, "You say that like there's conscious effort necessary,"

"Hmmph. Rude,"

Reyna had flipped on the television moments before to fill the lulling silence of the basement. She watched in close criticism of the full contact MMA fight on the screen with all the expected bloodlust of a Roman crowd cheering on a gladiator fight. Sabrina sat next to her on the floor, leaning against the front of the couch.

"C'mon, Jameson!" She shook silver-ringed fingers at the TV. "You should've seen that roundhouse comin', ya freakin' moron! Lose all your teeth like that,"

Sabrina found again that she needed to concentrate to take a full breath. Her head tipped onto Reyna's shoulder. She felt her skin tighten. She twisted and turned her hands under the light. Reyna pushed them back down into her lap again. Without looking away from the screen, Reyna said,

"Stop worrying,"

"Oh, yeah. No. I've moved past worry. Transcended actually. We're firmly past worry on the way to Panic Town to attend the bi-annual Freak Out Fest," she said drily. "I have a job at the library waiting for me, and unless someone happens to have access to a waterproof laptop, I don't see any meaningful progress occurring,"

"At least you aren't at risk of bursting into flames like our favorite Care-bear here," she said before taking a bit of her apple.

"Hey! I am sitting right here,"

Sabrina turned an unimpressed stare toward Reyna. "If this is your comfort, I don't like it. It's terrible,"

Reyna shrugged before twisting around, peering over the couch. "What're you doin', ma?"

Miriam leaned over the table which was now covered in fine purple silk. Her hands hovered over the objects lining the cloth, moving smoothly through the air. Her fingers twisted and turned in practiced patterns. Sabrina craned her neck to identify the objects. Wooden bowls filled with water, jewelry, a feather, and various types of gemstones. Shedim magic, Sabrina recalled, operated differently than traditional ancestral types. It felt different in the air, crackling energy surrounding the practitioner, humming around Miriam like nothing Sabrina had ever experienced.

"Working," Miriam replied.

"You need help?"

Miriam's dark eyes flitted up briefly, "No,"

Reyna flopped back down with a shrug while Sabrina and Caroline glanced at one another. Reyna shook her head.

"It's no use when she's like this," Reyna said.

Caroline asked, "Like what?"

"Mom mode,"

Caroline turned back around, "Miriam?"

Miriam didn't look up, "Yes?"

"What're you doing?"

"Hmm… problem-solving." the edges of her lips quirked into a wry smile. "Believe it or not, I don't want you suffering the worst sunburn of all time,"

Sabrina nodded sagely at Caroline, "Good problem to solve,"

"Yeah, not dying again would be optimum. I have a test Monday,"

Reyna snorted. Everyone looked at her. Suddenly defensive, Reyna spouted back, "What? Go back to your emotional bonding time. Like you aren't all thinking this hasn't been the weirdest twenty-four hours in years,"

Slowly, they faced each other. Sabrina shrugged.

"She has a point, even if I'm loath to admit it," she drawled, pushing herself to her feet, shuffling around the sofa. She came to stand behind Miriam, who murmured incantations. Sabrina watched as Miriam picked up a ring with a blue stone intricately bound by a silver band resembling an ivy vine. When she couldn't stand her own curiosity anymore, she started to ask,

"What's.." That?

Miriam interrupted, "Hold this." She handed Sabrina the ring with an elegant swipe of her hand.

She accepted the ring with only mild hesitation. She twisted and turned the jewelry in her palm. A brow rose. "And what is this exactly?"

"Caroline's new form of sunblock,"

At the mention of her name, Caroline perked up. Sabrina smothered a smile seeing the top of a blonde head raise above the couch.

When the ring warmed her head, Sabrina's eyes dropped back down. The metal burned.

"What the…"

Just as the ring started to sear her skin, the ring rose out of her hand. Miriam's chants reached a crescendo. Caroline leaped to her feet. The ring shook and trembled a few inches above Sabrina's hand. Sabrina couldn't bring herself to move as she heard Tim race down the stairs.

"Hey, I'm back— Mom?"

Gold strands weaved up and down Miriam's arms, illuminating her long violet shirtsleeves. She clapped her hands together, clasping them. Sabrina and Caroline jumped. The ring dropped, falling, and Caroline lunged to catch it, moving in an indiscernible blur, catching it before Sabrina moved.

In awed reverence of the blonde, Tim whispered, "Frickin' cool,"

Caroline's hair flipped over to her opposite shoulder when she looked at him. "Never happening,"

Tim's awe dropped into a scowl. He muttered, "It could,"

Caroline's smile sharpened, "But it won't,"

Sabrina's eyes widened, "And what's that?"

Miriam drew in a deep, shuddering breath, gold winding its way back into her chest. "I hate doing that without a bargain,"

Reyna lowered the TV volume as Miriam unclasped white-knuckled hands. Fog built over the water bowl. Sabrina licked her dry lips, her gaze returning to Miriam. Color flushed the older woman's cheeks and throat. She knew if she could hear the woman's heart-pounding that to Caroline it must've sounded like a drumming procession.

"Ma?" Reyna repeated.

Miriam's next smile unnerved Sabrina. Miriam said, "That should do it. Try it on, Caroline. I found it in Oma's things. The silver and lapis lazuli suit your coloring, you know." She patted Caroline's shoulder as she walked past.

Caroline regarded the ring before looking at Sabrina, who nodded.

It's fine, her eyes said to Caroline's silent question. She received a patented Caroline look of distrust even as her cousin slid the ring onto her right hand.

"Wonderful!" Miriam exclaimed. Sabrina found the woman standing on the other side of the basement with her fingers wrapped around the wide piece of cardboard blocking the only window. Miriam ripped away the covering while Sabrina yelled,

"Miriam, don't!"

Caroline's hands flew up to cover and protect her face. A stream of morning sunlight cast across Caroline's forearms and hands. Sabrina waited for the hissing and bubbling of burning skin. But it never came.

"The hell, Miriam!?" Sabrina demanded. "What is that?"

As the question flew from her lips, the answer flashed into her mind. Daylight ring sprung into her memory, returned from all the summers she spent at the Weinburg house, devouring every book concerning the supernatural.

Daylight ring (n.): a piece of charmed adornment that protects the chosen wearer from the sun's ill-effects.

Sabrina went silent while Caroline ran her hands over her unharmed skin with new frantic energy. "What…!" She glanced at her new ring. "I'm not… on fire?" Her eyes widened. "I'm not on fire. What…?" Realization relaxed her features. "Why am I not on fire?"

Reyna said in disdain. "And you're the person leading the high school honors club now?"

Caroline held up a warning hand, "Not now,"

Sabrina saw Tim lean, whispering to his mother. She nodded once, her eyes traveling heavily over Sabrina's figure. She replaced the cardboard. Sabrina looked down at her arms. She felt a tightness in her skin which looked as though it had aged sixty-five years in an hour. Dark spots blotched against her forearms. Some of the discomfort eased with the absence of the sun. She knew her legs were the same even if black leggings hid the evidence.

Miriam returned to the table, hands moving more quickly than before, "Now, you little girl, are a little bit tricker,"

Reyna griped, "How come when Sabrina has a problem you're so nice about it? When I have a problem, boom, the world is ending,"

Sabrina hovered over Miriam's shoulder as the older woman answered, "You know she's more sensitive than you are." Miriam sniped. "Which you would be more sensitive too if you had gone to college like I told you!"

Reyna's head fell back onto the couch. "Again? Again with this, Ma? I told you I don't need a degree to run a business,"

"Yes, but who gets a call before April 15th for tax day, hmm?"

Reyna huffed, "That's it. I'm taking it to H&R Block next year,"

The voice hiding in Sabrina's chest spoke again while Miriam and Reyna argued.

'Let me out. I know what your heart desires', it tempted.

Sabrina's eyes dulled from green to grey, no longer registering Miriam working at the table. Her silent answer sliced through the tentative peace.

'You don't know anything,'

'I will remind you of this when we drag the Salvatore into the depths and make combs from his bones,'

Sabrina startled, a sharp pain slicing across her forearm. Tinges of iron crept into her nose. A long gash covered her arm. She felt a monster's features flood across her face. She snarled, meeting Miriam's doe eyes. She spotted the stiletto dagger in her hands.

Sabrina screeched through gritted teeth. White canines elongated. "Ow! A little warning, please,"

Miriam grabbed her arm, holding it over the wooden bowl. The blood hissed and fizzled as several drops slid overtop aromatic herbs and salts.

"I said your name," Miriam said, handing her a wet rag as the flesh rebound itself. "Twice,"

Tim's expression changed from grim to sheepish. Caroline and Reyna said nothing, but Caroline didn't shy away from the window anymore.

Miriam huffed a laugh. "They thought you were going to eat me,"

The creature underneath Sabrina's facade shuddered in revulsion. Sabrina's lips quirked. "It would seem you're not my type,"

Reyna's shoulders relaxed a bit. Miriam laughed.

"Oh, seriously, Reyna," Sabrina bit out. "I'm not going eat your mother,"

"Well, how am I supposed to know what you eat now? You're all fishy." Her brow furrowed. "Or do you eat fish now? Is that a thing? Because I can tell you one thing, the library will not appreciate the smell of sardines all the time. Can you call that cannibalism?"

"You have wings, but that doesn't stop you from scarfing down two chickens at every meal!"

"Looking over the fact that you just called me a chicken…"

"Wait!" Caroline blanched. "You have wings?"

"Old news," Reyna answered. "What? Did you think I flew away from all my problems with my winged eyeliner?"

Caroline pursed her lips, unconvinced. Sabrina saw the moment inspiration struck Reyna.

"Oh, Reyna. Please, don't,"

Reyna leapt to her feet, shrugging off her jacket. Miriam sighed,

"Not now, Reyna. You know the rules about unfurling inside with breakables close by,"

Reyna's excitement deflated. Tim hid a chuckle.

"This sucks," Reyna said.

Sabrina swiped a half-full water bottle off the back of the couch. She gulped down the remainder, choking a bit when Caroline grabbed her exposed arm.

"Oh my God, it's like you're drying out again, Sabrina,"

Miriam regarded them carefully before saying, "Not like, Caroline. She is." she turned to her daughter. "Go get the trunk,"

Reyna looked as though she would cry from happiness. She pumped her fist in the air. "Yes! I love it when we get the trunk,"

-O-

So, Caroline has her daylight ring now. We are getting places, I swear. Life is crazy, but this story is crazier, amiright? Sorry, had to do it.