Part 24
"You are a bastard, you know that?" Charlene was trying not to smile when Jackson filled her in on the real story of Brandon's death.
Jackson was smirking. "You should have seen the look on his face." He knew Brandon had been planning the same for him - kill him by simply *wishing* him away. Brandon had always hated him so much, how come he'd never considered doing this before?
Whatever. At least Juliana would he all his now and he wouldn't have to worry about some snotty geni trying to steal her away.
"I guess we should check on Juliana," Charlene said thoughtfully, as she and Jackson left school.
Jackson nodded. He hadn't seen her all day. He knew she was freaking over this Hunter business. The whispers that she was responsible were getting to her. When school ended the streets of their town were usually filled with kids and adults. Today, the town was eerily quiet.
There was hardly anyone on the streets. Jackson wouldn't have been all that surprised if a tumble weed had blown past his feet. A cold breeze was starting to chill him to the bone. Yet the tree leaves weren't stirring at all.
"Do you feel that wind?" he asked.
Charlene shook her head. "No body temperature." She looked around. "What wind? Looks pretty still to me."
"And me. That's weird." He didn't like the idea that there was something only he could feel. The chill increased as they reached Juliana's house. The front door was open, and he was getting a bad, bad feeling.
"Something's happened."
Charlene ran into the house, Jackson close on her heels. They searched the entire house but Juliana wasn't there. She was gone. And in grave danger. Jackson felt absolutely sure of it.
"Who would..."
"I don't know," Charlene cut him off in mid sentence. "But I know someone who might have some answers."
* * *
Charlene slammed the surprised figure of Serefina against the wall of the crumbling old house. She didn't understand how Serefina could live in a dump like this, but that wasn't really the issue.
"Where is she?"
Serefina blinked. "Who?"
Charlene hit her, knocking her sister's head against the wall. "Ow!" Serefina whined. "Why are you hurting me?"
Charlene wondered how someone so powerful could be almost...childish. How the hell had Serefina managed to get where she was today? "Juliana," Charlene hissed.
"She's mysteriously been kidnapped," Jackson added, his tone as dark and deadly as Charlene's. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Serefina glared at them, yanking Charlene off her and tossing her away. "Maybe if you just *asked* rather than waltz in and start *punching* people."
Charlene winced as her back hit the edge of a coffee table. She picked herself up, groaning a little. "Do you know what's happened to Juliana?" she asked, forcing herself to calm down.
"I'm assuming you came prepared for vampire hunting?" Serefina asked.
Charlene's mouth open, then closed. Damnit! How foolish she had been diving in head first like that?
"Of course." Jackson pulled a large home-made stake from his backpack. "I got garlic from my parent's kitchen and some Holy Water from the church last night," he added proudly.
Charlene and Serefina exchanged glances. Serefina's eyes rolled. "Sorry Buffy, that stuff doesn't work in reality."
Jackson flushed, holding up the stake. "But this does, right?"
Serefina reached out and took it. "I guess we'll see."
Rhea and Aurora walked in the door, stopping dead when they saw Jackson and Charlene there. "You two have been naughty."
Charlene was amazed at their reaction. They were *terrified* of her. She could actually *smell* their fear, it was unbelievable.
"We can explain," Aurora whispered. It was almost amusing, seeing Aurora lose her coolness - and more than that."
"You don't have to explain. I get the picture." In a movement faster than lightning Serefina darted forward, slamming the stake into Aurora's heart, and in fast succession yanked it out and moved onto Rhea. Charlene watched the shock and horror on their faces flash briefly, before going lack and stupid. The skin started withering, the bodies falling in on themselves and turning into nothing but mummified corpses.
"Come on," Serefina said, and walked out the door. With nothing else to do, and not having a clue was happening Charlene and Jackson followed.
* * *
"You are a bastard, you know that?" Charlene was trying not to smile when Jackson filled her in on the real story of Brandon's death.
Jackson was smirking. "You should have seen the look on his face." He knew Brandon had been planning the same for him - kill him by simply *wishing* him away. Brandon had always hated him so much, how come he'd never considered doing this before?
Whatever. At least Juliana would he all his now and he wouldn't have to worry about some snotty geni trying to steal her away.
"I guess we should check on Juliana," Charlene said thoughtfully, as she and Jackson left school.
Jackson nodded. He hadn't seen her all day. He knew she was freaking over this Hunter business. The whispers that she was responsible were getting to her. When school ended the streets of their town were usually filled with kids and adults. Today, the town was eerily quiet.
There was hardly anyone on the streets. Jackson wouldn't have been all that surprised if a tumble weed had blown past his feet. A cold breeze was starting to chill him to the bone. Yet the tree leaves weren't stirring at all.
"Do you feel that wind?" he asked.
Charlene shook her head. "No body temperature." She looked around. "What wind? Looks pretty still to me."
"And me. That's weird." He didn't like the idea that there was something only he could feel. The chill increased as they reached Juliana's house. The front door was open, and he was getting a bad, bad feeling.
"Something's happened."
Charlene ran into the house, Jackson close on her heels. They searched the entire house but Juliana wasn't there. She was gone. And in grave danger. Jackson felt absolutely sure of it.
"Who would..."
"I don't know," Charlene cut him off in mid sentence. "But I know someone who might have some answers."
* * *
Charlene slammed the surprised figure of Serefina against the wall of the crumbling old house. She didn't understand how Serefina could live in a dump like this, but that wasn't really the issue.
"Where is she?"
Serefina blinked. "Who?"
Charlene hit her, knocking her sister's head against the wall. "Ow!" Serefina whined. "Why are you hurting me?"
Charlene wondered how someone so powerful could be almost...childish. How the hell had Serefina managed to get where she was today? "Juliana," Charlene hissed.
"She's mysteriously been kidnapped," Jackson added, his tone as dark and deadly as Charlene's. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Serefina glared at them, yanking Charlene off her and tossing her away. "Maybe if you just *asked* rather than waltz in and start *punching* people."
Charlene winced as her back hit the edge of a coffee table. She picked herself up, groaning a little. "Do you know what's happened to Juliana?" she asked, forcing herself to calm down.
"I'm assuming you came prepared for vampire hunting?" Serefina asked.
Charlene's mouth open, then closed. Damnit! How foolish she had been diving in head first like that?
"Of course." Jackson pulled a large home-made stake from his backpack. "I got garlic from my parent's kitchen and some Holy Water from the church last night," he added proudly.
Charlene and Serefina exchanged glances. Serefina's eyes rolled. "Sorry Buffy, that stuff doesn't work in reality."
Jackson flushed, holding up the stake. "But this does, right?"
Serefina reached out and took it. "I guess we'll see."
Rhea and Aurora walked in the door, stopping dead when they saw Jackson and Charlene there. "You two have been naughty."
Charlene was amazed at their reaction. They were *terrified* of her. She could actually *smell* their fear, it was unbelievable.
"We can explain," Aurora whispered. It was almost amusing, seeing Aurora lose her coolness - and more than that."
"You don't have to explain. I get the picture." In a movement faster than lightning Serefina darted forward, slamming the stake into Aurora's heart, and in fast succession yanked it out and moved onto Rhea. Charlene watched the shock and horror on their faces flash briefly, before going lack and stupid. The skin started withering, the bodies falling in on themselves and turning into nothing but mummified corpses.
"Come on," Serefina said, and walked out the door. With nothing else to do, and not having a clue was happening Charlene and Jackson followed.
* * *