Tainted Love
Part One- Malicious Intent
Author's Note: This story's been going on for a little over a month! I'm so proud of it!
Chapter Seven
"You have to focus," Gee said quietly. She was trying as hard as she could to be patient with the poor girl sitting in front of her. An open packet of seeds lay next to a terra cotta pot of soil; a few unplanted seeds littered the table. Maddy bit her lip, taking a hit off her inhaler. Her eyes nervously flicked to Gee and Cat, why were they making her do this!? Cigarette smoke hung in the air, and Cat tapped a few ashes off of the cigarette in her hand.
"Coax it to life.feel the seeds with your power." Gee really didn't believe this stuff, but she knew that Maddy would take this to heart. As a budding earth mage, Maddy should have been making those plants grow just by being there, but the girl had blocked off her powers due to low self esteem.
"Maddy, are you sure you have enough energy for this?" Cat asked as gently as she could. She had sucked a rather large quantity of power from her when Maddy almost destroyed the school. Cat felt bad, because she really couldn't control herself yet. As far as she knew, only Racetrack could make her stop her energy drain of doom. Cat could see a vague forest green aura around Maddy, maybe she could.
Her own aura, a dense black, flared as much as Cat allowed it to. Her power, at the moment, was dormant, and didn't like to be stirred awake. She narrowed her eyes, concentrating hard on the weak aura that Maddy had, reaching out with her power, just to touch it, just to wake it up. The forest green aura grew, striking against Cat's own aura, just as unhappy as being woken up. Maddy gasped, probably feeling the rush of power as her aura flared to life.
Cat retreated, looking innocent. Gee took a deep breath. "I smell the forest," she admitted. Gee also felt the two auras lashing out, it made her shiver. They had such different auras; black and dark green. Maddy looked up at Gee for guidance.
"Ask it to grow," was all Gee could say. Maddy turned her copper colored gaze on the pot of soil, staring at it intently. She willed her power into it, filling the soil with it. With a small cry of triumph, she felt the seed crack open, the little green shoot bursting through the soil. The shoot grew rapidly, getting taller, and thicker, and soon a white flower opened. Maddy had grown a daisy.
"Good job!" Cat breathed. She wished she could do cool stuff like that, but you know, reducing a vampire to a skeleton was pretty cool. Too bad all the vamps she sees are on the "good guys" side. Speaking of good vampires.
"Where's Jack?" She asked. Jack and Spot were the good vampires in the little team they formed. Racetrack was Jack's blood slave, as far as any of them knew.
"Something about someone's little brother and God knows where Spot is," Gee said offhandedly. "It's your turn, Cat."
"There aren't any vampires for me to rot at the moment, Gee," Cat replied. The other girl gave her a patronizing look.
"You can do more than that, Cataluna."
"Call me Cat!"
Racetrack watched Jack walk with a sort of indignant anger. Why, after all these years, was Racetrack still hanging around him? They used to be friends, until Jack made Racetrack immortal. Sure, the first years were fun, no problem. Then he started to realize that these were people he was feeding off of. Sorry if he had a conscience.
"Where do ya tink Spot is?" Racetrack asked his sire, breaking the thick silence.
"I don't know," Jack replied. And the conversation died. He didn't know why Jack suddenly felt compelled to find Les. Racetrack didn't want to see him again, not after the little problem they had with Spot in the beginning. Why would he want to find his Claudia?
The crying of a woman, the tap tap tap of his little wooden sword. Racetrack closed his eyes as they entered the rundown building. It used to be an old vaudeville theater, and it cost more money to tear down than to leave standing. On the "stage" was a woman with auburn hair. She looked at the little boy in front of her with fear brimming in those jade green eyes of hers. Les smiled down at her, and to Racetrack's horror, grabbed her wrists, forcing her to her knees.
Racetrack could see the bite marks all over her neck. Les got full easily, so who knew how long that poor girl had been there, his occasional meal. Jack watched, almost disinterested.
Les grabbed her by the throat, a fanged smile coming to his lips.
"You came." he said to the two vampires behind him.
"Are you saying I could tell the future with dead people?"
"I'm saying you can be a diviner with spirits."
"Awesome!" Cat fixed the stones in a sort of circle around her, raising her eyes to look at Gee and Maddy. The latter clutched her plant desperately, she didn't believe in ghost stories.
"You need something that belongs to someone who is dead, that hasn't been touched much." Cat gave her a strange look.
"We don't keep dead people's things around here a lot."
"But you had a father who."
"No." But even as she was saying it, curiosity rose up inside of her. What would her father have to say? She bit her lip, but did she really want her father coming back? What if her mother walked in? Okay, so her mother wasn't coming home till God knows when. Maybe she was just looking for excuses. Maybe she should just try.
"In my parent's room, there is a large wooden chest at the foot of the bed. That's full of my dad's stuff. Grab his glasses or something." Gee nodded, turning and heading into the little hallway thing leading to the bedrooms. Maddy came close to the circle of stones, but didn't pass into the circle. She could feel the powerful tension of this sacred circle. Gee's footsteps could be heard scrambling back into the living room section. In her hands was her father's favorite mug. Cat smiled softly, she gave him that mug for Christmas years ago, before he wasted away.
Cat knew what to do.
"Les, it's nice to see you again," Jack said. Playing peacekeeper wasn't exactly his forte, but what else could he do? Leave it to Racetrack? Hardly. Less didn't bother to turn around, and for a moment, there was nothing but the frightened gasps of the woman, and that annoying tap tap tap.
"Yes, it is, isn't it." Les turned this time, looking at Jack with cold brown eyes. "You look well." His eyes flicked to Racetrack, who began to tremble.
"And you, Racetrack."
"Thanks, Les, you're lookin' good to," was Racetrack's nervous reply. Les's expression never changed.
"You're here on time, gentlemen, it's very surprising to say the least."
"Please don't hurt me." the woman whispered. Tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes, Racetrack couldn't help but look away.
Jack's expression remained undaunted as he walked over to the pair. Taking the woman from Les's grip, he helped her to her feet. Les looked up at Jack with a look of admiration as Jack sank his teeth into her soft throat. Racetrack coughed back a gag. How could they do this?
Cat picked up her switchblade, consecrated now, and held it over the flame. "With blood I call your spirit from the grave." She bit her lip, cutting her finger. Dark red blood welded up on her finger, and she dripped it over the flame. It sizzled, but it didn't go out. She also traced blood around the rim of the mug. Maddy and Gee watched, their hearts swelling as though they were about to burst. The magical tension in here was stifling.
She ran her tongue across the blade, licking her blood off. "With steel, I call your spirit from the grave." She passed her switchblade through the flame. "Come forth, Kyle McCain!" The magical charge in the air crackled, and the flame began to flare to life, becoming a fire.
What calls me? Cat heard whispers in her ear, a cold shiver running down her back.
"I do," she replied. "I have called you from your grave, from your rest.father."
"Stop," Les said softly. Jack pulled away, a thin trickle of blood making its way to his chin. It wasn't the blood of a Necromancer, but it was still blood. He looked at Les.
"Why? You feel sorry for her all of a sudden?" The girl was still alive, but not for long. One good gulp could probably kill her; Jack thought she looked lovely, her skin deathly pale, her auburn hair tangled, her jade green eyes blank. Yes, lovely.
"Of course not, but one in an existence such as mine can be lonely." Jack knew what he was getting at, but Racetrack still watched the scene from afar. The words finally sunk in and he took a step forward, shaking his head.
"No." Les' cold eyes fixed on Racetrack's, making a shiver go down the older vampire's back. Racetrack could still remember a time when Les was an excited, young boy with plenty of opportunities. Well, that didn't happen, and Racetrack could help but feel pity. Les turned away, seeing the emotion in his eyes. The last thing he wanted was pity.
You're my.daughter? Cat nodded to the flame, she knew that she was the only person in the room that could hear what the spirit was saying. Gee and Maddy stood just outside the circle, waiting for something to happen. "I am," she told it. "Do you remember?"
Yes, how could I forget you? Catty. Tears flooded Cat's eyes at the mention of her nickname. That was going to be her test to see if it was really her father, he was the only one who called her "Catty". "I'm here to ask you questions."
About the future, I presume? I hear we know it, but it's wrong and right at the same time. We know the future, present, past, it's all the same to us. And before I tell you anything, I think I should tell you something far for important than that."
"What would that be?"
The circumstances of my death. I didn't die of any sickness, Catty. I was murdered.
"You can't jus' make anuddah vampiyah because ya lonely," Racetrack said, now that Les' back was turned. He hated looking at the tiny child vampire, he couldn't without feeling a certain degree of guilt. This was going too far, however, way too far. Jack lit a cigarette with his free hand, still cradling the girl in his arms.
"Why don't you just do it then?" Jack asked, looking up at Les. The boy shrugged, walking over to the pair. He reached up and touched the girl's beautiful hair.
"I can't," he explained. "Don't you know? I have no strength to do this, my body is too young." His eyes flicked to Racetrack, who angrily lit a cigar. Jack considered the girl in his arms, before laying a kiss on her half closed eyes.
"Alright, I will make your companion-"
"No!" Jack shoot a stern look at Racetrack.
"But you will owe us a favor."
"Murdered!? You couldn't- I saw you die! It was like."
I drifted away? I died of loss of blood, Cat, every night I would be visited by a dark figure, and he would take blood from me, and then cut his finger. Putting blood on the wound would heal it. There were no marks, were there? Because they were healed.
Cat's thoughts went to a few days ago, when she woke up one night and all the cuts she had from the night before were gone. Healed. Her fingers went up to touch these scars, which were already fading.
"A vampire?"
Yes. I know this must be hard for you to believe.wait, you're doing to necromancy ritual, I don't think that this will be a surprise.
"It is to know that my life was part of the whole crazy vampire thing even before I knew it was."
Sorry.
"It's alright."
Do you want to know about the future now? I can tell you want to change the subject.
Jack bit his wrist, pressing it against her lips. Her mouth remained closed, as though she didn't want to become like them. Racetrack pitched his cigar aside, turning and walking to the door. Les said nothing, his eyes watched the vampire in front of him, innocently wide and excited, like a child at Christmas.
Racetrack slammed the door open, and Jack looked up. He warned Racetrack not to loose it, and there he was, storming out the door.
"Let him go. Finish it." Jack looked at the little boy, slightly startled by the power in his voice. If they went through with this, a favor would be owed, but a new vampire would be born. He looked down at the girl in his arms, the lack of emotion tired him, but what else was he to do? Finally he sighed, just as the girl took him by surprise.
She sunk her teeth into his wrist.
Okay, you want to know about boys, don't you? Well, you'll have plenty of them and that little dark haired friend of yours too. The boys will practically rip each other up over the two of you.
"Gee?" Cat asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn't have Gee pegged for a guy magnet.
That one, I guess. You however, better be careful Catty, if I were still alive, don't get me started. There's something important I should tell you, before I forget and our time is up.
Cat shot a look at the fire, which was swiftly turning back to a candle flame. She had to end the ritual soon.
One of the boys trying to get your attention, one of them.well, he's.I'm forgetting.
"Take your time," Cat told her father's spirit without even noticing. It was too easy to forget that this was her father. She was taking this too easily.
I'm sorry, it's sort of easy to forget things when you're dead, I mean, it's just not important anymore. I guess it's important to you though.
"It is."
Well, one of the boys who's 'falling' for you, he was the one that killed me."
Cat sat there in stunned silence, her eyes wide and unbelieving. "What do you mean.?
He's still a nice boy, he just looses it sometimes, you know?
"No! I don't really."
Oh, I'm sorry.it's hard to think that it's upsetting to you. I'm so used to death already; I don't get how life is afraid of it. The fire's dying, you have to end the ritual.
"I don't want to," she said quietly. She felt a cold rush through her, the power was done for now.Cat slowly reached for her salt shaker and sprinkled a bit into her palm. She turned and looked at Gee and Maddy, they both watched her expectantly. She turned back to the flame, and sprinkled salt over it.
"With salt I send you back in your grave! Go and rise no more!" A cold wind blew through the apartment, giving all present the chills. Maddy whimpered, clutching her potted daisy tighter. She didn't enjoy this death magic, it felt wrong to her in some way. She preferred making plants grow.The apartment had a strange sense of silence, as the chest tightening feeling of the spirit left the room. Cat broke the circle, feeling the rush of power go back into her. She looked up at Gee.
"Happy now?"
Jack sat on the fire ledge, looking out on the glittery lights of the city. It was so beautiful to him, the way the night looked in New York. The darkness covered up all of the disgusting, dirty aspects of the city. Yes, nothing but that lovely velvet darkness. He held his wrist, a dirty cloth wrapped around it out of habit. The girl was rather vicious with his wrist this time, nearly biting through it, it seemed to him. The cloth was soaked through with blood, but as he removed it, his wrist was fine, whole and perfect.
His eyes found the city lights again, and he leaned his head against cool brick of the wall behind him, sighing to himself. Les had gone to teach the girl to hunt, it was odd, these role reversals, like son teaching mother how to walk, or some strange thought like that. Jack shook his head. He could at least call a favor for when they went to talk to David. Hopefully, everything would click together. yeah, hopefully.
His thoughts traveled to the three girls, what was he going to do with them? They had gotten in way over their heads. was he worried about them? He shouldn't have been, they're all humans, cattle. He shook his head, this attitude, he had to get rid of it. He was working with these humans now, he had to stop thinking about them as though they were food. He closed his eyes. How could he have lowered himself to this? He shrugged.
Spot had been missing, interesting. What was the practically insane vampire doing at this moment? Jack hated not knowing.
Tomorrow was the day he'd hopefully get his servant back. He didn't mind really, but not caring about one of your servant sort of made you look weak. Plus, Mush was a nice guy. Jack himself hated the whole "gift" situation, especially for David. He liked the more magical flavors, which meant that either the curly haired one or Cat would have to go. Damn, he hated vampire culture.
Jack opened his eyes, looking out over New York at nighttime, wrapped in that stunning velvet darkness. Why did everyone have to look up to him? Just because he was the oldest of the bunch? He was no one's older brother.
He turned to go back inside, the night was young, and he had to feed. Tomorrow though.
Tomorrow would be a rather interesting day.
Part One- Malicious Intent
Author's Note: This story's been going on for a little over a month! I'm so proud of it!
Chapter Seven
"You have to focus," Gee said quietly. She was trying as hard as she could to be patient with the poor girl sitting in front of her. An open packet of seeds lay next to a terra cotta pot of soil; a few unplanted seeds littered the table. Maddy bit her lip, taking a hit off her inhaler. Her eyes nervously flicked to Gee and Cat, why were they making her do this!? Cigarette smoke hung in the air, and Cat tapped a few ashes off of the cigarette in her hand.
"Coax it to life.feel the seeds with your power." Gee really didn't believe this stuff, but she knew that Maddy would take this to heart. As a budding earth mage, Maddy should have been making those plants grow just by being there, but the girl had blocked off her powers due to low self esteem.
"Maddy, are you sure you have enough energy for this?" Cat asked as gently as she could. She had sucked a rather large quantity of power from her when Maddy almost destroyed the school. Cat felt bad, because she really couldn't control herself yet. As far as she knew, only Racetrack could make her stop her energy drain of doom. Cat could see a vague forest green aura around Maddy, maybe she could.
Her own aura, a dense black, flared as much as Cat allowed it to. Her power, at the moment, was dormant, and didn't like to be stirred awake. She narrowed her eyes, concentrating hard on the weak aura that Maddy had, reaching out with her power, just to touch it, just to wake it up. The forest green aura grew, striking against Cat's own aura, just as unhappy as being woken up. Maddy gasped, probably feeling the rush of power as her aura flared to life.
Cat retreated, looking innocent. Gee took a deep breath. "I smell the forest," she admitted. Gee also felt the two auras lashing out, it made her shiver. They had such different auras; black and dark green. Maddy looked up at Gee for guidance.
"Ask it to grow," was all Gee could say. Maddy turned her copper colored gaze on the pot of soil, staring at it intently. She willed her power into it, filling the soil with it. With a small cry of triumph, she felt the seed crack open, the little green shoot bursting through the soil. The shoot grew rapidly, getting taller, and thicker, and soon a white flower opened. Maddy had grown a daisy.
"Good job!" Cat breathed. She wished she could do cool stuff like that, but you know, reducing a vampire to a skeleton was pretty cool. Too bad all the vamps she sees are on the "good guys" side. Speaking of good vampires.
"Where's Jack?" She asked. Jack and Spot were the good vampires in the little team they formed. Racetrack was Jack's blood slave, as far as any of them knew.
"Something about someone's little brother and God knows where Spot is," Gee said offhandedly. "It's your turn, Cat."
"There aren't any vampires for me to rot at the moment, Gee," Cat replied. The other girl gave her a patronizing look.
"You can do more than that, Cataluna."
"Call me Cat!"
Racetrack watched Jack walk with a sort of indignant anger. Why, after all these years, was Racetrack still hanging around him? They used to be friends, until Jack made Racetrack immortal. Sure, the first years were fun, no problem. Then he started to realize that these were people he was feeding off of. Sorry if he had a conscience.
"Where do ya tink Spot is?" Racetrack asked his sire, breaking the thick silence.
"I don't know," Jack replied. And the conversation died. He didn't know why Jack suddenly felt compelled to find Les. Racetrack didn't want to see him again, not after the little problem they had with Spot in the beginning. Why would he want to find his Claudia?
The crying of a woman, the tap tap tap of his little wooden sword. Racetrack closed his eyes as they entered the rundown building. It used to be an old vaudeville theater, and it cost more money to tear down than to leave standing. On the "stage" was a woman with auburn hair. She looked at the little boy in front of her with fear brimming in those jade green eyes of hers. Les smiled down at her, and to Racetrack's horror, grabbed her wrists, forcing her to her knees.
Racetrack could see the bite marks all over her neck. Les got full easily, so who knew how long that poor girl had been there, his occasional meal. Jack watched, almost disinterested.
Les grabbed her by the throat, a fanged smile coming to his lips.
"You came." he said to the two vampires behind him.
"Are you saying I could tell the future with dead people?"
"I'm saying you can be a diviner with spirits."
"Awesome!" Cat fixed the stones in a sort of circle around her, raising her eyes to look at Gee and Maddy. The latter clutched her plant desperately, she didn't believe in ghost stories.
"You need something that belongs to someone who is dead, that hasn't been touched much." Cat gave her a strange look.
"We don't keep dead people's things around here a lot."
"But you had a father who."
"No." But even as she was saying it, curiosity rose up inside of her. What would her father have to say? She bit her lip, but did she really want her father coming back? What if her mother walked in? Okay, so her mother wasn't coming home till God knows when. Maybe she was just looking for excuses. Maybe she should just try.
"In my parent's room, there is a large wooden chest at the foot of the bed. That's full of my dad's stuff. Grab his glasses or something." Gee nodded, turning and heading into the little hallway thing leading to the bedrooms. Maddy came close to the circle of stones, but didn't pass into the circle. She could feel the powerful tension of this sacred circle. Gee's footsteps could be heard scrambling back into the living room section. In her hands was her father's favorite mug. Cat smiled softly, she gave him that mug for Christmas years ago, before he wasted away.
Cat knew what to do.
"Les, it's nice to see you again," Jack said. Playing peacekeeper wasn't exactly his forte, but what else could he do? Leave it to Racetrack? Hardly. Less didn't bother to turn around, and for a moment, there was nothing but the frightened gasps of the woman, and that annoying tap tap tap.
"Yes, it is, isn't it." Les turned this time, looking at Jack with cold brown eyes. "You look well." His eyes flicked to Racetrack, who began to tremble.
"And you, Racetrack."
"Thanks, Les, you're lookin' good to," was Racetrack's nervous reply. Les's expression never changed.
"You're here on time, gentlemen, it's very surprising to say the least."
"Please don't hurt me." the woman whispered. Tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes, Racetrack couldn't help but look away.
Jack's expression remained undaunted as he walked over to the pair. Taking the woman from Les's grip, he helped her to her feet. Les looked up at Jack with a look of admiration as Jack sank his teeth into her soft throat. Racetrack coughed back a gag. How could they do this?
Cat picked up her switchblade, consecrated now, and held it over the flame. "With blood I call your spirit from the grave." She bit her lip, cutting her finger. Dark red blood welded up on her finger, and she dripped it over the flame. It sizzled, but it didn't go out. She also traced blood around the rim of the mug. Maddy and Gee watched, their hearts swelling as though they were about to burst. The magical tension in here was stifling.
She ran her tongue across the blade, licking her blood off. "With steel, I call your spirit from the grave." She passed her switchblade through the flame. "Come forth, Kyle McCain!" The magical charge in the air crackled, and the flame began to flare to life, becoming a fire.
What calls me? Cat heard whispers in her ear, a cold shiver running down her back.
"I do," she replied. "I have called you from your grave, from your rest.father."
"Stop," Les said softly. Jack pulled away, a thin trickle of blood making its way to his chin. It wasn't the blood of a Necromancer, but it was still blood. He looked at Les.
"Why? You feel sorry for her all of a sudden?" The girl was still alive, but not for long. One good gulp could probably kill her; Jack thought she looked lovely, her skin deathly pale, her auburn hair tangled, her jade green eyes blank. Yes, lovely.
"Of course not, but one in an existence such as mine can be lonely." Jack knew what he was getting at, but Racetrack still watched the scene from afar. The words finally sunk in and he took a step forward, shaking his head.
"No." Les' cold eyes fixed on Racetrack's, making a shiver go down the older vampire's back. Racetrack could still remember a time when Les was an excited, young boy with plenty of opportunities. Well, that didn't happen, and Racetrack could help but feel pity. Les turned away, seeing the emotion in his eyes. The last thing he wanted was pity.
You're my.daughter? Cat nodded to the flame, she knew that she was the only person in the room that could hear what the spirit was saying. Gee and Maddy stood just outside the circle, waiting for something to happen. "I am," she told it. "Do you remember?"
Yes, how could I forget you? Catty. Tears flooded Cat's eyes at the mention of her nickname. That was going to be her test to see if it was really her father, he was the only one who called her "Catty". "I'm here to ask you questions."
About the future, I presume? I hear we know it, but it's wrong and right at the same time. We know the future, present, past, it's all the same to us. And before I tell you anything, I think I should tell you something far for important than that."
"What would that be?"
The circumstances of my death. I didn't die of any sickness, Catty. I was murdered.
"You can't jus' make anuddah vampiyah because ya lonely," Racetrack said, now that Les' back was turned. He hated looking at the tiny child vampire, he couldn't without feeling a certain degree of guilt. This was going too far, however, way too far. Jack lit a cigarette with his free hand, still cradling the girl in his arms.
"Why don't you just do it then?" Jack asked, looking up at Les. The boy shrugged, walking over to the pair. He reached up and touched the girl's beautiful hair.
"I can't," he explained. "Don't you know? I have no strength to do this, my body is too young." His eyes flicked to Racetrack, who angrily lit a cigar. Jack considered the girl in his arms, before laying a kiss on her half closed eyes.
"Alright, I will make your companion-"
"No!" Jack shoot a stern look at Racetrack.
"But you will owe us a favor."
"Murdered!? You couldn't- I saw you die! It was like."
I drifted away? I died of loss of blood, Cat, every night I would be visited by a dark figure, and he would take blood from me, and then cut his finger. Putting blood on the wound would heal it. There were no marks, were there? Because they were healed.
Cat's thoughts went to a few days ago, when she woke up one night and all the cuts she had from the night before were gone. Healed. Her fingers went up to touch these scars, which were already fading.
"A vampire?"
Yes. I know this must be hard for you to believe.wait, you're doing to necromancy ritual, I don't think that this will be a surprise.
"It is to know that my life was part of the whole crazy vampire thing even before I knew it was."
Sorry.
"It's alright."
Do you want to know about the future now? I can tell you want to change the subject.
Jack bit his wrist, pressing it against her lips. Her mouth remained closed, as though she didn't want to become like them. Racetrack pitched his cigar aside, turning and walking to the door. Les said nothing, his eyes watched the vampire in front of him, innocently wide and excited, like a child at Christmas.
Racetrack slammed the door open, and Jack looked up. He warned Racetrack not to loose it, and there he was, storming out the door.
"Let him go. Finish it." Jack looked at the little boy, slightly startled by the power in his voice. If they went through with this, a favor would be owed, but a new vampire would be born. He looked down at the girl in his arms, the lack of emotion tired him, but what else was he to do? Finally he sighed, just as the girl took him by surprise.
She sunk her teeth into his wrist.
Okay, you want to know about boys, don't you? Well, you'll have plenty of them and that little dark haired friend of yours too. The boys will practically rip each other up over the two of you.
"Gee?" Cat asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn't have Gee pegged for a guy magnet.
That one, I guess. You however, better be careful Catty, if I were still alive, don't get me started. There's something important I should tell you, before I forget and our time is up.
Cat shot a look at the fire, which was swiftly turning back to a candle flame. She had to end the ritual soon.
One of the boys trying to get your attention, one of them.well, he's.I'm forgetting.
"Take your time," Cat told her father's spirit without even noticing. It was too easy to forget that this was her father. She was taking this too easily.
I'm sorry, it's sort of easy to forget things when you're dead, I mean, it's just not important anymore. I guess it's important to you though.
"It is."
Well, one of the boys who's 'falling' for you, he was the one that killed me."
Cat sat there in stunned silence, her eyes wide and unbelieving. "What do you mean.?
He's still a nice boy, he just looses it sometimes, you know?
"No! I don't really."
Oh, I'm sorry.it's hard to think that it's upsetting to you. I'm so used to death already; I don't get how life is afraid of it. The fire's dying, you have to end the ritual.
"I don't want to," she said quietly. She felt a cold rush through her, the power was done for now.Cat slowly reached for her salt shaker and sprinkled a bit into her palm. She turned and looked at Gee and Maddy, they both watched her expectantly. She turned back to the flame, and sprinkled salt over it.
"With salt I send you back in your grave! Go and rise no more!" A cold wind blew through the apartment, giving all present the chills. Maddy whimpered, clutching her potted daisy tighter. She didn't enjoy this death magic, it felt wrong to her in some way. She preferred making plants grow.The apartment had a strange sense of silence, as the chest tightening feeling of the spirit left the room. Cat broke the circle, feeling the rush of power go back into her. She looked up at Gee.
"Happy now?"
Jack sat on the fire ledge, looking out on the glittery lights of the city. It was so beautiful to him, the way the night looked in New York. The darkness covered up all of the disgusting, dirty aspects of the city. Yes, nothing but that lovely velvet darkness. He held his wrist, a dirty cloth wrapped around it out of habit. The girl was rather vicious with his wrist this time, nearly biting through it, it seemed to him. The cloth was soaked through with blood, but as he removed it, his wrist was fine, whole and perfect.
His eyes found the city lights again, and he leaned his head against cool brick of the wall behind him, sighing to himself. Les had gone to teach the girl to hunt, it was odd, these role reversals, like son teaching mother how to walk, or some strange thought like that. Jack shook his head. He could at least call a favor for when they went to talk to David. Hopefully, everything would click together. yeah, hopefully.
His thoughts traveled to the three girls, what was he going to do with them? They had gotten in way over their heads. was he worried about them? He shouldn't have been, they're all humans, cattle. He shook his head, this attitude, he had to get rid of it. He was working with these humans now, he had to stop thinking about them as though they were food. He closed his eyes. How could he have lowered himself to this? He shrugged.
Spot had been missing, interesting. What was the practically insane vampire doing at this moment? Jack hated not knowing.
Tomorrow was the day he'd hopefully get his servant back. He didn't mind really, but not caring about one of your servant sort of made you look weak. Plus, Mush was a nice guy. Jack himself hated the whole "gift" situation, especially for David. He liked the more magical flavors, which meant that either the curly haired one or Cat would have to go. Damn, he hated vampire culture.
Jack opened his eyes, looking out over New York at nighttime, wrapped in that stunning velvet darkness. Why did everyone have to look up to him? Just because he was the oldest of the bunch? He was no one's older brother.
He turned to go back inside, the night was young, and he had to feed. Tomorrow though.
Tomorrow would be a rather interesting day.