Part 2- Darkest Dreams and Fantasies
Chapter 11- A Few Months Later
The September sunlight looked watery as it shone down through the glass ceiling. Maddy moved through the rows and rows of plants, watering them, feeling them grow. She was dressed in her Catholic school uniform, her tawny mess of curls up in a rather messy bun, she picked a daisy, pausing to make the flower grow back again, and tucked it in her hair. She could keep it alive all day if she wanted. The green flickered from her eyes and went copper once more. First day of school today, and for once, she wasn't nervous.
Maddy was a different girl now, her stutter was almost gone, surfacing only when she was nervous, and she rarely got nervous these days. Being a plant mage had given her the self esteem she would have never gotten if she hadn't met Cat, Gee, and the others. She didn't even need her inhaler anymore.
Thinking about Cat made her bite her lip, a few days after the incident with Spot; Cat had been sent to a foster home. Over the summer, she had disappeared, and no one, not even Racetrack, knew where she was. Racetrack knew for a fact that she wasn't dead, but Gee insisted that they would need a Tracker to truly find her, whatever that meant.
It was the first day of their senior year, hopefully Cat would show up, and everything could get back to normal. Something was happening, "they" apparently were coming, and damned if she knew what that meant. Gee and Jack had a tendency to leave her out of the plans, calling her in just to use her magic. Maddy loved casting spells, but still, she was a member of the team, right?
She fixed her chain belt around her waist, a silver light glinting off the flower that dangled off the end of the chain. She allowed an ivy vine to curl around her wrist, looking around the greenhouse. She thanked her lucky stars that her parents had let her set up this greenhouse on the top of the apartment building they lived in. When you live in a penthouse, you can have anything on the roof, this sure beat a swimming pool.
She checked her watch, surprised to see what time it was. If she hurried, she could just make it on time!
Gee fiddled with the crescent moon on the end of her chain belt, she didn't believe in dream catchers anymore, they never worked. She had nightmares, scary, dark nightmares that she couldn't remember when she woke up. If it had been closer to the full moon, she wouldn't have been worried.
She had not changed at all since Aura pressed their bleeding palms together in the graveyard, but her normally black hair with blue streaks was now dyed entirely blue, several shades darker than her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Jack's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as he joined her outside of the school. She looked surprised for a moment, before reminding herself that Jack had claimed to be "bored", and decided to go to school again.
"Nothing, I'm just thinking." She couldn't believe that she was friends with a vampire; it used to go against all that she believed in. Not anymore. Specs, a blood slave of Spot's, hovered a little behind Jack. He was sporting a rather nasty black eye, a product of negotiations between Jack and David. Spot was in hiding, ever since Racetrack vowed to kill him, and the last time Gee herself talked to the cyan eyed Lestat wannabe, he had promised to snack on her next. Needless to say, she was a little worried.
It was hard being Racetrack's friend, she had to admit, after the stuff he did to Cat's family, lying about being a vampire, how could she trust him ever again? Jack said that Racetrack's homicidal streak was over, but how could he be so sure? He promised that all of the vampires in their little gang fed off blood slaves only, but Gee couldn't help but think about all the others. David and Les' allegiances were unclear, Jack had tried to talk to both, but Les was filled with empty promises, and David seemed to like to turn the situation around to mess with their minds.
It was frustrating, to say the least.
"We might have found a Tracker," Specs said. Jack nodded. Gee frowned to herself, she was sure she could find one by herself. She didn't like bringing in another vampire ally, but what choice did she have?
"Is this through Crutchy?"
"Who else would it be through?"
Maddy looked up at the school that she used to fear, and didn't exactly feel anything. It's hard to be afraid of a school you almost destroyed. She spotted Gee, Specs, and Jack talking by the entrance of the school, her first instinct was to head over there, but what would that do? They'd just quickly end their conversation before she got there. So she stood there, waiting for the blue haired girl to notice her.
Someone lightly touched her elbow, the hand was cold. Quickly turning around, she came face to face with a rather disheveled Racetrack.
"Heya Mads."
"Hey Race, you look like a mess. Haven't been sleeping well?" Racetrack shot her a look that clearly said 'that wasn't funny at all, so I won't even bother to laugh'.
"Eh, I get by."
"Still can't find her?"
He took a cigar out of his pocket and studied it. "Nah, I found her." Maddy's eyes lit up, and Racetrack suddenly became aware that they were heading vaguely towards the three by the entrance.
"Last night!?"
"I saw her for a sec, I think, but I hope it ain't her, the people she's hangin' 'round with...not good."
"Hunters?"
He nodded. "Not like Gee, if dese people were turned or bonded, they'd kill demselves jus' so dere'd be one less vamp around."
"So I guess they don't know, listen, tonight we should go an-"
"Nah Mads, I think it'll be bettah if me an' Jack go, you'd jus' get hoit."
"Listen, is this about what happened at David's?" She grabbed his arm, coming to a slow stop. "I think we both know that I can handle the field now."
"You almost died Maddy, I don' want dat tah happen again! Yer a buddin' plant mage, yer useful tah us, but not as a corpse, okay?"
Racetrack fought to keep his voice a whisper, the kids walking by them into the school would be a little confused if they overheard this conversation. The bell rang, and Racetrack jammed his still unlit cigar back into his pocket and started to head in. Maddy stood there, her hands balled into fists. Her stopped and turned around.
"Come'on kid, let's go in."
Somewhere across town, someone sat in a dark room. A weak light from the computer washed over his face, giving him a ghostly pale look. His fingers hovered over the keys, as though conflicted, unsure of what to type next. His reddish blonde hair fell over his eyes, which, once a leaf colored green, were gold these days, and he couldn't get used to it.
"I can't understand this, Jakob." His voice sounded rather feminine, with a strange British accent. He hated that voice, because it didn't belong to him.
"Well, I don't really care if you understand it." He replied coolly, it had been two months, and at this point, he didn't mind pissing her off. She hissed, forcing him to his feet.
"Listen, I don't like this arrangement either, okay? I didn't plan this!" His hands slammed down on the keyboard, completely against his will, of course.
"I'm not blaming you, but this is a weird situation." Jake knew it was the understatement of the year, sharing your body with a demented English demon wasn't just a "weird situation".
"That boy with the crutch, he's like you, and he can't help us?" Poor poor Kitai, constantly thinking that all people with magic can separate a demon from a host, only people willing to do an increasingly complicated spell would be able to do it.
"No, but he'll owe us one, don't worry."
Jake sighed, allowing Kitai to run his fingers through his hair. In turn, she let him sit down and stare at the monitor once more. For two months, Jake hadn't seen the sunshine, for two months his foster parents wondered whether or not to send him to a doctor. Having Kitai in his body did expand his powers, making him feel every person with magic from his room to central Jersey, he knew their names, their powers, and exactly where they were.
He focused hard on the monitor, right in the middle of writing a brand new file. It kept him busy, writing down all the magical people he could think of.
"Cataluna McCain, spirit mage, more ties in death than life. Seventeen years old, currently orphaned, living on the streets..."
She didn't want to catch the darkness in her hands anymore. She tried to ignore the energy she saw around people lately. Seeing people glow, even in darkness was a little strange, but that was how she now saw the world. Running her fingers through her thick black wig, her crystal blue contact lenses eyes watched him walk. His black aura showed that he was dead, and therefore a vampire, she slowly began to trace his steps, her grip on her prized silver dagger tightening.
A girl with platinum blond hair moved next to her, catching her eye. They nodded at each other and struck. The vampire went down with a knife in is chest quicker than he could think.
Cat stood over him, turning him over with her foot. His face was a mask of shock; the blond girl knelt down, going through his pockets.
"He won't have anything, Poker," Cat said, disappointment in her voice. It wasn't him, he was just a lackey.
"So? He could still be carrying cash, remember when we need that?"
"He's a vampire, what does he need to buy?" She slid her dagger into its holder at her waist, stepping over the body and walking away. Spot was a tough one to catch, ever since that terrible night, he had dropped off the radar, but she'd find him, she promised herself that she would.
It was all too easy to find Racetrack, he was looking for her. What could she do though? In her heart of hearts, she missed him. Maybe she was afraid if she did see him again, if she talked to him again, that she'd be forced to kill him. Sometimes she didn't think that she wanted that, only sometimes.
Poker stood up and followed her; she was Cat's only friend since running away who knew about vampires. If the girl had any magic, Cat didn't know, but she was so dedicated to killing vampires, she didn't care if she couldn't pull a rabbit out of a hat or could. She hated all forms of vampiric life, vampires and blood slaves. Cat didn't tell her about her two masters. Sometimes Poker seemed a little scary about the killing, but Cat usually didn't care.
It was apparently the first day of school that day, but what did she care? She was a high school dropout, vampire hunting Necromancer, immortal and completely empty inside, she didn't have anyone, and was getting pretty good at the art of disguise; no one from her old life could find her, right? She didn't want to make friends with vampires anymore, she wanted to kill them.
She wanted to kill Spot.
Author's Note: Shortish chapter, but I just needed an intro, we'll delve into the plot soon. And there is apparently a newsie named Jake...the Jake in this story isn't that Jake.
Chapter 11- A Few Months Later
The September sunlight looked watery as it shone down through the glass ceiling. Maddy moved through the rows and rows of plants, watering them, feeling them grow. She was dressed in her Catholic school uniform, her tawny mess of curls up in a rather messy bun, she picked a daisy, pausing to make the flower grow back again, and tucked it in her hair. She could keep it alive all day if she wanted. The green flickered from her eyes and went copper once more. First day of school today, and for once, she wasn't nervous.
Maddy was a different girl now, her stutter was almost gone, surfacing only when she was nervous, and she rarely got nervous these days. Being a plant mage had given her the self esteem she would have never gotten if she hadn't met Cat, Gee, and the others. She didn't even need her inhaler anymore.
Thinking about Cat made her bite her lip, a few days after the incident with Spot; Cat had been sent to a foster home. Over the summer, she had disappeared, and no one, not even Racetrack, knew where she was. Racetrack knew for a fact that she wasn't dead, but Gee insisted that they would need a Tracker to truly find her, whatever that meant.
It was the first day of their senior year, hopefully Cat would show up, and everything could get back to normal. Something was happening, "they" apparently were coming, and damned if she knew what that meant. Gee and Jack had a tendency to leave her out of the plans, calling her in just to use her magic. Maddy loved casting spells, but still, she was a member of the team, right?
She fixed her chain belt around her waist, a silver light glinting off the flower that dangled off the end of the chain. She allowed an ivy vine to curl around her wrist, looking around the greenhouse. She thanked her lucky stars that her parents had let her set up this greenhouse on the top of the apartment building they lived in. When you live in a penthouse, you can have anything on the roof, this sure beat a swimming pool.
She checked her watch, surprised to see what time it was. If she hurried, she could just make it on time!
Gee fiddled with the crescent moon on the end of her chain belt, she didn't believe in dream catchers anymore, they never worked. She had nightmares, scary, dark nightmares that she couldn't remember when she woke up. If it had been closer to the full moon, she wouldn't have been worried.
She had not changed at all since Aura pressed their bleeding palms together in the graveyard, but her normally black hair with blue streaks was now dyed entirely blue, several shades darker than her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Jack's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as he joined her outside of the school. She looked surprised for a moment, before reminding herself that Jack had claimed to be "bored", and decided to go to school again.
"Nothing, I'm just thinking." She couldn't believe that she was friends with a vampire; it used to go against all that she believed in. Not anymore. Specs, a blood slave of Spot's, hovered a little behind Jack. He was sporting a rather nasty black eye, a product of negotiations between Jack and David. Spot was in hiding, ever since Racetrack vowed to kill him, and the last time Gee herself talked to the cyan eyed Lestat wannabe, he had promised to snack on her next. Needless to say, she was a little worried.
It was hard being Racetrack's friend, she had to admit, after the stuff he did to Cat's family, lying about being a vampire, how could she trust him ever again? Jack said that Racetrack's homicidal streak was over, but how could he be so sure? He promised that all of the vampires in their little gang fed off blood slaves only, but Gee couldn't help but think about all the others. David and Les' allegiances were unclear, Jack had tried to talk to both, but Les was filled with empty promises, and David seemed to like to turn the situation around to mess with their minds.
It was frustrating, to say the least.
"We might have found a Tracker," Specs said. Jack nodded. Gee frowned to herself, she was sure she could find one by herself. She didn't like bringing in another vampire ally, but what choice did she have?
"Is this through Crutchy?"
"Who else would it be through?"
Maddy looked up at the school that she used to fear, and didn't exactly feel anything. It's hard to be afraid of a school you almost destroyed. She spotted Gee, Specs, and Jack talking by the entrance of the school, her first instinct was to head over there, but what would that do? They'd just quickly end their conversation before she got there. So she stood there, waiting for the blue haired girl to notice her.
Someone lightly touched her elbow, the hand was cold. Quickly turning around, she came face to face with a rather disheveled Racetrack.
"Heya Mads."
"Hey Race, you look like a mess. Haven't been sleeping well?" Racetrack shot her a look that clearly said 'that wasn't funny at all, so I won't even bother to laugh'.
"Eh, I get by."
"Still can't find her?"
He took a cigar out of his pocket and studied it. "Nah, I found her." Maddy's eyes lit up, and Racetrack suddenly became aware that they were heading vaguely towards the three by the entrance.
"Last night!?"
"I saw her for a sec, I think, but I hope it ain't her, the people she's hangin' 'round with...not good."
"Hunters?"
He nodded. "Not like Gee, if dese people were turned or bonded, they'd kill demselves jus' so dere'd be one less vamp around."
"So I guess they don't know, listen, tonight we should go an-"
"Nah Mads, I think it'll be bettah if me an' Jack go, you'd jus' get hoit."
"Listen, is this about what happened at David's?" She grabbed his arm, coming to a slow stop. "I think we both know that I can handle the field now."
"You almost died Maddy, I don' want dat tah happen again! Yer a buddin' plant mage, yer useful tah us, but not as a corpse, okay?"
Racetrack fought to keep his voice a whisper, the kids walking by them into the school would be a little confused if they overheard this conversation. The bell rang, and Racetrack jammed his still unlit cigar back into his pocket and started to head in. Maddy stood there, her hands balled into fists. Her stopped and turned around.
"Come'on kid, let's go in."
Somewhere across town, someone sat in a dark room. A weak light from the computer washed over his face, giving him a ghostly pale look. His fingers hovered over the keys, as though conflicted, unsure of what to type next. His reddish blonde hair fell over his eyes, which, once a leaf colored green, were gold these days, and he couldn't get used to it.
"I can't understand this, Jakob." His voice sounded rather feminine, with a strange British accent. He hated that voice, because it didn't belong to him.
"Well, I don't really care if you understand it." He replied coolly, it had been two months, and at this point, he didn't mind pissing her off. She hissed, forcing him to his feet.
"Listen, I don't like this arrangement either, okay? I didn't plan this!" His hands slammed down on the keyboard, completely against his will, of course.
"I'm not blaming you, but this is a weird situation." Jake knew it was the understatement of the year, sharing your body with a demented English demon wasn't just a "weird situation".
"That boy with the crutch, he's like you, and he can't help us?" Poor poor Kitai, constantly thinking that all people with magic can separate a demon from a host, only people willing to do an increasingly complicated spell would be able to do it.
"No, but he'll owe us one, don't worry."
Jake sighed, allowing Kitai to run his fingers through his hair. In turn, she let him sit down and stare at the monitor once more. For two months, Jake hadn't seen the sunshine, for two months his foster parents wondered whether or not to send him to a doctor. Having Kitai in his body did expand his powers, making him feel every person with magic from his room to central Jersey, he knew their names, their powers, and exactly where they were.
He focused hard on the monitor, right in the middle of writing a brand new file. It kept him busy, writing down all the magical people he could think of.
"Cataluna McCain, spirit mage, more ties in death than life. Seventeen years old, currently orphaned, living on the streets..."
She didn't want to catch the darkness in her hands anymore. She tried to ignore the energy she saw around people lately. Seeing people glow, even in darkness was a little strange, but that was how she now saw the world. Running her fingers through her thick black wig, her crystal blue contact lenses eyes watched him walk. His black aura showed that he was dead, and therefore a vampire, she slowly began to trace his steps, her grip on her prized silver dagger tightening.
A girl with platinum blond hair moved next to her, catching her eye. They nodded at each other and struck. The vampire went down with a knife in is chest quicker than he could think.
Cat stood over him, turning him over with her foot. His face was a mask of shock; the blond girl knelt down, going through his pockets.
"He won't have anything, Poker," Cat said, disappointment in her voice. It wasn't him, he was just a lackey.
"So? He could still be carrying cash, remember when we need that?"
"He's a vampire, what does he need to buy?" She slid her dagger into its holder at her waist, stepping over the body and walking away. Spot was a tough one to catch, ever since that terrible night, he had dropped off the radar, but she'd find him, she promised herself that she would.
It was all too easy to find Racetrack, he was looking for her. What could she do though? In her heart of hearts, she missed him. Maybe she was afraid if she did see him again, if she talked to him again, that she'd be forced to kill him. Sometimes she didn't think that she wanted that, only sometimes.
Poker stood up and followed her; she was Cat's only friend since running away who knew about vampires. If the girl had any magic, Cat didn't know, but she was so dedicated to killing vampires, she didn't care if she couldn't pull a rabbit out of a hat or could. She hated all forms of vampiric life, vampires and blood slaves. Cat didn't tell her about her two masters. Sometimes Poker seemed a little scary about the killing, but Cat usually didn't care.
It was apparently the first day of school that day, but what did she care? She was a high school dropout, vampire hunting Necromancer, immortal and completely empty inside, she didn't have anyone, and was getting pretty good at the art of disguise; no one from her old life could find her, right? She didn't want to make friends with vampires anymore, she wanted to kill them.
She wanted to kill Spot.
Author's Note: Shortish chapter, but I just needed an intro, we'll delve into the plot soon. And there is apparently a newsie named Jake...the Jake in this story isn't that Jake.