Hey guys, here's chapter 13 of The Misadventures of Vee. The end of the previous chapter showed Vee finally revealing her true self to the rest of the MCH. Sadly, there's a chance the other might not have taken the reveal as easily as Dani did. Let's see how the others are holding up.
Secrets, secrets, secrets…
Secrets can be a dangerous thing and, if kept for too long, might do more harm than good. Vee couldn't get Liv's warning out of her head.
She'd waited too long.
The basilisk slumped on the sill of her open bedroom window, face buried in her green arms. Yes, green. Vee wasn't disguised. She was in her true form for any passerby to see, though she ducked whenever a car sped by out of habit. Slithering around the house with her tail out at the end of the day had become as natural as taking off her shoes. Her mom liked to joke Vee was sweeping the floors with the way her tail swished so widely. Of course, Vee didn't have to limit herself to her home. Her secret was out. She'd confessed everything. Everything! Her real name, where she came from, where the real Luz had been this whole time. If Vee had the nerve, she now had the option to slip and glide out into Gravesfield with her friends.
That is… if they would return her texts.
Knowing it was pointless, she checked her phone again. The only one responding was still Dani. Beth, Lance, and Vincent hadn't sent so much as an emoji since the fateful day.
"They just need time, mija," her mom reassured, combing her daughter's hair.
"Mom, you've said that, like, a million times."
"Well…" Camilla searched for more parental wisdom to share, "maybe they need… more time?"
Vee moaned.
"No, no, none of that, mírame (look at me)." Camilla cupped Vee's cheeks and lifted her gaze. "When I was your age, I made mistakes too. I did things I wasn't proud of and because of those mistakes some of my friends stopped talking to me."
"They did?" Vee leaned in eagerly. "What did you do to fix it?"
"I gave them time, mija. Your friends know the truth, now they need the chance to accept it."
"So, all your friends eventually forgave you?"
Camilla's brave face wilted. "Um… no."
Vee's hope was crushed. She pulled out of her mom's kind hands and resumed her slump.
Camilla sighed and kissed the top of her head before heading for the door. "Don't spend all day up here, Vee. You should get out and clear your head, or at least come downstairs."
Vee only gave her a noncommittal groan. Her mom left.
A few seconds later, Meera funneled out of Vee's ring and regarded her with sympathy. "Please, Master, do not suffer," she implored. "Your mother is wise. Your friends require time, and you need only wish for time. With one wish I could fling you forward to the moment—"
"No." Vee huffed and straightened with a firm look of determination. "No offense, Meera, but this is my problem and I'm not going to wish it away or sit around and wait for the issue to maybe solve itself." Vee morphed into her human form, grabbed the wand from her desk, and topped off her magic.
"I assure you, Master, I am not a deceiver like Djinn. Your friends would still be your friends."
"I wish… you had the ability to teleport anywhere in the world when I'm not wearing the ring," Vee told her.
Meera waved her arm, pouring a cloud of smoke over herself.
As for the other thing, Vee hesitated, frowning at the ring on her finger. "It's not that I don't trust you, Meera. I'm just… not the biggest fan of being someone's Master. I was born a prisoner and experimented on before I came to Earth. I don't have it in me to control anyone. So…" She slipped the ring off and placed it on her dresser. "I want, not wish, want you to go wherever you want and do whatever you want, without having to obey anyone."
Meera was flabbergasted. "What? But—"
"It's a want, not a wish. You can stay right here if this is where you want to be. As long as you're the one calling the shots in your life. That's what matters. I'll keep your ring safe and if I ever truly have a problem that can only be solved with a wish, I'll put it on."
The next few seconds were silent as the weight of the situation hit Meera. The genie floated toward the open window cautiously, as if waiting for Vee to reveal this had all been a big practical joke. She phased through the glass without bothering to duck her head and hovered outside.
"What do I do now?" Meera asked, completely lost.
"That's up to you," Vee answered.
Meera mulled this over. Slowly, she descended to the sidewalk until her feet actually touched the ground. She took in the world around her and, for the first time since the dawn of existence, saw it. The endless possibilities and limitless freedom now at her fingertips. It all washed over her like a tidal wave. Excitement flowed through her veins. She twirled around and asked Vee, "Where do they make k-pop?"
"K-pop? Uh… South Korea…?"
"Then I have decided. I am going to South Korea." Meera waved her hands and vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Eh, she'll be fine." Vee shrugged, placing the ring in her dresser for safe keeping.
Wishing the best of luck to Meera, Vee set off on her own journey.
Gravesfield Historical Society…
Vee looked at the place before her. The Gravesfield Historical Society. This would be her third visit to this place and was definitely different from when she and the others came here last time. That garden of flowers from around the world that Mrs. Laurent mentioned had been planted and was even in full bloom. That castle-themed redesign they mentioned was complete too.
"Ok, Vee, you can do this..." the basilisk muttered to herself. She then knocked on the door. Immediately, the door flew open and she was greeted by the sight of Mr. and Mrs. Laurent.
"Luz! It's good to see you again!" Mrs. Laurent smiled.
"Yes, ve haven't seen you since ze vampire incident," Mr. Laurent added.
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Laurent," Vee waved to them a bit awkwardly, using Luz's voice. Judging by the fact that they called her by her sister's name, it was safe to say that Vincent didn't tell them about her little secret... which was probably a good thing. "Uh, is Vince home? I need to talk to him," Vee asked politely while rubbing her arm.
"Yes, yes, come in," Mr. Laurent said, allowing the girl through.
"Ve're glad you came, Luz. Ve vere hoping one of Vincent's friends could help him," Mrs. Vincent said as they guided her through the museum.
"Help him? What's wrong with him?" Vee asked with a confused expression.
"He said he's made a found out something interesting ze other day," Mr. Laurent said, making Vee flinch a little since she knew what that interesting thing was, "He has a habit of obsessing over new discoveries. Once something truly sparks his scientific interest, he'll lock himself away just study it completely."
"He's been coop up in his room for days! Vhen he does this, ve have no choice but to tell ze school he's sick!" Mrs. Laurent added, "Zis is probably ze worst he's been. He barely sleeps, barely eats, and has hardly talked to anyone, even us!" she said with motherly concern.
Despite the concerning situation, it had brought Vee a small glimmer of hope. At least it explained why Vince had been ghosting her. They then stopped in front of a door that Vee assumed was the door to Vince's room.
"Ve couldn't get through to him, but maybe you could," Mr. Laurent looked at the girl.
"Please, Luz," Mrs. Laurent pleaded.
"I... I'll try my best," Vee said, albeit with an unsure tone. She hoped to Titan and/or God that she and Vince were still friends.
Vee stepped through the door, closing it soon after. She noticed how dark it was due to the curtains being drawn... and there was also a faint, lingering odor. The only thing she could see was the floor littered with pages torn from books, written reports, and chalkboards filled with diagrams. She then saw a chalkboard that was even bigger than all the others, titled "The Magical History of Gravesfield?". At the beginning of the timeline were sketches of various mythical creatures, while the end of the timeline had pictures of all the magical creatures the MCH had run into so far. There was even a picture of Eda the Owl Lady in both her witch and Owl Beast forms. There was even a picture of Vee in her basilisk form, circled with several arrows pointing at her.
"Yeah, this totally isn't creepy at all..." Vee muttered sarcastically, feeling a little creeped out about this.
"Hey," She heard a voice from behind her, making her shriek and jump. Vee turned to see Vince.
"Vince? Are you ok? You don't look so good," Vee asked, concerned at the state of her friend.
Vincent was wearing his lab coat. He looked relatively the same, but with bags under his bloodshot eyes and a few strands of hair out of place. He was jittery, as if he had been surviving on nothing but coffee alone.
"Oh, I'm fine, Luz- I mean Vee. You're Vee because you're a basilisk and the real Luz is human and trapped in the Demon Realm which is where you were originally born, right, Vee? Right!" Vince said, all in one quick breath.
Vee was taken back a bit by this but proceeded to press on.
"Uh... So, I'm guessing we're cool and you're ok with me being a basilisk despite all the hiding and lying?" Vee asked cautiously.
"Yes, we're cool! You're the coolest friend I have! The MCH's scientifically most valuable asset!" Vince beamed.
That last part weirded Vee out, but it did make her happy and quite surprised that she and Vince were still friends. "Really? Because you ran off without saying anything. You haven't talked to me for days, not since I told you."
"I did?" Vincent asked absently, already scanning through books and taking notes. "Sorry, I can get a bit distracted. Still, how have I not checked my texts in days? " He pulled out his phone. In the darkness of his room, the screen's glow burned his eyeballs, crisping them an extra shade of red. He put away the painful device before he went blind. "That explains that."
So the radio silence really had been him going all science-geek. What a relief. It was good Vee didn't lose him. She just hoped getting the other two back was this easy.
"Listen, you've been cooped up in here since I told you my secret and your parents are concerned about you. How about we go out and get some ice cream? My treat," Vee offered.
"Leave? Pish-posh!" a new voice sneered. Out of the floor came a ghostly man dressed in 1600s attire.
"A ghost?" Vee's eyes widened. She was surprised, but at the time she wasn't. Liv was a banshee, so ghost wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
"Not just any ghost. I am Doctor Reginald Xavier Locksley IV," the ghost introduced himself, "Vincent can't possibly leave. He has far more work to do if he's going to complete my legacy," Dr. Locksley said.
"I thought ghosts didn't exist in this realm...?" Vee muttered to herself.
"Dr. Locksley here used to live in Gravesfield when it was first founded. He theorized that the land is a hive-point for supernatural activity, and I plan to prove it," Vince said, a determined look on his face.
"Uh, ok? It's nice to meet you, Dr. Locksley," Vee greeted the ghost.
"Is she the one you mentioned?" Dr. Locksley asked Vincent, ignoring her completely, not even bothering to look her in the eye.
"She is," Vince nodded as he walked over to the chalkboard with the timeline drawn on it, "Throughout the history of Gravesfield, there have been frequent sightings of magical creatures," he told Vee, "Everybody thought they were just stories, but if they were as real as the creatures we've been running into, then there's definitely a pattern. If I keep researching, I might be able to find out where they're all coming from."
Well, that certainly piqued Vee's interest. If he could find a scientific way to the Demon Realm the same way he found a scientific escape from the hourglass then maybe she had a chance to bring Luz home. There might be chance, albeit a slim one, for her to see her sister in the flesh.
"Maybe you could use an assistant. I'll help however I can," Vee offered.
"Hm. Well, you being a magical creature yourself might help a bit," Vince said, stroking his chin, "Alright, you can help."
Vince pulled out a remote and pressed a button, opening up a trapdoor in a corner of the room. This door led to the basement and he had installed it himself to avoid using the stairs. He beckoned Vee to follow him, which she did.
Dr. Locksley watched as the teens climbed down the latter. Unknown to either of them, an unnerving smile crossed the ghost's lips. The doctor chuckled to himself.
"That monster is the final piece to the puzzle," he muttered.
Vee had pictured the basement to be not too different from her own: cardboard boxes, rotting furniture collecting dust, etc. What actually waited for her was far more unbelievable. Books, old and worn, stacked on wooden shelves that were warped and bent with great age. A large wooden work table, just as old as the books, was covered with glass pipes and pipettes and magnifying glasses and tongs and clamps and tons of other human sciencey stuff that she'd seen in movies set in the past. Most impressive of all were the pair of spires that were more rust than metal. They towered over the teens in the center of the basement, over twice their height, each with a rusted orb at its top.
"By the Titan, what is all this?" Vee asked in awe.
"My laboratory," Dr. Locksley replied proudly, floating through the ceiling, arms folded behind his back. Again, he spoke without sparing a glance at Vee, almost as if he was too good to acknowledge her. Then he made an ugly frown. "What's left of it at least."
"Isn't this amazing?" Vincent gushed, his entire body twitching with excitement. "The Gravesfield Historical Society building used to be Dr. Locksley's home! He showed me where to find all of his equipment. I can hardly believe that I live under the same roof as one of the country's first scientific explorers."
"And I am most grateful to have such an inquisitive mind under my roof as well, my boy," Dr. Locksley complimented Vincent, actually looking at him. "Unlike that blithering baboon before you. Always going on about his 'Collector space-god' theories. Utter trite!"
"This is so neat," Vee marveled, even though she had no clue what any of the stuff did. She felt like she was stepping into, ironically, another world. With a twinkle in her eye, she prodded some sort of vial-corkscrew contraption in hopes it would do something. "What were you researching, doctor?"
Dr. Locksley didn't answer. He only lingered over Vee and glared furiously at her prodding finger. She retracted the offending appendage and backed away to Vincent. "Uh, Vince, I don't think the doc likes me that mu—OW!" Vee jerked from the pinch over her ear.
Vincent smiled widely at her, holding up for her to see the hair he'd plucked from her head.
"That hurt, Vince, why did you…" Vee's whine petered out as a tiny band of green flame rolled over the strand, changing it from black to her natural dark blue. "Whaaat?"
"Humans think of magic as this unstoppable force capable of anything," Vincent pontificated, full nerd mode. "But magic is actually another form of energy, like how light is made of photons or electricity is made of electrons. Both were once thought to be magic. And just like them, without its power source, magic stops."
"So, I was…" Vee scratched her head, trying not to imagine how much blue hair must be in her shower drain, "the hair's… power?"
"Precisely. Dr. Locksley was searching for a way to harness magic for humanity."
"And I was so close," Dr. Locksley glowered at the metal spires. "At my hour of triumph, I was robbed! Robbed of seeing my life's work fulfilled by that filthy lying—" Dr. Locksley punched the closest spire, his arm phasing through it. After a few moments of angry mumbling, the ghost composed himself and floated to the teens. "But all that changes now, for today we can observe magic in action."
Dr. Locksley finally looked at Vee… and she didn't like it. Something about his gaze made her skin crawl. She couldn't place what but something was off. Then his words registered in her head.
"Wait, in action?" She took a step back. "What do you mean by that?"
Vincent gasped. "Of course! Why didn't I think of it before? Since Vee can freely use magic to transform, we can gather accurate data and measurements on magical flow! This will push us so ahead of schedule!"
There was a tightening in Vee's chest. Only short shallow breaths could get past her suddenly narrow throat. Sweat dripped down her face as Vee at last realized what was wrong with Dr. Locksley's look. There wasn't any warmth. He regarded her with the same ice-cold desire for knowledge regardless of the consequences that she'd seen day after day in her cell from the Emperor's Coven researchers. The instinct to run and never stop made her legs tremble.
"What do you say, Vee?" Vincent asked, his sleep-deprived eyes bright with eagerness.
The question pulled her from Dr. Locksley's disturbing stare and focused her back on Vincent. Her friend, she reminded herself. Sure, he could go overboard sometimes, but he would never lock her away and perform horrible experiments on her. Never. And yet the very idea of being put back under a microscope sounded like a nightmare.
"Listen, Vince, I…" She was going to say no. She was going to say she would help in any other way she could. But then she saw his face, full of life and determination. She could trust Vincent, couldn't she? Of course she could. Besides, this could potentially get her to Luz. Swallowing the pangs of regret, Vee sighed and forced a smile. "Let's get started."
The next several minutes were of Vincent covering Vee with these strange thick stickers he called electrodes. Wires ran from the electrodes to some sort of meter in Vincent's hands. He tried to explain what the machine did, but Vee got lost quickly. Measured important stuff is what she gathered. In addition, both her own and Vincent's phones were recording her from opposite sides. Dr. Locksley oversaw the entire procedure, issuing strict corrections whenever something didn't meet his standards. Oddly, he had insisted Vee sit on a thick wooden chair between the metal spires, claiming it was the best space for proper observation. Vee found that iffy but Vincent had readily agreed, more concerned with the equipment setup.
Finally, they were ready. Vee waited, doing her best to keep her fear in check.
"All set," Vincent announced. "Remember, Vee, any discomfort, just say stop or raise your hand. Claw? Raise something. Whenever you're ready, Vee."
"For Luz," Vee told herself. This is for Luz. Clenching her jaw, Vee morphed into her basilisk form. As the magic ran across her body the electrodes did their thing and Vincent's meter lit up and flashed with data, but Vincent's attention was riveted to the girl in front of him.
"Wow…" he said, eyes glistening. "Fascinating."
Vee blushed a little, flattered by the attention. "Really? Hehe, thanks, I guess—"
"Where do your clothes go?"
The little blush exploded into a raging inferno. Vincent zipped forward, getting his camera within a hair's breadth of her skin, scanning every inch. The embarrassing question had never occurred to Vee before, but now that it had been asked, she instinctively tried to cover herself. Before she could even begin to think of a proper answer, Vincent unleashed a deluge.
"Are they part of your camouflage? Does your magic make clothes that match with your new identity or are you always naked? Can you change your outfit while maintaining your human form? Do your internal organs change too or are you still a basilisk on the inside? Do you lay eggs? Why are you so green? How do you go to the bathroom?"
"STOP!" Vee shouted at the top of her lungs and threw both of her arms in the air. Along the way they morphed without her orders, one into a hippogriff paw, the other into a fishtail.
Vincent flinched away, his enthusiasm replaced with worry. "Whoa, Vee, are you okay?"
"I see," Dr. Locksley noted, stroking his see-through chin. "Transformation can be unconsciously activated by emotional stress. A knee-jerk reaction, per se."
"Emotional stress?" Vincent took another look at Vee and gasped as if seeing her anguish for the first time. The meter fell from his grip and he began removing the electrodes. "I'm so sorry, Vee, we should never have done this—"
"What are you doing?!" Dr. Locksley hissed, getting in the boy's way. "This is the data I have waited centuries to find. You can't stop now."
"She said stop, we're stopping," Vincent snapped back.
"I say when we stop, not that animal." Dr. Locksley melted, his phantasmal body blurring into Vincent's. The boy contorted and shook and his eyes gained an unholy glow.
"Vince!" Vee screamed. She rose out of her chair to help, only for Vincent to grab a scalpel from the work table and hold the blade to his own neck.
"Sit down," Vincent ordered. No, it wasn't Vincent. Dr. Locksley's deep accented voice echoed out of his mouth. The ghost had possessed him. "Do not test me, the human body is very delicate."
Vee had no choice but to obey. "Let him go."
"Oh, spare me the act. A monster like you only cares enough for this child as cover for your disguises or to be used as emergency food."
"What?!" Vee nearly choked. "That's not true. Yeah, I lied about what I was at first, but I was always Vince's friend."
"Friend? Balderdash! I have seen what your kind does to their 'friends,'" Dr. Locksley sneered. "And if the boy lives long enough, he'll come to see your true colors as well. Now give me what I want and I shall release him, you have my word."
This ghost's mind was twisted by a blinding hatred, Vee could see that now. She couldn't reason with him, there was no other way. Vee gripped the armrests tightly and morphed. Dr. Locksley picked up the meter and smiled at the screen.
"More," he demanded.
Vee transformed again and again, not caring what shape she took. The only thought on her mind was to save Vincent. Light danced across Vincent's face that grew giddy with every flash of magic.
"More!"
Something stung Vee's shoulder. When Vee looked, she was stung again by an arc of magic that connected her to the metal spire. More arcs sprang from her body, hitting both spires, coursing over the metal. It was with horror that Vee realized she wasn't making herself transform anymore. The magic flowed out of her, into one spire, jumped to the other spire at the top, then flowed back into her where the magic would force her to take a different form and start the circuit all over again.
"MORE!"
How was this happening? What kind of metal was this? Then she saw them. As the magic flowed, the rust eroded away. Layer after layer of brown was peeled off, revealing the glyphs. Dozens of them were chiseled along the lengths of the spires, channeling her magic. Each shone incandescent light like a miniature sun.
Then a crack appeared. Another and another. A spiderweb of cracks broke across the spires!
"No!" Locksley cried. "This can't be happening! Not again!"
The cracks reached the receiving orb, cutting off the flow. With nowhere to go, the magic began to gather in a ball between the spires' tips. It was soon the size of a beach ball and rumbling dangerously. Vee stared at it, head craned back, mesmerized.
An ear-piercing shriek ripped directly behind her, causing Vee to leapfrog out of the chair in fear. A nanosecond later, the magic imploded.
Minutes later, Vee got up, coughing a little from the dust as it cleared.
"Vee!" the basilisk saw Liv fly towards her, "Are you alright, dear?" the banshee with grandmotherly concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Although, I do feel kind of... tingly," Vee replied, looking at her hands. She noticed small sparks of cerulean-colored electricity flowing between her fingers.
They saw that the chair that Vee had been sitting in had been burnt to ash. The spires were on the verge of collapsing as well. They heard a growl and looked toward the possessed Vince. At that moment, Dr, Locksley shot out of Vince's body, an enraged look upon the ghost's face. A small smile crossed Liv's face.
"Well, long time no see, Xavi," Liv greeted the ghost.
Dr. Locksley's eyes widened. There was only one person that ever called him by that name. He looked at the banshee.
"You..." Dr. Locksley growled, "Olivia. I should've known you'd have something to do with this! You sabotaged my machine just as you did before!" he lunged for the banshee, only for her to dodge out of the way.
"Take it easy, Xavi. It wasn't my fault that your machine was destroyed... twice," Liv responded.
While the two spirits fought, Vee helped a woozy and weakened Vince up. Deciding it'd be best to avoid the fight between two spirits, Vee carried him out of the basement. Liv caused the doctor's death when they were alive? That didn't sound right. They should delve deep into this. Despite it being one of her weaker subjects in school, it was time Vee learned some history.
Moments later, while the ghosts wrestled and fought throughout the museum. Furniture was flying, lightbulbs were exploding in their sockets, and the whole foundation was swaying like there was a minor earthquake. It was like turning the place into the house from The Poltergeist and freaking the Laurents out.
Vee was frantically searching the building for information. The two teens went through the four centuries of town until she found the century Dr. Locksley was from. She managed to find a display called "Gravesfield's First Witch-Hunt". It was completely automated with puppets, along with texts detailing the events.
"I can take it from here, Vee," Vince said, now having the strength to stand on his own.
"So, this display shows Gravesfield's first witch hunt?" Vee asked.
"Yes, but I don't think it works," Vince replied.
Vee touched a part of the display. That's when a large surge of lightning danced around her arm, traveling down to her hand. The electricity channeled into the display and, to both of the teens' surprise, it turned on.
"What? How did that happen?" Vee asked, looking at her hands just as before.
"Hmm..." Vince rubbed his chin curiously, "My guess is that the little ordeal you had must have converted some of your magic into electricity. it's all different forms energy, after all," he explained.
Vee hummed with interest, smiling. Another new ability. Unlike her other abilities, which came to her naturally due to her being a basilisk, this one came to her by a scientific incident. In other words, these electric powers were exclusively hers.
The two teens watched as display showed the events of the first witch-hunt in Gravesfield. It started by showing Liv who seemed to be Dr. Locksley's lab assistant at the time, back when they were both still alive. They were working on the same experiment that Vee and Vince had worked on moments before, until there was a huge explosion, killing the good doctor. Being the only one that survived without a scratch on her, some witch hunter guy named Philip Wittebane accused her of being a witch. Due to this, Liv ended up being burned at the stake for her supposed crimes. However, it would be discovered that years later...
Vee gasped and took a picture with her phone. She grabbed Vince and ran to where the spirits were fighting.
"Guys, stop!" Vee shouted, causing the spirits to do so as they looked at her, "Look, Dr. Locksley," she shoved the picture of the last part of display in his face.
"The explosion that killed you was due to poor maintenance. Your death was an accident!" Vince informed the doctor.
"So, Liv here is innocent. She was even exonerated after her death years later," Vee added.
There was a brief pause between the four.
"And you think that changes anything?"
"Huh?" both teens asked in confused unison.
"I've haunted this place for centuries. Of course I knew about the investigation!" Dr. Locksley scoffed, "But what do those archeologists know? They weren't there when it happened!" he said in annoyance, "Olivia lied to me for years! Do you know how much it would've helped my research if she had told me she could do real magic?!"
"Xavi, please, I never meant to hurt you!" Liv pleaded.
"Quiet!" Dr. Locksley yelled, thunder booming in the background, "Because of you, Olivia, I lost my research, my lab, and my life!"
Dark green clouds formed above Dr. Locksley's head, growing larger and larger as it spread out.
"If that thing gets any bigger, it could destroy the whole building!" Vincent commented, "Vee, any knowledge on how to stop a ghost?" he looked at the basilisk.
That was a good question. Besides Liv, Vee had very little experience with ghosts, even in the Demon Realm. However, that's when she remembered something. A few days ago, she watched a movie with Dani involving a friendly ghost, and then sometime before that, she saw her mom watching a show involving Jennifer Love Hewitt talking to spirits of dead people. An idea formed in her head and she knew what they had to do.
"Vince, come with me. Liv, get Dr. Locksley back to the basement," Vee told the banshee as she and Vince ran back to the basement.
Liv flew towards her former friend.
"You know, Xavi, you're not as great a scientist as you think," Liv said, knowing how his ego is.
"What?" Dr. Locksely looked at her.
"I said you're not a great scientist," Liv repeated, "Even back in our time, there were scientists with more promise than you. What kind of scientist makes the same mistake twice?" she asked mockingly.
Dr. Locksley growled, snorting steam out of his nostrils. She had him now. Liv flew off, the doctor flying closely after her. In a few minutes, both spirits returned to the basement. There they saw Vince standing triumphantly between the spires.
"What's going on?" Dr. Locksley asked.
"It worked, Doctor! Your machine worked! I can use magic!" Vince said, beaming with excitement. He raised his hands, shooting bolts of lightning out of his palms.
Dr. Locksley's jaw hung agape; the ghostly scientist shocked at what he saw. This could be a trick though
"No. You're that monster girl in disguise, aren't you?" Dr. Locksley said skeptically. Vince pointed to the right. The doctor looked in that direction and saw Vee, the basilisk sporting the same expression he did just minutes ago. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"I did it... I actually did it..." Dr. Locksley muttered. He chuckled in triumph, "I did it! Humans can use magic! My life's work is complete!" he shouted happily.
That's when a beam of golden light shined down upon the doctor, consuming him. When the light vanished, the doctor was gone. Vee, Liv and Vince sighed with some exhaust.
"I can't believe that actually worked," Vee said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.
"Are you sure that didn't hurt?" Vee couldn't help asking for the tenth time.
"I'm fine," Vincent insisted. "I told you I calculated the wattage perfectly."
Despite his bragging, Vee was still extra careful peeling the electrodes off Vincent's body. Human science was basically a mystery to her and in some cases, such as the feat they'd managed to perform, was downright magical. It astonished her that these tiny little wires had been able to carry her electricity to the electrodes pasted to the back of Vincent's hand and he had been able to pretend to fire the bolts out of his palms, fooling Dr. Locksley. The Illusionist Coven would be proud.
The tingle in Vee's gut was still there, telling her that her "shocking" new ability hadn't been drained by the trick. She worried about being able to keep it under control. She certainly didn't want to cause destruction and mayhem like Locksley had done to the Historical Society. From the outside porch, where Vee and Vincent sat on a medieval bench, the museum looked untouched. Inside, it appeared as if a localized mini-tornado had torn through the place. Mr. and Mrs. Laurent were shaken by the chaos but were more grateful that Vincent was finally out of his room. Zings can be replaced, they had said, family cannot.
"I'm sorry again about going all mad scientist on you, Vee," Vincent said with sudden remorse. "You know I don't see you like that, right? Like a lab rat? I've just never had a magical friend before and—"
"I get it, Vince," Vee said, squeezing his shoulder. "Don't worry about it." She removed the last electrode and turned her attention to the banshee floating by the flower bed. The rotted complexion was unable to hide the forlorn frown. "Are you going to be okay, Liv?"
"Probably not for a while, dear, but I'll survive," Liv answered honestly. "I'm glad you found the courage to tell your friends the truth. I was never able to tell Xavi I was a witch until it was too late. At least someone learned from my mistake."
"Were the two of you close?"
Liv smiled nostalgically the best she could without any lips. "We were very much like you and Vincent. He always had his nose stuck in a book, searching for the key to human magic. I helped the most I dared, hiding the glyphs in places for him to discover on his own, but I always hid what I was. Secrets can be so dangerous." She took a deep breath and shook off the sadness. "But that's in the past, and now Xavi can finally be at peace."
Vincent yawned. Not a rude yawn, the several days without sleep were just finally catching up to him. "Speaking of peace," he mumbled wearily, "I need to take a nap. For a week."
"Here." A band of magic rolled over Vee and she was now a werebear, a 10-foot-tall magical creature renowned to be as ferocious as it was fluffy. The bench creaked under Vee's new weight as she wrapped one of those ferocious paws around Vincent and pulled him against her fluff. "Comfy?" she asked.
"Coolest friend ever," Vincent managed to whisper before he slipped into dreamland.
"Look at you, dear," Liv praised softly enough to not wake the boy. "Changing out in the open. You've come a long way."
Vee's fur bristled. She hadn't realized what she'd done, hadn't considered the many humans of Gravesfield who could have witnessed her transformation. Her muzzle whipped back and forth in search but saw no one nearby. If she even smelt a human approach, or heard Mr. and Mrs. Laurent coming to check on them, she'd change back. It wouldn't go well if anyone saw a boy cuddling a giant man-eater. Until then, she would let her friend get some much-needed sleep.
Liv chuckled at her obvious worry. "Take care, dear," she said and floated away.
"Wait," Vee called, just realizing something. "If you knew Dr. Locksley, that means you've been on Earth—"
"For over four hundred years, yes."
That gave Vee something to think about. She'd assumed the banshee's account of warping to the Human Realm in a flash of light had been recent. Could Vee still use Liv's story to find a way back to the Demon Realm or was the information outdated? There was no way to tell.
"You wouldn't have happened to have run across my family before you came here, dear?" Liv asked.
Vee's poofy bear ears flapped in curiosity. "I don't know. Who's your family?"
"The Clawthornes, dear. You heard of them?"
Vee went pale. Heard of them? How could she begin to describe the public menace that was the Owl Lady? The cold-hearted Head of the Emperor's Coven whose name none dared to utter? The Clawthorne name was known in infamy throughout the Boiling Isles! Turns out Vee didn't have to say anything. Her face said it all.
"Ha! I know that look. We still got it." Olivia Clawthorne beamed with pride, which on the desiccated remains of a banshee was so horrific that it would've made the most bloodthirsty witch-hunter cry for their mommy. With renewed swagger, Liv went on her way. "Thank you, dear. And don't fret so much, you'll be alright."
Would she be alright? Vee certainly hoped so. One could never know what the future held, whether it be fortune or folly. But Vee would let the future be just that, the future. In the present, right here, right now, everything was alright.
"Hey, Vee," Vincent's sleepy voice floated from the ocean of fur. He sounded like he was struggling to stay conscious. "How did the rest take it?"
Vee curled her clawed toes.
"I was so wrapped up in starting my research…" Vincent paused for a deep yawn. "I didn't notice. Beth and Lance have known you longer than me, was it bad…" Vincent was back to snoring before he could pronounce the question mark.
He didn't have to. The terrible memory rushed back. Mr. and Mrs. Chang had already gone inside their new home so they had missed the grand reveal, which were two less headaches to worry about, thank the Titan. Vee had misinterpreted Vincent's running away but there was no mistaking the fear in Lance's face. And Beth… Vee had never seen the girl so hurt.
"Yes," she admitted to Vincent and to herself. "Very, very bad." Vee held Vincent tight, a friend who just this morning she'd believed she'd lost forever. "But I'm gonna make it right."
And that's the end of chapter 13. This chapter was co-written with I Write Big.
Yeah, not all of Vee's friends to her reveal as easily as Dani did. She got lucky that Vince is still her friend. Lance and Beth though might be a bit harder.
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