Journeys – Chapter 7

Sinead threw the rune sticks, watched them land in an intricate pattern and smiled to herself. She picked up the three upper most sticks, rolled them in her hands, then let them fall a second time, nodding in satisfaction, she stood to make ready for her guest. She lit the incense, misted the room with her potion and nicked a vein in her throat. Henry was coming in a matter of minutes and she wanted everything perfect. She had marked the four cardinal points of the compass with arcane symbols from her private collection. The fifth point was marked with an altar, salt, water, earth, and flame. Her athame rested on red silk with a few drops of her blood staining the needle sharp tip. She had been trying summoning spells for weeks until finally got the idea of tapping into Nelson's subconscious. She wasn't sure which had worked, but something had, because the rune sticks had never lied to her.

Henry and Vicki sat in his car parked across the street and down the block from the fortune teller's shop. Vicki spoke quietly, "Tell me again. What are we doing here?"

Henry looked around and saw nothing moving in either direction and said, "Sinead used a spell to get you to type that drivel the other day. I've been postponing a final confrontation with her for months but when she involved you in her little plots, she went too far. She needs to stop interfering with my life."

Henry got out of the car and walked around to open Vicki's door. "Wait here a few minutes before following. I hope to be back out within minutes. If things get out of control, give me a chance to explain before condemning me."

"I can't make any promises."

Laughing he leaned in and kissed her ear saying, "Don't forget, it's you I love."

Vicki sighed and traced the outline of his smile with her fingers, "I know. Funny thing is, before I met you, I wasn't the jealous type."

Henry left the shop door open as he walked toward the back room. He sensed Sinead before seeing her standing in front of him wearing a blood red satin nightgown with her raven black hair falling in waves to her breasts. The room was filled with the scent of woman, lust, and blood. Henry forgot everything as the vampire rose within him.

Sinead lifted her chin and opened her arms, "That's right, come to me vampire. Take what belongs to you. I'm yours."

Henry's eyes and teeth changed as the vampire made ready to drink deeply and take the offering.

Vicki, a few steps behind, watched in fascination and horror as Henry was lost to the witch's spell. She looked around the shop spying the signs and symbols of arcane magic and started methodically destroying them one by one.

Sinead became aware of Vicki and screamed "Henry, stop her! She's ruining my spells."

Henry turned and bared his fangs at Vicki.

Vicki's eyes flashed silver as she snarled, "Not so fast Fitz-Boy. One more step and your pants will be at your ankles and you'll fall flat on your face."

Henry looked down to see his pants unbuttoned and his fly open. He grabbed the waist band in one hand and lunged forward with the other capturing Vicki's throat.

Sinead commanded, "Kill her!"

Henry growled back, "As you wish." With that, there was a loud snapping sound and Vicki fell in a crumpled heap at his feet.

Sinead rushed to Henry's side, kissed him repeatedly saying, "You're mine. With her gone, we can be together forever. The runes never lie."

Henry stared at her and asked, "What did they tell you?"

Sinead answered, "If given a chance, she would be the last one you ever love."

Henry snarled as he looked around the room and saw a painting of a very old hag over the altar. He saw the "H" in the lower right corner and realized it was a portrait he had painted years ago and what was happening now. He picked up the athame from her witch's altar and slashed the picture from corner to corner forming a ragged "X".

A high pitched keening sound came from Sinead's mouth as her hands stretched out to the portrait trying to hold the picture together as smoke curled out and circled her head. "Why did you do this?"

"I've told you. Never use magic on me or what was once mine. You've tried to trap me one too many times and I won't allow you to continue. I came tonight hoping to part as friends, but you tried to take my choices from me again."

Sinead lifted her wrinkled chin, even as her back bowed with age and said, "At least she's gone."

Vicki stood up and said to the old hag, "I don't think so."

Sinead covered her face with her bony fingers and hissed, "Leave here. Let me die in peace."

Henry took Sinead in his arms, smoothing her white brittle hair and said, "This isn't what I wanted. We've know each other for centuries, if you'd only listened, we could've been friends for centuries more."

Sinead whispered her love for him and died in his arms.

Vicki walked straight back to the car allowing Henry a few minutes to say good bye to an old friend.

Henry came out soon after and slid behind the wheel as Vicki started doing neck exercises while saying, "Did you have to pinch me so hard? And what was up with the painting and her growing old?"

Henry started the car saying, "Your death had to be convincing and the novel, Picture of Dorian Gray, wasn't all fiction. There's a bit of truth behind all good writing."

They drove in silence for a few minutes then Vicki asked, "Could this night have had a different ending?"

Henry answered with sincere sorrow in his voice, "You know how we planned it. If she'd left the magic alone, she'd be alive and we both would have had a witch for a friend."

"So why did she use magic tonight?"

Henry pulled up beside Vicki's apartment building and parked. He turned to study her face as he said, "The runes told her you would be the last one I ever love. She wanted to keep me safe by keeping me from loving you." He reached over the console and pulled her toward him saying, "Nothing or no one can keep me from loving you."