CHAPTER 3

Isis frowned, staring at the two wood burning kits in front of her. She had thought it'd be near to buy a set for Mark, so he could start detailing the things he was building, she just didn't know which one to get. Finally she decided on both and stuck them in her little shopping basket.

After selecting a couple more items, including some cross stitch to keep her occupied, she headed to check out, not aware of the suspicious eyes on her.

Isis laid the items out on the counter, looking up at the clerk. She frowned when she seen the woman standing back with her arms crossed over her chest. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"I don't serve people like you in my shop." The woman said coldly.

"Pardon?" Isis' own eyes narrowed dangerously. "I've been here a'fore and my money was good enough then."

"It isn't now so leave."

***

"So when can I see you again?"

Jaden stared up at John, pushing her hair out of her face. "I don't know…" She drawled teasingly. "I kind of like this bumping into each other thing we've got going."

"You're a flirt, you know that?" He grinned down at her.

"I've been told a time or two yes."

John started to say something else but was interrupted by a woman's shrill screams.

Jaden spun around to find Isis stalking out of the hobby shop, apparently struggling to keep her temper in control from the semi demonic look on her face. "Oh snap." She whispered, running over to her friend.

Next a woman came running out of the shop, brandishing a gun. "Demon spawn!" She shouted.

"Isis!" Jaden screamed.

Isis spun around and snarled, lunging forward and knocking the gun out of the woman's hands. "Have you lost your damn mind?" She growled., slapping the shopkeeper to the ground.

"Servant of Satan!" The woman hollered, tears streaming down her face as she crossed herself. "Unclean creature of the devil!"

Isis rolled her eyes and mocked crossing herself. "You need to stop watching so much television." She said coldly before turning her back on the woman and walking over to Jaden. "I think it's time to head home."

"What the hell happened?"

"I don't know, she wouldn't serve me and then the wench tossed holy water on me." Isis snorted, pulling a rag out of her back pocket, wiping the water off her face. "For some reason she thought I'd melt or something."

"Is everything all right?" John asked, walking up to them, concern etched on his handsome face.

"Fine and dandy." Isis muttered.

Jaden shot John an apologetic look. "I've got to go, sorry."

"Maybe next time." John smiled dramatically.

"Maybe."

{Mark, we're gonna need help.}

{All right, I'm on the porch waiting.}

Jaden wasn't surprised to see Mark when the cabin came into view. She parked the four wheeler, turned it off and dismounted, removing her helmet. She wondered if Isis had also mentioned what had happened in town.

Apparently not because Mark was peering in the wagon they had bought. "Ever consider just leaving my money alone?"

"What would be the fun in that?" Isis said, removing her own helmet and standing up.

Mark stared at her, frowning. "What happened?"

"Huh?"

He quickly crossed the few feet that separated them, running a finger over her face. "Holy water?"

"How the hell did you know?"

"Jaden was thinking about it."

"Wait, you read my mind?" Jaden demanded, mildly annoyed.

"No, I received some images that you were thinking about." Mark replied coolly. "What happened?"

Isis quickly recounted what had happened in the shop, along with the aftermath in the street.

"Sounds like she knows what we are."

"That's impossible." Isis protested. "We don't hunt people anymore…."

"All the same."

"Great, jus' what we need, another mob comin' to kill us."

Jaden watched as Isis spun around and stalked into the woods. "What does she mean by that?"

"The townspeople where she used to live knew what she was and went after her, a regular nightmare straight out of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, we had to run to the hills. They burnt everything." Mark explained.

"And you think we might have another one of those on our hands?"

"Possibly."

"Maybe it's time to move."

"Maybe."

Isis halted when a very familiar scent reached her, standing still. "Jeff, you can come out, I know you're there."

"I thought you might."

Isis slowly turned around to find him standing in a patch of moonlight, just staring at him.

"I came to tell you something."

"Tell me what? Why you pushed Jaden out of a window perhaps?"

Jeff didn't even look ashamed or regretful. "I stopped loving her Isis. I stopped loving everything."

Isis arched an eyebrow.

"I came to warn you that people wonder about the three of you. Why you never come to town in the day, why you're so pale, so beautiful and terrible at the same time. They all know what you are and are planning on killing you."

"I found that out tonight."

Jeff nodded, staring at her. "The shopkeeper at the hobby store, a religious fanatic. She keeps crosses and garlic on her person at all times though you probably shocked her when you didn't repel from the holy water."

Isis didn't bother asking how he knew about that.

"They plot to come up the mountain, to your cabin and destroy you all, in the daylight hours when they know you'll be defenseless."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I still care for you, and as much as I might hate what I am and what I've lost, I remember the kindness you've shown me."

Isis didn't move when he embraced her, getting enough glimpses from his mind to know what he was going to do. "Jeff, no, not like that." She murmured.

Jeff sighed, his face buried in her loose hair. "Don't say any more Isis, I've made up my mind, I can't bear to live like this any longer… I miss my mortality and… Matt."

Isis felt some of the coldness of the night's events leave her, being replaced with sympathy. "So what will you do?"

"Go into the sun."

Isis stepped back, unsure if she heard correctly. "Into the sun?"

"Into the sun."

Before she could say anything else, he hugged her tightly one more time. "Goodbye." Then he vanished, leaving her there with icy tears rolling down her cheeks.