Page 31 of Discovery of the Vampire
“He needs to call soon," Judy added. "Tonight. Extend the invitation to Luukas and let him know they're needed and welcome." It was customary for vampires to ask permission before entering another coven's territory.
"I'll make sure it's done," Lizzy told her.
I glanced at Alice, sitting beside me on the couch in Judy's small living room. It was just us two in here. The rest were sitting at the kitchen table on the other side of the half wall that divided the two rooms. Her face was even paler than normal, and I couldn't say I blamed her. After all, the djinn was here for her.
Well, for her and her twin brother, Alex. But whereas Alex was ready to fight, Alice was scared. They were like opposite sides of the same coin. I grabbed her hand and held it tight. She didn't take her eyes from the discussion that was happening, but her fingers squeezed mine painfully tight.
Keeping her hand in mine, I shifted in my seat, trying to get more comfortable on the lumpy couch cushions. Ted, Aunt Judy's old gray tabby, chose that moment to jump up beside me and start kneading my thigh with his claws, oblivious as always to the tension between the humans in the room. It was way past his bedtime, and I guess he finally decided to stop glaring at everyone and find a comfy lap to snuggle on. I absently stroked his fur with the hand Alice wasn't crushing as I continued to watch the heated discussion happening in the kitchen.
"And then what?" Alex asked, his golden eyes flashing. "What do we do while we wait for Luukas and Jesse? Sit around on our hands and wait for Marcus to attack us? To take me and Alice back to his mountain? Or to wherever the hell he came from?"
Judy held up a hand. "We're not sitting around. But we have to be smart about this. Rushing in without a plan will only get someone hurt, or worse."
I glanced at Alice again. She was chewing on the corner of her bottom lip, a habit she'd had since we were kids. I gave her hand another reassuring squeeze. If Marcus wanted to fuck with us, he would. Nothing we did or didn’t do would stop him. The only reason he hadn't shown himself to any of us yet is because he wanted to make us nervous, and it was working. I knew it. And so did Alice.
But that didn't mean we couldn't try. "What about a stronger protection spell?" I suggested, finding my voice. "Something to ward the houses, at least."
All eyes turned to me as everyone stopped talking, and I fought the urge to shrink back into the couch cushions.
Judy considered for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. It would give us some added security." She ran her eyes over the group. "I'm not sure if anything would keep that thing out if he really wanted to get in, but at least it would be a deterrent and might give us some time."
I felt a small surge of pride at her approval.
Lizzy cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "There's something else you all should know," she said, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. "There's a new witch in town. Her name is Esme, and she's working at my shop." She paused, visibly gathering herself. "She from Mexico."
Aunt Judy's blue eyes widened, and she leaned forward in her seat. "Abruja? Here in New Orleans? Is that what you're saying?" Her tone was a mix of surprise and apprehension.
Lizzy nodded. "She's been hanging around Killian's club, and the other day she came into my shop looking for a job. I hired her to take Mike's place until he can return to work."
No one said anything, but I knew I wasn't the only one thinking that Mike might never get to go back to work in Lizzy's store. Not with the hold the djinn had on him. It was how that thing had gotten Angel to help him escape, and he wasn't about to give up the leverage he had on us. Mike would be lucky to survive that fight at all.
"Of course, I didn't know exactly what she was when I met her. I sensed her magic, but it was so weak I honestly thought, and still think, that the only powers she possesses are subtle. Something passed down through her lineage that was maybe…" She frowned down at the floor for the right word before raising her chin again, "…weakened, I guess, as it passed through the bloodline. I don't sense her as a threat."
Judy was shaking her head before Lizzy finished speaking. "Oh, she's a threat."
"I disagree," Lizzy argued. "She's been here for weeks, hanging out at The Purple Fang. She and Brogan have gotten to know one another, and last night he brought her to the house to warn us that Marcus was back. If she wanted to harm us, don't you think she would've done so already?" She paused, turning pleading eyes to our aunt. "She's been through a lot, Aunt Judy. That thing murdered her entire family. It's a miracle she's here at all."
A heavy silence fell over the room. I glanced at Alice, who had gone even paler, if that was possible.
"How do you know it was Marcus that killed her family and not her?" Alex asked, his brow furrowed. "How do we know any of this is true or just some fucked up story she's making up?”
"To what purpose?" Angel asked.
He shrugged. "I don't know."
"She described him perfectly," Lizzy replied. "How would she know him that well if it wasn't true?”
"So that's where he's been," Angel said under her breath to no one in particular. "In fucking Mexico. Why the hell would he go there?"
Judy ignored her. "Why would he go after her family?"
"She told Brogan he was looking for a book. A spell book. For some reason, he thought her family had it and that they were keeping it from him."
Judy stood, her chair scraping against the linoleum floor. "I don't trust this," she muttered, pacing the small kitchen. “Why would she suddenly show up in our city, claiming she knows Marcus..."
Lizzy rolled her eyes. "Now you sound like Killian."
"Well, I hate to say it, but in this instance, I have to agree with him."
