“Is this at all connected to the vampire you are searching for?”
“It reeks of him, but I can’t be sure yet. This is the most frustrated I’ve ever been. The one time I really need my gift, it fails me.”
Gently, as if my next words might hurt him, I asked, “What did this vampire do?”
Charlie sunk farther into his chair, if that was possible. Even the color drained from his face. I almost told him to forget it, but then he spoke.
“He killed Moira on our second year anniversary. Left her like a present in our bedroom, my anniversary gift tied to her lifeless hand. You see he was paying me back for a raid on his house. We killed six of his newbie vamps, but only after they refused to listen to reason.”
My throat felt like it was in my stomach. “I’m so sorry,” I managed to whisper.
“So am I.” He breathed a few times, the air thick with his sorrow. Finally he said, “You were waiting for me. Did you need something?”
“I just wanted to see how you were.” The words seemed hollow in the heavy room.
He laughed miserably. “Well, now you know.” He closed his eyes like he’d bitten his tongue and then opened them. “I’m sorry. I don’t talk about my wife’s death. Ever. But I think about it every second of the day. I’ll be in a better mood later. Do you want to meet up later tonight to begin your training?”
“Only if you’re up for it,” I said.
“I will be.”
I stood and walked to the door. “I’ll see you then…and Charlie, if you ever need anything, please let me know.”
I left, my heart aching. What was the point of using my abilities for good if I couldn’t help those closest to me? Somehow, I had to find a way to sense exactly what people needed to make them feel happy and at peace. I’d never heard of such a spell, but if magic could destroy faraway places, surely it could do this? I vowed to find a way.
***
I didn’t visit Lucien again. My last encounter made me realize how difficult it was going to be to try and release him from his self-made prison. Before I returned to him, I wanted to ensure I was stronger both mentally and emotionally. Because of this, I worked harder than ever with Dr. Skinner, forcing myself to do things I didn’t think possible. Even he seemed surprised by my progress.
“You don’t need to push yourself so hard, Eve. All of this will come in time.”
But I didn’t have time. Every night, a growing uneasiness gnawed and chewed at my gut, making me physically ill. Something terrible was going to happen to Lucien, and in his current condition, I was afraid he would welcome it.
I used this urgency to train harder with Charlie. He was shocked by how quickly I’d picked up on marital arts, but not as surprised as I was. It came naturally to me as if it was what my magic wanted. It wasn’t long before I was able to predict Charlie’s moves and block his attacks with ease.
“So, tell me again. You’ve never had any lessons?” Charlie asked after getting thrown over my shoulder. I helped him up.
“Nothing formal. I used to imagine I could fight when I was younger.”
“And I used to imagine that I was a dinosaur, but you don’t see that happening. What’s your secret?”
I laughed. “Have you ever thought that maybe I’m not that great and you just really stink?”
“Believe me, I’ve considered that.”
In the corner of the room, I spotted Derek. I’d come to love the teenage boy who followed me around from a distance. I’d often catch him watching me with a look of wonderment on his face. This look always made me feel special somehow.
“One second,” I said to Charlie.
Charlie collapsed to the ground. “Take all the time you need.”
“Don’t get too comfortable,” I called behind me as I jogged over to Derek. I was careful not to touch him when I sat on the floor next to him. “How’s it going, D?”
Derek rocked back and forth. Normally I would leave him alone, giving him the space he required, but there was anxiousness in his eyes.
“What is it, Derek?” I asked.
Instead of speaking, he reached inside a backpack sitting on his other side and removed a shoebox. One of the sides had been cut off, and inside he had created a miniature replica of the Deific office upstairs. I recognized it immediately because of the roses shaped out of crumpled red paper upon all the desks. On the floor of the box, little human figures made out of tin foil were lying down; red marker dotted many of them in the exact location of their hearts. Glued high on the cardboard wall were two men. Over their faces Derek had scribbled a black marker. Directly below them, I saw myself. I was made out of tin with long yellow yarn for hair, and all around me he’d glued thin strips of yellow ribbon like sunrays spreading out.
“What’s that?” Charlie said behind me.
I jumped. “I’m not sure. Derek just handed it to me.”
Charlie crouched down to get a better look. His body tensed. “Something’s wrong. Do you feel it?”