2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
" W hat did you say?" I ask in surprise, coming to my senses. looking around at the people around us; it's like they aren't really there. That's when it hits me that the music is so low, blending into the background. How is that possible?
"Let's not waste valuable time. I'm sure your time is precious, and I can assure you mine is even more so. You know who I am, and I know who you are, therefore I know I can offer you what you want more than anything. To get your power back."
I frown but don’t dare to break his stare. His deep eyes challenge me, but I’m too stubborn to comply.
"I 'm sorry, but who the fuck are you? And how do you know who I am?" I ask boldly, holding the bottle of scotch tight.
"So, this is how you want to play. So be it," he replies too calmly as he stands up and straightens his jacket before bending towards me.
"You can't compel me," I blurt, taking a step back. It’s pointless, I know, but still. One of the first things I learned about vampires is their ability to make you do what they wish, controlling you like a puppet. My granny taught me of the herb that makes it impossible for them to do so. GOTU KOLA. Make tea and drink it each day if you must. But don’t forget it, Hailey. Her words ring in my ears as a warning.
"Good to know. Still, I wasn’t going to compel you. I need your cooperation long-term, and I need you to want it." The gravity of his words sinks deeper, but I just shake my head in response. “For this to work you have to be willing to do it.”
"Never going to happen," I reply quickly. I’m not sure why, but I know it’s trouble. He is trouble, and agreeing to a deal with him is like agreeing to a death sentence.
"Sure about that?" His eyes twitch with a challenge.
"How do you know my name? "
"I know your name, I know where you live, I know all about your magic. I know all about you." Alarm bells ring in my head as a wave of fear crashes into me. He can’t know that much about me or my family, right?
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I blink twice to regain my focus. "You are mistaken. There is no Terra coven." Not anymore, I say to myself as a reminder not to fall into any trap this vampire tries to pull me into.
"As long as you are alive, the coven exists," he insists.
"I don’t want anything from a vampire," I state through gritted teeth.
"Aren't you curious, though, about the feeling of power? Not even a little bit?"
Am I curious? Of course I am.
Am I going to make a deal with the devil? Absolutely not.
Do I want to agree? Totally.
It is so tempting. I open my mouth to speak, only to close it. Defeated, I blow out a strangled breath.
"I can feel your curiosity. You don’t have to be ashamed of it."
"How are you doing this?" I ask looking at our surroundings.
"What exactly?" He leans i n
"Tuning out the things around us," I say as I move to the side, bumping into Rosie, but she just ignores me. It’s like she doesn’t see me.
"Illusions.It comes in useful having a witch with certain powers." He smiles proudly.
"Are you really here? Or is it also part for your vampire- witchy thing"
"Oh I'm here all right"
"So, you already have a witch in hand? Why do you want to help me?"
He rests his elbows on the counter and leans forward a little. "Your powers will be far greater than hers, and who said anything about helping you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I will give you access to your magic, and in return, you will help me."
Could this truly be it? My way to get my magic back? Can this vampire really help me? Excitement spreads through my chest. Excitement and fear. What if it’s all too much of a risk? "What do you need me to do?" I ask.
"Not much. Just force a coven into giving me what I want."
Force them? What does that mean?
I know he’s a vampire, but does he really think that he’s more powerful than the witches? Kind of na?ve of him.
Feeling more confused than before, I ask, "And how are you planning to do that?”
Over the years since the curse, witches in my family tree tried reasoning with the coven that cursed our bloodline, but that didn’t work. Each time, they claimed that we shall forever be cursed for our ancestors’ mistake.
Usually, I’m not one to cause a riot, but it would be a lie to say that I don’t feel a bit of fire at the thought of that coven paying for what they did.
His intense eyes bore into my soul as silence lingers between us. Can he see my desire to be part of something more? To discover more? The curious side of me is fighting, begging me to agree.
Finally, after what feels like hours, he says, "You will know only if you choose to join me."
As curious as I am, I can't afford to get into it. Not now, not ever. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I say, "No, thanks." Breaking eye contact again, I leave the bar and move through the frozen bodies to the back exit.
Pressure builds in my chest, and only when the cool breeze hits me do I release the breath I've been holding. Panting, I cast a quick look back, making sure he isn’t there. Once I’m convinced the narrow corridor is empty, I let myself relax a bit.
What the hell was that ?
The magic back there was too much. Scratch that, his whole presence was too much. It was like a dark cloud looming above me, trying to block my sense of control. Though I can't say he didn’t make me wonder about my magic.
Is it possible to unlock my powers?
Having tried endlessly from a young age to break my family's curse, all my attempts were in vain.
Closing my eyes, I try to focus on the swirling excitement in my stomach. I feel the edges of my power waking up, coursing through my veins. My magic is making me aware of its presence, a wicked reminder of its existence. I think that’s the worst part of the curse—the awareness of the power but the inability to use it.
But my case is far worse. It is my heritage to use magic, to control magic. A heritage that was taken away from us because of a single mistake, centuries ago.
“Hailey, you okay?” A familiar voice calls to me from behind.
Disoriented, I turn around and find Mike looking concerned, a frown forming on his face. Looking past him, I notice the music is playing at full volume again, and people pass down the corridor toward the bathrooms.
“Yeah, I’m cool. Just needed a breather. ”
“Don’t take too long. Rosie can’t handle the crowd like you do,” he says before moving out of the way.
The rest of the shift passes quickly. I join Rosie at the bar, and we serve the rest of the customers until closing time. When I get back and find the vampire’s seat empty, a shudder passes through my body. Rosie must have noticed my weird behavior as she looks at me closely, but she doesn’t push me further. I’m thankful for that. I already know what she would say. You should jump on the idea.
She knows my struggle with the magic world. She was always there to comfort me after each failure to break the curse and to support me through every new attempt.
Pulling my bag over my shoulder, I walk to the back exit with two trash bags.
“I’m so glad that Mike is closing the place this time because I so need a hot shower,” Rosie says behind me, pulling another set of trash bags.
A few years ago, we decided to try the independence card. I wanted my own space from all the mother drama, and Rosie wanted to be far away from her suffocating family. So, it worked perfectly. We rented a three-bedroom condo not far from the bar.
“Oh, me too.” I sigh, wishing for a free hand to massage my stiff back .
“I’m first, pretty please,” she says in a sing-song voice.
“Only if you don’t sing in the shower, ‘cause when you do, it takes you longer,” I reply and drop the trash bags in the bins next to the door.
“You love my singing.” She drops her bags with a pout.
“I do, but I’m so tired, and I don’t feel too good.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“I think I’m going crazy.” Remembering my interaction with the vampire, my body shivers violently.
“Well, you were crazy the day I met you, so what’s changed?” She laughs, making me roll my eyes.
“It’s not that. It’s just… something weird happened a few hours ago.”
“What do you mean by weird?”
We walk down the empty pathway that leads to our shared apartment. The fact that the bar is a short walk from home is both a relief and a huge advantage.
“Around midnight, there was a guy with dark brown messy hair and striking gray-honey eyes. He was a vampire.”
“What? Are you sure?” she asks with a harsh voice, her eyes wandering all around us. “What if he’s looming in the dark somewhere?”
“If that’s the case, you’re making it easy for him to figure out your fear,” I remark, pinching the bridge of my nose .
Her eyes widen. She looks left and right again before moving closer to me and whispering, “Hailey, he probably has super hearing, so we’re toast.”
“Stop it. He isn’t coming after us. He didn’t look dangerous besides the fact that he’s a vampire.” That’s a lie. His whole vibe screams dangerous. And intriguing. Even his posture and the confidence with which he presented himself screamed power. Swallowing hard, I bite the inside of my cheek.
“What did he want?”
I wave dismissively. “He wanted to offer me a deal, but I refused it. Vampires are trouble.”
Narrowing her eyes, Rosie asks, “Well, you’ve never actually met one before, so how can you know?”
“Mygranny always said that nothing is trouble until you meet a vampire. That’senough for me.” Besides, my entire family history proves it.
“Okay, okay. What offer did he make?”
“To help me bring my magic back,” I whisper, not daring to say it too loud, out of fear of hope. Hope makes people do stupid things.
“Oh, Hailey. I know how much you want your magic, but how much can you truly trust a vampire?”