The crashing waves were deafening as usual, but they were not as loud as Lucy’s screams of agony. Jonathan had a strong compulsion to toss her into the conveniently positioned sea, but he had a suspicion not even that would stop the magical fire from searing her flesh. Fortunately, his other colleague seemed to know what he was doing.
Jonathan backed away as the witch doctor poured his rainbow-coloured powder in a circle around the burning woman. Duncan muttered yet another incantation and aimed two fingers at Lucy. A spark flew out from them and ignited the circle. A bubble began forming over the contained soil. It popped almost comically a few seconds later and the misty vapour within dispersed itself along with the fire, leaving the lady curled up on the ground.
Lucy was barely recognisable. Her facial features had almost completely burnt off, leaving only her fangs intact. Her badly burnt body shivered uncontrollably on the ground, resembling a quivering jello of reddish gore. Jonathan swallowed back bile as he covered his mouth in horror at the damage done.
“She’s dying; she needs blood,” Duncan said urgently as he pulled out a packet of red liquid. He ripped it open and tilted her head up. The blood flowed into what Jonathan could only assume was her mouth as the vampire groaned slightly. Duncan’s eyes drifted to a seagull sitting in the distance.
“Sorry, little one.” He closed his eyes and muttered a prayer of sorts before shooting a beam of light at the bird. It crumpled to the ground before it could even squawk in fear. The carcass flew into Duncan’s outstretched fingers, presumably summoned by magic, and he offered it to his friend. Lucy sank her trembling fangs into the dead animal and began draining its blood.
It took her two whole minutes to finish her meal. The vampire stood up unsteadily, her hissing almost as soft as the howling wind while her seared flesh began regaining its normal colour. Jonathan breathed an internal sigh of relief, watching the woman rapidly regain her youth within seconds.
“That was… embarrassing.” Lucy’s black hair billowed in the strong sea breeze as she looked awkwardly at the two men.
“Embarrassing? Lucy, you were almost destroyed!” Duncan exclaimed. “You’re lucky I had the foresight to prepare blood packets for you ever since your relapse at the bank. You better explain this instant what you were doing in the witch market!”
“I do not answer to you. Come, let us quit this place.” Lucy gestured to Jonathan, but Duncan grabbed her arm.
“You will do no such thing!” he snarled. “You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you? Why did you drag the boy into your affairs?”
“It’s nothing much, really—” Jonathan began.
“Shut it!” the two yelled at him simultaneously. An uncomfortably familiar feeling rose from the bottom of Jonathan’s stomach. He had experienced this scene too many times when he was a child.
“I have ways of making you speak,” Duncan muttered. “Just remember, you made me do this.”
Lucy’s eyes widened in realisation as he reached into his coat pocket. They quickly turned into an expression of indignation as her mouth contorted into a snarl.
“Duncan, don’t you dare—”
The witch doctor cut her off by throwing a powder in her face. Lucy coughed and sputtered as she inhaled the fine particles. Duncan shook his head in disappointment and snapped his glowing fingers.
Jonathan had half expected her to start blurting out everything under the influence of what he assumed was some sort of truth powder. He found himself back in the headquarters of the Immortal Paranormal Association instead, staring dumbly at a concrete wall that was the edge of a cliff just a second ago. Duncan’s portals were subtle if nothing else.
“Now, answer me.” Duncan’s voice drifted from behind him. Jonathan turned around to see the man interrogating Lucy slumped against the sofa. “Who was the man that attacked you, and why?”
“He’s my brother, Leofric Carpenter. I don’t know why he suddenly appeared, but I suppose he still hates me for poisoning his lady in the past.”
“How did both of you turn into vampires and why are you separated from him?” Jonathan butted in.
“Not another word out of you. I will be asking the questions here.” Duncan turned to him angrily. “Do not presume I cannot tell that you’re trying to stall for time.”
“Vampires attacked my village when I was a young lass of sixteen summers and Leo had just turned eighteen. We were denied death only because the vampires who bit us were distracted before they could finish draining our blood.”
Lucy paused for a moment. “They had forgotten about us when they were done with their assault, and we greeted the next day as abominations of the night. My brother saw this as an opportunity to become a powerful being and suggested that we pledge allegiance to those who attacked us. I reluctantly joined but never partook in their practices. We gradually grew estranged, until tonight.”
“Why were both of you at the Scottish Witch Market tonight?”
Jonathan could see Lucy struggling to control the words that were about to escape her lips. “We were shopping for demonic protection,” she answered simply.
Well played.
“I compel you to tell me the full truth.”
Jonathan’s heart sank.
“Duncan, I…” Lucy’s lips trembled. “I found the last man who took part in killing Maya. He resides in First Baptist, a church in Tennessee. He goes by Paul Newman now and is spending his retirement there. I was intending to go with Jonathan to kill him. Please, I beseech you. Leave this to us. Your elixir is corrupted; if he dies by your hand, so will you.”
Duncan fell silent. Jonathan peeked at him, but his expression was more neutral than a poker master in a world championship match. He was not surprised, a few hundred years of social interaction would have taught anyone a thing or two about masking one’s emotions. And that was unfortunate for Jonathan.
“What do you intend to do?” Jonathan resorted to asking him directly.
“What God should have done,” Duncan said darkly and conjured a portal. Jonathan pushed him to the opposite corner of the room in an instant and pinned him against the wall.
“I know you seek revenge, but there are better ways to go about it.” He held him by the edges of his clothes. “We’re doing this for your own good. This does not have to end in your death, Duncan.”
“I’m old enough to know what’s good for me, son.” Duncan pushed his hands away as a golden light flashed over his clothes briefly. “And it would serve you well not to touch me again.”
Jonathan grabbed his arm defiantly and felt a freezing sensation run through his body. A dry gasp escaped his lips as his rigid body collapsed to the ground with a thud. He tried wriggling his body towards Duncan, but an invisible bind seemed to hold him in place.
“The spell will pass soon enough,” Duncan told him. “I appreciate the sentiment, boy. But I have places to be.”
“Forgetting about me?” Lucy stood in front of his open portal. “You’re not going through if I have anything to say about it.”
The witch doctor shook his head and sighed exasperatedly as he snapped his fingers. The portal disappeared just as another appeared beneath his feet.
He stepped into it, leaving Lucy and Jonathan to gawk stupidly at each other.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtz0haeKOJV
