Caprice

Chapter 1 - Angels, Demons & Vampires-3

Something was about to happen!

“Don't answer that!” I shouted. But Randy either didn't hear me because of the loud c***k of thunder—it seemed the storm surrounded us—or, he ignored me.

The moment my brother reached for the doorknob, lightning flashed for several seconds. He opened the door. A large man's silhouette absolutely filled the doorway. I knew right away who it was. Yep. I'd been right to want to run.

I turned back to the table. My elbows on the table, fingers rubbing little circles at my temples. This can't be happening. I wanted to disappear right then. If only my brother's house rested on a ley line I'd leave in a thought.

Movement across from me brought my gaze back up. Grandma Rose was on her feet, leaning toward me, her eyes blazing like red hot coals. She looked directly into my eyes. Everything happened in slow motion in the next twenty seconds or more.

“Is Sabrina here?” The baritone voice quickly verified who was at the door for me, but I already knew it was Bjorn Tremayne. Local vampire magnate, and my boss. How was I going to introduce him? This is my boss, a billionaire and he's also a vampire magnate from Chicago?

“Yes, she is. We're all sitting down to eat,” my brother said. “We're having Thanksgiving. You're more than welcome—”

“Grandma, what's the matter?” Constance's voice closer to me caught my attention. Alarm in her voice made the hair on my neck go straight up.

“My apologies—” Tremayne's voice tumbled to my ears from the other room.

If he said more, I didn't hear him. All hell broke loose. An inhuman screeching noise pierced my ears. I looked across from me, in the direction of the sound. Grandma's hands reached toward me, her fingers like talons. She lunged at me, knocking over the wooden- turkey-and-pilgrim-guy display. Her hands were around my neck before I could react. I brought up both hands in a reflexive motion to block her, but all I could do was latch my hands onto her wrists. I couldn't break her grip. She was as strong as a man—maybe stronger, come to think of it. She hissed at me, the hellish crimson eyes burning demon-red.

“I've got you now!” she howled gleefully. One would've thought she had won the lottery, or bingo.

Bill was up, grabbing her, but it did no good. He couldn't loosen her grip on me. Constance and Aunt Shelly screamed. Automatically, I let go of grandma's arms and held my right palm up, shoving the mystic ring in her face. “Stop!” Her clutch on me loosened, but she kept coming at me. In her forward momentum, Grandma arched over my head and landed with a satisfying thump behind me. Dishes crashed. Food and liquids hit me in the face and chest. The girls, the women, the men all screamed or shouted their alarm. Someone swore—probably Randy. All I could think of was the girls seeing this and I couldn't stop it from happening. But I had to follow through. I had to end this, but wasn't sure how.

Eyes on Grandma Rose, I jumped to my feet. She executed a roll in her black and white dress (with the hideous bow on the front of the shiny black belt), black shoes and pantyhose, like she were a twenty-something (instead of seventy-something), professional gymnast landing back on her feet. The old woman twirled and turned on me, her fingers talon-like poised to strike once more.

Bill jumped beside me.

“A demon!” he warned.

“No s**t!” I said.

“Curses! You little b***h!” the Grandma-demon swore, hands balled into fists. Her bun had fallen out and the hair fell in her eyes. She grabbed the wig and pulled it off a bald greenish head. Red eyes sent daggers at me. Well s**t!

The women were on their feet still screaming, grabbing their children, and backing away from the middle of the fray as far as they could.

Monty and Randy were both shouting, and the kids had taken cover under the tables or behind chairs.

Grandma Rose only stood five-three on a good day, but now was somewhat taller than she should have been—she wasn't stooped over at all, either. She dove at me, hands out-stretched, the fingers seemed overly long. My eyes focused on her hands, which were now an ugly shade of mottled greenish-brown, tipped in demonic-black four-inch-long claws. She'd begun to morph into a demon.

“They want you alive or dead,” she said. “Well, I'll make sure you're dead, you little b***h!”

I held up my right hand to thwart the demon-grandma again. It stopped. The demon's eyes widened, realizing I had power over it. My left hand went into my jeans pocket, quickly locating the small vial of holy water. In one quick motion I brought it up and uncorked it with my thumb, and flung it into its face—vial and all.

“Gaaaaahhhhhk!”

The girls screamed.

“What the hell?!”

“Bjorn Tremayne come in!” someone shouted from somewhere in the house.

Voices shouting, bodies moving erratically in the dark, and the acrid smell of burning flesh and brimstone all combined making a soup of horrific smells, and noises that might be heard in a haunted house you paid twelve bucks to get into. I couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on, since it was mostly dark.

A loud snapping, like someone had broken a turkey leg bone, rent the room. Afterwards all went silent.

A blaring flashlight beam swept the room, and settled on Tremayne standing over the demon-grandma, which now was simply a demon in Grandma Rose's clothing. I cringed at the sight of the demonic face and hands. Greenish flesh was revealed beneath the portions of human skin that remained, which had been eaten away by the holy water I'd thrown on its face. The demon was completely revealed now.

“What did you do to Grandma Rose?” my brother asked, alarm in his voice made it c***k with hysterics. He looked down at the demon-grandma and still didn't get it. I guess he was in shock and didn't realize it wasn't really Grandma.

“That was no one's grandma,” Tremayne said. “That's a demon.” He looked up at me.

Another sharp snap, it sounded like someone snapping their fingers. At that precise moment, all the lights went on full bright. The magic filled the air, and it blurred my vision for a few seconds.

“Hey toots, your boyfriend here just saved your cute tush!”