Chilling Cadence

Two

Throughout the day, many of the residents of Glasskeep stopped by, delivering all kinds of food or baked goods. Ruth Cavanaugh who ran the bookstore beside Cadence’s home—which was named Bibliophile—stopped by with a pan of lasagna. When she handed it off to Cadence, the pot that held the dish was still warm. A jovial young woman with a large chest, dimples, and eyes bluer than anything Cadence had ever seen before introduced herself as Venus and said she owned the coffee shop next door. It was called Spellbound Coffee Shop, Venus had said. Named because Glasskeep was such a magical place. She had winked at Cadence when she said that. She gave Cadence an assortment of sandwiches and a flier that advertised a group called The Crypt Bangers.

Before Cadence knew it, she had been acquainted with much of Glasskeep’s residents who all promised they’d stop by Inquiring Siren to check out her charms. Some were human, some were supernatural—Cadence could sense that much—but what they were, she couldn’t tell.

In between surprise visits, Cadence emptied out her suitcase and when the suitcase had been emptied, she headed over to her new shop to look around. They had set it up exactly like she’d asked them to, and she found herself impressed—yet again—at how they were able to do things so quickly.

There were shelves for potions and charms and at the head of the store, there was a service desk with a large shelf for her bottled ingredients. If Vampires lived here, then surely Witches were somewhere in Glasskeep and undoubtedly, they’d eventually make their way to Inquiring Siren. Cadence wasn’t good at many things, but her strong point was her plant knowledge and her charm and potion-making skills. Her plants grew faster and their effects were more potent than other Witches.

In that regard, she was even better than her Grandmother, who had been a High Witch in their Coven.

Cadence spent most of the day settling things on shelves. The dried and bottled ingredients behind the counter, potions shelved, and charms in the shapes of bracelets, necklaces, and rings placed cleverly on displays. She did a quick sweep of the place before she and Grimm left and locked the place up.

Mid-afternoon saw Cadence planting her garden in the nice, spacious area next to her home. She murmured words of power and drew Pagan shapes in the soil and murmured a prayer to Cernunnos, asking him to watch over her garden. And then, when she could feel the fertility in the soil, she planted her seeds.

By the time she finished, the sun was slipping behind the horizon. Cadence stood up, dusted off her jeans, and looked down at her handy work proudly. Already, the plants were starting to grow. Given a week or two, her garden would be a green oasis.

Grimm, who had been curled up peacefully in one of the chairs settled outside, lifted his head up and his attention snapped just beyond Cadence’s shoulder.

Even before she turned around, she knew who she would see. Lorelei was across the street, talking to a woman Cadence hadn’t met yet. The other woman had long black hair similar to Lorelei’s and although her skin was pale, it wasn’t quite as pale as Lorelei’s. Because, under the moonlight, Lorelei pallor was almost painful to look at. Cadence had the oddest urge to shield her eyes. Cadence had to squint her eyes to see the woman better.

Her long black hair was pinned up and away from her face, and she wasn’t wearing all black now. She wore a red sweater dress that clung to a deceptively beautiful figure. There was a reason why her Grandmother referred to Vampires as the predator among predators. A man or a woman could easily be infatuated with Lorelei and the moment one fell for a Vampire was the moment they died.

“Vampires can’t help, her Grandmother used to say. “Vampires can’t have s*x and because they’re reanimated corpses, they can’t feel love either. For them, the love of a human is intoxicating enough that they want to drain that love. Drain it and drain it until there’s nothing left.”

Cadence watched warily, her eyes following the Vampire woman the entire time, as the two of them headed off in the direction of the diner. Watching the two of them side by side, she was struck by the contrast of Lorelei’s movements compared to the woman beside her. It was like watching an animal whose joints were frozen move and yet, at the same time, it was something a little more graceful.

While she was looking at the quickly disappearing figures of the two women, a voice sounded behind her.

“You’re Cadence, right?”

Holding in a sigh, Cadence turned to face the voice. All day, everyone had introduced themselves the same way. She really wasn’t used to being in a town where everyone seemed to know everyone. She had grown up in New York where your neighbors hardly acknowledged your existence.

“I am.”

The girl in front of her was tiny. Even tinier than Cadence. She was skinny, and her dyed blue hair glimmered in the moonlight. She stared at Cadence with curiosity in her dark eyes. Under the moon’s glow and with the help of the lights going from the shops around them, Cadence could see her features were distinctly Asian.

“It’s nice to meet you,” the girl went on. “I’m Chau. My parents run the shop down there.”

She pointed over to a shop a little way’s down and Cadence could dimly make out the bright glowing red sign, but she couldn’t read it from her distance.

“My dad’s a nail technician and my Mom sells her art. They’re both good at their jobs. If you need anything, you should head over.”

Not really knowing what else to say, Cadence nodded and murmured that she would if she ever needed anything.

“Are you heading to the Sizzling Griddle?” Chau asked.

Seeing the confusion on Cadence’s face, Chau laughed and when she did so, Cadence could see a slightly crooked tooth. Instead of taking away from her prettiness, Cadence thought it added to it.

“The Sizzling Griddle is the diner down the street. You’ve probably seen it on your way in. Eleanor gives discounts to all the residents from six to ten, so all the locals crowd in at around that time. You haven’t lived unless you’ve tasted Eleanor’s cooking,” Chau added dreamily.

“Plus,” she continued. “It’s a good way to meet your new neighbors.” She looked at Cadence expectantly.

“Oh. I hadn’t planned on going—” Her stomach growled unceremoniously and Chau let out another giggle.

“Come on,” she encouraged. “I’ll pay for you this time. You’ll owe me one.”

Cadence could have said any number of things to get out of her current situation. She could have said she already had a refrigerator filled with food, or that she didn’t feel comfortable having Chau pay for her. In the end, she didn’t say either of those things—even though they were both true. Because, in all honesty, Cadence was completely curious to know who some of the other residents.

Even more than that, she wanted to know if there were more Vampires she should be wary of. She didn’t doubt the fact that there probably were; Vampires usually traveled in packs for safety.

Even as a child, Cadence had thought that was weird. What did creatures as strong and as fast as Vampires have to fear?

So, she let Chau lead her to the diner. Chau chatted the whole way excitedly, promising to introduce her to different locals and giving her the rundown on who was who and who did what in the town. Eleanor was the owner of The Sizzling Griddle and she and Lorelei were sister, apparently.

Cadence frowned at that. So that was two Vampires. Things were getting less and less safe for her by the minute.

Ruth Cavanaugh, the woman who had bought over the lasagna, had a grandson named Jaxon—but everyone called him Jax for short—and he was, according to Chau’s description and the far-off dazed look in her eyes, a total dreamboat. He worked at Odell’s Auto Repair Shop and sometimes helped out at the police or fire stations when they were short-staffed, which was often since Glasskeep was such a small town.

By the time they reached The Sizzling Griddle, Chau was prattling off about Spellbound Coffee Shop. In particular, the group who performed there. The Crypt Bangers. Chau bragged about how—even people from other towns came in to see them.

Cadence had been sort of appalled by that. Imagining people coming into a town with two Vampires, that Cadence knew of, made her feel very scared for their lives.

The diner was packed inside, each and every table filled with customers. Most of whom, Cadence was surprised to see, were human. Cadence let her eyes do a sweep of the place. Black and white checkered floors, red booths, and tables—all in perfect condition like no one had ever sat in them even though the sheer amount of people inside the diner told another story. Waitresses moved this way and that, their rock-a-billy skirts fluttering with each movement.

At the front of the diner, you could see the cook’s station where a woman and two men were preparing food. Cadence recognized the woman immediately. She was the one who had been talking to Lorelei a little while ago. Her head was bent down and she was plating the food seriously before turning around and placing it on the little counter in front of the cooking station.

As swift as anything, a waitress came and took it before heading off. In front of the cooking station, was a separate countertop with bar stools. A waitress was flitting back and forth between the customers.

Cadence probably would have stood there staring at it all, if Chau hadn’t pulled on her sleeve to get her attention.

“These are the people from other towns,” she said. “Eleanor’s famous for her cooking, so the place is almost always packed. The locals sit back here. Come on.”

And, sure enough, Chau led Cadence to a separate area. The main part of the diner was still viewable and the people in the diner could see them as the part where the locals sat was behind a wide archway.

Here, there was less chaos. In the main dining area, people all the chatter had been so loud but here, Cadence could hear any of the chatter. A spell, she realized. One her Grandmother used to use in the room where she did consultations.

In this little area, people chatted quietly. She could feel the energy traveling through the place. They were, most of them, not human. In the room filled with at the minimum, thirty people, she could only sense four humans.

Chau led Cadence to an empty table and no sooner had they sat down, a waitress was heading toward them. Against the yellow top she was wearing, her ebony skin seemed to glow. Her hair, filled with beautiful volume and definition, reached a little down her back. Her name read: MY NAME IS: f**k YOU.

“Chau,” the pretty woman greeted her. Her eyes slid over to Cadence in wary confusion. “Who’s your friend?”

“Amahle, this is Cadence. Cadence, Amahle.”

Understanding flashed in Amahle’s eyes, but the wariness in them didn’t ebb. Instead of greeting her, Amahle reached in her pocket and pulled out her notepad.

“Do you two have anything in mind?”

Chau’s eyebrows furrowed as she thought. “What’s the special today?”

“The gumbo.”

Chau clapped her eyes together. “The Gumbo. I love Eleanor’s gumbo. I want that.”

Chau nodded and jotted it down before her eyes slide over to Cadence.

“And you?” she asked.

Her tone was not overtly rude, but it wasn’t exactly friendly either. She looked at Cadence with such wariness, like she thought Cadence was a bomb that would explode any minute.

“I’ll have the same.”

Amahle nodded, jotted it down.

“Anything to drink?”

“Oh.” Chau slapped her palm to her head, shaking her head as if to say, “How could I have forgotten that?”

In the end, Chau ordered a strawberry lemonade and Cadence did the same. Amahle left soon after.

Chau patted Cadence’s hand when Amahle left. “Don’t be too put out with Amahle,” she murmured, leaning close. “Amahle’s like that with everyone when she first meets them. She doesn’t know what to think of you.”

Cadence blew out a sigh. “She was looking at me like she expected me to explode.” She said the words jokingly to soften the blow, adding a smile.

Chau laughed. “There are a lot of people who would hurt the residents here. You’re not the first new resident we’ve had in Glasskeep. There were some who were…not very nice. Here in Glasskeep, we take care of our own. There were some people who took advantage of that.

Cadence wondered what Chau meant by that and fixed her mouth to ask when she sensed her. Probably because she had met her before and her guard was up, but she sensed immediately when Lorelei walked into the room.

People nodded to her as she walked with that disturbing gait of hers. Chau raised her hand and began waving Lorelei over. When she began walking in their direction, Cadence thought she’d have a mini-panic attack.

“Chau.” Her eyes slid over to Cadence who fought back a cringe. “Cadence.” Her unnaturally bright eyes moved back to Chau. “I should have known you’d be here.”

“Eleanor is a cooking goddess. How could I stay away?” Chau laughed.

Lorelei’s lips lifted in a smile, and Cadence watched as she sat down at their table. She wasn’t as hard to look at under these florescent lights as she was to look at in the moonlight. The light did reflect off her skin in a pretty unnatural way, though. And, against the blackness of her hair, her skin looked the paler. She sat with a confidence her Grandmother always told her Vampire possessed. A confidence that, if anyone in this room made any sudden moves, she could kill them in a heartbeat.

The rest of Cadence’s time at The Sizzling Griddle continued without much incident. She kept her gaze steadfast on Lorelei, and by the time the gumbo was in front of her, she dug in without any reservation. It was delicious, and she couldn’t help shoveling it all in her mouth like some starved beast who hadn’t eaten in years. Chau laughingly teased about how she had bought a new regular to The Sizzling Griddle and jested that Lorelei should ask Eleanor to give her an even bigger discount for that.

Speaking of Eleanor, the woman herself came to greet them about an hour into their meal. Cadence, who enjoyed the food so much she had ordered dessert, was digging into her apple pie with a hefty scoop of ice cream on top when Eleanor strode up to their table.

Cadence had expected a Vampire but was surprised to see Eleanor…was not. She wasn’t exactly human either, but she definitely didn’t have the same terrifying aura that followed Lorelei. She was the dark-haired woman who had been speaking to Lorelei before, the one Cadence had seen cooking before.

Up close, Cadence could see her skin was more like a polished pearl rather than stark white. Her cheeks and her lips were flushed with color and, although she was very pretty, she didn’t have the same deceptive, intoxicating beauty Lorelei had. More than that, her movements were normal.

She introduced herself in a jovial manner and chatted away until Cadence’s apple pie was gone. Between Eleanor and Chau, Cadence hardly got a word in and Lorelei was silent as she watched them with a sort of amusement. Cadence couldn’t help but think of how weird that was; a Vampire amused.

In the end, they all parted ways and Chau walked home with Cadence. When they reached Cadence’s new home, Chau declared she’d see her tomorrow before she headed off in the direction of her parent’s shop.

Grimm was curled up on the couch when Cadence walked in. He lifted his head when she walked in, his tail swishing as he bent his head to lick his paws.

“Did you…have a fun…outing?” he asked.

“Define fun,” Cadence said, removing her jacket and draping it over the back of the couch. “I was anxious the entire time. I thought Lorelei was going to kill me.”

“Lorelei…would not—”

“Hurt a resident of Glasskeep,” Cadence finished. “I know, you said that. Forgive me if I still don’t trust her, though.”

Grimm said nothing. He watched as she took a seat beside him.

“You know a lot about Glasskeep, don’t you?”

“I was…here once. A long…time ago.”

“What’s the deal with Eleanor and Lorelei?” she finally asked. “They’re sisters, right?” She looked at Grimm, who moved his head up and then down—a nod. “Then, how come Lorelei is a Vampire but Eleanor isn’t?”

“Lorelei and Eleanor…are a different…kind of Vampire,” Grimm explained. “They are…the only Vampires…to be born…not made.”

Cadence straightened up. “Born?” she shrieked.

The voice that answered her, though wasn’t Grimm. It was a cool feminine voice.

“Yes, born.”

Cadence whirled around to face Lorelei who was sitting in the armchair right beside Cadence. She looked like she had been there for a while, her legs crossed, her hands folded in her lap.

Cadence jumped up from the couch, tasting the words of Power on her tongue. She called on Camulus to help her defeat her foe, all the while cursing herself. She shouldn’t have gone out tonight. She should have stayed home, setting up barriers.

Even as she readied the words of power that would, she hoped, cause Lorelei enough pain for Cadence to escape, Lorelei didn’t move. Upon clearing her panicked mind, she realized Lorelei wasn’t looking at her, but instead she was watching Grimm and Grimm was looking back at her.

“Drazenoth,” Lorelei greeted him thinly. “I never expected to see you again. And as a familiar, no less.”