The Darkest Vampire

Chapter 1

1

So this was the place that would change my life?

I stared at the shop across the street—peeling gray paint, a rickety wooden door, a narrow window covered with twinkling lights. A precarious and rusty metal sign hung from the top with the shop’s name: Arcana’s Cove. I had driven from Forest Creek to Portland for this? I wrinkled my nose. This place didn’t look legit, but Rex had promised it was.

I reached down and patted my boot, feeling my dagger tucked inside. I had received it from my father when I was eight years old. Twelve years later, and I hadn’t used it yet, but I liked to know it was there, just in case.

With a sigh, I crossed the street, the cool wind of early September messing my wild hair, and opened the door. A bell jingled as I walked in and a heavy scent of sweet incense filled my nostrils. I glanced around. The place looked even smaller inside. A horrid pink and gold wallpaper covered the walls and dark stains covered the beige carpet. A small round table sat in the center of the room with two chairs, a red tablecloth, and a crystal ball on top.

I frowned. Did people really think this crystal ball was real? Well, I didn’t know enough about the supernatural world. Maybe it was.

A short woman with unruly black curls and wrinkled brown skin and ridiculous orange gown with too much frou-frou walked out of the backroom, the green beads hanging from the doorway jingling in her wake.

“Welcome to Arcana’s—“ she started with a big smile, but when her dark eyes settled on me, her smile faded. “What do you want here?”

I glanced around. Was she talking to me? “Hm, do you know me?”

“No, but I can sense your magic,” she said. “It’s weak, but I know you’re a witch.”

“And so are you.” At least, that was what Rex had told me.

“I don’t deal with real witches, or any other supernaturals.” She gestured for the door. “You can go.”

“No, you pretend to be a witch and exploit innocent humans.” It was a nasty thing to say, but it was true. “Look, Fawn Strain, I’m not here to judge you.”

Her eyes bugged. “How do you know my name?”

“Rex told me.” He had also told me she went by Arcana to her customers. Only a handful of people knew her real name.

She bristled. “Of course he did. And what is your name?”

“Lavinia,” I answered, telling her my real name. I had no reason to lie. “I just need some help and I’m willing to pay.” I fished the thick wad of cash from the inside pocket of my leather jacket and showed it to her. “All I’m asking is a few minutes of your time.”

Fawn stared at the cash in my hand, her eyes narrowing. Usually, I didn’t have this crazy amount of money with me, or in my bank account, but I had stolen a fancy bracelet from one of my customers last week and sold it to Rex for this purpose only.

“Fine,” she snapped. She took one of the chairs around the table and pointed to the other. “Let’s make this quick.”

I sat on the chair and couldn’t help myself. I touched the crystal ball. “Is this real?”

Fawn snorted. “Of course not. It’s just glass with LED lights inside. But humans think it’s great.” She frowned. “Enough chitchat. What do you want, Lavinia?”

I let out a long breath. “When I was eleven, my mother put some sort of spell on me, like a blood promise, I think. She made me promise I would keep my magic hidden and only use it when it was absolutely necessary.” She had also made me promise I was going to live like a human and forget the supernatural world existed, but those had been only verbal. I hoped.

Fawn reached over and took my hands in hers. She turned them around, as if she could see inside them, at the weak magic running through my veins. “If it was a blood promise, I don’t think I can break it. Only your mother can.”

I was afraid of that, but … “I’m not sure it was a blood promise. I was young and didn’t know much about magic.” I still didn’t, but Fawn didn’t need to know about that. “Can you at least try?” For the amount of money I was offering her, I really hoped so.

The witch exhaled through her nose. “Fine.” She placed my hands on the table and rested hers over mine. She closed her eyes and started chanting under her breath.

A rumble of magic charged the air and I gasped. I rarely felt magic like this, like it was a current of air that brushed my skin. The hairs on my arms stood on end and I glanced around, as if I could see it. But there was nothing there. It was just magic.

My attention snapped back to Fawn as her chanting sped up. Her brows curled down in concentration. A jolt of magic raced up my arms and I bit my tongue not to yelp. My impulse was to pull my hands back, but Fawn held them in place.

“Don’t move,” she whispered between the chanting.

I stood still, barely breathing. If she could undo whatever had locked my magic away, I would endure this and more. I dug the heels of my boots into the floor and braced myself.

But no jolt or pain came.

Fawn stopped chanting, lowered her hands, and opened her eyes again. “It really is a blood promise, a powerful one. I can’t break it.”

My shoulders sagged.

That meant I would never be able to break it and I would never have my magic back. Without my magic, I wouldn’t be strong enough to hunt for my parents’ killers and avenge them.

I was stuck as a half-assed human.

“There has to be a way,” I said, my voice rising a pitch. It made me sound desperate. “Maybe you know of another witch, someone even more powerful than you, someone who could help me?”

Fawn offered me a sad smile. “No witch can break a blood promise but the one who made it. I’m sorry.”

No, I couldn’t accept that. If she didn’t know someone who could help me, or if she didn’t want to tell me, that was fine. Portland was a city full of supernaturals. Someone would know something. Someone would be able to help me.

She didn’t seem willing, though. I swallowed the ball of frustration and disappointment that had formed in my throat and slapped the cash on the table. “Here. As promised.”

Fawn reached for it and her fingers brushed mine as she took the money from me.

Another jolt of magic ran up my arm, stronger this time. A heavy shadow fell over the room, darkening our surroundings, and a chill pressed against me. No, no darkness. A whirlwind whipped around the room, and my long brown hair danced with it, the red tips slapping my face.

“What in the …” Fawn’s eyes rounded, and her mouth fell open.

I followed her gaze and saw a bulky figure standing amid the shadows, a silhouette in the dark. I swallowed hard. “W-what is that? Who are you?”

“It’s not a real person,” Fawn said, her voice faint. “It’s not even a demon, or a ghost.”

Frowning, I turned back to her. “What do you mean?”

The figure ran around us in a perfect circle, faster than we could follow with our eyes. Even though it wasn’t more than a black and lean form, we could see it was a man.

It didn’t make sense.

The silhouette stopped.

“I haven't seen one in many years,” Fawn said. “This is a harbinger. Something is coming, something enveloped in darkness.”

I looked at the shadows again, catching a glimpse of the figure before it disappeared. The shadows faded back and the lamps once again illuminated the space. “Or someone.”

The witch nodded. “Supernaturals have died in the Seattle area, and last week, a family of supernaturals died not even one hour from here.”

“Are you saying supernaturals are being hunted?”

Fawn scoffed. “Supernaturals are always hunted, but this is different.”

“Do you think this warning—” I gestured toward the room, indicating the shadow we had seen. “—is related to these deaths?”

“I don’t know.” She pushed to her feet and beckoned for me to do the same. “All I know is that our time is up. I have another customer coming soon.”

I stared at her for a moment. She could be lying about the client, but it was clear that she didn’t want me here anymore. Well, if she couldn’t break the blood promise, then she was of no use to me. It was a shame I had paid her so much for nothing.

“Thanks,” I muttered before turning to the door.

“Lavinia,” she called. I glanced at her over my shoulder. “Be careful. No supernatural is safe.”

I nodded then exited her shop.

As I walked to my car on the other side of the street, my mind reeled. Fawn couldn’t break the blood promise, which meant I would have to find another witch, someone even more powerful to help me. And what was that shadow thing? And that freaky silhouette? A harbinger, Fawn had said. Of what? The murders she mentioned?

I now had more questions than before.

I entered my car and turned on the engine. It was okay. Fawn said supernaturals weren’t safe. Well, my magic was weak, thanks to this damn blood promise, and only a handful of people knew I was a witch.

I was safe.