***
At the door of a downtown lesser known club, the members of the coven minus Daniel and Keterlyn arrived, most of them looking keen. The nightclub was clearly only second rate and was marginally busy. A bouncer was a few feet away on his phone and smoking a cigarette. The group approached the front door and a stale smell emitted from the doorway as they inched down the stairs. Molly turned up her nose. She could think of other ways to enjoy her wind down time. A bath and a fluffy robe. Micala, Rebecca and Zara had similar doubts, and the group nearly split at that point, if it hadn’t been for the bouncer who stopped them.
Standing in their way as though an impenetrable force, he used his most condescending voice to support his six foot five burley stature. “I don't know how you got through the front door, but I can't let you into my club.”
The tone and indication stoked the over-represented sense of injustice Rebecca held like a torch. “Why not - What's wrong with us?”
The bouncer chewed on some gum. “Have you not taken a good look at yourselves in the mirror? There's maybe two of you that might cut it.”
Micala stepped forward to stand next to Rebecca. “Hate to break this to you friend, but this place isn’t that crash hot you should be turning away paying customers.” Jake and Abel looked over the group. They were pretty trashy looking covered in dirt and in some cases twigs and cuts, but still, it was the point of things.
“Well it isn’t going to get any better if I just start letting anyone in.” the bouncer continued on his self absorbed tirade.
Lily leant over Rebecca’s shoulder to whisper in her ear. “Maybe you should explain how we deserve to get through the door so we can get on with the fun.”
“Yes please.” supported Anise, bored already.
The bouncer winked at Anise. “You sugar, would make it through anytime.” Anise smiled back oblivious to the inappropriateness given her friends had just been declined. Will frowned and tugged her closer.
Rebecca stretched out a hand and brushed the bouncer’s arm. “You should be so happy to have us.” she said.
In a trance, the bouncer re-focused from staring at Anise to Rebecca. Almost as quickly he snapped to and changed to a happier demeanor. “Come on in. Pleasure to have you folks with us this evening.”
Clearly delighted, Lily beamed. “Let's go get a drink.” Lily and Ashleigh walked away arm in arm, with everyone else following behind them.
Now sitting at the bar, Lily and Ashleigh ordered drinks, but when asked for cash, Jake stepped in before either of them could reach for their money. “I got this ladies. In fact, why don't I pay for the drinks for all of us tonight?” he offered, in an almost smarmy way. Ashleigh seemed engrossed in his arrival, but Lily got her back up. Jake pulled out a Library Card, and handed it to the bartender. Lily and Ashleigh watched fascinated as the bartender ran the card through the cash machine.
The machine read error, but the bartender pleasantly handed back the card. “Thank you sir, anything else I can get you, just let me know.”
“Will do.” Jake replied more than happy with himself.
Ashleigh was ecstatic. “When did you learn that? That’s great!”
“Neat trick,” Lily added. “But a little chauvinistic don't you think? I can fake buy my own drinks thanks very much.”
“Hey, leave him alone. I think it's sweet.” Ashleigh protested.
Lily rolled her eyes. “I'm going to see a girl about some music.” Lily indicated and meandered away towards the half sleeping DJ. Jake took her seat.
Setting her drink down after a sip, Ashleigh turned to Jake. “I never thanked you for saving my life the other day.”
“I never thanked you for saving mine.”
There was a pleasant moment of eye contact that caused Ashleigh to blush. “You've been watching me for so long. Why haven't you asked me out? What have you been waiting for?”
“I don't know. The right place, the right time.”
“I dropped hints.” she whispered.
“I didn't think you meant anything.” Jake indicated shaking his head.
“You're too cute. Look at you all insecure and shy. You have nothing to worry about.” Ashleigh stroked Jake’s face, and he pressed against her hand momentarily until he resumed his own space.
Ashleigh and Jake looked behind them. Most of the others were on the dance floor in various stages of embarrassing themselves. Lily, near the DJ suddenly looked happy and the music changed abruptly. Everyone cheered.
“So you'll go out with me? Just us, not the rat pack here?” Jake furthered.
“If you still need to ask...” she said with a fake aloofness.
Jake leaned in to kiss Ashleigh, cutting her off. But Anise rammed in to them, looking flushed from dancing.
“Now we have the music happening, let's up the mood factor.” Anise quipped as she touched the bar purposefully. A ripple ran across it and through the liquor bottles lined elegantly behind the counter.
The barman picked a bottle up and poured shots as an unhappy looking Rebecca sat herself next to Jake.
“What's with you?” Jake intruded on Rebecca’s mood.
“We shouldn't be doing this. It's irresponsible.” Rebecca answered.
“It's just a little fun, relax.” Ashleigh soothed.
“She said to lay low, not draw attention. This is drawing attention.” Rebecca further pointed out. The bartender passed Rebecca a drink, and with a half reluctant, half thankful expression she took it, throwing it pack. Replacing it on the table Rebecca looked as though she had just swallowed fire, and took her jacket off. “Wow – that was stronger than I thought. What was in that?”
Anise gave a cheeky grin and bit her lip. “Just a little mood improver I’ve been working on.” She jibed before she skipped back to the dance floor holding two shot glasses full to the brim.
In the meantime, back at Keterlyn’s apartment she was flicking through any number of brain numbing television shows seeking inspiration or distraction. She also kept glancing over her shoulder waiting for Lormorian to appear behind her and scare her again.
Just when she was feeling a little less on edge, Daniel materialized on the couch next to her. Se jumped and threw the TV guide at him when she realized it was just him.
“Are you ready?” he asked confidently.
Off put, Keterlyn wasn’t about to be easily won over. “Ready for what?”
“You weren’t scared of me were you? Not you, the invincible. The immortal Keterlyn.”
“You just surprised me. I’m not used to people materializing in my room. How did you find me? You’ve only ever been in the front door.”
“I followed you.” he said calmly.
“Creepy much?” Keterlyn stated.
“I wanted to show you how I improving my skills with practice.” boasted Daniel.
Keterlyn rose form the couch, trying to put space between them. “OK, well done, gold star, you were right, my best student. Time to head off.”
“I know why you are so scared to be with me.”
“You have no idea.”
“Lormorian. You trusted him, you loved him and he turned on you.”
“He didn’t just turn on me, and it’s not about that. It’s a lot of things. I’m not interested in this being any more than it is.”
“I saw how you looked at me last night.”
“You saw what you wanted to see.” she replied.
“I saw what you didn’t want me to see.” Keterlyn froze, confronted as Daniel spoke. “I won’t let you down Ket. I won’t hurt you, I won’t lie to you. You can trust me and it won’t cost you a thing.”
Keterlyn turned cynical “And we can live together, deliriously happy as I coast around the world recruiting new covens as you age. We can even pretend you are my uncle, my grandfather, my great grandfather while I watch you die. Sounds lovely.”
“You don’t give me enough credit.” Daniel added.
“You hav
en’t given this any real thought.” Keterlyn accused, but Daniel took Keterlyn by her hands.
“Maybe not about that – but this…” Daniel dematerialized them both and they appeared in a fog, hovering over a lake. Keterlyn looked more than impressed, not even trying to hide her beaming face as she looked around. He shouldn’t have been able to do this yet. They hovered for a moment as she looked about, before she gleamed back at Daniel who drew her face forward towards his.
“In case you don’t live forever.” he muttered as he leaned in to kiss her. Keterlyn yielded, her face serious again as she leaned in even closer where they hovered centimeters away from eachother.
All of a sudden, Keterlyn gave a grin and disappeared.
Re-appearing behind him, Keterlyn breathed next to his neck. “Gotta do better than that.”
Keterlyn vapourised again, and Daniel chased her. She re-appeared a few meters away and he tried to catch her, just missing her as she jumped off a rock ledge and into the fogbank below. Daniel jumped in after her, landing on the ground comfortably, in spite of the distance. He was learning to manipulate the elements to allow him more depth of movement now as well. Keterlyn re-appeared and then disappeared as Daniel continued to try to catch her, but he kept missing her.
Daniel then decided to stop chasing and try to sense her. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Then in one determined move, he arrived at her destination before she did, taking hold of her, and meaning not to let go.
Laughing, Keterlyn settled, not even trying to run. Stroking her face, Daniel kissed her. They kissed again, becoming more and more fervent. After a few moments, they dropped to the ground, Daniel pulling off Keterlyn’s top and sinking into the dirt around Keterlyn.
He was about to continue kissing her when she winced, holding her hand to her.
“What is it? What happened?” Daniel asked concerned.
Keterlyn opened her hand and a burn mark was evident for a few seconds before it started to fade.
“We have to go back.” Keterlyn said, irritable at the fact she knew why.
At the club, Keterlyn and Daniel walked through the door, and Keterlyn was unimpressed. The club was trawling with partygoers who staggered under the effects of what Keterlyn knew all too well was more than just alcohol. She suspected Anise because the people shared an excited air that Anise usually wore about her. People stumbled about inebriated as the music blasted, and Keterlyn pushed past. The air hung thick with the smell of perfume and cologne, cigarette smoke, and sweat, but that wasn’t what was irritating Ketelyn’s senses.
Though Keterlyn spied her people amongst the throng, she was not about to politely address the indiscretion. Looking about once again, Keterlyn clicked her fingers with purpose. The music stopped and everyone in the club except the coven froze. Will was the first to notice, and stood from the seat he straddled. He wondered up to the nearest person and prod them. He was in awe, though when he saw Keterlyn and Daniel’s faces, his own face strained.
The other coven members looked about them bewildered, and oblivious to Will seeing Keterlyn, though Rebecca and Lily, who clearly had too much to drink, continued their conversation. They sat across the table facing eachother Lily holding a lighter under her hand, flicking it on, then off, periodically. By the time Keterlyn zeroed in on them, everyone else had noticed her arrival except Lily and Rebecca.
“See, it doesn’t even hurt?” Lily said astounded as she burned her hand with the flame from the lighter. The skin burned then healed,. Keterlyn clenched her own hand which responded to the pain. “And I heal, just like that. Amazing right?” Lily declared.
“That is amazing.” responded Rebecca, staring in alcohol fueled fascination across the table.
“Rebecca. Lily. Stop.” Micala hissed.
Rebecca looked up and realised what was going on. She stood to attention, Lily following her move. Rebecca swayed and Lily pulled on her arm to keep her standing.
Keterlyn slowly advanced towards them and in an exasperated tone chastised the entire group. “Inconspicuous, I said. Be unseen, I said. Instead we have Rebecca wreaking high school style vengeance, Lily trying to set herself alight,” she turned her head to Will and Anise behind her. “And Will playing party time with the teachers and this!” Keterlyn inhaled slowly, trying to control her anger. Calming she continued “It can go to your head, I get that, but you have to see this long term.”
Molly stood forward. “Sorry Ket. We just got carried away.”
Fuming inside, Keterlyn started to shout at the group. “Wait until you have Frionds on your heels, or Wraith chasing you down. Then tell me about getting carried away. Go home, get sober. We’ll regroup tomorrow night.”
Rebecca fell down, and Lily was left giggling, though she tried to stop herself. Keterlyn closed her eyes and walked out, flicking her wrist to release the people she had frozen throughout the club. Everyone started moving again, the music blaring.
Daniel followed Keterlyn outside as she strutted away, visibly upset. “Wait, Keterlyn. Wait.”
Keterlyn stopped in her tracks, still furious. A lone car beeped at her standing in the side of the road, and it started to rain. “None of you get how dangerous this is do you?”
“I get it. We get it. It’s just an adjustment.” Daniel said to which Keterlyn crossed her arms.
“Last time I did this, I picked a group who were out in the desert. I know why now. Reckless, unpredictable…insufferable…you people drive me mad.”
Daniel threw his hands in the air and moved to walk away. “Alright, OK. I get it. Look, when you calm down, if you want to talk.”
Keterlyn appeared in front of him, arresting him in his stride. She grabbed Daniel by the collar, wrenching him to her. “Enough talk, enough rules.” and with that Keterlyn kissed Daniel, lightning striking across the sky behind them.
Transporting them back to her room, Keterlyn stripped her shirt off once more before returning to kissing Daniel.
The crack in the wooden paneling that had wedged open the few nights before widened as the two jostled the bed. With the movement a small glass vial filled with black dust fell from the crack in the wood, its contents spilling to the floor. Lightning struck again outside, though neither Keterlyn nor Daniel noticed.
While Daniel and Keterlyn ran hands and mouths over eachother, a bubbling emerged on the floor where the dirt was spilled. Climbing the skirting, and then the paint, it spread out, blistering across the wall, reaching upwards. Daniel shifted, and a playful smile rested on Keterlyn’s features a moment as she closed her eyes.
The contentment only lasted until she cracked her eyelids open. Above them, the ceiling blistered and popped as though from heat, and a darkness gathered and swirled above them. Feeling Keterlyn stiffen, Daniel sat up in dreaded interest.
“I’m beginning to wonder if I’m the one who’s cursed.” Daniel said realizing they were going to have to make a run for it. They both inched from the bed, Keterlyn dragging the sheet with her, her eyes widened in fear. Lormorian was there.
“Daniel.” she whispered.
“I know.” he indicated as a heaviness birthed in the air.
Suddenly, Keterlyn pushed Daniel out of the way, as a lightning bolt tore into the wood floor. Smoke plumed in to the air. The floor, now blackened and creaked. Daniel got to his feet. The darkness looming above seemed to be charging itself again. Keterlyn stared above, almost powerless to move.
“Run Keterlyn!” Daniel yelled and snapped her out of her haze. They both bolted for the door, and down the corridor, the paint and plaster, crackling and peeling after them.
Taking hands, they projected themselves outside and paused to see if the entity was still following them. Cautious, they peered around them looking for any sign, but all seemed still.
“I think it stopped.” Daniel half whispered, but as his words left him, a thunderous bellow and simultaneous crack roared out as lightning struck him.