"Post-Destruction," I corrected him.

  Roland handed me his soul box and stepped between me and Derdrom. "I ordered you to remain at the house."

  Derdrom floated a foot away from the window and shrugged. "There was nothing there to entertain me, so I followed you here. I'm very glad I did. This is much more exciting."

  "If you're going to float there watching then I'm going to start charging admission," I quipped.

  "I can't blame you. Your little show here is worth quite a bit, but not near as much as your little secret." Derdrom's eyes fell on the box.

  Roland stretched out his arm in front of me. "What do you know of it?"

  "Only the rumors I've heard about a soul," Derdrom replied.

  "Then that was your objective from the beginning. To investigate the rumors," Roland guessed.

  Derdrom laughed. "Next you're going to tell me I hurt myself on purpose just to get you to show me that lovely box of yours."

  "Did you?" Roland questioned him.

  Derdrom's laughter died and he glared at Roland. "No. These scars are very real, and very much not created by my hand."

  "Um, guys?" I spoke up. "I'd hate to interrupt your bonding session, but there's a devil's minion outside my wrecked apartment, so you think we could talk about this some other place less depressing?"

  "We will return to the house," Roland suggested.

  "And then?" I asked him.

  "Then we will discuss these problems further," he added.

  Roland swept me into his arms and walked to the window. Derdrom backed up to give us some takeoff space. Roland threw open the glass and jumped out. I glanced over my shoulder and caught one last glimpse of my ruined apartment. Whoever had done that was going to pay. Several thousand dollars, at least.

  We flew straight towards the woods and the rundown house where I'd first made the acquaintance of Roland's soul box. Derdrom flew beside us and he had a grin on his face.

  "A wonderful night, isn't it?" he commented.

  "Just peachy," I quipped. I pressed myself against Roland's cold chest. The night was chilly and I hadn't bothered to grab the blanket to wrap me inside.

  "If you don't mind my asking, what is your soul capable of doing?" Derdrom asked us.

  "Nothing of use to you," Roland warned him.

  Derdrom frowned and flew a short distance away from us. "You can't possibly blame me for my curiosity. You are the only vampire with their soul."

  "Your curiosity is yours to control, and we have greater concerns than to appease it," Roland countered.

  "Your coffin?" I guessed.

  Roland nodded. "I have no place to sleep. Though the sun won't harm me, a vampire rests better in perfect darkness."

  "You could try mine," Derdrom offered. He pressed his hands against his chest. "Rest won't heal these wounds, but I'd be glad to be of as much help to you as you've been to me."

  "We will see," Roland returned.

  We reached the abandoned house and touched down on the porch. Derdrom led us inside. His 'bed' was set up in the living room in the same place where I found Roland. The lid was shut. Derdrom dropped onto the dusty sofa and draped his arms over the back. He put his heels on the top of his coffin.

  "Home sweet home," he commented.

  I moved towards the metal box to inspect the coffin, but Roland grabbed my hand and stopped me.

  "I wish to speak with you for a moment," he told me.

  Derdrom grinned as his eyes flickered between us. "I hope I didn't start a lover's quarrel."

  "It's merely a matter of protocol," Roland replied.

  Roland half-dragged me through the center hall and out the back door. The backyard was landscaped with half-dead trees, thorned bushes, and dead weeds. There was an uncovered porch with creaking wooden boards that begged to be stepped on so they could break someone's leg. I wrangled myself from Roland's grasp and tiptoed off the boards and onto the weeds.

  "I hope this protocol is about you be finding a resting place, or do I get to prop you up in a closet?" I asked him.

  My joke fell flatter than one of Ralph's steaks in a trucker's stomach. Roland moved to stand in front of me and he looked me in the eyes with his creepy no-blinking stare.

  "There is a vehicle in the trees behind this house. Whatever happens, you must take the box and escape in that," he instructed me.

  I frowned. "You sound like you know something's going to go wrong."

  "Our new acquaintance is not to be trusted," he warned me.

  "That's a little vague, and a little bit of an understatement. Care to give me some details?" I asked him.

  "There is no exception to blood and rest healing a vampire's wounds," he told me. "And his following us back to your apartment gives him far more information over us than we have over him. A tactic like that is not used for the benefit of good."

  "Yeah, but you said you could take him in a fight," I reminded him.

  "I don't believe he would allow himself to fall into a fight fair," Roland pointed out.

  "If that happens then we're both getting out of here," I insisted.

  Roland pressed the box closer to my chest and smiled at me. "You carry me with you in this box. If I know you're both safe then I can survive a great deal."

  "What about a stake to the heart?"

  "Perhaps not that."

  "I didn't think so."

  "You two are quite a cute couple," a voice spoke up. Derdrom stepped out of the shadows around the corner of the house.

  Roland glared at him. "How long did you stand there?"

  "Long enough to learn that you don't trust me," Derdrom told us. "What could I do to convince you otherwise?"

  "A century of good behavior and some cotton candy would be a good start," I quipped.

  Derdrom furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin. "I might have a better idea. Why don't we both show our trust for one another by your laying in my coffin?"

  I raised an eyebrow. "How's that going to help anybody?"

  "I will entrust you with my sole possession, and you will trust me by setting yourself in a confined space," he explained.

  "I think Roland would rather be stuffed into a closet," I argued.

  Roland turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "You seem intent on fitting me into a closet."

  I shrugged. "If there's some coat hangers then I'd know where you're hanging out all day."

  Derdrom leaned one side against the rear of the house and chuckled. "You are an extraordinary human. Much like another I met only a short time ago."

  "What happened to her?" I asked him.

  He closed his eyes and shrugged. "She changed, but back to my offer. It still stands."

  "We'll figure something out when the sunrise hour approaches," Roland assured him.

  I glanced up at the dark night sky. A cool breeze blew past us and I wrapped my arms closer to myself. Our quick evacuation of my apartment meant I didn't have my coat, and the autumn air cut through my clothes like a knife through melted lard.

  "How long do you think that is?" I wondered.

  "Several hours away," Roland replied.

  "We should get inside. The young lady looks cold," Derdrom commented.

  "Cold was ten minutes ago, five minutes before hypothermia set in," I chattered. Roland pulled off his long coat and wrapped it around my shoulders. "You don't have to," I argued. "I'm not really that cold."

  "The cold doesn't affect me, and I can't catch a cold," he pointed out.

  I shuddered. "Yeah, I could go without another head cold."

  "Then let's get inside," Derdrom persisted.

  He led us inside and down the hall to the living room. I plopped down on the couch and noticed the coffin lay open. There was a chimney opposite the entrance, and Derdrom tossed in some broken bits of the house. He crouched down beside the mantel, and turned and glanced from Roland to me. There was a strange smile on his lips.

  "Does anybody wish to see a trick?" he asked us.

  "I'd rat
her have a treat," I quipped.

  Derdrom chuckled. "It's quite a treat to watch." He snapped his fingers and a flicker of flame jumped from between his fingers. The flame landed on the try kindling and ignited a small fire beneath the mantel. "Well? What do you think?"

  "How'd you do that?" I asked him. I looked at Roland and noticed his eyes were narrowed and glaring at Derdrom. The short hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention, and so did I.

  Derdrom also stood and smirked at Roland. "The same way I can do this." He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.

  A green glow appeared around Roland's body, and he levitated off the floor. His body was flung into the metal coffin and the lid slammed shut behind him. A moment later I heard his fists pound against the inside of the lid.

  "Let me out!" Roland shouted.

  "I'm afraid I can't do that," Derdrom refused. "You see, my associate would like a long chat with you, and to have his box back."

  I pressed the box against my chest and backed up towards the living room doorway. "So this was a setup," I guessed.

  "A long one in the making," a voice spoke up. I spun around and saw Owen appear in the doorway.

  CHAPTER 7

  Owen leaned against the frame and smiled at me. "You seem to have stood me up."

  I stepped aside so I could have one eye on Derdrom and the other on Owen. "Sorry about running out on you like that. I'm just not that into lawyers, especially ones that have clients with red tails and horns."

  Owen chuckled. "He isn't that bad, and to tell you the truth he's quite interested in you. You have a resilience that's very rare for anyone, much less a human."

  "Run, Misty!" Roland yelled.

  "Yeah, about that. . ." I whispered to him. I slipped around the back of the couch as Derdrom walked along the way to cut off my escape through the windows on either side of the fireplace.

  "My client wishes to see you tonight, Misty," Owen told me.

  "I think I'm booked for the next couple of decades. He can ring me up on my deathbed and duke it out with the other guy," I replied.

  Owen pushed off from the doorway and followed me. "I'm sorry to hear that. I really did like you, but business before pleasure, and my client hates to be kept waiting."

  "No rest for the devil or his minions, huh?" I quipped. Derdrom and Owen herded me into a corner.

  "Something like that," Owen replied. He stretched out his hand towards me. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take that box, and you're going to have to come with me."

  Roland pounded his fists against the lid. The whole thing rocked and slammed against the floor. The floor creaked and groaned, and the walls rattled. Owen whipped his head to Derdrom.

  "You're sure that will hold him until we reach the house?" Owen questioned him.

  Derdrom scowled at him. "The coffin is made out of the highest-grade metal Indigo Industries has to offer. If you have a complain you can take it up with Mr. Fox."

  Owen pursed his lips and turned back to me. "Never mind. Misty, give me the box and let's go."

  My back hit the corner and the pair of them crept closer. I pressed the box closer to me and glared at him. "Hell no," I replied.

  "You don't know what it's capable of," he argued.

  "In this case I'll take the devil I don't know," I quipped.

  Owen frowned and reached for the box. "Misty, give me the-ah!" A bright blue light burst from beneath the lid and hit him in the face.

  Owen's arm flew up to protect him, but the light pierced through his flesh and into his eyeballs. His cry became a duet as Derdrom joined him. The vampire creature slapped his hands over his eyes and stumbled back.

  I pushed past Owen to get at the doorway. He clawed at me, but caught air. I stampeded down the hallway and out onto the rear porch. My foot fell through one of the boards. The box flew out of my hands and tumbled onto the backyard. Its glow faded to the level of a weak night-light. I grabbed my leg and tried to pull it out of the hole, but it wasn't budging. There was almost a minor problem with a sprain and the splinters buried in my pants and skin. Nothing that would kill me, but I did resemble a wooden porcupine.

  I heard a noise behind me and turned to look down the hall. The door was still open close beside me and I saw Derdrom stumble out of the living room. He shook his head and his bleary eyes fell on me. His lips curled back in a snarl, and he jumped into the air and flew at me.

  "Give me that box!" he growled.

  "Sorry about the draft. I'll get the door," I told him. I slammed the door shut and the door shook when he crashed head-first into the solid wood.

  I pulled my leg out and scooped the box up as I hobbled across the yard to the trees. There was an old path that led twenty yards into the trees before it opened up to a back road. On the road was a black jeep.

  "Just like a vampire to have a black car. . ." I mumbled as I jumped into the seat.

  The keys were in the ignition as Roland told me. I started the car and slammed on the gas. The car careened forward and I bumped down the road away from my enemies, and my best friend.

  "Damn it. . ." I muttered. I glanced at the box belted into the passenger seat. The glow faded, but didn't completely stop.

  With Roland coffined-up I was outnumbered. There was only one person who would believe my story. I only hoped he'd agree to help.

  It only took a few minutes to reach Charlie's house. Sherry's van was out front, and the owner herself stalked out of the house just as I parked. I grabbed the box and jumped out of the cab in time to overhear some of their lively conversation.

  "I told you, Sherry, I didn't order the coffin!" Charlie swore. He heard me and looked up. "Misty? What are you-"

  "Charlie, Roland's in trouble!" I yelled at him.

  So were we. A shadow flew overhead. Derdrom. I rushed to Charlie and Sherry, and spun them towards the front door.

  "Get inside!" I shouted at them.

  "What's wrong?" Charlie asked me.

  "What the hell is this? More of your bullshit spreading?" Sherry yelled at her dad.

  "Less talking, more walking!" I ordered them.

  I shoved them inside and slammed the door behind us. Charlie stumbled a few feet and turned to me.

  "Misty, what's the matter?" he persisted.

  "You know that one friendly guy with the metal coffin?" I asked him.

  "How could I forget?" he returned.

  "Well, he's not so friendly," I told him.

  Someone slammed their shoulder into the front door. Sherry jumped back and shot her dad a glare.

  "If you think this is going to get me to believe you then you're dead wrong!" she snapped.

  "That might happen if he gets inside," I quipped. I looked to Charlie. "Are any of your windows open?"

  He shook his head. "No. They're nailed-" There was a loud knock on the side of the house.

  It sounded like a fist, and the fist bumped along the side of the house to the rear. We followed the knocking with our eyes like it was a one-sided tennis match.

  "He can't get in, right?" Charlie whispered to me.

  I shook my head. "Not as long as we don't invite him."

  "Dad, knock this off!" Sherry hissed.

  "This isn't me! I swear!" he promised.

  The knocking came to the back door and stopped. We held still and held our breaths waiting for the villain to make his sudden appearance.

  Derdrom didn't disappoint. An arm shot through the ceiling and flailed over our heads. Sherry screamed and we all hit the floor.

  "I thought vampires couldn't get inside without being invited!" Charlie yelled.

  The arm shot up and Derdrom's grinning face appeared in the hole. "It's fortunate that I'm not a vampire."

  He slammed his legs through the hole and dropped into the living room. Sherry crawled to the back door while Charlie and I stumbled to our feet at the front. Derdrom glanced between Charlie and me, and grinned.

  "How kind of you to place yourselves together. I needed to have a short
chat with Mr. Charlie before I left," Derdrom told us.

  I held up the glowing box. Derdrom's grin was replaced by a glare. He turned away and made a jump for Sherry.

  "No!" Charlie screamed.

  Charlie lumbered forward and tackled Derdrom. They fell to the floor in a tangle of flailing legs and punching fists. Sherry rolled out of the way before they rolled into her, and she scrambled over to the kitchen. The only thing Charlie had going for him was his momentum, and when that stopped so did his luck. Derdrom wrapped his hand around Charlie's throat and stood. Charlie hung in front of Derdom and dangled a foot off the floor.

  "Use that useful little toy of yours and your pathetic friend here dies," Derdrom growled at me.

  I didn't let the box down. "Let him go and I won't have to use it."

  Derdrom squeezed Charlie's neck. Charlie gasped and clawed at Derdrom's hands.

  "Dad!" Sherry screamed.

  "Give me the box!" Derdrom ordered.

  "Let go of my dad!" Sherry yelled.

  Sherry jumped to her feet and swung her arms in front of her. Charlie's tire iron from his chair was in her hands, or it was before she released it at just the right moment. The heavy metal slammed into the side of Derdrom's face. The non-vampire's bones crunched and he stumbled back into the rear wall. He dropped Charlie, and that was my cue to hold the box towards him.

  The spirit energy burst from the box in one clean blast and hit Derdrom in the gut. He was shoved through the wall and out into the backyard. He skipped across the yard like a thrown stone across a pond and slammed into the fence. The teetering fence had its bottom swept out from beneath it and fell forward on top of Derdrom.

  I lowered the box and breathed a sigh of relief. Sherry raced to her dad and helped him sit up.

  "Are you okay?" she asked him.

  Charlie rubbed his neck and winced. "I've been better."

  I walked up and knelt beside them. "You need us to call an ambulance?"

  Charlie nodded at the box. "I'll be fine thanks to that. How'd you-" There was a roar from the backyard and the splinters from the fence flew towards the house when Derdrom burst from the boards.

  He glared at us through his body-shaped impression in the wall. Chunks of his scabs dangled from his body and showed off not the pinkish skin of scarring regret, but a mess of hamburger that resembled my first attempt at cooking a meatball. The results weren't pretty, and neither was Derdrom.

  "I may be unable to destroy you, but your boyfriend is still mine," he growled. "Bring the box or he will be destroyed." He jumped into the air and flew off in the direction of the old house.