But, all of them were holding onto the human parts of themselves, some more than others. Liz and Sam were holding the tightest, almost desperately wanting to be the immortal humans, capable of doing good. Zac, well, his hold was reluctant at best. It wouldn't take much to push him off the edge.
"I need to freshen up," proclaimed Liz, snapping her out of her reflection. "Aya, come with."
"I'm fine thanks," she replied, raising her eyebrow.
"Oh, Aya. C'mon. I want to talk to you without the boys listening in," she winked at them. Trust me, she mouthed back at the brothers as she took Aya's arm and led her towards the ladies room.
Liz closed the bathroom door behind them and put her bag on the basin. The stalls behind them were empty and the dull roar of the busy bar was the only sound that filled the room. She took out a compact from her purse and began to dab it on her face. Aya leaned against the basin and eyed her in the mirror, feigning smoothing her hair down.
"What does your name mean?" Liz asked after a moment.
"It's just one of those strange names. My parents were free spirits," she shrugged.
"Right, I get it. Like the English equivalent of hippies? We had a girl at our school once who was named Rainbow Apple," she laughed at the insane notion.
"Well, that seems unfortunate," Aya said, reacting to the tone in Liz's voice. "How long have you and Sam been together?"
"Oh, about a year. He helped me through a rough patch and it kind of just happened, you know?" she smiled.
"That's a pretty ring," Aya reached out and took Liz's hand so she could see. It was a small onyx stone set into an ornate silver band. She could feel the spell on it. It was the trinket that allowed her to walk in the sun and the magic was old. Their witch couldn't have spelled it for her, let alone have made one in the first place.
"Thanks. Sam gave it to me," she said, taking her hand back nervously, pretending to look it herself. "You don't wear any jewelry. How come?"
Aya shrugged, "I never really saw the point. Maybe if someone gave me something, I would."
"Like a handsome man," Liz giggled, winking at her.
Aya groaned inwardly. Girl talk grated on her insides, but it was a means to an end. "Maybe," she replied, playing along.
"Do you have anyone, back where you're from?"
"No. No handsome man waiting for me. My life is in America. For now, at least," she hadn't had to lie yet, but then again, she was good at this.
"Well, the guys around here are all falling over themselves over you," Liz winked.
"Really?" Aya frowned.
"Yes! Of course they are! Aya, you're hot. You could have any one of them you wanted," Liz offered her her lipstick.
She shook her head. "I never noticed."
Liz laughed, "I can tell Alex thinks you're beautiful. Zac, too."
Aya scoffed at the notion. "Alex is sweet," she conceded.
Liz apparently took the opportunity to push her towards the other brother, "Zac's really not that bad. Overprotective of his brother and he can say a lot of inappropriate things. But, he's a decent guy under it all. He just likes to put on a show."
"I know the type," she rolled her eyes. "And it gets old very quickly."
Liz frowned, but quickly covered it up with a grin, "C'mon. I think we need more drinks. Make a late one of it." She linked her arm through Aya's and pulled her back out into the bar, obviously trying to appear her new BFF.
As they emerged from the bathroom, Zac stood in front of Aya blocking her way. He'd obviously decided to try another tactic. Liz's arm slid from hers and she stopped and turned back. Seeing Zac there she winked at her before continuing back to their table.
"Yes?" Aya prodded, when he didn't say anything.
"What are you really doing here, Aya?" he flirted, stepping closer than she would like.
"Well, I thought that would be obvious. I'm having a drink with some nice people I met. Then you came along," she said sarcastically.
"Oh, don't play coy with me," he ran a finger down her cheek and along her jaw line. She noticed his pupils dilating slightly. He was trying to compel her! It would never work, but it angered her more than it should have. Her expression darkened and she drew back and slapped him. For her it was light, but his head snapped to the side with the force of it and his hand went to his face in surprise. She stalked back to the table, her expression dark with anger, without looking back.
"Oh, Aya, I'm sorry," Liz cried when she sat down heavily. They had been watching. "After what I said..."
Aya shrugged. She had expected no less from him. In all her years it was a rare man who didn't only think about one thing where women were concerned. Especially when they were trying to coerce information from her. She caught sight of him as he pushed through the exit heavily. He wasn't used to being shot down, that much she could tell. She sighed and took a long draught from her glass.
Alex and Sam were in deep conversation by the bar as they waited to be served. The place had really filled up and it was taking ages for the staff to come along. Sam was asking his friend about Aya, she'd been wandering the gardens that morning, Alex told him, and he'd ran into her, got talking and invited her to join them.
Alex seemed enamored with her, which could be a problem. He'd picked up a feeling from Aya that unsettled him. There was nothing about her that gave away that she may be a vampire, but if she was as old as they suspected, then she would be an expert in hiding her true self from the world. At least she'd picked up the feeling from Alex and had kept herself at a distance, that one he would give her.
"Yeah," Alex was saying. "She seems real nice. But she doesn't seem to like to talk about herself much."
"No," Sam agreed. "She doesn't at all." Thus far, all her answers had been vague at best.
When they reached the table they noticed Gabby had joined them and Zac had left. Aya seemed to be wound up about something and his brothers absence seemed to be part of it. He wondered what he'd said this time.
"Liz and I have been friends since the seventh grade," Gabby was saying.
"And I've known Alex since grade school," Liz smiled at him as they approached.
"She's the one who taught me to put sand down other kids pants," Alex looked at her with mock disapproval. "And I got into a lot of trouble for it too."
"What happened to Zac?" asked Sam, sitting back in his seat.
Liz rolled her eyes, "What do you think happened? He's gone."
Sam looked from her to Aya and said, "Sorry."
"It seems like you apologize for him a lot," said Aya darkly, "I'd stop while you're ahead."
Sam ran his hand through his hair and laughed, "You're probably right. I guess its just habit."
"I'm sorry, but I have to go," she stood abruptly. "It was nice to meet you all."
Sam went to protest, but she had already turned and was several paces away. Looking to Alex, he shrugged. He would get the report from Zac later, no doubt. Clinking glasses with everyone, he promptly put them out of his mind.
When Sam got home he found Zac in the parlor, as usual, lying on the couch with an empty bottle of whiskey. If he were human, he'd be considered an alcoholic, or at least in hospital with alcohol poisoning.
"Let it rip, brother," Sam said as he sat down in his usual chair. It was very doctor patient, the way they sat.
As if sensing this, Zac sat up and scowled, "I tried a different tactic, since talking wasn't getting anywhere. If she were human, then she could be compelled."
Sam stifled a laugh, "You tried to compel her? And?"
"And it didn't work," he snapped.
"So, you automatically think she's not human," Sam shook his head.
"She makes Gabby uneasy. Hell, even I can tell something is off. Don't tell me you can sense anything, I wouldn't believe it," Zac stared his brother down.
"Fine, yes. Something is off," he conceded. "I'm assuming that you've had enough time to think of another plan while you've been here licking your wounds?"
/> Zac rolled his eyes, "Yes."
"Spit it out."
"What are the three things that we can use on her to verify if she's a vampire?"
Sam sighed, but played along, "Silver, sunlight and concentrated garlic."
"Sunlight won't work, we already know that. So we need a house that a human lives in," he raised his eyebrows, willing Sam to catch on.
"Alex," his brother said. "You want her to go to Alex's and see if she needs to be invited in?"
"Not only that," he smiled. "Invite her over to dinner and spike her food."
"That's a little childish, isn't it?" Sam snorted.
"Maybe, but it's simple enough and foolproof," he shrugged.
Sam reluctantly had to agree. They didn't have the time to sit back and wait, they had to take the offensive. He knew that Zac would need him to suggest the plan to Alex without him catching on, making it seem like it was his idea to invite Aya.
"Right," he said, running his hands down his face. "Leave it with me. I'll get Alex to invite her and make sure she turns up."
Zac smiled, "That's my boy." He thumped him on the shoulder and disappeared.
CHAPTER NINE
By Monday it was hot and muggy, the lingering moisture in the air annoyingly heavy. It made work in the gardens difficult for Alex. Sam, not so much, but he complained to keep his friend happy. They were working on repainting the bandstand for the upcoming Spring Festival organized by the local Historical Society. A whole weekend of pre-Civil War era activities that was an awkward blast from the past for Sam, who'd been there the first time round.
"Hey, we haven't had dinner in ages," Sam said, suddenly. "We should do it this weekend."
Alex jumped down off the ladder, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, "Oh, yeah. Sounds cool. I think it was my turn, right?"
"I don't really remember. But if you want to do it, I'll convince everyone to bring something or at least help out." He didn't explain his and Zac's ulterior motive at getting Aya in a situation where they could test her. Sam felt bad about manipulating his friend like this, but too much was at stake. The Witch Hunter hadn't shown up yet and she was their only lead. Who knew when Katrin would rear her ugly head?
"Okay, deal," Alex threw his paint stained gloves into the barrow at his feet. "Speaking of food, it's lunchtime and I'm starving. Wanna go over to the cafe?"
Sam heartily agreed and they walked together towards Mrs. Greene's cafe, but as they crossed the street Alex nudged him motioning towards the window of the bookstore. Inside, on a couch, reading a book about the architecture of bridges, was Aya. She seemed rather enthralled in the workings of modern engineering, so much so that when Alex tapped on the glass, she jumped.
As Alex ducked into the store, he cast his hearing out after him.
"Hey, Aya," Alex said as he approached her.
"What's up?" she was smiling at him.
"I just wanted to know if you wanted to come to dinner on Friday," he asked, but quickly continued when he saw her hesitate. "Oh, it's a dinner party type thing. There will be some other people. Gabby, Liz, Sam."
She still seemed hesitant, "Oh, sounds nice."
"Okay, well, it's at my place at seven. Friday night," he said, giving her the address.
Aya's eyes flickered to Sam's through the window, "Sure. I'd love to."
Alex grinned, backing out of the store, "Great. I'll catch you later then."
Sam sighed, turning away from the window. Alex had invited her, just as they knew he would. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty as he came out of the bookstore, grinning. Sam elbowed him, laughing and they went to collect their lunch.
Thankfully, Friday came without any outside issues. They'd all arrived at Alex's early, Sam having told Liz and Gabby about their plan. They'd decided it would be best if they were there before Aya arrived, so they could prepare. Alex didn't suspect anything, glad for the help in the kitchen, where Zac and Liz were currently holed up under the pretence of opening the wine.
"She doesn't wear any jewelry," Liz said. "How can she be out in the daytime?"
"That's irrelevant. It could be because she's old enough, or a witch spelled her body," Zac explained as he popped the cork from the one of the bottles, handing it to her.
"I thought that didn't work on you?" she was confused.
"Just because it didn't work on me the first time, doesn't mean it didn't on her," he said sarcastically, taking a jar from his jacket pocket.
"And what's that?"
Zac shook the small jar, so the powder moved about inside, "This is silver." He took off the lid and sprinkled it over the mashed potatoes Liz had dished up on Aya's plate, careful not to let it touch his skin. Picking up a fork, he mixed it through. Taking out another jar from his opposite pocket, he sprinkled a clear liquid into the bottle of wine with the least left in it and shook it.
"And what was that?"
"This is a little something I got off a person of dubious nature," he winked. "It's something like garlic."
"But garlic won't do anything."
"True, but concentrated enough, it will bring blood to the surface. Ingested, it will make her vomit it up by the bucket full."
"Zac, I'm not sure about this," Liz shook her head. "It's over the top. We should just stick with the silver."
"Now, now, Liz. We have to be sure what she is. The last thing we need is another threat on top of an insane dead witch. I think she's a vampire and this is a foolproof way of finding out. Alex will invite her in without thinking, so obviously we need a backup plan." He turned and placed the plate back into the oven to keep it warm, "Just make sure you give her the right plate and all will be okay. I don't want to be the one vomiting over the dinner table."
"What about Alex? He doesn't know about any of this." Liz was wringing her hands together with worry.
"I will deal with Alex if need be. A little compulsion never hurt anyone."
"It doesn't sit right with me Zac."
"Just blame it on me. I'm used to it," he shrugged.
They returned to the dining room, where Gabby, Sam and Alex were seated, drinking wine that Liz had brought with her. Zac placed the bottle he'd spiked next to Liz and winked.
"You did tell her seven, right?" Sam joked when he saw Alex fidgeting nervously.
"Yeah," he jumped when there was a sudden knock on the front door.
Alex jumped up awkwardly, almost knocking over his glass. He strode to the front door and opened it to find Aya standing on the other side. He gasped a little as he took in her appearance. She wore a tight fitting black blouse and dark grey skinny jeans that clung to all the right places in all the right ways and she'd had a hair cut. Her black hair still hung halfway down her back, but it was all different lengths and a long fringe swept around her eyebrows. She looked like a singer in a rock band and very beautiful. Alex blushed a little and said, "Hi."
Zac had crept out from the dining room and watched her from the hallway. Smiling brightly, Aya stepped inside and hugged Alex. "Lovely to see you again," she chirped.
Zac hid his look of confusion. She hadn't been invited in at all. She just stepped through the door like it was the most ordinary thing in the world. It was ordinary, but she had so many vampire tendencies he was sure she couldn't come in... And she couldn't be compelled, either. Was he wrong? He snapped back to reality as he realized she was speaking to him. "Earth to Zac," she snapped her fingers in front of his face.
"What, don't I get a hug?" he said, a wicked tone to his voice.
She laughed, "No."
"Aya, you wound me," he feigned clutching his heart as she glided past him into the dining room.
Liz, Sam and Gabby were seated at the table, drinking wine and laughing at some joke Sam had just told. Upon seeing her, Liz got up and poured her a glass from the near empty bottle. Handing her the glass she said brightly, "Aya! It's great that you could make it! Here, have a glass."
Aya took the wine glass and sat at an em
pty spot at the table, Zac sitting across from her. She took a sip, aware that Zac was watching her closely, pretending to be distracted by something else. "Thank you to Alex for inviting me," she inclined her head towards him as he came back in from the kitchen.
"Oh, it was no problem," he blushed. "Everything's ready if you're hungry now?"
"If you like," Aya smiled kindly.
Liz stood abruptly at this and said, "I'll help you, Alex."
"It's a nice wine," Aya said, swirling the red liquid around the glass as they disappeared into the kitchen.
Zac slumped back in the chair, almost disappointed.
"I picked it out," said Gabby. "I'm the only one who knows what's good. Otherwise we would have got the cheapest one."
Sam laughed at this and agreed as Liz placed a plate in front of Aya. When they were all seated, they began to eat.
"Meatloaf," Alex shrugged almost apologetically, when Aya raised her eyebrow at him.
"How American," she smiled politely. She ate a few mouthfuls, making a conscious effort to taste every bite. Everyone but Alex seemed to be watching her. "This," she says gesturing to the plate with her fork, "This is delicious."
"Great," Alex beamed at her. "It's about the only thing I can cook."
"Well, you can cook it well, that's for sure," Liz said.
Aya couldn't help herself. She coughed loudly, feigning choking on a mouthful of potato. Zac sat forward in his chair, his expression hopeful. She thumped her chest and took a mouthful of wine. "Went down the wrong way," she smiled brightly.
As the conversation naturally turned to things that were more familiar to the host, she groaned inwardly. It was fast turning into one of those boring dinner parties where people told annoying personal jokes. Unfortunately, she was the odd one out having only been around a week or so. It reminded her of the formal dinners and cocktail parties she had attended back in the day. The day being somewhere around 1860ish. Empty pleasantries, childish gossip and blatant social climbing. She longed for something interesting to talk about. Murder, mayhem. These things she was used to.