Lesbian Vampire Ch. 02 - That Which Haunts You

"How does a vampire get sick?" Rhea asked.

Kyle shook his head in dismay, "He just started puking. And he kept puking, until he puked up every drop of blood in his body until he fell down dead."

Rhea frowned in disbelief. "You're lying. You're after something. You let Patrick try to attack Greta to throw us off and..."

Kyle raised his hands defensively, "I swear I'm not." He gestured toward the red-haired vampire beside him. "This is Lucy's first full moon ritual." Lucy nodded, distracted by her brother's groans. The small movements she made were graceful and loaded with the tension of a stalking cat. "Hey," Rhea said, hoping she sounded disinterested as Lucy's lips, painted bright red, parted to reveal a toothy grin.

"Lovely to see you again, darling." Rhea felt Greta's questioning eyes.

"What is he talking about?" Rhea said stiffly.

Lucy pulled out her phone and leaned in towards Rhea, gesturing for the witch to watch the screen alongside her. She pressed "play." The frozen image of a woman began moving. Her hair was dyed a soft lavender and she convulsed on the floor. Narrow lines of blood streamed from her eyes like tears. Then what appeared to be an invisible force, which Rhea assumed to be the vampire, began to shake her by the shoulders. "Vic!" a disembodied voice screamed. It sounded sharp and tinny, coming from the speaker of the phone.

"Stop shaking her!" yelled an offscreen voice, and the force that moved the woman stopped leaving her to the mercy of the tremors. Then with a terrible retching sound, a gush of blood burst forth and soaked the seizing woman, seemingly to materialize from nowhere.

"That's him vomiting," Lucy clarified. The camera followed the invisible force as it stood, only knowable through the intervals of blood that burst forth, spraying first a wall then a table. Voices screamed. A door flung open and the camera followed outside. The gushes of blood stopped and she heard a thud and grunt, as if he had collapsed to the ground. Another disembodied voice asked the person recording, "you know you can't see them in pictures right?" Then the video cut off.

Rhea looked at Kyle and snapped, "Anyone can fake a video." Lucy sighed in irritation. Kyle gave a hollow smile as rage seeped out from behind his sunglasses. "What's it gonna take, Rhea?"

She put a hand on her hip and looked at him. She jerked her head back toward the witches. "Let us put you under. Right now. In front of everyone." His lip curled. "Fine," he whispered, witheringly. Rhea paused, shocked at his ready agreement.

"Well?" he demanded.

"You'll need a chair," Rhea said and Kyle stalked over to grab one. Rhea waved to Rachel, who strode over wordlessly. Kyle returned carrying a metal folding chair lined with a thick layer of dust. He opened it with a flourish and slammed down with a louder 'thud' than necessary. Rachel crouched to a half-kneel, her lips already moving in silence. She ran her index finger lightly down Kyle's face. Rhea heard whispers, distorted and out of time, all around her as Rachel put Kyle under the spell. The whispers continued, many voices layered over each other and just out of range of Rhea's hearing. Rachel's pupils grew until they subsumed the whites of her eyes as she pushed into Kyle's mind. Rhea knew she needed to move quickly, before he threw Rachel off.

"Why are you asking for our help?" Rhea demanded.

"Because I don't know who killed that vampire." Kyle answered, slack jawed.

"Did you have anything to do with the deaths of the two humans, or the vampire?" Rhea asked. "No," Kyle said, as the deep lines of an angry frown emerged on his face. "Are you doing this to harm witches or the work of the Center in any way?" A cruel smile emerged across Kyle's face and he shifted in the chair. "No," he growled. Rachel was losing him Rhea thought in frustration.

"Enough, Rhea," she heard Greta say.

Rhea pushed, "Do you have any plans to harm witches or the work of the Center?"

Rachel stood and screamed in rage, turning away as she pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes. As the veil of her magick receded, Kyle looked up at Rhea and said "Not currently." Rachel turned back and snapped, "Asshole." Before stomping back to the group she turned to Rhea, "he's telling the truth."

Rhea refocused on the vampire. "Sorry," Kyle said, "I try to take it for as long as I can, but witch magick brings out the beast in me." He punctuated his words with a vulgar undulation of his body. The smarm in his voice felt like a layer of grime on her skin.

She scowled, "Ok. So say I believe you and we're gonna help figure it out. What happens then?"

Kyle glanced back at Lucy and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "This is Lucy. It's tough to describe exactly what she does-she's part detective, part mercenary. She's been studying all sorts of magick for ages now," Kyle dragged out ages with affected flair. "We summoned her right after the vomiting blood thing."

Lucy cocked a brow at Rhea. With irritation, Rhea noticed her face felt hot. Kyle continued, "But she needs help."

"I keep running into roadblocks," Lucy added, "and I need someone who knows witch magick."

"What kind of roadblocks?" asked Rhea.

With deliberation, Lucy said "I suspect there's some kind of malefic magick involved in their death. It doesn't work in a way that makes sense to me."

Rhea looked at her, eyes wide "Are you trying to say you think a witch did this?" The vampire held up her palms defensively, "I'm just saying I don't get the magick." Rhea shook her head, "This-this is a trap." But the words felt empty.

"We're involved because of the vampire," Lucy snapped back coolly, "but two humans are dead, one a witch."

"Rhea," Greta called out. She turned back to the old witch and walked over. Greta whispered urgently "I won't mince words-I need you to do this." The other woman looked at her strangely. "Please," Greta begged, "I'll explain more later."

Dumbfounded, Rhea turned alongside Greta to face the vampires. "We will help you. Rhea will come back with us tonight, then return tomorrow. She'll handle what needs to get done in the day time. But," Greta pointed at Kyle, "No other vampires and no access to the island. And if we get a whiff of bad faith, we are out." Kyle looked at Lucy, who shrugged.

He turned back, "we've got a deal."

Lucy walked to Rhea; the blue of her eyes nearly washed away from the harsh fluorescent light that hummed overhead. She moved with a preternatural grace that contradicted her angular form.

The back of Rhea tingled; the vampire's movements had a feline quality - quiet but deliberate. There was something unreadable about her expression, thought Rhea; a deep focus, sure, but something she could not name. She felt the vampire's magick like a gentle gust of air from a fan, gliding across her skin. It was curious and inquisitive.

Pangs of desire rose within Rhea and felt abrasive- like a piece of sandpaper or the tongue of a cat.

"So, Rhea is it?" asked the vampire, "I was wondering if I would ever find out. I'm Lucy." She reached her hand out and Rhea, not knowing what else to do, took her hand. "What do witches say about fate? The way we keep coming together, I think I'm a believer," Lucy concluded with a smile.

Rhea, with fatigue, tried to explain "It's still a bit of a surprise for me." She looked over at Greta who watched her, dejected. "But I guess I'm needed. Here."

"Desperately needed," said Lucy. Ravenous, interjected Rhea's thoughts in response; that's what lay behind the vampire's unreadable expression. The witch then realized the vampire, as well as the entire room, were watching and waiting for her to respond.

Flustered, Rhea said, "So, you saw what I did to Patrick. And I have lots of other ways of putting a vampire under my control..."

"Sounds exciting," retorted the vampire and flicked her fine brow upward. Rhea narrowed her eyes and yelled flatly, "Greta, how are we doing this?" Rhea half-turned toward the old woman, not daring to break the gaze of the vampire. "You'll come back with us tonight and take a boat tomorrow. You'll stay in one of the enclaves and meet up with...Lucy later in the night." Rhea heard the pause in Greta's voice as she said the vampire's name.

"Sounds fancy," Lucy said.

It wasn't- the enclave was technically an old rectory and far from fancy. It was an old apartment, dusty and impersonal, atop an abandoned church that had been converted into a yoga studio. It was deep in the city, where the noise never stopped and lonely trees dotted the cement sidewalks, their trunks caged to discourage growth.

"Fine," Rhea said, "Tomorrow."

The vampire handed her a card. "Sunset."

Rhea ran her fingers along the gilded print of her address. She looked at the vampire, nodded, and paced off without responding. She avoided the questioning eyes of the other other witches as she pushed her way towards the back. A handful of witches moved to the center, each lugging complicated equipment for their draw stations. She heard Greta's voice; the old witch began chanting ritual prayers and incantations, as she always did. She would keep it up until the last drop.

No matter what, Greta would not leave without the blood. Rhea found a bench and sat.

The vampires ambled over, one by one, to offer a bare arm to the witches who held venipuncture needles. The vials of healing tincture that filled the rolling containers were emptied and exchanged for bags of blood.

Witches have a lot of hyped-up names for things, Rhea thought, as she watched. "Enclave" for an old apartment. "Ritual" for spooky blood drive. "Our traditions," is the only response Greta would give when questioned why someone needed to chant the whole time. Or why it even had to be on the full moon. Rhea had heard that some necromancer covens had abandoned the ritual altogether. Though she suspected that if Greta knew they coordinated blood draws by email, she might keel over and die.

Greta's voice sang softly over the din. Rhea noticed a flatness in her eyes. She had a robotic quality about her movements instead of her usual vigilance. Rhea, despite being angry at the old woman, felt a pang of anxiety seeing her so burdened.

When the witches finished, Kyle turned to the cluster of vampires and, with his fingers curled tightly into his palm and thumb jutting out, pointed roughly over his shoulder to signal they should leave. The vampires filed out unceremoniously and ignored them wholly. Glancing over, Rhea could see a current of excitement between them. A feverish glee began to emerge across their faces for the potential of the young night.

And Lucy was among them. The brilliant scarlet of her hair cascaded downward in loose curls. Mid-stride her gaze cut to Rhea and the edges of a cruel smile twisted her full lips, made more obscene by the brilliant red paint that matched her hair. And Rhea felt it again: desire, pure and raw.

She felt it in her eyes, her tongue. Yearning prickled in her fingertips and the soles of her feet. The whole of her world fell back; her magick, her study, the legacy itself- all cowed by the shrill relentlessness of longing. When the vampire looked away, it felt like a punch in her gut. Rhea turned and inhaled deeply. She cringed when she noticed Rachel watching her.

She did not feel shame for what she had done. She felt shame for what she wanted to do.

The witches made their way back to the boat. The journey home was lively, the formality of the event shed and the witches now at ease. Except Rhea and Greta. The old woman stood again at the rail and looked out over the sea as she had done earlier. Rhea debated demanding answers. Rachel slid next to her.

"Sooo," Rachel said, dragging out the "o" as she looked at Rhea. Rhea looked back, expectant.

"The vampire!" Rachel said. Rhea shook her head, "I don't know what Greta is thinking."

"Why did she pick you, out of all of us?" Rachel asked.

Rhea's eyebrows stretched high as she thought, "I honestly have no idea. I've always trusted her intuition but tonight was..." She trailed off, not sure how to describe the blur of emotion, "unorthodox, I guess."

Rachel smiled despite the look of concern that hung on her face, "Are you really gonna do it?"

"Of course I'm gonna do it," said Rhea, confused.

"I mean," Rachel continued, "Have you ever spent any time with a vampire?"

"What witch spends time with vampires?"

Rachel was quiet for a moment, eyes wide as she deliberated, then said "I'm just worried about the effect this vampire has on you." Rhea looked at the other witch, her long blonde hair in disarray from the winds of the open ocean. "I'm not enthralled," Rhea said, quickly. "Greta said I was fine."

"I know you're not. But the vampire seemed...kind of into you?" Rachel asked

Rhea looked at her skeptically, "They do that. They make you feel beautiful and wanted and twist your thoughts all around to control you." Rachel looked at her, "I don't know," she said, "something feels off." Rhea rubbed her eyes, exhausted, and with a flair of frustration wondered how many things she had touched since she last washed her hands. She gestured toward the old woman and hissed quietly "Greta seems off." The old woman was standing alone, looking over the sea, her stern face hung with sadness. "Something is really wrong." Rhea said, severely. Rachel sighed as she watched her.

Rachel turned back to Rhea, "I know you're not enthralled. But you seem...affected by the vampire."

Rhea felt her shoulders tighten, "Affected how?"

"She looked at you like she wanted to eat you and you didn't seem to mind." interjected Rachel, who rarely needed encouragement to speak directly. Fear and shame spiraled through Rhea.

"Rachel, please," Rhea answered, "I'm too tired to think about this now."

Rachel continued, "it's just- is it a good idea to work with her?"

"Not now," Rhea answered.

"Rhea, this isn't like you," Rachel pleaded. Rhea crossed her arms.

"At least make sure you get answers from Greta," Rachel said. "Why did she agree with this?"

Rhea nodded, "Don't worry, I'm planning too."

The woman rode side by side in silence until the boat settled alongside the dock. The witches filed out and Rhea followed Greta to her office.

As soon as the door slammed behind her, she yelled to Greta "In what world does this sound like a good idea?" Rhea's hand had raised high in the air to punctuate her words and it hung there after she stopped speaking. She looked at it, bewildered by her own outburst. Greta looked at her sadly and sat on a blue tufted chair. She covered her mouth with her hand as a tear ran down her face. "I'm sorry Rhea, I just don't know what to do," she said.

Rhea froze; she had never seen Greta disturbed like this. Greta reached for a tissue and dabbed it on the corners of her eye. "I've not been honest with you Rhea." A putrid feeling began to gnaw deep in Rhea's belly. "I told you I couldn't sense her spirit. But that was a lie I wanted so badly to believe."

"Wait, you found her? Why the fuck are we wasting time on the vampires?" Rhea snapped with anger.

Greta continued, "I told myself that, if none of you could sense it, I must be mistaken."

"Sense what, Greta?" Rhea said as she looked at the old woman, incredulous. "I feel faint whispers of her spirit lost in a terrible cyclone. Necromancy magick, but ripped from the natural rhythms of life. I've felt something like this before, something terrible. But almost a century ago. And I was afraid. So I lied, first to myself. I wanted to believe so badly the witch's death and absense of spirit was some deceit from the vampires, some new way they found to torture us. I lied to myself so I could lie to you all. But after tonight I can't ignore it any longer." Rhea sat on a nearby chair. "What are you saying, Greta?" she asked, and closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"Someone's spirit doesn't just vanish- it only moves beyond where human magick can reach. She's too recently dead for the former. But when you and the others tried to reach her, your sight became clouded." Rhea nodded, recalling the silence from Sweetwater. Greta continued, "I...felt something. Something I hoped would never resurface. So I went deep into a trance, farther than my guides could protect me. It was there I felt it." She shuddered and shook her head, unable to speak any further.

"Tell me, Greta," Rhea urged. Tearfully, Greta managed, "Her spirit is bound by a cruel and malevolent force. And I don't know how to save her."