Lesbian Vampire: That Which Haunts You

"Rhea, stop it," said Lucy, surprise in her voice. Rhea kept her face even but felt the small muscles around her mouth twitch. He might try to kill Lucy, but a witch was more complicated. It would be an act of war. Kyle looked between them. His nostrils flared as if he scented the air and gave them a smug look. "One of the oldest vampires in existence is gone. That-- that's going to draw attention. And the only other vampire there was associated with me. If I don't handle this, someone else might."

Rhea swallowed hard. She could manage Kyle if things went sideways. The other three would be a problem, though.

"Lara incapacitated Lucy. She was in the lobby downstairs when I killed him," said Rhea. "And you knew they were after us. You had to know someone would end up dead."

"I didn't think it would be him!" exclaimed Kyle as he gestured at the pile of dust.

"What do you mean the witch incapacitated the vampire?" a sharp voice asked. Kyle's head whipped toward the sound. It came from the vampire in green, who watched Rhea with a lip curled in disdain. Rhea felt a surge of hope; it was rare for witch magick to affect vampires, and even then it was only certain spells.

"Lara's magick hits vampires the same as it hits humans," answered Rhea. "No witch on earth can do that, not even me. And it's not just spells. Remember the man at the party-- she killed him by a potion she injected into him. That potion kills vampires too." The brow of the vampire-in-green arched up.

"Braga said that was an accident. He didn't know it could kill a vampire," Kyle countered. "They picked a human at random. He had no idea she was even attached to a vampire. He fed on the human just after they dosed her. Braga said she refined the potion; the one she uses now works much faster. Less room for these mishaps."

"And Braga is gone. So what do you know about his accomplice?" said Rhea.

Though the smiling veneer of his face stayed intact, an eerie shine began to subsume his eyes. But he waited for her to say more. "The potion shunts the life force from one human to another. And now she's become stronger than any witch I've ever met." said Rhea. The vampire-in-green scowled. "She'll become the witch of witches-- stronger than anyone could become if she lived for a thousand years."

Kyle's eyes narrowed and he seemed to look through Rhea. "Whatever needs to happen to make this right--" Rhea pointed to the ashes at her feet. "It needs to wait until I stop Lara. And you need to tell me where she is."

The shine glowed brighter and gave his eyes a fish-like quality, though his voice was still jovial. "See, that's where you haven't thought things through," responded Kyle. "Braga told me about the effects of the potion. It kills vampires. But it can make them stronger, too. I saw it myself-- he had witch powers."

Rhea swallowed. Her hard palms burned as her magick readied. She sensed Lucy's body coil tight.

The smarmy smile snapped back into place. "But I've already got power. In fact, I'm stronger than most beings who walk the face of the planet." He glanced down at the pile of ash that used to be Braga. Kyle bent over and picked up one of the garnet rings and looked at it with admiration. "Braga was stronger than me, so much stronger. But the game changes when the world does. He didn't understand that and everything he built began to slip through his fingers." Kyle looked behind him at the vampire he shoved through the web of tape who had since managed to free himself. The vampire crony lurched forward to collect the rest of the jewelry in the ashes. He was pale and broad-shouldered with a lumbering quality and had a thin goatee.

"In spite of his strength, Braga could see one day that he would lose it all. And he didn't see how desperate that made him. But I did. I certainly did."

He watched as his vampire crony scooped up the rest of the jewelry. A particle of bone hooked itself on a bracelet and the crony shook it loose. "Braga couldn't adapt. That's what made him desperate. And that's what killed him," continued Kyle. "Reminds me of one my favorite sayings-- a human taught me this, years ago-- 'play stupid games, win stupid prizes.'"

Rhea's heart surged. "Kyle, where's he hiding the body?"

Kyle looked at Rhea and in his eyes she saw a glimpse of that menacing sheen. "I hope you find the witch," he said. "I never did figure out where he was hiding out. I would love to help, but there's a castle in Portugal that needs raiding."

Rhea's heart sank. A melodious voice broke washed over the tensions of the room. "Maybe to find her, you need to retrace your steps." All looked to the source-- the slippery being in the cream suit smiled, as if the taste of their words was as sweet as their voice. "Is there someone involved that you have not yet considered?"

Rhea felt a surge within her-- "Fucking Bethanny!"

Lucy's tires raced over the dry streets they sped towards the enclave. "Rhea, you're being reckless. I'm not sure what will happen if you try to bring a vampire there," said Kivan through the speaker of Rhea's phone. "It's a sanctuary for witches protected by magick. And you might scared Bethanny into doing something stupid. Just wait, for me, I'll be there soon."

Agitation flared in Rhea at the word "reckless. She had demanded Lucy drive her to the enclave as soon as she made the connection to Bethanny and called Kivan as the moment her seatbelt buckled into place. "She's already acting stupid, Kivan!" said Rhea, incredulous. "Listen to me-- she was friends with Janice. She practically burst into tears when I asked about the murder. She was the only other person in the house when I was hit by the hex that exploded the mirror." The stoplight ahead would soon switch from yellow to red. Rhea's body seethed with rage. "And she sucks."

Lucy's eyes cut to Rhea as she drove. "But she's not capable of magick like that,'' said Kivan, his voice through the phone's speaker.

"She is now! Because of Lara!" said Rhea. It felt strange to snap at him; Kivan's only reaction seemed to be worry, not the electrified call to action she expected. "Bethanny is one of her followers," she urged. "She helped Lara test the potion on the uninitiated. In exchange Lara gave her power. Life force reaped from their victims."

"And we didn't notice what they were doing until they killed a witch." Kivan paused, his voice far away. "I mean it, Rhea. Wait for me. We'll talk to her together."

"Talk to her?" The pitch of Rhea's voice spiked in surprise. "She sacrificed her friend, Kivan. A witch."

"This is bigger than we think," he said.

Frustrated, Rhea made a sour face but swallowed her words-- she needed his help, whether he seemed to grasp the stakes or not. "Our window is closing. I don't know how long it will take Lara to get back to her full power but she was nearly decapitated and walked away."

"Don't try to take on Lara yourself. Remember I think there's a ripple effect," he said.

"Bethannyhelped Lara. She helped them get to me and she was complicit in her friend'smurder."

"And I want to know why," answered Kivan. "Without Lara, Bethanny can't hurt anybody. Not by magick." There was a long pause on his end. "We're missing something Rhea. Something big. I'll be there in the next 2 hours. I don't care if I have to swim."

Rhea rubbed her eye in frustration. "Fine," she said. They ended the call. She sighed and hoped Kivan would get here soon.

"Darling," said Lucy, "you're acting peculiar. What did he mean by ripple effect?"

Bloodlust at the memory of ending Braga flared. "He thinks I'm still under Lara's influence because her hex was in me for so long." answered Rhea.

"What do you think?" asked Lucy.

Rhea exhaled. "It's possible," she conceded. "I think her hex is gone, but we don't know what she did. And her magick is unpredictable."

"And now the librarian wants us to wait," said Lucy sadly as approached the enclave. "Pity. I was hoping to go scorched earth with you." Rhea felt the same. Rage as hot as the core of the earth burned inside her. A part of her knew Kivan was right but his words were losing their grip.

As the car slowed, Rhea noticed a slight figure stood in front of the open doors of the refurbished church. "What the hell--" exclaimed Rhea. As soon as they locked eyes, Bethanny turned and ran back inside. "Let me park the car," urged Lucy, Rhea's hand already on the door's handle. Kivan's warning sounded in her head but Rhea couldn't wait. She resolved to have mercy. She would tell Bethanny that Kivan wanted to help her if she helped them. They parked about half a block away, the advantage of stealth gone.

They approached the double doors of the refurbished church and Rhea tried to sense the protection magick. The enclave was well-protected and she had no idea of the spells Lara had put into place. But the usual robust buzz was faint, scarcely a tingle. The door Bethanny ran through was still open. "Too convenient," warned Lucy. "It's a trap."

Rhea ran a hand over the blonde wood and whispered the words. It was a simple spell learned by all the witches who came to the enclave; it illuminated the web of protection magick so the witch could see where it needed to be reinforced. The magick sustained a faint glow for a few seconds when Rhea's spell sank into the wood then sputtered out, tepid and toothless. She frowned.

"Rhea," hissed Lucy as she stared through the open door. A few yards into the darkened corridor stood Bethanny, still as stone. Lucy took out her phone and activated the flashlight and shone it towards the figure in the dark. Bethanny scowled at them, but remained still.

"Hold on," said Rhea to Lucy. The witch moved towards the planters that decorated the building's front. Among the transplanted flowers grew a sturdy Shepherd's purse-weed. Rhea gripped the weed at the base and slowly worked the plant from the earth, the spindly roots interwoven with a tight clump of dirt.

"Are we foraging now?" asked Lucy. Rhea did not answer but strode towards the open door. Without crossing the threshold, the witch lobbed the weed towards Bethanny. She hoped the dirt bundle at its base was enough to propel it through the air. It tumbled, root-over-stalk, and hit Bethanny square in the chest. As soon as the weed touched her, the figure transformed into a black pillar that seemed to wriggle in place. It collapsed like sand and thousands of spiders streamed towards them. Rhea hopped up on the planter before they could crawl up her boot. Lucy levitated a few inches off the ground.

"It was a double," Rhea said to Lucy over the river of spiders. "They're detonated when they come into contact with organic matter. Skin, dirt, that sort of thing. And, after initiation, it takes years to get them right." But now Bethanny made doubles that rivaled Rhea's. When the flow of spiders became a trickle Rhea hopped down, grateful she wore thick-soled boots when she heard the crunch underfoot.

The protection magick a whisper of its former self, the building now felt lifeless without the hum of spectral energy. The still-shuttered yoga studio, which occupied the former chapel, had covered its windows in black fabric that seemed to amplify the silence. Rhea jumped when Lucy's hand touched her shoulder; she had become hypnotized by the strange emptiness here. Between them and the stairs that led into the enclave's living room was a single door. Rhea approached it, hesitant. But the protection magick she found there was as impotent as the rest of the place. She pulled the door open.

"I never imagined--" Rhea's words were strangled when she saw Bethanny just on the other side of the door, standing just before the first step. She jerked back, but the figure remained still-- it was another double. And on the third stair up stood another. And behind that one another and another yet. Doubles of Bethanny, stood staggered up the stairs. Their formation was haphazard but made the stairway impossible to pass.

"I can't tell how many lifetimes it would take me to build enough power to do this," whispered Rhea.

"And yet," said Lucy. "But why don't they move?"

Rhea paused, "That's a good question. There's not much point to them otherwise."

"God, Rhea, you just can't help but be petty," said the nearest Bethanny-double. Its lips moved out-of-sync with the sound, like a lagging video call.

"They can talk?!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Not usually," said Rhea. It was possible, but considered a lost art. Since the advent of the telephone, there just wasn't a need for talking doubles.

"... just because you can't do it..." the double's voice rang out again, only the snippet manifesting into sound. Its lips mouthed silent words.

"Am I...am I talking to Bethanny directly or are you a messenger?" Its soundless lips moved, words lost in the ether.

"So are we meant to throw weeds and sticks until they're all...dispersed?" asked Lucy.

"Maybe?" answered Rhea. The doubles blinked in unison.

"Is there another entrance?" asked Lucy

"No," said Rhea.

"I have an idea," said Lucy. "But I can't come in without an invitation." Rhea exhaled and opened the door as far as it would go. The double that blocked the stairs was short and slight, in Bethanny's likeness, and couldn't occupy much space. There was a small gap between the double and the wall. Rhea pressed her back against the door frame and sucked in her stomach as far as she could. She squeezed beside the first double. It looked at her with contempt through narrowed eyes but remained still. She turned back to Lucy and said, "Come in." Rhea then slid back out to the main corridor, managing to clear the double by only a few centimeters.

Lucy climbed up the wall like she was one of the thousands of spiders that might erupt from the spectral explosion of Bethanny's double. She crawled through the doorway and across the ceiling above the stairway. Many pairs of Bethanny's over-large eyes followed Lucy from below.

Suddenly, one of the doubles swung a fist at Lucy. Rhea gasped, but the vampire scuttled backwards out of reach. "Some of them can move, it turns out," called Lucy. "And the ones up here are flickering. Like a burned out bulb."

Or a faded copy, thought Rhea. "Can you pass it?" she asked. Without answering, Lucy crawled forward and soon was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at Rhea. She disappeared into the living quarters.

Silence hung in the air as Rhea stared down the Bethannys. "Why did you do it?" she asked the double who spoke before. Its lips began to move. A few moments later, Rhea heard her voice, shallow and tinny. "What would you do, if you were left behind?"

Left behind, the Bethannys said, their lips moving followed by the tandem echo.

"What do you mean?" asked Rhea.

Its lips moved, but "without" was the only sound that came through.Without, whispered the doubles behind her. Then the nearest double vanished-- not by explosion but like a candle's flame, first flickering then gone. The next one disappeared in the same way. Rhea took a tentative step on the first stair. One by one, the doubles disappeared. Rhea charged upwards until she found herself in the familiar lounge connected to the kitchen. It was dark save for one light that shone from a bedroom down the hallway. Rhea raced toward it and found Lucy, pouring serum over a fresh and bleeding bite wound on Bethanny's neck.

"I thought if I wounded her, it would stop the spell. Like with Lara." She lowered Bethanny to the ground. She was still in the haze of the bite. Then Bethanny erupted into a pained coughing fit. She crawled towards her bedside table for her inhaler and took a long pull.

"She was standing in front of that mirror, just frozen in place," said Lucy. She pointed towards a mirror attached to the closet door. Bethanny continued to cough and took another pull. After a few moments, she rested her body against her bed in a half-slump. Her eyes were closed and tiny dots of perspiration lined her face.

"Sorry about the bite, little friend!" Lucy said cheerily. "I wasn't going to let you die, just weaken enough to end that obstacle course you set up. Also because it makes it easier to do this--" She knelt down and grabbed Bethanny's face.

"Open your eyes," commanded Lucy. Bethanny obeyed. Lucy's gaze bore into her. "You'll answer both our questions with complete honesty."

Bethanny nodded. Lucy looked to Rhea, expectant. After a few stuck moments, Rhea's mind supplied: "What did you do to the enclave? The protection magick?"

"She took the shields..." Bethanny's voice trailed off. Rhea narrowed her eyes-- Lucy's hypnotic magick was competing by whatever Lara did to her, and it was making the woman spacey. Rhea asked, "Did Lara hex you the way she did me?" Bethanny was silent.

"You think she's being controlled by one of those pus stacks?" asked Lucy. "We should probably get her off the carpet if she's about to--"

"Bethanny, where is Janice's body?" interjected Rhea.

Tears again welled in her eyes. "I didn't know it would be her. And when I found out, it was too late."

"But you killed people," said Rhea.

"She made me. She said it didn't matter." Bethanny paused to steady her breathing. "Janice told me she could help me. I wanted to initiate more than anything. But it was never enough for any of you."

"You think anyone likes being an initiate?" said Rhea in anger. "It's hard for everyone." Bethanny's face twitched and Rhea thought of Kivan. She put her hands on her hips. "Make me understand. Why did you need Lara?"

Bethanny's eyes hardened. "I was desperate. When I met her, I had just come out of the hospital. Even with insurance, those three days added $20,000 to the debt I already have. And that's just hospital bills." She paused again to steady her breath. "I have cystic fibrosis. It's more severe than the doctors thought for a long time" Rhea sat silent; having lived in a coven for over 20 years. It slowed the aging process and bolstered the health of the witch. Chronic conditions still persisted after initiating, but to a lesser degree. And Rhea wasn't sure how they were managed, except the odd pain relief she could provide.

"The cycle was always the same. When I'm well, I do well. But I have to do treatments a few times a day. If I get sick, it takes me out for weeks. How am I supposed to keep up? And no one cared. No one cared-- except Janice. She was frustrated with me. And one day, she asked me to meet her for coffee. Lara was there. I had just come from the pharmacy. One month of new prescriptions was $700. I couldn't afford it." Bethanny's jaw set in frustration. "Lara took me to a different one. She wrote 'money' on a post-it and the guy at the counter just handed the meds over." She wheezed for a few moments and steadied herself. "She said she could help me learn. But she tricked me like she tricked everyone else."

"I'm sorry," said Rhea. "But that doesn't mean you can kill people."

"I didn't know that's what she was doing!" spat Bethanny. "I thought it was just the plants. When I found the truth, I tried to get away but--" Tears welled in her eyes.

"But what?" asked Rhea.

"She hexed me. My own teacher hexed me..." The sound was cut off by a sharp choking sound. Her lips continued to move, but nothing came out. Her eyes had taken on an empty quality. Rhea bit her lip as Bethanny struggled to shake off the effects of the sac. The hex hadn't hit Rhea this way. But she wondered if that would have been true the longer she was away from the protective embrace of the coven, even with her strength and experience.

"Lara hexed me too," with a tender voice Rhea as she knelt beside Lucy. "Bethanny, Kivan wants to help you get out of this. The coven..."

"I begged for help!" Bethanny interjected, her grim voice now returned. "Over and over again, from both the necromancers and the mountain witches. The answer was always the same. They'd shrug and say 'That's the way it is.' If they didn't blame me, they'd blame my body." Bethanny paused to steady her breath. "I can do the work. I just needed a different way. No one cared about that until Lara."