Lily

“Fortuna arcus caelestis, fortuna Hibernica.” I chanted over the bubbling cauldron. “Imple venustate et nullo malo-.” My cell phone rang, interrupting the spell. “Fuck.”

My eyes widened as I realized the curse slipped out. The potion knew the word didn’t belong either. I held my hands over the cauldron, ready to cast a shielding spell to protect me if it decided to explode. The bubbling settled, and I lowered my hands with a relieved sigh.

While I worried about the cauldron, Zarine flew from her spot on the bookstand to my back pocket. I couldn’t see her behind me, but I knew her tiny pixie body would struggle to pull the ringing phone out. She barely had a grip on the device before she dropped it onto the bookstand. Whoever was trying to call me was persistent. When I didn’t answer, they redialed. Zarine swiped the answer button and immediately put it on speaker.

“Finally.” A familiar, irritated, deep male voice said.

“I was a bit busy, Sarkan.” I replied, just as irritated.

“I have a rat problem.”

With my hands lowered, I turned my attention to the phone. I’d reached to pick up the device when the potion chose that moment to act out. One huge bubble formed so quickly that I didn’t have time to put up a shield before it popped. The potion covered me, the phone—actually, I think it covered everything in the room. Even Zarine. She looked down at herself, then up at me, an angry expression on her face as she crossed her arms. It was cute.

“Lily? What was that?”

“A mess.” I growled. “Thanks to you.”

There was a beat of silence. “My rat problem.”

“Call an exterminator.”

“The rat needs to be tracked.”

I ran a hand over my face and regretted it as I spread more potion goop from crown to chin. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

He promptly hung up on me. I wish I could fling a spell at the arrogant ancient Master Vampire and set him aflame. Except, I owe him for turning my princess when her life was in danger. With a sigh, I held out the back of my hand to Zarine and guided her to my shoulder.

“Let’s get cleaned up.” I looked around the room. “I’ll have to deal with this mess later.”

Grabbing my phone, I left the attic and descended a level. Like a slug, I was leaving a trail of goop. I stepped into the shower of my private bathroom fully clothed. My phone remained on the vanity. Zarine and I rinsed off the potion. I cast a fireball for her to dry off, while I had to change my entire outfit.

“I liked this shirt.”

I complained on a sigh while tossing it into a trash bin. Even soaked through, I could see rainbow stains from the potion. The jeans could be properly washed, but I wouldn’t be able to continue wearing them tonight.

Edwin stepped over the goop trail as he entered my bedroom. “What happened?”

I shimmied out of the wet jeans. “A potion went wrong.”

“Was it a new one?”

“It was a luck potion.” I redressed before turning to him.

He looked down at the goop. “That explains the rainbow colour.”

“I’ll clean it up later. Sarkan called.”

Edwin scowled. “When are you going to stop answering to his beck and call?”

I pursed my lips. It’s been centuries, and I know deep down I need to pull away, but I can’t. I was raised to serve. Edwin sighed and shook his head. We’ve had this discussion before. He swept a hand toward the door, indicating I should lead the way out, and he’d follow.

Edwin drove us the short distance from the house we share to Sarkan’s on his motorcycle. The ancient vampire lives in a massive custom-made mansion that somehow fits into the suburban neighbourhood. Every two generations, he and his family move to avoid drawing suspicion from the humans, but he always comes back to this house. When Sarkan was human, he came from wealth, wealth he had amassed over the millennia.

Entering the Rune residence, I wasn’t terribly surprised to find Sarkan at the base of the grand staircase. As usual, he was impeccably dressed in a perfectly fitted suit, a pressed shirt, and shined shoes. Next to him, lounging arrogantly on the stairs, was his son Heath. His black hair fell into his pale blue eyes as he watched us.

“The rat you’re hunting is a changeling.” Sarkan began without any pleasantries. “It has been stealing information for an unknown entity.”

Changelings are strange creatures. They are a form of a demon that possesses human blood in their veins. Not only can it change its shape, but its scent as well. Vampires and even werewolves cannot accurately track a changeling.

“Do you have something that belongs to the changeling?” I asked.

Heath stood, locking eyes with me as he pulled something out of his pocket. I held out my hand, and he placed something in my palm. The touch of his cool skin with mine was electrifying. Forcing my gaze from his, I looked down at the pendant he’d placed there. Curious, I opened the simple over. The inside didn’t display a picture or a lock of hair, instead, both sides were covered in spots of rust.

“What is this?” I brought it closer to inspect.

“Blood.” Heath growled.

I froze with my head ducked over the locket and looked up at Heath through my lashes. He was covering his nose, a look of disgust behind his hand. Clearly, he can’t track the changeling by this blood, but I can. It’s surprising that they even have this. Changelings, from what little I know, keep small mementos from their past transformations close to them.

“Well?” Sarkan questioned. “That should be sufficient.”

“Yes.” I agreed.

Straightening, I wrapped the locket’s chain around my wrist and placed the open charm in my palm. Taking a deep breath, I was about to begin the tracking spell when a foreboding feeling raced down my spine. I turned to face the front door, staring as if I could see through the solid wood. Something dark passed through the borders of Atcalm, something that doesn’t belong in this city.

“What’s wrong, Lily?” Edwin touched my shoulder.

I jumped, looking up at him. “I’m not sure.”

He searched my eyes. “What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing.” I shrugged him off and focused on the locket. “Inveni dominum tuum, duc nos domum.”

The locket floated up, then strained toward the door, desperate to return to its owner. With a stern command, Sarkan ordered us to capture the rat. Heath slid behind the wheel of one of the many cars sitting in the driveway. I sat in the passenger seat, directing him where to go. Edwin followed on his motorcycle.

We were led by the locket to the abandoned mall. Many years ago, modern vampires tried to de-throne Sarkan. The mall became a casualty when Sarkan threw his power and the vampires around. The mayor of Atcalm had a new, bigger and better mall built elsewhere in the city. I suspect Sarkan helped financially. Nothing was ever done about this building. It just sits here in its crumbled, abandoned state.

“Here.” I said as the locket fell uselessly in my hand. “Somewhere in this building, we’ll find the changeling.”

“Can you be any more specific?” Heath got out of the car and scowled at the building. “There are a lot of hiding spots inside.”

“It’s more than you’ve done.” Edwin defended as he kicked the bike’s kickstand.

“Zip it, angel breath.”

“Make me bat boy.”

I snapped my fingers, sending a bolt of fire between them. “The sooner we find the changeling, the sooner I can go home.”

“And clean up the goop.” Edwin smirked.

“Yeah.”

With that final statement, he took flight, his black angel wings spread out majestically across the darkened sky. I’ll never tire of watching those wings spread wide, the feathers soft to the touch. Heath, less elegantly, used the speed vampires are known for to run into the mall.

Something was interfering with my tracking spell. It should have led us directly to the changeling, but it didn’t. I stared at the mall. My gut tightened. I don’t like this. Something sinister permeated the air. The closer I walked to the mall, the more nauseous I felt.

Zarine flew from her spot on my shoulder, hidden from view by my hair. It’s her favourite perch to be. She flittered ahead of me. I lit a fireball, letting it float ahead of us both to light our way. Zarine kept her head on a swivel, flying off when something caught her attention.

The sounds of screams, crashing, and shouting drew my attention to the mall’s upper floor. Using a levitation spell, I floated to the second level. I could hear the pounding of heavy footfalls as one set chased the other. Feet safely on the ground, I turned in time to see the changeling. Eyes widening at the sight of me, it skittered as I changed direction. Zarine flew after it.

“Lily!” Heath shouted, coming up fast and crashing into me.

“Owe.” I grumbled from my spot on the ground.

“Sorry.” Heath whispered, pushing himself onto forearms. “Are you hurt?”

“Bruised, not broken.”

We stared at each other, and the undercurrent of lust electrified the air between us. My heart rate picked up. Heath’s eyes glowed sapphire. He leaned in to kiss me, just as his lips brushed mine, he jumped off me as if I’d burned him. Above me, Edwin flew by, and I understood Heath’s reaction.

Heath ran off after the changeling, leaving me on my back. I took a moment to slow my racing heart before picking myself up and following. It wasn’t hard to find everyone. The changeling was making irritated growling sounds. Heath and Edwin had cornered the creature, blocking any escape.

“Fire witch.” The changeling’s gravely voice half growled and half hissed at me.

Zarine, who was hovering behind Edwin, flew to me and hid in my hair. I couldn’t blame her. The changeling was between changes, and it was not a pretty sight. The old human face was melting off, the red muscles underneath were moving as it shifted into the new face. Its body was hunched and contorting as bones cracked and reshaped. I’m surprised it was able to run.

“You’ve stolen from the wrong person.” Heath warned.

There was, what I think was a grim look of determination on the changeling’s face. Before it could decide its next move, I created a fire barrier. The flames encircled the changeling. It flinched, but I didn’t see any fear.

“Stealing from the Master Vampire was stupid.” I said.

“You can’t stop what’s coming.” The changeling declared.

Unease crept up my spine. I couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from, but something was watching us.

The changeling chortled. “You can feel it, can’t you, fire witch?”

I cast a sleeping spell on the creature. “Gather it up. We need to get out of here.”

“What are you sensing?” Edwin asked.

“I don’t know.” I said honestly.