23. Dance Night Macabre

Chapter 23

Dance Night Macabre

A lice sat in her bay window, the curtains drawn back, observing the Savinos’ house. She leaned against the wood frame with her legs outstretched, waiting for any signs of movement. The room was dim, only lit by the flickering of the candelabras resting on the console tables in the hallway, so she could see the outside world clearly. A black shoulder bag rested on the dining table. She was still, except for the rising and falling of her chest as she breathed in and out to calm her nerves.

She was dressed for combat—boots, her leather pants, Victorian style tailcoat hugging around her like a protective suit of armor, and her witch’s hat secured on top of her head. She was primed and ready for action. Scouting. Waiting. Eyes focused.

She could see to the street and around the back. If anyone left the house, she would know. The street was quiet. Dark. No movement. The rain drenched night sky cast a dark shadow on Ravenhill Drive. Only the orangish glow of the porch lights pushed back the night sky from engulfing the street with an inky darkness.

Hugo entered from the kitchen carrying two tea cups. He handed Alice the black cup. It was warm to the touch. Steam rose from the dark liquid inside, forming ghostly apparitions against the coolness of the air.

“Thank you,” Alice said before taking a sip. The liquid warmed her soul.

“Any changes tonight?” Hugo asked.

“No,” Alice said. “It’s been three days and nothing. I would expect them to respond by now. Not even during the day. I haven’t seen them come or go. No ghouls outside checking on us. They must be using the door in their basement to move in and out. I bet it’s connected to their nightclub.”

“They can do that?” Hugo asked.

“Yeah. You can create connections between magical spaces. I used to have a connection to Ez’s place until . . .” Alice paused, peering deep into the dark liquid of her tea cup. “Until I came here. It’s why Ez has to pick up the stuff.”

“Maybe you can reconnect them when this is all over.”

Alice took a sip. “Maybe.”

“What if they up and left?” Hugo asked with a slight hint of hopeful sarcasm. “After all, she didn’t find the spell.”

“If only.” Alice took another sip. She curled and stretched her toes inside the boots. “No, they’re waiting for us to make a mistake. We have to be patient.”

“Are you sure about this? Is the rain too much? Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

“I’ll be okay by myself. The rain should provide cover,” Alice assured him. “We’ve run through the scenario. It should work.”

“Need I remind you about the last time I ran through a scenario?”

She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow with a sly smile. “The last time you didn’t have me,” Alice said with a wink. “Besides, I’ll have Gwennie to protect me.”

Hugo leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “Be careful.”

“I’m always careful—well, most of the time.” Alice smirked.

Something in the window caught her attention. A black luxury SUV pulled in front of the house. Alice straightened. An unknown figure dressed in a black suit got out.

“Must be their driver,” Hugo said. “I don’t recognize him.”

Alice remained silent. Her eyes focused on his every move. The driver opened an umbrella and strolled up the sidewalk to the Savinos’ house.

“This is it,” Alice said.

Alice handed the cup to Hugo before standing. She seized the strap and flung the bag over her head and shoulder.

“Everything just like we talked about. Nothing more.”

“Deal.” Alice headed for the back door.

In one swift motion, Hugo clasped her hand, instantly halting their progress. Alice turned back to face him, her eyebrows shooting upward in surprise at his unexpected grasp. He rushed in and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her to him. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. The passionate embrace was like two lovers familiarizing themselves as if it was the first time. She wrapped her arms around his back, pulling herself even closer. She wanted it to last forever, but she needed to hurry. They pulled back.

Hugo’s eyes glistened as his icy blues gazed once more at hers. “I love you. Now go get them.”

She winked at him, tracing her fingers along his back and across his chest as she pulled away.

“Gwennie!” Alice shouted and then whistled. “Time to go.”

The grayish-white broomstick floated into the dining area from the living room. Alice turned and left through the kitchen and out the back door with the broomstick following behind.

Alice snapped her fingers and darkened the area in the backyard. The air was cold and damp. The rain was pouring harder than she’d like. The drips of water splattered on her hat and coat. She swung her legs over the broomstick and settled into the worn, leather brown seat.

Her fingers wrapped around the gnarled grooves of the handle. With a push off from her feet and a gentle pull of the handle, they rose to the top of the house. Alice peered over the gabled points of her folk Victorian home, as she waited in the shadows for the emergence of the Savinos.

Sylvia proceeded down the walkway side by side with Sebastian as he held an umbrella over both of them. The driver followed behind. Sebastian held the car door open and closed it once Sylvia entered. He proceeded to the other side, while the driver climbed into the driver’s seat. After a moment, the SUV drove off.

Alice’s eyes traced every step and every move. Her breath quickened. Her heart raced. Her mind was ready. She pulled back on the handle, giving a slight jump, and the broomstick took off into the rainy night sky.

Alice followed the vehicle as it made its way through the town center, out past Wildgrove Park and onto US-42. It picked up speed. Alice matched it.

A vast number of barren farmer fields, once dense with corn, streaked by as Alice continued her pursuit. The combination of wind and rain splashed against her face. Water dripped into her eyes. It burned as it forced the sweat into her eyes.

She wiped her face against her arm sleeve, but only briefly. She didn’t want to lose sight of the black SUV below her. She tilted her head forward, using the brim of her hat to help shield herself. She dug the heels of her boots into the foot pedal for support. She rose higher into the night sky. The low-hanging clouds shrouded her movement.

The SUV turned onto the highway and headed for Columbus. Alice knew exactly where the SUV was going, where she had hoped it was going. She leaned in lower to the broomstick.

“You’re doing great, Gwennie,” Alice said. “Keep it up.”

Darkness faded, replaced with an eerie orange glow as if a great fire rose up to combat the rain. The lights of the city came into view. Houses gradually replaced the farmers’ fields and then office buildings. The SUV picked up speed. Alice and Guinevere fell behind .

“Come on, girl. A little more.” Alice leaned in closer, her chin nearly touching the rain-soaked handle. “Give me just a little more.”

The broomstick shook. It pushed itself as hard as it could. The broomstick fish-tailed back and forth as it struggled to match the speed.

Alice pulled up on the broom handle, slowing their speed. The SUV sped away. Alice leaned back, giving Guinevere a reprieve.

She patted the handle. “You did good. Don’t worry; you did good,” Alice said. “We know where they’re going. We’ll have to meet them there. Ready?”

The broomstick bobbed up and down as if to answer yes .

“Let’s go,” Alice said as she leaned forward.

They took off.

Alice journeyed across the city, hiding in the clouds and away from prying eyes. Cars and other vehicles populated the freeways below. The streets were quieter, but still had far more activity than she was used to in Newbury Grove. She rose as high as she could, without getting completely enveloped. She had a maximum height she liked to fly, and this was pushing her limits.

Alice recognized landmarks as she worked her way to her destination. Familiar streets led to freeways. The buildings of The Ohio State campus appeared. She knew she was close. She cut across campus to High Street. Even the rain drenched night couldn’t stop the bustle of High Street as college students and other adults worked their way from bar to bar.

The black building of The Heart and Rose came into view. Alice maneuvered to approach the building from behind to begin her descent. She snapped her fingers to darken the area as much as possible, so she could land undetected on the roof. She stuck out her feet and met the roof below.

She flung her leg over the broomstick and stepped onto the roof. “You did good, Gwennie. You did really good,” Alice said in a low voice as she rubbed the top of the handle .

She swung the bag around and flipped the satchel open. She removed a homemade device.

She swung the bag around and flipped the satchel open. She removed a homemade device—a newly carved wooden stake, very similar to the one from her vampire hunting kit, with two metal rings around it. She slid the rings over the front of Guinevere and snapped her fingers. The bolts tightened, but not tight enough to crush the broomstick.

“Bayonet secured,” Alice whispered. “Follow me.”

Alice jogged over to the fireplace chimney jetting out of the roof with Guinevere trailing behind. With a snap of her fingers, the metal safety guard slid off the chimney, allowing her to peek in.

The chimney was far too small for her to jump through, but large enough for her broomstick. The chimney was mostly for show, and as expected, no fire raged down below. The thundering, dark synthwave beats echoed up through the brick chimney, as well as the sounds of people partying inside.

“Head inside and wait for my signal. Then exit the chimney and get into position. Come get me if we need to abort the plan. Ready?” Alice asked.

The broomstick bobbed up and down.

“All right. I’ll see on you the inside.” She tapped the brown leather seat.

The broomstick rose and descended into the fireplace chimney.

Alice flung open her black bag. It contained another homemade stake, a few vials of her blue potion, a small pouch of spell components, and a metal flask—all instruments used to fight vampires. She said a few words of the arcane language and snapped her fingers. A dark cloud appeared inside the bag, obscuring the contents. To the uninitiated eye, the bag appeared empty.

Alice pulled out the metal flask. She twisted off the top and drank the entire contents. Alice moved to the side of the roof and placed her hands on the ledge. She searched her surroundings. No one was paying attention to her. Various inebriated people yelled to each other as they hopped from bar to bar along the busy street out front. Others ran as the rain drenched the street.

The building on the other side was dark and unoccupied. The side street below was empty, perfect to make an unseen entrance. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and leapt over the side. She stepped down, as if descending invisible stairs, to the ground below. Alice scanned up and down the side street, making sure no one was coming for her. Satisfied, she made her way around the corner.

She pulled her hat low, hiding her face and eyes from any onlookers. A few people left The Heart and Rose bar, stumbling as they ventured down the sidewalk. Alice grabbed the closing door. She pulled the door back and was met with the overwhelming beats of the rhythmic music from within. It was dark inside; flashing lasers and pulsating lights cast minimal light onto the dance floor. Alice took a deep breath and entered.

“Five dollars,” the doorman yelled over the sounds.

Alice raised her head to look him in the eyes. “I believe your boss is expecting me.”

The doorman pinched the microphone clipped to his shirt. “She’s here,” he said into it.

There was a pause. The music blared, pulsed, and echoed through the building.

“Let me see inside the bag,” he continued.

Alice opened and presented it to him, hoping he found an empty bag. Alice took in a sharp breath as her heart beat faster. His hands hovered over the opening for a moment. Her heart skipped a beat.

The doorman lowered his hands to his sides and nodded his head as if he was satisfied with the contents. “Please enter. Mrs. Savino has been expecting you.”

Alice exhaled. She closed the bag and entered deeper into the nightclub. She maneuvered around the dancing bodies—obstacles put on the black and white checkerboard dance floor to keep her from her intended target. Alice scanned the room, constantly checking for any signs of trouble. The thick crimson curtains covered the windows. Lights from the bar provided little relief from the darkness. The mixed crowd of various ages and genders focused their eyes on her as she weaved her way through.

They didn’t stop. Each one smiled as they spotted Alice, taking great glee in seeing her. A few showed their fangs as they moved their hips and bodies back and forth to the rhythm of the pulsating music.

Some made eye contact with Alice and then bit down on the neck of their human dancing partners, indulging themselves. The vampires released themselves from their sanguine kisses, their mouths dripping with blood. Two streaks of crimson red flowed down their dancing partners’ necks like tears. Their enthralled eyes glazed over as they swayed with the beats of the music.

Alice stayed on her toes, putting all her weight forward to keep herself ready for action. Her body tightened, and her breath shortened the deeper she entered the nightclub. Alice constantly swiveled her head around to keep an eye out for any vampire brave enough to be the first to attack. She thrust her hand into her bag, wrapping her fingers around the makeshift wooden stake.

Alice was surrounded by vampires and humans under the vampires’ mind control.

The crowd formed a circle around her, entrapping her. Alice stopped and twirled around. Her path to the front door was blocked off. The vampires kept their distance as if ordered to hold back.

The back of Alice’s right heel twitched, sending small reverberations up her leg. She exhaled to steady herself, but the leg continued to twitch. The hair on her arms stood up. A chill ran down her spine. A small bead of sweat rolled down the back of her neck. She was losing her cool.

Focus . Alice went to her one source of peace, the one thought to calm her nerves and give her the strength to continue—Hugo. She exhaled slowly.

Two figures stood at the balcony railing, lording over the dance floor below. Their silhouettes were unmistakable. The Savinos stood high in their court, glaring at her, controlling what happened next. Sylvia tapped her fingers on the railing and then raised her hand. The music grew louder. The beats more oppressive. The sounds of synthetic drums pounded Alice’s senses. It drowned out her thoughts. The crowd blurred. She was losing track of her surroundings.

Focus.

Alice raised her arms. “You wanted my attention. Well, you got it,” she shouted. “Here I am.”

The Savinos didn’t move. The circle closed in. Her throat tightened as if the bodies were suffocating her. She shifted her feet, ready to make a retreat. She moved her head back and forth, keeping sight of all angles around her. The darkness shrouded their bodies in shadows; only faint outlines against the flashing light showed.

The vampires and enthralled humans closed in. Their bodies continued to sway with hypnotic motions to the beats of the music. Some smiled. Some opened their mouths to display their fangs.

“I thought you wanted to talk!” Alice shouted.

Sylvia tapped the railing. The circle closed in on Alice, now within an arm’s length. She spun around, keeping track of everyone close to her.

She gave a thought to pulling out the stake, but something much more explosive might be called for to clear them away from her. Her heart pounded as if it was going to burst through her chest. She couldn’t breathe. Any moment, one could lash out, and then it would be a feeding frenzy to tear her apart.

Run. Get out. Now!

Alice raised a foot, ready to ascend to the sky and make a hasty retreat. The vampires wiggled closer, almost on top of her. Their breath whispered against her, a chilling warning of how quickly things could escalate. Alice released the stake and pulled her hand out of the bag. She snapped her fingers and conjured two flames of arcane energy. They bathed the area in a purple glow.

“Enough!” Sylvia shouted .

The crowd backed away, but still maintained their circle around Alice. The music stopped, a relief to Alice’s ears.

“Have you come to surrender?” Sylvia asked.

“I’ve come to negotiate,” Alice said.

Everyone else laughed, their laughter echoing throughout the bar.

“What do you have to negotiate with?” Sylvia asked.

“I know you didn’t find it,” Alice answered. “You’ll never find it without me.”

The clacking of Sylvia’s nails tapping on the railing filled the silence as it permeated through the room. “I’ll tear your house apart until I do. My little pet will let me in again. He’s a rather good kisser.”

Alice’s nose flared. She’s trying to get to you. Don’t give in.

Alice asked, “Who said it was in my house?”

Sylvia stopped her tapping. She furled her eyebrows, her eyes opening wide. “You’re bluffing.”

“Are you willing to risk everything on your belief that I’m bluffing? It’s so close. Right there in your grasp for the taking . . . yet so far away. I have friends. Well-connected friends. It could be anywhere. Once again, you were close, and it slipped through your fingers.”

Sylvia stood in silence, unmoving. She gripped the railing, squeezing it. Sebastian leaned over to whisper in her ear.

Sylvia raised her hand and slammed it down. “Fine. Name your price.”

“Come down here, and let’s talk like two adults, but first, tell your goons to back away,” Alice commanded.

Sylvia snapped her fingers, and the crowd pulled back.

Alice dissipated her arcane flames. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Come on down. Let’s make a deal.”

Sylvia and Sebastian retreated away from the railing, disappeared momentarily, and reappeared descending the steps. The crowd parted, filling in behind them, as they approached. Alice could see them with more clarity. They donned matching outfits—crimson Victorian swallow-tail coats which hugged their well-defined torsos. The black lapels and cuffs matched their pants. Sylvia wore a white shirt while Sebastian wore a black one.

“You have my attention, witch,” Sylvia said. “Name your price.”

“I want you gone. All of you. Your whole colony of vampires. Gone,” Alice said.

“I rather like it here. Newbury Grove could be a wonderful home for us vampires. A perfect seat for my new empire,” Sylvia said.

“What do you say to those demands, witch?” Sebastian asked.

“Then you get nothing,” Alice answered.

Sebastian rubbed the left side of his chest. “I haven’t forgotten what your boyfriend did to me. Maybe, as part of negotiations, we ask to return the favor. What do you say, my love?”

Sylvia smiled wide enough to expose her vampire fangs. “I think it would only be fair. A stab for a stab. And I assure you my dear Sebastian won’t miss . . . unlike my little pet. Of course, there’s always the other option. Off with his head.”

They chuckled.

Alice narrowed her eyes. She pulled back her shoulders and puffed out her chest. “Leave him out of this. You’ve already done enough to him. This is between you and me.”

Sylvia and Sebastian laughed.

“You think it’s only between us? Oh, you poor, poor child. This war has raged for centuries. There was an uneasy peace. I’m the one fanning the flames. I’m the one seizing control. This is my opportunity to be queen of a new empire—a vampire empire—with my king by my side,” Sylvia said. “We will rule together.”

Sylvia and Sebastian locked eyes and smiled as they held hands.

“We offered you a position in our new empire once,” Sebastian said. “You should have accepted it. I take it you found our lovely gift in the basement.” He smiled a devilish grin.

Alice checked her surroundings. The circle of vampires held back. She turned back to the Savinos. Her eyes narrowed.

“This is my home. Those people are my friends. What makes you think I’ll give them up to you?” Alice asked. “This is my life. ”

“ Life ?” Sylvia asked. “Life is death’s playground, and I’m merely one of death’s instruments. I’ve seen what you call life. Torment. Torture. Destruction. Grief. Loss. Acts all done in the name of what you call life. Under my empire, life will take a new meaning. Life shall be everlasting.”

Sylvia motioned to the vampires around her and continued, “We need humans to exist. We’ll be their rulers. Sympathetic rulers. But those humans will have a new life. A life free from want. Free from desire. A good life.”

Alice clutched her fists. She turned a shoulder toward Sylvia. She dragged her foot back and shifted her weight forward.

Sylvia continued, “Just think. We’re here, right here, right now because of one witch so many years ago. All she had to do was grant immortality to a king. But because she was so shortsighted, we’re standing here. Many have fought. Many have died. Sebastian and I have killed quite a few . . . You aren’t immune from this war yourself. It’s bigger than us, but we have an opportunity. With that spell of yours, we could end years of suffering and bloodshed. Well, hopefully not all bloodshed.”

The vampires laughed.

“What makes you think this one spell will end it all?” Alice asked.

“Because I know the spell transcends death itself. I may be undead, but we aren’t immortal. With the spell, we—my king and myself—we can truly become immortal,” Sylvia answered. “Now give it to me, or the streets of Newbury Grove will run red with blood.”

“I’ll stop you,” Alice said. She removed the wooden stake, ready to strike at any vampire brave enough to test her resolve.

A few vampires rushed in front of Sylvia and Sebastian, blocking Alice’s path of attack.

“Do you think you’re going to stake all of us with one little toothpick?” Sylvia asked.

Alice yelled out, hoping Gwennie would hear her cue, “I’m ready to stake each and every last one of you. Especially you, your highness.”

Everyone laughed—Sylvia and Sebastian, the vampires—everyone except Alice.

“Look around you. You’re surrounded. No one is coming. You’re alone, you little witch.” Sylvia took a step closer to Alice. Her eyes full of rage. Her fangs elongated.

Alice bent her knees, ready to jump. “Who said I’m alone? I’d look up if I were you.”

Sylvia stepped back and frantically scoured the ceiling. She gasped as an object cloaked in shadows appeared at the railing where she once stood. Waiting high above was Alice’s broomstick. Guinevere lurched forward at lightning speed.

“Sebastian!” Sylvia cried out.

Armed with its wooden bayonet, it shot straight for Sylvia’s heart. Sylvia tried to move, but she was trapped by the crowd of other vampires.

“No!” Sebastian shouted as he jumped in front of Sylvia. He shielded her as Guinevere pierced the wooden bayonet into Sebastian’s back and retreated backward.

Sylvia held Sebastian as they collapsed to the ground. They locked eyes one final time as he slowly turned to white ash. Fear and horror dominated her face, causing it to contort in shock. Her mouth gasped as if to let out a scream, but she was silent.

Sebastian’s legs and arms disappeared as his body was erased from the world. His eyes rolled and head tilted back. One final expression of agony appeared on his face before he was gone.

Sylvia held out her hands. The empty fingers, once cradling Sebastian, trembled and curled into half-closed fists. She let out a barbaric yawp and then shrieked, “Kill her!”

The vampires rushed in. Alice leapt into the air and climbed higher as if she were ascending an unseen staircase. Streaks of purple bombarded the vampires below. They were knocked unconscious from the explosions of arcane energy .

Some of the vampires grabbed Sylvia, lifted her up, and whisked her away. Sylvia tugged and pulled in protest as she screamed and yelled.

“Sebastian!” Sylvia yelled. “My love . . .”

Alice used her magick to fling the stake at Syliva. A vampire jumped in front of Sylvia, shielding her from the attack.

The stake didn’t kill the vampire; it merely lodged into his arm. Alice followed with a ball of arcane flames. Explosions erupted around Sylvia as the flames struck vampires, knocking them to the ground. They weren’t dead, but seriously wounded. Surrounded by chaos, Sylvia’s bodyguards grabbed her by the arms and dragged her away.

She screamed out, “No! Take me back to him.”

They ignored her pleas, and they disappeared into the hallway.

The remaining vampires tried to get at Alice. They clawed at the space above them, but she was well out of their grasp. They threw bottles, glasses, and other objects at her. Alice dodged them, continuing to climb higher, running circles around the space above the nightclub dance floor.

Alice pelted them with the arcane flames. Some burst into ash as they struck the vampires in the head with enough force to blow it off. It was a mad scramble for salvation, and Alice was playing the role of the destructor.

Guinevere circled toward Alice, ready to pick up its new rider. Alice took a few steps and leap frogged over the broomstick and onto the seat. Guinevere buckled as she caught Alice. She flung a few more flames at the vampires below.

With Sylvia gone and most of the vampires scrambling, there wasn’t much more she could do. They spun around, searching for an exit. The doors were too close to the ground for their retreat; they needed to be higher. Alice threw a purple flame at one of the crimson curtains. The window shattered in an explosion of glass and fabric.

Alice leaned forward and flew out the window. She made a hasty retreat for home.