7. Daylight Plotting Time

Chapter 7

Daylight Plotting Time

H ugo removed boxes from the spare bedroom closet, stacking them neatly behind him. The spare bedroom was less of a bedroom and more of a museum to the past. He peeled back layers of historical artifacts and documents—items they didn’t want to throw away, yet had no place to display them.

He uncovered the treasure he sought—a wooden box with metal handles on the side. He pulled on the handle to free it from its hidden location. The stack behind it wavered as he pulled. He braced the boxes with his hand, but they tumbled to the ground.

The two hat boxes spilled their contents onto the floor. Max was quick to investigate, worming her way in between the items and Hugo to get a better look.

“Max, back up,” Hugo said.

She didn’t listen. She continued her exploration. She smelled each item on the floor. First, an old witch’s hat. It was black with an oversized wide brim and a tall point. The end was bent over with age. The second was an old, black cowboy hat. Two playing cards spilled out from the hat—an Ace and Eight of Spades. Their once white color now yellowed with age .

Hugo pushed the adventurous pup back. “Watch out, Max.”

She backed away.

Hugo removed the wooden box from the closet, setting it next to him, where Max once stood. He used it to block her from coming closer. He gathered up the playing cards and placed them back in the cowboy hat. He placed both hats in their respective boxes and returned all the items.

He lifted the wooden box and kicked the closet door closed. He carried his treasure out of the bedroom. Max followed. They went down the stairs and into the dining room, where he set it on the table. Max raised her nose above the table to smell the wooden box. Unsatisfied, she jumped up and placed her front paws on the table to look.

“Get down, Max,” Hugo said as he pushed her down.

Max whined in frustration.

Hugo turned his attention to Alice, who was clutching a cup of tea and looking out the bay window.

“What are they doing now?”

“Nothing,” Alice replied. “They’re shuffling around, acting like they’re doing yard work.”

Hugo peered out the bay window. Four male figures, all wearing matching white canvas coveralls, meandered in the Savinos’ backyard. One of the playing card symbols—a black club, a black spade, a red diamond, or a red heart—was painted below their left shoulders. They each held rakes, sweeping the backyard without any real purpose. Their eyes scanned every inch of the fence and occasionally focused back on Alice and Hugo’s purple house.

One, the red heart, appeared to make eye contact with Hugo.

“They can’t see us, right?” Hugo asked.

“Of course not,” Alice said.

“Then why does it feel like he’s looking at me?”

The worker’s eyes moved to another location.

“He can’t,” Alice assured him.

“Positive? ”

Alice arched her eyebrows and tilted her head toward Hugo. “Did you ever see me?”

“So, you were spying on me. I knew it ,” Hugo said with a smirk. “What’s in the box?”

They turned their attention to the old wooden box sitting on the table. Alice set her cup on the table.

“This is my vampire hunter’s kit,” Alice said.

She flipped open the lid and removed a wooden tray. It contained an assortment of items—a pistol next to a gunpowder pouch, six silver musket balls, and a flask of holy water. She set it on the table.

“Why do you have a vampire hunter’s kit?”

“Remember last Halloween when I joked about dating a vampire?”

“Vaguely.”

“Well, I dated a vampire, and he really did suck.”

“Witches, fairies, and now vampires. Anything else exist I should know about?” Hugo asked with a sarcastic tone.

“All myths, legends, and fairytales are rooted in some truth. A lot of misconceptions, but some truth,” Alice replied.

Hugo picked up the pistol. “Why don’t we shoot them in the heart with this?”

“If you want to piss them off, go right ahead. Most of the items in here don’t work. There’s only one.”

Below the tray were more items to hunt the creatures of the night—a Bible, a crucifix, a mallet, and a wooden stake.

“This is the only thing that can hurt a vampire.”

Alice withdrew the wooden stake and presented it to Hugo. He placed the pistol back on the tray and took the weapon. It was over a foot long and narrowed to a point on one end. The stake was smooth and well sanded. The top was flattened, and the edges frayed from repeated strikes of the mallet.

“What about garlic?”

“He cooked with garlic,” she said, pointing to the house next door. “Again, it’s a lie told to people, so they won’t be frightened . . . sort of like a safety blanket. If they think it works, they’ll stay calm.”

“Well, they can’t get in unless invited, right?”

Alice pointed to the front door behind Hugo.

“They tend to leave out the part about witches protecting the door, so vampires can’t enter unless invited in.”

Hugo raised an eyebrow into a flabbergasted expression. “So, all of those vampire myths are a load of crap?”

“Pretty much. The only way to take them out is a wooden stake through the heart or taking off their head,” Alice said. “Sunlight too. That’s real.”

Hugo held up the wooden stake. “It’s the middle of the day. Let’s get the jump on them and go storm their castle.”

Alice was momentarily silent as she surveyed the house next door. “I thought of that. They have those four spies. What if there are more? We only saw what they wanted to show us last night. We don’t know how many are in there. We’d be walking right into a trap.”

Something in Alice’s front yard drew the attention of the four workers. They moved to the fence, standing shoulder to shoulder to peer over.

“I think she’s here,” Hugo said.

Max followed Alice to the front door. Her tail wagged with excitement at the prospect of either going on a walk or greeting a new visitor. Alice pulled back the black curtain to look out, her hand on the ornate diamond doorknob. She turned it and let in their visitor—Esmerelda Honeydew.

“That’s a little unsettling,” Ez said as she entered.

Alice quickly closed the door behind her.

Ez continued, “Have they been out there all morning?”

“Yes. Just watching us,” Alice replied.

Max whined and clacked her paws against the hardwood floors. Her tail thrashed about, smacking the walls as she greeted the new house guest .

Ez patted Max on the head with a series of small taps. “Good to see you too,” Ez greeted her four-legged friend.

Ez took off her overcoat and handed it to Alice. Her emerald green, knee length dress and yellow belt commanded attention and contrasted against the dark interior walls of the home.

Ez glanced up the stairs. “Where’s the other one?”

Alice pointed to the living room.

Ez peeked in from the hallway. “It’s not moving.”

“It doesn’t really react to anyone. Only when called. It’s very stoic,” Alice said.

“I’m sure it will in due time. How are you doing, kiddo?” Ez said.

Alice exhaled. “We got lucky last night. One tried to enter too. Now, we’re watching their workers.”

“Show me,” Ez said.

Alice led Ez down the hallway to the dining table. Max followed closely behind, trying to worm her way to the front of the pack, but was thwarted by the console tables blocking her ability to pass them.

“How was the trip down?” Hugo asked.

“Feels like it gets longer and longer,” she replied. “Maybe I should rethink the location.”

“We can always reconnect the rooms again. It’ll save on gas money,” Alice said.

“Let’s deal with your vampire problem first,” Ez responded. She stepped to where Alice was earlier and surveyed the scene outside the bay window.

“We’ve only seen the four so far,” Hugo said. “We didn’t see any last night.”

“You’re absolutely sure you tasted blood wine?” Ez asked.

“Definitely,” Alice replied as she stood behind Ez, peeking over her beehive hairdo to the four workers outside. “I’d recognize the taste anywhere.”

The workers continued their robotic like actions in the backyard. Scanning and searching the fence, they occasionally turned back to the bay window .

“You’re positive they can’t see us?” Hugo asked again.

Alice paused. “I’m positive . . . ninety-nine percent positive.”

“They’re ghouls,” Ez said. “Not living, not dead. Husks of their former selves. Puppets for the vampires. They’re commanded and compelled to repeat those actions. They can’t see us.”

Hugo sighed. “Well, that’s good.”

Ez turned to Alice. “Can you be a dear and put on a pot of tea?”

“Already made,” Alice said. She went into the kitchen.

Ez examined the wooden box and then the stake clutched in his hand. “Don’t lose that,” Ez said as she sat down.

Max rested her head on Ez’s lap, who then scratched the manipulative golden retriever behind the ears.

“Yeah, Alice already told me it’s the only thing that will work,” Hugo said as he sat down. He placed the wooden stake next to him. “That and sunlight.”

“A good beheading will work too,” Ez added.

Alice returned with a teapot and two additional cups floating behind her, as if held up by magical hands. The cups floated to their proper places on the table. Alice poured the tea into each cup.

“Thank you, kiddo,” Ez said as she took a sip.

“Thanks, babe,” Hugo said as she poured some into his cup. He took a sip. Heated to perfection, the liquid was a warm welcome on the cold autumn day.

Alice topped off her cup, set the teapot down, and took a seat. She joined in and took a sip.

Ez lowered her cup, cradling it with both hands below her nose. The steam rose into her face. “So, tell me what happened.”

“They invited us to dinner and offered us some old wine. They were entertaining us, keeping the conversation going and the wine flowing. There was a distinct taste to it. It was definitely blood wine. They even claimed Red-Hearted Queen was based on the wine they offered us. As the conversation went on, they leaned in, trying to enthrall us. They would have succeeded if not for the distinct taste,” Alice said .

Ez glared into her tea for a moment and then took a sip.

“I’d like to circle back to blood wine,” Hugo said. “Were we drinking blood?”

“No,” Alice said.

Hugo sighed. “That’s a relief.”

“It’s a magical wine that can attune to blood types and make it easier for them to enthrall, to hypnotize their victims,” Alice explained. “They’re doing it with Red-Hearted Queen. Except on a larger scale.”

“So, we take out the wine, and it stops them, right?” Hugo asked.

“They can still enthrall people. It’s what they do to feed, but the process can take a lot out of them. If they can make it easier to hypnotize someone”—Alice took a sip of tea—“then they can do more than feed.”

“And if they have access to someone’s blood, they can compel them to do practically whatever they want,” Ez added.

“Are they magick users too?” Hugo asked.

“No,” Ez said. “The vampiric transformation will strip anyone of the ability to call forth the arcane. Spells, however, can be attuned so anyone can cast them if they follow the exact process and know the arcane words.”

“Fantastic,” Hugo said in a sarcastic tone. He took a sip. “So, what do we do?”

“Have they done anything?” Ez asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Alice replied.

“What about all of those sick employees at the market?” Hugo asked. “It’s kind of strange so many have come down sick recently.”

“Hearsay . . . unless you can prove it. Until they do something, you can’t do anything,” Ez said. “Or else you’ll risk all-out war.”

Hugo sat back in his chair, narrowing his eyes. “War?”

“Witches and vampires haven’t always gotten along,” Alice said.

Ez took one more sip and set her cup down. “Witches and vampires have been fighting for centuries. Thousands of years, to be exact. The last all-out conflict, The Great Vampire-Witch War, lasted decades and took many lives. Peace wasn’t declared until the losses were too much on both sides. An uneasy peace has lasted for over five hundred years.”

“What did they fight over?” Hugo asked.

Hugo followed Ez’s finger as she pointed to Alice. An uneasy smile came across Alice’s face.

“What?” Hugo asked.

Alice took a sip. “They fought over the spell.”

“Your spell?” Hugo asked.

“ Our spell,” Alice corrected. “The vampires were determined to find it. The witches and wizards did their best to hide it.”

“Why?”

“They sought immortality,” Ez said. “They thought the spell could prevent them from dying to anything. If they couldn’t die, then they could rule over everything and everyone forever, with nothing to stop them.”

“That’s not true, right?” Hugo asked.

“We don’t know,” Alice said. “We don’t want to find out either.”

“So, why not destroy it if the spell is so powerful?”

“Can’t. I tried. I didn’t want the responsibility. I threw it in a fire right after I acquired it from my grandmother. It wouldn’t burn. I tried to rip it, cut it, destroy it. Nothing worked. Not even magick. The spell is protected, which is why I hide it. I figured it’s better to keep it hidden than let it fall into the wrong hands,” Alice said.

“I thought vampires were already undead. Why seek immortality?”

“Thousands of years ago, there was a king who wanted to rule forever. He sought out a witch to create a spell that would grant him immortality. The witch refused. This angered the king. No one told him no,” Ez said before taking another sip of tea.

She continued, “The king imprisoned the witch. He tortured her until she would agree to his demands. She refused, and the torture continued until she was left in a bloody, bruised mess. She was near death when she relented and decided to create his special spell. ”

“That’s horrible,” Hugo said.

“It gets worse,” Alice said.

“She created a spell and gave it to the king in the form of wine. His transformation began after drinking the wine. The witch wanted to punish him for the bloody torture he put her through. She laced it with her blood and told the king his bloodlust would never be quenched. His pursuit of immortality would be his undoing,” Ez continued.

She took another sip and finished, “He craved blood. He needed it, or else he would frenzy until his thirst was quenched. His incisors grew into fangs. The king was forced into the darkness as sunlight would boil his blood from the inside. It drove him mad. She designed the spell so his only relief would be something that once bled piercing his dark heart.”

“Trees bleed, hence the stake,” Hugo said.

“Correct,” Alice said. “But there’s more. The king ordered the witch be burned for condemning him to this life of torture. She called for other witches to help, but none did. They remained hidden in the shadows out of fear of reprisal. Abandoned by her own kind. Her final act would be her ultimate vengeance.”

“The witch activated a part of the spell that allowed the king to create an army of vampires. He could choose to pass on his curse, so the entire kingdom would suffer the same fate. She gave him the power to hypnotize victims, enthrall them to do whatever he commanded, such as willingly allow him to drink their blood,” Ez finished.

“It’s been the burden, the guilt , of every witch and wizard since then. Protect the world from being overrun by vampires,” Alice said before taking a sip. “Even if they persecute us. It’s our duty . . . our burden.”

Hugo sat in stunned silence. He didn’t know what to say or how to respond. His silence became uncomfortable as it filled the dining area.

Max whined, breaking the silence as she commanded attention. Ez scratched her under the chin.

“I think there’s a bigger problem,” Alice said. She placed the cup on the table. “They know about The Neighborhood Witch.”

Ez nearly dropped her cup, pulling her other hand away from Max to steady it. “How?”

“Sylvia called out Alice yesterday. Asked her point-blank if she was The Neighborhood Witch on the wine label,” Hugo answered.

“What did you tell her?” Ez inquired.

“That we worked for the distribution company and they asked me to pose for the label,” Alice answered. “Unfortunately, they’re in distribution too, and it’s a matter of time before they figure it out.”

“So what?” Hugo asked. “They already knew we had the magical barrier at the door. They already know you’re a witch. What are they going to do?”

“Hopefully, nothing,” Alice said. “I hope they’re not looking for something more.” Her face turned expressionless as she focused on a spot on the table.

“They couldn’t know,” Hugo reassured her. He extended his hands across the table and grabbed her hands. “There’s no way they know.”

“We have to assume they do know,” Ez said.

“What if they don’t?” Hugo asked. “We treat everything like normal. There are a lot of witches and wizards, right? For all they know, someone else could have it.”

“Are you trying to make me feel better?” Alice asked.

“Possibly,” Hugo responded.

“We should still be cautious,” Ez added.

“Look, we’ll keep an eye on them. Besides, you had a vampire boyfriend before. Maybe they’re just looking for a quiet place to live,” Hugo said.

“Honestly, I should have staked him while I had the chance,” Alice said.

“What did he do?” Hugo asked .

“Cheated on me,” Alice replied. “I already know what I’m going to do to you if you cheat.” She picked up her cup and winked at him.

Hugo sat upright. He held his breath, astonished at her remarks.

“I’m joking. I know you won’t cheat on me,” Alice said.

“Honestly, I’m offended that you think I would,” Hugo said as he relaxed into a smile. He winked back.

Ez set her cup down. “If you two are done flirting, you can take me to lunch.”

“I know where we shouldn’t go for—” Hugo trailed off.

He paused. A thought occurred to him. If those ghouls were spying on them and people mysteriously became sick, they might be overlooking Sylvia and Sebastian’s next move. The one place where, if the Savinos were to strike, they would immediately attack.

The Raskins.

“We have to go see the Raskins,” Hugo said.

“Why?” Alice said.

“If they were to do something, and they can’t get in here, what’s their next move? The Raskins,” Hugo said. “They know about the wine. They know where it’s sold. If they wanted to do anything, they’d apply pressure there. We need to tell them. We have to at least put the magical barrier on their house.”

“I agree,” Ez said. “It’s better to be prepared than caught off guard.”

Hugo and Ez glanced toward Alice.

She nodded. “I’ll get my stuff.” Alice stood from the table and headed for the basement door.

“We can stop there on the way to lunch,” Ez said. “Besides, I want to see your display in person.”