Chapter Twenty-Five

Jake

Now I had two women who weren’t speaking to me. Meena was mad that I was focused on Bane rather than her. Sybil had told me I was an idiot for wanting to take on Bane. I was definitely not feeling the love.

As I replaced warped boards on Aunt Zelda’s back steps, I tried to come up with a plan. I didn’t want to be the guy responsible for turning vampires into a bunch of demon blood junkies so, as far as I could tell, the drinking demon blood angle was out. And I missed Meena. It didn’t help that I was the one who’d screwed things up. I’d like to blame the demon blood and maybe that was part of it…maybe it was my burning hatred for Bane, but I needed to fix things with her. How in the hell was I supposed to do that?

Aunt Zelda came outside on the back porch holding her phone. “Your mom is on the line.”

Shit. She was probably coming to get me.

“I already talked to her about you staying for your senior year,” Zelda said. “Choose what’s best for you. Okay?” She passed me the phone.

I put the phone to my ear. “Hey, Mom. How’s Florida?”

“It’s great. You’re going to love it. Steve has a house near the beach.”

“Sounds nice, but Aunt Zelda offered to let me stay here and go to school.”

“Stay in Crossroads? Why would you do that?”

“I like it here. I have a job and a girlfriend.” If I still had a girlfriend.

“I really want to stay. If that’s okay.”

“But I miss you,” my mom said.

Should I give in and go stay with her? Maybe it was time I made decisions that were best for me. “I miss you, too. You can always come visit me.”

I heard voices in the background. My mom laughed. “Sure, honey. I’ll come visit you at Zelda’s. I gotta go. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Mom.” And then she was gone.

I handed the phone back to Zelda. “Now that I’m staying, I better straighten things out with Meena.”

“Good idea.” Zelda headed back into the house with a smile on her face. She was happy I was staying. She wanted me here. Crossroads could be my home.

I finished nailing the last board into place and then put my tools away before calling Meena. Her phone rang and rang. Was she avoiding my calls? I tried again.

“Jake, this is Sage. You need to come over. Meena’s in trouble.”

“What’s—” Before I could ask more Sage hung up on me.

I ran, using my vampire speed. When I made it to her house, I half expected to see an ambulance or demons or something. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Her dad swung the door open before I could knock. “Come on. She’s in the backyard.”

I sped through the house and out the back door. Meena lay on the ground surrounded by rose bushes.

“What’s going on?”

“Astral projection,” her dad said.

“I hate that crap.”

“This time she plans to slip her tether,” Sage said. “She wants to die.”

“What?” I couldn’t have heard that right.

“It’s the only way to escape Bane,” Sage explained. “The contract she signed with Carol didn’t state that it was a summer job. Bane claims she’s bound to him for life. This seemed like the only solution.”

I kneeled in the grass next to Meena and took her hand. “If you can hear me, please don’t do this.”

“I had her tether,” Sage said. “But she pulled away from me. I wanted you here because I was hoping her strong emotional connection with you might help guide her back.”

As I watched, Meena’s breathing became shallower and shallower. And then her chest stopped moving.

“She’s gone.” Sage brushed the hair off Meena’s forehead. “Now we must wait for her to come back.”

“Can’t we wake her up?” her dad asked. “Throw cold water on her or something?”

“No,” Sage said. “That would be dangerous.”

Blue light flashed on Meena’s arm. The bracelet was no longer a solid circle. I reached over and pulled it off. “That part worked. Meena, come back.”

Nothing happened. She just lay there. How long could she go without breathing? I didn’t plan on waiting to find out. Instead, I lay down on the ground next to her, holding her hand. “I’m going to get her.”

I could do this. All I needed to do was focus. I didn’t need to die. I just needed to let go and travel out of my body. When I’d tried astral projection before, I’d failed. A lot had happened since then. After the crash, I’d drifted between life and death. It had felt like I was floating away.

I closed my eyes and focused on that sensation. Just floating along. Drifting in the ether. That’s where Meena would be. As my body grew lighter, I opened my eyes. I was adrift in what looked like a night sky. There were pinpricks of light.

“Meena?” Lights of various colors blinked in and out. I spotted a golden light…it was warm…there was something familiar about it. I drifted over and reached out to touch it. Suddenly I was falling through clouds… I landed on my back…and tried to get my bearings. “Meena?”

I looked around and saw a girl sitting under a tree, petting a cat, and reading a book. I ran to her. “Meena, you need to come back with me.”

She glanced up at me and then went back to looking at her book. “Why would I go anywhere with you?” She turned a page and continued to read.

“What?”

“You abandoned me. I walked home. You didn’t even notice.”

Crap. “You’re right. I was an idiot. I’m sorry. Please come home.”

She closed the book. “Even if I wasn’t mad at you why would I want to leave? It’s lovely here.”

Maybe if I reminded her why she’d done this. “Bane’s bracelet came off. You don’t have to work for him anymore.”

“That’s good.” She set the book down and picked up the black cat with white feet and held him on her lap. “This is Mr. Mittens. He was my first cat. My sister wanted to call him Socks. I liked Mittens better.”

The cat purred and closed its eyes.

“He seems like a great cat, but we can’t stay here.”

“At first I was worried about finding my way home, but now I don’t really care.” She pointed at the ground next to her. “Sit. Stay for a while.”

How long could we stay before she couldn’t go back? I had to convince her that her place was in the real world. “My mom called and asked me to go to Florida, but I told her I wanted to stay in Crossroads for my senior year. You’re a big part of why I wanted to stay. Please come home with me.”

“How’d you find me? Is Zelda helping you?”

“No. It’s just me. I panicked and dove in.”

“Who’s holding your tether?” Meena asked.

“No one.” And that was a terrifying thought.

A genuine smile lit her face. “So you just came to find me. You weren’t worried about getting lost or not being able to find your way back?”

“No.”

“But you were scared of that before.”

“You’re right. I was.” I reached over and touched her face, and when she didn’t move away from me I leaned in and brushed my lips across hers. “The scariest thing I can think of is losing you.”

She sucked in a breath. “That’s so sweet.”

“Please come back with me, Meena.”

Mr. Mittens meowed.

She rubbed the cat’s ears. “Do you think Mr. Mittens could come with us?”

“I have no idea.”

“I guess I’ll hold on to him and hope for the best.”

“Does that mean you’ll come back?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” There was one problem. “How do we get back?”

“We’re going to fly up and out of my psyche until we can look down on our bodies and then we’ll dive into them.”

Like it could be that simple.

We stood. I held Meena’s hand tight while she held Mr. Mittens. She bent her knees so I did the same.

“Don’t overthink it. We go on three,” Meena said. “One, two, three.”

I pushed off and we blasted up into the air and out into the ether. We went higher and higher into the twilight and then I could see Meena’s backyard where we were lying on the ground. We changed trajectory and dove for our bodies.

I jerked awake, sitting upright, and then clutched the back of my head. I rubbed the spot where it felt like someone had smacked me.

…

Meena

I was still holding Jake’s hand when I woke up, but Mr. Mittens had disappeared. That was all right. I’d see him again someday.

“Are you okay?” Sage asked.

“I’m fine.” Although I was a little embarrassed that I’d almost accidentally committed suicide. Everything had seemed so peaceful over there. But now that I was back, it was time for phase two of my plan. I stood up and took the pocket knife Sage held out to me.

“Can you stop doing things that scare the hell out of me?” my dad asked.

“Gladly.” I used the knife to cut my finger. “I’m looking forward to a quiet, boring school year.”

“What are you doing?” Jake asked.

I let the blood drip onto the silver bracelet. “May this shackle melt into the ground. Never again will I be demon bound.”

The bracelet lost its shape, turning into a small silver puddle.

Blue light flashed and Bane appeared. His face was contorted in anger which morphed into confusion. “You’re alive?”

“I died…briefly,” I said, “which voided my contract with Carol. The spell on the bracelet is to ensure you’ll never trap me again.”

“You think you’re done with me?” Bane laughed.

“Yes. I do.” I backed up a step, slicing my palm as I moved, flexing my hand so the blood would flow. “But there’s one more thing we need to take care of.”

“What would that be?” Bane moved closer, towering over me.

“Thorns of rose bind him tight, until he releases Zelda and Carol from their plight.”

Thorny green vines reached out for Bane. I felt the sunshine flowing into me, and I sent the energy shooting through my body into the ground. I guided the rose bushes to trap Bane and wrap around his arms and legs, forming a thorny cage.

Bane laughed. “You’re a young witch. You can’t hold me. You have no real power.”

He snapped his fingers and the rose vines drooped but they didn’t fall away.

“Wrong,” I said. “I’m a witch with three generations of untapped power flowing through my veins.”

The wind kicked up and I felt my power surge. The vines continued wrapping around Bane, encircling his torso, wrapping around his chest.

For the first time Bane didn’t look so sure of himself. “You’d risk your life and the lives of those you love to free Carol and Zelda?”

“Yes,” I said.

He smiled. “I knew you were worthy of power. If I release Carol and Zelda, they must retire. Stop fighting me. Stop trying to save souls.”

“No,” Jake said. “You’re going to let them go back to their old lives. Let them help people again.”

“And why would I do that?” Bane asked.

“If you don’t, I’ll tell all the vampires how tasty your blood is.”

“And then all the vampires will die,” Bane pronounced.

“Jake has a point.” I cinched the vines tighter around Bane. “Give Carol and Zelda their lives back.”

Bane laughed. “You can’t hold me forever.”

“I’m pouring my blood into my mother’s favorite roses. She spent hours talking to them, pouring her heart into them.” I twisted my hands, squeezing the vines tighter, making the thorns sharper. “I can keep you here for days and invite all the other demons to come see you in captivity.”

Bane snarled. “Fine. I’ll release Carol and Zelda.”

“While you’re at it, make me human again,” Jake said. “Being a vampire is amazing, but being with Meena is more important.”

I sucked in a breath. “You want to give up immortality for me?”

He nodded.

“Anything else you’d like?” Bane’s words dripped sarcasm. “Maybe a never-ending supply of ice cream.”

“Tempting, but I think we’re good.” I squeezed my hand so more blood flowed. “Let his promises to me set Bane free.” The green vines receded and disappeared.

Bane waved his hand at Jake. “This won’t be pleasant.”

“What do you—” Jake dropped to his knees and moaned.

“Bane?” Was he hurting Jake or healing him?

“Unfortunately, he’ll be fine in a few minutes,” Bane said. “Your power is impressive, and one day you’ll grow bored of your human limitations. When that happens, come see me.” And then he disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Before I could think of anything to say, Jake projectile-vomited blood.

I put my hand on his back. “Are you okay?”

He sat back and moved away from the red puddle of yuck. “That was gross.” Then he touched his mouth. “Hey, my fangs are gone.” He smiled up at me. “I’d kiss you but I should brush my teeth first.”

I nodded. “Agreed.”

“Can we be done with magic stuff for a while?” my dad asked. “Maybe celebrate with some ice cream?”

“I’d love that, but Jake and I need to talk first.”

My dad headed into the house.

“I’ll call Zelda and Carol and give them the good news.” Sage followed my dad inside.

“You were amazing,” Jake said.

“Thanks. Let’s get you some mouthwash.”

Once Jake’s blood breath was gone, we sat on the couch in the front room while my dad and Sage ate ice cream in the kitchen. There was something I wanted to ask him. “That stuff you said about not wanting to be here without me. Did you mean it?”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you blow me off the other day?” It might be petty, but I needed to know why and I needed to make sure I could trust him.

Jake frowned. “I’m sorry. I think it came down to ego. I hated that Bane was so powerful. I really am sorry and I will never do anything that stupid again.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“So are we good?” Jake asked.

“If you kiss me in the next thirty seconds,” I said. “But no pressure.”

Jake wrapped his arms around me and pulled me onto his lap before pressing his mouth against mine. I kissed him back, reveling in the warmth growing between us. Being with him felt right.

“The ice cream is melting,” my dad hollered from the kitchen.

I pulled away from Jake and sighed. “To be continued later?”

“Count on it.”

I reflected on what a strange summer it had been. I might not have gotten my mother back but I’d been able to spend time with her and I knew she was at peace. My dad could start down his own road to recovery and we could all move on with our lives. Carol and Zelda were free. Over time, I’d figure out more ways to use my magic and maybe I could swing the balance of power away from the demons. No matter what happened with my magic, I was determined to live a semi-normal life…just a bookworm with a boyfriend. I might never blend in with the float-making, parade-loving citizens of Crossroads, but I had finally found a place where I fit, where I belonged.

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