Laylalooked up when I entered, her long silky strawberry blonde hair fell to herwaist. Her translucent pale skin was revolting. She peered at me with blackeyes. “Congratulations on the wedding, dear.”
Iwasted no time in getting to the point. “Get the hell off of my best friendbefore I tear your head off.”
Laylakept caressing Emma’s belly as Emma stared at her, terrified.
“Isn’tthe miracle of life an amazing thing?” She crooned.
Ilaunched myself at her, the fastest I had ever been. I ripped her off of Emmaand slammed her against the wall, cracking the plaster.
“Diya,get Emma out!” I screamed behind me. Layla looked at me seductively. I heardcommotion outside the window. My hands were on Layla’s shoulders pinning heragainst the wall. I heard the door slam and was grateful Diya had done as Iasked.
“You’remaking this too easy, dear.” She purred and sunk her teeth into my neck withlightning speed. No! Pleasure exploded inside me. No! She was strong, reallystrong, stronger than me. But I was fast. A small part of me didn’t want toturn away. A small part liked the feeling of being bitten. Repulsion broke thattrance and I shifted into my wolf form blindly fast. Since I was on all fours,I was level with her stomach. I tore into her abdomen with my strong teeth.
‘Layla’sat Emma’s. She bit me,’I sent toKai. If she had my blood coursing through her veins, then she would be able toget pregnant. I couldn’t let that happen. I ripped into her belly like a beargutting a fish. She shrieked. Suddenly, the room went black with smoke. I feltmy lungs burning for air and the smoke somehow forced me to turn back into myhuman form. Magic. Layla kicked me hard and I flew across the room slamminginto the wall.
Ishifted to my human form and felt the Devi’s presence stir inside of me. It wasscary and foreign.
“Layla!”I screamed. “You’re a dark spirit that’s been alive way too long. It’s time Isend you home!” I shouted, the Devi within me had risen up to the surface.Those words only felt half like they were mine. I was ready for her. She wouldnot leave this room unless she was a pile of ash in my trash can.
Iconcentrated on dispelling the black mist with my own white magic. Mist pouredfrom my palms. Layla was holding her abdomen, injured and losing blood. Shelooked at me with curiosity. I took one step toward her to finish her off, whenI heard Emma’s bloodcurdling scream coming from the front of the house. For asecond, I couldn’t move. I instinctively wanted to run to help Emma, butsomething was keeping me here. The Devi? No! I controlled my life. Emma camefirst. I forced my body to move and ran down the hall leaving Layla to bleedout. The front door was open. I rushed outsideand saw Max and Kai running toward me in wolf form.
“Emma!”I screamed.
‘She’ssafe with Diya, onher way toyour mom’s,’Kai told me.
“What?” That witch! She tricked me. No.
I ran around the side of the house to where Emma’s bedroom windowwas. A trail of blood led away from thewindow and into the forest. Ishifted quickly and took off running, letting the blood trail lead me. I feltKai at my back. No one else could outrun a vampire. Kai and I were the onlyones fast enough.
‘Shedrank my blood,’I told him.
‘We’llfind her,’He pushed ahead of me.
Thebushes were left shaking in our wake. This speed was dangerous; I barely hadtime to see a rock or fallen tree before maneuvering around it. There! I sawLayla and Prudence. There were a few militia members fighting off to the right.Kai jumped high and landed on Layla’s back, taking her head in his jaws.Prudence stopped and turned, throwing her hands out and slamming Kai with aspell that caused him to let go of Layla and howl in pain. I shifted to humanform and grabbed a sharpened stick that was on the ground and threw it with allmy force. Layla moved to the side quickly but not quick enough. It embeddedinto her shoulder and she hissed. I smiled in triumph. Distracted, I forgotabout Prudence, a black wall of smoke crashed into me, sucking my white magicout. I remembered about the power stone and Prudence having this affinity. Shewas stealing my power! I fell back as waves of white magic poured from me andinto Prudence.
“No!” Ishouted and threw my hands out, stopping it and knocking Prudence over.
Prudence’seyes glowed red like a demon. Layla was panting on the ground, losing blood.Prudence threw black magic at Kai and me. “Sleep!” and a wall of darkness tookme.
I awoketo someone shaking me. It was a militia member. I was still in the woods. Iturned next to me, Kai was rubbing his head.
“Youokay?” He asked.
But I wasn’t hearing him. My shaky hand went to my neck. “Kai,she bit me. She …”
Kaiwinced, not sure what to say. “It’ll be okay.” I heard gun shots and growls allaround me. We were at war, the world I knew was gone and I had just givenfertility to a heroin junkie vampire queen.
Shit.
Pest
Sylviahad assembled the coven. We were all in a circle in the living room and Kaileaned up against a wall in the background. After Layla left, the vampires allaround the country retreated into hiding. No use fighting and dying when youhad what you wanted. I looked at Sylvia. “Layla bit me.”
Shenodded and shared a look with Gretchen. Gretchen looked at me sadly and noddedto Sylvia.
“What?I hate when you do this. Just tell me.” They were always conversing with theirlooks.
Gretchenapologized, and rested a hand on my shoulder. “Healing can work two ways. Youcan give life or take it. I know of a way to make it so that your blood will nolonger be fertile to the vampires.”
