Dangerous, Diabolical
Chapter 10 - Unfortunate Souls

Unfortunate souls

Despite the fact I knew Grahame was missing, leaving the hotel presented an apprehensive moment. Every corner was a potential nook for him to jump out like the boogeyman to banish me back to the room. It wasn’t until I reached the outskirts of town that I could release the breath that I’d been holding.

Glad to finally be able to clear my nostrils I greedily inhaled the smells around me, drowning out the earthy musk of Leo with a tirade of fumes and coffee shops. Clad in only in the tall Councilman’s long t-shirt, adapted shorts and strolling leisurely barefoot, people stared openly before startling their gaze elsewhere when they met mine. Now I knew what I was looking at; humans were frankly, even more boring than before.

Magic drifted around them but didn’t interact at all. A few of them faintly shimmered with a similar substance to Leo, but it left them if they moved too quickly instead of staying within. Greedily I replenished my own stores with the compatible dust whilst meandering along. My house was reasonably close, and my first port of call as I needed to feed my fish. Hopefully, they would forgive their sporadic fuel replenishment.

Upon sighting the little forgotten cottage, it became apparent it was not as I left it. Striped blue streamers bordered everywhere like a really bizarre fence. A giant strip of the same tape crossed the front threshold where the doors splintered remains from Leo’s magic attack lay. Tiny flags adorned the visible patches next to remaining shards, numbered flyers attached to them. It wasn’t really my idea of good ornaments, but I could appreciate the idea. Decorate the destruction.

Inside the house was even worse. Granted it was a little untidy when I left it; and the lack of doors, windows and furnishings had made it a bit draughty, but that was no excuse for the amount of people I could smell that had trampled through it.

My house inside was totally destroyed, even by my standards. A cave would have been tidier. Even more blue and white stripes adorned the inside, with several clear bags holding my items hostage. It was almost as if someone had died and the entire human police force had descended.

In the bedroom, my glamoured gold piles were in disarray, and it smelt like several humans were responsible. Even worse the wardrobe and drawers, which I had left rather neat, had been ferreted through with key items missing. Rooting amongst the ravages at least there were a few odd pieces remaining that I’d put on since it was an emergency.

As I was about to leave, Leo’s shirt which I’d discarded on the bed, was pushed into my gold’s void for safekeeping, at least until I had the chance to return it.

Next stop Members Only.

Bounding out of the front door frame, I sighted my next-door neighbour at the end of the path with a bouquet of flowers. She jumped in fright, hand on chest.

“My goodness!” The elderly lady gasped. “You’re alive dear!”

“Um, of course?” From her reaction, it wasn’t clear if she was upset or frightened. Besides her feet, there were a bunch of other flower bouquets, candles and a terribly shot picture of my likeness taken from a distance. “Cool!” Was this a shrine, for little old me? Had the street come to its senses and deigned that worshipping my glory was the one true path?

“Goodness gracious, we thought you were dead.” Her voice was shrill. My smile drooped. “With all that damage, we were convinced you must have been in an explosion.” Her little wrinkled face looked down to the flowers she was holding, back to me, then down to the pile of flowers that were amassing. She bent for a moment as if to add her offering, then instead straightened and held them out to me.

They were wrapped in a stripy patterned paper. “Ah lovely,” I said sourly, disappointment at the lack of worship evident. Accepting the proffered flowers I pushed heat into the stems, and they wilted instantly upon entering my arms. Her eyes widened underneath oversized glasses.

Oops. “I did unfortunately die, but my soul was rejected from hell. Terrible really.” The flowers burst into flames dramatically.

“Dear god!” She exclaimed backing away. “You’re one of those things from the news!” She shrieked, “It’s true!”

“Now I’m forever doomed to haunt this place.” I lamented.

“Lord have mercy!” She was almost tripping over her own feet.

My voice warbled. “No lord can save me now!”

“Grahhhhh!” She screamed, and for a lady of her age, managed to get up to a good speed as she ran away; cindered floral ashes gently floated to my feet in her wake. It wasn’t until she was out of sight it occurred to me what a good snack she could’ve made. Oh well. There was always next time.

Humming as I strolled toward the club, the roads were notoriously busy. People were crammed on cycles causing near-misses on the pavements, traffic sat impatiently queued at red lights, horns blaring.

“Get a move on!”

“Moron, you’re blocking the way!” They were yelling at each other. Rubbish was strewn across the street and anybody on foot was pulling a suitcase.

Clad in a light sweater, the cold nipped flirtatiously through the fabric and leaves crunched underfoot. Dodging the oncoming tirade of humans I moved to stroll the edges of the woods, greedily devouring all of the magical energy and finally feeling refreshed. If anything, it was as if I were brimming with more magic than before. At what point would my reserves feel full?

It was evident even from a distance the club’s car park was still torn up. Traffic cones and barricades defended the worst sections from trespassers. It was a cherished opening of space compared to the packed streets.

“I think you dropped something.” A rich voice purred. Markus, the bouncer, was lounged against the club under the smoker’s cover. He smelt of spicy aftershave, ironed clothes and cocktails. More interestingly, now I was watching for it, he was coated with a grey magical hue that I hadn’t seen before. So, Markus wasn’t an earth-based, or Fae-creature.

Smiling I batted my eyelashes in reply. ”Oh?”

“My jaw.” He smirked at his own joke, but considering he could hold his own in a fight, I didn’t mind languishing him some attention.

“Need help picking it up?” I couldn’t stop a sashay from creeping into my walk, especially when recalling his growing in size. His eyes concentrated on my features as I would observe a baby dear. A thrill ticked up my spine. Finally, something to do!

“So, when are we going for that drink you owe me?” He drawled.

I bit my lip, ”After I’ve found the necromancer.” He merely laughed at my response.

“Why are you doing that? Looking for something fun to play with?” His eyes danced at the question and despite wanting to play along, there was a more pressing agenda.

“Because I want to raise the dead, duh. Anyway, is Willow okay?”

He showed me an exaggerated saddened pout. “Why mess with the dead when you could have the living?”

I didn’t respond and he sulked, shoulders drooping.

“Scouts honour, I escorted her into the woodland myself. Took me three hours to figure out how to get home afterwards, you know.”

It was my turn to laugh. He was lucky Willow let him go at all. “She has that effect.”

Markus just shook his head. “Here, said to give you this.” From his palm he dropped the final gem, dangling from the chain interwoven through his fingers, the blue faces refracting in the streetlights. It held the charm to shield from a magical attack. Silently, I took it from his outstretched hand, and instantly a thrumming of thunder echoed in my ears, my mouth filling with the taste of rain. I dropped it around my neck with the others, the effect quieting.

Markus pushed his hands deep into his pockets. ”Guess, you’re taking off again?”

Shrugging, “places to be, I’m a busy girl you know.”

“Hopefully not with the SPCC, they were far too interested in you.”

Interesting. I batted my lashes. “Little old me?”

“Yeah, that vamp even came by this morning to follow up on some of the questions.” So that’s where Grahame had gotten too, and here was me thinking we’d had a little bonding experience and he was my new best friend. Leo was surely worrying over nothing, the guy was probably back at the office already.

“What sort of questions?”

He popped out his lip in a frown with a shrug. “Simple stuff, you know, like how long had I known you.”

“Too long.” Was my response, grinning. He smirked back.

“Also, he was rather interested as to if I’d ever seen your house.”

Why? I kept my tone light. “You told him it was a castle right?”

“Even better, I assured him that’s where you took all your victims.” He winked, before starting to laugh to himself.

The bottom almost fell out of my stomach.

“Ha.” I forced the word. My fake grin did not meet my eyes. “What did he say to that?” I asked through clenched teeth, trying not to twitch.

“If I’d ever noticed anyone go missing around you.”

I was going to kill Markus and sew his mouth shut.

“And you told him I was the nicest person you ever met?” Please, grant me that at least.

“Sure, told him you were great.” Phew, okay, that worked. “Said we’d had a few beers and bonded over burying all the victims in your garden.” He seemed to think that was even funnier.

My eyeballs refused to blink, a fake smile was stuck plastered across my face as I struggled not to explode into scales there, and then. I think a muscle twitched in my forehead. His laughter died down awkwardly when he noticed I wasn’t laughing along. “Seriously, don’t worry Andy. No one who meets you would think you’d do that.”

This couldn’t be happening. So first off, the local town hadn’t built me a shrine, and now even Markus thought I was harmless? Was I a dragon or a bunny?

“I, however, think you’d be a dangerous little lady.” He added, leaning towards me.

He had no idea.

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