I pull out the book fitting that description and realize it’s an old diary. The leather is battered, and the pages inside are yellow. The cover of the diary doesn’t have any writing or symbols, but when I flip the pages and read some of the text, my heart skips a beat. Wide-eyed, I turn to Tish. “Where did you find this?”
“At the Nightshade Market. The guy I got it from had no idea what he was selling. It was a bargain.” She laughs.
“This is wonderful. Thank you, Tish.”
“Are you going to perform any spells from it?”
I close the diary and put it back on the shelf. “Not tonight.”
I’ve been studying the arcane arts for centuries, and what Tish found is a treasure. Just quickly glancing at its contents told me whoever owned it was an experienced and powerful witch. Vampires don’t usually mess with witchcraft, but I’ve always been drawn to the occult. Plus, I have magic within me, which I assumed I’d inherited from my mother. Now that I know Queen Tatiana is the female who birthed me, I doubt my gift came from her. If she could yield magic, she’d have used it against the usurper king and not relied on rogue mages.
“What type of potions are you talking about?”
“One for concealment so we can sneak out without Igor knowing. One for my hair?—”
“Makeover time!” Tish yaps in delight. She’s been sending me several pictures for inspiration for the past two months, but I only decided on the look I want last night.
“Yes, you’ve been waiting for that.”
“Duh. Makeovers are fun.”
“Well, the last potion is the hardest one.”
“Human disguise?” Tish asks.
I nod. “Precisely. I don’t want anyone knowing I’m a vampire. This is my first recon outing. I want to know what I’m up against.”
“Oh, fun. Where are we going? Havoc?”
I shake my head. “No. That’s crawling with vampires and stupid humans.”
“You want a place where you can hear all the gossip from the supernatural community of Salem. If not Havoc, then we should check out Night Crawlers. I hear it’s a good mix of humans and supernaturals who prefer to keep their identity on the down-low.”
“Perfect.”
I don’t tell Tish, but I’m worried about going out in public. It’s been too long, and the last time I ventured out on my own, something awful happened. But I can’t let my fears keep me jailed. I have to see this through.
Ten
VAUGHN
The High Witch made good on her promise and brought the potion that will make me appear human. The effects will last twenty-four hours. I wish it would last longer, but I didn’t want to push my luck. I have the feeling she only agreed to help me to avoid a future headache.
Unfortunately, Mom is working a night shift at the hospital, and my younger sister, Clarissa, is at a sleepover. So tonight, I only get to see my big sister, Annabelle, whom I’m meeting at Night Crawlers, a popular bar downtown where Nocturnal used to perform. Man, that feels like years ago. I haven’t touched my bass guitar since Rikkon was kidnapped by Larsson and the band went on hiatus. I wonder if we’ll ever play together again.
I only drink the potion once I’m parked in front of the bar. It tastes bitter as fuck, and it almost makes me gag. I cover my mouth with a fist in case the potion wants to come back up. If I throw up, there goes my chance to hang out with Annabelle.
After a moment, the nausea passes. The High Witch said it would take from one to five minutes for the potion to take effect, but I lack the patience, so I look in the mirror and check if my fangs are still visible. They aren’t. I’m good to go.
Once out of the car, I take a deep breath. I may look human, but my enhanced senses are intact. When I don’t detect the scent of any vampires in the vicinity, I relax a bit. The last thing I need is to have an encounter with a bloodsucker from Bloodstone Institute who might recognize me.
There’s some traffic on the street, so I wait to cross. I decide to text Annabelle to see where she’s at when from the corner of my eye, I see a woman with blue-and-green hair not pay attention to traffic. She’s going to walk right in front of a car racing down the street.
I don’t stop to think. I reach for her, grabbing her arm to pull her back. A horn blares.
“Careful there,” I say.
She looks at me like a deer caught in headlights for a moment, and I immediately notice the unique color of her eyes. Lavender. I’ve never seen such a striking color before. It’s bewitching.
