If you're just joining the adventure and would like to start at the beginning, click here
Chapter Eleven
When they were outside the bar Anna sighed and stared at the sidewalk for a moment. Other than further confirmation of her sanity the woman hadn’t given her a lot to go on.
Jenna pulled out her phone and frowned at it. “What are we telling the girls?”
Anna looked up and studied her for a moment as she thought about it. “I don’t think we can tell them the truth. They’ll think we’re crazy or they’ll be freaked out, either way…. I think we should say that once we got to the Kilkant a girl told us there was some sort of hallucinogen in some of the candles. What do you think?”
Jenna nodded. “Yeah, that’s good. We’ll tell them that.” She called Macey and learned they were waiting in a club several blocks over.
As they walked towards it Anna explained in greater detail how she was able to block out the shadow men. “Although recently there have been so many of them I find it easier to ignore them instead.”
Jenna nodded slowly. “So what about the vampires? My God, there are actually vampires. Vampires exist. I keep thinking that I’m going to wake up any minute now.”
“I know. I’ve been dealing with the shadow men for years and I still feel like tonight is some sort of insane dream.”
Jenna looked thoughtful. “What else might be real I wonder. If there are demons and vampires…it seems like the possibilities are endless. Ghosts, monsters, werewolves, Bigfoot….from now on I won’t be so quick to scoff at the possibilities.”
Anna laughed feeling a little lighter. “True. You know what? We’re about to meet up with M and M and since we’ve decided to keep this to ourselves I think it might be best to try and forget about it for the night. I really, and I mean really want to drink and party.”
“Amen to that, show me the booze.”
They stopped in front of the Frat House where Macey and Marina were waiting expectantly.
“Okay, what gives, spill it,” Marina demanded.
Anna told them that they had gone to the Kilkant to talk to the mistress and while they were waiting one of the girls told them that some of the candles contained hallucinogens in order to “open their minds.”
“Oh my God, what a bitch!” Marina exclaimed. “She just wants people to think she’s not a fraud! Did you say anything to her?”
Anna and Jenna shook their heads simultaneously, exchanging glances. “No,”
Anna shrugged, “we decided it wasn’t worth it. We’re just gonna ignore things out of the ordinary until it wears off. Come on let’s go in, we seriously need to forget about it.”
They went inside the club and Anna made a beeline for the bar. She was in desperate need of a buzz right now. Jenna came up beside her and they decided to order a couple of shots to jump start. Jenna took hers and went back to join the others but Anna stayed put, ordering a beer and glancing nervously around the room.
Four shots and three beers later she slid off the stool and ran smack into a guy’s chest.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention!" She heard laughter and looked up into one of the most handsome faces she’d ever seen, with a dimpled smile that was utterly disarming. He was about six foot two, well built, and she could feel a blush climbing her neck as she ogled him.
"No harm done. Except I think you lost your drink. Here, let me buy you another."
"Oh no, it was totally my fault…
"Either way I'd like to buy you another. Jake, "he said, extending his hand.
She took it and smiled self-consciously, "Anna, and I really am sorry."
He smiled wider and gently tugged her in the direction of the bar. He hopped on a stool and indicated for her to do the same.
"American, huh?"
"Yup."
"What state?"
"New York."
"Really? You don't sound it."
She laughed. "Not from the city, from upstate. Pastures and cows...waterfalls too," she added, feeling like a moron.
"Oh yeah? So how do you like London?"
"So far it's great. I've only been here for a day."
"Well, then you haven't had time to form an opinion." He stirred his drink, which was some kind of liquor. "So who are you here with?"
"My girlfriends. We went to Paris, Venice, and Dublin, now we're staying here for the next couple of weeks."
"Oh, that sounds like a great time."
Anna kept stealing glances at him, crushing hard. He was breathtaking, just something about the shape of his face, and perfectly formed features. His eyes were bluish grey with a silvery ring around the iris that made her wonder if they were contacts.
Blue Oyster Cult came over the speakers and Anna could have predicted that Jenna would turn up.
"Hey, nice song huh?" Jenna looked at her meaningfully.
Anna grinned. "Don't fear the reaper," she sang, then realized Jake was watching her and blushed. " Jake-Jenna," she introduced.
Jake took her hand. "Nice to meet you. Can I buy you a drink?"
"Um, yeah sure," Jenna shot Anna a “Holy Cow” look and she smiled in commiseration.
Marina and Macey wandered over. "Come on guys, we want to head down the street," Marina announced.
"Why, what's down the street that isn't here?" Jake cocked his head, one beautiful brow raised in question.
Anna introduced them and before long they were all engaged in lively banter. She’d been flattered by Jake’s initial attention but as he spoke she got the feeling he was a player, and an excellent one at that. It was uncanny how he picked up on their individual vibes so quickly. She started to get a little nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach and tried to shush it, telling herself he was just gifted at reading people. Guys like him had a string of girlfriends for that very reason. So what if he was a ladies’ man? That didn’t make him supernatural.
"You're awful quiet all of a sudden," he was looking at her intently and the rest of the girls chimed in.
"That's just Anna, she's a daydreamer. If you don't have her undivided attention she'll go off to la la land," Marina teased.
"Hey, no giving away my deep dark secrets to strangers," Anna chided.
Jake smiled, "If that's your deep dark secret you are a very pure individual."
"Ah, but you don't know what she daydreams about, aarroo," Macey made a suggestive face and laughed obnoxiously.
"Thanks. Thanks guys, I appreciate this, really."
"Aw, come on, we're only teasing you," Macey made a kissy face and Anna rolled her eyes.
The whole time this was going on she could feel Jake observing them, studying them. Probably just trying to decide which one of us he has the best chance of taking home tonight, she thought.
"So I thought we were going to check out another place?" Jenna put in suddenly.
"Girls, girls, this is the place to be on a Wednesday night. Take it from me, there's nothing going on that's better than here. Now on Friday there's a place across town called Legend and if you're going out, you'll want to go there, but tonight? That place is here.”
This was said with such confidence Anna found it difficult to doubt him.
"Are you here with friends?" she asked suddenly.
He turned to her with hooded eyes, a sexy half smile playing on his lips. "You want to meet my friends? I thought there was a connection here." He gave her a look of mock hurt.
She raised an eyebrow. "With which one of us?"
He tilted his head to the side and eyed her in a way that made her shift uncomfortably. He looked as though he was disappointed, and for some reason it bothered her. He managed to avoid her question and make her feel foolish at the same time. He was so good.
"Well," Macey said standing up. "I'm sure this probably is the best place to be tonight, but I heard there was a jazz band at a place called Fresno's and I really want to check it out." The other girls stood because it was Macey and her mind was made up.
"Why don't you come with us?" Anna suggested to Jake as she slid her purse onto her shoulder.
"Why don't you stay here with me?" He directed the question at only her and she was really tempted to do just that.
"Because we don't separate, that's our rule," Jenna told him.
"Well then, maybe I'll see you at Legend on Friday."
"Definitely," Marina piped in, "anyplace called Legend has my vote."
As they left the club Anna looked back to where they'd been sitting but he'd already disappeared, likely on to his next potential victim. She frowned at her choice of words as images of fangs popped into her head. She was being paranoid. It wasn’t as if there’d been anything overtly disturbing about him, he just had a fine-tuned charm.
"Yoo hoo, where are you?" Macey was tapping her as they walked and she realized she'd been staring intensely at the ground.
She forced a laugh, "I don't know."
"I think you liiiked him," she teased. "Poor Austin."
"Hey, low blow. Okay, he was definitely cute, no need to throw guilt pie in my face."
Macey grinned, "I bet you'll be looking for him on Friday."
She rolled her eyes but knew that was absolutely true.
They entered Fresno's and she was immediately glad they'd come. The music was so upbeat it was like walking into a crowded park on a sunny day. There was even a smoked food smell that made her think of barbecued chicken and corn on the cob. She smiled with enthusiasm for the first time since the witchy meeting.
There were plenty of people inside, but it wasn't crowded and they were able to find a table. After ordering some drinks, she took a look around and noted there were few shadow men here. Not really surprising since they probably didn't get off on the happy, jazzy vibe, and likely the people they dogged didn't either.
Unfortunately the place shut down a mere hour later but by then she was feeling much lighter, ready to brave less wholesome places. They ended up at a club right across the street from the Frat House, and Anna couldn't help but wonder if Jake was still there.
They weren’t there for long when they met a trio of guys with whom Anna’s friends clicked, leaving her to contemplate sneaking away. She didn’t know why she felt so compelled to see him considering the doubt she had about his character, but maybe it was just curiosity. Yeah, and you know what curiosity did to the cat, she chided herself.
She danced for awhile, getting lost in the music, until some guy started grinding her from behind. With a pointed goatee and grotesque tattoos, he looked diabolical. She threw him a scathing look and went to find her friends who were engaged in some grinding of their own.
Once again she was looking at the exit. Her friends were so involved she knew they wouldn't miss her for a few minutes...Okay, I'm going.
The Frat House had drastically increased in numbers since they’d left. She practically had to carve her way through the gyrating crowd, and she decided that coming was a stupid idea. She didn't even know how she'd find him in here.
She got trapped in the midst of three couples who were engaged in some serious liplocks and was in the middle of trying to find a way to ease around them when she saw the blood and froze. He's biting her neck, her mind supplied helpfully as her stomach seized with panic. She looked around wildly, but no one seemed to notice. Then she saw another couple engaged in the exact same way. And then another. Oh God, she thought, no one can see this, they’re doing it right out in the open and no one knows!
She forced herself to get a grip and started pushing and shoving her way towards the bar. She broke through the writhing bodies and ran up the steps onto the deck where the bar was located and managed to squeeze into an opening. She gripped the mahogany counter tightly and took deep breaths.
After her heart rate had slowed she turned and looked out onto the dance floor. She was about ten steps up giving her a pretty clear view and she located the offending neck biters and saw that only one was still sucking away. The others were just dancing as if nothing strange had occurred, and not one person in the place seemed a bit disconcerted.
And then she saw him. Jake. And his mouth was on the neck of a scantily clad leggy brunette. Her eyes were closed, head tilted back, mouth parted like Anna imagined a person would look if they were nearing climax. And she might have convinced herself that he was just sucking, if only his eyes weren't throwing off shimmery golden light. She forced herself to look away and scanned the place for the easiest and quickest route to the exit. She spotted a relatively clear path to the far left and took off in that direction.
Logo made by the incredibly awesome @papa-pepper