25: Just A Little Project

The morning is a mixture of a lightness that I haven’t felt in awhile, but there’s an underlying ache that I’m getting sick of. My encounter with Gabriel last night is playing with my head. Talk about grooming someone. Feel like shit without him, feel like I’m on top of the world with him. How am I supposed to handle that?

I try to put it behind me by filling any free time I have with work. Monty’s always prying eyes spy on me and try to keep my composure to my usual bored, slightly annoyed with everything contentment, but I’m waiting for her keen senses to pick something up. I have a feeling she knows more than I want her to. There’s no doubt that she’s asking her cards things she shouldn’t be.

I do my best to steer clear of her by volunteering to organize some of our overstock in the basement. I count boxes, clean shelves and talk to Jezmin, which is pretty much talking to myself. I’m surprised she’s being so quiet. It kinda puts me on edge, like she’s going to jump out at me any second. Her anger isn’t something that just goes away.

“Hazel.” Monty yells down the stairs. “Your friend is here.”

“Be right there.” I reply before stacking some boxes away. I race up the stairs expecting to find Avery waiting, but I quickly become disappointed. “Oh, it’s just you.” I say the second Avalos comes into view.

“I love you too.” He jokes. “I’m here on mission. Avery’s birthday. You’re in, right?”

“Of course.” I walk past him heading for the front counter, he quickly follows. “You plan it, I show up. That’s how it works, right? Wouldn’t miss it.”

“You’re so lazy.” He teases.

“I’m so busy.” I quickly say back as I drape myself over the counter.

He pokes me in the back. “Two weeks. Saturday. Jinks. Five o’clock.” He rattles off the details, when, where, time...as if I can remember all that.

“Got it.” I hope. I’m a little overwhelmed with life at the moment and my brain is having a hard time keeping up. Plus, I never know when Gabriel or Phillip are going to spring something on me.

“It’s a secret, so you better not slip.” He points his finger at me like I'm a child that can’t understand simple instructions.

“Okay. Okay. That was one time and it was years ago. Will you ever get over that?” Apparently Avalos remembers it as if it were yesterday.

It wasn’t my fault he teased me with something as juicy as his relationship with one of Avery’s most hated enemies. Those two hated each other so much, how I could not poke fun at the fact that her own brother was dating the very girl she despised. The relationship didn’t last very long, but still. Classic drama that I was thoroughly entertained by.

“No.” He snaps at me.

“And I’m sorry.”

“Sure you are.” He says clearly unconvinced. “Remember. Lips sealed. I’ll talk to you later.” He gives me a curt nod before turning away. He purposely makes the bell above the door rattle several times before finally letting the door close.

“I hate him sometimes.” I huff.

“Sure you do.” Monty chimes as she elbows me in the arm. “Stay up here for a bit. I have a few readings this evening.” She flashes me a smile before heading back to her room.

“Of course. I’ll send them back as they come.”

And being stuck at the counter waiting for Monty’s clients to come and helping the few customers that decide to buy something is boring and tiresome. All it does is make me all too aware of my thoughts, my feelings. Eww.

So, I fill the hours with something substantial. Books, books and more books, trying to find that one clue on tracking someone. But as I come up empty handed each and every time, it gets harder to keep a nonchalant attitude. As darkness covers the city an anxiousness fills my body. The days are ticking down and I need to find a solution now.

I grab the next book and just flip it open. I’m not entirely sure why I keep going but I do. I read the first paragraph, then the second, then the third. And then an unseen light from the heavens shines down and I have that a-ha moment. Not exactly the solution I was looking for, but it definitely puts a band-aid on my problem.

I can’t believe I didn’t see this before. Maybe it’s because I’ve never needed to keep humans away, because most of them are harmless and are no match for a witch, but that was before a half vampire, half human came a knockin on my door.

I race to my ‘office’ and rummage through all my drawers and cabinets. If I have everything it will keep me from having to go to the market and allow me to dowse all passages tonight. Hello human repellent. This mixed with my demizen repellant along with a few tweaks to allow certain humans in and my willpower against Gabriel will be reinforced.

“What are you up to?” Monty says from my doorway.

“Just a little project.” I pause in my search for the last few ingredients. “Do you mind closing up tonight?”

She eyeballs me trying to figure out what I’m hiding. “Sure.” She pauses, leaning against the doorframe, still examining the situation in front of her. Me in a panicked rush, an eagerness to my voice. “Are you going to tell me what you’re up to?”

“No.”

“Fair enough.”

I slightly thank her, but I know she’ll be up to something in effort of figuring it out. “I just need to grab a couple more things then I’ll be heading out.”
“Have fun...with whatever it is that you’re doing.” She says before leaving me to my work.

It doesn’t take long to find what I need. I’m more than thankful that I don’t need to borrow a few things from the sales floor, even though all the ingredients that we use come from the sales floor, but we have to get the okay from Gretchen and I would prefer not to have to bring her into this. I barely made it out without having to tell Monty, Gretchen would definitely demand an explanation.

“See ya.” I shout to Monty as I race out the shop.

I make it home in record time. Seeing as I have no idea if Gabriel is going to show up or not, I work as if my life depends on it. This concoction in particular is a little more complicated and involves more steps than I’m used to. It needs to have a clause, a precondition of sorts. A way to allow people to enter at my discretion.

I would mix my blood with it, but since Gabriel’s blood is part of my blood at the moment that won’t work, so I pull out a few strands of hair and mix them to the pot. Less than an hour later I have a not-so-great smelling potion that will keep all individuals out of my apartment. Vampires, werewolves, demons and even humans.

With a quick spell an enchantment is set, my stipulation is embedded into the very liquid. A simple admittance inside will allow anyone in, but no invitation...no entering. Pretty laughable considering I’m doing all this to keep a vampire out. Now he’ll have to be invited in and the irony in that is priceless.

I grow eager to test it out, to see the look on Gabriel’s face. Most repellants last about a month and I’m hoping this one will last just as long. That puts at least four, heaven forbid its that many, blood drinkings in jeopardy, but I’m too giddy at the moment to care.

I stay awake as long as I can waiting for Gabriel to show up, but he doesn’t, which is fine. Because tonight is going to be the first night in awhile that I’m at ease. Sleep finally comes easy. I don’t dream, don’t have any dreadful nightmares.

Just sleep.