92: I'll Do It For You

Three days. Three useless days. Only another three days left and we are no closer to preparing or stopping Phillip and Gabriel and the rest of the vampires from taking over. Time doesn’t exist being locked away at the den. It’s all the same. Questioning, arguing, marching away. Between Marcus’s interrogations and Caleb’s slick words trying to pry information from me without demanding it, it’s too much.

We’re all doomed.

I didn’t leave the room at all yesterday, but with Caleb’s fist pounding heavily against the door, I know I can’t stay another day locked away. With equal fury burning a fire in my bones, I stomp to the door ready to give Caleb some very choice words.

The door slams open, my mouth is slack, the first word is mumbled through my lips before that fire in bones actually turns into something that feels like fire in my bones. I drop to the ground in pain. Searing, blood curdling pain rips through my body. It tears me apart piece by piece. My anger forgotten, my hateful words dismissed. Nothing competes with the agony of whatever is happening.

Caleb is at my side in seconds. Even his anger is gone, replaced with concern. Both of us are speechless, well speechless as in no words. There’s noise though. My grunts and whimpers as I fight to try to keep consciousness. Caleb’s heavy breathing as he just stares at me.

But the pain wins and everything disappears leaving a harmonic peacefulness until there’s pain again in the form of punch to my chest. The wind is knocked out of my useless lungs. My eyes snap open to reveal Caleb hovering over me with his fist in the air, stuck inches above my chest.

“Did you just punch me?” I cough out the words.

His words blend together, slurred with freight. “I thought you were dead. You were crying out in pain one minute and the next...the next...you were just...still, so still.”
I continue to lay on the floor examining the ceiling because I can’t meet his gaze. Did I really die? No. I shake the thought away. No.

Still on the ground trying to wrap my mind around what happened, my mind is set on fire again. I thrash and claw at the floor. My muscles are contracting and tensing up against my will. Each limb is stiff, but useless.

The pain continues for what seems like eternity with the blackness slowly creeping back in. The ringing of a phone is off in the distance. Two phones. Mine and Caleb’s are going off at the same time. I try to focus on it, that annoying ringtone. The struggle is real and the struggle is draining.

Caleb’s words sound like he’s a mile away. No matter how hard I try to focus on him, on what he’s saying, I can’t seem to understand any of it. A loud, ear splitting scream rips from my throat, unable to be kept locked away.

Then it stops just as quickly as it started. Leaving me panting for breath, sprawled out on the floor like an beaten animal. Caleb’s phone lays unattended on the floor next to him. I crawled several feet away from him, I crawled toward the door.

I can hear Gretchen shout something from the speaker, but neither of us care enough to answer. Something is wrong. Very wrong.

My mind goes instantly to Gabriel. Is he okay? Maybe he’s hurt? Was I crawling toward the door for a reason?

Then time stands still as his voice is spoken into the room. Just a single word. A name. My name.

Caleb and I exchange a glance and he sees my intention written all over my face. I swing my numb limbs in the direction of his phone, but he reaches it before me. The conversation isn’t as hushed as Caleb would like. I can hear it loud as day.

“If you continue this, you’ll kill her.” There’s a thick suffocating pause from everyone before Gabriel continues. “Bring her here to me or I will come and get her myself and I will kill every last wolf there.”

The phone goes silent with a simple click, a tap of Caleb’s fingers on the screen. Our eyes meet and I can read the disappointment on his face. “I knew it would come to this. Me giving you to that vampire.”

“We’ll make it work.” I say, still breathless. “We have to.”

He doesn’t believe it and I’m not sure I do either. But either way, threats made to the pack over a witch aren’t allowed with Marcus in charge. After announcing our departure, Marcus is passive. He’s not as excited to get rid of me as I thought he would and that’s only because he was hoping for more information about what Phillip is planning. Join the club. But with the threats made to kill wolves, he’s nearly shoving us into the car to leave.

The drive back to the shop goes by in the blink of an eye. Racing to trouble has time flying, but running from trouble the seconds drool on. There’s a nervousness that attacks my bones as we park in front of the shop. Four vampires guard the door making Caleb more wolf-like than human. A growl bubbles in his chest and the skin along his knuckles tear apart.

My shaking fingers cover his growing fist. We don’t need a fight right now. Maybe later, but not right now. The vampires part way and we enter the shop to a face off between Gretchen and Monty and Gabriel.

There’s relief in Gretchen’s and Monty’s shoulders as their eyes land on me and Caleb. Gabriel on the other hand runs to me, engulfing me in a bone crushing hug. His hands cradle my skull, his fingers tangling in my hair, soft words mumbled off his lips.

The caring moment only lasts seconds before he turns a vicious glare to the others in the room. “You could’ve killed her.”

“The spell needs to be reversed.” Gretchen shouts back.

Monty mutters, “for more reasons than one.” It’s her words that get Gabriel’s attention. He urges her to spit it out. What’s the other reason besides you just not wanting her to be with a vampire. She abides by his demand. “It’s brought The Void...well, not you two, you're bringing something else, but what you’re planning, what Phillip is planning. Death. Destruction. It’s coming.”

Gretchen jumps into the mediator position. “But you can stop it. Don’t continue whatever it is that you plan on doing. Philip won’t have a world to conquer and rule over if he continues.”

Gabriel lets out a small puff of laughter, finding Gretchen’s words humorous. They’re anything, but humorous. They’re stupid and hold no merit with the vampires, but they aren’t funny.

“I don’t think-” Gabriel starts to argue.

But Gretchen cuts off his words not wanting to hear whatever lies he’ll tell. “Fine, she shouts, “change it. Instead of stopping it. Change it.”

“And how do you suggest I change it?”

“How do you plan on starting it?” Caleb spits out. He was so quiet, just listening, watching everyone else hash it out. “However, you plan on starting the rise of the vampires...just don’t do it.” He says it as if it’s just as easy to do as it is to say.

“That isn’t an option. Phillip isn’t scared of dying and if he dies getting the one thing he wants, then he’ll feel accomplished.” Gabriel retorts, proving that no one here knows the vampire king better than Gabriel.

Monty slams her hands on the counter top. A vile standing upright between her outstretched fingers. “There’s a more firm way of handling the situation.”
Everyone is quiet. “No.” I mumble. Everyone’s eyes fall to me. Gretchen and Monty are aware of what’s in the vial. Caleb is intrigued and Gabriel is confused.
“Poison the bastard.” Monty spits out.

All the air is sucked out of the room from those three words. Gabriel goes rigid. “You have something that can kill a centuries old vampire in that little vile?”

“Why are you surprised? We have many things and lots of knowledge. You vampires and wolves underestimate us. If we wanted to rule over stupid demizens, we would’ve done it decades ago.” Gretchen coos. She swipes the vial off the counter before approaching us. Gabriel’s arm tugs me closer to his side. “It’s either us or just him.” She holds it out for him to take...or not.

To my surprise he does. Either to look at or to take and use against Phillip or to take and show Phillip, evidence of how wicked witches are.

Gretchen hopes for the best as she tells him what to do with it. “Does he have a donor he likes?” She doesn’t wait for him to reply, because she knows, we all know. Vampires have their favorites. They can be just as territorial as wolves. Hence, Gabriel’s hand crushing me to his side. He’s laid claim to me and I can’t say that I mind.
“Give her...or him this and make sure he feeds from them within the hour after drinking.”

“This is the same thing you give that homeless man all the time?” Gabriel’s words chill the air.

“What? How?” I can’t seem to spit the words out. Bits and pieces, fractions and pointless gibberish only come out.

“Doesn’t matter.” Gabriel says putting a curve in the conversation.

How does he know about Gary? But when I force myself to try to think about it. I haven’t seen Gary for awhile now. I don’t think I spoke to the homeless man since meeting Gabriel and the more I try to push the thought it makes my head hurt.

“You’ll need more. It can get rid of pathetic vamps, but I’m not sure how it holds up to vampireslike Phillip. The last thing you want is to piss him instead of kill him.” I pull away from him, but he yanks me back to his side. “I’m going to make more.” I say before tugging my hand out of his once again.

The silence that fills the shop is nerve wracking. Hiding out in my room as I mix up a batch should take away the extra weight that weighs down on my shoulders, but it doesn’t. It still causes a jitter to shake my fingers. Bottles knock together as I try to grasp them between my numb fingers. Of course Gabriel follows me leaving Gretchen, Monty and Caleb to whisper freely about me.

“Do you think it will work?” Gabriel asks as I mix some ingredients.

“If you give her enough of it and get him to drink quick enough to where he won’t taste it instantly? Yes. The real question is, do you think you can give it to him?”
The loyalty between Phillip and Gabriel is strong. It doesn’t take a genius to see that. Phillip created Gabriel in the worst ways possible. A half human, half vampire son that he molded to depend on him. Created to do his bidding.

“I can do it if you’ll have me afterwards?” He must see the confusion on my face. “I’ll do it for you.” He clarifies. “I’ll do anything for you. Even some things that I shouldn’t have and I can hope that you-”

“Do you need any help?” Caleb barges in putting a stop to Gabriel’s admission. Him being here eases some of the nervousness I feel when alone with Gabriel.
“Almost done.” I slur, unable to make my brain and my mouth work together. That’s the effect that Gabriel has on me. It comforts me and angers me at the same time. Is it real or is it the spell he managed to cast? “Just have to finish steeping the wood and mix it all together. Shouldn’t be too much longer.” I say as Caleb paces the floor. “You’re making me nervous,” I shout into the room after several minutes. Both of them linger too closely, watching my every move. I can’t take it anymore. “Go help Monty or Gretchen.”

They both look at the other assuming it was said to them and not themselves. They’re hands shoot out to point to the opposite one, mouths slack ready to tell the other to leave.

“Both of you.” I say dissolving any confusion either may have.

Gabriel is the first to reject the idea. Something about it not being a good idea. Which may be true, but with Caleb quickly replying with ‘if he’s staying, I’m staying’, good ideas can go out the window. I’m sure Caleb can help Gretchen plot against Gabriel and Monty will ease her worry by reading Gabriel’s cards and keeping him away from Caleb.

They take their sweet time leaving. Neither willing to be the first one to turn their back on me. But now that’s what I want most. Maybe things would be easier if I didn’t have so many people to worry about. Avery and Avalos sneak into my thoughts and I instantly feel like the worst best friend ever.

I’m surprised and thankful for the tears not spilling over the rim of my eyes as I finish the repellent and bottle it up. Time to face the music.

I leave the comfort of my little room behind to enter the store front to find everyone several feet apart from each other. Monty is messing with her cards, but not with Gabriel. Caleb is lurking behind some shelving, his eyes shooting daggers at Gabriel who stands close to the door. Gretchen hovers in her doorway looking out the windows at the vampires that still stalk the sidewalk outside.

Walking up to Gabriel, I hold out the large bottle. “Give her all of it.” He gives a nod of understanding. His eyes don’t quite meet mine as the words tumble out of mouth without my brain thinking about them, “I can go with you.”

A loud ‘no’ vibrates through the room from all four people.

Gabriel quickly replies before anyone has a chance to. “If it doesn’t work, you shouldn’t be there.”

“He does have common sense.” Caleb jokes, but his anger dissolves the humor it should have. His hand finds my elbow and tugs me further into the shop as if I would demand to go or run after him.

“How will we know?” Monty says from beside me. “I mean, how will we know that it worked?”

Gabriel meets Monty’s gaze and connects with something off to my left, either Caleb or Gretchen, “Phillip plans to do it in three days. Sunday.” He approaches me, “you’ll know if it happens.” He pockets the bottle, leans over and places the gentlest of kisses to the top of my head before leaving.

I watch him and the four vampires lurking out front walk down the sidewalk and disappear. My chest caves in on itself with his departure. I suddenly find it hard to breathe. Either Sunday comes or Sunday will be the day we all never forget.