With the front door locked and the OPEN sign switched off, Cassie dropped her store key into her breast pocket and returned to the counter to finish the day's paperwork. It was one of the more enjoyable days she had experienced in a long time. With Charlie's help, they had set up a few displays and rearranged some inventory, creating a new layout for the upcoming fall season.
When no customers were in the store, she suggested Charlie practice her powers to see what new tricks she could uncover. When Charlie conjured two bottles of ice water for them during a break, Cassie thanked her as she unscrewed the cap. "How does your conjuring power work, anyway? Can you make anything appear?"
"Hmm." Charlie bit her lip in thought. "No. I have to know exactly what I want and where it is." She gestured to the bottles. "Like with the water in your fridge. I just imagine them in my hand, and they appear. It's the same with Angel's equipment; I know it's in the van and can call it up as needed."
Taking a sip of her water, she continued, "Now, let's say you want an apple from the corner market. Even though I know they have them, I don't know where they are in the store unless I've been there and seen them myself."
"Plus, that's stealing," Cassie teased with a grin.
"That, too." Charlie smiled back. "So basically, if I know where it is, I can summon it to me."
"Very cool." She took another sip, shaking her head in amazement.
They continued to experiment during the day, and soon, they realized that Charlie could not only conjure items she needed but also manipulate the Earth's atmospheric electrical currents, causing the store's lights to flicker on and off. Cassie mused that this resembled many horror stories where the monster's presence affected objects and lights.
As it neared closing time, she received Angel's call requesting that Charlie prepare for their date. After asking him to pick up dinner for her, she ushered an excited Charlie upstairs to shower and dress up. When Charlie left, Cassie sat there for a moment and smiled, thrilled by the knowledge that her brother would confess to Charlie that night. It felt almost as significant as a proposal, and she couldn't wait to hear Charlie's delighted revelation when they got home.
Now, all she needed to do was the paperwork, the most unexciting part of her day. Picking up her pen, she let out a whimsical sigh and began to write in the totals from the day's sales when her cell phone rang.
Checking the caller ID, she saw that Angel was calling again. Smirking, she scooped up the device and answered in a teasing tone, "Did you forget what I ordered already?"
"Cass…" Angel's raspy voice sounded garbled and distant.
"Kevin?" She gripped the phone tightly, her stomach dropping. "What's wrong?"
Silence.
"Kevin!?" She stammered with growing panic.
"Park. Demon. Dying. Need Charlie."
Every muscle in her body tensed. She knew exactly what had happened. "Damn it! Hold on, Kevin, please! I'll get Charlie! Stay where you are; she'll find you!"
She jumped off the stool and looked up at the ceiling, knowing that all she needed to do to get Charlie's attention was scream. "CHARLIE! HELP!"
Suddenly, she heard her apartment door slam open, and quick footfalls hurried down the hallway stairs. She rushed to the side door and grabbed the handle, while Charlie, dressed only in a black T-shirt and pink panties, pushed from the opposite side.
Catching herself before bowling over Cassie, Charlie asked, "Are you okay?"
Cassie's words tumbled out in a rush. "It's Kevin! He's hurt!"
"Where!?"
"In the city park, four miles due north!"
When Charlie moved toward the door, Cassie grabbed her arm, halting her. The princess's eyes narrowed, and, baring her fangs, she hissed, but Cassie paid no attention. "Listen to me, you must be extremely careful! He's been attacked by a demon!"
Charlie's facial expression shifted from anger to fear, her eyes widening at the news. "A demon?"
"That's what Kevin said! Be cautious, it could still be around, but you've got to get him back here any way that you can! He has the van keys, or I'd follow you there!"
Charlie nodded before twisting around and sprinting down the hallway. Cassie rushed out just in time to see her body shimmer and fade away. The side door tore open, seemingly on its own.
With the phone lifted to her ear, she assured Angel that help was coming. "She's on her way!"
There was no response.
"Kevin? KEVIN!"
Charlie burst through the door and launched into the air. Channeling her demon form as she cleared the cars in the street, she landed on the sidewalk on the other side, her cloven hooves smacking hard against the cobblestone.
Frustrated by the number of tourists still out, she weaved through the various groups and families, occasionally bumping into someone or knocking over a trash can. But she didn't care. Let them wonder.
With her senses fully alert, she picked up speed as she ran toward the park. Although she had never been there before, Charlie trusted Cassie's directions and sniffed the air as she moved, searching for Angel's distinctive scent.
The distance shrank rapidly once she left the French Quarter and entered the quieter neighborhoods between the shop and the park. With her heart pounding almost as fast as her feet, Charlie blinked away the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Focusing instead on finding and saving the man she loved.
Moments later, she reached the park entrance and quickly came to a stop. Taking a deep breath, she took in the variety of scents. She detected one particular sharp smell that was unfamiliar: acrid and sulfuric. The demon's scent!
After a few more deep breaths, she focused on the direction it had taken and felt confident it had retreated far away.
This was a good sign.
Closing her eyes, Charlie concentrated solely on detecting Angel's pheromones. It only took a moment to recognize his unique signature, mixed with the sharp scent of blood. He was nearby!
Breaking into a sprint, she raced in his direction and soon reached Cassie's car. The front sat jammed against one of the bridge's support pillars, and the cracked radiator hissed as fluid spilled onto the ground. Darkness had fallen, but it mattered little to Charlie's incredible eyesight. Scanning around the damaged car, she spotted some blood on the pavement and followed it up the slight incline to a tangle of bushes and undergrowth.
Frightened, she ran up the hill. "Kevin!"
A low moan seeped from the shrubbery, which rustled not from the wind, but by movement within them. Swiftly, she ripped the brush away to reveal Kevin lying on his stomach. When she saw him, his back torn open with thick red blood glistening under the half moon's light, she gasped sharply. "No! No-no-no-no-no!"
Sheer terror seized her soul as she dropped to her knees beside him. "Hon?" Only the moans of deep pain answered her, and Charlie sobbed as she frantically pulled him into her arms. "Please! Talk to me!"
Blood seeped onto her hands as she carefully cradled his body, feeling cooler on her hot skin than it should. Trembling and panicking, she shook her head vigorously. "Tell me what to do! I can't think! Please help me!"
"Stop…" Angel managed to get out, "bleed…ing. Apply…pressure to…wound."
"Right! Triage!" Although Charlie could heal herself, he required actual medical attention whenever he was injured. Therefore, he had taken the time to teach her the basics of first aid for these kinds of emergencies.
Carefully setting him down and rolling him onto his stomach, she fought back a sob, her eyes fixed on the deep, mangled claw marks that ran down his back. "Fuck!"
Remember what he taught you! Focus! Charlie felt for her amulet through her shirt for comfort, and suddenly it clicked! Her T-shirt would work!
Swiftly, she pulled it over her head, exposing her bare breasts, and carefully pressed the cotton shirt against his back. In response, he hissed in agonizing pain, his body shivering violently in her arms. She cringed as he threw up, a mix of vomit and blood pooling in the dark grass below.
Panic overwhelmed her, and Charlie screamed. "HELP! SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP ME!"
The silence shouted back.
She could no longer see, her eyes drowning in tears. She pulled him in and cradled him tightly against her body. "Don't die! I can't lose you!"
She then felt his body go limp in her arms, and her mind screamed in desperation, Cassie, I need you! We need you! I want us back home, NOW!
Her mind went blank, and the world around her faded away. She felt a surge of power inside her—a power she didn't recognize—and a vivid image of Cassie's living room filled her thoughts. She could see the room, the couch, the kitchen, and the soft beige walls, almost as if she were actually standing there. It was exactly how she imagined anything she wanted to summon, only she wanted to be there, not bring it to her.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light enveloped them, lasting exactly three seconds. When it faded, it took a moment to clear the blur from her tear-stained eyes. When she finally opened them, she swore she could see Cassie's living room right before her and not the broken brush from which she'd pulled Angel.
"Charlie!? Kevin!?"
Was that Cassie's voice? She jerked her head to look behind her. Shocked, Charlie realized that she and Angel were lying on the floor in the apartment.
Cassie's eyes were as wide as Charlie's, but the moment she saw Angel, she grabbed a box from the table and dropped down next to them. Gently yet firmly, Cassie pulled him out of her arms to rest him on his stomach.
"How?" Charlie croaked, her voice hoarse from her screams.
"You teleported," Cassie said curtly, pulling out what looked like a brown toilet paper roll. She thrust it into Charlie's hands and commanded, "Rip this into three-foot-long strands, now!"
Without checking if she was obeying, Cassie fished out a large vial, pulled off the stopper, and poured a green powder over Angel's back while whispering an enchantment. Steam began to rise from the wound, prompting Angel to gasp, moan, and vomit again. Cassie gently turned his head to stop him from drowning in his own mess.
Reaching behind her, she motioned for the strands, and Charlie silently handed them to her one by one. Cassie quickly yet carefully draped them over the wounds. Charlie watched as they seemed to move independently, adhering to his ragged skin. They stretched to cover the open wounds, then contracted to pull the skin together. A slight stench of alcohol accompanied the mix of strips and powder.
"What is it doing?" Panic seized Charlie when Angel shouted in pain.
Adopting a softer tone to try to ease her fears, Cassie explained, "The powder's seeping into the wounds, thickening the blood almost instantaneously. This causes it to clot. The strips contain an adhesive compound mixed with a spell that targets damaged skin. The mix also creates an antiseptic response. That's the alcohol smell."
She pointed to the large strip on Angel's shoulder blade. "See how the strip is pulling the gash closed? It will serve as a temporary skin for Kevin. It's a short-term solution until I can assess the extent of the damage. Then I'll call an ambulance."
"No." Angel's feeble voice came from bloodied and vomit-stained lips. "No hospital."
"Kevin," she pleaded as she knelt closer to him, "you're in terrible shape. My magic is slowing the hemorrhaging, and the strands are sealing your wounds, but they don't help with internal bleeding! If we don't get you to a hospital, you could die!"
"No hospital," he ordered before passing out.
Charlie choked with fear and moved closer to Cassie. "Kevin?" She swallowed hard, reaching out to touch him.
Cassie snatched her arm. "Don't touch him! The magic could be affected by your demon power." Her eyes studied Charlie for a split second before she made a decision. "I need you to leave!"
"What!?" Charlie's eyes widened in disbelief, flushing red with defiance.
"I'm going to use more magic. Some of it could affect you in ways I can't imagine." Her emotions high, she snapped the next words, "And you're in the way!"
"But?" Charlie bounced her eyes between Cassie and Angel. She didn't want to leave him.
Seeing Charlie hesitate, Cassie grabbed the hem of her green blouse, pulled it over her head, and thrust it into Charlie's chest. "Cover up and get out. Now!"
Managing her own fear, Cassie added with as much love as she could muster, "Please, darling, so we don't lose him!"
Charlie pushed back and slumped against the couch. Her demon eyes glared defiantly into Cassie's soul before she spun to her feet and raced out of the apartment, crying.
Cassie regretted having to send her away, knowing how much Charlie feared for Angel's life. However, since he wouldn't let her call an ambulance, she would have to rely on stronger magic. She hadn't lied, though. She truly had no idea how Charlie would react to the magics she was about to use.
With all her willpower, she closed off her emotions as best she could and focused on doing everything possible to save her brother's life.