Seventh Seal - Jacquelyn Faye Page 0,7

three major ones anymore. Hard to stage a witch hunt when you'd been reduced to zombie kibble. I felt bad. Not for their deaths. They were almost zealot level in their hatred of witches, but because I'd inadvertently caused their demise. The zombies I'd accidentally created had eaten all three of them to protect me. Personally, I would have felt much better turning them into horny toads.

"You sure you're okay?" My sister was staring at me intently.

"Yes. You can stop asking now." I blew her a kiss for her concern.

"You just seem…"

"Preoccupied?"

"Yep."

"Lot of shit happening. Store, mother quit the coven, we picked up a dark elf houseguest, the vampires think I'm going to eat them, Yuki is at a vampire town meeting at the diner. The usual."

"Wait, what?"

"Which part?"

"Uh, all of it?"

"Stopped by Ashville to get a drink. The witches are pissed at Mother because she skipped town to come help me. Left her letter of resignation."

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack."

"Don't tell my mother." Josie started fidgeting with worry.

"Okay. Why?"

"Because she'll head back there and try to take over."

"And that would be bad, why?"

"Could you imagine what that scatterbrain would do to Ashville?" She shuddered.

So did I. "Okay, mums the word."

"Dark elf?"

"Long story."

"Eat vampires?"

"Longer story."

"Vampire town meeting?"

"Gonna go find out what all that's about now."

She chuckled and leaned over, giving me a hug. I almost sobbed in her shoulder. I wanted more than anything in the world to tell her right then and there how much she meant to me and who she really was to me, but I bit my lip. It wasn't the time. Once I sorted out everything with my father, then, and only then, would I spill the beans.

"Dot?"

"Yeah, Jose?"

She pulled back and looked me in the eye. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

"Huh?"

"Candace and me. Sorry, I should have said will you marry us?"

My heart started beating again and my stomach settled back down. "Of course! Have you picked a day yet?"

"It's kind of soon, but the next day the store is closed is New Year's Day…"

I smacked her on the head. "You are not planning a whole wedding in a week. Don't make me smack you. I will marry the two of you, but you're going to do it right, with beautiful dresses and food and friends and a band." Mustering the sternest look I could manage, I booped her on the nose. "We'll plan it together, all of us. In the meantime, treat your lady right. She's not going anywhere, and neither are you. And don't worry about coordinating around the store being open or not. We can close for such a momentous occasion."

She started crying.

Master… Yuki's voice didn't sound panicked, but it was close.

What?

I need you. Now, please.

"Gotta run. Yuki."

"Go!"

Hugging her one more time, I ran back through the door and out of the store.

Chapter 3

Enter slowly.

Okaaay?

Trust me.

Always. I slowly pulled the diner door open. The chime above the door even seemed to ring slowly as I took one step into the diner and surveyed the situation. The vampires had pushed three of the tables in the far corner of the diner together and were angrily staring at Yuki, who sat across from her cousin George.

The rest of the diner was business as usual, nobody seemed to feel the tension in the air, except for Marge who was glancing at me nervously from behind the counter. I made a stay motion at her and slowly sat in my booth.

Good. George and I are coming to sit with you.

As if on cue, she and he stood and slowly marched their way across the diner, weaving through the tables between us. Almost with a strained look on their faces, they slid into the booth, Yuki first.

"Greetings, Lady Dorothea."

"Hey, George. Long time no see."

The door chimed behind me, and I felt another vampire enter the diner. More familiar than the others. It was Amir, the very first vampire I'd seen in Cedar Falls. I'd saved him and his sister from a vampire-hunting band of witches. Amir was one of the good guys. Without looking, I slid in further to give him enough room to sit. "Hi, Amir."

"You knew it was me?" He didn't sound shocked, he seemed pleased.

"Yes?"

He sat down and smiled. "Could you tell me how?"

"I don't know. I could feel it was you when you came in."

"See?" He made a gesture at an incredulous looking George.

"That does not prove anything. She could have smelled your cologne."

Amir sighed.