They dragged him over the side of the truck, and beneath the wheels I could see a wild scuffle as they fought over the gun. Uncle Seward scrambled to his feet and hurried around the front of the truck to help them.
I was about to join them in the fun when the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight on end. A faint voice reached my ears. A small child's voice.
"By the darkness in my hand-" I whipped my head around for the speaker. There! A shadow behind the truck! "-and the dark lord in the land-"
I grabbed a handful of loose gravel and ice from the road, and hoped Roland was right about me having some super vampire abilities because I needed a hell of an aim right then. I stood and pitched the gravel at the shadow behind the left tailgate light.
The gravel sprayed over the road and I heard a sharp cry as Rose ate a tasty treat of gravel-a-la-road. She stumbled back and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. In her other hand was the grim fairy tale book. I jumped to my feet and rushed over to appropriate the tome.
Unfortunately, Roland was right that I had more than just a great arm and eyesight. I rushed so fast that I couldn't aim myself and overshot my target. I crashed into the ditch beyond where Rose stood and tumbled head-over-heels into the tall weeds. I wrangled myself free and peeked out of the weeds in time for a shadow to fall over me. A short shadow. Rose glared down at me with her brightly glowing red eyes and sharp fangs.
"When I have Roland's soul I will destroy you and your own," she snapped at me. She raised her hand over the open book and the wind around us picked up.
"Let our souls be born anew in the body of we-"
I sprang from the weeds and slammed my shoulder into her tiny frame. She and I tumbled onto the road and the book fell to the ground where Rose stood. We rolled and grappled in immortal combat as each of us tried to sit on top of the other. I was the larger, but Rose had a little bit more practice being an undead. She ended up Queen of the Damned as she sat on top of me and pinned my arms above my head. Rose stuck her face in mine and spat out her words, and her spittle, on me.
"You filthy little-" A wind whipped her hair in front of her which then smacked me in the face.
We both glanced at the direction of the wind and our eyes widened as we beheld the tome. It sat opened on the road and the wind from the spell sprang out of the pages. The wind flew over we two and the truck, and it was quickly followed by a half dozen dark tendrils. Two of the thick shadow arms flew at us, and the others went to the other side of the truck. I leaned towards the two tendrils aimed at us and used Rose as a wall.
The tendrils slammed into her and she screamed out in agony as they latched onto her. I watched as a dark shadow was ripped from her body and absorbed into the book. The other tendrils had other souls inside them, and I realized the strands were connected to my loved ones and that asshole Ginsleh. The souls converged in the book but flew back through the same tendril just as quickly. The souls returned to their bodies and the tendrils disappeared in another violent explosion.
Rose blew off me and rolled down the road. I grasped the gravel beneath me and tried to stop the drum band that had taken up temporary residence in my chest. My heart finally slowed its tempo and I slowly sat up. The wind was gone and the book lay shut five yards from me. There wasn't a sound to be heard.
"Aunt Ma? Uncle Seward? Roland?" I called out. No reply.
My heart started the drum beat again as I scrambled to my feet and rushed to the other side of the truck. The three men, Roland, Uncle Seward and Ginsleh, lay unconscious on the ground. There wasn't any sign of Aunt Ma.
I rushed to Roland's side and shook him. "Roland! Roland, wake up!"
His eyes fluttered open and he turned his head to me. "Misty. . ."
I managed a smile through my tears. "Who else?" I teased.
He winced and clutched at his stomach. I noticed a nasty blood spot on his stomach. He noticed my frightened eyes.
"Ginsleh," he explained.
Speaking of the devil awakened him. Ginsleh groaned, and my uncle wasn't far behind. They both sat up and looked around in bewilderment.
"What happened?" Uncle Seward asked us. He glanced over our faces and his eyes widened. "And where's Ma?"
I shook my head. "I don't know. Wasn't she with you guys?"
"Yes, until the spell was cast over us," Roland confirmed.
I frowned. "Wait a sec. I thought that spell was only a transfer between two people."
"Something must have gone wrong," he commented.
"It was until this foolish human interrupted the spell," a voice spoke up. Rose appeared at the rear of the truck. She clung to the rear light and glared at me. "You cast the spell over all of us."
I glared at her. "There wouldn't be any spell if some stupid vampire wouldn't be casting them."
"She is no longer a vampire in soul," Roland corrected me.
Ginsleh glared at the three of us. "You filthy humans will pay for violating my mistress."
"How hard did you get hit on the head?" I asked him.
I glanced between them. "So that means she's human? You're human?" I asked her. Rose growled and turned away. "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"
"Enough with all the talk. How do we fix this soul swapping?" Uncle Seward spoke up.
"We haven't time to squabble," Roland interrupted as he stood to his feet. He placed a hand on the truck and I propped up his other side. "We must assess who's soul is in which body. The vampire soul is far more dangerous than the human ones."
"I've still got your soul," I told him. I jerked my head towards Rose. "I used Goldilocks here to block the shadows, but something got ripped out of her."
Rose's eyes narrowed at me, but she didn't try to shut my mouth with her fists. "Since I do not have my soul a part of my being was stolen from me," she explained.
"Your 'being?'" I repeated.
"A shadow of a person's soul," Roland told me. "An echo is all that remains of a vampire's soul so that our personalities remain intact after the change."
"So is that dangerous?" I wondered.
"Not as dangerous as a soul, but there is no telling what would happen within a human's body," Roland replied.
"So we need to find out who's got Rose's 'being' before we find out the unintended consequences," I mused. I glanced at the men. "You guys feel any different?"
"I feel human," Uncle Seward spoke up.
I looked at Ginsleh. "Are you feeling peckish for a pint?"
He climbed to his feet and glared at me. "I will not deign to reply to that."
"Too late," I retorted.
Roland turned to Rose. "If you wish to find your being then tell your servant to cooperate with us."
Rose frowned and looked at her human servant. "Do you feel any blood lust?"
Ginsleh shook his head. "No, my mistress, but I know I'm not myself."
"How so?" she snapped.
He straightened and cleared his voice. "I wish to bake."
We all blinked at him. Even Rose raised an eyebrow. "You wish to bake?" she repeated.
"Yes, my mistress," he confirmed.
I looked to Uncle Seward and Roland. "You guys getting any weird urges?"
Uncle Seward snatched Ginsleh's rifle from the ground and slung it over my shoulder. "No," he replied.
"I, too, am not feeling any different," Roland answered.
"Whether or not you feel different is unimportant," Rose spoke up. She pushed off the rear of the truck and stood between us and the tome. "Your souls have been switched, but the personalities of the original owners are close enough to your own that you don't feel any change."
Roland glanced at Uncle Seward. "I feel strongly attached and protective of your family, so I must have your soul."
Uncle Seward pursed his lips. "You'd better keep good care of it."
"So Roland has Uncle Seward's soul, and Ginsleh has Aunt Ma's soul," I guessed. I turned to Rose. "If you have a human soul than you either have your slave boy's soul or mine."
"I have yours,
" she spat out.
I raised an eyebrow. "How can you tell?"
Her eyes fell on Roland. "Because I no longer feel the need to kill him."
I pulled Roland closer to myself. "Don't get any ideas. It's bad enough that we're sharing souls, there's no way I'm sharing my boyfriend."
"So who does that leave?" Roland spoke up.
Uncle Seward turned to Ginsleh and frowned. "I think I have his. I've got a taste to shoot this gun for no reason."
Ginsleh glared back at him. "Don't damage my soul, filthy human."
I raised my arms above my head and sprayed out my hands. "Okay, so let me get this straight. I still have your soul, my soul's in Rose's body, Uncle Seward's soul is in yours, Uncle Seward has Ginsleh's soul, and Ginsleh has Aunt Ma's soul?"
"You are correct," Roland confirmed.
"Then where's Rose's being?" I asked him.
A soft giggle interrupted our conversation.
CHAPTER 7
The five of us slowly turned to see a figure in front of the truck. The headlights from the damaged truck revealed it was Aunt Ma. She stood off to one side and ten yards away from us. Her hunched back was turned towards us and she stood perfectly still.
"Ma?" Uncle Seward asked her. He took a step towards her, but Roland held out his arm and blocked his path.
"Do not approach her," Roland ordered him.
Uncle Seward glared at the vampire. "She's my wife."
Roland shook his head. "Something is wrong here. We do not know what that being may have done to her."
"What do you mean done to her?" I asked him.
"My being is not so terrible as you make it seem," Rose spoke up.
"Each being is different, and the being of a vampire is powerful," he argued. "The effects are impossible to predict, and the danger is difficult to assess."
"Then let me go," I offered. "I kind of know what she might be going through."
"I will go. It is my being," Rose insisted.
I looked over my shoulder at her. "You really want to try your luck with a vampire who doesn't know when it's dinner time or not?" Rose glared at me, but shut her mouth. I turned back to my family. "I'm going, and I know none of you can stop me right now so don't."
Roland pursed his lips, but gave a nod. "Be very careful. She may no longer be herself," he told me.
Uncle Seward shot him a glare. "She's just fine!" he snapped.
"I guess I'll see," I returned.
I handed Roland off to the truck and crept up to my aunt. She was as stiff as an upright corpse. I reached out my hand to her.
"Aunt Ma?" I whispered to her. "Are you okay?"
Aunt Ma slowly turned her body to us and showed off a pair of glowing red eyes. She curled her lips past and revealed a pair of sharp, pointy fangs.
"Why, Misty, you look ever so tired," she cooed.
Aunt Ma never cooed.
I froze and held up my hands. "Aunt Ma, I know what you're feeling, and we can get through this together."
She raised her arms above her head and let loose that creepy laugh of hers. "Isn't the night just wonderful? I never knew there was such beauty. I really should garden more at night."
"Yeah, we can garden right now. We just need to get you back home and-" She snapped her head back to me and her eyes narrowed.
"You want me to become a filthy human again, don't you?" she growled.
I frowned and yelled over my shoulder at Rose. "Is your ego really this strong that it's taken over my aunt?"
"A human's will is weak," she commented.
I rolled my eyes, but kept them on Aunt Ma. "Just perfect. . ."
Aunt Ma looked past me and stretched out her arms. She gave the group a toothy smile. "Pat. My dear Pat," Aunt Ma cooed. "Won't you come to me?"
"Misty, your uncle!" Roland shouted.
I whipped my head around to see Uncle Seward slowly walk towards Aunt Ma. His eyes were vacant and his movements were stiff, like a bureaucrat with a stick up their butt.
"Uncle Seward?" I called to him, but he didn't reply.
"Come, Pat. I have a nice surprise for you," Aunt Ma tempted him.
I glanced between my demented demon aunt and my uncle. "Sorry about this, Uncle Seward," I told him.
He was even with me. I pulled back my hand and slapped it across his face. Everyone behind me winced. Uncle Seward stumbled into the side of the truck and grabbed the front mirror. He shook his head and winced when the bruise growing on his cheek told him that was a bad idea.
Uncle Seward daintily tapped his cheek and turned to me. "Did you have to hit me so hard?"
I shrugged. "Sorry. I'm still getting used to-duck!"
I jumped at Uncle Seward and brought him to the ground. A shadow flew over us where he'd stood and sailed to the rear of the truck. Rose, Ginsleh and Roland leapt away from the tailgate. Aunt Ma straightened and turned to me with a frown.
"Misty, what in the world do you think you're doing?" she snapped at me.
"Trying to keep you from making a really big mistake, Aunt Ma," I replied as I helped Uncle Seward to his feet.
Aunt Ma pursed her lips and her eyes scanned the three entrees available this evening. "Then allow me some taste of these mortals." Her eyes fell on Rose and her grin widened. "You were the one who held my being before."
Rose bunched her hands into fists at her sides and glared at Aunt Ma. "That is my being!"
Aunt Ma laughed. "Not anymore, and if I destroy you it will never again be so."
Aunt Ma lunged at Rose. The former vampire was as weak as Roland after our transfer which meant Aunt Ma grabbed her shoulders and slammed her into the rocky road. She bent over Rose and bared her fangs.
"Aunt Ma, no!" I yelled.
I threw myself at them and flew into Aunt Ma. We tumbled off Rose and into the ditch. I was becoming too familiar with those weeds as Aunt Ma and I rolled around. I being the older vampire got the better of the battle and I managed to end up on top this time. Aunt Ma squirmed and bucked beneath me, but I pinned her arms to her sides and pushed my weight down on her to keep her still.
I heard a noise and turned to see the other four stood at the edge of the road. Roland and Uncle Seward held up each other, and Ginsleh had his arm under Rose. Our little group looked like an infirmary ward on the verge of collapse.
"Do I have to start charging admission or is one of you going to come down here and help me?" I quipped.
"You must knock her unconscious first," Roland told me.
I felt the color drain from my face. "Come again?"
"None of us is any match for your aunt's strength. She must be rendered unconscious," he insisted.
"Roland, I'm not going to-"
"Do it."
I looked to Uncle Seward. It was he who spoke the last order.
"But it's Aunt Ma," I pointed out.
Uncle Seward shook his head. "She may still be in there, but that thing you're holding down isn't the woman I fell in love with. Knock it out."
"But-"
"Aunt Ma would want you to knock her out before she hurt someone," he insisted.
I pursed my lips and turned back to Aunt Ma. She snarled and snapped at me.
"Get off! Get off me!" she growled.
I sighed and shook my head. "Sorry, Aunt Ma."
I fisted one hand and punched her in the face. Her head bounced against the ground and lolled back for a final rest.
"Is she truly out?" Ginsleh spoke up.
I leaned over and tapped her cheek. "Yep," I replied.
The group's shoulders relaxed and I felt the exhale across my neck. I climbed off Aunt Ma as Uncle Seward abandoned Roland and hurried to us. He knelt beside my aunt and took her in his arms. I put a hand on his shoulder and hung my head.
"I'm-" Uncle Seward shook his head.
"It needed to be done," he whispered.
Roland's eyes fell on Rose. "You must reverse the spells. All of them."
Rose glared back at him. "I cannot."
&
nbsp; "You're going to do it, or I'm going to have to bruise my soul a little," I warned her.
"I don't refuse merely out of spite," she snapped at them. She used one arm to gesture down at herself. "Do you truly believe I wish to be trapped with a human soul?"
"Then why do you refuse to help us?" Roland asked her.
She turned her eyes on me and nodded her head in my direction. "Because only a creature of darkness can perform the spell."
Everyone stared at me. I held up my hands.
"Wait a second. Before we start thinking I'm some sort of magician I need to remind you guys I'm still pretty new to all of this darkness stuff," I pointed out.
Uncle Seward looked up at me. "But you're the only willing creature of darkness we've got, and we can't keep this demon's being in Ma."
I pursed my lips, but nodded my head. "All right, so how do we fix this soul transfer stuff?" I asked our group.
"This isn't just a soul transfer," Rose snapped. "The spell was so horribly mangled that a part of our personalities transferred into the new bodies."
"Yeah, we kind of got the feeling that my aunt was a bitchy vampire now," I quipped.
Rose glared at me. "It's fortunate I have your soul and not mine, or I would take offense to such a question."
I snorted. "If you have my soul then I know you're taking offense to that."
A high-pitched voice interrupted our intimate conversation.
"Fighting will not help us return our souls to our bodies." All four of us slowly turned our heads to Ginsleh. He glared back at us. "What?" he returned in his high-pitched voice.
"I don't remember your voice sounding like you've been sniffing helium," I quipped.
"It seems some physical features were also transferred, and are manifesting themselves at a later time," Roland commented.
"So he just hit puberty?" I guessed.
"In a way, yes," Roland confirmed.
Rose pushed her high-pitched servant away from her and stood proud and tall. Her dark, narrowed eyes swept over us and her lips pursed tightly together.
"There can be no greater dislike than what I feel for you all, but circumstances have forced my hand," she commented. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I will assist you in returning the souls to their proper bodies."
"All the souls?" I questioned her.
She opened her eyes and glared at me. "I swear it."
"Swear on the blood of all vampires," Roland insisted.
Rose ground her teeth together, but gave a nod. "All the souls," she confirmed.
I clapped my hands together and smiled at our dysfunctional group. "All right, now that we're all friends until we're mortal enemies again, what do we do now? Do I get to read a passage from the book or what?"