Libby arrived at her rented city loft and breathed deep of the herbs and other scents that only a witch would be able to identify. She poured herself a glass of Clos Du Mesnil and popped a Mazzy Star disc on. Libby danced and swayed around the large room, collecting items from shelves as she circled.
She placed her ingredients and the contents of the shoe box on a large, ornate table in the center of the room. Everything she needed was here; did she really have to wait for Anna? She decanted another flute and watched the tiny bubbles rise in their graceful columns - marching along like moments in time.
"Damn it Anna! I can't just stand around waiting. Besides, I don't need your help with this".
Libby gulped the entire glass of bubbles, visualizing their panic and giggling at their foiled attempt at escape. She focused on the enjoyable task ahead.
"Sugar and spice and everything nice or snips of snails and rattlesnake tails, let see what our Kate is made of".
Libby made a cross with two willow sticks and twine. She padded the sticks with Spanish moss and continued to wrap the thread around and around while whispering an incantation. She added the trimmed photo of Kate to the layers of twine then covered it in a head-to-toe bandage of cotton ribbon. The sticks now resembled a crude doll.
Libby sewed the pieces of Kate's clothing to the doll, threaded Kate's hair into the top of the doll's head and secured two brown glass beads for eyes. "There, looks just like you!" She imagined jabbing the sewing needle between the glass beads but stabbed the pin cushion instead. An opposing pin stuck her finger tip and Libby jumped back with a shriek "you little bitch! Laugh while you can..." the doll's simple expression remained unchanged. Libby licked the red pearl from her finger, glaring at Kate's likeness.
"This," Libby angrily tapped a large mason jar with her nail, "...is going to be your new home. What do you think? Cozy huh?"
Libby gathered a list of items and threw them into a large mortar. "A pinch of dried hibernating bear blood – yum! Valerian, Jamaica Dogwood, Poppy, St John's wort, Skullcap..." she continued with a few more obscure ingredients then furiously ground them into a fine dust.
Libby collected the powder on a damp wad of Kapok fiber, stuffed it into the Mason jar and quickly secured the lid. She washed her hands and the mortar and pestle and returned to the table.
Libby poured another glass and drank it absent mindedly. She held the empty crystal up to the light and watched the chips of rainbow dance around the table. She caught a glint in the doll's glass eyes and felt strangely threatened. She couldn't wait for Anna's arrival. Libby quickly opened the jar, dropped 'Kate' in and secured the lid breathing a sigh of relief.
Libby gave the jar a little shake. The dolls bead eyes clinked against the glass. Libby finished the bottle of wine and fell asleep at the table under the doll's captivated gaze.
**************
Ian caught Kate as she collapsed. "Kate! Kate!! Jesus Aiden! I can't believe you would take her here! Ian glared at the vampires surrounding them. The only thing keeping him from changing into his wolf was the need to help Kate. Zoe stood by them in an attack pose ready to pounce.
"Jesus Christ! Will you all just fucking relax?! These are my friends, Kate's safer here than anywhere out there! She's just fainted."
"Yeah? She's not coming to. Kate! Wake up!!" Ian gently shook Kate's shoulders but she didn't respond. "Kate!!"
"Ian! Calm down! Let me see her." Aiden pushed Ian out of his way.
Aiden checked Kate's pulse. It was slow and strong. Her pupils were equal and reacted briskly to light. Her breathing was unlabored. He made a fist and firmly pressed his knuckles into Kate's sternum. Nothing. Aiden removed her sandals and ran his thumb nail along her soul from heel to toe – nothing happened.
"What! What does that mean?" Ian demanded.
"That," Aiden indicated Kate's foot "...was good. But she isn't responding to painful stimuli, that's not so good. Ken, get us an ambulance."
Ian discreetly slipped Kate's blouse from her shoulder revealing the bite mark to Aiden.
"Get one of
our
ambulances." Aiden instructed. Ken redialed.
Ian was beside himself with worry and guilt. Aiden grasped his shoulder "You didn't do this. This isn't what happened to our Great Gran. Ian, keep it together man".
The ambulance arrived in no time. Its crew, a male and female jumped out giving Aiden a quick nod. They were beautiful, like opals set in black jumpsuits. They deftly placed Kate on a stretcher and lifted her into their van.
Ian moved to climb in but Aiden pushed him aside. "This is my territory; let me do what I do best. Follow with Zoe."
Ian growled and sprinted to Kate's Jeep barely waiting for Zoe.
Aiden called the ED and cleared a trauma room. He ordered an MRI and labs and had Neuro stand by. His personal ED team met them as they backed into Ambulance dock. The crew gave a quick and thorough hand over and left. Aiden and the team rushed Kate's stretcher into the trauma room and closed the doors. They immediately began to take vitals, draw blood, connect Kate to a cardiac monitor and start an IV.
Jillian, Aiden's most trusted RN reviewed results as they presented. "Everything's coming back normal Aid, is there any relevant family history, trauma, anything?"
Aiden slid the hospital gown from Kate's shoulder.
Jillian nodded. "Yours?"
"No." Aiden's tone had a hint of regret.
"Hmm, well I've never seen a 'dog' bite induced coma, not without sepsis."
"She's not septic." Aiden said shaking his head. "Get her up to radiology, we need that MRI."
Ian pushed through the entrance doors as Kate was being wheeled to the elevator.
"We haven't found anything yet, we're taking her up for an MRI. Ian, I'll find out what's going on with her. Keep cool." Aiden looked into Ian's eyes until his words sunk in. He knew Ian was on the verge of an uncontrolled shift.
Ian nodded, taking a deep breath and touching Kate's peaceful face.
The elevator dinged and they piled in around the stretcher.
"Jillian", Aiden barked "...get Libby Blackhouse, she works on Ortho. She might be able to help."
Aiden's cell phone vibrates as they wheel out of the elevator. "Yes?"
"Apparently Libby didn't show up for work tonight," Jillian reported.
"What? I thought...never mind. Get me a bed on Neuro."
Ian insisted on spending the night at Kate's bedside. It passed in a blur of white coats and clinical voices and seemed unending. The reluctant morning sun shone orange through the white blinds and daylight softened the features of the sleep deprived. Kate remained unchanged, though now her life was reflected and encouraged by a plethora of monitors, drips and tubes.
"Aid?" Libby stepped into Kate's room with coffees and bagged breakfasts from the cafeteria. "I came as soon as I heard. What happened?"
"Where were you?!" Aiden snapped.
Libby took a nervous step backwards. "Working."
"Really?! We looked for you. I have some questions."
Libby was used to arguing with doctors and to lying. She swallowed and stepped into her role. "I was pulled to Ortho! What questions?!" She braced herself for an accusation.
"Has Kate been acting strange lately?"
"What?" Libby's shoulders relaxed. "Kate always acts..." Libby bit her tongue. "No, not
unusually
strange."
Aiden was too tired to be patient or to humor. His tone was clipped and chilled, "Libby, has Kate fallen recently, complained of dizziness, headaches, eaten anything unusual, complained of anything? Anything at all?"
Libby let her breath out, relieved. "No. No she hasn't. Not to me. What happened?"
Aiden gave Libby a heavily edited version of events.
Libby had to work hard to conceal her delight. "Oh my God." Her voice cracked with the effort and was misinterpreted as genuine concern.
It worked! I did it!!
Kate's mind drifted through dreams. Odd dreams filled with disturbing images and scents, of strange voices speaking strange languages. She had flashes of Hollywood vampires and hairy beasts and then of Ian – the other half of her two-piece puzzle. Click – a perfect fit. She loved everything about him, about Ian the man. Ian the wolf – she wasn't so sure about.
Her mind floated off and landed in a Piggly Wiggly market pushing around a giant cart of vacuum packed meat . Finding that thought somewhat unpleasant her mind immediately transformed the cart full of carcass into a cart full of a very juicy looking Ian. He had a barcode on his forehead and the sell-by date had been erased. Kate giggled but it came out as the tinkle of piano keys.
The cart became Aiden's Harley in the blink of a dreamy eye. Two figures were poised on its seat, clinging to each other as if speeding away. Aiden and one of his girlies Kate supposed. But just as that thought formed the larger person in front removed his black helmet – it was Ian. His face was beautiful, his eyes gleamed darkly with passion and his lips were so inviting. Kate stepped towards the bike, longing to taste Ian's lips. Before she could reach out to him, the passenger removed
her
helmet – it was Libby! Libby smiling, with her arms wound around Ian like a Boa Constrictor.
The image of the perfect two-piece puzzle returned. On closer inspection Kate realized that the pieces had been forced together- not a perfect match at all. The image was shattered, curled up at the edges and frightening.
