Solving the Vampire Murders

forty-eight

"Torn!" Mandy screeched.

Torren gave her his broad smile. Mandy's heart could've taken flight. He opened his arms for her, and Mandy didn't think twice. She tossed Mona unceremoniously to the ground and raced into Torren's arms.

Their foreheads pressed together.

"I knew you weren't dead. I knew it. I knew it."

Torren's hand cupped the back of her head, and Mandy let her cheek rest on his shoulder. His warmth soothing. The familiar rhythm of his heart restored. "I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you," Torren whispered against her hair. "I should have told you everything last night."

Mandy let out a sigh. "I think we're both guilty of that."

"Hey, it's okay, Mandy. Look at me."

Mandy leaned back, and the two smiled at each other for what felt like the longest moment of her life. Just watching each other.

Mandy saw something in Torren she had never noticed there before. Confidence. And happiness—true happiness.

Zach wrapped his arms around Torren and Mandy, lifting them both off the ground. "T! Back from the dead. The Zombie Ranger."

Laughter erupted. Happiness and relief, like a bubble in her throat. "Okay, this is getting awkward. Can you set us down?"

"Awkward for you, maybe." Zach winked, and Mandy laughed again. Euphoria replacing the emptiness that had taken up so much space in her heart.

Once they were all back on their feet, Torren looked nervously around the room. "Where's Clint? Did you catch him?"

Jones shook her head. "Nope. The slippery bastard ran off as soon as you were on the ground. I haven't gone looking for him yet."

With a dry laugh, Faris rolled his eyes. "The coward is probably hiding in his room. Trying to get in contact with the buyer."

"Buyer?" Torren asked, rubbing at the makeshift-bandage Faris had made for his neck. "He's going to sell my Gift?"

"Yes, I believe so." Faris' gaze shifted from Mandy to Torren. "That was always the plan."

Mandy growled, low and menacing, and Zach took a hesitant step back.

"He'll be in the basement," Faris added.

"Basement. Right." Torren nodded. He was quiet for a long moment. One hand resting on his hip. Then finally asked, "How do I get down there?"

Jones barked out a laugh. "You think you're recently resurrected ass is going to march into Clint's room and demand your magic back?"

"Uh, yeah," Torren said in a voice that brokered no argument. "That's exactly what I'm planning on doing."

"Torren," Mandy said as calmly as possible. Trying not to hurt his newfound pride. "You don't have magic anymore. Why don't you let me go?"

Faris placed his arm around Mandy's shoulders. "I think you mean, why don't you let us go."

"Don't tell me you're worried I'm just a magic-less human now?" Torren opened his palm. When their eyes met again, Mandy saw fire. A glint in Torren's eye that she would sometimes see in her own father. A passion. Bright and fierce. "All I had to do was believe."

Torren snapped his fingers, and a flame jumped to life.

Mandy sucked in a sharp breath. "How?"

"Amazing," Faris added.

"What the what?" Zach wiped damp hands on his burned pants. "How is that even possible? We all saw what happened."

"Turns out, I had magic all along." Torren's pebble gray eyes found hers. Lit with grey smoke. "Your dad's magic."

Grateful for Faris' arm around her shoulders, Mandy's knees give out a little. Her dad had been a Practitioner? He had been magic? It was too much to process. Too overwhelming.

"I love you, Mandy," Torren said slowly. Taking her trembling hand in his. "And so does your dad. He always will."

The bubble of happiness in her throat turned to stone. Cold and hard to swallow around.

Torren pressed his warm lips against the shell of her ear. "I saw him, Mandy. He misses you. And he wants me to keep you safe. So, let me do this for dad. Let me do this for you. All you have to do is believe in me."

Chills danced across her skin, but Mandy nodded. Then she pressed a kiss to Torren's forehead. He was so warm—so full of life. "Okay, Torn. I believe in you. I always have."

Torren gave Mandy a half-smile before letting her go. "I'll see you soon. I promise."

Then he was jogging through the wreckage and out the door. Gone.

Mandy wanted to chase after him, wanted to make Clint pay for what he had done, but Torren had never looked more confident—had never seemed more sure of himself than in that moment.

And she believed in him, too.

"Where's Gianna?" Mona said from her spot on the floor. "Has anyone seen her since the ceiling caved in?"

"Here, let me look," Faris said, raking his fingers through disheveled hair. "Where did you last see her?"

"Gianna pushed us out of the way," Mandy replied. Suddenly, a sick feeling was circling in her gut. "Over there."

Faris walked with cautious steps towards a section of cracked plaster and broken timber. He lifted a section of the ceiling and his face fell.

"No," Mandy said in a breath. "No."

Faris continued to toss heavy pieces of wood and chunks of drywall from the pile. Finally revealing Gianna's mangled body. "You might not want to look at this. It's too troublesome."

"What do you mean?" Mandy lifted Mona off the ground and carried her towards the wreckage. "Oh, Gianna!"

Mandy collapsed beside Mona, reaching for the vampire's hands and cradling them to her chest.

It brought back painful memories of crying over her father's grave. Arms draped around her mom and babcia. They had been together, but Mandy had felt more alone.

"She wasn't supposed to die. She was supposed to live forever. That's what it means to be immortal."

"Every party gotta end sometime," Mona said as she smoothed back Gianna's hair. "Even the greatest parties of all."

A thin layer of smoke still hung in the air as Mandy turned to Faris. "I should've gone out on the hunt with her. I should've made the time."

Faris sank down on his knees, wrapping his long arms around Mandy's shoulders. Pulling her close against his chest. "I'll take you hunting," he whispered. "For Gianna. I owe her that much."

Mandy leaned into him—wishing she could cry. Or sleep for a week straight until the pain turned to numbness. But if she'd learned anything, it was that choices came with consequences. And no matter how hard she ran from death, in the end, it would catch her too.

She could only hope it wouldn't catch up with Torren tonight.