suggested, her throat tightening as she took a deep huff of
the baby powder scent that reminded her vividly of her gran.
Everything was
still the same downstairs, the scorched letter and the spell book were spread
out all over the dining room table, and the devil ring was still snugly around
her finger. Harper stared at the ring with interest, but the potion had taken
away the fear.
“How long is this
going to last?” Harper asked, pointing to herself.
“The spells last
for twelve hours once the potion is consumed. That should be enough time to
heal your concussion… I don’t want to tell you what to do, but you should use
the time to familiarize yourself with your magic. It will be easier to take
once everything wears off,” Mallory seemed to know exactly what she was talking
about. She gave Harper a supportive smile, and Harper smiled back.
“I think we should
all be going...” Mr. Bell said, clearing his throat, and Mallory nodded.
“Call if you need
anything,” Mallory told her on her way out. Mr. Bell just nodded, and then only
Jasper was left, reclining on the living room couch.
Harper stood with
the door wide open and cleared her throat, motioning to the great outdoors
beyond.
“What?” Jasper
asked, being purposely thick.
“You’re free. I
assume you won’t be pressing charges—since my grandmother has passed…” Harper
stood there awkwardly for a moment before babbling to fill the awkward silence.
“I apologize for what she put you through, but you can go…please.”
Jasper let out a
laugh that made Harper feel uneasy. “I’m not going anywhere. I live here.”
Shock made Harper
bite her tongue for a second, but only for a second. “I don’t think so—” she
told him with a shake of her head as she crossed her arms over her chest in
annoyance.
Jasper looked at
her as if judging if she was messing with him or not. “Oh joy. You really don’t
know,” he said sarcastically, turning off the TV and setting down the remote.
He patted the sofa cushion beside him. Harper stared at it for a moment before
shutting the door with a sigh. She ignored the couch entirely and grabbed the
chair she had previously been using to keep the ‘possum’ in the basement and
sat down.
“Well, this is a
bit awkward, but here it is. I’ve lived here with Elizabeth for the last forty
years—I have a coffin in the basement if you want to go check,” he said
defensively, and Harper stared at him in surprise.
“I don’t
understand,” she said at last, and Jasper sighed.
“Years ago I was sentenced
to death by the paranormal council in this town. Your gran secretly intervened
on my behalf and was assigned to carry out my imprisonment instead. I was a bit
of a wild card back then,” he flashed Harper a grin, and Harper suddenly became
a bit more afraid of him. What could he possibly have done to get sentenced to
death? “You’re scared of me now,” he said, and it wasn’t a question. Harper
nodded; there was no point in lying.
“Yes,” she
confirmed.
Jasper pointed to
the moonstone on Harper’s finger and Harper stared down at it, wondering what
it had to do with anything. Jasper didn’t fail to notice the way she had
started edging her chair away from him. “Don’t worry. She spelled that ring so
I can’t hurt you as long as you wear it.” Harper looked down at the devil ring
on her finger in surprise. “If you die, so do I.”
“This ring is
protecting me...from you?” she asked, and Jasper nodded.
“These days you
don’t need the protection, I’m just a big old pussy cat,” he flashed his fangs
at her and, despite the potion, Harper shivered. “There were a few times back
in the day when I tried to get the jump on dear old Gran,” he smiled
sardonically. “She kicked my ass six ways from Sunday,” he admitted, and Harper
had to giggle a little at the image of her tiny gran landing a roundhouse kick
against the handsome vampire’s face.
“She wasn’t old
when I was
the baby powder scent that reminded her vividly of her gran.
Everything was
still the same downstairs, the scorched letter and the spell book were spread
out all over the dining room table, and the devil ring was still snugly around
her finger. Harper stared at the ring with interest, but the potion had taken
away the fear.
“How long is this
going to last?” Harper asked, pointing to herself.
“The spells last
for twelve hours once the potion is consumed. That should be enough time to
heal your concussion… I don’t want to tell you what to do, but you should use
the time to familiarize yourself with your magic. It will be easier to take
once everything wears off,” Mallory seemed to know exactly what she was talking
about. She gave Harper a supportive smile, and Harper smiled back.
“I think we should
all be going...” Mr. Bell said, clearing his throat, and Mallory nodded.
“Call if you need
anything,” Mallory told her on her way out. Mr. Bell just nodded, and then only
Jasper was left, reclining on the living room couch.
Harper stood with
the door wide open and cleared her throat, motioning to the great outdoors
beyond.
“What?” Jasper
asked, being purposely thick.
“You’re free. I
assume you won’t be pressing charges—since my grandmother has passed…” Harper
stood there awkwardly for a moment before babbling to fill the awkward silence.
“I apologize for what she put you through, but you can go…please.”
Jasper let out a
laugh that made Harper feel uneasy. “I’m not going anywhere. I live here.”
Shock made Harper
bite her tongue for a second, but only for a second. “I don’t think so—” she
told him with a shake of her head as she crossed her arms over her chest in
annoyance.
Jasper looked at
her as if judging if she was messing with him or not. “Oh joy. You really don’t
know,” he said sarcastically, turning off the TV and setting down the remote.
He patted the sofa cushion beside him. Harper stared at it for a moment before
shutting the door with a sigh. She ignored the couch entirely and grabbed the
chair she had previously been using to keep the ‘possum’ in the basement and
sat down.
“Well, this is a
bit awkward, but here it is. I’ve lived here with Elizabeth for the last forty
years—I have a coffin in the basement if you want to go check,” he said
defensively, and Harper stared at him in surprise.
“I don’t
understand,” she said at last, and Jasper sighed.
“Years ago I was sentenced
to death by the paranormal council in this town. Your gran secretly intervened
on my behalf and was assigned to carry out my imprisonment instead. I was a bit
of a wild card back then,” he flashed Harper a grin, and Harper suddenly became
a bit more afraid of him. What could he possibly have done to get sentenced to
death? “You’re scared of me now,” he said, and it wasn’t a question. Harper
nodded; there was no point in lying.
“Yes,” she
confirmed.
Jasper pointed to
the moonstone on Harper’s finger and Harper stared down at it, wondering what
it had to do with anything. Jasper didn’t fail to notice the way she had
started edging her chair away from him. “Don’t worry. She spelled that ring so
I can’t hurt you as long as you wear it.” Harper looked down at the devil ring
on her finger in surprise. “If you die, so do I.”
“This ring is
protecting me...from you?” she asked, and Jasper nodded.
“These days you
don’t need the protection, I’m just a big old pussy cat,” he flashed his fangs
at her and, despite the potion, Harper shivered. “There were a few times back
in the day when I tried to get the jump on dear old Gran,” he smiled
sardonically. “She kicked my ass six ways from Sunday,” he admitted, and Harper
had to giggle a little at the image of her tiny gran landing a roundhouse kick
against the handsome vampire’s face.
“She wasn’t old
when I was
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