Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Blood, Sex and Magik ❯ Chapter 7

Blood, Sex and Magik: Seven

Alice Sinclare didn't know what woke her up, finally. It might have been the birds calling outside, or maybe the scent of her coffee pot starting up, but something roused her from a dreamless slumber. Rubbing her eyes Alice sat up, her black hair flowing over her shoulders, blinking in surprise at the note sitting on the bed beside her.

"I'm sorry," the elegant script read. "I never thought that what happened in the Shop could occur, or else I would have taken greater precautions. I'll try to explain it later tonight, if you'll let me." Underneath it was simply signed, "Jess."

"Oh god," the note fell from Alice's nerveless hands as memory rushed back to her. The strange woman in the book shop, Jess and her two friends arriving, the sudden attack on her then.. just a blank. When she had come to there was a greasy burnt spot on the carpet, Jess was carrying her in her arms, and she had mild hysterics.

"Or maybe not so mild," a blushing Alice quietly admitted to herself. Jess had taken her back here to her home, then she did.. something when she put her to bed. Whatever it was, Alice hadn't slept that soundly in years, if ever.

The coffee pot made that odd 'whuf' noise it did when it was done perking, and Alice walked over in her nightie to pour herself a cup, adding sugar and coffee-mate as needed. She sat down at the kitchen table, munching a donut out of the bread box as she tried to wake up.

And thought about Jess. 'What do I really know about her?" Alice mused. There were so many outlandish stories about the woman in the community that she had a hard time separating fact from fiction. She ran a tattoo parlor, had for at least two years, that was confirmed. She was an expert, if that meant anything, but her past was awfully murky.

Most people in the city had at least heard about the Lady Diana, for instance. The woman crimelord was an enigma herself, but at least some of the stories connected Jess to her. But oddly, at about the same time Diana completely dropped out of sight Jess opened up her tattoo shop. And then she began taking jobs for the bare minimum, if not often helping people for free.

"Gah," Alice shook her head firmly. It was getting close enough to the time to go that she walked back to her bedroom to find some clean clothes. She dressed herself quickly, the business formal clothes sliding on, then she combed out her black hair and brushed her teeth. Grabbing her purse she was out the door and gone.

Not long after Alice pushed open the door, the bell secured above the door ringing as she entered. The place looked much the same, the video rack on one side, clothes and other items over there, and the main body of the store the books and magazines. She found herself searching for any sign of what happened last night, but the place was spotless.

"Hey," Hunter looked up from her place at the counter, "did you get a cleaning service in or something?" The lanky buzzcut blonde looked around her in admiration, "The place is spotless."

"Something like that," Alice smiled back wryly. She walked around the little shop, hesitating where she had seen the fire, but the carpet was unmarked. "Anyone in yet?" she asked as she went back up to the till.

"Nobody yet," Hunter shrugged slightly. Her T-shirt was spotless, the blue jeans that she wore hugging her slim body. The two made an odd looking pair with Alice in her business wear, but they worked quite well together.

Alice hesitated a moment. She had known Hunter for several years, since she had opened up the shop, and she trusted her opinion. "What do you think of Jessica Drake?" she finally asked.

Hunter gave a slight smile, "I wondered when you'd ask." She chuckled softly, taking a drink from a nearby cup of coffee, "She's been by a few times when you're not here, always looks a bit disappointed when she sees me up here alone."

"Oh," Alice found herself blushing.

"Hey, it's all right," Hunter said, "considering how many of my girlfriends come here it's about time you got one. Anyway," she shook her head, "Jess Drake is a good woman."

It was a simple statement of fact, with no additions or further explanation. "That's it?" Alice blinked at her in surprise.

"There's a lot of stuff people don't talk about, odd things that we don't repeat," Hunter said entirely seriously. "Drake helped some friends of mine, and I really doubt they'd even be around without her," she finished firmly.

"Wow," Alice murmured softly.

"I know that she's got a bad rep," Hunter continued on, "and she's probably got some things in her past she's not proud of." A wry smile, "But don't we all." And with that she pushed off from where she was leaning up against the counter and went to start restocking the shelves.

Alice nodded to herself thoughtfully even as she got out the books and began to run through the amounts, stopping to serve the regulars as they came inside. Business was brisk, but still she found her thoughts frequently turning to Jess.

Finally, as the sun was setting just behind the buildings as the door bell rang out. Jess walked inside confidently, her short black hair neatly combed back from her handsome face. Her jeans and leather jacket suited the striking young woman well, and she simply ignored the soft murmurs of a few of the other customers.

"Hi," Jess gave her a tentative smile.

Alice found herself smiling back, "Hi, yourself. Give me a minute to let Hunter know that I'm leaving, all right?"

"Right," Jess gave her a little wave, moving over to look at the latest novels.

"Hey, Hunter," Alice opened up the door to the storeroom. She froze in the doorway, then blurted out, "Hunter!"

Both naked young women scrambled around for their clothes, Hunter giving her an mildly apologetic look. "Sorry boss, got carried away," she laughed.

Alice rolled her eyes and sighed, "I'm going on my break. Try not to get too distracted while I'm gone, all right?"

"Right," Hunter grinned, shielding the still naked and clearly embarrassed young woman crouching behind her.

Jess looked over at her curiously when Alice came out with her coat on. "You've got the oddest expression on your face," she ventured as the two of them left the bookstore, setting off together down the sidewalk.

"Hunter was entertaining someone in the back room," Alice grimaced. Jess blinked, then began to laugh, then Alice joined in.

"Having met her," Jess chuckled, "I can see that."

They walked on for a bit, the laughter dying off. "I had so many questions earlier," Alice finally said softly, "but now I can't think of any of them."

"I owe you an explanation," Jess said softly, "if only because that.. thing showed up in the middle of your shop." The light from the street lamps shadowed her face, and in the deepening twilight she almost seemed a stranger.

"What was that thing," Alice finally asked softly, "and why were you and your friends fighting against it?"

"I'll start with why I was fighting it," Jess said softly, "you see, I'm not just a tattoo artist. Or I'm not a normal tattoo artist, anyway. I also know a bit of magic."

"Magic," Alice echoed weakly.

Jess cupped her hand, speaking a single work. A spark of light and fire danced there, a fireball hovering above her fingers until she closed her hand, the flames disappearing. "And with this sort of power comes certain responsibilities, so to speak," Jess said.

"Responsibilities like fighting that woman that hurt me," Alice murmured.

"It wasn't really a woman," Jess explained, "it was a creature from somewhere else, wearing the woman's skin to disguise itself. It needed to.. replace that skin, and it targeted you."

"Hmm," Alice nodded. They walked on silently again, then she softly asked, "If I continue to hang around you, will I run into something like that again?"

"I hope not," Jess made a face, "but I can't promise."

Alice looked up at her, the tall, intense young woman. "Let's hope not," she said, "because I don't intend to run away." Without thinking about it she reached out to take Jess' hand in hers.

"Thanks," Jess squeezed those fingers gently.

To be continued...