Chapter Seven: A Spoiled Reception

Alice:

This reception is dragging on, my mind on the ingredients to get me into heat sooner. Most of them were in dangerous places, and proved difficult to keep fresh. Swing music blared around me, my fingers drumming on the table. Grammy popped up behind me, sliding me a worn black leather book underneath the table. Leaning in really close to my ears, her next words excited me.

"This is the spell book you will need to create that potion. Please accept it as a wedding gift. A fair warning, it takes a couple of days to weeks for it to kick in." She whispered kindly, Sy glancing over at me with a crooked grin on his lips. Tucking it into the secret pocket in my skirt, something felt off. A lilac star whizzed by my head, my fingers catching the other one. Cocking my brow, enough was enough. Who the fuck was trying to kill me right now? Scanning the room, a petite woman in a black tuxedo smashed into the cake. Chaos broke out, the guests running out and screaming. Apparently, they knew who this demon was with the purple sleek bob. The chair groaned as I leapt to my feet, my black sword slid into my eager palm. Grammy cried out in pain as I cut off the bottom of the dress, the silk thudding onto the floor. Throwing several more stars in my direction, my blade blocked them all. My jaw dropped, Lucy Malliet popping up behind her with Johnny standing next to her. Their red eyes glowered in my direction, her pink robe dancing in the icy breeze created by this new enemy. Her sleek bob matched her new master, Johnny running his hands through his wild curly blonde hair. Black bags hollowed out their eyes, wicked laughter erupting from their lips. Guilt dimmed my eyes, this fate worse than death.

"We require that spell book, so you can figure out how to solve your problem. I refuse to let my husband, Beezlebub, lose. I, Ralliana Defouncious, will beat you." She bragged gleefully, snapping her fingers. "Attack the friend who abandoned you." Huffing to myself, she really had no brains. Sy dragged me out of the great hall, our friends pounding after us.

"You can't kill her, or you will start another war with my family at the head." He warned irritably, slamming his fist into Johnny's face. The marble wall cracked, his body leaving a crater in the wall. Lucy launched herself at me, her heel slamming into my jaw. Wrapping my hands around her ankle, the crack of her body shattering broke the still air as I slammed her into the floor. We didn't want to kill them, Ralliana slamming into me. Several stars quivered in my body, a violet blade pressed against my neck. Not again, copper poisoning my taste buds. Slamming my elbow into her stomach, the knife clattered to the floor. Falling back, Sammy held her down. Sitting on her back, he clamped on black iron bracelets. Folding my arms across my chest, fury boiled in my veins. Sy hoisted her up by her chains dragging her upstairs, Lucy and Johnny hung back, a decision clearly waiting to be made. Viscous animosity seethed in his eyes, his temper flaring. Growls thundered in his throat, all of us shrinking back. Black energy swirled off of his back, claws growing from his fingernails.

"You two have a decision to make. You can either join us, or leave with her! All I wanted was a nice weekend with my wife! We just wanted to celebrate our marriage but your family had to screw that up as well!" He roared thunderously, the whole mansion shaking. "I have had it up to here with everything! Normally it is her losing her shit, but now it is my turn. No more Mr. Nice guy!" My eyes narrowed in his direction, Lucy and Johnny rushing past him. Snatching Ralliana, her violet eyes shooting daggers at me while they dragged her into their hearse wagon. The creatures whinnied, the hearse wagon mixing in with the other guests that dotted the inky black sky. Sitting down on the steps, my fingers ripped out the stars out of my side. Grammy rushed up to me, fretting over me like a small child. Smothering me in kisses, everyone else laughed around me. Scarlet burned my cheeks, Sy running up to me. Tension cut the air, the two of them competing for my attention. Sammy flashed me an apologetic smile, an unimpressed look dimming my face. Shoving them both off of me, my attention turning towards his family. Bowing towards his father, a polite smile curled on my lips. Taking his hand, the distraught expression on his face destroyed my heart.

"Thank you for the ceremony. I still had fun." I chirped cheerfully, hiding my disappointment. "You are the best father-in-law a girl could have. May I hug you?" Wrapping his arms around my shoulders, a strange warmth washed over me. Was this what family was? Refusing to let me go, Sy cocked his brow. He was wondering what game I was playing at, his three shadow children floating behind him. Ivory sat on Renkin's shoulders, the urge to leave teasing me with her sweet gifts of freedom. Rubbing my back, a sigh of relief escaped my lips the moment he let go. Feeling antsy, Sy picked up on my signals. Annoyance hid beneath his pleasant smile, his arm resting in the crook of my elbow.

"I am afraid that we must take our leave now. Thank you again, father." He thanked him heartily, dragging me to our hearse wagon. "I am so grateful. I will call you tomorrow. Sammy! Let's go!" Sammy pounded after us, Sy shoving the two of us into the wagon. The three shadow children cracked the whip, the wagon lurching towards home. Heavy silence sullied the air, Sy and I irritated beyond belief. Granted it wasn't at each other, but at my father. How dare he ruin our day? Guilt gnawed at me, his father had poured so much into the wedding only for him to ruin both gifts for us. Did I have to be a burden everywhere I went? Perhaps, I should just jump town and give them all of the peace that they deserve. Sammy shivered across from me, the book sliding into my eager palms. Flipping through the pages, a blustery gust of icy wind opened it to the spell I needed. Groaning to myself, all of the ingredients were upstairs. Half of them were in the high school I used to attend, the obituary probably saying nothing nice about me.

"We need to go back to high school, and you need to actually be visible. We will enter as new students." I ordered sharply, Sammy smiling nervously in my direction. "The girls should really like you, Sammy. Have some fun and distract them for me." Nodding in silent agreement, Sy rolled his eyes. Biting my lips, the distant stare in his eyes told me that he wasn't okay. Sticking my head out of the window, whispering the orders to take us upstairs. Waiting patiently, the ride grew turbulent. A bright light blinded us, our bodies smashing through the ground. Dirt filled my mouth, the three of us dragging ourselves out of the grave. Resting next to the stone, tears welled up in my eyes. Sharp edges spelled my name, my birth date and the day of the fire the only thing on the stone. Ignoring the emotion of seeing my own tombstone, it was time to get to work. Shoving my hands into my pocket, only us three could pass the barrier. Marching out of the cemetery, the quiet noises of the country pleased my broken soul. Dirt crunched underneath my bare feet, my hair flying behind me. Skidding to a stop in front of the school it was time to work my magic, storm clouds brewing over my head.

"Can we talk about how you barely reacted at the sight of your grave?" Sy pushed gently, heavy raindrops washing the dirt off of us. Lightning lit up the sky, the white light bathing the white marble school. Leaping over the fence, a single janitor was all I could sense. Whistling a tune, my heel kicked the doors down. Popping up behind him, the word sleep escaped my lips. Dropping to the ground, my fingers wrapping around his master keys.

"Blur." I whispered under my breath, the cameras all glitching at once. "Don't break the spell before I am done." Pushing forward, my trembling fingers searched for the right key. Attempting key after key, a sigh of relief washed over me when the right key unlocked the door. Pushing it open, a computer screen flickered on. A single line blinked, the password was waiting to be entered. Scanning the desk for photos, this poor woman had no family. Glancing around once more, a picture of an orange cat caught my eyes. Looking a bit closer, the tag read ginger. Typing in ginger, a ding told me that I was in. Honestly, people could be so simple. Both of them attempted to speak to me, my hand telling them to stop. This was going to be child's play, my fingers moving a mile a minute. A couple of hours passed, three new student id's resting in my palms. Black heels clicked around the corner, cold sweat dripping off of my brow as I logged out just in time. Sy pulled me underneath the desk, holding his arms around my waist. Covering up my mouth, the middle aged woman huffed in before shutting off the light as she left. Leaping out the window, a guard's light beam nearly met us while we crashed into the woods.

"Where are we going to go?" Sammy inquired tiredly, rubbing his eyes. "I thought your house burnt down." Smiling warmly to myself, an idea flashed in my head. Taking his hand, Sy protested with each step closer into the woods. Stomping my foot on the ground, a metallic ring answered my pleas. Feeling around the ground, teardrops soaked the ground. No one had anything nice to say about my death, no one missed me. I had faded away just like the fog on a hot summer morning. Gritting my teeth, the handle didn't want to open. Rust had sealed it shut, a human energy stopping me from having a meltdown.

"Well it isn't everyday that I get to see the true form of my favorite neighbor Alice." An elderly voice crooned jollily, the smile dripping in her voice. "You guys can stay with me if you wish. You look like you could use a nice warm shower." Struggling to my feet, Mrs. Halfsworth offered me her hand. Death's shadow hovered behind her, the smell of cancer rotting her life force .Bowing my head in shame, she wiped away my tears.

"I wrote the most beautiful obituary for you, and would you know it the whole school showed up saying that you changed their lives. I didn't know that you helped so many students." She comforted me, the look in her eyes telling the truth. "They knew about your home life, and wanted to help you. They called child services a couple of times. Those were the students and not the teachers. Oh forgive me, I do have one favor to ask. Can you guide me to the light like you used to do at the hospital all of the time? I am afraid that I don't have long. I would love to spend my last moments with you by my side. You always helped me out no matter what time it was." Tears welled up in my eyes, a lilac hat covered her bald head. Her emerald eyes twinkled with joy, her arms embracing me with her warmth.

"Okay." I mumbled with depression dripping in my voice, the many memories of watching people pass on saddening me further. "I promise to help you along," Sy grabbed my shoulder, the rain only growing stronger. Placing me onto his back, his feet splashed through a million puddles into her home. A couple of towels sat on the table in the mud room, all of us sliding off our shoes. Taking off her yellow raincoat, my heart shattered at the sight of her. Her blue nightgown swallowed her gaunt figure, her galoshes squeaking as she slid them off. Swaying slightly, my arms caught her just in time. Guiding her up to her room, a groan of agony poured from her lips as I laid her down. A grim reaper hovered in the corner, my heart shattering. Sy gasped at the sight of the black cloaked figure waiting in the corner, Sammy dragging him out. A deed trembled in her hands, her signing it over to me.

"This will always give you a place to stay in hard times, this home is my parting gift. I think it is time, my dear." She wheezed, coughing up blood. "Could you sing my favorite song to call my husband? I would love for him to take me into Heaven. It really is a classic." Taking her hand, a bright light blinded me. Singing "Mister Bones" from a White Christmas, an elderly gentleman in a brown tweed suit danced out. Her soul drifted from her body, the two of them dancing. Growing younger by the second, her blond hair was curled up into a bun. The blue dress twirled around her legs, the two of the dancing through the door. A hot breeze lashed my skin, the reaper following after them. The light died down, silent tears sliding down my cheek. Sy knocked on the door frame, my head bowed in shame. Picking up her white landline, my trembling fingers dialed for the emergency services. Only a couple of minutes passed, red and blue lights bathed the entire street. The gentle blue eyed officer took down my story, apologizing for my loss. Wiping the tears from my eyes, this pain was real. She had always let me sneak into her home at midnight for a warm meal, and cup of hot chocolate. Her sweet smile flashed in my mind, her cold hand resting in mine. Teardrops crashed to the top of her liver spotted hand, my arms wrapping around her lifeless body. Every single emotion burst from my lips, a wail of agony bursting from my lips. Sy held me like my life depended on it, Sammy watching quietly from the door frame. Why did I have to lose everyone that was precious to me? A key shimmered on the nightstand, a single piece of paper resting underneath. Reading the words, Sy cried out in shock as my elbow slammed into his nose. Blood poured from his nose, both of us panicking. It wasn't broken, my quaking fingers passing him a tissue. Holding it to his nose, both of us burst into fits of laughter. A sad smile dimmed my face, his fingers wiping away my tears.

"She was a witch." He informed me calmly, kissing my forehead. "That is how she knew who you really were. She is a good soul, and really deserved to go to Heaven. What do we do now?" Walking around the bed, the worn floorboard creaked as I laid down on my stomach. Searching underneath the bed, my fingers wrapped around the black lock box. Setting it down on the bed, the funeral home arrived to take her body away. A couple of exhausted funeral home workers carried her body out to their silver hearse, my quaking hands unable to put the key in the lock. Sy slid the key with ease, the box popping open. My jaw dropped a note fluttering on the top, the messy writing was hard to read. The basic gist of it was that the money was mine, and that she wanted me to have a bright future. Something else bounced around, my heart shattering at the sight of her favorite crystals that she always carried around. Scooping them into my palm, the rose quartz rock floated into the air. Cupping it in my palm, school didn't start for another day or two. At least I could grieve for a couple of days, my heart still in pieces. Setting them back into the box, a special herb caught my eyes. This purple herb was one of the plants I needed for my heat potion, a wide grin dancing across my face. Of course, she was thinking of me as I placed it into the lock box. Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, sweet slumber taking me to dreamland.

Yawning groggily, today was the meeting to plan her funeral. Tossing on a black blouse and black pencil skirt, my worn boots barely matched the outfit. Sy wore a simple black dress shirt and dress pants, the two of us standing in front of the black Victorian mansion. The size was triple the size of Mrs. Halfsworth brick mill house, clammy sweat drenching my palm. Glancing around, a dark haired girl our age opened the door. Her petite body looked small in the ten foot tall doors, her caramel eyes glistening with excitement.

"I am Dallena Dorth, the daughter of the owner. May I please guide you downstairs? He is just finishing her up." She urged kindly, smoothing out her black business suit. "You must be the new kids. I dig your looks. What kind of contacts are those?" Chuckling nervously to himself, he cleared his throat.

We are both albinos." He explained with a calm smile, motioning towards his hair. "I simply choose to dye my hair. I personally think that my girlfriend looks better with white hair, so we agreed that we won't dye it. Don't you think it is lovely?" Instantly charmed by him, she guided us to the embalming room. It certainly didn't smell like a normal embalming room, many magical herbs growing up the wall. A tall slender man stood over her body, his caramel eyes twinkling with pure happiness. Running his hand through his gray slicked back hair, his aura was so calm.

"I see you two made it. I am Wiccan lord, and that is my daughter. Mrs. Halfsworth was a big part of our community. Forgive me, I am Darthon Dorth. We plan on throwing her a witch's funeral." He explained calmly, my eyes falling on the white wrapped body on the metal table. "You are a beautiful demon, or half demon. The albino excuse is rather clever. Do you have her crystals?" Shifting around my pockets, they all floated over my palms. Attempting to pass them to him, he shook his head. Smoothing out his expensive Italian suit, he cupped them in my hand.

"I get it now." He chuckled warmly to himself, pulling down a couple of herbs off of the wall. "She wants you to have them. You really are lucky. She really loved you like the grandchild that she never had. You need to keep them, and good fortune will fall upon you." Pressing my lips together, none of this made any sense. Fresh tears flooded from my eyes, not understanding what he was implying.

"I don't get it." I mumbled irritably, tucking them back into my pocket. "Why would she want me to have them when she should be buried with them?" Sighing deeply, he took my hand. Flipping it over, he traced the lines on my palm. Curiosity glimmered in his eyes, a wicked grin curling on his lips.

"I do." He answered serenely, Sy wrapping his arms around my waist. "You have a bright future. I see a crown, and a lovely family. Tragedy lines your success, the darkness chasing after you. How can I help? I know. I will let you stay here as my niece and nephew while you gather what you need." Scarlet burned his cheeks, Sammy knocking on the door frame. Dallena and him caught each other's eyes, the two of them falling in love in a second. A wolf head popped up on her neck, Darthon winked in her direction. These two were insane, that idea sounding a bet better than us holing up in her home so close to my death.

"Tell me your thoughts on death." He interrupted my train of thought, my odd gaze meeting his eyes. Crossing my hands, this question struck me as odd. Clearing my throat, his expectant gaze told me that he wanted an answer.

"I think it can be beautiful. I have been able to see reapers my whole life, and they never really scared me." I replied softly, scratching at my neck. "I find that a lot of people focus on the loss, not the happy memories. I think funerals should be a celebration of a life, not a mourning ceremony. You should cry, but also laugh at the pleasant memories. Does that make sense?" Nodding his head in silent agreement, all this talk of death was depressing me.

"I think that you are the most amazing wife." Sy announced proudly, a tender blush rising to my cheeks. "I am so fortunate to have you in my life." Spinning me around, he dragged me upstairs. Pinning me to the wall, his lips kissed mine sensually. Melting into his arms, nothing felt like it was going my way. Dallena popped up behind us, a wicked grin dancing across her lips.

"Can I take you two to your room?" She suggested dirtily, cocking her head. "Anyway, the ceremony is tonight, and you will need a cloak. Luckily, I have a million. I placed a couple of choices on your bed. Be ready by twilight, we like to send our kind into the stars. See you later." My eyebrow twitched, her bubbly personality irritating me. Smelling myself, my nose crinkled in disgust. Dancing up the stairs, the three of us were just too tired for this. Pointing the shower, she passed me a black sweater dress. Swinging my bra around, my mind how the hell she even got a hold of it. Sprinting down the hall, Sy shoved me into the bathroom.

"Go take a shower. I will get your bra back." He promised sweetly, licking his lips. "I can finally find out your size." Evil laughter erupted from his lips, my eyes wondering what the hell was going on here. Smiling warmly to myself, this chaos was a welcome change in my life.