Chapter Two

Stripped

Charlotte’s torturous thoughts from last night resurfaced in her mind the instant she opened her eyes the next morning. But she couldn’t think of him anymore. It was daytime. He was resting. And she was leaving.

The day was much cooler than the night before, the air crisp, smelling like burnt cinnamon and baked red apples as it drifted through Charlotte's window. It was her most favorite time of year, and that was what she would decidedly focus on today.

She got dressed in a hurry and skipped to her vanity, carefully running a beaded comb through her tousled, dark red curls. Why couldn’t she have hair that was fine and straight, like Evangeline’s? Men’s eyes always lingered when Evangeline ran her slender fingers through it.

She grasped her canvas satchel, swung it over her shoulder, and skipped to the second story landing of the staircase, but Valek's bolted bedroom caught the corner of her eye. Its ornately gothic doors were shut tight, letting no pinch of light enter between the thin crevices as it stared back at her down the long hallway. She frowned at it, feeling badly he had to be trapped there during the beautiful, warm daylight. She pushed one curl behind her ear before she started again downstairs.

Quickly, she grabbed a loaf of sourdough and jam from the ice chest in the dark, empty kitchen, before rushing through the foyer to the front door.

Once outside, Charlotte sucked in the clean air and let the sun heat her skin. Valek had warned her about her lack of vitamin D since she was kept pale by her nocturnal life. He demanded she at least go out weekly during the daytime to stay healthy. It worried him, though, that she would be out on her own, beyond the reach of his protection.

The streets of the Bohemian Occult were abandoned of all but the Elves and a few non-nocturnal Phasers, creatures who looked human but were able to shape-shift. Charlotte had grown up playing with a lot of the Elven children, as they were closer to human than the others. They ate normal food, though most were vegetarian, and they were mortal, except they aged much slower than human beings.

Near the end of the town square, next to an Elven church, across from the pub the Witches liked to frequent, there was Broucka General Store. It was the shop she went to every time she was out for the day because it sold everything from fresh meats and fruits, to specialty potions and knick-knacks laced with psychic energy—things she might need for a night of hunting.

“Edwin?” Charlotte called to her favorite clerk, pushing through the noisy curtain of stones that rained down from the front doors. Enchanted, red clay birds twittered around Charlotte's head as a welcome before disappearing to the wooden rafters of the shop ceiling.

“Hello there, Charlotte!” A small demon poked his head out from behind a tall oak shelf of crystal potion bottles. “I’ll be with you in five minutes.” He went back with his rag to finish polishing. The purple stained glass of the bottle he dusted distorted his burlap face into a funny jug shape that forced Charlotte to smile. Edwin was the strangest creature she had come across in her lifetime so far—something like a living scarecrow, with potato-sack skin and button eyes.

“No problem. I’m just going to browse.” Charlotte peered into the cases of rotating quartz pyramids and evil eyes that blinked back at her. On top of one counter sat lightning in a bottle, jumping around on the wooden surface.

“Uh...Edwin?” she called nervously as she watched the lightning bottle skitter closer to the counter’s edge.

The bottle leapt over, and was caught at once by two small stitched hands.

“Got it!” Edwin smiled at Charlotte through thick bottle-cap spectacles. “I don't know why the boss even wants this on display. I don't see how anyone would want to buy it.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “It's…interesting.” She was only recently acquainted with Edwin when he began working there, but they’d become fast friends.

“What can I do for you today?”

“I am going out for the day. Have anything fresh?” She grinned.

Edwin placed both hands atop the counter and leaned in close to her, whispering, “You're leaving the Occult city again, Charlotte?”

She nodded.

“That is a bad idea. A very bad idea.” He started to sputter. “Bad, bad, bad.” His fists twisted in the material of his coat, a habit when Edwin sensed danger. But Charlotte didn’t like to let Edwin’s little episodes bother her. They rarely came to fruition. She only rolled her eyes at him.

“No…no, I don't think you should. I definitely d-don't….”

The lightning bottle leapt off the countertop again, but this time Edwin was too distracted to catch it. The glass shattered on the ground. The electricity zapped, breaking the other glass bottles, tearing chunks of wood from the walls. Owls and bats screeched in their cages, and Charlotte and Edwin were completely knocked off their feet.

She slowly lifted herself up and dusted off, looking around to see the spotless store was now in utter chaos. A few of the black rats had even escaped and were scurrying for a hiding spot.

Edwin gripped the edge of the countertop and pulled himself up as well. Charlotte laughed when he coughed out a puff of smoke, beams of electricity zapping off the ends of his spiky, black hair.

“No offense, but leaving the Occult seems a lot safer than staying here,” she said smugly, and put out a small flame flickering at the point of one hair spike.

“I really doubt it, Charlotte. It’s one thing to leave at night when they don't keep watch as much....” Edwin wiped the soot from the material of his face.

“Edwin, I'll be fine. I do it every night when I’m hunting for Valek. And anyway, it’s because I am human their stupid magical laws don’t apply to me. Remember?”

“That just makes it all the more d-dangerous. They will find out you live here. You are not only putting yourself in danger, but Valek, too. Can you not see that?”

“Who’s going to catch me, Edwin? I'm telling you, it’s fine. And I’m going.” Charlotte walked to the large barrels of produce and sifted through apples. “I’ve gotten away with living here my whole life. I don’t see how anything has changed.”

Edwin hobbled behind her, wringing his hands nervously in the washrag. “N-no. I-I r-really think t-that you should j-just stay—”

Charlotte placed a hand on his shoulder. “What do I owe you for the apple?”

Edwin mumbled something undecipherable and waved his hand at her as if to say she owed him nothing. She smiled affectionately, placed two hellers in his hand, kissed his cheek, and left his shop.

She made her way into the suburban district of the village where groups of Elven children were on their way to school. She recognized a few of her old friends and waved, instantly missing the times when they used to play together. She hadn’t the time to be around them for a while now with her responsibilities of hunting for Valek. She sighed.

One of the Elven boys called out from a small group. “Charlotte!”

Aiden Price, a woodland Elf with feathered, auburn hair and bright green eyes.

She’d kept her schoolgirl crush between herself and her sketchbook since she was thirteen; the sight of him still made her heart beat a little quicker.

“Hi, Aiden!”

He ran to her, lifting her a few feet off the ground in an enormous hug. He had been her very best friend until she stopped coming out in the daylight.

“How’s Mom doing?” Charlotte asked. She always adored, Meredith, who had been her caretaker when she was too little to care for herself, and when Valek wasn’t available.

“She’s great! And Valek?” he asked, adjusting the books in his arms.

“He’s doing really well. Busy too, though.” She smiled.

She hated the awkward pause that settled over them. Their hours of deep conversation about mutual had been reduced to meaningless small talk.

Charlotte blushed, not knowing what else to say. One of the other Elves called Aiden’s name. She exhaled, relieved, and also a little sad.

“Well, I better be getting to school. You’re so lucky you had Valek growing up.” He laughed. “No teachers.”

“Right! Valek is just as strict as any teacher of yours! Trust me.” She rolled her eyes. When Aiden chuckled and tucked a stray curl behind one of her ears, she blushed an even deeper shade.

The other Elven boys waiting for Aiden had already begun to start again without him. Noticing this, he said, “Well, it was nice seeing you, finally.”

“You too, Aiden!”

“Let me know the next time you decide to be normal. Maybe we can get together or something,” he offered as he started to walk backward to catch up with his group.

“Sure! You got it.” She bit her lower lip and made her way in the other direction.

The canopied pathway extending past the Elven houses remained dark in spite of the bright day. Charlotte lifted her gaze to see the dense covering of mangled vines and branches that blocked out the sunlight almost completely. The tunnel was so void of light and life, the sound of birds singing wasn’t even present like it would be in a normal forest.

Traveling this pathway during the dark hours for Valek was much scarier. At night, it was impossible to see through the blackness between the trees and bushes. If Charlotte really were being followed last night, she’d never know until whomever it was caught up with her. She shivered.

The roads leading beyond the Occult were completely abandoned. None of the creatures ever dared to cross the borders anymore, which made her feel a little dangerous. The inhabitants were too afraid even to travel to the other secret cities since the wizard Vladislov had taken power and smothered his people with laws. But Charlotte had done this a thousand times before, and no old wizard was going to stop her now. Technically, she wasn’t among the magical, so technically she didn’t have to abide by magical law. At least, that was her logic.

She casually crossed under the old iron gate that disguised the outer edges of the Occult city to look like a cemetery. That was the façade anyway, with the seemingly ancient, unmarked tombstones plotted over the overgrown, grassy field. Even if a normal human being did stumble upon this gate, it was a long way past the tombs and mausoleums, through the forested, canopied path to her village. The minute another human crossed the Occult border was the minute they were Valek’s supper, though it was rare.

Charlotte adjusted the strap of the satchel slung over her shoulder, as she walked down the dirt road, passing fields of wildflowers and crops.

The glorious sun beat down on the greenness of the grass, causing her entire world to explode with colors that contrasted with her normal night habits. Her eyes stung, but she realized how much she missed it. There were a few farmers harvesting in one of the fields and they nodded at her as she passed. She smiled back politely, but dared not utter a single word. It was always best for her to remain as invisible as possible.

She often thought about what it would be like to be normal, like them—to go to school with kids her age, to have parents. But every time she thought about this, she thought about a life without Valek, and instantly remembered it wasn’t worth it.

Looking up, Charlotte let the warmth of the day soak her face. It had been such a long time since she felt natural warmth on her skin. Her world always seemed to be cool and quiet. She didn’t complain, but a change was nice every now and again.

A little ways down the road, a small car slowly puttered past her as the people inside smiled at the day outside. A family outing. Charlotte looked down at the dirt as she walked and thought of Valek again.

Finally, she reached the familiar spot where the road rambled all the way to Prague and a rickety, old, wooden sign pointed solemnly toward a clump of trees. The beginning of a dense forest that was home to the quietest, most peaceful place Charlotte could think of. She peered around, making sure she had no followers, and disappeared into the thick blades of grass that grew all the way to the top of her head. Swimming through a sea of overwhelming green, she came out on the other side into the clearing, where the tall blades ended and the evergreen forest began.

She’d made this trek periodically since she was around ten or so, and she knew exactly which trees marked the trail. The first time she had done it, she tied little pieces of red ribbon on branches to find her way back. There were still a few pieces hanging ragged among the winding twigs, claiming this trail was still hers.

She grabbed onto the low-growing branches to steady herself over the boulders and surprising dips in the earth. It wasn’t so much a clear path, as it was a winding maze of twigs and leaves she carefully had to push her way through. But there was no threat of falling—she knew this forest too well. She eyed the break in the overgrowth a few feet ahead.

Once she finally reached her favorite clearing, by a waterfall she’d lovingly adopted as her own personal hideaway, she sat down on the large, flat boulder face that loomed like a shelf over the pond surface. She took off her shoes and carefully slipped her feet in the cool water. Reaching deep into her satchel, she pulled out the shiny, red apple and bit into its ruby skin. The juices exploded over her lips and dripped in rivulets down her chin.

The forest was a symphony that day. The breeze through the nooks of rock faces and tree branches were the woodwinds, the birdsong high above in the canopy, the strings, and the water plummeting into the pond, the percussion. Charlotte listened contently as she took another bite of her apple and swung her feet around, causing ripples in the water’s surface.

Muggy warmth entrapped under the forest canopy made her eyes heavy. She looked at her watch. It was only two o’clock. This happened every time she decided to stay awake for the day. But she fought falling asleep here, where she could be caught by some wondering human or rogue monster. As she leaned back against a thick tree trunk, the heat and the lullaby of the woods made napping seem more and more appealing. An enormous yawn unleashed itself as she stretched her arms wide. She couldn’t help it; her eyes began to close.

A low, booming noise sounded. Charlotte opened her eyes to find her golden sun gone, replaced by big, ominous storm clouds. So much for her afternoon by the pond. She normally went swimming, and drew pictures of the birds and other day animals to take home and show Valek. However, if she were smart, she would begin her journey home.

As if on cue, one raindrop splattered on the rock face beside her. And then another. The sky opened up. Rain cascaded down on the clearing, pouring new life on the entire forest. She lifted her face toward it, the cool water sliding down her eyelids. It smelled like ozone. It soaked through her shirt, straightened the curls in her hair, and kissed her lips, still sticky with apple juice.

She recalled one night when she was little and frightened by a thunderstorm. Valek lit the fireplace and set her on his lap to comfort her. He told her every time it rained, something amazing was going to happen. The next day, when Charlotte couldn’t sleep, she peered out her bedroom window and saw a kind of magic she was not used to—her first rainbow.

Charlotte decided it didn’t matter if she went home then or not. She was already soaked. What was the point? Looking around once to be sure she was still alone, she peeled the shirt away from her body and jumped into the cool water, sinking to the pebbles at the bottom. Her body rose to the surface, and she floated like that for a long while, the cold rain continuing to pour down over her. She took in a deep breath, let it out, thought of nothing and no one, and smiled. For the first time in a long time, she felt completely careless. That was...until he showed up.

“Charlotte?” The familiar voice called her name from the rock face. “Haha! What are you doing?”

Aiden. Her eyelids flew open. She screeched and dove under the water, scrambling to cover her upper half. Charlotte glared at him over the pond surface as he continued to laugh, stopping to leer at her some more.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be in school!”

“It’s three o’clock in the afternoon. You should see your face! What would Valek think if he knew you were out here showing yourself off to the world?” He bent in half.

She mustered a growl and smacked her hand down on the pond surface. He flinched away from the splash.

“Go home!” she yelled, her eyes watering.

His laughter subsided. “Listen, I’m sorry. All right?” he offered, holding out her wet cotton blouse.

The shirt wouldn’t do much to cover her now that it was drenched, but she grabbed for it, anyway.

His autumn hair fell into his smug face.

“Turn around!” she demanded.

He smiled, falsely apologetic, and held both hands in the air in surrender as he turned away. Charlotte made incoherent sounds of frustration as she struggled to pull herself out of the water and get her shirt back on. She glared at him with her arms folded over her chest.

“Why did you come here?”

Aiden turned to her again. “I knew you’d be here.” He glanced at the clouds that were now dissipating, allowing the sun to shine through again.

She looked back to the ground, face burning. “I should be getting home,” she said finally, grabbing for her satchel. She could only imagine the thoughts running through Aiden’s head. This was definitely one of those moments in life when she wished she had fangs.

“Come on, Charlotte,” he begged. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Charlotte couldn’t stand the chagrin that singed her cheeks. She trekked back through the woods, but he ran to catch up. He began walking in time with her, their feet crunching the leaves. They moved gracefully over every knoll and boulder.

“Why do you have to leave?” Aiden wrinkled his forehead. “Valek is still de—I mean resting, isn’t he?”

Even though they both knew Valek always woke again in the evenings, it was still difficult for Charlotte to imagine Valek was indeed physically dead at that moment.

“Yes, he is. But I have some work I need to finish before he wakes up,” she lied.

“Fine.” He sighed and started to move a little faster, storming ahead of her.

Charlotte frowned as her conscience began kicking her. She stopped and sighed, folding her arms across her chest again. She called after him. “But maybe we could hang out some other time. You know, when you can’t see my chest through my clothes?”

He stopped, a crooked smile spreading across his face. So smug, and somehow, charming. “Sounds like a plan.” He chuckled. “Can I at least give you a ride you home, then?”

“I don’t know—”

“I promise it will be faster than walking.” He gestured to a large, brown mare grazing just outside where the dense thicket of trees ended.

Before Charlotte had the chance to refuse, Aiden was tugging her by the hand toward the horse. He mounted easily, held out his strong forearm to her, offering to pull her up. She looked at him and then at the horse uneasily.

“I promise she’s safe.” He smiled and patted the horse’s rump behind him.

“Don't look. Turn around!” Charlotte demanded.

Aiden rolled his eyes and turned his face, his hand still extended to her. She reluctantly took it, and he yanked her up behind him in one, easy motion.

“Hold on tight.” He grabbed at the reins, and the horse began trotting. Charlotte lurched forward, unsteady, and wrapped her arms around Aiden’s waist. “Are you all right back there?”

“Shut up.”

He dug the back of his boots in to the horse’s rear, and they picked up speed. It seemed to fly more swiftly than any other horse possibly could, bursting onto the country road like a bullet.

Wind rushed through Charlotte’s hair, whipping her curls dry, tangling them. Getting those knots to come out was not something she was looking forward to doing later.

Aiden’s stomach muscles tensed beneath her fingers as he leaned forward, making the horse move impossibly faster beneath them. Hooves kicked up dirt as the sun and wind dried their clothes. They raced past the farmer’s fields and the hills with the wildflowers. The speed, paired with the heat of the waning summer was like a drug, and Charlotte burst out laughing.

“What is it?” Aiden called out to her.

“I just can’t believe you found me that way!”

When they reached the large iron gate which marked the entrance into the Bohemian Occult, the horse slowed to a trot. The sun had disappeared behind clumps of gray clouds gathering again, creating a gloomy veil around the false graveyard. Charlotte stayed with her arms wrapped tightly around Aiden, her skin prickling.

“You really shouldn’t sneak out anymore. Edwin told me the Regime is keeping a closer eye on the borders,” Charlotte warned.

Aiden chuckled. “You’re breaking a more important law by living here. Don’t you think?”

He was right. No human was ever supposed to know about the hidden cities. It was amazing for her to think about the fact, in all of her years of living here, she had not yet been caught—even though she crossed the borders so many nights. Something was very odd about that. Technically, Valek could be killed for smuggling and rebellion. But Charlotte and Aiden used to go to her clearing in the woods all the time together when they were younger, when things were less complicated. But rumors of Occult people being arrested for crossing the borders were surfacing all over now, and Aiden rarely left anymore.

The two were silent, with the exception of the horse’s hooves crunching in the leaves. There was an eerie, watchful feeling among the tombstones and even though they both knew the graves weren’t real, Charlotte tightened her grip around the Elf.

Aiden chuckled again. “What? Are you afraid?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Of what?” She sneered. “Monsters?”

They both laughed nervously. The silence circled them, as Aiden’s gears seemed to crank in his mind.

“Does Valek realize he is risking both of your necks every time he sends you to the outside for him?”

Charlotte was surprised by his bold change of subject. “Yes. But I’m risking my own neck more if I live with an increasingly thirsty Vampire. Anyway, it’s my choice.”

“Solid point,” he said, and detached from the sore subject.

They reached the part of the path where the trees started to grow over each other, creating a long emerald tunnel to the suburbs of the Occult. Branches grew high above, painting dark shadows on their faces as a new, eerily melodic sound echoed through the tunnel. It was so distant and dreamlike, she questioned if she was actually hearing it at all.

“Hear that?” Aiden whispered.

“Sirens.”

A soft wind blew Charlotte’s hair about her face. She shivered as she thought of the horrible, haunting women who hid on the edges of the Vltava River. She had never actually seen one, but had heard the horrible stories from Valek, who forbade her from ever visiting the river’s edge. Beautiful women with lower parts like a fish fed upon virgin girls. There had often been stories in human newspapers about girls who had disappeared around the river, blamed on scary, lustful men. Of course, the Occult inhabitants knew differently.

The horse, which had been keeping an even pace all the while, suddenly sped up and lurched into to a brisk gallop. Aiden tugged at the reins, trying to slow the animal, though the horse ignored him.

“Slow, girl!” he commanded, tugging harder. But she went on, moving too fast for them to see what could have possibly spooked her.

Charlotte hugged him tighter. “What’s happening?”

“I have no idea! She’s never acted like this before!”

The forest flew past them in a blur of greens and browns. Charlotte shut her eyes against it, burying her face between the Elf’s shoulder blades. She could feel the world pulsing by, the wind like hornets angry in her ears. She peeked long enough to notice a dark blur dart through the trees. It moved faster than the horse, suddenly bursting into the clearing. A werewolf.

The horse reared, an anguished whinny ripping from behind the foamy reins in its mouth. Charlotte tumbled into the dirt. She strained to see the Lycan that had been stalking them from the time they began through the tunnel. It stared back at her with horrible, coal-colored eyes. Charlotte had been right for feeling she was being watched. Apparently, the beast had decided it was time for an early dinner.

“Aiden, do something...” Charlotte whimpered from the ground. Her heart was in her throat. She wasn’t even able to tell if she was in pain or not.

“Like what?” Horrified, Aiden stayed frozen, his grip unyielding around the reins.

Aiden wasn’t about to be helpful. She fought to look away from the wolf, even for a second. Out of the corner of her eye, she could make out on her watch it was only about 4:30 in the afternoon. Her whistle wouldn’t have helped, even if she had remembered to bring it. Why did she always forget the blasted thing?

They remained frozen, staring at the wolf as it threatened them with soft, taunting growls. Saliva oozed from its black gums and dripped from the tips of its fangs. It locked eyes with Charlotte as she slowly got to her feet. One ankle hurt a little, but she didn’t dare release her gaze this time. She slowly moved her hand toward her satchel to shuffle through the contents. She pulled out the loaf of bread and gingerly tossed it forward. But it went completely ignored by the Lycan. She felt her leg pulsing with something warm.

“Charlotte…” Aiden whispered.

“What?” she whispered back, still not pulling her focus away.

“Your leg.”

She realized what he meant when she smelled the familiar scent of iron and rust, and then finally the shooting pain. Blood.

The wolf crouched deep, ready to lunge. It let out one last deadly growl and leapt into the air.

Thinking fast, she swung her satchel at the animal's head, slamming into its jaw with a crunch. She opened her eyes to watch a red ribbon of blood seep from midnight fur. It lay there, whimpering and twitching, fighting with itself to get up again.

She didn't have time to think before one, large hand grabbed her shoulder, tearing her from where she stood. Aiden threw her back on the horse, in front of him this time. He whipped the reins and sent the horse hurtling again down the trail toward home, leaving the Lycan fighting for its life in the dirt.

Charlotte looked to see the crumpled shadow get up and disappear into the woods, noticing then, the bloodstain on the corner of the Anatomy on Vampires jutting out just over the top of her satchel.