Energy again crackled, this time all blue, sparking and flickering from between her hand and Jimmy's stomach. With her free hand she pulled out the breathing tube from Jimmy's mouth. "Won't need that anymore either."
After she dropped the tube to the floor, Laura rubbed the nails of her free hand on her lapel then examined them and blew. "I need a manicure," she said nonchalantly as she continued to pour energy into Jimmy.
Josie gripped Jimmy's hand tightly, eyes going back and forth between his face and the vampire's hand on his stomach.
"Now, you know I'm going to need a refill after this," Laura said, pointing at Jimmy. "For me. I'm simply, starving."
Finally, the transfer of energy stopped and Laura pulled her hand away. The injury on Jimmy's stomach was gone, the flesh mended, but still covered with blood smears.
"I suggest a sponge bath and two aspirin," Laura said, stepping away. She circled around the bed and walked back up to Kenslir.
Josie gently rubbed Jimmy's face. "Jimmy?"
Laura leaned in close to Kenslir and made a show of sniffing. "Mmm. You could use a sponge bath too. You smell all wolfy."
Jimmy's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Wha-?" he croaked. His voice was raspy.
Josie looked around. "He needs something to drink."
Colonel Kenslir pulled his arm free of Laura and pulled open a pocket on his assault vest with a tear of velcro. From it he pulled a small pouch of water and handed it over.
Josie tore the pouch open with her teeth and held it up to Jimmy's lips. He sipped at it then leaned back into his pillow.
"I feel awful," he said.
Josie quickly leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Laura once again grabbed one of Kenslir's arms. "Let's give the kids some privacy- and go find some of our own, sport."
Kenslir again pulled free of the vampire and walked over to the bed, leaning in behind Josie. "Welcome back, Kane."
Jimmy smiled weakly. He held a hand up and looked at it. "I thought you said I was going to be stone forever."
"Apparently, I was wrong."
"Did we win?" Jimmy asked.
"We're fine," Kenslir answered. He put a hand on Josie's shoulder. "See he gets plenty of rest. If you feel like joining us, the airmen outside will take you to the hangar we're in."
Kenslir turned back around to Laura. "C'mon, you've got some more work to do."
"Ooh. I love it when you get all bossy," she said, smiling.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
He'd made it as far as South Carolina before he ran out of energy. After touching down in a remote area, he'd been forced to walk several miles to an interstate. There he'd hitchhiked to Charleston.
The city had several well-known haunted sites, but that wasn't why Clint Kerrick had selected it. The city also had a large number of witches. At least, they fancied themselves witches. They sold potions and powders and talismans like apothecaries. They were more about money than magic.
After dawn broke, Kerrick waited patiently outside one such shop, until it opened. His chest still hurt from the knife he'd pulled free. But if he could get enough power here, he could fully heal the damage before he moved on to his next target. Despite his own injuries, Chickamauga had been a success.
Once the shop opened, he walked inside, feeling the power from the many artifacts inside. Unlike spirits, he couldn’t simply draw the power out. He had to touch the items. So he began.
"Hey!" the proprietor, Ms. Michelle, called out. "What you need, mister?"
Ms. Michelle had given up a promising law career to pursue the family business of witchcraft. She'd seen that her own future was infinitely better in this field than if she'd pursued law. So far, that prediction had been right. She'd amassed a small fortune posing as a dirty, beggarly-looking witch for the tourists. The fact she actually could do some minor magic had helped.
"Just looking," Clint Kerrick said, touching another item, rubbing his hands over it where it sat on a shelf. He was starting to feel better. A lot
After she dropped the tube to the floor, Laura rubbed the nails of her free hand on her lapel then examined them and blew. "I need a manicure," she said nonchalantly as she continued to pour energy into Jimmy.
Josie gripped Jimmy's hand tightly, eyes going back and forth between his face and the vampire's hand on his stomach.
"Now, you know I'm going to need a refill after this," Laura said, pointing at Jimmy. "For me. I'm simply, starving."
Finally, the transfer of energy stopped and Laura pulled her hand away. The injury on Jimmy's stomach was gone, the flesh mended, but still covered with blood smears.
"I suggest a sponge bath and two aspirin," Laura said, stepping away. She circled around the bed and walked back up to Kenslir.
Josie gently rubbed Jimmy's face. "Jimmy?"
Laura leaned in close to Kenslir and made a show of sniffing. "Mmm. You could use a sponge bath too. You smell all wolfy."
Jimmy's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Wha-?" he croaked. His voice was raspy.
Josie looked around. "He needs something to drink."
Colonel Kenslir pulled his arm free of Laura and pulled open a pocket on his assault vest with a tear of velcro. From it he pulled a small pouch of water and handed it over.
Josie tore the pouch open with her teeth and held it up to Jimmy's lips. He sipped at it then leaned back into his pillow.
"I feel awful," he said.
Josie quickly leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Laura once again grabbed one of Kenslir's arms. "Let's give the kids some privacy- and go find some of our own, sport."
Kenslir again pulled free of the vampire and walked over to the bed, leaning in behind Josie. "Welcome back, Kane."
Jimmy smiled weakly. He held a hand up and looked at it. "I thought you said I was going to be stone forever."
"Apparently, I was wrong."
"Did we win?" Jimmy asked.
"We're fine," Kenslir answered. He put a hand on Josie's shoulder. "See he gets plenty of rest. If you feel like joining us, the airmen outside will take you to the hangar we're in."
Kenslir turned back around to Laura. "C'mon, you've got some more work to do."
"Ooh. I love it when you get all bossy," she said, smiling.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
He'd made it as far as South Carolina before he ran out of energy. After touching down in a remote area, he'd been forced to walk several miles to an interstate. There he'd hitchhiked to Charleston.
The city had several well-known haunted sites, but that wasn't why Clint Kerrick had selected it. The city also had a large number of witches. At least, they fancied themselves witches. They sold potions and powders and talismans like apothecaries. They were more about money than magic.
After dawn broke, Kerrick waited patiently outside one such shop, until it opened. His chest still hurt from the knife he'd pulled free. But if he could get enough power here, he could fully heal the damage before he moved on to his next target. Despite his own injuries, Chickamauga had been a success.
Once the shop opened, he walked inside, feeling the power from the many artifacts inside. Unlike spirits, he couldn’t simply draw the power out. He had to touch the items. So he began.
"Hey!" the proprietor, Ms. Michelle, called out. "What you need, mister?"
Ms. Michelle had given up a promising law career to pursue the family business of witchcraft. She'd seen that her own future was infinitely better in this field than if she'd pursued law. So far, that prediction had been right. She'd amassed a small fortune posing as a dirty, beggarly-looking witch for the tourists. The fact she actually could do some minor magic had helped.
"Just looking," Clint Kerrick said, touching another item, rubbing his hands over it where it sat on a shelf. He was starting to feel better. A lot
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