College Years - Chapter 49 - The Fourth Volume

"What's going on?" Genie asked. "Why is your karaoke friend here?"

"I don't know really," Aadi admitted. 

Contrary to Aadi's hopes, things were not looking better in the morning. They had slept late and awoken to find a frustrated Mariah searching unsuccessfully through the kitchen for something to eat that didn't upset her stomach. 

Snow, as she had promised the night before, arrived by midmorning and had immediately sat down at the table with Miranda and Mariah. Feeling a little left out, Aadi had claimed a spot on the couch, where Genie had found them all soon after.

"Miranda said that Mariah's been poisoned, but things are getting pretty weird," Aadi added to Genie.

At the table, the air between the three women quivered almost visibly with tension. Mariah was clearly still upset. Snow watched her with something that seemed to hover between excitement and caution. Miranda, who looked no worse for having not slept, seemed to hold an eerie calm over a barely detectable storm of emotions.

"How are you doing," Miranda gently asked her girlfriend.

"Nauseous," Mariah said, "but hungry. I ache all over."

"That's normal," Snow said. "Unfortunately, it's the vampire blood. It's slowly killing you. In a day or two, you'll turn."

"Then I'll finally, completely be a monster," Mariah said bitterly.

"You're not a monster," Miranda insisted.

"I'm turning into a vampire," Mariah groaned. "That's literally a monster. They make monster movies about them!"  

"Mariah, I told you..." Snow started.

"Wait... what the hell?" Mariah interrupted. "Guys, are you seeing this?"

"Bluebell!" Miranda smiled, relaxing slightly. "Bluebell, you've already met Aadi. This is Mariah, Genie and Snow. Bluebell is my friend. I sent her to find mom and Gwen last night when I couldn't call them. Spotty cell coverage."

Bluebell chimed like a tiny bell.

"She says hi," Miranda added.

"Is that... real?" Genie said, awed. "It's like... a fairy or something..."

"I told you things were getting weird," Aadi said in a sing-song voice.

"And I thought all this talk about vampires was strange," Genie said.

"Can Gwen and Cassie help us?" Mariah asked hopefully.

"Bluebell says they're in Moonwood Mill, dealing with something," Miranda sighed. "She says mom said everything is under control and can be here instantly if we call her. Apparently, she told Bluebell not to mention the 'Wildfang troubles' ... which doesn't sound good."

"So, that's a 'no' on help from your parents," Mariah groaned.

"Mom will come. If I call her, she'll come," Miranda said confidently, "but, whatever's going on must be serious, or she would have already. Let's see what we can do for ourselves for now. Snow, please tell me you've got something?"

"Excuse me," Genie put in, "If Mariah's been poisoned or cursed or whatever, is there a cure? Like an anti-venom or something?"

"Yes, the cure," Mariah's eyes lit up with sudden, wild hope. "It's mentioned a few times in Vasmer Balke's Encyclopedia Vampirica. What? Liberty made me read it."

"Unfortunately," Snow said sadly, "Balke never gives enough details to actually create it. Most scholars I know think he was recounting a vampire legend."

"No, it's real," Miranda insisted. "I've read about it... during the Vampire Rebellion, the Old Families developed a cure for vampirism. They even used it as a weapon against the vampires, to strip them of their powers!"

"So, your people know the cure?" Snow asked.

Bluebell chimed.

"Damn it," Miranda cursed. "Bluebell says no. The vampires made a point of hunting down all the witches who knew the formula, killing them and destroying their books."

"How does she know?" Mariah looked, puzzled, at the fairy.

Bluebell chimed again.

"She was there," Miranda translated. "She says the only record of the cure that she knows about is in the vampires' own history. Balke's fourth volume - the Ultima Vampirica."

"Liberty only gave me three volumes," Mariah said, puzzled.

"Because there only are three volumes," Snow insisted. "The Ultima Vampirica is a..."

"Don't say it's a myth," Mariah interrupted. "I'm becoming a vampire. My girlfriend is a witch and her little glowing buddy there is a thousand-year-old fairy. I think we're well past the point where 'myth' means something isn't real."

"Alright," Snow allowed. "So how do we find a copy of a book no living person has seen in centuries?"

Bluebell's chimed answer sounded ominous.

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Miranda sighed. "She says the Master Vampire who commissioned the Ultima Vampirica would have a copy. The last surviving leader of the Rebellion, the Master Vampire of Windenburg - Vladislaus Straud."

"Straud?!" Mariah groaned.

"The one and only," Miranda nodded.

"Wait, I've heard of that guy," Aadi put in. "He was in the news... when the Landgraab Syndicate got rounded up. He's a vampire? And you know him?!"

"Long story," Miranda said, "for another time. I'll get the book."

"No, we'll get the book," Mariah insisted.

"I'll be faster on my own," Miranda said firmly. "Besides, no one's seen Straud in years. His mansion is standing empty..."

"Unless he's hiding in it," Mariah countered. "You'd be walking right into his lair! The last time you met him, he killed you!"

"Killed you?" Genie gasped.

"I got better," Miranda said, "and then I set him on fire."

"That was you?!" Snow said, shocked.

"Long story for another time," Miranda repeated.

"Look, this can work," Miranda said. "I sneak into his mansion in daylight. I find the book, find the formula and get out."

"I should go with you," Mariah insisted.

"You have something else you need to do," Miranda said pointedly.

"The Villareal Files? Do you really think this is the time for me to worry about the Altos?" Mariah moaned. 

"Do you?" Miranda asked pointedly.

"But Genie's party isn't for days," Mariah insisted. "I... I won't last that long."

"So don't wait," Miranda countered.

"You're right. You're right!" Mariah nodded slowly but her eyes brightened. "We can go now. I can at least finish this before... before I can't."

-----------------------------

"We'll get through this," Miranda smiled.

They had all followed her out into the backyard, Miranda saying she intended to head for Straud's mansion in Forgotten Hollow immediately.

"I hope you're right," Mariah sighed.

"I know it," Miranda said, embracing her. 

Suddenly she whispered. "Genie's all in white. If you lose her, find her in the garden of bones."

"Is this like a Gwen prophecy thing?" Mariah groaned.

"It's a me prophecy thing actually," Miranda said. "Remember, look for her in the garden of bones... and when you need me, call my name under the moon and I'll find you anywhere."

"What if there's no moon?" Mariah said.

"There's always a moon," Miranda smiled. "Even when you can't see it."

"Uh, Genie," Aadi goggled, "Miranda is flying away... on a broom."

"Yes, she is," Genie replied, stunned.

"Genie, I think this is all for real," Aadi said.

College Years - Chapter 48 - The Weird and The Wild

"Hey Mariah, you're back early," Aadi said. "I was just telling Miranda... hey, are you OK, Girlfriend?"

"No," Mariah practically sobbed. "No, I'm really not OK."

"What's wrong?" Miranda gasped. "What's happened?"

Aadi watched and listened, while Miranda tried to comfort her obviously distressed girlfriend. Mariah rambled something about Ms. H, who Aadi gathered had something to do with the Alto gang, something about drinking blood, which creeped them out intensely, and something about vampires, which didn't make any sense at all. Still, it was obvious to Aadi that something had seriously and devastatingly shaken the confident and strong Mariah she'd worked so hard this semester to reclaim. Whatever it was, and Aadi wasn't quite ready to believe in literal vampires, it was deadly serious.

"Girlfriend, you are wiped out," Aadi said when Mariah started spiraling through her story again.

"Aadi, you just don't understand," Mariah started.

"No, I don't," they replied. "Totally lost, but I can still see that you are messed up, wiped and you need to rest."

"I can't..." Mariah started.

"Aadi's right," Miranda said. "You need to go lie down. I'll be in shortly."

"Maybe, maybe I should pack," Mariah said. "I should leave... get away from you..."

"None of that," Miranda said firmly. "You go lie down. Don't do anything noble, heroic or otherwise stupid until I get there."

"OK," Mariah sighed, sounding as hopeless and defeated as Aadi had ever heard her.

"Wow," Aadi breathed. "She is messed up. What really happened?"

"Aadi," Miranda sighed, "I really don't have time to explain the occult nature of reality to you right now. Would you please call Snow?"

"Oooo'K," Aadi said puzzled. "Why am I calling one of my karaoke group in the middle of the night? I mean M had fun and all, but I don't think it would cheer her up that much."

"Please, Aadi!" Miranda said. "I'll explain everything when I can... right now, I need to call my mom, and I need you to call Snow and ask her to get here as soon as possible."

"Damn it," Miranda groaned in despair a moment later. "Fucking shit gods-damned fucking phone."

"What's wrong?" Aadi asked, stunned at Miranda's outburst.

"The call won't go through," Miranda said. "I swear, Glimmerbrook is where cell service goes to die."

"Miranda, What Is Going On?!" Aadi insisted.

"Aadi..." Miranda sighed. "Ok, how do I explain this so you'll get it?"

"I wouldn't say no to the truth?" Aadi said.

"You've heard the truth," Miranda said with remarkable calm. "You just don't believe it... but vampires and stuff aside, here's the important part for right now. Ms. H poisoned Mariah."

"Poisoned?!" Aadi said. "Like, seriously, poisoned? Like, making her sick poisoned."

"Aadi, she could die," Miranda said seriously.

"Die?!" Aadi gasped. "Like, really actually die? As in dead? As in no more Mariah?"

"Right," Miranda nodded. "No please, call Snow. Tell her... tell her anything you want but get her here as soon as possible."

"OK, OK, I'm calling," Aadi said frantically. They still didn't know about this vampire business, but they could tell Miranda was serious.

"Thanks," Miranda said. "I'm going out back to try and reach my mom."

"Ok," Aadi dashed out into the backyard a few minutes later. "Snow says she'll be here in that... what the hell?!"

Tiny lights, like stars, flew from Miranda's fingertips, forming a glittering cloud around her. Aadi stared in awe as they spun and whirled in the night like miniature fireflies. Miranda called out, her voice musical, and the stars she'd conjured shimmered and moved to the sound of her voice. She spoke a Word, and the glittering swarm went streaking off in all directions.

"What. The. Hell?" Aadi breathed.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Aadi saw what, at first, they took to be one of the conjured stars returning. A tiny blue light, it dropped down out of the sky and zipped across the rooftops before coming to rest just over Miranda's shoulder.

"Hello Bluebell." Miranda said. "Thank you for coming."

The little blue light chimed. To Aadi, it really did sound like a bell. Looking closely, they thought they could make out a tiny, winged figured inside the sphere of blue lights. It's a fairy, Aadi thought. It's an actually, honest to gods, fairy.

"Bluebell, this is Aadi," Miranda said. "Aadi, this is my friend Bluebell."

"Hi," Aadi said weakly.

There are some friends who you can not see for years and still pick up a conversation with them as if you had never been apart. It was clear to Aadi, whatever else the little blue fairy was, she was that kind of friend for Miranda.

Miranda quickly and urgently explained the situation and asked Bluebell to convey the news to her mom and Gwen. 

When Bluebell had vanished once more over the rooftops, Miranda smiled sadly.

"Aadi, you should get some rest," Miranda said. "Tomorrow... tomorrow, we'll see, but I imagine it's going to be a big day."

"You should too," Aadi said.

"I'm fine," Miranda said. "I don't need to sleep as much as mortals do." 

Aadi wasn't quite sure how to take that, but it was obvious something had changed in Miranda. No, they thought, that wasn't it. She was still Miranda. If anything, she was suddenly more Miranda than she had been in the years Aadi had known her. Some hidden part of her was no longer hidden.

Gently, she added, "I'm going to stay up and watch Mariah."

"Ok," Aadi nodded. 

Whatever weirdness was going on, Aadi was sure of one thing: their little M&M's loved each other and would stand together, even through the weird and the wild.

College Years - Chapter 47 - Darkness and Fear

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Miranda asked, not bothering to conceal her apprehension.

"Mia amata," Mariah smiled. "You know, it seems like you ask me that lot."

"I wonder why that would be?" Miranda snarked back.

"Fair," Mariah said. "OK, it's a terrible idea, but it's the only idea that works."

"We're almost out of this," she continued. "We just need to find the Villareal Files and we can put this whole thing behind us."

"And how does meeting with Ms. H tonight help that?" Miranda demanded.

"It keeps her from getting too suspicious while we wait," Mariah said.

"I hate the waiting part," Miranda sighed.

Walking to her meeting, Mariah could admit it wasn't her favorite part of the plan either. 

Genie had a good idea where the Files might be hidden in her family's mansion. (It was only years living in a Tartosan villa that prevented Mariah from being shocked at the idea of Genie having a mansion. Aadi, whose family rented a two-bedroom apartment in the City, had had some things to say on the matter.) Genie had convinced everyone that the best time to be looking for the Files would be the End of Term party her parents were throwing. The party would give them a ready-made excuse to be on the estate and, since it was really another fund-raiser for Mr. Elderberry, it would be crowded enough to let them sneak away to search. Snow and Control had both agreed with the plan.

Unfortunately, it meant waiting a little longer and, for Mariah, that meant keeping up appearances with the Altos and Ms. H. 

"Try to be safe, OK?" Miranda had said as she left. "There's something in the air tonight I don't like."

"I'll be fine," Mariah had assured her, heading resolutely out the door into the dark.

As she approached Ms. H, she hoped she'd been telling the truth.

"Mariah, I'm so glad you could come," Ms. H smiled.

"Just breathing hard from the stairs," Mariah joked. 

Ms. H laughed, the moonlight glinting off her fangs, "So tell me, your classes are almost finished for the term?"

"Yeah," Mariah nodded. "One step closer to my Psych degree."

"An interesting field of study," Ms. H smiled. "The matters of the mind and the heart."

"I suppose so," Mariah said. "You know, I've actually got a lot of studying to do... end of term and all."

"Don't be in such a hurry, my dear," Ms. H purred, her voice whispering in Mariah's mind. "It's such a lovely, warm, spring night. We should enjoy it."

"Yeah," Mariah smiled suddenly. "We should."

I shouldn't be doing this, Mariah thought, the words a stab of pain through the warm haze of her mind. It was hard to think. Part of her wanted to just sink into that haze, into the warmth and the yearning. Another part of her mind struggled, fighting back, surprised by the subtle strength of the vampire's compulsion. She felt as if she could drown in the touch of H's lips, of her hands. Even the sharp sensation as her fangs pierced her mingled pleasure with pain. 

Ms. H gasped in pleasure, pulling herself away as Mariah's hot blood dripped from her lips. It would be so easy to just take, to drink her completely. The girl was willful. She had such strength. Even now, H could feel her struggling against the compulsion, bolstered as it was by the dark of the moon. To drain that strength would be a joy, but it would be a waste. She had other uses for Mariah Basso. Uses that demanded she give, as well as take.

"What?" Mariah gasped, pushing through the fog around her mind. "What did you do?"

"So, pushing off my control," Ms. H mused. "That's no easy feat, but I suspected you could. Like I suspect you've been doing everything you can to shield your heart from me."

"What did you do?" Mariah demanded.

"I took your blood," Ms. H replied, "and I gave you mine."

"What?!" Mariah gasped.

"Yes... daughter," Ms. H smiled viciously. "My power is in you now. That pain you feel is my blood, burning in you. A poison that sears away your mortality. In a night, perhaps two, you will turn. You will be mine!"

"Why?" Mariah said, shocked. "Why did you do this?"

"Even now you resist me," Ms. H smiled, "but soon, you won't be able to. Soon, you will be Vampire... blood of my blood. You will be unable to resist my power over you. Your little balancing act between me and your love for Miranda is over. Oh, you thought you could hide that from me. Fool child. You will be mine! My weapon, aimed at the heart of Miranda Silveroak-Goth. You're going to help me get everything I deserve!"

"No," Mariah snarled. "No!"

She hurled herself at the vampire, drawing on all her strength, on the martial arts she'd learned over the past months and street brawling of her youth.

But Ms. H had decades of experience and the strength of the dark moon.

"Fool," the vampire hissed. "You can't defeat me... but I appreciate the attempt."

"Run, Mariah," Ms. H hissed, her words still echoing in Mariah's head. "Run back to your dearest love. I give you the ending of your life together... a gift, to my new daughter."

College Years - Chapter 46 - Family and Friends

"Genie, I... I know I said I'd give you time but you've been out here for a while and I..." Mariah said.

"You need to know," Genie said. "You need to know where I stand."

"No," Mariah said. "I need to know if you're OK. I... I can go back in, if you need to be alone."

"No," Genie smile sadly. "Please, stay."

They were both silent for a moment.

"You know, my mom is a puttana... a bitch," Mariah said. "After I lost my dad, she made me feel like I wasn't worth anything. Like I was a monster."

"You're not a monster," Genie said.

"Miranda told me that too," Mariah smiled. "She once told me she knew monsters and I wasn't one. But then, when I found out my dad - who loved me and valued me - had been part of the Alto Family, a gangster...  I thought, that was it. I really am a monster from a family of monsters.

"Maybe that's true," Mariah continued, "but it doesn't mean I can't do good. My dad was a gangster and an honorable man. I can be what I am, and still be honorable too. Still do good. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know it's hard. It's hard looking at your family and realizing they're not who you thought they were. Questioning who you are because of it... but Genie, you're a good person. They don't define you. You do."

"You're such a good friend," Genie smiled. "I... I... oh, fuck it."

As Genie's lips pressed against hers, Mariah froze, shocked. What the hell, she thought. Genie is kissing me. Genie's lips are kissing mine. Merda. What do I do?

"Sorry," Genie said, talking very fast. "I know you're with Miranda... and you two love each other... true love, like Aadi says... and I totally respect that... and you guys have been such good friends to me... and I never want to ruin that... but what you just said was so... Right... and you've always been so wonderful... and I've totally had a crush on you for, like, ages... and I just didn't want to never have done that."

"Genie... um, breathe... just breathe," Mariah stammered, struggling not to revert back to her native tongue. "I... um... yeah... it's OK. I... it's... I mean, yes, I'm with Miranda and I can't... but that was nice. I mean... we totally can't do that... but it was OK... I mean it was nice... I mean..."

"I'm going to help," Genie said.

"It's all good... and we're friends... and what?" Mariah continued to stammer.

"I'm going to help you find grand-père's files," Genie said. "Because, you're right... my mom doesn't get to define me. She can be a gangster if she wants to be, but I know what the right thing is..."

"... and Mariah," Genie added. "I think I know where grand-père's files are hidden."

"You what?" Mariah gasped. "Genie, I could kiss you! I mean, I can't actually... we can't... again."

"It's OK," Genie laughed. "I got to do it once."

----------------------

"Umm, Miranda, I... uh... I need to tell you something," Mariah said sheepishly.

"What's wrong?" Miranda replied.

"Umm... Genie kissed me," Mariah winced. "I totally didn't do anything to do... I mean she just... out of the blue... well, maybe not completely but..."

"OK, deep breath in," Miranda said gently. "Now blow it out. In, out. In, out. It's OK."

"But... I mean," Mariah stammered.

"Mariah, sweetie, Genie has had a crush on you for ages," Miranda said. "If she ever needed to get that out of her system, now is the time. It's OK. We're OK. Now, if you're about to tell me you're running off with her to open a SCUBA shop in Sulani..."

"No... no, I don't think so," Mariah said.

"I love you," Miranda smiled. 

----------------------

"So," Genie said with forced casualness, "I kissed her."

"About damn time, girl," Aadi said. "You know..."

"I know, I know," Genie said, "but I didn't want to never have done it."

"I hear that," Aadi smiled.

"So, are we spies now?" Genie smiled.

"Yeah, I guess so," Aadi said. "I should rent a tux. I would look great in a tux."

College Years - Chapter 45 - The Tartosan Attack

"Ok, so what's the deal with these Whosits Files?" Mariah asked. 

It was a pleasant, warm spring day with the promise of summer just around the corner. After the cold and rain that Mariah, a child of warm coastal Tartosa, was convinced were Britechester's constant weather, it was nice to be warm again. At the same time, it seemed odd to be spending a warm spring morning discussing espionage over a game of chess with a woman called Snow.

"The Villareal Files," Snow said with a smile. "Jacques Villareal was a major player in the underworld for years." 

"Was? What happened to him?" Mariah asked.

"Time," Snow said. "The Old Man was, like, almost a hundred when he died... of old age, which isn't usual in his line of work. Villareal was the brains behind some major heists, dirty deals and crooked schemes over the years. The Families respected him. The authorities, even the Agency, couldn't touch him. This guy shook hands with captains of industry, movie stars, national leaders and crime bosses for a couple of generations. The story has always been that he had dirt on everyone, files of dirty secrets spanning decades. He knew where all the bodies were buried, probably literally."

"Why hasn't anyone gone after these files before?" Mariah looked puzzled.

"They have," Snow said. "Hell, I have! After he died everyone was after those files. Villareal was old school... nothing electronic, nothing online.... and no one has been able to find whatever paper files he had. Lots of people don't even really seriously believe in them anymore. Current thinking is they were a bluff, a threat Villareal could hold over anyone who wanted to take a poke at him."

"But Genie's mom... Madonna, I still can't believe Genie's mom works for the Alto Family... claims to have them, and you think they're real," Mariah said.

"A man like Nick Alto might have let himself be bluffed by the Old Man," Snow said carefully, "but he's too arrogant and sexist to believe a woman, even if she is the Old Man's daughter. Luna Elderberry, nee Villareal, would have to have had to show him enough to proof to spook him."

"So, she's got the files," Mariah said, "and if we can get our hands on them."

"Checkmate," Snow smiled.

"Damn right," Mariah grinned.

"No, really, checkmate," Snow continued to grin,

"What?" Mariah looked down at the chess game they'd been negligently playing while talking. "How did you do that?"

"It's called the Tartosan Attack," Snow said. "You've got to pay attention... especially if you're going to go after Jacques Villareal's files which, like I said, no one has been able to find."

"Yeah," Mariah, a little sadly, "but I've got an inside woman."

"Do you trust her?" Snow asked.

"Absolutely," Mariah answered, "but bringing her into this... I don't know."

"Kid, her mom is the Alto's banker, her dad's deep in Nick's pocket, and her uncle is a major player, even if he is a fuck-up," Snow said. "She's deep in this already. She just doesn't know it... unless she does."

"Merda," Mariah sighed.

--------------------------

"Let me get this straight," Genie gasped out. "You're telling me my mom is involved in organized crime, Nick Alto is a crime boss and my grand-père was some kind of criminal mastermind?"

"Yes," Mariah winced.

"And you're a spy?" Aadi put in.

"Kinda," Mariah groaned, "yeah... intelligence asset is the term but yeah, spy."

"You want to say anything here?" Aadi looked at Miranda.

"I knew most of this already," Miranda admitted.

"This is crazy," Genie burst out. "I mean first, Mr. Alto... Nick... your Uncle Nick is a crime boss?"

"Honey, her Uncle Nick is a crime boss," Aadi said. "It's kinda been in the news."

"Oh my God," Genie gasped. "I mean... Oh my God, I slept with him."

"You what?!" Mariah gasped.

"OK, that's maybe not the important thing right now," Aadi said.

"You knew about that!" Mariah accused.

"Not the important thing right now," Aadi repeated.

"You didn't know, about your mom?" Miranda asked Genie gently.

"Sure," Genie's voice dripped sarcasm. "Miranda, my mother and I barely talk... and 'Mom are you involved in organized crime?' is right up there with 'Mom, I lost my virginity to your fitness instructor' on the list of topics we don't talk about!"

"Wait, isn't your mom sleeping with her fitness instructor?" Aadi asked.

"Can we stop talking about my sex life!?" Genie cried.

"Well, you keep bringing it up," Miranda pointed out.

"I need..." Genie sighed. "I need a minute."

"Genie, I'm sorry," Mariah started. "I..."

"Just... I need a minute," Genie repeated. 

"Take all the minutes you need," Mariah said softly.