The Undead Pool

“It’s Felix,” Jenks said, and I pushed up from the archway and edged inside. My pulse pounded. The elegant, young Hispanic woman with her face pressed into the wall struggled, and Ivy slipped a foot between hers, ready to pull her down. I could see the sick master vampire in Nina’s stance, belligerent and angry that Ivy, a living vampire, had managed to best him, even if he was in the body of a weaker, inexperienced woman. It had been weeks since the master vampire had taken Nina over. But how? All the undead vampires were sleeping!

“Let me go. I can help!” Nina shouted, the domination in her voice coming out in a frustrated howl. She wiggled again, and Ivy yanked her foot out from under her. They both hit the floor, chairs sliding out of the way as they fought for control of the knife.

“I’m sane, I tell you! I need Nina!” Nina screamed as Ivy got the knife. With a backward flip of the wrist, she flung it into the wall where it stuck, quivering. “Let me go! I am cognizant. I’m not ill!”

Tears fell freely from Ivy as she pinned Nina to the floor. “Fight him, Nina. You can do this. You can! You’re stronger than him, and it pisses him off that you know it!”

“Get off!” she howled. “I’m no longer ill! I can help, but only if I’m in Nina!”

Hair falling to hide her face, Ivy leaned low over her. “I love you, Nina. Don’t believe him. He lies. He can’t hurt you if you push him out. I’ll keep him away. I promise. I promise. Just get him out!”

The soft scuff behind me gave me warning, and I spun, trying to force Ellasbeth back. Any more fear in the air might give Felix the strength to completely break Nina’s mind.

“I told you to stay out,” I hissed, pushing her into the hall.

“Oh my God!” Ellasbeth said as Nina bucked to get Ivy off her.

“I’m not sick! With Nina, I can help!”

Ellasbeth’s face was white, and she looked into the kitchen as I shoved her into the living room. “This is a madhouse!”

Right now, I couldn’t argue with her, but she’d caused the problem to begin with. “We told you not to wake her up,” I said as I finally got the woman into the living room. “Sit down and shut up.” I pointed to the couch, and she sat.

Shaking, I went back in case Ivy needed me. They’d sat up, Ivy’s long legs wrapped around Nina as she held her unmoving before her in her lap. Nina’s hair was everywhere, mixing with Ivy’s, the ponytail long gone. I could tell just by Nina’s snarl that Felix was still in her.

“Together,” Ivy breathed, the strain showing in her arms as she held Nina unmoving. Tears made her cheeks shine, and I ached for her. “I will let go of you as you let go of him. I know he fills you with power, but you have to let him go,” she demanded. It was an addiction on both ends, and Ivy had survived both its presence and absence.

“Ah, Ivy?” Jenks said, his dust a thick, dark green falling from the overhead rack. “Is that such a good idea?”

I looked at my shoulder bag. My splat ball gun was in it, but before I could move, Ivy whispered, “I trust you.” She kissed her, and then let her go.

“Wait!” I cried out, reaching to tap a line as Nina sprang from her, spinning into an ugly crouch.

Ivy reached out a trembling hand. “Nina. I love you. Leave him.”

“No!” Nina howled, the sound raging from her with the strength of the undead, and then her tension broke and she collapsed.

Ivy lurched forward. Catching Nina, she pulled the woman to her, rocking Nina, gentling her head to her shoulder and whispering. Nina stiffened, and then she began to cry in great gasping sobs.

“He came!” she cried, words hardly recognizable. “Ivy, he came in my dreams. I didn’t even know. I can’t do this anymore! I just want it to stop!”

I exhaled, shaking as I wiggled the knife out of the wall and set it lightly in the sink.

“You didn’t hurt anyone,” Ivy was saying, holding her gently now. “It’s okay.”

“He wanted me to kill you!”

Tears still spilling from her brown eyes, Ivy took Nina’s face in her hands and smiled at her. “You didn’t hurt me. Look at me. Look at me!” Nina’s sobbing hiccups eased, and she blinked tearfully at Ivy. “It’s okay,” Ivy said firmly, even as moisture shined her cheeks as well. “I’m so proud of you.”

It was over, and as Nina continued to cry, I went to get her a glass of water. “That was fun,” I said as the tap ran, then looked up as Ellasbeth was suddenly in the doorway, an unusual silence in her stance as she took everything in, the chairs knocked aside, the knife in the sink, the women sobbing on the floor—one in relief, one in love. Maybe now she understood. Maybe now she’d know Ivy was trying to save a strong, intelligent woman from a circular trap. And if she didn’t, then the hell with her.

“I told you not to wake her up,” I said, fingers trembling as I turned off the water and took the glass to Nina.

Ivy slowly stood, extending a hand down to help Nina from the floor. “It wasn’t her fault,” Ivy said, and Nina bobbed her head, thanking me as she took the water and gulped at it.