TWENTY-TWO (RUBY POV)

"I'm sorry," I whisper for the umpteenth time while focusing on driving through Los Angeles streets, luckily, it's not rush hour and there's not much traffic at this time in the evening. The sun is setting slowly but the vampire still needs to wear sunglasses and a hoodie to protect herself, maybe this is why she's in a bad mood... she didn't sleep much today.

"Mmmm..." both women growl quietly but they don't answer me actually and I roll my eyes hard, getting upset too.

"I apologized many times and admitted I made a mistake. You were right, it was a stupid thing to get closer to that half demon and the red-haired bitch that want to kill me in a magical ritual, I understand it... I was an idiot... What else do you want me to do? At least, I got some useful information..."

"Don't do it again," the vampire whispers from the back seat and her serious tone of voice sends a shiver down my spine. "I'm sure we can get information from other sources, don't dare to get closer to our enemy alone, stay right next to us, or I swear to God that I'll put a dog leash on you and will tie you up to my bedpost." I turn my head to stare at her with my mouth wide open, fortunately, we've stopped at a red light and can't crash, while Terra nods slowly.

"That's not a bad idea, we could build a panic room in the Wind Rose protected by powerful spells and lock her up with her dogs..."

"You wouldn't dare," I growl pointing at the wolf with my index and she raises an eyebrow, her eyes shine defiantly and I understand she's not joking. "Okay, I'm sorry, I won't do it again... I don't know what else to say for you to believe me!"

"If Marsh had hurt you, the party human guests would've freaked out watching a vampire and a werewolf turning into crazy mode," Iselen replies and I shake my head, stepping on the gas again.

"He wouldn't have attacked me in public, there were too many witnesses..."

"We don't know what the guy can do and I think we should all be careful in the meantime," Terra answers in a conciliatory tone and the three of us relax, feeling the atmosphere in the car a bit lighter. "I've called Maeve and she told me everything goes well at home and those stinky demons are still watching the perimeter, which means they haven't realized that we left. It's possible that Marsh still doesn't know we're here and we should take advantage of that."

"All right," Iselen nods and pushes her hoodie off her head when she notices that she sun is gone although the sky is still orange and pink. "Where are we?"

"In Silver Lake," I answer smiling. "It's the most bohemian neighborhood in Los Angeles. Very creative people live here like street artists and independent musicians, there're artisanal bakeries and coffee shops, vegan and Asian restaurants, stores selling clothes made of organic cotton dyed with natural dyes, and also vibrant nightclubs... Interesting people work in this district too although more and more celebs are building fancy and expensive houses here and the population living here since the 60s is being displaced."

"I see more trees and parks than in downtown LA," Iselen smiles looking through the window. "I like this. So, your friend Mirabelle lives here..."

"Yes, she's one of those people who came to this neighborhood way before it became popular," Terra answers checking the map on my phone to make sure we're going in the right direction. "But she was born in New Orleans and is a famous queen."

"I thought she was a witch," I frown, confused, while looking for a spot to park.

"Yes, she's a voodoo queen... Oh come on, don't look at me like that, it's not that bad." The werewolf chuckles, shaking her head. "Humans have a very strong prejudice against voodoo but you should know by now that not everything is as it looks like in the magical community. Mirabelle is not an evil witch, she's not busy cursing people to turn them into zombies or stabbing dolls with pins so her enemies get sick and die..."

"But I bet she knows how to do it," Iselen replies and Terra seems to think about it for a couple of seconds before nodding. "I hope she can help us."

"She's the most powerful witch in this city, probably, and it's a good thing that we get on well together even if it's been years since the last time we met. Mirabelle doesn't like to mingle with other supernatural creatures and this is why she didn't come to our pool party in the Wind Rose weeks ago. I think she was very surprised when I phoned her this morning and told her about our problem, I bet she's called Isobel to Scotland to check if my story was true before confirming me that we could meet at her home this evening. Witches tend to be suspicious..."

"... above all when vampires are involved." Iselen finishes the sentence.

"We're here," I whisper when I realize that Terra is not going to disagree with her and the three of us get out of the car quietly in front of a small building painted in white, the stairs railing is made of wrought iron and it's surrounded by trees. "What a beautiful bungalow."

"It looks like a different world," the vampire looks around, mesmerized. "Doesn't look like the city center at all, houses are a smaller than the ones in your street and there're trees everywhere."

"Let's go," Terra climbs the stairs fast and gets closer to the main door while Iselen waves her hand at the building.

"You go first... I insist." I nod, confused, while the vampire follows me slowly, I get the impression that she's regretting coming here despite she looked very happy when the werewolf told us she knew a witch that could help us with our problem.

Mirabelle opens the door abruptly before the wolf can even ring the bell and watches us quietly with squinty eyes for a long minute. She's wearing a white head wrap that contrasts with her chocolate skin and a gorgeous floral shawl on top of a white dress, several bead necklaces shake on her chest when she leans her torso to one side to be able to take a closer look at Iselen, pursing her lips with disgust while the vampire rolls her eyes hard, upset. I think she's around 40 years old but I'm not sure about it. Finally, she looks at Terra and nods.

"I've been feeling it for months, you know? There's something weird in this city..." The woman turns around suddenly and walks into the house leaving the door open, I guess this means we should follow her and we obey her meekly.

The burst of color around me takes me off guard and makes me feel a bit dizzy, I don't know where to look without feeling overwhelmed by the flashy wallpaper with vegetal decorations, dozens of colorful candles and golden lamps everywhere, armchairs and couches upholstered with bright stripe and floral fabrics, there're ceramic bowls full of spices on every surface, crystal bottles full of oil and flowers and she's also burning incense in the fireplace. For a second, the powerful smell of herbs and burnt wax steal the air from my lungs and I feel like I'm suffocating. Luckily, the kitchen looks like a clearer space with white cabinets and cream-colored tiles till I realize that it's actually a jungle full of aromatic plants in pots.

"What have you felt?" Terra asks with curiosity while we all sit at a wooden table with white chairs, there're more candles on top of it, dry herbs, a sharp knife that sends a shiver down my spine, some figurines of Catholic saints, a bowl full of salt and a half-empty bottle of rum. Behind Mirabelle there's a door leading to a patio, surrounded by more plants, I can see a fountain, a bench and a lemon tree... I'd love to sit down out there, I bet it's less overwhelming than this room.

"A strange disturbance, bad vibes, something has changed the balance in the atmosphere. Jacques has been in a bad mood lately..." The lady tilts her head to point at a black cat that's watching us from the kitchen counter, the animal yaws and ignores us while his mistress looks at the vampire out of the corner of her eye, pursing her lips again before turning to look at me abruptly. "The Key of Hell... you're not what I imagined."

"And what did you expect?" I ask puzzled, I don't know what to think about this weird woman but I don't like the way she looks at Iselen or how my shameless vampire has fallen silent all of a sudden for no apparent reason.

"An experienced witch, a priestess or an acolyte with wide knowledge about theological subjects, a queen of voodoo, a sorceress... But you're a white girl who came from Australia to be an actress in action films and who knows nothing about the magical community."

"Believe me, madame, I'd be happy to give up this job to a powerful sorceress right now. I don't like to be the key at all..."

"Well, I guess it's natural because that demon needs to spill your blood on the doorstep to open the gate after all... It's not a pleasant situation." I nod, grateful for her understanding, and she turns to look at Terra, smiling. "Sorry, I haven't asked you if you want a cup of tea... or a glass of chicken blood, maybe?" Mirabelle smiles kindly and turns around to grab some cups from a cabinet. It's pretty obvious judging by her tone of voice that she was mocking the vampire and I stare at her perplexed, Iselen keeps a straight face while the werewolf rolls her eyes and sighs, taking our girl's hand and squeezing it gently before mouthing 'I'm sorry.' Iselen shakes her head and smiles shyly, rubbing Terra's tattooed hand with her fingertips. "What can I do for you exactly?"

"We know who wants to open the door on this side, he's a half demon called Marsh who pretends to be a Hollywood producer. He's going to hold a party in his house in three days and we want to sneak in to take a look while he's busy talking to his guests... The problem is that..."

"You think not all of those guests will be human..." Mirabelle nods while pouring us tea and bringing a plate of homemade butter cookies.

"There'll be some humans, probably, above all if he's trying to gather support for his cause among the evil people living in this city," Terra admits taking the sugar bowl. "But there'll be lot of supernatural creatures, that's for sure. And in addition to this, I bet the house and garden will be protected by spells and demon soldiers."

"You need charms to protect you so you can sneak in the house without the guards, guests and the owner noticing your magical energy..." We all nod and Mirabelle seems to think about it for a minute. "It's difficult because I don't know what type of spell I'd need, I mean, it's not the same if you try to deceive a demon than a sorcerer or an evil goblin... I should craft several charms to try to cover any possible contingency, I'll need a couple of days and lot of energy to have them ready for you."

"You can ask for help to other witches, can't you?" Iselen asks with curiosity and the woman raises an eyebrow, clicking her tongue.

"Can't you ask for help to other vampires? I bet your friends will be delighted to help you with the guards and guests that turn aggressive, you're good at beating and humiliating other magical creatures..."

"Mirabelle, please..." Terra growls angrily and, suddenly, I understand what the problem is. Vampires have had a bad reputation among witches for centuries and there's still a latent tension between them.

"Enough! The vampire is trying to help," I cry pointing at the queen with my index, startling the three women and the cat when they hear me. I clear my throat and speak more softly, leaning back on my chair while they stare at me with their mouths wide open. "I'm pretty sure we all have suffered discrimination and have been bullied for many reasons: sexual orientation, color of the skin or religious belief, and we're supposed to be more empathetic because we know how bad it hurts..."

"Wow, maybe it does make sense that you're the key after all," the witch looks at me in shock before turning towards Terra. "The girl has a temper..."

"And she's right..." the wolf answers and Mirabelle nods reluctantly.

"It's true but it's difficult to forget about prejudices and about centuries of wars, death and fights between us, although we must do it if we want to stop that crazy demon and keep the gates of hell closed. If he manages to open them, it'd be terrible for the entire world so we'd better learn how to cooperate. Please, accept my apologies." The queen of voodoo extends her arm and shakes Iselen's hand while she looks back at her in disbelief.

"This is the first time a witch apologizes to me. After so many centuries living in this world, some things still manage to surprise me... You were right too, by the way." We all look at the vampire, confused. "I should call some members of my clan to help us, they could be watching the perimeter of the house and keeping those demon soldiers at bay."

"I thought you hated those bloodsuckers," I mumble confused.

"They're idiots but can be useful and the truth is that they can't say no when I ask them to do something... I'm the queen. The disturbance you've felt, do you think it's because the gate is here in Los Angeles or is caused by Marsh and his friends gathering in the city? Ruby's guardian angel believes that the vortex is here."

"Did you meet your guardian angel?" Mirabelle asks smiling. "You're lucky because it's not easy, they don't give them permission to show us their true nature often. Jacques prefers to live as a spoiled cat anyways." The woman tilts her head to point at the animal and the three of us look at him surprised but the kitty is still ignoring us and snoring on the counter. "I think it's a mix of both options," the witch heaves a sigh, lost in her thought. "It's possible that the gate is here but I've been living in LA for years and never felt anything weird till all these half demons started gathering at Marsh's home, maybe their demonic vibes have activated the interdimensional vortex. I have to call my witch friends... Pour another cup of tea and try the cookies in the meantime."

"Iselen..." I whisper after Mirabelle leaves the kitchen and the vampire looks at me, smiling. "Are you okay?" My girl nods and seems confused when hearing my hesitant tone of voice. "I'm sorry you have to endure the stares and derogatory comments from other magical beings, I know you're a good person and don't deserve this, at least you're sorry for what happened centuries ago and tried to make amends for your mistakes through the Wind Rose... Damn it, it's getting on my nerves!" Both women look at me bewildered while I point behind them. "The skull right next to the sink, do you think it's real?"

"It's made of painted pottery, babe, I could smell it if it were real human bone."

"Thank God," I whisper leaning back on my chair, sighing relieved. "I get the impression that it's been watching me since we walked through that door, it gives me the creeps." Terra gets up and moves closer to the sink to pour herself a glass of water, taking a look at the skull before laughing quietly.

"It's hollow because it's a scourer holder... Do you think all these guardian angels come to the earth looking like pets?" she asks scratching behind the cat's ears before going back to her chair. It's amazing that she can get on well with felines despite she's a wolf.

"Of course they do," I answer firmly. "Pets are the purest, kindest and most lovely and adorable beings in this planet. They're little angels on their own right, even if they weren't sent from heaven."

"Sorry," Mirabelle sticks her head through the door while holding her phone in her hand. "My friends ask if you know where Marsh live..."

"In a big house in Bel Air. I have the address here..." Terra gets up again to show her phone screen to the witch and she nods, telling her friends the coordinates of Google maps. "Interesting... I think they want to create a magical security perimeter around Marsh's house to stop the demonic vibrations from changing the balance and ruining the spells of the witches living in this city. This way, our charms will be more powerful since they won't be polluted with bad vibes." I stare at the wolf confused while Mirabelle keeps talking on the phone.

"Can they do that?" Iselen opens her eyes wide in shock. "We're talking about protecting a big area of the city holding very powerful energy in a very small property..."

"They're going to resort to Mother Nature's elements. Air is air and earth is earth..." Terra points up and down with her index. "La Brea Tar Pits will represent the fire and Stone Canyon reservoir the water... It's very difficult magic but they seem confident."

"Your charms will be ready on Tuesday morning," Mirabelle comes into the kitchen smiling happily. "They'll protect you against demons, sorcerers, wizards and all kinds of evil and undesirable creatures we can think of... It means that they'll help you to walk around the house unnoticed, they won't feel your magical energy, and charms will protect you against some spells too... But if the enemy catches you in the act, they won't be a shield against punches."

"Okay, I'll call the vampires and will ask them to watch the perimeter of the property," Iselen nods getting up and pulling my chair to help me getting up too. "They can help us with the punches and fights if necessary. They don't really like me but will love the idea of kicking demons' butts."

"Thank you for your help, Mirabelle," Terra smiles and the witch shakes her head.

"Thank you for taking the risk and protecting us all, you're really brave." The vampire opens her mouth but closes it immediately when feeling my foot kicking her ankle discreetly and we leave the house after saying goodbye to Jacques too. I open the car door and Iselen's hand stops me when she leans it on my shoulder.

"Why didn't you let me tell her that we don't want to protect all supernatural creatures? We only care about your safety... and the Wind Rose." My girl looks at me puzzled while I heave a sigh, frustrated.

"If she wants to believe you're a vampire with a heart in the right place instead of a bully, a hero who will protect all humans and magical beings from the hordes of hell, let her believe it... That's good, babe. Those witches won't think vampires are terrible murderers they have to fear anymore and the black legend about you will vanish."

"But I like it when they fear me," I hear her growling quietly while she flops down on the back seat.

"Bullshit! You like to joke about that... but I know you were upset deep inside when I looked at you scared the first days in the Wind Rose. And you were also upset because I preferred to be with Terra all the time."

"Everybody prefers the soft plush toy," Iselen replies frowning.

"Maybe that will change from now on," the werewolf answers smiling. "You'll be the sexy vampire who will save the world." Iselen seems to think about it for a second and nods, smirking mischievously and winking at us.

"I'll have more fans than you..." Terra snorts while I turn on the engine.

"In your dreams, bloodsucker."