103

 

103.  Witch and Demon

 

Bruce and Winslow slowly stepped out from the Jeep in front of the antiques shop and curiously stared at the strange woman in black who currently sat on top of Vance on the sidewalk. In response to the wild psynergy emanating from her, they both readied their own auras.

 

Vance was incredulous. "Did you just say fiancé?"

 

The woman furrowed her thin eyebrows. "Didn't she ever tell you?"

 

"She?"

 

"Your mom! Victoria!"

 

"How..." Vance stammered. "How do you know my mom?!"

 

A lone axolotl peeked out from behind the woman's black locks as her lips curled downward in disappointment. "Vance...don't you recognize me?"

 

Vance dragged himself along the ground, away from the young woman's warm legs. Despite how strange this all seemed, he still found himself stunned by how beautiful she looked. Realizing she wasn't planning to attack him, Vance calmed down a bit, but his heart continued to pound in his chest for other reasons. After a few deep breaths, Vance finally took a good look at the woman's face, which was now illuminated by the streetlamps and the moon.

 

"W..." Vance gasped. "Wendy? Wendy Caskett?"

 

Wendy's lips curled up into a mischievous grin as she stood. "About time! Geez, for a minute there I thought you'd forgotten all about me!"

 

Slowly, the memories came back. The way she spoke, her mannerisms, her mischievous grin, the troublemaker gleam in her icy blue eyes... Memories of being teased for not being able to climb across the monkey bars, of being pushed into the backyard pool, of generally getting beat up every time she came over to play.

 

"Wendy..." Vance blinked. "Is it really you? I thought I'd never see you again..."

 

"I knew we'd find each other again, eventually," Wendy said with a smile. "We were always meant for each other, Vance."

As he listened, the alarm returned to Vance's mind. "Why did you call me your fiancé?! We haven't seen each other in over five years!"

 

Wendy furrowed her thin eyebrows and crossed her arms. "Vance, you promised you'd marry me on your 10^th birthday...don't you remember?"

 

Vance thought back, then horrified remembrance washed over his face. "Only after you tied me to a tree!"

 

"And before my family escaped from Earth, Victoria even told me it was okay!" Wendy said with a confident grin. "Now, we'll be able continue the Albavitrean line together, Vance, like your mom always wanted – I've been so excited for this! It's been my dream ever since I was a little girl!"

 

She spoke the words with such pure conviction and trust that Vance had no choice but to nod his head sympathetically. "Alright, um...I guess we can talk about that later..."

 

Bruce let out a snort, reminding Vance of his presence. Seeing that Bruce and Winslow were both standing next to the Jeep, both watching the spectacle with mild enthusiasm, Vance felt warm redness rise up on his face. "G-get back in the car! This is none of your business!"

 

Winslow smirked. "We just wanted some fresh air."

 

"Your friends can stay if they want." Wendy kept a caring smile on her face as she helped Vance to his feet, without letting go of his hand. "I'd like to get to know them!"

 

"Well, for starters, they both each tried to kill me more than once," Vance sighed. "But hold on. I need a moment."

 

"What's wrong?" Wendy asked, moving her head closer to his.

 

"What's wrong?! Well, first, what are you doing here?"

Wendy took a deep breath, and for the first time, her eyes grew dark. "Averyl told me everything, Vance. About Grayson killing my father, about you, about the Bearer...about Victoria..."

Vance raised an eyebrow. "Averyl? Wait, where–"

 

"I'm just so glad I finally found you." Wendy's voice cracked a bit as she leaned in and gave him a hug. With her heels, she was almost the same height as him, and was easily strong enough to squeeze him tight enough to elicit a weird noise from his throat.

 

"It's been so long, Vance. I missed you...and now that we're both old enough, we can finally get married for real!"

 

As he was pulled into the woman's powerful embrace, Vance felt butterflies flutter in his stomach, and immediately became angry that they'd done so without his permission. "Hold on, Wendy. I can't. Look, I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I...I'm in love with someone else."

 

Wendy pulled her head back until it was right in front of his, allowing her to look deep in to his eyes. "Who?"

 

"Eden." Vance looked back to his supposed fiancé with the coldest eyes he could muster, and was shocked to see her smile and scoff.

 

"The Daughter?" She chuckled. "Vance, you don't love her."

 

He had expected many answers, but not that one. "What? How can you say that?"

 

"Because it's impossible."

 

"Why?"

 

"Vance, you know what she is, don't you?" she asked in a matter-of-fact tone. "And you know what you are?"

 

Vance was speechless. He stared deep into Wendy's eyes and tried to figure out just what was going on inside her head, but he could glean no manner of insight.

 

"Anyway, that's neither here nor there." Wendy stood up tall, shrugging off the matter with unflinching glee. "The Daughter isn't here now, is she?"

 

"Well, no, but–"

 

"Where did she go?"

 

"I-I don't kn–"

 

"I'll tell you where she went, Vance," Wendy said, as her tone started to take on a sterner edge. "The Church of Holy Truths. As the child of God, that's where she belongs. She's with the very people who massacred your ancestors, plain and simple."

 

"So what?!" Irritation began to well up in Vance's voice. "How do you know so much about her, anyway?!"

 

"I know much more than you think." Wendy wrapped her arms around the young man and kissed him on the cheek. "Oh, Vance, you're so cute when you get all confused."

 

"Get off me!" Vance screamed, realizing that he was firmly locked in her psynergy grip.

 

"Forget about the Daughter," Wendy whispered sweetly into his ear. "If you were truly meant to be with her, then why did Victoria keep you apart, even though you lived in the same place?"

 

Although it didn't seem possible, Vance felt like Eden was somehow slipping even further away from him. I don't understand it. I love her... don't I? We promised we'd stay together. We kissed, and we've been through so much together. What I felt for her was love...wasn't it?

 

"I wish we could have spent our teenage years together too," Wendy went on, casually balancing her arms on his shoulders as she nuzzled him. "But my family was in danger, so my father sent my mother and I off while he went into hiding."

 

A wave of sadness rushed over Vance. "I'm sorry about your dad, Wendy. I was so glad to finally see him again, and then..." He shivered with anguish. "If only I'd been stronger..."

 

Wendy took a step back, gripping Vance's shoulders tightly with her hands. They were powerful, and also reminded him of his mother, which made him feel strangely safe. "It's not your fault, Vance. My father was prepared. He was brave, and he did all he could to help us, Victoria included. He didn't die in vain."

 

Vance shook his head. "But he seemed like he still knew so much about what was going on. What are we supposed to do now that both he and mom are gone?"

 

"Stop Grayson," Wendy said firmly. "You need to help your mother finish what she started, Vance and reclaim the universe from the light."

 

"Wh-what?" Vance stammered. "I have to what?!"

 

"That's it!" Bruce shouted, turning back toward the car. "I've heard enough of this shit. I'm outta here."

 

"Settle down, Bruce," Vance called out. "You don't even know how to get to California."

 

The Tiger scoffed as he opened the driver's door. "I'll figure it out!"

 

Hearing that, Wendy slid her eyes over to the hulking man, and her aura flared. Simultaneously, a single axolotl materialized on the edge of her aura and hopped onto the roof of the jeep. It quickly opened its mouth wide, growing larger and larger until the black maw looked larger than Bruce himself.

 

In retaliation, Bruce shot a tiny surge of flame toward the creature, the best he could muster due to the painful psynergy vacuum. The Tiger's flames were merely swallowed up into the salamander's mouth, never to be seen again.

 

Vance watched with wide eyes. "Metapsynergy?"

 

Winslow looked to Vance in confusion, and Bruce quickly followed suit.

 

Vance now looked upon Wendy with fear. "Where did the flames go?"       

 

"Wendyland," she replied happily. "My own personal pocket dimension. You know what a pocket dimension is, right, Vance?"

 

The Albavitrean gave her a nervous frown.

 

"Awww..." Wendy patted Vance on the cheek. "You're so cute! Wendyland's a special space that only I can access, supported by my mind. I can store all sorts of stuff inside it."

 

Curiosity piqued, Winslow spoke up. "What happens if a person goes inside?"

 

"Wanna see?" Wendy made the salamander float up toward him. "I can't absorb any matter greater than my own psynergy mass, but I think I can probably swallow you."

 

"That's crazy..." Vance marveled, as he watched Winslow quickly step away. "So the lizards are also part of your ability?"

 

"My family traveled around a lot when I was a child, which made me so lonely. The only friend I could ever keep with me at all times was my pet axolotl, Moochie. I was so, so sad when he died, so sad I didn’t even want to let go of his body...that's how I first discovered my ability. I wanted to keep him with me, but I also didn't want him to rot and get all icky. Makes sense, right?"

 

As Wendy spoke, identical copies of the floating axolotl climbed out from behind her shoulder and crawled down her arms. Vance and Winslow studied them in awe, while Bruce frowned and slid into the car.

 

"Ever since then, I've only been able to open a door to Wendyland when I think of Moochie," Wendy went on. "His mouth is the gateway. And I can open it as many times as I need to!"

 

"Wendy...how did you get so strong?" Vance asked.

 

"My dad always made me practice on Earth, which I guess made me naturally stronger due to the vacuum here. And before we moved, Victoria helped train me too. For a long time, I knew I could take things in, but I didn't know where they were being stored. She helped me rise up to the next level and access Wendyland through my mind so that I could recover things. And then, when my mom and I stared living on our own, I got a job as a bounty hunter so dad didn't have to worry about sending us money. That really helped me get a lot of practice in!"

 

She's stronger than me... Vance realized slowly. And she even got to train with my mom...while I was oblivious the whole time.

 

"I don't get it..." Vance shook his head. "Why was my mom so adamant about keeping me clueless?"

 

"She loved you. And she wanted to protect you." Wendy patted Vance's arm, then held it gently and led him over to the car. "I know how she must have felt. Anyway, seeing as it's night time and all...what do you say we commemorate our union by going on a date, honey?"

 

"A date?" Vance repeated the word in disbelief.

 

"Yeah, you heard me!" Wendy grinned with excitement, then glanced over at Bruce and Winslow and waved them off. "Your friends can go do what they like tonight, and we'll go pick them up tomorrow."

 

"Uh... but how will you know where we are?" Winslow asked.

 

"By sensing your auras, of course," Wendy smirked. "What, you think you can really hide yours from me?"

 

Winslow frowned. Bruce seethed.

 

"I'm outta here," he said, turning the key. "You wanna walk or you wanna ride, Winslow?"

 

"Are you nuts?! I'm not getting into a car alone with you!" Winslow shouted, then shot a glare at Vance. "I should have just stayed in the hospital..."

 

Without another word, Bruce drove off in the jeep. Winslow crossed his arms and stood his ground, flitting his eyes between Vance and Wendy. The latter of the two seemed entirely unfazed as she smiled, stepped forward, and reached out her hand.

 

"I'm Wendy, Vance's fiancé," she said. "What's your name?"

"Winslow..." he replied slowly, then gave her hand a quick shake. "Relax, it's not like I exactly want to come with you two or anything. I just don't trust that psycho."

"Oh, don't worry about it at all," Wendy said sweetly. "Yes, that other man seemed to have quite the attitude...Vance and I need to catch up a bit in private, but you're welcome to travel with us if you like. You'll have to ride your own bike, though."

 

As Wendy spoke, Vance made frantic hand gestures behind her back, trying to convey to Winslow that he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Winslow mostly ignored him and turned his eyes back to the woman. "A bike? You aren't going to use a car?"

 

"Oh, no. I have something better than a car," Wendy said with a smile, then motioned two axolotls into the air with her fingers. After expanding their mouths to grotesque sizes, they each spat out a sleek black motorcycle and helmets.

 

Vance walked over to the bikes. "You know how to drive one of these?"

 

"Of course," Wendy replied slyly. "But you're not going to make me drive on our very first date, are you?"

 

The woman's habit of deciding things on her own had now reached a level where Vance couldn't help but laugh. "Wendy, I've never even driven a car!"

 

Wendy, on the other hand, appeared completely serious as she looked back into the young man's eyes. "But you can do anything you want, Vance. I know you're a genius. Victoria was your mother – you have to be!"

 

On his first few tries, Vance failed miserably, which led to Wendy slowly holding the bike from behind, pushing him as if he was a child riding his first bike on training wheels. Eventually, Vance pushed past his humiliation and managed to get the hang of it, partly due to assistance from Wendy's psynergy. Winslow, on the other hand, had absolutely no problems on his first attempt thanks to his ability, although he seemed to be anything but enthused.

 

Vance took one last look at the antique shop, and then they were off. Pittsburgh was just the same as Vance remembered it: dark and dirty, but also warm and human. He still had a special love for this place, although he didn't know exactly why. As they moved downtown, passers-by stared at the couple, but only for a second before they either lost interest or feigned ignorance.

 

As the Kaufmann's department store came up around the corner, Wendy batted Vance on the shoulder. "Stop here."

 

"Huh?"

 

"We're going out to dinner, so you need a change of clothes."

 

Thirty minutes later, the two returned from the depths of the building with newly-purchased clothes thanks to the credit card Wendy had procured. Vance now wore a pair of black knee-high leather boots, tight black jeans, a silver belt, and a black dress shirt with purple trim. Wendy had also spiked up the remains of Vance's burnt hair in the bathroom.

 

"I look like a vampire," Vance sighed.

 

"You look sexy!" Wendy insisted. "Trust me."

 

For dinner, Wendy decided on Bella Vista, a quaint, authentic Italian restaurant deep within the city. Vance couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten in a real restaurant. The lights inside were low, soft jazz music trickled out from tiny speakers, and mirrors lined the walls, making for what he assumed was just the romantic atmosphere that Wendy had in mind.

 

Despite feeling very out of place, Vance was surprised by how much of a nice time they ended up having. She'd taken him off guard in many ways, but Wendy was still his closest childhood friend, and that bond still existed. Conversation flowed naturally between them, as they reviewed their childhoods and caught up with each other. Wendy was caring, and she was also a great listener. Initially, the very direct way she'd expressed her admiration for him had made him feel extremely awkward, but he realized that since it had already been put out in the open, they were able to move quickly past it, and it had ceased to bother him at all anymore.

 

She's definitely unique, that's for sure...but I'm starting to think she's unique in a good way. She just speaks her mind, and she's confident about what she believes in. I kinda wish I was more likely her, weirdly enough. Oh, and she's beautiful, too...

 

As the night went on, Vance felt his fondness for the eccentric girl grow. They shared pasta, laughed together...it really did feel like a date, which was the last thing Vance had ever expected to find on his sudden trip home. On the other side of the room, Winslow sat alone at his own table, angrily stabbing at his chicken parmesan with a knife – but that didn't bother either of them in the slightest, of course. They had long since entered their own world, and Vance felt so comfortable talking with someone who he knew could understand him, precisely because they'd grown up together.

 

After three hours of talking, Wendy glanced at the clock. "Oh, Vance, we should probably go find a room soon. It's getting late."

 

Vance's mouth suddenly felt dry. "A...room?"

 

"Of course," Wendy said sweetly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's time to consummate our bond."

Next: True Love