Blood on My Name

Travelling with Levi was just as dreadful as I feared. He sang off-key to classic rock, he’s a terrible driver, and if he calls that car ‘baby’ one more time, I might set him on fire.

About three hours in, Felix decided he had enough of me and began to cuddle with Chief. The big Irish Wolfhound accepted my Maine Coon and they were sleeping in the backseat.

It has now been five hours since we left Louisiana and I was grateful that Levi wasn’t a quiet person. Violet enjoyed total silence, but it smothered me. There needed to be constant noise and Levi was providing that, even if it was off-key singing to Joe Walsh.

“Life’s been good to me so far,” Levi sang, dragging out the ‘r’.

I laid my head against the window and closed my eyes.

There were still fourteen hours left of driving until we got to Philadelphia.

“I’ve always wondered,” Levi spoke after the song finished, “why do witches love cats so much?”

I shifted in the seat and turned my gaze towards him, “my mother said that cats were what supplied a witch’s magic. According to her, cats make our powers stronger. They are seen as cunning and devious, like many witches.”

“But why do you treat them the way you do?”

I raised an eyebrow in question and Levi glanced at me before turning his eyes back to the road and explaining: “When Chief rushed towards you and Felix at Ashley’s apartment, you freaked out. Or when I said no to bringing him along, you fought for him to come. Ashley said you begged her not to tell her supervisors about him being in the restaurant. Why?”

“We are only presented with our cats when we become mature enough. It is a sign of adulthood, and in return for our more potent magic, we treat them as we would our children. We take care of them and in a way, they take care of us,” I explained.

“That could all be a bullshit story,” he responded.

I shrugged, “maybe, but either way, you develop a bond with anything close to you. You have a bond with Chief.”

Levi nodded, “I do, but nothing like your cat fetish.”

I rolled my eyes, “do you only think about cats?”

“In some variation, yes.”

I crinkled my face in disgust, “gross.”

Levi laughed, “I bet you’re a virgin. How old are you?”

“Twenty-four and I’m not a virgin.”

“How many times?”

“That is personal.”

He laughed again and turned the music up.

“Don’t be a prude, Rosie.”

††††

After another four hours, two bathroom breaks for the animals and humans, and a few bags of chips, Levi finally decided it was time to get food and a room.

We pulled up to a motel and after he paid, I snuck Felix and Chief into the room. Levi left to get burgers and I flopped on a bed, utterly exhausted. I didn’t sleep well at Ashley’s apartment since I was expecting Magnolia to find me, but now that I was nine hours away, I felt safer.

I had dozed off and quickly jumped up when Levi slammed the door shut. Stretching my tired body, I took my food from him. Felix and Chief were enjoying their cat and dog food, and Levi was already eating his burger.

I unwrapped the paper and took a bite, enjoying the taste of beef. Most of us were vegetarians, but I had failed at that.

Not enough self-control, according to Magnolia.

Eating slowly, I stared at the floor and kicked my feet back and forth. My mind wandered to my sister and I became slightly homesick. This was the longest Violet and I had been away from each other and I missed her. If Magnolia was trying to kill me and already killed my mother, was Violet safe there? They had no way of contacting me if something bad happened. I thought back to that night and remembered Poppy mentioning that she had a dream about me. When she dreamed of people, it usually meant death was coming for them. My blood ran cold and I lost my appetite.

“You okay?” Levi asked through a mouthful of french fries.

“Yeah. I’m just going to get a shower,” I responded as I gathered clothes and walked to the bathroom.

After closing the door, I quickly undressed and turned the water as hot as it would go. The room began to steam and I climbed under the spray. The scalding water loosened my tense muscles and my skin turned red as the water pounded into me. Heat hardly affected me because of my long use of fire. I slid down the tiled wall and brought my knees to my chest, letting tears flow from my eyes.

I cried for my mother’s death, I cried for my father’s death that happened when I was six, I cried for my loss of a home, and I cried for Violet. I missed my sister more than I could imagine and I needed my mother more than ever, but neither were here and my heart broke.

Felix and I were alone.