Bloodmoon Inc.

Part two
The witch, the jerk, and the corn

How did this happen?, Ruby pondered, how did I get here? She looked over at Rex, slumped in the next seat, Larissa on his lap. Black Rose, a.k.a; a huge pain in her ass, was passed out in the back seat next to reporter girl, Nina Chambers.
With the wind roaring in her ears it was hard to think. It's 3 a.m. and I’m on the road to New Orleans, approximately 10 states and over 27 hours from home, the firm, and my usual hunting grounds. Where did all this go wrong!? She asked herself, pounding the steering wheel. Well I guess I can trace it back to Shadow, that snug little son of a flea bitten bitch, and me, and needing a job. Ruby shook her head smiling to herself. But if I can pull this one off...We'll be set for years. I hope it's all gonna be worth it.

A few days ago.....

Ruby Red walked the halls of her mentor Wolf's company, Wolf, Howl and Shadow.
Rex trailed behind her. The Halls were packed with vampires, witches, and demons. They were both employees and customers. WH&S rarely took on human customers, but the ones they did were so evil even their own mothers would have to pause when asked if they were still human. Ruby brushed past quite a few senators and even a foreign diplomat as she made her way to the third conference room. When there she flung the door open and seated herself so her slinky shirt showed max cleavage and her skirt showed max leg, all the better to get the best assessment. Rex sighed.
Ruby looked at him. "Blood hangover?" She asked. "You need to pick your vic's better...those beer soaked sorority girls always catch up with you."
Rex rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "Not...beer...junkies.." He glowered at her. "And who was it that took away my killing grounds?"
Ruby shook her head; she was not going to get into another fight with Rex about her complex motives for letting Black Rose rent the upstairs of the 2 family house they owned. The door opened, and in walked sex-on-wheels. Shadow, the beautiful shape shifting incubus, today he was about 6 foot, lean, and sinewy. His face was sharply angled and his eyes were a stunning green that matched his black hair well. Even as much as she hated him Ruby felt a tingle of lust for him.
"Well, well if it isn’t Billy goat Billy-boy in person!" Rex shouted in thick cockney tones.
"Come and get one in the yarbles, if you've got any yarbles, that is, you eunuch jelly, thou." Ruby ended the line. "Cute, Clockwork Orange, and I wondered what you two wastes of time did all day."
"What are you doing here?" Rex hissed.
"My names on the business cards, I work here, or did you forget, moron?" Shadow said icily.
Rex stood and started for the door. "We don't need to deal with this shit. We can get-"
"Your assessment from daddy dearest?....or Howl?" asked Shadow "Don’t think so. Daddy's ...off..and Howl's in the field. My way or no way."
Ruby moved over to Rex. "There's no love lost here but let's just get our assessment and get gone." She looked at Shadow "OK?"
He tossed his hair back "Sure, whatever." He slammed a dusty old scroll down on the table.
"Smells like old people” Rex muttered.
"The prophecy of Janmaken. It states that in the moon of the lovers after the 'floods of ages' a babe born of one of the royal line of hell...blah blah..plauge...blah blah...famine....blah unholy spoon made of trout...ahhh here it is...this kid is gonna be the next King of Hell."
"Wait a minute...the next king of Hell?" Ruby said "I thought that was a one guy forever kind of gig."
Shadow sneered "I'm from Hell honey; trust me Satan is a title, not a man."
"I stand corrected asshole"
"So, His Majesty, long may he rule and excrete acid on the powers of good-"
"Excrete acid....that sounds painful." Rex commented.
Shadow went on. "-wants this kid deader that whatever rank thing Rex had for breakfast."
"Let me get this straight." Ruby said slowly. "You want ...us... to kill a prophecy holder? Isn’t that next to impossible?"
"If you're not up to the task..."
"We can do! What's he offering?"
"Gobs and gobs of cash,...some rare artifacts,...an estate in hell complete with slaves,...his utmost favor,...and, the girl seeks The Seven Weapons of the Old Gods, find any on her and their yours."
Ruby's eyebrows went skidding up "Prophecy holder and that kind of weaponry?"
"No one knows if she found any yet just that she's looking."
"We'll take the job." Ruby got up to leave. Rex followed her.
"Have fun getting your asses handed to you." Shadow called
"Go fuck yourself with a po-go stick." Rex called back.
"Laugh while you can...." Shadow muttered to himself.

The cobbles clacked under his heels.
In his mind it was 4 A.M., foggy and deeply black.
In realty it was a sweet warm fall night not even 7 pm yet.
Black Rose took a deep breathe smelling baking bread and wood smoke from a house nearby.
He tried not to feel that familiar wrenching pain that he always did when he thought about his family.
Moving with a speed faster then any human could hope for he wound and twisted his way to an empty lot.
The lot was enchanted so that only someone that knew the base was there could see it.
Anyone else would have seen rubble, trash and debris.
He saw the homes of the monks, their gardens, the new recites washing laundry down by the river.
He began the walk over the woods and grounds to the temple and the dwellings of the monks.
It took him 20 minutes. He walked into the training were his friends Amber and Virgil were sparing.
Amber's spell stuttered a bit. She turned to Black Rose. "Rafe," She called using his given name. "Why don't you come and spar with us you were always better then anyone else in the monkshood." He shook his head smiling.
"No, thanks." "How's living with Ruby like?" asked Virgil with a knowing leer. Rose tried not to rise to the bait.
I should never have told him about that night.... he thought ruefully. It's not like I knew it was Ruby when I kissed her. He twisted his fingers behind his back there...That should put a dead rat or two in Virgil’s bed.
There was a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Minos, leader of the guardians standing behind him. The head monk beckoned, they walked together back to his quarters. Minos sat down in a chair by the fireplace. Rose sat next to him.
Rose gestured to the tapestry behind them. "So I see you had it restored." Minos smiled "Yes I always loved it...it really
brings the plight of the first divampire to light." Minos pointed to the tall handsome man in the foreground. "The hunter Fathas stalked the first vampire Stillea he hunted her day and night, when he dealt the killing blow she spat blood in his eye and cursed him.” You shall live between the night and the day...unable to love the kill or love the light...needing blood but with a human heart." Rose chimed in. "And this was the first divampire the first guardian, and when the child of balance comes she will heal us all. As it is said, so shall it be." Rose sighed "It's hard…living ...right near them...knowing why they go out late at night" "Sometimes...I’m tempted...to...but I know I can't because.." Minos smiled "You will bring us the child....but only if your heart is pure.." "It is Father..." But as Rose said that he thought of Ruby's cold embrace.
Minos gave Rose a slip of paper. "This is the address of your next assignment." Rose stood, bowed and left.

Shadow nibbled a pen. He tried not to dwell on how much he hated those two white trash vampires.
Everything had been fine...wonderful…in fact for years...then they showed up.
Shadow's hands tightened into fists, nails biting into his palms. Fucking Rex and Ruby...Wolf had found them in an ally! AN ALLY!! TRAINED THEM!! It all sent Shadow into a bit…of a tizzy...Wolf never did anything just because it was nice! There must be something up. So he started dating Ruby to spy on her. She got wise to him, told him to go to hell. So he had started giving her low paying gigs. She dug and dug until she found out about his true name. The name that if used in spell work could send him packing back to Hell.
Shadow shuddered to think of what the King of Hell would do to him if he ever went back to Hell. Satan could do nothing to him on earth, matter of fact they often did business together. However...if he went back to Hell his life was in the Lord of Hell's hands and those hands were stained with blood. So he gave Ruby the jobs she wanted and she dint use the name, but just because someone had his name dint mean he was powerless
This job was a perfect way to trip them up.
He picked up the phone. "Unitethenite?" "Yes, may I speak with Nina Chambers ?" "Nina?" "Shadow here” Still want that interview of my company?" "Well my top agents Rex and Ruby would be trilled to see you about on this gig of theirs." "Yes...really!" "Well-come" he sing-songed as he hung up. He punched a button on his intercom. "Nancy?"
"Yes Mr. Shadow..?" "Send me in some Dragons blood wine 1278 and my virgin from last weeks bribe. "Yes, Sir"
"And in 2 hours get me Satan’s right hand, and then the leader of the Grey Dawn...Minos owes us one..."
"Yes, Sir. is that all?" "For now" Shadow's laughter and the virgin’s screams distracted few employees...just anther day at the office.

Ruby stared at the press pass of the blonde in her doorway. "And you are..?" "Nina Chambers." The woman said brightly "I work for untiethenite, we have been wanted to run a story on WH&S for some time now."
"And who said I wanted to do this?" "No wait I know who."
Nina grinned sheepishly. "Yes it was Shadow" "I hear you two have quite a feud going on...want to comment on the record?" "No" Ruby began to shut the door. "But Miss Red if there is someone there on this job to say spin the story so you sound great and Shadow sounds...not so great...” Ruby grinned at the thought "Well....come in and let's talk it over."

Ran'sha ripped apart her meager belongings looking for her proactive amulet.
There was a knock on the door. She gasped, then glanced in the mirror. Thank the gods that her glamour was holding.
She opened the door. A young man stood there. He smiled it made him look less tired, less old. Ran'sha began to chant a spell as she pulled out her dagger. "Be gone unclean nusfure undead she hissed. Mon heea toma
he said hurriedly in her langue High Domanok the tongue of hell's nobles. Even stranger he had said "I'm a friend" Mon kitic heeri He said I"m here to help you. Onono shama divampire "but your a divampire."
"Yes, he said "I’m from the guardians of the grey dawn." "We hunt demons and help those in need." "The goddess Airtimes spoke to us though one of our seers, She wants you safe, I was sent to keep you that way." There was a long pause it was quite painfully clear to Rose that she was thinking carefully about all this. Oh Dear Gods let her believe me and let me in... I don’t know much more High Domanok! Rose sighed as he made his mental plea
Ran'sha in the end, opened the door wider. "Come in" she said in slightly accented English. He did. "I"m Black Rose."
She nodded "Ran'sha daughter of his most High Lord of Hell Satan." "He's the one who is tiring to get you killed right?'
"Yes.." "My child will be the next King Or Queen of Hell." "How far are you?" "Three of our moon rises, 3 of your years.
"Time runs slower in Hell...also our children are safer in the womb so they do much of their growing inside."
Rose nodded. "Yes...I had heard of that..." Ran'sha sat down with grace, Rose noted that even pregnant one would not want to mess with her. "Wolf, Howl, and Shadow have taken my father's hit on me I hear." "I hear that I'm being hunted as we speak." Rose sighed "Yes but as a prophecy holder you have-" She cut him off "They would need my consent to harm me...it's a tidy little loophole, yes?" "I could take a cup of coffee of my own will and if it was poisoned...or if I willing stay somewhere that's to be bombed..." Ran'sha cast her eyes down "I think that perhaps
the prophecy is best protected by taboo and fear of the god's wrath" "But someone from Wolf, Howl, and Shadow will not care about those things. " "Their agents are famous for ruthless and slyness. " "Tell me about it...I live with two of them." Rose said with a grimace. Ran'sha arched an eyebrow "How did that come to pass?" "A demon hunter living with a shady pair like that.." "I live above them they rent me out an apartment." "Where Minos...my master points…I go...He pointed to them."
"They have a daughter...she might be important." Ran'sha rubbed her temples. "For the child's sake I hope she is not.."
She whispered almost brokenly "Being important...means...a lot of people want to kill you or...use you or find you…it's very tiring.” "So to that end I’m sorry...but I do not trust any one anymore...you do seem like a nice young man."
"I am leaving tonight anyway for New Orleans tonight, I have a friend there, and he will help me I don’t need or want your help." "I would like you to leave now." "Are you sure-" "Yes" Rose left. A few moments later Ran'sha was packing.

Nina held up hand to Ruby to indicate she was going to take the call coming in.
"Where?" "No shit?" Ruby raised an eyebrow at Nina.
"That was my editor, he says your prey is running."
"She left for New Orleans this afternoon and the kicker is she seeking help at Carisdesmorta."
Ruby groaned aloud. "You’re fucking me!" "The school that Harry Potter ripped off?" Nina nodded.
"Yeah...them.." "The school that has magic everywhere and me unable to use it!" "Yup...but my press pass could you in,
my boss would love it!" "Two stories in one, you and the school" Ruby frowned "Now I have to tell Rex and pull Larissa
out of school. The front door slammed and Black rose ran in. He charged tough the house heading for the back steps to his apartment. Ruby looked at Nina. "Be back soon." "Sure" Ruby ran up to Rose's place so fast the walls shook.
She pounded at the door wondering if Rose could even hear her over the NIN blasting. Rose yanked the door open.
He was shirtless. "What? he asked briskly "What's the rush?" "Meeting." He said brushing his hair (black with purple streaks this week) out of his face.” Really?" Ruby drawled "I don’t think so." "We all know your here to spy on us!"
"You want my kill!" Rose scowled at her "I want her not to get killed!" Ruby scowled back at him. "Big....fat...deal!" she hissed hands on hips. "MY house, MY rules, MY kill!" "Now what are you not telling me?"
Black rose's eyes silted. "I use about 5 bottles of Manic Panic a week, I vote Republican, my first name is Lee I go by Rose my middle name because Lee was my dad’s name as well, and I brushed my teeth about ten times after kissing you!" He slammed the door. Ruby walked down the stairwell muttering. When she was back in the living room ruby poked Nina in the back. Nina looked up from Sunshine, the book she was reading. Ruby sat down. "Ok, do you know anything about Rose?" Nina smirked "Maybe...why?"
"Get me some info on him...in three hours and I'll let come with us." Nina opened her mouth to protest.
Ruby held up three fingers.” Three hours" A full interview, inside W,H,&S, Me and Rex's hunt, our lives...all of it."
"No file...no nothing." Nina's eyes glittered "Why do you care?" "Why is he even here?" Ruby smiled
"Ask me in our interview." "The guardians are a closemouthed bunch..." "I know even Wolf thought they dint exist until he met Rose." "But-" "If you can’t get me this then you’re not a very good reporter and you don’t deserve an interview."
Nina picked up her purse and as she left she called out. "Be back in two hours!"

Two and half later Ruby was reading the file on Black Rose that Nina had gotten from who knows where.
Ruby sipped her apple cider as she began to read. Rafe AKA Rose was roughly 80-90 years old.
His mother was a Grey Dawn member, she bitten by a vampire while she was pregnant, she died in labor.
The couple on whose doorstep she was found took in the baby. . His parents had died in a vampire attack when he was
sixteen or so. He was found muddy, naked, and ranting by the leader of the Grey Dawn.
That was all really. Ruby bit her lip thinking about how much it must suck to be a divampire.
Rose called her name. She startled and the folder slid off her lap. He picked it up. Ruby tired not to look panicked
He gave it back without looking at it. "What do you want? Ruby asked bluntly "I need a ride." Ruby flipped him the finger. "Hmmm give the guy who wants to stop me a ride?" "That's the best idea since New Coke!"
Rose's lips tightened. He walked outside, there was a load crunch. Ruby ran out. There was her car her beloved
70' Cadillac El Doro looking like a drunk giant had stomped it, and then there was the green slime!
Her eyes blazing with criminal intent she grasped Rose around the neck. Her nails digging into him she hissed.
"What the fuck are you playing at?" "Ta-take me and I’ll undo it, kill me that slime is on there f-for good." He gasped
She griped him tighter for a moment, then let go. "Fine, but we spilt up when we get there."
He nodded then moved his fingers as he chanted in Latin. The car was back how it had been.
Ruby walked back to the house. "Man" She thought "He would be so dead right now if he wasn’t hot!"

The sun streamed into a large airy classroom, about thirty students where sitting in chairs around tables.
A man about 40 or so with thick black hair his blue eyes sweeping his students as he asked them questions.
"OK, so what is the difference between a magik user and a born witch or natural witch?”
A girl with blonde hair answered “A Magik user is someone who learns to use the maigks of the world, then live a bit longer then most people like to 200 or so and they get burned out on magik.”
“And a Born Witch Dora?” The same girl went on “A born witch is someone born to and from magik.” “Well, proffers Blaze they are always Prophecy holders, the powers of the gods are in them, they live 600 or more years. It is the highest mark of favor to be one.”
’Good Dora.” Proffers Blaze called on a boy with flaming red hair ”Yes, Axel?”
“Also a Born Witch manifests at 12, IF they don’t use their powers the build up will kill them by 21.
“Not quite Axel….12 for girls 15 for boys.”
The boy nodded.
“Well to sum it up everyone if you ever see someone you think might be a Born Witch run.”
“They can be very dangerous unless trained.” The bell rang loudly.
“Ok test tomorrow on weres, study, and study !”
As Blaze packed up he heard someone call his name. He turned “Ran’sha?”
He ran to her and picked her up. “How art thou Blaze?”
“Fine!” “And you, you half daemon wench?” Blaze bellowed happily
“Not so well…I fear.” “Can we talk?
Blaze nodded “Let’s go out ok?”
Ran’sha nodded



Ruby moved her car “The great red shark” as she called it, around the narrow streets.
Nina was keeping an eye out for the address to the school. ”Ok, this is it.” Nina called
Ruby looked up at the store “You’re fucking me right?” Nina giggled. Rex goggled.
Ruby hopped out without opening the door. She went inside. The girl inside sang out
“HI, I’m Suzie welcome to The World of God!” “Jesus loves you!”
Rex behind Ruby muttered into her ear. “Yeah, but I think you’re an asshole.”
The clerk grinned a mindless grin at them. “I AM SO blessed TODAY!” “That’s nice”
Ruby said in her best the-nuthouse-in-this-town-has-rusty-padlocks voice.
Suzie chattered on. “OK, so just in today is a new book by Kristi Lowman.
She was a drug using actress just three years ago, but then she found the LORD!”
“And all the saps who love the G-man and all the pretty pretty money.”
Rex whispered to Ruby. Nina, Rose and Larissa walked in together.
“Oh, how cute!” Suzie squealed. “Is this your little girl?” she asked Rose and Nina.
“No,” Larissa said dryly “She’s my lesbian lover and he’s just a whore we picked up to have a there-way with.” Rose sneered at Larissa. “Keep working one day you might be ALMOST intimidating.” Larissa shot at him. Suzie just blinked at them. Nina pulled ruby aside. “This is not the school per say….just a gate.”
“I called my editor again he gave me the password.” “Turns out there are many gates and we dint have to come all the way down here after all.” The sneer Ruby gave Nina was a bit more affective then Rose’s. Nina pouted.
Ruby looked at Rex who was getting a talk from Suzie about how woman who love God hate sex and working outside the home. “How do we get to the school?” “Rex looks like he might start teaching this idiot and that could take hours.” Nina handed Ruby a slip of paper. “Do you speak Latin?”
“Yes” Ruby spoke in clear tones. “Domes quvt evts hic.”
There was a load crack and they hit the ground. Ruby looked about everyone was there including for some reason Black Rose. Son-of-a-bitch.
Ruby looked up and gaped for a moment.
The gothic style castle loomed. Gargles topped it and who knew if they were real or not. In the huge lake water dragons were sparing with kids not older then
Larissa. The grounds were wide and diverse there were marshes plains and forest.
“Welcome to Carisdesmorta.” A voice said behind them. The group spun about.
A short pixyish young woman with red hair stood there looking at them.
“Are you here for a tour?” “Yes, we are.” Ruby shoved Larissa forward.
“Our little lady needs the best in magikal schooling. The woman nodded.
“We are the best. “I’m Laini let’s get going shall we?”
Lanni began to lead them to the lake. “Here we see Do’gron of the water dragons sparing with some water elements students.”
Do’gron pulled some kid under water. He flicked his tail to show he had heard
Laini’s call to him. No one could understand what they where saying to each other. Lanni turned back to them. “Students and teachers here have translator charms.” Laini walked over to a large stone courtyard were students were fighting with staffs “Here at Carisdesmorta we train the mind, body and soul.”
“We put no value on god or evil.” “Some of our students have changed the world. “ “Tomas White, Noel Rider, Nail Gaiman and Erebst Bathroy the Bloody Countess all went here.”
“Howl who is a founding member of Wolf, Howl and Shadow was a teacher here for some time. “ “I really enjoyed working with her.” Ruby blinked “How old are you lady?” Laini smiled. “Older enough to remember the sphinx in it’s glory not old enough to have seen it go up.” “I remind you nothing is what it seems around here.” They turned a corner and nearly ran into Blaze and Ran’sha.
Ran’sha’s eyes blazed red. She yelled to Rose. “I TOLD you to leave me alone!”
“I just wanted to help you!” he shouted Ruby was pretty sure that this was the chick. So she pulled her Colt .50 and began to fire. Just to see what would happen mostly. Blaze let lose a blast of fire at Ruby.
The last thing she heard was Larissa’s scream.
The last thing she saw was the fire parting.
Then the next wave of it hit her in the face.


“Rose!” Ruby screamed and that one word his name woke her to the fact
that she loved him. The smiles the denials it was so simple now…she was in love.
So fuck Rex, fuck Ison fuck the past. She slid in pools of his blood and went down
on her keens next to him. He couldn’t move or speak. His head lolled on his neck.
“Don’t say anything…” Ruby breathed. She pulled out her knife and cut her wrist.
“Drink” She whispered to him. “Drink!” Rose began to lap up her blood, gently
first then harder, hurting her a bit. His eyes opened, and he smiled at her.
His wounds were healed. He sat up and kissed her with passion.
Then Ruby woke up with a gasp to see Larissa worried face over her.
“What’s going…on?” Ruby asked
Larissa began breathlessly
“Well…I had this dream that this happened,
you getting flamed and all. I stopped most of it!”
“I talked to Blaze a bit, I’m starting school here next term.”
“He thinks I’m a Born Witch with the big magic and all.”
“Oh, and I worked out a deal with prophecy chick.”
Ruby rubbed her weary eyes “OK….start over.”


Two days later a fully recovered Ruby, a very pissed off Rex, a happy Rose,
a content Nina and a confused Larissa rode going
east. Larissa piped up. “I can’t believe that the clerk ‘Suzie’ turned out to be pot smoking pagan lesbian, in a glamour who watches the gate to the school.”
Rex snarled “ I CAN’T believe there was NO fight!” “Rex it worked out well.”
“Larissa and Blaze faked what’sherface’s death.” “She gets away and we get
the fame the glory the 33 million and the look on Shadow’s face. Rex almost forgot to sulk when he thought about rubbing Shadow’s nose in their
success. Just then the car began to smoke and clack. They just made it to small
gas station. Ruby looked at Larissa “Why don’t you just twitch your nose or
something ?” Larissa flipped her off. Ruby grabbed her bit at her neck playfully.
A little old man who had come out of the station gaped at them. “ Nurture!”
He screamed. He tossed a bag of corn at Ruby’s feet when she got out to
ask him to look at her car. Rose snorted “Old vampire test myths say that
vampires have to count it before they can move.” The old man tossed some
garlic at Rex. Rex pulled out his nail gun giggling.
Ruby began to walk away pulling Larissa with her before Rex got out the
Flamethrower. Rex’s shouts of “I’m gonna Roanoke island your sorry asses !!”
faded. Ruby pulled out her cell phone “Hey, Shadow…no…not dead, “
“Yeah I wish you would drop dead too.” “I got the kill….yes I can confirm, there was a school full of witnesses “
“Now pony up my goodies!” Ruby hung up. Her voice rang out as she laughed.
“I LOVE my work!”