Chapter 20: I Know What You Are

Seeking feedback on my work-in-process cozy fantasy novel, Jack and the Beanstalk Cafe.

Start from the beginning: Chapter 1

Previous Chapter: Chapter 19

Where we left off: Jack practices his magic with Alban, but he isn’t very good at it. They’re in the cafe and he reaches for a Cannoli but Philomena stops him and tells him it’s haunted.

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Jack

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“I’ll, uh, skip dessert today, thanks.” Jack’s eyes were wide as he looked warily at the offending pastry.

Philomena and Alban looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

“What is going on in here?” Gillian said suddenly from where she stood by the doorway, arms crossed. She looked between the trio and the display case before rolling her eyes. “Not the haunted cannoli story again?”

“You should have seen his face,” Alban said between howls of laughter. “We haven’t gotten to use that on someone new in decades.”

Gillian rolled her eyes again as she moved to stand behind the counter with Philomena. She gave Jack a sympathetic smile.

“He got me on my first day here, too.”

Jack glanced at her and tried to return the smile but something like guilt twisted his gut. Hadn’t he just been thinking about killing her father? Killing her?

“So, uh, the cannoli isn’t haunted then?” He directed the question to Philomena.

“No, not at all. They’re actually quite delicious, if I do say so myself.”

“Maybe I’ll try it some other time. I think I’ve lost my appetite.”

Alban smirked. “Just as well. We should get back to practicing your magic.”

“That’s right,” Philomena said and looked at Gillian. “I’m glad you’re here. I have an idea on how you can help Jack.”

Philomena explained that Jack was having trouble keeping his spell held for any length of time and she thought it might help for Gillian to help stabilize him.

“How can I do that?” Gillian asked, her brows knitted. “I don’t know anything about magic.”

“No, but I think if you held his hand while he summoned his own magic, it could help anchor it.”

Jack refused to meet Gillian’s gaze as his heart picked up speed. They were going to touch? Thoughts of their kiss flitted across his mind, followed by images of her father’s sharp teeth and his mention of drinking her blood. He shuddered but took a deep breath.

“Let’s do it,” he said as confidently as he could muster. “I’m willing to do anything to help get Alice back.”

He held his right hand out to Gillian across the counter and she tentatively placed her ice cold hand in his. He couldn’t help but notice how soft her skin was, but he quickly brushed the thought away and focused on his breathing the way Alban had taught him.

Closing his eyes, he looked inward and immediately found his magic. It almost felt like it was flowing from Gillian’s hand into his and he was able to follow it easily with his mind and center it in the palm of his other hand.

He spoke the light spell and opened his eyes to find a glowing ball of light balanced in his left hand. He stared at it for a few seconds, waiting for it to evaporate but it held strong. He looked over to Gillian instinctively.

“We did it,” he exclaimed, a grin splitting his face.

“You did it,” she said softly, looking down at their hands. Without him noticing, she had slipped her hand away from his. The ball of light in his hand sputtered briefly as he saw his empty hand, but quickly returned to full strength.

“Good job, son,” Alban said, patting Jack on the back. “Let’s try it again.”

Jack let the magic recede from his hand and the ball of light disappeared. He closed his eyes and was able to immediately find the magic again. It was like Gillian’s one touch had sparked something to life in him.

Jack performed the light spell a few more times before Philomena interrupted his practice.

“You’re doing well, Jack. But I’m afraid we are running out of time. Alice has been gone for almost two days.”

“I’ve been thinking about this,” Gillian said. “He is sure to be back at his castle. It’s well guarded, but if we sneak in during daylight, everyone will be sleeping.”

Jack’s eyes widened. He had forgotten the basic vampire lore that they couldn’t go out in the sun. Thinking back to all of his interactions with Gillian, he realized that he had never seen her in the sunshine. How had he missed that? He was starting to wonder if she slept in a coffin when he realized Philomena and Gillian were still talking.

“–it’s a risk but it’s the best plan we have,” Philomena was saying when Jack had tuned back in.

“Sorry, what’s the plan?” he asked.

“Gillian and I are going to break into the castle and try to save Alice.”

“What about Alban? And me? I thought you needed me for the spell,” Jack argued.

“I don’t have enough magic to get us all safely out of the castle,” Philomena explained. “And we need you to stay back and practice. If the worst should happen, you’ll be safe here. You’ll be able to perform the runic spell eventually and that’s the most important thing.”

Jack relented and settled back in his usual desk in the hallway with Alban to practice his spells, while Gillian and Philomena prepared for their trip.

“Alright, guys,” Gillian said when she and Philomena stopped by the table, rucksacks slung over their shoulders. “We’re heading out to catch the next train.”

Jack gave Philomena a quick nod and turned away while Alban stood to give both women a farewell hug.

“Be safe, you two,” Alban said. “Get Alice and head right back here. No heroics.”

Jack heard Gillian laugh as Alban walked them all out the hallway door, leaving him in silence.

“What is your problem?”

Jack turned quickly to find Gillian still in the hallway, glaring at him with arms crossed.

“What do you mean?” he asked, stalling. He knew what she meant.

“You haven’t looked me in the eye since last night. Barely spoken a word. What’s going on?”

“Gillian, you have to leave. There isn’t time for this.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just tell me what you’re thinking.”

Every line in her body was tense, like she was ready to spring on him at any moment. Jack sighed.

“I’m not ready to talk about this. I don’t want to say something I’ll regret.”

“I’m almost seven hundred years old, Jack. I can handle whatever you want to say.”

If she brought that up to throw him off balance, it wasn’t going to work. Her age was the least of his concerns.

“Gillian…” He looked at her imploringly. He really didn’t want to have this conversation until he’d sorted through his feelings. Or maybe never. That was a good option, too.

“Say it. Out loud.”

He blew out a breath. Fine.

“I’ve known you for, like, four days, Gillian. And then I find out that your father is apparently this Vampire King who has been hunting my family for centuries?” His frustration was seeping into his voice now. “And you’re some type of vampire convict. And you gave me your blood without me knowing? What am I supposed to think?”

Color rose to her cheeks and she stammered, “I– I gave you my blood because you were dying, Jack.”

He stared at her.

“My blood can heal humans. I didn’t know what else to do.” She seemed uncomfortable, like she hadn’t wanted to admit that to him.

“What do you mean I was dying?” He recoiled as he thought of the possible scenarios. “Was I dying because you drank blood from me when I was sleeping?”

Her mouth fell open and her eyes narrowed on him.

“Are you serious? You fell down a cliff, Jack. Your skull was fractured. Do you really think I would do that?”

“You’re a vampire, Gillian.”

“Stop. Calling. Me. Gillian.” She forced out every word through clenched teeth, nostrils flared and brows knitted.

He took a step back from her– startled and confused by her evident anger. “What?”

She unwrapped her arms from around her chest and ran a hand through her hair, leaving it slightly unkempt. It was the first time he’d seen it less than perfectly smooth.

“You spent all this time trying to get to know me. Pretending to be my friend and forcing us to have these deep, meaningful conversations like you cared. You gave me a nickname like I meant something to you.” Her words were sharp, like daggers into his chest. “And at the first sign of something uncomfortable– something you didn’t like– you’re back-pedaling. Acting like this was nothing.”

She took a breath and moved toward him, closing the small gap he’d made between them. Her fists were clenched at her sides and he did all he could not to flinch back from her.

“I am worth more than that, Jack. I’m more than just a girl you can toy with while it amuses you, and then throw away on a whim.” She started to turn away from him but paused and those angry black eyes stared right into his soul. “And I’m definitely more than just a vampire. Which you’d know if you’d ever bothered to ask.”

She turned and stormed off without another word, the scent of cinnamon apples trailing in her wake.

Next Chapter: Chapter 21