Imprinted Hearts

Chapter 15: The Tower

"Hey!" Ethan said, catching sight of Lucien and two other people across the store. One was a dirty blond, curly-haired girl with a huge bag of what looked to be art supplies plus other various items in her bag, and a black-haired man that Ethan recognized as the vampire that had attacked him the night he'd attacked Lucien.

Ethan froze, fear crossing his face, but Lucien held up his hands for the two new people to stay there, and half jogged across the store to Ethan.

"Uh, what's going on?" Ethan asked.

"It's okay, they're friends," Lucien said. "Louie wants to apologize for that night, and Alexis is a mutual friend that healed me when you attacked."

"Oh, that's how you got past the injuries so fast," Ethan said, not exactly relaxing at the idea that a vampire was casually walking around in daylight like this. "Aren't... vampires allergic to sunlight?"

"That's a common misconception. Direct sunlight exposes their pale skin and blackened veins if they're out in it too long, but he's completely covered and uses an umbrella in direct sunlight," Lucien explained. "Besides, he's like me: cursed. He can't touch humans directly without turning into a burst of light."

"What is it with witches and their rude ass curses?" Ethan asked. "Wait, a second. He pinned me down the night we fought. What do you mean, he can't touch humans?"

"We're were-beasts. Apparently that's a loophole in the clause," Lucien replied, motioning for the two of his friends to come over. "Ethan," he said once they arrived. "This is Louie and Alexis." He introduced them in reversed as well and they nodded to each other.

"Sorry for tackling you," Louie grinned. "Gotta protect my friends, you know? They're few and far between."

"Oh, so you're the one who roughed Lucien up," Alexis said. "I'll have you know I was grounded from doing art for a week after that."

"Aren't you like twenty something?" Ethan asked.

"She still lives with her parents and they're strict," Louie replied, earning a smack on the sleeve covered arm.

"I'm saving up to move out," she said. "And I'm twenty-six."

"I'm tellin ya," Louie said. "You could just move in with me."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "My parents would never speak to me again."

"And that's a downside where?" Louie countered, earning another smack on the arm. Ethan noticed she was using her notebook to smack him indirectly, too.

"As you can see, they're not bad people, they're just idiots," Lucien replied with a grin.

"Don't make me curse you myself," Alexis replied.

"Wait, you're a witch?" Ethan asked, curiously, as they all sat down at a table at the cafe in the bookstore they were in.

"Yeah, how do you think I healed Lucien?" she asked.

"Oh," Ethan said, not having thought of that. "Wait, do you read fortunes and do tarot too?" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I read tarot," Alexis said. "I have my deck on me if you want a reading?"

"I'd love one!" Ethan said. "I've always wanted my fortune read."

"Well, this is less of a fortune and more... whatever the cards have to tell you about your question or general reading," she replied. "So do you have a question you want answered or do you just want a general reading?"

"Wait, you can ask questions?" Ethan asked. "I had no idea." He thought for a minute. "I guess, do a general reading?"

"Okay, I can give you a general reading and if you form a question about it, we can ask the deck from there," Alexis replied. She dug through her bag at her side and pulled out three decks. "Do you have a preference on which one we use?"