Bound in Blood

Chapter 17: Back to School

"So tell me exactly why your here kid." Kyle said lighting a pipe with a wood match. Drake cocked an eyebrow because with a single whiff he could tell that it wasn't tobacco.

"Does that do anything for you?" Drake asked.

"Sometimes it relaxes me, other times it gives me clarity." Kyle said setting his pipe down. "So what is it kid?"

"What is the best way do you fight magic?" Drake said outright.

"With magic." Kyle shot back almost immediately.

"Then how can I learn magic?" Drake asked.

"Its not something that is learned, it is something that you are born with." Kyle said with a chuckle

"So your telling me unless you are a witch... you are a powerless to protect yourself?" Drake said defeated.

"I didn't say that." Kyle injected. "The best  way to fight magic is with magic, but there are other ways to help you resist." Kyle said taking another pull then sitting his pipe down.

"Alright, I need to know how to do that." Drake came back excitedly.

"Hold on hormones... you having trouble with witches?" Kyle asked sitting back in his chair.

"Something like that... are you going to help me?" Drake asked crossly.

"Yea kid I will, but first you have to tell what you and my old friend have gotten yourselves into... That is what my help will cost." Kyle said smugly. Drake sighed and took a seat and began recounting the events of the past month. Him meeting Mia, discovering that she and his mother were witches, his mother trapping him in his bedroom, the coven coming for Melanie, and now him and Mia, and finally his decision to come to him for help.

"So let me get this straight." Kyle started, now on his feet and pacing back and forth. "Your mother and group of witches... that your new girlfriend is related to, ran you Mel, Tessa, and you new girl Mia out of town, and marked you for death."

"That's pretty much it." Drake said nodding.

"Now here you are asking me for ways to fight witches?"

"Yes in case they catch up with us and Mia gets overwhelmed." 

"Hmm. Well I'll tell you like this kid, you already have some natural magical resistances, due to the Vanator power."

"Then how come spells work so well on me?" Drake asked frustrated.

"Well look at the source the only person to hit you with one is your mother and according to your story your girlfriend says that she was one of the most powerful witches the coven had ever seen." Drake sighed and looked to the hardwood floor. He then looked back up.

"Is there anything we can do?" He asked.

"Of course... but its not going to be pleasant." The vampire said with an evil smile.

Drake knew this was going to be bad with how happy the old vampire seemed to be to complete the task. He had Drake take off his jacket and shirt and sit backward in a chair his chest resting on the chairs back. Kyle moved over on a stool bringing a tray table over with a couple of strange looking tools on it. One looked like a simple rod with a tapered end, another was an intricately shaped rod that ended with a demons visage. Partruding from the rod at a right angle there was a wicked point reminded Drake of a thick needle. There was also a small bowl covered with strange markings. The seventeen year old looked over his shoulder and saw that the old vampire was grinding something in mortar and pestle. It smelled very woody and natural almost like sage and mint. Kyle then reached over to his shelf of many things and pulled out a vial with a deep red almost brown liquid in it that had a black stopper. He poured out a bit into the small vessel and the smell changed to a very alien unnatural one. Kyle returned the vial to his rack and pulled out another that was mostly clear with a very light green tint to it. He added a small bit of it to the mixture and began mixing rapidly. After a full minute of this he poured the viscus liquid into the small bowl with strange markings, he then turned to Drake.