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Authors: Erica Manfred
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was pushing it, I just wanted her to live a few more years—what other choice did I have? Plus, let’s face it, I was desperate to see him. One night with a vampire was worth years with most Manhattan men, who talked incessantly about their boring jobs and couldn’t get it up half the time, or couldn’t keep it up if they did. Sheldon didn’t talk about his job, and in bed, well there was no contest.
So that’s how I wound up on the Grand Concourse in a white robe reciting ancient Celtic verses. At least they sounded like ancient Celtic verses. Charlene gave me a cheat sheet and I recited:
Lady spin your circle bright, weave your web of dark and light ;
Earth, Air, Fire and Water, bound here as one ;
Rune and rock and blood and bone, power of sea and power of stone, bound here as one
I was hoping there would be some spell casting, and there was. After creating a circle by marking off the four directions, and creating an altar in the middle of the circle, the coven cast a healing spell for my mom, which I thought was very nice of them. I also asked for a spell to find Sheldon and they graciously burned some herbs, which smelled delicious, and recited:
I conjure thee oh creature of darkness, that thou beest at a meeting place of love and joy and truth; a shield against death; a boundary between men and the realm of the Mighty Ones; May our Rhoda, queen of the night, in all your beauty bright, find your lover wherever he be.
Afterwards we had a potluck dinner with scrumptious food—witches love to cook and eat, Charlene told me later. I felt right at home in the group when I noticed that the majority were on the hefty side after the robes came off. Karen, however, was not only not fat, but looked like she worked out regularly, and wore a very fashionable jeans outfit, with a fitted sweater, bolero jacket and high heels that I would have keeled over in.
“ So you’re the infamous friend who had a fling with a vampire?” Karen asked.
“ I guess word gets around?”
“ Charlene isn’t known for her discretion, and this bit of gossip is more than juicy, it’s well, Page Six worthy. I am so in awe of you. I have never met anyone who has actually had sex with a vampire. How was it?”
I’d always admired Charlene for being so open, but not with my love life.
“ I really don’t want to share the gory details, except that there wasn’t any…gore I mean. I just want to find him. He left me flowers and a promise to see me again but not a word since. It’s been two weeks. I would never track down a guy who didn’t want to see me because despite frequent lapses, I do have some pride. But now there’s another reason I don’t want to go into.”
“ What do you know about him?”
“ He’s Jewish, works in the diamond district, lives as a Hasid in Crown Heights.”
“ That’s a great cover,” Karen observed, obviously impressed. “I’ve heard rumors about Hasidic vampires, that there may be a whole nest of them in Crown Heights.”
“ Where did you hear that rumor?”
“ I took the tour.”
“ The tour? Is there a Hasidic vampire tour?”
“ No, but there’s a tour of Lubavitcher Hasidic sites in Crown Heights. The guide told us about some very mysterious Hasids who only come out at night,” Karen said. “He showed us their lair—I vaguely remember where it is. I asked him a lot of questions but all he would say was they were just dedicated Talmudic scholars, he knew very little about them and neither did anyone else. He said that as long as they observed Jewish law and didn’t bother anyone the rabbis wouldn’t bother them. Then I asked if they were married or had kids. He looked at me very suspiciously and clammed up. It was weird.”
“ We’re going to have to take the tour, obviously,” I said. “Karen, would you come? Maybe you’ll remember the building he pointed out. And Charlene, I’m sure you wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Charlene nodded
So that’s how I wound up on the Grand Concourse in a white robe reciting ancient Celtic verses. At least they sounded like ancient Celtic verses. Charlene gave me a cheat sheet and I recited:
Lady spin your circle bright, weave your web of dark and light ;
Earth, Air, Fire and Water, bound here as one ;
Rune and rock and blood and bone, power of sea and power of stone, bound here as one
I was hoping there would be some spell casting, and there was. After creating a circle by marking off the four directions, and creating an altar in the middle of the circle, the coven cast a healing spell for my mom, which I thought was very nice of them. I also asked for a spell to find Sheldon and they graciously burned some herbs, which smelled delicious, and recited:
I conjure thee oh creature of darkness, that thou beest at a meeting place of love and joy and truth; a shield against death; a boundary between men and the realm of the Mighty Ones; May our Rhoda, queen of the night, in all your beauty bright, find your lover wherever he be.
Afterwards we had a potluck dinner with scrumptious food—witches love to cook and eat, Charlene told me later. I felt right at home in the group when I noticed that the majority were on the hefty side after the robes came off. Karen, however, was not only not fat, but looked like she worked out regularly, and wore a very fashionable jeans outfit, with a fitted sweater, bolero jacket and high heels that I would have keeled over in.
“ So you’re the infamous friend who had a fling with a vampire?” Karen asked.
“ I guess word gets around?”
“ Charlene isn’t known for her discretion, and this bit of gossip is more than juicy, it’s well, Page Six worthy. I am so in awe of you. I have never met anyone who has actually had sex with a vampire. How was it?”
I’d always admired Charlene for being so open, but not with my love life.
“ I really don’t want to share the gory details, except that there wasn’t any…gore I mean. I just want to find him. He left me flowers and a promise to see me again but not a word since. It’s been two weeks. I would never track down a guy who didn’t want to see me because despite frequent lapses, I do have some pride. But now there’s another reason I don’t want to go into.”
“ What do you know about him?”
“ He’s Jewish, works in the diamond district, lives as a Hasid in Crown Heights.”
“ That’s a great cover,” Karen observed, obviously impressed. “I’ve heard rumors about Hasidic vampires, that there may be a whole nest of them in Crown Heights.”
“ Where did you hear that rumor?”
“ I took the tour.”
“ The tour? Is there a Hasidic vampire tour?”
“ No, but there’s a tour of Lubavitcher Hasidic sites in Crown Heights. The guide told us about some very mysterious Hasids who only come out at night,” Karen said. “He showed us their lair—I vaguely remember where it is. I asked him a lot of questions but all he would say was they were just dedicated Talmudic scholars, he knew very little about them and neither did anyone else. He said that as long as they observed Jewish law and didn’t bother anyone the rabbis wouldn’t bother them. Then I asked if they were married or had kids. He looked at me very suspiciously and clammed up. It was weird.”
“ We’re going to have to take the tour, obviously,” I said. “Karen, would you come? Maybe you’ll remember the building he pointed out. And Charlene, I’m sure you wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Charlene nodded
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