chapter 2

 “That was one very fucked up life.” Adams said, pouring him another drink. “So you killed your wife on your wedding day and you were then locked up in a coffin.”

He smiled, “yea, cheers to that.”

Adams sighed. “So that night that you found me, at the grave yard, that was Odin that I met.”

“Yea, he is the reckless, evil one.”

“Cos I was so surprised when you woke up the next day and you were all gentle and apologetic about kidnapping a poor old man but seeing you in your normal self, I had to just stay. Your luck is the worst I have ever encountered.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” He replied and they both cheered before drinking.

“So what next?” Adams asked.

“The next thing is for me to go find this lady. The witch had said the salvation of one is the downfall of one, meaning, whichever one gets to her first. Odin has been creeping out in the midnight to meet her, if she ever allows her in, I would lose. “

“Allow her in how?”

“Well, you see, vampires don’t enter people’s house unless they are asked to ‘come in.’ Literally speaking, the same applies to her heart, if I make her fall in love with me, if the love is strong enough to repel the evil on the night of the full moon when Odin will finally be at his strongest, I might be able to defeat him forever. But if I fail to do that and the full moon occurs, Odin will take her, there will be no connection between us to fight the evil with. The witch is trying to punish me for not loving her daughter. Now she is trying to make me make another love me, she might, she might not. I don’t know how that will work out. If Odin have intercourse with her on the full moon and then bites her, because that has to occur first before she gets bitten. Her blood will make him-or should I say –us immortal. But there will be no more Ichabris, just the beast. Imagine if a vampire stays in this country forever, no one will be safe anymore.

On the night of the full moon, if the love is really true, the love will overpower the evil and Odin will be banished forever but everything is so interwoven and I am so afraid. She is the only one that can save me from my evil self but that is just like throwing a cat a fried fish and hoping it wouldn’t eat it.”

“This is so twisted. What if you win? Are you going to leave her and go your way or what?”

“I have not actually thought of that because, all I have been thinking is that there is no way I would win. How would I make her fall for me, when I am someone else in the day and someone else in the night? ‘’

“How soon is the full moon?”

“It’s four months away.”

“Wow! Then you have wasted enough time. You need to start acting fast Ichab. Odin is not resting you know.”

“I know.” He replied sadly. “I just don’t know where to start from.”

“Wait, what kind of a lame name is Ichabristhough? Is that a first name or what?”

“It’s IchabrisNuel. When the witch kept casting the spell, she kept mentioning ‘Odin’ and that was how I became someone with double personalities. I guess it was just okay for us to be called Ichabod I guess. Odin came up with the name though.”

“A fusion of a man and a beast, I understand. At least both of you agreed on one thing. Charming! So now, what’s left is to find the lady, right?”

Ichabod nodded.

Adams stood up, banging the cup against the table. “First, we need to get rid of this ancestor’s suits you have been wearing; you need a change of wardrobe. Thank God that Odin was wise and greedy enough to keep with him some gold from the past. Those are worth a fortune. I will sell that and we can finally start afresh and for God’s sake, keep that ring on your finger. I am the only help you will have right now and from what I’ve seen, Odin knows how to mess things up and one more thing. You need a haircut.”

Alex came in with scissors.

“Sit right, we are about to give you a new look.”

He grinned and adjust his seat while Alex began to trim his hair…all of a sudden he felt his face twitch. He tried to suppress it but couldn’t. The next thing he knew, Odin had taken over.

Odin held Alex’s hand.

“What’s happening?” asked Alex, looking at him.

“You are too slow, old man!” Odin retorted and stood up. I have a place I need to be.”

Just like that, he closed his eyes and the next thing he was in the lady’s mind.

**

“I can’t deal with this right now Vivi. Look, I know you are wise and smart. You can handle things on your own. Call me later.” She said into the phone before ending the call. After this, she put the phone in the purse to focus on the magazine on her laps.

Harmony was at the salon with lots of heat blowing into her skull from the hair dryer. Her movie was going to be premiered the next day and all hands were on deck but still she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was about to happen in her life. What could it be?

You know that feeling you have when you feel like you have forgotten something and you couldn’t stop thinking about what it could be, yea, that feeling.

Her mind drifted off to the dream she had two nights ago, it had started so sweet and her body had responded in the most amazing manner. She couldn’t understand why she felt as if she had never been with a man before. It was so strong. She wanted him so badly in her dream-this same man but why did he always have to change every time the dream ended. What kind of a nightmare was this? The worst part was that she couldn’t tell if he was trying to attack her or make love to her, it all started so romantically anyway. It was like the man was just two different people, -sweet and dangerous. Those were the two words that must never come together. The more she kept thinking about it, the more it sent waves of heat down her entire being and not to talk of the one rushing into her skull. Her eyelids were coming together slowly...

She kept shifting uncomfortably in her chair. The heat in her head was about to make her head explode so she stepped out of her chair, with the hot towel still around her neck.

The hair stylist walked up to her as he noticed what just happened.

“Are you okay Harmony?” He asked.

“Well, Tom, I can’t continue. It’s just too much heat in there.” She replied, everyone was looking at her now.

“But the setting needs to be in place.” Tom replied, patting the curls on her head with his hands.

“I know, trust me but I think I will just go and come back tomorrow.” She replied.

“Well, no problem darling. Let me fetch Tracey for you.”

Some minutes later, she walked hand in hand with her daughter out of the saloon. Tracy was busy tossing her balloon in the air and bouncing it up with one hand. She was really happy with what she was doing. 

By the time she got to her car, while looking for her keys, she noticed her daughter had run after the balloon that had been carried off in the air.

“Tracy, come back here!” She shouted after her but Tracy was too excited to listen to her mum.

When Harmony finally found her, she realized she was talking with a man whose back was turned towards her and who looked exactly like the figure she had seen on the road that night.

“Tracy, come back here.”

“Mum, meet my new friend...”

Her chest was rising and falling as the man was turning around but instead of human face, all she saw were the fangs of his teeth and she screamed.

“Harmony, are you okay...?”

She opened her eyes and realized everyone in the saloon was looking at her. She had slept off where she was drying her hair. Quickly, she stood up, panic was evidently written on her face.

“Are you okay? Tom asked, coming over to her side. Everything was happening all over again. Without further ado, she threw away the towel around her neck and rushed out of the saloon.

Ichabod opened his eyes immediately and Adams rushed in.

“I saw you come in right now, I was shouting your name and you didn’t respond, what happened?”

He sat up right, standing up. “That wasn’t me. That was Odin. The ring can’t retain him any longer, he is getting too strong. If I can change into Odin at any moment of the day, then I don’t think I can stand a chance any longer. I need to meet the lady now.”