Page 110 of The Neighborhood Vampire

Alice smiled. She stood up and snapped her fingers. The wooden stake flew into her awaiting hand. Alice and Sam locked eyes.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked.

“I will be in a moment,” Alice replied.

Sylvia crawled toward the basement. Every time she tried to stand, she collapsed back to the floor and screamed in pain. Alice and Sam closed in on Sylvia. Alice took her time as she enjoyed seeing her suffer.

“How?” Sylvia asked. “I controlled you.”

“I sell a lot of wine. Do you know what else I sell?” Alice asked. “I call itDrink Mejuice. Anytime you’re drunk, hung over, poisoned, orin this case, enthralled, you drink the potion, and it sobers you right up. I sell more of it than I do wine.”

Alice and Sam stood over Sylvia, shoulder to shoulder. A red flame was in Sam’s hand and the wooden stake in Alice’s.

“You didn’t think I was going to come into battle with you and not prepare myself against your hypnotic gaze, did you?” Alice asked.

Sylvia rolled to her back, raising a hand to keep them at bay, while trying to crawl away. “I beg you,” Sylvia said. Alice raised the stake above her head. “Please.”

Alice’s arm twitched as she held it there. Her heart pounded against her chest. Her mind raced.

Which witch are you?

Every fiber in her being wanted her to lunge it directly into Sylvia’s chest. For everything she did—to the Raskins, to the town of Newbury Grove, to Sam, to her, to Hugo. Alice wanted to pierce Sylvia’s heart with all her might.

You’re not a good witch. You’re a great witch.Hugo’s words ran through her mind. She lowered the wooden stake.

“What are you waiting for?” Sam asked. “Do it.”

A sense of relief fell over Sylvia. She struggled to catch her breath.

“No,” Alice said. “I determine how I win, how I beat you. Stabbing you is too easy. No, I want you to pay.”

“Alice, stab her,” Sam pleaded.

“Sylvia Savino, for your heinous crimes and disturbing the peace between witches and vampires, I hereby place you under arrest of the Coven of the Moon. You’ll be tried and imprisoned until it’s been deemed your punishment has been completed,” Alice said. “And I’ll recommend a life sentence.”

“Don’t let her live,” Sam yelled. “Do it!”

Sylvia narrowed her eyes. She smiled and laughed. “What makes you think you can hold me? I’ve escaped more places and more situations than I can count. I’ve seen people come and go. I’ll take great joy in standing over your grave.”

“You can’t let her go,” Sam pleaded.

“You don’t have the guts, you little witch. I’ll track you down. You can’t hold me forever,” Sylvia said.

“Stab her!” Sam yelled.

Alice turned to Sam. “No! She goes to prison.”

“You’re weak, little witch. You’ve always been weak,” Sylvia taunted.

“Then I’ll do it,” Sam screamed as she snapped her fingers.

The wooden stake flew out of Alice’s hand and into Sam’s.

“No!” Alice screamed as Sam plunged the stake into the vampire’s chest.

Sylvia let out a chuckle as the stake pierced her heart. Her legs and arms turned to dust. The erasure line worked up her torso until finally her contorted face disappeared forever.

“What did you do?” Alice asked. “Why?”

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