by Leanne Leeds
“This is enough to make a man drink,” Clutterbuck muttered.
“There is an urgency to this now, so we need to pick a plan.” Chris looked at his watch. “I don’t want Fortuna and her sisters going into that church without me, and I’m going to run out of moonlight in about eight hours.”
Conroe nodded. “I can get you the bottle. It’s in the evidence locker. What else do we need to do?” Beau Conroe asked nervously.
“Pepper and Ollie are already at the church. I’ll call Martin and have him bring Angie. Chris, you call Dalida. She and Gabe can meet us.”
Chris nodded, then thought for a moment. Swinging his head to look at the ghosts, he said, “Miss Bessie? Can you and Mary go get the ghosts? You all should be there, too. You may see things that even we cannot.”
“We’ll be there as fast as we can gather everyone,” Miss Bessie nodded. She and Mary turned toward the back wall and disappeared.
“One thing none of this made clear,” Clutterbuck said, then he sighed in frustration.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Why was Conrad Noble killed? Who put the magic on his house, on the evidence room here? If it wasn’t Beau—”
“It might have been me,” Beau interrupted, his eyes downcast.
“What do you mean?” Chris asked him.
“Karen gave me these little dolls. Crude little things—”
“Poppets,” I told him. “They are made to represent a person. A witch can cast a spell on a poppet, and the doll stands in for the person.” I frowned. “She cast magic specifically against me, then?” Beau Conroe looked like he wanted to do anything other than answer my question, but finally, he nodded.
I glanced over at the dog. It stared back at me with unapologetic directness.
“Well, that gives me hope, I guess.”
“Hope?” Clutterbuck asked, confused.
“If she was targeting me specifically to keep me away from anything having to do with that crystal ball?” I told Clutterbuck, my eyes still glued to the dog that used to be my mother. “Maybe I’m the key to freeing this town and ending this curse once and for all.”
Eighteen
The deep night had fallen even darker with a vast opaque gloom. A fog bank had rolled in despite there being no chill in the air, giving the church a haunted look.
And speaking of the church in a small town at almost midnight? It seemed to be the hopping place to hang on a Wednesday. I counted at least twenty cars in the parking lot. A ridiculously high number, one would think, for the middle of the week, deep into the night when most citizens should be home sleeping.
Unless they knew we were coming.
“Should we go in?” Chief Clutterbuck asked me. The chief, the detective, and I stood beside his police car, waiting for the others. When I didn’t respond, I sensed his gaze drift down toward my hand, where the witch bottle Beau Conroe had given me was clutched tightly in my fingers.
It had apparently been in the evidence room all along, enchanted, so no one who intended to give it to me could see it.
How to get around the spell?
Beau Conroe intended to give it to Chief Clutterbuck as he grabbed it.
Chief Clutterbuck then handed it to me.
That was all it took.
“I think we should wait for everybody,” I murmured finally.
“Okay, we can do that.” More staring at the bottle in my hand.
I turned. “What’s on your mind, Chief?”
“Do you uncork that thing in the church or something?” he asked. “Why not just open it?”
“I can’t open it myself.” I turned away and resumed staring at each stained glass window, hoping to get a sense of what was going on inside the building. There were no shadows, no movement. If there were people in there, they were staying out of sight. Hopefully, Pepper and Ollie would have more information. She told me she would keep checking for our arrival, and as soon as she saw us, they would sneak out to meet us.
“Pardon me,” Beau asked, a bleary-eyed weariness audible in his tone. “But if there’s a curse that’s been on Mystic’s End for several hundred years, and you’re supposed to be the witch that breaks that curse and frees the town, shouldn’t you be able to at least uncork a bottle?”
I turned and stared at him.
“That was a little rude, Detective,” Chief Clutterbuck admonished the younger man. “Though,” he said, turning toward me, “a legitimate question if you really stop and think about it. Why can’t you uncork the bottle?”
“We need two magical users. I guess it’s like a circuit. One person holds the bottle, and the other person pulls up the cork.”
Both men gave off befuddled energy. I could have stopped and explained the magical concept of a closed circuit to both of them. Unfortunately, my mind was occupied with trying to develop a nonconfrontational—and creative—way to march into a church holding twenty ideologues. So I could explain to them that their faith was a lie.
“There are Pepper and Ollie,” I said, spotting the two rushing out a side door and hurrying toward the parking lot. “Maybe they’ll have more information about what’s going on in there.”
“Is that the assistant coroner?” Beau Conroe choked out. His mind exploded with panic over what type of paranormal Ollie might be and what he might’ve been doing with the town’s dead bodies.
“You’re not going to throw up again, are you?” Chief Clutterbuck asked him sharply. “You’re looking kind of green again, and I just bought these shoes. Pull it together, Conroe. You’re supposed to be one of Mystic End’s finest. Try to act like it.” He blasted Conroe with a look of warning.
The detective swallowed and nodded.
“Hey,” Pepper said as she bounced up to the three of us, Ollie right on her heels. “I didn’t quite get what the heck was going on. Can you explain it to me?” She elbowed her boyfriend and winked.
“Which part?” I asked in a flat tone—knowing the teasing was inescapable.
“Woof,” the reporter responded, radiant amusement coloring her cheeks pink.
“I can’t believe you’re actually getting a laugh out of this situation.”
“I didn’t laugh. Well, I did laugh when you called and told me what you’d done,” she admitted. “I made absolutely sure I disconnected my cell phone, and the call ended before I started laughing, though. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” Pepper smiled sweetly at me as if she was trying to placate me.
I waged an internal debate with myself on whether she would get me angry enough to turn her into a dog. “What changed?” I asked.
“I mean, you have to admit, Fortuna—it is kind of funny.”
“I doubt Karen finds it very funny,” Ollie pointed out. The biker’s voice wasn’t quite a reprimand, but I was a little startled that he seemed concerned. “Look, I know you didn’t do it on purpose,” he blurted, catching my expression. “I’m not passing judgment or anything, I get it. But I don’t think this is something we should laugh about.”
“I feel positively chastised,” said Pepper as she turned and stuck her tongue out at Ollie.
He just rolled his eyes.
“Truthfully, I don’t know that I’d agree with you, Oliver,” Chief Clutterbuck told Ollie Kane. “It may be because greyhounds always look like they’re smiling, or Karen is just relieved she no longer has to do all that plotting and planning to destroy people. Whatever it is, though, the dog looked pretty content.”
“Where is it?” Pepper asked, her eyes sparkling. “I have to see it.”
“She’s not here. The vampire is bringing her the long way.” Clutterbuck jerked his head toward the tree line. “We had to sneak her out of jail. Didn’t know how to explain a greyhound on the women’s block.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Ollie answered. “So, do you want to know what we found?”
“Let’s wait.” I glanced around at the tree line. “Better to explain this to everyone all at once.”
Th
e five of us stood quietly next to the police cruiser and waited.
The ghosts arrived first.
And they were nervous.
“Everyone’s here,” Spike said, his spiky blue hair coiffed, his blue jeans and button-down shirt imaginary-ironed. “I have to tell you, though, everyone is really freaking out. You know this is what everyone wanted, right?” He pulled back, his eyes searching the spectral crowd milling about on the church’s front lawn. “Even so, none of them are really sure what’s going to happen.” Spike turned back to me. “What is going to happen?”
“I wish I knew,” I said as I met his gaze. “First, we’ll free whoever they locked up in this bottle.”
“Do you want to do that now?” Chris asked as he walked up, carrying…um, my mother.
“Holy moly, Fortuna, that’s—”
Before Spike could finish his statement, the nearly thirty ghosts milling about turned and gasped.
“I told you we should have told them first,” Miss Bessie said as she floated to the front. “The dog looks completely different to us. They know it ain’t right.”
“We didn’t have time to stop and give these women that information, Mother,” Mary said incredulously. “You always want to stop and talk about things, and we didn’t have time to talk about things. Now, we’re all standing here doing nothing, and Fortuna can tell the ghosts whatever it is she wants to tell them. They can ask whatever it is they want to ask. Now, we have time to talk about things, Mother.” Mary placed her hands on her hips. “We didn’t before.”
“And you think I talk too much,” Miss Bessie deadpanned.
Mary pointedly ignored her response.
“Are Gabe and Dalida on their way?” I asked Miss Bessie. She nodded. I turned to Chris again. “How about Martin and Angie?”
“Will be here shortly. Do you want to wait for them, or should we do the bottle now?”
I glanced at the other ghosts. “No one else that we freed was aggressive or bad or anything, so we may as well get it done now.” Chris nodded and carefully placed the greyhound he was carrying down on its feet. Holding out the leash to Pepper, he relinquished control of the dog to a woman that could barely contain her laughter. “I’m glad you’re finding this amusing,” Chris told her.
“I’m a little alarmed you’re finding it amusing,” Ollie muttered.
“Oh, hush, I get my laughs where I can.” Pepper kneeled down in front of the dog and looked into its eyes. “You don’t look like a psychopathic crazy lady. No, you don’t,” she cooed as she reached up to scratch the dog’s ears. “Do you like that? Do you like that, crazy psychopathic lady? Who’s the psycho? Who’s the adorable little psycho? Yes, you are.” The dog barked happily and wagged its tail as Pepper scratched her. “Can I keep her?”
“My life is so unbelievably weird,” I whispered, staring at the scene in what might—might—be a growing sense of shock. My eyes teared up unexpectedly at the strange scene: my closest friend playing with the dog that was, in truth, the woman who so devastated my life. Both happy. A scene that should engender feelings of joy was now a vision producing conflict in me. Churning emotions.
Guilt.
Anger.
After everything Karen White had done, why should she be happy?
“Fortuna,” Chris said, drawing me into his arms. “Don’t fall apart now.”
“None of this is right,” I protested, tensing in his embrace. “She doesn’t get to be happy. She’s a monster. This isn’t right.”
“None of this has been right for a long time. You’re getting ‘right’ back for most people.” He glanced at my mother. “Even for her, maybe. This is a good thing. Something you should be proud of.”
“Proud? Are you kidding me? She doesn’t deserve it,” I told him, my voice hollow.
Chris pulled back and tipped my head up to him. He’d done it so often that just the touch of his finger on my chin caused me to feel a deep connection to him. Seconds later, our eyes met. “Was your goal to stop the damage she was causing or was your goal retribution for the damage she’s caused?” he asked me simply. “Those two things are not the same.”
I stared into his eyes, not wanting to answer. I knew what my answer should be, and I knew what my answer probably was. I didn’t want to admit to him what I felt.
But I also didn’t want to lie.
After a few seconds, the vampire’s expression softened. “I don’t judge you for not telling me the ‘right’ answer immediately. We both know what that is. The one that makes you seem like a selfless martyr unaffected by some desire to lash out at this woman who hurt you so deeply. It’s only natural.” He took a deep breath for effect. “But love, I have to tell you unequivocally—you must let it go. It can poison you. Before this night is over, you will have freed everyone imprisoned by your ancestors. You will have unlocked the dead. And you will have freed those of us who. lived in fear of what Karen would do if she gained power again. I am sure of it.” He tilted his head. “See that. Feel that. Know that. And let go any anger over what she’s done. You’ll be the better for it.”
“You know, for a vampire, you kind of sound like a hippie,” I told him as I pulled away.
He looked at me with sympathy etched on his face. Such a bizarre thing. He was such a fierce creature. A killer, really. Designed to be. Who would have ever thought that a vampire—a vampire—could be so softhearted? Chris stared at me patiently, but he didn’t respond to my taunt. If he could read me, I could also read him.
That all-knowing expression, the one he wore when he was sure I was trying to push him away.
The quiet, patient head tilt he always had while he waited for me to get over myself.
“I’m sorry, I know I’m doing that pushing away thing. But I heard you. I promise.” Chris picked up on the weariness in my voice, and he pulled me close again, silently, and just held me. After what seemed like hours, I whispered, “I really love you, you know that?”
Slowly, he pulled back to look me in the eye. His eyebrow was raised. “I did. Even though you’ve never said it to me before. But I did know. I could feel it.” He dropped the eyebrow and smiled. “I’m sorry. That sounded like a recrimination, and that wasn’t my intent at all. I love that you finally felt comfortable enough to say it.”
I stiffened defensively at his response—and that he didn’t say it back. “Look, just because I’m not some gooshy girl that just, like, vomits affection all over you doesn’t mean I don’t love you.” I rolled my eyes. “Jeez.”
The smile faded. “I sincerely apologize again,” he said. I looked away, not sure how to respond. After a few moments, Chris added, “I’m sorry I misspoke.” I gave an exaggerated sigh. “Fortuna, you’re doing the—”
“Defensive thing again, I know.” I turned back toward him, staring for a few moments. Then I deliberately pushed away the negative feelings I had ushered into the moment. It was a special moment. And I did love him. With my whole heart.
“I will never judge you,” he responded simply.
“Me, neither,” I promised.
“And I love you, too.”
Then he kissed me—a nice long kiss.
That stopped as soon as we heard Beau Conroe retching.
“She’s really that dog?” Dalida asked, staring at the greyhound in horror. Gideon strained against the leash in her hand as he tried to sniff the newcomer. Karen was already playing with Bella, Angie’s greyhound, who’d arrived just moments before with Martin and Angie.
“I can’t believe you turned Karen into a dog!” Angie laughed, aghast. “This is just hysterical. And I thought what I could do was cool! I guess that fairytale about turning a frog into a prince or a prince into a frog or whatever has some basis in fact, huh? Wow, you turned mommy dearest into a greyhound!” My younger sister laughed uproariously as if it was the funniest joke she’d ever heard. “Well, I’ll be!”
“I have to say, Fortuna, I’m thrilled I never made you angrier than I did. I didn’t know yo
u could do such a thing,” Martin Salvi, Angie’s boyfriend, observed with amazement. “I’m delighted, as furious as you’ve been at me, you didn’t do it to me.”
“Well, it’s not like she hasn’t done it before,” Pepper said, pointing to Angie’s greyhound Bella. “That’s Ella Grayson! Or, well, it used to be Ella Grayson.”
“Pepper!” I shouted and cast a furious glare in her direction.
“What are you talking about?” Angie asked, looking back and forth between Pepper and me. As if she could sense Dalida, who was standing behind her, moving back to avoid the line of fire, she whirled on our sister. “Where are you going, and why do you look so guilty? Dalida Dodd, tell me what’s going on!”
“Fortuna did it,” Dalida blurted out quickly, pointing toward me. “I didn’t even live here then. It’s not my fault.”
“Fortuna Delphi, if you don’t want me to punch you in the nose, you better explain yourself!”
I opened my mouth and then closed it. Opened it again and then sighed. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I barely knew you when I realized you’d adopted that dog, and then we found we were sisters, and then we got close, and then…” I exhaled forcefully, and my shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Angie, I should’ve told you. I just didn’t know how.”
“We all told her she should tell you,” Pepper agreed with a vociferous nod. “Didn’t we, guys?”
Angie stared at Pepper. “Wait a minute. You all knew?” she asked, her exaggerated southern belle accent burned away by the fury in her voice.
“Um.” Pepper looked around for help.
“Some of us were aware, yes,” Dalida answered quietly.
“I had no idea, baby doll, and I am absolutely appalled by your friends. That they never told you? Horrible, just horrible,” Clutterbuck said with an authoritative toss of his head. “I can’t believe they kept something like that from you.”
