by T K Eldridge
Grampa winked at me, a grin on his face. “Sure, go ahead. Just none of that country crap.”
I turned on some classic rock at a moderate volume, but Damas still kept on talking.
“How’s it feel to be an only child, Sinclair?” Damas said. “Or about to be, anyway. Your sister might be slow to die, but she will. And your Mama? She won’t carry that new aberration to term. We’ll make sure of it. Of course, you’re going to end up dead before too long, along with that thing your pretty new wife is carrying inside her. She might survive it, but she’s fae, so who cares?”
I kept breathing and counting so I didn’t react. I knew he was waiting for me to blow up, but I really didn’t want to give him that satisfaction. My hands curled into fists and I kept my eyes on the road.
Grampa gave me a discreet thumbs up for holding my temper as we pulled into Agnes’ driveway. I got out first and stood there, letting out a slow breath, while Grampa got out and jerked Damas out of the back seat so he’d fall on the ground. Then I heard a couple of grunts before Grampa had pulled Damas to his feet and shoved him towards the house. “Keep walking, asshole, or I’ll break your legs instead of your nose.”
Damas glared back at him and I saw the blood streaming from his broken nose. A snort of laughter from me had Damas glaring before he turned and made his way up the porch. By the time the door opened, the bleeding had stopped. That was a good thing. Grandma Maggie would be pissed if we had him bleeding all over the floors she’d just had cleaned.
Grampa followed Damas and I lingered on the porch for a moment to make sure I was calm. The voices inside told me that this was going to be a really long afternoon.
Chapter Fifteen
Sid
I must’ve fallen asleep in the recliner after everyone left because I awoke to the shouts of “Fire! Fire!” and lurched to my feet. I managed to get out to the porch and leaned on the railing as I watched people race across the fields towards the edge of the forest.
Grams paused and pointed a finger at me, “You stay put, young lady!” then jumped on one of the ATV’s and roared away.
I wasn’t going anywhere. I already wanted another nap just for rushing out to the porch. Now I could smell the smoke and see it rising up over the trees. Considering the direction the smoke was coming from, it was either one of the storage barns or Micah’s trailer. As horrible as it sounded, I hoped it was the trailer. That would be easier to replace. The storage barns held years worth of stock, seeds, and equipment.
I watched as vehicles and people streamed towards the fire and felt the frustration of not being able to go help. If I did, I’d be one more thing to distract them from the real crisis, so I kept my butt where it was.
Soon the smoke was wafting away in the breeze and people were trickling back to their jobs. I saw Grampa’s Rover drive by at a distance, then saw a pickup go past and stop on the other side of Gram’s house. I figured it would be them going in to clean up, so I just stayed put.
Once I felt like I could move without needing a respirator or a forklift, I made my way back into my apartment. I closed and locked the door, then turned – to find Nico standing in the middle of my living room. He had bandages on his face, a few bruises here and there, bloodstains on his shirt and dirt on his jeans.
“Hi love, I missed you. Things have been a bit rough for us both, it seems,” Nico said.
I think I spent the first few moments in shock before the rage surged. “It seems you have the misguided assumption that I’d welcome you back into my home.”
“I didn’t stay away on purpose, beloved! I was kept away by my uncle, Damas.”
“Sure, and did he give you the pheromone solution? Or was that all you?”
Surprise flared in his expression but was quickly wiped away. “What are you talking about?”
“The pheromone solution that, if I had been more fully shifter, would have killed me? That is what I’m talking about. The solution that some witch made for you and you used to try and control me?”
“I really have no idea…” Nico started to say and I slammed a fistful of air at his chest and watched him hit the wall behind him and slide down to the floor.
The bracelet from Grandma Maggie started to hum on my wrist, so I knew it was protecting me. I stalked over to where he lay and stood over Nico, my magic ready to fly.
“You controlled me. Did you even have sex with me that last time?”
His head shook no and I smiled. “Good, so I don’t have to charge you with rape on top of everything else.”
Nico started to get up and I held a fist over him. “I suggest you stay right where you are. Now roll over onto your stomach.” When he did, I grabbed my cuffs off the side table and bound his wrists behind his back.
“You can’t do this,” Nico whined and I stepped one foot between his legs a little too close for his comfort.
“I can do whatever I want. You entered my home illegally and have admitted to assaulting me,” I said as I started to search him. I found a small tin in his front pocket and pulled it free.
“That’s mine! You can’t take things that are mine,” Nico yelled.
Grams came in just then and found him bound on my floor. “You little turdmuffin. You said you needed to use the bathroom.”
I handed the tin to Grandma. “Is this the pheromone stuff?”
She stepped back, opened it, took a sniff and nodded. “Yep, that’s it. Has a distinctive scent and I can feel the magic in it.”
“I took it out of his front pants pocket. I think he put some on because the bracelet is humming,” I told her.
Grams leaned over and sniffed his neck. “Yeah, I can smell it. Hang on.” She then turned and yelled, “Micah! Come haul this idiot out front, would you, please?”
Micah came in, saw Nico on the floor, and shook his head. “You’ve done it now, son. It’s out of my hands.” He bent down, jerked Nico to his feet and shoved him back into Grandma’s house, and out to the front yard.
I followed to see what Grandma had in mind. Imagine my amusement when Micah shoved Nico down to sit on the front walkway and Grams grabbed the hose.
“Make sure he stays put,” Grams said to Micah, then turned the hose on full force and sprayed Nico with it.
“What the hell?” Nico yelled as he tried to twist and get away.
Micah whispered a word of power and Nico was frozen in place while Gram sprayed him. She then used magic to add soap to the water and soaped him up, then rinsed him.
I held up the bracelet to let her know it had stopped humming, so she turned off the water.
“Micah, use your magic to dry him and get him in the truck. We need to take him to Liam,” Grams said.
I felt bad for Micah that he had tried to give Nico a chance and the asshat had gone and blown it.
“Don’t take him alone, Grandma. Bring Micah to handle him. Or I can call Sin?” I said.
“I’ll bring Micah. He won’t let anything happen to me. He knows he’d be skinned if he did,” Grams replied.
“Very true,” I said as I watched Micah put Nico in the vehicle.
“Go rest, Siddie,” Grams said as she came back out with her keys. “You’re looking pale again.”
I kissed Grandma’s cheek and went back inside. I was feeling pretty wiped out. I heard the truck start up as I pulled a blanket up over me in the recliner, but I think I was asleep before they pulled out of the yard.
Chapter Sixteen
Sin
Bast and I were on Agnes’ front porch when Grams drove up with Micah and Nico. I went inside to get Grampa Walsh so he could take care of whatever Grams was bringing us. I watched them embrace, then he said something to Micah before he came back up on the porch.
“Maggie has a plan for these folks. Could you give us a hand getting everyone out in the side yard? The hedges there will keep anyone from seeing what’s going on and it’s enough space to line them all up,” Grampa said.
“Will do,” I replied and turned to Bast. “You want to
come see the punishment or are you going to stay here?”
“Oh, I’m coming. I need to know they will pay for what they did to Agnes.”
“Okay, just stay back though. Don’t need you getting caught up in whatever Grandma Maggie has planned,” I said. I knew my friend was still furious and hurting, and I didn’t want his emotions to get in the way of his common sense.
“Did they all confess?” I asked Grampa.
“After some taunting, yes. They’ve been behind all of the attacks on shifter folk, trying to get the witches blamed for the trouble. They even planted paint cans and some of the stolen items in the garages and homes of several witches and called it in. SPD figured out pretty quickly that the witches were not behind it. Alibis didn’t fit, no prints, and so on.”
“Well, I’m glad we know now,” I said.
Soon enough, Nico, Philippe, Damas, and the others were all lined up. The two witches were kept to the side and under the watch of Grams.
“After speaking with the head of the SPD and under my own aegis as Queen of the Fae, your punishment has been decided. As Loup Garou, your power is judged by the size of your wolf and your command of the pack,” Grandma Maggie said. “I will take that away from you.”
She turned to the group of Fae gathered behind her – a much larger contingent than had been here before the fire, and they all held hands. A surge of power washed over the group of Loup Garou and they all collapsed to their knees, groaning.
“You will still be able to shift, but you will only be able to shift into one form. You will discover this new form at the full moon in two days time. Until then, you will be unable to shift. A bus is waiting out front. You will be handcuffed for the duration of the trip. The bus will take you to the docks and a boat will have you back in New Orleans by tomorrow evening. If you ever try to come back, you will fall unconscious at the state border. May the goddess have mercy on your souls,” Grandma Maggie said and turned to the two witches.
“You two have betrayed your own kind and used your powers against others. You should have been allies to Agnes, and yet you helped her to her death. This is unforgivable,” Grandma Maggie said. “As such, your powers are bound. Forever.” She gave a single nod and the power surged again. The two witches collapsed into the arms of the two guards standing behind them, and they were carried, unconscious, to the bus.
The transport was being handled by fae staff, and the contingent of power stayed in place while Grandma Maggie turned to Bastien. “Agnes was a friend of our family, too, and I would like to help you put her to rest. May we see her earthly form moved to the crypt with her loved ones so she doesn’t need to be preserved or go into the system and be autopsied?”
Bast nodded. “She would not have wanted to be messed with. We can have her celebration of life this weekend, after I’ve had a chance to spread the word. But please, put her to rest tonight. Thank you.”
Grams came over to hug Bast and whispered something to him. He nodded and took her hand and they went back inside. I later learned she had wanted to say her own farewells to her friend before Grandma Maggie and her group used magic to put Agnes’s body to rest in the crypt.
Once most of the others had left, it was down to just Bast, myself, Grandma Maggie, Finn, Grampa Walsh and Grams. Finn had gone out and grabbed take out from Bubba’s Burgers and we all sat down around the dining room table to eat. Grandma Maggie had found Agnes’ files and had called her lawyer to let him know the situation. He said that he’d make an appointment with Bast over the next week to get things settled and that she was correct in that Bast was Agnes’ heir.
“Do you have any idea what you’re going to do?” I asked Bast while we ate.
“Well, I’m not selling. It is more of a home than any other place I’ve ever lived. It does need some updating, so I’ll sell my place, get the updates done, and then see if I want to keep it as a B&B or not.”
“What are you going to do with her magic room?” I asked.
Bast looked over at Grams. “Mrs. Fortin, would you be willing to take custody of the things in Agnes’ private room? I don’t have any witch knowledge and as her friend, you seem the best one to ask.”
“Of course, Bastien. I’d be honored to help with that,” Grams replied.
Grampa looked over at Grandma Maggie and asked what I’m sure a few of us were wondering. “Maggie, what did you curse them to shift into?”
Grandma Maggie pulled the straw from her milkshake out of her mouth and smiled demurely. “A field mouse.” The straw was back in her mouth and she slurped. Loudly.
We all stared at her for a moment, then laughter erupted around the table.
“Did Micah give you a contact for New Orleans?” Grandma asked Grampa.
“He did. A grandson of the family who is married to a witch and holds no racist ideologies. He’ll take the group into custody when the boat lands and step into the alpha position,” Grampa said.
“What’s going to happen to Micah?” I asked Grams.
“He’ll work with Timothy and Linda to heal the land where the fire was, then get a cabin built there for himself. He wants to stay and work the farm. He’ll need time to heal after everything, so I agreed. We’ll keep an eye on him, but I think his heart is going to be bruised for a good long while,” Grams said, voice soft.
After a bit, I turned to Bast. “You want to stay here tonight or go back to your place?”
“Go back to mine. I need to get things packed and sorted so I can spend time here and still cover my classes. Looks like I’ll have to get my car out of storage after all,” Bast replied.
“I need to get home to Mira, so let’s get going,” I said and headed out to my SUV.
A few minutes later, Bast climbed in and was ready to go. “Your family is going to clean up and secure the house. The Queen is going to have some guards posted until we’re sure the crew is all caught and back in New Orleans.”
“I’m really glad they’re my family,” I said as I pulled out and headed to his townhouse.
“I’m really glad they’re your family too. I don’t know what I would’ve done without all of you today.”
“Probably ended up dead beside Agnes,” I said, sobering. “Let me know when you’re ready to move. I’ve got a crew that can make quick work of it.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you, Sin. For everything.”
“Anytime, Bast. That’s what friends are for.”
Chapter Seventeen
Sid
The celebration of life for Agnes Hutchins was a lot of fun. Apparently, according to Grams, Agnes’ skill with potions made her the best bartender at parties. Grams and a couple of the folks that had shared friendship with Agnes, got together and made some of Agnes’ best mixed drinks for the party. There were stories, laughter, and lots of love shown for the woman who’d stayed the course to the very end.
About a month after that, I was at the coffee shop before work when someone tapped me on my shoulder. Turning around, it was Aaron and Bella, old friends from college. To be honest, I’d lost contact with a lot of my college friends. Moving to the farm had changed a lot of things, along with getting more involved in the supernatural life, being a cop - all of it didn’t exactly fit with my old life at all. It had just been easier to let things go on in silence.
They seemed really surprised to see me out and about. While I was still thin and got tired easily, I was back to work part time and it felt good to have some normalcy in my days. I was grabbing coffee and bagels for Grampa and I to have breakfast together when Aaron tapped my shoulder.
“Sid? Is that you?” he asked.
I turned and smiled, and gave him a hug. “Hey Aaron, nice to see you. How’s things?”
“They’re good. I’m here with Bella. Why don’t you come say hi and I’ll grab your order for you.”
“That’s sweet, thank you. I’m getting it to go. I have breakfast with my Grampa every morning at work,” I said as I headed over to say hi to Bella.
&nbs
p; Bella got up and gave me a hesitant hug. “We heard you had cancer, are you doing better?”
I looked confused. “Who said I had cancer? I got sick, but it wasn’t cancer. Just a virus that really knocked me on my ass for a while.”
“I think it was Aimee, or maybe Josie? They saw you out with your brother and thought you were doing chemo or something,” Bella replied.
“Yeah, no. I’m fine. Not even contagious or anything. Just slow to get back to full strength is all.”
Aaron came back and handed me the cup holder and a bag. “Here’s your order, Sid. It was really nice to see you. Maybe we could get together sometime? Bella and I and you and whomever?”
“That’s nice of you, Aaron. I’m pretty busy with work and getting ready for Sin and Mira’s new baby and all. I’ll give you guys a call sometime, okay? Gotta run for work. Nice to catch up.”
I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Cancer? Really? Did I look that bad? I’d have to ask Grampa when I saw him.
A tap on his door and I used my hip to nudge it open since my hands were full. I put the cups down and dropped into my usual seat while he finished up something on his computer.
“Got us everything bagels and chive cream cheese today,” I told him as I set the food out. “Yogurt and fresh berries too.”
“Sounds good. You look like you’ve got something on your mind, though,” Grampa said.
“I ran into a couple of college friends at the coffee shop. They said they were told I had cancer. Really? Do I look that bad?”
“Well, you looked pretty rough for a couple of weeks after, yes. You’re still too skinny and you need more color in your cheeks, but I wouldn’t call you a cancer patient now, no.”
“I just don’t feel right being around my non-super friends anymore. I don’t like having to lie to them so much, so it’s easier to just avoid them.”
“Well, that’s one way of handling it. The other way is to segregate really well. You have this group you do this with, and that group you do that with and never the twain shall meet.”
