Butcherbird

by Cassie Hart

  Well, those rang a bell; his mother had ticked all of those boxes. He wondered whether he could find a way to pass this to Jena; whether she’d be able to pinpoint some of the signs in her father. It could be a way to prove some of Rose’s assertions about what had happened. If he could pitch it right ….

  Out of curiosity he looked to see what steps people advised for curing possession, but there was far less on that, and most of what he could find seemed to be bogus. Exorcists were few and far between, especially in New Zealand, and the sceptic crowd drowned out the voices of those who thought they knew the real information on the vast majority of forums that he could find. So many people who’d had exorcisms performed on them had died, those responsible imprisoned, declared mentally unstable.

  If the possession was because of an object, then you could destroy that and it seemed like the most common way to fix the situation.

  Not that it mattered. His mother was dead and gone and there was no saving her now. The necklace had been buried with her, so at least it couldn’t hurt anyone.

  And the watch was in the swamp, away from people, and, as far as Rose was concerned, no longer an issue.

  Will could only hope that was true; though the old woman had failed to give him a reasonable answer about what might happen when the next family moved onto the farm. What if they went into the swamp?

  What if it found its way into the hands of another?

  He shuddered, not wishing that upon anyone, but certainly not brave enough to go out and look for it himself.

  It wasn’t his problem.

  And even if it was, there was no way in hell he wanted to make contact with a possessed item.

  He put his phone down and pressed his palms into his eyes, trying not to remember the look on his mother’s face as she’d cut into her stomach, the glee in her eyes, the way the blood had seeped out and pooled on the floor.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  JENA

  Jena had roused Cade nice and early, fed him up with a big breakfast of bacon and eggs, and then set him to work sanding the fences in preparation for painting. It was fairly straightforward, and if he got it wrong it didn’t really matter.

  She was working on weeding the gardens by the front steps when a ute came up the driveway. She looked over her shoulder, but it wasn’t one she recognised, so she stood up, wiping her hands on her pants.

  It was Jeremy. He got out of the ute, dressed in stubbies, a check flannel shirt and gumboots; the unofficial uniform of the farmer.

  ‘Hey, Jena,’ he said, grinning. ‘Getting stuck in, are you? I can give you a hand if you want. Got some tools in the truck, and some free time.’

  ‘Really?’ Jena smiled. ‘That would be amazing. The sooner we can get this place done, the better.’

  ‘Yeah, no worries.’ Jeremy looked over the house, his gaze wistful. ‘So many memories here. You sure you want to sell up?’

  ‘Not my call, but if it was, the answer would still be the same.’ She put her hands on her hips and looked at the house, trying to see it the same way Jeremy did. ‘Not all my memories were good here.’

  ‘No, but all the ones before that were, right? Can’t let one big bad thing ruin the rest.’ He let out a sigh, and then stood up straight, reaching into his back pocket. ‘I almost forgot. Wanted you to have this.’

  He passed over an envelope. Jena opened the flap and pulled out a small stack of photos.

  ‘Oh my god,’ she whispered, feeling like she’d been punched. It was them, as kids. Her and Joel and Jeremy and Reggie. Eeling, playing dress-ups in Flo’s wardrobe, holding sparklers on a summer night, huge grins on their faces. ‘These are ….’

  ‘I just ….’ Jeremy scratched behind his ear and glanced away.

  She looked up at him, unable to express what this gift meant to her. ‘Thank you. I’ve forgotten so much, but this helps.’ She looked through them again, leaving the one of Jeremy and Joel hugging each other on top. They were so happy, so young. ‘Thank you,’ she said again as she slipped them back into the envelope. ‘I’m just going to put these inside. Do you want a cup of tea or something?’

  ‘Nah, I’ll get to work. Where do you need me?’

  Jena pursed her lips, uncertain. What needed doing the most? ‘It looked like a couple of the window sills needed repairing. We don’t really have those skills, but ….’

  ‘No problem.’ Jeremy winked at her and headed back to his ute, grabbing a tool belt and pulling out a little notepad and a thick carpentry pencil.

  Jena watched him walk towards Cade and wondered whether she should go too. Cade could be weird sometimes, and things between them had been a little off since he’d left. But she shook her head and went inside, stashing the photos into the phone book in the hallway.

  Will came out of Rose’s room and they stood there, looking at each other for a few seconds.

  She didn’t know how to interact with him any more. ‘We’re working outside,’ she said. ‘If you really want to help Rose you could do some work too. The sooner she’s out of here and into a rest home the better.’ With that she turned away and went back to the garden.

  ***

  Will had come to help, staying clear of her and Cade, but helping Jeremy with whatever he needed. Jeremy proved more than capable, making a list and grabbing the necessary pieces from his place and then coming back to fix up the broken things.

  It’s all cosmetic; it just needs to look tidy. She kept telling herself that, though the more work they did, the more it looked like it had back in its prime when she’d lived here, and the more her heart ached for those times.

  Her mother had always kept the garden tidy, and Rose did too. Out with her loppers to deadhead the plants. Jena could remember being on the ground next to her grandmother, knees getting wet in the damp grass, as she’d shown her how to take cuttings to make more plants.

  She couldn’t remember how, exactly, but at the time it had seemed like magic.

  Jena dumped her tools and headed for the door, kicking off her boots outside and heading to the washroom at the back of the house to clean up. Her stomach was starting to gurgle, which meant the guys would all be getting hungry soon too. It was the least she could do to make some food.

  Pulling out sandwich fixings, she got started, buttering the bread and layering ham and tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise. Just like her mum and Rose had done when they’d had working bees on the farm. They’d set everything out on the table, with a pitcher of juice, tea and coffee. And biscuits. Lots of biscuits.

  Jena grinned to herself, reaching for the biscuit tin and pulling the lid off. There were still some in there; it would just have to do. Not a big spread like in the past, but enough.

  She put four plates on a tray and carried it to the front door. ‘Lunch is ready,’ she called as she walked to the front lawn and placed it down.

  Jeremy and Will were there first, taking plates and sitting on the grass in the shade of the house.

  ‘Thanks, Jena,’ Jeremy said. His eyes lit up when he saw the afghan biscuit. ‘Are these Rose’s?’

  ‘I think so,’ Jena said.

  ‘They are, but I helped,’ Will admitted. He was sitting a little further away from Jena, still looking uncertain about their proximity. ‘She didn’t think I’d do it right.’

  Jeremy bit into one and closed his eyes. ‘You did. It’s been years.’ He chewed, but spoke before finishing his mouthful. ‘You’ve got to share her recipe, because she’s never given it away. I need it.’

  Cade finally came over, his eyes skimming between the three of them. There was plenty of space, but he sat down right next to Jena, curling an arm around her waist. ‘Thanks for this, babe.’ He kissed her cheek, and then reached for a plate with his free hand.

  ‘Well thanks for pitching in,’ Jena said, bemused by his affection. He wasn’t normally the public display kind of guy. Though the fact that there were a couple of other guys here, and he’d been less than well behaved recently probably had some
thing to do with it ….

  ‘I’ve got to run into town tomorrow; let me know if there’s anything you need me to pick up,’ Jeremy said.

  ‘Wow, thanks,’ Jena said. ‘I really appreciate all your help, by the way.’

  ‘We all do,’ Cade added. ‘I’m sure Rose will appreciate it too.’

  Since when did he care what Rose thought? Jena raised an eyebrow at him.

  ‘Many hands make light work,’ Jeremy said with a shrug. ‘Hey, Dad’s been leasing the land. If it makes things easier, we can talk to the bank, buy the land off Rose. It would be a shame to lose out to some new buyer. I mean, if, you know. You wanted to keep the house for yourself.’

  Jena went cold. ‘Umm.’

  ‘It’s not a bad idea, babe,’ Cade added. ‘A place to call home? The money from the farm would cover Rose’s rest home fees, I’m sure.’

  ‘I … I don’t know. I’ll talk to Rose about it.’ But she didn’t want to. She could feel the dread in her about that conversation already.

  Did she want that? She glanced at the house, her good and bad memories colliding.

  Just then Will’s monitor went off. They all looked at him as he sprang to his feet. ‘I can tell her, if you want.’

  Jena considered it for a moment but shook her head. ‘No, I need to talk to her later anyway.’

  One last conversation, one last attempt to reconcile her past before she put all her focus on the future.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  JENA

  Jena had the chips in the oven by the time Cade came back downstairs. He was clean after showering, and smelled delicious.

  ‘Did you get a new body wash?’ Jena asked.

  ‘Nope, same old one. Must be this fresh country air that’s clearing your nostrils out so you can appreciate it more.’ He kissed her on the cheek, his arms wrapping around her waist. ‘Dinner smells good. How long until it’s ready?’

  ‘Another twenty minutes? The chips need to finish and I need to cook the steak.’

  ‘I thought I might go and sit with Rose for a bit. Get to know her. She’s your grandmother after all, and we’re practically family.’

  Jena turned in his arms and arched an eyebrow. ‘Are we? What happened to having no big commitments?’

  ‘A guy is allowed to change his mind.’

  ‘Isn’t that the kind of thing we should talk about?’

  ‘Nope. You don’t get to tell me what I want. And right now, I want you.’ He kissed her then, and she kissed him back, closing her eyes and leaning into it. His hands slid into her hair. He bit her lip and she gasped at the pain, compounded when he tugged at her hair, his nails dragging against her scalp. Jena pushed against his chest, pulling away to get some space.

  ‘Little rough, Cade,’ she said, keeping her voice soft and playful. ‘Maybe save it for later.’ She smiled, and then pushed him away. ‘Actually, could you do me a favour? I think there’s some parsley out in the garden and it would be great to have a garnish for the chips.’

  ‘I was going to go and talk to Rose, though.’ He frowned.

  ‘Why?’ she asked again with a matching frown. He’d distracted her with that kiss, but it still felt odd that he wanted to go and sit with the old woman. He’d only come because there was money to be made, not to get to know Rose.

  ‘Like I said, we’re almost family now.’

  She smiled, brushing away her niggling concern over his behaviour. ‘When I looked in on her before you came down, she was asleep. We can talk over dinner. She should be up then.’

  Cade shrugged and headed for the back door, leaving it open behind him. Jena blew out a long breath. They’d never left the back door open, not when they were kids, anyway. In case the Dark Man came.

  Jena thought back to the stories her mother and grandmother had told them as children, about the Dark Man. He hid in the dark places and preyed on the weak, on the ones who didn’t do as they were told. Joel and Jena had spent a lot of time looking for him, but in the end the Dark Man had found them – and it turned out he’d been their father.

  She closed her eyes, trying to think back to the time before the barn fire, like she had earlier with Jeremy here. She’d blocked so much of it out, everything from before eclipsed by that tragedy, the loss. But her father had been grouchy. She’d heard them fighting more often, and now from an adult vantage point she could tell that he’d beaten her mother, hurt her in numerous ways. There had been bruises that she’d explained away, and the pain in her eyes, the fear. The looks between her and Rose in those last weeks, all of which had gone completely over Jena’s head at the time.

  If she had known then, there would have been nothing she could do about it anyway. But now was a different story. She had control over her life. Or she would.

  Jena opened her eyes and grabbed the frying pan, turning the heat up. First, she needed to cook dinner. No one could change their lives on an empty stomach.

  ***

  Rose wasn’t up for dinner. Will was sitting in with her because she refused to see Jena. It hurt a little, but Jena had bigger things to worry about right now, such as clearing out more things around the house.

  They’d eaten dinner in front of the TV, watching old home videos. She hadn’t seen them in years, and her chest was tight with emotion.

  So far, they’d watched Jena learning how to ride a bike, and Joel’s first birthday. Just short clips that someone had put onto a single videotape for Rose. Then they aged up. Joel was a gangly-legged four-year-old by then, and this clip showed him running around the backyard, flapping his arms like he could take off.

  Jena hit pause and scooted off the couch, kneeling in front of the TV before unpausing it. There was something about his pose, something about the way he moved that reminded her of the bird in the swamp, the one that had stopped her from reaching the watch. But Joel wasn’t a bird. He was a dead boy, murdered by his father, burned to ashes by his grandmother. Relegated in Jena’s mind to a dark room with a locked door; until she’d come home, anyway.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Cade asked. ‘Come back up here.’

  She could hear him pat the couch, like she was a dog who should know her place, but she didn’t look at him; she was fixated on the screen and Joel.

  He’d been her best friend. And he was gone. Forever. Being back here and remembering all of their shared past had to be why she was imagining the bird had similar qualities, because anything else was crazy. And crazy ran in the family, but she couldn’t think about that right now. She had to stay focused.

  Jena clicked the off button and turned to Cade. ‘I’m feeling kind of tired. I think I might just go to bed.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll be up soon.’ He stayed on the couch as she stood and bent to kiss his cheek, then he grabbed her hand as she went to leave. ‘Don’t go to sleep before I get there.’

  Jena pulled her hand from his and nodded, not knowing what to say. She was so caught up in thoughts of her family, but he was going to want to get laid, and she didn’t know if she could fob him off again.

  She headed for the stairs and took them two at a time, not stopping to think about the creaks. They didn’t matter now. She had nothing to hide.

  Jena brushed her teeth and went to the bedroom, stripping off her clothes until she was in her underwear and reaching for her pyjamas. The door opened and she looked over her shoulder to see Cade. He closed the door, locked it without looking, and then crossed the room, wrapping his arms around her.

  ‘Hey,’ Jena said. ‘I didn’t expect you up so soon.’ She didn’t allow herself to sink into him, didn’t want to give him the wrong message; instead she pried one of his arms off her and turned away.

  Still, he pulled her closer, the bulge in his pants already hard, pressing against her butt cheek.

  ‘Not tonight,’ Jena said. ‘I’m really tired.’

  ‘And I really need you,’ Cade whispered, locking an arm around her neck and pulling her against his chest. He licked her neck, nipped it, befor
e biting the lobe of her ear.

  Her body betrayed her, a twinge of desire flickering to life. She didn’t want to give in to it though, wanted to hold herself together, hold on to her hurt and pain.

  But she didn’t want him to leave again.

  He was already tugging at her underwear with one hand, pushing it down to her thighs. She heard the zip on his jeans and went to turn around, but he moved his arm lower, around her breasts, and held her there, rubbing his cock against her bare ass.

  ‘Oh, come on, you know you like it. You know you want me.’ He sucked on her neck again, biting her in the way he knew she liked, and then harder, making her yelp.

  ‘Cade!’

  He must have taken her exclamation as need because he pushed her forward, bent her over the bed, holding her hips so she was at the right angle and then slipped his fingers inside her and stroked.

  Jena pressed her face into the mattress to drown her choked moan, gripped the duvet with her hands and closed her eyes.

  She did like this, normally. She could make herself like it now. Faking it was easy. And it did feel good. Her body was responding, getting damp around his fingers. Maybe she did want this.

  Right?

  Cade pulled back and Jena inhaled, thinking he’d had a change of mind, but then his hand slapped her ass, hard, and she cried out in surprise.

  ‘You like it a little rough, don’t you, babe?’ Cade slapped her again and she could feel where his fingers had been, knew there would be a red welt there, even tomorrow.

  Tears pricked her eyes and she gripped the duvet harder, drawing it towards her, creating a cocoon around her head.

  Cade pushed inside her then, thrusting hard and fast, like it was more important than life. Her body responded, pleasure shooting out from her core, softening the tension in her arms. Another moan slipped free, but this one because it felt good. So good. She pushed back into him, groaning in pleasure.

  Damn him for making her want it when she didn’t.

  Cade flipped her over, pulled her ankles over his shoulders and then drove inside her again. His face was steady, determined, his eyes boring down on her. Dark pools in his pale face.