Death's Shroud

by Robbie Cox

  “I promise,” Jason pleaded. “You’ll be fine. Once you get out there, the wind through your hair, the adrenaline pumping through your body with the rush of soaring hundreds of feet above the ground. Oh, my god, Em, you’ll get addicted.”

  Em shook her head. “Why couldn’t we just take in a movie? Or do this through one of your virtual reality gizmos? Why do we have to jump off an actual mountain?”

  Jason just smiled at her. “Because it’s fun.”

  Laci watched as Em glanced over the edge of the cliff. “Yeah, I don’t think your idea of fun and mine are anywhere close to being the same thing.”

  “Come on,” he said, inching toward the edge. “Ready?”

  “God, I hate you,” Em said with a sigh. Still, Laci watched as the woman turned toward the edge and started to walk, picking up the pace as she grew closer until she could leap off the mountain, screaming her lungs out as she dipped downward just before the air current caught her glider and tilted her upward again. “Jason! I’m going to kill you!”

  Jason laughed and then followed Em off the side of the mountain.

  Laci stood there, watching and laughing. She wasn’t sure if this was Em’s dream of a memory or something she just wanted to experience subconsciously. Either way, Laci was pretty sure Jason was in trouble.

  The further Em floated away, the dimmer the dream became around Laci, until she stood once more in the inky blur. Turning, she sought another voice to follow. She practiced popping in and out of people’s dreams for a while until she became accustomed to the way things looked around her. She was about to call it quits, figuring she had been gone for a decent amount of time, when something out of place caught her attention.

  Off to the left, she noticed a dark green path of rich grass leading off where the voices were quiet. Laci stared at the trail a moment, not recognizing it as part of the Dream Realm. Curiosity won out, and Laci started down the new walkway. This didn’t exactly work out great the last time I followed a path I saw appear out of nowhere. Still, that didn’t stop her from walking down the trail. The whole idea is to explore, right? At least, that’s what she told herself as she stepped off the surrounding blackness on to the grassy walkway, the ground springy under her steps. Somehow, she had the feeling she was about to leave the Dream Realm.

  At the end of the path, she stepped out into a enormous field, a blue lake off to the side. Light surrounded her, bright and warm, almost fuzzy in the way it appeared, giving everything a shimmering cast to it. The air held a fragrant aroma of hibiscus and jasmine wafting around her as she stepped off the path, entering the field in front of her. Weeping willows drooped in the distance as the sun bathed the grassy field with a warmth that comforted her. She gazed around the field, watching as cattails danced out by a shimmering lake, the warm breeze tugging branches of magnolias and crepe myrtles. She stopped where she was and looked around. She was back in the Summerlands.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  “I came home and found her like this,” the woman repeated for the tenth time, dry-washing her hands as she stood behind Detective Rochester, Officer Templeton keeping her from coming any closer to the body of Emma Croft. “What happened to her? Who did this to her?”

  Mark glanced down at the body on the couch, not sure what to tell the dead girl’s mother. By all appearances, Emma died in her sleep, snoozing away on the couch, laptop still resting on her legs with an open video of hang gliding paused on the screen. However, blood flowed from the back of the woman’s smashed head and most of her bones were broken as if she had suffered some massive fall.

  “Em!” a male voice called out from the front door, and Mark could hear the other officers struggling to keep the man from entering the house. “Em, where are you?”

  The mother behind Mark turned, her hand to her mouth. “Oh, Jason. Our poor Em…”

  Tricia arrived, moving around the others with her kit in her hand. As she neared Mark, she knelt down beside him, one hand resting on her knee. “I’ve been seeing too much of you lately, Mark. You should at least be buying me drinks or something.”

  Mark blew out a snort of derision. “Gladly, if only you could help me figure out how perfectly healthy people die alone of such major trauma. This is the third one in less than a week. What the hell is going on?”

  Tricia patted his back. “As I’ve told you before. I tell you what killed them; you figure out how.” She then shrugged. “You’re right, however. This is a little too much for one week.” She reached out and stroked Emma’s hair out of her eyes. “Not a good week for you, either, huh, sweetie? Don’t worry. Mark’s good at his job. He’ll figure it out.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Mark said with a chuckle. “Let’s not forget, I’m still working on the other two cases.”

  “One case,” Tricia corrected. “I still say Roger Sanders died of a heart attack in his sleep. You’re the one who wants to make it something more than it is.”

  Mark shrugged. “Be that as it may, we still have cases to solve.” He patted his leg and stood back to his feet. “Just let me know what you find as soon as you find it. Thanks.” He turned to Derrick. “Make sure she stays safe.”

  “Yes, sir,” the young officer said as he gave Mark a curt nod.

  Mark then left the medical examiner to her business as he made his way out of the house, stopping by Emma’s mother, promising the woman he would find who did this.

  As he stepped out into the afternoon sun, he thought he needed to get back to Laci. He knew who did this; he just needed to figure out how to keep him from doing it again. Mark turned and stared back at the house, sighing. These poor people never even had a chance to fight back. God, he hated demons.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Laci stood there, staring around the field. For the most part, it seemed quiet, almost too quiet. And then she saw a man kneeling by one of the weeping willows, his hands digging in the dirt. She cocked an eyebrow as she watched him, pieces of grass and weeds being tossed behind him as he worked. Who did gardening in the Summerlands? She stood there, staring a moment, watching him work, still confused.

  After a moment, the man sat up, his hands going to his lower back as he stretched. He then turned and smiled at Laci. “Well, you going to help your father out or just stand there?”

  Laci started crying.

  Twenty-One

  Laci felt the tear as it trickled down her cheek, but she did nothing to wipe it away. “Daddy? Is it really you?”

  She watched as he pushed himself to his feet, brushing the dirt from his hands. “Hey, baby girl, I’ve been waiting for you.”

  She ran over to her father, throwing her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. “God, I missed you. I’m so sorry. So sorry for not being there. For everything.” Tears flowed down her cheeks in a steady stream as her father wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she cried.

  “I know, love. I know,” her dad said, doing his best to comfort her, reassure her. “It’s okay, Laci. Oh, baby girl, stop crying. Please stop crying.”

  She did her best to rein in her tears, but it took a while. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought she would see her father again, and yet, here he was, his arms wrapped around her, doing his best to calm her down after everything she put him through.

  When she finally managed to get her crying under control, she pulled back some, smiling into his dark brown eyes. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

  He smiled at her, lifting a hand and pressing it against the side of her head. “Oh, sweetie, it’s all right. I know what you did, and I know why you did it. I know you would have been there for me if you had known. You were protecting your baby sister. How can I be mad at that?” He slid a hand behind Laci’s neck, pulling her forward and kissing her forehead. “You’re back with your family now. That’s all that matters.”

  She pulled back, staring at him with pinched brows. “How did you know I was back home?”

  He shrugged. “We hear things,” he said.
“This place was buzzing with stories about you and that group of witches you’re a part of back home. We heard all about the demons and how you saved the day. Most of us were hiding, but a few remained hidden to watch the battle.” He kissed her forehead again. “I’m so proud of you. Once again, you saved your sister.”

  She stared into his eyes, her hands holding on to his arms. Her entire heart felt as if it wanted to burst. “I’ve missed you so much. There’s so much I want to say, to tell you.”

  He shook her slightly, his smile growing as he squeezed her arms. “You’ve grown so much,” he said, looking her up and down. “You look good. Beautiful, even. God, I bet your mom is so proud.” He lifted his eyes to meet hers, his smile softening. “How is she? Your mother, that is.”

  They both took a seat on the grass, Laci keeping her arm weaved around his, keeping him close, afraid to let go, as she told him everything. She started with why she ran away, talked about how Rhychard Bartlett saved her from gargoyles, how she met the witches, which led to her finding Jayden again, and then the reunion with her mother. She told him about the battles she fought, and how she regretted everything and wished she could take it all back, how she regretted not being there when he died.

  He told her how much he missed her, about the cancer that finally took him, about how much her sister had changed during the eight years Laci was gone. They shared memories, regrets, and wishes. Laci wasn’t sure how long they sat there talking, her head on his shoulder at times, him kissing her forehead, but eventually, she felt the pull to return, Nazareth’s voice calling to her from her home, telling her to find her way back.

  The two of them stood, Laci still clutching her father’s hand, afraid to let go. “I don’t want to leave you,” she said, tears once more staining her cheeks. “There’s still so much more to say.”

  Her father held her out at arms’ length, giving her a paternal smile. “You need to go, baby girl. So do I, actually. I waited here to see you, needing you to know how proud I am of you, how much I love you. I never gave up hope.”

  “I love you, too, Daddy,” she said, swiping the tears from her eyes. “I hope I always make you proud.”

  He kissed her forehead, lingering there a moment as he held her. When he pulled away, he whispered, “You could do nothing else, baby girl. Now, go save the world.” He kissed her again, and then took a step back, pushing her back toward the path that brought her to the Summerlands. “Tell your mom and sister I said I miss them, that I love them.”

  Laci swiped a tear from her cheek as she nodded. It took every bit of willpower she possessed to follow the path and turn her back on her father. The gift her power just gave her was enough to convince Laci she had to continue. She would stop Tharon; she would continue to make her father proud.

  When she finally lifted her head, opening her eyes, Nazareth leaned back on the wall, ankles crossed as he held a cup of coffee in his hand. He cocked an eyebrow at her as he noticed her moving, one corner of his lips turned up in a cocky grin. “Decided to take your sweet time, did ya?” He took a sip of his coffee, the steam curling around his nose. It actually surprised Laci that he didn’t hold his silver flask in his hand.

  Laci shrugged and then stretched. “Sorry,” she said, her body taut, her voice strained as she brought her muscles back to life. “I kind of went on a detour.”

  “A detour?” Nazareth asked, giving her a curious look. “You went somewhere besides the Dream Realm or you visited several people’s dreams?”

  Laci sat up straight, rubbing her hands on her jeans. “I went to the Summerlands.” She shook her head. “Trust me, it wasn’t my intention, nor was it something I set out to do, but there was a path sprouting off from the Dream Realm, so I kind of followed it.”

  He shook his head. “Not always the smartest move if you don’t know where the path leads. There are several realms out there, and not all are friendly. I wouldn’t go wandering again.”

  Laci nodded as she pushed herself out of her chair. “I get that, but this one took me to see my father.” She walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a cup, filling it with coffee. She didn’t remember there being coffee before she went on her little dream walk. She then wondered how long she had been gone, if he made a pot of coffee. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him being so comfortable in her home. “I haven’t seen him since the day before I ran away. He died while I was gone.” She turned back around, leaning back on the counter as she held the coffee cup in front of her with both hands. A soft smile turned the corners of her mouth upward. “He said he was proud of me, that he heard about what I’ve been doing here.” She glanced up into Nazareth’s eyes. “He told me he loved me.”

  Nazareth smiled back at her, giving her a slow nod. “Good. I’m glad you had that opportunity.” His features softened toward her for the first time since she met him. “I’m sure it was a bitch not having that closure, worried he died thinking the worst of you. I can relate to that. Parental disappointment and all.” Then he seemed to catch himself and stood taller, stiffening his posture. “Still, don’t wander off like that again; at least, not until we give you some more training. Remember what happened at the morgue? The dead want to live, and they’ll use you as a host if they can. You have to stay vigilant.”

  Laci nodded as she lifted her cup to her lips, wondering what Nazareth Xavier had buried in his own past. When she lowered the cup, she asked, “So, I understand I can travel through the Dream Realm, following voices to enter their dreams, but how do I know who Tharon is targeting? How can I stop him from killing again?”

  “We’ll have to go back to the morgue,” he said. “There will be a residual trail left in the brains of the people Tharon killed. We can use it to follow him to his next victim.” He pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the table and sat down, his coffee cup in front of him. “The problem will be bringing him out into the open.” He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out his flask, and poured some whiskey into his coffee.

  Laci just shook her head as she moved to join him at the table. “What do you mean bring him out into the open?”

  Nazareth twisted the cap to his flask back in place and slipped it into his pocket. “The mind is a vast place with all kinds of hidey holes most people never even touch. Tharon has made it a habit of hiding in these and watching his victims. That’s how he knows so much about them before he kills them. He knew about Roger Sanders’s fascination with fantasy worlds and about Josephine Barnes’s fascination with that man in her soap opera. When he was ready, he used those things to kill them. I guarantee you, he’s already watching one or two others. We need to find him before he strikes again.”

  “And you’re planning on going into the Dream Realm with me?” She nodded before taking a sip of her coffee. When she finished, she asked, “And what happens to us while we’re inside? Those zombies almost killed me last time when I tried to ask them questions. Won’t they try it again?” She really didn’t want to make zombies again.

  Nazareth leaned forward, clasping his hands together as he stared at her, his face taking on a serious expression. “Well, I was kind of hoping we could get the help of your coven friends.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Regina stood outside her son’s house, watching as Reggie pulled his own son from the car seat. She smiled as she tucked a loose strand of blond hair behind her ear. As a dybbuk, she flew around her son’s house often, watching as his wife, Cynthia, decorated their home, his first, if Regina heard correctly, watched as his wife became pregnant, hovering over her son’s house as they prepared the nursery, brought home the baby swing and the strollers, stocked up on diapers. Then the big day came, and Regina witnessed her son in a stammering rush carry his wife’s bags to the car as Cynthia held her stomach, complaining about how much it hurt, that it had to be a boy, because the baby was in a rush to get out and started on life, not having patience or grace to do it properly. Reggie just nodded, agreeing with his wife as he opened the car door and ushered
her inside, tossing the bag in the backseat, a bag he would forget once he got to the hospital and his wife was already dilated seven centimeters. Two hours later, little Reggie Junior would explode into the world.

  Regina followed them all the way home from the hospital, tossing every flag she passed into the air in celebration. She was a grandmother!

  Reggie pulled his son out of the car, spinning him in his arms and making airplane noises as the baby giggled, arms out wide. Regina couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she watched from across the street. She should have been there at her grandson’s birth, should have been able to crochet him a pair of booties, perhaps a blanket for his crib. She should be babysitting, spoiling her grandson, and only then sending him back home to his parents. She should have been, but she wasn’t. Instead, she was stuck in another woman’s body, watching her family from the outside, dead because her husband wanted to be with her sister instead of her. Her sister got to play the part of grandmother, got to hold Regina’s grandson, make him a blanket and babysit him and spoil him and do all the things Regina should have been able to do. Elizabeth stole it all away from her, and for that reason, Regina would make her pay. She would make Meredith pay.

  Reggie turned, shutting the car door behind him with a bump of his ass, and went inside with Regina’s grandson. She stood there, watching, until the front door closed, locking her away from her family once again.

  She needed to finish what she started, so she could be reunited with her family.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Tharon hid in the dark corners of Regina’s mind. Or was it Sherri’s mind? He would need to decide sooner or later. Sherri was the woman he had determined to kill, her life a waste, filled with addictions and uselessness. Yet, Regina had a hunger for revenge that fueled her to take risks, such as visiting her son when she should have stayed clear until her possession was permanent. While Tharon was ready to kill Sherri Rockford as he planned, this new development intrigued him enough to see how it played out. There was time. There were also others he could toy with while he waited, others who deserved to die and find themselves waking up in the Underworld. He could occupy himself with them until he decided what to do with this Sherri. Or Regina.