Death's Shroud

by Robbie Cox

  Famallumi turned his focus to Sherri, smiling. “I will need Regina here to accomplish what I must do.”

  Sherri nodded as she settled back on the couch. “Let me see if she’s up for it, yet. Besides, I could kind of use the time out to, uh, process things.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A frickin’ elf!

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Regina stood there wringing her hands. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” she said, staring over at Sherri. “I can’t prove what happened that night. Just what I remember and how I felt. What if that’s not enough?”

  Sherri walked over, placing her hand on Regina’s arm. “I don’t think it matters now. Your son wants to believe. He’s ready to believe. And for the first time since we arrived, his wife has shut the hell up.” She laughed softly. “If you ask me, that alone is worth the trip.” She squeezed Regina’s arm. “You’ve got this. Go say hello to your son. Meet your grandson. Call your daughter. Make up for lost time. Now’s your chance. Don’t walk away from it.”

  Regina took a deep breath. “It’s just that I’ve waited so long.” She shrugged. “I’m kind of scared, you know?”

  Smiling at the other woman, Sherri said, “I can understand, but you need to do this.”

  Regina nodded as she took another deep breath. “You’re right. Thank you for all you’ve done to help me.” She pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry for what I did to you. I don’t deserve what you’re doing for me.” She gave Sherri a small smile. “I do appreciate it, though.”

  Sherri reached out and hugged Regina to her. “You didn’t deserve what they did to you. I’m glad I can help give something back.” Stepping back, she gave Regina a lopsided shrug. “I should warn you, though. Things have kind of gone a little weird up there. That middle-aged man that hangs around the witches all the time, well, he’s an elf, apparently. Even has the pointy ears and everything. Try not to stare.”

  Regina laughed. “I’ll do my best.” She nodded. “I’m ready.”

  “Good luck,” Sherri said as she stepped back. “And for what it’s worth, I like your son. He seems like a nice man. Oh, and he hasn’t spoken to his father in years.” She shrugged. “Seems like he wasn’t comfortable calling his aunt step-mom.”

  Regina sighed. “I’m sorry his father lost his son due to his own lust and selfishness. No kid should ever see their parent in a grim light.” She shrugged. “Of course, the selfish side of me is glad Reggie wised up to his father’s machinations. I’ll be back soon.”

  “Take your time,” Sherri said. “You’ve waited twelve years for this.”

  Regina just nodded.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Regina took a deep breath as she shifted on the couch, opening her eyes slowly as she sat up. Glancing around her, she noticed her son and his wife sitting in easy chairs across from her, Wanda sitting beside her, and… And a very tall elf standing to the side. Regina felt her brows pop up. “Sherri was right,” she said. “You are an elf.”

  Famallumi arched a slanted brow at her. “Amazing, is it not?” He dipped his head to Regina. “My apologies for the subterfuge, Mrs. Hawthorn. We thought it prudent to keep my true identity hidden until we knew more about you.”

  “I, uh, understand.” She sucked in a breath as she turned to face her son. She gave him a weak smile. “I’m sorry for all of this. It’s not exactly how I wanted to say hello again.”

  Reggie smiled at her as he leaned forward. “It’s really you, isn’t it?” He slid to his knees on the floor, making his way over to where Regina sat. Placing his hands on her knees, he smiled up at her. “I…” He swallowed as he gave himself a shake to strengthen his resolve, calming his nerves. “I missed you.”

  Regina reached out, placing her palm on his cheek as she tilted her head to the side, a tear trickling down her cheek. “I missed you, as well.” She shrugged softly. “I did enjoy watching you grow up, though, even if I couldn’t be a full part of it. I’m very proud of you.”

  Famallumi cleared his throat. “Do we want to still see what happened?”

  “Yes, yes, of course,” Reggie said as he scooted back to his chair. “I’m sorry. Please. Continue.”

  The elf nodded, smiling. “Regina, I need you to tell me what happened. As you recite it, I will repeat your words, but using my power to show us what you saw.” He glanced around to the others, particularly Cynthia and Reggie. “Your surroundings will change, but I assure you, you will still be sitting exactly where you are in this lovely home. Do not be afraid. Nothing can hurt you, and no one can you see or hear you, if you call out. It’s all just a vision.” He glanced around once more. “Are we ready?”

  Everyone nodded, and then Famallumi motioned for Regina to begin. He closed his eyes, extending his arms out to his sides, palms up.

  Regina stared at him for a moment and then focused on her son. Did she really want him to see what happened the night she died? Yet, it was the only way for him to know the whole truth of what happened.

  “You can do this,” Sherri said inside her mind. “Just focus on your son.”

  Regina nodded, took a deep breath, and then began. “I could make you relive my death, but that won’t show you what you need to see. For that, I need to take you to a night several days later when I was already a dybbuk. The night your father admitted what he did.” She took a steadying breath, closing her eyes a moment to calm her nerves. This was not a memory she wanted to relive. Opening her eyes once more, she continued. “As a dybbuk, I was mainly a raging spirit, floating through the town. I focused a lot of that rage on your father, but in the beginning, I just wanted to make him see me, know that I was still there. I hadn’t realized he was the one who killed me, yet.

  “One night, I followed him to my sister’s house,” she said, her voice shaky as she tried to control the anger that suddenly filled her once more.

  As she spoke, Famallumi repeated her words in a soft whisper, the air around them shifting so everyone saw the scene she described come to life. The room they sat in transformed to a street and then Regina’s sister’s house. Everyone watched as she slipped into the house after her sister opened the door for Cale, watched as Cale walked over and took Elizabeth in his arms, hugging her to him tightly, his hands gripping her as they kissed passionately.

  “God, I’ve missed you,” Elizabeth said once they pulled apart. “I don’t know how much longer I can wait.”

  Cale shook his head. “We can’t, yet. It’s too soon. The kids won’t understand.”

  “And what of our kid,” Elizabeth snapped, walking away from him. “What will he understand? Cale, we need to move forward with this. What good was killing my sister, if we’re just going to keep waiting? We did this so it would look natural when I started showing. We can’t wait much longer.”

  Cale ran a hand through his hair. “I know. I know. But the kids. What are they going to think when their aunt becomes their stepmother? It’s just…weird.”

  “You should have thought about that before you knocked me up,” Elizabeth snapped. “I won’t have my child raised as a bastard. I don’t care how you explain it to your children, but you need to do it soon. I won’t keep waiting.”

  Cale nodded. “Okay, okay. I’ll talk to them tonight.” Everyone watched as he took a deep breath. “I love you,” he told Elizabeth.

  She reached out, cupping his cheek with her palm. “And I love you. I’ve always loved you, Cale. Regina didn’t deserve you. She wasn’t right for you. You never should have chosen her over me back in school.”

  Cale stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him. “But our little secrets were so much fun,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her.

  Elizabeth returned the kiss. “We’ll make new adventures, new secrets. You’ll see.”

  Cale nodded, and the vision faded as Regina ended her tale.

  Famallumi lowered his arms, opening his eyes as the vision around them faded from sight. He returned to his former stanc
e, taking slow, steady breaths.

  Reggie left his chair, kneeling in front of his mother, tears pouring down both of their faces as they embraced. “I’m so sorry,” he said through his sobs. “I’m sorry they did that to you.”

  Regina held him tightly, savoring every moment. She had her son back, for however long Sherri would share her body, Regina had her son back. Revenge no longer mattered. This. This is all that mattered. “I love you,” she whispered as she kissed her son’s forehead. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

  “I love you, too,” he said through his sobs. “I’m just glad I got the chance to tell you one more time.”

  Regina pulled away, holding Reggie out at arms’ length. “Who knows what the future holds, right? We take it one day at a time.” She smiled as she swiped at her tears. “We never know when we’ll run out of days.”

  “It’s really you,” Cynthia whispered, a hand covering her mouth. “This isn’t a hoax. You’re really his mother.” Cynthia left her spot and joined them, kneeling beside her husband. “I’m sorry for doubting you, for everything I said. I’m so sorry for what Cale did to you.”

  Regina pulled the younger woman into their embrace, wrapping her arms around both her son and his wife. She missed this. How would she ever be able to let this go again?

  She leaned back, releasing both of them as she swiped at her tears. “Now, when do I get to see this grandson of mine?”

  Thirty

  Tansy shoved her way inside the city morgue, calling out for Mark Rochester, Jayden stewing in her wake.

  “Back in autopsy,” Tansy heard the detective call out. She could hear the strain in his voice.

  When she finally found the autopsy room, she stopped short just inside the doorway. Mark stood next to Laci, a lady pacing in a tight circle beside him, her arms over her chest, clearly agitated. Mark leaned back on an empty metal table, gripping the edge as he stared at Laci. The eldest Valentine stood motionless, her hand hovering over an empty spot on the table.

  “Laci!” Jayden cried out as she pushed past Tansy, racing to her sister.

  Mark Rochester stopped her, however, keeping her from touching her sister. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he said. “She’s not in there from what Nazareth said.”

  Jayden stopped, the detective’s arms still holding her away from her sister. “What do you mean she’s not in there? Where is she?”

  The sandy-haired woman with Mark shook her head. “Yeah, go ahead and explain that one. Let others think you’re a nut job. Why should I be the only one learning new things today?”

  Tansy stared at the woman, not sure what happened before they arrived. Turning back to Mark, Tansy asked, “What’s happening?”

  Mark took a deep breath before diving in to the deep end. He explained receiving Jayden’s call and how Nazareth brought them back to the morgue. “He said it would be faster to travel through Emma to where Tharon was than to drive there. The next thing we know, both Laci and he are frozen over the corpse, their hands touching different parts of her. They remained that way for a few moments until suddenly, something hurled Nazareth across the room, slamming him into a wall. It took us a couple of minutes to bring him around and get him back on his feet, but when we did, he rushed over to Emma’s body demanding to know where the cremation chamber was.”

  The other woman shook her head. “The family is going to be pissed when they find out someone cremated their daughter against their wishes.”

  Tansy felt her brows bunch together. “Why does he want to cremate the body?”

  “He says it’s the only way to kill the revenant,” Mark replied as Jayden stepped back, running her hand over her shirt to straighten it out. “He said that if we cremate Emma Croft while they have Tharon trapped inside her mind, the demon will burn up as well, ending the killings.” Mark gestured to the south side of the building with a lift of his chin. “He’s there now, watching to make sure Tharon doesn’t escape.”

  “And why are you here?” Tansy still wasn’t piecing everything together, and the detective had yet to say where Laci was.

  “I’m here to make sure Laci doesn’t hurt herself when she returns,” Mark said. “And to keep Tricia here from killing Nazareth until this is over.”

  “When Laci returns?” Jayden repeated. “Where is she now?”

  A pained expression crossed Mark’s face, and Tansy felt her heart sink, realizing what she had failed to put together a moment ago. “She’s inside Emma’s mind, as well, making sure Tharon stays trapped.”

  “What the..?” Jayden spun, racing back out the door. “Nazareth, you son of a bitch! Get my sister out of that body.”

  “If the body is burning, what happens to Laci if she’s trapped inside?” Tansy asked, still staring at the door Jayden just rushed through. Crossing her arms, Tansy rubbed the chill out of her upper arms. She just got Laci back; she couldn’t lose the young witch again.

  “According to Nazareth, she has a brief window to get out before she’s lost, as well,” Mark said. “If she’s still in Emma’s mind when the body reaches a certain point, then she’ll die, too.” Mark shook his head. “The problem is, Nazareth can’t help her, because he can’t touch Emma’s body to reach inside, and if Laci doesn’t ensure the demon is trapped until it’s too late for him to get out, then this is all wasted effort. He says there’s no other way to kill Tharon.”

  “Can’t he get to her through her own mind?” Tansy asked, turning back to the detective.

  Mark shook his head. “She’s not dead, so he can’t get inside. Laci is on her own.”

  Tansy stared at the frozen Laci, sweat beginning to bead on the young witch’s reddening flesh. Another sacrifice. Laci has made enough sacrifices, and this one may very well kill her. She nodded. “Keep an eye on her.” She then turned and went in search of Jayden and Nazareth.

  “You cannot let her do this!” Jayden screamed, standing next to the controls of the cremation chamber as Tansy walked into the crematory. It was easy to find; she just had to follow Jayden’s shrill voice. “You got her into this mess. You need to get her out.”

  “What are her chances?” Tansy asked as she stepped up beside the necromancer.

  Nazareth glanced over at her, his brows cocking slightly for a moment. “She’s a powerful witch, as well as a necromancer. She just has to time it right. There’s no way to communicate with her, so I have no way of knowing what’s happening inside Emma’s dead mind.”

  “Pull her out,” Jayden demanded, facing Nazareth and pointing to the chamber. “Pull Emma’s body out now, before it’s too late.”

  Nazareth shook his head. “Then everything your sister has done until now is wasted. Tharon will escape. I’m sorry, but we can’t stop this.”

  Jayden spun on Tansy. “We can’t just stand here while he kills my sister.” Tears flowed down her face, her breathing coming out in gulps. “I just got Laci back, Tansy. I can’t lose her again. We need to save her.”

  Tansy reached out, pulling the youngest Valentine to her and holding her tight. “She’ll make it out. We have to trust Laci to know what she’s doing.”

  Jayden laid her head on Tansy’s chest, wrapping her arms around the woman. “When has Laci ever known what she was doing?”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Laci could tell the first circle she made was about to shatter, so she quickly created another one. Then another. And then one more. Hopefully, they would hold up long enough for Nazareth’s plan to work. She could already feel the heat from the fire reaching to the core of Emma’s body.

  “I’m going to enjoy watching you die,” Tharon spat as he hurled another burst of demonic power at the shield.

  “Not half as much as I’ll enjoy watching you melt,” she said, her voice weak, strained from the exertion of making so many shields, as well as from the intense heat burning the body of Emma Croft. Laci used the remnants of her power to reverse the original circle she made when she first entered Emma’s mind, just in ca
se she could escape the fate that waited for her.

  “You would kill yourself just to see me perish?” Tharon sent another bolt of magic at the barrier. “What a waste of a life. You merely prove my point that humans fail to measure up to their true potential.” Another burst of power and Laci’s first shield shattered. The demon immediately started hurling magic at the next barrier. “Are you truly prepared to die here?”

  Laci took a deep breath, but the heat scorched her throat and lungs. A coughing fit racked her body as she felt herself weaken even more. “If it keeps you from killing others, then it’s worth it.” Death covered her since she quit doing as her pimp, Jerome Williams, ordered, and now it seemed like it would finally swallow her whole. She was ready. Tired. So tired of all the death, seeing people she loved die. This was her way to find peace. She could join her father in the Summerlands, spend time catching up with him. She missed her father.

  “You know what’s happening, don’t you?” Tharon taunted as he hurled bolt after bolt of demonic power at the shields. “What you’re feeling in here is happening to your body out there. You’re literally burning alive without even being in the fire. You won’t survive long enough to keep me from breaking free. You will die for nothing, necromancer!” He sent two bolts of magic at the shield.

  God, I wish he would shut the hell up. She heard her mother scolding her for her language. She’d miss her mother. And Jayden. They would be safe, however.

  She wanted to say something back to the revenant, but she was too weak, the fire already burning her vocal chords. Instead, she felt herself crumble, her body collapsing to the floor of Emma’s mind.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  “Mark!” Tricia cried out, jerking his attention around just as Laci’s body collapsed to the floor.

  He rushed to the young woman’s side, reaching out to scoop her up. “Shit! She’s burning up,” he said, forcing himself to pick Laci off the floor and placing her on the table.

  “Her clothes are smoking,” Tricia said as she joined him at the table’s side. “I’ll get some cold rags. Maybe we can slow down whatever is happening to her. Offer her some sort of protection.” She left his side as he stood beside Laci, staring down into the girl’s face. “For the record, this faerie world of yours sucks ass.”