Bedtime Fury

by Annabel Chase

“Why would I want to rule over anyone?” I’d asked. “Absolute power corrupts.”

  My mother had been appalled. “Where did you hear a ridiculous statement like that?”

  “In a book.”

  I’d been spared that day, but only because my father had come home at the critical moment to announce that he’d bought a new set of golf clubs and my mother had gone ballistic that he hadn’t consulted her first. An argument ensued and I escaped. That time.

  “You don’t even know if killing me will do anything,” I said. “What if you revive me and the demon’s still there?”

  Grandma and my mother exchanged looks and, for a brief, shining moment, I thought I’d won my appeal—until my mother spoke.

  “Worth it,” she said. Her hand shot out and a bolt of yellow light streaked from her fingertips.

  My whole body vibrated painfully for what seemed like an hour before I finally blacked out.

  My eyes fluttered open and I stared at the attic ceiling, trying to process what happened and where I was.

  Oh. Right. My mother killed me and I was in my own bed. At least they had the decency not to bury me in the backyard.

  “Eden?” Alice drifted over tentatively. “Are you…?”

  “Alive,” I said weakly. Recuperation could take longer for me than other family members. I hadn’t been killed in years. It would likely take a toll on my body.

  “Aunt Thora came up to check on you,” Alice said. “She left that potion for you.” The ghost inclined her head toward the glass on the floor.

  I rolled over to inspect it. “That was thoughtful.” I sniffed the contents and the scent of lemon filled my nostrils. One of my great-aunt’s boost potions would definitely accelerate my recovery.

  “I think she feels guilty,” Alice said. “She went to her room afterward and didn’t speak to the others for the rest of the day.”

  The rest of the day?

  “How long have I been dead?” I sat up and looked for my phone to check the time. Still downstairs, apparently.

  “About six hours,” Alice said. “They waited to do the revival spell until after they watched that television show they like. The one with the attractive doctors.”

  My eyes bulged. “They watched a show first?” It really shouldn’t surprise me and yet it did.

  “They also made margaritas and popcorn,” Alice said. “And then your grandmother took what she referred to as a power nap.”

  Why I thought Operation Kindness was a good idea, I’d never know. Those two were irredeemable.

  “Witches,” I hissed and headed downstairs to find my phone.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Daily Grind was eerily quiet when Neville and I entered the coffee shop. I’d made plans to meet my helpers at the farm, but I needed a caffeine boost to top off Aunt Thora’s potion. The barista stood listlessly behind the counter.

  “Good afternoon, Caitlin,” I said with as much cheerfulness as I could muster. On the inside, I was still feeling shattered thanks to yesterday’s death.

  She barely looked up at the sound of her name. “Hello. Your usual?” Her tone matched the flatness in her eyes.

  “Yes, please.” I glanced at Neville. “How about you?”

  He placed his order, his attention fixed on the sluggish barista. Her movements reminded me of a sloth, which was strange because she usually moved at the speed of light.

  “It’ll only be a minute,” she said. “We’re not busy.”

  Neville and I exchanged wary looks. I turned around to survey the rest of the coffee shop. The few customers here seemed dazed and uncommunicative.

  “What happened to you?” Neville asked. “I tried to reach you all day. I thought we’d be heading to the farm before now.”

  “You don’t want to know,” I said.

  Neville squinted at me. “It isn’t wise to be out of contact for so long, especially during a crisis.”

  “Blame my family,” I said.

  A middle-aged woman entered the shop and came to stand in line behind us. Based on her running attire and wind-swept hair, she’d come straight from a jog on the promenade that ran alongside the bay.

  “Sure is quiet in here,” she said. “Makes me feel like there was some catastrophe I don’t know about and everyone’s in mourning.”

  “My assistant and I were saying the same thing,” I told her.

  “It isn’t just here,” the woman said. “I noticed the same thing along the waterfront earlier. There’s a weird lull. One of the things I love about this town is how vibrant it is, but lately…I don’t know how to describe it. The energy is off.”

  “Sleep with your windows closed,” I said.

  She gave me a funny look. “How’s that going to help anything?”

  “My sister-in-law is a doctor and she said it’s been a weird allergy season,” I said. “I think everyone’s listless because they’re on allergy meds.”

  “That explains it,” the woman said. “I accidentally took the drowsy kind back in college and fell asleep in the middle of a final exam. I never made that mistake again.”

  “The mayor issued a special alert about it this morning,” Neville added. “Have you checked your email?”

  “Not for a few hours,” the woman said. “Thanks. I’ll check it out.”

  “We need to have Mayor Whitehead send it as a text,” I said, as Neville and I headed back to the car. “Emails will get ignored.”

  “Did you see the email?” he asked.

  “No, I’m about six hours behind on catching up.”

  “Did your family do a spell to hide your phone?” Neville asked. “I might be able to create a protective spell to prevent that.”

  Ugh. He wasn’t going to stop asking questions until I came clean.

  “No, Neville. They didn’t hide my phone. What they did was much worse. They killed me.”

  Neville nearly spat out his chai tea. “They what?”

  “Killed me,” I said in a low voice. “They were convinced I’d been taken over by a pod demon because I was being too nice.”

  He stared at me for a long beat. “Agent Fury, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but your family is severely dysfunctional.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “They cannot murder a federal agent.”

  I bit back a smile. “I don’t think that rule should be limited to federal agents.”

  “You know what I mean.” He seemed genuinely disgruntled.

  “It’s okay, Neville. They revived me.”

  His jaw unhinged. “Agent Fury, this is a serious issue and we need to address it. If your family is engaging in that kind of black magic…”

  I held up a hand. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.” I really shouldn’t have. “They thought they were helping get rid of a demon. They knew they could bring me back.” I dared not add because they kill each other all the time.

  “Now you’re making excuses for them.” He shook his head. “This kind of behavior cannot continue.”

  “You’re telling me. My back is going to be sore for a week. I’m sure they dropped me on the way up to the attic.”

  Neville took another drink and I had a feeling he wished it were more than chai tea in his cup right now. “Are they the reason you didn’t want to join the FBM? Because you knew their practices were at odds with…well, most everyone else.”

  I cast a furtive glance around the sidewalk to make sure we weren’t overheard. “I have always wanted to distance myself from them. I managed it for a few years, until my incident with Fergus and the vampire.”

  “And now you’re back in the very town you hoped to escape,” Neville said. Sympathy glimmered in his eyes. “It must be difficult for you. Living at home again. Leaving your dream job.”

  I stared blankly into my cup. “There have been unexpected bright spots.”

  “Ah. Like Chief Fox?”

  I smiled at the thought of the chin-dimpled chief with a heart of gold who could e
asily pass for an underwear model. Regardless of the state of our relationship, how could meeting Chief Fox not be a bright spot?

  “And my niece and nephew,” I said. “Reuniting with Clara, too.” I bumped him with my hip. “And making new friends, of course.”

  The wizard’s cheeks flamed. “You consider me a friend, Agent Fury?”

  “Eden,” I said. “And, yes, I do.”

  “It has been refreshing to work with someone so…different from Agent Pidcock.”

  “I thought you liked Paul.”

  “Oh, I did,” he said quickly. “He was a good wizard and an even better man.” He rubbed his thumb along the rim of his cup. “It’s just that life here seemed almost stagnant until you came.” He seemed embarrassed by his own admission.

  “Why do you think that is?” I asked.

  “Fishing for compliments, Agent Fury?”

  “No, seriously. Why do you think that is?” The gears in my mind started to click. “The portal is as dormant as ever. So what’s drawing more supernaturals here?”

  “The vortex?” he proposed. A vortex is a place where multiple ley lines come together, creating powerful energy that can be harnessed. Naturally, Chipping Cheddar had one.

  “The vortex has the same energy it’s always had,” I said. “So why has there been an increase in activity since my arrival?”

  He frowned. “Are you suggesting you’re the common denominator?”

  I finished my drink and tossed it in a nearby trashcan. “What if I am? What if it’s my powers? I’d been careful not to use them when I worked for the FBI, but it’s been difficult since I came home.” I’d been using my abilities more than I’d like since my return to town. Maybe the influx of power had triggered something. Sent up some kind of supernatural flare.

  “But recent events,” Neville began, “they haven’t been simply a matter of creatures coming here for the sake of it. There’ve been reasons unrelated to you.”

  “What’s the reason for the pod demons?” I asked. “How did that plant end up on the Tasker farm? I thought either Tin Soldiers or Brimstone might be involved, but now I’m not so sure. What if I’m the one pulling those things here like a supernatural magnet?”

  “I suppose it’s possible,” Neville said. He seemed to register my disappointed expression. “That’s not what you wanted to hear, is it?”

  I managed a smile. “Not really, but that’s okay, Neville. It’s not your job to make me feel better.”

  “Do you truly believe avoiding your abilities is the best way forward, though?”

  “It’s a slippery slope,” I said. “One day you’re changing the color of all the bees in the hive. The next day, you’re making their stingers poisonous.”

  “For what it’s worth, Agent Fury, I think you’re made of sturdier stuff.”

  “Never underestimate the allure of powerful magic, however dark,” I said. “It calls to you. It will seduce you if you let it.”

  “You’ve managed to resist Chief Fox,” he said. “I have every confidence you can do the same with dark magic.”

  “True,” I said. “Dark magic doesn’t even have a six-pack.”

  As we reached my car, my phone vibrated with a text from Adele. Her car had a fat tire, so she’d be delayed picking up Husbourne. I replied that I’d pick up Husbourne and meet her at the farm.

  “I think you should stay at the office,” I told Neville.

  “Why?” he asked. “I might be able to offer assistance.”

  “I think it’s safer if we split up,” I said. “What if something happens to me, Adele, and Husbourne? You’d be the only one left who knows everything.”

  “Fair point. Text me the moment you’ve uprooted the pod.”

  I gave him a thumbs up before sliding behind the wheel of my car and heading to Munster Close.

  Halfway to Munster Close and I was desperate to pee thanks to the latte. My bladder was usually a steel trap. I blamed my post-resurrection body. At least my house was on the same street. I’d make a quick pit stop at home and then grab Husbourne.

  As I hurried down the hallway to the bathroom, I recognized Princess Buttercup’s faint growl coming from another room. “Buttercup?”

  I followed the sound until I arrived in the family room, where Grandma stood encircled by a hellhound, a Burmese python, and a black cat. Candy, my grandmother’s familiar, seemed furious. She spat and hissed at the old witch in the circle’s center.

  “What did you this time, Grandma?” I asked.

  A snarl erupted from Princess Buttercup.

  “Animals don’t like me,” she said simply.

  “That’s because you let them have food they’re not supposed to and they feel sick afterward,” I said. “It seems retribution is at hand.”

  Fiery particles flew from my hellhound’s jaws and I realized the situation was more serious than it appeared. To her credit, Grandma remained calm.

  “Princess Buttercup,” I scolded. “Leave Grandma alone.”

  The hellhound skulked away, prompting the python to do the same. The black cat remained rooted to the floor, still sparking with vitriol.

  “Candy,” I said. “What’s gotten into you?”

  The cat peered at me and swished her tail angrily before stalking off. Grandma sat on the sofa and stared into space.

  “Are you feeling okay?” I asked.

  “Fine. Why?”

  Because I’ve been here five minutes and you haven’t insulted me yet.

  “Where’s your phone?” I asked.

  She cocked her head. “In my purse. Why? Do you need to make a call?”

  “Um, no. I just thought you’d be playing Little Critters so you could level up.”

  Her expression remained unchanged. “Oh, that. I’ve lost interest.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Since when?”

  “Since I upset those kids. You’re right. It isn’t fair. I’m an old woman. I should leave the game to the younger folks.”

  I folded my arms. “What’s your agenda?”

  Grandma stared back at me. “What? I can’t do the right thing every now and again?”

  “Not really.” Slowly, I took a step backward. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To the bathroom. That’s why I came home.”

  Her brow wrinkled. “They don’t have a bathroom in your office?”

  “I’m running errands,” I lied.

  I tried to appear unconcerned as I headed to my mother’s bedroom. The bathroom would have to wait. I found my mother holding up different dresses in front of the full-length mirror.

  “Oh, good,” she said. “Perfect timing. I’m getting ready for my date with Roger. Which one makes me look younger?” She held a purple dress in front of her body and then switched to a cobalt blue one.

  “Younger?” I echoed.

  “Yes.” My mother looked at me expectantly. “Well?”

  “The purple one is more flattering.”

  She eyed me suspiciously. “What does that mean?”

  “It means the color looks better.”

  “Younger better?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Sure. Younger better. Listen, I need to talk to you about Grandma before you go out.”

  My mother proceeded to change into the purple dress. Bashful she was not. “What about her?”

  “I think she’d been taken over.”

  My mother continued getting ready for her date. “Taken over by what?”

  “A pod demon.”

  My mother cut me a quick glance. “Eden Joy Fury, you know I don’t have time for nonsense. I just told you I’m getting ready for a hot date.”

  “And I just told you that your mother has been taken over by a pod demon. Which is more important?”

  She tapped her nail on her chin. “What makes you so sure?”

  “She’s acting normal.”

  My mother dabbed perfume behind each ear. “What’s wrong with that?”

&nb
sp; “Not her normal. Human normal. Like a decent person.”

  My mother halted and looked at me via her reflection in the mirror. “What did she say?”

  “She said it wasn’t fair to beat the kids at Little Critters, so she’s stopped playing.”

  My mother sucked in a breath. “That definitely sounds suspicious. I’m going to go ask a few test questions of my own. Then we’ll know for certain.”

  I followed my mother into the kitchen.

  “Well, how do I look?” My mother twirled in front of Grandma with a big smile plastered across her face.

  “Beautiful,” Grandma replied.

  My mother’s expression fell. “Great Nyx, Eden. You’re right.”

  We stared at Grandma. I didn’t think it was physically possible for a demon to wrestle a witch as powerful as Grandma out of her body, yet here we were.

  My mother shut the door in Grandma’s face.

  “She took a nap after we killed you,” my mother whispered. “Her defenses were down.”

  “You mean she took a nap after you celebrated my death with cocktails and junk television,” I said.

  “Potato. Tomato.” My mother clutched her necklace. “This makes me want to never sleep again. I ought to eat a pound of chocolate-covered espresso beans and wash them down with a gallon of Red Bull.”

  “Is there a ward we can do?” I asked. “Something to protect us while we sleep?”

  “I’ll have to think about it,” my mother said.

  “I need to use your bathroom, then I need to pick up Husbourne. We’re headed to the farm to destroy the pod.”

  “About time,” my mother said.

  I peed faster than I ever had in my life and exited my mother’s bedroom. I caught sight of Aunt Thora as she wandered into the kitchen and decided to check on her. My mother seemed to have the same idea because she followed me.

  “Hey, Aunt Thora,” I said. “How about some hot water with lemon?”

  Aunt Thora smiled sweetly. “You know me so well. A world without lemons isn’t a world worth living in.”

  My mother and I exhaled.

  “Aunt Thora, there’s something we need to tell you about Grandma,” I began.

  “What’s that?” Grandma’s voice cut in and my stomach lurched.