Witchin' Up the Dead

by Isabel Micheals

  "Wait! Did Bridezilla get away?" Precious asked.

  The panic on the young woman's face and in her voice raised the hairs on the back of Cecelia's neck, which prompted her next question. "How dangerous is this Bridezilla?"

  "Wait! I didn't get to finish my story," Camille whined.

  "While I enjoy your stories, as much as the next person, we need to table it for now. How dangerous is Bridezilla, Precious?" Cecelia asked with more force and determination in her voice. They needed to know who and what they were dealing with in order to protect everyone in Bass Ackwards.

  "Let's just say she was jilted at the altar on her wedding day and all that implies," Precious said.

  "Well, that explains the wedding dress. No wonder the woman has turned to eating human flesh. Men can be so cruel. Who could blame her?" Camille exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air as a sign of defeat.

  "Cami, focus please," Cecelia pleaded. She really needed some sleep. Her body ached and she was thin on patience tonight.

  "Bertie is bat shit crazy and looking for a new soul mate. Precious is right, she was jilted at the altar by her high school sweetheart. From what I can tell, her anger and loneliness has gotten the better of her. She wants a companion for life and unfortunately, she has her sights set on me," a deep baritone voice said from across the room.

  Cecelia looked up to see Dillen and Ariel standing in the doorway. She hadn't realized he'd left the room. Well, at least the siblings were reunited once and for all. She'd done her part. Now, she needed to go home and figure out how to send Bertie back to where she came from without paying the ultimate price. Instead of responding to him verbally, she nodded her understanding, stood, thanked everyone for their help, and walked out of the room. It was way past time to go home. She'd heard enough for one day. Hell, to be honest, she'd heard enough for a lifetime. Why did she have to care about the stupid man so much? He was never going to love her. She brought back the dead for Goddess’s sake. The same dead, he despised and was currently running from. He’d never be able to reconcile the necromancer with the woman who loved to bake Christmas cookies. Every man she’d ever dated ran for the hills when they’d learned what she did for a living. Nope, she was better off alone. It was times like this, she understood exactly where Bertie was coming from. Men were assholes who broke women’s hearts.

  She ignored Dillen calling out her name, as she walked out of the farmhouse, unlocked her car, got in and drove away. She couldn’t do this again. She wouldn’t do this again. She’d had her heart broken by men enough to last her a lifetime. She had no desire to do it all over again with Dillen. End of story. Maybe, she’d get a cat, or a dog, or both. Pets never let you down. People, not so much. Besides, love was an overrated emotion that she didn’t have time for. She had some zombies to deal with before all hell broke loose in Bass Ackwards.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Cecelia groaned as the banging on her door continued. She’d come home last night, took a hot bath, soaked her wounds, and drank a bottle of wine to drown her sorrows. Thank the Goddess witches had fast metabolisms and couldn’t get drunk, or she’d have the mother of all hangovers right now.

  She knew it was Dillen knocking on her door, even before he started yelling at the top of his lungs like a mad man and waking up her neighbors. Maybe it was naïve thinking, but if she ignored him, he’d go away. There was only one problem with her theory, he’d been knocking on her door for over an hour and didn’t seem to be losing steam.

  “Cecelia, I know you’re in there. Open the door and let me in. We need to talk.”

  Groaning, she threw back the covers and hopped out of bed. But instead of answering the door, she headed into her bathroom. There was no way he was seeing her with bad breath and messy hair. She may have spent most of her time with the dead, but she was no slob. Her mother had taught her at an early age, the importance of a lady always looking her best. It was the reason she took her time showering and changing into more appropriate clothes. He could wait until she was ready to see him. Besides, if the crazy man was as persistent as his sister, he wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

  Dressed and ready for battle, she ran a hand down her emerald green sweater and white yoga pants, as she gave herself a pep talk. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t helping. Maybe, she should’ve selected the sexy black dress Symone had given her for Christmas. It would’ve at least left him speechless and given her the upper-hand. She really needed the upper-hand right now because the man knew how to push all her buttons.

  “Baby, please. Open the door and let me explain.”

  His endearment immediately caught her off guard and had her moving in the opposite direction of the door. She needed to think and his sexy pleas weren’t helping. Why was he calling her baby? Yeah, they’d shared a couple of kisses and by a couple, she meant two. But, that was it. Well, he might have made it to second base with their last kiss, but it didn’t warrant such a term of endearment. Even if, the kiss had been spectacular. In fact, it had been panty melting, heart stopping, I want more kind of spectacular.

  Pull yourself together, Cecelia. He’s just a man. A sexy, warm-blooded man with a wicked set of lips, who just happens to be a King, but that’s beside the point. Remember, you hate men. All men. That’s the message you need to send, even if you do want to climb him like a tree and ride his pole until the sun rises tomorrow morning.

  Taking in a deep breath, she straightened her back, steeled her resolve, and walked to the door. She was so screwed.

  “Can we talk?” Dillen asked. “I promise to explain everything, if you’ll give me a chance.”

  Afraid of what might come out of her mouth, she simply nodded and stepped aside. He followed her down the hallway, as she led him into the living room. She hoped her lucky yoga pants were doing the trick because she needed to knock Dillen off his kilter. He wasn’t a man who gave up easily and she needed him to go away as soon as possible before she made a fool of herself. Motioning for him to have a seat on the sofa, she chose the large comfy chair across from him. The more she maintained her distance, the better off they would be in the long run. At least, that’s what she was telling herself.

  She watched as Dillen blew out the breath he’d been holding and gathered his thoughts. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear he was nervous, but that was impossible. He was a King for Goddess’s sake. There was no way in hell he was nervous around her. Unless, he was trying to figure out the best way to let her down easy.

  Dillen cleared his throat before looking Cecelia direly in the eye. “I’d start at the beginning, but Ariel told me that she’d already explained about the battle with Paimon.”

  “Yes, she did. She also told me how that idiot, Brittney, was the one who’d put everyone in harm’s way.”

  “Yeah, it wasn’t her smartest move. Anyway, after one of Paimon’s soldier’s stabbed me in the chest, the only thing I remember is Ariel screaming for me to come back. The next time I woke up, I was in this beautiful garden. Alone. Originally, I had assumed that it was the precursor to my Next Great Adventure until Bertie showed up.”

  “Wait! Bridezilla was in the garden with you and her appearance alone didn’t alarm you or tip you off that something wasn’t right?”

  Cecelia watched as Dillen ran his fingers through his hair before letting out another frustrating sigh. She didn’t think her question was that hard to answer, but evidently she was wrong. Maybe it was time to let him off the hook, so they could go their separate ways.

  “Look Dillen, I’m not trying to be a pain in your ass. I’m glad that you’re okay, but don’t feel as though you owe me an explanation about what happened to you. I can see it’s causing you distress and that’s the last thing I want to do right now. Besides, I need to come up with a plan to deal with Bride… I mean Bertie and her friends. Thanks for coming by today. I’ll see you around.”

  Good girl. You sounded cool, calm and collected. He’ll never have to know how much that little speech ripped yo
ur heart apart. Once he leaves, there’s a pint of Talenti Southern Butter pecan Gelato in the freezer with your name on it. Goddess knows you deserve it.

  “No,” Dillen said through gritted teeth.

  “No?” Cecelia asked, confusion written all over her face.

  “No. I’m not letting you run away from me this time. I swore if I survived that hellhole, I would tell you how much I love you. I would tell you that we’ve pussyfooted around one another long enough. I would tell you that life is too short not to be with the one you love. Did I mention that I love you because I do? I’ve loved you for years, which is the reason I tried to be patient. But my patience has run out, Cecelia. We were meant to be together. I know you feel it because I do every time we’re near one another. You’re the first person I want to see when I wake up in the morning and the last when I go to bed at night. I love you, CeCe. I don’t know what else to say to convince you.”

  She wasn’t sure whether to laugh hysterically or cry at Dillen’s declaration. When she couldn’t sleep last night, she’d played out several scenarios of how this conversation would go, but none of them played out like this. She knew she needed to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out.

  Quit being a wimp and say something. The man just told you in no uncertain terms that he loves you. You can’t keep sitting here like a bump on a log. Tell him you love him too. If you risk nothing, then you gain nothing. Put on your big girl panties and tell the man you love him.

  Head spinning and lost in thought, she hadn’t realized Dillen had stood and turned to leave. In for a penny, in for a pound, Cecelia. “Wait! I love you, too.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Dillen had never heard sweeter words in his entire life. When Cecelia had left the farmhouse without another word, he completely and utterly lost his shit. Thank the Goddess for his best friend, Jasper, who told him to pull it together. He went on to explain that if I really loved Cecelia, then I needed to put it all on the line. I needed to risk my heart and soul, or leave her alone. There was no doubt in my mind that he was right. But, I couldn’t help wondering when he’d gotten so damn smart. Claire was definitely a good influence on him. His friend had never seemed happier. He wanted that kind of happiness and content. It’s the reason he’d been banging on Cecelia’s door for the last two hours like a maniac. He’d just been grateful the neighbors hadn’t called the cops. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with Sheriff Fife. The raw emotions and desperation rolling off him this morning would most likely cause him to shift and eat the man. Then, the magical community would be on his ass. He didn’t have time for that. He had only one goal in mind this morning—to win Cecelia back.

  “Dillen? Did you hear what I said?” Cecelia asked hesitantly.

  He was tempted to respond, but decided that actions spoke louder than words. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her for all he was worth. He made sure the kiss conveyed how much he loved her. How, he’d longed for her over the years. How, he would never let her go, now that she’d confessed her true feelings. How they were meant to be together. How, he’d spend the rest of his life loving her.

  When they finally came up for air, he looked into her beautiful hazel eyes, smiled, and knew he was home. “That’s really good to hear because I’m never letting you go. I love you Cecelia. Always have. Always will.”

  He watched, as tears welled in her eyes. He hoped they were happy tears, but when she let out a small sob, he began to worry. Then, she smiled and said, “I love you, too. Always have. Always will. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”

  He wiped away her tears and said, “It’s okay. I’m just glad that you did. I’ll probably lose my man card for telling you this, but when you left last night, I completely lost my shit. It took Jasper and Ariel most of the night to talk me off the ledge. Claire and Symone kept trying to reassure me that you’d come around and Camille offered me cookies.”

  When she laughed, it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. A sound he wanted to hear for years to come. He wanted to ask what had changed her mind, but he was afraid to tempt the Fates. Maybe, that was a discussion better saved for later… like twenty or thirty years from now when their grandchildren asked how they met and fell in love.

  “In case you hadn’t noticed, Camille’s all about the cookies. I swear that woman lives on a perpetual sugar high. But in all seriousness, she means well.”

  “It didn’t take me long to figure that out, especially after she threatened to cut my balls off if I hurt you like the other bozos you’d dated over the years.”

  He laughed when Cecelia covered her face and groaned. It was obvious, she was mortified by her friend’s bold behavior.

  “She didn’t.”

  “Yes, she did. She also told me that if I didn’t treat you right, she’d torture me for the rest of my life by taking me to some place called Wally World. I had no idea what she was talking about, but the conviction in her voice lets me know that she meant business.”

  “I’m so sorry. She’s a force to be reckoned with when she’s on a mission.”

  “I’m not because it showed me how special you are and how much your friends care about you. Not that I didn’t already know that, but it was nice to see them come to your defense. Don’t get me wrong, when push comes to shove, I have no doubt that you can take care of yourself. But, it never hurts to have the support of family and friends.”

  When she smiled, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, he used the opportunity to pull her closer and deepen the kiss. It was the first time she’d initiated a kiss and he wasn’t about to let the moment go to waste. Her lips were soft, sweet, and delicious. Her fruity scent had him groaning with pleasure. He loved everything about this kind, generous, fierce woman. To know that she was finally his was like an aphrodisiac and only increased his pleasure. When she broke away from the kiss, he almost whimpered at the loss.

  “There’s nothing that I’d love to do more than stand in my living room kissing you all day, but we need to find Bertie and the rest of the zombies before they hurt someone.”

  Dillen managed to hold back his roar of anger when Cecelia mentioned the insufferable woman’s name, but he was tired of her already. Between Paimon and the zombies, he was never going to make it to third base with Cecelia, let alone hit a home run. Not yet, anyway.

  He blinked several times, as her laughter pulled him out of his musings. “What?”

  “I could tell what you were thinking just by the look on your face and the bulge in your pants. Come on Romeo. We have to prevent a Zombie Apocalypse. You can tell me more about Bertie on the way to the farmhouse.”

  “Fine. But for the record, I’d rather be kissing my way down your body than plotting how to take down a bunch of zombies. Once we catch them, maybe we could put them in the pokey with Brittney. Now, that’s a girl fight I’d pay to watch. They could televise it and call the show, Batshit Crazy Witches Gone Wild,” Dillen said with a chuckle, as he entwined his fingers with Cecelia’s and escorted her to his truck.

  "Me too," Cecelia laughed. "I love you, Dillen."

  "I love you too, sweet one."

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Although it was mid-morning, Cecelia was surprised to discover the farmhouse was bustling with activity. Did these people never sleep? What in the hell was all that banging about? Had the zombies attacked again last night, and if so, why hadn’t someone called her? They really needed to come up with a plan because it was time to deal with Bertie once and for all.

  Deep in thought, she hadn't noticed Dillen moving closer to her. She smiled when he leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Stop worrying. This isn't our first rodeo."

  While his comment should have been comforting, it only ramped up her anxiety. After they'd professed their love for one another, she hadn't had the heart to tell him the situation was worse than he'd thought. If she sent Bertie and the rest of her zombie posse back to the hell hole they crawled out of, she
along with Dillen and Ariel would be joining them. She should have heeded her mother's warning about the amount of life force she borrowed from others. Maybe the term borrowed wasn't the best word for what she'd done. In essence, she'd freely given up some of her life force to save Dillen, but Ariel had not. Therefore, she'd put the lioness in a precarious situation without her even knowing. When the truth came to light, all hell would break loose.

  It's the reason she needed to come up with another plan. If not, then they were all doomed. She just hoped Dillen was serious about loving her forever, even if they were stuck in hell, or wherever Bertie came from for all eternity.

  "What's wrong, CeCe?"

  "How do you know my nickname? In all the years we've known one another, you've always called me Cecelia."

  She smiled when he turned in his truck to face her. "I know a lot about you."

  "Hmm. Do tell."

  "I know that you're a loyal, kind-hearted, caring person. Your friends and family are always at the top of your priority list. Christmas is your favorite time of the year. You love baking in general, but especially, sugar cookies, double, chocolate, fudge brownies, and gingerbread cookies because they're Scroogess, Symone and Camille's favorite deserts. Although I think it's a kick-ass job, you hate being a necromancer. Well, that's not exactly true. You like helping people, but you think bringing back the dead makes you unlovable. I'm here to tell you that's not true because I love you. Always have. Always will."

  Cecelia blinked several times, as her mind tried to reconcile what he'd just said. This time, it wasn't the love part that had her stumped, but instead, everything else. How had he known her deepest, darkest secrets? She'd never told her friends about hating her job, or that she felt no one would love her because of it. Was it their connection that gave him more insight into her soul than others? Maybe, she should tell him about the unexpected consequence of bringing him back. Did she dare risk it? What if he didn't understand? All the questions were making her head hurt. He had a right to know, and she needed to be the one to tell him. If he heard it from someone else, he’d be hurt, and she couldn’t do that to him.