“Well, I’m glad John has committed to working on the barn,” my mother said. “That’s one less item on my list.”
“You’re just happy because you’ll get to watch him work,” Grandma said.
“Please don’t stalk him,” I said. “I want him to finish the barn so I can move in.”
“Let your mother stalk him,” Grandma said. “Then he’ll be inclined to work faster so he can get out of here.”
My mother began to pout. “I’m a catch, I’ll have you know.”
Uncle Moyer patted her hand. “Of course you are, Beatrice.”
“Speaking of a catch, does anyone know of a wish demon that’s partial to rivers?” I asked.
“A wish demon?” Grandma queried. “Do we have one of those in town now?”
“I thought it was a wish spell you were after,” my mother said.
“I don’t think it’s a spell anymore,” I said. “Rosalie LeRoux suggested…”
My grandmother made a noise at the back of her throat. “You’re going to listen to that charlatan?”
“You’re the one who sent me to see her,” I said.
“I was hoping you’d just arrest her and send her to Otherworld,” Grandma said. “No questions asked.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “That’s not how it works.”
“Why not?” Grandma asked. “I certainly won’t tell.”
I pursed my lips. “Anyway, Rosalie suggested a wish demon and I think she might be right.”
“Why a river?” Shirley asked.
“John said he was fishing at the river when he wished to win the lottery,” I said. “I need to find this demon before anyone else gets their wish.”
“You’re like the anti-Santa Clause,” Shirley said.
“I think that’s the Grinch,” Grandma replied.
“Seriously, Eden,” my mother said. “Why do you have to put a damper on everyone’s fun?”
“You know why,” I replied.
“Eden’s right,” Uncle Moyer said. “It’s important to preserve the balance.”
“It’s important to preserve blackberries,” Grandma shot back. “Granting wishes isn’t evil. It makes people happy. I would think you’d be all in favor of that, Miss Goody Two Shoes.”
“Too much magic upsets the natural order, whether good or bad,” I said.
“Oh, come on,” my mother said. “Let the people have their fun. I’m sure the wish demon will slink off into the sunset eventually. No harm done.”
There was no point in arguing with my family. We’d never agree on the subject.
“It could be worse,” Shirley said. “John could’ve been turned into a vampire like that poor Hickes boy. If that doesn’t upset the natural order, then I don’t know what does.”
“You know about Will?” I asked. Did the gossip ever take a rest in this town?
“It’s not necessarily worse,” Uncle Moyer said. “I’ve had plenty of clients offer their souls in exchange for immortality.”
“What did you say?” I turned to stare at my uncle.
“Now, Eden, you don’t need to take issue with my legal practice every time it comes up. We all know where you stand.”
I waved my hand. “No, that’s not it.”
“Then what is it?” Grandma demanded.
“I wasn’t including Will Hickes as one of the people affected,” I said. “But I bet he wished to live forever. Vampirism is how his wish manifested.” I felt like a moron for not realizing it before now. “Good night, everyone. I need to get to bed. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
“A busy day destroying people’s dreams, Grinch,” Grandma muttered.
I glanced back at her. “I would think you’d approve of that.”
Grandma perked up. “You’re right. I absolutely do.” She knocked on the table. “Gin.”
“Cheater,” Shirley proclaimed.
I disappeared into the attic before a brawl broke out in the kitchen. Sadly, it wouldn’t be the first time.
The next morning, I drove straight over to Will’s house to see what I could learn about his wish. I knocked on the door a few times, but there was no answer. The car was in the driveway, which made me nervous. He’d been so out of sorts during my last visit. I hoped life as a vampire wasn’t too much for him to handle. Part of me worried that he’d staked himself and I’d spot a pile of dust on the kitchen floor.
I decided to sneak around to the backyard and peer into the windows. As I rounded the corner of the house, my supernatural senses kicked in. Someone was watching me. I glanced up into the trees that bordered Will’s property line. There he was, poised on the top branch of a tall oak tree.
My heart seized. “Will, don’t do it!”
He looked down at me and frowned. “Eden? I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I was relieved I’d decided to come. “Jumping won’t kill you,” I called up to him.
“I know,” he said. “It’s pretty awesome. Watch this.”
He jumped.
I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out. Good thing, too. He landed on his feet like a nimble cat and sauntered over to me.
“I’ve been experimenting,” he said, looking pleased with himself.
“Experimenting with suicide?”
His brow creased. “Suicide? Why would I want to kill myself now that I’m immortal?”
I shrugged helplessly. “Regret?”
Will laughed. “I’ve been experimenting with all the awesome things I can do now that I’m a vampire. I thought it was all fangs and eternal angst, but it’s so much more than that.” He seemed giddy with excitement.
“I’m glad you’ve embraced the new you.”
“Do you know I have excellent hearing now?” he asked. “I can hear my neighbors’ conversations when they’re inside their houses.”
“Is that a good thing?” I queried.
He grinned. “Depends on the neighbor.”
“Then why didn’t you hear me knock?” I asked.
“I heard the knock,” he said. “I thought it was my Amazon Prime delivery.” He rubbed his hands together. “Want to see what else I can do?”
“As long as it doesn’t involve exposed body parts or blood, sure.”
Will sped away from me. He raced across the yard so fast that his body became a blur. When he finally screeched to a halt, he wasn’t even out of breath.
“That’s vampire speed,” I said. Although I’d never seen my stepmom run like that. She was far too elegant for fast movement.
“I’ve never felt so alive,” Will said. He inhaled deeply. “I don’t even need oxygen. It just feels nice to take deep, meaningful breaths.”
“I’m relieved you’re feeling positive,” I said. “I had my concerns.”
He reached for a low branch and began performing pull-ups in quick succession. “Is that why you’re here? To check on me?”
“That…and there’s something I need to ask you.”
Will swung himself over and onto the branch, where he now perched. “What’s that?”
“I know this will sound strange, but did you make any wishes recently?”
He vaulted to the ground and stuck the landing like a gold medal-winning gymnast. “You mean like when I blow out my birthday candles?”
“Yes, any kind of wish that you made out loud,” I said. “One that you declared to the universe.”
“You think the universe is granting wishes now? Because I can think of a few more.”
“You don’t think a wish for immortality is enough?”
His startled expression told me I was right. “How’d you know?” He pulled himself back onto the tree branch.
“It explains why you’re a vampire.” I moved closer to the tree and leaned against the sturdy trunk. “Humans can’t have eternal life, but vampires can. Your wish was granted, just not in the way you expected.”
“I guess I overreached,” Will admitted. “I should’ve been more specific.” He swung hi
s legs back and forth. “It’s not like I expected it to come true. None of my other wishes in life ever have.”
“You mean your parents’ divorce?”
He nodded. “I used to wish every night that they’d get back together. That we wouldn’t have to move.” He offered a rueful smile. “Obviously, that wish wasn’t granted.”
“Do you think your parents made a mistake getting divorced?” I asked. “Are they unhappy now?”
Will hung his head. “No. They’re both much happier now. Not that they fought a lot when I was a kid, but I guess I sensed their…dissatisfaction. With life. With each other.”
“I guess it’s a good thing those wishes didn’t come true then.” I paused. “But something bothers me about your recent wish.”
He looked at me. “You think it’s selfish?”
“Not necessarily,” I replied. “It’s just that you don’t strike me as someone so thrilled with your life that you’d want to extend it into eternity.”
“Gee, thanks for that assessment,” Will said, but he didn’t really seem offended. “I’m not so thrilled with my life, but I’d like to know I have plenty of time left to change that. And now I do.”
I studied him closely. “You’re still young, Will. There’s plenty of time for you to have the life you want without wishing for it to go on indefinitely.”
“Not with cancer there isn’t.”
I started. “Cancer?” His wish suddenly made perfect sense. “How long do you have?”
“Now? Forever, I guess, unless someone decides to stake me as punishment. Before I became a vampire, though, the prognosis was grim.” He stopped for a moment to regain his composure. “They told me six months.”
My stomach clenched. “I’m so sorry, Will.”
He dropped back to the ground. “I guess you know how this happened to me.”
“I have an idea. I think we might be dealing with a wish demon.”
Will laughed. “Two weeks ago, I would’ve said you were crazy for talking about vampires and demons like they’re real. Now I’m one of them.”
“If it helps, you’re not the only one who’s been affected,” I said. “There are other victims in town.”
“Victims?” he echoed. “I’m not a victim. I like that my wish came true.”
“You didn’t wish to become a vampire.”
“No, but I’m getting used to the idea and I’ve been having fun figuring out all the awesome things I can do.” He cut me a quick glance. “Which begs the question—what can you do?”
I blinked. “Me?”
“You’re a…? What are you again?”
“A fury,” I said. “I’d rather not talk about my particular abilities.”
“Why not?” His eyes shone with curiosity. “It’s all so amazing.”
“Furies are different,” I said. “Rare. Powerful. A little scary.”
Will smiled. “You don’t strike me as very scary.”
I decided to give him a glimpse. I focused and huge black wings sprouted from my back. Will nearly fell backward trying to put distance between us.
“Holy smokes,” he said. “You can fly?”
“To be honest, I haven’t used them very much. They’re a recent addition.” I willed them to disappear.
“Why wouldn’t you want to use them?” Will asked. “They’re the best thing I’ve ever seen.”
I laughed. “Don’t go wishing for wings now. You have enough on your supernatural plate.”
“Did a wish demon do this to you?” he asked.
“No, I acquired them after I…Forget it.” I thought it best not to elaborate about how I turned into a vampire using my siphoning magic and almost sucked my partner dry. “The other victims…They’re human like you.”
“So what happens now?” Will asked.
“I need to find the demon and put an end to the wishes.”
Will’s expression darkened. “What happens when you find the demon? Do you kill it?”
“That would be a last resort,” I said. “Hopefully, I’ll send it back to Otherworld, where it came from. I have to find it first, though. Do you remember where you were when you made your wish?”
Will stroked his chin. “Hard to say. I’ve made that wish every day since I got my diagnosis. In the hospital. In my house. In my car.” He chuckled bitterly. “It’d be hard to retrace my footsteps on that one.”
I recalled something he said the first time we spoke. “You told me that, right before you became a vampire, you went for a walk along the river.”
Will brightened. “That’s the right. I always go to Davenport Park when I’m feeling down. It cheers me right up.”
John had visited the park right before his wish came true, and now Will. It couldn’t be a coincidence.
I rested a comforting hand on his back. “There’s something else to consider, Will. If I take care of the demon, then you’ll…” I drew a steadying breath. “You’ll revert to your original condition.”
“By original, you mean the one with cancer?”
I withdrew my hand. “Yes.”
He met my gaze. “And if you don’t take care of the demon?”
“Then you’ll remain a vampire.”
“What about the others? Are they happy with the changes in their lives?”
I felt like I was about to have a debate with Uncle Moyer. Who cares if I claim their souls if they part with them willingly and live happy lives as part of the bargain? They’re willing victims.
“It doesn’t matter either way,” I said. “It’s too much magic. It disrupts the natural order in this world. You didn’t even know about supernaturals until this happened to you. The wish demon’s actions will have long-lasting effects.”
Will seemed to consider my position. “I see what you mean.”
“Imagine a world where everyone’s wishes came true. What happens when wishes conflict with each other? Or someone wishes for something that has the potential to hurt others?”
“Like a megalomaniac wishes for a nuclear bomb?” Will asked.
“Wow, you took it to another level with that one, but yes.”
Will blew air from his nostrils. “Okay, I get it. You have to stop the demon.”
“I’m glad you can see the big picture, Will.” He was a good guy.
Will laughed nervously. “Well, I’d be happier if there was flexibility in this plan.”
My chest tightened. I wanted to help Will in the worst way. I really did. “I’m so sorry, Will. If there was something I could do…” I trailed off. There was nothing I could do and we both knew it.
“So this is going to sound like a bizarre request, but I’ve chosen cremation.” His voice cracked. “Would you make sure my ashes are scattered in Davenport Park? I’ll sign a letter or whatever. I just don’t want my parents to have them because they’ll fight over them.” He swallowed hard. “I want to spend eternity where I know it’s peaceful.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Anything you want, Will. Your wish is my command.”
Chapter Twelve
The sun’s glare was too much for me and I slid on my sunglasses in defeat.
“It’s too hard to see,” I said. Any other time, I relished the sun’s presence, but I was scouring the river for signs of a demon. Blinding light wasn’t exactly helpful.
“I agree it’s not ideal,” Neville said. I’d said that he could accompany me, but only because it was nothing more than a reconnaissance mission. “The good news is that the sun won’t remain in this position all day. It rises in the east and sets in the west.”
I lifted my sunglasses to peer at him. “I know how the sun works, Neville.”
He quickly averted his gaze. “Of course, O knowledgeable one.”
“Too bad there were no wish demons associated with rivers,” I said. “It might have narrowed things down.”
“It doesn’t mean you won’t find one hiding in here,” Neville said. “It just means there isn’t a specific type with a strong pr
eference for rivers.”
“How deep is the river?” I asked. “Maybe the demon is lurking at the bottom where we can’t see it.” Not that we could see much of anything right now.
“Fifty feet in this area, so it’s quite possible.”
A largemouth bass broke the surface and I jumped.
Neville chuckled. “Mind the bass. They’re known for their big mouths. Highly dangerous.”
I glared at him. “Keep it up and you’ll see how highly dangerous I am.” My shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Neville. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” I was home less than a month and already adopting my family’s social skills.
He bowed his head. “No worries, Agent Fury.”
I paced back and forth. “It has to be this stretch of river that runs through the park,” I said. “This is the common area.”
“There’s a spell I can try, if you like,” Neville said.
I cast a sidelong glance at him. “What kind of spell?”
“I can take over the bass and use it to see underwater.”
“Take over? Like remote control it?”
“Basically. I can steer it from one end of the park to the other and see through its eyes. Examine the depths. If a demon is hiding at the bottom, I’ll see it.”
I gaped at my assistant. “That’s incredible. You can really do that?”
“I’ve only performed the spell once so far, but it was quite effective.”
“What made you try a spell like that?”
Neville hesitated. “Does it matter?”
Okay, now I had to know. “Tell me.”
He dug the toe of his shoe into the dirt. “I have a cat named Fiddlesticks.”
I smiled. “Of course you do.”
“He’s an excellent companion,” Neville said. “I don’t know what I would do without him.”
“That’s how I feel about Princess Buttercup.” I missed her sleeping next to my bed. Once I was in the barn, she’d be able to resume her place by my side. The attic steps were too awkward for a hellhound of her size.
“There’s a dog in the neighborhood that was giving Fiddlesticks a hard time. A German shepherd. I know most cats wouldn’t think twice about giving a dog a thrashing, but Fiddlesticks isn’t like that.”
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