Loved Ones Lost (Edgewater Curse Book 1)

by J. C. Everlyn

  “How did he save your life?” Matthew asks.

  Roman smiles again. “That story is for another time; right now there are more urgent things to discuss.”

  “Yes, of course,” Matthew acknowledges.

  Roman continues, “It was a very old witch named Evanora Nightingale. She is a relative of the witch Raven, who originally cursed your family. Your father was getting too close to breaking the curse, and Evanora wasn’t going to allow that to happen so she poisoned both your parents and then staged the car accident, hoping it would cover her tracks. And it would have if you wouldn’t have started digging into the details of your parents’ deaths. I am sorry to tell you, but she also put measures in place to strengthen the curse, so whatever your father was on to will no longer work to break it anyway. Looking closer at the police report, it appears she may have had someone on the inside who doctored the original autopsy report. Don’t worry; it wasn’t David, although I am unsure as to how he got his hands on the correct report. He and I are good friends, and I have done everything in my power to keep him unaware of the supernatural world. I would hate for anything to happen to him. Humans are not allowed to know about our world. There are many supernaturals out there who believe that any human who does find out should be killed immediately. They would prefer that all humans be exterminated and the world be inhabited by supernaturals only. I, however, don’t believe that. I believe there will be a time when we can all live in peace with one another, and I will do anything to protect those that I care about.”

  Bri sits back, somewhat stunned, and Matthew lets out a long whistle.

  “Well, I’m thankful for the information about my parents; that does answer a lot of questions,” Bri finally says after a moment.

  “I would also like to help you stock your arsenal and have brought some items to get you started,” Roman adds.

  “I suppose we shouldn’t be shocked anymore that you know about that as well,” Bri retorts.

  Roman grunts. “I do have a suggestion. Jared, if you wouldn’t mind popping in and asking Crystal to join us out here for a moment.”

  Jared looks a bit stunned. “I’m not sure I can do that. Usually, Bri has to be in the room when I materialize.”

  “Not anymore; her range of power has expanded. I can sense it. Give it a try,” he instructs.

  Jared disappears. They hear a small squeal inside the house and then laughter, and a few moments later the door opens, and Crystal walks out, still giggling. Jared reappears behind Bri, smiling.

  “Let me guess—Dad scared the crap out of you?” Matthew says.

  “Yes,” she laughs.

  “Yeah, he has an uncanny ability to do that.” Matthew chuckles with her.

  “You know, unless you really enjoy startling your family, there is a way you can warn them of your arrival,” Roman says.

  “How is that?” asks Jared.

  “You can project a glow, a blue aura before you enter a room,” Roman answers.

  “How do you know all of this?” Bri asks.

  “I have been around a long time, and I have many ghostly friends.” Roman smiles then turns his attention to Crystal. “I sense that you have put a protective shield around the home, little witch.” He smirks. “That is quite a powerful spell you’ve conjured, being so new to the craft.”

  Crystal blushes and Roman continues, “You are a smart one. There is still one more you need to perform, one to defend your home from any intruding eavesdroppers like me. You should find it on page 327 of the book you’ve been reading. It should be an easy one for you, no assistance necessary, but I would suggest you run upstairs and perform it right now so we can test it while I’m here.” He turns his gaze to everyone else. “You need to protect yourselves from anyone else finding out details you don’t want them to know, and make sure you keep the location of your arsenal hidden from anyone outside of your family, me and Dimitri.”

  Crystal turns to her mother and Bri nods, motioning her to follow Roman’s direction. Crystal smiles and disappears back into the house. Moments later Roman announces that the spell worked. Crystal had been chanting the spell, and in the middle of it all sound cut off.

  “Can I ask you a question, Roman?” Bri says.

  “Certainly,” he responds.

  “Why did Travis have that reaction to Dimitri’s bite? That wasn’t normal, was it?”

  “No, it wasn’t, and all I can tell you is there is only one supernatural species that has that type of reaction to our bites. The Powers That Be won’t let me tell what that species is, but I will say this. Even though Travis’s power has not been activated yet, the curse predetermines what it will be, so its genealogy is already in his bloodstream, which is why he had that reaction. When his time comes, don’t hesitate to call on me for help with his transition if you need it. I have friends in that species that can help.”

  “Of course you do,” Bri says.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Defending the Family

  Saturday, September 15, 2018

  Most of the week passes by without incident, with everyone going about their regular routines. Saturday creeps up quickly, and Travis leaves for the race track shortly after dinner. The rest of the family, including Destiny, gather in the family room and decide to play some charades. When Destiny’s turn comes around, she stands and moves in front of the room to take her turn when all of a sudden she doubles over and holds her head with both hands.

  Crystal shouts out a guess. “Is it a headache?”

  “No!” Matthew says, immediately standing. “Something’s wrong; she hasn’t even taken a card yet.” He rushes to her side. “Destiny, honey, what’s wrong?!”

  “Voices! There are so many voices! It hurts! Make it stop!”

  Matthew places his hands on her head and gathers all of his strength to keep from collapsing in pain himself. “Oh my God!” he yells with concern and then draws on every ounce of his power to try and take the pain away from her.

  “Matthew! What’s going on? What’s wrong with her?! Do I need to call 911?” Bri asks with concern.

  “No! We’re under attack!” He yells, “Call Dad!”

  He no more than says the words and Jared appears.

  “Jared! What do we do? Where’s Roman?” she asks as soon as she sees him.

  “He’s outside fighting the Nightingales; they’re trying to get in the house.” Just as he says the words, they begin to hear loud crashes that sound like bombs going off just outside. “Crystal! Run up to your room and get your spell book; we may need it—and hurry!” he says.

  Crystal immediately jumps up and runs to her room, and within minutes she is back with the book. She quickly pages through the book and finds a spell to put a force field up around the house preventing any supernaturals attempting harm from coming into their home. It’s another high-level spell, and she’s not sure if she can manage it on her own, so she pulls her mother and father to her side and begins chanting. There’s a flash of blue and the sounds from outside immediately stop, and they hear chanting in its place.

  “They’re trying to counteract your spell,” Jared says.

  “We can help.” An unfamiliar voice is heard from the entryway, and everyone turns to see a boy around Crystal’s age, a girl looking slightly older than him, and two adults, one male and one female, standing there with their hands above their heads in surrender.

  “Who are you and how did you get in here?” Bri says with a disapproving tone.

  “Sorry to come in without an invite, but we felt you might need some assistance. We snuck in through the back so the rest of our family out front wouldn’t see us. My name is Mason Nightingale,” the boy says, “and this is my sister Cassandra, my mother Jazmyne, and my father Abraham. My grandmother, Evanora, is leading this attack and please believe me when I say we are not on her side. With our combined power, we should be able to drain theirs enough to make them retreat if you’ll allow us to help.”

  “Yes, please,” Crystal s
ays before her parents can answer.

  “Crystal! How do you know he’s telling the truth? How do you know they’re not here to kill us?” Bri cautions.

  “Because they wouldn’t have taken the time to explain themselves. If they were here to kill us, they would have done so already, and the spell I just cast would not allow anyone in that intended to do us harm. Besides, we’re kind of running out of time here; I suggest we take them up on their offer to help.”

  Bri and Jared concede, knowing their daughter is right. They all gather in a circle and follow Abraham’s lead when he begins chanting. After a few moments, they hear some screams outside. Matthew takes a quick moment to look out the window. “They’re retreating,” he says and turns his focus back to Destiny, who is now sitting on the couch rocking back and forth in his arms.

  Just then, the door bursts open and David comes running in.

  “Bri!” he yells and then comes to a screeching halt as he sees Jared. “OH MY GOD! What in blue blazes is going on here? First I see people outside throwing what looks like lightning bolts at your house, then I see my best friend flying fifteen feet in the air attacking them, and then…Jared? Is that really you? What the hell?”

  “Oh shit!” Bri says. “You’re not supposed to see any of this.”

  “Bri?” Roman is at the doorway to the house yelling in. “Is everyone okay? I thought I saw David run in here.”

  “Yes Roman, he’s here, and everyone is okay, I think.” She turns to Destiny. “Are you okay, honey? What happened?”

  “I should be asking that,” Destiny replies. “I’m with David on this one. What in the world did we just witness? And why does my head hurt so much?” she asks.

  “Bri,” Roman calls out again, “I know you don’t want to, but if you just invite me in, I think I can answer some of these questions.”

  Bri looks to Jared and then Matthew. They both nod and then Matthew says, “I think he’s earned our trust, don’t you?”

  Bri and Jared agree. Bri takes a deep breath. “Please come in, Roman,” she says.

  Roman enters the room. “Thank you for putting your trust in me; I know that took a lot of courage.”

  “Great. Now, will somebody please explain to me what the hell is going on?” David says impatiently.

  “Yes, but first things first,” Roman says. “Matthew, your girlfriend is a mind reader. I could sense it as soon as she showed up here, but I’m guessing this is the first time she has felt her power.”

  “Excuse me?” Destiny says with confusion on her face. “What in the world are you talking about? Have you all lost your minds?”

  “Have your parents not told you about this power?” Roman asks.

  “I don’t have any parents,” Destiny says with disdain.

  “Oh, well, Matthew, I’m going to leave you to explain all of this to her while I take David in the other room and explain everything to him. Bri, will you join us, please?”

  “Yes, of course, but first, it’s a bit crowded in this house right now.” Bri turns to the Nightingales. “Thank you all for your assistance tonight, and I’m sorry to do this, but under the circumstances, I think we now need to deal with these two,” referring to David and Destiny. “How about you come by tomorrow night, and we will all get to know each other over dinner. I think we have quite a bit to talk about.”

  “Yes. Of course. We would be delighted,” Jazmyne replies.

  “Great. Crystal honey, can you please show them out?” Bri asks.

  “Sure Mom.” Crystal smiles and does as she’s told.

  Bri turns to Jared. “Honey, I’m feeling quite drained. Do you mind if we regroup tomorrow as well?”

  “Sure. Make sure you get some rest and replenish your energy. I love you,” he replies.

  “I love you too,” she says, and with that, he disappears.

  “Matthew? You two good?” she asks.

  “Yeah, I’m going to take her up to my apartment and let her lie down while I explain everything to her.”

  “Okay.” Bri then turns to go find David and Roman in the living room.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Protecting a Friend

  When Bri enters the living room, she finds David and Roman sitting on the couch. David is wide-eyed, with a look of disbelief.

  “So how’s it going in here?” she asks.

  Roman smirks. “Well, he hasn’t passed out on me yet, got to give him points for that.” He chuckles.

  David shakes his head. “This all explains so much. Now I know why you work the graveyard shift and never come over for barbeques during the day.” He laughs.

  “Laughing—well, that’s a good sign.” Bri smiles. “Have you filled him in on everything?” she asks Roman.

  “Yeah, pretty much. I don’t think I’ve left anything out,” he says.

  “Good, now what are we going to do now? The Powers That Be and other supernaturals are bound to find out pretty quickly that he knows about this world. How are we supposed to protect him from being killed?” she asks.

  “Wait. Killed?” David asks.

  Bri looks at Roman with disappointment. “I thought you said you told him everything.”

  “Whoops, I guess I forgot that part.”

  “Whoops! Whoops? You guess you forgot that part? Are you kidding me?” David says. “Out of everything you’ve told me, you didn’t think that was the most important thing of all to tell me? What the hell, man?”

  “I guess I didn’t mention it because I’ve already been protecting you for as long as I’ve known you, but you will need more protection now since I can’t protect you during the day.” Roman looks to Bri. “Do you think you and your family can help me with this?”

  “Absolutely! We’re not going to let anything happen to you, David. I can have Crystal make a talisman for you for starters.”

  “A talisman?” he asks quizzically.

  “Yeah, she’s made all of our bracelets; I’m sure she can make a real cool Harley Davidson one for you.”

  David nods his head. “Cool.”

  “And I can bring her by your place so we can perform a protection spell on your home as well.”

  “Huh, okay,” he says, “and that should keep me safe during the day?”

  “Yeah, that should be enough,” Roman says.

  “Cool,” David replies.

  “David, why did you come by here tonight anyway?” Bri asks.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I came by because I found out who forged the original copy of your parents’ autopsy report.”

  Roman and Bri look at each other with surprise.

  “Who?” she asks.

  David lifts his head with disapproval. “HR hired some temporary tech just hours before the accident happened, some guy named Fabian Nightingale. Turns out that as soon as he filed the report, he walked out on the job. It must have happened on one of my nights off because I don’t even remember them hiring a temp. Believe you me, if I were there that night, my hand would have been the only one touching that report.”

  Bri looks to Roman. “Nightingale? I’m guessing a relation to Evanora?”

  “Yeah, that’s her eldest grandson. He was out front with her tonight in the battle.”

  “How many do they have in that family?” Bri asks.

  “Including Evanora? Seven. Most of them are light witches or warlocks; you met them here in your home tonight. Then there are the dark ones who were out front with her, Fabian and Raven, her other granddaughter,” he explains.

  “Wait, Raven? Wasn’t that the name of the witch who cursed my family?” she asks.

  “Yes, but this Raven is not the same; she was only named after her. Evanora insisted upon it. Evanora hates your family for what they did to her sister.”

  “Her sister?” Bri asks in surprise. “That would make Evanora…”

  Roman cuts in finishing her sentence, “Three hundred and forty-six years old. She was twenty-one when her sister cursed your family. She and Raven were twins.”
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  “Well, no wonder she has such a vendetta,” Crystal says from the entryway. “I would be upset, too, if someone had my sister burned at the stake.”

  Everyone turns to see her walk in and join them.

  “Hi Crystal. I’m glad you’re here. Did you see the Nightingales out okay?” Bri asks.

  “Yeah, they are actually quite nice people, and Mason is very smart—probably not as smart as me, though.” She smirks.

  Bri smiles. “I told David you could make him a talisman, something in a Harley Davidson theme maybe?”

  “Sure, no problem.” Crystal smiles.

  “We will also need to perform that protection spell on his house tomorrow,” Bri adds.

  “Okay,” Crystal says.

  “In the meantime, I can have my daughter Sabina watch over your home while I stay here and help guard this home,” Roman says.

  “You have a daughter?” Bri asks.

  Roman smiles. “Yes, she’s my pride and joy.” He beams. “I also have four other sons besides Dimitri; Sabina is my youngest of my children.”

  “Wow, I didn’t even know that, and we’ve been friends forever,” David says with a laugh.

  “Vampires can have children?” Crystal asks.

  “Well, no. They have all been a part of my family for centuries, so I think of them as my children and they call me father.” Roman explains.

  “Okay. Well now that we have that all settled, I think it time for this family to call it a night,” says Bri.

  David and Roman stand with that cue.

  “Okay, we get the hint,” David says.

  They both head for the door.

  “Sabina is waiting for you outside,” Roman tells David.

  “Already? That was fast. You just mentioned her a moment ago,” David says.

  “Yes. We can communicate with each other telepathically, and we are faster than the human eye can see.”

  “Wow, my very own superheroes,” David says, and Bri just shakes her head.