Outside, past the awning where our cars were parked, were rows of children. Emergency vehicle lights still flashed red and blue over the crowd of young people. They stood as still as statues in various styles of old-fashioned clothes. We froze in the middle of the parking lot, focusing on eyeless children.
“What the hell?” Luke whispered. Lucy crumpled to the pavement. Leigh Kate bent over double and vomited. Chi threw herself into Garner’s arms. I wanted to go help them, comfort them, to console my friends as they stared down this terror for the first time.
But I was frozen. From shock, this time, not cold. In fact, I wasn’t cold at all. Numb, but not cold. That was a first. Was Gram truly gone? Were Sam and the others dead now too? The sheer number of children was overwhelming. Hundreds of years of lost kids.
They joined in the rhyme.
“In the wispy dark of a foggy night, the children come. The children die.” They all said together. Their chant echoed in stereo since we stood between them and the adults inside.
“Jenny Greenteeth croons to them, her keening call they cannot deny.”
Garner recovered first. He ran toward the ranks of children.
“Chase?” he yelled. “Chase?”
“Sam?”
His name escaped my lips. I spotted Little Sophie. Garner ran right past her, never knowing she was his great-aunt.
“To the pond across from the ocean they come, seeking only to be her friend.” The children started the first line of the second part of the rhyme.
Leigh Kate and Chi joined Garner running into the crowd, grabbing random kids by the shoulders to check for their lost siblings.
“I can’t,” I said and leaned heavily on Foster. His arm snaked around my waist, and he let me use his strength. “I can’t look. What if Sam is there?”
The children started the rhyme over again from the beginning. Instead of speaking it, this time they sang each verse. Faster and faster as Luke now ran among the group searching for Lila.
Our kids weren’t there. Greenteeth was messing with us. She wanted to frighten me as much as possible. Because of Foster. I glimpsed his expression as he watched the horrible display.
“They’re not here,” I croaked. “Our kids aren’t here.”
Leigh Kate sat down and buried her head in her arms. Her shoulders shook with sobs. Lucy sat with her, and they cried together.
Realizing Sam wasn’t within the crowd, I looked back toward the medical center. No movement. No Greenteeth. Was she waiting for me to leave Foster’s side so she could snatch him from me?
Titan wasn’t with us. I’d learned to sense his presence, and there was no heaviness on my shoulders.
“What do you want?” I asked aloud, stepping into the crowd of wailing children, daring the witch to come get me. “Jenny, what do you want from me?”
The singing continued. “To the pond across from the ocean they come, seeking only to be her friend.” Then they stopped. Simultaneously, they turned their backs to us, facing an apparition I hadn’t seen before.
A beautiful lady stood, towering above us all, in a long white dress. Her light brown hair was undone and blowing in the breeze.
Jennings made a strangled sound.
The children approached the woman, avoiding Garner, Chi, Luke, and Leigh Kate in their quest. They formed a circle around the vision of loveliness.
“To the pond across from the ocean they come, seeking only to be her friend. Little do they know the salty air can’t save them, and Jenny will be their end.” In a soft voice, she spoke the last verse of the nursery rhyme in its entirety.
I recognized her voice, and a part of my heart shriveled up and died.
“Gram.” I choked on the word at the same time Jennings called her name.
Gram had passed, and I hadn’t been there with her.
“You said you would stay,” I hollered at her. “You said you wouldn’t leave me.”
Her sad smile focused on me. Such a beautiful face, free of lines and pain. Her eyes were bright.
Little Sophie broke from the group and took Gram’s hand in her own. “She’ll take care of us,” the girl said.
“No. She’s mine,” I yelled.
“They need me more, love,” said Gram. “You’ve angered Greenteeth. She’s just as much a threat to them now as she is to the ones she hasn’t taken yet.”
Sirens blared. Another ambulance was arriving under the awning.
“Gram, no. Please.” I sobbed. “You can’t leave me like this. I wasn’t there to say goodbye.”
“We are saying goodbye now. Please be nice to Bryan. He doesn’t know how to love a family.” Gram paused and lowered her head. “And my Carly, she’s teetering. Don’t lose her. I’m counting on my brave Sophie to bring them all together.”
“Sam?”
“He won’t be alone,” she said.
“But he’s not here. None of the recent ones are.”
Her parting smile was sad, but she gave no answer.
“I love you,” she said instead.
I shook my head, refusing to believe this was happening. Gram was not dead.
“Sophia Calla Howell.” My Dad’s voice.
I turned to see him climbing out of the back of the ambulance. He left Mom, who was holding Connor, and ran across the parking lot to me.
When I whirled back around toward Gram, she was gone. She’d taken all the children with her and left the rest of us to grieve our losses. None of us were any closer to finding our loved ones than we’d been before this horrible night began.
I launched myself into my dad’s arms.
“Sophie.” He clasped me so tight. “I was so scared. I saw your note, but Callie was seizing, and you weren’t there.”
“I know, Dad. She died, and I wasn’t with her,” I sobbed into his shoulder.
“How could you have known?” He pulled away and cupped my face in his hands. “How did you get here? I didn’t have time to call or text.”
He seemed as devastated as I felt.
“I was already here. My friend Leigh Kate was hurt. Grandpa is here too,” I told him. No more Jennings. He was grandpa now.
Dad started to walk toward the hospital entrance before noticing my friends scattered around the parking lot. Leigh Kate and Lucy held each other, crying. Garner sat, his forehead resting on his drawn-up knees. Chi snuggled beside him. Foster talked quietly with Luke.
Jennings, that is, Grandpa, watched Mom cradle Connor. Everyone I loved was gathered here. The thought stopped me. They were all hurting. We were all damaged.
“I hope one day, Sugar, you’ll tell me what all this is about,” said Dad.
“I will,” I said. I knew it was a lie, but I couldn’t hurt him more today.
Whatever trance the medical staff had been under had disappeared when Gram took the children. I wished the rest of the mystery could be solved that easily.
If only.
In truth, I was too tired and numb to work out the puzzle anymore. Greenteeth had won tonight. She’d taken both another child and my grandmother. But all her actions had accomplished this time was to strengthen my resolve. I would find an opportunity to hinder her at every turn; I wasn’t giving up on getting our kids back before she killed them. My second goal was setting Gram’s spirit free. I’d find a way.
Chapter 44
Without much left to do, Mrs. Watson took Leigh Kate home. Luke, Lucy, and their parents all huddled into the back of a police car, and Chief Wallace drove them back to their house. Chi and Garner had stayed with us for a while, but eventually, Dad sent them on their way too. Foster remained after I told him it was okay to leave, and I was thankful for that. His presence helped me remain upright for the rest of the night.
Gram’s body would be delivered to the funeral home in the morning, followed by no shortage of paperwork and a funeral to plan later.
Grandpa drove me home while Foster took Mom, Dad, and Connor in his car. I made Grandpa promise to come back for lunch. I told hi
m Gram said he had to. He was a part of the family now, like it or not.
Since Gram was gone, the hospice nurse had left, and the house was eerily quiet without the hums, dings, and gasps of machines that had become part of our normal lives. Dad took Mom and Connor to bed with him. He’d probably intended for Foster to go home, but since he hadn’t spelled it out, Foster stayed with me until I fell asleep.
Lying next to Foster wasn’t as exciting as it had been before. This time, he held me tight as I clung to him. I kept waiting for the crying to come, but it never did. Every so often, Foster would say my name and rub my back. I think he was waiting for tears too. They just weren’t there.
The next morning, I woke alone, heartsick, and sore. My muscles ached, and I’d have bet someone had put sand in my eyes. LED lights on the clock showed 9:07. Guess I wasn’t going to school again today. I didn’t care if I ever went back.
Rolling out of bed, I noticed a piece of paper taped to the mirror. Not my note from last night. This one was from Foster.
Call me when you wake up, Popsicle.
I managed a weak smile. The nickname was growing on me. On my desk, the phone indicated countless missed texts and calls. Chi, of course. She and Garner weren’t going to school either. A couple of messages from Max asking if I knew what had happened last night.
I was about to go back to bed when my phone pinged with a new message.
It was from Leigh Kate.
Have you given any thought to what I asked you yesterday?
I took my phone back to bed with me. I knew my friend was talking about Hannah Grimm’s grave. After last night, I was certain defeating Greenteeth would take more than just my determination. I needed a witch of my own.
Yeah…let’s talk later. I answered her.
I sent Foster a quick text saying that I missed him but was going back to sleep. And I did.
Shortly after one o’clock, Dad knocked on my door.
“Still asleep, kid?” he asked through the door.
“No, I’m up.” I sat and pushed a hunk of hair out of my face. The door opened, but it was Leigh Kate, not Dad, who stuck her head in the room.
“Oh, hey,” I said.
“Am I bothering you?” she asked. I shook my head and patted the bed beside me.
“Can I bring you girls some water or anything?” Dad asked. He smiled, probably glad to see me with someone other than Foster.
“We’re good,” I answered for both of us. “Hey, did Grandpa stop by?”
“He’s in the dining room with your mother and Connor.” Dad perked up even more. “I was gonna wake you, but he said to let you sleep.”
“And the funeral home?” I asked.
“Don’t worry, Sophie. Your Mom and I handled those details earlier.” He shut the door. Mom must have been feeling better if she’d been able to face the mortuary.
We sat on my bed, our backs to the wall.
“Last night was intense,” she said after a few moments.
I dropped my hand onto her arm and nodded. “How’s your head?” I asked.
“I had a bit of a headache, but that went away a while ago. Mom didn’t want me to drive.”
I was certain that bright smile of hers had helped convince everyone she was feeling well.
“Where’s Foster?” she asked.
“He stuck around awhile last night, but he’s home now.”
“He stayed?” Surprise colored her words. She must not have realized how inseparable Foster and I’d become.
“It was totally PG,” I said. My cheeks were on fire, though.
Leigh Kate laughed. She obviously didn’t quite believe me. “I’m sure. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” She patted my leg. “There is nothing PG in his eyes.”
The thought warmed me. It cracked the hard stone that had petrified my heart. But then I remembered my conversation with Titan. All the commotion that came after I’d been so rudely removed from the dragon’s presence had made me forget. But that boy I was so crazy about might be more than I’d bargained for. I mean, how much did I really know about him? Foster and I had never had the what do you want to be when you grow up conversation or even much small talk. I didn’t know his favorite color or his favorite meal.
“You got awfully quiet on me,” Leigh Kate murmured.
“I think I might be a bad girlfriend,” I said. She turned and tucked her legs under her. I did the same. Our knees touched. We were about to have some serious girl talk. Chi was never into this stuff.
“Why?” she asked.
“I barely know him. I don’t know what he likes to drink. Well, coffee, but other than that. His favorite ice cream flavor? Who knows? Anything, really? Truly.” I frowned.
“You’re being way too hard on yourself. You and he have been through a lot in the . . . what’s it been . . . a week? All that other stuff will come with time.”
Time. There might not be a lot of that either. I imagined at some point, Greenteeth was going to come after Foster again.
“We need to talk about Hannah,” I sighed.
“Yes, Hannah. Sophie, I think that…”
I stopped her before she could go on. “She’s a witch? I think so too.” I didn’t tell her that a golden sea dragon had pretty much confirmed it. “How do we get her to help us?”
“I don’t know if she will. I tried to do some research on how to tell if someone is a witch, and most everything I found leads back to those awful Salem Witch Trials.” Leigh Kate screwed up her mouth in frustration. I shuddered. The Salem Trials only made me think about the book that Cotton Mather wrote.
“You know, Hannah had a very intense dislike of Cotton Mather,” I said.
Leigh Kate snorted. “Who wouldn’t? A lot of innocents died because of him.”
“Hannah said almost the exact same thing.” I smiled.
“I have an idea, and I think it may be crazy.” She studied her hands and wouldn’t look at me. “While I was doing witchy research, I found a couple of websites that had some spells.”
“Spells, whoa, Leigh Kate.” I sucked in a deep breath.
“I know, but we need something to give us an edge, and having a little witchcraft of our own would do that.” Leigh Kate glanced up at me. Her eyes were bright with something. Fear? Anxiety? Excitement?
Maybe she had hit her head a little too hard last night.
“I agree,” I said slowly. “That’s why I want to find a way to get Hannah to help us.”
“Help us.” Leigh Kate violently shook her head. “Sophie, I saw her when you were in the pond. A couple of words from her, and Greenteeth let go of you. Hannah is in deep with the wrong side. She’s not going to help us.” I swallowed hard and let her words wash over me. I rubbed my eyes. Maybe Hannah was what I was missing? What if she was hindering us? I shuddered to think that she was actively working against us.
“So, what did you find?” I asked, with a little wobble in my voice.
“There are these protection spells. We could put one over all of us and the remaining children. If they work like I think, neither Jenny nor Hannah will be able to lay a finger on us. And they are in Latin, not French. Who has ever heard of witchcraft being done in French?” She pulled her phone from her pocket.
I remembered hearing the French while I’d been in the pond. And Hannah did call me mon amie. Though I couldn’t figure out what the difference the language made.
“Here.” Leigh Kate turned her phone around. There was a recipe for a spell. It required herbs and a piece of bark from a willow tree along with bone dust of the ones we need protection from. Bone dust?
“Leigh Kate…” I started.
“Yes, I know.” She jerked her phone back. “That’s where it gets a little crazy.”
“No, this whole thing is crazy.” I took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I know you are desperate. So am I, but bone dust?”
Leigh Kate leaned in close. “What if this could save them?”
“How would we even get bone dust
?” I asked, hoping to bring some sense to this idea.
“The graveyard.” Leigh Kate whispered so softly I thought I might have misheard her.
“What?” I asked.
Leigh Kate pulled free of me and stood up. “I know. I know. Okay…I know. But the old mausoleums at the cemetery are all above ground. I’ve read that ancestral bones work even better. It blocks the whole family from harming you.”
I scrubbed my hands over my face. My heart was too sore to be considering the new hobby of grave robbing.
“I’ve got to tell you something, but it stays just between us. All right?”
She sat back down and leaned in close.
“Titan,”
“The sea dragon?” she interrupted.
“Yes. I had a talk with him. I think he’s Timothy Grimm. The original Foster’s brother,” I said.
“And Hannah Grimm’s husband. The original Hannah, of course.”
Of course.
“And I think my Foster may be that brother.”
Leigh Kate chewed on her bottom lip.
“I did ask Hannah about witchcraft in the family while you and Foster were making out in the shower.”
“We weren’t,” I began to argue but laughed anyway.
“Yeah, I was there. You defrosted nicely.” She giggled. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. It was so good to have a carefree moment. Even if it was just a moment.
“What did she say?” I asked, sobering quickly.
“Something about how the Grimms had passed down enough knowledge to have some rudimentary control over Greenteeth while she is in the pond. Once she leaves it, though, they are powerless to stop her,” said Leigh Kate. “But I got the distinct impression that she wasn’t being honest with me. I think she is way more involved.”
“Hence the need for bone powder,” I said.
She nodded.
“Okay, say we do this. We go break into the mausoleum. What do you think we’ll find?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “I think it might help us figure out a couple missing pieces.”
“Either we find lots of crypts that we can collect bones from, or it’s empty and we know that Hannah is ‘the’ Hannah.” I said it all out loud trying to normalize what we were considering doing.
The Curse of Jenny Greene Page 21
