Perchta and Baron Samedi regarded each other in a silent dispute that held our lives and afterlife in the balance. Finally, Perchta looked away.
“I concede,” he rumbled. “Your offer is acceptable.”
Perchta gestured with his flail, swinging it toward Nicholson and his doomed cohort. “Ride with me,” he intoned, and as he spoke the living men became gray spirits, and the ghosts grew more solid. Each man appeared astride a ghastly horse. “Mount up!”
Spectral hunting horns sounded a terrifying and mournful note, carrying across the night. Dogs bayed, and horses stamped their feet. The newly taken souls fell into place amidst the cavalcade, and then in the next instant, the whole dark horde rose skyward. For a moment, their silhouette stood out against the moon, and then with a final horn blast, they were gone.
Donnelly turned toward Lucinda. “Thank you,” he said, making a deep bow to Baron Samedi and to Papa Legba. “We are in your debt.”
A deep, masculine chuckle rolled from Lucinda’s throat. “Don’t you of all people know, it’s a dangerous thing to owe someone like me, necromancer?”
Donnelly smiled a terrible smile, part challenge and part inside joke. I had the distinct feeling that he and the Baron were, if not old friends, at least well-acquainted. “And you remember that I always pay my debts,” he replied. I knew that whatever lay behind their words was a mystery I would never solve.
The Baron turned to Secona. “My lady,” he said, and Secona in Teag’s body made a courtly bow. “We meet again. It is always an honor and a privilege.”
At that, Lucinda walked back toward where the spirits of Papa Legba and his dog waited. She turned once more, gave a wink that was pure Baron, and then raised her arms to the sky. When I blinked, Lucinda was herself again, and Papa Legba was gone, though the waft of pipe and cigar smoke assured me that I had not imagined their presence.
“Did we miss it? What happened?” We all turned as Father Anne and Chuck made their way toward us. “The sprites vanished. Is it over?”
Neither Father Anne nor Chuck were prepared when the rest of us broke out laughing. Maybe they could hear the edge of hysteria and relief that tinged our humor, or perhaps they just thought us mad.
“Let’s go back to my house,” I said. “It’s been a long night. I promise, we’ll tell you everything.”
Epilogue
Secona continued to possess Teag as we returned to my house. Without Carmen’s “grouch flu” and the threat of the Wild Hunt or Holmgang, the tension and dread that had hung so heavy over us were gone. I wondered if Secona was waiting to release Teag because he might collapse when her spirit left him.
Anthony and Kell rushed to greet us, hanging back long enough to assure that neither of us were badly hurt. We’d both taken some hits, but compared to some of the battles we fought, everyone came back in pretty good condition. Alicia looked up from where she sat bundled in blankets in an armchair, with Baxter on her lap. She looked tired, and I wondered how much of that was the strain of having channeled Secona’s spirit.
Kell hugged me close and gave me a kiss. Anthony started toward Teag, then must have remembered that Secona still possessed him, because he stopped awkwardly in mid-motion.
“Is it over? Holmgang and Carmen, are they gone?” Anthony asked. He moved closer to Teag and tentatively slipped an arm around him, guiding him to the couch.
“They’re gone,” I confirmed. “It’s over.”
Rowan came up beside me. “Anthony, when Secona releases Teag, he’s going to be fatigued. Could you please make him a cup of hot tea with a lot of sugar?”
Anthony nodded and then got up and headed to the kitchen. Lucinda sidetracked Kell with a question, while Rowan pulled me closer to Teag. I knelt in front of him, while Rowan sat on the couch beside him.
“Teag, you need to know that Carmen was dead seconds after Holmgang began possessing her,” Rowan said quietly. “Secona can show you the truth of that, if you doubt me. The way Secona possessed Alicia and you was different. Secona didn’t want to harm either of you. Holmgang enjoyed the power trip. So when we stabbed her—”
Teag looked up, and I knew Secona had pulled back her power so that we were seeing him and not her, though she still possessed him. “You’re trying to convince me I didn’t help murder someone in cold blood?” he asked quietly, guilt thick in his voice.
“Carmen was already dead,” Rowan repeated. “All we did was extinguish Holmgang. No different from any other monster we’ve destroyed—Nephilim, shifters, vampires. He intended to destroy the city—or more. And if she’d have been alive, Carmen would have been right beside him all the way.”
Teag clasped his hands in front of him. “I know. But this time, it felt different.”
“Are you ready for Secona to let you go?” I asked gently. He nodded, but still didn’t make eye contact.
“Thank you.” This time, the voice was still Teag’s, but the mannerisms were Secona’s. “I know you did not want to be possessed, but I think we fought rather well together back there. You are clever and brave. I have been honored to share your vessel.”
With that, I felt the energy shift, and Teag slumped just as Anthony returned with the cup of tea. I shook my head, letting Anthony know Teag was okay, and Rowan stood to give Anthony room beside Teag on the couch. Teag straightened as if he had woken from sleep, and looked at us, bleary-eyed.
“She’s gone,” he said quietly, sounding utterly worn out. Anthony handed over the tea, and Teag sipped it slowly. “That was…weird. But I guess it worked.”
Anthony wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and Teag leaned into him. Despite the assurances from Secona and Rowan, I knew it would be a while before Teag could convince himself that he’d done the right thing about Carmen.
“There are going to be side effects,” Mrs. Teller said, from where she and Niella stood, watching to make sure Secona departed as promised.
“What kind of side effects?” Anthony asked, worried.
“Won’t know until he’s up to doing some lessons, but I wager having a Weaver of Secona’s strength and experience in his head taught him a few things,” Mrs. Teller replied with a grin. “He saw how she did her magic, felt how it worked. That’ll be like cramming in a lifetime of lessons, maybe, if he remembers. Won’t be surprised if his magic is stronger, too.”
“What happened?” Kell asked, sidling over to join me. “We heard some of it on the headsets, but that’s no replacement for a visual.”
Sorren recounted the events of the evening. Meanwhile, Father Anne got out the medical kit and took care of our injuries. I noticed that he didn’t go into detail about Carmen’s death, and saw the spark of gratitude in Teag’s eyes.
“So it’s really done?” Kell asked.
Sorren nodded.
“Holmgang is banished, and this time I think he’ll be much harder for anyone to summon, if that could even work again,” Sorren replied. “Holmgang killed Carmen, so that threat is resolved. Perchta removed the body, which means there won’t be awkward questions from the police.”
“Except for the missing Rod and Gun Club people,” I said. Kell gave me a puzzled look. “Nicholson and his buddies offered themselves as payment to the Hunt, to end the curse. Perchta took them, so they’ll be permanently ‘missing.’”
Anthony winced. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Although I guess there’s no way to bring charges against the master of the Wild Hunt.”
“If it makes you feel any better, you can blame Nicholson and his cronies for a century and a half of missing persons and chalk up their racing wins to fraud,” Lucinda said tartly. “So not exactly innocent victims.”
“What about Kerrie Carson, the Weaver who was in the car accident?” Teag asked. “Do you think being rid of Carmen will bring her out of her coma?”
“I’ll stop by the hospital tomorrow and check on her,” Rowan promised. “If there’s magic that can help, Mrs. Teller and I can take care of it.”
; “I guess the missing horses and hunting dogs from Harrison Stables are gone for good,” I said. Valerie’s cousin would be saddened, but perhaps not surprised. I had the feeling he suspected that the chance of retrieving the missing animals had been slim, given the supernatural nature of the theft.
“What now?” Kell asked. Teag finished his tea and set the cup aside, then curled against Anthony, letting his partner wrap both arms around him. Kell slid an arm around my waist, drawing me to him, and I rested my head on his shoulder.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired,” I replied. “I want a hot shower and a good night’s rest. We’ve earned it. There’s no telling what crazy new threat might pop up tomorrow.”
End
Other books by Gail Z. Martin
* * *
Deadly Curiosities
Deadly Curiosities
Vendetta
Tangled Web
Trifles and Folly
Trifles and Folly 2
* * *
Darkhurst
Scourge
Vengeance
* * *
Ascendant Kingdoms
Ice Forged
Reign of Ash
War of Shadows
Shadow and Flame
* * *
Chronicles of the Necromancer / Fallen Kings Cycle
The Summoner
The Blood King
Dark Haven
Dark Lady’s Chosen
The Sworn
The Dread
The Shadowed Path
The Dark Road
Other books by Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin
* * *
Jake Desmet Adventures
Iron & Blood
Storm & Fury
* * *
Spells, Salt, & Steel: New Templars
Spells, Salt, & Steel
Open Season
Deep Trouble
Afterword
Charleston, South Carolina is a real place. Some of the landmarks and a few of the historical figures in this book do exist, and some (but not all) of the historical events were real. But the characters and their shops are all a work of fiction. So for example, if you go to Charleston (and I hope you do, because it’s a lovely place to visit), you can see the real Charleston City Market and walk down King Street, but you won’t find any of the businesses or restaurants I’ve mentioned by name. Any resemblance to real people or actual businesses is completely coincidental.
Many people in Charleston will tell you that the ghosts, however, are real. My ghosts are fictional, but that’s because Charleston has enough of its own already. But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself.
I hope you enjoyed the adventures with Cassidy, Teag, and Sorren. If you want more, check out more Deadly Curiosities Adventures collected in Trifles and Folly, Trifles and Folly 2, as well as the full-length novels, Deadly Curiosities and Vendetta, available in paperback and e-book. Cassidy has more short stories and novellas coming!
Visit the website: www.DeadlyCuriosities.com for the latest news.
* * *
Thank you for supporting independent authors!
* * *
This book was written and published by an independent author. Independent authors work outside the large, traditional publishing industry, which means we can be more responsive to our fans and readers, bringing you more of the kinds of stories you want to read.
When you support independent authors, you’re helping them make a living, providing an income for their families, and helping to guarantee that they can continue writing the books you enjoy reading.
By helping spread the word about the books and authors you enjoy, either in reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads or by personal recommendation, you help others discover these books for themselves, and you help make it possible for the writers you enjoy to keep on writing. This is especially important for independent authors, because we don’t have a big name publisher promoting our books or the benefit of being shelved in bookstores.
If you’ve enjoyed this book, or other books by independent authors, the biggest way to show your thanks is by reviewing online and spreading the word. And please, never download ‘free’ books off pirate sites. Doing so harms the author by robbing him or her of the sale, and makes it harder for authors to stay in business, writing the books you love.
* * *
Thank you for reading!
About the Author
Gail Z. Martin is the author of Vengeance, the sequel to Scourge in her Darkhurst epic fantasy series, and Assassin’s Honor in the new Assassins of Landria series. Tangled Web is the newest novel in the series that includes both Deadly Curiosities and Vendetta and two collections, Trifles and Folly and Trifles and Folly 2, the latest in her urban fantasy series set in Charleston, SC. Shadow and Flame is the fourth book in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and The Shadowed Path and The Dark Road are in the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures series. Co-authored with Larry N. Martin are Iron and Blood, the first novel in the Jake Desmet Adventures series and the Storm and Fury collection; and the Spells, Salt, & Steel: New Templars series (Mark Wojcik, monster hunter). Under her urban fantasy MM paranormal romance pen name of Morgan Brice, Witchbane and Badlands are the newest releases.
She is also the author of Ice Forged, Reign of Ash, and War of Shadows in The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven, Dark Lady’s Chosen) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn, The Dread).
Gail’s work has appeared in over 35 US/UK anthologies. Newest anthologies include: The Big Bad 2, Athena’s Daughters, Heroes, Space, Contact Light, With Great Power, The Weird Wild West, The Side of Good/The Side of Evil, Alien Artifacts, Cinched: Imagination Unbound, Realms of Imagination, Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens, Gaslight and Grimm, Baker Street Irregulars, Journeys, Hath no Fury, and Afterpunk: Steampunk Tales of the Afterlife.
Find out more at www.GailZMartin.com, at DisquietingVisions.com, on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin, and free excerpts on Wattpad http://wattpad.com/GailZMartin.
Tangled Web Page 25
