by Dyan Chick
Jason used his now free hand to ring the doorbell.
We all waited.
Fear formed an icy webbing over my skin, making me overly aware of every rustle of leaves, every skittering creature, every shift in the light. Being out in the open was getting to me. Come on Minnie. Open the door.
Finally, the porch light flickered on and Minnie greeted us in a bathrobe and slippers. Her blue-gray hair was in a crown of pink curlers and her lips were pulled together as if she'd eaten something sour.
Her expression softened when she saw me, then she turned her gaze to Miles with Jane and her eyes widened. Any sign of exhaustion was wiped from her expression in an instant. "Get her inside. Quick."
She moved aside and Miles carried Jane in, followed by Jason. Minnie turned to me. "Anyone follow you?"
"I don't know," I said, honestly. I hadn't thought to look.
She stepped out the front door and narrowed her eyes, staring out into the night as if she could spot any danger that might be lurking in the distance. "Inside, Angie. Something dark has come to Crescent Falls."
Twenty
Angie
Jane was sprawled out on a tan couch in the tiny living room while Minnie leaned over her, poking and prodding. Miles and Jason were whispering in the corner of the room, occasionally glancing toward Jane or me.
I felt like I was the outsider, someone who didn't belong here taking part in such an intimate scene. Yet, I was the cause of all of the trouble.
"You say you didn't find anything other than the message?" Minnie asked.
"That's right," I said. "The place was trashed, all the water was running, and she was passed out on the floor."
Minnie's face went slack. "The water was running? You didn't mention that before."
"I guess I forgot," I said.
"Shit, Angie."
"What is it?" I asked.
Jason crossed the room and stood next to me. "What's going on?"
"The water means something," I said.
"Of course the water means something." She lifted Jane's hand. "See her fingers? They're covered in makeup. Did you find anything else there?"
I leaned down a little to get a better view. Black smudges covered her fingertips. It looked like she'd rubbed the makeup off of her face. "The eyeliner. There was a message on a mirror. She wrote it. Not the attacker."
"She did," Minnie said. "Which means she kept her wits about her. And she had enough sense to turn the water on."
Minnie stood, then tightened the belt on her robe. "She needs tea."
"What was it that got her?" I asked.
"Is she going to be okay?" Jason asked.
"Tea." Minnie walked away from us.
I followed her into her kitchen with every intention of pestering her until she explained what the hell she was talking about. But something else caught my attention. Her kitchen was full of boxes and her kitchen table was covered in piles of soap, baskets of bath bombs, and trays of Chap Stick. Tissue paper and a pile of stickers were stacked neatly on one end. I smiled. Minnie was packaging up her soap to ship it out.
Thrilled that Minnie hadn't fully abandoned her business, I felt calmer. Or maybe it was the scent of lavender and rosemary that filled her small kitchen.
An electric kettle clicked off as it came to a boil and Minnie poured steaming water into a mug over a mesh tea strainer. "She'll come to soon and she'll need to drink all of this as quickly as possible."
"Are you going to explain what is going on?" I asked.
"Are you? I know there has to be a reason why a water spirit attacked your friend."
"She helped me dispose of a body," I said.
Minnie's eyes widened. "Oh?"
"It was an accident and he was a member of the Shadow Club and if I didn't hide it they'd come after me. They never would have believed it was an accident." The words tumbled out and now that I was going, I couldn't stop. "This is all my fault. Jason helped, the whole pack helped. Jane helped. I'm going to get everyone killed."
"Slow down," Minnie said, setting the cup of tea on the counter. "You have to keep your head about you."
She took a deep breath and waved her hands in front of her face, indicating that she wanted me to breathe. I did.
"Let me deliver this tea, then me and you need to have a serious talk."
I swallowed a lump that rose in my throat. I had a very bad feeling about this.
I moved a box aside and sat on one of the chairs. The scents of roses, lavender, and honey competed for attention from the piles of products on the table.
"I took your advice," Minnie said, moving a box from another chair onto the floor. "I send out a box every other month with a theme. This month it's all about flowers."
"I'm so glad," I said. "Is that why you sold the shop?"
"To be honest, we were all sort of bullied into selling. If not for Jason taking out a massive loan to buy that shit hole of his, the entire main strip would be corporate casinos. He keeps them in check since being an owner gives him a seat on the gaming commission."
My throat felt tight. The casino wasn't just about going straight, or paying the bills. He was trying to help the town. That was so like Jason. He really had a big heart, even if he didn't always show it.
"Now, it's time to talk about the other things going on around here," Minnie said.
"I know, I fucked up," I said. "I shouldn't have come. I should have tossed the body into the ocean."
"Or you could have not killed him," Minnie said.
"I didn't do it on purpose," I said. "I wasn't even totally sure that the curse was real until he was dead in my bed."
"Curse?" Minnie asked.
"Yeah," I said. "Every guy I've ever had sex with has died." At this point, I was starting to think I might need to wear a sign. It was getting old having to explain it to people.
"Oh, honey." Minnie grabbed hold of my hands.
Her skin felt paper thin and was colder than I expected. "Just tell me what to do," I said.
"I wish I could fix everything for you, but I don’t have magic of my own. All I know is that there's a presence in town now. Something is hunting you."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Do you know how the Shadow Club got its name?" she asked.
I shook my head. As far as I knew, they were a group of mages who decided to work together to form their own crime syndicate. They owned most of the large cities in the Midwest and a few on the coasts.
"They're not typical mages," she said. "The Shadow Club only works with dark magic. They train in necromancy and demonology. And they sent one of those creatures here, to find the dead mage."
My breath hitched and chills ran down my arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps. If they tracked the body to Jane, it was possible she told them everything. Whatever it was that was hunting for answers might already be at my hotel.
I leaned closer to Minnie, brow furrowed. "What do I do? How can I fix this?"
"First, you have to find out what kind of creature you're up against," she said. "Then, I can tell you the best plan of attack."
"How do we do that without getting eaten?" I asked.
"You're going to need a medium," she said.
"Like the humans who hunt ghosts?" I asked.
"No, not the fake human kind. The real, supernatural kind."
"I didn't even know that was a thing," I said.
She clicked her tongue. "Poor thing. You're the first supernatural I've met who knows less about the world than I do."
"I'm sure that's not true," I said. "None of us knew what you've told us."
"Well, I might have picked up a few things here and there," she said.
"When we aren't trying to rid our town of a monster, I want to hear some of your stories," I said.
"To do that, you'll have to stick around," she said.
"I can't make that promise. How about we slay the monster first, then we can figure out the next step."
Minnie smiled
. "Go find a medium. But be careful. Whatever it is might not know you're connected or Jane might have spilled everything. You have no idea what you're walking in to."
"Tell me about it," I said. And here I thought my biggest problem was going to be an ex-boyfriend.
"Wait," I said. "What if they already found the body?"
"I thought you said it was disposed of?" Minnie asked.
"Jason took care of that part," I said.
"You two might want to get out here," Miles yelled from the other room, a twinge of fear in his voice.
I launched myself from my chair and bolted into the living room. Jane was leaned over a plastic trash can throwing up her guts.
I grimaced, really hoping they hadn't called me out here to see Jane being sick.
Jason walked over to me. "She saw the water spirit. She talked to it."
"And?" I asked.
"She started puking." Jason turned away from me, back to Jane.
Hesitantly, I looked over at her just as she stopped retching.
She set the bucket down, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Anyone have a cigarette?"
"Not in this house, young lady," Minnie said. "Some of us are mortal."
"Right," Jane said.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Oh, I'm fine, thank you for asking," Jane said, rolling her eyes.
I pressed my lips together into a line and took a deep breath.
"I see you brought her to my house," Jane said to Jason. "Thanks for that."
"We needed your help," Jason said. "But that's not important right now. Tell us who did this."
"Don't you know? They're after the dead mage your girlfriend brought here. I told you a dark cloud followed her here," Jane said.
"You were attacked by water spirits, how is that a dark cloud?" I asked.
"They came for information. When I didn't give it, they tried to kill me. I'm lucky I got to the faucets to turn on the water fast enough," Jane said.
"I don't understand why water spirits would want to find a dead mage," I said.
"Because they're working for the Shadow Club. They've got a dead member and they want his body. I'm pretty sure he's someone important. Or someone important's kid. Water spirits are notoriously difficult to understand."
"You sent them away, though, right?" Miles asked.
"Yeah," Jane said. "But they called in a friend." She turned and looked at Minnie. "You already feel it, don't you? The darkness."
Minnie nodded. "I can't tell you what it is, but I can feel it."
"It's a demon of some sort," Jane said. "And it's not leaving here without that body."
Twenty-One
Angie
"They're after the body?" I asked. "Will they be able to find it?"
"I didn't tell them anything, if that's what you're asking," Jane said.
"I'm not doubting you," I said. "I'm wondering if they'll be able to call to the body. Is it in one piece?"
"Um." Miles shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, we didn't stay to watch."
"You went to the creature again?" Jane asked.
"What creature?" I asked.
"We're not really sure," Miles said. "It lives in the woods and it likes to eat flesh, we think."
"We're not exactly sure what she does with the bodies," Jason said.
"You have a creature in the woods that you take bodies - plural - bodies?" I asked.
"Trouble in paradise?" Jane asked, a smirk on her lips. "Is it possible you don't know all their dirty little secrets? You thought you were the only one?"
"Not now, Jane," Jason said.
"Yes, take the side of the siren who lured you in and left you," she snapped.
"Seriously?" I asked. "You have got to be kidding me. What the fuck is this about, Jane? Are you jealous?"
Jane scoffed. "Of course I'm not jealous. I'm pissed."
"Girls," Jason said.
"Don't you dare!" I shouted.
"Don't fucking girls me," Jane yelled.
We looked at each other. For once, we'd agreed on something.
"Can we focus on you two tearing each other apart after we figure out what the hell is roaming the streets of Crescent Falls?" Miles asked.
"I don't think I can work like this," Jane said. "I'm going home."
"Home to where the bad guys know you live?" Jason asked. "I don't think so."
"So protective. Clearly, I took care of myself just fine," she said.
"Enough, children," Minnie said, raising her voice louder than I'd ever heard before. It wasn't quite a yell, but it was commanding.
I suddenly felt like a kid, guilty for disappointing an adult that I respected. It wasn't a good feeling.
"You all have bigger things to worry about." She turned to Jane. "You are not going to your house until this is fixed and you're going to have to play nice with Angie in the meantime."
She turned to me. "Angie, Jane, you're on the same side."
"So what's the next step then?" I asked, trying to shift my nervous energy into something else.
"You can't fight something blind," Minnie said.
"So a medium?" I asked.
"No need," Jane said with a sigh. "I know what it is."
I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep from yelling at her. If she'd known this all along, why hadn't she just said? Jane was such a fucking drama queen. She was probably eating up all this attention.
"And?" Jason asked.
"It's a body snatcher, a demon that specializes in hunting flesh," she said.
"How do you know?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.
Jane glared at me, but then her gaze softened, as if she wanted to snap at me, but thought better of it. "I had a vision, okay? And it doesn't turn out well for us."
"Are your visions set in stone?" I asked, then held up my hand signaling I wanted her to stop. "Before you answer, I'm honestly curious. I'm not trying to undermine you."
Jane let out a sigh. "No. They aren't. They change all the time and I'm still trying to learn how to pick out the ones that are more stable."
"Alright," I said, "so that's good news. We know what it is and why it's here and we might not all die."
"Might," Jane said.
"Thanks for that burst of optimism," I said.
"It is your mess." She shrugged.
My shoulders fell. That was true. None of this would have happened if I hadn't come back.
Jason wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him. Feeling the side of his warm body pressed against his sent an instant tingle straight down to my thighs. I shouldn't be thinking about sex right now, but having him this close to me was making me foggy.
"I'm glad she came back," he said. "She's family. We help family."
"Well, I'm not part of your stupid pack philosophy," Jane said. "If you ask me, it's a good way to get everyone killed."
"Nobody is asking you to help," Miles said. "You've done enough."
"Damn right, I have," Jane said. "And seriously, nobody has a cigarette?"
"Knock, knock." The door swung open and Gage and Cody walked in.
Gage walked over to Jane and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of the inside of his leather jacket. "Knock yourself out, witch."
"I'm a mage, you dumb mutt." Jane grabbed the box of cigarettes and stormed out of the house.
"We got Miles's text," Gage said. "There's a monster?"
"Demon," Jason said.
"And you two are back together?" Gage asked, nodding to me, still wrapped in Jason's strong arm.
"Sort of," he said.
"It's complicated," I said.
"Can we focus, please?" Cody asked. "There's a demon on the loose?"
"It's hunting for the body," I said.
"Is that possible?" Cody asked. "Doesn't she eat the bodies?"
"We don't know for sure," Jason said.
"Either way, it's looking for the body," Minnie said. "Obviously they were able to trace the body here, but th
ey must have lost the scent."
"Cause Jane did a spell for us," Gage said. "She was supposed to make it untraceable.”
"She did," Jane shouted from the screen door. "But I can't mask where it's been. That's not a thing."
"Finish your cancer stick," Gage shouted.
Jane blew a cloud of smoke through the door.
"Manners, Jane Owens, manners," Minnie chided.
It occurred to me then how connected all of these people were. They shared a past that I would never be a part of. It made me a little sad, but also sent a renewed fight through me.
I shrugged Jason's arm off of me and turned to face him. "We can't let this demon hurt the people in this town. I have to stop it."
"We have to stop it," he said.
"We're a small pack," Gage said, "but we're mighty."
"In your dreams," Jane said, blowing another smoke cloud into the house.
Minnie lit an incense stick and carried it around the room. "You're going to need help if you're going to take on a body snatcher."
The screen door opened and Jane walked back in, clutching the box of cigarettes. She handed it to Gage, then turned to face me. "You need someone who is undead. None of you will be able to see the demon. It's invisible to the living."
"Like a vampire?" I asked.
"Sure," she said. "You friends with any?"
"Actually, yes," I said. "And he owes me a favor after the stunt he pulled."
"You want to involve Draven in this?" Jason asked. "I don't trust the guy."
"There's no time to argue," I said. "Call him. Now."
Jason frowned, but he picked up his phone and punched in the number.
I held my breath while he waited, phone pressed against his ear.
"Draven," Jason said. "We need your help."
Jason was silent as Draven spoke.
"Actually, yes, it does have to do with the demon," Jason said.
Another silence.
"Yeah, thanks."
Jason hung up the phone and looked at me. "I hope you know what you're doing. I just called in a vampire for back up."
"He's on our side, I promise," I said, hoping I was reading Draven well enough to be right.
"Alright, guys, we're meeting at the Casino and we'll go from there," Jason said. "Draven said he has some ideas on how to send the thing back to hell."
