“I’m so sorry,” Lady Harmond whispered, her expression revealing the awful truth.
“Then again ... give me your ring!” Colonel Harmond ordered, striding closer. His clothing was in tatters, but physically the man was completely unharmed, without a scratch or a bruise showing.
At the sight, Rissa blinked to try and clear her vision. Then her grandfather walked into a beam of sunlight coming through the hole in the roof and his flesh burst into flames at that exact spot. The colonel flinched and quickly stepped out of the light, the flames promptly dying away.
Of course, Rissa realized. His ring is gone. He’s a true vampire once more. Wonderful!
“Yes, bite him! Go ahead!” Rissa cried out, ripping away what remained of Colt’s shirt to expose his distended throat. “Please, do it quickly!”
“That is not what I have in mind,” countered Colonel Harmond, holding out a hand. “Now, give me your ring!”
Quickly, Rissa removed a couple of rings from her pinkie and thumb and held them out. “Here, take whatever you need!”
“Not that trash,” the colonel snarled, knocking them aside. “I meant the big ring, the one you inherited from me!”
The phrase confused her. Inherited? But Rissa took off the big dragon ring and eagerly passed it over. “Will this help?”
“Child, child,” Lady Harmond said, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Have you never wondered why your ring was so much larger than any other?”
“No.”
“Then watch,” said the colonel, carefully rotating the outer rims of the amber ring. There was a soft click and it came apart, split right down the middle into two separate rings.
“A matched set?” Rissa gasped.
“I carved this on the day you were born,” Colonel Harmond said, giving her one of the rings back. “They were meant to be your wedding present. I knew that someday ... Colt is a good man. We would not have survived this day without his help.”
“I don’t understand,” Rissa said, struggling to hold off a blind panic. It was difficult to think. Her entire world had condensed to just the man on the carpet. There was nothing else but Colt, and her aching need to do something, anything, to save the man she loved.
Lady Harmond spoke softly. “Dear girl, Colt has been cursed by Dominic, right down to his bones, and that cannot be undone.”
“And?” Rissa screamed impatiently.
Colonel Harmond held up the other ring. “Once on his hand, this will bind the two of you together, body and soul.” He repeated that. “Body and soul.”
“Okay, I’ll be cursed, too! Accepted. As long as Colt stays alive!”
“Oh, he will live,” the colonel continued wearily. “But there is a terrible price to pay.”
“Anything!” Rissa begged, hot tears flowing down her cheeks. “Please, his hand ... ” The flesh was starting to harden into rock, flecks of it falling away to leave nothing behind. The man was literally crumbling into dust before her very eyes.
“She does not understand,” Colonel Harmond said to his wife.
“Dear, the two of you will be bound together, body and soul,” said Lady Harmond. “He will share your life force, and you will share his curse.”
“But he’ll live?”
“Yes, but you will no longer be able to use the rings, and whatever he changes into—”
“Agreed, I agree!” interrupted Rissa tearfully. “Just save him!”
“After this, there’s no going back,” Lady Harmond added. “No divorce or separation. You will be together forever.”
“Do you agree to this of your own free will?” Colonel Harmond asked formally.
“Yes. Whatever it takes!”
“Then so be it,” said the colonel, sliding the amber ring onto the withered husk of Colt’s hand.
In perfect harmony, a stabbing pain shot through Rissa. She stopped breathing, it hurt so much. Her mind whirled, and for a moment she thought she was going to be violently ill. Then the pain subsided, and she watched in growing amazement as the crumbling effect slowed, then started to reverse.
Rissa could feel the air around Colt became dry as he began drawing in the needed moisture to rebuild muscles. Even the smell of the spilled wine was rapidly diminishing. Soon his bones were knitting, then organs healing, and new skin started regrowing at a phenomenal rate. It’s like watching the end of the Morlock in the original Time Machine, only in reverse!
A few minutes later the naked man sat upright on the floor, tendrils of smoke still rising from his pores. “Hi,” Colt whispered hoarsely.
“Hi,” Rissa replied, laughing and crying at the same time. “Hi!”
Weakly, Colt smiled. “You said that already.”
“Did I?” Rissa gushed, leaning in to kiss the man. “Well, I really meant it. Hi
there!”
“Nice to have you back, son,” Colonel Harmond said, wearily standing. “However, you’re not cured. All I could do was stabilize the curse.”
“Meaning what exactly?” Rissa asked, taking hold of his hand once more. The feel of his warm living flesh was wonderful, better than anything else in the history of the world. Christmas on the Fourth of July.
“It means that I’m still going to die,” Colt stated in a monotone.
“Someday, of course. We all will,” Lady Harmond chuckled, taking out a hanky to wipe her dirty face. “But not from the curse.”
Gradually rising into a sitting position, Colt frowned. “Sorry, I don’t understand.”
“You’re a were now, son,” said Colonel Harmond, picking up one of the amber rings he had knocked away before and slipping it onto his hand. Instantly he stood a little taller, and blisters left by the touch of sunlight faded away.
“Actually, both of you are,” corrected Lady Harmond sadly.
Colt frowned. “A were?”
“A child of the moon, obedient to its monthly cycle.”
“Do you mean he’s a werewolf?” Rissa asked, scared, pleased, and confused. Ten thousand images from old movies flickered through her mind, none of them offering much comfort.
The colonel shrugged. “Perhaps, but not necessarily. The curse could have been for a werebear, or a weretiger. Those were very popular back in the first century.”
“Then again, you might now be a Gorgon like Medusa, or a winged horse like Pegasus,” Lady Harmond continued. “Or an incubus, lich ... maybe even a giant demonic spider. The curse has gone wild, totally random. There is simply no way of knowing what the two of you are now. That is, until the transformation during the next full moon.”
“And then?” asked Rissa softly.
“We’ll do whatever is necessary to make sure that you both come to no harm,” stated the colonel succinctly. “Drugs, iron cages, mesmerism, handcuffs ...” He shrugged.
“Wonderful,” Colt muttered, awkwardly getting to his feet. Grabbing a handful of what remained of his clothing on the floor, the man tried to cover himself and only resulted in becoming more exposed.
“Love the view, but this is not the time or place,” Rissa said, gesturing with both hands. But nothing happened.
Without a comment, Lady Harmond slapped her hands together. The dirty carpeting on the floor rapidly unraveled, the canvas and plastic filaments spinning in the air to form a crude poncho over the bemused man.
“Is this the best you could do?” Colt asked, tugging the dirty garment into a slightly more comfortable position.
“Under the circumstances,” said Lady Harmond primly, allowing herself a smile. “Or would you rather get something from Dominic’s closet? You look about the same size ...”
“Pass! This is fine.”
“Thought so.”
In the background a large section of the brick wall collapsed, and several of the Claymore mines in the stairwell detonated in a rapid series of powerful explosions.
“Time to go,” said Colonel Harmond, gesturing with both hands.
There was a bright flash, and the four of them appeared
inside the foyer of Harmond House.
“We’re back!” called out Rissa, helping Colt stagger to a chair.
“Thanks,” he said, sitting down heavily.
“Not a problem, dear. Best close your legs.”
Trying not to blush, Colt quickly crossed his ankles.
“I need to check my workshop,” Colonel Harmond said, and vanished without making any gestures.
“Cool!” Rissa gushed, impressed.
“Privileges of the owner,” Lady Harmond chuckled, disappearing herself.
A few moments later, there came the sound of running from the front staircase, and Melissa appeared, brandishing a cold iron frying pan and a crudely carved wooden stake.
“Okay, who won the fight?” she asked, keeping a straight face.
“We did,” Rissa said, tossing over Lady Magenta.
“Such a pity,” Melissa sighed, making the catch. “I had twenty bucks riding on the other fellow.”
“Smartass.”
“Quite true. What’s your point?”
“Nothing, everything!” Rissa cried, rushing to hug the big woman.
“And I missed you, too,” Melissa chuckled, returning the embrace. “Thank the goddess you’re alive! It would have ruined my entire summer to spend the next couple of months hunting down the creep who killed you and extracting a terrible revenge.”
“Would you really have done that?” asked Colt in growing respect.
“Of course! She’s my sister in everything but blood!” Melissa stated, forcing the smaller woman away. “Now, tell me everything that happened!”
“Boom,” said Rissa, deadpan.
Melissa scowled. “Well, that certainly was concise. Would you care to elaborate?”
“Big boom,” Colt added, massaging his rumbling stomach.
“I see. And you’re wearing a deep shag poncho because ...”
“Very big boom,” Rissa said, doing a pantomime.
“Wait! Let me get a pencil to write all of this down before I forget the pertinent details.”
“By the way,” Rissa added mischievously, “want to be my maid of honor?”
The corners of her mouth twitched as Melissa tried not to smile. “Dunno, what does it pay?”
“Fifty bucks, an awful dress, and all of the groomsmen you can eat,” Colt said, tugging down his hem.
“Deal!”
Just then, Colonel and Lady Harmond came walking down the staircase, holding hands. They both appeared freshly scrubbed and were in clean clothing.
“This is for you, Miss Somner,” Lady Harmond said, proffering a bronze box. “It is only a small token of our appreciation for guarding this house while we were all ...”
“Battling supernatural evil?”
“Indisposed,” supplied Lady Harmond demurely.
“Tomato, banana,” Melissa said, accepting the box.
“I also happened to glanceout the front window,” said Mrs. Harmond. “Can anybody tell me why our front gate is buried under a fifty-foot mound of gardenias?”
Colt barked a laugh.
“Gardenias ... would they be for me?” Rissa asked.
“From a million years ago,” he said with a weary chuckle.
Lifting the lid, Melissa gasped at the sight of a pile of mismatched jewelry: rings, earrings, necklace, bracelets, anklets, no two of them alike in either style or color.
“Thank you?” she said as a question.
“Now, these are some of my more experimental carvings,” Colonel Harmond said proudly, a smile coming and going. “Oddly, they refuse to work for me or my wife. But perhaps ...”
Sliding on a ring, Melissa inhaled sharply as the jade stone began to brightly glow.
“I see they’ve found a home,” Colonel Harmond chuckled.
“Absolutely!” Putting on everything in the box, Melissa walked over to a wall mirror, jingling with every step. At the glittering array of sparkling ornaments, she grinned widely, then scowled.
“I look like a hillbilly millionaire in these,” she snorted, hands akimbo. “Why couldn’t they all be silver and turquoise?” As if in response, every piece shimmered into a matching ensemble.
“It appears that Richard chose the right gift,” Lady Harmond laughed. “They look good on you, dear.”
“Feel mighty good, too,” Melissa whispered, flexing her hands as miniature lighting bolts crackled along her jungle-red fingernails. Swiftly they ran through the entire visible spectrum of colors, then a few more, before returning to red again.
“Oh, Rissa, I wish your folks were around to see us!” Melissa giggled, joyously twirling around in a circle. “Rich witchy bitches!”
“And engaged,” added Colt, bemused.
“That, too!” Rissa laughed, then abruptly stopped. “Why don’t we show them? Let’s all of us Jump to Chicago, and—”
“Sealed.”
“Come again?”
“Sealed,” the colonel repeated. “After a demon burned down Chicago, the entire city was Sealed against magic by the Pope himself. Nobody can Jump there anymore.”
“That’s why we sent your father there in the first place, dear,” Lady Harmond added. “Total magical isolation.”
Startled, Rissa and Melissa exchanged meaningful looks. A demon had started the Chicago Fire? So much for the local legend of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow.
“Okay, we can Jump in close, say ... Indianapolis, and drive the rest of the way,” Melissa declared. “My Caddy is more than large enough for all of us ... ah, where is my car, by the way?”
“Sorry, still parked downtown,” Rissa apologized.
Colonel Harmond snapped his fingers. “Parked in the driveway,” he corrected.
“I like Cadillacs,” muttered Colt, trembling as he tried to rise from the chair.
“No, Lochinvar, you stay right here,” Rissa said, gently pushing him back down. “After what happened in that warehouse, you’re not going anywhere for awhile.”
He frowned. “But—”
“We’ll meet everybody there in a couple of days,” Rissa said. “You need some rest, and besides—” She stopped, not quite ready to tell even her best friend about his condition. Correction: our condition. Especially since tomorrow is the first night of the full moon.
“Go with them,” Colt whispered, resting a hand on her arm. “It’s okay. I’ll show up in a few days after ... you know.”
“No, we’ll go through this together,” Rissa countered, cupping his face to kiss the man.
“All together,” stated Lady Harmond, stepping closer.
“And what exactly did happen in the warehouse?” Melissa asked, crossing her arms expectantly. “I’ve seen week-old roadkill that had more zip than Colt right now. Was he poisoned, cursed, hexed ... bewitched, bothered, or bewildered?”
Tilting his head, Colonel Harmond looked at the young couple. “Sisters in everything but blood?” he asked pointedly.
“Yes, we are,” said Rissa, running stiff fingers through her hair. “Look, Tex, I’m afraid ... that is ... you see ...”
“I’m a werewolf,” Colt interjected.
“Really?” Melissa squealed in delight.
“Actually, we both are,” Rissa sighed. “Or a at least some kind of a were ... thing ... creature.” She trailed off uncertainly.
With a scowl, Melissa crossed her arms. “The two of you have the same curse?”
“Yep.”
“Are you sure you won that fight?”
“Pretty much.”
“We won’t know the details until tomorrow,” added Colt hastily.
“The full moon, of course,” Melissa said, staring at the man with new fascination. “Well, if you lovebirds need some handcuffs, I have a very nice pair in the car. They’re fur-lined, and quite comfortable.”
“Why would anybody own a pair of fur-lined handcuffs?” asked Colonel Harmond in total confusion.
“I’ll explain later, dear,” Lady Harmond whispered, bumping the man with a hip.
Just then the phone rang.
Thankful for the brief interruption, Rissa grabbed the receiver. “Harmond House ... yes, speaking ... how in the world did you find ... I see ... well, bad news, Mr. Kimbrough. It appears that I will not be able to accept that job offer after all ... I’m staying in Savannah ... and getting married ...”
***
The very next night, thousands of people reported seeing a pair of dragons flying over downtown Savannah. Supposedly, the monstrous creatures were laughing, and holding hands—or what would be hands if dragons had such things. However, all of the air traffic controllers at the recently purchased Harmond/Coltier International Airport dismissed the claims as the purest nonsense.
THE END
Table of Contents
BELLE, BOOK AND CANDLE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Belle, Book and Candle: A Fantasy Novel by Nick Pollotta Page 28
