“Yes, I am, love. We were good friends.”
My tranquility is gone. I slide to the edge of the seat. “Do you know what happened to her?”
“Partly. If I knew everything, I would’ve told Vicky already. I’m quite certain her problems with the Shadow World are connected to this.”
“Tell us everything you know, please,” I say with a pleading look.
“That’s what I’m trying to do, love.” She stands up and fills our cups again. “Have some more tea, you still seem a little stressed.”
I want to argue that her story is making me tense but decide to let it go.
She waits until everyone is quietly sipping from their cups again before she continues. “A couple of years before Mary died, she met a man. They became friends. There was nothing romantic going on between them, but they saw each other on a regular basis. Shelton Banks was a successful businessman and since he wasn’t married and she was a widow, he liked to take her to benefits and parties as his date. She told me he always treated her well and never tried anything with her. Still, the few times I saw him in real life, the man gave me the chills. There was something very wrong about him.” She shivers, even now, but shakes it off quickly. “Anyway, the bond between them changed when Mary met Frank. Or Quinn, as we call him now.” With a melancholic look on her face, she gazes at the ceiling as if she can see the two lovers there. “They were so much in love, and I was so happy for her. Frank didn’t like Shelton much, but he didn’t mind Mary visiting him. Sometimes she spent the whole Sunday in Shelton’s huge library, reading about all kinds of worldly things, like religion, war, magic…” Mrs. Delaney’s eyes grow sad. “And then she found that book. It caught her eye because it looked so old. She put it on the table to make sure it wouldn’t get damaged and read for hours. She rang my bell at dinnertime, her face white and still panting. She had run all the way from Shelton’s mansion to my house and was so shaken that she could barely speak. Eventually I managed to calm her down enough to make her tell me what had happened. She was in tears, couldn’t believe how Shelton had treated her.”
“What did he do?” Charlie’s voice pulls me back to the present, and I put my empty cup on the table.
“Well, he got very angry. Told Mary she should never have touched that book. She said she’d never seen him like that, eyes blazing and a murderous look on his face. For a moment, she thought he was going to hit her, but he just told her to get out of his sight. She just stood there, dumbstruck, and that’s when he got really mean. He summoned the Poltergeist, that apparently lived in his attic, and ordered it to attack Mary. She had to run for her life while the ghost threw things at her and made her trip. She kept running until she found herself at my front door.” Mrs. Delaney brushes a stray lock from her cheek. “I had never seen her so scared in my life, and I knew she was telling me the truth. I had always known that Banks man was evil. That’s why I was surprised when he called me an hour later to ask if I had seen Mary. He apologized to us both, and Mary agreed to meet him the next day.”
I shake my head incredulously. “And still Mary didn’t sense something off about him?”
She shrugs. “Well, I can’t really blame her. They had been friends for so long. This was the first time he had treated her badly. But when she called me that night, she told me she had a bad feeling about the whole thing. She suspected there was something in that book she wasn’t supposed to read. So she went back to the mansion, snuck into the library and read the rest of the book. Then she called me again and told me she was onto something. Something about the Devil being connected to her, but she didn’t know how yet. She planned to go back the next day to search for more books.” A tear makes its way down Mrs. Delaney’s cheek. “She never did. Frank found her in her own attic. It looked like she had tripped over something and broken her neck. To me, it was obvious she was killed, and I also knew who did it. But I couldn’t prove a thing.” She wipes the tears away. “Frank was adamant to prove Shelton’s involvement though. I warned him to stay out of it, sensing the danger he would get himself into, but he couldn’t let it rest. He loved her so much.” She sniffs. “He died the next day, under equally mysterious circumstances. And, well…” she spreads her hands, “You know what happened next.”
I nod. “He became an angel named Qaddisin.”
Mrs. Delaney waves her finger. “Oh no, no. You don’t become God’s right hand overnight. That takes a lot of work and time. No, he started out as a regular angel. If you can ever call an angel regular.” She winks.
Now that the story is over, the clanging of cups can be heard as everyone puts theirs back on the table. I find myself unable to move, still half absorbed in the story of Vicky’s grandmother.
“Was he ever punished?” I ask.
“I’m afraid not.” She looks like she wants to say more, but falls silent, lost in thought.
Mona gets up and puts her hands on Mrs. Delaney’s shoulders. Sparks hop from her hands onto the fragile form of the old lady. After a minute of total silence, Mrs. Delaney looks up and smiles. She pats Mona’s hand. “Thank you, love, I needed that. This story brought back more emotions than I thought it would.” She waves her hand merrily through the air. “I’m fine now. Ask away.”
I used the silence to gather my thoughts, and I do have another question for her. “This rich friend, Shelton Banks…” I hesitate, but Mrs. Delaney nods encouragingly. “Do you think he also had Vicky’s mother and Vicky herself killed?”
“Yes, dear, that is exactly what I think. And I want you to form a really solid plan before you try to take him on. Will you promise me that? Even if you just want to snoop around, make sure you have a plan.”
I shake my head in confusion. “Wait, what? Are you saying he’s still alive?”
“He is, and he has grown from rich to extremely wealthy. I haven’t seen him since Mary died, but I’m sure his powers have grown too, and that he has more than just a Poltergeist to send after you if you try anything.” She places a hand on mine. “So please, be very careful.”
“Careful with what?” A bright light blinds us all for a moment and when I can see again, Quinn is standing behind Mrs. Delaney.
“Nothing,” we say in unison.
“What took you so long?” I ask to distract him.
He gives me a scolding look. “As the right hand of God, I have a lot to do, Dante. I can’t just leave whenever I want to.”
Charlie pulls his ponytail tighter and frowns. “How come I never saw you leave when we were in school then?”
He shows us his white teeth. “I made you all think I was there all the time, but I wasn’t.”
I can’t help but copy my best friend’s blank look. “What?”
“Just think for a moment. In all the years you’ve known me, how often have I spoken during class?”
My brain is no longer working, so I just stutter a bit. “Well, eh… I…”
“Never,” he answers his own question. “I never spoke in class because I wasn’t there. I just projected an image of me in the hallway and classrooms and checked in every once in a while. That’s why you never got a sensible answer out of me when we walked to the next class.”
Of all the baffling things I’ve learned since I inherited Darkwood Manor, this is one of the major ones.
“Anyway,” Gisella interrupts us. “We wouldn’t have called you if it wasn’t urgent, so maybe we could get on with it?”
Charlie blows her a kiss. “That’s why I love this girl. Straight to the point.”
She shrugs. “We don’t want to lose Taylar, do we?”
I tear my thoughts away from Quinn at school and sit up straight. “Right, we should hurry.”
CHAPTER 38
Gisella explains her plan and, to my relief, Quinn nods. “That might work.”
I get to my feet. “So, do we go to Darkwood Manor or should I go get Taylar and take him here?”
“Darkwood Manor is better protected.
I’ll see you there.” He’s gone before I can answer.
Mona stands up too and puts a hand on Mrs. Delaney’s shoulder. “You can ride with Dante. I’ll see you there, okay?”
The old woman waves her obvious concern away and smiles. “We’ll be fine. I’ve got my power back, remember? I’m not a helpless old lady anymore. I’m just old now.” She winks.
A chuckle escapes from Mona’s throat. “You’re much more than that.” She gives her a quick hug, waves us goodbye and vanishes in a cloud of sparks.
Mrs. Delaney pushes herself out of her chair and reaches for the cups on the table.
Gisella and I jump to help her at the same time, but the girl with the bright red hair gives me a friendly bump against the hip. “You go, hurry up. I’ll clean up here, go home to change and sleep and join you again tomorrow morning when hopefully everyone’s back on their feet.”
I wrap both hands around her face and kiss her on the forehead. “You’re the best. We’ll see you soon.”
I hold out my arm to Mrs. Delaney and when she slides her arm through mine, I walk to the door, followed by Maël. D’Maeo is lingering and normally I would let him be, but something feels off. He’s staring intently at Gisella and Charlie, saying goodbye in the kitchen. Even from the front door I can see a strange glint in his eye.
“D’Maeo? Are you coming?” I call out.
With a shake of his head, he loses the strange expression. “Yes, of course.” He turns, walks past us and steps through the closed door into the car.
“Is something wrong?” Mrs. Delaney asks when I don’t move.
“I’m not sure,” I answer honestly. “But let’s help Taylar first and worry later.”
I push the uneasy feeling to the back of my mind and guide her to the car. When I open Phoenix’s passenger door for Mrs. Delaney, she looks over her shoulder. “Isn’t Charlie coming with us?”
“He is. He just needs a minute to say goodbye.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her, and she giggles.
“Oh, I see! So he and the werecat-sorceress are a couple?”
I freeze halfway through shutting the door. “The what?”
Mrs. Delaney covers her mouth. “Oh, you didn’t know?”
Charlie appears in the doorway with a grin on his face and a blush on his cheeks.
“No, I didn’t.” I close the door and walk over to the driver’s side. Meanwhile, Charlie gets into the back with the ghosts.
“So, what’s a werecat-sorceress?” I ask while Phoenix is spluttering to life.
Charlie freezes for a moment.
“Sorry, dear,” Mrs. Delaney says.
“Why are you sorry?” I try to keep my voice steady while I pull up, but the combination of the term ‘werecat-sorceress’ and Charlie’s distress makes me uncomfortable.
“Well, it’s not my place to tell you,” Mrs. Delaney says.
I try to meet Charlie’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “So? What is she then?”
A loud honking startles me, and I swerve the car back onto the magical road.
“I’d rather tell you when we’re standing still,” he says.
I hit the brake hard, and the tires screech. We come to a halt in the middle of the invisible road, but I don’t care. Enough is enough.
I whirl around to face Charlie. “This is no time for secrets. Tell me now.”
“Fine, fine!” He holds up his hands. “Fine, I’ll tell you. It’s just not as bad as it sounds, okay?”
I grit my teeth. “That already sounds pretty bad.”
I jump as Mrs. Delaney hand touches my arm. “He’s right. Have faith in the girl.”
My heartbeat pounds in my ears as I turn back to Charlie. “Tell me.”
“Well…” He fidgets with the hem of his Hawaiian shirt. “Gisella is a cross between a werecat and a…” He hesitates.
“Go on,” Mrs. Delaney pushes him. “Tell him the truth.”
A loud sigh fills the car. “She’s the great-great-granddaughter of Black Annis. So she’s half sorceress and half werecat. But you can’t really call her a sorceress because she’s a good witch.”
My tongue is suddenly so dry I can hardly speak.
“Does she have dark powers?” I manage after swallowing several times.
“Well, yes, but she uses them for good, you know? She helps us!”
He sounds so desperate I almost feel sorry for him.
“How can you be so sure?”
He slides his hand over his face. “Because I cast a spell.” The desperation in his voice has changed to defeat. “I was afraid I couldn’t trust her, just like you are now. But you can’t judge someone solely based on their ancestors. Black Annis was like the most evil sorceress of all time, and werecats aren’t that friendly either, but that doesn’t say anything about Gisella.”
“Doesn’t it?” Anger is pouring out of my veins, seeping into the air like invisible smoke. “She’s probably a spy sent to gain our trust and then kill us in our sleep.”
“She’s not,” he says hoarsely. “I tested her on everything.”
“If she’s collaborating with the Devil, your tests may not work.”
Tears fall from his eyes. “But I love her.”
My anger dissolves, but I can’t give him the answer he wants. “If there’s so much bad blood inside her, we can’t trust her, Charlie. You know we can’t. Not now.”
“I can test her,” Mrs. Delaney says. “See if there are any evil molecules inside her. I could even get rid of them, if she wants.”
My anger settles down again. It’s just a simmering feeling at the bottom of my stomach now. “That’s a brilliant idea. Thank you.”
The engine roars back to life when I turn the key, and we start moving again just when another car pulls onto the magical road.
“Not to be pessimistic or something,” Charlie grumbles from the back seat, “but how do you propose we test her without her noticing?”
“Well,” I say, slowing down to let two figures with horns pass, “I say we tell her the truth. Surely, if she’s really as good as you believe, she’ll understand we don’t want to take any risks.”
A glance in the mirror tells me he’s not convinced.
“You can tell her you objected,” I reassure him.
He sighs deeply. “Okay then. I guess I have no other choice.”
“It’ll be fine,” Mrs. Delaney tells him, and I hope she’s right.
CHAPTER 39
When we enter the kitchen of Darkwood Manor, Taylar is sitting in his usual seat. He’s sipping from a can of coke with his eyes closed, vanishing and reappearing every once in a while. Vicky, Jeep, Mom, Mona and Quinn take their eyes off him for only a second as we come in.
I want to put a hand on his shoulder, but he looks so fragile that I pull back my arm at the last moment. “How are you feeling?”
He looks up at me with a weak smile. “As if a minotaur sat on me.”
Mrs. Delaney rubs her hands together. “Let’s see if we can do something about that, shall we?”
She halts behind his chair and puts both hands on Taylar’s temples. I step aside when Quinn and Mona take their places on each side of him.
The house has never been this silent. It seems to hold its breath along with us.
Quinn counts down, and they all send their powers through Taylar at the same time. Bright light emanates from Quinn’s hands, sparks jump from Mona’s arms onto the young ghost and shivers move from Mrs. Delaney’s body into Taylar’s. It reminds me of a nuclear blast, but without the mushroom shape, and suddenly I’m afraid the youngest member of my Shield is going to explode.
Vicky senses my fear and grabs my arm before I can step forward. “Have faith. They will know when to stop.”
Just when the brightness in the room starts to give me a headache, the lights fade, and all hands on Taylar are lifted.
Mona takes the young ghost in as if he’s a piece of art. “How do you feel
?”
The white-haired boy beams up at her and flexes his arms. “I feel great!” He looks at them one by one. “Thank you!”
He stands up, performs a couple of karate moves and jumps up and down. He looks a lot more solid, and the blinking is over. “I feel better than I have in years!”
The others just stand there, smiling, and an idea pops into my head. “Hey guys, can you do that for the whole Shield?”
Mrs. Delaney nods. “Sure, we can try. But remember, this is just a temporary solution. All we can do is send healing energy through them, to keep them on their feet longer.”
I blow her a kiss. “It’s more than I could’ve hoped for.”
One by one, the other ghosts sit down and undergo the same treatment. They all look a lot less transparent when they’re finished, as if they’re almost back alive.
Mona and Mrs. Delaney, however, have to lean on the chair and table for support.
I hurry over to them and help them each into a seat. “Are you okay? Did I ask too much of you?”
They both swat away my concern.
Mrs. Delaney rests her head in her hands. “We’ll be fine after a long nap.”
“You can both sleep upstairs if you want. There’s plenty of room.”
They both nod but stay in their seats.
“Can I get you something to eat or drink first?” I offer.
Mrs. Delaney pulls a small bag of herbs out of her bag. “Make some tea with this, please.”
While D’Maeo hovers aimlessly around Mona, Mom boils some water and puts two cups on the kitchen counter.
I look at the others, all smiling and full of energy. “So, what’s our next step?” I yawn. “Tomorrow I mean.”
Taylar slams his hands together. “Let’s go find Trevor and get rid of him.”
Charlie clears his throat. “What about Gisella?”
I brush my hand through my hair with a sigh. “Her test will have to wait.”
“But she’ll be here tomorrow morning. What do we say to her? Can she come with us?”
A frown forms on Vicky’s forehead. “Why wouldn’t she come with us? What did we miss? What happened?”
The Fourth Soul: (Cards of Death book 4) Page 20
