“Maybe that’s the only way they can take them?” Kelly asked.
I shook my head. “My mother said they cannot be released until a witch’s sentence is up. So, once my powers are bound, only the elders can free them. If a witch tries to break the crystal, she is immediately banished to Summerland’s dungeons. She will stay until she dies. As far as I know, no one else–nothing else can get their hands on my powers.”
“Roberta thinks you’ll just hand her your crystal? Based on what? I bet she plans on busting it open and you’ll be locked away while she frees your father. She’s going to take the credit and be daddy’s little number one demon.”
“He’s not my father.” They both stared at me.
“Okay. He is. Technically. But you know what I meant. Can’t we just call him Samell? Please? The father I knew is dead. Samell will never be my dad.”
“Sure, Selena. You’re right. We’ll call him Samell.” Keith poured himself another cup of coffee and added another ten creamer packets.
“Good. So now, we need to know why she wants to kill the rest of your family. Sorry, but they already got your mom and brothers so what would be the point in killing all of you?”
“To keep you away from Keith” Kelly said.
“I don’t get it.”
“Yeah. I don’t understand that part either. But that bitch is going to pay for everything she has done. I’ll enjoy ripping her to shreds. Let her try to come after us” Kelly glared. “I’m ready for her.” As she examined her nails, the look on her face chilled me to the bone.
With a shiver, I turned to Keith. “What does your dad say about all of this?”
“Not much. Besides, he is out on a hunting trip with a few of the other packs. I can’t even reach him by phone to warn him. They’re somewhere in the Appalachians.”
“What about that book? Maybe it has the answers we need?” Besides, I still felt that book reaching out, beckoning to me. I needed to get my hot little hands on it again.
“We’ll see. For now, we all need to get some rest. I have some blankets and pillows in the closet and that sofa is a sleeper. This building is far safer than any other that I know of. I’ve spent many nights here sacked out on that couch after doing inventory and nothing bad has ever happened.” He offered me a smile as he held out blankets and pillows to Kelly and me.
I said nothing. But inside, I didn’t think we would ever be safe again.
Chapter 15
KELLY AND I shared the sofa bed and Keith was curled up in a sleeping bag on the floor. I waited until I was sure the others were asleep and eased myself out of bed. Tip-toeing with my ears attuned for the slightest movement or change in breathing, I crept to the desk and spotted the one thing that I knew would have the answers I craved.
The book lay exactly where Keith had left it. As I ran my hand over the well-worn, brown leather I could feel it speaking to my soul. There were runes inscribed on the cover and I traced them in a clockwise motion with my fingertip as I whispered the name of each one. In the center connecting every symbol, there was an aquamarine encrusted pentagram. When I touched the beautiful gem, it glowed like a mystical fire and felt warm to my touch.
A gentle breeze swirled around me and the book opened by itself. Inside the front cover, names were inscribed in gold lettering. Names of every witch before me who had possessed this book since its creation. Before my very eyes, an amber glow lit the page and I watched as my own name magically appeared in the same fancy script as the others. “I knew this was meant for me. Thank you, Mom.” I whispered.
Sterling stirred and stretched. Quietly he crept over to the desk and hopped up to sit beside me. “What is it Selena?”
“It’s everything.” And it was mine. I could not explain the sense of power and possessiveness I felt for this book. I only knew I couldn’t close it. It spoke to me, promising gifts of knowledge and power that I had never fathomed.
I grabbed the book and held it like a treasure as we tip-toed around Keith’s still form. Once out in the hallway, I shut the door as quietly as I could. Sterling and I sat at the booth farthest from the office and away from any windows.
“How did you never see this book Sterling? You were around Mom for years.”
He shrugged his little, gray shoulders and gave no sign he knew anything about the beautiful book. “Your mom was always talking in her sleep about the book. I thought she was just dreaming.”
“It’s so gorgeous. Do you smell it? The pages smell like Spring. Fresh and inviting. If one could put hope into a book, this is what it would look and smell like.”
“Sweetheart, that smell is mildew and age. Achew!”
“Drama queen.”
“Touché.”
“There has to be a spell in here that will help me get this damn ring off.”
“Let’s hope so. I’d like to avoid another run in with Roberta the Troll, if at all possible.”
The book gave many details of the long line of witches I’d come from. My family lineage dated back to before the Salem Witch Trials. No, we don’t live in that Salem. Our ancestors thought it would be best to move far, far away from the hysteria. Finding the hill upon which Salem Ridge was built was pure luck. Besides, most people, humans, would never assume real witches lived in Salem Ridge, Indiana. Back then, everyone was focused on settling along the eastern seaboard, eradicating the people they’d believed to be witches and as many Native Americans as they could. It was a horrible, horrible time in history full of ignorance and murder.
They were too busy to notice or care when the real witches left Salem and moved. There were still many deaths, crops died, livestock died and they’d continued to seek out the ‘sinners who caused the wrath of God to punish all of them’. The townspeople blamed any and every person they could for the naturally occurring phenomena that come with settling in a new land. To put it as nicely as I can, the people in Salem were nuts. Plain and simple, they were all bat-shit crazy.
To most people, the Salem Witch Trials are nothing more than folklore used by ‘honorable men’ to scare the sinful onto the ’right’ path. If I had been there, I would’ve asked them, “Do you believe any god would have scared people into believing in him or her?” I didn’t think so, but you can’t change stupidity. Nevertheless, their actions made it easier for our families to hide in plain sight.
In the years following my family’s arrival, more and more of the so-called different and evil folks came here for refuge. What started out as a hiding place, grew and prospered. It even turned into a very popular tourist destination and comfortable village. Truth be told, it’s the only spot used for the Underground Railroad that no one ever detected. Our magic hid the tunnels, leaving a gap in historic maps that have never been filled. The people in our town always helped people to escape many different types of demons–even the human kind.
“So much that I never knew about our town is in here, Sterling. It’s amazing!”
I read on and on. There was even information about my great, great, great, great, great aunt Elizabeth. She was one of the very first to step foot here with her husband, a Shawnee Indian named Chief Red Eye. After his village in Pennsylvania was slaughtered, he traveled as far west as he could. Hungry and cold, meeting my aunt in Ohio had saved his life. They were inseparable from their very first meeting. Together, they settled in Indiana, founding Salem Ridge and welcoming everyone who wandered into town.
“She’s given credit for creating this haven. Apparently she and the chief protected a lot of people until the day they died. I wonder if they’re all together in Summerland.”
“I believe it. Your family has always been good.”
“Until Mom met Samell, right?” How did she even meet him? Was he a resident? Did he seek her out? Still so many questions paraded through my mind.
“Read on Selena. I want to hear more.”
“Here we go. He is the guardian of the Trillmor legion. Oh, he is really bad, Sterling! Look at his picture!”
&n
bsp; “Whoa! Look at those hooves! He is one ugly beast! Glad you look like your mom.” He snickered and patted me on the shoulder with one soft, gray paw.
“Thanks.”
“Selena, it says he is also a shifter. This picture is only one of his many forms. He can look like anyone or anything he chooses.”
“That must be how he fooled Mom for so long. We can’t let him escape again. He killed tens of thousands of people by himself. Now, he has an entire legion of demons at his beck and call. If he gets out, the world will literally go to Hell in a hand basket!”
As we read on, I realized a few things. One, Roberta didn’t know half as much as she thought she did. Two, I needed to keep the ring on until I killed her and could be sure that Samell stayed in his prison. Though I hated the demonic tracking device, I was going to use it to my full advantage.
“It says here, the council will definitely bind my powers to my crystal. Good. I need them to.”
“Are you nuts? How will you fight Roberta, Shawn and Samell?”
“Maybe I won’t have to.”
“Selena?”
“Don’t worry, Sterling. It will be okay. I promise. Now, I just need a plan.”
“Preferably one that doesn’t include you turning into a fire throwing serial killer.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
He shrugged.
“According to this, the enforcers for the elders show up unannounced and trials can be lengthy. We’d better get some sleep.”
Sterling shivered, sending tiny, gray hairs everywhere.
“Selena?”
“Yeah?”
He stood there staring at me, silent–a very rare thing for him to be. “Cat got your tongue?” I joked.
“Ha-ha” he sighed. “I just want you to know, I um, really didn’t mind playing with Kelly today. She’s not so bad for a mongrel. And Keith doesn’t really stink that much. I don’t mind being around them.”
I knew in his own way he was saying he’d be okay if he had to stay with them for an extended period of time. Though I appreciated his attempt at easing my mind should anything happen, I hoped more than anything, he wouldn’t have to live with them, without me. I didn’t plan on leaving him on his own, but it was good to know I had friends who would care for him if things went horribly wrong.
“Remember, I can read your thoughts Mistress. This plan of yours? Please be careful. I’ve really enjoyed those gourmet cat treats you’ve always bought for me. I wouldn’t want to have to be without them.”
“I love you, too Fuzzy Nuts.” I kissed the top of his head and I swear I saw a tear fall from his beautiful emerald eye as he hopped down and ran to the office. We both climbed back into bed, neither of us slept much, too nervous for what the days ahead would bring. I laid there thinking about what I would do, who I was and all that it meant. I knew I needed help. A lot of help.
In my ear, I heard my mother whisper, “You can do this Selena. I believe in you.”
Chapter 16
I STOOD AT Keith’s office window the next morning and the sun shine gave a cheery feel to the day as if the universe didn’t have a care in the world. Maybe it didn’t. But all I could wonder was what horrible event the day would bring. I must’ve been far away in my own thoughts because I never heard him walk up behind me and I jumped a bit when Keith rubbed his hands up and down my bare arms.
“Sleep well?”
“You bet.” I turned around facing him and smiled.
“You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”
My sideways glance spoke volumes.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“How ‘bout we get some breakfast, then we’ll check out that book together. I tried to open it but it wouldn’t budge. Maybe you can figure it out.”
I turned away from him. “I already opened it, Keith. There wasn’t anything helpful in it.”
“Already opened it? How? And there was nothing? A huge, super-secret book and there wasn’t anything helpful inside?”
“It spoke to me. Well, actually, it lit up and opened on its own when I touched it. But it was simply a book documenting the history of my family, nothing more.”
“Oh. Sorry. We hoped there would be more to it.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Well,” he ran his hand through his gorgeous hair and sighed, “what do we do now?”
“The only thing we can do. Have breakfast and wait for the enforcers to get here.”
I patted his cheek and walked out of the room, pretending to be much calmer than I was.
* * *
WE MADE A huge buffet. There were pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and everything in between.
“This is really nice,” Kelly said “All of us together.” She placed a platter of tuna and chicken mixed with scrambled eggs on the table for Sterling. Kelly rubbed his chin and smooched him on the head. The whole scene brought tears to my eyes.
“Yeah, it is nice.” I sighed and dabbed my eyes with a napkin.
“Look Selena, I know you’re nervous but we’ll be right there with you. Everything will be fine. You’ll see” She squeezed my hand and smiled. Her blue eyes betrayed her. She was just as scared as I was, if not more.
After washing our dishes, Kelly announced it was time to open Tooth & Nail for the day. She shifted from foot to foot nervously and looked at me full of apologies.
“It’s okay. I don’t want to cause you to lose any more business. What can I do to help?”
“Oh, nothing. All I have to do is unlock the door and turn on the beer signs. Folks will start to trickle in as soon as they see the lights go on.”
“Damn! The other lights! I’m so sorry.”
“I forgot, Selena. We’ll be fine, no worries. It will be daylight for a while, so we’ll be able to see.” She tied a red apron around her waist and finished setting up glasses for the day.
“Really, I’d like to fix the lights. After all, I broke them. How about I run over to Hanner’s Hardware and grab some bulbs? While I’m there, I will see if they have some clothes for me to wear today. I refuse to go back into Unique Ladies with Mrs. Bladdon working.”
“I don’t blame you. That woman is mean.” She mocked with a snarl as I ran to retrieve some cash from the bank bag I’d gotten the day before.
“I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
“Okay. I’ll let Keith know. Thanks Selena.”
“It’s the least I can do. I blew all of the bulbs.” I plastered on a happy face and bounced out the door, pretending to be the confident woman I truly wanted to be.
Word must’ve spread like wildfire through town. The people on the sidewalk gave me a wide berth and every time I waved, they either turned away or ducked. How ridiculous could they be? Did they think I would launch fire balls at their heads on Main Street? Wow!
I was both shocked and amused by their ignorance. Groups of busy bodies whispered to each other as I walked by.
“Wicked.”
“Shameful.”
“Harlot.”
And the last one nearly knocked me over. “Half-breed.”
My head turned so fast, I was surprised it didn’t snap off. I saw the look of fear on the young woman’s face as my eyes lit up. She turned and practically ran in the opposite direction, leaving her friends to stand there with their jaws open wide.
Holding my head high, I walked into Hanner’s Hardware & General Store and selected a shopping cart. After I’d found the light bulbs, I loaded up twenty boxes of them. There were so many lights at Tooth & Nail and I wanted extras to have around just in case I blew my top again.
I wandered over to the work clothes section and spotted quite a few items that I could tolerate wearing. Thank the Goddess that Mr. and Mrs. Hanner’s stocked some items that were close to my size.
I grabbed a light blue t-shirt with the store logo on it and selected a pair of off-brand jeans. I knew they’d be a bit short, thanks to being born with legs that seemed t
o begin at my neck but I could roll them up like 1960’s capris. On a shelf at the front of the store, I found plain, white canvas tennis shoes for three dollars a pair. Again, they had something close enough to my size. I walked over to the so-called beauty section and grabbed the necessary toiletries before remembering to add a few more essentials to my growing basket of loot.
“Too bad their panty selection is butt-ugly” I whispered. “But, I will take what I can get for now.”
As I approached the check-out counter, I swore I saw Phyllis cringe. Her poppy-orange, painted lips were pinched into a grimace and her brow was so tightly furrowed that birds could’ve perched on the wrinkles it contained. She rang up my purchases and spoke only when they were totaled.
“One-ten-fifty-seven.” She clipped, her eyes never once landed upon my face. Instead, she stared off at a seemingly more interesting spot on the far wall behind me.
I sighed and took out one-twenty and handed her the money with a smile.
Phyllis handed me the change, “Nine-forty-three.” Not even a thank you or have a nice day.
I asked if I could use the restroom. “No. It’s out of order.” I knew she was lying.
“Oh, okay.”
I realized that there was no way I would be able to carry everything and said “I’ll need to borrow the cart. I walked here and it’s too much to carry back.”
Phyllis Hanner looked down and said “I’m sorry. That’s not allowed. The cart stays here.”
“But Phyllis, please? These bulbs are for Tooth & Nail.”
She patted at her blue tinted hair “I’m sorry but you should have bought only what you could carry. It isn’t my problem.”
“Look, Phyllis I promise to bring it right back.”
The sixty-ish woman busied herself with straightening stacks of brown paper bags. “I told you no. Please leave.”
“How can you be like this? My family built this town and you were friends with my parents!” I was shocked and dismayed with yet another ignorant person’s behavior and I wasn’t going to take anymore.
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