“Like you’ve been eating baby Smurfs.”
She quickly wiped her mouth. The blue stubbornly refused to leave, and was now smudged past the edges of her lips. “Better?”
“If you want to look like a watercolor painting.”
Eve marched to the restroom in the back. When she returned, not only was the blue gone, but a fresh coat of pink was lacquered across her mouth.
“You amaze me,” I said.
“How so?”
“Anyone who can transform from the Cookie Monster to Miss Piggy in less than a minute is completely worthy of my awe.”
Eve narrowed her eyes, not finding my compliment complimentary. She tossed the Mood Lipsticks into a bin marked Bargains, then ripped open another box. “The shop missed you,” she said, quietly.
I sighed. “I missed it, too.”
“If you have to leave, I’ll understand,” she said, not looking up from her work.
“I’ll stick it out a while. I needed a break from Aunt Dora and Jillian, anyway. They’ve been fussing over Montana so much, I’m afraid they’ll spoil him.”
She sighed dramatically. “Maggie, that’s not what I mean. Our dead grandmother went into your son’s nursery, and even though I think I can keep her spirit out of the house, that doesn’t mean you won’t get assaulted by a dozen other ghosts in this town. And... if you left Dark Root, maybe you’d leave the curse behind, too.”
I shook my head. My father was out there somewhere and all his talk of dark deals didn’t sit well with me. Juliana Benbridge and Larinda were frightening at times, but I felt I could handle them. If I ran into Armand out in the world all alone, I might not fare as well. I sensed that he was far craftier and more dangerous than both of them combined.
I removed a crystal pyramid from the next box, placing it on a high shelf near the front window, where it could reflect the sunlight. “Whatever is happening to me, I have to deal with it here. Besides, you have my back. I’ll be okay.”
Eve smiled and I swore I caught her blushing. “Thank you, Maggie. But I’ll only have your back if you promise not to wear those hideous maternity jeans anymore. You look like the Saggy Baggy Elephant after a diet.”
“So, you’re saying I’m thin?” I grinned, pulling at the elastic waistband of my maternity jeans. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” I finished unpacking the pyramids, then asked. “Why is it that none of us except Merry are okay expressing emotion? Is that normal?”
“With the Ice Queen as our mother?” Eve lifted a fairy-themed wind chime, listening to the sound of tinkling bells. “I’m surprised Mom didn’t freeze her lovers to death. Do you remember that Winter Solstice where she had those freakish ice sculptures set up in the town square? You don’t suppose...”
“Yep, all Miss Sasha’s ex-lovers in one convenient location.”
We laughed together. That had been a very creepy exhibit. She’d had all the Council members sculpted into ice. As kids, we went to the human ice zoo every day after the Solstice, watching as Miss Rosa and Aunt Dora slowly dissolved before our eyes, their features blurring into unrecognizability over the course of a week.
“IT’S NICE TO have someone to reminisce with,” Eve said, moving on to a crate filled with adult coloring books. Owls and ravens adorned the covers. “Being the youngest, I felt left out of things. You all have memories of each other, but mine are mostly of me.”
“I always thought you hated me,” I admitted.
“Sometimes I did. But I was still lonely.”
“If it’s any consolation, we left you alone because we thought you preferred your own company to ours.”
Eve quirked an eyebrow, as if she’d never given the matter proper consideration before. “I guess I did.”
“I knew it!”
She thoughtfully smoothed her crimson mini skirt. “You were too wild, Maggie. Always running around like a half-naked ghost girl in the woods. Mom used to say you would disappear into them forever one day.”
“That’s our mother, always saying the sweetest things.”
“She had me convinced.” Eve returned to the restroom, letting the faucet run. She returned with a glass of water. “Your wildness scared me. I was afraid to get too close.”
“Because you thought I’d disappear and never come back?”
“Yes. And isn’t that what happened?”
“But I did come back.”
“Only because Merry asked. You’d have never come home, if it had been me calling.”
We’d unpacked most of the boxes, except for a few we didn’t have space for, and I began breaking down the cardboard. “I’m sorry,” I said, digesting the truth.
“You weren’t the first to go.” Eve shrugged. “Ruth Anne took off, then Merry, then finally you. It was only me and Mom those last few years. You have no idea how lonely that house was, after everyone was gone. It was like haunting a cemetery, only we were still alive. But it taught me self-reliance.”
I thought about how quiet the big house must have been. The furniture probably seemed like ghosts from another era. “We all came back,” I said, brightly. “And we’re all staying by choice now, not because of any obligation.”
She stared at me, her face dead serious. “I know. But if you need to go, I understand. Plus...” She smiled, a real, dazzling Eve smile. “I’d get your bedroom! It’s so much bigger than the closet I’m sleeping in now. A few fresh flowers, a larger mirror...”
Eve’s plan to take over my bedroom was interrupted by a loud knock on the front door. A plump, middle-aged woman whom I recognized, stared saucer-eyed at us through the glass.
“She’s here!” The woman announced, looking over her shoulder before pointing to me. She knocked again. “Please let us in!”
“Us?” Eve and I mouthed to each other. As far as we could see, the woman was alone.
“We’re closed,” Eve said, shaking her head.
“Oh, please!” The woman looked at me. “Albert needs you, Magdalene!”
“Albert?”
“The nut’s dead husband,” Eve said to me, under her breath.
“Oh! I remember! Let her in, Eve.”
“Maggie, if we let every kook in Dark Root into our shop whenever they wanted, none of us would ever go home.”
I sighed, scooping up Montana as I pointed to the door. “Just this once,” I promised.
The woman burst in, a mass of yellow polka dots and pancake makeup. She grabbed my wrist, her energy electric. “I’m so glad you’re here, dear! Albert wants to show you where he hid our lockbox. It’s very important I get it. Please? Your dear mom and I were good friends.”
I pressed my lips together. Even though spirits seemed to want to talk to me lately, I had no idea how to contact them directly. “I’m not a medium,” I said.
The woman laughed, her belly shaking like tapioca pudding. “According to Albert, you are!”
Eve stepped between us. “Now, listen lady. Just because our mother had some wack-a-doodle friends doesn’t mean––”
“It’s okay, Eve,” I interrupted. “I want to try. Where is Albert?”
“Don’t you see him, dear? Albert, tuck in your shirt and wave to Maggie.”
Behind her, I saw a faded shadow that flitted in and out of my vision like moth wings. After a moment of concentration, a full outline appeared, taller than the woman and half as wide. The man smiled at me.
“Albert,” I said calmly.
Hello, Maggie.
I heard his words clear as day, though his lips never moved. I blinked. “How are you speaking to me, Albert?” I asked out loud.
Through your mind. Neat, huh?
Okay. Tell me what you need.
He smiled, and I knew he heard me.
“What’s he saying, dear?” The woman inched closer, cocking an ear.
“Quiet, please,” I said, holding up a hand. Then, to Albert, Go on.
Please tell my wife the lockbox is hidden in a compartment above our bedroom. It’s hard to s
ee. A lot of the old Dark Root buildings had them for some reason, but my Agnes isn’t a native, so wouldn’t know that. I should’ve told her before I passed, but I always thought I had more time.
He frowned as he held up his wrist, tapping on his watch. I understood.
Okay, Albert. I’ll tell her.
Thank you. Also, please tell her I love her. She needs to hear that one more time.
I nodded, knowing the feeling. I will, but can’t you do it? I was under the impression you speak to her sometimes.
He laughed, weakly. Honestly, she talks so much I don’t need to. But I’m getting weak and will have to leave this plane soon.
Albert, before you go––
Yes?
Can you see others who have passed?
He paused. Yes.
Do you see... my Shane?
There was a long silence. I shook my head, letting it go. I couldn’t dwell on where Shane ended up. It would only make me crazy.
Goodbye, Maggie Mae! In a blink, he was gone.
“Goodbye, Albert,” I said with a sigh, not knowing if Agnes would see him again. The thought made my heart feel heavy.
After several quiet moments, the woman poked me on the shoulder. “Please tell me everything. Is Albert safe?”
“Yes.” I nodded, still overcome by the exchange. Spirits were not only speaking to me; they were seeking me out. “He’s safe and seems happy. He also says there’s hidden compartment in the ceiling of your bedroom. You might have to do a bit of searching to find it. But that’s where he put the lockbox.”
“A secret compartment!” Agnes held her breath as the gears in her head churned. At last, her epiphany struck. “I know where it’s at! Thank you!”
She reached to hug me but I stepped back. Communing with the dead taxed me. Surprisingly, she seemed to understand. “Albert can wear a woman out, believe me! Oh, how I miss that man!” she added with a wink.
I nodded, feeling an odd connection to Agnes. We had both lost the men we loved. And I’d give my kidney for someone, anyone, to tell me what I was about to tell her. “Albert wants you to know he loves you. He said you needed to hear it one more time.”
“He did?” Agnes clutched her chest as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. “Oh, Albert,” she sniffed, pulling a wad of tissues from her large purse.
She cried long tears that seemed inexhaustible. After a time, she composed herself and smiled feebly. “Even after I knew Albert was here, he never said he loved me. It hurt my feelings. In my heart, I wished he would tell me, just one more time. Thank you dear, for the best gift ever.”
The woman dabbed at her eyes once more, then headed for the door. “I better run. Goodbye ladies! And thank you!” With that, she left and the shop was suddenly cold and still.
“Well that was odd,” Eve said, leaning against the locked door with her arms crossed. “Since when are you actively talking to the dead?”
“They started talking to me when I was pregnant,” I admitted. “But it’s going to a whole new level lately.”
“I’m not sure I like this,” Eve said, eyeing me.
“Make that two of us.”
“Although, think of how much people would pay to talk to a deceased loved one!” Fire lit her eyes. She rubbed her hands and I could almost see the circus she envisioned––a countryside of tourists all flocking to Miss Sasha’s Magick Shoppe to speak with Dead Uncle Lou or Deceased Brother Bill.
It would be the greatest gift I could give someone––the chance to speak to a departed loved one––but I couldn’t even give it to myself. “Maybe one day,” I said weakly.
Eve instantly deflated. “Yeah, you’re not so useful to people while you’re cursed. Who knows what you’d call forth?”
“I knew you’d be sympathetic,” I said.
I looked past my sister and through the glass door. Agnes was nowhere to be seen, but I wasn’t looking for her. My eyes stared straight across the street. I had been avoiding Dip Stix long enough. Besides, I couldn’t dodge the restaurant forever. The town was too small.
“Can you watch Montana a moment?” I asked Eve, passing him over.
“Yeah, sure.” She nodded, understanding.
I left Montana in her care and made my way across the street. The road was deserted, though the night sky was more dusky than dark. Reaching the café, I paced back and forth across the burned out storefront, probably looking like I was casing the place. None of us had been inside since the night we witnessed the horrific image of Shane and his secret wife, Irene, careening over a guardrail. It was also the night I saw my father, standing in a doorway of flames, beckoning me. I’d have gone with him, had Eve and Ruth Anne not been there to stop me.
I peered through the smoky glass. I could just barely make out the shapes of tables and chairs, pressed back against the walls. But there was something else inside that I couldn’t see––an energy pulling on me, similar to the one in Sycamore Manor that led me up the stairs.
A crackling noise caught my attention. I peered deeper into the darkness, searching for the source. Six red embers in a far corner blinked, like eyes, near the ground. One-by-one, the embers went out.
“Please let that be rats,” I said.
In the center of the dining room, where we had drawn the summoning circle, I spotted movement. A gray filmy mist rose up from the floor. It swirled into a tall column, like a skinny cyclone, within which a human figure appeared––a beautiful young woman with dark hair and chiseled brows. Her eyes slid to me, her fair complexion unlined and untroubled.
Juliana Benbridge.
We might have gotten her out of Harvest Home, but she wasn’t done with me yet.
A smile touched her lips. She inspected me, long and deliberate, before her hands suddenly padlocked around her neck. I watched in horror as she floated towards the staircase that led to Shane’s apartment. As she entered the stairwell, she evaporated back into the darkness.
What did she want from me? She’d broken my heart by showing me Shane’s marriage certificate, she’d tried to snatch my baby, and was now toying with me again.
I jiggled my bag, wondering if I had the key.
“Maggie!”
I jumped. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Eve waving at me from across the street. She held my son at arm’s length, as if he were toxic.
Juliana Benbridge would have to wait. I took a reluctant glance back inside, then returned to Eve and Montana.
“Dirty diaper?” I asked.
“Worse. He tried to nurse.”
I glanced down at my sister’s Double Ds. “Is it any wonder?”
“These are for entertainment purposes only,” she said, tramping off to the car.
“And you have enough to entertain a battalion,” I teased, keeping pace.
We left downtown, with Eve declaring that she’d never have kids, while I silently ruminated over what I’d seen in Dip Stix: three sets of red eyes and the image of Juliana, clutching her neck as she disappeared upstairs.
Into Shane’s apartment... where Jillian had once lived... and my father probably visited.
“NEED HELP?” MICHAEL asked, stepping into the nursery.
I was wrestling with Montana, trying to wrangle him into his pajamas. He screeched when he saw his dad, twisting onto his side to get a better view. I backed away from the changing table, slapping my powdered hands to my thighs. “He’s all yours.”
Michael took over, quickly finishing up without a struggle.
I handed Michael a bottle. “You might as well feed him, too,” I conceded.
Michael hummed a lullaby, looking into the eyes of our son as he fed him. The sight was so sweet it nearly broke my heart. Montana had a real relationship with his father, and as much as that man annoyed me, I wouldn’t take it away from my son, for anything.
“You’re becoming a real boy now,” I teased Michael. “How’s it feel?”
“Well, Geppetto, not too bad, though I haven’t gotten rid of all the wood
yet.” He lifted a mischievous eyebrow and a sideways grin.
“Oh, gross. You had to ruin it, didn’t you?”
“I don’t think you’re grossed out at all. In fact, I think the idea may have intrigued you.”
“How did you come to that conclusion?”
“No light bulbs burst.”
“Maybe I’m waiting for you to stand under a bigger light bulb.”
Michael burped Montana, then laid him down in his crib.
“The wood I referred to was my thick skull, Maggie. Get your mind out of the gutter. Unless...” He grinned again, this time unmistakably naughty. A thick dark curl fell over his eye. My body stirred, although my heart and mind knew better.
“Maybe it wouldn’t be bad to find solace in a random body?” I mused. “Let another man take my mind off the one I really want.”
His smile faded, leaving a sterling intensity in his eyes. “Don’t toy with me, Maggie, because you know I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“I said random.”
“I can be random. In fact, I can be anything you want.” He tucked a blanket under Montana’s chin, then joined me at the door. “Just say the word.”
“It wouldn’t bother you?” I asked, leaning into the doorframe. “Knowing I was just using you?”
“I promise that one night with me will make you forget all about anyone else.”
I bit my lip. I hadn’t had sex––real sex in a real world––since I left Woodhaven. And I was lonely. Visiting Dip Stix had only intensified the feeling. More than anything, I just wanted to forget, if even for a night.
I looked into his eyes, considering.
“What do you say, Maggie.” He drew closer to me, close enough that I could smell his familiar aftershave. It’s amazing what smell does to the mind––how it reminds us of the past and employs our sense of nostalgia to work against us. “One night,” he pressed. “For old time’s sake?”
The Curse of Dark Root: Part Two (Daughters of Dark Root Book 4) Page 18
