by Ashlyn Chase
After checking the perimeter, Noah perched in a tree overlooking the back porch. He hoped they’d take advantage of the beautiful weather and sit outside so he could eavesdrop some more. He wanted more information about this threat.
Almost as helpful, the kitchen window was open about halfway, and they gathered there. A man joined them with a hearty greeting.
“How are my girls?”
Unless he was Charlie and they were Charlie’s Angels, he guessed the guy must be their father.
“Hi, Daddy,” Ruth said.
“Kizzy? Are you all right?”
“Yeah. Just a little preoccupied.”
“I hope you’re not still mooning over that firefighter. Did you break up with him like I told you to?”
A moment later, the sound of a car stopping out front drew his attention, but he wasn’t moving from his spot until he heard what she had to say.
“Not exactly.”
“What do you mean, not exactly?”
“I told him I had a family situation and that I wouldn’t be available for a while.”
Sounding frustrated, Kizzy’s father said, “I told you a firefighter is not a good choice.” Then after blowing out a deep breath, he added, “At least you put him off. That way, you can let him down easy.”
“What if I don’t want to let him down?”
Silence followed, and Noah tried to picture what his old man’s face would look like when one of his brothers defied “orders.” Ugh. Not good.
“Speaking of the real threat here,” Ruth interjected, “they’re still in the area, but our wards and shields are holding them off.”
“Can you detect their presence when you’re inside the wards, Ruth?” their father asked.
“No, I can’t. The wards are strong enough to shield us from them, but they could be at the front door this minute and I wouldn’t know it.”
Noah flitted to the roof where he could still hear the people inside and peeked over the top of the house to see what was going on out front.
“I’m thankful for the wards doing their jobs, but I’m a little nervous about your being here, since they’re shielding your power,” the elder Dr. Samuels said. “I’ve been thinking of your safety and the safety of the book while I’m at work, and I’m seriously considering hiring a bodyguard for both of you.”
“A what? How in the world is that not going to attract attention?” Kizzy asked.
“I thought about that too, of course. You can each take a leave of absence. Ruth, since you’re more psychic and can sense danger approaching, you can go home, but you need to stay put. You’ll also know if someone is poking around, and maybe you can call and tell us where they are.”
Noah spied two men getting out of a white sedan. They were eyeing the home but not walking up to the door. What could they want?
“And me?” Kizzy asked.
“You’ll stay here. I need you to protect the book. I’ve heard of a shifter PI I’d like to hire to protect you, just in case.”
“A private investigator? I thought you said I needed a bodyguard?”
“Ah! Here’s the genius of my plan. The guy is a wolf shifter. Now hear me out. This is a bit unorthodox, but desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“A werewolf! How desperate are we?”
“You can fake temporary blindness, and if you have to go anywhere, he can be your seeing-eye dog.”
“Dad! Are you kidding me?”
“No. I’m not. Kizzy, he comes highly recommended. He used to be a Boston PD cop. At the same time, if anything raises red flags, he can investigate. And, if absolutely necessary, he can rip the schnitzel out of an assailant.”
Noah had one eye on the guys out front, but they didn’t look very threatening. What assailant would require a werewolf for protection? He took a closer measure of the men strolling up and down the sidewalk, gazing at the house. And did Dr. Samuels mention a shifter? That meant he knew of such things.
Ruth laughed. “A seeing-eye wolf. Who’d believe that?”
“He isn’t an arctic wolf with a thick coat. He could pass for some kind of German Shepherd mix. His name is Nick Wolfensen, and he’ll be over later to meet you.”
“So, I guess this is a done deal,” Kizzy said.
“Not yet. I’ll let you meet him first, but if you don’t want me to stick to your side like glue all day, you’ll give him a chance. Any questions?”
“Would it matter if I don’t want any part of this?”
“And do what? Just go on vacation and leave us here to fend for ourselves?”
Kizzy let out a long sigh. “No. Of course not.”
“Then I would ask you to keep an open mind.”
The conversation ended when Ruth decided to head home. When the side door opened, the two unidentified guys jogged back to their car and got in. They pulled away from the curb and headed down the street before Ruth backed out of the driveway.
* * *
Dante and Mallory walked hand in hand down Charles Street, admiring the old Beacon Hill neighborhood. They glanced up when they saw a teapot hanging from a sign. There was even steam coming out of it. That in itself seemed paranormal.
“We’re meeting the wizard here?”
“Yeah. Shhhh…” Dante glanced at the people up and down the sidewalk, but no one seemed to pay them any notice. He opened the door for her, and Mallory walked in hesitantly.
Once inside, she whispered, “I don’t see a big curtain hiding a bald guy and lots of levers. How will we know who he is?”
A guy with close-cropped black hair approached them.
“I think he’s finding us.”
The man stuck out his right hand and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Kurt. You’re the ones who called me.”
It wasn’t a question. He obviously knew who they were. How he knew was anyone’s guess. Hopefully he was just a very good wizard. That’s what she needed right now.
Dante shook his hand. “I’m Dante Fierro. Nice to meet you, Kurt. And this is my girlfriend, Mallory. She’s the one who needs your help.”
Kurt stepped back as soon as he looked at her eyes. “Oh shit,” he muttered.
Mallory hoped he was struck by her beauty and not some gross aura all over her, but she guessed it was the latter. Could he see her curse?
“What’s wrong?” Dante asked.
Kurt folded his arms. “I think we’d better go somewhere private to discuss this. The owner is a good friend of mine and said he’d let us use the unoccupied apartment upstairs. Follow me.”
He led them back outside to a separate entrance, unlocked it, and they traipsed up to a second-floor landing where he unlocked another door. He preceded them inside and held the door as they entered the sparsely furnished living room.
As soon as he locked the door behind them, Mallory asked, “What did you see?” She couldn’t wait until they sat down and got comfortable.
“I’m not sure yet. Something… Have a seat. I have a few supplies in the kitchen to get.”
She and Dante sat on the gray L-shaped couch. She took his hand.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be all right.” He squeezed her hand and smiled.
Of course he would try to reassure her, no matter what was wrong, but that wasn’t exactly what she needed right now. She needed the truth. She hoped the wizard would give her answers.
Kurt returned with a couple of glasses of water and set them on the coffee table on top of coasters. Wait a minute. Had those coasters been there a moment ago?
Crap. I’m having a Twilight Zone moment.
While Kurt returned to the kitchen, Dante put his arm around her shoulder and rubbed her upper arm soothingly. “Are you as nervous as you seem?”
“Probably. As long as I seem like I’m barely held together with Scotch tape.”
/> Dante gave her a side squeeze. “Don’t worry. We’ll turn that Scotch tape into duct tape. You’ll be okay.”
She couldn’t help chuckling. She might settle for the secure feeling of being duct-taped together right now.
Kurt returned with a bowl and a duffel bag. He set the bowl on the coffee table in front of himself. It appeared to contain plain water.
“What’s all the water for?” Dante asked.
Kurt looked up. “Well, this”—he pointed to the bowl—“is for scrying. The two glasses are for you to drink. I’d offer you a glass of wine or a soda, but there’s nothing in the fridge.”
Mallory wasn’t sure if she should drink the water. Could she trust the wizard?
Dante picked up his glass and took a sip. She waited a few beats and when he didn’t choke or keel over, she figured it was just regular old water. Okay, Mallory. Your imagination is running away with you.
Kurt opened his duffel bag and pulled out a few items. A candle, a bell, a few sticks, and some sparkling dirt. What was he was going to do with all that? He put the duffel bag down next to his chair. “Stick your finger in the bowl of water, Mallory.”
She glanced over at Dante, and he nodded. So she stuck her finger in it, and Kurt scooted forward, staring at the ripples.
“Is that it? Can I take my finger out now?”
“Not just yet.”
He just stared at the water, like he was mesmerized by it. She couldn’t help wondering what he was looking at or searching for. She scooted forward and tried to see something in the reflection of her finger and hand. The movement caused a few more ripples.
Kurt sat back and muttered, “Hmm…”
“What did you see?”
He narrowed his gaze at the water. “I’m afraid you’re cursed, all right. I witnessed a ritual. Definitely a group I’m not familiar with. Is there any reason someone might be angry with you? I saw a jungle-like setting. The people looked Northern European, with light hair, skin, and eyes, but wearing brown wool clothing, and they seemed hot and sweaty, like their clothes were out of place.”
“Mallory… Did you go on safari recently?” Dante asked.
Horror replaced confusion in her brain. “I didn’t, but maybe my father did. He’s in South America, building a huge resort right on the banks of the Amazon River.”
“That’s where your parents are? That’s why you didn’t want them to know about any of this?” Dante asked.
“Yes. This deal is my father’s baby. He wants to offer Amazon adventures to people with lots of money who want to pretend they’re roughing it, and then when it’s all over, they’ll go back to his five-star hotel. Of course, there will be plenty of spouses who want nothing to do with hacking their way through a jungle, or whatever, and will gladly wait at the resort and spa.”
“He must’ve pissed off someone,” Kurt said.
“There could be activists in the rain forest that my father’s cutting down. As if the place hasn’t been ruined enough.” Mallory sighed.
“Can you break the curse?” Dante asked.
Kurt scratched his head. “I don’t know. If I knew what sort of curse they put on her, I could definitely undo it. As it is, I’m just flying blind.”
“Would it help if you knew the weird things that were happening to her?”
Mallory bolted upright. “That’s kind of personal.”
Kurt looked from Dante to Mallory and back. “It might help, but I don’t want to make the lady uncomfortable.”
Mallory felt silly for overreacting. It wasn’t as if she was bleeding green during her periods. “I’m sorry. Of course. I’ll tell you. It’s just going to sound crazy.”
Kurt laughed. “I married a vampire. Crazy is my middle name.”
Dante didn’t blink. Surely, he couldn’t believe in vampires… Oh crap. The back of her neck prickled. Were vampires real too? She suddenly felt light-headed.
One crisis at a time, Mallory.
She tried to take slow, easy breaths and calm the hell down. “Okay. Here goes. I see dead people. And I turn into a spider monkey sometimes. It started about two months ago, I think.”
Kurt didn’t seem at all shocked. He just nodded and said, “Turning into a spider monkey makes sense if a South American jungle is the origin of the curse. That’s their habitat. Dead people? That could be from anyone anywhere, but I get the sense that there’s only one curse, and it’s only from this group. The two symptoms must be related.”
“So what do monkeys and dead people have to do with one another?” Dante asked.
Kurt shrugged. “I wish I knew. At least I know more now than I did five minutes ago. I think I can try a general curse-breaking, and hopefully it will work—at least partially.”
“Hopefully?” Dante repeated.
“If I knew more, I could be sure. All I can guarantee is I’ll do my best.”
“Of course,” Mallory said. “I’m so grateful for your help. I hope you know that.”
Kurt laughed. “Your money is gratitude enough.”
Mallory hadn’t realized there was money involved. She felt like a doofus. Of course there was money involved! Who did this out of the goodness of their heart? Had Dante offered to pay him? How much did this kind of service cost? She leaned in closer to Dante and whispered, “How much does he charge?”
“Your firstborn,” Kurt said, deadpan. A moment later he laughed, hard.
Mallory must have been holding her breath, because it came out in a whoosh.
“Jesus, Kurt,” Dante said. “Way to freak out a young lady.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist teasing her. And don’t worry about the money, Mallory. Dante told me you lost your job.”
Maybe Dante had wrangled a discount. Or perhaps the wizard did have a big heart—along with a weird sense of humor.
Kurt poured a mound of sparkly dirt in the middle of the water bowl. Then he stuck a few sticks in the middle of it. “Now, close your eyes and concentrate on your breath. Try to empty your mind and just follow your breathing as if it’s the only thing you need to think about right now.”
“Is that because I might stop breathing if I don’t think about how to do it?” Mallory asked.
“No.” Kurt chuckled. “I just don’t want you putting any crap from your brain into my spell. You could inadvertently do that because you’re so closely tied to this curse. Thoughts are very powerful things. Emotions follow thoughts. If you think about your breaths and nothing else, there’s less chance of your affecting the outcome. Make sense?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
“Then do it.”
Something about this guy seemed military. She wanted to say Sir, yes, sir, but instead she just closed her eyes and did as he directed. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out…
A few moments later, she smelled something burning. Fortunately, she was sitting next to a firefighter, so she wasn’t too worried. Dante would say something if the guy was about to set the place on fire.
Kurt was mumbling something in another language. She had no idea whether it was Latin, Spanish, or some indigenous language. She began to wonder how he would know that, then redirected her thoughts back to her breathing and just hoped it worked.
Suddenly her brain felt weird. She took her head in her hands. “Ohhh…”
Dante grabbed her shoulders to steady her. “Are you okay?”
She opened her eyes. “Yeah. Something just made me really dizzy. It didn’t hurt. I’m okay. Sorry if I scared you.”
Dante let out a deep breath. “Don’t be sorry. I’m just glad you’re all right.” His attention snapped to Kurt. “Does that mean it worked? Is the curse broken now?”
Kurt shrugged. “Maybe.”
“When will we know?” Dante asked.
“When nothing happens to her for a long, long t
ime.”
“It sounds like you’re saying wait and see.”
“Yup.”
Mallory wanted to utter something sarcastic, like “awesome,” but this guy was trying to help. Waiting would be hard, but she really had no choice. She could hardly criticize him, even if the effort turned out to be futile. He did say he was flying blind… Maybe the bargain price was a “guinea pig” discount.
* * *
Noah and Dante were eating a hasty dinner before leaving their apartment for their next twenty-four-hour shifts. They were in their uniforms and ready to go.
Noah had to work up his courage to confront his brother—it was now or never. “Look, Bro. I know you think you love her, but you’ve got to be kidding me… She’s cursed! Hasn’t it occurred to you that maybe everyone close to her will be cursed too?”
“I’m fine.”
“So far.”
Dante leaned back and crossed his arms. “What are you suggesting?”
To avoid a hasty answer, Noah shoved a bite of his chicken pot pie into his mouth. He thought it was going to burn a hole in his tongue, but he was a phoenix. He could always grow a new one in his next incarnation.
“I’m not saying you don’t have a right to your opinion,” Dante continued for him, “but I’d prefer it if you’d keep it to yourself. Telling me what you think isn’t going to make a damn bit of difference.”
“I was afraid of that,” Noah said.
“Afraid? What are you afraid of? Do you think you’re going to catch it?”
“I’m not afraid for myself. I’m afraid for you, dickhead.”
Dante picked up the remainder of his chicken pot pie and tossed it in the garbage. “I said I was fine,” he ground out between clenched teeth. “Maybe you’re just jealous because I have a relationship and you don’t.”
“For fuck’s sake… Stop thinking with your dick! Dante, the only hope for Mallory is professional help, and you shouldn’t enable her to avoid it.”
Dante whirled on him. “You know what? I don’t think this living arrangement is working. We’re too close and can’t stay out of each other’s business. At least, you can’t stay out of mine.”
