Queen of Night

by Emily Goodwin

  “You don’t feel weak?” He sits on the edge of the bed and puts a pillow in my lap to set the tray on.

  “I haven’t really moved yet,” I reply, picking up the coffee and setting it on my nightstand. I put on the costume and we made it three minutes into Star Wars before Lucas carried me upstairs. He fed off me during sex, careful not to take too much, and has been babying me like mad ever since. “I had a good dream.”

  “What was it about?”

  “We moved into the new house and had a pool party.”

  He smiles. “We’ll have to do that.”

  Lucas gets under the covers next to me, keeping me company while I eat. I know shit hit the fan yesterday, but I really do feel okay this morning. Once I’m done with breakfast, Lucas and I take a shower together. I start feeling sick again, and I remember I have to go into the pharmacy and drop off the prescription from Abby.

  “I don’t even know how it works,” I laugh, pulling a black dress over my head. It’s cloudy today and the air took on a chill already. Looks like second summer is already coming to an end.

  “I’m sure you can figure it out,” Lucas says, lips pulling up into a half-smile. “Though I don’t know how it works either. I wish I could go with you.”

  “Me too. I’m going to figure out a way to make that happen.”

  “I know.” He brushes my hair back and kisses my forehead, but the second his lips touch my skin, he jerks back. “Something came through the fireplace,” he tells me, and speeds downstairs. If something came through the fireplace, it came from the Covenstead. Putting my hand over my stomach, I grimace at the lump in my throat and slowly make my way downstairs.

  Lucas is in the living room, holding a large, black envelope. The coven’s sigil is pressed into the wax seal keeping it closed, and my heart hammers in my ears as I take it from him, quickly breaking off the seal and pulling out a neatly folded letter.

  “What does it say?” Lucas asks as I quickly skim the letter. I recognize Tabatha’s handwriting immediately. I read over the first line again, just to make sure I read it right. Blinking, I look up at Lucas.

  “I’ve been summoned.”

  Chapter 4

  “Summoned?” Lucas echoes. “You’re not a member of the coven anymore.”

  “I know.” I swallow the lump in my throat and look at the letter again. There’s no other information, just a formal request for me to go to the gathering hall this afternoon. Tabatha’s name is signed at the bottom, and I flip the paper over, looking for a secret message or a hidden warning.

  Something to make sense of this.

  Because it doesn’t make sense. I’m not part of the coven, and ignoring a summon wouldn’t mean anything anymore. I can’t be punished according to Witch Law, and I can’t be held accountable. I have faith that Tabatha wouldn’t call me in for a trial, but what if her hands were tied and she was forced to write this letter while members of the Grand Coven watched.

  “What do they want?” Lucas takes the letter from me, reading it over.

  “I don’t know. I’m going to take a stab at it and say it has to do with the whole Ruth mess. And several members did hear me say that I’m the daughter of an archangel.”

  “Do witches feel the same way about Nephilim as angels do?” Lucas lowers the letter and looks at me with concern in his eyes. “I’ll kill them before they can lay a hand on you. I swear to it, Callie, I will protect you at all costs.”

  Tears suddenly spring to my eyes thanks to stupid hormones, and I quickly wipe them away with the back of my hand. “I know you will, and I don’t know. They never came up, but witches are way more open to other supernaturals than humans, so, uh, maybe?”

  “You’re not going.” Lucas puts the letter on the coffee table and picks me up, carrying me to the couch. He sits with me in his lap, and I push up so I’m straddling him. “You could be walking into a trap, and I won’t have it.”

  “Lucas,” I start, “Tabatha wouldn’t invite me to walk into a trap.” The words come out naturally, but even I’m not sure if I believe it. “Either her, Kristy, Evander, or even Ruby would find a way to warn me if it was a trap.”

  Unless they were trapped somehow too. And if that’s the case, then it’s up to me to save them.

  “I don’t like this. You have to walk through the woods alone.”

  “As I’ve done hundreds of times before.”

  “But you weren’t pregnant before.”

  “Oh, right, thanks for reminding me because I almost forgot.”

  “Callie,” he says sternly, and I see the fear in his eyes. “Nothing can happen to you.”

  “It won’t,” I press, though we both know that’s not true. “I’ll take my familiars with me, and Scarlet can tag along too. I don’t think she can pass through the door now that the protection spells have been replaced, though. I’ll have her wait for me right outside the door if that’s the case.”

  Lucas slowly shakes his head. “I still don’t like this. Why the ominous letter? Why not say exactly why you’ve been summoned?”

  I shrug. “That’s how it always is. Summons aren’t always bad.”

  “The last time you were summoned was so you could go on trial. And before that, it was to warn you about a witch hunter. Your track record with summons—at least since I’ve known you—indicates they are bad news.”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” I sigh and flatten my hands against Lucas’s chest. “But I could also try calling my friends too. If Kristy is home or at the store, she’ll answer.”

  “Call them,” Lucas tells me. “Now.”

  “That requires me getting up,” I grumble. “And I don’t know where my phone is.”

  “On the nightstand.” He flips us over, moving with vampire speed, and kisses me passionately before zooming up the stairs, returning a few seconds later with my phone. I call Kristy first. There’s no cell service at the Covenstead, and the call goes right to voicemail.

  I try Nicole next, and she answers, thank goodness.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Nicole. Did you get a summons from the coven?”

  She hesitates for a second. “No, why?”

  “I did, and I have no idea what it could be about.”

  “They probably just want to talk to you about everything that happened a few days ago. I’m kinda sad I missed the action, but also very glad I didn’t see anything.”

  “Yeah, it’s probably better you didn’t. Have you heard anything about how the students that were taken to the hospital are doing?”

  “I did, actually. Naomi and I spent the day baking with Gran yesterday and brought it to the school. One of the students has been released, home, and is doing so much better after taking a healing potion. The others are doing well too. All stable and just waiting to go home.”

  “That’s a relief,” I sigh. “I was really worried we’d be too late.”

  “You weren’t.”

  “Well, kind of. Not everyone made it out alive.”

  “I know,” Nicole says. “But if you hadn’t shown up at all…man, I don’t even want to think about it.”

  “I don’t either. I’ll let you go,” I tell her, wanting to get off the phone. I should have just texted, but this way I got an immediate answer.

  “Okay. Let’s get together sometime soon. You’re still going to Florida, right?”

  “Yeah, we are. Our Disney reservations are from the twenty-first to November first.”

  “Damn,” she laughs. “I’m a little jealous. Have fun.”

  “I’m sure I will. I’ll text the whole gang about meeting up before Lucas and I leave.”

  “You better! I’ll see ya later, Cal.”

  “Bye,” I say and hang up and look at Lucas. “I got nothing.”

  “I heard.”

  “You’re such an eavesdropper,” I tease, knowing he can’t really help it. I set my phone down and snuggle up with Lucas. “So much for a relaxing day—again. Honestly, at this point I s
hould just stop hoping for one.”

  “Are you going to tell them about Lucifer?” Lucas asks, slipping his arms around my waist and pulling me back into his lap. My heart speeds up at the thought of Lucifer, and the sick feeling in my stomach intensifies. I close my eyes and wait for the world to stop spinning.

  But it doesn’t, because Lucifer is out of Hell. Somehow, someway, he broke free, and while I have no idea what he plans on doing, I know it can’t be good.

  “No. I…I don’t want to worry anyone. And,” I go on, taking in a slow breath and hoping I don’t throw up on the couch. The material isn’t the easiest to clean. “What’s the point? We can’t fight the devil.”

  “Can’t we?”

  “Lucas, no,” I say sternly. “He’s the fucking devil.”

  “And you’re my fucking wife,” he counters. “I’m not going to roll over and submit like a dog to him, Callie. He was put in Hell before, he can be put in Hell again.”

  “Yeah, but other archangels!”

  “Are you sure about that? Are they the ones who put him there?”

  “I…I actually don’t know,” I say as a shiver makes its way down my spine. “But I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to say it took at least one of his brothers to put him there.” I bring my hand to my stomach and groan, nausea made worse from the stress. I’m close to coming unhinged, and while I impressed myself exploring my feeling about killing Ruth and Roger, I can’t go there with this.

  Lucifer is free, and I think he wants our baby. I suddenly feel exposed, like he’s watching through the windows and listening to my every thought. I’ve been careful not to call out to Julian or my father, careful not to accidentally pray and have Lucas intercept it.

  “Julian will be back soon enough,” Lucas says, able to sense my rising anxiety. “Until then, we should look into ways of warding against Lucifer.”

  “Ruth used necromancy to get rid of Julian. She called him a fallen angel, and said the spell wasn’t strong enough to keep Lucifer away.” My throat starts to get tight. “Who knows if she was right or not, but that spell hurt. It felt like my body was ripping in two. Even if we did find a magical angel-repellent, I don’t see how I could cast it without it affecting me too.”

  “You’re right, unless we can find something specific to Lucifer. All archangels have a sigil. Could you use that to narrow down your spell?”

  “In theory, but…ugh.” I close my eyes, trying hard not to throw up. “Can you bring me a trash can?” I ask Lucas, doubting my ability to move right now. He gets up and hurries into the office, coming back with a little white garbage can that I use for recycling. I get it just in time, and Lucas holds my hair back as I throw up.

  “It came out my nose,” I whimper, shuddering.

  “What can I get you?”

  “A tissue and water.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I let out another breath and lean back. The last few times I got sick, I felt better almost right away. Not this time.

  “You’re so little,” I groan, looking at my stomach. “How are you making me so sick?”

  Lucas returns with a box of tissues and a glass of water. I wipe my mouth and rinse out my mouth, needing another minute or two for the swirling feeling to go away. Lucas takes the trash can into the kitchen, emptying it into the large garbage under the sink, and then hurries back.

  “I’ll take it outside for you once the sun sets.”

  “I can get it,” I say and sip my water. “I should drop off that prescription now and then beg Tabatha for her potion.”

  Lucas rubs my back. “Yes, you need it. And don’t worry about Lucifer. Not now. We’ll figure something out.”

  There’s nothing like morning sickness to deflect my troubles. I stay on the couch with Lucas for another few minutes, and then get up to brush my teeth. It’s nearly eleven AM, and the summoning is at two in the afternoon, which isn’t a normal time for a gathering. Usually, we meet at night, close to—if not exactly at—the witching hour.

  Taking Freya with me, I go into town and go into Hagen’s Pharmacy, a little family-owned pharmacy that’s been in Thorne Hill since the town was officially founded in the late 1800s. The Hagens are nons, but I think they know something is up in this town. I don’t see how you can’t, really.

  We have a very low crime rate, yet our yearly body count is always high thanks to all the demons who come here, attracted to the Ley line that runs right under the Main Street of the town.

  The pharmacist today is a woman named Missy, and I’ve seen her around town before. She eyes me curiously, probably recognizing me as one of the girls who own Novel Grounds. Kristy and I know a lot of the other business owners downtown and have gone to a few Local Business Guild meetings.

  Missy says she’ll have the meds ready to pick up in about half an hour. Instead of going home, Freya and I walk down the street and go into Thorne Hill’s only antique store. It’s run by Mrs. Bishop, an older woman who’s very vocal about her hate of vampires. Most of the items in her store come from flea markets, and Kristy and I used to come through here a few times a month, looking for haunted items.

  It was a bit of a game for us, seeing who could find something with the strongest connection to a spirit. We laughed about how we were single-handedly saving the residents of Thorne Hill from being haunted while at the same time, releasing a spirit from this world and enabling them to move on.

  Mrs. Bishop’s granddaughter is manning the register today, and she only glances up from her iPad when I walk through the door. She doesn’t even notice my little tabby cat walking along next to me.

  “Let’s look at the jewelry in the back. Maybe we’ll find another charm bracelet with a sad, teenage spirit attached to it,” Freya rubs against my legs and prances ahead. Holding out my hands, I let my eyes fall shut as I read the energy of the store. Nothing speaks particularly loud to me today, but on my way back to the front of the store, I spot a pretty pink tea set.

  “I’ve always wanted a matching set,” I tell Freya. “And I’ll actually have someone to pass it down to.”

  Freya meows, letting me know she thinks I should get it. I pick up the box and take it up front to pay. Freya sits tall at my feet, purring and occasionally rubbing her head against my leg. The young girl behind the counter has some trouble with the register, and her face starts to turn beet red.

  “I’m sorry,” she says, looking panicked. “The screen timed out and there’s a password and I…I…” A mom with her two daughters get in line behind me, making the cashier even more flustered. “Um, I, um, I might have to call my grandma.” She tries putting in another password. “I can’t remember.” The computer beeps. “Oh no. I’m going to get locked out.”

  “It’s okay,” I tell her, feeling bad when I see her eyes fill with tears. She opens a drawer under the register, flipping through a notebook to look for the password.

  “Mom, look, a cat!” one of the young girls behind me whispers. “I think it’s Freya from the bookstore!”

  “It is,” I say, smiling as I look over my shoulder.

  Both girls get excited and crouch down to pet my familiar, who plops down on her side, rolling around on the floor as the girls pet her. They giggle and gush over Freya, and she loves every second of it. I smile, never tiring of seeing my familiars be total attention whores and look so cat-like they almost convince me they’re just normal felines.

  “I’m so sorry,” the cashier tells me again. She brings her hand to her head and closes her eyes. “I can’t remember it. Grandma’s going to be so mad,” she whispers under her breath. Taking a quick look behind me, and seeing that the mom has her phone out, taking a picture of her daughters with Freya, I hold out my hand.

  “Memento,” I whisper, and the cashier suddenly straightens up and types in the password to unlock the computer.

  “It just came to me!”

  “Imagine that.” With a smile, I get my wallet out of my purse and hand her my credit card. I pa
y for my tea set, tell the cashier not to worry about bagging it up, and take a few steps away from the register.

  “Sorry, girls,” I say. “I need Freya to come with me. I’ll bring her to the bookstore with me sometime soon, though.” Freya stretches her paws out and gets up, trotting over to me. The girls are disappointed, and their mother is looking at me curiously, knowing that it’s absolutely not normal for a cat to be as obedient as a well-trained police dog, but not wanting to quite go there in her mind.

  Because there pushes nons out of their comfort zone, and it’s always surprised me how much people are willing to ignore the obvious so they can stay in their safe little bubble. Vampires coming out a few years ago put the whole world in a panic, though I didn’t see what the uproar was. They’ve been around for centuries, living in secret and interacting with humans under the pretense they are human as well.

  Call me crazy, but I’d rather know the truth than live in ignorant bliss.

  I drop the tea set off in the car, pick up my meds, and head home. I’m surprised to see several vehicles in my driveway, and it takes me a minute to recognize them as all belonging to Lucas. His prized McLaren is still safe in the garage in Chicago and will stay there until the garage is done at our new house.

  “Hey.” I come in, quickly closing the door behind me. “How did all those cars get here?”

  “Someone drove them,” Eliza replies, speeding in from the living room, startling me. “That’s usually how cars get from one point to another, isn’t it?” She’s wearing a floral maxi dress, and her hair is hanging straight down her back. “What, surprised to see me?”

  “Yeah,” I say slowly, eyes wide. I put the tea set on the counter. “It’s daylight.”

  “Is it? I didn’t notice.”

  I can hear Lucas in the office, talking to someone on the phone. “Why are you here?” I ask, liking how I don’t have to sugarcoat anything with Eliza.

  “I was bored and Lucas wanted some of his cars brought over here. I figured you’d want your Jeep back and I knew you’d already enchanted the windows. so I had Monica drive me.”