Celeste gave a high karate kick toward Peterson’s gun-holding hand.
Peterson was too fast, however. He whirled around, bringing up his knee, blocking Celeste’s kick, and kicking back. Celeste dropped to the floor with a thud. Peterson turned back to Morgan, unleashing the stream of ice blue energy from the gun.
Morgan felt like she’d been hit by lightning. The electrical force seized up her lungs then traveled to her arms and legs, effectively paralyzing them. Her body convulsed in sharp spasms as she fell to the floor. She was conscious long enough to feel the jarring impact of her shoulder and hips against the floor boards … and then everything went dark.
* * *
Fear shot through Fiona as she watched Morgan’s body collapse in a heap. Was she alive? Fiona didn’t have time to think about it because Peterson was aiming the gun at her now.
Celeste had recovered from being kicked and was on her feet behind Peterson. Fiona knew she was getting ready to kick out again, but she needed Celeste to take the crystal ball so she could use both hands to fling the stones.
Fiona willed Celeste to look at her and their eyes locked. Fiona’s eyes flicked to the ball as she held it out toward Celeste. Celeste nodded and cupped her palms, holding them out in front of her. In one swift move, Fiona tossed the ball in the air over Peterson’s head to Celeste.
Peterson tried to catch it, but it was too high. He whirled around and aimed his gun at Celeste.
Fiona had anticipated this move. She pelted him with two burning hot stones. They peppered into his back above his shoulders, scorching his shirt and filling the room with an acrid smell.
“Ahhhh!” The gun clattered to the floor as Peterson whirled back on Fiona.
Fiona dove for the gun.
Peterson dove for the gun.
Their hands both clutched the gun.
Rolling around on the floor in a fight with the much bigger man, Fiona searched in her pocket for more stones while she tried to keep possession of the gun with just one hand.
Peterson was too strong. He pried her fingers open and rolled away with the gun. He got up on one knee and aimed it at her.
Fiona tightened her hand around the stones. They cut into her palm as she wished her most powerful energy into them. When they started to burn her hand, she opened up and flung the stones at Peterson.
The stones left bright red trails as they arced through the air. Peterson’s eyes widened as the stones hurtled toward him. He jerked the gun away from Fiona and aimed at the stones.
Fizz. Splat. Sizzle.
The energy from the gun neutralized the stones and they fell harmlessly to the ground.
A victorious smile split Peterson’s face as he looked from Fiona to Celeste. His eyes lit on the crystal ball.
Fiona desperately searched the floor for more stones. She had to protect the crystal ball and Celeste. Morgan was out cold. If anything happened to Fiona, Celeste would be alone. She didn’t have the paranormal defenses to fight off what Peterson was dishing out, not without Sarah or Mateo to help boost the spell.
“You sisters really know how to put up a fight.” Peterson advanced on Fiona. “I see I’ll have to take you out before I take the ball from your sister.”
Fiona backed up and saw that out of nowhere, Belladonna launched herself at Peterson in a blur of white fur.
Peterson jerked the gun in the cat’s direction.
“No!” Fiona jumped toward Peterson’s hand to deflect the gun.
Peterson turned in her direction and fired, sending white-hot energy into Fiona's stomach.
Fiona doubled over, searing pain shooting up into her chest. She collapsed sideways to the floor. The last thing she saw was Peterson’s fist connecting with Belladonna, sending the cat flying toward the fireplace.
* * *
Panic seized Celeste. Fiona was collapsed onto the floor. Belladonna's paws softened her contact with the fireplace and hopped down to the hearth. Her white fur was tinged gray with ashes, and she staggered from the effort. Celeste’s eyes flew back to Peterson.
A maniacal glare lit the man's face as he turned his gun in her direction.
Her mind whirled with ways she could protect herself. Her movements were hampered by the crystal ball. She didn’t dare drop it. She had no idea if it would survive such an impact. Karate was out of the question since she was too far away from him. Could she dodge the debilitating energy?
Maybe she could use the crystal ball.
Celeste held the ball up in between her and the mouth of the gun. Peterson’s eyes narrowed and she could see seeds of doubt sprouting in his mind.
“You'd better pray you don’t hit this crystal ball or it will explode to smithereens.” Celeste said the words confidently though she had no idea if that would actually happen.
“Hand it over. You’re no match for me.” Peterson glanced at Morgan and Fiona motionless on the floor. “Your sisters can't help you.”
A feeling of desperation overtook Celeste as she glanced at Morgan and Fiona. Would they regain consciousness soon? She could vaguely see their spirits struggling to come back to consciousness, but she couldn’t communicate with them. They were too weak. She focused all her attention on Peterson. She knew she had to stall him until her sisters woke up.
Peterson stepped closer.
Celeste took a step back. “Hold it right there or I’ll smash the crystal ball to bits!”
Peterson’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t do that.”
By the fireplace, Belladonna shook off her daze then skulked around the perimeter of the wall.
Relief surged through Celeste when she realized Belladonna hadn’t been hurt. But what was the cat up to? If Belladonna could distract Peterson, Celeste could step in and dislodge the gun with a kick.
Peterson’s eyes drifted from Celeste’s face to the crystal ball.
She figured he was trying to calculate how to get her while not risking the ball.
An evil grin spread across his face as he aimed the barrel of the gun at Fiona. His thumb flipped a switch on the gun and it pulsed from blue to indigo. “She’s only knocked out with a light dose of energy. I can finish her off with a juiced up dose. It should fry her like a pigeon on a high wire.”
“No!” A bead of sweat formed on Celeste's brow. She looked down at the crystal ball, but it was still dark. If only it would show her what Peterson’s next move was, she could try to outmaneuver him.
Something rubbed against her ankle. Belladonna. She willed the cat to go away. She didn’t want her to get hurt in the melee of what was about to happen.
A slight breeze ruffled Celeste’s hair. Puffs of gray ash swirled on the chimney hearth. Celeste remembered how the witches had come out of that chimney and what they'd done to Henry.
“Merow."
"Say the spell.”
Celeste’s eyes jerked to the cat at her feet. Had Belladonna just spoken?
No. The words hadn’t come from the cat. It was a disembodied voice that sounded like the voice of Sarah’s ghost that she’d spoken to at the Rebecca Nurse house.
Celeste looked at the crystal ball. The modern Sarah had said that her ancestor’s ghost was freed once the crystal ball was in the right hands, the Blackmoore sisters' hands. Was she free now, and trying to help Celeste?
The spell had worked on Henry, but only with Sarah's help boost it. Would it work if she tried to do it on her own? Celeste remembered the feeling of power that had surged through her when she said the words.
“Merow!’ Belladonna put her paw on Celeste’s foot.
Celeste looked down into Belladonna’s ice blue eyes and saw her cat wink. Could Belladonna boost the spell?
“Now!” Peterson yelled.
Celestial saw Peterson's finger twitched on the trigger of the gun. She had to try. Celeste closed her eyes, reached deep into her heart and said:
By Water, Earth, Air and Fire,
I ask thee now grant my desire,
Harming none I now decree<
br />
This charm is done, so mote it be
“Have it your way,” Peterson snorted.
Celeste opened her eyes in time to see a stream of dark sapphire energy spew from Peterson's gun toward Fiona.
The spell hadn’t worked!
But then the energy stopped midstream.
The hairs on Celeste’s arms stood on end as the air crackled with electricity. Belladonna let out a guttural growl.
Peterson’s face twisted in horror as the sapphire energy backtracked, making its way toward the gun and Peterson. “No!” Peterson dropped the gun, holding his hands up in front of his face to ward off the energy, but it did no good.
The energy hit him with a loud clap like thunder.
His screams filled the air for a split second and then there was silence as his entire body turned to ash and sprinkled over the floor.
* * *
Celeste stared down in a mix of horror and amazement at the pile of ash. Had she done that with the spell?
The spell had worked, even more powerfully than she had hoped. She'd felt the power even when she'd said it without Sarah's boost. It was as if she was meant to say the words.
Her lips curled in a smile. She felt almost giddy. She'd always felt inadequate because she didn't have the same paranormal combative abilities as her sisters and had to depend on them to defend her against bad guys, but she’d done this all by herself.
Or had she? She glanced down at Belladonna who still had a paw on Celeste's foot.
The cat slitted her eyes then turned and flicked her tail. She padded over to Morgan with barely a sniff in the direction of the ash pile. “Meow!’ Belladonna nudged Morgan’s face.
Morgan moaned and gently pushed Belladonna's wet nose away.
Celeste ran over. “Are you okay?”
Morgan sat up, shaking her head. Her right hand shot up to her chest. “I think so. What happened?”
“Peterson shot you with energy.”
“Morgan’s eyes fell on the crystal ball that Celeste was still clutching. “It’s safe! What happened to Peterson?” She asked, craning her neck to look around.
Before Celeste could answer, a groan sounded from the other side of the room. Fiona. Celeste ran to her while Morgan got to her feet. “Fiona, are you okay?”
Fiona rubbed her stomach and grimaced. “I feel like I drank a cup of Mateo’s jalapeño hot sauce, but other than that I’m fine. What about you guys?” Fiona looked around the room. “Where’s Peterson?"
“Meow!” Belladonna sniffed in the direction of the pile of ash, then made a face and backed away.
“What’s that?” Morgan asked.
“That,” Celeste said in wonder, “is Peterson.”
Morgan’s eyes grew wide in surprise. She looked from Fiona to Celeste. “How long was I out? And what in the world happened?”
Fiona shrugged, glancing at Celeste. “I tried to fight Peterson off, but he shot me with that gun of his. That’s the last thing I remember.”
Celeste puffed up proudly as her sisters looked to her for an answer. “Well, it turns out I’m not as defenseless as we thought. I simply used the spell and Peterson was reduced to a pile of ash.” She kicked the gun away from the ashes. “I guess we should probably take this. Maybe we can make use of it for future assignments.”
Morgan bent down and picked the gun up gingerly. “At the very least, I’m sure Dorian Hall will want to inspect it. Might give her some insight into what Dr. Bly is cooking up in his laboratory.”
"And what about that?" Celeste gestured toward the geode. It was still face down, looking like any other rock.
"I'm not touching that thing. I say we leave it." Morgan inched away from it.
"Works for me," Celeste said.
“Now what?” Fiona asked. “Should we call the police?”
Celeste looked out the window. “Peterson’s car is still out there. They’ll wonder what happened to him.”
“Yeah, his car is out there and we’re in here with a pile of ash,” Morgan said. “How are we going to explain that?”
“I don’t think we need to,” Celeste said.
“But our fingerprints are all over the place. The police will know we’ve been here, and with Peterson’s car abandoned and that pile of ash …” Fiona glanced at the pile. “I wonder if they can even figure out that that was Peterson.”
“They already know we were here,” Celeste pointed out. “They don’t need to know that we stayed and tangled with Peterson.”
“Good point,” Morgan added. “In fact, they’d expect us to be rushing off to the hospital to see Jolene and Mateo. Which I suggest we do right after securing the crystal ball.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” Fiona glanced back uneasily at the ashes.
“I’m sure.” Morgan’s face took on the look it did when she was dialing up her instincts. She smiled and nodded. “In fact, I’m positive there won't be any evidence of what happened between us and Peterson in this house tonight.
Morgan opened the door and a gust of wind whooshed in, blowing the pile of ash straight into the hearth and up the chimney.
Celeste looked back over her shoulder as she followed her sisters and Belladonna out the door. “I guess you're right. It looks just like it did when the police left. No one will ever know what happened in here.”
23
The persistent beeping was driving Jolene crazy. She tried to block her ears with her hands but only her left hand moved. The other one was secured by … something. Something warm and comforting.
Where was she? Her eyes didn’t want to open, but her body was telling her she was comfortable, lying on something cushiony that smelled like … rubbing alcohol?
A hospital?
Her eyes flew open.
She was in a hospital. And sitting next to her holding her hand was Mateo. Relief flooded through her as memories of what had happened in Sam Gooding’s house surfaced. “You’re alive!”
“Thanks to you.” Mateo brought her knuckles up to his lips and kissed them. “You saved my life with your own energy, almost killing yourself in the process. Now you are a part of me. Forever.”
“That sounds like a proposal,” Morgan leaned against the doorframe of Jolene’s room.
Jolene’s brows tugged together in confusion. “Proposal? I don’t think so.” Why wasn’t that thought as disturbing as it should be? Another thought hit Jolene. “The scrying ball? What happened to it?”
“Don’t worry.” Fiona appeared in the doorway next to Morgan. “It’s safe.”
“In fact, Dorian Hall herself is coming down to retrieve it and to make sure it gets secured in her secret paranormal vault,” Morgan said with a smile.
“She has a secret paranormal vault?” Jolene pushed herself up into a sitting position. She liked the flash of concern in Mateo’s eyes, but gently pushing him away as he hovered over her to help.
Celeste pushed her sisters into the room and filed in behind them. “Well, she didn’t exactly say that, but where the heck else would she be keeping all the relics?”
“Good point.” As her sisters surrounded her bed, warmth flooded through Jolene. Everyone was here and safe. What had happened to Henry? “So you guys captured Henry?” Jolene looked from Fiona to Morgan to Celeste. “What happened?”
Morgan filled her in, telling her all the details of what happened with Henry and then Peterson's surprise return visit.
Jolene was shocked. She hadn't been overly fond of Peterson but he'd had her fooled into thinking he was helping them.
Fiona took over the narrative to describe what happened after Morgan was rendered unconscious. Then Celeste filled in the very end, all that happened after Fiona was out.
“We were a little worried when we got here and you were still out, but the doctor said you’d probably wake up today and with Mateo here watching over you, we knew you were in good hands.” Morgan smiled at Mateo.
“Wait a minute.” Jolene asked in shock, “You mean I’ve be
en asleep for a whole day?”
“Yes. You needed your rest.” Mateo squeezed her hand. “You depleted almost all of your energy, though of course the doctors don’t explain it quite that way.”
“No wonder I’m starving.” Jolene let her head flop back against the bed cushion.
Fiona held up a white bag she had in her hand. “I figured you might be. That’s why I brought this.”
Jolene opened the bag. Inside was a small white container, several plastic spoons and napkins. She laughed. “Finally, that ice cream you owed me.” Jolene opened the container and dug her spoon into the creamy deliciousness. She asked Mateo, “How long were you out? What about the gunshot wounds?”
Mateo unbuttoned his shirt, giving them all a view of his muscular chest and three little scars where the shots had been. “Apparently, your spell worked wonders, along with the carnelian stones. The spell boosted the power of them and I healed in a few hours. The doctors actually think these are old wounds from years ago. I was released last night and I've been sitting here watching you ever since.”
Her heart melted at the thought of Mateo watching over her, guarding and protecting her while she slept. But she didn’t want to say it out loud. She didn't want to make it seem like she needed him because that would mean things she wasn't ready to accept.
“So what about Belladonna? Is she okay?” Jolene picked the other spoons out of the bag and handed them around, then passed the ice cream contained to Mateo.
Celeste laughed. “Oh, she’s perfectly fine. Persnickety as usual, complaining that we left her in the hotel room.”
“And Sarah?” Jolene asked. The foggy memory of Sarah’s voice telling her to say the spell surfaced. Mateo had just said that the spell had boosted her power and the power of the carnelians.
“She’s fine.” Fiona took the ice cream container from Mateo.
Jolene asked, still trying to get everything straight in her muddled head, “So Peterson and Henry were both working for Bly?”
Morgan shook her head. “Peterson was, but Henry was on his own. He was actually a member of the witch community. He has some low-level paranormal powers and had been mining witch intelligence for years to try and find the crystal ball.”
Spell Found (Blackmoore Sisters Cozy Mysteries Book 7) Page 14
