by C. C. Wood
I noticed the slight tremor in her hand and swallowed hard. Though she burst into my home as though she were fully recovered, it was clear that the witch was just as shaken up by what occurred as the rest of us.
“I didn’t expect the demon to be so strong,” she finished after she drank. “If I had known, I would have brought a sister with me last night.”
“I don’t think any of us expected what happened,” I reassured her. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’ll be fine after another good night’s sleep,” she replied. After a brief pause as she studied me, she asked, “You seemed to recognize the demon. It was my understanding that you’d never seen him in his true form.”
Since Angie didn’t mince words, neither did I. “I hadn’t. I knew who he was because he killed Teri.”
Her eyes widened. “Who’s Teri?”
I cocked my head to the side. “My resident ghost. She’s been here since she died thirty years ago. You spoke to her before.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Angie stated.
I took a deep breath and told her the entire story. About how Teri was murdered but the scene was staged to look like a suicide. How I was looking for the man who killed her and discovered Victor Martin Kincade. I also told her about my suspicions that he had been a serial killer before he died fifteen years ago.
Angie listened closely as I spoke, her features growing taut and dark.
“Have you ever heard of anything like this?” I asked her. “I mean, I know nothing about demons. Are they created from humans who die?”
The witch stared down at her hands for a long moment but I sensed she was thinking about something. Or remembering. Finally, she lifted her head and gazed at me.
“Yes, they can be. Do you remember the incubus I told you about yesterday?”
I nodded.
“Well, he was human once,” she continued. “While he lived he was, well, for lack of a better word, a manwhore. He bedded men and women without thought to possible consequences. He ruined marriages and reputations and moved on without remorse. His punishment for his callous ways was to live as a being that survives off sexual energy until he learned his lesson.”
“So he came from Hell?” I asked.
Angie shook her head. “Not exactly. There is a place where those who have lived evil lives go. They have an opportunity to accept a punishment for their sins and atone. Others, they have no remorse for the atrocities they’ve committed. They are sent to the Underworld.”
“Like Greek mythology?”
“Again, not exactly. Only those who are truly evil are sent to the Underworld. It’s a prison for the souls who only wish to do harm.”
Her explanation created another question for me. “What about those who are good?” I queried. “Where do they go?”
“They are either reborn or they move on to the next plane of existence.” When I opened my mouth to ask her another question, she lifted her hand. “Now isn’t the time to discuss this, Zoe. If you wish to learn, I’ll be happy to teach you, but only after I’ve banished the demon that has fixated on you.”
I nodded. I was surprised at how quiet Mal, Stony, and Blaine were being. For now, they seemed content to sit back and let me speak with Angie.
“So you know for a fact that this demon was once the man who killed your friend Teri?”
The wording of her question made the concept sound ridiculous, but it was the essence of the truth. “Yes.”
“Okay, that might help me banish him.” She glanced around. “Is Teri here now? I’d like to ask her some questions if I may.”
I stiffened. “No, she’s gone,” I admitted softly. “She disappeared last night right after Victor, I mean, the demon did. I’ve been calling her ever since, but she hasn’t responded.”
“Is that typical of her?” Angie asked.
I shook my head.
“Can you feel her in the house?”
“No, but that’s not unusual. I can’t feel her unless we’re close together.”
Angie frowned. “That’s unusual for a necromancer. Usually they can feel spirits and other dead. As their power increases, so does the distance they can reach out to the dead.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know much about my power,” I replied apologetically.
Angie waved a hand. “I’m not surprised. Necromancers are a rare breed. Most are considered kooks or mediums unless they spend time with a witch who understands their talents.” She studied me closely. “Do you want to see if you can call her back?”
“Yes, I do. I’m worried about her.”
“Okay. I want you to close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths for me,” she directed. “Try to relax as much as possible and empty your mind.”
“Sounds like a yoga exercise,” I muttered.
I could hear the smile in her voice when she replied, “It is quite similar.”
I did as she requested and took several slow, deep breaths. Though I could feel the eyes of Mal and the guys on me, I found myself relaxing in spite of it.
Angie seemed to know when I’d opened myself because she said, “Now, I want you to reach out to her.”
“How?” I asked softly.
“Think about what you feel when she’s nearby, how her energy feels.” She waited a few moments. “Keep that in the front of your mind and then look for it. Not with your eyes, but with what’s inside you.”
I focused on doing as she asked, intent on what I felt when I was around Teri. Each spirit I encountered had a different sort of energy. It was as much a part of them as hair and eye color were a part of living people. Something within me shifted, opening up a door in my mind.
Suddenly, I could feel the dead around me. The bird in my yard that had died of an illness, the cat someone had buried behind Preston’s house that had passed away of old age. I could feel them all. They started to respond to my attention, but I turned away from them and felt them settle.
Then I saw Teri. She was hiding beneath the house, curled into a tight ball, her fists clenched in her hair.
Teri?
The sound of my own voice surprised me. It sounded hollow, as though I were standing inside a small room.
Her head came up and she looked directly at me. Then her eyes widened. “Zoe?” she asked. “Oh my God, did he kill you?” she cried. “You’re flat and transparent like a…like a ghost!”
No, I’m alive. I’m in the kitchen with Angie and the guys. I’ve been calling for you since last night.
Her face crumpled. “I know. I’m sorry. I just—” Her voice broke. “I couldn’t move.”
It’s okay, I understand. I was worried that Victor managed to grab you when he broke the circle last night.
She shook her head.
Are you all right?
She shook her head again. “Not really.” Then she groaned. “I’m sorry I freaked out last night.”
I can’t blame you. I freaked out myself. Do you think you could come back into the house? Angie would like to talk to you.
“Okay,” she whispered.
When I saw the hesitation in her demeanor, I wanted to reassure her.
You don’t have to come if you’re not ready. But please answer me if you hear me calling, okay? Even if you don’t want to show your face, just holler back to let me know you’re there.
“No, no. I’ll come inside. It’s been thirty goddamned years and that bastard has no power to hurt me anymore,” she stated fiercely.
Though I didn’t know for sure, I hoped she was right. After what Victor Kincade had done to her in the past, it would have been a cruel twist of fate that allowed him to harm her even after she was dead.
“I’ll be inside, waiting on you,” she said, flowing up through the pillars and beams that ran beneath my house.
When she left, I focused on closing the door inside me and the sensations of the dead around my home disappeared. I could no longer feel the cat in Preston’s backyard or the bird beneath the oak tree i
n mine.
I took several deep breaths, the energy within me fading to its usual level. Then I opened my eyes.
Everyone around the table watched me expectantly. Teri hovered behind Stony and I met her eyes with a small smile. She didn’t smile in return, but she did nod her head.
“I found her,” I stated, looking at Angie.
The witch grinned at me. “Good. You’re even more powerful than I thought. Is she okay with answering some questions?”
I glanced at Teri again and she nodded.
“Yes,” I replied.
Angie asked Teri questions about Victor from the night she died and also her confrontation with him in my bedroom. I quickly realized that she was trying to get a sense of exactly how powerful Victor’s demon form was.
Teri seemed relieved when it was over. She looked at me and said, “I’m going to go, but I’ll be here if you call me.”
Angie nodded. “Tell her I appreciate her help,” she murmured.
Mal spoke then. “What’s our next step?” he asked Angie.
She rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, I have to find a spell that will be powerful enough to trap Victor. I also need a few days to recharge. Last night took a great deal out of me. I’ve already approached two coven sisters about helping me banish the demon when everything is ready, so I will have enough help to manage it when we try again.”
“Do you think Zoe will be safe?” Mal asked.
Angie’s face fell. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “The protection amulet I gave her will give her some shielding, but Victor is much more powerful than I anticipated. He may be able to break through the magic if he tries hard enough.”
My skin grew ice cold at her words.
“But, it shouldn’t take me more than a week to do what needs to be done,” she continued. “If Teri can stick close to her until then, she should be able to help y’all fight off Victor if he attacks.”
Mal nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t happy with the information. Still, it wasn’t as if Angie could do anything else.
“There is one other thing I want to discuss with you, Zoe,” she said to me. “It’s about your abilities.”
“Sure,” I agreed.
“Carissa told me that she explained things to you. Actually she said she thought she scared the hell out of you, but I wanted to see if you were interested in learning more about them.”
“Yes, I am. The sooner, the better. I didn’t realize how much my lack of knowledge put me at risk.”
“What about Jonelle?” Angie asked. “She’s a little old to begin training, but it’s dangerous for her to continue without at least the fundamentals.”
I winced. “I don’t know if she’ll be open to it. She’s convinced that Carissa was mistaken.”
“Talk to her,” Angie insisted, leaning forward. “She’s vulnerable as long as she doesn’t understand what she’s capable of.”
“I will.”
“As soon as this mess is taken care of, we’ll arrange a day and time for the two of you to meet other members of the coven. They’ll want to test your abilities and gain a better understanding of your power.”
“Why?” I asked, my eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“You’ll need a realistic understanding of your talents in order to make the most of them,” Angie answered simply. “A baseline to determine where your strengths and weaknesses lie.”
That made sense, so I relaxed back into my chair. “Good. I’ll look forward to it then.”
She grinned at me, her brown eyes sparkling. “Besides, it’ll be nice to have some coven members closer to my own age. Most of the witches I know are twenty years or more my senior and conservative. They refuse to consider altering some of our traditions to allow for the changes in the world. With you two, the younger generation will actually have a voice in the coven.”
With that, she got to her feet. “When I find what I need, I’ll contact you,” she said to Mal. “I’ll let myself out.”
I watched her leave, feeling wrung out and exhausted.
“How about we order pizza tonight?” Blaine suggested suddenly.
I turned to look at him. “Sure, sounds good.”
“I’ll order them.” He got to his feet and left the kitchen as well.
I glanced at Stony and noticed that he seemed lost in thought. “You okay, Stony?”
“Hm?” His eyes lifted to mine.
“You okay?” I repeated.
He shrugged. “Yeah. Just a little worried about Jonelle studying with those witches.”
Frowning, I asked, “Why?”
“You don’t think they’ll teach her how to turn me into a frog, do you?”
The concern on his face was so acute that I couldn’t hold back a laugh.
“Don’t worry too much,” I comforted him. “That will probably take years and you’ll have worn her down by then.”
Stony grinned at me. “You think so?”
I nodded, ignoring Mal’s stifled chuckled behind me.
“I gotta make a call,” Stony muttered, getting to his feet and leaving the room. I was certain that Jonelle was his intended target.
“Speaking of doing okay,” Mal stated, “How are you after that conversation with Angie?”
I turned toward him, reaching out and laying my hand on the back of his. “I feel fine. I like the idea of learning more about what I can do. I just hope I have time to figure things out with all the traveling that we do.”
“You will,” he promised me. “I’ll make sure of it.”
He turned his hand over and clasped mine. Abruptly, I realized what I had been missing by keeping him at arm’s length for the last few months. Though we had yet to be physically intimate, I felt an emotional connection with Mal that I hadn’t expected.
“Are you trying to make me fall in love with you?” I blurted out.
Mal’s brows went up and he grinned. “Maybe. Is it working?”
Feeling embarrassed by my outburst, I replied, “Maybe.”
He used his hold on my hand to tug me closer. “I guess I’ll have to work harder then.”
He kissed me before I had a chance to tell him that I’d been lying.
It was definitely working.
Chapter
Carissa came by the next day and she appeared agitated as soon as she entered the house.
“Mal, Zoe, I need to talk to both of you,” she stated. “Privately.”
Immediately, Blaine rose from the chair he’d been lounging in while he drank his coffee. “Is something wrong?”
Carissa’s eyes cut to him, but she didn’t respond.
Jaw tight, Blaine set his cup down on the table between the chairs and gestured to Stony. “Come on, let’s go grab something to cook for lunch.”
I could tell he didn’t want to leave, but he also didn’t want to upset Carissa any more than she already was. Stony stood and ambled out the front door after Blaine, winking at Carissa as he passed.
She didn’t even crack a smile at his flirting.
As soon as the door shut, she spoke. “I’m really sorry, but I have to leave tomorrow.”
Mal didn’t respond to her words, merely guided her toward the sofa. “Here, sit down and tell us what’s going on.”
I sat in the chair that Blaine had vacated, giving Carissa and Mal a little space on the couch. I didn’t want her to feel as though we were hemming her in. She seemed uneasy enough already.
Carissa sat next to Mal, but her back was rigid and straight. Though she wasn’t as open as Stony or Blaine, her usually kind face was tense.
“I need to get home. I’ve been away from Rosalie for too long already. She called me this morning, crying.”
“Who’s Rosalie?” I asked gently.
Carissa’s grey eyes met mine. “My daughter. She’s six.”
My heart ached for her. Her husband must have died while the girl was just an infant.
Her eyes were apologetic. “I’m sorry to leave you before this sit
uation is resolved, Zoe, but she needs me.”
I lifted a hand and smiled at her. “Your daughter comes first and I understand that completely.”
Carissa smiled appreciatively. “Thank you for understanding.” She got to her feet. “I have a taxi waiting outside, so I need to go. I have to make arrangements to get a flight.”
I stood as well and moved over to her, giving her a hug. “Thank you for your help, Carissa. I really enjoyed meeting you.”
She hugged me back. “I was happy to do it, Zoe. I hope I see you again soon.” The last sentence was directed at Mal.
He grinned. “I’ll make sure we have a filming location near Atlanta in the next few months.” He hugged Carissa as well. “I’d be happy to drive you back to the hotel if you need me to,” he offered.
Carissa shook her head. “No, it’s fine. The taxi is already here and I think the gentleman driving could use the fare.”
She hurried out of the house, shutting the door behind her.
“Do you think everything is all right with her daughter?” I asked Mal.
“I hope so,” he answered. “But her relationship with Patrick’s parents is lukewarm at best. They’ve been watching Rosalie while Carissa was here.”
“Patrick was her husband?”
Mal nodded. “Yeah. They never really warmed up to the idea of having her in the family.” He shot me a sheepish glance. “You know about my family owning Flemming Communications and, well, Patrick’s parents hold the philosophy money should marry money very dear. Carissa wasn’t well off when she met Patrick and his parents did everything they could to break them up. When Carissa got pregnant, they accused her of doing it deliberately. She nearly left Patrick then, but he followed her, married her, and cut his parents off completely until Rosalie was born.”
“Carissa does not strike me as the kind of woman who would get pregnant with the intention of forcing a man to marry her,” I stated emphatically.
“I agree with you. She never gave a damn about Patrick’s money. And he was crazy about her, absolutely adored her and Rosalie. Still, his parents have never really gotten over it. They love Rosalie, but they’re still cold toward Carissa.”
