“Fine,” Aric said, making a face as he flashed a dirty look in Sami’s direction. “I’m sorry. You’re my wife and I love you. If that makes me a bad man … .”
“Oh, stop being a baby,” I said, wiping off my hands on a napkin and getting to my feet. “You can spend the afternoon practicing a better apology and we’ll make up then. That one was pitiful.”
“You suck,” Aric muttered, although he tilted his cheek in my direction when I stopped by his chair to give him a kiss.
“I love you, Aric, but we both know I can’t just sit here and wait for them to come after Sami,” I said, my voice low. “The longer we wait, the more likely it is they’ll somehow gain control of this situation. I can’t let that happen.”
“I don’t want to lose you, Zoe. I can’t.”
“You won’t,” I said. “I’m too mean to die.”
Aric grabbed my chin and gave me a soft kiss. “Be careful. And text me when you get there. I also want a text when you’re leaving.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You think that’s sarcastic, but it’s really a turn on.”
I squeezed his shoulder before moving to the door, smiling as Paris met me at the foot of the stairs. “Are you ready?”
“I am,” Paris said. “The baby wants green tea while we’re out.”
“This baby is demanding,” I said. “I’m sure we can figure something out, though.”
“Did Aric lift his foot up or leave it down?” Paris asked.
“Somewhere in the middle,” I replied. “He’s going to practice apologies while we’re gone.” I glanced over my shoulder and found Aric glaring at me. I blew him an air kiss for good measure, mostly because I figured making matters worse was always the right way to go.
“Hey, Zoe?”
“Yes, Aric.”
“If the old witch gets out of hand, you can just kick her in the vagina,” Aric said.
I pressed my lips together and scorched Sami with a dark look as Helen made a disgusted face and James shook his head and chuckled.
“You have a big mouth, Sami!”
“Dad says I get that from you,” Sami said. “Oh, while you’re out, can you pick me up some Twizzlers?”
“No!”
“Ooh, the baby wants Twizzlers, too,” Paris said.
“Fine,” I said. “I’m getting saltwater taffy, too. I’m the only one who likes it and I’m getting it. Now I’m putting my foot down.”
“Just don’t put your foot anywhere else because you might lose your shoe,” Aric said, causing everyone but Sami to laugh.
“I don’t get it,” she said.
“You’re too young to get it,” James said.
“And mature,” Helen added.
“Does this have something to with Mom kicking the witch in her … .”
Helen clapped her hands together to cut off Sami’s question. “Who wants more toast?”
Sometimes I think my family is a walking psych experiment. I honestly wouldn’t trade them for anything, though.
Twenty-Six
“What is this chick’s name?” I asked, hopping up on the sidewalk outside the Moons & Mystics store and rolling my eyes at the kitschy front window. It was full of Ouija boards, pentagram-marked boxes and gazing globes. “If it’s Glinda, we’re out of here.”
“Ravenna Owens,” Paris replied, jiggling her Slurpee cup to make sure she could get at the liquid pooling in the bottom. I had news for her: That baby she was carrying was a total glutton. “She claims to be a true practitioner.”
“There’s no way Ravenna is her real name,” I argued. “It’s probably something like Dorothy … or Christy … or Debbie.”
“It’s actually Margaret, but thank you for caring.”
I didn’t notice the additional reflection in the window until it was too late. When I turned I found an older woman, her gray hair swept back in a loose bun and offset with flowery-looking weeds, staring at us. She was dressed in an ankle-length skirt that was completely impractical and a peasant blouse that belonged in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie more than mid-Michigan.
“Hello,” Paris said, extending her hand. “I’m Paris Princeton. I’m so pleased to meet you.”
Ravenna stared at Paris’ hand a moment, as if trying to ascertain if she was evil and trying to suck out her soul through her fingertips, and then finally accepted the proffered greeting. “I’m Ravenna Owens.”
“Or Margaret,” I said, earning a stern look from Paris and a quizzical smile from Ravenna.
“We weren’t sure if you were open today,” Paris said, pasting her friendliest smile on her face in an attempt to gloss over my bad manners. “We saw the ‘be back soon’ sign on the door but weren’t sure how long we’d have to wait.”
“Not long apparently,” Ravenna said, opening the door of the shop and gesturing so we could enter. “Please, step into my parlor.”
That was creepy and there was no way I was falling for it. “Oh, no, after you.”
“That wouldn’t be very welcoming, would it?” Ravenna challenged. “After you.”
“No, after you.”
“Knock it off, Zoe,” Paris said, grabbing my arm and dragging me inside. “If she was going to kill us we’d already be dead.”
That wasn’t a comforting thought, but the simple statement elicited a delighted chuckle from Ravenna.
“Kill you?” The woman flicked the light switch behind the counter and shuffled behind it so she could turn on her Keurig. “Why would I want to kill you?”
“I don’t think you do,” Paris replied. “My friend here is more … suspicious, though.”
“Yes, I hate all witches,” I intoned. “I think they should be burned at the stake and … what did they do in Monty Python and the Holy Grail? I would like to toss you in the lake and see if you float.”
“Zoe!” Paris’ cheeks flooded with color as Ravenna barked out a warm laugh. For some reason, her reaction made me like her a little bit more.
“You are very funny, mage,” Ravenna said. “You should have your own sitcom.”
The relief I was feeling mere moments before faded in a heartbeat. “Who told you?”
“I can read your aura,” Ravenna replied. “I believe you can read auras, too. What does your scan of me tell you?”
I hadn’t read auras since college. “I’ve only ever read auras for a brief time. It doesn’t happen any longer.”
“I don’t believe that’s true,” Ravenna said, shoving a mug on the Keurig pedestal and pressing a button. “You probably see them, but tune out the colors. I imagine you have so much going on in your life that seeing everyone’s auras would be overwhelming.”
“That’s probably true, Zoe,” Paris said, struggling to heave her impressive girth onto one of the stools on the other side of the counter. Finally I had to help her – and it was still a strain. “You saw Laura’s aura because she was a threat to you.”
“I’ve been attacked by so many people I’ve lost count since then,” I reminded her. “I didn’t see any of their auras.”
“That’s true, too,” Paris said, wrinkling her nose. “I have no idea why you don’t see auras. I’m out of ideas.”
“I’m guessing she saw this Laura’s aura because she was still growing into her powers,” Ravenna said. “She’s comfortable enough with them now that she has other weapons in her arsenal.” She pushed a cup of tea in front of Paris. “It’s an herbal blend I make myself. There’s no caffeine and it’s all natural and holistic.”
“Thank you,” Paris said.
I frowned when Ravenna grabbed her own mug of tea and ignored me. “Where’s mine?”
Ravenna chuckled. “You won’t drink it,” she said. “You don’t trust me yet. You’ll watch your friend to see if I poisoned her and then heal her and kill me if that’s the case.”
Wow. She was good. “So what kind of witch are you?”
“The kind who knows you’re here on a specific mission and who doesn’t want to
waste time,” Ravenna replied. “Why are you here?”
“Well, I was on an internet forum and your name came up,” Paris started.
If I let her tell the story we would be here forever. “Were you married to a guy named Peter who also happened to be married to a Dolloway woman he ran away from because he thought she would kill him?”
Paris was dumbfounded. “Zoe!”
Ravenna’s smile was so wide I thought the top of her head would fall off because of the huge gap. “You are funny,” she said. “I like you. You get right to the point.”
“I don’t have a lot of time,” I said, deciding on the fly that I liked her, too. That didn’t mean I trusted her. We didn’t have many allies in this area, though, so I couldn’t exactly ignore any help Ravenna might offer. “My daughter is in danger.”
“Ah, the Archimage prophecy,” Ravenna intoned. “I wondered when that would rear its ugly head. It was only a matter of time, I suppose, but the timing is curious.”
“We think we’ve figured out the reason behind the timing,” I admitted.
“And?”
“My daughter just turned twelve,” I answered. “She’s part wolf. They usually do this weird molting thing at twelve and shift for the first time. Er, I guess that’s not entirely true. Some wolves have really strong lines and shift when they’re younger. Since Sami’s lines aren’t pure, though, everyone expected her to shift when she turned twelve.”
“And did she?”
“No, but I don’t believe she’s tried to shift either,” I said. “It frightens her. Plus, well, there’s that whole naked thing. She wears a bathing suit in the bathtub.”
Ravenna laughed, the sound low and throaty. “What about her mage powers?”
That was a sticky – and annoying – question. “She doesn’t have any.”
“That’s a lie, but I don’t blame you for protecting your child,” Ravenna said. “The Archimage prophecy has been around for a long time. There were whispers after you moved here. People were surprised you picked a spot so close to the Dolloway land. Your boyfriend – now husband, I believe – was very secretive when buying the property. Everyone knew something else was going on.
“It didn’t take long for people to discover who you were,” she continued. “When that happened gossip spread like wildfire. A mage was here. What did it mean? Of course, you were not the Archimage yet.”
“I’m not the Archimage now,” I argued. “I absorbed a book. I didn’t become it.”
“Yes, but you combined the power of the book with yourself,” Ravenna pointed out. “Then you gave birth nine months later to a girl who was supposed to fulfill the prophecy.”
“We’ve been having trouble tracking down specifics about the prophecy,” Paris said. “What can you tell us about it?”
“That some people believe it.”
“That’s not much to go on,” I said. “What else?”
“Prophecies only have power if you believe in them, mage,” Ravenna said. “If you don’t, then they’re just words on a page.”
“Kind of like the fortune cookie you sound like,” I said. “Tell me about the Dolloways. What’s their deal?”
“The Dolloways were good, god-fearing people as far as I can tell,” Ravenna replied. “I’ve studied their history for a long time.”
“Because you married one of their husbands?”
“I married a good man,” Ravenna replied. “I understand you did the same. If that’s true, I think you’ll understand my insistence on keeping that tidbit to myself.”
“Fine. I don’t care about Peter. I do care about the Dolloway women, though. What were they doing out there?”
“At first they were trying to survive,” Ravenna replied. “They didn’t care about money or excessive land. They didn’t care about status either. They wanted a decent life and to leave the world a better place than when they entered.”
“You said they were that way at first,” Paris prodded. “What changed?”
“That’s easy,” I answered for Ravenna. “Abigail.”
Ravenna’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. “You have been busy,” she said, impressed. “How did you learn about Abigail?”
“We went to the Dolloway house and found a book,” I answered, seeing no reason to lie. “Paris read it. I was going to but … well … it was too long and I get bored really easily.”
“I see that,” Ravenna said, smirking. “You found the family diary. That’s interesting. People have been looking for it for years. In fact, some people think they can get a fortune for it on the secondary market. They think it’s full of secrets.”
“It’s full of really boring stuff,” I said. “It doesn’t even tell what happened to the bulk of the husbands. They just disappeared. They don’t explain why they’re running around as wraiths either.” It was a calculated gamble, but I was dying to see how she would react. Ravenna didn’t seem surprised by the revelation.
“Most people think the Dolloway land is haunted,” Ravenna explained. “It is in some respects. It’s not in others. What’s out there is something that should’ve passed on a long time ago.”
“Is that why Peter left?” Paris asked.
“Peter realized that he was in danger because one of the wraiths tried to make contact with him,” Ravenna replied. “The wraiths are controlled by the Dolloways. I guess ‘enslaved’ would be a better word. They’re expected to do the bidding of the current generation and are bound to her until the line is ended.”
“The line is ended,” I argued. “There are shirttail cousins hanging around, but they’re not part of that main line. They all died out.”
“Are you sure? Did they die out or did they disappear?”
“I … .” Huh, that was a good question.
“We can’t find any records for what happened to the last daughter,” Paris said. “Then a cousin got the house and later disappeared himself. There were no other female heirs to take ownership of the land, so it has sat empty for a long time.”
“Until now,” Ravenna said. “You said you went inside. What did you find?”
“Wraiths and a pentagram,” I replied.
“The pentagram had curled edges,” Paris said, digging in her purse until she came up with her cell phone. “I took photographs.”
Ravenna took the phone and studied it. “That is a skull witch pentagram. It represents black magic.”
“What is a skull witch?” I asked. “My daughter heard a ghost story that mentioned it.”
“It’s a dark witch,” Ravenna replied. “Most think the practice died out years ago. It hasn’t died, but it is endangered.”
“Not endangered enough,” I grumbled. “What is out there controlling the wraiths?”
“If the wraiths are being controlled, that means a female heir remains,” Ravenna said. “I have no idea who it could be. I’ve spent a lot of time studying that family tree, but every family has secrets it doesn’t share with others.”
“What are they ultimately trying to do?” Paris asked. “What do they think will happen if they get Sami in that pentagram?”
“I’m sure they’ve imbued the pentagram with binding magic to hold her still and trap her,” Ravenna said. “My understanding is that to tap into the Archimage’s power, the Dolloways believe they have to tap the source dry and drink her blood.”
Wait … what did she just say? “They want to drink my daughter’s blood?” I was going to crush these jackoffs with my bare hands. It was going to be bloody … and terrible … and messy.
“They believe if they do that it will restore their bodies and they will live forever,” Ravenna explained. “You have to be very careful. You’re in a precarious situation. Tonight is a full moon, which gives them more power.”
“Full moon?” Crap! I never keep track of these things.
“I didn’t even think of that,” Paris said. “They’re going to move again tonight no matter what, aren’t they?”
“There are two kind
s of wraiths out there,” Ravenna said. “The males are slaves and will be sacrificed. The female Dolloways are also wraiths, but they’re protected. They expect to be resurrected and live forever.”
“I’m betting all of the wraiths I’ve been shredding are the males,” I said. “I don’t think I’ve seen any females yet.”
“Shredding?” Ravenna tapped her chin. “Have you been killing them?”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “Their souls are tied to objects here, so I honestly don’t know. Whenever I see one I just tear it apart or make it explode like a bomb. I set one on fire, too.”
“Very impressive,” Ravenna said, and she clearly meant it. “There has to be at least one human female for this to come to fruition. That’s who you’re looking for.”
“It’s probably Cissy,” I said. “She’s such a wench. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s a blood-drinking witch.”
“What about Abigail, though?” Paris asked. “Whatever happened to her?”
“Abigail is tied to the land, too,” Ravenna answered. “She is not a wraith. She is a hybrid, much like your daughter.”
“What kind of hybrid?”
“She’s half witch and half demon,” Ravenna replied. “She’s is wholly dangerous.”
“So you’re saying she’s still out there,” I said. “Where has she been hiding?”
“I can’t answer that,” Ravenna said. “She is tied to the family, though. She knows who the last heir is. She probably kept her safe.”
“And they’ll be coming tonight,” I said, rolling my neck until it cracked.
“That would be my guess,” Ravenna said. “I’m sure you’ve taken precautions, but you might want to double them.”
“That’s a good idea, Zoe,” Paris said. “Do you think you can erect a double dome?”
“Screw that,” I said, hopping up from the stool as my mind swirled with possibilities. “That’s not the route we’re taking.”
“It’s not?” Paris was confused. “What route are we taking?”
“I’m bringing the fight to them,” I said. “I’m going on the offensive.”
Dying Covenant: The Complete Series Page 23
