by Kelly Ethan
Harrow House stood like a majestic purple and blue Victorian grand dame. Harrow ancestors had built the house a long time ago and once upon a time it had overflowed with Harrow witches. Now it housed a cranky octogenarian witch, her candle-obsessed middle daughter, and her Banshee witch granddaughter, Holly. And one annoyed deputy bear shifter, camped out on the porch.
“She won’t let me in. Apparently, I’ll shed on her clean floors.” Melody Braun, deputy and sister to bear shifter Police Chief Zach Braun, sat on a porch step, tapping her colorful painted nails on the wood.
“Do bear shifter’s shed?” A question Xandie never thought she’d have to ask.
“Only my summer coat and that’s just old fur, it doesn’t count.”
“I’ve seen a brown bear shed and it ain’t pretty. I just cleaned this floor. No bear shedders allowed,” Elspeth yelled through the closed door.
Melody rolled her eyes and pulled out a nail file. “It’s fine. I’ll sit here. Just make sure she doesn’t do a runner out the back door.”
“She’s old. Over eighty or ninety as far as we can work out since she lies about her age. How far could she get?” Seriously, extended lifespans were pretty cool. Elspeth rocked at least ninety but looked and acted like she was in her sixties. A spry one at that.
Holly stared, shocked, at Xandie. “How long have you known Elspeth for?”
“Excellent point.” Xandie stepped up to the porch and banged on the front door.
“I don’t need what you’re selling. Move along or you can spend the rest of your life with zombie fleas,” Elspeth cackled through the door.
“First thing, zombie fleas, really? Second, Henry’s dead.” Xandie yelled back at her cantankerous grandmother. Sometimes blunt force trauma was the only way to get through to the old crone.
There was dead silence until Harrow House door creaked open. Elspeth stood blinking in the doorway. Turning, she kicked the door frame. “Stupid house with a mind of its own. I tell you who to let in.” Elspeth stomped off to the kitchen, Xandie and Holly behind her.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Lila sprawled at the massive scarred wooden dining table, munching on a slice of cold pizza.
Holly stomped over to the table and snatched Lila’s slice of pizza. “We’re working hard detecting corpses and you’re gorging on pizza?”
“Hey.” Lila nabbed her slice back. “This is danger pay for dealing with Elspeth.”
“It’s about to get worse.” Xandie patted Lila on the head and zeroed in on a lurking Elspeth.
“I can’t believe the house let you witchy slackers in. I think it’s time Harrow House and I had a serious conversation.” Elspeth bared her teeth and tapped rainbow-colored fake talons on the kitchen counter.
Xandie grabbed Elspeth and shuffled her off to a small, quiet sitting room
“Henry died of an energy leach hex and his part of the Morpheus Amulet is missing. Buchanan is circling the Paladin agent wagon, and everyone is fighting over jurisdictional issues with the Paranormal Investigative Group. Prevailing theory is you’re either a future victim or the perp. It’s time to come clean, Elspeth.” Xandie purposefully stood in the doorway blocking Elspeth’s escape. A gust of wind rattled the windows in the sitting room and Xandie flinched, ruining her tough Librarian interrogator image.
Elspeth snorted at Xandie’s antics and settled back into a padded rocking chair in front of a large picture window. “I’m sorry to hear about Henry. He was a relatively competent gym teacher. I’m sure Point Muse Academy will miss him.”
“And you? He was a friend and according to Henry, a colleague, once upon a time.”
Elspeth stared out the window. “A long time ago in another life.” She sniffed and turned back to Xandie. “Not that it’s any of your beeswax, nosy.”
Xandie gritted her teeth. Elspeth was not a caring, sharing grandmother type. But even Xandie recognized defensive delaying tactics when they slapped her in the face. Xandie rapped a knuckle on the door frame. “Help me out here, house.”
Harrow House shuddered, and a smooth wall appeared where a moment before had been a doorway.
Xandie smiled victoriously. “Spill it, wicked Harrow. Because you aren’t getting out of here until you do.”
Elspeth gave a push with her feet and set her chair rocking. “Everyone’s a drama queen. I don’t know where you get it from. Yes, Henry was a coven member and a friend. Same with Minnie. Minerva Crow.”
“The shifter who died here?”
“Yeah, the crow. She always believed the best in me.” Elspeth snorted. “More fool her.”
“How many members of the coven are dead?”
“Henry and Minerva died here in Point Muse. Buchanan told me Hannah Lynch died in a car bomb a few months ago. And Hellacious is missing.”
“Hannah Lynch?” Not a name she’d heard before.
“She was an assistant to that criminal, Albert Proctor, my old boss.” Too restless to sit in her rocking chair, Elspeth hoisted herself up and paced in front of the picture window, peering and tapping on the glass every so often.
Xandie joined her grandmother. Light disappeared quickly as night took hold. The wind had picked up and the occasional gust of rain beat against the house. Elspeth seemed riveted by the darkening landscape outside. Anything to escape giving up her secrets. “How many coven members are left?”
“There were six of us in total. Two of us are dead, one missing, so that means three of us are left.”
“And Hannah?”
“She was only support staff to the coven and Albert Proctor is dead, suicide at the end of World War Two.” Elspeth frowned and moved closer to the window, tracking something scurrying around outside. Electricity flickered off and on. A blink of darkness followed by blazing lights again. Harrow House shivered an apology.
“Why is someone killing for the pieces of the Morpheus Amulet?”
Elspeth answered on autopilot, her concentration consumed by whatever was outside. “Hell obsessed over it. Hitler, too, and in the end, Proctor. We broke the amulet into parts, it’s less effective in pieces. Each separate chunk can send a person into a deep sleep. It increases the dream state until dreams turn into nightmares. Eventually the nightmares overload the nerve centers and the subject literally dies of fear. Formed into one part, the amulet can flashbang entire countries. That’s why Hitler wanted it. Who knows what Proctor had planned?”
“And that’s why your coven formed to stop it?”
“We tried. But sometimes the end doesn’t justify the means.”
“Something went wrong in the coven? Did it have anything to do with your boss?”
Elspeth finally turned away from the windows and stared straight at Xandie. “He was stealing artifacts, dealing on the black witch market. He wanted the amulet, but no one believed me except Paladin.”
“And grandfather?”
“He was my handler, I was undercover, trying to expose Proctor. The coven dug deeper and deeper into dark magic to stop Hitler. Eventually Proctor and Hitler killed themselves and Whitburn disappeared.”
“Did you or Whitburn take the amulet?”
Elspeth snorted. “No. That was just a rumor. Your grandfather broke the artifact into pieces. Henry, Bridget Doyle, Lucien Benoit and I each had a piece. And then we dispersed.”
“And now someone is killing you off one by one for your amulet pieces.”
“Aren’t you gonna ask me if I killed my friends?” Elspeth grabbed for her hipflask and then grimaced.
“Hipflask missing?”
“Must’ve put the damn thing down somewhere, or the house hid it.”
“Try looking under Henry’s dead body. At least that’s where the PIGs found it.”
Elspeth rolled her eyes. “You can’t think I’d murder Henry? Not to mention, would I really leave evidence behind if I did it?”
“You certainly wouldn’t leave your name-bedazzled hipflask at the crime scene. And if you wanted someone dead, they would
be. There be no staged crime scene. So no, I don’t think you killed your friends.”
Elspeth’s cackle coincided with a flash of lightning that lit up the yard and the mushy face of someone’s obviously dead cat.
A dead cat that was staring straight at Xandie through the glass. Xandie let out a piercing scream and leapt back, dragging Elspeth with her.
Pounding on the wall-covered doorway echoed through the compact sitting room. Harrow House shuddered, and the doorway appeared again, and Holly and Lila collapsed on the ground at their grandmother’s feet.
Powers surged and lights in the room blew with a metallic pop, a rain of glass from the light bulb showering everyone.
“This isn’t going to end well.” Elspeth’s words dropped into the room like an anchor, tethering the Harrows together in the darkness.
Xandie couldn’t help but agree that a dead cat and a power-stripped Harrow House was a recipe for let’s-kill-Elspeth-Harrow.
Six
“They’re all around us. The house is surrounded,” Lila whispered to Xandie and then ducked back down to the floor, hiding beneath the windowsill.
Xandie raised her head and peeked over the sill. A half-eaten moose and a chipmunk missing its furry tail had joined the dead cat. All the animals had glowing green eyes. She fought a heave as the lightning faded away, leaving the zombie animals covered by night again.
“Do you have any idea what’s going on, Elspeth?” Xandie waited for an answer but instead, frantic mouth-breathing from her terrified cousins met her question. “Elspeth? Please tell me you haven’t deserted us and left us for zombie snacks?”
“She never did like you, Lila,” Holly whispered to her cousin.
“Seriously? You’re turning on me already? We’ve barely been in the dark for ten minutes. Besides, aren’t you Death Girl? Can’t you do anything about the zombie critters?” Lila jabbed a finger at the window, only to yank it back when something scraped the glass next to her hand.
“I’m a Banshee. I have visions of death. I don’t Pied Piper dead animals.”
“This is proof that Harrows don’t play well together.” Xandie gritted her teeth for a moment then took a deep breath and continued, “We need to find Elspeth and protect her since she’s the target.”
“I think I’d be safer by myself, truthfully.” Elspeth stood in the doorway, holding one of the numerous candles that Winifred had made and slotted into every bare space in the house that she could find. In her other hand, she carried a short sword which she twisted so it shone in the candlelight.
“Should our evil hexing grandmother even be holding a sharp implement of death?” Lila nudged Xandie. “You take it off her.”
Xandie reared back and shook her head. “Why should I take it off her? Holly’s her favorite, she can take it.”
“Hell no. It’s not my time to go yet. I’m too young. She only likes me because I keep her Bedazzler up and running. Plus, I bribe her with alcohol and chocolate so it’s fake love. Xandie’s the Librarian, she can do it.”
Elspeth tapped her foot on the wood floor. “Maybe you all should get away from windows that could shatter at any second?”
With a squeal, all three girls scrambled to their feet and hid behind Elspeth.
“Space, girls. Space.” Elspeth elbowed her way to fresh air. She narrowed her gaze and waved her sword in the air. “Warrior up, offspring. Grab something pointy before the decomposing overrun us.”
Lila rolled her eyes. “Why do I feel you’re enjoying this debacle?”
Holly grabbed a couple of her mother’s candles and lit them off Elspeth’s burning one.
“Harrows are all about action and after hermiting for the last week, she’s probably bored. And you know what happens when Elspeth’s bored.” Holly handed the lit candles out and disappeared into the kitchen.
Lila shuddered. “A bored Harrow equals chaos and mayhem and sometimes, a body or two.”
“Nothing wrong with a healthy dose of mayhem.” Elspeth pointed at the chipmunk chittering at the window. “Of course, that kind of mayhem is disease-ridden. Not my style at all.”
“Here.” Holly reappeared and shoved two sharp carving knives, handle first, at her cousins.
Xandie took the zombie-slicing knife gingerly and juggled the candle as she tried to find a comfortable position for both.
“Would be kind of great if I didn’t need to use the candle and knife at the same time. Any spell that will give us some light instead?”
Elspeth beamed at Xandie. “You are my favorite granddaughter. I have just the thing.” She snapped her fingers and mumbled a few words under her breath. A glowing halo outlined her head. Then one by one, a new circle of light appeared over the cousins as Elspeth pointed a finger at each girl. A nimbus of multicolored light formed over Lila and Holly’s heads. A gold ball of light formed over Xandie’s.
Elspeth cackled and pointed at Xandie. “All you need are wings, girly. Wait until Paladin Inc. gets a look at you three.”
“Stuff that cackle back down your throat and get ready.” Lila snuffed the candles out then dumped them on a chair.
Xandie did the same. Elspeth did nothing without a devious reason. This was probably a malicious jab at Paladin Inc. “What’s next? You’ve obviously got a plan, Elspeth. So, what do we do now?”
A guttural roar from the front porch answered Xandie. She clapped a non-knife wielding hand over her mouth and bolted for the front doors, with the others following close behind. She yelled over a shoulder, “we forgot Melody. We left her on the front porch.”
Xandie reached the door and found a furry bear spread-eagled on the porch, covered in reanimated dead animals. A squirrel with holes in its fur chittered trash talk at the newcomers.
“Nothing worse than an unwelcome guest who won’t take a hint. Not to mention shedding body parts.” Elspeth lifted her short sword and swung. The squirrel’s head flew through the air and landed next to Melody.
Melody bear moaned and turned to Xandie, showing the whites of her eyes.
“What are you waiting for? An invitation to slice and dice the unholy furry dead?” Elspeth waded in with the sword, swinging left and right.
Xandie shrugged then surged forward. She thrust with her knife and skewered a dead one-eyed crow that mocked her with a grating caw.
Lila and Holly followed and swung wildly with their knives, knocking animals off Melody.
Xandie crouched next to Melody bear. “Harrow House is warded so they can’t get inside, but you need to change first before you can come in.”
Lightning flashed overhead and this time struck a rotting falcon, and with a sizzle, it dropped to the ground.
Melody shimmered and shrunk down to her normal, overly large female form. Panting, the bear shifter rolled on to all fours and pushed herself up. “You Harrows are a menace. Freaky dead animals are stalking you, it’s just wrong.” Melody shuddered.
“Don’t look at us. Even Holly wouldn’t go near those disease-ridden things.” Lila kicked a fox and squealed as her foot connected with a gooey squishing noise.
“We need to get inside now.” Holly pointed to the ring of dead animals slowly closing in on the house.
“Right. That’s enough of that.” Elspeth jabbed her sword into the ground in front of the porch and bellowed. Her voice, surprisingly loud for an elderly woman, caused light to flash out from around her body in an increasing arc of yellow light. Animals shrieks and moans filled the air, as they dropped to the ground, lifeless. Elspeth dusted her hands. “Ha. What did I tell you? No one wins against a Harrow.”
Xandie watched in horror as another wave of larger animals stepped out from the wooded area at the side of Harrow House. “I think we have a problem.”
“Hecate’s toenails.” Elspeth gathered up her sword again.
Melody stepped up next to Xandie and cracked her neck, before extending her hands and lengthening her nails until they resembled brightly decorated bear claws. “Are we going to talk ab
out why you have angelic halos?”
“Elspeth.” Was Xandie’s one-word answer.
Holly ran past screeching, a zombie owl attached to her hair. “Xandie, help me,” she wailed as the owl dug in.
Raising her zombie-dicing knife, Xandie hollered back, “Stay still so I can get a good swing up.”
Holly froze and looked on in horror as Xandie swung her knife, dislodging the owl and slicing his wing off. Holly slumped. “Thank you. This is worse than the walking dead dragon at the funeral home.” She shuddered.
Xandie grimaced and slowly inched away from Holly. “You might want to walk this way.”
“Why?” Holly shifted wild eyes and slowly stared over her shoulder. A parade of zombie squirrels marched in unison straight at her. She squealed and dodged to the side, but the squirrels had her in their sights and ducked with her. They swarmed her feet, and a few clung on to her legs. “Xandie,” she screeched.
Xandie raised her knife again. For some reason, those squirrels were homing in on Holly. She squinted at the zombie animals massing around her cousin. They weren’t attacking her, they were…licking her? Writhing on her leg? Xandie gagged as she realized the plague of dead squirrels wanted some loving off her cousin. They didn’t get the killer’s memo of take down the Harrows. Instead, it was make love, not war.
“Help me.” Holly stood on one leg, trying to shake the squirrels off her. A horrified expression bloomed on her face as she realized just what the dead animals’ intentions were. “Noooo.”
“Looks like one of us is getting lucky.” Lila swung at a chittering zombie chipmunk. “I keep telling her about the mortuary stench she has going on. Those zombified critters love her.”
“Lila Harrow, if you don’t save me, I will get Elspeth to curse you,” Holly screamed at her sniggering cousin.
