by J. C. Hart
The door to the shop was open, letting wind into the building where heat pooled under the low ceiling. There was a fan at the counter, spreading the scent of incense across the room, but not doing a whole lot to cool things down. The bell jangled as she moved inside and Sam stepped out from the back, a smile on her face that only wavered slightly on seeing Alyssa.
"Hey," Sam said gently. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, honestly. And I'm ready. I'm going to do this."
Samantha frowned. "That wasn't what I expected to hear."
"I know, I know, I run away from things, I never stop and hear people out, I don't trust. Well, I want to change, and I can see that if I do this thing it's going to benefit a lot of people. Benefit me as well. But mostly others. And you said you can keep looking for a way to keep the barrier strong without me needing to prop it up, so it's not like it's going to be forever. Right?"
"Right. You're sure?" Sam moved around the counter and placed a hand on Alyssa's arm. "Do you have a plan?"
"I was kind of hoping you'd have one," Alyssa said, she smiled, though her insides quivered and she had to reassure herself that the speed with which Sam accepted her words was a token of trust, and not a sign that Sam was trying to use her.
"I've been thinking about it a bit." Sam bit her lip. "And, I have an idea. I'm not sure how well it will work, but we'll need all the help we can get. I've got some friends."
Alyssa barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes before reminding herself sternly that she was making herself a fixture here and now was as good a time as any to get out and meet some people.
Which reminded her...
"So, I found out who the necromancer is."
"What, who?" Sam looked at her eagerly.
"His name is Brandon, and, we're kind of involved?"
"What the hell, Alyssa? I thought you were all anti-magic."
"I was, I know, and it's nuts, but he was honest with me, and it's actually kind of partly because of him that I considered this whole thing. Look, I don't really want to explain it right now, but I think he can help and you said we need all the help we can get."
"I don't know about this, Alyssa. I get that you like him but is it really smart to trust him? He came here because of Mrs Nolan. He's here to get you to do this, and you're just going to?"
Alyssa tugged on her earlobe, lips pressed tight while she mulled over what Sam had said. The woman wasn't wrong. Brandon was getting what he wanted. Mrs Nolan was getting what she wanted. Even Sam, to some degree, was getting what she wanted. But Alyssa was getting what she wanted now too—a community, a safe home, an interesting man, to save some lives. And she would find a way to deal with Mrs Nolan after.
"It's not like that, trust me. And, I want this. At least enough to give it a go. Hell, it might not even work." She tossed the words out lightly, but she could feel something heavy in her gut, something which told her it was going to work and that she wasn't at all prepared for the outcome. Alyssa wrapped her arms around herself, wishing they were Brandon's because that would go a long way to comforting her right now. "I'm going to go and fill him in. When should we do this?"
Sam wrinkled her face up, and then reached for her phone, flicking through screens. "Lunar app," she explained. "Can't remember when the new moon is."
"No. Tonight. We can't wait—if what you said about the Bay not being safe is real then the sooner the better."
"And that gives you less time to reconsider?" Sam gave her a pointed look.
"And that," Alyssa admitted. She needed to get this over and done with. As soon as possible.
Sam beamed. "Plenty of time to get things organized. I'll let you know where and when, and you just show up. Okay?" Samantha practically skipped back around to the other side of the counter.
"I guess I'm dismissed?" Alyssa raised an eyebrow, giving Sam a wry smile.
"Sorry. You don't have to go, but I better make some calls, tell everyone."
Alyssa leaned against the counter, the glass top cool on her elbows. "Who is everyone, anyway?"
"Noah, that guy who was in here a few days ago when you came? Him, and his girlfriend Melody. Melody's brother Jake, and his girlfriend Moana."
"So, a real family affair then." Alyssa pressed her lips together, suddenly not feeling all that good about things.
Sam must have noticed because she reached and grabbed Alyssa's hand. "Yes, family. You, me, Melody and Moana. We're all family. All connected to the gods. You'll love them, I promise. They are a little...different, but then we all are."
Alyssa squeezed Sam's hand and let go. "I trust you. Just, go easy on me okay?"
"We all will. Now get out of here. Go see that man of yours." Sam gave Alyssa a wink and waved her toward the door. "I'll call you later, just answer your phone this time, okay?"
"I'll try." Sam laughed and headed back out into the sunshine. She wasn't sure she could say she felt good about things, but she did feel somewhat lighter.
Now to find Brandon.
Chapter Twenty-Three
"I know. I wish I could be there too." Brandon dragged his fingers through his hair, feeling like total shit that he couldn't be there for his sister. "I'm literally trapped here. I swear if I could get back I would."
"He's not doing well. You need to see him before..."
He could see her in his mind, the way her shoulders would slump and tears would start to drip from the corners of her eyes. "Don't talk like that. I'm going to find a way to save him."
"I know you're trying."
"I'm going to." His voice was steely and he had to forcibly loosen his jaw or he'd grind his teeth into dust. "I mean it, sis. You just be with him, keep him hanging in there and I'll do everything in my power to make him better. I love you."
"I love you too." Her voice wavered just a little, but he ended the call anyway. There was nothing he could say right now that would make her feel better—the only thing he could do was find a way to stop Michael from dying.
There was a bang on his door then and he slipped his phone back into his pocket as he headed toward the noise. "Coming!"
He swung it open to find Alyssa standing there, the sun streaming down on her blonde hair couldn't match the smile on her face though or the twinkle in her eyes.
"I'm going to do it. Tonight."
"Do what?" He frowned, hoping that he knew what she was talking about but not expecting it.
"You know, the thing." She raised her eyebrows and looked at him pointedly. "I'm going to become the town witch! I don't know how it's going to happen, or what they have planned, but I'm going to do it and once I'm done, you can save your nephew! Isn't that great?"
He let out a deep sigh and slumped against the door-frame, relief overpowering him. "Oh thank god."
She frowned.
"I didn't mean it like that. I just got off the phone with my sister and Michael isn't doing very well. She was begging me to come home and say goodbye to him. But, well, you know, I can't leave."
Alyssa stepped forward, cupping his cheek with her hand. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry it took me so long to decide, and I'm sorry that he's not doing well. I have an idea about that."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Are you going to invite me inside?"
He swept and arm into the house as though he were a butler. "Come on in. Want a beer?"
"Not too early for that?"
"Hell no. Not on a day like today. We've got things to talk about, and some things require a little lubrication."
She looked him up and down. "Sadly, I don't think you mean that in the fun way."
He sighed again and led the way inside.
Once they were seated at the table, bottles between them. He looked her in the eyes. "You wanna go first?"
"I'm not sure now. But, okay." She took a swig and then put her hands flat on the table. "Samantha, from the curio shop, has a plan for how we can reconnect me to Papatūānuku. She's going to call together the other magical people, the other god-children, to help with some kind of
ritual. And then, ta-da. Hopefully I'll be all magicky, and you can get Michael healed."
"You don't know anything more about the process?"
She rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I know from experience that sometimes it's better not to know in advance, besides I'm not even sure they know. Constance was the witch for so long it's not like anyone has experience. I might chicken out and we don't want that, do we?"
"No. No we don't."
"What's your problem?" she asked, dragging her nails across the table. "I thought this was what you wanted? This is why you're here isn't it? And I'm giving you what you came for, so the least you can do is look happy about it!" She pushed the chair back and stood, stalking off toward the hallway.
"Wait, Alyssa!" he called after her. He caught up with her at the doorway and turned her by the shoulder. "I am happy. I just. I did something, and I feel like shit about it."
She took a step back from him, caution smothering her features. "What did you do?"
"I spoke to your grandmother."
"You did what? I thought we were going to do that together. I thought you said—"
"We were, yes. I just... After you were so worried about things, I felt like I needed to find out for myself what kind of woman she was, whether she was going to try and manipulate you. You're the one who told me that the women in your family were—"
"Monsters, nasty women, yes. But not Gran."
"No, not your gran. That said, she did tell me something you should know. I don't know how you're going to react though."
Alyssa marched back to the table, plonking herself down and chugging back the rest of her beer. Once she had placed the empty bottle down she glanced back up. "Got anything stronger?"
Wordlessly he moved to the fridge and pulled out some cola, dragged the bottle of rum down from the cupboard and poured two generous glasses. He set one in front of Alyssa, then dropped into his seat.
"Spill," she said.
"I don't want to." He shook his head, so weary. He'd barely slept last night after the revelation Constance had dropped on him, and that combined with the news about his nephew had drained him of whatever zest he'd had. "But I know I have to. Drink up."
She tipped her glass back, drinking a third before returning it to the table. "Talk."
He took a swing of the rum and coke, swilling it in his mouth before swallowing. "You know how you said your ancestor created a baby from the earth here. From Papatūānuku?"
"Yeah." She cradled her glass in her hand but didn't drink again.
"Apparently, that's a family thing. Your Gran, your mother, all of the first born women in your family line were created the same way." He didn't want to say she was as well. Didn't want to be the one to voice it, but he'd said this much and he needed her to know. "You—"
"I'm a fucking clay baby too." She picked her glass up and raised it to her lips, letting the liquid flow into her mouth, drinking it all. "All of them? All of us?" She thumped the glass back down. "What about my sister?"
"Constance said that all the women in your family are infertile, until they bond with Papatūānuku and have a child by her. A magical child who can help protect the Bay. And then..."
"So she's not. She escapes fucking everything. No family curse for her. No infertility. No messed up skeletons in the closet." She tugged on her earlobe, then grimaced at the pain before her face calmed a little. "But my Aunt Ronnie. Gran said in the video that she had magic too, that she died because of it. How do you explain that?"
"Constance said she'd been greedy, Alyssa. Look, I hated finding this out, I hate telling you even more, but you needed to know." He reached for her hand, was stunned when she let him take it.
"But you told me any way. Even though it might change the way I felt." Her face fell and then tears slid down her cheeks. "Shit." She drew her hand back and swiped at them, as if she could banish them from ever having been there. "I don't mean to cry. It just hit me that you really are a good guy and I don't know that I deserve that. Or maybe I do, in amongst all this messy family shit. Maybe I do."
"Alyssa, of course you do." He held her hand firm but shifted from his seat and pulled her into his arms. Kissing her cheek he could still taste the tang of her tears. She turned and crushed her lips against his with such intensity that he thought he might be devoured. He parted his lips, his tongue seeking hers, his hands brushing up her back to tangle in her hair. He set her on the table where she wriggled forward until she was pressed hard against him.
Oh god, this was not where he thought the day was going, but he wasn't going to complain. She'd been the one to start it, and unless she stopped it, he wasn't going to.
Alyssa's fingers inched under his shirt and then she pulled it up and broke their kiss only long enough to get it over his head. She threw it on the floor then scraped her nails down his back. He groaned at the sensation which only seemed to make her dig deeper. Brandon tugged at the straps of her dress, trying to get them down but she chuckled.
"Not like that, dummy. You need to get the zip. And while you're at it, maybe you should carry me to the bedroom."
"No kitchen sex?" He pouted.
"No kitchen sex this time." She wrapped her legs around him and he didn't need any more incentive to obey.
Chapter Twenty-Four
What the fuck had she been thinking?
Well, about fucking, obviously, but seriously? In the middle of the day? It wasn't ideal. There would be no 'him falling asleep so that she could sneak out' in this scenario. In fact, Brandon had just slipped back into bed and was nuzzling her neck. Alyssa stiffened, hoping that he wasn't doing the same. The sex had been great but she had other things to think about now.
"So, your nephew." That ought to do it.
"My what?" Brandon asked, pulling back and propping himself up on his elbow.
Alyssa rolled over so that they were facing and kept her expression super serious. "I need to kill two birds with one stone. Crap, not kill, wrong word. I need to resolve my issues with Kelly, and you need to get your nephew cured. I was thinking we should get her to bring him here."
"Huh?"
Sex obviously slowed him down, because she thought it was obvious. "Mrs Nolan is here, and she said she'd help once I stepped up. Also, the barrier will be strengthened, so it's not like they'll easily be able to get in afterward. Kelly knows how to get here. She could bring your nephew and sister here so that he can be healed as soon as it's done. Better yet, we tell Mrs Nolan I won't do it until she's helped you."
"You'd do that?"
"Of course. I don't want him to die, and I don't want her to win."
"I thought you weren't talking to Kelly."
"I'm not, but I need to." Alyssa looked at her hands, twisting them in her lap. "I don't want to do this for the wrong reasons, like shutting her out forever. I need to forgive her and move on. I don't want to be holding any bitterness inside when this happens in case it taints things."
The look of hope on his face was impossible to ignore. It broke her heart a little, knowing how much this meant to him. She pressed her lips against his, not wanting him to say anything, not wanting to hear what kind things he thought about her. Despite everyone’s assurances, she still wasn't sure that she was going to hold onto her senses, or that she'd be able to forgive Kelly so easily. But, this might work.
"Write down her address for me and I'll get Kelly to bring them out. Call your sister, tell her to get Michael ready to go. Now."
"He's in the hospital, I'm not sure they'll let him go." Brandon frowned, his jaw tensing.
Alyssa scrunched up her nose. "Well, they'll just have to work it out. Write down your sister’s number and I'll get them to organize it together. And don't look so worried. Kelly is super resourceful, and, for that matter, so is Grant. They can work together and they'll get this done. I know she wants me to forgive her because she came and left Socks on my doorstep this morning. She should be back in town by now though."
Brandon slipped out of bed
, pulling on his boxer shorts and jeans before digging around in a drawer for pen and paper. He scrawled a number down and passed it to Alyssa. "I'll go call her, and you call Kelly. Good?"
"Great." She gave a short nod, a not so good feeling filling her body with lead, making it hard to extract herself from the bed and pull her clothes on. However, she didn't want to do this naked. She already felt stripped bare as it was.
Alyssa took herself out onto the back deck and stared at the phone for a full five minutes before swiping the screen active and thumbing through to Kelly's contact details. Before she could waste any more time she hit 'call' and waited as the phone rang. It only took a few seconds before Kelly answered.
"Oh my god, Alyssa, I thought you would never talk to me again. I'm so sorry, this whole thing has made me feel sick—"
"Shut up, Kelly. Just stop talking."
Alyssa had to give her friend credit, because for once she actually did as she'd been asked.
"I'm not calling to hear you apologise again. I'm not calling to say all is forgiven and we can move on, but I am calling to offer a truce of sorts."
"I'm listening."
Alyssa had to bite her tongue to stop herself from making some snarky comment. Of course she was listening, she'd slept with Alyssa's ex-boyfriend. "Brandon's nephew needs to come to the Bay right now, and as you know, it's not that easy to find. I want you to call Esther, his sister, and arrange to bring them down here. Show them the way."
"Why?"
"Why? What the fuck, Kelly. You shacked up with Grant, you two started things before they were ever truly over between me and him, and you're asking me why I'm asking you for a favour? You bloody well owe me."
There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Yes, I owe you. And I'm sorry, I'll keep saying that until—"
"Don't keep saying it. Are you listening? I. Don't. Want. Your. Apologies. I want you to bring Michael to the Bay. And then we'll call it even."
"You'll forgive me?"
It was Alyssa's turn to pause. She mulled her words. "Then we can talk. You, and me, and Grant if you feel like you need to bring him down here too, but in all honesty I don't give a crap about him. It's you who hurt me most."
