Savage Bayou (Things that go Bump in the Bayou Book 2)

by Alizabeth Lynn

  “Sure…”

  “I need to speak to my brother, but I don’t want to alert Serena or Melina to this…change,” he told her thoughtfully.

  Ophelia nodded. “I understand.” She pulled him with her toward the house. “Come inside, and I’ll make the call.”

  Ophelia retrieved her phone from her purse as they walked into the kitchen, and she called Liam while she made herself a sandwich. She hung up the phone as she put the meat back in her fridge, and turned to find Daniel looking at her strangely.

  She laughed and took a bite, swallowing before she spoke. “I haven’t eaten yet. I woke up a couple of hours ago, but never quite got around to making food.”

  Daniel smiled back, stretching out his legs and reclining in his chair, clearly enjoying the fact that he was sitting in sunlight. “So, you got up, and the first thing you did was look for me?”

  Ophelia grabbed a Dr Pepper and crossed to sit beside him at the table. “No, the first thing I did was remedy the headache from my crying jag last night, which was why I went looking for you.”

  Red flooded Daniels face, but he didn’t look away. “I know I probably overstepped last night—” He cut off mid-sentence at the hoot of laughter from Ophelia.

  She slapped a hand on the table and snorted. “You overstepped last night? If that was overstepping, what the hell just happened in the closet?”

  Grinning between bites, Ophelia polished off her sandwich, but never got to hear his response, because her doorbell rang. Still smiling, she went to the door to let Liam in. He stepped into the hall, twirling a baseball cap around the fingers of one hand.

  “What’s up?” he asked her.

  Ophelia merely smiled and led the way to the kitchen. They walked in, and she heard a soft thud behind her. She looked over her shoulder, grinning when she saw that Liam had dropped his hat. She sat down, stifling her laughter at Liam’s expression behind her hand.

  Liam stepped toward them, his footsteps jerky. “How is this—How are—What the hell?”

  “Believe me, I’m wondering the same thing.” Daniel spread his hands in question as Liam sat down. “You’re the authority on weird crap. I was hoping you could tell me.”

  “Dude, I’m a dragon, not a vampire. I’ve got nothing.”

  The plate Ophelia had picked up to take to the sink crashed to the floor, shattering into many large, sharp shards. She blinked rapidly, her eyes on Liam. “Do you mean, like, a real dragon? Like, obsessed with shiny objects and breathing fire dragon?”

  Liam raised an eyebrow. “Are there any other kinds?”

  Ophelia didn’t even make it back to the table. She simply crossed her legs and sank to the floor just outside the field of broken pieces, her head in her hands. “Oh man,” she muttered, “oh man, oh man, oh man! There’s a freaking dragon at my kitchen table…” She peeked out from between her fingers, noting the amused expressions on both men’s faces. She dropped her hands and shook her head. “Oh, come on! This is not normal.”

  Daniel chuckled. “Phia, I’m a vampire sitting in the sunlight, you’re a sorceress, and your best friend is a werewolf who can talk to animals. Not to mention her fiancé, a man who is half vampire, half werewolf, and can also tolerate sunlight. Normal was never a part of this equation.”

  Ophelia slowly gained her feet, careful not to step on any pieces of her broken plate. Fighting for calm, she retrieved a broom from the pantry and began sweeping. “Okay, one thing at a time, then,” she mumbled, then clearing her throat, she focused on Liam and said, “What about this thing with Daniel? You don’t have any ideas?”

  Liam scratched his neck. “Not a one. We could call the Aden guy he mentioned,” he said, looking at his brother, but Ophelia shook her head.

  “They have enough going on right now. Carissa is pregnant, and the body we found was that of her brother-in-law. I don’t want to take Aden away from the family while they grieve.”

  Daniel nodded. “Me either.” He spread his hands. “So, now what?”

  Ophelia swept the last of the plate into the dustpan and dumped the debris into her trash can. She replaced the broom where it belonged and smacked her forehead. She turned to the brothers, smiling. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of her. I’m pretty sure I know someone who can help. Let me make the call, and we’ll see what’s what.”

  Ophelia picked up her cell phone and began dialing. As she reached the last number they suddenly heard her front door open. A few seconds later, before any of them could move, Eleanor rounded the corner with a smile on her face.

  She gestured at Ophelia’s phone. “There’s no need to call me, dear. I was in the neighborhood.”

  Ophelia’s jaw dropped. “Do you know everything?”

  Eleanor laughed. “Goodness, no! I know just enough to get me by.” She turned to Daniel. “So, you’re the one with the questions.” She punctuated the statement with a girlishly lopsided grin.

  Daniel nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Eleanor laughed again and drew a small, yellowed envelope from her handbag. She handed it to Daniel. “This might explain a few things. Your father was related by marriage to my grandfather. This letter arrived a few weeks after you were born, and our family has kept it ever since.”

  Ophelia watched Daniel turn the envelope over in his hands. The writing on the outside had faded away, but when he pulled the paper from inside, the ink still glistened as if it was fresh. He unfolded the paper, and Ophelia was amazed that it didn’t crumble or crack.

  Eleanor saw her look and told her, “My grandfather was a sorcerer in his own right. He used his power to keep the letter safe. He knew Daniel would want to see it one day.”

  Daniel sat the paper on the table in front of him. “He was right. This explains a lot.”

  Gently, he slid it across the table to Ophelia, who sat down and read:

  Dearest friend,

  I write to you with grave news on my heart. My sweet Elizabeth departed from this world in the early hours of the morning, on this, the tenth day of August 1718. Valiantly she did birth our precious Daniel, uttering his name on her last breath, before her strange blood-craving sickness enfolded her in its dark grasp.

  I watched in terror as my lovely bride met her demise at the instant our son screamed his cold indignation into the midwife’s arms. Truly, I wish I had warmer news to impart, but alas, God did not hear my pleas. I held my child as the midwife wrapped my beloved in the sheets on which she died. We burned her body a short time later.

  I sit here now, penning you this letter while my infant son sleeps beside me, the final memory of the woman I loved so dearly. I know not what the future holds, but I assure you, my world will forever be as dark as the sunless morning I gained a perfect son, but lost my lifetime love.

  Yours in friendship and grief,

  Simon Blackwood

  Ophelia slid the letter to Liam, and looked at Daniel with tear-filled eyes. He stared down at his hands, silent and refusing to meet her gaze. She wanted to reach out to him, but had no idea what she could possibly say to make the revelation easier to handle.

  Liam made a grunting sound in his throat. He passed the letter back to Daniel, whose eyes were still downcast and wide with shock. “Our mothers died the same way,” he whispered.

  Liam waited until his brother looked up before asking, “Why did father never tell us?”

  Daniel shook his head. “I don’t know, but I think this is the reason Jasmine was looking for you. I’d be willing to bet she had something to do with the deaths of our mothers, too.”

  Liam sat back in his seat as he spoke to his brother. “Jasmine thought our mothers were human, but she was only right about yours. She was creating half-breeds. Engineering her own army.”

  Daniel nodded. “Yes, I think that’s exactly it, but she only wanted those who exhibited powers or extra abilities as children. She settled for turning me when she couldn’t find my brother.” He turned guilty eyes toward his brother. “I thought keeping my se
crets would keep me safe, yet here I am. She got me anyway.”

  Liam leaned forward, his eyes guarded, as Eleanor stepped closer, smiling. “What secrets, brother?”

  In response, Daniel waved his hand. A Dr. Pepper flew out of the fridge and skidded to a stop on the table. He smiled wryly at Liam. “You and I have more in common than you think. I’m a little rusty, though. I haven’t used my power in over a hundred years.”

  Liam’s eyes narrowed, and Eleanor placed a hand on his shoulder. “And why is that, brother?”

  Daniel lowered his eyes again. “That’s when I started working for Jasmine.”

  Ophelia’s mouth dropped open. “And he’s upset that I’m working, undercover, mind you, for Jeremiah? Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”

  Liam made to stand up as she finished talking, his furious gaze on his brother, but Eleanor’s hand held him in place. “How could you work for that bitch? She turned you, Daniel!” Liam flung the words out through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowed in burning anger.

  Daniel slammed a fist on the table. “Have you forgotten who you worked for, Liam? Besides, how the hell else was I supposed to get close enough to find a way to kill her?”

  And Ophelia suddenly felt like a heel. He’d done what he did for the same reasons she had.

  Liam sat back and shook off Eleanor’s hand. “And did you?”

  Daniel sighed. “I didn’t get that honor.” He looked pointedly at his brother. “My great-great-whatever-grandson did.”

  Liam’s eyes popped wide. “Grandson?”

  Daniel smiled. “Yes. I don’t know how, but Madeline survived. She married a werewolf by the name of Brandon McTarver and moved up north. After Aden’s near-fatal accident in 1937, I changed my grandson.”

  Ophelia leaned forward, her gaze on his. “That’s why he can shift, isn’t it, because he was born to be a werewolf?”

  “Wait. Just wait.” Liam held up a hand. “Your grandson is the half-vampire/half-werewolf person you just mentioned?”

  Daniel laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, and if things work out the way the local pack is hoping, he’ll be the new Crimson Bayou Pack Master, too.”

  Liam shook his head. “Wow. Our family’s something special, isn’t it?”

  “So says the dragon,” Daniel replied with a wry grin.

  They lapsed into silence, and Eleanor leaned down to give Ophelia a hug. Once on her level, the older woman whispered in her ear. “Now would be a good time to ask him about his wife, girl. You may think you have no doubts, but I know better.”

  Eleanor gave Ophelia a little peck on the cheek and backed up. She looked at Daniel. “You keep that letter safe, boy, and don’t give my Phia too much trouble.” She winked. “Give her just enough.”

  Eleanor walked herself out, shaking her head when Ophelia made to stand up. Daniel stared at her, curiosity darkening is brilliant eyes. It was clear he wanted to know what Eleanor had said. Ophelia swallowed, the levity of the moment completely gone.

  Liam cleared his throat. “I think I’m going to see myself out, too. I won’t say anything, Daniel, but you should consider full disclosure for those that follow you.” He stood up, but Ophelia only had eyes for Daniel, and he for her.

  He reached across the table and took Ophelia’s hands in his. “What is it, Phia?”

  She took a deep breath, and stared at her hands. “I want to know about your wife,” she mumbled.

  Daniel’s hands jerked, but he didn’t move them back. “You want to know about Jacqueline?” His tone was hushed, soft and surprised.

  Ophelia could do no more than nod, dipping her head down with a frown. She heard the pain in his voice, and she felt like kicking herself for causing it. He pulled away, then, and sat back in his chair. She looked up as he spoke.

  “We were both young when we met. She’d been hurt before, but she never told me about it. I loved her, Phia. With everything I was. She had long brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. Her wit was sharp, and her intelligence was keener than it should have been for a woman of her time.”

  Daniel stopped and breathed deep, blinking the tears from his eyes. “She was a wonderful mother, and a fantastic wife. She was much more than I deserved.” He looked up at Ophelia. “I failed her in every way.” His voice broke and he looked down. Ophelia watched a single tear streak down his cheek, and her heart broke into more pieces than the plate.

  He still loved his wife, and it didn’t look like Ophelia could be anything more than a poor, temporary, substitute.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Gwen smiled at the doctor as he gently pressed his fingers over her abdomen. The last few visits he’d been on his own. She hadn’t yet spoken to him, but after so many days of nothing, she thought it was time.

  “What’s your name?” she asked quietly.

  The tips of his ears flushed. “William,” he muttered, “but I’m not supposed to talk to you.”

  Curious, Gwen propped herself up on her elbows. “Why not?”

  He chewed on his lip as he checked her pulse. “Because you’re the princess, and you’re married,” he whispered.

  A little shocked at the reverence in his tone, Gwen hesitated before asking, “Are you one of us?”

  William shook his head. “I was born to be, but Master Garrett won’t allow anyone to bite me until after your sacrifice. I have to keep you alive and well to receive that honor.”

  Gwen frowned. “Are you sure this is how you want to go about it? Helping them keep a woman prisoner—helping them kill me and steal my child?”

  His eyes flew wide, darting back and forth between her and the door. “Shhh!” he hissed, “Don’t say such things! Whether it’s what you want or not is irrelevant, same as my wishes on the matter.”

  Gwen tilted her head to the side. She thought not. “I can shift at will, you know. When Myrick’s spell isn’t caging my wolf, that is. If you help me escape, I’ll bite you myself.”

  William’s eyes widened again, uncertainty filling his gaze. “You would do that?”

  “To get out of here and find my husband, I would do just about anything,” she whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

  The doctor cast another wary look toward the door. “I shouldn’t help you. If they find out, they’ll kill me.”

  “But if they don’t, our army is bigger, badder, and we have a lot more power as a whole.”

  “I don’t know. Let me think on it.”

  “Tell me by tomorrow morning, because I have plans to escape tomorrow night.”

  William nodded, looking back at her as he exited the room. He shook his head and lowered his head as he stepped out of sight and closed her door.

  Gwen worried her bottom lip with her teeth. If she’d just made a mistake, she might not make the meeting with Myrick, anyway...if she had to stay, that is. Gwen stood and crossed to the window that would offer her escape. She knew she was at the back of the house, and the guards weren’t watching that side with as much diligence as they watched her when she left her room, so that was something. She’d be able to scale the wall, if her knots were strong, using the window ledges for support. She’d watched carefully for light the past few nights, and she was aware that no rooms directly below her were used past eleven pm, leaving her plenty of time to get a head start, since no one visited her past that time, either.

  Now, if only she hadn’t put her trust into the doctor carelessly. Gwen sighed. Time would tell on that one, and all she could do in the meantime was pray. I miss you, Rafe, she thought, more tears gathering in her eyes, and she also prayed that somehow, some way, by some miracle, that he knew.

  Myrick studied the papers before him with satisfaction. Years, it had taken years to finally track her down. His gaze rose, taking in the crystal ball and the vision therein. Raven hair and glittering emerald eyes – the woman who had spurned him so many years before – and he held in his hands, the proof of her current whereabouts.

  With a grunt of disgust, Myrick sh
uffled through the papers. Had she really been living under his nose for the last thirty years without him knowing it? Good Gods, the woman knew how to hide! His grin was self-satisfied as he read further down the first page. She was a business owner, a woman with family, and wouldn’t he know it, the family was just the sort he was trying to go after in the first place.

  He already had plans in place for them, as a matter of fact. Maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult to flush her out after all.

  Or…

  He scratched his chin. He could always go after her himself. That wouldn’t take too much planning, really. He had her address, now, the town where she lived, and nearly unlimited resources. Finding her would be like taking candy from a baby…something he knew a thing or two about. Maybe it would be fun, even, seeing her again…showing her how he hadn’t changed, although she had. He swiveled in his chair to face the crystal ball, his reflection staring back at him. He was handsome, he knew, and she was old and wrinkled, but she’d been beautiful once, and he also knew he could make her so again. Surely, she wouldn’t resist him a second time. He told her once that if she did she wouldn’t live another day.

  He supposed it was finally time to put his plan into action. Barring any mistake on her part, he could come home with a new bride, and with her help, he’d know more about the little group that continued to stand against him.

  He pressed the button in his intercom. “T, bring me the other file. I need everything you’ve got on Carissa Blaine and her family.”

  Eleanor would make the right decision this time. She had to.

  Ophelia stripped down and stepped into her shower. The day had been insanely long, and now Daniel wasn’t talking to her. Of course, she understood, but sitting with him in silence wasn’t doing either of them any good. If anything, she was almost certain it made him more uncomfortable.

  Her heart wept for him. Reading that letter, discovering that everything they believed was wrong. And then there was the conversation that followed.

  Following Eleanor’s advice was usually the smart thing to do, but seeing Daniel’s eyes tear up had made Ophelia’s stomach churn in disgust—she felt like the scum of the Earth for making his heart hurt so much. The way Daniel’s face clouded at the mention of his wife’s name, the way his hands clenched and unclenched, and the pain in his voice…