Witch Bane and the Croaking Game

by Cat Larson

  “Well, I would hope you loved her if you agreed to marry her,” I said casually, sipping my wine when I really wanted to chug it.

  “Perhaps, that hadn’t come out right. What I should’ve said is that I believed I loved her at the time.”

  “Oh. So… looking back you didn’t?”

  I threatened my face not to light up like a Christmas tree. Hypocrite.

  “No. I’m not sure what you’d call it exactly, but it wasn’t love. I’m sure of that now.”

  “How did the two of you even meet?”

  “As I’m sure you’ve heard—maybe even from the same people who called her horrible, eh?” He raised an eyebrow. “Regina is not from Bigfoot Bay. She moved here several years ago and immediately hooked up with Tommy.”

  “Tommy? Ah, I see now. That’s why you can’t stand him.”

  “It’s one of the reasons, but I already didn’t like the guy long before she came into town. But the way he treated her was inexcusable.”

  “What happened?”

  “He played her. She was all one big game to him, a way to see how far he could get a woman to fall before tossing her aside and breaking her. He took off right afterward, and I thought the town was finally rid of him, but then he showed up again around the same time you did.”

  I slid my fingers up and down the glass stem, giving myself a mindless activity. I didn’t want to think the wicked queen might not have been so evil before having her heart crushed, but I was forced to at least consider it. And if she did indeed shove her emotions into a steel trap in order to shield herself after getting hurt by Tommy, did that mean she never loved Griffin either?

  “It was shortly after this, when I found her crumpled-up and crying, that we began talking. We discovered we’re both authors, so that was something we had in common.”

  A special writer bond—I knew it.

  “We were also both trying to get our names established, although she was a bit more experienced with publishing than I was.”

  “What’s her last name?”

  “Winters. But if you search for works under that name, you won’t find any. Like me, she uses a confidential pen.”

  “Does she also write, um, thrillers like you?” At least if I blushed now, I could blame it on the wine.

  “No, romance. But after reading some of my stuff, she convinced me to combine forces. She loved my writing style and was already looking to incorporate suspense elements into her stories. That’s how it started, just getting together as often as possible to write.”

  “Hmm…”

  “In the beginning, our relationship was strictly professional. We had no romantic interest toward each other.”

  “Well, when two people spend so much time together working toward a common goal, I guess something’s bound to happen sooner or later,” I said, my tone as dry as the liquid in my glass.

  “I know she has the reputation of not being the kindest person, but she was the complete opposite with me. And the closer we got to the end of our first co-authored book—with a name I can’t disclose—the closer I felt toward her. Believe me, I was more surprised by my feelings than anyone.”

  “Is this when she suggested marriage?”

  “No, it wasn’t until after our third book, nearly a year later. By that point, we’d become quite successful. I was doing the majority of the writing, and she became the face behind the name, handling the marketing aspects. I still tried working on my own Max Harper projects during this period, but they continued to get pushed aside more and more until they ended up stopping altogether.”

  “That’s sad.”

  He shrugged. “That’s life. At least we had something to show for all our effort, even if I wasn’t crazy about the stuff I was writing.”

  “I suppose…”

  “This was also around the time when I went to a writer’s conference up in Madison. She was planning on going too but ended up getting the flu the day before. I would’ve canceled to stay home with her, but she convinced me to go ahead. At that moment, I thought I loved her more than ever.”

  “Geez, it was the flu,” I grumbled under my breath. “It wasn’t like she had Ebola.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Nothing. Sorry.” I waved my hand. “Please continue.”

  “Ironically, I also ended up feeling the most distanced from her during my week away.”

  “Well, yeah. You were several hours away. I’m sure you hadn’t been apart before then.”

  “I don’t mean physically. I mean emotionally. I couldn’t explain it. It was like my strong feelings for her just disappeared. I brushed it off, figuring they’d return when I did, and they had, but only to an extent. They were definitely subdued. It was a strange time. I had zero desire to work on our joint books; I only wanted to work on my own. Then the rumors started about her and other men, which she vehemently denied. Things continued to further deteriorate between us until one day I woke up and wondered if I’d ever loved her to begin with.”

  Holy moly. I couldn’t believe how much he was confiding in me.

  “I apologize,” he said. “I’ve rambled on way too long.”

  “No, don’t be sorry.” I hoped he hadn’t mistaken my blank expression for boredom when it was more like shock. “I’m touched that you’re sharing all this with me. Please, keep going. You never got to the part where you broke up and she left town.”

  “Don’t you mean the part where all hell broke loose?”

  “Oh no. What happened?”

  “After my change of heart, I called off the engagement and even went so far as to try and dissolve our writing partnership. Nothing felt right to me anymore. After much pleading and other tactics on her part…”

  I made a face, not wanting to know what that meant.

  “…she turned nasty. I finally saw the side of her that everyone else did. Around this same time, I also experienced several setbacks. My mom got really sick, forcing my dad into early retirement so he could stay home and take care of her.”

  “Oh, Griffin. I had no idea.”

  “Don’t give it another thought. It all worked out in the end. My mom made a full recovery, and we’d all been trying to get Dad to ease up on the job for some time. Because of Mom, he’d finally done it. Now, they’re off traveling and couldn’t be happier.”

  “That’s wonderful. But you said several setbacks?”

  He sighed. “Yeah, but the others didn’t end so well. While my mom was sick, I was really distracted. Unfortunately, so much so that I ended up in a car accident right outside town. Regina’s aunt was in the car with me—I was driving her to an appointment—and I wasn’t hurt, but she didn’t fare so well. She continues to have residual health problems due to the crash, and I’ve been paying her medical bills ever since.”

  “Wow.”

  “Then my apartment caught fire. Most of the things were replaceable, with the exception of several completed manuscripts. Ones that I’d written solely in my own name and had planned to publish.”

  My jaw plummeted. “Holy crud, Griff.” Those were not setbacks, they were curses. And here I thought the whole time she’d been the one to break off the engagement. In my wildest dreams, I could’ve never imagined what had really happened. “And this all occurred when—about a year ago?”

  He nodded. “Right before Regina left town for good. Her lowest point came when she threatened to out me, expose me as a fraud if I didn’t continue writing books for her. She said the readers would feel betrayed if they knew it was really a man behind the stories they loved and would stop buying them.”

  I slapped the table in outrage. “How dare she? After everything that happened to you? You should have called her bluff.” Never would I ever question the woman’s evilness again. I didn’t care what Tommy did to her; a decent person would never turn around and treat another this way. “And even if she did tell everyone the truth, which I highly doubt because then she’d also be outing herself in the process, you really don’t
know what your readers would do. You have to give them more credit.”

  He gave me a half-smile. “Exactly, Samm. I didn’t know. Which meant I couldn’t take any chances. Not while I still had bills to pay. I’d drained my savings helping to pay for my mother’s medical bills—we all did—and then I had Regina’s aunt to worry about and nothing available of my own to publish due to the fire. Like it or not, I was stuck.”

  I took his hand. “I understand. As horrific as it is, I really do. But don’t you think all your misfortunes were terribly convenient for her?”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “I don’t know… it’s just so unbelievable.” Actually, I did know. Regina was a demon; there was no other explanation. Not that I’d ever encountered one, but if witches were real and roaming Bigfoot Bay, why couldn’t demons too? “What happened after she threatened you?” I asked softly.

  “We ended up striking a deal, although I didn’t have a whole lot of bargaining power left. I’d continue writing a minimum of two books a year, and she’d continue promoting them, in addition to keeping her silence.”

  I was going to find her, and then I was going to kill her.

  “I have no idea where she’s living now since we communicate solely through email, and that’s limited to only when I’ve finished a new novel. She deposits royalty payments into my account several times throughout the year, and that’s about the extent of our relationship now.”

  “That is so twisted, Griffin.”

  “I’m not going to argue with you there.”

  “And no one knows about any of this? Maybe if they did—”

  “No.” He squeezed my hand then dropped it. “I have to admit it feels really good confiding in someone I trust, but it won’t feel so good if that same confidant breathed a word of it to anyone else, including Sage.”

  “Of course, I won’t say anything. That should go without saying.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. But as freeing as it was to tell you, I can’t help but wonder if I made a mistake.”

  “You said you trust me. Are you taking that back? I would never—”

  “No, Samm. That’s not what I mean. Do you feel any differently toward me now that I told you?”

  My eyes popped. “What? No! That’s equally as crazy. If anything, I feel…” No, I wasn’t going there. “Regina put you in an awful, impossible situation. What else were you supposed to do? Especially because you’re still taking care of her aunt—why doesn’t she help with that?”

  “The accident was my fault. It’s only right.”

  His fault? Why did I have such a hard time believing that one? “Of course, you’re going to do the right thing. You wouldn’t be you otherwise. But when is it your turn to be happy?”

  I’d just blurted that last part out and wished I could take it back. Maybe Clare had been right when she’d said that Griffin would never have gotten mixed up with Regina if I’d stayed in town. Then he wouldn’t be in the position he was in now. None of it was my fault, but that didn’t prevent me from feeling like a mud-crusted heel.

  “You’re going through enough of your own stuff,” he said. “How about I pull a Samm and change the subject?”

  He flashed me pointed eye teeth, and I returned the smile. “Okay, let’s. I’ll start. I am so, so sorry for everything.”

  “That’s changing the subject?”

  “Yes, because I’m referring to when we were kids.”

  “We don’t have to go there, Samm.”

  “Yes, we do. It’s long overdue. I left without saying goodbye, and I’m not sure if I ever really apologized for that.”

  “As you said, we were kids. You didn’t exactly have full control over your life, over your parents’ separation.”

  “About that…” What to do? My eyes began to droop. What time was it anyway? It was now or never, and my tongue would probably never be this loose again around him. “My parents’ separation was a sham.”

  “What?”

  “It was all because of me. That’s why as soon as I turned eighteen, they were back together.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I know you’re well aware of how Misty Evans was a thorn in my side on a daily basis.” He nodded. “Well, that same day I up and left town—you were home sick, as you know—Misty started with her usual taunting. And as usual, I ignored her the best I could, but Violet went off, again as usual, but this was something much worse. My sister always did act before thinking…”

  Fernando flashed in my mind, and I wondered how he was doing with Sage. Probably still perched on her shoulder, snuggling into her soft curls, loving life.

  “Violet, um… attacked her, and I realized that if I didn’t leave then, more and more things would keep happening. I was the main one Misty hated and had it in for, so if I wasn’t around, she wouldn’t have a reason to continue.”

  “You do know that’s warped thinking, right? None of this was your fault. Misty was the way she was, and it was nothing personal against you. She could’ve just as easily set her sights on someone else.”

  “But she didn’t, did she?” He didn’t respond. “So, yes, it was personal. She wanted nothing more than to see me gone, and she got what she wanted.”

  “She’s never gotten along with your sister either.”

  “But can you honestly tell me she treated Violet the same?” He shook his head. “I know they still fought after I left, but it never got to the same level. There were no more problems.”

  He sighed. “Samm. Again, none of what happened was your fault. You were the innocent one here. So, I’m assuming your family uprooted their life in order to protect you? Misty should’ve been the one penalized, not you.”

  I look up at the sky. What a clear, sunny day, especially for February. It’s usually so dreary. Only one cloud in sight, looking oddly like the man in the moon.

  “You freak!” I roll my eyes. Not again. “Your sister’s a freak, your parents are freaks, but you most of all. You’re stupid and ugly with your purple hair and… freaky!”

  How did I get stuck with the most unimaginative bully ever? “At least put some thought into it, Misty. It’s getting boring,” I say.

  I don’t know why she hates me so much; I never did anything to her. But it’s a constant irritation having her in my face day after day after day. Like an itchy tag on your sweater you can’t remove that keeps rubbing the same spot over and over until your skin becomes raw.

  She yanks my violet strand. “You think you’re so special. Just because you have ugly purple hair.”

  I swat her away. One of these days I’m gonna deck her instead of always taking the high road. Instead of always pretending she doesn’t exist. I’ve gotten pretty good at tuning her out, but today she’s really pushing it, not letting up.

  “You’re calling Samm ugly?” Sage says behind me. “Better look in the mirror. Notre Dame called. They’re missing a gargoyle.”

  I giggle and Misty gives Sage a quick nasty look. Then she turns her creepy eyes back on me with a vengeance. Sage isn’t her target.

  “Too boring, you say? You asking for something different, freak girl?” She gives me a smug smile. “I know what your family is. I know what you are.” My mouth drops. She’s never said this before. “And you’re the worst of them all.”

  “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I glance at Sage. “Can you get Mrs. Swanson?” I ask her. I really want us to be alone for this. She nods and leaves.

  Misty smirks. “Yeah, go have Sage snitch on me, widdle freak baby. Doesn’t matter.” She leans in closer, and I can smell the stink on her breath. “Because I know what you are. And if you don’t leave Bigfoot Bay, everyone else will too. Then your best friend and your boyfriend will hate you as much as I do. I’ll hurt them so bad and blame it on you because you’re a—”

  The words seem to freeze in her throat, and she becomes as speechless as I am. Then bam! Violet’s on top of her. What? It looks like my sister
’s physically holding her down, but I know the truth. I know she’s using magic on her. Misty’s long hair begins to wrap around her own neck like snakes. It slithers into her gaping mouth. More and more and more…

  “Stop!” I yell.

  Violet snaps out of it then and starts crying. For heaven’s sake, my baby sister’s only ten. What was she doing? Misty gags, gasping for air as she pulls the hair from her throat. Her eyes become the size of saucers then she runs away.

  “I only threw it back on her, Samm,” Violet says, sobbing. “I didn’t mean to. I only did what she wanted to do to you.”

  “It’s okay, Violet.” I hug her, letting her tears spill on me. I can’t let this happen again. She has no restraint. Our family’s power is too dangerous, and I can no longer be a part of it.

  I go home and tell my parents that I was the one who almost choked Misty. I say I can’t take it anymore, and if I don’t leave town immediately, I know it’s only a matter of time before it happens again. And when it does, I might not be able to stop myself this time.

  “Samm?”

  I opened my eyes, just realizing that I’d had them closed. Everything looked hazy as I focused back on Griffin. The weird-shaped cloud that day should’ve tipped me off. My mom later told me it meant a change was coming, and not for the better.

  “As I said, Violet attacked Misty that day on the playground, but I was the one who took the blame for it. I told my parents it was me, and that I would do it again if I stayed here. They later found out the truth, of course, but by that point I was already gone.”

  “Your family should not have suffered for Misty’s actions.”

  “She threatened you and Sage. I know it could’ve just been smack talk, but I believed she was capable of doing something terrible. I couldn’t risk something happing to either of you two or to my family.”

  After my dad and I went to Chicago, my mom did a forget spell on Misty, but I wasn’t sure how much of it stuck. Did spells still work on psychopaths?

  “I never wanted to hurt you, Griffin. Exactly the opposite—I… I was trying to protect you.” Even after all this time, I still got choked up reliving it.