by D. G. Swank
My mouth dropped open. Jack Owen, Episcopal priest, had gotten a police officer sauced to wheedle information out of him. “You said there were two police investigations.”
“The second was for the fire at Elinor Lancaster’s bed and breakfast the same night.”
I took a second to let that sink in. Elinor Lancaster wasn’t just my long-lost cousin, she was also one of the curse keepers. According to Abel, they were the ones who’d released the beasties and demons that were now plaguing us. They were also responsible for the ruins of the Lost Colony of Roanoke resurfacing in Manteo. I was trying to track Elinor down to find out more about the curse, so I’d heard about the fire. The botanical gardens incident, however, was news to me. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
“It’s not. The officer hinted that it was related, but he only told me that Elinor’s stepmother, Myra, was part of it. He refused to say how.”
“Not even a hint?”
“He buttoned up tighter than a clam, but I did more digging. Myra Lancaster was in Durham before the fire.”
“Okay…”
“About the same time, in those weeks before the fire at Elinor’s bed and breakfast and the botanical gardens incident, multiple students disappeared from the Duke campus in Durham.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Days after the fire, the bodies of the missing students were discovered outside an apartment complex. They pinned it on a college professor who’d just started this semester…a Myra Lancaster.”
The blood fled from my face.
Was Myra Lancaster part of the Guardians? Had they recruited Elinor too? They’d killed her mother when Elinor was a child, just like they’d killed my parents, so I doubted it, and yet…
“Did they catch Myra?”
“No. Officially, she disappeared from Durham. But I think she turned up in Manteo and Tom knew something about it.”
“Tom?”
“Tom Helmsworth, the Manteo police officer who talked to me. Whatever happened…the way he buttoned up…it was bad.”
“Do you think Myra killed those students?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to think.”
“Can we trust Elinor?”
“I can’t vouch for her personally, but when I brought her name up with Tom, he got very defensive.”
“What does that mean? Does he have a thing for her?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. Maybe he’s just a small-town cop protecting his own. But I got the impression that he thinks Ellie has nothing to do with it.”
“Ellie?”
“That’s what he called Elinor.”
I tried to pull myself together. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of her. Rhys and I found out about the fire, so Hudson made some calls and found out Elinor used to work at a restaurant in town too. Turns out she quit a few weeks before the fire. They had no idea where she works now.”
“So she’s disappeared?”
Like her stepmother. I shook off my doubt. “They wouldn’t give Hudson her cell phone number, not that I’m surprised. He asked them to tell her that her cousin Piper Lancaster is looking for her. I’d still like to go to Manteo, but Abel was adamant that I stay in Asheville and train. He insisted that Elinor doesn’t have any information to help me.”
Jack gave me a pointed look. “You trust Abel so implicitly?” As soon as the words came out, he closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, his expression had turned apologetic. “That wasn’t fair, Piper. I’m sorry.”
I could get pissed, but it was a fair question. “No. If you’re in this with me, you have every right to ask. Like I said, we have no idea how to find her, and given everything else that’s going on, I wasn’t sure it was worth leaving town for a couple of days. I’m a novice at this fighting stuff, but there’s no doubt I’m getting better. If I want to survive, I need to learn how to defend myself.”
I knew we were both thinking of that night on Beaucatcher Mountain, and Jack’s next words confirmed it.
“Abel healed your wounds, didn’t he? After you fought those demons.” When I nodded, he said, “I suspected, but you never volunteered the information. You were covered in blood.”
I glanced down at my plate, surprised he hadn’t asked me sooner.
“How did Abel save you?”
I took a breath, stalling as I tried to figure out what to tell him, especially since I didn’t really know the answer. How could someone’s blood cure wounds? “The demons killed the three Guardians who were waiting at the bridge. It was so vicious…so cruel that I asked Abel to kill me if it looked like they were going to defeat me.”
“Kill you?” he nearly shouted, then looked around at the still-empty seating area and leaned closer. “Why the hell wouldn’t you ask him to save you?” Disgust filled his eyes, and he answered before I could. “He claimed he couldn’t help you. That’s bullshit, and you know it, Piper. If he had the power to heal your wounds, he could have kept you from getting them in the first place.”
I actually believed that Abel’s hands had been tied—I’d seen how hard it had been for him not to intervene—but I doubted I could convince Jack of that.
He took a breath. “For a man who claims to need you for some hidden purpose, he seems pretty lax when it comes to your safety.”
“He does need me for a purpose,” I said, “and he insists that finding things out for myself is part of the journey. More marks appeared on my hand after I killed the demons. It gave me a huge power boost. Now I can bridge the ghostly plane and ours without nearly going into a coma from energy loss. If I’d tried what we did today two weeks ago, I would have needed to sleep for twelve hours.”
What I didn’t tell him was that I also suspected Abel had given me some of his power upon completion of the blood oath. When he’d pressed our pricked palms together and recited some incomprehensible words, I’d felt some of it leach into me.
Jack gave me a grudging look. “His mysterious purpose.”
I shrugged. I didn’t like lying, but I wasn’t going to volunteer the information. “Abel is part of this, whether we like it or not. Debating his involvement won’t help anything.”
“I don’t like that you trust him so much. You hardly know anything about him.”
“Don’t worry. I have a healthy distrust of Abel. We have a complicated relationship.”
His brow lowered, but he remained silent.
“We’ve gotten off track,” I said. “Abel originally told me the Guardians had suffered a setback the week before, and he didn’t think they’d be a threat. He must have been referring to the incident at the botanical gardens.”
“He was obviously wrong. They made an appearance here in Asheville. Have you seen them since the night at Helen’s Bridge?”
“No.”
He was silent for a few seconds, then said, “We should discuss Tommy’s warning. That they are coming for you.”
I shivered. “And you.” I pushed out a breath. “I can’t just sit around waiting for something to happen. For this Great One or whatever it is to come for us.”
“What do you plan to do?”
Seek out my solitary source of information. “Go to Helen’s Bridge and talk to Helen. She’s next to the opening to the gate to hell here. I’m certain she’s seen the demons emerge. Maybe she knows what they’re up to.”
“When do we go?”
“You’re not going. It’s too dangerous. There could be demons lurking around. I’ll go by myself.”
Irritation flashed in his eyes. “Do you expect me to sit around and do nothing? I decided to come back to Asheville to fight this, Piper. I can’t do that if you’re protecting me. Let me help.”
I sighed. As much as I hated to admit it, I didn’t want to go to the bridge alone. Not after what happened the last time I was there. Abel might have healed my physical wounds, but the memories of that night haunted me.
“Okay,” I said softly. “You’re right. I do need you. You can be as
much a part of our team as you want to be. We’ll go tonight after my training session.”
He nodded and started to say something, but then his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered. “Jack Owen.”
His face softened, and he leaned forward. “Take a breath, Autumn, and start again. Take your time.” He listened for several seconds, then said, “Okay, where do you want to meet?” He paused. “I can be there within the half hour. Don’t worry. We’ll sort this out.”
He ended the call and set his phone on the table.
“That was one of my former parishioners,” he said, his brow wrinkling with worry.
“Is that unusual, to still get calls from parishioners?”
“No, actually. That’s the thing about my job. You make a connection with people when you help them—it’s to be expected they might reach out again with their troubles.” He scratched his head, clearly agitated. Something seemed off.
“But?”
“Well. Her boyfriend is missing and she’s afraid to go to the police. She wants to talk.”
“That’s terrible,” I said. “Don’t let me keep you.”
He raked his teeth over his lower lip. “Actually,” he said, looking me in the eye. “I’d feel better if you came along.”
My brows shot up. “To meet with a distressed parishioner?”
“Autumn and her boyfriend are students at the University of North Carolina Asheville.” He held my gaze as he let his statement sink in.
What if Myra Lancaster was loose in Asheville?
Chapter 5
Autumn had told Jack to meet her on the steps of the campus library, so we both parked in a nearby lot. I had an appointment in an hour, but we’d agreed I would leave when I had to, and we’d touch base later.
I was nervous to meet Autumn—scared her boyfriend’s disappearance had something to do with the disappearances in Durham—but not enough to distract me from noticing the car slowing passing us in the parking lot, its female driver watching us intently as we got out of our cars.
Jack was waiting for me on the sidewalk, and when I reached him, I almost asked him if he’d noticed the driver too, but it would sound paranoid. Even if it was one of the Guardians, there was nothing to be done about it now. Instead, I asked a question that had been bugging me during the drive to the campus. “Why hasn’t Autumn notified the police about her boyfriend?”
“I’m not sure. She said she hasn’t notified anyone. His parents don’t know.”
He started walking and I fell into step with him. “Why the big secret?”
“She said she’d explain it when we got there.”
“When you get there. Will she mind that you brought me?”
He shot me a wry glance. “Trust me. She won’t care.”
Autumn was waiting for us on the steps in front of the library. She looked young, and her red-rimmed eyes suggested she’d been doing a lot of crying. She got to her feet and gave Jack a nervous look. “Thank you for meeting me, Father Jack.”
Even though I’d met Jack at his church, it felt weird to hear someone refer to him as “Father.” There was no way I could ever call him that myself.
Jack stopped in front of her, empathy washing over his face. “I’m always here when you need me.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she threw herself at him, sobbing into his chest.
People were turning to stare at us, so I nudged them over to the top step in the shade. I handed Autumn a tissue from my purse, and she took it and wiped her face, smearing her mascara in the process. I considered helping her fix it, but I suspected those weren’t the last of her tears.
“I’m Piper, Jack’s friend. I was with him when you called. I hope you don’t mind me being here.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. It might make it easier.”
I shot Jack a questioning glance, but he ignored me and gestured for all of us to sit down. Autumn perched on the top step, and I sat next to her. In a move that seemed purposeful, as if he were giving her the position of power, Jack sat two steps down and turned sideways to look up at her.
“I felt silly calling you,” she said through sniffles. “This might be nothing, but I didn’t know what to do.”
“That’s what I’m here for, Autumn.”
“You’ve been gone on your sabbatical.” She glanced down at her lap, twisting the tissue in her hand. “And then they said you were transferred to Charlotte, so I didn’t know if I should call.”
“I’m glad you did,” he said in a warm voice. “The location of the church we attend has no bearing on whether I’m available if you need me.”
Her gaze lifted to his. “Did you really get attacked by a bear?”
That was the story everyone was going with, but Jack and I knew the truth—he’d been attacked by a demon. The same one that had killed my ex-boyfriend Gill.
“That’s what they tell me,” he said, dodging the truth. “I want to help. And so does Piper. You said your boyfriend is missing. When was the last time you saw him?”
Her eyes filled with fresh tears. “A week ago.”
Jack leaned closer and lowered his voice. “You mentioned that you hadn’t been getting along. Maybe he needed a break?”
“I don’t know. Lars and I have been dating for about six months—I even brought him to church and introduced him to you, Father Jack. Lars Benson. Do you remember him? It was at the end of the semester before he went home for the summer.”
Jack gave her a thoughtful look. “I remember. He was very polite.”
She nodded. “That’s him. Sweet. Kind. Thoughtful. But about two weeks ago, he completely changed.”
That caught our attention.
“How so?” Jack asked.
“He would get angry over the stupidest stuff, and he never wanted to spend time with me.”
I noticed a bruise on her forearm, and asked gently, “Did he become violent?”
She turned to face me while fresh tears tracked down her cheeks. “I’d made him mad and he…” She swallowed. “He left, and I haven’t seen him since.”
I grabbed her hand, my stomach twisting with anxiety. “Autumn, did he hurt you?”
She hesitated, then dropped her gaze. “From the look in your eyes, not how you’re thinking. He just pushed me around and got pissed when I said I didn’t want to have sex.” She glanced sheepishly at Jack, her face burning. “We don’t…well, we do, but…”
Jack tilted his head to catch her eye. “Autumn, I wouldn’t judge you for that. You’re old enough to make your own choices about your sexuality, but if Lars hurt or forced you in any way…”
She shook her head, looking embarrassed. “No. He didn’t. My roommate walked in.”
Which meant her roommate might have prevented Autumn from being raped.
“So this happened in your dorm room?” Jack asked, and I could tell he was fighting to hold it together.
She nodded.
“That happened to me once too,” I said quietly. “My date got too grabby and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Thankfully, my best friend Hudson was there to intervene.” I didn’t like to think what might have happened if he hadn’t been there. I’d hardly given the incident any thought in months, but it had freaked me out at the time, and Hudson had gone into full-blown brother mode. Kind of like what he was doing now with the whole demon-hunting thing. “It must have been even more upsetting to be treated that way by someone you love and trust.”
Jack remained silent, clearly upset by what we’d both said, so I jumped in with a question to make things less awkward.
“Can you think of anything that might have caused the change in his behavior?” I asked. “Not that I’m condoning what he did to you, but if this was out of character, I have to wonder if something instigated it. You told Jack his parents don’t know about his disappearance. Was he fighting with them? Is he struggling at school?”
“No,” she said, staring into my eyes. “Nothing like that. We were happy.
”
“How old are you and Lars?” I asked.
“I’m nineteen. Lars just turned twenty. We’re sophomores.”
“Does Lars have other friends?”
She nodded. “Everyone loves him. His friends noticed the change too, and they came to me to find out what happened. No one knows. And now no one knows where he is.”
“I think there’s something wrong with him,” Jack said slowly. “And I think we need to tell the police.”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell them what he did.”
Jack glanced up at me, then back to Autumn. “We can’t make you tell the police anything, but you have no reason to feel ashamed.”
“It was just so unlike him. I don’t want people to think badly of him.” She turned to me and snatched my hand, her nails digging into my flesh. “I love him. I just think he needs help.”
I nodded and offered her a warm smile. “You’re right. He does need help. I think the first thing you should do is call his parents and find out if they’ve heard from him. Maybe he just went home.”
She shook her head. “They called me this morning and left a message asking if I’d heard from him. They said they’ve been trying to call him for days.”
“Have you tried calling him?” Jack asked.
“Yeah. Dozens of times.” Her voice broke. “At first it would ring before going to voicemail, but then yesterday it started going straight to voicemail.” She dabbed her eyes. “Do you think he’s dead, Father Jack?”
His smile faltered. “I’m not sure, but we can pray for him. And then we need to call the police. I know a detective—a woman—I’ll call her to come and take your statement. She’s very easy to talk to.”
I gave him a look of surprise. Was he talking about Detective Powell? How would he know if she was easy to talk to? Sure, she’d stood up for me during the investigation of Gill’s murder, and she seemed to suspect something…unusual was happening in Asheville, but police liked to pin things on real human beings, not fantasy creatures like demons. We couldn’t trust her.
“Can Piper stay too?” Autumn asked. She gave me a pleading look.
