“Show me.”
Hmmm. It did sound like Jess.
“The vulva,” the Jess-alike said. “I didn’t tell her to do that—which is pretty annoying because it should have been the first thing I thought of. Who told her to do this?”
“She said it just popped into her head.”
“I guess there must be more witch in her than she realises . . .”
Witch?
“But if she has this, she shouldn’t have been affected by the attack.”
Attack?
“She hadn’t. She hadn’t got anything,” Ethan said. “She’s been so obsessed with protecting us she didn’t stop to consider she may need protecting herself.”
“Silly girl. Has she got one on her now?”
“Yeah. But I had to wait until she was sedated to do it. I tried to draw one on her with pen, but she freaked and washed it off—”
The Jess-alike snorted. “That’s because people writing on themselves drives her insane.”
Ethan chuckled. “Well, she can wash all she likes now. I used permanent marker.”
The conversation had turned weird on a grand scale. Why would Ethan and Jess be chatting about stuff that made no sense? Or, speaking as though familiar when they’d never met? I swiped at my face, considered if I could still be asleep, stuck within the oddest of dreams.
“Good thinking, smart guy,” she said. “So, explain to me how she’s been.”
“Like she hasn’t a clue what’s happened this week. And she has her days and times all mixed up.”
“Did you get a good sniff at the stuff? How did it smell?”
“Pungent,” Ethan said. “But with a definite hint of black pepper—maybe sulphur. I think it was the pepper that stung my eyes.”
“Well, shit!” The Jess clone gave a small laugh. “These witches are pretty smart.”
Witches? At the second mention of the reference, my mind sharpened a little.
“So, you know what it—”
“Confusion oil. That’s why she doesn’t know what time or day it is. Why she doesn’t remember some stuff. They’ve mixed her head up.”
What? Who?
“Can you fix her?” Ethan asked.
“Of course I can.”
The power of intrigue overtook my sleep-infested head. Swinging myself up, I blinked like crazy to keep my eyes open, the living room swimming into focus. I climbed to unsteady legs, swaying once before I got my act together and headed from the room.
“I have my kit . . .”
I followed the voices to the kitchen.
“…I’ll make her an infusion sac she can bathe . . .”
The voice trailed off as I stepped into the room.
At the far side of the table, Jess’s shoulder brushed against Ethan’s, and her body leaned toward Nathan and Connor.
“Jem.” She smiled. “I thought you were never going to wake up.”
My gaze flitted from the men to Nathan’s wife, back to Ethan and Jess. “I, um …what are you doing here, Jess?” I scratched my head when it came out ruder than intended.
“I thought I’d visit.”
“You should have called.”
Her chin tilted a little as she kept her gaze on mine. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“I …don’t. I …it’s good to see you.” I turned to Nathan. “Is Sean back?”
His head shook. “Not yet.”
From the corner of my eye, I caught a shrug pass between Ethan and my sister. They looked far too cosy for people who’d only just met. My eyes narrowed as I studied them closer. “Do you two know each other?”
Jess sent Ethan a sideways glance before smiling at me. “Not yet.”
I breathed out a laugh at the cock of her eyebrow, the sultry tone of her voice. Jess had flirted with many a man. She’d always been very good at it. Her steady gaze and the flick of her lashes told me she found Sean’s brother more than attractive.
Hmmm, I thought. This could be an interesting visit.
• • •
“I don’t want to take a bath right now,” I said as Jess tugged me up the stairs.
“Please, Jem. I made you a special scent.” She sashayed backward across the landing, her hand wrapped around mine with the strength of a surgical clamp. Reaching the door, she waltzed me into the bathroom.
The water already gushed from the tap, a not altogether unpleasant steam rising to the ceiling, and I couldn’t help but smile. Jess had always been enthusiastic about knowing if people liked the gifts she made for them.
“Okay, okay.” I gave a sigh—an attempt to hide my amusement. “I’ll take the bath if you’ll stop nagging, but I’m taking it alone. I don’t need an audience.”
“I don’t want to watch you. What do you take me for?” She snorted. “I’m just going to give your back a little rinse over, help drive off some of that tension you have working into knots. Then, I’ll leave you to it.”
“Can I at least have some privacy to undress?”
“It’s not like I haven’t seen it before. Just strip off, for goodness sake.”
I stared at her. Her enthusiasm peaked a little high—even for Jess.
She laughed and turned away. “Okay, I won’t watch. Now, undress already.”
“Take a bath, Jem. Let me wash you, Jem.” My grumbles murmured past my lips, my head wobbling with each one. “Get undressed, Jem . . .” I tugged off Josh’s clothing and tossed it to the floor.
A dip of my hand confirmed the water was hot enough before I turned off the tap and climbed in. The liquid soothed as it flowed over my flesh, the flavours comforting like an old memory stirred of times gone past. I slid low beneath the water—only my mouth and nose exposed.
“Are you in?” Jess asked.
I peered toward her distorted voice. “Yes.”
“Good. Let’s start with your hair.”
“Hang on a minute.” I sat up, sloshing water against the rim. “I thought you were just going to clean my back.”
She aimed a thick glob of unfamiliar shampoo onto her hand. “Humour me.”
Before I could protest further, she slapped the cool liquid onto my head and began to massage in shampoo redolent of basil, frankincense and rose petals, all rolled into one.
I allowed my lids to droop.
Jess’s fingertips worked wonders, scratching small circles into my scalp and easing the headache I hadn’t managed to shift since waking. “So, Ethan?” she asked.
My lips curved.
“Is he single?”
I breathed out a small laugh. “Yes.”
“Interesting. Why is that, do you think? A hot guy with the body of Adonis—it’s got to make you wonder.”
I almost groaned out my pleasure as her fingers worked deeper. “It’s probably because he’s stuck in the dark ages with his attitude.”
“A caveman?”
“Pretty much.” Another small groan crept out.
“Okay, rinse.”
I ducked beneath the surface. Jess reached in, smoothing the soap from my hair. When she tapped my shoulder, I pushed back up, blowing water from my face.
“Well,”—she smiled, wiggling her eyebrows—“he can drag me off to his cave anytime.”
I snorted out a laugh. “You’re incorrigible, Jess. You get the female equivalent of a hard-on every time you see a hunky guy. God help you when the others get …here . . .” My brow creased, yet I couldn’t figure out why.
Jess peered at me. “I can’t wait. Now, sit forward whilst I wash your back.”
My body rocked as she swept the sponge either side of my spine, across my shoulder blades. The bathroom filled with more of my groans and Jess’s laughed reactions.
Once she’d finished, she s
tood and dried her hands. “You should have a soak. I’ll come get you when you’ve been in here long enough. Okay?” She stared down at me with her ‘don’t bloody argue with me’ face, and I nodded.
Alone, I resubmerged myself into the water. A huge intake of breath allowed me to remain there for minutes, fingers and toes pointing in my floated state of total relaxation.
Images began to spring into my mind.
Me, on a frantic race through the forest—I knew, without having to be told, I searched for Sean.
Ploughing through the snow.
Being picked up by Beth.
Beth? How had she come to be there?
You called her, Jem.
Words formed arguments. Faces—none of them happy. My self-banishment from the pack. Staying at a strange apartment.
They all flitted within my brain.
Fighting with Ethan. Getting drunk with Ethan.
The thoughts initially made no sense until they rearranged themselves into some semblance of order that unfolded into a bigger scene.
Everything that happened over the past week flooded back to me—right up until the last act before my memory became a blur.
I recalled seeing the witches at Connor’s in a dream. Racing over there. Ethan’s pursuit. I knew the witches had still been there despite my fears we may have missed them.
Then what?
My lids twitched, eyes flicked from side to side behind their shields.
I leapt from the water with a gasp, clambered over the rim of the tub. Feet slipping, my hand grabbed at a towel as the other hauled the door open. “Ethan!” I wrapped my body as I raced the length of the landing. “Ethan!”
He reached the bottom step as I teetered on the top. A V formed in the centre of his forehead when his face tilted up. “Jem?”
“Did we get them?” I asked.
He rubbed at his hair.
I blew out a breath and waved my hand in impatience. “The witches? Did we get them? Did we get there in time?”
His entire frame slouched. “Get dressed, Jem. Then I’ll explain.”
• • •
“Okay, I’m calm now,” I said, feeding them an absolute crock.
When Ethan updated me on how close we’d been to the witches, and their outsmarting of us, one of the dining chairs had been sent skidding across tiles until a collision with the fridge brought it to an ear-clattering standstill, and a small crater had been created in the wood of the door to the hallway by my fist.
Connor still rubbed at his jaw where my elbow connected when he restrained me until Beth took over.
Beth held me tight, her hands rubbing at my shoulders, an attempt to relax muscles that refused to concede. “It’s not your fault,” she told me.
I didn’t believe her.
“The witches had obviously come prepared for such an eventuality.”
Yep. I gave her that one.
My wild, gesticulating arms and uncontrollable shakes dimmed to tremors, and Beth pulled back. Her eyes showed nothing but consternation whereas mine struggled to hold still. My feet had trouble with the concept of staying in one spot, too.
“Jem, look at me,” she said.
I did—for about a second before my eyes darted away again. I’d never been so furious, never experienced such wrath, never wanted to hurt anybody as much as I wanted to those witches. I didn’t get that way, not over people, not with my placid nature. I could barely deal with such fierce emotions.
“Look at me.” Her husky tones took on sternness.
I forced my gaze round to her, willing it to remain steady. I’d already fathomed Connor had slipped something in my drink that morning, just as I knew they wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. No way would I provoke that.
Once I’d held her stare for seconds, she gave a small smile.
“Jem, how did you know they’d be there?” Nathan asked. “You knew they were there, didn’t you?”
Not quite ready for civilised speech, I nodded.
“How?”
“I dreamed it.” It must have sounded ridiculous to them. It seemed farfetched to me.
“How?” Nathan repeated. “What exactly did you dream?”
I sent Ethan a brief glance as Beth’s fingers rubbed across my shoulder and looked back to Nathan. “I dreamed I went to Connor’s, and they were there.”
“You just drove over there and when you found them in the house, you woke up convinced it had been real?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t drive over there.”
“You ran?” Connor asked. “Did you change?”
I gave another headshake.
Everyone stared at me until Jess broke into the quiet. “My guess?”
They all turned to her.
“She flew.” Jess faced me. “How long have you been astral projecting?”
All heads shot back toward me.
I squinted one eye. Hadn’t Sean said something about it once, when we first met and I mentioned to him about the way I dreamed? I lifted my hands. “I don’t know what that is.”
“It’s . . .” Nathan turned from me to Jess. “Isn’t it like an outer body thing? Like you’re a shadow or presence experiencing …stuff …without having to use your body to get there?”
Jess smiled, probably at Nathan’s disjointed description. “Something like that. But, because you’re not restricted by limitations put upon us by our bodies, you can do things you’d normally consider impossible.” She stared at me. “Like flying.”
“Like drifting through solid surfaces?” I asked.
All attention shifted back to me.
“I didn’t use any doors in my dream. Just imagined myself on the other side, pictured where I wanted to be and managed to get there.”
Their stares intensified to ones of great interest.
“I should have guessed, really,” Jess said.
My curled hands untightened a little. “Guessed what?”
“That you could do it.” Jess shrugged. “What with your dream history.”
“Because I’m weird,” I mumbled.
“Not weird.” She smiled. “Just …different.”
My lips twitched. After years of being called weird, odd, ‘not like other people’, her ‘different’ made a refreshing change.
“Anyway,” Jess said, “what did you see the witches doing in your dream?”
I thought back. “They were looking for something—of mine. Marianne wanted it really bad. A strand of hair or something. They even checked the laundry basket.” I looked to Nathan. “And in not so many words, they confirmed Jess’s beliefs. She’s right about their plans for the boys.”
“What exactly did they say, Jem?” he asked.
My fingers tightened around Beth’s, and she squeezed my upper arm. “I don’t want to repeat it. You’ll just have to accept my word.”
The room fell quiet for minutes before Nathan nodded.
“If they were looking for something of yours, I’d guess it’s with the intention of hurting you,” Jess said. “In which case, you’re lucky Ethan marked you with the triangle.”
I stared from her to Ethan. “You drew on me?”
He gave a slow nod. “When you were asleep.”
“You know I hate pen marks.” I tugged my T-shirt up to reveal my flesh beneath. “I didn’t see anything when I bathed …otherwise I’d have washed the bloody thing off.”
“You’re lucky he did it,” Jess said again. “If he hadn’t, and this Marianne left with something of yours, you’d possibly be in quite a lot of pain right now. Was there anything of yours there?”
I shook my head whilst still searching for the branding. “It’s irrelevant. She figured out I don’t always wear my own stuff there—kne
w to check the men’s clothing.”
“They’ve managed to pick up a lot about you in a short space of time. She must have watched you like a hawk.”
I still couldn’t find the triangle. “Where did you put it, Ethan?”
“You won’t get it off—it’s in permanent marker. And you don’t need to worry. I put it somewhere it can’t bother you.” He chuckled. “Unless you have a habit of checking out your own rear in the mirror.”
I glared at him. “You drew on my arse?”
His shoulders jigged with his continued chuckle.
“Okay, back on track,” Jess said. “Based on what I now know, I think we may have a way to find them.”
The huge crater where my heart normally resided decreased in size alongside the surge of hope at her words.
“I’ll rephrase.” Jess glanced around at each of us until she settled back on me. “Jem will be able to find them.”
My shoulders sagged at the deflating news. “How? Ethan and I tried to look, but we got nowhere. We haven’t even got a clue where to start—”
“I’m not talking about physically searching,” she said. “I’m talking about mental searching.”
My eyebrow rose as I realised her insanity outweighed what I’d given her credit for. “Mental searching?”
She nodded. “I looked up spells for how to find things. It seemed the most practical under the circumstances. In theory, it’s used for missing objects, and I’ve never personally attempted it. But, with Jem’s mental strength and her connection to those she wants to find, I think she could try it on people …and maybe even pull it off.”
“What will it entail?” Nathan’s tone suggested he took her seriously.
“Well, as it’s a dream locator spell, Jem will have to sleep for it to work. And,” she added as she peered round at the three men, “not a drug or alcohol induced sleep. It has to be natural.”
“But I might not sleep for hours now,” I said.
“When you’re ready will do,” she said. “You can always busy yourselves in between—”
“In between?”
“There’s no guarantee you’ll succeed on your first attempt. So, you can go out, do a visual search in between to help tire you for the mental searches.”
“What will you do to me to help me sleep search?” I’d already had enough witch magic for one year.
Blue Moon Page 26
