Grim Tempest

by Amanda M. Lee

  “This seems like a waste of time because we don’t really know she’s there,” Griffin noted from the passenger seat. He had an umbrella clutched in his hand and a rain poncho bunched at his feet as he nervously stared out the window. Thankfully the weather remained sunny and bright. If it was overcast I had no doubt we would never get him out of the truck again. He would opt to live there rather than risk hurting someone.

  “We have to start somewhere,” I argued. “This is the only place we’ve got, so … I don’t know what to tell you.”

  “Does anyone else find it odd that we have no idea where our mother is?” Redmond asked, keeping his eyes on the road as he merged with heavy traffic. “I mean … how many other people can say they have no idea where their mother lives?”

  “Or who she eats,” I grumbled.

  Redmond caught my eye in the rearview mirror. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

  “Oh, please.” I shook my head. “You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. We know she’s absorbing souls to stay alive. She pretty much said so. Haven’t you wondered where she’s getting these souls?”

  “I guess I don’t want to think about it,” Redmond conceded. “But I’m not the issue. Braden is the issue.”

  “Yes, and Braden is being a freaking pain in the behind. He needs to get over it. That woman may look like our mother, but she’s a monster.”

  “She is, though.” Redmond gentled his voice. “She remembers things about when we were kids. She mentioned a conversation I had with her not long before she died. It was something only she and I knew about.”

  I stared at him for a long beat, my stomach roiling at the hitch in his voice.

  “She remembered what I was upset about and told me I’d done a good job in her absence and there was no reason to keep worrying about it,” he continued. “She said it to me at a time when I really was worried I was a failure. She made me feel better … just like she used to when we were kids.”

  My curiosity piqued, I pursed my lips. “And what did she say?”

  “She told me that I did the right thing when I punched Griffin to keep you safe,” Redmond replied without hesitation. “She knew I felt guilty because you were so upset and she kind of talked me down. She hadn’t done that since I was a kid and I punched Alex Butterfield in the mouth after he grabbed your boob.”

  My mouth inadvertently dropped open. “You punched Alex Butterfield in the mouth? Is that why he never called again?”

  “You let some kid with the name ‘Butterfield’ grab your boob?” Griffin was aghast. “Were you drunk at the time?”

  “Probably,” I conceded. “His last name was a shame because he was very cute. He had these great eyes with long lashes … and this smile that made me go weak in the knees.” I tilted my head to the side, considering. “Huh. He kind of looked like you.”

  Redmond chuckled, genuinely amused. “You do sort of have a type. I think all the guys you dated in high school looked like Griffin now that I think about it.”

  “I only dated like, four guys in high school because you guys always chased off my dates,” I reminded him. “It’s not as if I dated half the school.”

  Redmond made a sound like an angry cat. “I forgot how testy you were when we chased off your boyfriends. That’s why it was so fun.”

  “I’m done talking to you for the day.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I can’t believe you punched Alex Butterfield. I wanted him to ask me to prom. He never called me again. I should’ve known he didn’t trip over his own feet and plant his face against a door handle like he said.”

  Griffin snorted. “Sometimes I wish I would’ve known you guys when you were in high school. I’m guessing you were a lot of fun.”

  “And other times?” Redmond prodded.

  “Other times I’m thankful that I didn’t meet Aisling until I was an adult and could stand up for myself. If I’d met her when I was a teenager I would’ve run the other way because you guys would’ve terrified me to the point where I had no choice but to flee.”

  “That’s what they were good at,” I groused. “That was their freaking claim to fame during my high school years.”

  “Once I was an adult, I knew she was worth putting up with all your crap,” Griffin added, grinning as he glanced at me. “I didn’t get to miss out on anything the way things worked out, so I can’t get worked up about that.”

  The words were touching and schmaltzy. “Yeah. I’m glad we met when we did, too.”

  Griffin’s grin widened as I turned to Redmond.

  “I’m going to punch you in the face for chasing Alex Butterfield out of my life as soon as I get a chance,” I warned. “You totally ruined my week when you did that.”

  “He grabbed your boob,” Redmond complained.

  “I told him to do it.”

  Redmond stilled. “You did? Why would you possibly do that?”

  I shrugged. “I wanted to know what it was like to be felt up. Just for the record, it didn’t happen again for another year, which means you must’ve scared Alex to the point he told everyone to stay away from me.”

  Redmond puffed out his chest. “So I really did my job.”

  “If your job is annoying your sister, you definitely did it.”

  “I’m the best big brother ever,” Redmond smiled at Griffin before sobering. “As for hitting you … I can’t be sorry. I mean I am sorry I hurt you, but I’m not sorry I reacted the way I did.”

  “I’m not sorry you did either.” Griffin turned serious. “You saved her.”

  “I just reacted.”

  “You saved her, which means you ultimately saved me.”

  “Oh, geez.” I didn’t bother to hide my eye roll. “Have either of you boneheads considered the fact that I might’ve been able to save myself? Maybe I didn’t need Redmond to step in and flex his muscles. Maybe I could’ve handled things better on my own.”

  Redmond arched an amused eyebrow. “Really? How would that have worked out for you? What would you have done to save yourself?”

  “Talk to him.” I’d gone over the altercation a hundred times in my mind and knew exactly how I would’ve reacted. “I would’ve talked to him in a reasonable tone and he would’ve backed down.”

  Griffin immediately started shaking his head. “No, Aisling. I already told you that I was aware of what I was doing and couldn’t seem to stop myself.”

  “You didn’t try to stop yourself,” I corrected. “Had you been forced into a decision between hurting me or stopping, I believe you would’ve stopped yourself.”

  “I think you’re wrong.”

  “I’m never wrong.”

  Griffin and Redmond exchanged a weighted look that wasn’t lost on me.

  “Now I know why your father wants us to be a threesome all day,” Griffin said after a beat. “He knows his only daughter is borderline delusional and wants her to have backup.”

  Redmond chuckled. “Aisling’s always been the one to convince herself something was true even when the rest of us thought otherwise. It’s something we hoped she’d outgrow, but she didn’t. Braden is the same way.”

  The dig struck hard. “I am not like Braden.”

  “You are.” Redmond was firm. “The difference in this particular situation is that Braden seems to think that he knows Mom better than anybody else in the family. You’re pragmatic where Mom is concerned. I don’t think you’re pragmatic in the least where Griffin is concerned.”

  “They’re entirely different situations.”

  “Are they?” Redmond refused to back down, which was frustrating. “Griffin has told you that he wasn’t in control of himself because of the storm, yet you think you know his brain better than he does. When you compare that to Braden, who can’t see the obvious evidence piling up against Mom, they seem the same to me.”

  That was definitely insulting. “The real difference is that I’m right and Braden is wrong.”

  “If you say so.” Redmond didn’t look c
onvinced. “We’re close to the building. We need to find a place to park so she won’t see us. I don’t think she’ll recognize my vehicle, but we have to hide all the same.”

  He was trying to placate me, but I wasn’t in the mood to play that game. “I’m right,” I repeated. “Braden is wrong and I’m right.”

  “We’re not going to find out,” Griffin interjected. “You’re not going to be alone with me if somehow we’re stuck outside and a storm hits. You’re going to run.”

  That didn’t sound anything like me.

  “You are.” Griffin turned so he could stare into my eyes. “I want you to promise me you’ll run. I won’t get out of the truck otherwise.”

  Yeah, I should’ve seen that coming. “Fine.” I exhaled heavily and rolled my eyes. “I promise.”

  “You didn’t put a lot of effort behind it.”

  “I wouldn’t push me too far on this,” I shot back.

  “She sounds like Dad when she says that, doesn’t she?” Redmond was back to grinning. “Now, come on.” He clapped his hands to jolt everyone to attention. “We need to focus on Mom. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want our investigation to rule her out. For now, all we can do is wait.”

  “Fine.” I leaned back in my seat. “I want Starbucks if we’re going to be stuck in here all day.”

  “No.” Redmond shook his head. “If you have Starbucks you’ll have to pee, and I’m not spending the entire day helping you find convenient bathrooms. You have a bladder like an infant when it comes to Starbucks.”

  That was a blatant lie. “I have a bladder like an iron balloon.”

  “You do not.”

  “I do, too.”

  “You do not.”

  “I do, too.”

  “Ugh.” Griffin slapped his hand against his forehead. “I almost wish I was out in a storm right now. That’s how long this day already feels.”

  “Well, suck it up.” Redmond clapped him hard on the shoulder. “It’s only going to get longer. We’re stuck in a truck with Aisling all day. This is like the Grimlock version of hell. Prepare yourself, because … well … she’s the worst when she’s bored.”

  “I heard that,” I complained.

  “I wasn’t whispering.”

  “It really is going to be a long day.” Griffin sounded defeated. “I should’ve brought headphones.”

  “Live and learn.”

  WE LUCKED OUT AND caught a glimpse of Mom leaving the building only an hour after we began casing the joint. From our vantage point, it was easy to see her on the front sidewalk. What surprised us were the individuals she was talking with.

  “Those don’t look like wraiths.” Griffin scooted forward as far as he could and stared in Mom’s direction. “Those are … regular people.”

  “They look to be,” Redmond agreed, squinting. “We really should’ve brought binoculars. I didn’t even think of it.”

  “Let me look.” I lifted my phone and hit the camera app and pointed it in Mom’s direction. I zoomed in on her and the main guy she chatted with – he looked to be in his forties and wore a beaten-up leather jacket – and the conversation appeared intense given the way they gestured at one another. I snapped three photos in rapid succession and then slid back, knocking my empty Starbucks cup to the floor as I studied the images.

  “Do you recognize him?” Griffin asked after a few moments.

  I shook my head and handed the phone to Redmond. “No. I’m willing to guess exactly what he is, though.”

  Redmond was grim as he glared at the screen. “Rogue reapers.”

  I nodded. “They’re dressed exactly like Duke Fontaine and they’ve just got that look.” Duke Fontaine was a rogue reaper who’d spent decades working against my family. He died when the Olivet mausoleum burned down – essentially because I set the fire – and he’d been nothing but a bad memory ever since. The new development caused me to rethink everything I remembered about that day. “You know, Zake Zezo told us that we were dealing with one person pulling the strings. What if he was talking about a rogue reaper?”

  Redmond arched an eyebrow as he handed back the phone. “He made it sound like a woman. That’s a man.”

  “Yes, but we don’t know if that guy is in charge.”

  “So now you’re arguing for Mom being innocent.” Redmond was understandably confused. “What made you change your mind so fast?”

  “Oh, I don’t believe Mom is innocent,” I clarified. “I think she’s involved in all of this. But what if she’s not in charge?”

  “Okay, let’s say I’m willing to get on board with your theory – which I might be because there’s a chance that Mom isn’t outright evil in it – but who else could be in charge?” Redmond challenged. “Genevieve is dead. I know we considered that maybe she faked her death, but I can’t believe that. We were all there. We saw her. Dad killed the crap out of her.”

  He was right. There was no doubt Genevieve died in the battle. We had to get rid of her body. She was definitely dead. “So maybe someone else is involved entirely,” I said. “It’s not out of the realm of possibility. Maybe Genevieve had a lot of ties we never considered.

  “I mean, we didn’t know about her relationship with Annemarie Turner,” I continued. “She could’ve had a million wannabe witches and acolytes ready to do her bidding. Maybe one of them was working with her from the start and stepped in to fill the vacuum when Genevieve died.”

  “So, under your hypothesis, your mother is working with whoever is organizing this,” Griffin said. “You think whoever it is has a band of rogue reapers to command and your mother has to work with them to do this woman’s bidding.”

  “It’s not impossible.”

  “No, it’s not,” Griffin agreed. “Do you have any idea who we could be dealing with? Also, what does any of this have to do with the storms?”

  “Someone cast a spell for the storms. They used the disc I saw in Harry’s house. That’s the best possible answer. The storms started right after Harry died. Maybe his death was part of the ritual.”

  “Now that right there is something to think about.” Redmond twisted in his seat. “The first storm started while you were still in Harry’s house. His death could very well have been a sacrifice.”

  “So how do we stop the storms?” Griffin asked. “You’re making it sound as if they could go on forever.”

  “I think they could,” I admitted. “We have to find the person who cast the spell – whether that’s Mom or whoever she’s working with – and force that individual to break it. That’s our only shot.”

  “So how do we do that?”

  That was the question of the day. “I don’t know, but it looks like Mom is on the move.” I inclined my chin in her direction. “She’s getting in that dude’s truck.”

  “So we need to follow them, right?” Redmond questioned, firing up his engine. “That’s our entire purpose for the day.”

  “Yeah. Follow them.”

  “Where do you think they’re going?” Griffin asked.

  I shrugged. “I hope wherever it is has a public bathroom, though.” I cast an accusatory look in Redmond’s direction. “Why did you buy me the big latte? You know I can’t hold my coffee.”

  “Oh, I just knew it,” Redmond growled. “This is the absolute last stakeout we go on together. I’m putting my foot down.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I’d heard it all before. “Try to avoid the potholes if you don’t want my bladder to explode in your backseat.”

  “I just … you’re my least favorite sister sometimes. You know that, right?”

  “Somehow I think you’ll survive.”

  “You’d better hope we all survive,” Redmond muttered. “This is getting dirtier and dirtier by the minute. How much worse could this get?”

  The question plagued me, too. “I don’t know. Let’s hope we’re heading toward the end, because I’m afraid what this is going to do to our family.”

  “Me, too.” Redmond slid into traffi
c. “This could kill Braden.”

  That’s exactly what worried me most. “Whatever you do, don’t lose them. We need to know even if the answer isn’t what we want.”

  “I’m on it.”

  27

  Twenty-Seven

  Mom and the reaper meandered around town, which wasn’t good for my bladder control or Redmond’s temper.

  “If you whine about having to go to the bathroom one more time … .”

  Griffin took a more sympathetic approach. “Try not to think about it. Think about something else.”

  I appreciated the effort, but my irritation level was through the roof. “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s talk about the wedding. Tell me about the dress you picked out.”

  I rolled my eyes as I wrapped my arms around my waist and bent over. “I can’t tell you. It’s against the rules. You’re not supposed to see my dress before the wedding.”

  Griffin arched an eyebrow. “You’re not showing it to me. You’re describing it.”

  “And since when are you so superstitious?” Redmond added. “I’d think you’d be the last one to believe hokum like that.”

  “I didn’t say I believed it. It’s just … it’s tradition.”

  Griffin’s eyes softened. “Fair enough. I think it’s cute that you’re superstitious.”

  “I’m not superstitious.” My precarious bladder predicament and the teasing were making for some major discomfort. “I’m going to need a bathroom … and soon … or you’re going to need to get the inside of your truck detailed.”

  “Don’t even think about going to the bathroom back there,” Redmond barked. “Griffin is right. Think about something else.”

  “I can’t think about anything else.”

  “Let’s talk about the honeymoon,” Griffin suggested, getting into the spirit of the game. “I was thinking we should go to a tropical location so you can wear as few clothes as possible.”

  “Sure. Fine.”

  “That’s all the input you have on the subject?”