“Hey, Maxie. Great costume,” a giant flower called out as I walked by.
“You, too,” I said as I passed her. “Coming to the party?”
“Oh, yeah. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
I hurried on, straightening my little black witch dress. I looked good in my costume. I was glad my friends had given me a reason to wear it. I smiled down at my candy corn stilettos. After all, it would have been a crime to lock them away in my closet.
I admired all the Halloween decorations as I walked by. The Cove had really taken in the spirit of Halloween. The residents were so excited about the party. Too bad some of my joy had faded.
Too many strange things had happened in the last few days. People acting strangely around me. Words showing up everywhere announcing “He is coming.” No one else seemed to notice. I was really beginning to worry I was losing my mind.
The earthquakes were still a problem. We were having four or five a day now. My nerves were being rubbed raw by all the constant shaking. No one else cared. I guess I was just a too sensitive girl from Maine.
And then there were my friends. All Van did anymore was bake. I couldn’t eat anything more or I’d have to give up my wardrobe. And the food that didn’t get eaten was taking up way too much space. Danny kept scaring everybody, and Jensen, he just didn’t care. Everyone had a right to their own fun at Halloween, he said. No harm, no foul.
Hopefully they’d all return to their normal selves after tonight. If not, I was going to scream. Or at least, move out.
Entering the ballroom, I gasped in delight. Everything was perfect. Streamers, rhinestones, glitter, and old fashion Halloween decorations gave the room an otherworldly charm. It was the perfect setting for my first party as an honest-to-goodness witch.
Rows of tables lined the walls. Food, drinks, and treats covered every last inch of them. I smiled at the mounds of cookies, brownies, and cupcakes. Maybe I would get my apartment back.
The D.J. was setting up on the stage at the front of the room, while a few other costumed people sat up small, round tables at the back. I felt a little of my lost joy begin to trickle back into me. This party would be incredible.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Glancing around, I found Van standing there. She smiled as I took in the nurse’s outfit. “It is. I love your costume,” I told her. The nurturing look was totally her.
“Thanks,” she said, looking around the room. “I think we’re almost ready.”
“Where’s Danny?” I asked, surprised he wasn’t around. I hoped that didn’t mean he was planning some other way to scare me.
“Oh, he’s helping them carry in the altar.”
“Oh.” I saw two guys in mummy costumes carrying in a large wooden table. Once they had it in place, a third guy tossed a coil of rope on it. He turned around, stalking towards us, wobbling perfectly in his Captain Jack costume.
“You make a great pirate, Danny,” I said as he neared. I always knew he was a scoundrel at heart.
“Thank you,” he said, as he glanced at his girlfriend. “Are we ready?”
She smiled mischievously. “Just about.”
I looked around, wondering where Jensen was. I still had no idea what he was coming as and I was eager to find out.
“Looking for someone?”
I turned around, smiling at the voice and stopped, taken aback by what he was wearing. “Is that supposed to be funny?”
Jensen glanced down at his Dracula costume. “What? I thought you had a thing for vampires?”
I took a step back, anger flushing my skin. “You know I don’t,” I told him pointedly.
“Do I? Do I really?” he said, stepping closer. “The only official relationship you’ve had since moving here was with one. I thought this might give me a fighting chance.” He smiled, exposing long pointed fangs.
“That’s low,” I hissed at him. Nothing like ruining the party mood. I turned my back on him and glanced at Danny. “What’s the table for?”
“It’s for the guest of honor,” he told me flatly.
Guest of honor? Was someone coming I didn’t know about?
Danny smiled. “Oh, you know about him. After all, you invited him.”
I took a step back from him. What was wrong with them? Why were they acting like this? Were they still mad because I wanted to celebrate Halloween? Was this their way of getting back at me?
I heard movement outside the ballroom. I looked up just as everyone in the Cove poured through the doors. They stood around in their costumes, smiling at me like I was the butt of some joke.
“Okay, guys,” I said, looking around. “I get it. The joke’s on me. You’re trying to teach me a lesson.”
Van stepped towards me. “No. We’re only trying to celebrate the Harvest.” She took the witch hat from my head. “We want you to be our Harvest Queen.” She placed a wreath of Fall leaves on my head.
“I don’t get it,” I told her, patting the crown on my head. “What’s a Harvest Queen?”
“Someone very special,” Danny said, his voice taking on an eerie quality as two very large Zombies picked me up off the floor.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Put me down,” I yelled at them, thrashing about as best as I could. It was no use. These guys would put ‘The Rock’ to shame. I had no choice. I had to go where they were taking me.
We neared the large wooden altar. They laid me down, and before I could do anything, the rope snaked around me, tying me down. I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Okay. This joke has gone too far. Let me up!”
Jensen looked down at me. “This is no joke, Max. This is a matter of life and rebirth. And you are the Harvest Queen.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
“Don’t you know? It’s time to awaken the true Spirit of Samhain.”
My heart sank at his words. This wasn’t some joke. Something was using them and it was my fault. I had awoken something with that spell. It hadn’t been a spell to rekindle Halloween joy in people. It was dark magic that summoned something. And I had stumbled blindly into it. I was such a moron.
Jensen stood next to the altar and stared around the room. “The Harvest God is here. He walks among us right now. But he can only return to power with the death of the Harvest Queen.”
Death? I had really messed up this time, and I had no one to help get me out. Nice one, Maxie.
He looked at the others. “Are we all set?”
Danny pulled a very real, very sharp knife from a hilt at his side. “Yeah. We’re good.”
I watched as he sat the knife on the table by my head, panic seizing hold of my chest. They were going to kill me. My own friends, the people I love, were going to sacrifice me to some unknown boogeyman; and it was all my fault!
“You’re going to kill me,” I whispered.
Jensen leaned closer. “No, but He will.” His eyes followed mine as I glanced at the rope around me. “Don’t even think about using your magic. I took care of that.”
“Why?” I asked, stalling for time as I searched for my spark, but came up empty. Dang it. I wiggled a hand, trying to free it. “Why are you doing this?”
“What’s a matter? I thought you wanted Halloween. We’re just trying to bring it back.”
I managed to get one of my hands loose, keeping it hidden by my side. I needed to come up with a plan.
Jensen leaned forward, sensing something and checked the ropes.
I needed to do something and fast. But what could I do? A thought came to me. In fairytales, there was always one sure way to bring someone back to you.
“Jensen,” I whispered. “It’s me. Maxie. You don’t want to do this.” Without thinking, I reached up and pulled him to me, my lips finding his in an instant. I let everything I felt for him rush into that kiss. The memories of our first kiss flooding through my mind as I did.
I hoped the same thing was happening to him as well. The bits of his soul supporting mi
ne rejoiced at what I was doing. That gave me hope as I deepened the kiss. Maybe his feelings for me were stronger than any dumb spell.
Pulling back from me, he blinked and looked around. “Maxie? What’s going on?”
Yay! It had worked. He was back with me. I felt my spark ignite once more, the damper from Jensen gone. With a glance, I made the ropes fall away from me.
“It’s too late. The Harvest God is already with us. He will find you!” someone shouted as I jumped from the table and grabbed Jensen’s hand.
“No time to explain,” I said, pulling him towards the door. “We’ve got to go.”
He looked around at the very angry costumed mob. “You won’t get any argument from me,” he said, as we ran out the door.
We raced down the hallway and into another. Silence was the only thing that followed us. “Are they really going to let us go?” I asked.
“What the hell is going on, Maxie?” Jensen asked breathlessly from beside me.
I looked over at him. He was so going to kill me. “I did something.”
“What?”
“Something bad.”
“How bad?”
“I did a spell to bring the essence of Samhain back to the Cove.”
He looked at me, eyes wide. “You did what?”
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to put a little fun back in your lives.”
Jensen pulled me forward, putting more space between us and the ballroom. “This is why we don’t celebrate Halloween, Maxie. Nothing good ever comes from it.”
I was silent as we ran. Jensen was never going to trust me around magic again and I couldn’t say I blamed him. I messed up. Big time. “What are we going to do? How do you fix this?”
“I don’t think I can. You cast the spell. You need to break it.”
“I don’t know how,” I told him as we entered the lobby.
Van and Danny stood there, waiting for us, their eyes glowing bright red. “The Harvest God must have your blood,” they said in unison.
Okay. Like that wasn’t creepy. “Please,” I begged them. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Jensen squeezed my hand. “I don’t think we have to.” He whispered something and a thick, white fog appeared around us.
His hand slipped from mine, and I stood frozen in fear for my friends as I heard a few grunts, then something solid hitting the floor.
The fog cleared in an instant after that. Van and Danny sat on the floor, staring groggily up at me, their eyes back to normal. Rip Van Winkle would have looked more awake than these two.
Jensen stood behind them, grinning at me. “I might not be able to stop the Harvest God, but I can magically knock some sense into our friends.”
“What’s going on?” Danny asked, looking up at us. “Why are we on the floor?”
“Long story,” Jensen said, offering Danny a hand.
“Why do I have flour in my hair?” Van asked.
“Even longer story,” I said, helping her up.
Jensen looked at their puzzled faces. “Okay. Maxie summoned a harvest god and now he wants her dead.”
They both looked over at me, frustration in their eyes. “You just couldn’t let Halloween go, could you?” Danny asked.
I sighed; they were never going to let me forget this. But hey, I’m a rookie. These things happen.
The ground shook under us, trembling more than usual. As we steadied ourselves, a shadow moved in one of the hallways. Whatever it was made a dragging sound as it shuffled across the plush carpet.
We all stood there, staring in morbid curiosity as some kind of creature entered the lobby. It was a seven-foot-tall scarecrow thing. It wore dirty rags as clothes to cover its wooden arms and legs. Its fingers reached out in gnarly branches, opening and closing as if it couldn’t wait to get its hands on us.
The worst part was its head. It was a giant jack-o-lantern with a hideous smile and glowing red eyes. The flesh of the pumpkin was withered, puckered up on itself like an apple head doll.
The creature moved closer, dropping bits of moldy hay from its insides.
“What is that?” I cried. “The Harvest God?”
Danny looked at me, panic in his eyes. “Well, it’s certainly not the great pumpkin.”
Van glanced around at us. “How do we get rid of it?”
“We can’t. Only Maxie can break the spell.”
“I don’t know how,” I told them. “The book never said anything about that.”
The creature stopped, its red eyes locking on me. “I need my Harvest Queen,” it spoke in a deep raspy voice, as dry and brittle as fall leaves. “Only the power released from your death can restore me to what I was.”
Jensen shook his head. “You can’t have her,” he yelled, sending a blast of blue light towards him.
The creature opened his hand, bouncing the energy right back at Jensen. It slammed into him; sending him crashing into a wall.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Danny snarled as he stepped in front of the god. His eyes glazed over, a deep look of concentration on his face.
The monster chuckled deep in its wooden chest. “Your tricks do not work on me, fool. I gave birth to the very first Trick.” Swinging an arm, he knocked Danny away, sending his limp form down the hallway.
I looked around helplessly. What could I do? Think, Maxie. Think. I needed a way to break the spell. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind.
I looked over at Van, a determined look was spreading across her face. I knew that look. “No, Van. Get out of here. You can’t do anything to him. He’ll only hurt you.”
She glanced back at me, then at Jensen’s unconscious form on the floor. “I can’t leave you.”
“Please. This is my fault. Go. Let me take care of it.”
Her eyes moved back to the thing, glowing bright green. “No.” She blinked out of existence, and for a moment I felt relief.
That moment was gone as soon as she reappeared behind the creature. She raised her hand, blowing some kind of green dust at it.
“No, Van. Don’t!” I screamed.
The pumpkin head swiveled on the god’s body, turning to face Van. “Your magic is nothing against mine, wood fae.” It breathed in, gathering her dust inside itself, blowing it right back at her.
The dust had lost its green glow, now flaring fire red. It swirled around Van, coating against her skin. “Maxie,” she cried out to me, before falling to the floor, completely cocooned in a twisted version of her own magic.
“Now,” it spoke, its head swiveling back around. “I need your blood, Maxie Duncan. You summoned me. It is your honor.”
“I don’t think so,” I told it, blasting my own magic. It went harmlessly through the thing. So much for being a super witch. How was I ever going to stop this thing?
It snickered as it moved closer. “Your magic alone can’t stop me. Only a weapon wielded by you the right way can stop me. And you have no weapon.” He moved closer still. “So die with dignity and let me live again.”
He was right. I had nothing. The only things around me were streamers and a few paper cutouts. Nothing that was going to save my life.
I backed up, moving as the creature did, trying to keep distance between us. I needed something. Something long and sharp. Something that could penetrate shriveled pumpkin flesh. Wait a minute. I did have one thing. And it was something I totally believed in. I leaned down, reaching for my makeshift weapon.
The old, dried-out Harvest God stalked across the room, leaning down over me. “I need you. I need the death of my maiden Queen,” he shrieked, his branching fingers wrapping around my throat, lifting me off my feet.
“Oh, yeah,” I said, raising my six-inch candy corn stiletto above my head. “I hate to burst your bubble, pal, but I’m no maiden.” I slammed the heel of my shoe straight down, plunging it deep into one glowing red eye. I let my magic flow through it, like a conductor, filling the god with my essence. “I revoke your access to this world and banish you forever more,” I sc
reamed.
My energy rushed through him, making him swell like a peep in the microwave. He glared at me with one red eye, growing weaker by the minute. Then, with a sickening sound, the creature popped.
I fell to the ground as moldy pumpkin goo and hay went everywhere, flinching as it struck me. I was so burning those clothes. I looked at the charred stiletto in my hand and pulled the other off my foot. “So much for these shoes,” I muttered, tossing them in a corner. What a bust the night had turned into.
My friends came to after the final touch of the god’s magic had been expelled. Everyone was fine. Most of the people in the cove still don’t remember what happened that night.
But I remember. I remember everything. And I guess I should. It was all my fault.
I realized that night I had celebrated my last Halloween. The holiday was nothing but trouble for Supernaturals. A quiet night in, cuddled in front of the TV, would have been so much better.
A Very Maxie Christmas
Melissa L. Webb
Copyright 2013 Melissa L. Webb
License Notes
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May the season bring you all that you desire. Whether it’s love and health for those around you or a really killer pair of six-inch heels.
Merry Christmas!
The sickening sweet song poured out of the radio, its sound edged with the merriment of the season. Turning it off quickly, I silenced their cheer.
Bah Humbug!
That was me this year, Miss Scrooge. I wanted Christmas over as soon as possible. And as painlessly as it could be.
Maxie Duncan Box Set Page 21
