“It’s okay. And for what it’s worth, I’ve never actually seen any vampire kill before, but from conversations I’ve overheard about feeding, that kind of brutality isn’t consistent with vampires, even when they’re starved to the point of death. They’re not werewolves. They don’t have claws or teeth. They’d have to use a knife for that level of damage. And if she was a werewolf, she’d begin to heal immediately from a vampire bite, right? Unless it was done after her death. And if that’s the case, why bite her at all?”
“And why do the exact same thing to the second victim?” Nathan asked.
“Why does anyone do anything? Love, hate, money, insecurity, revenge, jealousy, or just old-fashioned craziness. Pick your poison, Agent West. Frankly, I think the whole situation’s ridiculous. I mean, who really wants to start a war, especially over a piece of real estate? What does either side get out of it? You’re right, nothing about it makes sense, not to me at least. Sorry I can’t be more help.”
“No, you—you’ve helped. I think. Thank you.”
“Hey, we spent two hours talking about my horrid life last night, I think I owe you one. Or twelve. That’s actually one of the reasons
I phoned. I just, I wanted to thank you,” I said, playing with the spiral phone cord, “for last night. Your delivery left something to be desired, but … you gave me the kick in the bum I needed. Desperately, it turned out.”
“What happened?”
“Just, everything you said about him, about me, proved dead on. You pried open my eyes and what I saw …” I shook my head. “I walked out. I left him. For good. ”
“Wow. Good for you, Annie. I knew you had it in you.”
“That made one of us.”
“No, now don’t you dare minimize this. What you did took a lot of guts. More than most people got. Hell, more than I do. I don’t think I could have. Really. And you know how I am about telling the truth.” I smiled, actually smiled at these words.
“Oh, yes.”
“So there you go. And are you okay? I mean, do you have money—”
“I’m staying with friends for now, but after that … I’ll figure it out as I go along. Valhalla awaits, right?”
“Damn straight. And is there anything I can do to help?”
“No,” I said, still playing with the cord. “Really, you’ve done more than enough. You went above and beyond, practically to the damn sun, for me. I just, I wanted to thank you. It’s the least you deserve. The very, very, very least.”
“Well, thank you kindly, Miss Asher.”
“Olmstead. It’s really Anna Olmstead, I guess.”
“Olmstead. Suits you better.”
“Wouldn’t go that far, but it’s all I have now. I was never officially Anna Asher anyway. Only in my mind, I guess.”
He chuckled. “Well, whatever your name is, I do appreciate the call. And the help. You were in many of my thoughts today. And seriously, if you need anything, anything at all, even if it’s just to talk, you have my number. Use it, day or night.”
“Actually, I plan to be in town the day after tomorrow. Maybe I can take you out to dinner. Save you from punching walls and autopsy photos.”
“I’d really like that. We’re camped out in the meeting room on the third floor of the Sheraton on 7th.”
“I will pop by after I tie up some loose ends.”
“Can’t wait. Bye, Annie. Take care of yourself.”
“I’ll do my damndest. Bye.”
“Dang,” Tom said as I hung up the phone. I’d completely forgotten he was still at the table.
“Don’t—don’t tell your parents you heard all that, okay?”
“Why? I’m not a baby. I know people get murdered and stuff. Especially people who live around vampires.”
“Can’t argue with you there,” I said, sitting next to him again. “But they aren’t all bad.”
“Including your boyfriend? Mama said something real bad must have happened to you last night. She told me not to ask, but it did, didn’t it?”
I grimaced. “Let’s just say, you can love someone with all you have, and be so blinded by that love that you fail to see who they really are. What they want. And sometimes the things we can’t change end up changing us, and not for the better. You can’t change people, not at their core. You either accept them or learn to live without them. I chose the latter. I chose me. And that’s all you’re getting out of me tonight. Now, let’s finish your homework. You conjugated third person plural incorrectly. It’s tienes.”
He corrected it on the paper, then glanced at me. “So, the agent on the phone. Are you going on a date or—”
“Homework!”
_____
With my marathon sleep session and general nocturnal habits, I wasn’t the least bit tired when everyone else went to bed. Luckily, I had a life to plan. My list of necessities included an apartment or room to rent, of which High Priestess McGregor already provided a lead on. A hundred dollars a month for a fully furnished room was doable, and it’d give me time to save for furniture when I moved out on my own. I’d also need to buy a car, track down my real birth certificate and Social Security card, find a job, get a driver’s license, the list took up an entire page. But without a doubt, I could do it. I could survive without him. The gaping hole from Asher’s extraction was still bleeding, but I could feel it slowly cauterizing. The scar would be there forever though.
Around midnight, as I walked out of the bathroom back to my sanctuary, I heard sniffling in Bethany’s room. Everyone else was asleep, they had work and school in the morning, so I went to check on her. The first thing I noticed, besides her tiny cries, was the reek of urine. “Accident,” she whimpered.
“It’s okay,” I whispered back. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” I took her tiny hand, collected clothes from her dresser and brought her back to the bathroom. Without protest, she let me clean and re-dress her. “Did you have a bad dream or something, sweetie?”
“A monster came out of my closet and tried to eat me.”
“That’s awful. I hate monsters.” Eyes bulging from her head, she nodded affirmatively. “You know, I get bad dreams a lot too. Lots of monsters in my dreams. And I’ve learned that the best way to banish a monster is just to look him square in the eyes, and shout, ‘Go away! This is my dream! You’re not welcome here anymore! Go away!’ And you turn your back on him, to show him you’re not afraid. That you’re a brave, strong little girl, and he can’t hurt you. And he may scream and howl and maybe even cry, but he has no power over you. Never again.” I wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled. “But you know what the best thing about dreams is? You get to wake up and find out,” I gasped and smiled again, “it’s not real! It never was. And nothing in it can hurt you. It’s over and done with. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Bethany nodded and grinned. “Yeah.”
I kissed her forehead. “So no more tears. No more monsters. Not for either of us. Mrs. Flossie—”
The cheerful chime of the doorbell not only cut short my words, but also sliced that bleeding hole inside me so wide it swallowed me back into its darkness. His darkness I’d fought so hard to pull myself out of last night. Because he’d found me. I knew it would happen eventually, I just hoped I’d be on sturdier ground when it did, and I certainly didn’t want the Harmons in any way involved. How had he tracked me down so fast? No one tied to vampires knew exactly where I was, save for Sally McGregor, and there was no way she’d volunteer the information. The second chime almost knocked the wind from my lungs. He was really there. He had really come for me. My devil was literally knocking on the front door.
“Doorbell,” Bethany said.
The creek of the floorboards in the hallway smacked me out of my stupor. When I opened the bathroom door Mr. Harmon, baseball bat in hand, was almost to the stairs with Mrs. Harmon a step behind, muttering, “I cannot believe this. No good deed …”
“Don’t,” I warned, stepping out.
The bell began ring
ing incessantly along with a few knocks. Tom came out of his room dressed in his pajamas as well. “What’s going on?”
“All of you, go back to Bethany’s room and lock the door. Anna, especially, stay out of sight. I’ll get rid of him,” Mr. Harmon assured me.
“He can’t come in unless invited,” I instructed. “And don’t look in his eyes.”
“Good to know,” said Mr. Harmon as he and his wife descended the staircase. “Stay with Bethany. Both of you.”
I picked up the confused toddler and hurried to her bedroom with Tom right behind me. There was no way I was going to allow the Harmons to face Asher without backup, so I passed Bethany into her brother’s arms. “What—”
“Stay here with your sister,” I whispered as I rushed out again. “Lock the door.”
“But—”
I quietly shut the door and crept across the hall to the corner just before the landing looking onto the foyer began. Out of sight yet ready to help if necessary. I silently prayed to the universe it wouldn’t be necessary.
“… Andrews gave me this address,” Asher said. I used to love his baritone—that night it sent chills through me.
“And he just gave you our address?” Mrs. Harmon asked skeptically.
“It took a wee bit of prodding,” said Christine. Of course he brought her. My fear level skyrocketed when she spoke. The situation went from serious to atomic.
“We are most concerned about her,” Asher said. “She has been unstable of late. Abusing drugs, harming herself, harming others, stealing cars.”
Tom quietly tiptoed from Bethany’s room to my side.
“Pathologically lying,” Christine added.
“Where’s Bethany?” I mouthed.
“Hiding in her closet,” Tom whispered into my ear. “What’s happening?”
“We were going to check her into a treatment center last night,” Christine continued, “but then she ran away when she discovered the plan. I don’t know what she has told you, but it should be taken with a grain of salt.”
What she lacked in a soul, she made up for it in the acting department. Were they believing this? Hell, I would have. Just enough truth behind the lies. Tom shook his head.
“If she is here,” Oliver said—they brought him too? “It would be in your best interests to let us speak with her. We do not wish her harm. Truly. We only wish to speak to her. It would be the best thing for all parties concerned. Please.”
I was about to step into sight, but Tom grabbed my arm to stop me at the same time. Mr. Harmon said, “Look, I don’t know what to tell y’all. She was here last night in a right state, but when she woke up, I threw her butt into a taxi. Haven’t seen her since and don’t want to. We have no idea where she went. Really. Sorry. Best of luck finding her, though. Y’all have a nice night.”
I let out the breath I held as I heard the door creak closed. Thank the—
“She left without her coat?” Asher asked.
Merde.
“Excuse me?” Mr. Harmon asked.
“That is a thousand-dollar coat I had tailor made for her in Moscow. She would not leave it behind, especially in the midst of winter.”
“She must have forgotten it,” said Mrs. Harmon. “Or maybe she left it on purpose. Bad memories and all.”
The two seconds of silence was deafening. I was almost relieved when Asher called, “Anna …”
He wasn’t buying it. I was about to step out of my hiding spot but noble, sweet Tom beat me to it. “You need to leave now,” he said with as much authority as a sixteen-year-old could muster.
“Tom, go back to bed,” Mrs. Harmon hissed.
My self-appointed savior continued down the stairs. “I’ve called the police already. They’re on their way.”
“That is not necessary,” Oliver said. “We are—”
“Anna,” Asher shouted with disapproval, “mo chuisle, please. I wish to talk, nothing more. You owe me that at least.”
“She doesn’t owe you anything,” Tom spewed out, “you-you child molester!”
Christine chuckled cruelly. “What have you been telling them, Anna? You may as well come out, little girl. Sir Galahad blew your ruse.”
“Please just g—” Mr. Harmon said.
I stepped onto the landing, suddenly wishing I wore more than a white slip. Asher preferred me in negligees or nothing, so my sleepwear choices were limited. I’d expected to just run to the bathroom and back. The five minutes between then and the present seemed like an eternity ago. I gazed down at them all: the elder Harmons huddled together blocking the door, bat still in hand; Tom at the foot of the steps, hands balled into fists, ready to channel his inner Batman; and my old family on the other side of the threshold all staring up at me. Malice in her brown eyes, apprehension in the gray, and relief in the piercing blue. My own moved upwards. I couldn’t look at him. I had to remain strong. “I have nothing left to say to you. I said it all last night. I told you what would happen. You taught me to keep my promises. To keep my word. I only wish you’d learned that lesson as well. So please leave. Now. Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
“Oh, boo fucking hoo,” Christine said, rolling her eyes.
“You heard her,” Tom said. “She doesn’t want to talk to you anymore.”
“Please leave,” Mr. Harmon said forcefully as he began to close the door.
“Oh, fuck this,” Christine said. She pounded on the side of the house hard enough to jolt us, while saying, “Mommy Homemaker!” Mrs. Harmon must have glanced into Christine’s eyes, and even with a millisecond of contact, Christine wormed inside her mind. “Invite us inside.”
“Come in,” Mrs. Harmon said robotically.
Christine literally pushed past Mrs. Harmon with the men following behind. This was not good. At all. The moment they walked in I could practically taste the threat of violence in the air, as if the room were already thick with blood. The knot strangled my stomach, and I grew nauseous. Oliver glanced up at me, eyes pleading for me to do something. Anything. All other thoughts ceased except, “Get them out of this house,” which was screamed through a bullhorn inside my brain.
“Get out,” Mr. Harmon said. “I dis-invite you from this house.”
“How adorable, you have viewed a vampire film,” Christine cooed. “It does not work that way, Daddy.”
“Anna, it is time to come home,” Asher said forcefully.
“Yes, Anna, go get your suitcase now,” Oliver insisted through gritted teeth.
I nodded like a flicked bobblehead and started toward my room. Had I been thinking clearly I would have just walked directly downstairs and out the door, but I was on autopilot. I was told to get my suitcase, so I did. I hadn’t unpacked so I just zipped it up, grabbed my purse, and hurried back out. “I-I’m ready.”
I made it three steps down before Tom said, “No! She doesn’t have to go anywhere with you!”
“Boy, shut your mouth,” Oliver snapped.
“It’s okay, Tom,” I said, still walking.
“No, it’s not okay, Anna! He doesn’t own you!” Tom turned to Asher. “You don’t own her. She doesn’t want to be with you anymore, don’t you get that? She doesn’t love you anymore. Bullying her isn’t going to change that, you-you monster. If you really loved her—”
I blinked and Asher was an inch from Tom, lifting the boy by the jaw and snarling. “How dare you question me, boy?”
“Asher—” Oliver warned.
“Hey, get your goddamn hands off my kid,” Mr. Harmon said, raising the bat and advancing toward them.
“Lucas—” Mrs. Harmon pleaded, reaching for her husband.
Too late. All too late. It was too late the moment they crossed that threshold.
Christine pounced on Mr. Harmon before he could reach his son. There wasn’t a moment for me to react. She was five feet away, then upon him, fangs impaling his jugular like a rabid dog. His howl of pain, Mrs. Harmon’s shriek of terror, and Tom’s gurgling cry as he fou
ght against Asher’s grasp still haunt my nightmares to this day. As Mr. Harmon crumpled to the floor, blood pouring everywhere, the hysterical Mrs. Harmon darted toward her dying husband.
I didn’t know where to look next: at the horrified Oliver as he backed away from the blood, at Asher slowly crushing the gagging Tom’s windpipe as the teen clawed and kicked to no avail, or at the advancing Christine as she went for Mrs. Harmon. My overloaded mind finally decided. I raised my finger and shouted, “Lapsus!”
Christine flew into the living room out of sight, allowing Mrs. Harmon to reach her husband, collapsing to his side and pressing the wound to quell the blood. But I chose poorly. The moment Christine rocketed out of sight, a sickening crack overshadowed all the carnage as Tom’s windpipe collapsed. Crushed like glass. Asher released him, another for the ground.
“No!” I cried.
I sprinted down the steps, finger raised again, but in a foot race between a vampire and witch, the vampire will always win. Two steps and Asher was there, slamming me against the wall with his body and covering my mouth with his hand. “Please do not make matters worse, mo chuisle,” he whispered.
Cue worse.
“Mama!” Both mine and Asher’s gazes whipped down the hall as Bethany began running toward us. “Ma—”
“Bethany! Run! Run!” Mrs. Harmon shouted. The girl listened, spinning on her bare foot, taking off the way she came. Like a wild woman, Mrs. Harmon leapt up and dashed toward the staircase, shrieking the whole short trek. In another blink, Christine reappeared behind the mother. With one swift movement, the monster snapped her neck, silencing the mother forever. I screamed and squirmed under Asher, even biting his hand, but he caught my eyes. Everything locked shut. My limbs, my mouth, even my mind was no longer my own. Out of reach. I could hear, I could see, but nothing more. No feelings, no thoughts were available to me. Forced catatonia. He literally took all of me. He removed my soul. “There is my girl,” Asher whispered as he released my shell.
“Speaking of girls,” Christine said, nodding up toward Bethany’s room. “The brat saw us.”
“We can wipe her memory,” Asher said.
Witch Upon a Star (A Midnight Magic Mystery) Page 15
