“I was set free because I can open the doorway to the power source. They expect I will show them.”
“Because of Mom?” confirmed Charlie.
“Yes. I’m sure of it. They hoped I’d go right there to get her and open it for them.”
“I guess we have a good idea where the Feyk moved to then, since they abandoned the fort,” said Charlie.
“And what about everyone that’s still missing?” Lizzy brought up, noting how much time had gone by without a single word of contact.
Jack looked at her with new light in his eyes. “You’re a Deane of old.”
They had explained Lizzy’s tale, he understood better who she was.
“Does that matter, Dad?” asked Charlie, feeling the need to defend her and her brothers.
“Deane’s of the old age were our most trusted friends. You’re from a time before the dark days.”
“You have no idea what it was like,” said Lizzy. “Watching my family go down that path, giving into dark magic. Not being able to stop it. Their actions were… disgusting, and humiliating. I didn’t want to be a Deane for a long time after that.”
Jack nodded. Still a tinge of doubt in his gaze, but he was warming to her.
Charlie wondered if he’d be as accepting of Lucas and Riley.
Michael got up and started pacing. “They have been gone a long time. It’s not like Melinda. It’s definitely not like William. He always checks in.”
“This Eva girl,” started Jack. “She sounds pretty hell-bent on revenge. And if she’s got Feyks working with her... they are tricky, spiteful creatures. I hate to say it, but Melinda and this Lucas might have gotten themselves caught.”
Michael hoped if that were true, that they were at least with Emily. It wasn’t a bright spot so much as a tiny comfort, that she was not alone after suffering through watching Eva kill her father.
“Even if they did get caught, where’s William? It’s not like him not to report in. Especially if something did happen to Melinda, or Lucas. He’d have reported that to us. He was on their trail. He should have found them easily,” insisted Charlie.
“It was in Melinda’s dream,” reminded Michael. “She said that Riley’s rage kept building, and from what I heard coming out of the kid’s mouth, I’d say that for whatever reason he’s aiming all his rage at William.”
“Riley isn’t a kid,” argued Lizzy. She didn’t care for the demeaning tone in which he said it. She was getting a little tired of the whole Deanes suck thing.
“It’s not because he’s a Deane,” clarified Michael. “I’m being the overprotective big brother. Any guy that dates my sister…” Jack hissed, cutting Michael off.
“Are you telling me that my baby girl is dating a Deane?”
“Um, yeah Dad. Sorry… I was going to tell you earlier, but it felt like I was hitting you with a lot.” Charlie threw Michael a glare, and Lizzy a please just deal for now gaze.
“Yeah, I could have been more tactful,” apologized Michael. “But we’re kind of out of our comfort zone here anyway, don’t you think? We don’t have time to play all nice nice. People are missing. The shit pile can’t get much higher. We need to do something, now.”
“Okay, let’s just all settle down a little,” said Jack. “Me included. This is all just…”
“A lot, Dad. We know.” Michael smiled weakly. “My mind is starting to imagine many frightening scenarios as to what’s going on. I need to be doing something.”
“I understand,” replied Jack. “But it’s important to remember that all details are important, and we must be prepared before taking action. Running into an unknown situation unprepared never ends well.”
Charlie and Michael looked at their father, soaking in every word.
“Now,” continued Jack. “There are ways to immobilize a vampire. William is not untouchable, however fearsome a foe he can be.”
“I just can’t imagine William falling for something like that. Getting himself caught.” Charlie shrugged indifferently. “It’s never happened since I’ve known him.”
“Nor in mine, but we all have weaknesses,” cautioned Jack. “Even vampires.”
“And we all know William’s is Melinda,” stated Lizzy.
“What?” said Charlie.
“Um,” she cleared her throat, after mistakenly saying that aloud. It was her turn to stumble over her unintended words. “I just mean he cares about you all, very much, and if she or any of you were caught by the enemy...”
“I don’t think that’s what you meant,” Jack disputed tightly. “Rage spells have to start with a spark of reality. If Riley’s anger is centered on William, he at least believes that William is a rival. I have to say, I’m not sure which scenario I disapprove of more, Melinda dating a Deane or a vampire…” Apparently, Jack was not going to go easy on Lucas or Riley, the Deane’s of today.
Lizzy tried not to take offense of his Deane disapproval. Charlie threw her an apologetic look. She shrugged it off apprehensively. She’d just unintentionally given away William’s secret.
Jack had nothing against William finding happiness; he loved him like family.
However, his daughter was off limits. She had a responsibility to carry on the Howard bloodline.
But mixing Deane blood with Howard blood?
It had never been done. Even back when their families were allies… no Deane and Howard had ever married or had a child together.
Two powerful witch families coming together in one bloodline… a child with a witch as a mother and a father… the potential was unlimited.
From a professional standpoint, it didn’t sound like such a bad idea.
But on a personal level… maybe Melinda would move on from this Riley. He could only hope.
Michael’s memories flicked back to an earlier conversation with Melinda, after he’d caught her straddling Riley in the basement. She’d dismissed the subject of why Riley would take his rage out against William.
Why was everything so obvious to him in hindsight? The outliers of the emotions had been there, but he had not pressed the issue. Was it possible for his sister to fall for someone uncontroversial? Maybe just a normal human guy…
He kept all this to himself. It didn’t matter at this point.
Charlie could not grasp his head around the idea. He’d seen Melinda flirt with the vampire many times, but always in jest. Never seriously. “Melinda’s always had a teenage crush on William, there’s nothing more to it than that. I would know.”
“She’s not a teen anymore, Charlie,” reminded Michael.
“Yeah, well… whatever, I don’t want to think about who she wants to date. I just want to get her home, and safe again. And then, we are sitting down to have ourselves a serious talk…” he trailed off, clearing his throat. “Sorry, Dad. It’s going to take some time to get used to you being around again.”
Jack gave him a pained smile. Proud, but also sad, for the position he’d left his son in. The eldest. The one in charge. More a father now than brother…
“Yes. Well. Back to the task at hand. If they have been caught by the enemy, this makes us greatly outnumbered.”
“I say we storm in and attack, tonight,” urged Charlie. “I don’t think they’ll expect that.” And like his brother, the need to physically do something was mounting by the minute.
“I’m in,” chimed Michael in decisive agreement.
“No. We will not attack tonight,” refuted their father. “There’s a good chance they are expecting it, and we would be ill prepared and most likely fail. Making this already dangerous situation even harder to overcome.”
“Sorry,” spoke up Lizzy. “I’m with your father on this one. Like he said earlier, you go in all cocked and loaded without preparing first nothing good’s going to come of that. We’ll just get ourselves caught and then who’s going to come to the rescue?”
“I don’t think I can just sit back and wait,” grumbled Charlie. The shock of his father’s return was ebbin
g, his fears surfacing. “Who knows what they’re doing to them right now? We’ve seen what Eva is capable of.”
Michael nodded. He could not vocalize what it did to him to think of his sister or his girlfriend in Eva’s clutches.
“I have brothers in trouble, too. I still think it’s a bad idea to rush in tonight.” Lizzy’s voice was sympathetic, but determined.
“You’ve known them for a few weeks,” retorted Charlie heartlessly.
She stood up and folded her arms, glaring at him hotly. “Meaning I care less than you do?”
“I’m sorry, Lizzy. That came out… very… wrong.”
“Yeah, it did,” she responded harshly. “It’s a bit cliché, but my father taught me that only fools rush in.”
“Then I guess I’m a fool.” He was ready to go, now. He didn’t want to wait.
“Not if you listen to your father, Charlie. He’s right on this.”
Michael had to stifle a grin. He’d never seen his brother put in his place by anyone other than William.
Jack’s eyes danced, watching Charlie interact with Lizzy. It was reminiscent of him and Catherine. He was starting to like this Lizzy a little more.
“The idea of waiting…” Charlie shook his head, giving in with an anxious sigh. “How do we figure out what’s going on, then? If the Feyk and Eva, or Riley I guess, somehow managed to catch William off guard, and took him as their prisoner, what chance do we have?”
“The exact reason we cannot fly in and attack now,” explained Jack. “It won’t be easy, knowing people you love are in the hands of the enemy, but we must prepare. Battles do not get won by rushing in. And let’s give William a little more time. He’s gotten out of some pretty hairy situations before. He might not be caught, just investigating. We don’t know for sure, yet.”
“Okay,” accepted Charlie. “You’re right, Dad. It’s just... the thought of Melinda and Emily, Lucas, or William being in the hands of a mad woman capable of killing on a whim is shredding my insides.”
“You got that right,” agreed Michael.
Jack looked at his two sons, gazing back at him like two lost lambs, soaking in his every word as gospel, as if he had every right answer, and every right move.
Did he? He had no idea...
CHAPTER TWO
Sunrise arrived with no sign of, or contact with, William.
No word from Melinda, Emily or Lucas.
It left a dark pit expanding inside each of them.
Jack Howard was starting to feel a bit more like himself again, although he was glad they were busy; it kept him focused on helping his sons, rather than the fact that he’d been out of their lives for so long and that his wife had died.
Mack arrived just before dawn, with no news other than all of a sudden like, the strange looking men, a.k.a. Feyk sightings, had stopped. Completely. No new sightings all night.
No one assumed this was good news. After that, Mack spent the next hour visiting with Jack. As shocked and pleased as the rest of them to see her lifelong friend alive and well.
It was hard to rejoice in the fact that their father was home when people they cared about deeply were missing, and presumed prisoners of either Eva Jordan, the Feyk or most likely, both.
They had spent the night in William’s study, making various plans of attack based on numerous different possible scenarios. Jack was certain that their enemies would reach out to them, somehow, at some point, with demands. That they were holding everyone as leverage... they assumed, to make certain he opened the door to the power source.
After a few cups of coffee, Mack announced she had to leave.
“I’ll expect you guys to keep me updated as things progress. I’ll do whatever I can to help. But as of thirty minutes from now, I’m on parade duty. Seems weird to be having a parade with all this bularky going on.”
“Parade?” questioned Charlie.
“It’s the Fourth of July,” reminded Mack.
“Right, one of the busiest days of the year for tourists to come to the Isle,” said Michael. A day they had planned spending together as a family this year. He’d even told Emily they’d make sure to get her father to tag along. A stabbing pain pinched his heart.
Mack nodded with a stiff huff. “This concerns me, too. A lot of extra people to look out for. But the Isle has the most famous fireworks display on the Maine coastline. Not like we can just cancel. People travel some long distances to see it, and it lights up the sky for miles.”
“And don’t forget about the noise, and all night parties,” noted Michael. Parties he used to frequent and enjoy.
Lizzy’s head shot up, a gasp on the cusp of her tongue. Her eye caught Charlie’s, and he nodded in silent agreement.
“What?” asked Michael, not catching up to their thinking.
Jack let out a sigh, getting it now too. “It would be the perfect distraction,” he reveled. “The entire island will be focused on the fireworks.”
“The Feyk might expect it,” warned Charlie. Still, he allowed himself a glimmer of hope. They were moving forward, coming up with a real plan.
“Even if they did expect it,” said Michael, understanding their idea now, “it would give us some cover, and keep the tourists out of harm’s way.”
“It’s the best frigging idea we’ve come up with all night,” bellowed Lizzy.
“Can we get prepared in time?” Charlie asked his father. Just a short time ago he’d wanted to rush in and attack, now an entire day didn’t seem like it was enough time.
“I think whether the Feyk expect it or not, it’s a good cover. We’ll have darkness on our side. Possibly the element of surprise. The fireworks will cloak the sounds of a battle. And tourists will be safely watching the fireworks.”
Michael pursed his lips.
“You don’t agree?” Charlie asked.
“No, I think it’s a good plan as well, but will the fireworks give us enough time? The show lasts, what, about forty minutes or so?” he directed at Mack.
“Thereabouts, yes.”
“Everything would have to be timed so perfectly,” said Lizzy. “No mistakes. No surprises.”
“And when is there ever no surprises,” droned Charlie.
“What if I could get you more time?” asked Mack.
“How?” returned Michael.
“We get the locals to help.”
“That’s potentially dangerous,” worried Jack.
“I’m not talking about taking part in the battle. Just adding some time to the distraction. Perhaps starting the distraction earlier than anticipated...”
“You mean get the show going early, just in case the Feyk are expecting us to attack when the Isle’s show starts tonight?” confirmed Charlie.
She nodded.
“I don’t think they’d be expecting that,” agreed Jack.
“How exactly would the locals help out?” questioned Michael.
“By shooting off every damn firework they can get their hands on. I can make it rain fireworks all damn day and night if I need to.” She stopped and let out a hearty laugh. “I always knew all those confiscated fireworks would come in handy someday.”
“Yeah, plus most locals and tourists buy a ton to shoot off as well,” said Charlie. “They go off all night long most years.”
“But to start it early is a smart plan,” said Jack. “The Feyk would have no idea it wasn’t normal. It would give us our best chance to strike with any possibility of surprise on our side.”
“Or at the least, time it to our liking,” said Charlie.
“Yes,” agreed his father. “We control when it begins. It gives us the upper hand.” His eyes gleamed in agreement with his son. The plan was forming.
“I might need some help organizing,” advised Mack. “The locals will all be at the parade, if not in the parade… I’ll pass it along for them to meet me after.”
“Tell them to meet you at the Wicked Muddy Cafe,” suggested Michael, thinking back to what Grace had told him
during her visit to White Pines. “I’ll go with you,” he offered. “Help spread the word and explain.” Grace had said the locals had been talking, wishing they could help in some way.
“Sounds good,” said Mack, nodding in approval. “I’ve been thinking too, even if we didn’t seek out the local’s help that we need to give them some warning. I think they have a right to know that the Isle’s under serious attack. They understand what living here means, but this is different. This hasn’t happened since…”
“Since my family started a war…” finished Lizzy on her behalf.
“Sorry. No offense. Just stating the facts.”
“I would too.”
Mack shrugged. “Should they be warned? What do you guys think? I don’t want to start a panic. We have a lot of extra people on the Isle with no idea that the fantasies they come here to revel in are actually real.”
Charlie and Michael turned to Jack. He in turn said, “What are your opinions, Boys?”
Charlie contemplated. “I think you’re right, Mack. But to what level they should be told…” he shook his head.
Michael agreed. “They should be told. They have a right to know. But I would impress the whole no need to start a panic or mass evacuation… not easy I realize, but I think I can help you with that. I’m kind of thinking we should figure out a way to close the park. Can’t chance tourists coming across the Feyk.”
“That’s going to be a tall order, but I was thinking the same.” The sheriff nodded.
Jack grinned, pleased. “You’ve always been good at this sort of thing, Michael.” He liked seeing his son take the reins, speaking to the townsfolk.
“Have I?” He always felt the opposite. Even if he had, he had never enjoyed it. Somehow, just now though, it felt right.
“Yes. You have a way of smoothing things over. I used to see it all the time between you and your siblings,” chuckled Jack.
“Guess that’s just the middle child in me,” he jabbed.
“Don’t discount your empathy, either, Son. It may not be an easy burden to carry but it will help you in a job like this. And frankly, Charlie, you’re good any many things but public speaking and public relations…” he shook his head wearing a bemused grin.
Bite Me Baby! (Wicked Good Witches Book 7) Page 2
