He closed it, handing it to Charlie. Lizzy helped Jack get back on his feet.
“Thank you,” he said.
She tossed him a compassionate smile.
Michael wiped his eyes, catching Emily/Eva staring into nothing. “Are you okay?”
“What? Oh, um. Sorry. Just tired. Sad. Tired…” she muttered again.
He rubbed her arms with his hands as if trying to warm her up.
“We have a decision to make,” said Jack, clearing his throat. “We can keep going. See if the power source is even here. It’s a shame all this took place over a potential location. Or we can leave now, leave the investigation for another day.”
“I say we keep going,” spoke Charlie. “I want to know if Mom died in vain. If all that’s happened was for nothing.”
Jack agreed with his son.
Michael was apprehensive. He wanted to know and yet did not. He was surprised when Emily (Eva) spoke up.
“I want to know. I’m not one of you. I understand I don’t really have a say. But my father was killed because of it...”
Michael quickly added his vote, for yes.
“Emily,” he grabbed her gently by the shoulders. “You always have a say. You are one of us.”
She smiled weakly and grasped onto his arm.
God. They’re gonna make me frigging hurl… Eva shuddered. Even and numb, she reminded herself.
Charlie turned to Lizzy. “You okay to continue?”
“Yeah. To be honest, the adrenaline is still pumping. I couldn’t go home and sleep if I tried.”
He felt the same.
“Let’s be careful. And stay close together,” advised Jack. “Be mindful where you step as I do not know what traps might still lay ahead.”
They moved forward, making it to where Jack and Catherine had first encountered the entombed Soul Hunter. From this point forward, it was new territory. Jack jumped across the open cavern with ease. He grabbed Emily as Michael helped her across. Michael followed, with Lizzy and Charlie hopping over behind him.
To their complete astonishment, just around the next bend the tunnel ended, opening up into a large cavern.
Jack and Catherine Howard had been right.
And they’d been so very close.
Just steps away.
They entered, staring, in stunned disbelief that they’d found it.
The Heart of the Isle. The power source that too many witches had searched for and died for, never finding its location. A source too many troublemakers like the Feyk or the Jordan’s wanted for themselves.
It throbbed, beating like a heart, with thick rooted tendrils penetrating and encasing it, some seeping out of it delving into the ground. Was it feeding off the Isle? Giving life to the Isle? They did not know. It was easily six feet in length, a few feet wide. Almost resembling a reddish membrane-like tomb.
Jack motioned for them to hold back. He edged closer, reaching out his hand. He wanted to touch the Soul of the Isle. To rest his hand upon the Heart. He hesitated for just a moment, and then placed it gently upon it. He laughed, turning back to his sons.
“It tickles a little. Gives off an electric-like buzz.”
Charlie and Michael exchanged a gratified smile. They had their dad back.
They located the lost power source.
Everyone had made it out alive (minus Emily’s dad), and maybe, just maybe, the craziness that had plagued them all summer would slow down. Let them recuperate and reconnect with their father. Melinda hadn’t even seen him yet. Or William, really.
Emily/Eva grabbed Michael’s arm, leaning against him. “It must have been so bizarre.”
“What’s that?”
“Finding your father, just meandering down a road in the middle of the night.”
“Charlie pretty much freaked,” said Michael, glancing at his brother. Charlie lifted his eyebrows in silent agreement. “When he walked into the house with him, I...” Michael stopped, his words catching in his throat. “Sorry,” he said after a second. “It’s overwhelming.”
Michael’s world crashed.
His heart falling hard to his feet.
He wished desperately Charlie could read his thoughts. He kept a straight face, but inside, he cracked wide open.
This wasn’t Emily standing next to him.
Emily didn’t know they had found Jack Howard. She especially had no idea how he’d been found. Emily had only met his father once before he died.
Michael had difficulty keeping his breath even.
There was only one person who did know how they’d found his father.
Only one person who could also impersonate his girlfriend- Eva Jordan.
She was supposed to be dead.
William said he’d killed her.
How could this be?
And where the hell was Emily?
Eva/Emily felt Michael’s body language change. A wall of coldness going up between them.
She had made a critical miscalculation.
In her attempt to be Emily-like, she’d forgotten that Emily did not know they’d found Jack Howard, or how they’d found him.
She backed away from Michael, a sneering grin forming. If the jig was up, it was up. No time like the present, she thought.
Charlie saw Emily’s eyes shifting to a golden yellow. “What the fucking hell?”
“It’s not Emily,” exclaimed Michael, stunned. “It’s Eva.”
Charlie’s heart stammered, almost stalling.
Jack let go of the power source, spinning around to see what was happening.
Eva lunged at him, snarling, wasting no time to attack.
Charlie leapt, colliding with her. She skidded across the ground. Charlie crashed into the cavern wall, landing hard.
He bounded to his feet, crouching for another attack.
Eva did the same.
“William killed you!” he bellowed.
“He was wrong,” she growled.
She stayed in Emily’s form, which disgusted Charlie to his core. Eva truly was a sadistic bitch. This would not stop him from killing her though. He secretly delighted in the fact that he’d get the chance after all.
Charlie motioned for Michael to stay out of the way. Lizzy had to grab him, to keep him from joining a battle he could easily lose.
Emily/Eva eyed Charlie. Egging him to attack.
“Where’s Emily?” Michael shouted at her. “What have you done with her?”
Jack Howard faced Emily/Eva. “We cannot allow her to live.”
Eva knew too much.
She knew the truth about how to access the power source.
A growl seethed through Charlie’s teeth.
A ripple of power surged through him. His body shifting and contorting in a deliberate need to intimidate his prey. Muscles bulged. His body heightened and thickened. Each controlled shift meant to warn Eva she would not see the light of day.
Eva/Emily’s body contorted and shifted, matching Charlie’s deliberate movements. She would not be so easily intimidated. A haughty grin spread across her face as she reveled in the fact that her death had ended the fake pregnancy spell. She could shift again. It was not a full moon and Eva did not have a Guardian ring, but she was a shapeshifter and could take the form of her werewolf at will.
Her wolf was equal to Charlie’s in height and ferocity.
The stared each other down.
Snarling. Growling.
Jack spotted the silver chain Charlie’d been carrying to use against Eva. It was lying on the ground behind his son. Charlie and Eva circled each other with cautious, heavy steps. Each threatening to attack, but neither making the first move.
Lizzy struggled to keep Michael from getting involved. He was losing it, not knowing where Emily really was. And with the Feyk gone, Eva was the only person who knew.
Jack saw his moment and sprinted, sliding across the ground. He grasped onto the silver and flicked the chain outward. It slashed into Eva’s side. She snarled and spun, spotting
Jack.
Charlie lunged. Eva lunged.
Charlie landed where Eva had been.
Eva landed on Jack Howard, sinking her teeth into his shoulder. Deeply.
Charlie howled as if he’d been bitten himself.
She was finishing the job she’d started ten years before. When she’d tried to bite Jack and Charlie had gotten in the way.
Michael escaped Lizzy’s grasp, scurried across the floor grabbing the silver chain. He climbed up Eva’s back and lassoed it around her neck.
Werewolf Eva released their father. Grasping at the chain. It burned her skin. Choking her.
Michael pulled tighter.
“How’s it feel to burn?” he spat out. “Where’s Emily?”
Eva choked, her arms thrashing at the silver. She spun around only to come face to face with Charlie’s werewolf. He thrust his claws into her chest, his eyes watching shock and dismay bulge into hers.
He didn’t want to kill her yet, they needed to find Emily first. But he planned on her death hurting. A lot.
Blood spurted out of Eva’s werewolf mouth. She started to shift again, no longer able to hold the form. The wolf contorted back into Emily.
Fucking hell. Why take her form again?
To make me hesitate…
Charlie pushed the face he knew so well out of his mind and put Eva’s face onto Emily’s. This wasn’t Emily, and he could not waver in his judgment.
He claws pushed in deeper; to show Eva just how sick he thought she was for doing this. And to prove exactly how in charge, he was. He forced back the memories of their time together. Although a little piece of his wolf basked in the glory that he’d made her submit to him.
His eyes danced in wild anger. He leaned into her ear with a guttural growl. “You will submit to me, Eva. One last time before you die.” He raked his claws deeper yet. “Where. Is. Emily?”
Eva/Emily laughed. A drunk, feral sort of laugh.
Doubt spread through Charlie. Along with disgust and disappointment. From the ring? His own subconscious, he was not sure.
He withdrew his claws. His body shifted back into his human self. Naked again. He didn’t care, this had to end and clothing was optional.
The lust for the kill raged inside him… it was wrong. It wasn’t him. It wasn’t part of his job. Sometimes they had to kill, but not for revenge or pleasure. They were not murderers. Eva being dead would make him happy, he could not deny that emotion. But it needed to be because there was no other choice.
Michael held the silver chain firmly and wrapped it around her arms to bind her tightly. Eva screamed as the silver seared into her skin.
Charlie got into her face. “You’ve got about three seconds to talk. And live.”
“You’ll just kill me anyway. Why not just get it over with.”
Charlie looked at Michael. Michael closed his eyes. Eva wasn’t going to tell them, and they could not let her escape.
“We will find her,” Charlie promised.
Lizzy shouted to them. She had their father’s head in her lap, putting pressure on his wound. “He’s bad guys.” Her tone insinuated, whatever you’re going to do, hurry the hell up. Jack gasped for air. Blood gushing out of his shoulder, profusely. Lizzy attempted to use magic to close the wound but the werewolf bite was tricky, and too deep to heal.
“Eva, I’ll give you one more chance to redeem yourself before leaving this world for good,” said Charlie, as calmly and clearly as possible. “I do not know what happened to make you this way. We have all suffered loss. I really don’t believe that all of you is this evil. I saw a good side of you. Part of me was falling for that side. But you will have to live, or die, by your choices tonight.”
Eva just stared. Her gaze even, unchanging.
There was only one last thing Charlie could try.
He got down on his knees in front of her. “Is this what you want? My submission to you… for me to beg you?” He gazed down at his naked self. “I can’t possibly be any more submissive than I am right now. But I will beg, if that’s what you want… please, Eva. Do the right thing. Tell me what you’ve done with Emily.”
Eva was far beyond doing the right thing. Darkness had claimed her and there was no going back. Although seeing Charlie Howard on his knees, begging, gave her quite a thrill. But no. She would not submit. She would not surrender now.
They believed she was shifted into Emily’s form. That she had Emily hidden somewhere. Once she revealed she had taken over Emily’s body, they wouldn’t be able to kill her.
It took painful movements, but Eva/Emily wiggled her empty ring finger. Charlie didn’t know what she was doing, except stalling.
“Catch on yet?” she hissed triumphantly.
Michael’s eyed widened, complete horror enveloping him. He let go of her, the silver chain loosening. “Ring,” he stammered. A gut wrenching pain stabbed into his heart.
“I thought you’d come around,” said Eva/Emily smugly. She shimmied out of the silver chain, letting out a wince as the silver brushed across her skin and fell to the ground.
Charlie hadn’t stabbed Eva.
He’d stabbed Emily.
Dear, precious, Emily… his arm went to reach out for her but fell short.
If Eva left Emily’s body now, she would lose the ability to heal.
Emily would die. Her wounds were too extensive.
Charlie didn’t think her plan was to do that though. Eva wanted a new body. And she had control of Emily’s.
William had killed her. Eva had died.
Emily’s frame started to shift. Her long brown locks shifting to stark white. Eva’s shorter toned body formed with a satisfied moan. “So much better. The vessel’s body is… cute. But I do prefer my own.”
Something hit Charlie. Lizzy’s handbag. She’d thrown it at him.
Michael went to his father. He didn’t know what else to do. Everything was supposed to be okay now. Instead, it had spiraled out of control again.
Charlie opened the bag, another pair of shorts and a tee shirt pushed up out of it. He pulled on the shorts with a silent gratitude he’d figure out how to repay later. He looked up, hatred in his eyes, and handed Eva the shirt.
“At least cover yourself so I don’t have to look at you.”
“Oh. Poor Charlie. Don’t want to have another round, for old time’s sake?”
Charlie only stared in silent warning.
Michael cringed and pretended he did not hear. It was his girlfriend’s body. Not Eva’s, and she was defiling it with her presence.
“You can’t let her escape,” spurted Jack.
“I can’t kill her, Dad.”
Neither could Charlie. He wouldn’t do it. It was asking too much.
Jack’s breath grew uneven.
“He’s lost too much blood,” warned Lizzy. “Charlie,” she called out. Her tone pulled him to his father’s side at once.
Eva strode over to the power source. Her greedy eyes taking it in.
“Dad,” cried Charlie. They couldn’t get him back just to lose him again. Not like this.
“It’s my time,” comforted Jack. He’d had the ominous feeling almost since his son had found him on the side of the road. His wounds were deep. He could not recover.
He looked at his sons. Love and pride in his eyes.
“Tell Melinda how much I love her.” He spoke with strained effort. He hadn’t even had the chance to see his daughter yet. Other than the nearly dead mess she’d been when William rescued her. “I’m so proud of everything you’ve done here.”
After seeing Michael take the reins and deal with the locals, allaying their fears, and the depths at which Charlie was willing to go to fulfill his duty and not give in to the temptations that would only lead to darkness, he knew they’d be okay now. He had been given a last day, and he had given his son’s as much as he could.
Jack Howard’s last movement was to turn his gaze to Eva Jordan. His final thought, unfinished business… he would do what
his sons could not.
But first, he had to die.
His final breath sliced through his son’s minds like a knife.
He couldn’t be gone. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
Charlie and Michael leaned over their father’s body, unable to let him go.
Lizzy had his blood covering her. She leaned over his head and closed Jack’s eyes.
Jack Howard’s spirit lifted, hovering over his lifeless body.
Moving his spirit body would not be easy at first. It took a little getting used to. However, unlike most newly departed souls, he knew what was possible.
He ignored the mournful sobs of his sons and focused his essence towards Eva. His electric energy floated just on top of the ground as he came up behind her.
She was running her hands across the power source, defiling it with her touch.
Eva gasped painfully, her body arching in a stabbing spasm.
Charlie, Michael, and Lizzy jumped up, no idea what was happening.
Eva’s body convulsed. Emily’s form and her form interchanging rapidly.
They were shocked when their father’s spirit materialized in front of them.
The power source started to pulse harder behind Eva and Jack.
Jack Howard jabbed his ghostly arms into Eva/Emily’s body, grabbing Eva’s spirit by the throat. His ghostly hands pulled at her in attempts to exorcise her out of Emily.
Eva’s spirit struggled as Jack yanked on her.
The power source’s beat sped up faster. Almost as if it sensed the struggle and was feeding off it.
Suddenly, the ghostly voices of Eva and Jack reverberated through the cavern.
Charlie, Michael, and Lizzy looked onward in shock. How were they hearing them? Normally only a ghost inhabiting a vessel could speak. Or in Lizzy’s case, since she was a ghast and not a ghost.
The pulsing Heart thumped hard. And fast.
“It’s got to be the source doing it,” muttered Charlie.
Eva fought hard, kicking and screaming. “You can’t win against me, old man. You have no magic here.”
“Nor do you. And with age, comes wisdom,” seethed Jack.
“But not power,” she claimed.
Jack squeezed harder. “Never underestimate the power of a father’s love for his children. Love is a power that requires no magic, and ascends all others.”
Bite Me Baby! (Wicked Good Witches Book 7) Page 13
