by Rose Pressey
“What do you think she has?” Liam whispered.
I shrugged. “With my aunt it could be any number of odd things.”
When Estelle returned, she handed me a wooden box. Unlike the box that I’d found hidden outside of LaVeau Manor, this one didn’t have a lock. I looked up at her and she just gave me a knowing smile, motioning for me to open the box. By her expression, I assumed she’d already looked inside the box at its contents. I’d never seen Estelle at the Coven get-togethers, so I was almost positive she wasn’t a witch.
“When did she give this to you?” I asked.
“Hmm. Well, I guess I don’t know. My memory isn’t what it used to be,” she said with a wave of her hand.
Apprehension ran through me as I eased the lid of the box open. My stomach turned when I saw that inside was another bound item, tied in the fabric with the same jute cord as the stake we’d found in the attic. I glanced over at Liam, but his expression remained resolute. In addition to the bound item, a small leather-bound book lay inside as well. It looked well-worn and the gold letters on the front had faded years ago. Without even peeking at the bound item, I shut the lid of the box. I’d look at the items later. Right now we needed to use the phone and get out of there.
“Is it all right if we use the phone now?” I asked.
“Oh, please help yourself.” She gestured toward the small walnut-colored table in the corner of the room.
Liam picked up the receiver on the outdated phone and dialed the number. It took forever with that rotary spinning each number.
Estelle and I awkwardly watched each other.
“You look like your Great Aunt Madeline.” She pointed at my face. “You have the same clear blue eyes and small button nose.”
“Thank you,” I said softly.
After a minute, Liam placed the receiver back and returned to my side. “Jon and Annabelle are on their way.”
“Would you care for some tea?” she asked as she stood.
I waved my hand. “Oh, no. We’ve taken up too much of your time already. We’ll just wait for our ride outside.”
She frowned as if I’d just given her the highest insult possible. “It will only take a moment.”
Liam shrugged.
“Okay. That would be lovely, thank you.” I flashed a giant smile.
Estelle shuffled off to the kitchen. I couldn’t believe we were drinking tea when we needed to be looking for Nicolas. I felt Liam staring at me.
“What could I say?” I whispered after she left to make tea.
“I don’t even like tea.” Liam leaned back in the chair.
I lowered my voice and said, “Pretend to drink it.”
After placing the water on the stove, Estelle returned, sitting directly across from us in the white wingback chair. The room was packed with an assortment of furniture—cherry, walnut, and mahogany pieces covered almost every available space. Massive wood bookcases took up the wall across from us. I wondered if she had spell books too.
She placed her hands in her lap. “I am sorry about your great-aunt. She was a delightful woman.”
“Thank you,” I said softly.
“So are you enjoying your new home? I heard you had a party the other night.” She eyed me suspiciously.
“Um, yes. It was just a one-time event though.” I shifted in my seat.
Her relentless stared made me feel as if I was in the principal’s office. I hadn’t been there since I’d accidentally changed his suit into a dress in the middle of the school assembly. High school had been a tough time for me. Thank goodness that had been years ago now.
I was already making excuses for wild parties and I’d only just moved in. There was no way she’d heard the party. It was too far away.
The headlights from a car spilled through the window and flashed across the room.
I stood and said, “Well, there’s our ride. Thank you again for everything.”
Estelle was a lovely woman, but I was ready to get out of there. She followed us as we walked toward the door.
“Your aunt used to bring me her homemade desserts.” One corner of her mouth twisted into a little smile.
I glanced over at Liam and he smiled. I took her comment as a hint. “I’d be happy to make you something if you’d like. It would be my way of saying thank you for holding on to my aunt’s belongings.”
She grinned bashfully. “Well, don’t go to any trouble.”
I was unable to hold back a chuckle. “Oh, it’s no trouble. Thank you again for the box.”
I waved as we stepped off the porch and climbed into Jon’s waiting car. Annabelle was sitting in the front seat. When I jumped in the backseat, she said, “What happened? What’s going on?”
“As it turns out, Catherin and Claude aren’t so nice after all,” I said, buckling my seatbelt.
“They actually locked you out of your own place?” Jon asked as he backed the car up.
“Yes, and they stole the necklaces. Catherin ripped it off my neck. I would have snatched it back, but they’d placed a spell on me. I did nothing but walk right out the door while they slammed it in my face. Liam was affected too. He walked right out the door with me.” The more I spoke the louder my voice grew. Excitement had a way of causing that reaction from me.
“So you didn’t get to ask Catherin about the postcard?” Annabelle asked.
I ran my hand through my hair and let out a deep breath. “I asked, but she didn’t answer. I did get this box from the neighbor though. She said it was my great-aunt’s.”
“What’s in it?” Annabelle twisted in the front seat and looked back at us.
I opened the box and unfolded the fabric from the item. It was just as I’d suspected.
“It’s another stake. Plus there’s a small book that I haven’t had a chance to look at until now.” I pulled out the little leather book.
When I flipped open the cover, I realized that it was my great-aunt’s journal. Written in cursive, the pages were yellowed and very fragile. It consisted mostly of simple spells for gardening or baking. I’d almost given up on finding anything interesting written in the book when I flipped through a few pages and saw the symbols.
“It has the symbols,” I said breathlessly.
“What?” Liam leaned over in the seat.
“Look, it talks about the symbol we found on the necklace from the plantation and from Catherin’s room. It’s part of a demonic cult. They were vampires and apparently staked.”
Liam’s face turned white. “It’s all coming back to me now.”
“What’s all coming back to you?” I asked. What dreadful thing was I about to discover? I wasn’t sure how much more I could handle.
Liam paused, then finally said, “Nicolas and his mother, Gina staked the vampires who turned us. I was supposed to be there that night to help him, but I didn’t make it in time.” Liam gazed out the window for a second before continuing, “The vampires who turned them were part of a demonic cult. The cult was led by a vampire and he vowed revenge if anything ever happened to them. I guess that means he came back as a demon. Gina’s sister, Mara… claimed she wasn’t a part of the cult, but we know how that turned out.”
Jon glanced at us in the rear-view mirror. “So they’ve come back for Nicolas? Then why is Nicolas acting this way?”
“Jacobson and his sister have to be a part of this cult. And so do Catherin and apparently Claude,” I said.
“We haven’t seen the real Nicolas since the night he left,” Liam said.
“What does that mean?” Annabelle asked.
“Someone is using a spell and pretending to be Nicolas. We just need to find out what happened to the real Nicolas.” Liam exchanged a worried glance with me.
I flipped a page and saw another name that I recognized. Sabrina Stratford’s name was mentioned as a vampire. She had been turned by the same group who had turned Nicolas and his family. I couldn’t believe that this information had fallen into my lap, so to speak. Poof, it had ap
peared at just the right time. I didn’t think that was a coincidence. There was some other magic in play.
As I continued to leaf through the book, I realized one thing. “Wait. I think we’re going to need more witches to fight this thing. Annabelle, can I use your cell phone?”
“Sure,” she said, handing me the phone.
With a shaky hand, I dialed my mother’s number. “
Hallie, what’s wrong?” she asked with panic.
My mother always thought something was wrong when I called at that time of night. So what if she was right this time.
“Mom, I’m fine. Take a deep breath.”
I heard her take a couple deep breaths, then she said, Okay… I’m calm.”
Now that I’d calmed her somewhat, I laid the big whammy on her. “Can you get the Coven members together and come to LaVeau Manor right away?”
“What’s the problem?” she rushed her words.
“I’ve been locked out of LaVeau Manor by a couple of demon witches,” I said.
Coming from me, I knew that wasn’t such an odd admission.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Within a minute, we were pulling up in front of LaVeau Manor. A chill ran down my spine at the thought of Catherin and Claude taking over LaVeau Manor. In the short time I’d owned the place, I’d grown attached. The thought of someone harming the manor made me furious.
“Are you sure you want to take on these witches?” Jon’s voice seemed less than confident.
I fixed my gaze on him and answered with as much assurance that I could gather up. “I don’t have a choice.”
“Jacobson and Sabrina will probably be here soon if they know Catherin and Claude are about to battle it out with you,” Liam said.
“I hope there is no battle.” I released a deep breath and opened the car door. “We’ll sneak up and try the door again while we wait for the Coven members to show up,” I said as we all climbed out of the car.
The four of us stood in front of the house, peering up at it. Silvery light from the moon pierced the thick cover of darkness. A night wind ruffled the nearby trees as if sending us a warning. The open veranda stretched the width of the house as the four towering columns rose skyward, gleaming in the moonlight. The manor’s lights shone brightly in the night sky, but there was no movement from inside.
“Maybe Liam and I should check the door while you all stay down here and keep an eye on the place. Yell if Catherin or Claude come from the back,” I said.
“You got it,” Annabelle said in her bravest voice.
When Liam and I made it to the front door, he turned the knob, but it still wouldn’t budge. Using the strength of his body, he pushed on the door, but it was no use. I stepped over to the window and cupped my hands over my eyes, peeking in the parlor. The bright lights made it impossible to see anything.
“They have to come out sometime, right?” I asked, peering in the window again.
“Yeah… at least I think so.” His eyebrows drew together in an exasperated expression.
When we turned around and headed back down the veranda steps, Annabelle or Jon weren’t standing where we’d left them.
“Where did they go?” I asked as we neared the car.
Liam scanned the area. “I don’t know.”
By the look on his face, I knew he was concerned. They wouldn’t have just walked off.
“Someone took them, didn’t they?” I asked, searching Liam’s eyes for a truthful answer.
Finally, he nodded. “Yes, probably so. I can’t imagine where they’d be, but let’s check the back of the manor.”
As we eased around the house, I peered in each window, but still couldn’t see any sign of Catherin or Claude.
“I don’t think they’re in there. They must have taken my keys and left,” I said.
“They probably went to the plantation,” Liam said.
As we rounded the corner and came back to the front of the manor, the Coven members pulled up behind Jon’s car. We’d have to cast a spell that would get rid of this demon once and for all.
My mother was the first to climb out from the van. “What’s happening?”
As I filled her in on what had happened to this point, the other Coven members joined us.
“We need to cast a spell that draws them out of the house if they are still in there.” The level of panic in my voice was a dead giveaway to my current freaked-out state.
“You think they’re not there anymore?” Misty asked.
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think they’re in there and I think they took my friends too.”
The worry line deepened between Misty’s eyebrows. “Tell us what we need to do.”
“I have to find Annabelle,” I said.
A terrifying cloud of the unknown hovered over me.
Jacobson had attacked Annabelle once. I knew he wouldn’t think twice about using her to get to me again.
“We’ll find her.” My mother’s bracelets jangled as she patted my hand.
“We’ll join hands and cast the spell. I need to pull off of your energy,” I said.
I was glad that I could finally count on the Coven for help. There would probably always be some hesitation about me as far as they were concerned, but right now I really did need them.
We formed a circle by holding hands on the front lawn. Without hesitation, the words for the spell came to me.
I held my mother’s hand to my left and Liam’s hand to my right. The words for the spell flowed as if I’d known them all my life. Tapping into the energy from the other witches was the only chance I had to find Annabelle and Nicolas. With the help of the Coven members, I could call to the elements and tap into the full potential of the magic. This was the most important spell of my life—people’s lives depended on me.
As I concentrated on the spell, the world around me changed. I had no idea if the wind was blowing, if the clouds zoomed past, or if it was even raining. It was as if I was contained in my own bubble.
With a steady voice I said, “Element of Earth, I call to you to cast back the evil, we have no fear. Element of Air, I call to you to push the bad away through wind and the dark of night, we have no fear. Element of Fire, I call to you for warmth and protection. Help me have the knowledge. Element of Water, I call to you for force of the sea, bring us the power against those who mean us harm.”
Finally, the bubble around me broke, and I opened my eyes. The spell had been cast, and we looked toward the house. Nothing was happening. It remained the same as when Liam and I had been kicked out.
“It looks as if they weren’t in there after all,” my mother said.
I was about to agree with her when the lights in the house flickered. “Did you see that?”
Liam nodded. “I get the feeling it wasn’t faulty wiring that did that.”
The front door opened with full force and Catherin and Claude appeared. They did not look pleased with what we’d done. The frowns deepened on their faces as they moved down the steps and stopped in front of us.
“So nice of you to join us.” I faked a smile.
Catherin glared at me. “You had to call in your friends.”
“Why don’t you tell me who you are,” I said.
“Why don’t you guess?” Claude answered for her.
“I’m not much for games. It’s better if you just tell me now because I’ll find out sooner or later. And I’m thinking it’ll be sooner.” I warned with a wave of my hand.
Before they answered, Catherin and Claude changed right before our eyes. I let out a gasp when I saw who they really were. They had revealed their true identities. Sabrina and Jacobson stood before us. They had fooled me all along. Once again, I had had the enemy right under my nose the whole time. I really needed to check out my guests better.
“Why did you pretend to be Catherin Butterfield?” I asked.
Sabrina laughed. “At first it was totally random, but then I discovered that Gina had reanimated Catherin years ago because Cat
herin specialized in binding vampire stakes so that the vampires couldn’t come back as demons. What are the odds that I would pick her? Obviously Catherin hadn’t been great at binding because the vampire Darkess, who turned Gina and her family, came back as a demon anyway.”
“Are you surprised it was us?” Jacobson asked.
“You tricked me. Good for you. I bet you are really proud of yourself,” I said.
He nodded with a smirk. “Actually I am happy with how well we pulled it off. But then again, you aren’t that hard to fool.”
He loved to insult me. But who would have the last laugh? I was going to try my hardest to make sure it was me.
“How did you appear at just the right time when my spells had gone wrong?” I asked.
“We cast a spell so we’d know exactly what spells you were trying and when. It just happened to fit perfectly into our plan. We couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
“Why did you do this?” My tolerance level for his antics had vanished ages ago.
“Nicolas was here with you. We wanted to take him down and steal his soul for the demon. We figured while we were at it we could take your soul too.” Jacobson held one arm behind his back. I probably wasn’t going to like whatever he was concealing.
“And I’ll be the leader of the Underworld.” Sabrina flipped her cola-colored hair off her shoulder. A satisfied gleam sparkled in her dark eyes.
Jacobson whipped around and glared at her. “I thought we agreed that I would be the leader.”
“Neither of you will ever be the leader,” I snapped.
Jacobson pulled the Book of Mystics out from behind me. “That’s where you’re wrong. I have the book now.”
A sneer of satisfaction covered his face.
My stomach sank. How would I get the book back? I’d really screwed up now.
“That was why you banished me from the house.” I glared at him. “You made me have the blackouts too, didn’t you? You were trying to take my soul?”
