At that moment, Big Al walked back into the store, looking a little flushed and buttoning up his shirt. Ava noticed that he and Declan exchanged a slight nod, as if acknowledging some wordless message between them.
“Declan, something spooked Ava down at the farm just now,” Cookie said, her singsong Downeast Maine accent sounding oddly comforting to Ava’s ears. “Why you ever let her out of your sight when she’s down there is flat beyond me.”
Ava finally allowed herself to look up at Declan, who had come to stand right by her side. Her heart double-flipped as the tension in it eased. He was so heartbreakingly handsome, with his golden eyes that had wind wrinkles in the creases. His smile was wide and warm and bright as he looked down at her.
“You okay, sweetheart?” he said tenderly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his chest. He bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips, sending tendrils of heat searching through her veins.
“I’m fine,” she replied, shaking her head slightly as if to bring herself back to normal. “I am just fine. I just thought I saw a figure in the woods. It was probably just a trick of the rain or an animal.”
“Don’t lie, Ava,” Big Al said seriously. “Ugly things, lies. Ugly things attract uglier things. Trust me on that one.”
“I can’t say for sure what it was,” Ava said, realizing that telling the truth was probably better at this point anyway for getting more information. “It was tall like a person, but completely dark.”
“In the daylight!” Cookie gasped and looked to Big Al, distress clearly written on her face. “Oh, Al, in the daylight!”
Big Al, on the other hand, was almost smiling. He looked at Declan, who nodded in reply to an unspoken question.
“When you gonna take her to see Grace?” Big Al asked Declan.
“Soon,” he replied. “Very, very soon.”
“Don’t wait too long, boy. Storm’s brewing. We need to be ready.”
“I know,” Declan said.
Ava shivered against him, confusion and worry rising up in her gut at this conversation she felt she half understood. Were they talking about some kind of supernatural showdown? Who was Grace? What was going on?
“Come on, sweetheart,” Declan said. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” Ava asked suspiciously.
“To find some answers.”
“In the rain?”
Declan laughed at the misgiving in her voice. He tugged her hat down lower on her head and touched the tip of her nose.
“You won’t melt.” He chuckled.
“Says you,” she grumbled, getting up and putting down her coffee cup. “Thank you for…for everything,” she added, turning to Cookie and Big Al. He had his burly arm around his wife, who was leaning into him. They smiled at her and nodded.
“Come back anytime,” Cookie said.
“And buy something next time.” Big Al laughed. “I run a store, not a charity.”
Ava giggled as Declan put his arm around her shoulder and led her out into the rain.
“Come on,” he said. “Just across the street to the church.”
“Where’s your car?” she asked, ducking through the rain.
“Oh, I, uh, left it at work.”
“You work nearby?”
“Here we are. Come on, Father Edlow, let the door be open!”
Ava forgot Declan’s dodging of her question as she stepped inside the quaint white church. Long-dormant childhood habits surfaced as she dipped her fingers in the holy water and crossed herself then genuflected. To her surprise, Declan did the same. Then, he led her to a pew close to the front of the empty church and sat down with her.
She looked up at the simple altar. There was a vase of fresh-cut flowers by it, and a beautifully carved wooden crucifix hanging on the wall. Everything was well made and elegant, but nothing was extravagant or ostentatious. It gave her a sense of peace and tranquility. Declan by her side gave her a sense of protection. She looked up at him.
He leaned in and kissed her. His kiss was so soft, almost reverent. Happiness overflowed in her heart to feel such tenderness from a man, a man whose calloused fingers and tough skin proved he knew enough of what was strong and wild to be able to appreciate that which was soft and gentle.
“Declan,” she murmured against his lips, “we’re in a church, I’m not sure we should—”
“A church is a house built for love,” he replied, pulling just far enough apart to look into her eyes. “It’s for the love of God, and love is God’s highest commandment to us all.”
“I didn’t take you for the religious sort.” She chuckled quietly.
“I’m a sailor,” he said, grinning. “We’re a pretty superstitious lot.”
“Superstition and religion aren’t the same thing.”
“Professor Bell?”
“I’m not a prof—”
“Be quiet.” He laughed as he kissed her again, pulling her into his arms, cradling her as he stroked her cheek and pushed her wet hair back from her face.
Ava smiled as he kissed her, allowing herself to be enveloped by pure bliss. His kisses warmed her and filled her, making her want more of him. Not in a church, naturally, but somewhere they could truly be alone together.
“Ahem.”
Ava started and broke off from Declan, flushing at the thought that someone had been watching them. Even worse, it had been the priest. Declan didn’t seem the faintest bit ruffled and grinned at the man…who again looked like he could have stepped out of a fashion magazine wearing Armani instead of his black clerical garb.
“You must be Dr. Bell,” the man said, coming down the steps of the altar to sit in the pew in front of them. He held out his hand to her. “Father Eamon Edlow.”
“I’m not Dr. Bell yet,” Ava replied, smiling and shaking his hand. She immediately liked his frank, open expression. “I’m just a starving grad student working on her dissertation.”
“I’ll say a prayer that you finish it well and quickly.” Father Edlow laughed. “I’m glad you’re here, though. I’ve been very worried about you.”
“No, wait,” Ava said. “Let me guess. It’s because I’m out at White Farm.”
Father Edlow’s expression grew serious. “Demonic attacks are no laughing matter, Miss Bell.”
“It’s Ava, and I’m not laughing.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“In fact, I’m so not laughing. I’m absolutely confused is what I am. Every single person I’ve met in this town believes that all of this is real.”
“Don’t you believe it’s real?”
“I believe something is happening,” Ava admitted. “But, I’m not ready to give it a label that can’t be scientifically proven.”
She waited warily for the usual admonition that clergy always made that this was a matter of faith.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Father Edlow said, surprising her. “I like your practical, empirical outlook. It’ll stand you in good stead. Declan, how much have you told her?”
Declan’s arms tightened around her waist as he spoke. “Just the story. Nothing more.”
Father Edlow raised his eyebrows. Ava felt Declan sigh against her.
“We’re going to tell her,” Declan said.
“Tell me what when?” Ava broke in. “How about everything now?”
Father Edlow looked from Declan to her, then nodded.
“I can tell you a good deal more,” he said to Ava. “Not everything because I don’t know everything. But, I know enough to help you some.”
“Amen,” Ava said, breathing a sigh of relief.
Chapter 11
“How much do you know about demons?” Father Edlow asked.
Ava felt her heart sink a little. She didn’t want to know more about demons. She wanted to know specifically more about why the town was so crazy about White Farm, and all the things that everyone kept alluding to that she had no clue about.
“My dissertation deals with demons,
demonic possession, and witchcraft in seventeenth century New England,” she said tiredly.
She felt Declan rub her back, and just the connection with him made things a little better.
“All right,” the priest replied with a smile. “So, you’re somewhat of an expert already.”
“Yes, and I was planning on getting some salt and holy water to sprinkle around the perimeter of the cottage, as well as praying,” Ava said.
Father Edlow shook his head. “That’s not going to be of any help. Maybe with other manifestations of other…unexplained scientific phenomenon, all of that might make a difference, at least in terms of bolstering a person’s psychological defense. This situation is different, Ava. These entities are focused entirely on you, and nothing will stop them.”
His words surprised her. She had interviewed enough priests, preachers, imams and even rabbis for her topic, and she had come to expect the same rote answers. Father Edlow was clearly different. She was also taken aback by the idea that the demons were focused specifically on her. She nodded for him to proceed.
“These demons were summoned specifically to serve the purposes of one woman,” Father Edlow continued. “Eve Barrows. She wanted power, and the Devil must have given her the ability to summon the demons to her. Whether they overcame her and possessed her, no one will ever be certain. However, they are rooted to the place where they were summoned, which is Blue Moon, and more specifically White Farm.”
“How can you be so sure of all this?” Ava asked.
“I can’t be sure of anything, but this is what the evidence of three centuries has shown us.”
“Oh.” Well, she couldn’t argue with evidence, even if she could argue with the interpretation of it.
“There have been no reports of demonic attacks or possessions outside of Blue Moon,” Father Edlow said. “This supports the idea that they are contained within the borders of the town. History suggests that part of Aristide Molineaux and Ezra Barrows’s bargain was that the demons could only move within the lines of Blue Moon. Again, there’s no explanation of how or why this was achieved, only that we have three hundred years of evidence to support it.”
“I suppose exorcisms have been tried?”
“Many times.” Father Edlow shook his head sadly. “My predecessors have brought in Catholic priests, Pentecostal ministers, Muslim imams and even pagan practitioners. We’ve all tried, but in the end, we all stopped trying.”
“Why?”
“Because it only made things worse. Every time we tried to exorcise the demons from White Farm, they seemed to become enraged, and they wreaked havoc upon the town. People died as a result. In the end, no risk to the living could ever be worth the chance of getting rid of these demons.”
“So…people just live with them?” Ava asked, astounded.
“Yes, and the main threat is to our children here, because children are so much more open to things outside the normal adult range of comprehension and perception. We take great care to nurture and protect them spiritually. We are blessed in that we have not had an incident for about ten years now.”
“Knock wood,” Declan added, rapping his knuckles against the pew. Father Edlow smiled sadly.
“You said the demons are focused on me,” Ava said. “How can you know that? What does that mean?”
“I can feel it,” Father Edlow replied simply. “I sense it through my prayers for you.”
“You’re praying for me?”
“I am, since the moment I heard you were staying at White Farm.”
“So, what does it mean?”
“For some reason, Ava, you are special to them. They will want to either possess you or destroy you. There is no compromise, no middle ground.”
Ava thought for a moment, chewing her bottom lip pensively. “So, if I go by what you’re telling me, all I would have to do to be safe is to leave Blue Moon.”
“Yes,” Father Edlow agreed. “They could not follow you outside of our borders.”
Silence fell on the three of them as Ava leaned back against Declan. He buried his face in her hair and tightened his arms around her waist. It was a simple, logical solution. So, why did she have this terrible feeling that she was going to be stupid and not take the one chance she had to escape.
“What happens if I stay?” she asked finally.
“That’s not for me to say,” Father Edlow replied. “I’ve told you the risks. What you choose is up to you. And now,” he added, getting to his feet. “You’ll excuse me, but I have a few things that need doing before I head over to the hospital.”
“The hospital?” Ava asked.
“I serve as their chaplain on Tuesdays and Fridays,” he said, smiling. “But, you should know this church is always open. I never lock the doors. If you need shelter or protection, St. Mary’s is always here for you.”
“Thank you, Father,” Ava said, standing up and shaking his hand. She watched him disappear through a door to the side of the altar then turned to Declan. “So what else do I need to know? I know there’s something about the wolves you need to tell me, and I need to see Grace, whoever that is.”
Declan nuzzled her ear, dropping little kisses along the shell of it and nearly making her forget that she had any questions at all. She was melting against him, her heart racing as his rough fingers traced her jaw.
“Grace is our librarian,” he whispered. “She’s sick with some bad migraines right now and isn’t at work. We’ll go see her when she gets well.”
He brushed his lips against hers, the lightest of kisses that left her practically ready to pounce him for more. He chuckled against her mouth.
“As for the wolves,” he said softly. “Well, you’ll find out all about that soon enough.”
“Not now?” Ava asked in a voice strangled by the surges of heat and desire she felt.
“Now, there’s something I’d like to show you.”
She felt a thrill of anticipation run through her body at the dark pleasure his words promised. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.
“Give me your keys,” he said.
“What? Why?”
“Because we’re taking your car, unless you want to leave it at the General Store all day, and maybe all night.”
She shivered at the implication, her need for him rising and rearing. Together, they ran through the rain to her car, and they laughed as Declan had to scoot the driver’s seat all the way back to fit in. He pulled out and drove back down Long Road, then turned off onto an unmarked driveway just before West Road.
“Wait, is this the road to your house?” she asked, feeling like she recognized the drive a little bit.
“Yes,” he replied, smiling. “But, we’re not going to the house.”
“We’re not?”
“What I want to show you isn’t there.”
Ava sat back, mystified and intrigued, wondering exactly where they were going to go and what he was going to show her.
“Your car needs a wheel alignment,” he said, pulling up to a huge, long, wooden barn.
“Poor Mimi,” Ava said. “All the Boston potholes have taken their toll.”
“Sean will take care of this for you in his shop. Stay here a minute.”
She watched as he parked the car then got out in the rain and ran over to the huge barn doors. The building had to be at least four hundred feet long, and it looked like it was divided into two. He pulled open one of the barn doors just wide enough for them to squeeze through then came back over to the car and helped her out. She was so touched as she realized that he had done this to protect her from getting more wet from the rain, and her heart warmed and expanded.
Unfortunately, her warm heart wasn’t enough to keep the rest of her warm, and she shivered as she stepped into the dark barn. The floor was packed dirt, and the barn itself smelled of pine and sawdust. Chinks of daylight came through cracks between the wooden planks. In the dim light, she saw a tractor, a riding mower, and a huge boat.
&nb
sp; Declan flipped on a light in the corner, and she gasped. The boat was huge and beautiful, with a white hull and rich teak woodwork on the deck. The masts were down, but she could tell how long they were, and she wished she could see this on the water with its white sails unfurled, filled by summer sea winds.
“It’s gorgeous!” she exclaimed, turning to Declan and smiling. “What’s her name?”
“The Beloved,” he replied, looking at her with a heat in his golden eyes that was impossible to miss. “I’ve always had a dream that someday, I’d take the woman I loved aboard and never let her go. Until that day, no woman comes on board on this boat.”
“You’re such a romantic.” She laughed.
“Yeah,” he admitted, grinning. “It’s probably from being so close to the sea every day. She does something to a man’s heart and soul.”
He stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tightly against him.
“Just like you do,” he said and kissed her.
Ava discovered that though Declan might have been the romantic one, it didn’t mean he wasn’t fierce and possessive. He kissed her hard, demanding entrance to her mouth with his tongue, cradling her face and pressing her hard against him. She felt the rock and steel of his body underneath his clothes, and she wanted to wrap herself around him, to cling to him and have him claim her. It didn’t matter that she was leaving in a month. The only thing that mattered was this moment.
Suddenly, he broke off their kiss and scooped her up in his arms.
“Come aboard, sweetheart,” he said and carried her onto the boat.
Chapter 12
The first thing Ava saw inside The Beloved was the bed.
It was the kind of bed that could give a girl ideas. At the far end of the cabin, there was an alcove completely spanned by a platform with a thick mattress custom fitted to it.
She blushed at the direction her thoughts were taking and tried to focus on the blue leather bench seats and tiny kitchenette instead.
Declan flipped on a tiny switch by the alcove, and a small motor whined to life and began to fill the cabin with warm, dry air.
“Emergency heater,” he said with a grin.
Blackthorne, Fiona - Moonstruck [Blue Moon 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8
