by Nora Lee
“You don’t think he’ll try anything funny?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Orianna looked over to where Fern played with Keene Leif as his father, Maddock, watched over them. “She deserves to get the chance to know him. I’m sure he won’t be around any longer than necessary.”
“I still don’t like this.”
Enid felt a small thrill as she caught sight of Hephaestus hovering near the couple. The spirit moved closer to the angry groom-to-be and bowed to Orianna. “Begging your pardon, but I would like a moment with your young man, if you do not mind.”
“Of course not,” said Orianna.
Caedmon followed Hephaestus a few feet away.
The older man looked around at the rest of the group as he spoke in a low voice. “Take care, young Master McFarland. Pride goeth before a fall.”
She sensed the strength of Caedmon’s anger through her connection. Hephaestus didn’t seem to be calming him. “Fern doesn’t need two fathers. She has me. Ori can’t seem to understand that.”
“Your young lady is thinking of her child. You must respect her intuition.” Hephaestus looked over to where Fern and Keene played as Orianna had. The warm sensation he felt at watching them passed through his connection to Enid. “Fatherhood is not a competitive sport. You had best learn that lesson sooner rather than later.”
Caedmon also looked at the kids. His shoulders slumped in a sign of defeat. “You’re right. She needs to get to know the other person who helped bring her into this world. We’ll let Fern train with her father.”
Hephaestus stepped back as Orianna rushed over to hug Caedmon. “Thank you.” She stood on tip-toe and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
The spirit glided away.
As she had back in the storeroom, Enid once again found herself in the mind of Hephaestus Hallow. This time she didn’t see him recalling a memory of his distant past. He seemed to be thinking of a time not so long before. Hours earlier, in fact.
An image of her own face filled his mind as he thought about the discussion they had up in his bedchamber. I have not treated her well. She has been nothing but kind to me the entire time we have been together. Like Master McFarland, my actions do not show me in a good light.
He stroked his chin as he looked around the room. When he caught sight of Nana Winterblossom, he winced. The older woman gave him a look that seemed to indicate she knew his thoughts. Her slight nod seemed to reinforce his thoughts.
Young miss Enid deserves an apology. I wonder where she might have gone…
A glob of mashed potatoes flew across the room and hit Garrett in the face.
Wiping off the mess, Garrett looked out over the tables to see who’d thrown the food.
“Ghouls!” Rowan pointed to a group of the small creatures running through the great hall.
Screams rent the air as the guests threw their arms over their heads to protect them from the leftovers being lobbed around. Orianna and Caedmon grabbed Fern and ran for the door. Garrett and Rowan followed close behind, bent over Siobhan, whose indignant howls pierced the night air as the little family escaped outside.
The ghouls climbed up onto the table tops. Several dug into a couple untouched pies and tossed the contents at the few stragglers who remained. Crystal goblets shattered under the feet of the rampaging hoard.
Enid felt a stab of sorrow at the waste of the pies. She hadn’t eaten in days and knew for a fact they would’ve been quite delicious. They didn’t deserve to be scattered around by the bony fingers of the mischievous ghouls.
A burning log rolled out of the fireplaces onto the flagstone floor. Sparks flew everywhere.
Adora Glenn waved the flaming wood back into the hearth before anything else ignited. She held her free hand before her face to protect her from breathing in any of the ashy cloud as a stray spark caught her eyebrow and singed away the hairs.
Maddock Leif tossed his son onto his shoulders and grabbed his wife’s hand. They ran.
The gnome band disappeared into thin air as the ghouls descended on them. Their tiny instruments broke into shards as the larger creatures stomped up and down on them while chuckling with glee. The rambunctious ghouls also broke the stands into bits and spread tiny pages of sheet music around the space.
Several other ghouls knocked over the candelabras flanking the front doors.
Another group used defaced the tapestries with pie filling and gravy.
Sorrow washed over Hephaestus as he watched the destruction of his family heirlooms.
Enid felt a stab of guilt at having caused him such pain when she’d meant to protect him. Her best intentions seemed to only create chaos.
Hephaestus looked around the great hall as the coven scattered out into the darkening night. Screams faded into the distance as the people hurried to escape the ghouls chasing them.
A hard tug on her own foot broke Enid’s connection with the chaos. She struggled to free herself from the vise-like grips of the ghouls who dragged her ever-closer to the ocean. The smell of seawater intensified and the crashing thunder of the waves grew louder. Bits of driftwood dug into her back as her top rode up. Her strength flagged and she realized she couldn’t get away no matter how hard she tried. Someone else would have to save her.
She took a deep breath and fought to regain her connection with the others.
At that same moment, Hephaestus realized someone had opened the veil between worlds. He made the connection between that event and Enid’s disappearance with a deep sense of disapproval.
Help me!
Her desperate plea caught the attention of the spirit. He escaped the castle as fast as possible while trying to avoid the draining touch of the ghouls who chased him. He’d do no one any good if he were turned into one of the soulless spirits.
“I am coming, young Miss Enid. Have no fear.”
His reassurance warmed Enid as nothing else had. He’d save her – and Secret Hallow.
13
The soft sand felt wonderful after having been dragged along hard-packed ground covered with all kinds of sharp debris for so long. She would have relaxed her battered and bruised body if she weren’t so terrified of touching the water while the ghouls still held her. Rafe’s warning echoed through her mind.
Saltwater is binding. The door will stay open if you touch it.
“Let me go!” Enid jerked back and forth in an attempt to shake off the ghouls.
Bony fingers dug deeper into her flesh as they pulled harder. Ghoul laughter filled the air.
She reached out for a large piece of driftwood she’d seen out of the corner of her eye. Digging her own fingers into water-smoothed wood, she held on as tight as she could, her arms quivering with the strain.
The wood shifted as the ghouls gave a mighty tug.
“You’re not getting me into that water.” Enid gritted her teeth.
Heh, heh, heh. The ghouls chortled.
“I said to let me go!” She balled on hand into a fist and punched the eyeball nearest her. “You’d better pay attention before I do something that really hurts!”
The creature fell back with a howl.
Enid’s brief feeling of satisfaction disappeared as two other ghouls replaced the one.
A brilliant flash of light lit the scene.
“Hephaestus!”
The spirit rushed into the fray without a second thought.
Once again, Enid felt the unnerving sensation of the world shifting around her. The ghouls continued to claw at her even as they reached out toward her savior. She couldn’t allow them to touch him take his life-force.
“Watch out!”
Her warning came too late. Hephaestus had already reached out to pull her free.
Bony hands grabbed his arms.
Enid flinched.
The world shifted again.
She closed her eyes.
The repeated sounds of flesh connecting with bone filled her ears. Drool dripped onto her face and the fetid breath of a ghoul filled h
er nostrils as one of the creatures fell right onto her head. She pushed the disgusting thing away, repulsed by the slick feeling of the taut flesh stretched over the bony skeleton.
She didn’t dare open her eyes again throughout the long minutes of battle. Grunts of exertion indicated Hephaestus seemed to be tiring as the ghouls continued to tear at her clothing and rip her flesh. Yet fewer and fewer of them seemed to attack her as time passed. Before long, she didn’t feel them on her at all.
The roar of the waves almost masked the sound of heavy breathing.
Enid took a deep breath and appreciated the sensation of the cool fresh air filling her lungs. She looked up at a sky sprinkled with glittering starlight. The waves crashing against the shore no longer terrified her now that none of the ghouls seemed to be around. Saltwater wouldn’t bind the spell if she and the creatures didn’t enter at the same time.
A head came into view.
Her eyes focused on the familiar face of Hephaestus smiling down at her.
She took the hand he extended and felt a pleasant surge of electricity at his touch.
After taking in his battered appearance, she realized he looked solid to her once more. She scanned her surroundings, taking in the normalcy of the view, and felt reassured that she remained in the Living World. So the fact that she could touch Hephaestus meant…
“You’re here.” Enid threw her arms around him. “You’ve crossed over!”
Hephaestus’s arms went around her. She felt his muscles against her back as gave her a squeeze. Nestling her face into the side of his neck, she took in the familiar aroma of bay rum he exuded. The throbbing of the pulse in his neck fascinated her. He was here, with her, alive and well. Nothing else mattered to her in that moment.
The hug went on for what seemed an eternity. She reveled in the feel of being held by him, the sound of his heartbeat in her ear, the steady in-and-out motion of his chest as his breath slowed to a more normal rhythm. Enid enjoyed the situation much more than she should.
She lifted her head and looked up into his face.
He smiled down at her as his head lowered.
Her eyelids fluttered closed and her lips quivered.
The rapid cooling of her body warned her she’d been released before she opened her eyes to find Hephaestus standing several feet away. Disappointed at having been denied the kiss she’d hoped for, she looked out of the water. Moonlight danced on the waves as whitecaps crawled up the beach toward them.
He reached out to touch her shoulder. “I am glad you are not harmed.” The cold formality of his tone hurt her already-bruised pride. Hephaestus turned and began to walk up the beach in the opposite direction. “I will bid you good night and return home now.”
“No…wait.” Enid slipped her damp feet back into her shoes and ran after him. “I’m sorry.”
“You need not apologize. In fact, I believe should make amends for my earlier treatment of you. My long banishment to the Spirit World made me a bitter and ungrateful man. I had no right to take that out on you when you tried to show me kindness.”
Enid shook her head. “You don’t need to apologize, either. I understand.”
They walked along together in silence before Hephaestus spoke up again. “How did you manage to open the veil before Samhain?”
She looked out over the ocean once more, unable to meet his questioning stare. “Rafe.”
He stopped and turned her to face him. “How could you trust that man? While I am sure he must not be evil, he is still an elemental, and those with that power tend to court chaos. They are not to be trusted.”
“I didn’t mean…”
Hephaestus interrupted before she could finish her sentence. “Once again you showed a decided lack of forethought in your decision-making. You seem to make a habit of acting before you think.”
She couldn’t argue with him. Not after all the trouble she’d caused. “You’re right.” In an attempt to explain her reasoning, she decided to tell him the truth. Enid met his eyes. “I wanted to get away before I caused you any more pain. You didn’t seem happy to have me around and I couldn’t stand to see you that way.”
“I cannot deny that your resemblance to Emilia dredged up unpleasant memories. That does not excuse my actions any more than your explanation excuses yours.”
Enid turned away. “I won’t bother you again then. Thank you for all you’ve done.”
Warm tears tracked down her cheeks as she left the beach for the pathway leading into the village. She needed to get this out of her system before she returned home. Gemma didn’t need to see her this way. She’d already caused her sister and everyone else enough trouble. Time to act like a mature adult and figure out how to fix her mistakes without causing any more. Keeping busy might also help keep her mind off Hephaestus.
“Hold up, young Miss Enid.”
She scrubbed away her tears with the back of her and took several deep breaths.
“Please do not believe I do not want you around me.” He reached out to her. “That may have been how I felt in the beginning, but I no longer wish to avoid you. Quite the contrary. I hope we can become true friends.”
“I’d like that.” Enid chanced a look up at him and felt a wave of emotion from him so strong her breath caught. This time, she extended a hand. “Truce?”
He took her hand in both of his. “I would like that very much.” Bending his head, he placed a gentle kiss upon her warm flesh. The contrast between the paleness of his skin and the darkness of hers struck her as interesting. Could a feisty, bald, modern witch and a courtly old warlock get along?
She hoped they had time to find out.
14
“Gemma! Fox! I’m home.” Enid took the porch steps at a run, shoved open the front door, and stormed into the front parlor before stopping. She took in all the little details of the room that she’d long ago stopped noticing. The way the colors in the Tiffany lamps reflected on the walls. The soft sheen of the polished wood tables. How the cushioned seating called her to sit down to rest her weary body.
She dropped into an overstuffed chair and leaned her head back as she heaved a sigh of relief.
“Sis!” Gemma’s voice preceded her as she thundered down the stairs. She appeared in the doorway to the hall and stood with her arms open wide.
Enid jumped to her feet and rushed into her sister’s embrace.
She’d come home.
“Good to see you back on this side,” said Fox. “Though I can’t agree with how you got here.”
“Fox…”
Raising a hand to stop her sister from admonishing Fox, Enid gave the two women a rueful smile. “She’s right. I made another mistake.”
Gemma laughed. “That’s an understatement, Sis. This one’s a disaster.”
“Can’t help being who I am, can I?” Enid couldn’t help but feel giddy at being back in her own house. “I’m not thrilled with the idea of all the others I brought staying here with me, though. The ghouls are creepy. And the spirits need to go back.” The image of one spirit in particular popped into her mind. “Well…all of the spirits but one. I’d like to keep Hephaestus over here with me now that he’s come through.”
Fox and Gemma shared a look.
“He’s quite the gentleman. That’s a hard quality to find these days.”
“Enid…”
The tone of her sister’s voice caused her veins to feel as though they’d been filled with ice water. She’d been so happy to have Hephaestus here that she hadn’t considered others might not be quite as pleased. He was, after all, a spirit who belonged on the other side of the veil. He might not have passed over due to death, but that didn’t mean he should stay here in the modern world after all this time. His presence might create problems. Yet, she wanted more than anything to be able to spend time with him. Gemma must understand that. “I know he’s a spirit, but he didn’t die. Not really. The ghouls dragged him through the veil.”
Fox guided her to a chair and pushed her down.
“We need to talk.”
She looked up at her sister’s significant other and felt an unreasonable surge of anger. “Can’t I be happy, too? You’ve both shown me what I’ve been missing and I want what you’ve got. Hephaestus is a good candidate.”
Gemma settled on the arm of the chair and stroked the top of her head. “We understand.”
“We truly do,” said Fox. “And we both want to see you happy. Really.”
“But we’ve been reading The Book of Shadows to find a way to reseal the veil between worlds. The ghouls and spirits can’t be allowed to remain on this side. They’d not only wreak havoc on Secret Hallow, but would eventually leak out into the wider world. Can you imagine how the reactions of the mundane?”
Enid sighed again. “I know they need to go back.”
“Hephaestus can pop back and forth between worlds as long as the veil is down.”
“I know that, too.” Enid looked up at Gemma. “But he’s on this side now.”
“The veil will close at the end of Samhain unless you seal the spell that opened it. Once that happens, Hephaestus will be drawn back into the Spirit World with everything else, where he’ll remain.” Gemma continued to stroke Enid’s head. “So you shouldn’t consider the idea of having a relationship with him. You’ll only be hurt in the end.”
Fox settled on the other arm of the chair. “We don’t want to see that. We both love you.”
“And I love you both, too,” Enid said.
Enid thought about how lonely she’d felt before all this happened. She remembered how she’d wandered around the house like one of the soul-drained spirits on the other side of the veil. The feeling hadn’t been a pleasant one then. Now she’d not only be alone and lonely, but she’d have the memory of how whole she’d felt with Hephaestus by her side. She’d be filled with a dark center of despair at having lost something so precious.
She needed to figure out a way to keep him with her.
