“Hold onto my belt, baby,” he whispered as they moved farther into the cave. “If you see anything ....”
“You’ll be the first to know,” she promised, her hand brushing over his butt as she grappled for his belt.
“Now now, Hannah. We’re in a cave.”
“Oh, geez.”
He chuckled, the lame joke lightening the mood, although only briefly. “Let’s do this.”
He took small steps and kept his light trained on the ground. Behind him, Hannah moved her light from wall to wall so they wouldn’t be caught unaware if something appeared out of the darkness. They’d been in this particular cave before, watched an evil child die at the hands of the demon he tormented, and even fled from possessed women being controlled by a monster. This time, though, the cave appeared to be empty.
When they reached the heart of the chamber, Cooper shifted his light to the ceiling so he could double-check they weren’t being stalked by a giant spider. He would never admit to having an aversion to bugs, but the mere idea of some huge creepy-crawly landing in his hair gave him the heebie-jeebies.
“There’s no one here,” Hannah said finally, disappointment evident in her voice. “It’s empty.”
“Yeah.” He reached around and squeezed her hand but continued searching. “The search teams retrieved Logan’s body weeks ago. They didn’t see anything out of the ordinary in here.”
“No, but we know that evil has found this place more than once.”
“We do know that,” he agreed. “I wonder what it is about this place that draws them in.”
“It’s dark and dank and we don’t like it.”
“That’s possible.”
“It’s also possible that a lot of evil happened on this land,” she added, her mind busy. “I’ve been thinking about it since last night, since we found the story with the missing pages. What if something really terrible happened up here and someone wants to make sure nobody ever finds out what it is?”
“I’m not sure how that would benefit anyone who wasn’t around during that time.”
“Maybe because it’s not about the witches but about the land.”
He stilled. “The nexus.”
She nodded. “One of the first things I learned about Casper Creek is that it was built on a magical nexus. What if it turned Bettina evil? Although, to be fair, we don’t technically know she was evil. We have a story that paints her as evil. People — monsters even — are rarely one thing.”
“That’s true. I’m not sure why it matters, though.”
“In the dreams, they were giving each other grief. They were both threatening one another. I didn’t see any overt acts, but they seemed fairly well-matched for battle.”
“I thought you didn’t remember the dream from last night.”
She turned sheepish. “I didn’t at first. I kind of remember now. Bits and pieces have been coming back to me. It’s like they’re memories from when I was really little and I can only remember fragments.”
“Well ... at least you remember something. Tell me about the dream.”
“Can we do it on the way back out of the cave?” She’d reached the limit of her bravery. “There’s nothing in here for us.”
“Absolutely.” He moved his hand to her hip and directed her in front of him. “This time you can lead.”
“Because you’ve ascertained that there’s no danger?”
“Because I want to be the one to grab your butt this time.”
“Ha, ha, ha. I didn’t grab your butt. I just ... accidentally touched it.”
He snorted. “Accidentally.”
“It was an accident. I wasn’t trying to get fresh.”
“That’s a shame. I really liked the idea of you picking the worst possible time ever to flirt.”
“I’ll keep it in mind for a future catastrophe.”
“That sounds fun.” Even though he was fairly certain the cave was empty, Cooper remained alert as he followed her out. “Tell me about the dream.” He wanted a distraction — for her as much as himself — as they left the dankness behind.
“Oh, they were playing a game I think,” she replied. “I have no idea what the rules were, or what the winner got. They were cursing each other, though. I’m fairly certain of that.”
“I thought using magic on other witches was a no-no.”
“It is ... at least mostly. I mean, if you’re being attacked by a witch you’re allowed to protect yourself.”
“Right. That means you can take out Astra and Stormy if it becomes necessary at some point.”
Hannah involuntarily shuddered. “Let’s hope that doesn’t become necessary.”
He pressed his hand to the small of her back. “I agree. It’s good to know you have it in your back pocket, though.” As if to prove that, he gave her bottom a light squeeze and caused her to jump. “Just checking.”
“You can’t squeeze my butt in a cave,” she groused as the light from the outdoors became evident. Even though she was full of bravado when announcing the cave excursion, she was relieved to realize they were almost out of it.
“You did it first.”
“It was an accident when I did it.”
“How do you know it wasn’t an accident when I did it?”
“Because you told me you were going to do it before you did it.”
“Oh, right.” He let loose a low chuckle. “Well, I’m sorry I grabbed your butt. Wow. There’s a sentence I never thought I would say.” He inhaled deeply as the fresh air hit them in the face. “Actually, you know what? I’m not sorry I grabbed your butt. It was the highlight of our trip.”
Hannah pulled up short, causing Cooper to smack into her back.
“I was just kidding, baby. I’m totally sorry.”
All the oxygen Hannah had been holding inside escaped in a large whoosh. “Abigail, where have you been? I’ve been calling you for twelve straight hours.”
Cooper jerked up his head, immediately sheltering his eyes to get a better look. Sure enough, even though she was faint, Hannah’s late grandmother’s ghost was indeed standing on the hilltop regarding them. “It’s good you came. Hannah has been melting down. We need some information on some books.”
“Books?” Confusion was written all over Abigail’s ethereal face. “I don’t have time to talk about books. We have a bigger problem. I’ve been locked out of Casper Creek.”
Bewildered, Hannah shifted her eyes to Cooper. “I don’t know what that means. Do you know what that means?”
“No.” Cooper was calm. “Maybe it has something to do with the dome, though.”
“Oh.” Realization dawned on Hannah, things shifting in her head. “It’s not a dome to keep people inside but ghosts out. Wait ... is that a thing?”
Abigail bobbed her head. “It’s most definitely a thing. I’ve been trying to catch your attention — anybody’s attention — for almost two days.”
“Two days?” Hannah shook her head. “That can’t be right. We would’ve noticed if the dome had been up before that.”
“Really?” Abigail was positively apoplectic. “Did you leave Casper Creek before yesterday?”
Hannah searched her memory. “I ... yes.” She jabbed out a finger. “Cooper and I went to dinner the night before last.”
“She’s right,” Cooper offered. “We went to town. We didn’t notice anything.”
“Was it already dark?”
“I ... no.” He shook his head. “We sat outside and watched the sunset.”
“It didn’t come down until the middle of the night,” Abigail provided. “I know because I was in the animal paddock messing with the goats when it happened. I was cast out of Casper Creek like a kite on a windy day. I mean ... I was literally lifted from my feet and thrown out of the town.
“At first I thought it was something you did,” she continued, focusing on Hannah. “I thought maybe you were practicing magic and cast a weird spell. When I saw that there was a dome over the town, though, I kne
w that couldn’t be it. You’re strong — and you’ll get stronger — but you’re not that strong.”
“What’s the deal with the dome?” Cooper queried, sliding his arm around Hannah’s waist. Even though they were out of the cave, the shadow it cast remained strong enough that a chill was permeating his bones. He wanted to get Hannah back to Casper Creek, but Abigail’s appearance — and problem — wouldn’t allow for that.
“I don’t know.” Abigail looked unnaturally frazzled. She was normally the unflappable sort, but she was completely out of her depth today. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It has to be something you guys caused, though.”
Hannah vehemently shook her head. “No, at least not the way you think. We have been dealing with some stuff, though.”
“I’m going to need more than that.”
“Walk with us,” Cooper instructed. “We’ll tell you on the way down. I want to get away from this cave.”
“Fair enough.” Abigail waited for Cooper and Hannah to start walking. “You have to tell me everything. I don’t like being locked out of my own home.”
“Well, it started after dinner,” Hannah explained. “We were walking and saw a terrible accident.” She laid everything out, not omitting a single thing. By the time she got to the dust storm and Angel’s disappearance, Abigail looked even more worked up.
“I don’t understand any of this.” She focused on Cooper as he landed at the bottom of the hill. “How is any of this possible?”
“You’re asking the wrong person. I can’t figure any of this out. I would’ve chalked it up to a monster of the week but then Hannah’s dreams started taking over. She’s convinced these old witches had something to do with it. I’m basically along for the ride.”
“Hold up.” Abigail raised her hand to quiet him. “What old witches? What are you even talking about?”
“Oh, well, that’s the part of the story I didn’t tell you,” Hannah offered. “I’ve been dreaming about Amelia and Bettina Creed. They were witches who used to live on this land back in the 1700s.”
If it was possible for a ghost to lose color, Abigail managed it. She turned positively ashen. “I know all about them.”
“Well, I’ve been having extremely vivid dreams about them. I can’t help but think the two things are connected.”
“But ... crap.” Abigail shook her head. “How is that possible?”
“We don’t know,” Cooper replied. “We’ve been searching for information on them. We found a book in the apartment. It’s missing some pages, though.”
“I know.”
“You do?”
She nodded. “I’m the one who ripped them out.”
Hannah almost tripped she was so surprised. “Why would you do that?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I think you need to tell us.”
“It seems I don’t have much of a choice,” Abigail agreed. “You might as well get comfortable. It’s going to be a long story.”
12
Twelve
“The story in the book didn’t get it entirely right,” Abigail started as Cooper and Hannah got comfortable under a tree. If they were going to be trapped in the elements without water to hydrate, it was best to seek shelter in the shade.
“We figured it was a mix of lore and truth,” Cooper offered as he positioned Hannah between his legs and massaged her tense shoulders. She was invested in the story, although he couldn’t figure out why ... other than the obvious.
“Clement wasn’t some benign father,” Abigail explained. “He wasn’t some magical man who could make crops grow in terrain where they had no business growing.”
“We figured the wife did that.”
“Josette? She did. She’s not a victim in this either, though. I have to warn you about that.”
“I didn’t realize there was supposed to be a victim.” Cooper dug into Hannah’s tense muscles and gave them a hard rub. “Baby, you need to unclench a little bit. You’re going to be sore if you don’t at least try to relax.”
“I’m going to be sore regardless from climbing that hill,” Hannah muttered. “I’m fine. I want to hear the story. Stop interrupting.”
He hiked an eyebrow at Abigail’s amused expression. “I’m sorry, Ms. Hickok.”
She let loose a frustrated hiss. “No, I’m sorry. I just ... I need to hear this.”
Because he recognized she was telling the truth, he nodded and went back to massaging her back. “I’ll be quiet. Lay it on us, Abigail.”
“I don’t know that what I’m going to tell you is that different from what you think you already know,” the ghost offered. “The story is largely the same, and yet the details are what’s important, and those tiny details are vastly different.
“First off, Josette was a woman of color in New Orleans, but she wasn’t a slave,” she continued. “She was a Creole woman of Haitian descent who had her finger in several different magical pies in the city. She was a healer and the people of the city went to her when they needed remedies for relatives who weren’t recovering under normal circumstances.
“When she started, Josette helped the poor because the rich people in New Orleans wouldn’t go to a black woman. Josette was half-white, her father a business baron of some sort, but it didn’t matter. Her skin was extremely light so she could pass in certain circles, but when people found out she was trying to pass, things got ugly.
“Because she was fed up with being treated so terribly by her own people — she was half white after all — she started seeking out richer clients. She had to work her way throughout the various groups in the city, healing more and more people, until word began to spread. Ultimately, there was a rich property owner who had a sick daughter she was willing to do anything to protect, and she sought Josette out.”
Abigail leaned forward, her eyes on fire. “Here’s where the story starts getting interesting ... at least for the first time. Rumor has it that this woman’s daughter came down with a rare illness out of the blue. Nobody knew what it was, but the girl had issues breathing, and although she’d always been hardy before the illness, she was turning frail. The mother had already lost her husband and two sons. The daughter was all she had left and she was willing to do anything.
“She called Josette to her house and allowed her to diagnose her daughter,” she continued. “Josette said she’d been taken over by an evil spirit and it would take strong magic to remove the spirit ... and save the girl. The mother agreed to pay because she didn’t care about the money, only the child, and Josette had the girl drink a potion and then proceeded to chant for twelve straight hours.”
Hannah’s eyebrows drew together. “So ... she was basically doing an exorcism.”
“In theory, but that’s not what it was. You see, the girl wasn’t sick as much as poisoned. Josette was friends with the house slave and paid the woman to poison the child. This all came out years later in court when the house slave was tried and convicted. Anyway, the potion Josette gave the girl flushed her system and she chanted to keep attention on her as the poison slowly left the girl’s system. At the end of the twelve hours, while the girl wasn’t completely back to normal, she was well on her way.”
“That’s sneaky,” Cooper muttered. “It’s also smart, though. In those times Josette couldn’t elevate herself in society without help.”
Abigail bobbed her head. “And she got it from one of the richest women in the city. After that, when the woman exalted Josette at every turn, she started getting business nonstop. Before it was all said and done, Josette had her own huge house in the richest part of town and she was accepted by those who had ignored her before.”
“The rich people,” Cooper surmised.
“No, the white people,” Abigail corrected. “Hanging with the rich was certainly a boon but to get any sort of status — at least to Josette’s mind — she needed to be seen as white.”
“That’s a really sad commentary,” Hannah mused.
“It is,” Abigail agreed. “For three years, Josette wowed the rich in New Orleans. She lost a few patients but helped many more. It’s possible she poisoned some of those patients herself to get the accolades of course, but that’s neither here nor there.
“Josette ran into trouble when a rich fur trader crossed her path and decided he had to have her,” she continued. “His name was Clement Creed, and he recognized her for what she was.”
“A witch,” Hannah volunteered.
Abigail grinned at her. “Witch is probably not the right word. Josette practiced a variety of religions. She was magical, though, which is exactly what he was looking for. He pursued her, but she wanted nothing to do with him. She knew his life was on the road and didn’t want to leave New Orleans.
“Keep in mind that the city wasn’t even close to what it is now,” she explained. “The city in colonial times was mostly made up of deported slaves, trappers, and gold hunters. There were other people of course, but that was the bulk of the population. There were plantations providing food in the country, but the city was known to be wild.”
“Some things never change,” Cooper said on a grin.
“I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans,” Hannah admitted. “Not because of this story or anything because I know it’s going to get ugly, but it’s always been on my list of places I want to visit.”
“Then we’ll go,” Cooper promised her.
“You’re right about this story going to a bad place,” Abigail said. “Josette was at the height of her fame when one of her poisonings went wrong and a woman died. Apparently, she had a weak heart. Word got out from one of the house slaves that Josette had arranged the entire thing and the people who had been heralding her as a savior weeks before started turning on Josette quickly. She convinced herself it was because of the color of her skin but it no longer mattered.
“Clement showed up again and offered her a way out. He told her that she could move away with him, start a new life, and maybe in a few years the hoopla would die down. As much as she didn’t want to leave, Josette didn’t want to end up at the end of a rope even more. She agreed to marry him ... and then found out they were moving to the wilds of Kentucky ... and Kentucky was indeed wild at that time.
Dances With Witches (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 5) Page 12
