Noreen rolled her eyes and sighed. She flicked a glance at Amanda that warned her to be ready for trouble. It wasn’t anything Amanda hadn’t already been anticipating.
Might as well meet the issue head-on.
“Kyle, would you come over here?” Amanda called. “I’d like to introduce you to my coven.”
Kyle hesitated for a second and then walked toward the cluster of women. Amanda introduced him to Cara, Tanya, and Jessie. She’d talked to him about the members of her coven, but it was the first time he’d met any of them other than Noreen. Jessie shook his hand and said she’d heard good things about him from her husband, Jonathan. Tanya gave him a shy smile and said it was nice to meet him.
Cara’s gaze raked him up and down before settling on his face with a brazen grin. She cocked a hip and rolled her shoulders back, subtly emphasizing how well she filled her low-cut blouse. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in the flesh, Kyle. Amanda has told us all about you.”
Kyle blushed and seemed to be having difficulty keeping his gaze above Cara’s neck. The slightly guilty glance he sent Amanda’s way nearly made her laugh out loud. “Uh … nice to meet you too, Cara.”
“Shall we go inside and get everyone settled?” Noreen’s impatient tone made her question seem more like a command.
“Can I help carry anything?” Kyle asked.
Cara didn’t miss a beat. She stepped forward and handed her suitcase to him. “How sweet of you to offer.” After he effortlessly accepted the hand-off, she rubbed her hand over the curve of his bicep, squeezing lightly. “Ooh, somebody’s been working out.”
Kyle’s blush deepened. He froze and looked toward Amanda. She wanted to step in and rescue him, but they were all going to be in close quarters for a while, and she wanted to see how well he’d handle Cara. So far, it wasn’t looking promising. She folded her arms and lifted an eyebrow.
Kyle looked down at Cara, who stared back up at him with her light-blue eyes and dimpled coquettish smile. Amanda knew Cara had melted men a lot stronger than Kyle with that look. He took a breath and tried to rally. “Where should I take this?” he finally managed.
Cara’s smile broadened. “Your room would be fine.”
A flash of confusion crossed Kyle’s face, followed by wide-eyed panic. “Uh … you do know that Amanda and I are together, right?”
Cara laughed and looked at Amanda. “Oh, Amanda. He’s so adorable. Is he for real?” She looked at Kyle again and pursed her lips into an air kiss, making Kyle lean back in alarm. “Such an easy target,” she said with a head shake.
Amanda finally took pity on Kyle and slipped her arm under his. Turning him away from the terrible little temptress whose shoulders were shaking from suppressed laughter, she led him toward the house. “It’s only going to get worse,” she warned him. “At some point, she’ll corner you, and you’ll be on your own. Think you can handle it?”
“Can’t you do something?” he whispered.
“Not really,” she answered truthfully. “We aren’t exactly close friends, and that’s just Cara being Cara. I’ve seen it before. By this time tomorrow, she’ll have every male on the property eating out of her hand. Even gay men love her.”
Kyle leaned his head toward hers. “But she’s such a …”
“Tramp,” supplied Noreen as she strode up alongside them. Speaking to Amanda, she said, “Sorry to descend upon you like this. I assume Lucille told you about the anonymous call?”
“Yes. What made you take it seriously?”
“The caller knew to contact Lucille, so whoever it was obviously knows about the Order and our coven. What’s more interesting is that the tipster must have inside knowledge about the dark coven as well.”
Amanda had reached similar conclusions, but Noreen’s experience often gave her deeper insights. The caller had to be close enough to the dark coven to be in on their plans. “An informant would be valuable,” Amanda said.
Noreen waved a hand in frustration. “Assuming we could trust this person and had any way to get in contact. As it is, we must assume we will never hear from her again.”
Lucille hadn’t shared that detail. “Her?”
“The voice was altered and the message was only a few words, but Lucille is positive the caller was female.”
Amanda smiled to herself. Such were the risks of contacting a psychic. Given a long enough conversation, Lucille might have been able to assemble a complete image of the person on the other end of the phone. Which reminded her: “Could Lucille be a target?”
“It’s impossible to know. If we believe the informant’s warning, the dark coven is casting a wider net than we expected. I like that it implies they lack complete information about the exorcism and who was involved, but it also means they have to go after anyone who might know about it. I asked Lucille to close shop early today and remain at the sanctuary until this is over.”
“I’ll bet she didn’t like that.”
“I expected an argument, but she was unusually agreeable. I believe the break-in disturbed her more than she’ll admit.”
Amanda had to agree with that assessment. Lucille, who prided herself on her control and decisiveness, had seemed emotionally adrift after the dark-coven attack on her home. Amanda had restored the perimeter wards, and the Order had a strong tactical presence, but Amanda expected it would be a while before the farm would feel like a true sanctuary again.
Amanda wrinkled her nose as she stood next to Noreen in the moon shrine. Their efforts to remove all traces of blood from the casting circle had left a chemical odor of bleach lingering in the air. Revolted by the desecration, Amanda had been tempted to break the concrete pad into pieces and toss it, but creating a new pad would have been even more work than cleaning the old one.
With help from Noreen and Kyle, she had put the rest of her moon shrine back in order. The shelves were conspicuously empty and clean. Most of their contents had been shattered on the attic floor or otherwise damaged.
Blackstone had somehow disposed of the black frog figurine. He seemed to wield powerful magic although Amanda still wasn’t sure where it came from. He artfully deflected every inquiry about his past or his skills. Noreen seemed to know something, but she was unwilling to discuss the matter.
“This might be a good opportunity for the coven to practice cleansing rituals,” Noreen observed wryly.
Amanda’s laugh trailed off into a sigh. “I think we’ll have to do a bunch of them before I trust the circle for a serious working. This place is still a revolving door for dark spirits.”
Noreen looked around the room using other senses than just her eyes. “It’s better, now. We’ll whip it into shape within a couple of days.” Encouragement was a rare thing coming from her former master, and Amanda appreciated the effort.
Footsteps advancing up the stairway heralded the appearance of Blackstone with Kyle close behind.
Blackstone angled his head back toward the attic stairwell and the rest of the house below. “You appear to have multiplied in my absence.” On his way up, he must have passed through the three coven refugees settling into their new environment. Lucille had closed her shop early as Noreen suggested, and she was back at home playing mother hen to her new brood of guests.
“True,” Noreen said, “and we’ve run out of space to put everyone.”
“You may have the living-room couch back,” offered Blackstone. “My vehicle is equipped with adequate sleeping facilities, and I’m accustomed to using them.”
“Thank you. We appreciate that.”
“Bringing your coven here was wise,” Blackstone added. “I should have suggested that myself. While I have doubts about the trustworthiness of the anonymous caller, we can’t be too cautious.” Turning to Amanda, he asked, “What other names might come to the attention of the dark coven? Did anyone else help you with the exorcism?”
“I didn’t get much support from the Order. Everyone thought I was wasting my time, so I did most of the research myself.
Noreen performed the ritual with me, and Kyle was there, of course. Lucille was at the house but didn’t participate. I can’t think of anyone else.”
“What about Sherry?” Kyle asked.
“Who is Sherry?” Blackstone asked.
“She was my sort-of girlfriend when I … had my werewolf problem,” Kyle answered. “It’s kind of a long story. Dr. Rutlinger invited her to stay at the Foundation under the guise of helping me get treatment, but she knows nothing about the supernatural stuff.”
Blackstone looked sharply at Noreen. “The Order allowed this?”
“The Order wasn’t informed,” Noreen replied in a matter-of-fact voice, “though we later approved Amanda and Lucille’s decision not to report the situation. The young lady went to the Foundation willingly and was supposedly free to leave at any time.”
“So the only thing keeping her there was a lie,” Blackstone said.
“You could say that, yes.”
Blackstone’s frown was disapproving. “Where is Sherry now?”
Kyle shrugged. “Last I heard, she was in California somewhere. We haven’t stayed in touch.”
Blackstone stood silently for a moment. Finally, he waved a hand in dismissal. “I doubt the dark coven will go looking for her if she remained ignorant of the true situation and wasn’t at the farm when the exorcism took place. Besides, if we don’t know where to find her, it’s unlikely the dark coven would either.” He turned his attention back to Amanda. “Anyone else? Perhaps someone who showed an interest in what you were doing or who helped you acquire the components you needed for your ritual?”
Amanda shook her head. “I get most of my components from Lucille or online.”
“Except for the wolf skull,” Kyle reminded her.
“Right, I got that from Derek Bell, a Native American artifact collector in Coeur d’Alene,” Amanda explained. “He loaned me the wolf skull talisman that I needed to complete the ritual.”
“This talisman was an integral part of the ritual?” Blackstone asked.
“Absolutely. The first time I tried the exorcism, it failed. The talisman seemed to function as a gateway to the abyss.”
“Interesting. You returned the device to the collector afterward?”
“That was the deal,” Amanda confirmed.
“Pity. I would have liked to have seen it. In any case, I doubt the dark coven would target the collector. The talisman is another matter. Mr. Bell might be in danger simply because it is in his possession. Did your notes reference him?”
“Yes,” Amanda responded. When she had searched for a tool she could use in the exorcism, she had written down several possible contacts on a sheet of paper. That paper was in the file with the rest of her notes. She remembered circling Bell’s name and writing “wolf skull” next to it. “My notes will lead them straight to him.”
“Then I suggest you warn him,” Blackstone said. “If you can convince him to loan it to you again, it might be safer for him and the artifact if we were to keep it here.”
Amanda glanced at Kyle. Her excitement at the idea of getting access to the wolf skull was mirrored in the subtle details of his expression. The almost imperceptible nod he gave her seemed to say, “I told you so.”
She had to admit that things were starting to work out the way he said they would. He had promised her that opportunities would appear if they kept their minds and their energy focused on saving Reggie. The wolf skull was a critical part of achieving that goal.
Blackstone interrupted her thoughts. “Then again,” he said in a speculative tone, “perhaps it would be better if Mr. Bell could move it to a more secure and secret location.” Blackstone watched Amanda intently, waiting for her response.
Aware of his scrutiny, Amanda suspected that he was fishing for a reaction. Had he noticed the silent communication between her and Kyle?
Amanda struggled to keep her voice neutral. “Wouldn’t that put him in more danger?” she asked. “If we keep the talisman here, he can truthfully tell the dark coven where it is. If he hides it somewhere, they might force him to reveal its location.”
Blackstone pursed his lips and nodded. The corners of his eyes hinted at suppressed mirth. “Good point. We might as well bring the talisman here. Hayworth Farm is already ground zero as far as the dark coven is concerned.”
His comment was hardly reassuring. They had weighed the risks of putting everyone at the farm against the difficulties of trying to protect multiple locations. Concentrating their defensive capabilities in one place seemed like the best alternative. Ground zero, indeed.
“I’ll give him a call,” Amanda said as she turned toward the stairwell.
In her office, Amanda looked up Bell’s number and placed the call. “Hi, Mr. Bell. This is Amanda Clark. I rented a wolf skull artifact from you a couple of months ago.”
“I remember who you are.” His voice sounded suspicious and unfriendly, which surprised Amanda. When she had returned the skull and told him of her success with it, he’d seemed thrilled to learn more about its powers.
“Yes … well … I need to tell you something that probably won’t make you happy.”
There was a pause on the line, and then Bell said, “I’m listening.”
If Bell had been a normal, someone who knew nothing about the Order or the supernatural, Amanda would have hidden the truth from him and come up with some other excuse to borrow the talisman. However, while Bell was not a sworn member of the Order, he had contacts within the organization and frequently loaned artifacts from his collection to them.
“My exorcism has come to the attention of dark forces who seem to be gathering up everything they can find related to the ceremony. We suspect the Selkirk Pack is behind it, but a dark coven has also gotten involved somehow. The Order established a secure location for all of the people who participated, but it occurred to us that anyone who possesses the talisman would also be in danger. We were hoping to bring it here for safekeeping.”
“A dark coven, you say?” His voice became more speculative than suspicious. “That would explain some things,” he mused aloud.
Amanda’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”
“You’re too late,” Bell answered. “The wolf skull was stolen last night. The police found no evidence of a break-in. Frankly, I think they believe I lost the skull or made up the story for insurance purposes. As if insurance money could replace such a treasure.”
So much for Kyle’s theory about opportunities. They’d certainly missed this one.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Bell.”
“My main concern is that the skull is now in the hands of a dark coven. Who knows what they might use it for?”
“I doubt this will make you feel any better,” Amanda said, “but I’m afraid they intend to destroy the skull.”
Bell sighed. “Well, at least you were able to save your friend Kyle with it.”
Amanda hesitated before responding, and Bell read into her silence. “Did you have additional plans for the skull?”
Amanda glanced toward her open office door and answered in a soft voice. “I hoped I would have the opportunity to use it again someday.”
Bell’s voice took on a stern tone. “I can see why you would want to save your friend, but making a study of curing lycanthropy would be a dangerous hobby, as I’m sure you’re learning.”
Amanda could hardly argue with him about that. “Believe me, I know,” she agreed. “But I don’t want to cure lycanthropy. I just want my brother back.”
“Your brother?”
“Reggie. He was taken by the Selkirk Pack a couple of years ago. I’ve been searching for a way to get him back since then. Kyle was the lucky first recipient of my research.”
It was funny how most people talked in circles around the truth of lycanthropy. They spoke of it in terms of a disease, but it wasn’t a disease. It was demon possession, and the “cure” was exorcism.
It was Bell’s turn to be silent. “I’m sorry to hear t
hat. I didn’t realize your motivations were so personal.” In a tender voice, he added, “But from what I understand, exorcism after First Moon could have tragic results.”
He was kind enough not to spell out what everyone believed—that her brother’s spirit was lost forever. She was used to doubters. No one had believed her exorcism would work on Kyle either.
“I can’t give up on Reggie, even if everyone else has.” The truth of her own words gave her some solace. “I don’t know how yet, but I have to try to save him.”
“I think I understand, Amanda. Good luck to you, and be careful. It seems you have already stirred up powerful opposition.”
“Thanks, Mr. Bell. You should be careful too. We don’t think you are in danger now that you no longer have the skull, but you might consider taking a long vacation somewhere out of the area.”
Bell chuckled. “I’ll take your suggestion under advisement. I could use a vacation, actually.”
They said goodbye and Amanda hung up. Amanda was disappointed that the wolf skull was gone, but for some reason, the conversation had reaffirmed her commitment. Kyle would tell her it wasn’t over yet. The talisman was just a tool. If necessary, they would find another to take its place.
Chapter 9
Loyalty
Marcella watched as Adolphus opened the front door and extended his hand toward the Foundation’s living room. The last members of the Selkirk Pack, Baldur and Joslin Peri, had finally arrived.
They are rudely late, the demon Iledaste said with an impatient edge. Marcella accepted the comment without reaction. When she had first joined with the demon, it had taken days not to jump every time the multi-timbre “voice” spoke into her mind.
“Please, join us,” Rutlinger said to the newcomers.
Demon Witch (The Ternion Order Book 2) Page 6
