Casting Shadows (The Ash Grove Chronicles)

by Amanda DeWees

“That might be a good idea,” he said, trying not to let his enthusiasm show. A Maddie who had grown introspective about her disastrous love life was a Maddie who might consider him dateable. He’d have to give her some time, of course. But maybe he’d actually be able to catch her between boyfriends. And maybe he’d be able to show her that she deserved someone who really appreciated her.

  Because Maddie was amazing. As an actress she was electric—there was no looking away from her when she was onstage. Last spring at the Beltane festival she’d played the lead in a scene from Antigone, and he couldn’t understand why the audience hadn’t rushed the stage to hoist her onto its shoulders and carry her to Broadway then and there. As a friend she was smart, outspoken, often hilarious, and brash; she tried to keep her softer side well hidden. Usually she succeeded; William knew lots of people who thought she was a bitch. He always felt flattered when she let her defenses down in his presence. Like now.

  They sat in silence. She moved her head against his shoulder, and her hair brushed silkily against his cheek. He stayed perfectly still, trying to make the moment last as long as possible; if he moved she might pull away. He tried not to breathe. He’d never been this close to her; there was no way it would continue.

  Then he felt the light touch of her fingertips on his cheek, turning his face toward hers. This can’t really be happening, he thought as their lips met; it’s a mistake. But then she was kissing him and kept on kissing him, and he stopped questioning it and kissed her as he had longed to do ever since he first saw her. And she didn’t draw away. The intensity of his response brought an answering urgency from her, and when at last she broke the kiss it was to sit back and peel her sweater off over her head.

  His senses overloaded, and he thought he might pass out: from her spicy sweet perfume; the bright turquoise satin of her bra against her creamy skin; her flushed face and shining eyes. Waves of heat overwhelmed him, and he felt a bead of sweat start down his back.

  She reached for him again, but he put a hand to her shoulder to stop her. Her soft, bare, warm shoulder. He swallowed hard.

  “Are you sure?” he asked huskily.

  “Yeah.” Her breath was coming quickly; he couldn’t look away from the rapid rise and fall of her breasts. Then she asked, “Are you?”

  Oh god yes, he wanted to say, but he didn’t trust his voice. Instead he nodded. He could feel his pulse beating all through his body. His fingers trailed down from her shoulder over the softness of her skin until they touched satin, and he heard her breath catch in her throat.

  His hand stilled. “Is this okay?” he asked.

  Her lips curved in a half smile, but she didn’t speak. Instead she reached up and carefully removed his glasses, which she placed on the bedside table.

  Then, with a sinking heart, he remembered. “I don’t have any, uh…”

  “It’s okay. I do.” She reached past him and drew a box of condoms out of the nightstand drawer. Then her lips were grazing his neck, his ear. “Any more questions?” she murmured. She started to unbutton his shirt.

  “No,” he managed. “I’m good.”

  After that the conversation became less coherent.

  Chapter 4

  Joy and Tanner met up with her father just before the council meeting. Steven was spending half days and the occasional full day on campus, catching up with the work that he’d left behind and picking up the reins of his teaching and advising. Joy was glad that the three of them would be sitting together in the meeting; she liked the feeling of solidarity. She knew Tan was uneasy about the meeting, and it was a contagious feeling.

  The others took their seats around the long table. Among the council members was Dr. Maurice Marzavan, or Mo, head of the music department, a welcome—if homely—face. No one would have guessed to look at him that he was a brilliant instructor and a composer with a considerable reputation. With his broad bald dome and threadbare jumble-sale clothes, he looked like the bachelor uncle that got invited to family functions out of pity because he had no one to take care of him.

  Dr. Aysgarth, in contrast, projected a coolly efficient manner that sometimes rubbed Joy the wrong way, as when she had refused to intervene in Melisande’s imprisonment of Tanner. Raven arrived with her, elegant in a suit and tie, whereas Gail wore jeans and a fisherman’s sweater. Gail took the seat on the other side of Steven, and Raven sat next to Tanner, which Joy could tell he didn’t like. She didn’t like it either, the way Raven seemed determined to establish a friendship with them that didn’t exist.

  When they were all assembled, Dr. Aysgarth started things off. “Right,” she said. “After the remarkable events of last Saturday—Samhain night—I felt it was important for us all to share information and learn what we can from it to strengthen our safety measures in the future. We also have to confront a confidentiality issue. A reporter has been sniffing around and seems to be getting uncomfortably close to the truth. I wanted to alert everyone here so that you can be on your guard against him.”

  She held up a color printout of a man’s head shot, and Joy recognized Standish Billups from the hospital. It was hard to take that amiably scruffy face seriously, but Joy knew she and Tanner would never know privacy again if Billups or anyone else publicized the true story of what had happened.

  The principal passed the photo around the table so that everyone could memorize the face, and continued: “For those of you I haven’t had a chance to speak to, on Samhain night the succubus who called herself Melisande attempted to consume the life of Tanner Lindsey here.” She indicated him with a nod. “When Joy intervened, the flow of energy appears to have reversed.”

  “Where does that leave Melisande?” interrupted Raven. “Forgive my impatience, but considering how dangerous she was, and that I was her captive for more than ten years, I’d be glad of some assurance that there is no possibility of her returning.”

  “I can give that assurance,” said Mo. “She is completely powerless now. Even if she weren’t, our holding vault is secure and well hidden.”

  “But how can we be certain of that?” He smiled an apology. “Again, I’m sorry, but she was able to breach your security measures that night; what’s to say she won’t do it again?”

  “What makes you assume the remains are kept on campus?” Mo returned. “This isn’t our first rodeo. We’ve dealt with dangerous creatures before, and we don’t take any chances.”

  Raven spread his hands in graceful penitence. “I don’t question your greater experience in this kind of threat. But I knew Melisande better than anyone else, with the possible exception of Trist—Tanner. I feel I can be more useful to the council if I can comment on the exact measures being taken to contain the succubus.”

  Dr. Aysgarth gave him a level look. “I appreciate your concern, but by the same token I’m sure you’ll understand that we don’t give that kind of information out. Especially to newcomers to our circle.”

  Raven bowed his head. “Fair enough,” he said. “Perhaps we can revisit the issue after I’ve established my bona fides.”

  “Doubtful, but perhaps. Tanner, do you have anything to add about the events of that night that might help us?”

  He shifted in his chair. “Not much. I wasn’t really at my most observant.” He had been weary in body and mind, exhausted by the depredations of the succubus, convinced that he had nothing to live for. Ready to give his life over to her. “I remember that we got to the campus on foot, through the woods over the ridge. Some of the trees had been damaged there. And then we were in the rose garden. I still don’t know how.”

  “Are you certain there’s nothing you can tell us about how you got there?” asked Mo. “That seems particularly important to me, since the rose garden was specifically designed to be a safe outlet for supernatural energy. The idea that a creature bent on evil could just summon it up—that’s not good.”

  “Perhaps she was able to manipulate time to gain access to the garden,” Gail suggested. “That could be why it was in ruins�
�maybe she called it up from a time far in the future.”

  “If so, I’d give a lot to know how,” Joy’s father commented. “That kind of access to hidey-holes in time seems awfully advanced for a succubus.”

  “Agreed.” Dr. Aysgarth made a note of it. “Raven, is this something you can shed any light on?”

  “Possibly. I still have access to her house here, so I can see if I can find any clues among her effects—or, if you’d rather have council members do the looking, that’s an option too.”

  They made arrangements for some of the council members to search the house. Then there were more questions for Tanner. No detail was left unexplored. They asked him about the chanting, about the symbols that had been marked on his body, the substance they were written in, the shift he had worn, the knife the succubus used, the preparations for the ritual, the way he felt…

  It seemed as if it would go on forever. Tanner answered as best he could, considering how dazed and unnoticing he had been that night, but Joy could see him growing more exhausted and depressed as the inquisition went on. Finally she felt she had to intervene.

  “I think you’ve asked Tan plenty for one afternoon,” she said firmly. “This is a painful thing to ask him to revisit. And I’m sure you must have some questions for me.”

  “Oh, definitely. The energy transfer in particular.” Dr. Aysgarth turned over a paper in the folder that lay open on the table before her. “You told Gail at the time that you felt as if it had been absorbed into your baby. Congratulations, by the way,” she added with a smile. Others echoed the sentiment, but not all, Joy noticed. “Have you observed anything out of the ordinary since then?”

  “No, nothing. In fact I had a sonogram at the hospital that night and it was fine.”

  “Right. Well, I hope you won’t object, but we need to make a few tests ourselves.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing too invasive,” said Ms. Ansley, the school nurse, and got up from her chair. She held a device in her hand that was about twice the size of a smartphone, and she started moving it around in the air in front of Joy. “To start with I’ll need an EMF reading. Don’t worry, you don’t have to undress.”

  “I should hope not,” said Steven. “Eleanor, you didn’t tell me you were going to subject Joy to a lot of tests.”

  “The decision wasn’t made until just before today’s meeting,” she said, and had the grace to look a bit ashamed. “I apologize for not giving any warning, but the consensus was that what happened to Joy is too powerful not to attempt to understand.”

  Tanner was gazing suspiciously at the device Ms. Ansley was moving close to Joy’s belly. “What’s that doing?”

  “Checking for unusually high levels of electromagnetic energy, which could indicate the presence of the supernatural.”

  “Supernatural? My baby isn’t supernatural.” She saw a few of the council members exchange glances. “What, are you saying she’s been changed?”

  “It’s possible, Joy,” said Mo gravely. “From what you yourself told us, a huge amount of power was channeled from the succubus into you. It’s important that we learn what the consequences may be.”

  “But nothing caused her any harm. I can tell.” Joy had encircled her arms protectively around her belly.

  “For what it’s worth, the EMF readings aren’t conclusive,” said Ms. Ansley, putting the detector away. “Not at the moment, anyway.”

  “See? She’s still human, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Dr. Aysgarth looked at her with a faint sadness in her eyes. “How do you know?” she asked.

  Tanner scraped his chair back, the noise jarring in the silence. “That’s crazy,” he said. “Implying that our daughter got changed into something—come on, Joy. Steven, let’s go.”

  But Joy’s father didn’t move from his chair. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I really am. But Eleanor raises a good point.”

  “Dad!”

  The principal’s soft voice was inexorable. “I hate to cast a shadow on what should be a happy event for you. But if the baby is going to be a threat, we need to know it as soon as possible.”

  “And do what?” Joy couldn’t keep a tremor out of her voice.

  The principal didn’t answer at once. One of the other council members finally said, “Quarantine you until the birth, or surgically remove the baby if it looks to be a threat to you. Then take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that it can’t bring harm to anyone.”

  Tanner said incredulously, “You’re talking about taking our baby by force… and what, holding her prisoner?”

  Ms. Ansley’s eyes were grave. “If it’s necessarily for the safety of others, yes.”

  Joy felt cold. She couldn’t believe these people were sitting calmly around a conference table and discussing kidnapping her daughter. “Dad?” she whispered. “You wouldn’t let them do this.”

  “Of course not! Don’t think it for a moment.” But he didn’t seem as outraged as she would have expected. Meeting her gaze, he added, “But there is a possibility the baby could be endangering you, Joy, and we need to know. No one is going to take Rose from you or harm her,” and he directed this to the nurse, who merely shrugged. “But the more information we can gather about her, the better.”

  “So I’m supposed to what, let them play alien autopsy with me and my baby? Hell no.”

  “Nothing as extreme as what you’re thinking,” interjected Dr. Aysgarth. “Just let us take a few blood samples, some amniotic fluid, a sonogram—nothing more than what your obstetrician would do.”

  “And who is going to be carrying out these procedures?” demanded Tanner. “I’m sure you’ll understand that I have some hesitation entrusting my fiancée to you people.”

  “Maybe a compromise,” said Gail entreatingly. “All this stress isn’t good for Joy or the baby—and for all we know, she is just that: a perfectly normal baby. Joy, would you consider releasing your medical records to the council? That way you won’t have to go through unnecessary procedures.”

  “That seems more than fair to me,” said Steven. “I don’t want my daughter worried any more than she has to be.”

  Again some of the council members exchanged speaking looks. But Dr. Aysgarth said, “I think that’s an excellent place to start. If we see anything in Joy’s records that worries us, we can discuss it then. Joy? How about it?”

  Joy still stood hand in hand with Tanner, where the both of them had started up to leave. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the anger and outrage—and, yes, fear—that she felt. This would be intrusive, but not as bad as it could have been. And if there was something wrong with Rose, something that maybe could be cured, she would never forgive herself if she’d passed up the chance to know.

  She said, “All right,” and leaned against Tanner, feeling suddenly tired.

  “There’s nothing to worry about,” he said quietly, for her ears alone. “The records will show that. You and Rose are perfect, and once they have proof of that they’ll leave us alone.”

  “I hope you’re right,” she said. They started for the door, but then her father said, “Tanner, can you stay just a moment more? Joy, you can wait in the hall. We’ll be through in just a minute.”

  “Okay,” she said, taken aback.

  “Raven, we’re through with you for the time being also,” said Dr. Aysgarth. “We’ll be in touch about looking through Melisande’s house.”

  “Of course.” Raven rose from the table and joined her by the door. “It appears we’ve been let out of class early,” he said, as they stepped into the hallway and the door closed behind them. “Care to join me at the malt shop for a gossip about Archie and Veronica?”

  Joy ignored him. She was trying to listen to what was happening on the other side of the door. All she could hear was the low murmur of voices. It sounded like Dr. Aysgarth, then her father. Then Raven moved toward her with his hand extended, and she lurched back. “What are you doing?”

&n
bsp; “I just wanted to feel the baby. I find pregnancy fascinating.”

  “Absolutely not.” She didn’t want anyone putting their hands on her, least of all anyone as slippery as him. “Try that again and I’ll scream the whole council down on us.”

  He quirked his eyebrows. “No need for that, my dear. And here comes your brave defender,” he added, as Tanner emerged from the room. “What grave secrets has the star chamber entrusted you with?”

  “Nothing,” said Tanner shortly. “Joy, I’ve had enough of this place. Let’s get out of here.”

  “You won’t get any argument from me,” she said, and they left Raven standing in the hallway, watching them with an unreadable expression in his dark eyes.

  Chapter 5

  William lay next to Maddie in a pleasant haze. The haze was partly in his vision, since his glasses still rested on the bedside table. He stretched his free arm out to retrieve them, trying not to jar Maddie, who lay so still next to him that he thought she was asleep.

  He had to hold that thought for a minute and marvel at it. Maddie, lying next to him, in his arms (well, one arm). How many hundreds of times had he imagined this? And it was better than he had imagined. She was so close that he could see the tiny marks on one eyebrow where a piercing had healed over. Very gently he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He couldn’t remember ever being happier in his life.

  She exhaled a long breath and opened her eyes. There were flecks of gold in her grey-blue eyes that he had never noticed before.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said.

  “I wasn’t asleep.”

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “Just that it must be getting close to dinner time.” She raised herself up on one elbow, giving him a spectacular view, to look past him at the clock on the bedside table. “Yeah, we should get going.”

  This was disappointing; he would have happily lain there with her for hours, even though his arm was going to sleep under her. But if they missed dinner they’d be written up.