Night Finds

by Amber Lynn

  Chapter 2

  Ghosts of witches past

  “You guys could have helped out a little more in there,” Jake says as he settles into the backseat of my new Suburban. It is a newer model than my last one and I have found that it has way too many buttons. I don’t know what half of them do and the guys installed more after we got her home. My only request was that they put in enough storage for all of my gear. My wish was granted and most of the floor opens up to reveal little cubby holes for me to hide things in.

  “What was up with that? Did she offer to comb out your fur?” I ask as I start the car and wait for Sebastian to return from taking the cart back. With me being so delicate and all, they wouldn't let me help unload anything. I don't think lifting a couple of sacks is going to cause any permanent damage. Unbeknownst to them, Phee and I have been slipping in some sparring time when we can. Okay, Sebastian and Alex know, but they are keeping their mouths shut about it. Phee doesn’t really follow through and I only fight at about a quarter of my standard levels.

  I look back in the rearview mirror to see Jake shaking his head. “Thankfully, she didn’t know I was a werewolf, at least I don't think she did. It would have made her requests even dirtier. I asked for some help picking something out and the second I found what I wanted and tried to go pay for it, she pounced on me. The things she said would have scarred Peanut for life. I cannot bring someone like that home to meet the family.”

  “Who are you and what have you done with my Jake?” I have to be dreaming or something. This is not like him at all. I know he has been better, but he still tends to be the one we have to pry away from the girls. Shoot, when we made a little side trip to Hell not that long ago he was about ready to sign his life over to some little demon chick, and she was into girls. Sebastian returns and I am quick to leave the parking lot. Even if the woman believed Jake’s line about us being involved, she still may be a bit stalkerish and try to trail us home. Jake is just the tip of my man candy entourage iceberg. She would be in heaven once she was introduced to the rest of the gang. They may say that I draw all of the attention when we go out, but I know what the women are really looking at.

  “Hey, I have been good. I am going to be an uncle of sorts, so I need to learn how to be a good role model. It ain’t easy, but I am trying. The other guys are doing pretty good too. I don’t think there has been a curse word uttered in the last three days. You have to admit that is on about the same level as Moses parting a sea.”

  I don't think I would take it that far and I am sure the heated glares and punches they endured from me have nothing to do with how good they have been doing on the swear word front. Even with all of my hard work, I know Peanut is going to have a mouth like a sailor. I should probably buy stock in bars of soap now to prepare.

  “You have been doing great, Jake. I am certain you will be one of the first people we call when we need a babysitter. Love, do you think we should start talking about names other than Peanut? It has been cute for a while, but I think we should decide on something a little more normal,” Sebastian says and reaches over to put his hand on my stomach.

  That is a topic I have been putting a lot of consideration into lately. I have tried unsuccessfully to come up with something that is fun, but at the same time classy enough to be the name given to Sebastian’s daughter. If she was just my daughter, Mud would probably be a perfectly fine name, but Sebastian adds a lot of elegance to the situation. In my scanning of girl names, I have found that it is easier to turn names down than it is to find something that works.

  “You could always name her after your mom. That would be hilarious,” Jake suggests.

  “If you aren’t good, I am taking you back to the store and leaving you there. My child is not going to be named Lucifer.” I cannot even believe he would suggest something like that. At least he didn’t go all out and say her name. We haven’t had to deal with her since we originally met and I am afraid talking about her will jinx that. Of course, I did just say it myself, didn't I? Well that was dumb.

  “How about something that signifies her genetics a little differently, like Angelica, Evangeline, Lupe, or Luna?” Sebastian proposes. The names roll off of his tongue and I can tell he has been thinking about it as much as I have.

  I don't know. They sound better than Jake's suggestion, of course anything would, but I don't really like them any better. We don’t know for sure what she will be. Evangeline isn’t bad, but I can already tell she is going to be more devil than angel, figuratively speaking anyway, and the sweet sounding name will be lost on the hellion.

  “I am going to need some other ideas. Let's stay away from anything too stereotypical.”

  “Lily. Eleanor. Helga. Mary. Grace. Zoey. Virginia. Rachel,” Jake rattles off.

  “Annabelle. Cassandra. Victoria. Elizabeth. Alexandra. Guinevere. Francesca,” Sebastian recites. He seems to like the names with a lot of letters. Too bad none of them feel right. I do like his list better than Jake's. They are more like the kind of names I think about when I envision his daughter.

  “Sebby, you had a mom at one time, right?”

  “Everyone has a mother, love. In general, maybe not all angels and demons do, but everyone else does. Mine has been gone for a very long time now.”

  “I know. I was just wondering if she had a name I would like for our baby. My mom's name is out, but maybe we can use a name from your side of the family.” I am just hoping it isn't something like Bertha or Fanny.

  “It isn't that bad. Her name was Sophia Rose.”

  Not bad at all. I could do without a flower for a middle name, though. “I am digging Sophia a lot. The middle name is going to have to marinate for a little while. Do you like the name Sophia, Peanut?”

  The little nutter places a well-rounded kick right to where Sebastian’s hand is resting. It might have been a hand because it seems like she is high-fiving her dad.

  “She wants the middle name, too. She thinks the whole name sounds beautiful and since she is going to be the prettiest girl in the world, next to her mother, it is perfect for her,” Sebby says.

  “Those are big words from someone so small. Just why would she think her mother is pretty?” I wouldn’t exactly concur with that statement. Parts of my body look like I volunteered to test out the pointiness of freshly sharpened knives. The giant scythes on my back do a pretty good job of covering things up and diverting your eyes from the T across my shoulders and down my spine that was carved into me years ago, but it along with some knife scars down my arms and legs leave me looking less than perfect.

  “She has been informed by at least two people, granted those people may be just a tad bit biased, that you are the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  I hear a little giggle in my mind. “Whoops,” a really small female voice says inside of my head.

  “Son of a pixie dust coated monkey. Was that her?” I ask taking my mind off of the road to look down at my stomach. “Say something else.” I feel a kick and no more voice. “I will buy you a Lamborghini and a pony.” The little devil still doesn't reply. I focus back on the road and try to think of a way to make her talk.

  “She wants to wait for you to be able to see her before she thinks her real first words to you. Me and Alex have done a really good job of talking you up and she wants it to be special. As it is for us, you are her universe and she cannot wait to meet you,” Sebastian explains.

  “She could have fooled me on that one. You would think if she likes me that much she wouldn’t keep me up at all hours to practice the drums. I am heading straight to the new place, right?”

  We are getting close to the scary old manor, so I change lanes to make sure I don’t miss the turn. As much as I dislike being uprooted, there is a part of me that is excited to see what Alex has done to the place.

  I have seen the old-fashioned plantation style house a few times over the years. Each time I saw it, the place looked more rundown than the last. It was abandoned long before I was born. I
don't know any of the history around it, but I have heard there were ghosts in residence.

  “Might as well, that is where everyone else is and I think you are expected,” Sebastian says. “Jake, since you did the research on the place for Alex, why don't you fill Nyx in. It shouldn't take too long.”

  “Got it. I will go with the cliffnotes version, just in case. Nantucket Manor was built in 1867 by tobacco farmer George Williams. He lived there with his wife and ten children. As you can imagine by the size of the place, they had many servants. Of course, back then they weren't called servants, but I am trying to keep it nice for Peanut.

  “Anyway, Mr. Williams, like quite a few plantation owners back in the day, liked to dally with the girls and women servants that helped out around the house. He ended up with a lot more than the ten kiddies his wife provided him with. She caught wind of it and got a little angry, just a little.

  “If she wasn't a witch, he might have made it out of things with only his jimmy missing, but since she was one of the baddest witches in town, he got royally messed up. She started by burning his fields, which pushed his financial standings into the ground. He tried to borrow his way out of the mess, but the missus took it upon herself to tempt the local bankers with her forbidden fruit and made them see things her way.

  “All sorts of other things happened, but in the end he was left destitute and she took her kids and left. Shortly after her departure, an unexplained fire happened in their bedroom while he was sleeping. Only the bed burned and him with it. I spent some time talking with her about it and she isn't as bad as you say. She has had a lot of trouble in the men department over the years because she has tried to stick to humans, but she recently changed that cycle and things are working out a little better for her.”

  Jake hasn't left town recently, so I know the witch he speaks of is a local. I know a lot of the witches, but I only tend to bad mouth one of them and it is totally because she is a nut job.

  “You are joking, right? Alex is not moving me into a house that Hilda lived in with her cheating husband over a century ago. If Peanut wasn't with in ear range, I would so be cursing right now.”

  Witches can live for centuries, and if they are strong enough and have the right ingredients, they can probably make themselves immortal. I know Hilda is capable of accomplishing that task. I just don't want to believe she has resided in the place I am moving into.

  “You dislike most witches you come across and you aren't afraid to vocalize it. Why do you think it is Hilda solely based on his description?” Sebastian asks.

  “Because this is my life we are talking about and that woman likes to haunt me at every turn. If her dead husband isn't wandering the halls, I bet her memories will be. Witches can do that, you know. They leave behind psychic impressions to screw with the people that move in after them. I am going to have to find someone I trust to come in and do a cleansing. Alex didn't happen to have one done already, did he?” Finding a witch I trust is going to be a daunting task.

  “I don't think he has,” Jake says from the back. “Hilda has been helping him out, though. Trying to make sure all of the refurnishing is done correctly. She is out there most days and maybe she cleaned things up for us. Her boyfriend is going to be staying there and I imagine she will show up every once in a while to visit. She will probably flush the memories all out free of charge, if she hasn't already.”

  I am still convinced she dosed Marcus with something. I haven't seen them together, but rumor is they have been seeing each other regularly after he went on a date with her in payment for some magical help to retrieve Sebastian. I know he was just as turned off by her as I was, so what happened between then and now is a mystery to me.

  “I am still not sure this will work out. I was starting to accept the situation, but this has me wanting to run the other direction.” As I am saying this, I am already pulling up into the long drive that leads back to the manor house.

  It looks like the drive is freshly paved, which is nice because I know it was gravel or dirt recently. When I get up to the house itself, I about crash the car before I am able to get it into park. The place looks unbelievable.

  The white pillars announcing its stately presence are freshly painted and have no vines blocking their prestige. Full disclosure, I might have checked the place out more than a couple of times. It always seemed so alone out here and I have felt that way many times in my life. When the mood came on, I would take a long walk out here and wander the grounds. Even though I think the house is really creepy, we did eventually come to an understanding.

  “Welcome to your new home,” Alex says rushing down the front steps to greet us.

  “Don't think a gardener and a few coats of paint are going to get you out of the trouble you are in, wolfman.” I get out of the car to go meet him. Sebastian and Jake start to unload the cargo.

  “It does help my case just a little, I am sure,” he responds as he wraps me up into a hug, being careful not to squish the baby. “How did Peanut enjoy her first shopping trip?”

  “I hope she hated it. If not, you guys are going to have to take her once she is born. I have had my once a year expedition more than once already this year. By the way, Peanut is now known as Sophia Rose. We are naming her after Sebastian's mom,” I pull back from him and gaze up at the house a little more. The thing is really massive. That is at least something that it has going for it. I should have plenty of room to hide from the guys when they start ticking me off.

  “I heard what you two decided on and I like it. I agree with Sophia that Rose is a perfect middle name for her. Why don't I take my two girls on a tour of the estate while the rest of the crew gets the nursery setup? I need a chance to plead my case and a little alone time would be nice. We haven't had any for a while. With Peanut, I mean Sophia, in your tummy we won't technically be getting any now, but we can make do.”

  Who better than the mad scientist that put this all together to lead me on our tour? “Lead on, Alex. I am slightly interested in seeing what you have done to the place.”

  “We both know that is a fib. You cannot wait to see what has changed since the last time you visited.” He grabs my hand and leads me around to the side of the house.

  It looks like the tour is starting outside. I just hope we aren't heading to a garden. Little Sophia may get her way on her middle name, but the real life version of roses make me itch in large quantities, much like most other things.

  Chapter 3

  Still waiting for my cannon

  “The grounds do host a very large greenhouse and garden, but that is not where I am taking you. You will have to find them yourself if you want to visit them. Hilda insisted that they be brought back to their former glory because she spent a lot of time off in that area. When you hear the stories of what she has done to the people that have wronged her in the past, you try to stay on her good side.”

  The path we walk down looks to be crushed rocks of some sort. Knowing Alex, they are probably marble or granite. I don’t know how expensive those materials would be, but he doesn’t like to skimp. The large yard is professionally manicured and I am sure Clyde is loving that detail. I see some construction being done on what has to be the exterior guards’ residence. It is a three story building that looks like an apartment complex. It doesn’t seem like there is a lot of work left to be done on it.

  “They will be moving in within the week. Until then, we do have a few staying in the manor, just to be safe. What I want to show you is around the corner here. I want you to remember that you are pregnant and getting excited may cause premature labor, so try to keep things under control.”

  It must finally be my cannon. I have been requesting one forever and no one believes I really need one.

  “Before the big reveal, why don’t you tell me how you came to own this place and just how involved Hilda has been in everything. Did you sacrifice more dates with Marcus to get her on your side? That is about the only way I can see for her to be any assistance.
”

  We pause in our steps so he can respond. “No, you haven’t seen her for a few weeks and you will be surprised when you do. Marcus has proven to be helpful when dealing with her, but I don’t think she would have given me too much crap without him. I bought the house from her years ago. It was really weird at the time because she found me and offered it to me for a hundred bucks. She didn’t look the same back then and I almost felt bad taking advantage of her. Even in the shape the place was in, it was worth well over a million dollars.”

  “Great. The voices in her head planned this all out. I don’t think that is a selling point.”

  “Perhaps not, but this will be.” He grabs my hand and drags me around the corner.

  The first thing my eye sees is a giant obstacle course with monkey bars, belly crawl, wall climb, tire run, and a few balance beams thrown in for good measure. Now that looks fun. I look over to the left of the course and see a shooting range set up. There are some nice standard targets spread out on a field with a few extra fun ones around. The fun ones include spinners and targets with people I don’t really like on them. They even included Ben on one of them.

  “I am not sure I want to shoot him,” I say nodding towards that particular target. I am still not talking to the demon. He has tried to pop in a couple of times to check in on my pregnancy. They were really short visits when he got the cold shoulder from me.

  I know I am being childish about him figuring out who my mother is and keeping it from me, but that doesn’t mean I will stop being upset. I figure another week or two and I may be over it enough to speak to him.

  “That one is for me. After you have forgiven him, I will still not like the jerk. He wants to put a baby in you and only me and Sebastian get that honor. Come on, let’s go see what we put together for Sophia and those future children,” he claims and takes a hold of my hand.