Only the Quiet

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Angelina, this is important,” he pleaded. “We don’t want to hurt you. We just need a vial of your blood.”

  “Why would I possibly give you that?” Angelina groused. “I mean ... what kind of sick freak wants someone else’s blood?”

  “It’s about Ryan Carroll. He’s ... not entirely gone. Not only that, he’s hurting people. We need your blood to make sure he can’t come back. I swear it won’t hurt. You won’t even know we’ve taken anything from you.”

  “Oh, I’ll know,” she growled.

  “You’re the only person who can help us,” he pleaded, changing tactics. “Without you, this entire operation is lost.”

  Angelina blinked several times and then she started shaking her head. “Tough noogies. I’m not giving you my blood. You’re a bunch of morons if you think that’s going to happen. Now ... get out of my way.” She moved to shove Braden and Aisling aside so she could make her escape. Cormack spoke before that could happen.

  “Well, I tried being reasonable,” he lamented. “Aisling, have it your way. Wrestle her down and take the blood by force.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Seriously?”

  He nodded. “There’s only one way out of this. If she won’t help of her own free will, we’ll simply have to take what we need. Aisling, go nuts.”

  Aisling let loose a war whoop — apparently she wasn’t lying about the sugar rush — and this time when she jumped on Angelina it was with added vigor. For her part, Angelina looked momentarily shocked ... and then started putting up a vicious fight.

  “You’ll never take me alive,” she called out.

  “Good,” Aisling shot back. “Finally we agree on something.”

  THE WRESTLING match ended when both women were exhausted. Angelina lay spread eagle on the floor, her eyes on the ceiling, and didn’t say a word when Oliver swooped in to draw a bit of blood. I wasn’t even sure she noticed what was happening, but when she finally stood to leave there was an added glint in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.

  “Don’t forget the park, Aisling,” she called out. “I’ll see you there in twelve days ... and you’re going to be crying when I’m done with you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Aisling waved her off and focused on her arm. “I think I’m going to bruise. Griffin won’t like that.”

  “Yes, well, you can explain to Griffin that you let Angelina get the best of you and that’s why you’re bruised,” Cormack suggested.

  “Hey!” She extended a warning finger. “That is not what happened at all. I ... you ... we ... um ... I’m still getting over giving birth.” She sounded petulant as she made her excuses. “It wasn’t a fair fight.”

  “Oh, poor Aisling,” Cillian cooed. “She’s no longer the baddest Grimlock on the block. Now she’s a mother. We should get you one of those aprons that proclaim you ‘world’s best mom’ so people know not to pick a fight with you.”

  Aisling’s mouth dropped open. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.” She groaned as she rolled to her feet. “I’m taking you down next. Just you wait.”

  “You’re not taking anyone down,” Cormack countered, snagging his daughter by the nape of the neck before she could spring into action. “In fact, your part in our current tale is finished. It’s time for you to head home.”

  “But, no,” she protested. “I need to hang around and see you take down the shade. I’m part of this.”

  “You are,” Cormack agreed. “You also just said it yourself. You’re not quite back to full strength. Before you open your mouth and start whining about that, it’s not my fault. You gave birth. That makes you a hero in my book, no matter what comes next.”

  “Definitely a hero,” Braden agreed. “I’m still in awe you managed to grow a human being and then find a way to kick it out of your body without dying. But you need to rest. It will take time to get back to your normal self.”

  “There’s no shame in that, Aisling,” Redmond offered. “You’re already stronger than the rest of us.”

  “If I’m strong, why do I have to leave?” Aisling complained.

  “Because we have no idea how the shade will react to the ritual,” Cormack replied without hesitation. “We have to remove him from the boy remotely, which means he’s going to be summoned to this location. The first thing he’s going to do is search for a body. You might not want to hear it, but you make an enticing target because your defenses are down.”

  Aisling squirmed as she shifted from one foot to the other. “I still don’t like this. I should be in the thick of things.”

  “You’re here.” Cormack tapped the spot above his heart and caused me to smile. “You did the hard part for us already. You got Angelina here. We have her blood. Now you have to leave, because we can’t risk you.”

  Aisling let loose an exaggerated sigh. “I can’t believe I’m missing the fun part. I want to see the bad guy go down.”

  “We’ll tell you all about it over dinner tonight,” Cormack offered. “We’re having chocolate mousse with gummy worms for dessert.”

  Aisling brightened considerably. “That dirt cup thing that we saw in a magazine and you made the cook learn how to make.” Her grin was so wide it threatened to swallow her entire face. “That’s a great idea. Izzy hasn’t had that one yet.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” I promised. “I’ll tell you how everything went down while we’re eating.”

  Aisling blew out a long breath and nodded. “Okay. I’ll leave you guys to the fun part. As soon as that baby is holding up her own head, I’m going to be right back in the thick of things.”

  Cormack chuckled. “I expect nothing less.”

  Braden added, “It’s not fun to fight evil without you.”

  “Definitely,” Cillian agreed. “It won’t be long until you’re finding trouble again. Have a little faith. You can’t seem to escape it.”

  “Yeah, well ... .” Aisling stopped in front of her father long enough to give him a hug. “Do what you need to do. Be careful. You might make a mistake if I’m not here to tell you what you’re doing wrong.”

  Cormack chuckled as he gave her a hug. “We’ll be careful. You text as soon as you get home. I want to know that you’re safe.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be home with my husband and baby, watching television. There’s nothing safer than that.”

  She almost looked disappointed as she trudged toward the door.

  “Have some more cake,” I suggested. “The sugar can only help.”

  She grinned as she waved. “Now that right there is a fabulous idea.”

  Twenty-Nine

  Maxine and I worked together to ready the spell ingredients while Oliver and Brett handled the wards. Cormack and Braden watched the action from chairs, working overtime not to get in the way, while Cillian and Redmond headed toward the Duskin School for the Deaf to verify the exact moment Granger was back to himself and safe from Carroll’s machinations.

  “You shouldn’t have done what you did,” Maxine scolded when we were close to finishing the spell ingredients. “Melding with that ghost the way you did ... .”

  “It was necessary,” I finished. “We needed information. That was the quickest way to get it.”

  “Yes, but to meld with a ghost ... .”

  “They’re not normal ghosts. I knew that going in. There was something off about them. Do you really think I haven’t dealt with ghosts during my time in New Orleans? They’re commonplace down there, although that seems to be sacrilege if you talk to the reapers up here.”

  “Yes, well, the Grimlocks take their job very seriously,” Maxine said. “You could’ve lost yourself with that little exercise, my dear. I’m not one to tell you what you can and can’t do, but you can’t do that.”

  “Except I did do that,” I reminded her, pressing the heel of my hand to my forehead. I felt a migraine brewing and my aunt was the source. “I’m fine. In case you haven’t noticed, the only thing bad that happened wa
s that I was a little slow for about ten minutes. If that’s the worst that comes of it, I’ll consider it a win and move on.”

  She made a noise halfway between a sigh and growl. “Izzy, you’ve always been a brave girl. Even when you were little, you jumped in headfirst and didn’t care who you were taking on. That doesn’t mean what you did this afternoon was right. Have you considered what could’ve happened if she took you over?”

  “Who? Lauren?” I bit back a laugh. “She’s not powerful enough to take me over.”

  “I’m sure people thought the same thing about Carroll at one time. Look what happened. Two vampires underestimated him. They thought his soul weak enough that death could stop him. That’s not always the case.”

  “Yes, but in this particular instance, it was the case.” It took everything I had not to explode. “I love you, Aunt Max, but I’m not a child. I’ve been taking care of myself for a really long time. Even when I was still technically a child, Grandpa gave me a lot of rope.”

  “To hang yourself?”

  “To spread my wings,” I corrected. “I was angry he didn’t allow me to stay with you when I was a kid, but I think he did the right thing. He was strict with me, but he taught me so much. I was never worried when I crossed over with Lauren. I understood on an instinctive level that everything would be fine.”

  “Except you couldn’t know that.” Maxine refused to back down. “I don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm because I think you’ve grown into a fantastic woman. That doesn’t mean you’re infallible.”

  “Did I say I was infallible?”

  “No. I can see it in the way you carry yourself, though. You’re getting a little too big for your britches, Missy.”

  “My britches seem to fit just fine. As for what happened with Lauren ... I’m sorry you’re upset, but I found the answers we were looking for. I would do it again.”

  “And what happens when you’re wrong one day? No one is right all the time.”

  I very much doubted most of the Grimlocks believed that. Now wasn’t the time to mention it, though. “I guess we’ll have to wait until that day comes.” My temper burned hot and fast as I stood and dusted off the seat of my pants. “We’re ready to call him. Do you want to stay or go? I can do this without you if necessary. We can’t fight. We need to work together.”

  The sigh that escaped was long and drawn out. Still, she cracked a smile as she accepted the hand I extended in her direction and climbed to her feet. “I love you, Izzy girl. I always have. I don’t chide you because I enjoy it. It’s my job to look out for you.”

  “And you’re doing a phenomenal job.” I cracked a smile for her benefit. “It’s okay. I know what I’m doing. I’ve dealt with a shade before. Once we draw him here and trap him in the devil’s snare, all we have to do is banish him to the other side. Then he’s their problem.”

  “You hope.”

  “I know. We won’t make the same mistake Oliver and Brett did. They didn’t realize what they were up against. We do. We’ll end him this time.”

  Maxine didn’t immediately say anything. Finally, when she did, all she could do was hold out her hands in defeat. “I’m with you until the end.”

  “I know. That’s why you’re a good aunt.”

  “Don’t make me regret it.” She wagged a finger and then motioned for the others to join us. “It’s time. Is everyone in place on the other end?”

  “Hold on.” Cormack pulled out his phone and pushed a button. I watched as he waited for the call to connect. “Cillian, it’s Dad. Are you guys ready?”

  I waited for him to listen to the speaker on the other end. It seemed to be taking longer than it should have.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked after he was quiet for a full minute. “Did something happen to Granger?”

  He held up his hand to quiet me. “That’s a lovely story, Cillian,” he said after a beat. “I hope your brother gets lucky with the secretary with the big … eyes. I don’t really care that he’s distracting her by flexing his muscles. I also don’t care that you could flirt better but you won’t because you’re a good boyfriend. I care about Granger.”

  He was silent again as I let out the pent-up air I was holding inside. “Well, that’s great. We’re about to start. You know what to do once he’s clear of the boy, right? Just ... be watchful. I’m doubtful Carroll will be able to return, but you need to be mindful all the same.” A pause. “Yes, I definitely think you would flirt better than Redmond. Are you listening to me? Good. It will happen in a few minutes. Get ready.”

  He disconnected his phone and sighed. “I really wish I hadn’t insisted on having five children.”

  I didn’t believe him for a second. “Which ones would you trade?”

  “Cillian and Redmond,” he answered without hesitation.

  “Does that mean I’m your favorite today?” Braden asked hopefully.

  “Maybe. It’s between you and your sister. That thing she did when she jumped on Angelina and declared it was a good day to die was kind of funny. She’s edging you out just a bit.”

  “I guess we’ll see if I can take her out by the end of the day,” he offered.

  “That sounds like a fabulous idea.” His eyes flicked to me. “I’m ready. What do you want us to do?”

  “Stand here and here.” I pointed toward the pentagram. “Oliver, Brett, we need you, too.” They joined us, taking aggressive stances in the circle. Oliver positioned himself to my right while Brett stood between Cormack and Braden. They separated themselves so they were at either side of the circle. If I had to guess, that was deliberate. They were acting as our protectors, which was completely unnecessary.

  Still, I spared a smile for both of them. “Let’s do this.”

  Oliver nodded as he squeezed my hand. “We’ll do it right this time.”

  “That’s the plan,” I agreed, closing my eyes. “Here we go.”

  The ritual was part voodoo, part hoodoo, and a little standard witch thrown in for good measure. It was something I devised with several priestesses when I realized what we were up against so many years ago. I was still a teenager then, sowing my wild oats and having a good time with the adventure. Things seemed more dangerous now, the stakes higher, and I couldn’t help being a little nervous.

  The men waited patiently as Maxine and I began chanting in unison. I led the spell and she held on for dear life, to the point I was eventually speeding ahead and she was left behind to serve as a sentry of sorts. My grandfather taught me that magic was to be performed from the heart or not at all. That meant you had to believe in what you were doing, and that you were helping the greater good rather than working against the greater cosmic balance.

  That’s what dictated my actions now.

  “Come to us now,” I bellowed when I came to the end of the Latin chant, “Ryan Carroll.”

  My heart skipped a beat and I swear I heard the drums of the voodoo priestesses in my head.

  “Ryan Carroll,” I repeated. “Ryan Carroll. Ryan Carroll.”

  Maxine joined in. And then, probably because they didn’t know what else to do, the men started chanting his name as well. I felt Braden’s hand holding mine. It was sweaty and the anxiety he felt oozed out of him as I worked to push his fear to the back of my brain. It would do no good to worry about him now.

  “Ryan Carroll!” I practically screeched his name a final time. It was necessary over the blast of wind that blew through the room with enough power that several of the books Jerry had organized days before blew off the shelves.

  A whirlwind formed in the corner of the room, ectoplasm green and hatred forming a vortex. The wind spun and I heard a screamed protest as the shade was forced into our haven. The whirlwind churned through the room, traveling in our direction and spitting fury and hatred as it chewed up the distance. I recognized right away that Carroll was trapped, that he had nowhere to go. He recognized it, too, the second the devil’s trap snapped to life and encased him.

  “No,”
the creature howled, taking a ghostly form as he swiveled back and forth. His voice sounded otherworldly, as if he’d long since severed ties with his human body. That was true, so I managed to look on him as he was, serpentine and ethereal.

  “Hello, Ryan,” I offered, managing to keep my voice even despite the way my nerves twitched. “How are things?”

  “You, wretched girl,” he hissed. His tongue wasn’t forked, but it was so black I had to look elsewhere to keep the bile from rising. “I warned you what would happen if you messed with me. I told you what your fate would be.” He growled as he threw himself in my direction. The devil’s trap managed to keep him at bay, the barrier not even shaking. “What manner of magic is this?” He lifted his hands and felt around the trap. “I don’t understand.”

  “You can’t leave,” I replied simply. “We channeled you here. We trapped you here. You’re done.”

  “I’m not done. I’m only getting started.”

  “Yeah, well ... you keep thinking that.” I rolled my neck but kept my fingers linked with Braden and Oliver’s. “How did you survive here so long without a body? Are you anchored to something? Perhaps an item of clothing or a trinket?”

  “I’m not telling you.” Carroll was beside himself as he continuously turned in a circle. “I will find a way out of this infernal room. I won’t be trapped here again.”

  “We didn’t realize you were trapped here the first time,” Oliver offered, speaking for the first time and drawing Carroll’s horrific gaze. “We thought we’d killed you.”

  “You put up an admirable effort,” Carroll snarled. “But I’m stronger than you.”

  “Not so strong that you could break the wards on the library,” I countered. “You were trapped here for a long time. The only reason you managed to escape at all was due to a happy accident. I’m sure that if Oliver realized you were still here he would’ve fought harder to keep the library a secret.”