Charlie nodded firmly in agreement.
“Fine. Whatever,” Melinda replied. “Still more important things to discuss anyway,” she said again.
“Oh, right, sorry,” said Charlie. “What's up?”
Melinda inhaled deeply and upon exhaling, she revealed, “The Deanes are back on The Demon Isle.”
“Oh,” stuttered Charlie.
“What do you mean, back?” Michael asked.
“I mean back. Like living here again. I don’t know how many of them there are. Grace met two of them this morning when they came into her café for coffee. She said they talked about coming up to the house, and meeting us. Face to face.”
“No Deane will step foot inside this house!” said Charlie. He stood up as if this somehow made his statement more serious.
“I agree,” said Michael. “Dark magic and Deanes go hand in hand.”
Melinda nodded in agreement and looked to William for his opinion.
The vampire’s eyes darkened and a look of anger flitted across his face, which just as quickly turned blank and emotionless.
“I do not yet know how to feel about this,” he told them. “The Deanes have been gone for many years.”
Anger rippled through Charlie, his chest heaving with each raspy breath he exhaled. He set his jaw, narrowing his eyes in contempt. How could William not know how to feel? Deanes are evil. Period. It did not matter how many years has passed.
“I admit,” continued William, “it brings up many painful memories. At the same time, I cannot help but wonder if this could be what the Guardian, Nina, spoke of? Is this one of the battles to come? Or perhaps... perhaps we are passing judgment too soon. Perhaps they have chosen not to follow in their ancestors' footsteps. The fact that they are willing to show up at the front door of the Howard family to introduce themselves should be worth discussing.”
“I’m sorry, William,” said Charlie, his voice filled with distrust. “I don’t think I can accept the Deanes being back here or that they come in peace.” His voice started to shake with anger. “And you of all people, William. You were here when it happened… when they battled the Howards for control of The Demon Isle. They killed three of us that day. Plus a slew of others that came to our aid.”
A low snarl slipped through the vampire's lips.
His eyes tightened in indignant remembrance.
“I recall quite clearly,” William spoke sharply, as if insulted by the unneeded reminder. His cutting sharpness caught the siblings off guard. They dared not speak.
William turned to leave spitting out, “I must think on this.” He dashed out of the mansion.
That’s the second time in twenty-four hours he’s done that. Melinda felt terrible that she’d been the cause of the first occurrence.
“Good one, Charlie,” said Michael. “Piss off the vampire.”
“William is just upset,” Melinda insisted. “It was a tragic time for him.”
“A time in which the Howard line was nearly wiped out!” reminded Charlie. “I will not allow that to happen again.”
“And we all agree with you. But we do need William for this,” Michael added.
“He'll be back soon,” Charlie said, as if not worried about their mentor. “Even vampires need to blow off steam now and then.”
“Maybe just try to be a bit more sensitive,” Melinda suggested. “Or has that ring suddenly stripped you of that ability?”
“I wasn't trying to be harsh. I just refuse to believe the Deanes being back on the Isle can be a good thing. No matter what William thinks or has lived through in the past.”
Melinda could not argue the point.
Emily suddenly shook, as if she'd gotten a chill. Michael whisked to her side, rubbing his hands up and down her bare arms. “I'm sorry. We're freaking you out, aren't we? There's no reason to be afraid,” he said. “It's just such shocking news.”
“But you've told me the stories, Michael, and if the Deanes haven't changed, there is reason to be afraid.”
“You mean how the Deanes were once the dearest, longest friends and allies of the Howard family, and then how they started dabbling in dark magic, which infected them, turning them evil. Then they betrayed their friends by murdering them...” Melinda said, her voice holding a tinge of hatred.
Michael tried to ignore the feelings of confusion and anger swirling off his siblings and girlfriend. “We should probably warn Mack,” he said. “She’ll prefer to hear this news from us.”
“Yeah, will you call her, Michael?” Charlie didn’t wait for a response, bounding off his stool and up the stairs to his bedroom. He showered, putting on some clean clothes. His mind raced with a hundred thoughts, none very coherent but each having to do with the Deanes.
He leapt down the stairs and stepped onto the front porch.
From this vantage point, he could peer down over the bustling streets of the main town, but also up to the opposite side of town, where a dilapidated manor poked out of the treetops.
His eyes flashed silver. Whatever it took, he would not allow another massacre at the hand of the Deanes.
##
“Mack was just as surprised as we were,” Michael said upon hanging up the phone. “Someone had told her they’d seen movement up at the old Deane place, but she had no idea it was actually Deanes.”
“Well there isn’t a damn thing we can do about it right now,” said Melinda, deciding to put the worry out of her mind. “Besides, our focus should still be on finding Dad. We'll just have to deal with the Deanes later.” As she spoke, her eyes grazed the clock on the kitchen wall. Another hour until her date with Riley.
Michael glanced oddly and was about to question her when Emily sidetracked him. “Do you think you could give me a ride home, Michael? I promised Dad I would have lunch with him today. You could join us,” she added.
Stupid empathic ability Melinda’s mind rambled. Could she keep nothing private?
“Ride, sure, of course,” said Michael. “Can’t do lunch though, sorry.”
“Plans?” asked Emily.
“Yeah. Eva Jordan called me this morning, to see if I’d like to have lunch at her place, to meet her father,” he explained.
“Oh, right. Anthony Jordan…”
“Author of The Modern Day Guide to the Supernatural,” finished Michael. “Too bad you have to meet your dad. You could just come with me, meet a famous author,” he enticed. “Well, more like infamous,” he restated.
“I hate to disappoint Dad, but I really would love to meet Mr. Jordan.”
“I’d like to see just how much he really knows,” Michael said. “His book is thorough, and with no magical ties that we know of, I'm curious how he gathers his information, and very curious to find out just how much he knows about the Isle.”
Emily leaned up and kissed him. “Handsome and curious. My kind of man.”
“I’m totally being a geek right now, huh?”
“A very, very handsome one though,” Emily insisted.
Melinda helped Emily pick up her bags, handing Michael a few to carry for her.
“Thanks,” she mouthed to Emily.
“Good luck,” Emily mouthed back, trying not to grin.
“You know what, Michael?” said Emily. “I'll call Dad. He won’t mind if I miss lunch. I can always have dinner with him instead.”
“That would be perfect. I can join you for dinner, too.”
Emily stopped and looked him in the eye. “Are you trying to keep me in your sight for a reason? Are you afraid I might run into a Deane or something?”
“Nah,” he played it off, waving his hands around as if she were crazy. “Just hate to take away from your time with me.”
“Uh huh. Intriguing theory,” she muttered, as they loaded her packages into the jeep.
##
Melinda raced up the stairs to her room, dumping the contents of her shopping bags onto her bed.
“Which one? Which one?” she asked, while standing in front of a full-
length mirror, draping dress after dress in front of her body. She finally decided on a light beige one, which she slipped over her head. The dress nearly disappeared against her similarly colored skin. It was perfectly fitted across her chest, flowing out slightly at the waist, and stopping just above her knees. A single strap tied it securely around her neck.
“Maybe I should bring a sweater, just in case,” she whispered upon seeing her image in the mirror. “I can’t believe I let Emily talk me into this one. There’s nothing to it. I feel so naked.”
She ran into her private bathroom and brushed her teeth, then brushed the tangles out of her hair, locking her bangs behind her ears. At the last minute, she decided to try on a little mascara; another item Emily had talked her into buying. She fiddled with the packaging, finally tearing it open. She applied it and gawked at the hideous clumps now lining her lashes.
“Ugh. Terrible!” She grabbed a washcloth and rubbed it off. “I’m going to need Emily to show me how to wear this stuff.”
She grabbed her purse and a sweater, slipped on her flip-flops and rushed out of the mansion to meet Riley. She stopped on the front porch when she noticed Charlie perched on a stool, as if keeping guard of the house.
“Hey, Kiddo,” he said upon seeing her. He noticed how she was dressed. “New, I take it?”
“Yes. Emily picked it out for me. Not sure I am digging it yet, but last night I went through my closet and let's just say there's now a very large bag of clothing to donate to the thrift store.”
“It looks nice, Sis. Emily made a good pick.”
“Thanks.” She showed him her sweater. “And I’m prepared if its gets chilly. What are you doing out here anyway? You know that staring at the Deane Manor will not solve anything, right?”
Charlie shrugged. “Just feel a little… out of sorts at the moment. The Deanes are back and we have no idea what their motives are for being here. I am free to live a normal life, whatever that is. However, at this very moment, I am actually thinking about Dad.”
“Oh, okay. What about?”
“Just an idea I want to pass by William, maybe a way to track what direction the blackness monster headed after it took Dad.”
“Blackness monster?”
“Don’t know what else to call it,” he chuckled. “But if I’m right, we might at least be able to find out what direction it headed when it left the Isle. It’s a long shot though and a direction doesn’t give us a heck of a lot to go by.”
“It would be more than we have to go on now. Do you need my help?” she asked, hoping he would say no. Instantly, she felt guilty. She should be willing to give up a thousand dates to help find her father.
“No. Not right now anyway. Even if my idea works, it will take some time. Just go. Have some fun. You’re obviously headed somewhere.”
“But if you needed my help I could stay.”
“To be honest, it’s nice to see you eager to leave,” he admitted carefully.
“I did promise to try and get a life,” she said, stepping down the stairs.
“You got your phone?” he asked in a concerned voice.
She tapped her bag and nodded. Charlie waved as she disappeared down the street. A few minutes later, he assumed William had returned home, as he heard a commotion coming from the backyard.
When he stepped into the back, however, it was not a vampire that greeted him, but rather two beautiful, naked young women, each with bright blue eyes and long ocean blue hair that fell over their bodies like dresses. They had knocked over a clay pot, breaking it.
“My dear merladies,” spoke Charlie, recognizing their true form at once. “What brings you out of the water?” He approached cautiously. The local mermaids were not typically hostile, but one could never be too careful, as they did have severe tempers that could flare at a moment's notice.
“You are Howard, yes?” one asked in a wispy, bashful voice.
“Yes, a Howard?” the other emulated similarly.
“Yes. I’m Charlie Howard,” he confirmed.
They rushed forward, grasping his arms, as if to pull him away with them.
“Please help us,” one begged.
“Our sister, needs help.”
“Yes. We go now.”
“Please. Must hurry.” They tugged at him, begging him to follow.
“Only have till sunset to get back in water.”
Charlie forced them to let go and held up his arms. “Hold up just a second,” he said, backing away. “First, what kind of trouble is your sister in?”
“She is caught. Cannot get free.”
“Must get back into water.”
“Before sunset.”
“Please. Not much time.”
“We must go.”
The merladies echoed each other as if speaking with one mind.
“Okay, I’ll help you,” Charlie said, grateful for something to do to keep his mind off the Deanes. Before he could say more, the two mermaids raced forward again, one on each side, wrapping themselves around him.
Charlie sucked in a lustful breath, unable to pretend he didn’t have two shapely woman dangling off each arm. He shook himself to get back in the moment.
“Ladies, if we are going to be traipsing around the Isle, in broad daylight, I am afraid we’re going to have to find you some clothes.”
They stepped back looking down at their bodies and then back up at Charlie.
“Don’t like clothes,” one of them pouted.
“No. Don’t like,” the other agreed.
“Hard to wear,” they said together.
“Scratchy. Pully. Tight,” the second one added.
The first one shook her head in agreement.
“You won’t get any argument from me,” Charlie mumbled under his breath. Clearing his throat, he said, “Like them or not, humans wear clothes, so you’re just going to have to wear them, for today. Give me a minute and I’ll find something from my sister's closet for you. Just… wait right here,” he ordered, heading inside.
When he came back out a few minutes later, he froze, gawking wordlessly as the merladies were now frolicking through a sprinkler that had just turned on in the garden. Since there was no salt in the water, their human legs remained. Only salt water from the ocean could transform their legs into flippers.
“Some days I like this job better than others...” Charlie said, stepping over to them. “Ladies,” he called out, regaining their attention. He held up a couple dresses. “My sister won’t mind if you borrow these, she was getting rid of them anyway.”
They danced forward, grabbing the dresses. Charlie averted his eyes, but could not help but laugh as he listened to them attempting to dress themselves.
“Please to help?” one of them asked him after a few moments.
“Oh, um. Yeah. Turn around,” he told her. “Just needs to be zipped up.” His hand brushed against her skin. She twisted around, grasping it in her own, stroking it gently.
“Strong hands,” she whispered seductively. “Good for saving sister.”
Her long blue locks shifted in the breeze, enthralling Charlie.
“What a shiny ring,” she added softly, looking at the Guardian ring on his finger.
“Yes, shiny,” agreed Charlie, absentmindedly.
The sister mermaid skipped over to them, bringing him back into reality.
“We go now, to sister,” she spoke.
He looked at her, having to suppress a laugh. Her dress was on backwards, as well as inside out.
“Good enough I guess,” he said, adding, “Yes, let’s go save your sister. Please, ladies, you lead the way.”
##
Melinda tried to pace herself as she edged closer to the Wicked Muddy Café where she was to meet Riley. She did not want to appear too eager, but when he came into view, she could not help but grin, widely. He was already waiting for her at the corner of the shop.
He came... she thought, realizing she’d been worried that he might not. She had worried that
somehow he would find out that the locals thought of her as the town freak, and decide to dump her before they’d even had a real date.
“Hi,” Riley said, as she approached. “I hope you don’t mind, but I changed our plans.” His eyes danced with mysterious anticipation.
“Okay,” was all Melinda could reply. She had completely lost her breath upon seeing him. He leaned in a stole a quick kiss, pulling away much faster than Melinda would have preferred. He winked, picking up her vibe.
“I’m saving the good stuff for later.”
How Melinda had questioned if he was right for her, or let her feelings for William make her doubt, she had no idea.
He pointed to his motorcycle parked just a few feet away. There was a picnic basket tied down on top of the saddlebag.
“I found the perfect spot,” he claimed.
Melinda did not feel hungry, at least not for food. “Let’s go then,” she said. “I want to see this perfect spot.”
Melinda caught the eye of an elderly local man driving by, staring at her. His eyes cried out hatred, rather than the usual, there’s that weird Howard girl…
“What’s his problem?” she mumbled under her breath.
“What’s that?” asked Riley.
“Nothing,” she told him.
She straddled the bike and wrapped her arms around him. With her body pressed against his, she felt instantly safe and content. Although, the air was cool, clouds currently covering the sun. Not wanting her arms to get cold while riding the motorcycle, she daringly ran her hands underneath the edge of his shirt, hooking her hands together against his waist.
Melinda heard him let out a frustrated moan and made to release her hands. He stopped her, turning his head with a look of delight in his eyes.
“You have no idea how much I love that,” he said.
Any doubt Melinda had felt, vanished completely.
Riley was the perfect man for her.
TWO
Witches of The Demon Isle Box Set, Volumes 1, 2 & 3 Page 20
