Playing With Fury

by Annabel Chase

  Grandma’s gaze flicked to my mother. “I’ll let that one go.”

  “Too easy,” my mother said.

  “You certainly are,” Grandma replied.

  My mother and Grandma locked eyes, their faces hardening in tandem. The energy crackled again.

  “Take that back,” my mother insisted.

  Grandma’s expression hardened. “Respect your elders.”

  “Can we not do this now?” I asked wearily.

  “You’re not doing anything,” my mother snapped. “You’re not even visible.”

  Grandma shrugged. “You raised her to be lazy.”

  “Lazy?” I blurted. I was the hardest-working member of my family and had been from a young age.

  My mother rolled her eyes. “That was her father’s doing and you know it. Stanley’s never been proactive about anything except his next meal.”

  Suddenly I was seven years old again and listening to my parents berate each other while Anton and I hid in another room and pretended not to hear them.

  “You two are fighting with each other, remember?” I said. “When did this become about me?”

  “Oh, it’s always about you, isn’t it, Eden?” my mother said.

  I made a helpless gesture at Aunt Thora, not that she could see me.

  “I guess she gets that from you,” Grandma said. “Maybe Eden would be the fury she was meant to be if you and Stanley hadn’t screwed her up.”

  Now I was screwed up?

  “I learned from the best,” my mother said, offering a malevolent smile.

  Grandma shoved back her chair and stood.

  “Esther, sit down,” Aunt Thora urged. “This doesn’t need to escalate.”

  “Too late.” Grandma sauntered into the family room, her fiery gaze pinned on my mother. “Beatrice, why don’t we see whether you really did learn from the best?”

  I groaned and clapped a hand over my face. A vision of Wilfrieda materialized in front of me and I felt a stab of envy over the chief’s normal family. If only I could click my heels three times and be human.

  My mother strode to the opposite end of the family room. “You seem to forget, I’m younger, faster, and I have more stamina.”

  “Oh, I know,” Grandma said. “I saw it written in a bathroom stall at the senior center.”

  My mother balled her hands into fists. “You’re a despicable witch, you know that?”

  The lights flickered as Grandma’s eyes narrowed. Dark energy radiated from her.

  My mother’s arms flailed. “I just had the rug steam cleaned.”

  Grandma raised a hand and smiled. “Worth it.”

  “No!” I rushed between them, a mere blast of air.

  A bolt of white-hot lightning lit up the room. I blinked at my mother as the smoke cleared. She stood with her arm outstretched and her green dress intact.

  The stench of acrid air filled my nostrils. I jerked my head to see Grandma caked in black ash, burning to a crisp.

  My mother blew on her knuckles, satisfied with the outcome. “I warned you.”

  The older witch keeled over and her body twitched on the floor. I dropped to my knees beside her, my stomach in knots.

  “She’s not breathing,” I said.

  “Of course she’s not breathing,” my mother scoffed. “I killed her. Did you think I’d miss?”

  “This is Alexander Hamilton all over again,” Aunt Thora moaned. “She was supposed to aim at the ceiling.”

  My mother turned to look at her. “Why would I aim for the ceiling and risk the chandelier? It came all the way from ABC Carpet & Home in New York City.”

  “Priorities,” I murmured.

  “Eden, grab the shovel,” my mother said. “We need to bury her in the backyard. I have a manicure in less than an hour and Jacinda hates when I’m late.”

  “I’m not digging the grave,” I said.

  My mother shook her head at Aunt Thora. “See? Lazy.”

  “I’m going to tell you the same thing you told me when I was nine and spilled glitter all over my room,” I said. “This is your mess. You clean it up.”

  I marched out of the house before she launched a magical grenade in my direction. I couldn’t go back to the barn, not with my mother burying Grandma in the backyard. She’d find a way to rope me in, invisibility notwithstanding. I decided to go see the one supernatural in the world who would understand and commiserate.

  I needed my big brother.

  Chapter Nine

  I spotted Anton’s car driving in the opposite direction of his house. At first glance I thought he was heading to the office—until he turned left on Parmesan Place.

  Where was he going?

  I flew about twenty feet above the car, glancing ahead to try and gauge his destination. There were no shops at this end of town, only residential homes. It was possible he was meeting a friend, but I couldn’t think of anyone we knew who lived on this road.

  My throat went dry. What if he was meeting a girlfriend?

  No. That was preposterous. Anton would never…Then again, he had two small kids at home and he and Verity had busy work schedules. Statistically speaking, he was a prime candidate for an affair.

  No. I refused to believe my brother would do anything to hurt Verity. He wasn’t always on the right side of ethical lines because of our family, but my sister-in-law was nothing but a positive influence on him. She was smart, pretty, compassionate, and capable. No woman could compete with Verity.

  Well, now I had to know where he was headed.

  The car pulled into the driveway of a Dutch colonial-style house and I landed on the sidewalk for a closer view. The lawn was slightly overgrown and the flower beds were in danger of being overtaken by weeds.

  Anton smoothed his hair as he waited on the doorstep. The fact that he had to wait was somewhat of a relief. If he’d walked right in or used a key, I’d be more nervous.

  The door opened and a beautiful woman greeted him by his name. Not ‘Mr. Fury’ but ‘Anton.’ Sweet Nyx. Even worse, she was dressed in a silk nightgown with a matching robe. ‘Bombshell’ was the best word to describe her. Blond and buxom, she reminded me of a modern Marilyn Monroe. If she started to sing ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. Vengeance Demon,’ I was going to lose it. My nerves came rushing back and I hurried to the door so I could slip in behind him, careful not to step on the back of his heel. He might not be able to see me, but he’d feel that.

  “Thank you so much for coming on short notice,” the blonde said. She didn’t bother to tie the sash of her robe, leaving her cleavage on full display.

  “No problem, Geena. It’s all part of the job.”

  The job? What kind of job involved meeting a woman in sexy lingerie?

  Geena escorted him into the family room at the back of the house and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, wringing her hands.

  “I wasn’t sure what you’d need. Do I bring out a few candles?”

  My breathing hitched. Why not take him upstairs if she wanted a romantic atmosphere?

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  She dipped her hand into the pocket of the robe and produced a tattered red heart made from felt. “I have this. I thought you might want it.”

  Anton crossed the room to inspect the felt heart. “You made this?”

  She nodded and motioned to the kitchen. “Oh, and I also collected rocks from the woods in case we need to make a circle.”

  What kind of kinky…?

  Oh.

  There was only one job in the world my brother would undertake that required candles or rocks. It started with ‘v’ and ended with ‘are-you-freaking-kidding-me?’

  Gods above, I almost wished he were here as a gigolo. Anything but vengeance.

  I clenched my hands and tried not to start swinging at him. Anton wasn’t supposed to accept jobs on my turf. He knew better. As the local FBM agent, I couldn’t condone the actions of vengeance demons. And Anton was supposed to be scaling back on vengeance-related deeds
anyway. His expensive house renovations were finished and paid for, although maybe that was the issue. He paid for them and had no money left.

  “Why don’t we sit down and talk first?” Anton suggested. He perched on the arm of an upholstered chair. “I understand your breakup was pretty traumatic.”

  Geena sniffed and sat on a settee. “Do you think I’d have contacted you if I wasn’t traumatized?”

  Anton shrugged. “People want revenge for all sorts of reasons. Your motivation could be completely petty and you’d still be able to hire someone to do the job.”

  “No scruples, huh?” she asked. “Sounds a lot like my ex.”

  “Tell me what happened,” Anton said.

  Geena fished a tissue from her pocket and wiped her nose. “It was awful. We’d been living together for five years. That dirty rat knew I wanted kids and he waited until I was past my prime to tell me it was over. I’d talked to him about freezing my eggs a few years ago, but he said it wasn’t necessary and that it would be soon. Always soon.”

  “But soon never came?” Anton prodded.

  Geena shook her head. “And Misty is already pregnant. With twins.”

  “I’m sorry. That must’ve been quite a shock.” He rested his hands on his thigh. “And who’s Misty? The new girlfriend?”

  Her jaw set. “And my younger sister.”

  Oomph. That had to hurt.

  Anton sucked the air in between his teeth. “That’s rough, Geena. I can understand why you’d feel moved to take action.”

  Geena dabbed the tissue at her eyes. “When I think of the years I wasted on him, it makes me so angry.” She squished the tissue in her hand and I was pretty sure she was picturing her ex’s balls. “They’d been sneaking around behind my back for the past year. I found text messages on his phone before I kicked him out. He was too stupid to delete them.”

  “What kind of revenge are you looking for?” Anton asked.

  I was taken aback by his casual tone. He might as well have asked what kind of toppings she liked on her pizza.

  Geena’s brow furrowed. “The kind where he gets his comeuppance. What else?”

  “Do you want it to involve both of them or only him?”

  “She’s pregnant, so I don’t know.” Geena stuffed the tissue in her pocket. “Is there a way to make her suffer without hurting the babies?” She swallowed hard. “They’re going to be my nieces or nephews. I don’t want anything bad to happen to them.”

  You could start by not harming their parents, I thought.

  “There are a few options,” Anton said. “Physical pain is always one, but you can opt for emotional torment. Or even a petty prank if you want to keep it simple but get your point across.”

  Geena seemed to consider the options and I prayed that she’d come to her senses and ask my brother to leave so I could kick his ass.

  “What qualifies as emotional torment?” she asked.

  My heart sank.

  “Well, I can offer some pretty horrible examples. How deep would you want to go? There’s a core wound package where we strike at their very weakest spots.” He cleared his throat. “I assume you know their weak spots.”

  Geena actually smiled. “Oh, definitely. His dad left when he was five and they have no relationship to speak of. He never felt good enough for anyone. One of the fights we used to have was that he felt I didn’t need him. I always told him that was better. You’d rather have someone choose you because they love you rather than they need you, right?”

  She made a good point.

  “And Misty?” Anton asked.

  Geena groaned. “Poor little Misty always gets passed over for everything and she hates it. I’m older, so I got everything first when we were kids. She resented me for it. I think this is her revenge.”

  I was beginning to understand the connection between Geena’s boyfriend and Misty.

  “And now it’s the other way around,” Anton said. “Misty’s pregnant with the children you wanted.”

  Geena’s expression grew pinched. “I always wanted twins, too, you know? It’s like salt in the wound. You should see how smug she looks, walking around town with her huge stomach. She’s an embarrassment.” Her voice cracked and she averted her gaze.

  “What did your parents have to say?” Anton asked.

  “We’re not exactly a picture-perfect family,” Geena said. “They think if what I had was truly special, then we would still be together.”

  “You don’t think there might be some truth to that?” Anton asked.

  Her expression contorted. “Hey, whose side are you on?”

  Anton smiled. “The one paying my bill.”

  Geena crossed her ankles. “Things weren’t great between us, but that doesn’t mean he should go sneaking around with my kid sister.”

  “I could physically torture him and make her watch,” Anton said. “What would you think of that—physical and emotional pain? A twofer, basically.”

  I gaped at my brother. How could he offer such a thing? I mean, I knew where my family fell on the evil scale, but I’d always placed Anton closer to me than our parents. He’d made such an effort ever since Olivia was born, in part because of Verity. What was he thinking?

  Geena frowned. “You mean like in those horror movies? String him up by his toes or something and force her to watch?”

  He cracked his knuckles. “I have an artistic side. I can get creative.”

  So could I. And I was looking around the room for a heavy object to drop on his head and fix whatever was out of place. I’d glitched and turned invisible. Maybe Anton’s vengeance demon powers had glitched, too.

  Geena’s full pink lips formed a pout. “I guess emotional torture could still hurt the babies. I’ve read all kinds of stories where women went into premature labor for the lamest reasons. I can only guess what your method would do.”

  Anton offered a casual shrug. “Up to you. I find pliers work wonders and don’t leave scars.” He paused. “Not physical ones anyway.”

  Geena stared at her hands now clasped in her lap. “Their affair started at my own birthday party. Can you believe that? Misty confessed everything. Said they made out in the coat closet. She didn’t even sound sorry when she told me.”

  Ouch. At this point, there was more salt than wound.

  “That had to be painful for you,” Anton said.

  “It was excruciating.” Her eyelids lowered. “They really seem to be in love. I don’t think I ever looked at him the way Misty does. I can almost see the appeal from his perspective. If somebody looked at me like that…” She trailed off.

  “He didn’t?” Anton prompted.

  “I don’t know. Maybe early on. It’s hard to remember.”

  Her evasive response led me to believe the answer was no.

  Anton blew out a breath. “Listen, Geena. I don’t often tell my clients this because I don’t want to be out of work, but sometimes happiness is the best revenge.”

  Geena managed a smile. “Yeah. Some days I try to picture what that would look like for me. Then I see the empty side of the bed and…” She inhaled sharply. “I just want to fall into a deep sleep and wake up when it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Tears spurted from her eyes. “Have you ever felt like that? That there was too much pain to make it through the day?”

  Geena’s anguished face reminded me of Sassy and my chest tightened. I wondered whether the older blonde had mastered her own rendition of My Heart Will Go On.

  “You’re not alone, Geena,” Anton said. “I’m not saying that to minimize what you’re going through, but I want you to understand that many people have been in your position. Have experienced that same level of pain. And they’ve made it out the other side eventually.”

  Spark hoped in Geena’s eyes. “Yeah?”

  Anton rose to his feet. “I see the success stories all the time.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “I’ve got the contract here if you want to sign.”

  Sh
e shifted on the settee. “Do you mind if I take a little more time to decide? You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

  “Take your time. There’s no rush. Unless you want to hit them hard while she’s still pregnant. Could be trickier once the twins are born. Their schedules will revolve around feedings and diaper changes. It’ll be harder to find the right moment to strike.”

  Geena laughed. “I can’t even picture what that will look like for them. It’ll be pure hell, especially with twins.”

  Anton smiled. “I have two kids of my own and I can confirm those days are not fun.”

  Geena rose to her feet and shook his hand with a dainty grip. “I appreciate you coming over so quickly. I’m sorry I’ve decided to wait. I feel like I’ve wasted your time.”

  “Give me a call when you know what you want. I live locally, so I can take care of it within twenty-fours.”

  Geena steered him toward the door. “Good to know.”

  I beat them to the door and slipped outside the moment she opened it.

  “It was good to meet you, Geena,” Anton said. “Take care.”

  Geena closed the door and Anton started toward his car. He barely made it to the driveway when I hauled off and punched his arm.

  “How could you?” I demanded.

  My brother winced and rubbed the injured spot. “Not so hard. You’re a fury, remember? You could break a bone.”

  “I think you’re the one who’s forgotten,” I said. I cocked my head. “You don’t seem surprised I’m here.”

  “I felt your presence on the way out,” he said. “You scooted past me on the way to the door.”

  “How did you know it was me and not a ghost?”

  “I don’t have a connection to ghosts. That’s your domain,” he said.

  “Exactly, and Chipping Cheddar is my domain, too. How dare you! Do you think I can let you run around town performing vengeance deeds?”

  “Except I didn’t perform any.”

  “Not yet, but you were sure giving Geena plenty of options.” My hands flew to my hips. “And since when do you use pliers? You’re not some dime-store mobster.”

  He chuckled. “Nice touch, right?”

  I gave him a hard shove. “Wrong!”