Dark Corner
Page 18
“Take me but spare the girl.”
He raised his whip over my head. “Take me to the portal.”
I turned as I heard Abigail scream. The soldiers were tearing at her clothes, ripping at her flesh.
A voice called out from under the bridge. “Me save Terra.” Pixel charged out from under the arch of the bridge, tearing through the soldiers, swiping his claws, sending them into the mist. He rose up on his hind legs, waving his paws, causing a great explosion. Thousands of pins of light floated down from the trees. I shook my head in disbelief. The fairies flew into battle, waving their wands shooting fairy dust and enclosing the hordes in a great net. Flutter flapped her wings and transformed into a beautiful fairy of the woods, the last fairy of Lullymore. She climbed on top of the dragonfly, and they rode low to the ground as the dragonfly scorched the earth with fire. The lieutenant fell back, holding his arms in front of him as Pixel leaped on top of him, tearing at him. The fairies flew around Pixel. The lieutenant raised his whip once. A lightning bolt crashed across the sky, striking his hand. Mrs. Stickman stood on a hill on the bank of the stream, raising her lightning rod, shooting lightning across the battlefield. Dressed in Viking horns and armor, Mrs. Loblolly sliced through the dead with her broadsword. All the Wiccans battled alongside the fairies.
The lieutenant reached for his whip. Pixel bit his arm. The lieutenant knocked Pixel to the ground. The lieutenant lifted his head off his neck. He raised it in the air. The bridge shook, and black horses pulling a black wagon thundered up the bridge. He climbed up on the wagon. “I call the name Abigail Oakhaven.” As he spoke her name, Abigail’s body contorted. She lifted off the ground and flew into the wagon, heavy chains wrapped around her.
“Abigail,” I shouted over the clash of swords. “Speak it. Speak it now.”
Abigail said, “Tied by knots of thread, held by hands of dead, bound by earth, covered by dirt, lie eternal by woods.” The horses kicked and reared up, the lieutenant cracked his whip, but it had no power. Its fire was extinguished. The chains broke as Abigail leaped from the wagon. The dead turned to mist and went back into the earth. The lieutenant pulled back on the reins and rode off into the dark.
Pixel stood, shaking himself off. I stared in wonder at him. “Pixel, do good?” he asked.
I tackled him, checking his body, which was healed and strong. “Pixel how?”
“Me friends come. Pixel’s army.”
Flutter flew down and stood on the stone rim of the bridge. I jumped up next to her, staring into her eyes, such a tiny creature with such a brave heart. She smiled back up at me then looking past me she knelt down. All the fairies joined her, kneeling down next to her. I turned to see who they were bowing to. Behind me stood a young woman with fire red hair, a glimpse of a young Emma Tangledwood. She clasped the ash, oak, and thorn amulet around her neck.
“Charlotte come. Make me better,” Pixel said. “Charlotte queen of fairies.”
Abigail curtsied to the young girl. Charlotte placed her hands over Abigail’s wounds. They healed instantly. Tracker limped up to the bridge. Charlotte knelt down and kissed his head. “Good as new,” she said. Tracker ran off, chasing Pixel.
“How did you find us?” Abigail asked.
“My great-aunt came to me in a dream. I’ve not seen her since I was a little girl. I didn’t know she died,” Charlotte said. “The dream was so real. I had to come see for myself. She told me to come to the animal hospital where I found Pixel and the ladies of the Biltmore Society. They embraced me in their circle as we prayed for Pixel. I felt a surge of electricity run through them and into me. I felt alive for the first time. All my life I had felt different. At that moment, I knew who I was. I held Pixel in my arms, and he was healed.”
Pixel jumped next to Flutter, rubbing his head against her. “Me friend.” He giggled.
I glanced down as the bridge shook underneath us. We ran down to the stream. At the end of the tunnel a small vortex of white lights appeared. Instinctively Charlotte walked toward the light, her fairy subjects following her. “Fairies stay,” she commanded. She stopped to look back at us with a smile and then she was gone.
Abigail began walking toward the light. “No,” I screamed. “Abigail, don’t.”
“I have to see what’s on the other side, Terra.” Abigail kept walking.
Elizabeth appeared in the swirl, her arms outstretched, reaching for her great-granddaughter.
“No,” I cried, “Abigail, don’t.”
Pixel wrapped his paws around her leg. She dragged him along the ground. “Abigail, no go.”
She reached the portal. Her fingertips touched Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth smiled at me, her mouth moving, but no words came out. The roar of the vortex was too loud.
“I can’t hear,” I screamed above the noise. “Elizabeth, what are you saying?”
Abigail knelt down and hugged me. “I love you, Terra Rowan. I always will.” Then she jumped into the portal and it closed after her. Pixel cried. Tracker howled, pacing back and forth where we had last seen her.
Epilogue
Construction had begun on the new Leaf & Page. Only one wall remained from the original building built in 1890. Now Mrs. Twiggs stood back and watched as the bones came together. Carpenters were busy at work, framing out the interior. She walked around inspecting their work, nodding her head. “Looking good, Terra, don’t you think?”
I shook my head. She sat on the bench across the street most of the day, watching the old building come to life. As the construction crew finished for the day, we went inside. Albert stood in the corner by the original wall, looking confused and nervous. Mrs. Twiggs reached her hand out. “It’ll be as it should be, my love.”
“Yes, my love,” he replied.
I could see her longing to embrace her beloved, to feel his warmth, to taste his kiss. I struggled but knew what I had to do. After centuries in this body I wanted that moment for myself. Agatha Hollows had gifted me that magic, knowing I would use it at the river to stop the lieutenant, knowing that whatever was left of that magic would give me a moment in my old body. I removed the sliver from my paw. I slowly walked up to Albert and stuck it into his foot. He shook. Mrs. Twiggs stood back. “Terra what have you done?”
She watched as the flesh crawled up from his toes to his legs. He stared at his hands as they became flesh once again, not believing it. He touched his chest, feeling his heartbeat and the warmth of his skin. Before us stood Albert Twiggs, the living. I whispered to Mrs. Twiggs, “It’s only for a short time, my dear friend.” She grabbed Albert and pulled him close, kissing him passionately. She wrapped her arms around him.
Pixel bounced into the room. He saw them kissing and covered his eyes with his paws. “Terra, we go now.”
“Yes, Pixel,” I said as we walked into the night. I saw a new twinkle in Pixel’s eyes. The fairy dust had turned Pixel. I looked at him. “Pixel, do you want to learn magic?”
“Me magic, Terra?”
“Yes, you.”
“Me Terra familiar.”
“Not anymore Pixel. You are now a witch’s apprentice.”
* * *
Coming soon: Book 3:
THE WITCHES’ APPRENTICE
About the Author
In the middle of a January snowstorm, Vicki Vass fled her native Chicago and landed an hour outside of Asheville, North Carolina and 30 minutes from Greenville, South Carolina in an area known as the Blue Ridge Escarpment but to locals known as Dark Corner, its history steeped in mystery and magic. While gazing out at the ever-changing Appalachian landscape, she finds inspiration in that history, mystery and lore of the area, which led to the continuing adventures of characters created in Bloodline: A Witch Cat Mystery, Book 1.
An award-winning journalist, Vicki Vass is the author of the Antique Hunters Mystery series. The first book in the series, Murder for Sale, was a finalist for the Mystery & Mayhem award. She has written more than 1,400 articles for the Chicago Tribune as well as other comme
rcial publications including Home & Away, the Lutheran and Woman’s World.
She now lives outside of Greenville with her husband, Australian shepherds and the real Terra and Pixel.
Also by Vicki Vass
Witch Cat Mystery
Bloodline, Book 1
Dark Corner, Book 2
* * *
Antique Hunters Mystery Series
Murder for Sale (previously published as Murder by the Spoonful)
Pickin’ Murder
Killer Finds
Key to a Murder
Dressed to Kill
* * *
Stand-Alone Titles
The Postman is Late: Neighborhood Watch Mystery
Gem Hunter: Alex Kustodia Mystery
* * *
Science Fiction
Eleven: 1