Catalpa's Curse

by Terri Reid

  “Because we’re going to need everyone we can get to fight this thing,” Cat said, as she stood up and moved away from him. Then she turned back and met his eyes. “And that still might not be enough.”

  Chapter Forty-nine

  “We need to find that amulet,” Henry said, as he took a picture of the page, carefully closed the journal, and handed it back to Charity. “It could be the key.”

  “I’m afraid I’ve searched for that amulet for years,” Charity interrupted. “I’ve gone through all of Morris’ belongings and all through the records and boxes that came from the Academy when it was closed down. I have never been able to find it.”

  “Perhaps it wasn’t ready to be found yet,” he countered. “Would you mind…”

  He stopped when his phone rang, and he looked down at the screen. “It’s Agnes,” he said before he answered the phone.

  “Agnes,” he began. “What? How? Are they okay?”

  Joseph and Finias were already on their feet coming towards him. Henry hung up the phone and turned to Charity. “I’m afraid we have to leave,” he said to her. “There’s been a complication with the Willoughbys.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Charity replied.

  “Thank you,” Henry replied, standing up and hurrying past her. “We will be in touch.”

  Once out of the library, they ran across the main room of the museum and out the door.

  “What?” Joseph called as they ran to his cruiser.

  “They took a trip through the spirit realm,” Henry said, increasing his pace. “It didn’t end well.”

  Joseph unlocked the car and the men dove inside, still fastening their seat belts when Joseph accelerated down the road, his lights flashing. “What the hell do you mean, it didn’t end well?” Joseph asked. “Hazel?”

  “All of the sisters are fine,” Henry began, then he shook his head. “Actually, that’s not right. They are devastated but physically unharmed. However, they lost Patience.”

  “Who is Patience?” Finias asked.

  Henry took a deep breath. “Patience is Rowan’s spirit guide, and she is also my great-great-grandmother.”

  “I don’t understand. How did they lose her?” Joseph asked.

  “Agnes didn’t give me much more information than that,” Henry said. “She just told me to hurry.”

  Joseph increased the acceleration and turned on the sirens as they drove out of the city towards the Willoughby farm. “Why would they take risks like that?” he muttered. “Why the hell didn’t they wait.”

  “Because they understand that this is their fight, their obligation,” Finias said.

  “Well, they’re going to have to change their way of thinking,” Joseph growled, smacking the steering wheel with his fist. “They’re going to damn well change their way of thinking. We are in this together. We are all in this together.”

  “Even more so than before,” Finias added.

  Henry turned to Finias. “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “If the original sisters didn’t know about the spell, whatever incantation they cast of the demon is flawed,” Finias replied. “Whatever plan they’d conjured for the past hundred years is incorrect. Whatever assurances they had of defeating this creature have been cancelled. This is a whole new game now.”

  “So, no more three from one?” Joseph asked.

  Finias shook his head. “No, the three from one could have worked had the original incantation been binding. But now, because of the Wildes Witch, this is all out warfare.”

  “Which is why the demon had been trying to recruit members of the opposing coven,” Henry said. “He realizes that this is a war – a new war – not just the climax of an old spell.”

  Finias nodded. “And this is why we need a whole new game plan, comprised of many more than just the three.”

  “The grimoire had already told us that the three would each need another one,” Henry said. “A partner in this fight.”

  Finias nodded. “But did the grimoire tell you that the fight might begin before Samhain?”

  “What?” Joseph asked. “What are you talking about?”

  “Look at the moon,” Finias replied.

  They looked out the cruiser’s window and saw the low hanging full moon encircled by a blood red haze.

  “What does that mean?” Henry asked. “That wasn’t like that earlier.”

  “Things have changed. The demon is summoning his followers for a battle,” Finias said. “A blood red haze around the moon means an impending attack. They plan to strike tonight.”

  “What the hell are we supposed to do?” Joseph asked, turning onto the road that led to the Willoughby farm.

  “We need the amulet,” Finias said. “If we can destroy it, we can reduce the demon’s power.” He looked at Henry. “Is there a vehicle I can borrow once we get to the Willoughby’s farm?”

  Henry nodded. “Yes, my car,” he said, reaching in his jacket pocket and pulling out the keys. He handed them to Finias. “It’s parked next to the barn.”

  “I’ll go back to the B&B and see if I can find anything there,” Finias said. “And you find out everything you can from the sisters and their experience. Call me with anything. The smallest detail might be our saving grace.”

  Joseph turned the cruiser into the driveway of the Willoughby farm and pulled behind the house. Immediately, Finias jumped out of the cruiser and ran across the barnyard to Henry’s car. He slipped into the driver’s seat, started the car, and pulled away in a matter of moments.

  Henry and Joseph dashed up the back stairs without giving Finias another thought. Their focus was on getting inside.

  Henry pushed the door open and hurried into the living room. In the corner of the room in an overstuffed chair, Rowan was huddled in a fetal position, sobbing softly. He paused for only a moment, then moved to her side. Placing his hand on her arm, he gently whispered her name.

  She turned to him, her eyes filled with tears, her face filled with sorrow. “Oh, Henry,” she sobbed. “She’s gone. Patience is gone. And she’s gone because of us.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and just held her. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, pressing a kiss against her head. She burrowed against his shoulder, her tears soaking his shirt.

  “She was protecting us,” she cried, “from the demon.”

  Henry’s heart clenched for a moment, suddenly realizing the danger they had all been in. “What happened?” he asked when he could trust his voice.

  Rowan took a deep, shuddering breath and looked up at him. His face filled with concern, he withdrew his handkerchief and gently blotted her face. “Tell me,” he pleaded.

  “We watched the incantation,” Rowan said, her voice still shaking.

  “With Mistress Wildes?” Henry asked.

  Rowan’s tear-filled eyes widened. “How did you know?”

  “We found Morris Pratt’s journal at the museum,” he replied. “He wrote about the incantation and the amulet.”

  Rowan nodded slowly. “As soon as we learned what had happened, Patience was adamant that we leave immediately,” she said. “She realized that we were in danger because of the spell that Mistress Wildes had cast. Cat wanted to try and find the amulet, but Patience insisted we leave.”

  Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Rowan continued. “We saw him, in the guise of a black serpent, as soon as we left the B&B. Once Patience saw him, she told us to run. But he was getting closer.”

  She shook her head, and tears flowed freely once again. “She told us to go ahead, and then she confronted him,” she wept softly. “He just swirled around her, like a snake with its prey, and then she disappeared in a burst of light.”

  “So, she distracted him and then went to the light?” he asked.

  “What?” Rowan asked, confused.

  “Well, since she was already a spirit of light, he had no control over her,” Henry said. “Right?”

  “I suppose,” Rowan replied thoughtfully.

  �
��So, she distracted him for enough time for you to arrive back safely, and then she moved to the light,” he surmised. “At least that’s how I think it works.”

  She smiled at him. “So, she’s not gone?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “Well, I don’t know all the rules from that side,” he confessed. “She might have given up her ability to be your spirit guide, but she’s certainly not in a bad place. The demon lost control over her once she died.”

  She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “Thank you,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I feel much better now.”

  He leaned over and kissed her back. “Better?” he asked softly.

  She took another breath and nodded. “A little. I’m going to miss her. She has always been a huge part of my life,” she answered truthfully. “But I know crying isn’t going to help us right now.”

  He hugged her to him and placed a kiss on her forehead. “No, but remembering her and honoring her sacrifice will help,” he said. “Ready to go forward in battle, for Patience?”

  She smiled back. “For Patience!” she replied with firm resolve. “Yes! For Patience!”

  Chapter Fifty

  Hazel walked into the kitchen and saw Donovan sitting at the counter, eating a sandwich.

  “What? No kibble?” she asked, slipping into the stool next to him and taking one of his potato chips.

  He grimaced at her and shook his head. “I’m still finding fleas,” he complained with a grin. “So, hungry?” He offered her the other half of his sandwich.

  “Always,” she replied, accepting it and taking a big bite. “This pregnancy stuff is brutal.”

  He shook his head. “I still can’t believe you’re pregnant,” he said. “You’re too little.”

  “Obviously not,” she said as she chewed. “So, you are still in the doghouse?”

  “Are we going to continue with these canine jokes for a while?” he replied.

  She grinned and nodded. “Until we are both sick of them.”

  He raised his hand. “I’m sick of them,” he said.

  She shrugged. “Well, lucky for both of us, I’m still highly amused,” she said. “So, what’s up?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied. “Cat won’t talk to me about it. How can I help if I don’t know what to do?”

  “It’s all about the amulet,” Hazel said, taking another bite of the sandwich. “I guess we’re all pretty freaked out about it.”

  “What amulet?” Donovan asked.

  “The amulet that Mistress Wildes made for the demon at the Academy before the sisters enchanted him and imprisoned him for one hundred years,” she explained. “The amulet gives him more power.”

  Donovan’s jaw dropped, and he nodded slowly. “I’ve heard about it,” he said, he concentrated for a moment. “As a matter of fact, when he was inside of me, I saw it. It’s hidden in the ballroom.”

  Hazel’s eyes widened, and she put the sandwich down. “You saw it?” she asked. “You know where it is?”

  He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think I do,” he said. “But it’s a picture memory; I’m going to have to go there and find it myself.”

  He stood up, and Hazel jumped off her stool and put her hand on his shoulder. “Wait, what are you doing?” she asked.

  He looked down at her. “Remember that trick I taught you years ago?” he asked.

  “Transporting yourself places?” she asked with a smile. “Yeah, I use it all the time.”

  “I’m going to the ballroom to look around,” he said.

  “Wait! You need backup,” she said.

  He shook his head. “It will take too long for anyone else to get there,” he replied. “I’m good.”

  She shook her head. “No way,” she said. “You could still be under his influence, and you could end up giving him the amulet. Then where would we be? I’m going with you.”

  “No, you’re pregnant,” he argued.

  “Yeah, and if we don’t get the amulet in a couple of weeks, I could be dead,” she replied. “See, easy choice. Besides, I can grab it from you and bring it back home in case we’re interrupted.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “I’m going to regret this, I know it,” he said.

  “The only regret you’ll have is that you didn’t think of it first,” she replied. “Now come on, we’ve got a treasure to find.”

  She grabbed the sandwich and took one more bite, then set it down. “Ready,” she said, through a mouthful of food and grabbed his hands.

  “Okay,” he replied. “Let’s go.”

  A moment later, the kitchen was deserted except for two plates with half-eaten sandwiches on them.

  Chapter Fifty-one

  “Okay, this place looks just as creepy in real life as it did when we were in the spirit realm,” Hazel said as they reappeared in the ballroom.

  She looked around at the exposed pipes, the cracking paint, and the peeling woodwork, then turned to Donovan. “You know, I could have this whole place remodeled and looking like something straight out of HGTV just like that,” she said, snapping her fingers in the air.

  Donovan shook his head. “Concentrate Hazel,” he said. “We need to find that amulet.”

  She shook her head. “No, you need to find that amulet,” she said. “I’m here for back-up, good looks, and a speedy getaway. But, in the meantime, I can dream, can’t I?”

  “As long as you do it quietly while I concentrate,” he replied, a smile softening his words.

  “I can be quiet,” she replied with a smirk. “When I want to.”

  She strolled across the room to examine the tall windows while Donovan walked over to the white-brick fireplace on the opposite wall. He closed his eyes and tried to picture where he’d seen the amulet. He placed his hand on the fireplace front and held it there, trying to sense any residual magic. He moved his hand to the right, paused, and then returned it to his starting point. Yes! There was definitely a change in vibrations.

  He moved it further to the left and could now feel the thrumming, like a heartbeat, in his hand. Low, but steady. He continued to move his hand along the brick work, first to the left and then down, towards the hearth. Even though his own heart was beating with excitement, his movements were careful and steady as he made his way towards what he was sure was the hidden compartment housing the amulet.

  Hazel walked slowly from one corner of the room to the other. She checked the plaster walls for structural integrity, checked the floors for warping, and was starting to check the windowsills for dry rot when she noticed a darkening on one of the walls.

  Curious, she began to move towards it, then stopped as she realized the dark spot was growing. In a matter of moments, the three-inch diameter spot was now 12-inches and expanding.

  “This can not be good,” she said, her voice hoarse and frightened. She backed away from the spot toward Donovan.

  “Donovan,” she tried to cry out, but her throat was too dry to make much noise. “Donovan.”

  “Busy here,” Donovan replied easily, as he moved his hand closer to the prize.

  “Donovan,” she squeaked, backing into him.

  He turned in exasperation. “What? I’m nearly there,” he said, then he saw the look on her face and spun around. “Oh, crap!”

  The dark spot was now 24 inches in diameter, and the wall was bulging out. “I think it’s…” Hazel gulped.

  “Yeah, it’s him,” Donovan said. “And he’s probably not happy with what we’re doing.”

  “I thought he was, like, smoke,” she said, still staring at the bulging wall.

  “I think he decided to make it real,” Donovan replied. “Tangible can cause a lot more damage than black smoke, and the only way he can pick up the amulet is to be real.”

  “The bulge is getting bigger,” Hazel warned him. “You’d better hurry.”

  He turned back and stuck his hand underneath the front of the brick, into the flue and felt around. His fingers caught on a small indentation in the roc
k. He pressed on it and heard the click of a lock. Suddenly, a piece of brick sprung forward, and something fell into his hands.

  “Got it,” he whispered, looking at the soot covered object. He turned around and pressed it into Hazel’s hands. “You’ve got to go sweetheart.”

  She shook her head as the serpent pushed through the plaster and hissed at them. “I can’t leave you here,” she argued.

  “Donovan,” the serpent hissed, as it unwound itself to its full height of ten feet. “Bring it to me.”

  “You can’t fight this thing by yourself,” Hazel whispered.

  “The important thing here is the amulet,” he whispered to her. “I’ll come after you soon, but I need to stall him and give you a head start.”

  Donovan turned to the serpent. “Bring what to you?” he asked, holding out his hands. “I’ve got nothing.”

  “I control you, Donovan,” the creature hissed. “I am part of you. You can feel the excitement of my darkness. And this amulet will bring us more excitement, more darkness, and more power.”

  Donovan could feel the tug in the pit of his stomach, and his palms began to sweat. “Go!” he whispered harshly. “Go now!”

  “You won’t let him win!” Hazel insisted. “You won’t let him control you!”

  He took a deep breath, seeing not only the pleading, but also the concern in her eyes, and the tug inside his gut lessoned. “I won’t,” he said, taking a sigh of relief. “I won’t.”

  “Donovan!” the creature screamed as it realized its effect on Donovan was fading. “Take it from her!”

  Her eyes wide with fear, she stared at him. “Promise?”

  He nodded. “Promise,” he replied, hoping he would be able to keep his word. “Now go!”

  She screamed as the serpent flew towards them and disappeared before her scream had finished echoing in the room.

  Chapter Fifty-two

  The sun was just peaking above the tops of the buildings in downtown Whitewater when Finias made it back to the B&B. He parked Henry’s car in the parking lot and quietly let himself in through the front door and stole up the stairs to the second floor. He paused, looking longingly at his bedroom and the hot shower that awaited him after this long night, then shook his head.