“Yes, you’re on the right track,” Nana chuckled. “There is tremendous power here. Whenever I’ve been abroad, doing my work, I come home drained. It takes a lot out of you, as you will find out, Keira. This house itself recharges me. It’s been a solace that I searched the world to find. It helps that’s it’s not terribly far from where my daughter lives, as well.”
I took a deep breath. It was do-or-die time. “Gwen, would you consider helping me with continuing what my grandmother has done?”
Her eyes opened wide. “Are you kidding me? This would be the dream come true! It would be fascinating!” She looked around the room. “Even if it gets scary.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “But I can’t. I have my father to look after, not to mention my job. I can’t go traipsing around the world with you.”
I scoffed and my hand fluttered high dismissing her concerns. “Don’t worry about your dad. I’ll hire the very best care and as for your job... really? I’ll pay you a lot more than what you’re making at the post office. We’ll make a great team!” I slapped her knee.
She shook her head. “It’s not about money. My big concern is my dad. From the sounds of it, we’d be gone for long periods of time. I’m not sure about that part.”
“Look Gwen, we can figure something out. I think the important question right now, is if you would want to do this work. I think you do. I really like your dad and he’d want you to be happy, wouldn’t he? We won’t abandon him, don’t worry.” I knew we could do this, together.
I looked over at Lawrence and Nana who were holding hands, smiling at us. She let go of his hand and held out her hands to us. “Take my hands, girls.”
The three of us, held hands, making a small circle. I felt in my heart what I can only describe as a rose-colored glow fill and spread out through my chest. Gwen let out a little gasp, and Nana smiled.
She let go and looked at us with a knowing smile. “You two are kindred spirits you know.”
Gwen chuckled. “I was thinking the same thing.” She turned her head to me, nodding.
“Kindred spirits, huh? I like that term. It sounds cool.”
Gwen and Nana looked at each other and laughed. What was so funny? I shrugged. Let them have their private joke. “Anyone care for some key lime pie?”
TWENTY EIGHT
GWEN FOLLOWED ME INTO THE KITCHEN. “I’m still smoked by what just happened. All this time, your grandmother and Lawrence have been living this secret life—traveling the world and being some kind of exorcist or something. Confronting demons even!”
I popped the frozen pie into the microwave to thaw and then turned to her. “When he started, Lawrence didn’t have any special abilities in this. He trained himself to become attuned to it, so he could help my grandmother.”
“Well, I’ve never seen my dead mother... but I’ve sensed her being near, if that counts for anything.” Gwen reached for the plates and set them down on the counter. “And I’ve read a lot about this, so that gives me a leg up, I think.”
My arm curled over her shoulder. “You don’t have to sell me on you, Gwen. If you hadn’t shown up, this would have gone badly. I know that. And it was when we held hands in your bedroom that whatever power I have, got amplified. And here, the same thing happened.” I squeezed her shoulder. “I think you’ve got it, whatever ‘it’ is!”
Her smile fell and she stepped away. “But my mother... by your grandmother’s logic, she should move on. Call me selfish, but I hate the thought of that.”
I blew out a long sigh, looking down at the floor. “I can understand that. Your dad gets comfort out of her being near as well. None of you are ready to part from each other. There will come a time, but not yet.” I turned when the microwave beeped and opened the door. “There’re lots of spirits who stay for bad reasons—fear, confusion, anger. I’d say they’re the ones who need to be convinced to leave.”
“So, this enemy of your grandmother’s... who is it? Do you know? She seemed to think that this demon, Jarrod or whatever, was working with him.”
I stared at her. “I’m pretty sure it’s my grandfather. His name is David Holmes. Lawrence warned me to forget about him. But I think, knowing your enemy is the first step in the battle. And now that Nana—”
“You’re calling her Nana now, not GM?” Gwen grinned. “That’s progress.”
“Yeah.” My cheeks warmed and I smiled back at her. “Anyway... now that Nana thinks he knows about me, the stakes just got higher. If that thing that was in the bedroom is somehow allied with him, he must have some paranormal ability himself, like Nana. It probably explains how they got together, even if it was short-lived.”
She was quiet as we dished out the pie and put it on a tray. Finally she spoke. “How much of this can I tell my father? If I do take you up doing this, I’ve got to tell him something. And I might have an answer to nursing care for him.”
My heart leapt and I grinned. She was actually going to do this! I’d liked her right from the start and we’d make a good team. “What’s that?”
She grinned. “His sister, Elizabeth. She’s retiring from nursing this year. It might not be too hard to convince her to retire here. He’s the only family she’s got. I’m not her biggest fan, nor is she mine. She’s a bit of a busybody.”
“But does he get along with her?”
“Dad gets along with everyone. Even her.”
“Well, there’s no rush in this. I probably have much to learn from Nana... and Lawrence could give you lots of pointers, I’m sure.” I was about to pick up the tray but she nudged me away. “I’ll get this.” She snorted. “Just call me, Lawrence.”
“Never! He can be stodgy. I’d never accuse you of that!” I followed her from the kitchen and back to my grandmother’s room. I almost ran into her when she stopped short in the doorway.
She stepped to the side and nodded with her head for me to check out the room. They were both sound asleep, snuggled together. It was such a sweet picture with Nana’s head on Lawrence’s chest, his arm around her, holding her close. They had a deep history and obvious love for each other.
I backed out of the room and turned the light off, leaving only the lamp on the bedside table lit. It had been a day from hell and they deserved to rest.
TWENTY NINE
GWEN AND I HAD SPENT MOST OF THAT EVENING chatting and getting to know each other better. When she left, I locked up and got caught up, sending emails to my mother and replying to one from Cerise, who was anxious for me to return home. She missed our nights partying at the clubs. It was funny. The thought of going back to that held no appeal. I drummed my fingers on my desktop. Cerise was the only one of the group of friends I had in New York who contacted me; the others couldn’t care less if I fell off the face of the earth.
But then... I felt pretty much the same about them. I had never really fit in with a group of friends. I was always the one standing right at the edge of being an outsider.
***
When I woke up, the day was overcast and threatening rain again. I was about to roll over and catch forty more winks but a feeling of dread settled in my gut. It could have been some sort of hangover from yesterday, but I didn’t think so. I lay there for a couple of minutes until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
Something was wrong.
I threw my robe on and hustled over to the stairwell. As I passed Lawrence’s room, seeing the door closed, I wondered if he had managed to get up to bed or if he’d spent the night with my grandmother. They’d been out cold when Gwen and I went in there, which considering the attack on both of them, was understandable.
The kitchen was empty with no sign of Lawrence. No smell of coffee and the pot was still off. Shaking my head, I stepped over to it and got it going. After flipping the switch I strode out to the sunroom. That’s where she normally had breakfast. But again, it was empty, with the first splatters of rain hitting the glass dome overhead.
Well, this was going to be awkward... going into my grandmother’
s room to get them up! I knocked on the door. “Nana? Lawrence?” Silence was the only answer.
The feeling of dread sank lower in my gut. I turned the handle and opened the door wide enough to peek inside. The bedcovers were rumpled from the night they’d spent there but otherwise it was empty. Where were they?
I raced to the front door. Maybe they were more seriously hurt than we’d thought and Lawrence had taken Nana to the hospital or something. But wouldn’t they have told me? When I spied the black Cadillac next to my rental car, it was like a punch to the stomach. I spun around, looking up the staircase to the upper floors. “Nana?” This time, my voice yelled loudly. “Lawrence?”
The living room. I darted through the door and peered around. Again, no sign of them. I was running by this time, going from the dining room, to the downstairs bath, up the stairs and calling out to them all the while. My voice echoed in the hallway and I jerked the door of Lawrence’s room wide. His bed was made and everything was in order, exactly as I would have thought for someone like him, even if I’d never been in there before.
My heart raced along with my feet as I ran down the hallway, throwing every door open and peering inside the rooms. They weren’t here! I raced across to the window, and scanned the yard. There was no sign of them.
Had they called a taxi and gone off somewhere? Maybe there was a note which I’d overlooked. I raced back downstairs, glancing at the table near the door and striding through the dining room. Nothing there. I burst through the door to the kitchen, my gaze darting from the counter to the fridge where a grocery list hung. Nothing. The table was clear as well.
I turned quickly at the gurgling of the coffeepot as the last of the water seeped through. This was weird. I took a deep breath and forced myself to pour a mug. There had to be some explanation for them not being there. They wouldn’t just up and leave me, would they? I couldn’t see Nana doing that. Did it have something to do with what happened last night? That somehow her enemy had kidnapped them or something? But I would have heard if there’d been any kind of commotion.
I set the mug down and once more my feet were flying to my grandmother’s room. It was a total shot in the dark, but I barged into the bathroom adjoining her room. The room was pristine from the neatly arranged towels to the gleaming porcelain tub.
Back in my grandmother’s bedroom, I looked around, searching for any clue as to why both she and Lawrence were gone. It was then I noticed the envelope on her dressing table, propped up against the mirror. I sprinted over and picked it up. It was my grandmother’s writing, with my name on the front.
My fingers trembled tearing the flap open, tugging the letter out and the smell of roses wafted up.
Dear Keira,
Let me begin by telling you how much I love you and how proud of you, I am. The fact that you are reading this letter, means that I am gone.
I shall miss our daily chats and watching you blossom, delighting in discovering the gifts which are my legacy to you. It was much too short a time together, a fact that now, I deeply regret. There are photo albums in my night-stand. They’re filled with pictures of you—from when you were born to just earlier this year. They don’t do you justice, Keira. They don’t reveal the jewel inside that you truly are. Oh, to have known you when you were growing up!
All my worldly goods are now yours, along with my undying love. Use them wisely, as well as your talents in following my life’s work. It is good work. It’s IMPORTANT work and I’ve never regretted it for one minute. You will do me proud, when you continue with it, I am sure!
Take care, my dear and know that I’ll always love you!
All my love, for all time,
Your Nana.
She’d left? Where would she have gone? There was no clue in anything she’d written.
I walked over to her closet and opened the sliding door. Dresses and tops hung from hangers and the shoe rack was jammed to bordering an overflow. If she’d taken off traveling, she was traveling light.
My eyes popped open wide. Mom! Maybe she knew where Nana was. I raced up the stairs and into my bedroom. I grabbed my cell phone when I saw a waiting text message from my father. It had just come in.
“We just heard and we’re on our way. We’ll be in Kingston as soon as we can. Stay put. We’ll take a cab from the airport.”
Heard what? My heart did a nosedive into my belly. Whatever they’d heard, the fact that both my parents were coming to Kingston was not good. I tried calling them, only to be told on both their cells phones that the call could not be completed. My fingers flew replying to Dad’s text. I watched the small screen for a few minutes but no reply came through.
The feeling of dread I’d awoken with was now alarm. There was something wrong. Nana was gone and I had no idea where.
I started crying. That letter was a goodbye.
THIRTY
I MOVED LIKE A ZOMBIE going through the motions of showering and getting dressed. I glanced outside before trudging down the stairs. It was a steady rain, from a dull gray sky. The house was so quiet, the storm was a white noise against the roof and windows.
As I was about to pass through the foyer to get a cup of coffee, there was a pounding at the front door. My heart skipped a beat as I raced over to answer it. They were back!
When I opened the door and saw Gwen, my shoulders fell. “Oh. Hi. Come in.”
She didn’t smile as she stepped inside, already unzipping the yellow slicker and throwing the hood back. It only just then occurred to me. Why wasn’t she at work? The mail must go through and all that. She reached in her pocket and withdrew an envelope.
“I’m sorry. I would have come sooner but I had to get someone to cover my route.” She withdrew a letter and handed it to me. “This was in my truck this morning. It’s from Lawrence.”
I read it.
Dear Gwen,
I was wrong about my first impressions that you were not suitable to take up the mantle of Guardian. That’s what I have been to Pamela for these many years and now, after what happened last night, I see that you are true and able to continue in that role with Keira.
If I had any words of wisdom to depart to you, it is this, trust your intuition. That silent inner voice has proved itself many times, saving Pamela and I on many occasions. Even if Keira, who can be headstrong and impulsive, wants to rush headfirst into a situation, if your gut is telling you otherwise, trust it.
Good luck to you! I know you will do well with Keira. Even though Pamela and I are gone, our hearts and best wishes are with you. Please, when you read this letter, go to Keira. She will be receiving instructions later this day. It’s important that you are there for her.
With warmest regards,
Lawrence
I stared at Gwen. “This is like the letter Nana left for me! And my parents are on their way here! What do you make of all this?”
She shook her head. “I got a bad feeling when I read his letter. Let me see what your grandmother wrote.”
We hurried into the bedroom and I handed her the letter, watching her as she read it. The bad feeling I’d had before just got worse.
She looked up and her eyes were wide staring at me when she finished reading. “They are definitely gone.” She stared at me until her gaze faltered. “I hate to even say this, but do you think something bad happened to them? That maybe they’re...”
Oh God. My knees turned to rubber and I gripped the table to keep from falling over. It was the thing I didn’t want to even think about... but I already had. Hearing her almost say the word was still a punch in the gut. “I don’t know. But the fact that my parents....” I couldn’t finish. My chin quivered and hot tears sprang to my eyes.
Gwen stepped forward and took me in her arms. We stood holding each other while I cried. “It can’t be, Gwen. There’s got to be an explanation. She’s gone away on a trip somewhere.” I pulled back and my heart took a leap of faith. “Maybe the airport. We could contact them to see if they took a flight somewhere?”
She sighed. “Yeah. We could do that. But first let’s go to the kitchen. We’ll have a coffee and figure this out.” As we walked from the bedroom, her arm still around my shoulders, she continued. “It doesn’t sound like your grandmother, though. To just up and leave in the middle of the night? She hardly left this house... ever.”
I sniffed and then looked up at her. “And her clothes. It doesn’t look like she packed anything. You don’t suppose my grandfather has something to do with this do you?”
She steered me to the table. “Sit down. I’ll get the coffee.” As she poured it, she glanced over at me. “I don’t know why, but it doesn’t feel like that to me. And your grandmother said that whatever that thing was, it needed time to regroup... get its strength back.”
I had to agree with her. My instincts were that this had nothing to do with him. The letters were too nice; I didn’t pick up any hint of coercion from them. And the fact Lawrence’s letter asked Gwen to come over to be with me...
I felt the blood drain from my face. “Gwen, they planned this!”
“What? How?”
“I don’t know! But my dad ‘heard!’” I held up my cell phone for her to read the message. I tried calling him again, with no luck, and he hadn’t replied to my text from earlier.
Haunted By The Succubus Page 38