I foisted Kinsley into her arms before she could protest. There were few people I trusted more than Amelda to keep my daughter safe. I knew she'd be fine with her great-grandmother. Probably safer than she was with me.
"Brighton, don't be ridiculous," Amelda called after me, but I was already running.
I heard the sirens and knew the fire department was close. I had to get inside before they got there lest they stop me. It probably was silly to go in because with the fire department there as cover, the Aunties could put the fire out, but I had a bad feeling.
I didn't bother with the elevator. There was a stairwell to the left when you came into the courthouse. No one used it, so they kept it locked, but a little magic was all I needed to get through.
My eyes were burning and I began to cough. I hadn't thought about the smoke when I came in. I waved my hand in front of my face and used the same spell I'd used to protect Kinsley. The tightness in my chest relaxed instantly, and the stinging tears cleared from my eyes.
I took the steps down two at a time. Remy and I were going to have to have a talk about him running into burning buildings to save a bunch of records, but we'd also probably end up having a talk about me handing the baby over to his grandmother and following him in. But, I couldn't let anything happen to him.
It was then that it hit me we'd both run into a trap. "But I know it's a trap," I said out loud and shook it off.
"What the fork do you think you're doing?" Meri's voice came up from the dark.
I let out a shriek and jumped so high I almost fell the rest of the way down the stairs. "Meri?"
"Yeah, who else would it be?"
I continued down the stairs toward the sound of his voice. "Meri, what are you doing here? How did you get here?"
"Tunnels, Brighton. There are tunnels under the entire town. I got a bad feeling, and I followed it. Imagine my surprise to find you here doing something stupid. Okay, I'm not that surprised."
"I'm trying to get to Remy. He came down here. Something's wrong."
"Yeah, something is wrong. The building is on fire and you two dumb-dumbs ran into it. Where is the creature? Please tell me you didn't bring her in here."
"She's outside with Amelda. She's safe," I said.
"Okay, good," Meri said.
"But where is Remy? Did you see him?"
"Okay, I don't want you to freak out," Meri said.
"Meri..."
"He's down there, but he's in a witch trap."
"A what?"
"A witch trap. It's a trap for witches. Just like the name says."
"We have to get him," I said.
I started to run from the stairwell to the archives, but when I got to the stairwell door, it was locked. I tried to use magic to open it, but it wouldn't budge.
"Ahem," Meri said.
"Meri, what's going on, I can't open this door."
"Yeah, that's because I've sealed it," he said.
"Meri, open this door."
"I can't. It's for your protection. That's why you can't override it."
"Meri, open the door," I said.
"I can't. If I let you go in there, then you both get stuck in the trap."
"You got through it," I said.
"I'm not a witch. I'm a familiar," he said. "Keep up, okay?"
"So how do I get past the trap? I have to go in there and get him," I said. "I mean, who put the trap there? Who has him?"
"I think it's your brother," Meri said.
"Brody? Let me in there. Let me at him," I growled. "This is too far."
"Brighton, focus. Witch trap."
"Well, then what are we going to do? As much fun as this is, I need to get my husband out and deliver my brother to the family crypt."
"Well, Brody isn't actually in there. So, that's one thing. I assume he had someone else place the items for the witch trap."
"Yes, there's a woman working for him. I met her earlier," I said.
"And you didn't kill her then?" Meri asked.
"Meri, I can't just kill people in the street. Besides, I didn't know she'd set a witch trap in the archives," I said and a light bulb went off. "Hey, do you think she set the fire to get Remy in here?"
"Duh," Meri said.
I was about to tell Meri that it was no time for his sarcasm when someone knocked on the glass. I looked up, and it was Brody's face looking back at me.
"I thought you said he wasn't in there," was the first thing I could think of.
“Well, he wasn’t,” Meri said. “Or I didn’t see him. How did he manage to get into Coventry?”
“The fire,” I said. “All of the most powerful witches are funneling their magic toward the fire. Maybe he was able to slip in.”
“But they all channeled their power at your wedding,” Meri said.
“Not like this,” I responded. “At least it’s not the shapeshifting serial killer.”
“I think I’d rather have him than your brother,” Meri said. “At least that dude wasn’t a witch.”
“So wait, if Remy is caught in a witch trap, and I can’t go in there because I’d be trapped in it, how is Brody not trapped in it?” I asked.
Meri just sat there for a moment thinking. I looked back at Brody's face, and his smug look of satisfaction faltered for a moment. He'd just been standing there looking at us, but he'd made no attempt to come through the door. When he did realize what we were talking about, I saw his hand go down and heard the door handle rattle.
It didn't open.
"That's just my spell," Meri said. "He can't open the door because I'm protecting you."
"Then unlock it and let's see," I said.
"You've got to be kidding," Meri retorted.
"I can handle Brody," I said. "He likes to think he's scary, and sometimes the stuff he does unnerves me, but he hasn’t been seriously studying the craft the way I have."
"You don't know that," Meri said. "We don't know what he's been doing, and right now, he's very close to the ley line."
"So am I," I said. "Unlock the door, Meri. Let's get this over with."
"I hate it every time I have to say this, but let's go get Amelda," Meri said.
"There's no time. If we leave, the firemen outside aren't going to let us back in," I said. "In fact, I'm sure they're going to be coming down here any minute."
"Fine," Meri said. "Just please don't make me have to tell Amelda that she has to raise the creature."
I tried the door handle, and it opened. I swung the door open and took a step back.
"Get out of here," Brody said.
"What?"
"Get out of here, Brighton. Go," Brody said.
"If you think I'm leaving you in there with my husband and I'm just going to let you kill him, you're nuts," I said.
"It's not me," Brody said. "I mean, it's kind of me. Obviously, I didn't accidentally get myself stuck in this trap. You have to get out of here. You have to go get Kinsley."
"What? No. Kinsley is with Amelda. I made sure she was safe."
"Are you sure that the woman you handed Kinsley to was Amelda?" Brody asked.
In an instant, my blood turned to ice. I turned and ran back up the stairs. I didn't know what was going on with Brody, and I hated to leave Remy down there trapped with him, but I had to get to Kinsley first.
I ran outside and the Aunties were there. Even Amelda, but I almost fainted when I saw she wasn't holding Kinsley. Still, I told myself, perhaps Amelda had given Kinsley to Annika. But then, how did Amelda know if it was really Annika? I felt my pulse thundering in my temples. My mouth was dry, and the edges of my vision blurred. How could I have been so stupid? Remy told me to go home, and I should have listened. If I had only listened.
"Please," I whispered and hope the Goddess or the Universe could hear. "If she's okay, I will never get involved in anything like this again. I will be a good mother, and that will be enough. I will stay out of bad things. I swear."
Despite the fact that I felt like I was going to
fall over at any moment, I ran the rest of the way over to Amelda. "Where is Kinsley?" I practically shrieked.
The look that came over Amelda's face told me everything I needed to know. She turned to the other Aunties and yelled out, "Find the child!"
I wish that I could tell you that we found her. After a few hours, I was sent home. The Aunties went down to the archives to see if they could free Remy and Brody from the witch trap, but when they got there, no one was there.
Annika and Gunner drove me home, and I got this surreal feeling like I'd dreamed all of it. For a moment, it was as if everything from my arrival in Coventry to the moment I handed my baby over to an evil witch had just been some sort of psychosis.
I hadn't wanted to leave the town square. Going home without my baby and husband was like saying it was over. I had the same feeling when Gunner pulled into the driveway and I had to get out of the car. The last vestiges of home left me, and my body felt completely boneless. Annika and Gunner had to help me to the front door.
When I stood there for a moment without opening it, Annika eventually waved her hand over the deadbolt and unlocked it. "Come on, honey. Let's get you some tea."
But when we walked through the front door, our ears were immediately filled with the sound of a baby wailing. My heart leapt into my throat, and I rushed into the house. Following the sound of the crying, I made my way through the dining room.
"Brighton, wait. It could be a trap," Annika called after me.
I kept going. I knew the sound of my baby. I knew my Kinsley.
I found her there in the kitchen sink. She was starving and desperately needed a diaper change, but she was okay. She had to have been sleeping, and we woke her up when we opened the front door.
"Oh my gawd!" Annika exclaimed and she rushed into the kitchen. "How?"
"I handed her over to whoever it was so close to the ley line. She must have stepped on it and Kinsley was able to override the bracelet Amelda gave her. She had to have had a magic hiccup and ended up back here. Same as the day she was born."
"I'm going to call my grandmother," Annika said.
"I'll check the perimeter," Gunner said, and I could swear there was one tear just under his eye.
"Gunner, if anything is out there, I'm not sure what you'll be able to do," I said.
"I'm going to check it anyway," he said resolutely.
"Thank you," I said and let him go do his thing.
While Annika was on the phone with Amelda, I change Kinsley and warmed a bottle. But the time Annika hung up, I was on the sofa with Kinsley in my arms eating and Meri curled up against my leg.
"She's on her way," Annika said. "I hope that's okay."
"I figured she would be," I said. "How do we know it's her?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" Annika asked and then paled. "Oh, right."
"How do I know it's you?" I asked. "No offense."
"Amelda is easy," Annika said. "I'll ask her something only she knows. The most important thing is that you keep Meri at your side and you don't let anyone take Kinsley. You keep her close until we figure this out."
Just then, I heard the basement door open. I started to get up, but Annika motioned for me to stay. She started to walk toward the kitchen, but only made it halfway when Gerty came trotting through the dining room into the living room.
"Gerty, what are you doing here? I thought you were at home."
"Found these," she said and looked back over her shoulder. "Thought you guys might want them."
Brody and Remy appeared behind her.
I stood up from the sofa and backed away. "That can't be Brody. He wouldn't be able to be in here," I said.
"It is," Remy said sadly. "It's us. He can be here because he had to give up his powers to get out of the trap. We both did. Without any magic, he can't hurt you, and he can get past the protection spells."
"Both of you have no magic?" I asked.
"Yes," Remy said. "Can I?"
I nodded my head and he crossed the room. He pulled me into his embrace and kissed Kinsley on the head.
"Amelda's coming, but I'm worried how we're going to tell it's her. Gunner is outside, but when he comes back in, how do we know it's him?"
"The protection magic on this house will keep any witches that mean you harm from coming inside," Remy said. "Meri made sure of that."
"I'll be a prisoner of this house until we figure this out," I said, but I was resigned to accept it. I had my baby back, and I would do what I had to do to protect her. That was the promise I'd made.
"Not necessarily," Brody said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"All magic has a cost that must be paid. For her to use the shape-shifting magic, she had to put a tattoo on her body that does not change. It's a small, red fox, and she put it just above her hairline on her neck. It's difficult to see unless you are looking for it, but it is there," Brody said. "No matter what she looks like, it's there."
"How do you know this? And why are you telling us?" I asked. "Why should we trust you?"
"Because I'm done. I just want out. I'm stripped of my magic and all of the responsibility that comes with it. I don't want to have anything to do with any witch business anymore. If I can get out of here alive, I'm going to disappear into the regular world and none of you will ever see or hear from me again."
"Oh, I don't think it's going to be that easy," Annika said. "You have a lot to answer for."
"To who?" Brody asked. "If you want to turn me over to the police and I go to prison, fine. I'll take it. But I'm no longer a witch."
Annika was about to say something, but she just closed her mouth. I knew that they had turned Gerty into a familiar, and she hadn't been a witch, but it was what she'd wanted. Because of the things Brody had done, he'd been stripped of all of his magic. Would the coven really feel the need to punish him further?
"That's not important right now," I said. "We'll deal with it later. What I want to know is who this woman is? Is it a woman even?" I asked.
"It is," Brody said. "At least, I'm pretty sure. Her name is Baelora. At least that's what I called her. It's what she told me her name was."
"That's a demonic name," Annika said.
"Yes, I think that's why she can do what she does. She did some sort of dark ritual and joined with a demon," Brody said.
"So, she's possessed?" I asked.
"No, it's more than that. She is the demon and the demon is her. It's something that only a very powerful witch could have done."
Just then, Amelda walked in. Her face turned red with rage when she saw Brody, but Annika stepped in front of her.
"Grandmother, he's not a witch anymore. He and Remy had to give up their powers to get out of the witch trap. We'll deal with him later. We've got bigger problems."
"Remy..." she whispered sadly, but Amelda straightened her back and shook it off. "I want proof he has no powers. Give me your hand, you traitorous little..."
"Grandmother," Annika cut her off.
Without missing a beat, Brody walked up to Amelda and gave her his hand. Her face fell when she realized he was telling the truth, and that meant that Remy was no longer a witch as well.
"Baelora is the one who killed my fiancée as well. She's been many different people. There was never a man here building your garage. It was her all along," Brody said. "And I'm afraid to say that I was cheating on my fiancée with her. I'd been under her thumb pretty much the entire time, but now I'm done. She's been scheming and planning this whole time to get stronger and get back at the Skeenbauer Coven. She had to wait until she was strong enough to take you all on."
Amelda just stood there thinking for a few moments. Then she finally spoke. "Our first order of business is to get Remy's powers back. We need him strong to help defend and protect Kinsley."
"How are we going to do that?" Annika asked.
"We're going to do a ritual and ask the Goddess for intercession," Amelda said. "And we also need to figure out why this Baelora l
et Remy and Brody make it back here. She can't be far away, and she must have had her reasons." Amelda looked around and then turned to Annika. "Where is your blockheaded husband?"
"He was outside checking the perimeter," I volunteered. "He said he wanted to make sure it was clear. I didn't think there was much reason, but it made him feel better."
“We should get him,” Amelda said.
But before we could, we heard Gunner coming in through the back door. At least, we assumed it was him.
"I'll go check his head for the tattoo," Remy said.
"No..." My protest was cut off by Amelda.
"You most certainly will not. Until you get your power back, you need to stay away from anything dangerous. Your family needs you," Amelda said. "I will go."
But before she made it out of the room, Gunner came in. He looked around at us like he wasn't quite sure what he'd stepped into, and then he noticed Remy and Brody.
His hand started to go for his gun. His instinct was to protect us from Brody. I thought that, at least, was a good sign.
"Gunner, wait," Annika said. "Before you do anything, Amelda needs to check your head."
"What?" Gunner asked, but his hand still hovered over the gun.
"We'll explain it all in just a minute, but first you need to let my grandmother check your head," Annika said.
"Check my head for what?" he asked.
"I'm looking for a very specific tattoo," Amelda said.
"I don't have any tattoos on my head," Gunner returned.
"Great. I'll just confirm that, and everything will be fine," Amelda said.
I could feel the tension increasing in the room. Gunner was probably just confused, but his resistance was making everyone nervous. Gunner's eyes scanned the room, and I think he caught on that he wasn't in the loop on something. Fortunately, he relaxed and relented.
"All right."
We all stood around silently while Amelda checked his head. She eventually gave us a thumbs-up. "It's him."
The entire room collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"I thought so," Annika said. "Besides, you guys said yourself that Baelora can't get into the house because of all of the protection magic."
Baby Broom Page 5