Kisses and Curses

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “Euann MacGregor, who may be likened to a local hero—” Rory began, his voice lifting to mimic that of a shaky old woman.

  “Local superhero,” Erik corrected dryly.

  “Quite right,” Rory agreed, before continuing, “who may be likened to a local superhero, has proven his loyalty to the community this last week when he saved fifty children from a burning school bus going fifty thousand miles per hour on Old Farmer Road. He is to be worshipped every Tuesday at three p.m.”

  Laughter erupted from all but Euann, who frowned. “That is not what happened or what she wrote. Cora, ignore my cousin. We’ve been meaning to get him help.”

  Cora chuckled. “It doesn’t sound like she’s too bad.”

  “Erik MacGregor was caught with his kilt up on poor sweet Lydia’s front lawn.” Rory patted Erik on the shoulder before turning to push his face close to Iain’s. “Sources say that the MacGregor family is keeping Iain in a glass coffin, where they work dark magick to bring him back from the dead.”

  “She did not,” Jane exclaimed, hitting Rory away from her husband. “She implies things without directly accusing, like, MacGregors purchased another lot. Soon they will own the whole town. What lessons have history taught us about landowners with too much power, I wonder? I, for one, will be keeping a close eye on things, especially come the next elections.”

  Lydia continued, “More MacGregors have been spotted in town. The population of our quaint little hamlet will soon double at this rate. Let’s hope we can hold on to our small-town values as we are infused with big-city folk.”

  “I take it back,” Cora said. “She sounds like a pot stirrer.”

  “I think she’s keeping an eye on this bar,” Jane said.

  “Well, I mean, the mafia is inside,” Euann drawled.

  “Euann, go talk to her. See what’s up.” Erik gestured toward the blue car. “She’s watching this place for a reason. Go find out what she knows about the new owner in case Cora’s hunch is right and it’s not a coincidence that this place opened up right before Jewel arrived.”

  Rory snickered. “Yeah, Euann, go tell your girlfriend hi.”

  Euann sighed. “Excuse me, Cora, I’ll be right back.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Euann stepped into the Crimson Tavern, bemused more than anything by Mrs. Callister’s ramblings. She’d kept him by her car for nearly twenty minutes, chattering about… Well, the truth was, he had stopped listening about two minutes in. She clearly wanted to be a big player in a game no one else was playing.

  The restaurant had hints of an old tavern—wooden floors and tables and a few knickknacks. Otherwise, the beer taps, flat-screen televisions, and neon signs were all twenty-first century. The smell of fried food came from a kitchen behind the bar. Euann recognized a few of the locals but for the most part the place was empty. It wasn’t hard to find his group at a large table toward the back.

  Cora sat next to Rory, who smiled and stretched his arm behind her chair. He leaned into her and said some something to elicit a laugh. He then winked at Euann, knowing precisely what he was doing.

  Jealousy filled Euann as Rory had intended. He moved through the tables to get to her. Jane sat on Cora’s other side, blocking him from being next to her. Iain sat beside Jane, then Lydia and Erik. That left the only open seat next to Erik across from Rory.

  Before he could throw Rory out of the chair, Erik grabbed his arm and pulled him into the seat next to him. His brother whispered, “Watch your eyes. They’re starting to glow a little.” Erik slid a beer in front of him. “Here, have a drink and calm down before ya make a scene. He’ll move when he’s done teasing ya.”

  “Well?” Iain asked. “What did she say?”

  “Mrs. Callister has serious concerns,” Euann said, meeting Cora’s gaze. She gave him a little smile, and he found himself forgetting his words.

  “Which are?” Iain prompted.

  “Oh, mafia boss,” Euann mumbled, not really thinking of his answers. “It’s as Rory said, she thinks this place is a front for the mafia and that the owner is a made guy because she overheard him talking on the phone. He said the words, ‘a friend of ours,’ which every moviegoer knows is mafia talk.”

  “Let me guess. It’s the MacGregors’ fault somehow.” Erik laughed, before adding sarcastically, “Of course. We did bring the big bad city with us to this small little hamlet, didn’t we? Naturally, that can only mean that pimps and drug dealers are next.”

  “Naturally,” Jane agreed.

  “Why does she like you so much, Euann?” Cora asked, even as she chuckled. “Did you cast some kind of magickal enchantment over her?”

  “Magickal enchantment?” A man with a soft Southern accent appeared beside the table. Euann hadn’t heard him approach though that could have been contributed to the low music playing in the background. “Sounds like I got in on this conversation at the wrong time.”

  All eyes turned to look at the man expectantly. He wore a red t-shirt with the name of the tavern printed on the chest. In the time they had been in Green Vallis, Euann liked to think he’d seen everyone in town at least once. This man did not look familiar.

  “How’s it going, folks, your waitress finished her shift so I’ll be taking over. My name is Jefferson and I’ll be your server, bartender, and cook this evening.”

  Jefferson had a friendly smile and kind eyes. On the surface, everything looked normal. Euann knew to trust his instincts, and right now they were telling him there was more to Jefferson than meets the eye. Normally, that feeling meant he was face-to-face with a supernatural being. Only, he couldn’t exactly come out and ask the man what he was.

  “That’s a lot of titles,” Lydia said.

  “Yes, ma’am, it is, but they all fall under the title of owner.” Jefferson didn’t lose any of his cheerfulness.

  The brothers looked at the man, not answering. Clearly they all felt something was off with him, just as Rory had hinted earlier.

  Lydia distracted the man’s attention from their rudeness. “You’re new. We haven’t met. I’m Lydia Barratt MacGregor. I own Love Potions, a toiletry and candle company. And my sister-in-law, Jane, owns the local nursery. We were happy to hear there was a new small business opening in town. If no one has invited you yet, we’d like to invite you to join the small business association. We try to promote and help each other as much as we can.”

  “Thank you. I just might take you up on that,” Jefferson said.

  “What made ya decide to move here?” Erik asked, not as cheerful as his wife.

  “I don’t know why I felt compelled to move north and open a bar and grill, but it sounded like a good idea at the time of conception.”

  Rory gave a schoolboy smirk at the word conception. Euann kicked him under the table.

  “A Southerner running an English tavern in Wisconsin serving Southern cuisine,” Cora mused, glancing at the menu on the table in front of her. “How did that combination happen?”

  “My mawmaw always said to trust my heart, follow my head, and know that both are fools more often than not. So, I trusted my foolish whims, left home, and followed my feet to Wisconsin. When I found this place sitting empty, it felt a little like fate.” Jefferson smiled and glanced around. “Everyone all right on drinks?”

  Iain pulled a napkin and began idly shaping it into a flower. Jane studied the menu.

  Rory whispered something to Cora and made her laugh. Euann gripped his own leg under the table as he focused on the sound.

  “Another beer,” Rory said, lifting his glass to finish it.

  “Can do,” Jefferson said. “And if you like, I can take your order. All the downhome recipes you see on the menu came straight from my mawmaw’s kitchen in the Mississippi Delta. Her fried catfish is like nothing else you’ve ever tasted.”

  “Pulled pork nachos,” Lydia said, “and some of those loaded tater tot nacho thingies, oh, and chili cheese nachos.”

  “Done, done, and done,” Jefferson acknowl
edged.

  “Euann,” Erik hissed under his breath in warning. He flicked him on the leg. “Your eyes.”

  Euann quickly averted his gaze to the table. His eyes burned as if they’d been about to shift.

  “What’s wrong with ya?” Erik whispered in his ear.

  Euann glanced up. “Is it gone?”

  Erik nodded. “What was that about?”

  “I don’t know.” Euann rubbed the bridge of his nose. But he did know. Jealousy filled him with the idea that Cora might like his cousin. “What do ya think about our waiter? Should we worry?”

  “I think he’s a nice guy who may have a bit of something in his bloodline. It’s so faint that he might not even be aware it’s there.” Erik frowned. “Why?”

  “No reason.” Euann’s fox had not surfaced, though he could feel it stirring. The creature scratched lightly beneath his skin. Euann knew it was close but hiding.

  “Dammit, your eyes, Euann. Get control of yourself,” Erik ordered.

  “I’ll be back.” Euann stood to go to the restroom to hide while he figured out what was going on with his eyes.

  Cora stood to follow him. She caught his arm. “Hey, I don’t have my wallet with me.”

  His skin tingled where she touched him. The fox scratched harder.

  “I don’t want to be a freeloader,” she insisted. “I can pay you back as soon as I can get to an ATM.”

  “What?” Euann frowned, trying to follow what she was saying. “Why would ya need a wallet? We’re on a date.”

  “Oh, but…” She looked at Rory.

  “You’re not on a date with Rory.” The fox was now clawing at him beneath the flesh. His teeth nicked his tongue. They were becoming sharper. “Order what ya want. I’ll be right back.”

  “Oh, ah, okay?” She sounded surprised.

  Euann rushed past her to the restrooms. Someone had locked the men’s door. His hand was covered with fur when he grabbed the knob to test it. Panicking, he dashed into the women’s restroom and locked himself in. He went to the mirror to check his reflection.

  A furry face with partial fangs and a distorted nose stared back at him.

  “Shite,” he swore, touching his cheek. He willed the fox to go away. It wouldn’t leave.

  Euann glanced around the room. The pink walls and bowl of potpourri reminded him he was in the ladies’ room. There were no windows, no way of escaping.

  He couldn’t return to the table, not like this, not with locals in the restaurant and Mrs. Callister out in her car. But he also couldn’t stay in the restroom all night. What kind of first date would that be?

  “Shite, shite, shite,” he said under his breath as he grabbed his phone. He contemplated which MacGregor to call before sending Iain a text message for help.

  Euann pressed his ear to the door and waited, lifting his phone periodically to see if Iain answered him. His half-shifted expression stared at him each time he glanced at the mirror.

  “Euann,” a knock followed Iain’s voice, “if ya tell me ya need help wiping your arse—”

  Euann pushed open the door, still hiding his face from anyone who might walk past. Iain stood in front of the men’s room. “Psst, Iain.”

  Iain looked at the sign on the door in front of him as if to make sure he was in the right place before laughing as he went to the ladies’ room instead. “Oh, Euann, we always suspected. I want ya to know we will always love ya no matter what, but do ya think now is the best time to announce ya—”

  “I’m stuck,” Euann grabbed Iain’s arm and pulled him into the restroom with him.

  “I still don’t think I want to be here for that.” Iain chuckled as he lifted his hands to his sides and averted his eyes.

  “Iain, look.” Euann stepped closer to his brother, forcing him to pay attention.

  Iain studied him. “Now is not the time to let the fox out to play.”

  “I’m stuck.” Euann turned to the mirror. His eyes glowed with an inner light.

  “What do ya mean you’re stuck?” Iain grabbed Euann’s hand, looking at the claws that tried to grow from his thickened nailbeds. “When was the last time ya shifted? I don’t even remember.”

  “I can’t shift.”

  “Then don’t try. Now is not the time to play with the fox, anyway. Leave it until we can get home.” Iain dropped Euann’s hand.

  “Do ya think I want to be standing in the ladies’ room sprouting a gray beard and snout? I can’t shift either direction—fox or man.” He gripped the sink. “This was supposed to be a date.”

  “Has this happened before?” Iain’s expression changed to one of concern.

  “Once. I tried shifting so I could track Jewel in the forest after Raibeart lost her, but it had been so long it’s like the fox was sleeping and didn’t want to wake up.”

  A light knock sounded on the door, and the knob jiggled as someone tested the lock. Euann stiffened. Iain made a weak noise before calling in a high-pitched voice, “Occupied.”

  “Oh, sorry,” Cora answered.

  Euann’s eyes widened. “She can’t see me like this.”

  “Don’t panic. We’ll figure this out.” Iain took a deep breath. “Obviously this is an emotional reaction. Try to relax.”

  Euann ached a brow even as he took a deep breath and let it out, repeating the process several times. “It’s not working.”

  “Oh, I know.” Iain lifted his hands. A soft glow appeared from his palms as he pushed a wave of magick over Euann. “There, all fixed.”

  “What did ya do?” Euann turned to the mirror. His face was a blur between his human self and his half-shifted form as if the two were ghosted over each other.

  “Glamour,” Iain answered. “Think of it like makeup. You’ll know the blemish is there, but the humans will see the mask.”

  “What if Cora is still out there waiting?” Euann didn’t move to leave.

  Iain pressed his ear to the door. “I think you’re good, brother, come on.”

  Iain led him from the restroom, down the little hall to the dining area. Euann tucked his chin against his chest as he followed close behind.

  “Family meeting?” Rory teased.

  “Just a little bit of a glamour tip,” Iain answered, by way of communicating what he’d done to Rory and Erik.

  “Ho—” Jane coughed, pounding her chest as she looked at Euann’s face. Iain slipped his hand around her shoulders and kissed her by her ear. She nodded as he whispered to her.

  “Hey, Euann,” Lydia said, not seeing anything wrong. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so we just got you a burger and fries.”

  “Perfect.” He looked at Cora to see if she noticed anything.

  She gave him a stiff smile. “Excuse me. I’m going to see if that lady is done.” She went toward the restroom.

  “What the hell?” Rory blurted.

  “Euann?” Erik asked.

  “What I miss?” Lydia appeared confused.

  “Euann’s face,” Rory said.

  “Euann got himself stuck mid-shift.” Iain chuckled. “I had to glamour him.”

  “How the hell do ya get caught in a shift? That’s child’s magick.” Rory shook his head.

  “I don’t see what you’re talking about,” Lydia said. “He looks fine to me.”

  “Thank ya,” Euann told Lydia.

  “Nachos for the ta-ble.” Jefferson paused as he looked toward Euann before quickly averting his eyes, belatedly trying to cover the fact he’d noticed. “I’ll be right back with the tater tots.”

  Jefferson hurried away.

  Damn. This wasn’t good.

  Euann stood and moved after the man. If Jefferson saw the truth, he couldn’t let the restaurateur leave without finding out what he was and why he was in Green Vallis.

  Euann walked into the back kitchen, not caring that it was marked as private. Jefferson was in mid-action reaching for a plate of food. He turned and held up his hands as he backed away. “I don’t want any trouble. It’s none of
my business.”

  “What are ya?” Euann asked.

  “I don’t want any trouble,” Jefferson repeated. “I’m just a business owner. Nothing more.”

  Jefferson reached for a plate. Euann flicked his fingers, sliding the food out of his reach.

  “Clearly ya can see my face.” Euann let a blue light dance along the tips of his fingers in warning. “My family and I are going to need ya to answer that question.”

  “I’m a dhampir.” Jefferson dropped his hands to his sides. “And by that magick, I’m guessing you’re either a witch or a warlock.”

  Dhampir? This man was the product of a vampire and human pairing. Such beings had been much more common back in the 1500 and 1600s but were rare in this day and age.

  “MacGregor.” Jefferson nodded his head in realization. “Oh, crap, excuse me. I don’t want to burn your food.” He went to the grill and flipped the burgers cooking there. “I should have put it together. I knew there was something more to your family when you came in here. There used to be whispers of the MacGregor warlock family when I was growing up. There is even a painting of one of your ancestors in the local library.”

  “We lived in the South for a time.” Euann didn’t relax his guard but determined the man to be telling the truth. Only, the portrait wasn’t of a dead ancestor like the man assumed. The painting would have been of one of his relatives still living.

  “I always thought the stories were folktales, but all the elders say the same thing. Your family can be trusted.”

  “Why are ya in Green Vallis?”

  “It’s like I said. Something drew me here.” Jefferson kept cooking, getting plates ready for the food as he pulled a metal basket of fries out of the fryer. “I guess some would say they were signs. First, it was an abnormal amount of internet ads for Wisconsin cheese. Then a Wisconsin semi crashed on my front lawn. A man from Wisconsin left me a hundred-dollar tip and told me I should open my own place. Soon after, I lost my job when the restaurant I managed closed down. I thought to only take a trip to check Wisconsin out, but something bid me to this town, and I knew I had to stay.”

  The man was talking about the powerful ley lines that ran beneath the town and surrounding area. It was a vortex of power that pulled in the paranormal. It was the same magick that had called the MacGregor family to Wisconsin. Just standing on the soil gave them strength, making them more powerful than they had felt in centuries. Vampires were not the kind of creatures they wanted moving into town. “Which vampire den are ya connected to?”