Death's Shroud

by Robbie Cox

  Laci stared at him. “You’re a ghost? How can you lean back on that without falling through?”

  He glanced behind him, his lips twisted in a thoughtful grimace. “Not really sure. I guess it has to do with what I want to do to a certain degree. I could just as easily walk right through it into the next room, as well.”

  She shook her head. “I hate magic.”

  He laughed as he stood back up. “Good thing I don’t do magic, then.” He cocked his head. “Aren’t you a witch? I thought I heard Nazareth say something like that when I eavesdropped on him.”

  “I was,” she said, almost sighing. “I left the coven.”

  “So?”

  She gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean so? I left the coven. I quit being a witch.”

  “One doesn’t necessarily equal the other. Covens are made of witches. Witches don’t necessarily need a coven. A witch is something you are, whether or not you practice magic or join a coven. It’s something deeper, something inside of you.”

  Laci stared at the ghost, his words ringing in her ears. Something deeper, something inside of you. She had left the coven, but somehow, she had not been able to shake everything that came with being a witch. The fact that Duncan was there talking to her was proof of that. She nodded. She really needed to talk to Tansy.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  The bell jingled over the door of The Murky Cauldron, drawing Tansy’s attention from the stack of books she was putting on the shelf. She recognized the dark-haired man who walked through the door from their fight with Bertram Leary at the Bottoms a few weeks ago. It seemed like forever ago, and so much had happened since. The man darted his gaze around the store, running his gaze over the figurines, the shrouds hanging from the ceiling, the boxes of stones and amulets. He didn’t look surprised at what he saw, just curious.

  “Can I help you?” she asked, still facing away from him, a couple of books in her hand waiting to be put on the shelf. “Officer Rochester, right?”

  He slid his hands in his pockets as he nodded. “Yes,” he answered with a smile. “Although, it’s detective now. I guess solving bizarre cases gets you promoted. Sorry for barging in on you like this. I tried taking this to our mutual friend, Rhychard, but couldn’t find him.” He shrugged. “I was kind of hoping you might be able to help me, instead.”

  Interesting. Of course, Tansy wasn’t sure she was ready to throw the coven into anything else that might bring the officer to her doorstep. They needed to regroup more than they needed to be tossed into anything like they already experienced. She gave the detective a soft smile as she slid the books onto the shelf. “What can I help you with?” No sense thinking the worst. Yet, that is.

  “I’ve had a couple of cases pop up,” the detective said, his brows pinched over his nose. “People seem to have…”

  The bell jingled over the door, causing both Tansy and Mark to turn that way. Tansy felt her eyes go wide as a smile spread across her face, joy filling her chest. “Laci!” Tansy crossed the room, walking past the detective, and took Laci Valentine into her arms, squeezing her tightly. “God, I’ve missed you.” She leaned back, holding the young woman out at arms’ length as she raked the younger woman with her gaze, studying her. “Are you all right? How have you been?” She took a deep breath, dropping her arms to her sides as she gave the other woman a weak shrug. “Sorry. It’s just good to see you.”

  Laci gave a soft chuckle, nodding her head as she reached out and touched Tansy’s arm. “It’s good to see you, too.” She then glanced around the store. “Is Wanda here? Or Famallumi?”

  Tansy shook her head. “No, they popped over to Melinda’s Bakery for a bite. What brings you by?” A shuffling behind her caused her to turn around. The detective still stood there, hands in his pockets, just watching the two women. “Oh, Detective Rochester, I’m so sorry.”

  He held his hand up. “It’s all good. I can come back if you’d rather. I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Looks like I’m the one intruding,” Laci said, her lips pressed into an apologetic line. “Please, I can wait. I have all day.”

  “You sure?” the detective asked, his head cocked to the side.

  Tansy ran her hands up and down her arms. “No, please, you came to ask me something.” She gestured to Laci. “She’s seen everything we have, and more, so whatever you need, she may be able to help with.”

  Mark seemed to think it over a moment, then nodded, slipping his hand back into his pocket. “As I was saying, I’ve had a couple of weird cases, lately. On the outside, it seems as if they both just died in their sleep, one a man, the other an elderly lady. However, one seemed to have died of fright while reading a book, a fantasy novel, and the woman fell asleep while watching some soap opera reruns. The weird thing about her is that it looks as if something crushed her bones and organs, as if someone laid a giant weight on her.”

  “I have no idea what could have caused that,” Tansy said. “You could wait until Fama…”

  “Are you sure they were both asleep when they died?” Laci asked.

  Tansy turned, glancing at Laci. The younger woman’s eyes were wide, almost like she had seen a ghost, and her breathing came out in ragged gasps. “Laci, are you..?” But Laci cut Tansy off with an uplift of her hand and an apologetic look.

  “Are you sure they died in their sleep?” Laci repeated.

  Mark shrugged. “As sure as we can be, considering how we found them. The man, Roger Sanders, died while sitting in his recliner, holding a hardbound book, with a glass of whiskey half-full on the end table beside him. We discovered the other, an elderly lady, lying on her couch, the television playing. There were no signs of a struggle, no indication that anyone broke into the houses, just dead bodies. As I said, something crushed the woman’s entire insides, yet nothing on the outside of her body showed any signs that anything had happened to her.” He shrugged. “So, you can kind of see why I think this falls into your purview.”

  Laci glanced to the side, almost as if she looked at something. She nodded, just before turning back to Mark. “Where are the bodies now?” she asked.

  Tansy just stared, wondering why the younger woman was acting so strange. “Laci, are you all right? Do you know what’s going on?”

  “I’m fine,” Laci said. “And I might. The bodies. Where are they?”

  Mark narrowed his eyes at Laci, his head cocked to the side. “The city morgue. Why?”

  “Can you get me in there?”

  “Why do you want to see the bodies?” the detective asked.

  “Laci, what’s going on?” Tansy asked, a sudden tremor of chills bringing goosebumps to her flesh.

  Turning to Tansy, Laci shrugged. “Apparently, I can talk to the dead now.”

  Sixteen

  “Starting to believe now?” Duncan asked, a smug look on his face that Laci wanted to smack off.

  Damn ghost.

  “You talk to dead people?” Tansy asked, her brows pinched over her nose.

  Laci sighed, not really wanting to go into it. “Seems so,” she said with a weak shrug. “It’s been a crazy few days. Seems the further away from this life I try to get, the more it just wants to keep dragging me in.”

  Mark Rochester glanced over at her, his eyes narrow slits as he studied her. “You know what’s going on? How these people are dying?”

  Laci nodded. “Or, at least, I might have a clue, but,” she glanced over at Duncan who just stood there smiling at her, “to know for sure I need to see the bodies.” At least, that’s how she hoped it worked. She probably should have asked Nazareth more questions a couple of days ago.

  She could feel Tansy looking at her, but Laci wasn’t ready to explain yet. If she was honest with herself, she would never be ready to explain. This wasn’t something she wanted, but somehow, she had a feeling the universe had ripped the choice from her. She had always had the choices of her life forced upon her, shoving her down paths she never wanted to travel. Why would this be any different
? “I’ll explain later. Right now, I need to see if who I think is behind this is actually behind it.” She took a deep breath. “And if he is, I’m going to kick an old man’s ass.”

  “I’d pay to see that, actually,” Duncan said, grinning from ear to ear. “Nazareth is a right cocky bastard. Someone needs to take him down a notch or two.”

  Laci glanced at the ghost, but decided against commenting. It would only bring up more questions from the others. Turning back to the detective, she asked, “Can you take me there? Preferably when no one else is around.” She gave a weak shrug. “I’m not exactly sure how to do what I’m about to do, and I don’t think an audience would help matters.”

  Mark glanced at Tansy, and the witch just shrugged. “You’ve seen what we’ve seen. Do you really want to let others in on our crazy world?”

  Mark shook his head. “I wish I wasn’t even in on our crazy world.” He sighed, slipping his hands from his pockets to his hips. “Fine. It’ll be easier to do at night. How about nine o’clock? Will that work?”

  Laci nodded. “I’ll have my sister drop me off.”

  The detective stared at her a moment, then gave one curt nod. “See you then.” He turned to Tansy, smiling. “Thanks for your help. Let’s hope we can get this solved quickly.” He sighed. “I really do miss those sweet ignorant days of mine.” He shook his head as he turned and made his way out the door.

  Laci watched him leave, missing the same thing he did, but knowing neither one of them would ever have what others would call a normal day again.

  “You okay?” Tansy asked, drawing Laci’s attention back to the older witch.

  “I think I’ll take off now,” Duncan said and disappeared before Laci could even acknowledge his statement.

  Laci took a deep breath as she nodded. “It’s been an odd couple of days.” She gave the other woman a weak smile before glancing around the store. “Is Wanda here? I could really use one of her cups of tea right about now.”

  Tansy chuckled as she motioned toward the back of the store. “She’s off with Famallumi, but don’t worry; she’s not the only one who knows how to make tea.”

  “Oh, really?” Laci asked, skeptical.

  “I never said I made it as well as she does, but I can still make it.”

  Laci gave a soft laugh, already feeling the warmth that surrounded a person inside The Murky Cauldron. “If you say so,” she teased as she followed the older witch toward the back room.

  As they stepped into the back space of the store, the place Laci spent most of the past month learning how to harness her powers, fighting demons, and learning about the crazy world fate dragged her into kicking and screaming, a blanket of comfort enveloped her. It had only been a few days since she had stepped into this room, but it felt like forever with so much that transpired, so many changes in everyone’s lives. She slid into a chair as Tansy moved over to the small burner with the kettle Wanda used to boil water. Laci watched as the woman who had served as her mentor in all things magic went about the task of preparing their tea, focused on each step of the process. Tansy had always been that way, mindful of every moment, every action. “Mindfulness allows you to give your full attention to whatever task you’re doing,” she would always say. “Be in the moment, savor the full experience of everything you do, so you can appreciate it all the more. Life is a celebration, even in what we might consider the mundane things of life.”

  “I’ve missed you being here,” Tansy said as she slipped the infusers into the teacups. Turning, she leaned back on the counter while the water boiled, a smile turning up the corners of her lips. She shrugged. “I’ve missed you.”

  Laci felt the anxiety in her stomach twist as the emotions of what she wanted to avoid and of missing her friends twisted into a jangled knot. “I’ve missed you, too.” She intertwined her fingers together, twisting them around each other in her nervousness. “I should have came by to tell you I was quitting the coven.” She gave a weak shrug. “I was afraid if I did, I would change my mind, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. I needed a break from magic. It’s all been too much.”

  Tansy nodded, clasping her hands in front of her. “I get it, really. The past month has been a whirlwind of nightmares. It would drain anyone, and you had actually only been practicing your powers for around a month.” She shrugged, smiling. “Not really a lot of time to get a handle on things.” Laci watched as the other woman took a deep breath, her smile fading as she dropped her gaze to the floor. “I did a lousy job preparing all of you for what we faced.”

  “Oh, Tansy, none of that is your fault,” Laci said leaning across the table, her brows pinched. “You didn’t know what would happen. It was me who brought all this to your doorstep, remember? If it wasn’t for me, Rose and Alex would still be alive and Kayla would still be moping around your store. If this is anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”

  The tea kettle whistled, announcing the water was ready. Tansy ignored it as she crossed the room and knelt in front of Laci, taking her hands in hers and giving them a comforting squeeze. “None of this is your fault,” Tansy said. “It’s no one’s fault but the evil men who want to hurt innocent people.” She squeezed Laci’s hands. “We’ll get through this, and whether you want to come back to the coven or continue on your own, just know I’ll always be here as your friend. If you ever need anything, all you ever have to do is ask.”

  Laci squeezed the other woman’s hands, a warmth filling her as she felt Tansy’s words bring a comfort to her that Laci didn’t even know she needed. “Asking is why I’m here, actually. I need some advice.”

  Tansy squeezed Laci’s hands one more time and then pushed herself back to a standing position. “Does this have anything to do with you being able to talk to the dead now?” She turned back toward the kettle to fix their tea. “Seems you’ve been having some adventures of your own.”

  Laci gave a snort of derision. “No adventures yet, but some weird visitors. A necromancer from the goddess Hekate, a ghost, and Hekate’s hellhounds. Oh, and something called a revenant who serves Death, apparently.” As Tansy slid the teacup in front of Laci, Laci began recounting her last few days, telling Tansy of meeting Nazareth at the library and then his showing up at her house Saturday morning. She shared how Duncan appeared to her downtown and how the dogs now resided in her backyard. She wrapped her hands around the teacup. “He claims that Hekate touched me, that the whole reason I could travel to the Summerlands that first time, while Jayden and Alex tried to locate Kayla, was because I’m a necromancer, a server of the dead. He actually says it began when I was in the hospital, almost dying. Apparently, I can walk through realms, talk to the dead—I’ve already talked to ghosts.”

  Tansy slid a finger through the handle on her teacup but didn’t pick it up. “And you think this new power of yours will help you find out how these other people died, the ones Mark asked about? Have you done this before?”

  Laci picked up her teacup and took a sip while Tansy spoke. Smiling, Laci lowered her cup, shaking her head. “No. And I kind of sent Nazareth packing before I could find out how to do whatever it is he wants me to do.” She shrugged. “I’ll be winging it tonight.”

  “Can you get him to teach you before you meet the detective at the morgue?” Tansy asked, as she finally lifted her own cup to her lips.

  Laci shook her head again. “I have no way of getting in touch with him.” She gave Tansy a weak smile. “It’s kind of why I’m here. I was hoping you might know a little more about what Nazareth told me. Is it even possible?”

  The bell over the front door jingled, followed immediately by Wanda calling out Tansy’s name.

  “There goes our peace and quiet,” Tansy whispered to Laci before calling out, “Back here!” to Wanda. Tansy then turned back to Laci. “If I’ve learned anything over this past month, it’s that anything is possible. Maybe Famallumi will have an answer. He is a Lore Master Apprentice, after all.”

  Laci nodded, remembering quite well how the
elf could show them moments in history with his magic. It left one feeling…bizarre, to say the least. Still, if Famallumi had answers, then she needed to hear them.

  “Did we miss any… Laci!” Wanda called out as soon as she passed through the doorway to the back room, a white bag from Melinda’s Bakery in one hand. “When did you get here? Oh dearie, you look so good.” She moved straight to where Laci sat, scooping the younger woman up in her arms and squeezing her tightly. “God, I’ve missed you.”

  “Miss Valentine,” Famallumi said as he stood there, sipping a large drink with what looked like whipped cream spilling over the top. The elf swept Laci up in his arms, holding her tight. “So good to see you. They told me you left, and yet, here you are. It saddened me that I had not been able to wish you a safe journey to wherever you traveled.”

  Laci returned Famallumi’s hug, laughing at the elf’s words. “I would never leave without saying goodbye,” she assured him. “I just needed to take some time and think.” She sat back down, smiling up at the elf.

  “Does this mean you will be hanging around more?” Famallumi asked.

  It was good to see the elf and the older witch. Laci had missed the others of the coven, if she was honest with herself. “Well, I’m not…”

  “Laci needs our help,” Tansy said, cutting Laci off. The leader of the Cauldron Coven smiled over at her. “Seems she has developed some new powers she needs help figuring out.”

  “New powers?” Wanda asked as she set the bag down on the table. “Oh, how exciting. What are they?”

  Famallumi walked over, a line of foamy white on his upper lip. “Amazing,” he said. “How did this come about?”

  Laci pressed her lips into a thin line as she stared at the others. She should have known she would have to tell her story more than once. And so she did.

  “A necromancer? Wow, that is something.” Famallumi said. “You can talk to the dead and get their histories right then and…”

  “Okay, Famallumi,” Wanda said, patting his arm before she moved over to another chair. “That’s enough of that. Our Laci needs our help, not your excitement at doing weird things.” She pulled the bag closer as she opened it. “Here, dear, some lemon tarts from Melli.” She glanced over at Tansy. “She gave them to us free. Or rather, she gave them to Famallumi for free. I think that woman has bad intentions when it comes to our young elf.”