Death's Shroud

by Robbie Cox

  The usurper had a thirst for revenge, a desire to get her life back and make those who took it away from her pay for the crime.

  Through her eyes, he stared at the young man who shut the door. Tharon grinned as he hid in the darkness of Regina’s—Sherri’s—mind. Perhaps he would help her achieve the revenge she craved. She was hellbent on destroying her husband and her sister. Tharon thought, perhaps, he would find out if her children knew she had been killed for lust. Regina could focus on the objects of her rage, while he made those on the edges of her pain suffer. After all, had they not had enough time to figure out the truth of things? Shouldn’t they all be made to suffer?

  Tharon slipped back into the darkness, traveling through the Dream Realm. I wonder what Reggie Hawthorn dreams about.

  Twenty-Two

  “Another death?” Tansy asked as she stood behind the glass counter at the front of The Murky Cauldron, glancing over at Mark Rochester. “He’s not slowing down at all.”

  Wanda had just brought an armful of T-shirts out of the back to hang on the rack in the middle of the store. “A shame, really,” the older witch said as she plopped the shirts on top of the others. “Why would anyone want to kill such innocent people? They weren’t bothering anyone, living their own lives, getting what they could out of their existence.” She shook her head as she made a tsk-tsk sound. “It’s just sad.”

  Mark shook his head. “This…Tharon…is averaging a killing every four or five days, and those are just the ones I know about. I’ve searched the database, and nothing has popped, but that doesn’t mean someone didn’t classify it wrong.” He shrugged. “Tricia, the medical examiner, still doesn’t think the first one, Roger Sanders, died of foul play. She thinks he just died in his sleep with a funny look on his face.” Mark shook his head. “I don’t buy it, however. The man was in perfect health. Who dies while reading a book?”

  Famallumi cocked his head as he stared at the detective from where he sat on the giant red cushion that sat toward the back of the main part of the store sorting necklaces. “Depends on what the book was about, I would think, and how good his imagination was.” The elf still wore his glamour, which made him appear as just another average-looking human in case customers entered The Murky Cauldron.

  Mark stared at the elf, probably trying to decide if Famallumi was serious or not, and then chuckled slightly as he leaned an elbow on the counter. Turning to Tansy, he said, “I asked Laci to meet me here. I’m hoping whoever this Nazareth is who showed up at the morgue last night meant what he said about being able to help us stop whoever the hell Tharon is. We can’t just stand around while people are dying.”

  Tansy nodded. “Agreed. I’m sure Laci will know what to do. To be honest, I haven’t met this Nazareth guy, but from what Laci has said, he’s a persistent fellow.”

  “I’m not sure how I feel about all this talking to dead people,” Wanda said with a shake of her head. “Seems so…wrong.”

  Mark nodded as he gave a soft laugh. “Not much better when they actually rise up from the table. I’ve seen a lot over the past month, but watching dead people come back to life was definitely a first, and one I don’t want to repeat.” Tansy watched as the detective turned around, staring at Famallumi who piled necklaces around him by size and color. “I’ve often wondered if my life would ever return to normal,” Mark said, his tone distant, almost contemplative.

  Tansy reached across the counter, placing an arm on the detective’s shoulder. “This normal isn’t so bad,” she said. “We get to be a part of some amazing things, a part of helping people who don’t even know they need help.” She leaned back, clasping her hands together. “Think of yourself as a local superhero.”

  Mark laughed. “I’ll rush out and buy a cape.”

  Famallumi glanced up, a jasper necklace dangling from his fingers. “Is that something superheroes wear? Does it help with stopping demons?”

  Tansy giggled softly as Mark just stared at the elf. Famallumi was an acquired taste for some, requiring a lot of patience.

  Before either of them could answer the Lore Master Apprentice, the bell over the front door jingled as Laci entered the store followed by a thin, elderly man with shaggy gray hair. Jayden brought up the rear as everyone stopped what they were doing and focused on the newcomers.

  “Laci Valentine!” Famallumi dropped the necklaces he held on the floor, smiling over at the young woman. “It is so good to see you again.”

  Tansy watched as Laci returned Famallumi’s smile. “Thank you,” Laci said. “I guess you are seeing more of me after all.” Turning, she took everyone in as she gestured to the man who joined her. “This is Nazareth Xavier. He’s the one Hekate sent to teach me about being a necromancer.” She hugged Wanda and then joined Tansy at the counter, while Jayden plopped down on the giant red cushion with Famallumi.

  Nazareth greeted everyone and then turned to the detective. “Pardon me for diving right in, but Laci says Tharon has killed again.” Tansy watched as the older man glanced around the store, picking up statues, turning them over, examining them before putting them back on the shelf. He nodded and then moved on to the next item on the shelf. “What made you think the revenant did the killing?”

  Mark stared at the other man’s thin back, shrugging at the odd behavior but saying nothing about it. Instead, he just gave the man the answers he wanted. “She was asleep from what it seemed, but her head appeared smashed in, her body crushed as if she had fallen from several floors.”

  Nazareth nodded. “And no connection to the others?” He rummaged through the basket of stones, picking up a lapis lazuli and eying it casually.

  Mark shook his head. “No. Emma Croft was young, a student at the local college. From what her mother said, Emma was pretty focused on her studies and her boyfriend, Jason.”

  Laci stood up straighter. “What were their names again?”

  Tansy noticed the stiff way the younger woman stood, the pinch of her brows as she stared at the detective.

  Mark shrugged. “Emma Croft, Roger Sanders, Jos…”

  “No, no,” Laci cut him off. “You said Emma and Jason. She’s the one who died? What else can you tell me about them? What was she doing when she died? Reading a book? Watching television?”

  Since the first time since Nazareth entered the store, he stopped browsing the merchandise and focused on the conversation, turning to Laci, staring at her with a cocked eyebrow.

  “She was actually watching videos on her laptop when she fell asleep,” Mark said. “I guess that could be similar to watching television, but…”

  “Were the videos of hang gliding?” Laci asked, glancing over at Nazareth as she asked it.

  “How did you know that?” Mark asked, his hands now out of his pockets as he turned his full attention to Laci. “The videos were paused on her laptop.”

  Laci kept her focus on Nazareth. “Tharon killed that woman because of me,” she said. “It was her dream I visited yesterday. Her boyfriend, Jason, convinced her to jump off a cliff and sail over this mountain. Tharon had to have known I was there. He used her dream to kill her because of me.”

  Nazareth cocked an eyebrow at her. “He’s paying closer attention to you than we thought. This is his way of warning you away.” He glanced at Jayden. “He’s telling you that if he can get to someone you merely visit, then he can get to the people you love.” He turned back to Laci. “It’s definitely a threat.”

  Tansy glanced at Laci, but her focus was on Laci’s sister, Jayden. Everything Laci did in the past eight years was to protect her sister and here was another threat. Tansy could only imagine how trapped Laci felt.

  “Then we need to move quick,” Laci said as she turned back to Nazareth. “What do we do?”

  The bell over the door jingled again, and Tansy watched as Regina entered the store. A smile pushed up Tansy’s cheeks as she turned to welcome the newest member of the coven, but everything suddenly went quiet when the detective glanced at Regina and asked, �
�Sherri?”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Kayla sat at an outside table of Common Grounds, a coffee shop to the west of the downtown area and a popular spot with the locals. Across from her sat Selina Devayne, her hands wrapped around a cold frappe, condensation running streaks of water down the sides of her plastic cup. Selina called Kayla last night, offering to meet up today to talk about the meeting with Cherise Wednesday night. Kayla only hoped it was good news.

  The meeting that night continued with question after question, Cherise asking all about Kayla’s experiences with the faerie world and the battles she had fought in, paying extra attention to her trip to the Summerlands and her possession by the demon. Kayla dreaded every minute of the retelling, but forced herself to endure it hoping to be a part of something again. She needed to belong to something, needed to feel like someone wanted her. She dropped her gaze to her mocha frappe, realizing that since Alex’s death, she had not even wanted herself.

  Kayla finished taking a sip of her drink, holding the cup in her lap as she sat back in her chair. “Why the Daughters of Darkness?” she asked. “I would think a coven would choose a more positive sounding name, like Daughters of the Light or something. Darkness makes the coven seem so...ominous.”

  Selina nodded. “I understand that, but we’re not an evil coven, I assure you.” She gave a soft laugh with her last words. “Darkness merely refers to the moonlight and night, since it’s the time we do most of our rituals.” She gave a slight shrug. “Cherise probably could have chosen something more along the lines of Daughters of the Moon, I guess, but I happen to like our name. As I’ve said a few times, we tend to do things a little differently than others.”

  “How so?” Kayla supposed darkness could mean night, but in her experience, darkness always meant something more sinister. Of course, that could just be the craziness she endured over the past month.

  “I’ve told you about how we use the elements: fire, air, water, and earth. Cherise has discovered that if you combine the elements with blood magic, your power is increased, and we’re able to do more, accomplish more.”

  Kayla felt her brow cock. “Blood magic? Isn’t that along the lines of dark magic? Isn’t that dangerous?” She shifted in her seat a little at the memory of the demon possessing her. “I’m really not looking forward to getting caught up in the dark side of magic again after everything I’ve been through. I just want to, you know, see what’s inside of me, tap into my power better.”

  Selina chuckled, waving off Kayla’s statement. “Relax. I’m not talking about conjuring demons or possessing people. Blood magic merely helps us tap into a deeper part of magic. We’re not practicing dark magic, I assure you.”

  Kayla took a deep breath. One of the things Tansy always taught was that what a person put out in the world returns to them, especially their thoughts and actions. Whatever energy a person sent out would be what the universe brought back to them. Kayla did not want to put out the energy that would attract dark magic. She just smiled over at Selina. “Good to know,” she said with a slight chuckle. “Cherise has the perfect environment for practicing magic. Her house is so isolated and quiet.”

  Selina nodded. “She likes to do things old school. Our spiritual ancestors, the witches who went before us, always lived apart from the main part of town. It was believed that being closer to the forests and streams made it easier for them to feel the magical energies around them; they could hear nature better without the white noise of a busy community. Cherise prefers it that way, as well. Wait until you see how massive her backyard is, and it lines right up against a forest. We’ve had deer come sit at the edge and watch us, as well as rabbits and foxes. I think I saw a bear once, but I’m not sure. It wouldn’t surprise me, however. Kalinda Scott, one of the women in our coven, loves to talk to animals and practices what she calls animal magic. She’s always talking about our spirit animals and such.”

  “Spirit animals? Really?” Kayla asked. “Now that would be cool to do.”

  “Trust me, she’ll talk your ear off about it,” Selina said with a slight chuckle.

  Kayla took another sip of her frappe, taking a deep breath as she lowered the cup. She cocked her head to the side as she stared over at the other woman. “So, does this mean I’m in? Or is there more for me to do?”

  Selina smiled at her. “You’re in if you want in.” She shrugged. “We do a Coven Initiation where you pledge yourself to the coven, but other than that, Cherise wants you as one of the Daughters of Darkness.” She cocked an eyebrow at Kayla. “So, do you wish to be a part of our coven and learn the things you’ve been missing?”

  Kayla took another deep breath. While it felt like a betrayal to the others, she really couldn’t see herself walking back inside The Murky Cauldron again. Yet, she still wanted to see how far she could go with her powers, and so far, the Daughters of Darkness seemed like her only other avenue. She nodded. “I’m in,” she said. “So, what do we do from here?”

  Selina shrugged again, leaning forward and setting her cup on the table. “I’ll let Cherise know you’re ready to go, and she’ll pick the date for your initiation. It’ll probably be next week. She usually hates delaying things. Sound good to you?”

  Kayla nodded as she tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear. “It does. Thanks.” She hoped she wasn’t making the wrong decision. She made a mental note to research initiation ceremonies when she got home.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  They sat there for about another thirty moments before Kayla said she had to go help her father with something around the house. Selina couldn’t even remember what the redhead said it was. To be honest, Selina didn’t really care. She had no intention of digging deeper into Kayla’s life more than necessary.

  The door to Common Grounds opened, and out of the corner of her eye, Selina watched the formidable form of Cherise Rycroft slip outside, a cup of tea in her hand. The older woman took up the seat Kayla had just vacated, setting her cup on the table. “Well?” she asked, leaning back in her chair, her hands clasped together over her stomach. “Is she interested still?”

  Selina made a small snort of laughter. “Yeah, she still wants to join the coven. She wants to find out the depth of her power.” She shook her head. “She’s been part of that pathetic group for a little over a year and still doesn’t know much about her magic. It’s sad.”

  Cherise shrugged, smiling. “And yet, it’s exactly what we need. Since she knows little, she’ll be easily manipulated which is what we want. The initiation ritual will seal her into our plan, and soon, Harbor City will finally pay for what it did to your brother. No one cared when he died so needlessly. They will be forced to remember before this is done, and that girl’s connection to the faerie realm will ensure our success. We’ll use her to tap into their power, reach the demons once more through her connection to them. Poor girl probably doesn’t even realize she’s filled with the leftover residue from that possession.” Cherise grinned. “She won’t, either, until it’s too late.”

  Selina stared over at the High Priestess of the Daughters of Darkness, knowing it was useless to argue against what Cherise wanted. The older woman was obsessed with revenge, and it clouded everything in her path. Poor Kayla would pay for that obsession, and there was nothing Selina could do but sit back and watch.

  “Now, we need to get the others ready for the ritual,” Cherise said. “Call them and set up a meeting this weekend. I don’t want anything to go wrong.”

  Selina inhaled a deep breath through her nose as she felt her body stiffen. “Yes, mother.”

  Twenty-Three

  Everyone stared at Regina, Laci standing there with her brow cocked. The small blonde backed away, her eyes wide as she focused on Detective Rochester.

  “Sherri, how are you doing?” Mark asked, moving slightly toward the other woman, not aware of how everyone else stared at them. “You look great. A lot better than the last time I saw you. Things must be going well for you.”

  “Reg
ina?” Tansy asked, moving closer to the young woman. “Or is it Sherri? Which one is your actual name?”

  Mark turned and glanced at Tansy, but just as he opened his mouth to ask something, probably who Regina was, Laci watched Nazareth snatch his arm into the air and flip his wrist. The front door of The Murky Cauldron slammed shut, the bell over the door jingling violently in the door’s wake. Jayden and Famallumi leaped to their feet, probably just as confused as Laci was about what was happening.

  “Dybbuk!” Nazareth growled, his hands in front of him, palms facing out. “You will leave this woman.”

  Laci turned to face Regina—or was it Sherri? The woman’s face was pale, eyes even wider as she backed away from Nazareth. “Stay away from me, necromancer,” she hissed, her hands feeling behind her for the door.

  “Someone tell me what’s going on here,” Tansy said, glaring at Nazareth, her hands on her hips. “Are you telling me something is possessing Regina?”

  “I’m so tired of body possessions,” Jayden said with a sigh, her arms straight at her sides. Laci could see the sparks of power at her sister’s fingertips, the fear in her dark eyes. From the looks of it, Jayden had a hard time holding it together once someone used the word possession.

  “Her name is Sherri Rockford,” Mark said, his hand going to his holster as he kept his eyes on Regina. “I’ve arrested her a couple of times for drugs and prostitution. I don’t know who Regina is.”

  Laci turned her gaze back to the woman, studying her harder through narrow eyes. “That’s why I saw two auras,” Laci whispered, still seeing the bright orange aura mingled with the murky, grayish one. “There are two people in one body.” She turned back to Nazareth. “What’s a dybbuk?”