Death's Shroud

by Robbie Cox

  Nazareth curled up a corner of his mouth in a nasty snarl. “A right nasty bugger, that’s what they are.”

  “From what I know,” Famallumi cut in, “a dybbuk is a wandering soul, usually of someone who suffered something terrible. They possess others in order to carry out their revenge.”

  “So, this Regina Hawthorn was a real person?” Jayden asked. “It’s not just a name this thing made up?”

  Regina sneered at the young woman, rolling her eyes. “No, it’s not just a name I made up.” She turned back to Nazareth, panic in her eyes once more. “I am not going anywhere until my husband pays for what he did.” She gripped the doorknob, trying to turn it and escape. “You heard the man; this woman was wasting her life. She didn’t treat her body right, had no real use for it other than sticking drugs in it. I need it!”

  “No,” Nazareth said with a shake of his head. “What you need is to let this woman go and pass on. It’s too late for anything you want, especially revenge.”

  “I want justice!” Regina roared as she twisted the doorknob. “Not revenge.” The wooden door popped open, and Regina turned to rush out, but only managed two steps before her hands flew to her temples and she started wailing, falling to her knees.

  Laci looked around the store to see who attacked the woman, but everyone was staring at everyone else, perplexed. Laci turned her attention back to Regina, just as the woman’s body hit the floor, doubled over as she continued to scream. Who?

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Sherri reached out for Regina’s consciousness, gripping it with what she learned from the witches so far. While the woman stood there, arguing with the necromancer and the witches, Sherri took her chance, reaching down into the ground and drawing on the power of the earth, calling it into herself and wrapping her essence with it. Reaching out, she made the circle Tansy had taught Regina the other day, locking them both into one place, keeping the other woman from fleeing. It surprised Sherri she could perform the spell without physical arms. She could not allow the usurper to get away. Who knew where she would go or if the others could find her if she escaped.

  “Leave me alone!” Regina screeched inside Sherri’s mind. “You don’t understand.”

  “I do understand,” Sherri assured the other woman. The two faced off with each other as Sherri’s body squirmed in on itself on the ground. “I watched you at your son’s house yesterday. I saw what happened to you in the past, what your sister and your husband did to you. You have my memories and I have yours. The longer you’re in my head, the more connected we become. You want justice, yes, but I can tell you also want revenge.”

  “Carry her over to the cushion,” Sherri heard Tansy say just before she felt her body being lifted off the floor by the necromancer and the detective. “Jayden, Laci, put a protective spell around the storefront. Wanda lock the front door. We’ll keep Regina or Sherri or whatever the hell her name is inside until we can figure this out.”

  “There’s nothing to figure out,” the necromancer said as he plopped Sherri down on the cushion and stood straight again. “The dybbuk cannot be allowed to possess this woman. She must be forced to move on to her next life.”

  “But what about what she said?” Tansy asked. “What did her husband do to her? Do we know?”

  “I’ll call in and see if I can find some type of report on her,” the detective said, reaching into his jacket pocket for his cell phone.

  “See?” Sherri asked, pointing outside of her mind at the others. “They want to help you. They can get you justice. Trust these people.”

  “It doesn’t matter what happened to her,” the necromancer said. “You can investigate her case if you want, but she still has to be made to leave the body. The longer she’s in there, the harder it will be to get her out. Soon, this Sherri Rockford will vanish altogether.” He shook his head. “I can’t allow that.”

  “All right, so he’s not a fan,” Sherri said. “But the others can help. Let me speak to them. Just let me out for a moment to convince the necromancer to wait. Tell them your story. Help the detective solve your case.”

  “The only Regina Hawthorn on record in Harbor City died twelve years ago,” Mark Rochester said as he slipped his phone back in his pocket. “Interesting tidbit, her husband married her sister less than half a year later, and they had a daughter shortly after that.”

  “Yeah, that’s not a coincidence, is it?” Tansy said as she shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. “Definitely explains why the dybbuk is so pissed off. Everyone she loved betrayed her.”

  “It’s not enough,” Regina said as the version of her inside Sherri’s mind rolled over and stood to her feet. “They investigated before and ruled it natural causes.” Tears fell down her cheeks as she huddled in on herself, cradling herself with her arms wrapped around her. “My kids grew up without me. I never even had a chance to say goodbye.”

  “Let me take control of my body again,” Sherri pleaded. “Let me convince them to help you. Let me give you a chance to meet your grandson.” She took a deep breath. “I saw the way you watched them from across the street the other day. I know the pain you’re feeling. Please. I can help you make this right.”

  Regina stared at the other woman, the woman whose body Regina stole and who Regina had every intention of allowing to die, so she could get her revenge. If she allowed the other woman to have control again, could she trust Sherri to help her? Or was this just a trick to get Regina out of her body once and for all?

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Laci watched as Nazareth stood at Regina’s feet, the woman prone on the giant red cushion. Mark stood on one side and Tansy the other. Jayden and the others stood off to the side, watching as the older man stretched his arms out at his sides, power sparking at his fingertips. “I’m sorry, but there is no other way,” he said. “The dybbuk needs to move on, and it’s my job to help her move her ass.” He sucked in a deep breath, the power sparking brighter.

  “Wait!” Regina cried out, one arm extended, hand raised. “Wait, please. It’s me, Sherri Rockford. Don’t do anything yet. Please.” She glanced down around her, staring with pinched eyes at the giant red cushion underneath her. “Why would anyone sit on these things?” She pushed herself off the cushion with a scowl, Mark reaching out and helping her to her feet.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, “but how are we supposed to know it’s really you?”

  She placed her hand on his arm, smiling at him. “Because I said so. You’re going to have to trust me.” She brushed her shirt back into place as she took a moment to calm her breathing. “I convinced Regina to let me talk to you.” She glanced over at Nazareth. “To convince you not to send her back just yet. Everything she told you is true.” She turned back to Mark. “So is what your people told you over the phone. From what Regina told me, her husband and sister were having an affair and her sister got pregnant. That’s when they decided to kill her.” She held up a hand. “And before you ask, she has no idea how they did it. All she knows is she’s dead.”

  Nazareth still held his hands at the ready. “I’m sorry, but how she died doesn’t matter. She’s still dead and must move on.”

  “I know,” Sherri said, sliding her arms over her chest. “However, before you help her move on, I told her I would help her say goodbye.”

  Laci stared at Sherri…Regina…whoever the hell it was standing in front of her. “This woman stole your body. You really want to help her?”

  Sherri smiled over at Laci. “I’ve been watching as all of you have helped teach her about magic. I’ve heard some of your stories, as well. If any of you were in my shoes, would you not want to help her? Even after what she did?”

  Laci walked over to Nazareth, placing a hand on his arm. “I say we give her a chance. We already know she’s in there, so we can keep an eye on her.” She shrugged. “It’s Sherri’s body. If she’s willing to wait a bit longer, then who are we to argue with her?”

  Nazareth stared at Laci with his deep blue eyes
that seemed such a sharp contrast to his ash-gray hair. Finally, he just nodded, reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out his flask. “Fine. We’ll give her some time to say her farewells.” He then gestured to Sherri with the hand holding the flask. “But just remember, if she stays in there too long, there’s no getting her out, and you run the risk of losing yourself. It’s a fine line. You don’t want to be crossing it.”

  “I understand,” Sherri said. Laci watched as the young woman took a deep breath. “There’s something else you should know.”

  Laci felt the twisting in her gut as she stared at the woman. Somehow, Laci didn’t think this was going to be good news.

  Sherri glanced around at everyone, then settled her eyes on Laci. “We haven’t exactly been alone in my mind.”

  Laci closed her eyes and groaned. Great.

  Twenty-Four

  “What do you mean you’re not alone?” Tansy asked, fearing she was about to lead her small coven back into another nightmare. Well, they had at least one week of quietness. “You’re possessed by someone else, as well?”

  Sherri shook her head. “No, he doesn’t stay. I don’t even think he knows I know he’s been there, but I have. He’s a creepy looking guy, wears a dark robe, has…”

  “Dark red eyes that spark,” Laci finished for the woman, glancing over at Nazareth.

  “Yeah,” Sherri confirmed. “How did you know that?”

  “Let’s just say we’ve met,” Laci said. “Why would he visit her mind and not kill her? He’s killed everyone else.”

  Nazareth didn’t answer her, however. Instead, he focused on Sherri Rockford. “Is he there now? Can you feel him?” He twisted the cap back on to his flask and slid it into his pocket.

  Sherri was quiet for a moment, her eyes closed. When she opened them, she shook her head. “No, but means nothing really. Regina didn’t know I was practicing magic until just a few moments ago when I took her down.”

  Tansy cocked an eyebrow. “You practice magic? How long has this been going on?”

  Sherri shrugged. “Since I could hear what you told Regina.” She gave the older woman a weak smile. “My body was still pretty hooked on drugs. The more she practiced what you taught her, however, the more my body healed. At some point, I could function on my own. I almost took my body back a couple of times, but I was never strong enough. Still, as she practiced what you taught her, so did I. I just did it mentally.” She shrugged again. “Seems to have worked for now.”

  Tansy gave a soft laugh as she shook her head. “I would say it did.” For the first time in a long time, Tansy felt as if she did something right. She turned to look at Nazareth. “I say we give her the time she needs, but within certain conditions. She should be able to say goodbye to her children. We’ll have a Circle placed around you to keep you and Regina safe.” She shrugged. “And in case Regina changes her mind. When you go to see her kids, some of us will go with you. I’m not risking anyone for Regina, no matter how badly I feel for what happened to her.”

  Sherri nodded, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “Seems fair enough. I want to help her, as well, but I’m not willing to die for her.” She glanced over at the detective. “So, how do we do this? How do we prove they killed her?”

  Mark slipped his hands to his hips as he took a deep breath. “I’ll call Tricia Pierce; she’s the medical examiner. I can get her to look back over the files, but my guess, I think she’ll have to exhume the body.” He shrugged. “For that, we’ll need a subpoena or the family’s permission. I highly doubt her husband will give it to us considering we’re about to accuse him of murdering his wife…his first wife, that is.”

  Tansy stared over at Sherri. The leader of the Cauldron Coven worried what would happen to the young woman if they failed to get Regina Hawthorn out of Sherri’s body in time. They were taking a huge risk by giving her time to help the woman who stole her body. Tansy worried it was a mistake. “You look into what the medical examiner can find,” Tansy said. “We’ll see about the family part.”

  “And you and I need to figure out the Tharon part,” Nazareth said as he moved toward Laci, patting her on the back on his way to the front door. “He has his eye on these two for a reason. We need to figure out what that reason is and stop him. We should start back at the morgue. See if we can follow his trail from the people he killed.”

  “I’ll go with you,” the detective called out, moving to follow the others. “Might as well talk to Tricia now and get her started.”

  Tansy watched as Laci glanced over at Jayden, grinning. With a shrug, Laci said, “Guess I’m going back to school.”

  “Can’t wait to see what your final exam looks like,” Jayden said as she gave her sister a finger wave goodbye. “Have fun. Give the teacher an apple.”

  Nazareth glanced over at the youngest Valentine, rolling his eyes. “This teacher prefers a bottle of whiskey. Remember that at Christmas time.” He opened the front door and slipped out into the Friday afternoon.

  “Wait,” Jayden called out. “You’re still going to be around here at Christmas? Why?”

  Laci shook her head and followed the older man out the door, Mark Rochester bringing up the rear.

  Once the door was shut, Tansy turned back around to the others. “All right, so how do we set up a family reunion? Something like this isn’t exactly easy to believe, even by us who witnessed it. How are we going to convince her son to listen to us?”

  Sherri moved around the store, not looking at anything, just wandering. “I say we let Regina take control again. If anyone can convince Reggie—that’s her son—to believe our story, it’ll be her.”

  “You just got your life back,” Jayden said, her arms over her chest. “You sure you want to give the reins back to the woman who was ready to steal it forever?”

  Sherri turned, staring at Jayden. Shrugging, she said, “I gave her my word. I’m not going to go back on that. I can’t.”

  Tansy nodded and then turned to Wanda. “I think now would be a great time for some of your tea. Would you mind making us some?”

  “Oh, no, not at all,” Wanda said as she pushed her glasses up on her nose. “Famallumi, come give me a hand. Five cups of tea coming up. Rosemary and Spearmint. I think that will hit the spot. Helps with focus, you know?”

  Tansy watched as the older woman walked toward the back room, the elf following in her wake, a smile on her face. Wanda always seemed to know just the right tea for the occasion. Turning back to Sherri and Jayden, Tansy worried whether or not she was making the right decision. She walked over to the counter, turned, and leaned back on the glass. Their world was not exactly user friendly. Did they really want to open someone else up to their world? “Have you thought about how Regina’s son will react to finding out what happened to his mother?” Sherri opened her mouth to say something, but Tansy cut her off with an upraised hand. “And I’m not just talking about his father killing her.” She placed her arms back over her chest. “I’m talking about his mother being a dybbuk for the past twelve years and now possessing your body. Not exactly your every day scenario, you know?”

  Sherri stood there, staring at the wall again, and Tansy assumed she was talking to Regina. How odd must it be to have a conversation with someone in your head? “Regina says, it’s going to be weird as hell, but she has to go through with it. It’s the only way to make things right.” She shrugged. “I agree with her, if it matters. She’s been floating around this city for twelve years, rage fueling her with only the idea of revenge driving her forward. It’s not going to go away anytime soon. She needs this to find peace.”

  Tansy could hear what Sherri was afraid to say out loud. Tansy feared the same thing. If Regina did not find peace, she may not give Sherri back her body, no matter what she promised.

  Sherri stared at her, her lips pressed into a thin line. Tansy only nodded back, letting the other woman know she understood.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Mark yanked the door of the morgue open,
a file folder he picked up at the department on their way over in one hand as he called out for Tricia. He slid into the coroner’s office, the others following in his wake. He wasn’t sure how much she could help them, but she was his only hope at this juncture. She’s going to think I’m batshit crazy.

  As he entered the medical examiner’s exam room, Tricia Pierce sat at her desk, pen in hand as she glanced over her shoulder at him. Seeing that he wasn’t alone, she turned, tossing the pen on her desk, and pushing herself to her feet. “Mark? Everything okay?”

  Sliding his hands into his pockets, Mark glanced behind him at the others, brows raised as he stared at Laci. Turning back to Tricia, he held a hand out, palm out as he said, “Everything’s fine. Promise.” He slid his hand back into his pocket. “However, I need your help with a cold case. I was wondering if perhaps you could look over an old file for me, see if you notice anything…out of the ordinary.”

  “Out of the ordinary, huh?” Tricia repeated as she crossed her arms over her chest. She glanced once more at the people behind him. “I take it this is a group project? Family members of your cold case?” She shook her head. “You know better than to bring family members to my autopsy, Mark.”

  “We’re not family members,” Nazareth said as he walked off to the side, glancing around the room, staring up at the ceiling. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his flask. Twisting the cap off, he added, “We’re actually here to help the family.” He took a sip from the flask as he turned back to Tricia.

  “Don’t drink in my autopsy room,” Tricia snapped before she turned back to Mark. “Your new partner drinks on the job, and you’re all right with that?”

  Mark sighed as Nazareth shrugged, taking another sip of whiskey. “He’s not my partner,” Mark said, shaking his head.