Two
Three
I opened my eyes again, and we were in the road that ran in front of Hangman’s House. We’d done it!
There was just one problem.
The danger I’d sensed before came in the form of dozens of robed figures standing in a circle around my house. The black robes they wore sheltered them from the moonlight, and it almost made them appear as shadows or apparitions instead of humans.
All of them were chanting something in a language I couldn’t understand, but somehow I knew it was the one from the book. I still had the book, and it started to feel hot in my hand.
I looked down, and it glowed red. Tendrils of that heat and the red glow began to snake up my arm.
“Meri! Meri, I can’t drop it,” I said as I fought to let go of the book.
Meri gazed at me with terror in his eyes. I watched as he looked back and forth between the book in my hand and my belly. I knew right away that whatever he would normally do to the book to save me would put the baby in danger.
He was at a loss as to how to protect us.
“What are we going to do?” I asked, but even as I did, the red-hot tendrils got closer to my heart. For some reason, there was no pain, and while my mind fought the onslaught, my body did not. I knew that if it got to my heart, it would travel immediately to the baby.
“You have to fight it, Kinsley. You have to,” Meri said.
I was getting woozy, and my vision was beginning to blur. When I was about to tell Meri that I didn’t have the strength to fight, my front door opened.
Thorn stepped out onto the front porch in his boxer shorts with a shotgun in his hands. He racked it and pointed the barrels at the closest dark figure.
“Y’all better run,” he said in a deep, growling voice I’d never heard from him before.
The chanting stopped.
“One,” Thorn said. “Two.”
As soon as the chanting stopped, so did the tendrils. I was able to drop the book.
The robed figures all took off running. They hadn’t been able to summon their devil, and apparently, none of them wanted to die for the cause. They began to file around the side of the house, and Thorn gave chase.
I left the book there in the middle of the road. No part of me wanted to pick it up again. I had to get inside, and then I’d summon the Coven.
There was no need, though. As I reached out to open my front door, I heard something behind me.
When I turned to look, the three women’s shimmering white specters hung from the tree in the front yard. The ghosts of three of the women executed in that tree.
They dropped down from their nooses and started walking toward the book. More joined them from the cemetery. The ghosts of the witches that came even before the Skeenbauers. It wasn’t just my ancestors, but the ancestors of all of the witches from… well from just about everywhere. Mom had always told me that some of the first were buried there. I hadn’t known what that meant, and she said she didn’t really know either.
I could see that some of them were older, and they glowed brighter than the others. They all surrounded the book. None of them were still of this world, but they were still powerful enough to interact with the book.
The witches took it with them back into the cemetery. As they retreated into their dark resting place, the remaining fire damage in the trees disappeared. The foliage around their final resting place became thick and lush again.
“Thank you,” I called into the night.
I was answered with a brief, cool breeze.
Thorn ran back into the house a few minutes later. “They disappeared into the forest,” he panted. It was obvious he was out of breath. His feet and calves were covered in cuts and scrapes from where he’d chased the Satanists in his bare feet. “I can go back after them if you want.”
“No, stay here,” I said.
I was standing in the kitchen, drinking a half-gallon of chocolate milk. It was nowhere near enough to restore my strength, but it had been sufficient to keep me from passing out.
“I can’t just let them go,” he protested. “But, I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“You can just let them go,” I said. “Sit down at the table, and let me take care of your feet.”
“I’ll be fine,” he grumbled.
“You will,” I said. “Especially after you let me heal your feet. There’s no way we can just let that go. When your adrenaline wears off, it’s going to hurt like the dickens. Plus, you’re not going to be able to walk tomorrow. I can promise you that.”
“Fine,” he said and sat down at the table.
I didn’t have much strength, physical or magical, but with Meri’s help I was able to heal the cuts on Thorn’s feet.
“I have to go to bed,” I said when it was done. “I need a nap, and then when I wake up I’m going to need a lot to eat.”
Thorn had really taken it to heart when I said I needed a lot to eat. I’d fallen asleep on the sofa because I just couldn’t make it any further. When I woke up, I found him and a buffet in the kitchen.
“You didn’t go back to sleep,” I said as I walked into the kitchen.
I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hands, and as soon as I pulled them away Thorn pushed a steaming cup of coffee into them. The kitchen counters were lined with bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, waffles, pancakes, and the stuff to assemble both hamburgers and hot dogs. Meri skittered into the kitchen, and his eyes lit up when he saw the mountain of bacon and two salmon fillets Thorn had set off to the side for him.
“I feel like I could run a marathon,” Thorn said. “Seriously, whatever you did to fix my feet, it affected more than that. I have so much energy. I may have gone a little overboard with the food.”
I chuckled. “I love it. Thank you so much.”
“It’s a good thing you have a magic refrigerator. I think this stuff will probably keep. Right?”
“Yeah, it will. Well, let’s eat then,” I said as my stomach issued a loud rumble. The scent of the buttery waffles and bacon alone was enough to make me feel like a ravenous wolf.
I ate until I thought I would burst, but my body just used it all to replenish my magic. Minutes later, I was ready to eat again. Thorn watched with a combination of horror and amusement. There wasn’t going to be nearly as many leftovers as he’d previously believed.
Just before Thorn left for work, Viv called me. She said that the haunted and witch tours had been canceled and that she had not opened the coffee shop that day.
“What’s going on?” I asked, but I already knew.
“It just seems too dangerous with them around, and I wasn’t getting any real customers anyway. You know we have sort of an informal downtown committee, and you’re part of that now, but that committee has decided that we should stay closed to protect people. At least until we can figure out what to do about these… people.”
“Is it really that bad?” I asked.
“Well, they are down there right now. They’re all over the square and around the statues. Someone even said they thought they might try to pull them down. Nobody who goes to work at the courthouse can go in either.”
“How many of them are there?” I asked.
“It’s just maybe two dozen, but they’re walking around in those black robes now. At first, people thought it was something the town was doing, but then they started menacing people,” Viv said.
“I’ll send Thorn down there on his way into work,” I said. “Call me if you need anything.”
Thorn was studying me when I hung up the phone. “What’s up?” he asked.
I told him everything Viv had relayed to me. “I don’t think anyone is opening up today.”
“That’s good. I was going to say something to you about that anyway. This is much easier.”
“Why? Because you know I’d probably go in anyway?”
“I know you, and yes. I don’t think you’re afraid of those guys, but you need to be more cautious. You’ve got the b
aby to think of now. But when this is over, you should think about hiring another assistant in the shop. You’ll need to be able to take days off without having to close down when the baby comes. Or even when you’re just really far along.”
“You don’t think I can handle it?” I teased.
“I don’t want you to have to handle anything, babe. I want you and peanut to have the best of everything. I don’t want you to have to just grin and bear it through things.”
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you too,” Thorn replied. “Now, I’m going to get to work. I’ve got to get these… whatever they are out of this town.”
“I’m going to call Lilith,” I said. “Mom and Amelda might not be around, but the rest of the Coven is. The Aunties will help you drive them out.”
“We probably should have done that in the beginning,” Thorn said as he put on his hat.
“Yeah, well, hindsight is twenty-twenty.”
Chapter Nine
Later that day, around lunchtime, Thorn called me.
“Hey, sweetie. Is everything okay?” I asked when I picked up.
“Yeah, I’m okay, but I’m swamped. It’s lunchtime, and nothing is open. I think the places over in the new section of Coventry are, but I can’t get away to get over there.”
“You want me to bring you some lunch?” I asked.
“Normally, I wouldn’t ask, but no one has seen hide nor hair of those Satanists since me and Deputy Fontaine chased them off this morning. I think it’s safe for you to make a run down here.”
“I would say so,” I said with a chuckle. “I’m not going to hide in the house, Thorn. I had a bad night last night, but I’m completely refreshed. There’s nothing for me to be afraid of now.”
“I know,” Thorn said with a sigh that told me he still wouldn’t accept that I could hold my own. He wanted to protect me, but I loved that about him. “But, bring the cat.”
“I’ll be down there in fifteen. Any requests?” I asked.
“Whatever you’ve got. I’m starving.”
When we hung up the phone, I set to work, making him a couple of sandwiches, chips, carrots, and two apples. I also packed a container of breakfast leftovers. There wasn’t much left after my feast, but there was enough for another decent meal. I had a feeling Thorn might be stuck at work for a while and wanted to make sure he could eat again later.
Fifteen minutes later, I walked through the front door of the sheriff’s station. I’d made it exactly on time.
“Go on back,” the receptionist said with a nod. “He’s been expecting you.”
“Must have been hungry,” I said, and she laughed with me.
I walked into Thorn’s office, and he was opening a Coke he’d probably gotten from the station’s vending machine. “Oh, thank you,” he said when I handed him the bags.
We chatted for a bit while Thorn ate the sandwiches. He was happy to see I’d packed a little container of peanut butter to dip the carrots in. Not a lot of people ate them that way, but Thorn and I both loved it.
He cleaned up the sack lunch and got ready to put the breakfast leftovers in the break room refrigerator when we heard shouting coming from the lobby. “What in the heck,” he said and rushed around the desk.
I started to stand up, but he told me to stay put. He disappeared out of his office door but came back a minute later. “Two deputies brought people in at the same time, and we’ve got a bit of an issue out in the lobby. I’m going to have you go out the back door of the station, okay?”
“Sure, yeah,” I said and got up. “See you tonight?”
“I’ll get there as soon as I can, sweetie. I’m going to have a talk with Lincoln this afternoon, so we’ll see how that goes.”
I wanted to press the issue and make sure Thorn was still going to fire him, but I could tell by his expression he had no time to talk. He walked me to the back door of the station and unlocked it so I could leave. Thorn gave me a quick kiss and then closed the door behind me to attend to the mess in the lobby.
As I walked through the alley to get back to my car, I passed the dumpster behind the station. At first, I didn’t think anything of it, but when I realized what I saw on the ground around the dumpster I stopped in my tracks.
Rose petals.
It was an odd sight for sure, so I walked over and lifted the lid to the dumpster. Inside were dozens upon dozens of drying roses.
“What would those be doing behind the sheriff’s station?” I asked.
“What?” Meri piped up from inside my bag.
“There are dozens of roses in this dumpster,” I said.
“So.”
“I just… I found a dried rose at the spot where Richard died,” I said.
“Roses are pretty common,” Meri responded. “You really think it’s something?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m going to take a picture of it and get out of this alley. This trash smells gross.”
What I didn’t say was that I suddenly felt like I was being watched. I looked up and down both sides of the alley, but I hadn’t seen anyone lurking about. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling. When I got those feelings, I listened to them.
After I snapped the picture, we walked back around the building to my car. The entire drive home, I kept checking my rearview mirror and the rear camera. There was no one following me, but I couldn’t dismiss that oily feeling like someone had been there in the alley watching me.
Usually, when I got that feeling and there wasn’t a person there, it was a ghost. None manifested themselves, though.
I still had that feeling later that night when someone pounded on my front door. I jumped half out of my skin. I leapt off the couch so fast that I threw Meri onto the coffee table. He hissed and scrambled to the front door.
Meri sniffed under the door. “It’s just a person.”
“Should I answer it?”
Meri just looked at me like I’d asked the dumbest question he’d ever heard.
“I’m going to answer it,” I said.
“You probably shouldn’t,” Meri finally piped up.
“You said it’s just a person.”
“Kinsley!” a man called through the door. “Kinsley Skeenbauer?”
“Yeah?” I hollered back instinctively.
“Um… Sorry if I scared you, but this is Amelia’s husband. Can I talk to you for a minute?” he called through the door.
“Oh. Thorn’s brother-in-law,” I said to Meri. “Coming!”
I opened the door to a handsome man with dark hair and light brown eyes. He was dressed in a red and white plaid shirt and jeans. His eyes were rimmed red like he’d been crying.
“Are you okay?” I asked. “Is Amelia alright? I can call Thorn.”
“No, it’s okay. I just need to ask you something. I know I’m a stranger. I don’t even need to come in,” he said and took a step back onto the porch.
I stepped outside and closed the door behind me, but not before Meri darted out and joined us. “Okay. Ask away.”
“Was my wife at a funeral with you the other day?” he asked.
“She was,” I confirmed.
He took a deep, shuddering breath. “Okay, good.” But then he thought about it a little more. “Was she with you all afternoon?”
“No. We were going to have lunch with her, but she got a call from her daughter’s school and had to go,” I said. I knew Amelia had been lying to Thorn and me, but I didn’t want to lie to her husband.
Tears spilled over onto his cheeks, and he balled his hands into fists. He immediately relaxed them and then wiped the tears away from his eyes.
“Would you like something to drink?” I asked. “And I’m sorry, but I can’t remember your name.”
“Dave,” he said. “My name is Dave, and I would take a soda if you’ve got one. I’d say a beer, but I’m going to need to get back on the road soon.”
“Have a seat,” I said and pointed to my porch furniture. “I’ll be
right back with a soda.”
We chatted for a while after that. He told me about Amelia and how she’d had an affair. Dave had thought they were past all that, but apparently she was cheating again. He spilled all the beans to me like he hadn’t had someone to talk to in a long time.
Eventually, Thorn pulled up in the driveway. He convinced Dave to stay for a while, but Dave still insisted on sitting on the porch. He and Thorn did have an ice-cold beer while they talked, though. Something to cut through the heat, but Thorn made sure Dave was good to drive before finally sending him off.
As I was getting ready for bed, I realized that probably meant that whatever suspicious things Amelia had said during her phone call were about her affair. They had nothing to do with the murder. Not that I’d really thought she had anything to do with Richard’s death, but it was still one person off the list. Even if she had been at the very bottom of that list.
Chapter Ten
The next day, Thorn went into work, and I went to my shop. Viv had decided to open up the Brew Station as well. The weirdos weren’t all gone yet, but it seemed as though Thorn had convinced them to back off. We couldn’t stay closed forever, after all. I could because I had a magic house that gave me money when I needed it, but Viv depended on her coffee shop to survive. Reggie needed her job with me too, so in a way I had to stay open as well.
Other than a few of the creepers walking by the front window and staring in at us, the day was pretty uneventful. The ancestral spirits had dragged the book into their cemetery, so I wasn’t sure why some of the Satanists were still around. Maybe they thought they’d be able to get it, but I knew they wouldn’t.
I hadn’t had a sleepwalking incident the night before, and I was convinced it was over. My father must have put the dark book near the entrance of the family crypt, and so it was able to reach me. I was able to enter it to retrieve it fast enough that the occupants of the tomb had no time to get me. Heck, my mother had been in there for minutes before and had escaped with her life. It wasn’t farfetched that I could reach in and grab a book.
The ancestor spirits of the witches dragging it into the earth of the old cemetery was a different story. They didn’t always rise up to interfere with the business of the living, but for the book they had.
Book of Dark Magic Page 11