Deadly Darlings (October Darlings Book 2)
Page 24
Carved into the side of a mountain, the foundation appears to be half cliffside and half brick. The parts of walls not hidden by snarled trees and ivy are painted a deep grey, and the brilliant rooftop shines like indigo in the setting sun. A plague of grackles covers the nearest tree branches, and closer to the house, a smattering of ravens watch us, perched as they are on large, stone gargoyles.
“It has to be,” Ramona explains. “Try explaining that architecture to a homeowners association and see how fast they’ll try to drive you out of the suburbs. Besides,” she grins, “it gives us more room to play.”
To fly, she means. Thankfully, she’s blessed with illusion magic that hides her flying form from all except a select few. Like me.
Tomas strides up to us, his free hand outstretched to take my bag, and a look of apprehension on his face. I don’t know how to be around him either.
“Are you ready?” He asks me softly.
Giving him a half-hearted grin, I look past him where Eden is hovering over Ramona and roll my eyes. Between the two of them, Tomas and I will never have a moment alone. “I’m never ready,” I sigh. “Let’s go.”
“I called ahead and told our parents about everything, but don’t be surprised if they don’t take to being haunted very well.” Ramona flips her hair out of her face and reaches into her car through an open window to grab her purse out of the passenger's seat.
“Make myself scarce. Got it.” Eden grimaces and pops out of view once more. I can only assume she’s back in the in-between and will show up again later, most likely right when I’m trying to sleep.
“What did you say about me?” I ask her again just in case she left something out between three days ago when we started packing up the duplex and... well now. The porch alone is huge and intimidating, and the bared teeth on the gargoyles are sharp enough to tear at my clothes. Swallowing, I tuck my hands into my pockets and fidget with the strands of beads I’ve been carrying around.
“Clairvoyant, bonded to me, you know, all that jazz” Ramona waves her hand and skips up the steep steps in her high heeled boots. “Don’t worry, they’ll love you.”
“Just, whatever you do,” Tomas adds as he catches me by the elbow, “don’t mention anything about your mother’s side,” he whispers. His eyes flit to the birds cackling at our arrival and his grasp on my arm tightens.
“Got it,” I mutter back. A clairvoyant is welcome. A half witch... not so much.
As Ramona reaches for her keys, the tall door swings open, revealing a foyer not unlike a gothic mansion. A girl about sixteen stands at the doorway, her dark complexion, and angular features so similar to her siblings’ features, she must be Rosa. Grinning sharply, she throws herself into Ramona’s arms and drags her across the doorway.
“I missed you so much!” The sisters squeal at each other, but while Ramona is enthused, the grip Tomas has on my arm falters and his mouth turns down at the corners.
“Sita.” He nods at his younger sister.
“Short for Rosita,” she explains, extracting herself from Ramona’s embrace.
I fake a quick smile and shift until I’m half hidden by Tomas. “Nice to meet you. I’m Addie.”
“The ghost girl, right? That’s so cool. We almost never meet clairvoyants. Just shifters, all the time,” Sita complains.
“Never mind that!” Ramona tugs on her sister’s shirt. “Where are Mom and Dad? I want to go say hi.”
“This way.” Sita leads the way in, but I’m too busy gawking at my surroundings to listen much to whatever conversation the two sisters begin. At my side, Tomas is equally as silent, a scowl etching across his face each step further we get into the house.
The gargoyle theme from outside continues throughout the foyer, and although Ramona made sure to warn me about the size of the estate, nothing could have prepared me for feeling so out of place. Nix House is large, to say the least, but it’s an old house and everything we own is mismatched and handed down from one generation to the next. This place holds knickknacks and paintings that ought to be in museums, and as we pass into a tall passageway, there isn’t a trace of comfort in any of the furnishings.
Trudging through the dark, our footsteps echo down the halls as Ramona and Rosa chat, and trailing behind them, the tension between Tomas and I is unbearable. And even worse, I swear someone is watching me from the walls, and it’s not the dead. This place is like a tomb, and I can’t imagine what kind of life I can live here.
But I can’t go back to Nix House, not after seeing the anguish Eden’s family is going through. Besides, my friends wouldn’t lead me anywhere dangerous... would they?
Rustling noises sound from behind the walls, and the deep, green wallpaper is covered in patterns that remind me of slinking snakes.
“What’s that?” I whisper cautiously. Even the sound of my voice is wrong.
“Bats, probably. They have free range of the attic, and they do a good job of keeping the place pest free.” Tomas responds, apparently completely unbothered by the idea of small mammals creeping through the walls.
Shuddering, I trek on, until the hallway widens into a sharp archway and we step out into what can only be described as a sunken ballroom. The ceiling is made of glass, and the panes are crawling with vines even there, as the heavens shine down into the room with filtered, green light.
“What the hell?” I breathe out, stopping dead in my tracks. The chill at the back of my neck tells me Eden is nearby, but as I glance around my peripheral, I see her concealing her form in a small, lavender orb.
“This is home!” Tomas exclaims, setting our bags down and throwing his arms out wide.
“Yes, it is!” A warm, female voice rings out to our left. “And it’s about time you come home too. Missing Thanksgiving and Christmas is not what I expected when y’all moved out.” A woman who can’t possibly be anyone besides their mother approaches with her arms open wide. She has a dark, warm skin tone and bright, attentive eyes. Her outfit is expertly put together, and it’s clear where Ramona modeled her own fashion sense from.
“Mom!” Ramona squeals and drops her bag, rushing forward at once. Sita stands back, beaming, and an ache spreads through my chest at their reunion.
As much of a comfort the haunts of Nix House are, they’re not the same as having a living, breathing family, and for all Tomas and Ramona claimed not to be close to theirs, it’s a hell of a lot warmer reception than I usually get at home. Delia is amazing, but between trying to keep her out of the loop and her devotion to her job... well, there’s no point in pretending we’re the perfect family unit.
Tomas joins his sister in greeting their mother, and as I stand awkwardly off to the side, steady footsteps alert me to another person entering the room.
“There are the troublemakers!” The man booms. His salt and pepper hair is styled like an old-fashioned movie star, and his strong jawline matches his son’s. “And you must be Addie,” he adds, coming up to shake my hand first. “We’re glad to have you. I was so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.” His gaze flickers over to where Eden’s wispy form is hovering around my shoulder.
“Uhm, thank you.” I cough and look to Ramona for help, but she’s still too busy hanging onto her mother.
“I’m John, and this is my wife, Alessandra.” He nods at the woman and releases my hand. I let it swing to my side gratefully and manage to plaster a tight smile on my face. “I hope you’ll find some peace staying here. You’re welcome for as long as you need.”
“That sounds wonderful, uhm, again, thank you very much.” I’m nodding like a robot and grinning like a fool, and cold sweat is breaking out on the back of my neck. God, the longer I stand here, the more out of place I feel. This can’t be my world; this place with centuries old artwork and stone gargoyles and people who can see the dead. But it is my world, and I have no choice but to try and survive it. “It’s very nice to meet you,” I tack on after a moment’s pause.
“It’s great to meet you too, dea
r,” Alessandra says over Ramona’s shoulder. “I just wish the occasion were better. But never mind that!” She releases Ramona and grabs for Tomas next. “We’re having a party tonight to welcome our twins' return, and the start of new beginnings. It is New Year’s Eve, after all.”
“Ah, Mom,” Tomas cringes, her arm is wrapped around his neck and he’s half stooped over her petite frame. “A party? I don’t know if we’re really up to that.”
“Up for it or not,” John answers him, “the invites have already gone out. It’s happening.”
Up for it or not, I’m about to be introduced to an entire society of the supernatural, and I can only hope it’s an experience I can pull off. If the wrong person finds out what I am, I’m as good as dead, and I don’t know what effects that will have on Ramona.
“Come on,” Tomas mutters. “I’ll show you to your room. There’s an empty one in the tower that connects to Ramona’s.”
The tower? I mouth the words as I hurry after him. Eden’s orb, or rather the orb that is Eden, bounces along after us, carrying a draft, and Sita smirks ominously as she watches us leave. Hunching my shoulders up high, I peer at her over my shoulder and frown. I mean, granted I didn’t like Ramona or Tomas at first either... but something about this place gives me the major creeps.
Frank lifts his head, and I press my arm to my stomach to hide the movement, ignoring the pounding of my heart as I hope nobody else saw. If there’s anything that’s going to give me away as a witch, it’s the sentinel on my wrist. I’ll have to have a talk with Frank once we’re alone.
Tomas leads me up a partially hidden spiral staircase, and by the time we reach the third floor, my chest is heaving with exertion.
“Sorry about tonight,” he apologizes. “Obviously, it wasn’t my idea. If you want, you can just stick by me.” The unspoken invitation he lays out is clear. Tonight, could be a date... or not.
“Uhm,” I stammer, “Uhm, yeah. Maybe. That would be good.” My face is burning and the chill at the back of my neck grows worse. Oh crap, Eden is listening to this!
He deposits me in a circular room with a bathroom that adjoins Ramona's room as promised, and hurries back out to ask his father about unpacking the trailer and the rest of the cars.
No sooner than I set Frank on the bed to explore, a blinding pain hits me square in the chest and I collapse on the floor. My eyes are burning and there’s a burning so strong, I can barely breathe through the fire coursing up my arm and into my collarbone.
Eden pops into being beside me, her eyes wide as she floats above me, and as I focus on her form, I know only one thing. Ramona is in danger.
About the Author
Born and raised in South Texas, Wendolyn Baird spent most of her childhood devouring stories about magic, ghosts, and adventures. Books are a huge part of her life, and when she’s not reading or writing them, she’s usually staring off into space considering new stories to write down. Her works focus on strength and vulnerability while weaving together unique worlds and characters.
Her first novel, Shattered, is the first in the Tempest Coven Novels, which follows Tania and her family through their own perils.
The October Darlings trilogy begins with October Darlings, follows through with this book and continues with Forever Darlings. Each addition to the series is focused on growth and the resiliency of the human spirit.
To date, Baird has also co-authored a novella called Cruelly with the author VB Gilbert.
All books are available to purchase on Amazon, and you can follow Baird on social media or at www.wendolynbaird.com for updates on upcoming novels and projects.
Books by Wendolyn Baird
October Darlings
Forever Darlings
Shattered (A Tempest Coven Novel)
Cruelly (co-authored with VB Gilbert)
Acknowledgements
Where do I start? As always, there’s no way I could have finished this novel without the love and support of my family. I also want to thank my two fervent cheerleaders: Frances and Cristina. Without y’all’s insistence to know the rest of the story, I might not have written it at all.
Several aspects of this story come from different mythology, as well as creations of my own imagination. The gallowbirds, in particular, I labored over naming because I could see the shifters, but how do you name such a thing? Well, ravens really are said to be messengers of the gods and wisdom. They also had the habit of lurking around gallows, so I thought it was fitting.
For fans of the Tempest Coven Novels, I hope you enjoyed the Easter eggs.
Writing this series is one of the biggest joys I’ve had in a long while, and I hope reading the books brings some joy to my readers as well. Thanks for picking up my books; they’d be nothing without you.
And, just as I did for October Darlings, here’s a short playlist of songs I listened to while writing.
Calling - Tiger Army
R U Mine - Arctic Monkeys
Tongues and Teeth- The Crane Wives
Subcultural Girl- Nekromantix
Miss Take - The Horrorpops
Through the Darkness - Tiger Army
Possum Kingdom - The Toadies
What Sarah Said - Death Cab for Cutie
Come to Me - Goo Goo Dolls
Blackbird - The Beatles