Hemlocked and Loaded

by Annabel Chase

  Magpie stalked into the bathroom like he had every right to invade my privacy, his tail swishing left and right.

  “Can I just remind both of you that we’re in a bathroom?” I said pointedly.

  “I know. I can see the loo right there,” Gareth said. “I’m dead, not blind.”

  I shook my head. “You’re insufferable.”

  “But you couldn’t do without me.”

  Magpie inspected the small puddles of water on the floor before deciding he had no interest in hanging out with us in the bathroom. Smart hellbeast.

  “Are you worried about that?” I asked. “That I’ll be married and suddenly able to do without you?” I toweled off my legs and moved into the bedroom to put on a pair of khaki capris.

  “I’m more worried about the poor excuse for pants you’re wearing,” he said.

  I glanced down at my capris. “I wear these all the time.”

  “Not your trousers. Your pants.”

  “My pantaloons?” I joked. “Who doesn’t love a big yellow smiley face on their butt?”

  He glared at me. “You’ll need to wear something a bit more appealing for your future husband, don’t you think? Those underpants are hideous.”

  I slipped on my shoes. “One minute you’re driving the getaway car and the next minute you’re offering advice on my intimate apparel? Make up your mind.”

  Gareth shuddered. “Forget I said anything.”

  “About my sex clothes?” I said. “I’ve already forgotten.”

  He groaned and disappeared from the room without another word and I couldn’t resist a smile. At least now I knew a surefire way to get privacy when I needed it.

  My hands trembled as I laid the letters neatly across the dining room table.

  “Are you going to keep rearranging them or actually read them?” Gareth asked. He paced the length of the dining room, inasmuch as a ghost could pace.

  “They need to be in date order,” I said. “I don’t want to accidentally read them out of order and misunderstand something.”

  “You’re being absurd,” Gareth said.

  “Hey, I’m not the one who alphabetizes the spices,” I said pointedly.

  “That’s different,” Gareth shot back. “Alphabetical order is completely rational. This is procrastination, plain and simple.”

  The wind chimes sounded. “Daniel,” I exclaimed, and hurried to the foyer.

  “Why does he still feel the need to ring the bell?” Gareth asked testily. “He’s here all the time as it is.”

  “He does it out of respect for you,” I called over my shoulder. I yanked open the door and greeted Daniel with an enthusiastic kiss.

  “If I knew I was going to get a greeting like that, I’d have come sooner.” He tucked in his wings and stepped through the doorway. “Are you all set?”

  Although I was nervous, I was determined to push through the fear like Demetrius suggested. “Let’s do this.”

  When we returned to the room, the letters were scattered all over the floor. Magpie stood in the middle of the table, meowing angrily.

  “He grew tired of waiting,” Gareth explained.

  I hurried around the room, collecting the letters and smoothing them flat. “Magpie, that was very rude. This is a huge moment for me. I don’t want to be rushed.” I picked up the last letter and gulped down air. “The truth is, I’m terrified.” Tears pricked my eyes.

  Daniel crossed the room and wrapped his arms around me. His white wings tickled my bare skin. “Demetrius was right. It’s natural to feel this way.”

  I pulled a tissue from my pocket and wiped my nose. “I wish Demetrius could be with us to hear you say that. Talk about a defining moment.”

  “My jabs at Demetrius are out of habit,” Daniel said. “I promise to make a genuine effort with him. It’s clear he cares about you and how can I blame him?”

  “He cares about me, but he loves Begonia,” I said. “Try to remember that.” I glanced at the letters in my hand. “What if she hated me? What if she wanted nothing to do with me?” All my doubts came crashing down on me at once.

  Daniel kissed my forehead. “Impossible. Seriously.”

  “Elsa hated me,” I argued.

  “She had a reason,” he said. “Not a good one, I admit, but she did have one. Your mother didn’t hate you. You were a baby. An innocent. A piece of her soul.”

  I nodded, fighting an onslaught of tears. “Will you sit with me while I read them?”

  “Of course,” he said, and took my free hand.

  “I will, too,” Gareth said, floating behind us as we walked into the living room.

  “Gareth says he will, too,” I repeated.

  “Do you mind, Emma, or would you rather he sit this one out?” Daniel asked.

  Gareth didn’t give me a chance to answer. “Of course she doesn’t mind. I’m her best friend. She tells me everything.”

  “I don’t tell you everything,” I said.

  Daniel glanced at me. “You tell him everything?”

  “Can we keep the focus where it belongs?” I asked. “Gareth can stay as long as he’s quiet.” I sat on the sofa, clutching the letters like they might disintegrate at any moment.

  Daniel draped an arm around my shoulders. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  I plucked the first letter from the packet and opened it. It felt strange to see my mother’s handwriting. The writing was long and expressive, full of character. She would not have won any penmanship awards from Mrs. Roberts, my fifth grade teacher. Mrs. Roberts liked each letter perfectly formed and between the provided parallel lines. There was no room for individual flourishes.

  “Dearest Geri and Barron,” I read aloud. “I hope this letter finds you both well. I inquire after the blood of my blood in the hope that you will take pity on a wretched soul and ease my suffering. Please tell me that all is as it should be. Signed, B.”

  “That’s promising,” Daniel said. “She wanted to know that you were okay. That’s not written by a woman who doesn’t care.”

  I was inclined to agree. It was a good start.

  “Maybe there’ll even be information about your father,” Daniel said hopefully.

  “I don’t want to expect too much,” I said. “But I like the way you think.”

  “Next one?”

  I nodded as I opened the next letter. “Dearest Geri and Barron, I am most anxious to hear news of my progeny. Your silence is vexing, to say the least. How is she progressing? On good days, I imagine her with my most favorable features. On bad days, I imagine her with her father’s soul, but then I relent and wish for his smile. Conflicted. Always conflicted. Dark days lie ahead, good witch, and I urge you to take every precaution. Signed, B.”

  “Dark days lie ahead,” Daniel echoed. “So maybe you were right. Maybe you were sent away to keep you safe.”

  “But why? And why was I unsafe? Because of something my mother did or who she was?”

  “Or who your father was,” Daniel added. “That part about his soul is interesting.”

  The letters were generating more questions than answers. “Should I keep reading?”

  “If you feel comfortable,” he replied.

  “Honestly, I keep getting lost in the fact that my mother held this paper. Formed these words on the page.” I traced a few inky letters with my finger. “So far, they’ve been short and sweet. She asks questions with no indication as to whether she ever got answers.”

  “Do you think the Harts ever replied to her?” Daniel asked.

  “It’s hard to tell,” I said. “Most of the time, she sounds like she doesn’t expect an answer. It’s like she’s talking out loud to herself, wondering about me and sharing a little bit of her life.” I reviewed a couple more letters. “She’s traveled a lot in the U.S., but mostly places I’ve never heard of. Starry Hollow, Demonsback, Forked Tongue…The list goes on.”

  Daniel peered over my shoulder. “Those are paranormal towns. No wonder you’ve never heard of them.
Starry Hollow is off the coast of North Carolina and Demonsback is in Minnesota. I’m pretty sure Forked Tongue is in Arizona.”

  I continued to read. “Hey, this one has new information. What’s a Warden of the West?”

  “She mentions the Warden of the West?” Daniel asked, trying to find the passage. “Does she mention running from the law? That would explain why she gave you up. And where you inherited those troublemaking genes.” He rubbed my thigh to show me he was only kidding.

  I frowned, still reading. “She wasn’t running from the warden. She was a warden.”

  Daniel balked. “Your mother was the Warden of the West?” He snatched the letter and began to scan the remainder of the contents. “Do you have any idea what a prestigious position that is?”

  I plucked the letter from his eager fingertips. “How would I?”

  “A warden’s job is to track down the most dangerous paranormal criminals in the country and bring them to justice,” Daniel explained. “Your mother must have been incredibly powerful to become a warden. They have to train and it’s all very secretive, or at least that’s how it used to work. Who knows now? To say I’m out of the loop is an understatement.”

  My hands were shaking. I’d just discovered a crucial piece of my mother’s history. Of my history.

  “Read the next one,” Daniel said. “Maybe there’s more. I’m sure that’s why she entrusted you to the Harts. It would have been very dangerous for a warden to have a child. You would’ve been an easy mark for revenge seekers. I’m surprised she was allowed to have a child at all.”

  “And that must’ve been why it was dangerous for her to visit me. Someone might have followed her to the Harts.” My heart seized as the realization hit me. Maybe someone did. Maybe that was the reason my mother died and, later, my father. Nausea rolled over me. Was I the reason my parents had died so horribly?

  I began to read the next letter. “Dearest Geri and Barron, I beg you to bestow much love and kisses upon my darling child. I have dreamed of her as of late, and a prophet I met sees much that is fair and folly in her future. I fervently hope her life is more peaceful than my own, and that her identity remains concealed, as mine often is. Witch, enchantress, sorceress—it makes no difference. They are all me beneath the surface. I play the role my job requires. There is far too much evil in the world, and I shall eradicate such threats one by one for the sake of my child. For the sake of all children. Such is my calling.”

  Daniel grinned. “Like mother, like daughter.”

  “I hardly think what I do here is on par with being a Warden of the West,” I said. “She sounds like an FBI agent, taking on aliases and catching hardened criminals.” I shuddered. “Too scary for me.”

  “You’re braver than you think,” Daniel said, echoing the Winnie the Pooh books that I’d once loaned him from the library.

  “There’s brave and then there’s nuts,” I replied.

  He kissed my cheek. “To be fair, you’re a little nuts, too.”

  “All the best ones are.”

  “Finish the letter,” Daniel urged. He appeared as invested as I felt.

  I resumed reading the letter. “The prophet also warned of the reappearance of her father, so please take great care and ward the property to the best of your ability. Protect my precious child. His betrayal still cuts deep and I have no doubt his search for her continues. Despite what he claims, his intentions are not honorable. They never were, of that I am certain.”

  I paused, drinking in the words. My father betrayed her. Who was he? I scanned the letter again, disappointed that she failed to name him.

  “Sounds like your father might have been one of her marks,” Daniel said.

  “You think she fell in love with a criminal?” I asked.

  “Maybe she didn’t know he was a criminal at the time,” Daniel mused. “She says he betrayed her. If they were both pretending to be other paranormals, it’s quite possible.”

  My heart hammered in my chest. This was more information in one letter than I’d been privy to my whole life.

  “I think I need to stop reading now,” I said, beginning to feel dizzy. It was too overwhelming and I needed time to digest what I’d learned. “Let’s keep this between us so far, okay? I want to get through the rest of the letters before I say anything to anyone.”

  “Except me,” Gareth said.

  “I forgot you were even here,” I said.

  “You told me to stay quiet,” he replied.

  I arched an eyebrow. “And since when do you do as I tell you?”

  He folded his ghostly arms. “Once in a blood moon, it’s been known to happen.”

  “Well, I live with you, so it’s kind of hard to avoid sharing personal information. You’d have heard it sooner or later.”

  “That’s because you talk to yourself out loud,” Daniel said, grinning.

  “All the best people do,” I said, echoing my earlier statement.

  Daniel chuckled. “Is that so? I had no idea. I’ll have to start flying around town, talking to myself.” He tackled me onto the sofa, tickling me. “Should I kiss my fiancée? Or should I wait until after we eat? What would she think if I told her how beautiful she looked reading her mother’s letters?”

  “Ugh,” Gareth complained. “I don’t need you to share this kind of personal information. This is nauseating.”

  I didn’t notice when he disappeared. I was too preoccupied with staring into Daniel’s turquoise eyes. They were my safe place. I could get lost in them and still know with absolute certainty that I would be all right.

  “You could say anything to me, Daniel, and I would think I’m the luckiest paranormal on the whole planet.”

  “No,” he said, kissing me deeply. “That’s me, hands down.”

  Chapter 15

  I was just about to open Sigmund’s door to drive to the office when someone grabbed me from behind. Before I could yell, my mouth was sealed shut by some kind of spell. I struggled to part my lips but to no avail. As I craned my neck to catch a glimpse of my assailant, a blindfold appeared over my eyes and I felt myself lift into the air. I floated away from Sigmund, pulled by an invisible force.

  Although I tried not to panic, my brain betrayed me. Fear flooded my mind and I could barely finish a coherent thought. I attempted to summon my magic to remove the blindfold and the silencing spell, but nothing seemed to work. Where was I being taken?

  Fifteen stress-inducing minutes later, someone ripped the blindfold from my eyes and I heard a crescendo of voices yell, “Surprise!”

  I blinked, thoroughly confused. I recognized one of the rooms in the Spellbound Country Club. More importantly, I recognized the faces in the room. All my female friends were here. The remedial witches, Agnes, Lucy, the harpies, Dr. Hall, Astrid, and Britta. Even the Grey sisters left their cave together for the occasion. The only one missing was Raisa and that was understandable.

  “I told you I’d manage to surprise you,” Agnes said with a victorious cackle.

  “I thought I was being kidnapped,” I said, feeling my heartbeat slow to a normal rate. “Did you have to go to such extreme measures?”

  “We’re sorry, Emma,” Begonia said. “We tried to encourage her to surprise you another way.” Translation: we couldn’t control the crazy witch. Message received.

  “That’s okay,” I said. “I’m fine now, but why aren’t we in the care home? I thought you planned to have it there.”

  “Special dispensation,” Agnes said. “I have a hall pass and I’m not afraid to use it.”

  “And a vow to perform no magic, let’s not forget,” Lady Weatherby said pointedly. “A rule you already seem to have broken.”

  Agnes gave her daughter a sly smile. “Whatever do you mean, Jacinda Ruth? I wouldn’t dream of breaking a vow.”

  “This place looks amazing,” I said. There were floating candles near the cathedral ceiling that cast a soft glow throughout the room. Even Octavia Minor appeared more youthful bathed in flatteri
ng light. Instead of a typical table, there were floating trays full of nibbles that rotated slowly around the room, pausing in front of each guest.

  “Bridal showers are sort of new to us,” Begonia said. “We tried to take what we’ve learned from…” She nearly said ‘television,’ but stopped herself. The magic mirror in the secret lair was still very much on a need-to-know basis. “From you, Emma.”

  “Well, I can’t claim to be an expert,” I said, “but color me impressed.”

  “And presents,” Millie said, pointing to the table against the wall that was laden with gift boxes. “Mine is that really big one with the yellow bow.”

  I bit back a smile. “Thank you, Millie. I’m sure I’ll love it, big or small.”

  “And there’s chocolate cake,” Britta added. “Maybe we could start with that.”

  Astrid slapped her sister’s arm. “We don’t start with the cake.”

  “But it’s just sitting there, staring at us,” Britta complained.

  “If the cake is staring at us, I’m concerned about eating it,” Astrid said, deadpan.

  The multi-tiered cake was adorned with white icing in the shape of angel wings. “That’s so sweet,” I said.

  “I sure hope so, considering all the sugar I added,” Lucy said.

  “You made the cake?” I gaped at Lucy. “You’re the mayor. When did you have time to bake a cake as fancy as this?”

  “My assistant helped,” Lucy admitted. “And I may have used a little fairy magic.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with magical assistance,” Laurel said.

  “First, we’re going to play games,” Agnes said, with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

  I groaned. “Not tiddlywinks?”

  Agnes waved me off. “Hell, no. I only play that with professionals. We’re going to play games suited to the occasion.”

  An uneasy feeling crept over me. “And where would you have learned such games?”

  “We may have offered suggestions,” Sophie said. “From, you now, human world stuff you told us.”

  I sincerely hoped they weren’t basing their ideas off American television shows. Those events rarely reflected reality.