“And how the hell would you know jack about what I sense?” Wade says through clenched teeth.
“I know what you are and she shouldn’t be anywhere near your kind.” Dominic’s gaze flits for the briefest of moments from Wade to me—and hidden in their depths is something I’ve never seen before… Panic? Desperation? Both?
My jaw slacks open. “What in the hell is going on here?”
Chapter 25
When the Dead Rise
Wade backs up, his mouth agape. No words escape his lips. Instead, he shifts his gaze between Dominic and me.
Rounding on Dominic, it’s my turn to step into his space. “What in the hell are you talking about?”
“Ask him,” Dom says, tipping his chin toward Wade.
Wade shakes his head, confusion and alarm clear across his features. “I have no idea where he’s going with any—”
“Cut the shit, Wade. I can hear your damn thoughts. I get impressions all the time. You need to be honest with her about what you are,” Dom spits, shooting me a sideways glance.
“Guys, you’re gonna have to take this outside,” the waitress says, coming over to us and pointing at the door.
Turning on my heel, I bound straight out the door and into the parking lot. When I twist back around, both Dominic and Wade are right behind me.
“I have no idea what this asshat is talking about,” Wade says.
“Dude, she’s a necromancer, man,” Dominic says, his face hardening.
I roll my eyes.
Wade takes a step back, clearly shaken. “No, she’s a…”
For whatever reason, being a necromancer means something to Wade, but I don’t know why. He swallows hard, trying to recover from the impact that blow had on him.
“That’s not true, is it?” Wade asks, turning to me.
Suddenly, his phone blares from his pocket.
Blinking wildly, he takes another step back and pulls it out. After staring at the screen for a moment, what color he had left fades from his face and his gaze drops to the ground. “Shit, I need to take this.”
Walking away from us, I stare at his back in surprise.
“What the hell could possibly be more important than the conversation we were having?” Dominic scoffs. “He seriously needs to reassess his priorities.” But as soon as the last word is spoken, a spark of sympathy flickers in his eyes. “Oh,” Dom whispers.
Wade hangs up the phone, shoving it into his pocket. He doesn’t turn around at first, but instead drops his chin to his chest.
“Wade? Is everything—” I begin.
Wade turns around, tears brimming in his eyes. “My grandpa was just taken by ambulance to the hospital. He’s aspirating and they’re not sure if…” his voice chokes out.
“Oh my god, Wade, I’m so sorry… Go, go to him,” I say.
“Yeah, I need to get you back home,” Wade says, his eyes glazing over.
Dominic steps forward, his demeanor a complete turnaround from a moment before. “Look, man, I can take her. It’s on the way to my house anyway.”
Wade’s jaw sets, but he nods. In any other circumstance, he would have put up a hell of a fight, but I can see just how much this has caught him off guard.
Taking a step toward me, Wade places his hands on either side of my arms. “Autumn, I promise, we’ll talk about all of this. Everything. But this…it takes priority right this moment.”
As much as I wish I had more answers, I also know how much his grandpa means to him.
“Of course it does. Go. Don’t worry about me.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I know something,” he whispers, bending in and kissing me on the cheek.
I reach up, pulling his face to mine so I can kiss him properly. My skin burns at the point of contact and I can’t help but feel like whatever is going on, it’s about to tear apart everything.
Wade pulls away, grabbing hold of my hands. “I love you, Dru. I really do.”
With that, he makes his way to his car and hops inside. He casts a quick, distant wave and speeds off.
“God, I hope he’s safe to drive,” I whisper under my breath.
“He’ll be fine,” Dominic says with more confidence than I feel.
I take a deep breath and turn on him. “You have some explaining to do.”
Dominic snickers. “It’s not my secret to tell. As much as I would love to wipe the smug look off that guy’s face, he has to be the one to tell you.”
I roll my eyes. “Not more of this bullshit. Come on, Dominic. I thought we were past all of this.”
“Let’s just say his presence could have dangerous consequences. That’s as much as I can tell you,” he says, crossing his arms.
“So helpful,” I mutter.
The door to the Bourbon Room opens and four patrons walk out, their voices jumbling together in hushed, hurried tones.
“I can’t believe they found a body. We’re gonna need to hurry,” one of them says.
“Is it one of the new kids?” another says.
“They aren’t sure. They’re trying to ID the body now, but it’s a girl, that’s all I know.”
Unable to help myself, I reach out and grab the closest woman by the arm. “I’m sorry…did you say they found a body? What did you mean by new kids?”
“Two more kids are missing—a boy and a girl. It’s horrible, just horrible…” she mutters, turning back to continue on with her group.
My mouth drops open and I cover it with my hands. The Vodník is still at work and here I am, thinking I have problems. I’m so petty.
“Look, let’s get you home, Autumn. If there’s one place where you can get answers, it’s there.” Dominic walks out into the street, making his way to a bright red Honda Civic.
Without a word, I slide into the passenger seat and buckle up. I clench my jaw and turn to look out the window. If I was stolen by the Vodník before, I should be helping… If I remembered more, maybe I could have done something to stop all of this.
“There’s nothing you could have done,” Dom says, reading my thoughts.
“You don’t know that,” I mutter.
We drive in silence until we reach the end of my driveway and I point to its entrance.
“Yeah, I know,” Dominic mutters.
When I throw him a quirked eyebrow, he shrugs. “It’s a small town, Autumn. Besides, I just live down the road, too. A couple miles past Cat and Colt.”
“Oh, well I didn’t know,” I say, returning my gaze to the trees.
When he pulls up to the house, he stops to take a closer look at the weeping angel statue. “Interesting choice of decor.”
“Yeah, I thought it was interesting, too,” I say, nodding. “Well, thanks for the ride, Dominic.”
I kick open the door, not wanting to be in his presence any longer than I have to. He’s been nothing but a pain in the ass since I met him and trying to get more information out of him is pretty futile.
Hopping out of the driver’s side, Dominic places his forearms on the roof of the car. “Hey, Autumn, if it matters, talk to your dad. I think he’ll have more answers if you ask him directly. He knows more than you think he does.”
Narrowing my gaze, I say, “Okay…”
“Just my two cents’ worth. Anyway, catch ya later,” he says, getting back into the car and driving off.
I stand there for a moment, watching his Civic fade into the distance. When the car disappears completely, my focus shifts from the driveway to the angel.
What’s really going on with Wade? Even if I was a necromancer, why would that matter? Or does it have to do with something else? Something tied to Wade instead of me? Dominic said your kind…
Could Wade be the Vodník?
The thought filters in without restraint and it makes my insides recoil. The disappearances have only happened when he’s in town… Could that be it?
I turn to the door and head inside. Panic wells inside me and I need more answers.
“Dad? Dad, a
re you home?” I call out, trying to pull back the edge of panic permeating my voice.
A few strained moments later, Dad appears at the top of the stairs. “Hi, sweetie. Did you go out for a bit?”
I scratch at my temple and take a step around the large table in the middle of the entry. “Yeah.”
“Everything okay?” he asks, walking down the stairs to meet me.
“No, not really. I have to ask you a serious question. I don’t know who else to turn to,” I blurt out.
“Okay, that seems ominous,” he says, his blue eyes surveying me critically.
“Do you—” I begin, standing up straighter and pulling my shoulders back. “I mean, did you know there was a hidden door in my bedroom?”
Dad’s eyes widen and his mouth opens and closes, but no words come out.
“Because I think you do. I think you were hiding a door handle that opens it, and Abigail brought me to it. I think there’s something big going on with this house, or with me—us. I need to know what it is…” I say, my words coming out in a jumbled mess.
For a moment, Dad puts his hands in prayer position and brings his hands to his lips. “Autumn, you may be treading in waters you don’t want to be entering,” he warns.
“Really? How about let’s talk about the month I was missing when I was a kid… What was that all about? Why don’t I remember it? Why have you never told me about it?” I say, anger and indignation rising to the surface. “What happened to me?”
Dad takes a step back, clearly shaken. “I thought things would be clearer by now. I was waiting for your mind to… Look, I didn’t want to upset you.”
“Upset me? You don’t think finding out by reading a newspaper article would be a bit upsetting? At first I thought—” I blink, looking away. “At first I thought there must have been another kid—someone who looked like me. Or the newspaper was confused. But…it was me.”
“You were in a fragile state. You needed to be kept calm—”
“Calm? Really? That’s what you’re going with? Everyone in this damn town knows more about me, and our family history, than I do. Why is that?” I yell, my voice rising with my anger.
“Sweetie—”
“Don’t call me that. Not now,” I say, raising my hands and backing away.
“Autumn, I had to…” his voice trails off and I stare at him in disbelief.
“You had to…what?” I urge.
He takes a deep breath before standing up and taking my hands in his. “You were lost to us. I was only gone a moment—just a quick second to get your lifejacket from the boathouse…”
I narrow my eyes, waiting for him to continue.
“When I came back, you were gone. I couldn’t find you anywhere. I called you. I did everything in my power to locate you, but I knew… I just knew something horrible had happened. I felt it.”
My stomach lurches and I take a step back.
“The police were called,” he says, his eyes pleading with mine. “There was an investigation, they searched everywhere, but no one found you—or your body. We suspected a water demon, a Vodník, as having been involved. But we were never a hundred percent sure. Then, one day, well past the point of giving up hope, I found you. You were in that resurrection chamber, the basement room of yours, but didn’t quite look yourself. You were pale and wet, and your clothes were tattered. I realized you hadn’t come from inside the house. You’d somehow managed to come from the catacombs beyond.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” I demand.
“Our home is built on catacombs—they hold the remains of our ancestors as far back as our history in America reaches. It’s a sacred place. One you knew well because we had been working on your powers when you were younger, testing your abilities and what you could do.” His gaze shifts to the floor. “There are only a few ways you can get to it… None of which are easily accessible.”
I narrow my eyes and run my hands through my hair. “None of this makes sense. The newspaper says I was found wet and near the pond? On the dock or something…”
“You were soaked—that was true. But I had to think fast. As much as we like to believe people have accepted supernatural abilities, I knew with something like this, there’d be…questions. Questions I didn’t want to answer at that time. I needed to understand more about what happened to you and why. I made the pond bit up for the police, hoping it would be enough that you were returned from the water, since they suspected the demon.”
“What about the small table with my picture? Why was the door covered up?” I say.
“These are all good questions, but—”
“Dad, I need answers,” I say through gritted teeth.
“The table has been there since the day I found you. I didn’t dare touch it, just in case…”
“In case of what?”
“In case the spell was only temporary,” he whispers. “That’s why I hid the doorway. In case the candles needed to stay lit. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you again through my recklessness…” Tears well in his eyes and for a moment, all color drains completely from his face.
“Lose me?” I say, stepping toward him. “You say that like you mean something other than me going missing…”
His eyebrows knit together, and his lips tug downward.
“Dad?”
“You drowned, Autumn,” he whispers.
My mouth pops open. “That’s ridiculous.”
“The doctors all said your body was showing signs of decomposition and trauma through drowning…but they couldn’t make head nor tail over why you were up and walking around. You were recovering quickly, but we couldn’t get out of you what had happened. It’s like you had no memory of any of it. Your mother and I thought maybe…perhaps this was a way out. You didn’t have to follow in the footsteps of the rest of the Blackwoods. Your mother felt it was the right thing to do—to take you out of this world and embed you in her mundane one. I agreed…” Again, his gaze falls to the floor. “But I knew one day you’d be drawn back.”
“How could you possibly know that? I didn’t even know.”
“Eventually, our legacy catches up to everyone. It was just a little earlier with you,” he whispers.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I say, shaking my head. This entire conversation is swimming around my head, simultaneously making zero sense, and resonating at soul level.
Dad’s eyes lock with mine, and he tilts his head to the side slightly. “Autumn, that day…when you returned to us… I don’t know how, but I’m convinced you resurrected yourself.”
Chapter 26
Showtime
A frantic knocking practically makes me jump out of my skin and interrupts me from the insane revelation my dad just dropped. My mind is reeling, but together, we make our way to the front door.
As I open it, there stands Dominic, his eyes and hair wild in the failing sunlight.
“Dominic, why did you come back?” I ask. “Now isn’t really a good—”
“Autumn, please,” he pleads, groping for my hand and pulling me up short, “you have to come with me. Something…something’s happened.”
“Come on, Dominic,” I groan, rolling my eyes. “I’m not in the mood for more games. I’ve just had a bomb dropped on me. I really need to talk with my dad about—”
“It’s Cat,” he says, his voice quivering. Until this very moment, I didn’t think Dominic cared about anyone beyond himself, but it’s clear something has shaken him to the core.
My insides contort by the simple look upon his face. Anguish, desperation, and fear radiate from his very atoms.
“What’s happened?” I ask, a strange calm settling over me, despite my heart thumping heavily in the silence.
He swallows hard and frowns as he shifts his gaze from me to my dad and back again. “She was just—we need you. She needs you.”
I blink furiously, my thoughts tumbling through my brain at warp speed.
“What’s happened?” I deman
d again.
He looks over my shoulder at my dad hovering just behind me. “There was a car accident. Colt’s fine, but Cat…she—”
“No…” I say, backing away and shaking my head.
“She needs a damn necromancer, Autumn,” Dominic sputters.
My body betrays me as I fight off the urge to puke. Continuing to back away, I turn to my dad. “I don’t have the kind of power or expertise for something like this. I—I’m just a post-mortem medium…”
Even as I say the words, I know they aren’t true. Somewhere buried deep inside me is an innate memory of being something much, much more. But whether or not I can bring anything back to life is another story.
“Autumn, I can’t,” Dad says matter-of-factly.
I whirl on him. “I can’t let her die.”
His eyebrows tip up in the middle, but his lips tug downward. “If I could, I would. But I can’t. I’ve never had that ability, sweetie. And if I tried—well, let’s just say, it wouldn’t end well. Witches without the power of necromancy bring back horrible things. And that’s if they’re lucky.”
“And what about me? I don’t know if I have this power. If I try, and I don’t—” I fight off the urge to be sick. What would happen if I tried to bring Cat back and they’re wrong? “What would I be bringing back?”
“A revenant,” Dad whispers.
“What?” I say, narrowing my gaze.
“A zombie,” Dominic says, scrunching his face.
“Swell… That’s just…awesome,” I say, panic threatening to blind me out of this entire situation.
“Look, Autumn, we’re all willing to take this risk. Without you, Cat is going to die. We need a necromancer fast or we’ll lose her. Her soul is only tethered to her body for a short time—” Dominic says, urging me toward the door.
My hands fly to my hair and I take a step back. “Shit,” I mutter, shaking my head.
“She’s gone, Autumn, but she doesn’t have to be. We gotta go, now,” he demands, holding a hand out for me to take.
“I don’t know how to do anything. I’m not the person you think I am. I’m just a girl—”
The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 Page 21