Fury Godmother

by Annabel Chase

  “I’m so sorry, dear,” Alice said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  “That’s okay. I’m just in a foul mood. I need to go walk through Davenport Park again and my feet and legs are killing me.”

  “Ah, the Davenports. Such a nice family.” She paused. “Why do they get a park and we don’t?”

  “Same reason Arthur gets a statue. They donated their property to the town. The park is where the farm used to be.”

  Alice drifted to the window. “I remember their farm. It was similar to ours, but with a better view.”

  “Much better,” I agreed.

  “A shame there’s no barn there for you to renovate. It would put a little more distance between you and your family and give you a lovely view of the bay.”

  “There’s nothing left there,” I said. “No barn. No house. No well.”

  My whole body straightened.

  “What is it, Eden?”

  Great Goddess on a cracker. “Did the Davenports have a well?”

  “I’m sure they did,” Alice said. “All the farms had one. I don’t know what would’ve happened to it once the town took over the land, though, whether it would have been filled in…”

  “It hasn’t been filled in.” Reluctantly, I pulled the horrible shoes back onto my feet.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because if my theory is correct, there’s a wish demon trapped at the bottom of it.” A wish demon able to hear and grant the wishes of anyone passing by.

  “I wonder if that’s how wishing wells started,” Alice said.

  “I’ll let you do the research on that,” I said. Right now I had my own research to do.

  I hurried from the attic and went in search of Princess Buttercup. If anyone could help me sniff out the location of the well, it was my hellhound.

  On the way down the front porch steps, I pitched forward and shot headfirst across the lawn.

  “Agent Fury, are you okay?”

  I lifted my chin to see Chief Fox’s shoes. Terrific. “Hi, Chief. What brings you here?”

  He extended a hand and helped me up. I dusted the dirt off my clothes.

  “You said to let you know about the wolf attack,” he said. “We found prints, but no sign of the wolf. He must’ve gone back to wherever he came from.”

  “Thanks, that’s good to know.”

  He hesitated. “I also wanted to apologize.”

  I cocked my head. “For what?”

  “For Audra,” he said. “Before she left, she mentioned something about your exchange in the restroom and I got the distinct impression that she was rude to you.”

  I started toward my car, where Princess Buttercup was waiting for me. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”

  Chief Fox turned to follow me. “So you and Jim…”

  “John.”

  “You’re dating now?”

  I unlocked the car door. “He’s going to renovate my barn.”

  The chief’s brow wrinkled. “That’s a euphemism I haven’t heard before.”

  “Because it’s not a euphemism. He’s literally going to renovate the barn out back so I can live in it.”

  “Oh.” He scratched the back of his head. “So that was more of a work dinner?”

  “I guess you can say that.”

  “Where are you headed now?” the chief asked.

  I opened the door. “To Davenport Park with Princess Buttercup. It’s a nice day. I figured I’d take a nature walk.” And hunt down a wish demon in a well.

  “Care for any company?”

  I stared at him for an extra beat. On the one hand, I couldn’t reveal what I was looking for at the park. On the other hand, Chief Fox wanted to spend time with me in the great outdoors. Alone.

  “We can take my car,” he added.

  “Aren’t you on duty?” I asked.

  “I’ll patrol the park,” the chief said. “Like you said, it’s a beautiful day. Might as well take advantage of it.”

  I knew I should say no, but I felt myself relenting.

  “What do you say?” he asked, gesturing to his car.

  “As long as I don’t have to sit in the back with Princess Buttercup.” I closed my car door, unable to resist.

  “You can sit in the front,” he said. “Handcuffs are optional.”

  “Fuzzy or plain?” I asked.

  “I think a more appropriate question is do I have faux snakeskin to match your shoes?”

  I laughed and opened the back door for the hellhound. Then I slid into the passenger seat of his car. It smelled like fresh pine and sea salt. Like him.

  “You must’ve had this car thoroughly cleaned after Chief O’Neill died.”

  “What makes you say that?” he asked, as he backed out of the driveway.

  “I don’t smell vapor rub.”

  Chief Fox chuckled. “That can be arranged, if you like.”

  I clicked my seatbelt into place. “No thanks. I’m good with the current olfactory situation.”

  We drove out of Munster Close and I waved to Aggie Grace as we passed by. She was in the front yard trimming the hedges.

  “So Audra’s gone, huh?” I asked.

  “Yes, she went back to Chicago.”

  “Are you two together?” I asked. Princess Buttercup stuck her head between us, as though eager to hear his answer.

  “No,” the chief said. He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

  “I thought the two of you might be getting married.”

  The chief began to cough and gripped the steering wheel to keep from jerking it. “There isn’t a snowball’s chance of that. Ever.”

  My stomach slowly unknotted. “That sounds pretty definitive.”

  The chief pulled into the small parking lot near the park. “We’ve been over for a long time. To be honest, I was surprised when she said she wanted to visit. We’re friends but not super close. Not like we used to be.”

  We got out of the car and I took Princess Buttercup by the leash until we crossed the street to enter the park. I seemed to trip every few steps. Stupid tiny feet. What made me wish for smaller feet? They couldn’t even support my body size. Princess Buttercup stayed close, waiting for her orders.

  “Are you having equilibrium issues?” Chief Fox asked. “You should see a doctor. It could be an inner ear thing.”

  “I’ll talk to my sister-in-law,” I said. And she’ll mock my tiny feet. I was walking on the equivalent of T-Rex arms.

  “Anyway, I’m sorry if Audra was rude to you. It was uncalled for.”

  “Do you mind me asking what appealed to you about her in the first place?” I asked. “Aside from her perfect face and body, I mean?”

  He laughed. “We met when were young and I wasn’t as…emotionally developed as I am now. We grew into different people over the years, but I guess our shared history kept bringing us back together.”

  I stopped to look at him. “You’re emotionally developed, huh?”

  His mouth quirked. “You beg to differ?”

  “I don’t know you well enough to differ.”

  “Well, then I guess that’s what this walk is,” he said. “Getting to know each other.”

  We passed the mound and walked alongside the river. The current was calm today. I surveyed the area to see if I noticed anything out of the ordinary in the park. It was a little distracting having the chief beside me. I found myself sneaking glances at him as we walked. With someone that attractive, it was hard not to look at him.

  “You don’t mind if my dog gets a little exercise, do you?”

  “Dogs are allowed off leash in the park,” he said. “You’re not breaking any rules.”

  I crouched down to unhook the hellhound’s leash and whispered in her ear, “Find the old well, Buttercup.”

  Princess Buttercup barked and ran off through the park.

  “She’s graceful for such a big dog,” Chief Fox said.

  “That’s a Great Dane for you,” I said. I couldn’t imagine
what he’d say if he could see her real form.

  A few minutes later, Princess Buttercup rushed toward us, barking.

  “I think she wants to play,” the chief said.

  “She wants us to follow her.” I began to jog and prayed my feet didn’t betray me once again.

  The hellhound stopped in the distance and I knew she’d found the well. Now I had to examine it without letting the chief know what I was up to.

  The chief laughed when he noticed where Princess Buttercup was. “Did Timmy fall down the well, girl? Is that what you wanted to tell us?”

  The hellhound barked.

  “I heard people have been using the old Davenport well as a wishing well,” I said. “Why don’t we check it out?”

  “Why? You plan to make a wish?”

  “Seemed to work for John,” I said. “He won the lottery.”

  “But he’s still going to renovate your barn?”

  “He loves what he does,” I said. “I think it’s great to have that kind of passion in life.”

  “I totally agree,” the chief said. “Passion in life is critical.”

  I leaned over to peer down to the bottom. If I could identify the exact species, then Neville and I could figure out the best way to transport it back to Otherworld without someone getting hurt.

  “Wouldn’t want to fall in there,” the chief said. “You can barely see the bottom. Those Davenports dug deep.”

  “They had deep pockets, too,” I said. “That’s why Arthur gets a statue but not Alice Wentworth or any of her relatives.”

  “Who’s Alice Wentworth?”

  The ghost in my attic didn’t seem like the correct response. “We live on the old Wentworth dairy farm. They were one of the founding families, too.”

  “Cheesemakers, huh?”

  I nodded and a flash of green below alerted me to a presence at the bottom of the well.

  Yes! There was our demon.

  I leaned further for a better view. The body was bright green with black markings. I reached for my phone to take a picture.

  Big mistake.

  “Yikes!” I pitched forward and nearly fell headfirst into the well. A pair of strong hands pulled me to safety.

  “I’ve got you,” the chief said.

  My heart thumped in my chest. “Sorry. I leaned too far.”

  “I should talk to someone about having this well taken care of,” the chief said. “It’s a liability for the town.”

  “We’re having ours looked at by a contractor,” I said. “I can pass along his information.”

  “I’d appreciate it. We’re lucky no one’s fallen down there and gotten stuck—or worse. I’m not even sure how I’d go about getting them out.”

  I glanced back at the well and the knot in my stomach returned. “Me neither, Chief.”

  But I was about to figure it out.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Read the one about the evil genius,” Olivia insisted.

  I’d volunteered to read bedtime stories so that Verity and Anton could go out to dinner alone. They rarely were able to spend quality time together without the children and I seized the opportunity to spend time with the kids. I aimed to be a positive force in the children’s lives and that was easier to do when I was alone with them.

  “How about Monkey Train?” I asked. “That’s a cute one.”

  Olivia scrunched her nose. “No. That’s boring.”

  “Ooh-ooh,” Ryan said from his place on the floor. Charlemagne slithered around him in a protective circle.

  “Very good, Ryan,” I said. “Monkey.”

  “I want Brains Are Food: A Zombie’s Story,” Olivia said.

  “Who bought you that?” I asked.

  “Daddy brought it back from one of his trips.”

  Right. One of his trips to Otherworld to exact vengeance.

  My phone buzzed and I glanced at the text on the screen.

  “Who’s Will?” Olivia asked.

  I moved the phone out of her line of sight and read the text. “Double-decker crap sandwich.”

  “Crap,” Ryan said.

  “What’s wrong?” Olivia asked. Even the python lifted his head to observe me.

  “I need to go,” I said.

  “But my story!” Olivia said.

  “I’ll ask Mom-mom.”

  “You promised.” Olivia began to pout.

  “I’m sorry, but this is important.” I felt awful, but what was happening with Will right now was too serious to ignore. “I’ll send Mom-mom in.”

  Ryan thumped the python on the head with a rattle and Charlemagne hissed in response.

  Olivia jammed a finger in the snake’s face. “No hissing,” she told him firmly.

  I fled the room and summoned my mother to ask her to take my place. She seemed to realize the urgency of the situation because she actually refrained from making a snarky comment.

  I sprinted to the car and sped over to Will’s house. I practically flew to the front door and pounded on it. When he didn’t answer, I forced open the door and called his name.

  “Up here.” His voice was shaking.

  I found him upstairs, huddled in the corner of his bedroom. His face was pressed against the tops of his knees.

  “Will, tell me what happened.” I crouched beside him. “Did you bite her?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I wanted to.” Tears streamed down his face. “Like, I really wanted to. I almost couldn’t control it.”

  I placed a comforting hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Will. She’s safe. You didn’t hurt her.”

  “I could’ve killed her.”

  “Who was she?”

  “Her name is Darcy,” he said. “I met her a few weeks ago at The Cheese Wheel and got her number, but I’d been too nervous to call.”

  “What changed?”

  “I thought it would be cool to take a girl out while I was still a vampire,” Will said. “I feel more confident than I usually do, you know?”

  It made sense. Two weeks ago, he was dying from cancer. Now he was jumping from the tops of oak trees.

  “We had such a fun night,” he said. “I invited her back here and she said yes.”

  I felt a pang of sympathy. “And things got a little heated.”

  “In a good way,” he said. “But then it was like I sensed the blood flowing through her veins. I kept kissing her neck and it was all I could do…” He trailed off and looked away. “I’m so ashamed. I would never want to hurt someone.”

  “And you won’t,” I said.

  “How do you know? Did you find the wish demon?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I’m going to figure out the safest way to transport you tomorrow.” And clearly I needed to work faster before Will’s bloodlust became a real problem.

  “Is there anything you can do?” he asked. “Something to make me stop craving blood?”

  “Do you still have supplies?”

  “Yes, your stepmom sent more blood yesterday,” Will said. “She’s been great.”

  “Good. Then you’re all set.” My knees cracked as I resumed a standing position. “I’m going to trap you in your house, Will. Until I can take care of the demon and get you back to normal.”

  “Trap me? How?”

  “It’s called a ward.”

  He stared at me. “You can do that?”

  “My assistant will handle it. Neville Wyman is a wizard and he’s excellent at creating wards. It will keep everyone safe until the situation’s been resolved.”

  Will nodded slowly. “Okay, I think that’s a good plan. I don’t want to be a danger to the community.”

  I shot off a text to Neville and explained what needed to be done. “Have you had anything to drink since you’ve been home?”

  He ran his hands through his hair. “No, I’ve been too shaken up.”

  “Go get yourself a bottle from downstairs and then I want you to get some sleep,” I said. “Your body needs more rest than you’ve probably been giving it.�
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  “If I’m stuck here, I won’t have much else to do anyway.”

  “So what happened to Darcy? She left?”

  “Yeah. I told her I had a migraine and asked her to leave,” Will said. “I’m sure she thinks I’m not interested.” He blew out a breath. “Which is probably for the best anyway.”

  “Send her a text,” I said. “Tell her that you’re interested, and that you’ll be in touch when you’re feeling better.”

  “I have cancer, Eden,” he said. “There won’t be any feeling better, not after you catch your Pokémon.”

  I winced. “Just send the text, Will. Don’t waste time worrying. If you like her, I think she deserves to hear that from you.”

  He pulled himself to his feet. “Okay, you’re right. I’ll do it.”

  I clapped him on the back. “Good luck with it. I’ll let you know when I’ve taken care of the demon.”

  Will looked at me with a solemn expression. “You won’t have to tell me, Eden. I’ll know.”

  I was awake bright and early the next morning, determined to identify the demon responsible. I hated the idea of Will trapped in his house, scared of his own nature. To say I empathized was an understatement.

  While I stared at my computer screen, the Addams Family theme song burst from my phone. I made no move to answer the call.

  “Aren’t you going to get that?” Neville asked.

  “Nope.”

  “It might be important. It’s playing special music.”

  “That music tells me how not important it is.”

  The phone continued to play the tune and Neville continued to stare at it, his discomfort rising. “You should answer. Maybe someone needs help.”

  “If I answer that phone, the only one that needs help will be me.”

  “I’m here,” Neville said. “I can support you. It’s in the job description.”

  I smiled at him. “That’s very kind, but supporting me in my personal life is definitely not part of your job.”

  “If you just click the screen…” Neville suggested.

  I groaned and tapped the screen to put Neville out of his misery. My mother’s face filled the formerly blank rectangle. “What is it, Mom?”

  “Finally. You never call. It’s like we don’t exist to you.”

  “We live in the same house. I saw you last night.”