I nearly lost my balance under the weight of the waterlogged demon. I quickly recovered and focused on moving my wings. The paralysis potion wouldn’t last too long. I had to get this demon out of here and out this world.
My wings began to flap, scraping against the sides of the well. Eventually, I gained enough traction to rise. It was slow and unsteady and I nearly dropped the demon once, but I made it out of the well.
As I rose, the demon’s body twitched against my shoulder. He was starting to move.
I couldn’t land and walk to the mound. There wasn’t time. I was going to have to fly across the park. Not ideal. The moon was still bright and I didn’t have a free hand to close the invisibility locket. If anyone happened to be looking in my direction, they’d see an enormous bird carrying a snake around its shoulders. I’d have to risk it.
I flew on an angle, unable to balance the demon around my shoulders. Up ahead, I glimpsed two silhouettes, undoubtedly the extraction team. The landing was bumpy, but I made it just as the demon regained the power of movement.
The demon hissed at me as the first member of the extraction team slipped a silver collar over his head to contain him.
“Good job, Agent Fury,” the other man said.
“Thanks.” I willed my wings to disappear. “Tell headquarters I’ll work on the paperwork tomorrow.” Paperwork was my least favorite part of the job. Maybe I’d have Neville do it.
“Have a good night, Agent Fury,” the second man said.
I glanced down at my still-small feet. “Out of curiosity, how long will it take the wishes to revert?”
“As soon as he’s processed and crosses back to Otherworld,” the first man said. “My guess is three hours, give or take?”
“Thanks.” I turned and walked to my car, careful not to lose my balance.
Chapter Eighteen
Morning sunlight streaked through the window, prompting me to wake. I sat up on the mattress and stretched my arms.
“Good morning, Eden,” Alice said. “You slept well.”
I cringed. “Do me a favor. Don’t say the word ‘well’ for a few days.” I flipped back the sheet to examine my feet. “Thank the gods.”
“Back to a size ten?” Alice queried.
“You know my shoe size?”
“You’ve mentioned it often enough over the years, dear. It’s a strange obsession.”
As pleased as I was to have my feet restored, it was hard to think about the fallout from the reversion of the other wishes. Mitsy would fare better out of the public eye. Fame is more than it’s cracked up to be anyway and I was pretty sure she’d stay out of the spotlight from now on. John also learned a valuable lesson—he discovered that he truly loved his work. Suzanne would have to rebuild her relationship with Kyle, of course. That was going to be a tough one, but at least, as a supernatural, Kyle would know what really happened and why. Although it wouldn’t erase his wife’s infidelity, it might help them get back to the happy couple they once were. As for Maxwell, there was no getting away from the fact that he’d be devastated. I’d have to make sure he had access to a good therapist.
And then there was Will.
I tried to ignore the guilt I felt, knowing that his cancer would be back by now. At least he could leave his house. Neville had devised the ward so that Will could break it as a human.
I got dressed and joined Verity and the kids for breakfast.
“Who would’ve thought an old well could cause so much trouble?” Verity said.
“I’m definitely going to make sure we hire a contractor to take care of the one here,” I said. “Demons aside, I wouldn’t want Olivia or Ryan to get hurt.” With the amount of time Anton and I spent outside as kids, it was a wonder we’d never discovered it.
“You’re a good aunt, Eden,” Verity said. “I know you have mixed feelings about it, but I, for one, am glad you’re home.”
“Thanks, Verity.” I rinsed off my bowl and spoon and put them in the dishwasher.
“Any big plans today? I suppose you deserve a day of rest.”
“Nothing special,” I said. “Have a good day at work.”
She smiled and handed Olivia a banana. “You, too.”
I slipped out of the house before anyone else saw me. I didn’t want to tell my family where I was going. They’d accuse me of being a soft touch and express their disappointment in my weakness for humans. It never ceased to amaze me that supernaturals with their attitudes would choose to live among humans in the first place. I suspected it was because they liked to feel superior. In Otherworld, we all had powers and abilities. Here we were special—and didn’t we all want to be special in some way?
Princess Buttercup followed me to the door, begging to accompany me. I patted her on the head. “Not this time,” I said. She whined before turning away.
I got in the car and drove to Maxwell’s house first. I worried about his state of mind. If I’d been given the thing I wanted most in the world, only to have it taken away—well, I sort of knew how that felt.
I knocked on the door, itching with nerves. The door opened and Maxwell stood there, fully showered and dressed.
“Hi,” he said. “I was just getting ready for work. Do you need something important?”
He looked remarkably collected for a man who had his heart broken. Was it possible that he didn’t know?
“I wanted to check on you,” I said truthfully. “I heard that…”
His expression softened. “You heard about Suzanne reconciling with her husband, I take it.”
I nodded. “I’m so sorry, Maxwell. I know how hard this must be for you.”
He stepped back. “Why don’t you come in? I have a few minutes before I need to go. Traffic is never bad at this hour.”
I followed him into the kitchen. “Did she call you?”
“It was the oddest thing. She called in the middle of the night.” He poured himself a cup of coffee. “She would sometimes text in the middle of the night, but she never called.” He offered me a cup and I politely declined.
“What did she say?”
“That she woke up crying in the night and ended up having a long talk with her husband.” He stopped and I sensed that he was getting choked up. “She said that she loves Kyle and wants to make it work with him. That she was sorry for misleading me.”
I glanced at the bare walls in the other room—the place he was planning to hang the framed photographs of his happy union. “How are you up and dressed? I’d be under the covers bawling my eyes out.”
He smiled sadly. “I considered it, believe me, but that’s not the man Suzanne fell in love with. I’d like to continue to be that man.” He took a swig of coffee. “Besides, my love for her isn’t predicated on her feelings for me. It’s unconditional. I stayed up the rest of the night processing the news and I realized that I could live without her. I don’t want to, of course, but I can and I will. Just knowing she’s alive and happy.” He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. “That’s enough for me.”
“And you have the memories of your time together,” I said. However brief.
“That I do,” he said. “And trust me when I tell you I’ll be replaying them in my mind whenever the need arises. If I never love another woman, I’ll be satisfied with what I’ve been given. Some people never even get that much, you know?”
I did.
“You’re an amazing man, Maxwell. Suzanne was a lucky woman.”
“She still is,” Maxwell said.
I gave his arm a comforting squeeze. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“No, thanks. There’s someone else I need to see.”
Will’s house was quiet when I approached the door. I rang the bell and crossed my fingers that he’d answer. I didn’t want to break in to check on him, but I was willing.
After a couple of long minutes, the door opened. Will stood framed in the doorway. He looked…good.
“How
are you feeling?” I asked.
“Pretty decent, all things considered.” He opened his mouth. “My fangs are gone, so I suppose you dealt with the demon, or whatever it was.”
“I did.”
“Thanks for that.” He paused. “I know it must’ve been hard for you to do that, knowing the consequences.”
I leaned against the doorjamb. “It certainly wasn’t easy.”
“Well, I have a doctor’s appointment this morning. They want to run a few tests. Now that I’m vampire-free, I figure I should get up to speed on my cancer.” His throat tightened at the mention of the c-word.
“If you ever want to talk about anything that happened…” I faltered. “There are plenty of supernaturals in town that would be happy to listen. We understand how scary it must’ve been for you.”
“Isn’t this the part where you make me forget?” Will asked. “What’s it called—a glamour?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary, do you?” I hesitated. “Unless you’d rather forget.”
“What’s the difference?” Will asked. “The dead don’t speak, remember?”
I felt nauseous the whole way home, thinking about Will. He’d been through so much recently and now his cancer battle was about to resume. I hope he had the strength to fight.
I parked in the driveway and entered the house. It was still early enough that I expected to hear bustling in the kitchen. Instead, there was silence.
I peeked around the corner and saw that the kitchen was empty, except for Charlemagne and Candy. The python and the cat seemed to be engaged in a game of tag. I shook my head and continued toward the family room when I heard a muffled sound come from the office.
“Sshhh,” I heard my mother say.
I threw open the door, expecting to see my mom and Grandma. I did not, however, expect to see Aunt Thora with them. They stood together, blocking my view of whatever was behind them.
I gaped at her. “Et tu, Aunt Thora?”
My great-aunt gave me a sheepish look. “They talked me into it.”
My mother cackled. “Peer pressure? You’re blaming peer pressure at your age?”
“Let’s not turn on each other,” Grandma said. “If we stick together, she can’t crack us.”
“I’m not trying to crack you,” I said. “I’m trying to prevent you from getting sent to Otherworld like the scales demon.”
“You wouldn’t turn in your own mother,” my mom said.
“Of course she would,” Grandma said.
I put my hands on my hips. “There’s no dark magic while I’m under your roof.”
“Why do you think we’re moving you to the barn?” Grandma asked.
“Besides, it isn’t dark magic,” my mother insisted. “It’s a surprise. For you.”
An unlikely story. “What kind of surprise?”
“The kind that we can’t tell you about or it will spoil the fun,” my mother said.
I peered at them. “I don’t believe you.” I continued to stand there, contemplating what to do next. After the last twenty-four hours I’d had, I didn’t have it in me to deal with family drama.
Aunt Thora held out her wrists. “Go ahead and arrest me. As long as they let me keep my lemons, I’m okay with prison life.”
Grandma smacked her sister’s bony wrists down. “No one’s going to prison. Eden would never do that to us.”
“Never say never,” I said. “But I’ll give you a pass…this time. You need to be careful, though. The new chief is young and alert. You can’t flaunt your magic.”
“We’re not flaunting anything,” my mother said. “We’re in the privacy of our own home.”
The doorbell rang and everyone stopped.
“Are you expecting anyone?” I asked.
“No,” my mother said. “Maybe it’s a delivery.”
I moved the curtain to look out the window. “It’s the chief.”
“Did you summon him?” Aunt Thora asked.
“He’s not a demon,” I replied.
“Such a waste,” my mother said. “Other than that, he’s perfect.”
“Don’t even think about it,” I warned her.
“Why is he here?” Grandma asked. “Quick. Cover the contraband.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll go let him in.” On my way to the door, my phone bleeped. I pulled it out to see a text from Will.
Miracle on Bleu Cheese Court. In remission.
I nearly dropped the phone. Amazing, I typed back. Congrats.
I think it was the vampire blood in my system, he wrote. Maybe it fought off the cancer?
Take the win, I wrote. What a relief. Will deserved a miracle after all he’d been through.
I opened the door, my mood now elevated. “Top o’ the morning to you, Chief.” With the sunlight behind him, he looked like an angel on the doorstep. I wasn’t sure what swooning actually looked like, but I was pretty sure I was doing it right now. I tried to pull myself together.
He squinted at me. “Is Fury an Irish name?”
“Do you have to be Irish to say things like ‘top o’ the morning?’”
He grinned. “Pretty sure it’s a requirement.”
“Would you like to come in? There’s coffee in the pot.” There was always coffee in the pot in this house because someone was always home. “It’s not Daily Grind quality, but it serves its purpose.”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
He trailed behind me into the kitchen. “What brings you here, Chief?”
“I was wondering if you heard the news about your carpenter,” Chief Fox said.
I craned my neck to look at him. “You drove over here to ask me about John?”
“What about John?” my mother interjected.
Great. It seemed like my entire family had congregated in the kitchen.
“Apparently, he didn’t win the lottery after all,” the chief said. “It was a computer glitch.”
I feigned surprise. “What a shock that must’ve been for him.” I poured coffee into a mug that read ‘caution: witches’ brew’ and handed it to him.
“It seems the lottery commission’s lawyers reached out to him and offered him a preemptive settlement in exchange for not filing a lawsuit,” the chief said.
“So he’ll still get some money?” That struck me as fair.
“He doesn’t need free money,” Grandma said from her place at the table. “Your parents are going to pay him to renovate the barn.”
“He bought a boat, didn’t he?” Aunt Thora asked. “Will he get to keep it?”
“I have a feeling he was going to downsize it anyway,” I said. “Life on the boat wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.”
“Is that why you’re here?” my mother asked. “To deliver the latest town news? We have newspapers for that.”
“Just a cautionary note, too,” the chief said. “A resident reported sighting a large bird in Davenport Park in the middle of the night. She was out walking her dog and spotted it when the dog started cowering and crying.”
Oops.
“Who walks their dog in the middle of the night?” Grandma asked. “Seems to me that’s the real question.”
“I don’t have concerns that a giant bird is going to take off with my dog,” I said. “Princess Buttercup can handle herself.”
Chief Fox chuckled. “No, that’s true. I just thought I’d pass along the warning is all.”
“Good to know our tax dollars are going toward an overpaid harbinger,” my mother said.
“Mother,” I said in a low tone.
“Why do we need a new chief anyway?” Grandma added. “I think we can all agree the last one was redundant.”
“Grandma,” I said sharply.
“Redundant? How do you mean?” Chief Fox asked.
“We take care of our problems in this town,” Grandma replied. “It’s called vigilante justice and we’re damn good at it.”
The chief’s brow lifted. “We?”
Double-decker crap san
dwich. “I think I hear a siren wailing,” I said, turning the chief toward the door. “Let’s go see.”
“The sirens haven’t been seen in the Chesapeake in fifty years,” Grandma said. “They prefer the Atlantic.”
The chief swiveled his head to look at her. “Excuse me?”
“Grandma hasn’t taken her pills yet today.” I steered him out of the kitchen and back to the front porch. “Thanks so much for stopping by.” I pushed him as far as the front lawn, where he dug in his heels and turned to face me with that ridiculously sexy dimpled chin.
He broke into a broad grin. “Agent Fury, I…”
“Yes, Chief?”
Princess Buttercup burst out of the house and barked.
His smile melted away. “Never mind.”
I had a sneaking suspicion my mother was responsible for releasing the hound.
“I appreciate you stopping in with updates,” I said. “It’s good to establish a rapport for when we work together.”
“Work together,” he repeated. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
I took a step back toward the house. “I’ll be sure to watch out for large birds. Thanks for the warning.”
He gave a final wave before ducking into his car. I watched him drive away, my chest aching. I couldn’t cross the line with him, no matter how much I wanted to. It wasn’t safe for him to get involved with me. I wasn’t safe.
Alice appeared beside me, gazing after him. “My word. That man has the tightest bottom I’ve ever seen. I could bounce a wedge of cheese off it.”
“Alice!”
She smiled at me. “Perhaps one day you’ll get to test it for yourself, dear.”
I turned back toward the house and sighed. “You never know, Alice. Sometimes wishes do come true.”
Be sure to check out book 3—No Guts, No Fury!
Also by Annabel Chase
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