Raise the Dead

by C. C. Wood

  Dad just shook his head and muttered, "Damn boys."

  "Zoe, let's get these boys something to drink. Then I need your help with the salad and rolls."

  I bit back a sigh. "What does everyone want to drink?"

  "You go help your mom, honey. I'll get the drinks."

  I smiled at my dad and followed Mom into the kitchen. As soon as Dad had gotten beer for Stony and a glass of iced tea for Mal, they disappeared through the back door into the yard.

  "You don't think Dad's going to bury their bodies by the old oak tree, do you?" I asked my mother as I dumped a bag of mixed greens into the salad spinner basket and rinsed it under cold water.

  "No way would he bury bodies on our property, Zoe. He knows that the spirits would disturb us."

  I nearly dropped the salad spinner. My mother had just made a joke. A funny one.

  "Good point," I choked out.

  I finished rinsing the lettuce and dropped the basket into the spinner bowl. The lid went on and I started turning the knob, making the basket inside spin faster and faster.

  "Zoe, can I ask you something?"

  I glanced over at my mother and found her watching me. "Sure."

  "You're happier now, right? I never realized before that you weren't. Not until you met Malachi. But now you seem different. In a good way, of course."

  I opened my mouth but no sound came out. I knew my mother loved me, but it always seemed to be in a distant, complicated way. I never really believed she cared about my happiness, only about what other people thought about us. About me.

  I had to say something.

  "I am happy. Maybe the happiest I've ever been."

  "That's good. I'm...glad." My mom went back to putting crescent rolls on a sheet pan.

  I watched her for a long moment before I dumped the greens into a pretty glass bowl. "What about you, Mom? Are you happy?"

  She paused in the act of rolling the refrigerated dough into a crescent and looked at me. "Yes. I'm happy. But my happiness isn't what's important."

  I stopped what I was doing and turned toward her fully. "Mom, your happiness is always important. You don't have to endure being unhappy just because of what makes someone else comfortable. Just like I shouldn't have to either."

  "It's hard to remember that sometimes," she answered honestly. "I spent so long hiding who I was. First because of my mother, then because I didn't want you to face the same cruelty I did." Her eyes filled up with tears. "I'm so sorry that I—"

  I crossed the kitchen to her and took her hand in mine. "You did the best you could, Mom. I understand a little what Grandma was like."

  She looked down at our entwined fingers, her expression sad. Almost heartbroken. "I messed up our relationship. I'm the reason you can't bring yourself to hug me when you're upset. Or call me when you need me."

  I released her hand and pulled her into my arms. "I'm hugging you now."

  "So many years wasted," she said, her voice breaking.

  "Mom," I took her shoulders and gave her a little shake. "The years weren't wasted. Do we have a perfect mother-daughter relationship? No, but I don't know a single mother or daughter who does."

  "Audrey and Jonelle do."

  I laughed. "Uh, no, they don't. Jonelle spent so much time watching her mother hook up and break up with losers that now she can't even have a normal, adult relationship. Every time a man gets too close, she dumps him."

  "I just thought she was a free spirit," my mother muttered.

  "She is, but that's not why. She's got her own issues with both her father and her mother. We all have them. The trick is recognizing when you're letting your issues blind you to your behavior."

  "How did you get so smart?" she asked me.

  "Years of watching people. Talking to those who were dead and had a chance to think back on their lives. They see their mistakes a lot more clearly than the rest of us."

  "Can we ever have a good relationship after everything that's happened?" she asked.

  "I think we can. Especially if we both want it."

  "You know I love you more than anything, right?" she asked.

  "I think I do."

  Mom stepped back and looked up at me. "Good, because it's true."

  I smiled at her. "Does this mean we're going to have mother-daughter days and go to the spa or shopping? Maybe lunch with little tea sandwiches and tiny cakes?"

  My mother rolled her eyes. "We're not high society, Zoe."

  "At least tell me you'll go with me to get a pedicure once in a while," I said.

  "Fine, fine." My mother waved me away, but I saw a little smile tugging at her mouth when she went back to the crescent rolls.

  I thought about Selene, about how she was someone's daughter. And how scared her mother must be.

  I had to find her. Because someone probably loved her more than anything, too.

  Chapter Seven

  The second time I saw Selene, it wasn't quite as shocking.

  She still startled the shit out of me, but I managed to suppress a shriek.

  "Zoe Thorne."

  I jerked into an upright position, bashing the back of my head against the inside of the fridge, where I'd been searching for something to cook for breakfast. It was Friday morning and I hadn't slept well the night before. Mal and I had stayed up late, trying to figure out who she might be or how we could find her. When I did finally go to sleep, I kept having dreams about Selene being locked in a box by some faceless shadow woman.

  "Oh, son of a—" I bit off the curses that wanted to spring to my lips. It was ingrained in me not to swear in front of children.

  Rubbing the back of my head, I shut the door to the refrigerator and turned to face Selene.

  "Hello, Selene," I greeted her, trying to appear casual despite the knot growing on the back of my skull.

  "Why haven't you left to find me yet?"

  I paused, forcing myself to truly take her in, to ignore the tremor in her voice and focus on her facial expressions and her body language. I was by no means an expert but she didn't seem truly distressed. Nervous, yes, but not terrified or hurt. Maybe the best way to handle her would be honesty.

  "Because I'm not sure I can trust you," I replied.

  The little girl stared at me with large eyes. "You don't trust me?"

  I reached into the freezer and pulled out one of the cold packs I'd been storing in there since the last time the guys stayed with me. For three strapping men, they tended to whine about achy muscles and bruises so I stayed stocked up in ice packs, muscle rub, and ibuprofen.

  Pressing the cold pack to my head, I responded to Selene's question with a few of my own. "Why are you here? Why did you seek me out?"

  She blinked at me, her long eyelashes fluttering. "I-I..." Her eyes skittered to the side, as though she were looking at someone standing to my left. "I need your help."

  Curiouser and curiouser. "My help with what?" I pressed. "And how did you know my last name? I never told you."

  Again, her eyes flicked to my left, as though she were seeking direction. Or answers to my questions. "I'm in danger."

  My heart clenched at her words because I knew that she very well might be, but I had to be careful here or we'd both be in trouble.

  "What sort of danger? Is someone hurting you?"

  Suddenly, a hint of true fear flared in her eyes as she looked to my left again. "They will." When she looked back at me, her expression became pleading. "Please come to Austin and find me. I don't want to be here anymore. If you don't come, they'll–"

  Her words were cut off as she vanished in a split second. I stared at the spot where she'd been standing just a moment ago.

  There was no way I could leave that little girl to whoever had her, trap or not. Even if she was playing me, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't find out for sure.

  I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and pulled up my favorite contacts list. Mal's name wasn't there. Instead, someone had changed it to Hunka Burnin Love.

>   "Teri!" I hollered. "How many times do I have to tell you not to mess with my phone?!"

  From somewhere in the house, I heard her cackle, but I let it go. Now wasn't the time. I selected the name, vowing to change it later and put a more difficult passcode on my phone.

  Mal's voice was rough when he answered. "Mornin'. What's up?" His question was followed by a massive yawn.

  "Selene dropped by again and I think she's being held against her will. Can you come over in half an hour?"

  I heard the rustle of sheets. "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine, really. Will thirty minutes work or do you need a little more time before we meet?"

  "I can be there in a half-hour. Are you sure you're fine?"

  "I'm sure. I promise."

  "Okay, call me if you need me. I'll see you in a bit."

  After we disconnected, I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed upstairs to take a shower.

  I would figure out a way to help Selene, but not in the way her captors might expect.

  "So you think she's being held against her will?" he asked me forty-five minutes later.

  Stony had insisted on coming over with Mal. Blaine was still nowhere to be seen. When I asked Mal about him, he shrugged and answered, "He's still in Alabama."

  I took that to mean that he was finally trying to win over Carissa, the witch who'd helped us a little over a month ago.

  As soon as they entered the house, Stony threw his arm around me, leaning most of his weight on my shoulders as he yawned. "I hear you've got a new friend."

  I nudged him with my elbow. "You're freakin' heavy. And yes, I seem to have acquired a new friend."

  He snorted and smothered another yawn with his hand. "Please tell me there's coffee, Miss Popular."

  "There's coffee but it's only for the grown-ups."

  Mal smirked as he plopped down into one of the chairs around my kitchen table. Stony ignored me and moved over to the cabinet. Though I teased him about being immature, he still displayed his moments of sweetness and consideration, like when he reached for my empty coffee cup.

  His eyes were bleary as he filled my mug plus two more. "Somebody fill me in on what's going on," he slurred. "Because all I got from Mal when he shook me awake was that Zoe was being harassed by a ten-year-old girl."

  "Excellent summary, Stony," Mal drawled as he took the cup from his friend.

  "Hey, don't expect top-notch verbal skills from a man who got less than five hours of sleep last night."

  Stony brought my mug to me, full of steaming black coffee. I took a moment to add sugar and smiled when he reached into my fridge and pulled out the creamer, handing it to me.

  Clearly, someone wanted me to make him breakfast because his behavior was downright solicitous.

  "Eggs or biscuits and gravy?" I asked him as I took not only the creamer but a spoon from his eager hands.

  He grinned at me, utterly unrepentant but charming. "Biscuits and gravy."

  When I stood, Mal glared at Stony. "I told you a few days ago, Zoe's house is not your private grocery store or restaurant. You can't just come over here and expect her to cook for you."

  "But I was invited," Stony argued. "By you!"

  I lifted a hand when Mal opened his mouth to reply. "He's got a point. Plus, I haven't had breakfast either. I was just about to start cooking when Selene showed up earlier. Since I'm sure we're all hungry, I'll make something."

  Stony shot Mal a triumphant grin. "See?"

  I pointed a finger at him. "But don't expect this all the time. I'm making an exception in this case. The next time you eat food with me, I expect you to cook or to buy it for me." I trusted him to do it because two dozen eggs, strawberries, chicken, and assorted vegetables had appeared in the fridge sometime between yesterday morning and today.

  Mal laughed as Stony clutched his chest dramatically. "Are you accusing me of freeloading?"

  "If the cheapskate fits," I shot back, reaching into my fridge for a can of biscuits. I preferred homemade, but this would do for today.

  "So what's going on with the little girl?" Stony asked me as I peeled the paper off the can.

  "I'm pretty sure someone kidnapped her and is using her to reach out to me," I answered before I tapped the can sharply against the edge of the counter. The resulting pop made all of us flinch then laugh. "But I'm not sure why they would do that."

  "You are the first necromancer anyone has seen in a couple of centuries," Stony pointed out.

  I glanced at Mal and realized he'd thought of it as well.

  "True, but how would they know? I've been trying to keep a low profile."

  Stony shrugged before leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. His long legs stretched out before him, making him appear as the quintessential laidback dude.

  "You'd be surprised," he answered. "Some witches keep tabs on shifts in magical energy, especially in areas close to their coven. They want to protect their brothers and sisters in magic. Then there are the dark witches. They like to know about newly emerged magic users, probably so they can try to convert you to the dark side before the white witches get ahold of you. Kind of like the Sith."

  I stopped what I was doing and stared at him. I knew my eyes had to be huge. Despite the Star Wars reference, Stony's take was surprisingly astute.

  He shrugged again. "What? I know stuff, too, ya know. Mal's not the only intelligent guy around here."

  I knew Stony wasn't stupid but sometimes he seemed more concerned with the technical side of the show than the actual paranormal investigations. I often forgot that he did as much reading on paranormal phenomena as Mal and I did.

  "You make it sound like there's a secret witch war going on," Mal interjected.

  Stony uncrossed his arms and lifted them behind his head, lacing his fingers. "Isn't there?"

  "Are you positive we can't get ahold of Angie?" Mal asked me.

  Considering she still hadn't replied to my text from yesterday, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be hearing from her any time soon. I shook my head.

  "I'll go call Blaine then," Mal stated as he rose. "We'll need Carissa's help after all."

  After he left the room, Stony watched me as I finished making breakfast.

  "How do you feel about this situation?" he asked.

  "What do you mean?"

  "About this little girl approaching you. I don't know, it seems strange to me," he replied.

  I froze, the spatula in my right hand still inside the pan of gravy. His words echoed my own thoughts so closely that it was eerie. I gave myself a mental shake and poured the gravy into a bowl and piled the biscuits on a plate before bringing them to the table. "It is, but she said she doesn't want to be there anymore. I think she was going to tell me more but she disappeared."

  Stony got up from the table to pour us both another cup of coffee. "Yeah, but you are a rare magic user, Zoe. There will be people who want to exploit that. Maybe even hurt you. You need to be careful."

  As if I didn't know. "I am, but I'm not leaving a child to be hurt."

  He drank his coffee as he studied me. "And that's why Mal fell for you. You wouldn't let someone else suffer to protect yourself."

  "I don't know many people who would."

  "Are you sure?" Stony asked as he settled back down into his seat and reached for the biscuits. "Because I'm not so certain."

  "I don't believe that," I shot back.

  At the tone of my voice, Stony's eyes shifted to me. He looked ridiculous because the only part of his head that moved were his eyes, sort of like a large puppy that was startled by its owner's stern reprimand.

  "Why?"

  "Because I know you, Stony. You pretend you're laid back and carefree, but you would never abandon someone who needed your help."

  "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do."

  "Or maybe you don't see yourself the way the rest of us do," I countered.

  Stony paused in the act of cutting his biscuit in half. "What?"r />
  "If you and Blaine and Mal have taught me anything it's that others don't see us the way we see ourselves. I always thought I was a freak. For my entire life, I felt like I didn't fit in. The three of you never saw me that way. You always treated me like one of the gang, even before I was. And you thought that the abilities that made me a pariah my entire life were gifts."

  "You've never been a freak," Stony stated.

  "Exactly. You say that because you've never seen me as a freak. Just like I've never seen you as someone who is self-centered or cowardly. And I'm sure Blaine and Mal never have either."

  "I hope you're right about Mal, but I'm pretty sure Blaine has called me a selfish bastard on more than one occasion."

  Mal re-entered the kitchen, tucking his phone into his pocket. "Blaine is coming back to Texas. Carissa can't leave Alabama but she's offered to help us as much as she can." He halted just inside the door. "What'd I miss? The two of you look upset."

  "Zoe just said something that surprised me, that's all," Stony explained. "When will Blaine be here?"

  Mal sat at the table and reached for the plate of biscuits. "Sometime tomorrow. He'll text me his flight number and arrival time once he knows."

  "And when do we go to Austin?" Stony asked.

  Mal glanced at me. "That depends on what Carissa tells us and Zoe."

  "Me?" I blinked at him.

  "Whatever's going on centers around you, so you need to be the one making the final decision."

  "Wait, you're letting me decide?"

  "Yes."

  "But I know next to nothing about witches or magic or any of this stuff. Just because I have abilities doesn't mean that I know what I'm doing."

  "But you do know what you're doing. At least when it comes to dealing with spirits. You also have us to help you. It'll all work out. No one is going to die. We're just going to help a little girl who's in trouble."

  "I hope so."

  My cell phone chimed and I glanced at the screen. Surprise, surprise, a message from Angie.

  You need to leave town. Things aren't going well here and I don't want you anywhere near Fort Worth for a few days. Someone is trying to get me thrown out of the coven and anyone who sides with me could be in danger.