Paranormal After Dark

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “You got a thing for Meagan,” Cade accused, laughing.

  “Shut up, dude.” Mitch punched Cade in the shoulder and walked away.

  The rest of his coven wasn’t so amenable.

  Marie, Allie’s closest friend, was pissed. “Meagan Stauble beat the shit out of Allie! Her parents are trying to press charges! You can’t seriously be thinking about a relationship with their leader.”

  Cade slammed his locker, staring down at the shorter girl. “I’m not thinking about it. I am in a relationship with Ever.”

  “Then you’re not my high priest.” Marie turned on her heels and walked away in a huff, her long red curls flouncing angrily.

  Emily and Greg glanced at each other, then back at Cade. “Dude,” Greg said in his slow Southern drawl. “I know what it’s like to be in love, but how are you gonna make it work when your coven isn’t okay with it?”

  “I’m going to prove to you that we’re not so different.” Cade grinned, and joined Ever across the hall.

  Chapter 27

  EVER

  “WE DO A Samhain ritual every year, just me and Nah,” Ever said as they ate a dinner of stir-fry and cornbread that evening. “And my mom, if and when she’s ever home for it.”

  “You’re welcome to join us, Cade. I’d actually much prefer it if you did,” Nah added before popping a sliver of green pepper in her mouth.

  Ever nodded her agreement. She wanted to do ritual with just Cade, to see exactly what they were capable of together — like Nah and Dah. But she wasn’t going to voice that just yet. Tonight was about family; she always did ritual with Nah.

  Hopefully Cade felt comfortable enough to join.

  He looked at ease sitting across from her at the table. He’d changed into sweats and a hoodie as soon as they got home. His long hair was tied back into a tiny ponytail. While she loved his hair down so she could tangle it around her fingers, she adored it just as much pulled back. It put his beautiful, nearly exotic face on display: sharp cheekbones, deep, wide green eyes, and long thick lashes.

  They’d done their homework together in the living room before dinner, helping each other and making each other laugh. Not to mention all the stolen kisses and flirty touches. Or the way he wrapped his arm around her, tapping his pencil on his notebook, his face intense as he concentrated.

  Cade opened his mouth to speak, but the doorbell interrupted him.

  “Are you expecting company?” Nah asked Ever.

  Ever shook her head. Wednesday was her coven’s standard ritual night . “No. We cancelled ritual tonight so we could all spend Samhain with our families.”

  Nah and Ever stood as one and took the hallway to the front door.

  Nate and Claudia waited on the other side, Claudia shivering in the cool evening air. Nate held a suitcase, his face grim, and Claudia’s eyes were puffy and tear-stained.

  “What happened?” Ever asked, tugging Claudia into a tight hug. The much taller girl stooped to bury her face in Ever’s shoulder.

  “My parents found my altar box,” Nate answered.

  Claudia sobbed against Ever’s shirt.

  Nah took Nate’s hand and pulled him into the house. “Come in, sweetheart. Are you hungry? We were just having dinner, and there’s plenty to go around.”

  As Ever escorted a still-crying Claudia to the kitchen, she looked at Cade. His eyes were soft as he smiled at her.

  The connection intensified, and Cade’s energy brushed against hers. Is this thing on?

  Ever fought to not laugh, particularly because her arms were still around an upset Claudia. I hear you. Crazy, huh?

  I love it. He pulled a chair away from the table for Claudia. Your family and home are the most welcoming, comforting thing I’ve ever known.

  Ever didn’t know how to respond to that; she’d never known anything but Nah’s open arms and open heart. She focused on getting Claudia settled and gathering dishes for them to eat.

  Over the meal, Nate told them what had happened.

  “All of my Wiccan tools are in a shoebox that I keep beneath my bed,” Nate explained to Cade. Claudia, Ever, and Nah already knew that. “There’s other stuff under there too — a box of winter sweaters, some old photo albums, even a keepsake box where I put tickets and other things from my dates with Claud.”

  Ever smiled at Claudia. Just a week ago, Ever had sat watching the two together in her living room, envying their love. Now, Cade was beside her. She moved a hand beneath the table and entwined their fingers.

  “I guess Mom wanted to clean the floors. She pulled everything out to vacuum.”

  Nah clucked. “I’ll never understand parents who offer their grown teenagers no privacy.”

  Nate nodded, pain etched across his boyish features. “When I got home from school, both of them were waiting for me with my altar box. It wasn’t bad at first. But then dad smashed my chalice when I refused to ‘change my ways.’”

  Ever cringed, thinking of her own beautiful chalice, the blown-glass spotted in a rainbow pattern as if someone had flung paint into the crystal before it dried. She couldn’t even imagine his pain.

  Nah took Nate’s hand but said nothing, letting him continue his story.

  “Mom threw the box in the trash. She told me I either started going to bible classes and mass with her, or I had to leave.” He put his face in his hands. “I left. I don’t hate their religion. I don’t even disagree with it. It’s just not for me.”

  “Nathan, you can’t change your moral code and beliefs just because your parents disagree with your choice of faith.” Nah brushed a hand over his dark hair. “You’ll stay here, with us. And in a few days, you’ll reach out to them and attempt to make amends. Everyone at this table will support you one hundred percent.”

  Ever glanced at Cade, who was nodding in agreement.

  * * *

  SAMHAIN RITUAL ON the whole was a somber engagement. Samhain was the witches’ new year, and the overall theme was of remembrance.

  Ever helped Nah set up the altar: the usual tools representing air, earth, fire, and water, as well as the god and goddess statues. But then they added adornments for remembering their ancestors: a tiny teddy bear for Nah’s miscarried child, an aged photo of Dah in his dress-blues from the Marines. Nate added a Virginia Slims cigarette for his grandmother. Claudia unclasped the locket around her neck — it held an image of her mother, who had passed away just a few years before. Nah placed a large black pillar candle in the center.

  “Who do you remember tonight?” Ever asked Cade as they settled on stools around the altar.

  “I’ve never lost anyone close to me,” Cade answered. The flickering of the candles lining the circle reflected in his green eyes, making the flames seem as if they shone from his face. He looked at Ever, trailing his fingertips down her jawbone. “Maybe we can remember and say goodbye to the old me. He’s gone now.”

  Ever smiled, stealing a brief kiss. “Yes. Let’s do that.”

  When the five of them were seated, Nah began. “On this night, we welcome the dark of the year. The veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest, so we honor our ancestors, hoping they may hear our prayers.

  “We will each tell a story about our honored loved ones. Ever, would you like to begin?”

  Ever stood to light the flame of the black candle. She stared into the heart, smiling. “When I was eight, Dah took me fishing. I was so scared. I didn’t want to hurt the fish. But he promised me we would release them all back into the lake.

  “I remember how good he was at casting the line. Fish began to bite right away. He pulled out the first one, a small white minnow, and he showed me all the different parts of the fish: dorsal fin, gills, face plate. He was quick and smart. The fish was back in the water before it even had time to gasp for air.

  “That’s how my dah was. He was gentle and kind, but larger than life. I think in the Summerlands, he must be just as big.”

  Nah had tears in her eyes. She nodded. “Me, too,
honey. Nate, would you like to go next?”

  Nate took a shuddering breath. “My grandmother didn’t like being called ‘Grandma.’ I called her Petunia, which was her first name. She smoked a pack of Virginia Slims a day, and she always smelled like them. For the rest of my life, I’ll think of her when I smell them. She was important to me because she knew the real me. She accepted me, alternative beliefs and all, maybe because she didn’t believe in anything. She bought me the chalice Dad broke tonight. Of course, she bought me beer to put in it, too.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “I miss how things were when she was still alive. She knew how to handle my parents. She could get me through anything. Now, I feel like I have no back-up.”

  Claudia took his hand, and Nah touched his shoulder.

  “You have us, baby,” Claudia murmured, then burst into tears.

  “Hey. Claud. Shh,” Nate wrapped her in his arms, resting his chin on her head. “Baby, it’s fine. It’s okay. We’ll get through this.”

  “It’s all my fault!” she wailed, burying her face in his chest.

  Ever looked to Nate for an explanation.

  “She thinks it’s her fault because she introduced me to the Path.” Nate pushed Claudia away, brushing her short, blue hair from her eyes. “I would have found the Path anyway. I’m meant to be pagan, baby. Just like I’m meant to be with you. I don’t doubt either.”

  They shared a kiss, and he whispered, “I love you.”

  Ever’s heart thudded in her chest as Cade looked at her.

  Nah spoke of the unborn infant she never got to meet. Claudia told a tearful story of her last shopping trip with her mom before the tornado came through and changed their lives forever.

  Then it was Cade’s turn.

  “There was this boy,” he said softly, candlelight flickering on his face. “He was an idiot. Like his father, he thought power was everything. He would be the most powerful witch in the world one day, just like his dad.

  “But then he met a white witch with a name that meant forever.” Cade looked at Ever. She saw infinite depths in his gaze. “She showed him that responsibility and power went hand in hand. She proved to him that some things were black and white. And even when the dark seemed darkest, she showed him where the light was.”

  Ever’s breath caught in her throat as Cade kissed her knuckles.

  “Tonight, I say goodbye to that boy, and I sit before my forever.”

  Nah sniffled and pinched out the flame on the black candle. “To that, I say blessed be!”

  Along with her friends and her boyfriend, Ever chorused, “Blessed be!”

  * * *

  IN THE MIDDLE of the night, Ever was shaken awake.

  “Cade?” she murmured, reaching for him. He was little more than a shadow on the dark backdrop of her room, but she would have known his form anywhere. She had been sad when they parted ways for bed. Maybe he had come to sneak in beside her.

  He kissed her, then squeezed her shoulder. “I want to go get Nate’s box.”

  She blinked, unsure she’d heard him right. “His box?”

  “I know where he lives. I want to get his box back and fix his chalice.” He took both of her hands, gently kissing each fingertip. “I think together, me and you can do it.”

  Chapter 28

  CADE

  HE HAD EXPECTED Ever to argue and refuse, but instead she sat up, stretched, and said, “Then let’s do it.”

  They didn’t speak as Ever drove them across town and parked a few houses down from Nate’s house. Cade opened his door, shivering as the cold air invaded the warm car.

  “Do you have a plan?” Ever asked, coming to take his hand.

  “Get the box, fix the chalice,” Cade said with a laugh. “Other than that, nope.”

  “You’re a wild man,” Ever said wryly.

  The house was quiet and dark. Cade led the way around back, to where the privacy fence blocked entrance to the backyard. Two trash cans sat near the gate, the same place most everyone in Coalhaven stored theirs.

  Cade and Ever silently shifted through the trash on top. Cade had hoped it would be as simple as opening the lid and finding the box intact. But of course nothing was ever that easy. Even in his coat, Cade shivered. The night sky was clear and lit with stars, what little warmth the sun provided during the day long gone.

  Ever’s teeth were chattering. He paused, turning to pull her into his arms. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was so cold. Do you want to wait in the car?”

  Ever slipped her arms beneath his jacket and hummed. “No. You’re warm.”

  Her fingers danced over his shirt, massaging the muscles in his lower back. All of a sudden, Cade wasn’t so cold anymore.

  He leaned down to kiss her, and she met him halfway, tightening her grip around his waist. The magick was immediate, Cade’s fingers glowing red in her hair as he tilted her face to deepen the kiss.

  Ever moaned, pressing against him as if she wanted to become a part of him. The movement and the sound drove him crazy; he turned, pinning her against the bricks of the house.

  “You have no idea what you do to me,” Cade murmured, trailing his tongue down her neck, one hand sliding beneath her sweatshirt to cup her breast.

  “The same thing you do to me?” Ever offered, tugging his face to hers to kiss him again.

  “We need to find the box,” Cade reminded her, opening her mouth to dip his tongue in, to taste her.

  “Mm-hm. The box,” Ever agreed, her glowing sapphire hands moving beneath his shirt.

  There was a thud beside them.

  Cade jerked to face the sound, throwing himself in front of Ever.

  On the driveway in front of them was a shoebox.

  Cade squatted, peeling back the lid.

  “Is that…?” Ever asked breathlessly.

  “Yeah.” Cade pulled out three broken sections of the chalice. Beneath those were candles, incense, a small cauldron, and an athame, as well as various other items common to an altar. “It’s Nate’s box.”

  “But how…?”

  Cade stood, offering her a section of chalice. “I think we called it.”

  Ever stared wide-eyed at him. “Because of the magick we raised while just kissing?”

  “I don’t know if that can be categorized as ‘just’ kissing,” Cade said, aware of the low growl in his voice as he remembered the way she’d moved against him.

  Even in the moonlight, he could see the blush in her cheeks.

  With their prize in hand, they made quick work of returning to the warmth of the car. Ever shivered violently as she turned on the vehicle and cranked the heat.

  “Have you ever repaired something so broken?” she asked, removing the larger chunks of Nate’s chalice.

  It was a nice piece, Cade noted. The glass was dark green and chiseled into a leaf-and-vine pattern that spilled over into the cup’s opening. His own chalice was a nineteenth-century stemmed wine glass engraved with a ‘B.’ His mother had given it to him on his tenth birthday. He felt a pang for his magickal tools. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Rémy would destroy Cade’s altar as retribution for his cold silence.

  “Not like this,” Cade replied, shaking his head. “I’m pretty good at healing broken bones on myself, but not inanimate objects. I’ve seen my dad fix things.”

  “And we know how well your dad ‘fixes’ things,” Ever murmured.

  Cade couldn’t help but laugh. She had a point.

  He took the largest piece — the intact stem — and laid it on the center console. Ever followed suit with the rest.

  “We’re missing pieces,” Ever pointed out. “Little shards.”

  Cade was touched by the sadness in her voice. He was still getting to know her, but he already knew the size of her heart. He had never met anyone quite like Ever O’Connell.

  He turned in his seat to face her, reaching over the space between them to touch her knee. “We’re all missing little shards of ourselves. Livin
g is hard. But it’s the dings and scrapes and missing parts that make us who we are.”

  Ever stared at him, her face giving nothing away. “How’d you get so wise?”

  Cade grinned. “Mom calls me an old soul. You want me to tickle you and prove my immaturity?”

  “Only if you want to be punched.” She smiled sweetly and then offered her hands over the broken chalice. “Let’s do it.”

  Once they were connected, Ever’s cool palms against his, Cade reached for his magick. The electric sizzle of it danced across his skin, manifesting in red vapor swirls at his fingertips. Ever’s pale blue slithered to join his, the colors mingling until the effect was nearly purple.

  Cade focused on the glass pieces, visualizing the chalice reassembling itself. He closed his eyes, seeing the pieces lift and mend in his mind. He gently shoved his magick down towards the destroyed chalice.

  Several moments passed before Cade opened his eyes to find the chalice was still in pieces. Ever’s eyes were closed, her dark lashes half-moons against her pale cheeks. The tip of her tongue was visible between her lips, and her brow was scrunched in concentration.

  “It isn’t working,” Cade said, “but you’re adorable.”

  Ever huffed, opening her eyes. In the dark car, her blue light was much dimmer than the purple of their combined magicks had been. “You broke my focus.”

  Cade snaked an arm around her lower back and tugged her within kissing distance. “You destroyed my focus the first time you said my name.”

  She didn’t fight back when he captured her lips. Their kiss started slow and easy, but quickly crescendoed into the wild passion he was coming to associate with her. It made his blood sing. He forgot everything in the taste of her, in the warmth and softness of her.

  There was an audible pop and a flash of violet light.

  Ever gasped, pulling away from him. The chalice lay on its side upon the center console — intact and completely unmarred.