Total Eclipse of The Hunt: A Cozy Paranormal Mystery (The Happily Everlasting Series Book 5)

by Mandy M. Roth

  She laughed. “Oh, so you’d rather have the catch of the day? Well, Captain Petey hasn’t brought it yet, so it’s this or nothing.”

  The cat nudged the food and then tried a tiny bite before giving in and eating all of it. However, she was quick to narrow her gaze on Kelsey, clearly displeased.

  Kelsey grinned and then began to search the kitchen for the tea Petey mentioned was provided. She opened the cabinet just under the kitchen window and found a row of vintage tea cans. There was quite an assortment of options. Some sounded good, others sounded downright disgusting and made up. Behind them were jars of things she couldn’t quite make out. She moved several of the tins aside and did a double take as she spotted the labels on the jars.

  “Bat wings? Eye of newt? Hair of a werewolf?” She lifted another can and frowned at the label. “Vampire ash?”

  Opening it, she confirmed there was indeed ash in the jar. Whether or not it came from an actual vampire was anyone’s guess.

  If someone would have asked her if vampires were real several weeks ago, she’d have laughed at the thought and then assumed the person was a nutcase. Now she wasn’t sure what was real and what was her imagination.

  The lines were blurred.

  She glanced in the direction of the broom, wanting to know it was within arm’s reach if need be. Any weapon was better than none.

  Curiosity got the better of Kelsey, and she began going through the cabinet more. There was a large jar of what she’d first thought was glitter. The label was worn, but she could still make out the words “pixie dust.” A smile touched her lips as she realized that someone probably had a vivid imagination and put glitter in a jar to represent what they’d thought pixie dust would look like.

  She continued, moving items in the cabinet, reading the labels as she did. Either someone had a very vivid imagination or they were a mad scientist. She couldn’t think of any other reason why one would have a need for anything there.

  She picked up a small purple bottle with a pink label on it. “Passion potion from Polly's Perfectly Magical Mystical Wondrous World of Wonders? That is a whole lot of wonder there.”

  She giggled and placed the bottle back in the cabinet before picking up another, this one green. “Shifter Shock.”

  She brought it closer to her face to read the small print on the label. “Toxic to all shifters. Warning: Avoid contact with skin and do not ingest. Should contact with skin occur, seek medical attention. If ingested, prepare to meet your maker. P.S.: Not tested on witches, so use at your own risk.”

  She scrunched her face and nearly laughed at the absurdity of it all. Then again, her life had been somewhat odd as of late. Something no one would believe. Maybe the items in the cabinet weren’t a joke. Perhaps there really were vampires and werewolves. Maybe fairy dust was real and not just glitter.

  A chill settled over her as she thought about it more. What if it was all real? Was she a witch, like Petey had suggested more than once? And did the person who sent her the pendant and bus ticket know it? Had they lured her to Everlasting as part of their nefarious plans? Where they intending on body snatching her and using her to open that portal to hell Jake had mentioned?

  “No thanks. Hard pass.” She put the bottle of Shifter Shock back on the shelf.

  Reluctantly, she grabbed the can labeled black tea. With slow movements, she opened the lid, half afraid she’d find dead men’s toes or something. When she saw dried tea leaves, she sighed in relief. At least she hoped they were tea leaves. With her luck, they were some sort of poisonous plant or one that would make her see pink elephants for days. She sniffed the contents, confirming it was indeed tea.

  The tea kettle whistled, and Kelsey grabbed one of the chipped ceramic mugs from the shelf and found a small tea ball to put the leaves in and allow the tea to steep. When she was done, she set the mug on the counter and turned her attention to the kitchen window. It was only partially boarded over, leaving the majority of it open to see through. The sun had set, and the moon wasn’t quite full. There was enough light to see out a bit. The woods were still and quiet. A far cry from life in Boston.

  Kelsey checked her mug of tea and removed the tea ball, setting it in the sink for the time being. She lifted the mug and inhaled, wanting to be sure what she was about to ingest was safe. While she knew going off smell wasn’t the best idea she’d had, she did so all the same. Daringly, she took a sip. When she didn’t die instantly, she took another. It tasted like ordinary tea.

  “My day might be looking up,” she said, turning partially to glance out of the window once more. She’d get the soup started for when Petey came and just relax for the rest of the evening.

  FIFTEEN

  JAKE STARED down at the old book on the table in the basement of Wilber’s shop and shook his head, still unsure he was following. Wilber had been unloading information about the history of Everlasting at a fast rate. “So you’re saying Everlasting has dark power in it?”

  “Can’t have good without the bad,” said Wilber, as if the revelation wasn’t big. “Figure you’d know that with as much as you’ve seen.”

  “I just thought Everlasting was in a sort of protective bubble. That every once in a while, something bad pierced the bubble but the town won out in the end.”

  “You mean you were hopeful that you could finally stop outrunning your past. That you’d found a quiet town to spend the next few decades.” Wilber stared blankly at him.

  Jake grimaced at the man’s accurate assessment. He had viewed the move to Everlasting as laying temporary roots. Something he’d not done often in his past. It was easy to make enemies when tasked with policing supernaturals, as the remaining centaurs were—penance for what their ancestors had done (mythology books were littered with various accounts). When dealing with immortals, feuds could last forever—literally. Some held grudges for actions they deemed wrong, no matter how right they were.

  When Jake had been told to kill a young witch because she’d been born from a line that could go either the way of light or dark, he’d refused. He’d argued that destiny should be allowed to play out, because if the girl ended up going the way of good, she would be immensely valuable for the protection of mankind.

  The people Jake used to answer to didn’t want to chance it. They’d issued a mandate for her death. Refusing to be the executioner had left Jake blackballed.

  And he’d taken it one step further. He hadn’t just refused to kill the young woman, he’d helped her disappear off the radar of any other who wanted to harm her. She’d done such a good job going off the grid that even Jake had been unable to locate her later to check in on her, or her line of power.

  That had been about a hundred years ago. Around the same time, he’d given up hope he’d ever find his mate. And it was also when he’d been cast out, for lack of a better word, by his own. Not that they’d ever been thrilled to have him to start with. If he had to do it over again, he’d do it all the same. He’d save the young witch and accept the centaurs’ version of shunning.

  “Tell me again about this dark power thing? About the line of witches who practiced it,” said Jake, wanting to know exactly what they were dealing with. He wasn’t a big fan of surprises. Wilber had walked him through it all once already since they’d been in the basement, but Jake needed to hear it again to try to wrap his mind around what was happening.

  Wilber groaned. “A hundred years ago, the people of Everlasting got fed up with the coven’s wicked ways. Good townsfolk had started to go missing, and a rash of deaths began to occur. More so than normal.”

  Jake’s eyes widened. Everlasting already had a high death rate. He couldn’t imagine it being more than normal. “Didn’t you tell me the last were-kraken kills had been back then—a hundred years ago?”

  He couldn’t help but think about the fact that his ordeal with the young witch had happened during that time frame as well. Give or take a few years.

  “Yep. That was the time when one of Sigmund and Jol
ene’s ancestors went down a dark path. Odds are, he had some help from the Babcock family.”

  “And the Babcocks are the witches in the coven that went dark?” asked Jake, hoping he was finally following along. The family tree that Wilber had laid on the table helped. The journals discussing all the evil the family had done only served to make Jake worry more about Kelsey.

  These weren’t average, everyday bad people. In fact, they made the Collective look like nothing more than child’s play.

  “You got it,” said Wilber. “Except the Babcock coven members weren’t just witches. They were smart, they merged and bred with hunters—which wasn’t unheard of, but it was rare. It left their line not only powerful but downright deadly. The coven took that power to a dark place. We’d had enough of what they were doing, and a number of us organized, came up with a plan, and dealt with them accordingly.”

  “Pitchforks-and-torches kind of thing?” asked Jake, already knowing how Wilber liked to operate.

  “You got it.”

  Realization dawned as Jake thought about the display at the general store. “And the piece of charred wood in the display case? That wouldn’t happen to be from you burning a Babcock witch alive, would it?”

  Wilber chortled as if the topic was amusing. “No. That was a different witch line.”

  Oh gee. That makes it all better.

  “There was a battle,” Wilber said, looking far off in thought for a moment. “The kraken took a good deal of my attention back then, so I leaned on another family of hunters—this one with a good dose of witch blood in their line as well. But they’d not taken their power to a dark place. They came and helped.”

  “Helped how, exactly?” asked Jake, unsure he wanted an answer.

  “They stood against the dark power. Lost some of their own doing so. Took down most of the bad guys. The ones that got away went to ground. They changed their names and stayed just far enough away from Everlasting as to avoid raising suspicions. See, enough of us are still alive to remember them.”

  “You’re saying they’re immortal and holding a grudge?”

  “I’m saying a hundred years is a long time to be without the power you were born with,” returned Wilber, as he continued to lay item after item on the large, thick wooden table. The thing reminded Jake of something from the old days. Like someone should be seated at it demanding mead from a serving wench or something. “And without their power, they wouldn’t be naturally immortal.”

  “Then there isn’t anything to worry about,” said Jake. “Even if they had children, the children wouldn’t have power either, right?”

  “You’re missing some key points in what I just told you.”

  Jake ran it all over in his head a few times. He gasped. “You’re telling me they got power from somewhere or something else, and found a way to live longer?”

  “That would be my guess.” Wilber pulled out a small medicine bowl. “There were rumors that circulated about the ones that got away. Talk of them stealing power wherever they could. Of them stealing bodies by possessing them and forcing the souls out. They’re hard and cold. They lack remorse and compassion. When you look at them, you just feel the evil and anger pouring off them in waves. At least that’s what a hunter feels. I’m not real sure what a supernatural feels. My guess is suspicion and unease.”

  “Can we call in the other hunter family? The one who helped before?” asked Jake, hoping to rally the troops.

  Shaking his head, Wilber lifted a vial of liquid and then put it in his pocket. “No. Fear over how out of control the Babcock coven got spread like wildfire through other communities like Everlasting. They started attacking covens that had hunter and witch mixed lines. Ones that hadn’t taken it all to a dark place. They didn’t care. They worried that the unlimited power would go to the other mixed covens’ heads like it had the Babcocks, so they decided to get rid of the risk. Some towns even enlisted the help of your kind to destroy the lines.”

  Jake’s gut clenched, and he couldn’t help but think back to the young witch he’d refused to harm. “I was tasked with killing a witch back then. She was from a line the people of her town feared would go dark.”

  Wilber stared at him. “Then you’re part of the ignorant masses who killed what they didn’t understand.”

  Jake pointed at him. “Wait one minute. You’re from the Messing line of hunters, known for being ruthless, so let’s not cast stones. And for another thing, I refused to do what was asked—no, demanded of me. It left me an outcast among my own kind.”

  Wilber sized him up and then nodded in an approving manner. “You’re with your kind now. The people of Everlasting are your people, Jake. They’re your family now.”

  Jake wasn’t so sure he believed that.

  “And hearing what you did explains some things that were confusing me,” said Wilber.

  “What does all of this have to do with Kelsey?” Jake asked, his mind continuing to go to her. “You’re telling me this stone of truth, ring, and necklace all play a part in some dark magic, and that this Babcock coven might not be as gone as everyone thought. Does that mean you think Kelsey is a dark witch? Do you think she’s a Babcock descendant? You don’t think she’s a body-jumping witch, do you?”

  “Not in the least,” said Wilber, putting a small vial of green liquid in his other pocket. “I think she’s opposite of that. She is pure of heart. You can sense it on her. That means the bad guys can too. And they’ll want to harness her raw, untapped power. It’s plain to see the girl isn’t aware of what she is. They want to get their line’s power back—and she’s the key to doing so.”

  “Why her?” asked Jake, knowing he was going to dread the answer.

  “Because she’s what stands between the descendants of the dark witches getting their full power back and them missing out on their chance. See, dark power is a funny beast. It gives you great abilities when it’s on your side. When it’s not, it demands a hefty price. If I had to make a wager, I’d say whoever is left from the Babcock line is really worried their bill is coming due.”

  Jake touched the old book before him. It had a drawing of what could only be described as an old hag on it. The drawing showed the woman holding the very pendant Kelsey had, and she was standing over the body of a man slumped on the ground. She looked evil and twisted. A cold shiver ran down Jake’s spine as he thought of Kelsey being harmed in any way. “Is that pendant evil?”

  “In the wrong hands, yes. With her, no,” said Wilber.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” Jake demanded. He wasn’t about to play games with Kelsey’s life.

  “That witch you refused to end,” said Wilber, glancing at him fleetingly as he measured out a red liquid. “I think she was from the family of hunters who were my friends—the ones who helped Everlasting stand against the Babcocks.”

  Jake sucked in a large breath. It was all related. Every string forming an intricate web of a bigger picture. As his mind made sense of it all, he grabbed the table, fear washing over him. “You think Kelsey is from that line—from the line I protected. That means she has the power to stand against the Babcocks again—and if they figure that out, they’ll kill her.”

  Wilber nodded.

  Jake moved around the table quickly and grabbed the man by his shirt. “You let her leave knowing all this?”

  Wilber calmly brushed Jake’s hands away from him. “I couldn’t understand the feeling I was getting around her. As far as I knew, my friends’ line was gone, yet here was this young girl standing in my shop, reminding me of them in so many ways. How was I to know you were the one who saved the line?”

  “I have to go to her! I have to watch over her,” Jake said frantically, making a move to go.

  “No. Tonight you’re going to help me get what we need in order. We can’t very well fight evil if we’re not prepared,” said Wilber, mixing red powder in with a green leaf in a medicine bowl. He ground the contents. “Kelsey will be fine for now. If they knew she had the penda
nt, they’d have made a move for her already. And they might not even know who she is. They may know she’s important, but not understand just how important she is. Like me, they may have thought the Gibbons line of hunters died out a century ago.”

  “What if the Babcocks are who sent the pendant to her?” asked Jake, panicked. “What if they know full well who she is? And what if they lured her here so they could steal the other items and then use her to harness this dark power?”

  Wilber cast him an annoyed look. “It’s pretty obvious. That would be bad. Very bad.”

  Jake spun around and ran his hands through his hair before pulling the crumpled piece of paper with Kelsey’s number on it out of his pocket. He withdrew his cell and dialed the number. It rang and rang before voicemail picked up.

  “Kelsey, it’s Jake. Um, Deputy March, erm, Majoy. Um, Jake. Call me.” He disconnected the call and ignored the amused look on Wilber’s face.

  “Glad my gumball machine is safe,” said Wilber snidely.

  Jake snarled and then hurried up the stairs to the central area of the shop. He went to the counter and searched for Kelsey’s address, only to realize she’d left without writing it down. Terror gripped him at the thought of her being out there—alone.

  She was probably scared.

  She might even be hurt.

  She could be dead.

  “No!” he shouted—and spun around to find Wilber standing there, holding a battle-ax. He’d never even heard the retired hunter approach.

  “Since you’re not going to listen to reason, I might as well make sure you’re as prepared as you can be.” He reached into his pockets and began handing Jake glass vials. “These will come in handy.”

  “What do I do with them?” asked Jake. He wasn’t a witch, so he wasn’t sure what potion did what.

  Wilber pointed to the red one. “That is emergency-use only. Ingest that as a last resort.”

  “And the rest?”

  Wilber touched the green one. “If you can, get Kelsey to drink that one.”