I lowered my voice, darting a furtive look at James and Nell. “Do you remember the vision I had, the one where I thought a witch was being tortured for information?”
Comprehension dawned and Ray’s eyes almost bugged out of his head. “Wait…you think that was maybe happening to Nell?”
I did a palms-up gesture and grimaced. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Ray hesitated, still hovering beside me. “Is there anywhere specific I should tell him to look?”
“Between the shoulder blades.” My mouth went painfully dry and I licked my lips. “That’s where it hurt in my vision.”
My stomach churned as Ray crossed the front deck and leaned over to murmur my request in James’s ear. The detective paused just long enough to cast a quizzical glance at me before speaking to Nell. She nodded and I took a half-step toward them as James peered down the back of her blouse.
I held my breath as he inspected her. When he looked back up at me, he was shaking his head, and I blew out a defeated sigh.
From the stilt house’s front deck, I had a clear view when Misty and Darlene turned into my driveway one behind the other just as Detective Stapleton was finishing up collecting everything he might need from Nell. He motioned me over as doors slammed downstairs.
I cleared my throat and looked Nell over. "What do you need, detective?"
"Is there any chance you've got some clothes she could wear? I'd like to collect the ones she's wearing now for evidence, but I can't just leave her naked as a jay-bird."
I clapped him on the shoulder with a quick nod. "Of course. I'll check Granny's closet and find her something. Be right back."
Misty and Darlene met me at the top of the stairs, by the front entrance of the house. I nodded in greeting and waved them past me to the front deck. "I'll talk to you guys in just a second. I need to find Nell some other clothes real quick."
Without waiting for an answer, I ducked inside and left them to join the others on the deck.
Logan meowed loudly from the back of the loveseat. What the hell is going on out there?
Striding to Granny’s room at the back of the house, I filled him in as I riffled through Granny's closet and chest of drawers, looking for something Nell could wear. I grabbed clean underwear, a bra, and an extra-soft wisteria purple cotton dress.
It's really strange that she couldn't even remember her own name but showed up on our doorstep. I don't think I like that much at all.
"Yeah, it's strange, but it's way down the list of things to worry about at this particular moment." I bent and gave him a quick scratch behind the ear before I hurried back outside, clothes in hand.
Detective Stapleton passed Nell a large evidence collection bag. “As you’re getting undressed, just place everything you’re currently wearing inside this bag. Once everything is in, close it and use the adhesive strip to seal it, okay?” His voice was gentle and soothing compared to his brusque, businesslike demeanor at the jail.
Nell frowned over at me, shaking her head. “I’d still rather not mess up your house, Roxanne. Is there somewhere else I can do this?”
I waved off her protests. “We can go downstairs and around to the entrance on the back deck. The bathroom is just a couple steps from the back door.”
Nell eyeballed the stairs warily. “I sure wish the deck wrapped around at least one side of the house. All those stairs are going to be hell on my knees.”
“We wish it did, too.” I grimaced and shrugged. “Unfortunately, the lot is too narrow, so we’re stuck with two separate decks, one at the front of the house, and one at the back. It’s fine if you just want to walk through the house instead of going down, around, and back up.”
Nell pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. I could practically see her weighing the pros and cons in her head. “I guess I’ll suck it up and walk through the house,” she grumbled.
I nodded and led her to the bathroom, putting the clean clothes I'd grabbed for her on the top shelf of the over-the-toilet storage rack. “I’ll give you your privacy. Just yell if you need anything.”
She nodded and I turned, padding into the kitchen. I paused by Logan’s food and water bowl in the kitchen floor.
Logan? I focused on our telepathic link.
Yeah? He paused his eating to flick a glance in my direction.
Keep an eye on Nell, okay? Make sure there's no funny business.
Good idea. He twitched his tail at me.
I strode to the front door and let myself out. Ray and James stood on one side of the deck and Darlene and Misty stood on the other. They were all talking in low tones, carrying on two different conversations.
"Nell should be out soon, detective," I called as I joined the women.
"How is she?" Darlene asked. The dark circles under her eyes stood out against her pale skin.
"I'm not sure." I sighed. "Something is just...off with her. It's like she's a totally different person."
"I'll check her over after the detective leaves and make sure there aren't any obvious medical explanations for the amnesia." Darlene ran a hand through her unkempt hair.
Misty patted Darlene's back. "We appreciate you coming, sweetie. I know you've been struggling since we lost your mamma, and it means a lot that you were willing to put everything else you're dealing with on hold to check on Nell."
I nodded and gave Darlene a clumsy pat on the arm, doing my best to be comforting, but it was more awkward than anything else. She flashed a watery smile, but squared her shoulders as Nell shuffled out on the porch.
Her short, damp, snowy hair clung to her scalp, and the sunlight made it glow like a halo. She was clean, her skin pink from scrubbing, which made the bruising and gash running the length of her left cheekbone stand out in bright, stark relief. There was mottled bruising around her wrists, too. In some ways, she looked rougher than she did when she was covered in dirt. Nell passed Detective Stapleton the bag with her clothes in it.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to help you figure out what happened, Mrs. Ballard.”
Nell’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Thank you, Detective.” Her gaze shifted past James and fixed on where we stood apart from the men.
She padded over to us and Darlene moved to meet her, gaze sharpening as she assessed Nell. Watching Darlene work was fascinating, if nothing else. She reached up and touched the red, inflamed area around the gash on Nell’s cheek. “This feels feverish. The wound needs to be disinfected, treated with antibiotic salve, and bandaged immediately.”
As I watched them, Misty wrapped an arm around my shoulders, giving me a quick squeeze. "How are you holding up, kiddo?"
I shook my head but kept my gaze on Darlene and Nell. "I'm not worried about me right now. We need to do something about Nell's amnesia if we can. If she can remember anything from the time when she was missing, it might lead us to Kat."
"We could try a clarifying ritual after the detective leaves...if Nell feels up to it." Misty pinched and tugged at her bottom lip, never taking her eyes off Darlene and Nell. "She looks even rougher than I expected now that she's clean."
My stomach clenched as I took in the extensive bruising, the inflamed state of the cut on her cheek, and the defeated slump of her once-proud shoulders. Detective Stapleton shook Ray's hand, walked over and gave Nell his card, then turned to me. “Don’t hesitate to let me know if she remembers anything, or if there are any other developments that could aid the investigation and/or potentially lead us to your sister.”
“Of course.” I shook his hand. He paused just long enough to address everyone as an individual with a polite goodbye, then retreated downstairs, loading the evidence he’d collected into his department-issued SUV.
I turned my attention back to Misty. "Whatever it takes, we need to make sure she's okay when she leaves here,” I said. “Does she have anybody who can stay with her after the ritual and take care of her?"
Misty's eyes watered and her chin trembled as she gave one, slow shake
of the head. "Her husband passed away three years ago, and their only child died in a car accident his sophomore year of college. They were all she had outside of the coven, and they're both gone."
"Oh." My heart ached for her at the revelation, and I pressed my hand against my chest, trying to dull the pain. "Maybe we should hold off on trying to do a ritual for a bit? It could be a good idea to just give her some time to get herself together before we put her through anything else."
"Hmm." Misty nodded, her hand rubbing a small, soothing circle between my shoulder blades. "I think we should talk to her and let her choose how we proceed from here. If she feels up to a ritual, we'll do the ritual, and if she doesn't we'll save it for another day."
Without discussing it further, we crossed the deck to join Ray, Nell, and Darlene.
I addressed Nell first. "Did the shower help you feel any better?"
"Yes, thank you sweetie." The endearment coming from her made the hair on my arms stand up, but I shook it off and pressed on. “Misty and I were thinking it might be helpful to perform a clarifying ritual to help you with your memory loss, but only if you’re feeling up to it. It could always wait until some other day, after you’ve had time to recover.”
Nell's gaze locked on mine and never wavered as I spoke. By the time I finished, she was nodding rapidly.
A little bit of her scrappy spirit bubbled to the surface as she tilted her chin up. "Let's do the ritual."
I bit my lip. "Are you sure?" I couldn't stop cataloging her injuries. "What if it's traumatic? What if what happened to you was so bad that your brain fried those circuits on purpose?"
She shook her head and clicked her tongue at me.
"It doesn't matter if what happened to me was traumatic or not. What matters is that Olivia's dead, your little sister's still missing, and we could be running out of time." Her voice was firm, and her unwavering confidence took the edge off the nervous butterflies in my stomach.
I stepped forward and gave her a quick and completely awkward hug. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to go ahead and do the ritual. If it works, it could give us the edge we need to find Kat and outwit whoever's behind the abductions."
Rather than answering me, Nell strode to the front door and let herself in the house. I stifled an awkward giggle and shook my head as Misty and Darlene followed her. I started to join them, but hesitated beside Ray.
"I know this kind of stuff makes you uncomfortable, and I'm sorry, but Nell's right. We could be running out of time. I know it's getting late and it might be...problematic for you if you don't want to be here during the ritual, but it has to be done now." I grimaced, hating that it sounded like I was telling him to leave.
He took a half-step closer to me, his brow furrowing as he gazed down into my eyes. My pulse picked up again at the close proximity. No matter how unpleasant it was reliving the memory of the moment I thought Ray hated me, my body had its own ideas when it came to him. I took a deep breath and forced myself not to fidget as I waited for him to respond.
"You know..." He paused and pressed his lips together before he continued in a low, unwavering voice. "After...whatever that was with me being able to see your memory earlier, I don't think I have much room to judge your magic. I didn't even know I was capable of doing that until today. I'm not sure I could ever replicate it, even if I tried. The only thing I do know right now is that I need you on my team just as much as you need me, so I might as well start doing my best to try to get comfortable with that aspect of your life."
My breath hitched and my heart hammered against my ribcage. He was so close I had to tip my head back to meet his gaze. My mouth went dry and I licked my lips as I laid a hand on his arm. "Thank you, Ray."
I started forward, caught in his inexplicable, magnetic pull. Just as he dipped his head to brush his lips against mine, someone rapped on the front window.
Ray and I jumped apart like we'd been subjected to an electric shock. I clutched my chest with a soft curse under my breath. Nell pursed her lips at us from the other side of the glass and tapped her wrist, encouraging us to hurry up.
Heat flamed in my cheeks as I scurried to the door and let myself into the house. Misty, Darlene, and Nell all stood in the kitchen, waiting for me to catch up. Misty's lips twitched like she was fighting a knowing grin and Darlene blew out an impatient sigh. I bit the inside of my cheek as I rushed to my bedroom.
I don’t think I’ll be able to access my magic and help with the ritual if Shadow is suppressed by my charmed necklace.
Pulling off the necklace Misty gave me, I felt both bereft and naked, though I was fully clothed. I placed the necklace into the spell jar and returned to the living room. Ray stepped in off the deck and closed the door behind him, watching with interest as we gathered in the kitchen.
Nell stood in the center while Darlene, Misty, and I formed a circle around her and joined hands.
Anxiety twisted in my gut and I gave the other women an apologetic grimace.
Deep breaths, I thought. Just follow Misty's lead.
Keeping my gaze steady on Misty’s face, I gulped down air and tried to focus despite the cold sweat that made my palms slick.
Misty closed her eyes and tilted her head back. A frisson of power built in the room, like static electricity before a lightning strike. "Mother Hecate hear our plea, your daughter Nell stands in need. She stands before you, bruised and broken, hear our prayer as it is spoken. Assailants or tricksters her memories stole, but our faith assures us you will make her whole."
I gripped Misty and Darlene's hands harder, feeling like a hand was wrapped around my spine, trying to tug me away and break the circle. We repeated Misty's spell seven times, and each time the energy in the room built. Although power radiated from the other witches, I felt hollow as the abandoned, destroyed temple in my Night Realm.
Ray sank down on the loveseat out of the corner of my eye and I turned to reassure him. The second my attention shifted, the spell backfired. With a pop like a gunshot, the power buildup slammed into me and knocked me out of the circle. I fell square on my ass and swore at my own stupidity.
I never should have tried to help when I know I’m not really the one in control of my magic. My power was completely missing in action, and that lack ruined the entire spell.
Gritting my teeth, I slumped against the dishwasher.
"I'm sorry," I groaned. Heat flooded my ears, cheeks and neck in a fierce, merciless wave. "I wish there was a way for me to fix the fact that I can’t really control my magic." My mind raced, grasping for any kind of answer.
Nell, Darlene, and Misty all moved at once, extending hands to help me up. I hesitated for a moment before accepting Misty and Darlene’s hands. They hauled me to my feet and Misty leveled me with her steady, eerily perceptive gaze. "There is something you can do, but I don't think you're going to like it."
My stomach roiled and I tried to swallow the nauseated feeling with no success.
"What is it?" I crossed my arms, trying to ease the apprehensive chill seeping into me.
Misty looked away, her gaze bouncing from one person to another before she re-focused on me. "Sweetheart, this might be the last thing you want to hear…" Her voice faltered and she gripped the crocheted hem of her shirt, rolling it back and forth between her thumb and index finger.
A lead weight clamped down around my lungs, making it difficult to catch my breath.
"I know you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting." I shook my head, silently pleading with her not to say it.
She winced and clutched her stomach with a quiet groan. I reached for her, as color drained from her face. She cleared her throat.
"It's just a cramp." Her voice was reassuring, but her face did nothing to convince me. "I think you need to consider reintegrating with Shadow."
"No." I shook my head and hugged my torso, trying to hide the way just the thought of rejoining with Shadow made me tremble. "There has to be a better option than co
mpletely rejoining her. She's every part of me that's dangerous, volatile, vengeful, and wounded. If I try to re-integrate, who's to say she won't overpower me completely?"
I jerked away from the semicircle of witches in my kitchen and stalked toward Ray, not missing his furrowed brow and the way his lips pursed as he observed our exchange. Spinning on my heel, I turned back toward Misty, Darlene, and Nell.
"I've accidentally accessed my magic a few times recently, under extreme circumstances. Maybe if I focus on the emotions that triggered those...incidents, then I can find a way to reliably perform magic without the risk of allowing the deepest, most painful, and frankly toxic parts of myself a chance to take control of my body. Shadow is unpredictable at best. At worst?" I gritted my teeth and pressed my lips into a flat, hard line. "I can't even afford to imagine what she might be like at her worst...what she might make me do."
Misty stepped directly into my path and laid her hands on my shoulders with a gentle, sad smile. "If I thought there was any other way for you to access your magic and find Kat, I wouldn't have suggested it."
I whimpered and bit my bottom lip. I don't know what course of action scares me more right now. I opened my mouth, ready to beg her to lie to me or come up with some other option. Before I could get the words out, Misty doubled over with a pained groan.
I rubbed her back, trying to trace a soothing circle between her shoulder blades. "Misty, what's wrong?"
She retched, and dark, tar-colored vomit splashed between my feet in a hot, sticky wave. I gasped and froze, my hand going stiff on her back. Nell let out a long, low whistle.
"Backlash," she said.
I went rigid and squinted up at Nell. "Are you saying this is my fault because I wasn’t able to access my magic?"
I winced the instant the words left my lips.
Come on, you know it's your fault. Shadow's voice hissed through my mind loud and clear. All the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I shuddered.
Nell's gaze clouded and her mouth went slack, like she wasn't quite tuned in to the same reality as us anymore.
Coven of Lies (The Bayshore Witch Legacy Book 2) Page 12