I grimaced at the image of Felicia's head smacking onto the floor. "What happened next?"
"I turned to go. She moaned. I realized she wasn't dead. I went back and ripped open her blouse. She had a protection amulet of red stone. I yanked it off." She twisted to regard Ronan, who watched her with narrowed eyes. "I knew you'd given it to her. That settled it for me. I couldn't stop after that."
"So you levitated her out the window?"
"First, I paralyzed her lungs. I did that three times, restoring her when she almost passed out. While she gasped for breath, I told her why I was killing her."
I hoped she couldn't sense I found her to be irredeemably repulsive. "Why did you smash her body through the window and into the ground from the second floor?"
"I wanted to crush her completely."
I gestured at her statement. "Look, confession is not a game, Mrs. Flynn. The cops are going to wonder if you're faking it in some dramatic attempt to clear Keegan." And why she was being so frank with me. This was too easy. Ronan said he'd send the confession in later. What would stop me from telling the cops right away? Mona would silence me to give them time to escape. I'd have her write down details to give me more time. "Your story accords with defensive marks on Felicia, something not in the papers, so that's good. Is there anything else that would confirm your story?"
She reached for Ronan's briefcase. "I have something that will prove what I say."
She opened a manila envelope and withdrew a plastic bag containing strands of dark hair, the roots a tangled clump. "I pulled this out of her scalp." She dropped it on the desk.
Using a tissue, I picked up the baggie, trying to preserve her fingerprints.
Someone rattled the doorknob into the hall. The wood panels of the door swelled and turned crimson. Mona lunged across the desk at me when I started to rise, but I pulled out the wand and pointed it at her. "Back off."
She seized a short wand out of the briefcase. With a snap of her hand, it extended three feet. I flicked my wand. It sent out a shower of sparks but didn't get any longer. Ronan clutched at Mona's hand. She elbowed him in the neck and kneed him in the groin. He went down with a gag and a whoosh. She swiveled as I moved around the desk and frantically tried to get my wand to extend. Backing up until I was halfway across the room, I stopped when I saw her aim her wand at me.
"Stand still," Mona ordered. Before she spoke a spell word, I flicked my stubby wand, which finally lengthened. Fire. To my delight, a ball of flame shot toward Mona. To my horror, she thrust her wand at the ball, and it headed back to me. I batted at the ball, sending it to the floor, where it sizzled out on the tile.
Before I could do anything, Mona leapt closer and swished her wand at me. The force knocked me backwards into the wall of monitors. I slid to the floor, breathless and dazed. I'd dropped my wand when I fell. Pushing myself up, I grabbed at it, but Mona yanked on my hair and threw me aside.
She pointed both wands. "Get up."
I scrambled to my feet and moved away from her. She pursued me to the wall, where I stood with my hands pressed against the cold monitors. With the two wands held to my chest, she looked briefly over her shoulder. Ronan swayed, his features creased in pain.
"We have to use her to get out of here." Her voice pierced like a cat's claws. "Are you coming with me?" She twitched, making the wands jab me.
Ronan stretched out his arm and moved forward slowly. "Give me a wand."
She handed him a wand without a backward look. Three knocks sounded on the door, which shook.
"Mr. and Mrs. Flynn," Jake's voice thundered, "Ira guessed your identity and finally warned us. If you have Petra in there, let her go. I've completed my spell to open the door. The police are coming. It will go easier on you if you let Petra go before they get here."
Mona's eyes bulged in her twisted face. "Get away from the door. We're coming out with her in front as a shield. I'll kill her if you interfere."
She grabbed my shoulder and shoved me toward the door but abruptly released me. I spun around and saw Ronan had pulled her away. Mona and Ronan faced each other. Her lips drawn back in a snarl, she raised her wand. Before she could flick it, I shoved at her, forcing her to sidestep as she slashed at him. The deflected blast of her spell hit his shoulder and sent him flying into the corner of Jake's desk, headfirst. He crashed to the floor with a heavy thud. Mona went rigid as she watched blood seep out of a gash on his forehead.
The door shook in its frame. Mona hissed, and a force like a whip hit the back of my knees, sending me toppling to the floor. She dragged me up and held me in front of her, the wand at my neck. With a spray of wood, the door fell apart. Jake stood framed in the doorway, an extremely large wand pointed at Mona and me.
She poked her wand into my temple. "Take one step in here, and I explode her. I have nothing to lose."
Ruby flew off the tattoo and dived at Mona, who flicked at her with the wand. Ruby plunged into a monitor. Broken glass clattered down, along with her body. The second that Mona moved her wand hand, Jake extended his staff at her. I felt a blast of wind as we toppled back, me on top. Hot air puffed out of Mona as I slammed into her. Jake and Vidoc dashed into the room and pinned Mona's arms behind her back. Jake tapped her with his wand, and she went limp. Vidoc hurried to Ronan, kneeling and pulling out a cell phone.
"Are you okay?" Jake demanded of me.
"I'm okay, but Ronan hit his head."
My tattoo pricked all over with needle jabs. I didn't have time to react. Vidoc, while talking on the phone, held a wad of paper towels over Ronan's head wound. It still bled, so he was alive. Mona locked her eyes on his form. Jake pulled a cord out of his backpack and tied her arms and legs. He made a lifting gesture with his hands that levitated her out of the room. The whole time, she gazed on Ronan with a strange look—not anxious, more fascinated.
I went to Ruby. Her wings spread out on the tile. Her eyes were closed. Feathers sprinkled the floor. On my knees, I rocked over her, my arms wrapped around myself. I wanted to cry, but couldn't make any sounds or tears come out. I unwound my arms and touched her chest but wasn't sure if I felt her heart beat. I didn't have the magic to fix her.
Loud voices from the hallway announced that the cops had arrived. When Vidoc told me to help him with Ronan, I had to leave Ruby. Ronan groaned and thrashed. I pressed his chest to prevent him from worsening his head wound with movement.
"It's okay." I squeezed his hand. "It's over."
His glazed eyes focused on me, and he quieted. His hand clamped on mine.
A Protector Wizard stomped into the room and loomed over us. Ira hesitated in the doorway. He rubbed his hands together while his mouth opened and closed.
"Get out," ordered the Proz to Ira.
Ira acted as if he didn't hear and walked stiff-legged into the room. "Get away from that wounded child."
The Proz extended his wand and charged at Ira. "Police, stand back."
When Ira moved forward faster, a flash of yellow sparks shot out of the Proz's wand. Ira twitched all over and collapsed on the floor in a ball. I tried to go to him but couldn't pull my hand away from Ronan.
I called to the Proz, "Please, don't hurt him. He's having a flashback. He doesn't know what he's doing."
The Proz pointed his wand at me. I shut up. Boots stomped down the hall. The room filled with big men who dragged Ira away.
After the paramedics packed up Ronan, I placed Ruby on a legal pad, the best stretcher I could manage. I knew I shouldn't disturb a crime scene, but I didn't care. The tattoo itched and burned. Holding the legal pad flat, I walked through the house past cops and Proz, who were milling around. I needed to find Jake to help Ruby. When I asked if anybody knew where he was, one young guy directed me to the front porch.
Jake was in the yard, where flashing lights from cop cars created a staccato, nervous energy. Radios erupted in clipped, incomprehensible sounds. Vidoc stood by the rear door of a patrol car, gesturing to a Proz, both of them looking at Ira,
who was in the back seat. I couldn't see Ira's face because he had it buried in his hands.
A siren sounded then abruptly stopped. An ambulance jerked to a stop next to the car where Ira slumped. Once they whisked Ira away, I felt released from his spell.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
SUNDAY NIGHT
Jake had moved to the porch. "What happened to Ruby?"
I limped over to him, the backs of my legs aching from Mona's spell that had knocked me down. Six students and Vidoc were in an arc behind Jake. The students locked their eyes on Ruby's body.
I lifted her to Jake's face. He had to help me. "Fix her."
He cupped one hand over Ruby. "Her heart is still beating. We have to do a healing ceremony immediately. I told the detectives you can't be interviewed until your lawyer, Chris, gets here, so we have some time."
I followed him to my room, all my energy focused on picturing Ruby whole and ornery. My fists were clenched, as if I could squeeze out healing power.
When Jake put Ruby on the bed ledge, he glanced over his shoulder at Vidoc and the students clustered in the doorway. "I'd like to have them present. Their positive energy enhances mine."
I waved them in. I must have had a desperate look on my face because they entered but edged away from me.
If Jake couldn't fix Ruby, I'd explode and break, just like she had. "Please hurry."
Kneeling next to the ledge, Jake covered Ruby's body with his hands. "Put your hands on top of mine."
As I touched Jake's warm skin, I concentrated on the image of Ruby and her bright eyes when she first chose me. I heard the chant of Vidoc and the students, "Mother of Mercy, heal this spirit." Their voices were low and steady. They weren't doing enough. I wanted them to shout, to send power into Ruby. If only I could focus the magic within me and use it to heal. Through the shroud of our hands over Ruby, a pink glow emerged and filled the room. Jake's arm twitched, and his eyes popped wide.
"What's happening?" I feared Ruby would leave me. "Is something wrong?"
"Petra, Ruby will heal herself in her own way. Call her out."
I shut my eyes. Fly. My left arm tingled and turned icy. The tattoo slipped off and fell onto the ledge, where it shriveled and faded. A ping sounded in my head. Jake and I lifted our hands to disclose a red glass egg.
"Where's Ruby? Bring Ruby back!" I grabbed Jake's shirt and shook him.
He pried my hands off. "Ruby has chosen rebirth as her way of healing. You need to keep her close to you until she is reborn."
Whirling, I glared at the students, angry they hadn't done enough to help Ruby. They scurried out.
Jake sat on the ledge next to the egg. "Vidoc and I can take turns keeping watch with you tonight."
"No, this rebirth is between Ruby and me. If anybody is going to screw it up, it's going to be me." I sat on the other side of the egg, arms crossed over my chest. I knew I sounded stupid and wished I'd said something touchingly insightful.
Instead of arguing with me, Jake nodded. I had a rule not to argue with crazy mad people, and maybe he did too.
He paused in my doorway. "Do you promise to ask for help if it gets scary? Vidoc or I will be next door."
I twitched my shoulders, which he apparently took for agreement, for he left, trailed by Vidoc. Alone with the egg, I couldn't take my eyes off it, afraid that if I looked away, it would disappear or die. I expected Ruby to pop out any minute. Surely she must sense how much I wanted to see her. She wasn't obedient, but I thought she responded to my feelings in her own way. When nothing happened after fifteen minutes, I decided to hurry things along. The raven had committed to giving me spells. He could help me now.
I tapped on his book. "Loki, come out. I need a spell to hatch a familiar."
Loki popped out. "Cost?"
"I'll be your lawyer for the rest of my life."
"Accepted." He flew over to the egg and spread himself over it. Fluffing out his feathers, he assumed a look of intense concentration.
"Hey, I don't want to sit around and watch you hatch an egg. I want to do the spell."
Loki squirmed over the egg. "Words, words."
My back hurt from hitting the wall of monitors. My scalp stung where Mona had torn out hair. The deal I'd made with Loki may not have been one of my best negotiations.
After an hour, when nothing happened, I stretched out on the cold floor, bruises smarting, right where Ira had slept last night because it made me feel connected to him. Remembering how I had watched his chest rise and fall, I matched his breath rhythm and faded out.
"Awk."
That was my wake-up call the next morning. My eyes snapped open. Flapping his wings, Loki hovered over me. A brown ball of fluff fell off the ledge bed onto my chest. It righted itself on tiny legs and tottered toward me.
Its beak opened. "Cheep."
EPILOGUE
ONE WEEK LATER, SUNDAY AFTERNOON
I sat in a circle of my friends, on a beanbag that molded itself to my form. Opposite me was Keegan, who had been released from jail yesterday. He had hugged me stiffly and thanked me for my work on his case. Now, rubbing his lips with his fingers, he studied each member of our group as if he had trouble recognizing us. For the weekly Sunday visitation at the ranch, he brought pizza and beer.
My two law partners sat on either side of me. Bear came with Shirley and triple fudge brownies. Maxy brought Irish whiskey. Rusty brought herself and a golden cage for my familiar, who was now a slightly larger ball of streaky brown fluff. So far, he/she mostly perched on my shoulder. The baby bird showed little inclination to interact but had entered the golden cage at my first request.
On the other side of the living room, Ira slumped on a futon. He and Vidoc shared a bag of orange cheese puffs. The psych ward had returned Ira to the ranch within twenty-four hours. During the week, Ira didn't speak but would sit next to me, his amber eyes tracking my movements. I went with my gut instinct that he should talk first.
I moved my eyes around the circle, stopping at Keegan. His time in jail had eaten away at him, hollowing out his cheeks and tightening his lips.
I willed Keegan to connect with me. "Are you okay?"
He flipped open the lids of two pizza boxes without looking up. "I learned there are a lot of reasons not to turn your back on anybody."
"He doesn't want to talk about it." Maxy handed him a beer in the silence that followed her statement. "How was your week at the ranch, Petra?"
"I set five fires. Two legal pads crumpled to dust at my touch. Jake says I'm making progress."
Bear gulped beer, Shirley giving him a sideways glance and a smile. He waggled the bottle at me. "How did you manage to put in forty hours on the appeals contract for the office?"
"I get up at four and go to bed at midnight." I couldn't sleep until I was so tired I ached all over. "Keegan, I need to talk to you. Let's go on the porch."
He followed with a beer in his hand and sat next to me on the swing.
I wasn't the same woman who watched him being arrested. "When I ask if you're okay, I'm not being polite. I want to know."
He looked me up and down, focusing on my hands, scabbed and bruised from when I beat on the wall during the imprinting. "I'll get by."
"Do you want to talk about Mona and Ronan?"
Keegan hunched over. "My path and Ronan's are not going to cross for some time. My mother and Shirley keep talking to me about him, no matter how often I tell them I don't want to hear."
If only he would say something real to me. "I heard Mona's fired her third lawyer in a week. That must be a record." Every story about Mona featured her mug shot, her dark hair hanging in strands across her face. "Of course, if your client tells you she wants to plead guilty to first degree murder and doesn't care about the death penalty, as a lawyer you have to ask for a mental competency hearing. I'm sure that infuriates Mona."
"It's all crazy."
Talking about Mona made Keegan dry up on me. I wanted something good between him and me before he lef
t. "I bet Oscar was happy to see you again."
"He pitched a fit the minute he saw me. We eventually made up." Keegan pulled out his phone. On the screen, Oscar grinned as Keegan's lips touched his curly hair.
I patted his shoulder. "You're a good father."
"I have to rescue him from my mother. She's got her phobia group."
Watching him drive off in his pickup toward the falling sun, I felt myself stiffen as I relived the night of Mark Turner's death—the thud of his body hitting the pavement and the squealing of the tires as the car sped away.
For a distraction, I reread a note I'd received from Ernie, who'd been picked up by the cops and put into a psych ward. I didn't know how Ernie had learned my whereabouts. He'd written in pencil on a torn sheet of paper Sorrow, Joy, Sorrow, Joy / Meant a Blessing / Ring the Bells!! He wrote in an elegant handwriting, a calligraphy of swirls and tapering lines.
Rusty came onto the porch carrying a slice of pizza and a beer. Handing them to me, she settled on the swing. "I know students aren't supposed to have beer. I told Jake it was mine."
After savoring the pepperoni, hot sausage, and extra cheese, I licked my lips. I chugged the beer. "That was so good. What's going on with Ronan? I haven't seen any news stories about him for a couple of days."
"He's still in the hospital. Supposedly, he has a concussion and can't remember what happened for the last week." She studied her phone screen. "Sal calls me every day."
An alcohol glow warmed me. "Me too. He's very restless since he can't drive with a broken arm."
Rusty pulled out a cigarette and rolled it around in her hands. No smoking anywhere on ranch property. "His new thing is to major in criminal justice. He wants to be a cop."
Her phone rang, and she hurried into the yard. Concerned by her furrowed brow and high-pitched responses, I tracked her pacing on the rocks and stubby weeds.
Murder Casts Its Spell Page 21