by Wendy Wang
“Is it dead?” The thought of killing something, even out of self-defense put a sour taste in her mouth and she grimaced.
“No, it's not dead.” Lisa wore an expression of heavy concentration. The bird struggled to break free of the invisible force holding her down, but Lisa made a circle with the tip of her wand and the bird flattened against the ground. “She’s under a spell. Won’t talk.”
“Poor little thing.” Jen knelt next to it but didn’t get too close. “It’s not her fault. Maybe if we freed her from the spell she’d feel indebted to us.”
“It would take three of us to break the spell. We need Daphne.”
“Okay.” Jen shifted her gaze to her sister’s face. “What do you wanna do?”
“Well,” Lisa sighed, “if we let it go, it's just gonna run to its master.”
“Or mistress.” Jen looked toward the path in front of them. The heavy cold feeling of dread flooded into her belly. “A witch.”
“Yep. A dark witch,” Lisa said, sounding annoyed.
“Do you think it ties back into that book of Daphne’s?”
“Maybe. I mean there’s truth in every legend,” Lisa said, her face solemn.
“What if we let it go but did a silencing spell? That could at least buy us some time. And I can do that with just the stones I have.”
“What else do you have in that bag of yours?” Lisa asked, nodding at Jen's pocket.
Jen pulled the velvet bag from her pocket again. Quickly untying the drawstring and flattening the bag into her palm, she placed the two jade stones back among the others. “That's all I've got. I wasn't expecting to have to cast for anything.”
Lisa picked over the stones. “We have enough to make a binding circle.”
“I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.” Jen shook her head.
“Well, it’s too dangerous to just free it. Not until we know exactly what we’re dealing with.” Lisa’s gaze locked on Jen’s.
Jen took a deep breath and began pulling stones that would bind the bird to the ground. She knelt down and placed seven of her stones in a circle around the bird, being careful not to get too close to its sharp beak. It attempted to fluff its wings, but Lisa's spell held it tight. It made a gurgling sound deep in its throat that reminded Jen of a growl. One black eye stared at Lisa. Crows had excellent memories and unless they could turn this one, it would always remember Lisa's actions against it. If they freed it now, not only would it run to its mistress and announce their arrival, it would more than likely return and continue to target Lisa. Images of Alfred Hitchcock's movie The Birds flashed through Jen's mind and she shivered. What if it brought friends?
“You know this is why I don't like birds, right?” Jen said.
“Tell that to your flock of chickens.”
“Chickens are different,” Jen said. “They have personalities.”
“Huh,” Lisa said with a trace of irony in her voice. “I'll remember that.”
When she laid the last stone into place, Jen hopped up and took a step back. She had retained her jade stone. She pressed the cold gem against her palm and wrapped her hand around the wand again.
“Okay, let's do this,” Lisa said, sounding as if she were trying to psyche herself up a little. She took the tip of her wand and circled it over the top of the stones, drawing it into a spiral. Jen could see the wispy blue smoke of energy swirling like an inverted vortex. Her sister’s lips moved, but Jen could barely hear her as she uttered the spell to hold the bird captive. When she was done Lisa dropped her hand and stepped back next to her sister. The bird hopped up immediately, staring at Lisa with blazing black eyes. It opened its black beak and cawed in protest.
“Oh, stop your squawking,” Lisa said, “before I bind that beak of yours closed.”
“Lisa,” Jen scolded. “She doesn't mean that, Ms. Crow.”
“Oh, for cryin’ out loud, it’s just a bird.” Lisa protested.
“She didn’t mean that, Ms. Crow,” Jen said again.
“Come on,” Lisa complained. “We need to go find out what happened to Charlie. We've wasted enough time on this.”
Jen nodded and gave the bird one last sad look. How young had it been when the witch who possessed it put it under her spell? She hated to see anything suffer and there was nothing worse for a wild thing than to be taken captive. Jen stepped up her pace to catch up with her sister. “Promise me we’ll try to free it.”
“We'll do what we can for it. But it may not want to be freed.”
“Okay. That’s all I ask,” Jen said.
“It’s just . . . “ Lisa cast a quick glance over her shoulder, “ . . . a dark thing like that.”
“I know.” Jen nodded. Panic tickled the back of her throat. “Charlie.”
Jen walked along the bank of the rushing river scanning the ground for any sign of Charlie. Panic pressed on her shoulders and chest. Boot prints cut into the mud, and foot-shaped shadows where the soil was not so wet led them toward the waterfall. She paused to look over the steep embankment. Had Charlie moved down near the water? Why would she?
“There's nothing up that way,” Lisa said, coming up from behind her. “Have you found anything?”
“Footprints. But I can't be certain they’re hers.”
“Let's keep moving.” Lisa held out her hand and pulled her sister back away from the edge the bank.
Something cold touched the back of Jen's neck sending a shiver crawling down her spine. It was the distinct feeling of being watched. She stopped in her tracks and glanced around.
“What's wrong?” Lisa asked.
“I don’t know.” Jen's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the woods across the river, looking for the source.
“What?” Wary panic filled Lisa’s tone and her whole body stiffened. She shifted her gaze to the woods. “Do you see anything?”
Jen shook her head. “No. Charlie mentioned she’d run into a spirit so maybe that’s what it is.”
“Or maybe not.” Lisa pursed her lips. Her knuckles whitened, and she pulled her makeshift wand in close to her body. She shifted her gaze back to her sister. “Let's keep going.”
Jen tightened her grip on her wand as well and readied herself. For what? What are you going to do battle with? An unseen specter?
The chill continued to cling to her body, but they moved on. Every nerve sang with awareness.
The sound of the water grew louder as they approached the waterfall. Jen's breath caught in her throat when she saw the scarred embankment. There were clear hand prints and deep depressions in the mud. Jen knelt as close to the edge of the embankment as she dared. She uttered the words before she could really process them. “She fell into the river.”
“No. No way.” Lisa pointed at the dark red clay midway down the bank. “From the way those hand prints are facing she's climbing back up. It doesn't look like she slid down any farther than right there.”
“She fell in. I can feel it.”
“Take a breath, Jen. You’re letting your imagination run away with you.”
“We need to tell someone. Get some help.” Jen rose to her feet. The panic in her chest fluttered against her ribcage and she thought she might be sick.
“There’s no evidence she fell.” Lisa touched Jen’s elbow and used her calming voice. The one Jen heard her use when talking to people about their taxes.
“I know but . . . “
A loud caw announced a crow just as he swooped down from the other side of the river. It dived at them and Jen quickly knelt and covered her head with one hand. When the bird turned and started to make another pass Lisa raised her wand and carved an X in the air. The thin trails of blue light lingered just long enough for the X to imprint itself on the backs of Jen's eyelids. She blinked it away just in time to watch a strong wind lift up the river. It flowed violently through the trees, causing leaves to swirl, forcing the crow off course. Another swipe from Lisa’s wand and the large wave crested just high enough to wash over the bird’s fe
et. It took a moment for it to flap its way above the water. Its black feathers grazed against the top of the wave, and it flew up and over the waterfall. Their gaze followed it until it disappeared into the trees on the other side of the river. The wave carried over the falls with a crash and the river flowed as if nothing had happened.
“That bird belongs to the same entity the other does,” Lisa said. “It’s following orders.”
Jen folded her arms across her chest and hugged herself tightly. “How do you know that?”
“It’s not shrouded. It showed me what happened. Charlie didn't fall.” Lisa said.
Jen’s stomach turned into an icy rock. She dropped to her knees and locked gazes with her sister.
“She was pushed. Somebody wanted her in that water.”
“Who?” Jen asked, getting to her feet again.
“I don't know.” Lisa said. “Whoever it is it's not . . . “
“What? Stop doing that.” Jen scolded. “You’re freaking me out.”
Lisa frowned and met her sister’s gaze. “It's not human. At least not in the sense of normal human.”
“You think it’s the spirit she met?”
“I don't know. I’ve never heard of a spirit powerful enough to control crows. Makes me wonder what else it can control.”
“Well, if that book is right, maybe it’s the spirit of a witch.” Jen stepped away from the embankment wanting to put some space between her and the river.
Lisa followed close behind. “Maybe . . . or maybe it's a demon.”
“Well, either way we’re gonna need help.”
Lisa nodded in agreement. “Let's go mobilize Daphne and call Evangeline.”
“Okay. What about the sheriff? Do we involve him or just handle this on our own?”
Lisa cast a glance over her shoulder, still watchful and wary. “What are the pros?”
Jen shrugged “The police will know the area?”
“True,” Lisa said. “And the cons?”
“There’s a lot we can’t control by involving other people. And until we know who or what we’re dealing with . . . “
“I agree.” Lisa nodded. “But they may have resources we don’t.” She wrapped her arms around her slim waist, hugging them tightly to her body.
“Maybe what we need is somebody who speaks their language. Somebody who can run interference for us if we need it.” Jen’s lips curved up, and she met Lisa’s gaze. “Jason.”
Lisa nodded. “Jason.”
Chapter 6
By the time Jason got to the cafe Evangeline was already heading out the door. He called to her on the street just before she turned down the alleyway leading to the back of the building. When she looked at him, her blue eyes burned wild and bright. It was a look that could stop a Mack truck on a dime. Her usually neat silver hair had escaped the bun she wore and jutted out in places, and the lines around her mouth deepened with sour impatience.
Despite her appearance, he cleared his throat and forced himself to keep walking. “Miss Evangeline, wait.”
“Jason, I’m sorry, honey, but I don’t have time right now. Miss Dottie will help you with your dinner.”
“Jen called me,” he blurted, then glanced around the street to see if anyone had heard him. Luckily the few people milling around town were not paying attention to him and kept moving on to their destinations. He lowered his voice as he drew closer to her. “I know what’s going on. I’m coming with you.”
“Well, come on then.” Evangeline’s shoulders relaxed a little, and she nodded and held up her hand and waved him on. She was so tiny and wispy Jason often thought she might blow away in a strong wind. But her sharp blue eyes told him she was not to be messed with. He was still wrapping his head around the whole witch thing but had concluded that the Payne women might be nice as pie and use endearments like honey and sweetie, but when it came down to it they were fierce creatures and God help anyone who got in their way. Better to be on their side than against them.
Jason stepped up his pace to keep up with her as she walked back to her old black and tan Ford F150. Her keys jangled as she pushed it into the lock on the passenger side and popped open the door for Jason.
She looked him up and down, her gaze landing on the messenger bag hanging from his shoulder. A shadow of skepticism crossed her face. “I don’t know how long this is gonna take. May be a few days. Did you bring clothes?”
Jason nodded and patted the canvas bag. “Yes, ma’am.”
“All right then.” She finally gave him a weary smile. “Get in. I need to run by my condo and get some clothes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jason wandered around Evangeline's cozy living room admiring the photos that covered almost every inch of the long white wall that dominated the room. The photos came in many varieties, black and white, color, tintype, candid and formal. Landscapes and people. Lots of people. Most he assumed were her family. There were no knickknacks to gather dust. The only thing that came close was a willow broom hung horizontally above the sea of photos as if it were flying above them. He understood on an intellectual level that she was a practicing witch and couldn’t deny the things he’d seen, even though he really wanted to. But the idea of this tiny old woman perched on that broom, a silhouette against a full moon, her silver hair loose and whipping behind her as she zoomed about made him chuckle and then shift uncomfortably. He would ask Charlie when they found her. She would be honest if he asked point blank. Do witches fly on brooms?
He moved on from the photos, stopping in front of a bookcase with glass doors that had brass locks. It reminded him of bookcases he’d seen in his cousin Kenny’s law office. Two of the doors were unlocked, waiting to be pushed closed. Evangeline had disappeared down the hallway. He could hear her rifling through drawers, talking to herself about what she needed. He bent over and peered through the glass at the old leather-bound books that took up half the shelf. All had Roman numerals on the spine and some writing in a language he didn’t recognize. Was it Latin? He couldn’t be sure. The other half of the shelf held a stack of small wooden boxes of various sizes, each with their own little brass padlocks, which he thought could easily be broken off.
The doorbell rang, startling him with an unpleasant jolt, and he shot up straight. He shook off the feeling he’d been caught doing something he shouldn't. After all, he was just looking at books on a shelf. Nothing to be ashamed of really.
Evangeline called to him from down the hall. “Jason, can you please answer that?” He cleared his throat.
“Yes, ma'am.” He walked over to the front door and opened it without looking through the peephole. He scowled at the sight of Tom Sharon standing with his hand held up as if to knock on the door.
“Tom,” Jason said ignoring the hair rising on the back of his neck. He knew exactly what Tom Sharon was, the same way he knew what Evangeline was. It should have scared the bejesus out of him but it didn't. Maybe it was from his years of being a cop and knowing that every time he went to work there was a chance he could die and he'd accepted that fact a long time ago.
“What are you doing here?”
Tom glanced at the number on the front door of the condo, looked back to Jason and cocked his head, ignoring Jason’s question. “This is Miss Evangeline's condo, correct?”
“Maybe,” Jason said. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to Miss Evangeline.”
“Well, Miss Evangeline's a little busy at the moment. You’ll have to come back some other time.” Jason started to close the door, but Tom stuck his foot into the crack, stopping him. Jason opened the door a little and met Tom's gaze. The fire in Tom’s brown eyes did not faze Jason the way Tom had evidently expected.
“It's an emergency. Please.”
“You do know I have a weapon strapped to my hip, don't you?”
Tom narrowed his eyes. “And you know it can’t kill me,” Tom said with a smirk.
“Maybe not, but it sure as hell will hurt. A lot,�
� Jason countered.
“Touché,” Tom said. “I concede. You win the largest penis award. Now, may I please come in? This is important.”
“Tom?” Evangeline said, coming up next to Jason. A flush of red colored her prominent cheekbones and she was a little breathless from rushing about. “What are you doing here?”
“Hello, Miss Evangeline. I've come to help.” Tom offered up a charming smile.
Jason rolled his eyes. “Oh Lord.”
Evangeline gave Jason a sideways glance and crossed her arms. She didn’t offer up her usual friendly smile. Instead, impatience crept into her voice. “I don't mean to be rude, Tom, but I really can’t talk now.”
“I know about Charlie,” Tom said.
Evangeline's expression changed from weary patience to puzzlement. “How?”
“Jen — “ Tom tipped his chin and gave her a sheepish look. “— texted me. Told me what's going on.”
“Jen texted you?” Jason asked, not bothering to mask the irritation in his voice.
“Oh.” Evangeline’s hand floated to the base of her throat. “I had no idea that you and Jen were —”
“Friends. Just friends. She's been very kind to me the last few months. Please. I really do want to help.”
Evangeline's slim shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh. “How are you gonna help us?”
“I’ll talk to the reaper in the area. He'll know if Charlie is in his book and that will give us what we need to proceed.”
Evangeline blanched. “His book?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Tom said. “Every reaper has a book for his or her territory.”
“And she’s not in yours —” Evangeline couldn’t seem to finish the sentence.
“No,” Tom reassured her. Jason watched Tom’s face for any sign he might be lying. If he was, then he was a master at it, because Jason saw no tells.
Evangeline nodded and glanced at Jason. “Well, I suppose we could always use an extra body. What do you think, Jason?”