It had to sting. Badly. I wanted to comfort him, too, for a split second. But I didn’t.
Sky seemed to shrug off his emotions, and determination returned to his eyes. “Let’s disarm those traps. We can think about this whole mess for a while. Then we’ll regroup here, move the bodies to the cave for now—where they’ll be cold and protected—and clean up the house. Quinn was telling me about a purification ceremony he brushed up on when he visited his great uncle at the reservation.”
Quinn brightened. “Sky’s right. I have the smudge sticks in my pack. Nandi and I made some while I was there, plus we made some prayer ties.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, honey. But I’d like to see them.”
Harrison stood and walked to the back porch, carried in a bundle of tarps, and spread one over the dead man’s body. “No reason we have to look at this while we’re figuring out what to do.”
Glad he covered the body I’d been avoiding for the past ten minutes, I studied Harrison’s craggy features, silvery gray hair, and beard, thinking he must’ve been one helluva handsome young man in his time. I tried to picture Roberta and him in their twenties, wondering what kind of a couple they’d have made. She was still a striking woman, with her deep amber eyes and fluid mouth that could change from steely resolve to sweetness in a flash. I watched as she jumped up to help him, her movements sure and confident.
I want to be like her when I grow up.
Sky got up and sat beside me. There was barely enough room on the couch for the four of us, but I squeezed closer to Quinn to make room for him.
“Marcella? Do you have the oils with you?”
I sat up straighter. “I do! They’re over in my pack by the door.” I dug around in my jeans pocket for a minute, then flourished the bottle of Valor. “But first, have some of this. I’ve been using it all morning.”
Sky’s eyes lit up and he took the purple-labeled bottle from me. “Excellent.” He opened it, dropped some on his outstretched palm, handing the bottle to Quinn, who followed suit. Quinn added a few drops to the back of his neck and shoulders, then offered it to Kitty, who sat up and did the same. The sweet, woodsy aroma filled the cabin, and soon Roberta and Harrison wandered over for more.
“Much better than smelling him,” Harrison chuckled, nodding toward the tarp-covered body.
Roberta laughed. “Harrison!”
He looked at her with an innocent expression. “What? It’s true.” He grabbed her and kissed her. “Now, let’s go take down those traps you put up, before some innocent hiker gets strung up or knocked out.”
They left us with promises to return shortly.
Quinn looked at the tarp-covered body. “It’s time to make a decision.” He looked at Kitty and Sky, then me. “Sky and Harrison are right. We’ve got to protect you.” He stood and poked the tarp with his foot. “Let’s get this bastard out of here.”
Chapter Thirty
When the bodies were moved and the cabin was clean, I took out my essential oils and began to uncap and inhale them, one by one. I breathed in the sweetness of jasmine, the crisp strong scent of peppermint, and the warm earthy fragrance of frankincense. After a few minutes of centering myself and rubbing the cinnamon/cloves smell of Thieves on my hands to kill germs, I chose my bottle of lemon oil to sprinkle around the cabin on the couch, chairs, curtains, and rugs. The room filled with a sharp, citrus scent. Quinn passed the bottle of Thieves around to everyone, suggesting they disinfect their hands with it.
Sky opened the Australian Blue and a woodsy blend of cypress, fir, and ylang ylang infused the air. Sky rubbed it on his shoulders and hands, and I realized with a start that it would make a great men’s aftershave or cologne. I’d have to get Quinn to try wearing it every morning. I’d also read that it kept mosquitoes at bay, which would be a plus, especially if that protection extended to black flies.
Quinn unzipped his backpack on the kitchen table, removing several colorful bunches of small cloth packets and two bundles of what looked like herbs tied up with hemp string.
“Marcella?” He began to arrange and separate the items with great care. “Can you find me a ceramic bowl?”
I walked toward him, focused on his treasures. “Sure, hon. I’ll look. But what are these things? Did you make them with Nandi?”
“I did. I want to purify the cabin by smudging. The evil will linger here until we do.”
Roberta scooted up behind me. “Will this do?” She offered Quinn a chipped blue bowl.
He examined it. “Perfect. Thanks.”
She leaned over to peek at his treasures. “Is it sage?”
Quinn shook his head. “No. Nandi didn’t have any white sage left. But he said you can use all kinds of plants like juniper, cedar, lavender, sweet grass, or even tobacco.”
“Tobacco?” I said. “I don’t like that idea.”
Quinn smiled at me. “You don’t inhale it, babe.”
“Oh.” I eyed the bundles curiously.
Quinn chose one and held it to the light. “They all work. Nandi and I used a combination of cedar and sweet grass to make these. The cedar cleanses the area and the sweet grass pulls in positive energy. We consider it the sacred hair of the earth. See how Nandi and I braided it around the inner bark of the cedar?”
“But what’s smudging? Do you rub ashes on somebody’s forehead like on Ash Wednesday?”
He laughed and selected one of the bundles of herbs. “This is a smudge stick. And no, you don’t rub the ashes on your forehead. Let me show you. Anybody got a light?”
Harrison drew a lighter from his pocket. “Here you go, son.”
After several tries, Quinn lit the end of the herb stick. At first it flamed, then he blew out the fire so the bundle smoldered. He laid it in the blue bowl. “We usually use large shells for the bowl, and we add a bit of sand. The vessel represents water and the sand inside represents waters surrounding the earth.” He eyed the feather in my hair. “Sometimes we use a wand of sage to direct the smoke into areas like cupboards and such. But a feather like yours could also work.”
I removed the feather from my hair, stroking it. “Here you go, honey. Show us what you mean.”
Quinn walked to the center of the room. “First I have to purify myself. Then I can cleanse others and the house.” He fanned some smoke toward himself. “I visualize the positive energy of the smoke, draw it toward me, imagine it traveling over my body, down around my legs, and through my clothing into my being.” He closed his eyes and began.
The smoke swirled above and around Quinn, puffing from the bowl with currents made from the feather’s swishing movements.
“Now I imagine the sacred smoke encircling my heart and head, purifying me. Cleansing my aura.”
With Kitty perched beside me, I linked arms with her and watched from the couch, fascinated. Whether Quinn had known this technique all along, or whether he’d just learned it from Nandi, he seemed to be at ease with the procedure.
When he finally opened his eyes, he set his gaze on me. “You next, babe.”
I stood and approached him in the center of the room, almost feeling as if I were coming forth to be baptized.
I don’t mean that in a sacrilegious way, you know. I love God and wouldn’t disrespect him. It’s just that the whole process made me feel as sacred as I did in church, and I had a hunch the Great Spirit and God were one and the same, anyway.
I touched Quinn’s forearm. “Okay. Tell me what to do.”
“Close your eyes. Imagine the sacred smoke cleansing your aura. Your heart, your mind, your body.”
The sharp, sweet scent surrounded me, swirling around my body and settling on my clothes and hair. I pictured all negative thoughts flowing away and felt a peaceful sensation creep into my being.
He touched my hand. “Okay, honey. Open your eyes.”
I stood for a minute in the same spot, lingering in the afterglow of the experience. “Wow.” It was all I could say.
With the sam
e reverence, Quinn cleansed Roberta, Kitty, Sky, and Harrison. He even performed the ceremony on Dak, which made me smile.
When each person had received the cleansing, he turned to Roberta. “Which direction is north?”
She pointed out the side window. “That way.”
Quinn quickly aligned himself in the center of the room, this time with his back toward the east.
“Spirit of the East, source of the Light
And of the Element of Fire.
Bring enlightenment into my Life.”
He turned a quarter turn, now with his back to the south.
“Spirit of the South, where the sun burns brightly.
The source of feelings and the Element of Water
Bring strength into my life.”
With each direction change, he repeated the next stanza of his prayer.
“Spirit of the West and place of the setting Sun
Place of the Element of Earth
Bring transformation into my Life.”
With one last turn, he swiveled with his back to the north.
“Spirit of the North, resting place of the sun.
And of the Element of Air.
Inform me.
Great Masculine Force behind All That Is.
Grandmother Earth,
Nurture me.”
Quinn spent a lot of time in the area where the body of Kitty’s would-be assassin had been, then went outside to the porch and repeated the prayer. When he was done, he headed for the colorful cloth packages on the table.
“These are prayer ties. My great uncle and I made them from cotton fabric, dyed with natural colors. Inside the pouches are bits of tobacco and sage.”
I picked up a dark purple one. “What are they for, honey? They look like little ghosts.”
He chose a yellow one and held it up for all to see. “These are spiritual tools. They’re carriers of prayer energy.” He began to connect several prayer ties together. “I’ll hang them over the front door, and we’ll pray. Our prayers will be carried to the Great Spirit through them.”
We gathered on the porch where Quinn found a hook to hang the ties. The colorful fabric butterflies twisted and turned in the light breeze. We closed our eyes and offered our prayers silently.
Roberta slipped an arm around Quinn’s waist when we were done. “Thanks, Quinn. I feel better now. But you know you’ve got to do the same thing at my house, right? Those goons were chasing all through it. And you’ll have to purify Ruby. She’s still there, poor baby.”
Quinn stiffened. “What?” He began to hurriedly collect his things. “What if they hurt her? Oh, man. We need to get out of here. She’s probably scared. And worried. And…”
I stopped Quinn in his tracks. “Honey. Hold on.”
He turned to me, but his eyes pooled with concern. He loved that little bird like a child.
“Listen. She was in her cage with plenty of food and water. Those guys were only in the house for a few minutes, running through it looking for Kitty. There’s no way they had time to think about our little Ruby.”
He pulled me to him, crushing me to his chest. “Thanks, babe.” He released me, kissed my lips quickly, and continued in his mad rush. “But I still won’t relax until I’m sure she’s okay.”
We gathered our things together and locked up the cabin. I tried not to think of the two bodies that lay beneath us in the cave. As if a great gust of wind from on high propelled us, we headed for the trail, leaving behind the cabin that housed so many secrets over the years. Now we’d added to its dubious heritage, and I felt as if we almost owed Roberta’s grandfather an apology.
With a tired sigh, I trotted after Quinn with Dak at my heels.
Chapter Thirty-One
Roberta’s doors had been left wide open, and when we tromped into her living room, the first order of business was trying to figure out what to do with a plump female cardinal who perched on the edge of the table next to Ruby. Our ring-necked parakeet chattered away with her new friend as if they were long lost pals.
Quinn approached the cage. “Ruby, baby. You’re okay!”
She danced back and forth on her perch, bobbing her head. “Gimme cookies! You da man!”
My husband choked up a little when he poked a finger through the wires to pat her neck. “Who’s your friend, huh?”
I sidled up beside him, careful not to spook the cardinal. “Maybe she thinks Ruby’s a boy.”
Quinn snorted a laugh. “Maybe. She’s the right color for a male cardinal, anyway.”
“Feed Ruby! Ruby’s hungry!”
I eyed the seed tray, which was still half full. “You’ve got plenty of food there, little lady.”
Harrison crept toward the cardinal and deftly wrapped her in a pillowcase. With a few outraged squawks, she settled down and let him carry her to the doorway. “There you go, little one.” With a flurry of her wings, she disappeared into the pine tree a hundred feet away.
Roberta had been surveying the house, trotting up and down stairs and poking her head into all the rooms. “Everything’s still here,” she said, holding up some shards of a vase. “But they broke grandpa’s urn.”
My hand flew to my mouth. “Was he in there?”
Roberta chuckled. “No. It wasn’t his burial urn. Just my favorite blue vase that was passed down from him to me.”
I picked up one shard and examined it. A pale violet blue blush covered the porcelain, and gold beads of paint edged its rim. “Oh, Roberta. I’m sorry. I remember you had this upstairs in the hallway, right?”
She nodded. “Uh huh. It was tucked way back against the wall. I think those bastards broke it on purpose.”
I returned the jagged piece of porcelain to her. “Can you repair it?”
She shrugged. “Don’t know.” With a wry smile, she winked at Kitty and me. “But those creeps got their just rewards, didn’t they?”
Kitty slit her eyes and nodded. A sense of righteous justice passed through me. She was right. They’d been dealt with and it was over.
Sky came up behind us and slid an arm around Roberta’s shoulders. “Your phone’s fixed. I just repaired the wires.” He pecked her on the cheek.
Roberta turned and gave him a quick hug. “Thanks. I’d better check my messages.” She hurried to the phone on the table by the couch and lifted the receiver. While we chatted and fussed over Ruby, she slumped onto the couch. Her face tensed, and she punched buttons furiously.
I sat next to her. “What is it?”
“Shhh. I’m trying to see when Copper left this message.”
I waited, wondering what she was talking about.
Roberta lifted her wristwatch to her face. “Okay. I don’t think…”
“What is it?” I asked.
Roberta beckoned Harrison, Sky, Quinn, and Kitty to gather around the couch. When she had their attention, she started to explain. “Copper left a warning, saying she’d had a run in with Fred and his cronies. They broke into her house and forced Callie to tell them where we were. They know about my house here, which is why they found us so quickly.
My mouth dropped open. “What? Callie told on us? I don’t believe it!”
Roberta shushed me. “No. Listen. They had a gun to Copper’s head and threatened to kill her if Callie didn’t tell. It wasn’t her fault. But there’s one more thing.”
I pictured my frail friend shaking in her boots, worried about her first and only love’s safety. I couldn’t blame her. “What is it?”
“They shot Copper anyway, and said they’d kill her if Callie didn’t tell them where we were staying. I guess they knew she wasn’t telling the whole story.” She looked from me to Quinn and back again. “She told them about Tall Pines.”
“Oh, God.” My breathing quickened. “Is Copper okay?” I wasn’t surprised about Callie’s expression revealing all—she’d never been a good liar.
Sky’s lips tensed in a tight line and he stood up suddenly, eyes locked on Roberta. It had only been the year
before that his sister Callie was kidnapped and nearly killed. His eyes burned with questions.
My aunt nodded and held her hand up to relax Sky. “Copper said they were headed to the hospital for her gunshot wound. Callie’s driving, so she must be okay. Apparently Copper was shot in the arm.” Her eyes flickered down and back. “She sounded a little weak.”
I chewed on my lip with worry. “We’ve got to get to them. C’mon.” I grabbed Kitty’s arm and my backpack, turning back to Roberta. “Do you think your friend would still keep an eye on my puppy and your Mimi?”
She nodded. “Of course. I’ll give her a call and let her know what’s up.”
I stopped and grabbed my aunt’s arm, pulling Kitty toward us so we faced each other. “And Roberta? Kitty?”
“Yes?” Roberta answered for both of them.
“Thank you. Thank you both for saving us.”
Roberta kissed my cheek. “You bet, chickipoo.” She grabbed her stuff and hurried after Quinn, who carried Ruby’s cage, talking over her shoulder. “We need a new plan, now they know about all of our homes—this one, Callie’s, and Tall Pines.”
Harrison opened the passenger door of his Jeep for Roberta, shouting over the top of the roof. “Listen. They don’t know about my place. Why don’t we reconvene there after you check on the girls?”
Quinn and Sky both nodded, and the deal was sealed. We jumped into our conversion van with Sky, and headed out in a caravan of rising dust clouds, leaving the memory of our near-death behind in the deep woods and in the damp cave that loomed beneath the old bootlegger’s cabin.
***
We stopped at Callie’s house before we headed down to the Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville, just to be sure they weren’t still there, or better yet, had already come home from the hospital, unlikely as that was. We pulled over a few minutes beforehand at Sky’s insistence. He leaned over the back and unfolded a quilt. “Kitty. Get down and hide under this. Just in case they’ve got someone watching the house.”
She nodded and obeyed. Quinn restarted the engine, and in minutes, we rolled cautiously into the driveway. Throngs of tourists wandered along the path across the street that circled Lake Pleasant. Several sat on the benches along the way, with baseball caps and newspapers.
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