“That doesn’t sound pleasant.”
“It’s not.”
I forced my eyes from the protective shield Landon made with his arm and focused on Kelly’s terrified eyes. The spirits swirled around her rigid body as her mouth opened in a scream that didn’t quite vocalize. I widened my eyes when I saw a door appear in the middle of the circle. It looked like an ordinary house door, and when it opened I saw Edith standing in front of me.
She looked different, younger somehow. The severe bun was gone, and even though she wore one of the pencil skirts she favored, she somehow looked lighter when she locked gazes with me.
“It’s almost over,” Edith said, her eyes kind as traumatized ghosts began disappearing through the door. Only the captain and two cohorts – I was guessing they were the strongest ghosts in the bunch – remained. “You’ll be safe.”
“How do you know that?”
“Who are you talking to?” Landon asked, glancing around.
“It’s Edith. Don’t you see her?”
Landon shook his head. I guess that answered the question about whether or not he could see spirits on a regular basis. The mirrors tricked his mind and because the ghosts were strong they forced a situation that was unlikely to occur again.
“What is she doing?” Landon asked. “Is she trying to help the ghosts?”
“No. She’s helping us. She’s serving as a ferryman – er, ferrywoman.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“She’s helping them cross over,” I said, tears sliding down my cheeks. “She’s doing the right thing.”
Landon pressed a kiss to my forehead as he rolled on top of me, using his body to shield mine as he tried to protect me from the screams and vicious wind. “How long?”
“I’m not sure,” I answered, shivering as Kelly managed one more scream before falling eerily silent. “Not long now.”
“Bay, you were right,” Edith called out as she reached for the captain. “I’m sorry for … everything.”
The apology warmed me. Perhaps she’d learned something after all. “Have a good … afterlife.”
Edith smiled as she wrestled the captain through the door. He fought her efforts, expending a huge wave of energy as she pushed him through the door. The energy wave rocketed through me, causing me to see everything I’d missed during the short flashes.
Then the door slammed shut and the storm dissipated.
It was over almost as soon as it had begun.
THIRTY-FOUR
“Bay?”
I could feel Landon shift on top of me as I attempted to put the cascading images into some form of context. When I finally opened my eyes after what felt like forever – I had no idea how much time had really passed – I found Landon’s eyes focused on me as he cupped the back of my head.
“Bay?” His voice was barely a whisper.
“I’m okay.” I forced a smile for his benefit because I knew he needed it. “I know what happened.”
“Well, that’s great,” Landon said, his hands shaking as he pulled me in for a tight hug and buried his face in the hollow of my neck. “I don’t really care about that right now, though. I just want you to be okay.”
“I’m okay.” I said the words even though I knew they sounded lame. “Landon?”
“Hmm.”
“You’re crushing me.”
“Oh, sorry.” Landon rolled so he wasn’t on top of me but he didn’t move his hands from my waist as he rubbed my back. We remained in that spot as Chief Terry checked on Kelly – she was dead in the circle – and Aunt Tillie pursed her lips and stared at the sky.
“We need to come up with a story here,” Chief Terry said, moving closer to us and crouching beside me. He looked concerned as he pressed a hand to my forehead. I was cold and clammy, my hands shaking as Landon covered them with his own. “I don’t think I can explain that Kelly Sheffield was killed by ghosts.”
“How did she die?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“We won’t know until the autopsy,” Landon said, smoothing my hair.
“I was asking Aunt Tillie,” I supplied, leaning my head against his chest and staring at my great-aunt. She didn’t seem distressed by the afternoon’s events. “When they conduct the autopsy, what will show?”
Aunt Tillie shrugged as she straightened. “My guess is that she died of fear, but that probably manifested as a heart attack or something. The autopsy will either turn up inconclusive or as natural causes.”
“How can you know that?” Landon challenged. “Have you seen this before?”
Aunt Tillie shook her head. “No, but what else could it be?”
“I have no idea,” Chief Terry answered. “That’s why we need a story. Noah will be here any second, so get it together.”
I realized he was putting himself on the line for me. He was trying to cover up what happened here because he didn’t want any of the blowback landing on me. It made me love him even more, if that was even possible. It also made me feel guilty.
“You can’t lie to Noah on my behalf,” I protested. “You have to blame this – whatever it is – on me. That’s the only way the two of you will be safe.”
“Don’t even try being a martyr,” Landon chided, struggling to his feet. He slipped his arms around my legs and hoisted me up so he could carry me. “We’ll tell Noah most of the truth, but we’re fudging the end. It’s not just for your sake. It’s for ours, as well. No one is going to believe the truth, and the truth would open us up to scrutiny we might not be able to shoulder.”
He had a point. Still … . “Landon, I don’t want you to lie for me.”
“Bay, I will do whatever it takes to protect you,” Landon said. “Aunt Tillie, pick up all of these candles. They’re not going to be part of the story. We’re going to say that Kelly chased Bay through the woods – which really happened – and then you ran into each other here.
“We’re going to say you were convening with nature. You’re quirky, so people will believe it,” he continued. “That’s when Kelly found and threatened you. That’s when a surprise storm blew through. You didn’t actually see what happened to her because you were covering your faces.”
“We showed up in the middle of the storm and did our best to protect you,” Chief Terry added. “The story should be enough coming from us, but we’ll play it by ear. Noah is a little gung-ho for my taste.”
“When the storm passed, we found Kelly dead,” Landon added, resting his forehead against my temple. “That’s the story. All the witch and ghost stuff didn’t happen. Do you understand?”
I mutely nodded.
“I wasn’t talking to you, sweetie,” Landon said, turning his pointed gaze to Aunt Tillie. “Do you understand?”
If Aunt Tillie was bothered by Landon’s tone, she didn’t show it. “Of course I understand,” she said, bending over to grab her candles and giving Landon an aerial dragon show he wouldn’t soon forget. “I’m not an idiot.”
“You’re definitely not an idiot,” Landon grumbled. “You might just be the death of me, though.”
Aunt Tillie’s smile was impish. “What a way to go, huh?”
LANDON found me sitting under a blanket in the library after dinner. We were separated most of the afternoon because Noah arrived with a bevy of questions and bluster. He insisted he be put in charge of the investigation thanks to Landon and Chief Terry’s close ties to my family. Landon and Chief Terry didn’t put up a fight. Either they were too tired or worried about him causing a fuss and drawing more attention than necessary to the incident. I couldn’t be sure which.
By the time everything calmed down, though, Noah was satisfied that Kelly somehow died in the storm, and we were free to carry on with our lives. Er, well, at least for the time being.
“How are you feeling?” Landon asked, lifting my legs so he could slide under the blanket with me. He rested my knees over his lap and then slid his hand behind my back and tugged me closer. “Are you sure we shouldn’
t take you to emergency care to have your hip looked at?”
“It’s just sore,” I replied, weariness overtaking me as I leaned into him. “I’m sure I will be in pain tomorrow, but it will get better. You can act as my nurse until I’m a hundred percent again.”
Landon snorted. “I will gladly take on that job,” he said. “We should probably talk about you checking out Kelly Sheffield’s trunk alone.”
“How was I supposed to know she would do that in broad daylight?” I protested, my voice climbing an octave.
Landon smirked. “You weren’t, but you still should’ve called me to be on the safe side. I have no intention of giving you grief about it because you’re safe and here. I’m still surprised she grabbed you in the middle of the day like that.”
“I think she felt like she could do it because she was such a mainstay around town that no one really saw her,” I said. “I mean … that’s what I believe anyway. She kind of faded into the background, if you know what I mean.”
“I don’t.” Landon tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I want you to tell me, though. I want to hear what you think.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his earnest expression. “Are you going to dote on me like this all night?”
Landon returned the smile. “Forever.”
“Well, it’s something Kelly said,” I explained. “She kept demanding we focus on her, give all of our attention to her, and she harped on the fact that she was pretty. It was if she needed us to acknowledge that.
“No one seemed to notice her, though,” I continued. “She was here, yet no one realized it. I think it had something to do with the fact that she refused to let go of her high school mentality. She thought her popularity while younger would give her a good life … and it didn’t work out that way.
“She talked as if we were still in high school and was unbelievably entitled,” I continued. “I think that’s why I had that niggling feeling about the arsonist being younger. She couldn’t get out of high school, and that’s where I recognized her aura from.”
“I guess that means you technically beat Noah,” Landon teased.
“I guess, but that’s not important given everything that happened.” I heard Annie giggling. She raced past the library door, Marcus on her heels, and she squealed when he caught her and hauled her up in his arms. “Annie seems better.”
“The ghosts are gone,” Landon said. “You never got a chance to tell me what happened. Noah showed up too soon.”
I rubbed my cheek as I tried to escape his gaze. “I … .”
“Bay, you can tell me anything,” Landon said. “You can tell me as much or as little as you’re comfortable with. If you’re still processing … .”
“I’m not still processing,” I said. “It’s not that. It’s just … it was all for greed. The Gray Harker crew was killed for greed.”
“Were they carrying something?”
I shrugged. “Kind of,” I replied. “The owner, who is long since dead, got an insurance payout for the crew and contents while the ship was missing. He was there the night they were attacked, though.
“He brought a bunch of men with him, and they killed the entire crew so they could get money,” I continued. “It happened fast … and there was a lot of screaming. It wasn’t some tragedy on the lake … or murder for love. He killed them and then had the other men take the bodies off the tanker in another boat. I’m not sure where their bodies were disposed of, but they were taken from the tanker and … well … then I guess they passed into legend. It was all for money.”
“I know that upsets you, Bay, but we kind of figured that was the case,” he reminded me. “There were only so many scenarios that made sense. Did you see what happened to all of them? Did the ghosts show you as they were … being forced over?”
“They showed me.” My voice hitched. “I don’t want to talk about that. It was … worse than any horror movie I’ve ever seen.”
“You don’t have to talk about it,” Landon said, pulling me in for a hug.
We sat like that for a few minutes, comfortable in our silence and solitude. We didn’t pull apart until Annie appeared in the doorway. I forced a smile for her benefit – it wasn’t her fault that everything happened the way it did – and fixed her with an inquisitive look.
“Are you sad, Bay?” Annie asked, genuinely curious.
I shook my head. “I’m just tired.”
“She’s going to bed soon,” Landon explained. “She needs her rest. I think you probably need your rest, too, don’t you?”
Annie didn’t look impressed with the suggestion. “Marcus is here. I’m not going to bed.”
Landon smirked. “I guess that makes sense,” he said. “You know you can sleep easy tonight, though, right? The ghosts are gone.”
Annie nodded. “I felt them leave,” she said after a beat. “They didn’t want to go. For a second or something … I think I felt happiness.”
I understood what she was saying. I felt the same thing when I caught a glimpse of Edith opening the door. The happiness was overwhelming thanks to the fact that it came on the heels of such oppressive grief. “They’re in a better place,” I said, narrowing my eyes when I saw she was holding something. “What’s that?”
Annie glanced at her hands and smiled. “I almost forgot,” she said, stepping forward. “Aunt Tillie gave me a dreamcatcher to protect my dreams. She said it’s powerful magic.”
“It is,” I said, smiling. “That looks like a good one.”
“Oh, this isn’t mine,” Annie said. “Mine is in the dining room. This one is yours.”
She handed the dreamcatcher to me, the smile never faltering from her lips. I was surprised by the gesture. “Aunt Tillie told you to give this to me?”
Annie bobbed her head. “She said that you’ll need it to keep out the dreams tonight. She says it’s charged and everything, and not to say she never gave you anything.”
“We’ll take it,” Landon said, studying the catcher. “I’m going to tie this to Bay’s head to make sure she’s protected.”
Annie giggled at the visual. “That would be silly,” she admonished. “You’re supposed to hang it over Bay’s pillow.”
“I’ll do that, too,” Landon said. “Thank you, Annie. This is a wonderful gift.”
“That’s just the way we do things in this house,” Annie said, her expression serene. “We all give each other wonderful gifts.”
“That’s true,” I said, warmth washing over me. Annie was so much more at ease that I didn’t regret one moment of the day’s angst. “We do love our gifts in this house, don’t we?”
Annie nodded happily. “Sam has a big gift for Clove, too. Actually, it’s kind of a small gift.”
“What do you mean?”
“He has a big ring with a white stone,” Annie said, lowering her voice.
“Why are you whispering?” Landon asked, glancing around.
“Because I told Aunt Tillie what I saw and she told me this was one of those times I shouldn’t open my mouth,” Annie answered. “She said those times are rare, but they happen.”
“A big ring with a white stone?” I asked, leaning forward. That could only mean one thing. Apparently the proposal Maggie let slip was happening soon. “When did you see that?”
“I saw Sam in the lobby looking at it. He was talking to himself,” Annie replied. “I told Aunt Tillie, and she said I shouldn’t tell anyone.”
“Well, good job,” Landon teased, resting his hand on her head as he glanced at me. “I guess we both know what that means, huh?”
“It means Clove is going to finally get everything that she wants.”
“What about you?” Landon asked. “What do you want?”
I smiled as I locked gazes with him. “I already have what I want.”
“No, you have a beginning to what you want,” Landon clarified. “You’re going to get everything before it’s all said and done. I promise.”
I grinned as I tight
ened my grip on his hand. “What do you want?”
“Bacon and you.”
“What else?”
“I’m a simple man, Bay,” Landon said. “I really only want bacon and you.”
“I think I can make both of those things happen,” I teased.
“I know you can.” Landon smacked a loud kiss against my mouth as Annie made disgusted gagging sounds. Finally he forced his attention from me to her. “If you don’t like it, there’s the door.”
“Kissing is gross,” Annie said, sliding her stocking-clad feet along the hardwood floor as she headed for the hallway. “You’re gross for doing it all of the time.”
“There’s a simple solution to that,” Landon said. “You don’t have to watch.”
“Oh, I’m done watching,” Annie said, the corners of her mouth tipping up into a smile I recognized. “You’re both on my list, though.”
And just like that, another junior witch was born.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.
Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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