“Is there any way I can con you into making us some breakfast?” Leo asked sleepily. “You should have realized by now that neither of us can cook worth a damn.”
“You got it. French toast alright?”
Dymphna nodded enthusiastically. “Delightful.” Then Skylar got another proclamation of “Delightful!” after they all finished eating.
Leo kissed her on the cheek, which by the way he blushed, was uncommonly forward of him outside of the bedroom. And the couch, now.
“I suppose it’s not really breakfast if it’s nearly noon, now is it?” Skylar asked to hide her own reaction to the chaste little kiss.
“Not particularly. But I know I made good use of my Saturday morning.” Dymphna stretched. “I’m sure I’ll have to work some on Sunday, but that’s for tomorrow.”
“I’m glad I don’t have any clients or surgeries today. I’ll also have to work tomorrow on catching up with my paperwork. Again though, for tomorrow.”
Just as the clock struck noon, the bell rang and someone started pounding forcefully on the door. Dymphna rolled her eyes, and she and her cup of coffee went into the entry. “At least it’s not as bad as at the Coven House,” she murmured. Listening in closely, Skylar and Leo head Dymphna’s squeak when she opened the door. Some of the coffee seemed to fall on the guest, because he made a grunting noise. Skylar recognized the noisemaker, though, so when Tim came into the kitchen, she wasn’t as surprised as Leo was.
The men slapped backs fondly.
“I waited until noon. I hope you appreciate it.”
“We do.”
“I need to talk to Skylar, but I’d appreciate it if you two stayed as well. But Dymphna, keep that coffee away from the rest of my clothes.”
“Yessir,” she said mockingly.
“Now Skylar, I want you to think about your Aunt Linda.”
“Are we doing a seance?” Dymphna asked. “Because you of all people should know those don’t work.”
“Please be quiet if you want to stay. And once I get started, you will want to stay.”
“Fine.” She mimicked zipping her lips.
“Back to thinking about Aunt Linda?” Skylar prompted, trying to avoid any more visual daggers between Dymphna and Tim.
“How much did you know about Linda?”
“I knew her my whole life, and she’d still call even after my mother died. But really know her, not much. She hated me with a passion that even exceeded my mother’s. It seemed like every other sentence was something new about how terrible witches were and how I should be ashamed to be one.”
Leo squeezed her shoulder.
“Which is why you had those powerful defenses that we broke through.”
“Yes.”
“I know you’re still working on fitting into the community, but I really need you to concentrate on precisely what Linda would say about witches.”
“She had a multitude of arguments against witchcraft. The one she talked about the most was the idea that witches had too much power and would destroy the world if they weren’t stopped.”
At Tim’s nod to go on, she continued, “but the thing that she seemed most passionate about, though she wouldn’t talk of it as often, was that witchcraft would break apart a family. She used my mother and father as evidence. She clearly had never mourned my father, but she thought my mother should get back on the dating market immediately. It’s true that my mother hated what my father and I are, but she couldn’t do it. She told her family that he had done something to her so that she could never love a man again.”
“That is one of the unfortunate side effects of a magical bonding with a witch. Unless someone else comes along you can bond with, witch or human, you’re pretty stuck. Did your mother explain it like that to her family?”
“No. She said it was some kind of spell she couldn’t understand but that he was haunting her even from the grave.”
“Selby isn’t a witch, correct?”
“Correct.”
“Did Linda know that Selby was not a witch?”
“She was told, but she never believed it. He got the same lectures and the same vitriol from her that I did. My mother treated him better at least because she knew he had no magical powers.”
“You sure are asking a lot of questions without giving any answers, Tim,” Leo nearly growled. He was protecting her, and Skylar liked that.
“I don’t want our theories marring her memories too much. There’s time enough later to talk about what we in Coven Protection are churning around in our heads. Now how much contact have you had with others of your mother’s family or anyone in your father’s family?”
“Next to none. My mother wouldn’t let them contact me, and she wouldn’t bring me around her family. Linda always came to visit us.”
“Has that ever struck you as odd?”
“I suppose now that you mention it. I’d never really thought of it like that. It was just the way my family worked.”
“Did you know that often witch pairings are with either other witches or humans who have a history of witchcraft?”
“What are you getting at?” Skylar felt that this was all spiraling too fast for her to really follow.
“Let me change tactics for just a second. Is this,” and he waved to where Skylar and Leo were still holding hands, “What I think it is, Dymphna?”
“Yeah, it is. But the two children here think they need to wait before the cement the bonding.”
“Idiots. Anyway, perhaps Leo will still be able to do something for her even without the actual mating.”
“We’re still here,” Leo complained.
“Yeah, and still idiots. You’re meant to be together. But I’ll lecture you on that later, Leo. But see, Skylar, we believe that Linda and your mother were trying to keep you from both sides of your parents.”
“I suppose I can see that.”
“We’ve looked into your bloodlines while you’ve been practicing your magic and I’ve been working with Coven Protection. Your father’s line was a strong one, fire witches all. There were a few humans in there, but always at least some fire witch children. That would be you.”
“I’m really feeling guilty about not even thinking to look into this.”
“With all the vitriol about your father, I would have been surprised if you had. But that is not the point right now. The point is that your mother and your aunt also came from a magical line. A variety of witches on that side though.”
“My mother? Aunt Linda?”
“We think they must have been jealous or scared or something because they clearly denied witchcraft from their lives. Since they were themselves not witches, they seemed to sever all contact with both families that produced you and Selby.”
“Get going,” Leo prodded.
“Your mother’s family has almost all disappeared under many and various mysterious circumstances. We believe that someone, likely Linda or your mother, was manufacturing these mysteries and then hushing them up.”
“You mean...?”
“That magical people in your family are disappearing from Linda’s interference? Yes, that’s precisely what I mean. We found, well, it’s a ledger. It’s got initials, dates, and monetary amounts. The initials and the dates add up to people and their date of disappearance, as close as we can guess. Your mother’s family, and your father’s. There are substantial payouts for each one, increasing per disappearance. Your father was listed. They never found a body, according to the police reports.”
“How? Why? What were they doing, and how can I not have known or even suspected?”
“They were good at hiding their tracks. You shouldn’t blame yourself or even think that you could have done anything differently.”
“I don’t know what to believe anymore! I thought my life was fine, and now this!” Skylar rocked back and forth, trying to comprehend. Leo patted her knee, trying to do anything to comfort her.
“It’s a lot to swallow. Dymphna, can you make some
tea?”
“I think Skylar brought some into the house. Let me go see.” She returned with an armful of tea boxes. “Who even knew there could be so many types of tea?”
“The lemon chamomile please. I think she could use it.” At Dymphna’s baffled look, he finished, “Boil some water in the microwave, pour it over the tea bag in a mug, and let it sit for about five minutes.” She nodded, and did as he instructed.
“Skylar, honey, it’s going to be alright,” Leo said softly, now massaging her back. “Linda’s gone, and you and Selby are safe. Tim will go and tell the people at the facility to increase security.” Tim nodded and went to do so.
“They were my family! I never spared a thought for them, so engrossed with how much Linda and my mother hated me that I didn’t think to meet the rest of them. But they were killing my family!”
“Yes, they were. But Linda’s dead, as is your mother.”
“But whoever they sold my family out to isn’t!”
“Don’t worry about that right now. Coven Protection is already working to trace the money. We’ll find that person, and he’ll face judgment and justice. But until then, you’ve got to be strong. I know when the investigation gets further, that they will be prodding you for anything you remember, even if it seemed small or insignificant to you. I’m not going to pretend to understand what you’re feeling,” though he could feel part of it through the magical alignment they shared, and more if he pried into her mind with his magic, “and I know you’ll need to deal with it your own way. But what I propose is that we go to visit Selby in the recovery facility.”
“That would be good. But I can go alone.”
“Skylar, you’re hardly in a position to drive. Not to mention that I’d like to see for myself how the reconstructive surgery went. Again, be strong. Remember that it’s not just you and Selby anymore. You both have me, my siblings, and the rest of the Coven at your backs. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because Selby’s not a witch that we won’t take care of him like he’s one of our own.”
Skylar, eyes full of tears she refused to shed yet, launched herself at Leo and hugged him tightly. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”
“Now drink your tea. I don’t think D has screwed it up too badly. Speaking of, did you ever remove that tea bag, sister mine?”
“Oops.” She shrugged. “Maybe I did.”
“It’ll be fine.” Skylar got up to put sugar in the tea, and remove the tea bag.
“Now D and I need to talk. Tim will be back in a moment, and until then, drink that tea.”
Dymphna looked resigned, and maybe a little sad, as she followed her brother out of the kitchen.
In the living room, Leo knew D saw what was coming. “You know what I’m going to ask you.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“You’re going to make me say the words, aren’t you?”
“You betcha.”
“I know it’s not easy for you, but you’re the strongest water witch we have.”
“Spit it out. You’re already in enough trouble just for being here.”
“I want you to heal Selby Kincaid.”
“You know...”
“That it will hurt you, and possibly not even work? Yes, I know. But if we could get him into the Coven House, and you do a little bit each time you can... it would help him.”
“And help Skylar.”
He ignored her jab. “And he might have some kind of information that Skylar doesn’t about what Linda was doing. What if his accident wasn’t an accident? Skylar hasn’t thought of that yet with all the rest of it, but she will. She’s very smart.”
D rubbed her temples, massaging the phantom hurt that was already there. “Bring me to the hospital with you and Skylar. If I think it can be done, even in stages, I’ll get you two to release him into the Coven House, or even here, and I’ll do it. But you’ll owe me big time.”
“I know. What will it be this time?”
“This time, it’ll be a favor, to be called in at a later date, when and where I decree.”
“That’s a hard bargain, but you know you’ve got me over a barrel.”
“That I do. Now let’s all get ready to go and get this over with as quickly as possible. Again, no promises.”
“I know.”
Forty five minutes later, the trio walked to the reception desk to ask for Selby. As Tim had promised, the security to see him was higher, with each one having to show ID.
“Two at a time, mind you,” the receptionist called after them as they proceeded down the white hallway. Here and there were some peaceful paintings and posters. But the whole atmosphere was oppressively... clean and sterile, and not just in the manner of hygiene.
Selby looked up from his reader as they came in. “Man, Skylar, it’s good to see you.”
“I’m sorry it’s been so long.”
“Hey, I know the extenuating circumstances. And a lot of people don’t get any visitors period. No excuses or reasons they can’t come. They just abandon their relatives here.”
“Sounds like you’ve got some pent up hostility there, brother.”
“Just a little. Who’s this?”
“This is Leo.”
“Ah yes, the plastic surgeon. Thank you for all you’ve done for me.”
“You may think differently when Skylar tells you what’s been going on.”
Selby was eerily quiet as Skylar laid out the story.
“I don’t know if I understand.”
“I think you understand as well as I do, Selby. We’ve been kept in the dark.”
“No longer, sister. We’ll find the truth.”
“Of course we will. And the Coven will be here to help us. Speaking of, Leo and his sister Dymphna want to talk to you for a few minutes. Then we’ll catch up on what’s been going on.”
Leo watched Skylar leave, trying not to think about how sexy she was.
“That’s my sister, man.”
“I know,” Leo groaned, but the two didn’t have a chance to say anything else about her before Dymphna came in.
“Leo, you don’t ask for favors by halves, do you?”
“I know, D. Selby, this is my sister Dymphna. She’s a water witch, and that makes her a better healer than I ever will be.”
“Oh?” He sounded wary to Leo’s ears.
“Do you mind if I touch your hand? It may feel a little weird, and I know you’ve got a lot of burns, but I’ll try to be gentle.”
“That’s fine, I suppose.”
Dymphna’s eyes turned pure white as she laid just the pads of her fingers on Selby’s hand, a sure sign that she was examining his wounds.
“Shit. It’s the internal smoke inhalation that’s the worst. It may take a week, but Jackie and Maria can pick up some slack while I’m at or out of the office. So yeah, go do your doctor thing and let’s get him out of here. I’ll call Justin and see if they have a room available over there.” Dymphna stalked out.
“If you’ll agree to come with us, we’ll accelerate the healing process. It takes a lot out of Dymphna, so we can’t do it all the time, but with these latest developments it seems we’ll need to get you fit as soon as possible. Will you consent to leaving here to go with us?”
“Sure. I’ll do anything to help catch whoever did this. Plus, if Skylar can visit me more often, that will be all the better.”
“She does do her magic training at the Coven House each day and spends her evenings and nights at Ward Manor.” Selby gave Leo an assessing look, but didn’t comment. Leo thought it a most inopportune moment to bring up the magical alignment issue, especially since Leo wasn’t sure about the situation himself.
Leo left to get permission to get Selby out while Skylar came into the room.
“I’d hug you but it looks like that might hurt you.”
“Yeah, likely. I’ll get your mental hug though.”
“You’ve got it.”
“Well at least when they get me out of here, t
here will be better food. I’ve never missed your cooking so much, Skylar.”
She laughed. “Those two were eating little better than this until I moved into Ward Manor. I have a feeling that even when I leave, they’ll want to eat a better quality of food.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Selby had always been very perceptive. “This witch training has been making you happy. I can tell. Do you really want to give up life in this Coven that they’re talking about and go back to being an underpaid short order cook at that dive they call a diner?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I really am enjoying being in the Coven, but where does that put me? And where does that put you?”
“You shouldn’t be worrying about me so much. I’ve got a good job, remember? Besides, if I wanted to give up that two bedroom apartment, I could get a mechanic’s job just about anywhere. Supposedly, I’m really good.”
“You are really good. Maybe you’d even find yourself a girlfriend or something. I know you’ve dated, but I think having me around kept you from really looking for something permanent.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“To me you are. And don’t think I don’t feel guilty about holding you back from college, from romance, and from all those things you could have had if not for me.”
“Don’t feel guilty. I was the one who chose not to pursue anything else. I had a comfortable life.”
“I just keep seeing how much we’ve been missing out on.”
“This is going way too deep for me. I’ll argue with you about this when I’m feeling better. I sure hope Dymphna can help me out.”
“If she says she can, she will. Dymphna’s a very kind woman despite her first impressions.”
“I would hope so.”
The doctor treating Selby came in with Leo. “Dr. Ward has been telling me about some experimental healing methods he’d like to try on you. Now if you want to go for it, I’ll sign you out into his care.”
“I would like to try.”
“Very well. I’ll get the nurse to prepare the discharge papers now.” Leo went out with him.
Dymphna came back in. “That stupid delegation is still over at the Coven House.”
“How long are they going to be at that nonsense?” Skylar asked.
The Doctor Witch (The Ward Witches) Page 9