“No, we wouldn’t want that,” I said, laughing. I winced as I held my side. “Oh, don’t get me started. Laughing still hurts.” I picked up my hot cocoa and took a long sip, leaning back against the booth. At least we had an answer to what was going on lately. That was more than I could say for a lot of things.
After Auntie Tautau left the diner, Sandy and I sat there for a few more minutes.
Sandy told me that Jenna had abruptly come to her senses when she realized how close she was to getting kicked out of Neverfall, but there were still a number of issues to tackle.
“I’ve realized that I need to set a better role model for her,” Sandy said. “It means backing off the partying. We can still have fun, but Maddy, I need to ease up on the booze. I never thought I’d say that, especially after all these years, but I believe in teaching by example. And I’m Jenna’s mom now.”
I took her hands in mine. “I understand. Believe me, I do. Don’t worry about it. We can have just as much fun without getting wasted. I suppose there comes a time in all of our lives when we have to let go of old patterns and behaviors.” I paused, then said, “I got a phone call this morning.” I told her about the recording, and how much it had unnerved me. “I don’t know who’s doing this, and I’m scared.”
“This is getting serious, Maddy. Have you told Delia yet?”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to bother her until I’ve reset the Touchstone and things get back to normal. She’s been so swamped lately and I really don’t want to add to her worries. I’ll be all right.” I glanced at the clock. It was nearly noon. “Did you want to order lunch before we leave, or do you have to go right now?”
Sandy shrugged. “I’d better go. I just found out that Max’s parents are coming in early. Which means I need to confront their dislike of me before our wedding and before the holidays. I really don’t want to see them, Maddy. I’ve decided I’m going to talk to Max tonight, since they won’t be in until afternoon tomorrow.”
I squeezed her hands, then slid out of the booth. “If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. We’ll get through this, and we’ll get married, and settle into our lives here in Bedlam in a way that, frankly, I never expected to.”
She kissed me on the cheek, then waved good-bye she headed out of the diner doors. I paid for our cobbler and hot chocolate, and—ordering a milkshake to go—cautiously headed back to my car. I had a lot to think about, and even more to do.
Aegis didn’t want to let me go alone to Enchanted Sands Park, but I bluntly told him that this was just one of my tasks as High Priestess. I decided to put off telling him about the phone call until after I had reset the Touchstone. Once he found out about that, he wouldn’t let me out of his sight and I knew it. And quite frankly, even though I would’ve liked to have him there, this was my job to deal with.
“Are you sure you can drive?” he asked. “I know the snow has stopped, but it’s slippery and treacherous.”
“I drove downtown this morning to deal with Krampus. And if I don’t take care of this tonight, a lot worse could happen to the island than getting a visit from Mr. Anti-Christmas himself. At least he doesn’t bother with Winter Solstice, although I have a feeling he may have in the past.”
I bundled up and glanced over at Kelson. “Which reminds me, we need to order the prime rib for solstice dinner. Can you put that on the list? I’m not sure how many guests we’ll have, so check the schedule. We’ll also have Sandy, Max, and Jenna here, and plan for at least three more just in case we have unexpected company.”
“Will do,” she said.
“All right, I’m headed out now. I should be home soon. From what Auntie Tautau told me, this shouldn’t take me too long. Thank gods, it’s something as simple as this, although I would never have known if she hadn’t mentioned it.”
As I headed out to my car, Aegis stood by the door. I knew he wanted to go, but I didn’t want him in any danger, and I had no idea if the stone reacted to anybody else being nearby.
I eased out of the driveway, onto the main road. The drive to Enchanted Sands Park would be dicey, but with snow tires on the Lexus I should be able to make it.
Overhead, the clouds were socking in for another go-around. I glanced out the window, staring at the soft flakes that had begun to flutter down. My mind reeling with thoughts of the wedding, thoughts of the Touchstone, and the nagging thoughts about whoever was sending me the notes and had left me voice mail all whirled together into a loud racket that filled my head. Finally, I switched on the radio to drown them out.
Chapter Eleven
Enchanted Sands Park was mostly a day park, though it had a few campsites. On occasion, school groups or fraternities like the Rooks would book the sites and spend a couple days on a retreat. The park was on the edge of the island, and a rocky shore led out to the water. In the center of the park was a clearing, and in that clearing was a large statue of Arianrhod, the patron goddess of the entire town. She was also my goddess as well.
I parked in the stall closest to the statue. There was no one else around, which didn’t surprise me at all. The statue was only a few minutes’ walk away, but plodding through the thick snow would take some effort, especially given my hip. I had brought a walking stick with me and I had also brought my bag of magical supplies, including my wand and a dagger, and a few other assorted items that I never went on a magical mission without.
“This would be a whole lot more fun if I could have asked Sandy come with me,” I muttered as I got out of the car. I made sure my jacket was zipped tight and pulled the hood over my head.
The bag of supplies was heavy enough to make my side ache, but I braced myself against my walking stick and started toward the statue. There were some days when being the High Priestess of the coven felt like it was just a lot of added responsibility. I truly didn’t mind it most of the time, but right now I wanted to be inside, warm and cozy, cuddled under a blanket. The cold seeped into my bones, making me hurt even worse, and my hip wasn’t happy either.
I slogged through the snow, finally making it to the base of the statue. Luckily, the panel that I was looking for wasn’t buried—yet. It was at the top of the plinth—near the base of Arianrhod’s feet.
Auntie Tautau had explained to me how to open it. Arianrhod’s name was in a raised relief across the front of the plinth that the statue stood on. I reached out, pressing first the A, then the H, and then the D. Then I pressed the A once more.
The front of the panel with her name on it slowly opened, sliding down into the base, exposing an inner chamber about the size of a small home safe.
I set up a flashlight, propping it so that remained aimed into the chamber. As I knelt in the snow, a faint glow emanated from inside. Pale blue and sparkling, it was icy enough to match the weather. The glow shimmered out from a large sapphire the size of a peach, sitting the center of the chamber. Or at least, it should have been in the center. Held aloft by a platinum setting that kept it upright and in place, the sapphire shimmered with a ray of light that shot out from the faceted top. But instead of the light feeding into a circular hole directly below the center of the statue, the ray was ricocheting off the chamber walls. The gem was off-center, all right, and from here, I could feel the erratic nature of the energy. No wonder the magic surrounding Bedlam had been askew.
I caught my breath, wincing, and gingerly reached inside. I hoped to hell that Auntie Tautau was right and that the stone would recognize me as the High Priestess of the coven. Otherwise, this was going to be one hell of a short adventure, and the last in my life.
The sapphire crackled, its magic wrapping around my hand as my fingers drew near. I paused, holding my breath, as it probed my energy field. I closed my eyes, just in case it might get the wrong idea, but a moment later nothing had happened and I opened my eyes again. Apparently, the gem had accepted my credentials.
I slowly let out my breath, then began to move the jewel back beneath the hole. There were markers on the base of the plint
h indicating where the stand should rest, and I eased the sapphire back in place. As I settled it on to the marks, I heard a click, and the light began to stream up through the statue. I had often wondered what made Arianrhod’s statue glow, and now I knew. I leaned back, thinking it couldn’t be that easy, but that’s what Auntie Tautau had told me to do.
“I should superglue this down,” I said as I closed the panel and pushed myself to my feet. “At least that’s done and things should get back to normal.”
As I turned, I heard a noise. A dark figure was standing near me.
“Hello?” I asked warily.
The figure said nothing. From where I was standing I could tell I was facing a man, but I couldn’t see his features. I began to get nervous. Why hadn’t I let Aegis come? He could have stayed in the car, but no, I had to be too stubborn.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
Before I could even blink, the figure moved in a blur and was standing in front of me. He leaned down. In the faint glow of the snow and the light from the statue, I suddenly recognized his face.
“Maddy, I’ve missed you so much. I’ve come for you.” Before I could move away, Tom reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me to him.
My sweet Tom was back, and I was scared out of my wits.
“Oh my gods, Tom! What are you doing here?”
It couldn’t be him. Not only had he been captured by vampires, but he had been turned, and then thrown into some horrid dimension with a violent monster watching him. The last time I saw him, he had managed to come to his senses long enough to tell me to run. I had managed to get away before he could latch onto me, and I had left him in my past.
He couldn’t be here, in Bedlam, standing right in front of me.
“It can’t be you,” I said, trying to pull away. But he held me fast, and an inner alarm rang loud and clear. I was in danger.
“I missed you so much. Since I last saw you, all I could think of was getting free and finding you again. And now I’ve finally done it. I know you still love me, even though I’m a vampire. You loved me before, and now you’re with a vampire, so you can’t hate me like you once hated all of my kind. Come back to me, Maddy. Come with me.” He was pleading, his eyes fully crimson. His hand held my wrist so tightly that it felt like he might break my bones.
“You have to let me go. You don’t belong here. Please, leave me alone.”
But the look in his eyes told me he was no longer rational. My sweet Tom had truly turned into Mad Tom. My heart raced as memories flooded my mind—memories of his touch, his smile. Memories of the love we had shared. But I had walked away from them when I met Aegis. I had left those memories behind and embraced my present.
“Tom, I loved you more than I loved life itself. But that’s in the past. So much as happened since then. I’m not your Mad Maudlin, and you’re not my sweet Tom anymore.”
A snarl crossed his face, and he pulled me to him, wrapping his arm roughly around my waist. I screamed, the pain from my fractured rib ricocheting through me.
“You always were mine, and you’ll always be mine. I tried to let you go, but I couldn’t. The thought of you turning your back on me is more than I can bear. At first I stayed away because I was a vampire and I knew how much you hated what I had become. But now things are different. You claim to love a vampire. You fuck him. You’ve betrayed who you were, but in doing so you’ve paved the way for me to return to your life.” He kissed me, savagely forcing his tongue between my lips. I tried to brace my hands against his shoulders, to push him away, but he was far too strong.
He slid one hand under my shirt, reaching up to squeeze my breast so hard that it hurt. I let out a yelp and struggled, managing to break free from the kiss.
“I beg you. If you ever loved me, then let me go. Tom, don’t do something that will make me hate you forever.” I was crying now. I knew that if I didn’t get free, he would take me with him and life would never be the same. He’d turn me, and I’d end up hating him forever.
“Oh no, my girl,” he said, sounding like he was enjoying the struggle. “My sweet, you’re going with me. We’ll be together like we always planned. You ran wild after I was turned. You terrorized my kind, destroying everything that reminded you of what they did to me. But I’m part of their world, and you will be, too. You’ll never leave my side again.” He reared, his fangs extending as he aimed for my throat.
I screamed one last, loud scream.
As he descended, I braced myself for the impact, but the next thing I knew the impact actually came from the side. Something sent me flying against the nearest snowbank.
Groaning, I sat up just in time to see Aegis wrestling with Tom. They were rolling in the snow, vampire against vampire. Aegis was stronger than Tom, but Tom was truly mad and madness brought its own strength.
I forced myself to my feet and fumbled in my bag. I had my stake with me, the one I had used in my journeys across Europe. I pulled it out and stared at the silver blade. More than just a dagger, it had been specifically fashioned for me so I could hunt down vampires. I had sworn never to use it again, but when Essie—Queen of the Pacific Northwest Vampire Nation—had crossed my path, I had brought it out again, just in case.
I turned toward the brawling vampires, my heart aching as my old love fought my new one. I couldn’t let Tom hurt Aegis. I couldn’t let him destroy the man I loved. I stumbled forward as they churned through the snow, snarling and growling, slicing at each other with their nails, fangs bared, trying to gain the advantage. I knew what I had to do.
“Tom, leave Aegis alone. I’ll go with you.” I held the stake behind me as I extended my other hand to him. “Please, let Aegis live and I will go with you. I give you my word.” Even as I made an oath I knew I was destined to break, the words hurt my heart.
Tom threw Aegis across the snow and turned to me. “You mean it?” In his frenzy, he heard my words, not the emotions behind them.
I nodded. “Come closer. I want to give you a kiss.”
“Maddy!” Aegis called out, raw pain filling his voice. “Don’t, please don’t!”
I kept my eyes on Tom as the vampire drew near. He still looked like my love, still sounded like him, but the Tom I had known and loved was gone forever. He hadn’t been able to keep hold of his humanity like Aegis had managed to. The vampires had tortured Tom before they turned him, and there was no way back from the abyss.
“Come closer. I want to be with you,” I said, choking on my words.
His expression almost that of a child’s, Tom hurried toward me, his eyes glowing. “I knew you’d pick me. I knew that you still loved me.”
He was close enough to touch and I held out my hand for his. He took it, and I gave him one last smile. “Oh Tom, you don’t know how hard this is for me. I loved you, please remember that. I loved you to the ends of the earth and back.”
Before he could speak I thrust the spike forward, my rib cage screaming with the movement. The sharp tip plunged into Tom’s chest and I threw myself forward, knocking him to the ground as I drove the stake through his heart. The oddest look of surprise and dismay filled his eyes, and then, before he could say more than “Maddy,” he vanished in a flurry of dust.
My sweet Tom was gone forever.
Chapter Twelve
Everything was a blur after that, Aegis bundled me up, carrying me back to the car. Instead of going home, he drove directly to Jordan Farrows’s place. Jordan was my doctor, and he opened the door when Aegis banged his fist against it.
“Maddy’s hurt,” Aegis said, pushing past him into the house. “Please, help her?”
Jordan didn’t even register surprise. He was used to people bursting in on him in the middle of the night. He motioned for Aegis to carry me into a back room. While he had an office at the medical center, Jordan also kept a home office for unusual cases and middle of the night emergencies. Aegis placed me on the exam table, hovering over me.
“What happened?” Jordan asked.
Through the haze of pain that radiated through my ribs and torso, I could hear the fear in Aegis’s voice.
“Move,” Jordan instructed him, motioning for him to move aside. “We’ll need to take off her shirt and jacket. I doubt she can raise her arms. I’d like to cut them off, if you don’t mind.”
I started to protest but all that came out was a gasp of pain. Jordan ignored it, reaching for the scissors. Together, he and Aegis cut the shirt and jacket off my body. I could barely breathe, and Jordan very gently examined my ribs, then looked up at Aegis.
“I have a feeling that she’s cracked another one or two. And her hand looks injured. We need to get her to the hospital.”
“In that storm out there, I don’t know if an ambulance can make it here.”
“We can take her in the car, if you can drive. I can’t take the x-rays here that I need to assess her condition.”
Thirty painful minutes later, I was on an exam table at the hospital, with the tech taking pictures of my torso. It was all I could do to grunt when he moved me, even though the pain was bad enough to make me want to scream. I couldn’t take a deep-enough breath for that. Another hour and I was in a bed in the hospital, leaning back against the raised mattress. Jordan and Aegis were standing beside me, and I was pleasantly numb thanks to the pain medication that Jordan had prescribed. It was one that was safe for witches to take.
“Well, this time you have three more cracked ribs. And you also have a fractured wrist. I’m not letting you go home tonight. The roads are too dangerous for that. And I want to keep an eye on those ribs to make sure they don’t move. So consider yourself effectively immobilized. Welcome to the hospital.” Jordan grinned at me. He turned Aegis. “You did right to bring her to me. One of those ribs could have punctured her lungs. She’s a very lucky woman.”
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