Frozen: a ParaNormal mystery

by Amsden, Christine

  “I don’t know what that means,” Sheriff Adams said. “Ma’am–”

  “I’m twenty-five years old. I’m no ma’am.”

  “Would you prefer I call you miss?”

  She looked him up and down and then very slowly, very deliberately, licked her lips. I couldn’t believe the nerve of her, and I was about to say something when I saw the sheriff shift slightly, in obvious discomfort.

  Seriously?

  “I’d prefer you call me Jessie,” she said. “That’s what my friends call me.”

  The sheriff cleared his throat and, I noted, kept his back to me. “Well, Jessie, what do you mean by saying you were sometimes close to your brother?”

  She shrugged, the movement revealing more of that breast. “We were close as kids. Then again, a few years ago, when … things happened to change my life. But not lately. No, not lately.” Her eyes flickered downward for just a moment before going back up, and it struck me that she was struggling to keep herself put together. As if she feared any crack in her facade, even due to something as natural as grief, might hurt her.

  “Do you practice witchcraft?” Sheriff Adams asked, bluntly.

  “Not anymore.”

  “But you did?”

  “Yes.” She gestured at some ivies hanging from the ceiling of her front porch. “I still employ a few tricks I learned along the way.”

  “But you’re not involved with magic any longer? Do you have any contact with practitioners? Is there anyone who would want to harm you or your family?”

  Jessica looked at me, finally. “There’s only one practitioner out there with a grudge against me, but he wouldn’t go after my family.”

  “Who is it?” I couldn’t help asking.

  “Scott Lee.”

  I sucked in my breath, and the answer hit me like a sledgehammer. That feral look in her eyes, the snarl …. “You’re a werewolf.”

  She curved her lips upwards, but I can’t say it was a smile. “For five years now.”

  “Why doesn’t your alpha like you?” I asked, bluntly. Scott was fiercely loyal to those he considered his, especially his pack.

  She shrugged. “I tried to eat his mate.”

  “Madison?” Now it was my turn to dislike her. She’d been off-putting before, but I, too, was fiercely loyal to those I considered mine. And Madison was one of mine.

  “Oh, don’t look at me like that. The bitch–” And here she laughed. “Well, not a bitch, is she? He bit her, and she didn’t even turn. She’s not wolf enough for him.”

  “She’s my friend.” I said it as a warning, but Jessica only laughed and tossed her mane of red hair around.

  “This is getting us nowhere,” Sheriff Adams said, stepping to the side to put his body between us. “Did your brother ever practice magic?”

  “No. He didn’t believe in it until I was bitten, and after that, it scared him.” That seemed like the first totally honest thing she’d said.

  “What about Nadine?” I asked.

  “What about her?” Jessica sidestepped to try to get a look at me, but the sheriff kept blocking. “Did something happen to Nadine?”

  “She’s dead too.”

  “No!” And here, finally, was a true emotional reaction. Interesting.

  “Did you know her?” I asked.

  “We were best friends. How did she die? How did they die?”

  “Frozen to death,” Sheriff Adams supplied. “As if by magic.”

  “Did Nadine ever explore witchcraft with you?” I asked, suspecting the truth.

  “Yes, but she – she gave it up after what happened to me. We never really knew anything. We were so stupid. Playing with powers we didn’t understand. Couldn’t understand.”

  “Did anyone teach you?” I asked, already knowing the answer. No one would teach ordinary people magic.

  She shook her head. “Sheriff, why don’t you come back in a few hours? I need to … pull myself together.”

  Sheriff Adams glanced at his watch, hesitated, then nodded. “All right.”

  “And come alone.” With that, Jessica closed the door in his face.

  Chapter 8

  EVAN WAS HOME BY THE TIME I got back, which meant his mother was gone and I didn’t have to deal with her. Breathing a small sigh of relief, I nursed Ana before helping Evan get dinner ready. I told him what I’d learned – what little there was.

  “You should ask Scott about Jessica,” Evan said. “He’s told me things … whatever she says, it’s easy to believe she crossed paths with the wrong person.”

  “And her brother got killed for it?” I shook my head. I’d talk to Scott, because I followed up on my leads, but I wanted to talk to the families Nadine babysat for more. We hadn’t learned any of their names by the end of the day, but several deputies were still casing the area, and I suspected they’d have some names soon.

  We chatted about the White Guard over dinner. Apparently, Matthew thought some new human predators might be active in the area. That often meant Evan would be gone, sometimes for days. I didn’t begrudge him what he had to do, but I missed him.

  We prepared for bed in silence, but when I slid my pregnancy protection ring on my finger, Evan came up behind me and lay his hand on mine to stop me. “Leave it off tonight.”

  My heart skipped a beat. We’d talked, sure, but it had only been talk. We hadn’t really decided to have another baby yet.

  “I’m ready. You’re ready. Ana needs a brother or sister.”

  “Maybe.” I thought of my mom, and of my brothers and sisters. I’d let the murder be an excuse to stay away today, but that wouldn’t last. Tomorrow, probably, I’d need to check on them. I dreaded what I’d find.

  “I’d like to dream first,” I said.

  “To find out when you’re most fertile?” Evan asked. “I don’t mind just trying every day. It’s a burden, but it’s one I’m willing to bear.”

  I laughed. “No, it’s not that. It’s my family. I just … I’m worried about them and I think I need to know what’s going on before I make serious plans for the future.”

  “All right.” Evan’s hands dropped away from me, leaving me feeling empty.

  “Don’t be like that. Things are complicated right now.”

  “They’re only complicated if you make them that way.” He sighed, and I could tell I’d upset him. But I couldn’t back down.

  “I might have to take in seven kids. Have you thought about that?”

  He stiffened. Apparently, he hadn’t.

  “Overnight, I would go from having a certain amount of freedom to being a soccer mom.”

  “Who plays soccer?”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “Then what is?” Evan turned me to face him, placing a hand under my chin to lift it slightly. He loomed over me, which I normally loved about him. But not just now. “You’re already a mom. And someday, Ana’s going to need to go to sports games and dance recitals and whatever else. It’s already happening.”

  “Yeah, but this way I’m easing into it a bit. You can’t tell me I can go from one child to eight without feeling overwhelmed. Without making sacrifices.”

  “Of course not, but we’ll have help. Assuming the worst happens. And either way, I want another baby. I hated being an only child.”

  “I know.” I wanted more babies too, and he knew that. Two days ago, I had nearly said yes, but now …

  “So let’s leave it off.” He took my hand in his and began to loosen the ring.

  “Not tonight.” I withdrew my hand.

  “Fine.” Evan backed away from me. “I’ll get the dream catcher hung up for you.” He disappeared into our large walk-in closet, coming out a minute later with a beautiful, colorful tool for peaceful sleep. There was already a hook on the tall ceiling above the bed, so Evan simply had to guide the dream catcher there with his gift.

  “I’m going to watch TV,” Evan said when he’d finished.

  “Evan–”

  “Good night.”
And with that, he left the room, closing me in by myself.

  I hadn’t gone to sleep alone since our marriage, except when he’d been away. I stared at the closed door, wondering if I should relent, but I couldn’t. This wasn’t a decision he could make on his own. I wasn’t ready; he didn’t have to agree with my reasons, only respect them.

  He would come around. He didn’t like not getting his way. And he still wasn’t used to not getting his way, not even after a couple years of marriage. He easily deferred to me when it wasn’t important, but I suddenly wondered if I’d let him make all the truly important decisions without even realizing it.

  A humbling thought.

  Not going after him wasn’t easy, but I did it. I crawled into bed and lay there for a very long time, staring up at the red and gold dream catcher, sparkling slightly in the moonlight. I breathed deeply, working through several meditation exercises before sleep finally overtook me.

  * * *

  I dreamed of a child. Another little girl, although she looked remarkably like Evan. Abigail – named for my old mentor – was more sober and serious than her big sister, who she idolized, and absolutely brilliant. I saw her life running forward, skipping ahead like an avid reader peeking at the last page of a novel. She graduated with honors. Apprenticed with Master Wolf – the first girl he’d ever taught but she was too tenacious for him to turn down. Together, they studied the new magic.

  Going back, I saw her prom date, a shy boy she completely intimidated but who beamed at the honor. I saw her mastering spellwork with her father, years ahead of where she should have been. Her first day of school. Her first steps. Her first word – nose. Her birth. Her conception. It happens in two days, though I won’t be fertile for five.

  * * *

  I woke smiling. Evan had come to bed sometime in the night, and was snoring softly, his entire body curled around mine. I disentangled myself reluctantly, then reached for my dream diary. I had to write everything down before I forgot.

  Two days. I wasn’t sure how prepared I was for it, but having seen my daughter, having glimpsed her life, my arguments against trying again melted away. I couldn’t not bring Abigail into the world, now that I’d met her. It would break my heart.

  “Good morning.” Evan came up behind me and started kissing my neck. Apparently, he wasn’t upset anymore.

  “Good morning.” Not much into morning. Ana hadn’t even woken us yet, and she never slept past six thirty.

  “Interesting dream?”

  “Amazing.” I glanced at my notebook, at the pages of details I had carefully transcribed, and frowned. “What’s the new magic?”

  “Hm?”

  “Abigail is going to study the new magic. I saw it. I remember it quite clearly, but I didn’t have any context to understand it. It was like … it was like the rules as we know them are about to change.”

  “Really?”

  “No, not really. More like …” I tried to put things into words. “Maybe it’s more like our understanding of magic is going to develop so much and so fast that it’s going to feel like the rules have changed. But really, we’re just learning that things aren’t the way we think they are.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it’s a wait and see thing?”

  “Maybe.”

  “So, another girl?” Evan asked. “What’s she like?”

  “You.”

  “Me?” He smiled.

  “Yes, just like you. Absolutely determined to get her way.”

  Evan caught me around the waist and tossed me onto the bed. My notebook went flying and I made a weak protest, which I doubt he heard since I was laughing so hard. He came down over me, and lowered his head until his lips hovered millimeters above mine.

  My breath hitched. I still loved his kisses.

  “I’m pretty determined to get my way now,” he said.

  “Prove it.”

  His lips touched mine and the world turned upside down. My thoughts exploded and my vision blurred as my body was forced into an instant climax. Wave after wave, contraction after contraction, rippled through me until I thought I would die from the pleasure of it all.

  When I surfaced, Evan was still leaning over me, staring at me, a look of smug satisfaction on his face. He did that sometimes – kiss me with the full force of his gift, inducing an intense orgasm just to prove he could.

  “Think we have time for more before Ana wakes up?” I asked.

  As if she’d been listening, Ana chose that moment to start crying. Evan dropped his forehead so it rested against mine, his disappointment almost palpable.

  “Are you sure we’re going to have another baby?” he asked.

  “I’m sure. And she’s going to be amazing.”

  * * *

  I left Ana with Evan when I went to visit my mom that morning. I’d checked in with the sheriff, but he still didn’t have the names of the kids Nadine had cared for so there wasn’t a lot for me to do on the case. If I were a deputy, I’d still be out chasing every flimsy lead, but as a consultant I let the department handle most of the legwork while I handled the magic.

  Which meant I had no reason not to visit my mother.

  It was still early when I pulled up in front of the castle I’d once called home. The kids would be at breakfast now, getting ready to leave for school in about thirty minutes. Even Christina was old enough to be in kindergarten, leaving only the twins home alone with mom all day.

  I glanced nervously around when I stepped out of my car, recalling that the sheriff had seen a hell hound around here a week or so ago. I still wasn’t sure what that was about, though I planned to mention it to Mom, among other things.

  The door swung open to admit me as it had done when I still lived here. Nicolas powered the wards these days, and he kept them keyed to me. Not to Evan, but to me.

  Baby steps. At least our families weren’t actively trying to kill one another anymore.

  The living room was a mess. I paused in the entryway, staring at the huge room designed to comfortably accommodate ten people. The once immaculate space bore signs of obvious neglect. There were dirty dishes everywhere, crumbs and bits of food on the furniture and floor. Pillows and blankets were strewn about too, making me wrinkle my nose in distaste at the idea of using them. It all needed washing.

  The room was empty. I followed the sound of low voices to the dining room, where I found five-year-old Christina trying to pour her own milk into her cereal. She was alone – the voices were coming from the kitchen, beyond the dining room.

  “Let me help,” I said, taking the nearly full jug from her small hands and drenching her cereal. When she smiled at me, I knew I’d recalled right that she liked to drown her mini wheats.

  “Did you come to see me?” Christina asked.

  “I came to see everyone.”

  “Oh.” Her face fell. “Sometime, can you come to see me? No one comes to see me.”

  My heart cracked a bit as I swept her into a big hug. I’d once understood that Elena had gotten caught in the middle, but I guess I’d left before realizing the same thing was happening to Christina. She’d been the baby until the twins had come to usurp that role.

  “Of course I will. Can Ana come to see you too? She and I will take you out to lunch. Maybe the first day of Christmas break?”

  Christina smiled and nodded. “Then can we go to McClellan’s store?”

  I froze. McClellan’s sold dark magic artifacts. The former owner, David, had been killed when he’d tried to steal Madison’s soul but his brother, Cormack, continued the tradition. The White Guard was breathing down his neck a bit, making him tow the line more than his brother had, but I still wouldn’t set foot in that place.

  “How do you even know that store?”

  “It’s got a big sign, silly. And it’s not far from the Main Street Cafe. Jules takes us there after school all the time.” Jules was Juliana. Mostly, we didn’t shorten one another’s names, but Christina had only recently begun talking at all well and sti
ll referred to most of us by the shortened names she’d invented.

  “But why would you want to go in there?” I glanced at the door to the kitchen. I still heard voices – Juliana’s and maybe Isaac’s. “Sweetie, they sell evil things.”

  “I know. There’s a fairy trapped inside who needs our help.”

  “I see.” I didn’t see. Not remotely. Maybe she’d been watching Peter Pan? “Do we all just have to say that we believe in fairies and clap our hands?”

  Christina looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “No, we need to sneak in the back and let her out of the cage they put her in.”

  “Okay. Well, that sounds like a plan.” Not a very good one, but hopefully she would forget this story in the next week. It struck me that she might be making up imaginary friends to compensate for some real lack.

  “Do you think she’ll be okay until we get there?” Christina was toying with her cereal, not really eating it. She seemed to be looking at something far away and I wondered, not for the first time, if she was looking through time or space – foresight or farsight. Her verbalization skills had been too weak for us to understand what she was seeing for so long, but she’d been speaking far more clearly since kindergarten started.

  “What are you looking at?” I asked.

  “The fairy.”

  “In McClellan’s store?”

  “Yeah. In her cage. She’s sad. And oh … the big man is coming now.” Christina shook her head and looked at me. “I don’t like the big man. I can’t watch when he hurts her.”

  “What does he do to her?”

  Christina shook her head. “I don’t know. But she hurts so bad.”

  Was is possible that there was … well, not a fairy, but someone being held prisoner in McClellan’s store?

  “Christina, what’s Evan doing right now?” I asked suddenly. She could talk now; I could discover the truth behind her gift, with a few well-chosen questions.

  “Talking on the phone.”

  “To who?”

  “His cousin.”

  I took my cell phone out of my purse and tapped Evan’s face. It rang several times before he answered. “What’s up?”

  “Were you just talking to Scott?”

  “Yeah. How did you know?”