by Dana Davis
“Great idea, Daisy.”
“You look a little green there, Simon,” Noah said.
Scarlet clicked her tongue. “If you witches are done playing with the sirens, Daisy has someone to thank.” She pointed to the ghost.
Daisy’s brows rose. “Thank you for helping me back at the gas station. I really do appreciate that.” So now I guess it’s payback. “What do you want in return?”
The ghost smiled and placed hands on her hips, the fringe of her blue flapper dress swaying as she moved. She looked benign enough, even with the blackness that outlined her. Until she opened her mouth. The high-pitched screech made Daisy’s ears and eyes hurt and she bent over, clutching her head.
Noah put protective arms around her. He said something but she could barely hear his voice, much less make out his words. As soon as she felt like her head wasn’t about to explode, she stood, Noah’s arms still around her, and eyed Scarlet. “What the hell was that?”
The medium offered an apologetic look and pulled her into the kitchen, motioning Noah to stay put. She kept her voice low. “Sorry. I thought that would go better. But you’re hearing them now. That’s great progress.”
Daisy gaped at the woman. Progress? Holy crap! Any more progress and my brain will bleed right out of my ears. Bridgette gave a nervous chuckle from the front room as Daisy frowned at Scarlet. Okay, so Bridge heard my thoughts that time. “Scarlet, have I told you how much I really don’t want to be a medium?”
“If I had a nickel…” A smirk touched her thick lips. “She likes you, Daisy, but she won’t be patient forever. You’ll need to figure out a way to help her.”
“Like what, ghost charades?” A memory of doing just that with Great-Uncle Ian’s spirit jumped into her head. Yeah, like that’s a productive use of my time. Wonder why I haven’t seen him. Or any of my dead family? She didn’t get a chance to ask Scarlet about that, not that the woman would tell her. She just loves letting me find out things on my own.
“Whatever it takes,” Scarlet said. “She’s not interested in anything from me at the moment.”
“Can I at least postpone it? We need to find Liam.”
“I’m not the one you need to ask.”
Daisy took in a long breath. “Fine.” She followed Scarlet back into the front room and crossed her arms beneath her breasts, trying to look intimidating. The 1920s spook opened her mouth again and Daisy’s hand flew out. “Don’t talk! Please. I’ll help you. I promise. But we need to help Bridgette’s friend first.” Okay, that sounded like I know what the hell I’m doing, right?
The ghost frowned and opened her mouth. Before Daisy could stop her, she spoke, sending another jolt of pain into Daisy’s skull. “Stop!” The ghost went silent. Scarlet seemed to be watching with interest. Just what I need, a medium mentor who lets me learn the hard way. Crap. She swallowed as the pain receded, doing her best to ignore the multiple pairs of eyes on her. I must look like a crazed loon to them. Then she saw the absolute fear on the sirens’ faces. Well, guess there’s an upside. She focused on the ghost again. “I’m really grateful for your help and promise I’ll return the favor. But please, my cousin’s friend is in trouble. He needs us. Can you understand that? He can’t wait.” And you can because you’re dead. But she didn’t say that last part. She held her breath, waiting for another painful screech.
When the ghost nodded her agreement, relief washed over Daisy like a warm tide. Thank the universe. She smiled. “Thank you. Let’s go, Bridge.” I never in my life thought I’d be so eager to get to a cemetery.
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* * * *
Chapter 17
The Beautiful Dead
Daisy, Bridgette, Noah, Jay and Scarlet straightened up the mess from Kali’s struggle with the sirens, as the necro searched through her computer database. Aunt Marge, Fay and Cousin Brendon took turns keeping the idiot sirens pliant back at Fay’s home.
Until we can figure out what to do about them, Daisy thought. Fay had confided that she had some great herbal recipes in one of her magick books, perfect for keeping a couple of sirens sedated and happy. I should see if she’ll let me look at them sometime.
Every witch had a set of books that were handed down in her family line, those divided up centuries ago for safe-keeping. The spells couldn’t be copied any longer, even to a computer, but witches had secret websites set up as benign storefronts and clubs where they could share ideas and loan books to each other, using magickal passwords to keep mortals and hackers out.
Bridgette grunted as she dumped glass from a dust pan into a waiting trash can. “I still don’t know why you need so many fucking chains, Daisy.”
She eyed her cousin and fingered the silver chain beneath her shirt, where the rowan tree talisman, the protection crystal, and her moon pendant hung. “Oh, you’re just grouchy. I told you I keep a stash to sell online, so stop kicking yourself.” Using locator spells on the chains to try and find her moon pendant had impressed Daisy. “You couldn’t have known I locked the original chain in the trunk.”
Up in the attic with family heirlooms from her mother and grandmother. Where no one could steal them. Even though she got her stolen items back from Rebecca’s place, she was still pissed that woman had taken her mother’s ring and vase. The broken vase that she’d moved to the attic table so she could glue it back together. Eventually.
Bridgette frowned. “Why the hell didn’t you just hang it in your jewelry box with the others then?”
Daisy rubbed at her nose. “I was up there when I put on the new chain so I just dropped the old one in the trunk.” And I want to keep it safe for my daughter one day. If we have one. She didn’t think Bridgette had her telepathic senses open just now. No reason she should. And of course Noah couldn’t hear her thoughts but she changed the subject anyway. “Kali, you never told me how you broke free from Simon’s thrall.”
The Asian woman shrugged. “I heard you call them sirens but it didn’t really sink in until we were at the gas station. When I saw the ghost, that’s the moment I realized what was going on. I decided it best to play along with you.” Kali glanced at Bridgette, who swept up more glass from the broken computer monitor. The thing was huge and several years old. “They don’t make monitors like that anymore.” Kali’s voice came out in a wistful tone.
“I can’t believe you’re still using these crappy old things.” Bridgette stretched her neck. It was very late, or very early, depending on the perspective. “I’ll buy you a new one that you don’t need a forklift to carry.”
Kali chuckled. “Thanks, but I’ve got new ones in the budget already.” Her face lost its humor as she turned back to the working monitor. “I can’t believe I fell for Cleo’s lies about a man chasing her. I know better than to let strangers in after hours, but she looked so scared.” She looked up at Daisy. “I was going to call 911 to help her but she grabbed me when I reached for the phone. I would’ve used my powers on her. But then Simon’s song caught me off guard and I forgot everything except him.”
Bridgette huffed. “Been there, done that.”
Noah and the two women exchanged looks that made Daisy feel left out. That turned immediately to disgust. Oh, come on Daisy. Get a grip, you big dummy. Like you really want to have a siren’s thrall in common with them.
The sound of computer keys filled the silence as Kali continued to search the database.
“Here we go,” she said as she tapped one fingernail on the screen. She jotted something onto a purple sticky note. “Come on.”
They filed out into the darkness and waited as Kali stopped to lock the door behind her. It was cool and clear, a perfect desert November night, as they crossed the grassy yard toward the mausoleum.
Despite all that had happened, and her bruised throat, Daisy felt strong. Even in this cemetery. She glanced across the lawn toward her grandparents’ graves. No ghosts. So far, anyway. She didn’t see anyone but those in her little group. Guess 1920s lady didn’t follow me. She thought about punk girl Lisa,
one of the souls she’d met in the afterlife, and the one who had tossed things around at the gas station. My ghost debt is really piling up. I just hope they stay patient and don’t start messing with me.
Something caught her eye and she gazed up. A light moved across the sky. For just an instant, her heart sped up, until she realized the light was just a plane. But it reminded her that she should listen to her Hohokam guide’s message and find the petroglyph that matched the one on the rock he’d left for her. The rock that sat at home, tucked into the top drawer of her dresser.
Damn sirens. If it weren’t for them, I would’ve gotten a good night’s sleep and gone out first thing in the morning to the museum. And Bridgette and Kali might have found Liam by now.
Several spells danced in her mind and she thought about which ones she could cast to get the sirens to leave and never come back here. Not anything that would kill them, of course, though a part of her was angry enough to fantasize about that.
An itching spell might make them think twice about crossing a witch. No, too benign. I’ve got it. Oh, this is much better. A glamour. Make them really ugly. Tell them it won’t wear off until they agree to leave for good. She smiled to herself. Siren’s are so vain it just might work. But a glamour wouldn’t last more than a couple hours at most. Crap. I need something permanent. Maybe I’ll find something in my magick books. Or maybe Aunt Marge or Fay know of something.
Security lights from inside filtered through the glass doors, and Daisy hesitated before following the others inside the mausoleum with its white marble floors and walls. Okay, so maybe I’m not as cool about the dead as I thought.
The memory of the missing time she’d experienced from Rebecca Miller’s attack surfaced. That necro was also a psi-vamp, capable of stealing a person’s life-force. Taken in small doses, the victims simply thought they were overly tired. That’s what Daisy had thought. At first. The attack had happened in this very mausoleum, a few days before she went to the afterlife in search of her mother’s lost soul.
She fought a shiver as she followed Bridgette past the first aisle of rectangular cubbies with plaques that displayed names and dates of the dead interred behind them. Even with just the security lights on, they would have no trouble reading the plaques, probably why Kali didn’t turn on all the lights. That, or she doesn’t want anyone stopping to ask questions. Like the police.
“Here.” Kali pointed to one of the cubbies in the second aisle. This one didn’t have a glass front like some here in the mausoleum. “These could be Liam’s grandparents.” “If not, there’s another couple back there with the same last name.” She motioned to the very back of the mausoleum.
Great. Fresh flowers were in the plastic vase that hung on the wall next to this cubby. “If these are Liam’s grandparents, maybe he left the flowers,” Daisy said.
Bridgette got that distant look on her face and her eyes narrowed, a sign she was using her telepathy. “If he did, he’s gone now. I don’t sense him anywhere.”
“Could have been one of our volunteers,” Kali said. “They sometimes leave flowers on older graves that haven’t been visited in a while.”
“Well, hell.” Bridgette crossed her arms. “Why didn’t his family spread the ashes? Why inter them here? I didn’t even think to ask him that when we were kids.”
Most paranormals cremated their dead and spread the ashes in a special place. Very few interred them and even fewer buried them. Daisy still didn’t know why her grandparents had wanted to be buried instead of cremated. But, hey, now that I’m a medium, I can always ask them. She wondered if she would be allowed to contact her parents now that she had these new powers. I really need to have a serious sit-down with Scarlet. That medium is being too damn cryptic.
She stood next to Bridgette to prepare. Locator spells worked on small objects only. If something here had once belonged to Liam, they might get a hint as to where he’d gone. People sometimes put strange things in with the dead, so who knew what else was behind this plaque? A slim chance they’d get anything but one they couldn’t afford to skip. Not with a murdering hitchhiker and a psi-vamp necro loose in the Phoenix-metro area.
Everything that had gone on the past few months rattled around in Daisy’s brain like a pinball machine, making her head ache. Okay, so we’ve take care of a skinwalker, the Anguisher, and a Charon reaper. I’ve died and come back with a man who spent the last twenty-two years posing as a cat in the afterlife. We corralled a couple of sirens. Now I’ve got a pissed off psi-vamp necro who wants revenge and a hitchhiker that’s after my powers. And the big fat topper – an ancient Hohokam spirit left me a rock as some sort of clue, only I have no idea what the hell I’m supposed to do with it.
How in hell did I get this crazy-ass gig? She shook her head and took in a deep breath. Focus, Daisy. Just focus. One disaster at a time. She sighed, placed one hand on the plaque and the other on the flowers hanging next to it. That’s starting to become my damn mantra.
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* * * *
Chapter 18
Undone
Bridgette didn’t need telepathy to know Daisy was distracted. Well, of course she’s distracted, you idiot. She’s freaked about seeing ghosts everywhere and you bring her to a fucking cemetery in the middle of the night. Fabulous thinking, Bridgette Kelly McDougal. Some protector you are.
Noah, Jay and Kali stood nearby, watching. Scarlet had wandered off to another cubby, her features barely visible in the dim security lights. Standing this close to Daisy, even in the dim light, she could make out the dark smudges beneath her cousin’s eyes. She needs sleep. Noah watched his wife with concern just now but Bridgette didn’t open her telepathic senses to eavesdrop. She didn’t need to. He must love her very much to put up with all this shit and still stick around. Wonder if I’ll find a man as loyal as Noah.
She glanced at Jay, who smiled. Like his mother, he seemed unfazed about all this. I wonder why? Hmm, I really don’t know that much about his private life as a kid. I spent too much time rebuffing him in high school to care. Mom knows Fay though. They’ve been friends for a long time now. I can’t believe I never ask her anything about Jay or his mother. Now that we’re dating, I really should get to know him better. Taking a sincere interest in someone outside the family? Well, that’s awfully grown up and responsible of you, Bridgette.
She studied Jay again and wondered if her feelings for him were more than just lust, when she saw that Daisy was looking at her, hands in place, waiting. Okay, focus, witch. Liam needs you now. Locator spells didn’t take a lot of effort, but having two witches perform one meant faster results. She stamped down thoughts of Jay, placed her hands next to Daisy’s, and concentrated on Liam. She began the chanting English and the air around her body grew static. After her cousin repeated the chant in Irish Gaelic, the static went up some more, letting them both know the spell was working as planned. All they could do now was wait a few seconds and see if they got a vision.
No one spoke. Now and then a car would zip by on one of the nearby roads outside, creating a low hum, but mostly it was quiet.
Quiet as a tomb. Yeah, that’s fucking helpful. Come on spell. Do something. She let her vision go blurry. That sometimes helped. But no visions came.
They moved on to the next couple, interred at the back of the mausoleum and cast the same spells. Then they waited again. Again, nothing.
Well, this is a fucking waste of time. Where the hell are you, Liam?
“This is useless, Bridge.” Daisy’s voice sounded loud in the quiet mausoleum. “He hasn’t been here recently or we would’ve gotten something by now. Kali, do you have his grandparents’ last address?”
The tall Asian woman shook her head. “No. But you might try social security records.”
“Good idea.” Daisy stretched and yawned. “I’m sorry, Bridge. We can’t do anything more tonight. Why don’t we all get some rest and start fresh in the morning.”
As much as I don’t want to admit it, she�
��s right. We’re not going to get anything here. And she did just get out of the hospital. She must be exhausted by now. “No, you’re right. It’s late. We can start looking again in the morning.”
They headed outside. A cool breeze picked up, bringing the sweet scent of desert shrubs and moist green grass to Bridgette’s nose. A nearby palo verde’s angular branches shifted and waved, illuminated by nearby streetlights. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed home until she had come back a few months ago. California had been fantastic, especially the beaches, but that’s where Simon had put her under his thrall. And Banff, Canada, where she’d hidden out with a cousin until the siren moved on to another victim, was too cold in winter for her tastes.
If I’m going to be landlocked, I choose here. Where I was born. With Daisy and Noah nearby. I’m even starting to like that mutt of theirs. Hmm, I must be getting soft.
When they reached the parking lot Fay practically insisted on taking Kali home, since she didn’t have her car here. The necro said her good-byes and climbed into the red SUV.
Bridgette got into her convertible, hiding a smile that Fay had so much influence on others, including her mother.
“Bridgette,” her mother called. “See you at home, honey.”
Jay gave the keys to his mom and hopped into Bridgette’s car just in time to stop her from saying something snotty back to her mother. He looked as yummy as ever, partly due to the aftereffects of Simon’s recent touch. She waved at Daisy, Noah and Scarlet as they pulled out in Noah’s Hybrid.
Jay shut the door and smiled. “So, are you really going home?”
“Hell, no. I need to wind down first.”
His grin widened. “I was hoping you’d say that. I know the perfect place.”
* * * *
Bridgette dropped her panties onto the blanket next to the rest of her clothes and pulled Jay down with her. Hands roamed her naked skin and she moaned with pleasure as his fingers probed her most sensitive areas. The grass felt soft beneath the blanket and the cool air energized her. They had pulled into a local park and Bridgette had placed a cloaking spell on her car to hide it from anyone who might pass by. That kind of spell lasted about twenty minutes before it had to be recharged, so they stayed in an area close to the car, yet dark enough that they couldn’t be seen from the road. The large mesquite tree gave them a nice cover. She would have to renew cloaking spell once it wore off. For now, she concentrated on other things.