by J. C. Diem
“Wasn’t that a turkey before it went into the oven?” Reece asked in disbelief. Instead of a large, fleshy bird, we were looking at a withered, black and charred lump.
“It’s still a turkey,” Kala replied testily.
“Then why does it look more like a quail?”
“Can turkeys shrink?” Flynn asked Margaret.
“Not usually,” she replied faintly. “I tried to tell her the stove was too hot, but she wouldn’t listen. I eventually managed to sneak in and turn it down when she wasn’t looking, but the damage was already done.”
Kala’s shoulders hunched beneath the sour looks that we all gave her. Instead of listening to Margaret, she’d stubbornly ignored her advice. Now we all had to pay the price.
Edward expertly sliced up the bird and we had little choice but to take a sample. The stuffing was as tainted as the meat and no one was tempted to try it. We piled our plates high with greens, dwarfing the small amount of turkey we’d all selected.
Cutting the meat into tiny pieces, I stabbed one with my fork and lifted it to my face. Up this close, it smelled even more horrible, if that was possible. Everyone watched me as I worked up the courage to force myself to put it into my mouth.
When I did, my first instinct was to spit it out again. After a short, yet epic struggle, I kept it in, but I couldn’t bring myself to actually chew it. The lump sat on my tongue, gleefully ruining any chance that I would enjoy the Thanksgiving meal. My eyes started watering as my stomach rebelled. On the verge of throwing up, I picked up my water and chugged half of it down. I was hoping to wash away the god awful flavor as it disappeared down my throat.
I’d been pretty sure it would taste even more awful than it smelled and I hadn’t been wrong. “Did you use a lot of garlic?” I asked Kala as delicately as possible. We’d been able to smell the garlic from blocks away. Seeing my reaction to ingesting the bird, the others were even more reluctant to try it now.
Kala nodded. “Plain old turkey is boring. I decided to think outside the box.” Her shoulders were hunched defensively and she glared around the table, daring us to comment.
Thinking outside the box might work well on a mission, but not so much when it came to cooking. “Is that butter?” Flynn asked and pointed at the yellow liquid that the turkey was nestled in.
“Yep,” she confirmed and pointed at the black and yellow carcass of the turkey with her fork. “I slathered butter all over it and shoved a few cloves of garlic into it as well.”
Margaret closed her eyes again and mumbled a short prayer.
“Where exactly did you put the garlic?” I asked.
“I kind of poked it into the meat here and there,” she said. Now that she’d pointed them out, I saw misshapen lumps peppered all throughout the dried up corpse.
Flynn took a cautious bite and instantly gagged. Much to Edward’s horror, he spat it back onto his plate. “Mother of God,” he breathed. “If I was a vampire, that would have killed me.”
Margaret tried a tiny bite then put her hand over her mouth when her stomach also rebelled. Mark stared at the piece of turkey on his fork with grim determination then inserted it into his mouth. He managed to chew for a couple of seconds before giving in and swallowing it down with water.
“It can’t be that bad,” Kala scowled. She pierced a piece of breast meat and stuffed it into her mouth. It had barely touched her tongue before she indelicately spat it back out. “God, that’s the most horrible thing I’ve ever tasted!” She chugged down some water then shuddered and glared at the turkey as if it was its own fault it tasted so bad.
Edward had watched us as we’d sampled the abomination that Kala called dinner. With trepidation, he tried the turkey. His eyebrows went up and he swallowed it down. “It’s a little too well done, but it tastes fine to me.”
Flynn sent him an incredulous look and Margaret’s smile was full of pity. Reece’s shoulders heaved in a silent laugh, which sent me into gales as well. Putting my hands over my face, I laughed until tears spurted from my eyes.
Only Edward and Reece ate more than a small piece of the charred, garlic and butter drenched turkey. Reece had several helpings, which proved that he had a cast iron stomach and the toughest taste buds in the universe.
“Is there anything you won’t eat?” Kala asked him crankily when we’d finished our meals. Margaret was in the kitchen, making us more coffee. I’d have been willing to drink rat poison if I thought it would rid me of the taste of the turkey.
Settling onto the couch beside me, Reece shook his head. “Not much. It has to be pretty near inedible for me to pass up food.”
“I pity you if you think that turkey was edible,” Flynn told him. “Not even a desperate vagrant would have eaten that thing.”
Morose at her incompetence, Kala kicked the carpet with the toe of her boot. “I give up,” she said dejectedly. “Clearly, I’m a complete failure in the kitchen.”
Looks of relief were exchanged without her knowledge. Now that she’d admitted it, we wouldn’t have to hold an intervention to try to make her see reason.
“You can’t be good at everything,” I said. My stomach was still struggling not to expel the small amount of turkey that I’d forced down. I could almost picture it floating around in there, refusing to allow my juices to digest it like it was sentient and knew how much misery it had caused me.
Mark took a seat beside Kala and pulled her in for a hug. “For the health safety of us all, you are hereby exempt from cooking duty.” He broke the news to her as gently as possible, but her bottom lip still quivered slightly.
“I’ve never met anyone with so little ability to cook,” Flynn said far less gently. “That bird was bad.” He said it almost admiringly. “You could use your culinary skills as a weapon against our enemies. Not even Zeus could stomach that turkey,” he divulged, adding insult to injury. “He ran off just so he wouldn’t have to smell it.”
“Is that true?” she asked me. My expression told her it was and she sank her head into her hands. Her shoulders shook and at first I thought she was crying. Then she snorted out a laugh and sat up straight. “I guess if I have to be awful at something, I might as well be really awful at it,” she said with a small grin.
“You cook like I fight,” I told her, “badly and without any natural ability at all.”
“At least you’re improving,” she said. “I just seem to get worse and worse.”
“There is such a thing as being too creative,” Reece said. “You’re too flamboyant when it comes to cooking.”
“Maybe,” she replied and shrugged. “I think Mark is right. It’ll be safer for the whole team if I just stay out of the kitchen.”
Mark had a small consolation to offer. “You make a great cup of coffee.”
“I guess I can be trusted with that much,” she conceded.
Margaret entered with the trolley and a covered dish. The house still reeked too badly to make out what was hidden beneath the cover. She lifted it to reveal a beautifully constructed chocolate cake. Flynn sat forward on the edge of his seat, almost drooling already. Chocolate cake was his favorite dessert. The turkey had drowned out the smell of it as it had been baking. It was a pleasant surprise for us all.
She dished out enough for everyone then left us to talk privately. Mark pulled out his tablet and started searching for information in between taking bites of his cake.
“It’s worse than I thought,” he said after reading various police reports for over an hour. “I’ve found over thirty deaths that were classified as animal attacks over the past four years. Eighteen of them have occurred during a full moon.”
He brought up photos of the bodies and handed the tablet to Kala. We took turns to study them. It was easy to tell that a werewolf was responsible. The bite and claw marks were much larger than a normal wolf’s.
“What now?” Reece asked when he handed the device back.
“We’ll relocate to our base in the morning. It’s central to where th
e murders have been taking place.” His lowered brows illustrated that he was disturbed by that. Surely it couldn’t be a coincidence. “I haven’t been to the compound in years. I’ll contact the Crew and make sure it’s in livable condition and ask them to stock it with food.”
That solved a mystery that had been puzzling me. The Cleanup Crew was an unknown number of people who were stationed all across the country. There seemed to be a team of at least two Crew members in every major city. We called them in to eradicate any mess that we made that we couldn’t deal with personally. I hadn’t realized that they also acted as cleaners for our compounds. It made sense, though. The PIA was a secret organization. We couldn’t exactly employ normal cleaners to do the job.
“It’ll take us four hours to drive there,” Mark continued. “It’s on the west side of the forest this time. Again, there aren’t any shortcuts to get there. We’ll be travelling through some fairly remote areas. We’ll have to stock up with snacks before we leave.”
“Always the boy scout,” Flynn grinned. “Make sure you buy extra food for Lexi’s new friend. I don’t want him munching on my nuts again.”
Kala gave him an aghast look that sent me into fresh gales of laughter. Reece grinned as well and snuggled me to his side. I’d never seen him this relaxed before. Being close to him fulfilled a need that had sprung up within me when we’d become bonded. I realized that there was no place I’d rather be than right here with him.
₪₪₪
Chapter Seven
Several hours later, the awful smell of the turkey had finally begun to dissipate, thanks to Margaret and Edward opening all of the downstairs windows. I sensed Zeus cautiously approaching the house and snuck into the kitchen to feed him.
I found a half-full can of dog food in the back of the fridge. Mark must have been secretly feeding him during my three nights of absence. Zeus was waiting for me at the backdoor. He danced around my feet like an excited puppy. Just in case Margaret or Edward stepped outside, I led him around to the side of the house where we’d be out of sight. Pets weren’t allowed and I didn’t want to offend them when we were so close to leaving.
Zeus gobbled the food down the moment the bowl touched the ground. With his hunger satisfied, he left me for a few moments and returned with a bald, badly chewed tennis ball. Knowing he was feeling abandoned, I took the slimy object and tossed it lightly into the trees then followed him into the woods so we could play without being seen.
He returned with the ball and dropped it at my feet then looked at me expectantly. This time, I threw it as hard as I could. It sailed into the shadows and he raced after it with a happy bark. I had a feeling this was a game he’d never get tired of.
We played until darkness fell. I was about to call a halt to our game when he took longer than usual to return. Through our link, I sensed that he’d found something interesting. I was about to go in search of him when I felt him returning.
The object in his mouth wasn’t a ball, but something far creepier. He dropped it at my feet and I stared down at it in alarm. It was a doll and its resemblance to me was uncanny. It had pale skin, long black hair and dark brown eyes. It was dressed in a stained, torn white dress.
Her eyes stared up at me emptily and my skin crawled. I could smell vampire all over it and knew who had left it for me to find. Sensing my distress, Zeus leaned against my legs. I stroked his head, knowing that somewhere out there, my deranged undead mother was watching me.
If she’d intended to attack me, she would have done so by now. Was this supposed to be some kind of peace offering? A present to make up for trying to eat me as a baby? That was doubtful. The only emotion she was capable of feeling now was malevolence. The doll was probably a reminder that she could take control of me again whenever she pleased.
With her cryptic message delivered to me courtesy of Zeus, I felt my mother’s presence rapidly receding. I was left with the distinct feeling that she was gone and that she wasn’t coming back. Instead of being comforted by that, I was concerned. Surely she hadn’t given up her quest to turn me. Whatever her plan was, it was beyond me.
I didn’t want to touch the doll, but I also didn’t want anyone else to stumble across it. I picked it up by the foot and carried it to the trashcan that was next to the backdoor. I dumped it inside then shifted a plastic bag over it to hide it.
Giving Zeus a final pat, I asked him to keep watch and to notify me immediately if anyone approached the house. He wasn’t happy about being parted from me, but he was excited at the prospect of leaving in the morning. He melted into the trees, assuring me that he’d keep watch.
Margaret was in the kitchen when I entered. I froze, knowing I’d just been busted. She glanced at the bowl and spoon in my hands without surprise and took them from me. “I’ve only caught a glimpse of him, but he looks huge,” she said calmly. I should have known she knew I was keeping an animal on the premises. “What breed is he?”
“He’s a Rottweiler,” I said. “We ran across him a few days ago and he sort of attached himself to me.”
“I’m sure he’ll be an excellent guard dog,” she said. I took a towel and started drying the dishes. She watched me from the corner of her eye as she washed up. “You have a very dangerous occupation, don’t you?”
She was more perceptive than I’d realized and I nodded. I couldn’t tell her anything about our organization or what we did for a living, but I could admit that much to her.
“I heard that several bodies were found in Kate’s Kafé. I have a feeling that Bradbury will be a much safer place to live in now that the coven is dead,” she said.
I stared at her in surprise. “You know about the witches?”
“Oh, yes. I’ve always known. My family has maintained this house ever since the Dawson clan left it in our care. They didn’t realize that we knew what they were. Once they cast their spells over the town, they forgot about us.”
“Do you know what sort of spells they cast?” I asked her.
She nodded sadly. “They stole the lives of the young and attractive to keep themselves alive.”
“Why didn’t you tell the police?”
“My mother did, when I was a little girl.” Her expression told me the intervention hadn’t ended well. “My father tried to tell her that she wouldn’t be able to stop the coven, but she didn’t listen. She told the Sheriff in Bradbury and he just laughed at her. She realized he was under their control so sought outside help.
A deputy from a neighboring town was curious enough to look into it when she called. They arranged to meet at the edge of town. As soon as they crossed the town line, he grew terribly ill and died in her arms a short while later. She thinks a spell caused something to rupture inside his head. Their spells don’t seem to affect our family the same way. Maybe because we grew up in Bradbury and we’ve lived with the secret for so long.”
“Was it a nose bleed that killed him?” I asked.
She nodded. “The same thing happened to Mr. Steel, didn’t it? I saw his shirt covered with blood the first time you ventured into town.”
“Yes. We were lucky we managed to get him out of town in time.”
“I don’t know who you work for and I don’t want to know,” she said quietly. “I just wanted to tell you that I appreciate what you’ve done for us. Without brave souls like you and your team, the world would be a dismal and dangerous place.”
Her praise struck me as being ironic and I very nearly laughed out loud. On the surface, I looked like any other eighteen year old. If she knew what I really was, she wouldn’t be thanking me. She’d be too busy running and screaming. “It’s our job to keep you safe,” I said simply.
Drying her hands, she smiled and touched my arm. “You’ll be having an early start in the morning. You should think about turning in early tonight.”
Nodding, I walked to the door then stopped to speak to her over my shoulder. “I thought you should know that the ghosts that have been haunting the area are gone now.”
She looked astonished at first then a little sad. “I’ve never seen one myself, but I’m happy they’ve finally moved on to a better place.”
I couldn’t say with any certainty that the spirits had moved on to somewhere better. I guessed almost anything would be an improvement after hanging around Bradbury for a couple of hundred years.
Trudging up the stairs to the second floor, sounds came from Mark, Kala and Flynn’s rooms. They were either in the shower or readying themselves for bed. Reaching the third floor, Reece’s room was quiet when I walked past it. I found out why when I unlocked my door. He was sitting on my bed, waiting for me. His hair was wet from a recent shower. He wore cut off sweatpants and nothing else. My mouth went dry as I ran my gaze from his face down to his abs and back up again. “It isn’t polite to break into someone’s room,” I said as I stepped inside and closed the door.
“Do you want me to leave?” he asked and stood.
Wearing my thick soled boots, I was only a couple of inches shorter than him. We were almost eye to eye when I closed the distance between us. Placing my hands on his shoulders, I raked my fingernails lightly down his arms. “What do you think?” I teased.
His eyes dilated in desire. Flynn pointedly cleared his throat, reminding us that the bedrooms weren’t soundproofed. Thankfully, Kala was in the shower and the water was drowning out our conversation. She wouldn’t be as polite as Flynn if she heard us flirting.
Sighing in tandem, we stepped apart. “That wasn’t my reason for breaking into your room,” Reece said. I lifted an eyebrow in query and he took my hand. “Your mother is still out there somewhere. I don’t want you to be alone until we reach our compound.”
“What difference would that make?” I asked with a hint of bitterness. “She got into the grounds and managed to call me outside in New Orleans.” I didn’t tell him of my hunch that Katrina was gone. I didn’t have any proof to back up my theory and I could be wrong.