Moonshine & Malice

by Kathleen Brooks

  Polly went white. “And he’s coming here?” She looked frantically around. “We need to get out of here.”

  “He hasn’t tried anything yet. And we don’t think he knows about us. He’s actually quite—” Vilma looked to Agnes and Zoey for the right word.

  “Hot,” Agnes answered.

  “There is something about him that seems more good than bad. He’s actually looked out for me a couple of times,” Zoey said, trying not to sound as defensive as she felt.

  “Zoey is trying to find out why Slade is in town. He told her it was for work,” Agnes filled in.

  Polly paused while she thought. “Wait, didn’t you say you felt the power smothering you where you found the boy?”

  “Yeah,” Zoey said.

  “And you don’t get the feeling around Slade?” Polly asked. “He’s certainly powerful enough to leave that residual energy behind.”

  Zoey wondered about the question as she thought about Slade. “When I was at the creek it was like the power was squeezing my heart until I blacked out. But with Slade, my heart pounds harder and my energy flows faster. What does that mean?”

  Agnes and Vilma snickered and Polly giggled.

  “What?” Zoey asked.

  “You like him. That’s what it means.” Polly smirked before her smile fell. “Oh no. You like him, and he’s probably here to kill you. This is worse that Romeo and Juliet.”

  “I don’t like him,” Zoey protested, but even as she said it, she knew it wasn’t true. “I can’t like him. He’s the enemy.”

  “We don’t know that,” Vilma said, suddenly sounding more serious. “He hasn’t shown any aggression toward us and with this many witches in one area, he’s sure to feel the increase energy.”

  “He would?” Zoey asked as Polly nodded.

  “When we use our powers in excess, which we’ve been doing as we teach you, we leave behind a residue of our power. Only powerful witches and young children can smell it,” Polly explained.

  “Young children?” Zoey asked as she looked at Matthew.

  “Yup.” Agnes said. “Young kids pick up on all kinds of things adults don’t. They feel a witch’s energy or a spirit that has yet to cross over. They sense when there’s a break in that energy. Why do you think kids are always saying they see things that aren’t there? They’re there, but adults don’t realize it, because their brains have shifted to focus on their own situation as they grow. Has the kid smelled Slade? He’d be able to tell us if Slade was the witch in the woods.”

  Zoey looked at Matthew who was now sitting on the back of the couch kicking his feet against the upholstery.

  “Matthew,” Zoey asked, turning to the little boy, “can you smell us?”

  Matthew nodded as he dangled his feet. “You smell like flowers. And she smells like the ocean.” He pointed to Agnes. “And she smells like fresh cut grass,” Matthew said about Vilma. “And she smells like hamburgers being cooked on a summer day.” He grinned as he looked at Polly.

  “Could you smell me before today?” Zoey asked.

  “Umm,” Matthew murmured as he kicked his feet against the back of the couch. “I think so. Things are starting to become fuzzy. Have you found my parents?”

  “I have,” Zoey said slowly as she thought for a moment. “And I’m going to take you to see them after we go out to dinner.”

  “We?” Matthew asked. “I’m not going to dinner with an angel of death. I’m already dead, and I don’t want to see him.”

  “Okay, what about if Agnes and Vilma just walk you past Slade and you take a deep sniff?” Zoey asked.

  “We’ll keep you safe, Matthew. We promise,” Agnes said in the general direction.

  Matthew’s little lips pursed tightly but he nodded like a big boy. “If it will help Miss Mathers, I’ll do it.”

  “And right after my dinner I’ll take you to see your parents. But, Matthew, you know they won’t be able to see you, right?” Zoey asked gently.

  “I know,” Matthew said sadly. “I just need to know they’re okay and to tell them I’m sorry.”

  Zoey felt her heart break. How was she going to tell his parents that? They’d either think she was crazy or she’d break their hearts. Or worse, she’d draw attention to herself when that was the last thing she needed. She took a deep breath. First things first—find out if it was Slade who was there when Matthew died.

  8

  Zoey looked in the mirror one last time. Slade was going to be there any minute and she was trying to decide if she should change her outfit one last time. It was hard to pick what to wear when it wasn’t really clear if you were going to fall in love or be zapped from existence.

  The doorbell rang, and Zoey looked down at her jeans, brown leather boots, and a thin cream-colored top that tied in a bow at the back of her neck. She just hoped she’d make it back home again. Chance barked as he ran to the door. His tail thumped as he shoved his nose against the bottom of the door excitedly. Zoey took a deep breath and plastered on a smile to try to hide her nerves as she answered the door.

  Slade stood in worn jeans, black boots, and a black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up showing off his muscular forearms. He was also holding out a present that looked like a necklace box. He leaned forward and Zoey held her breath, both excited and fearful, as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

  His warm lips lingered as they brushed against her tingling skin before he pulled back and looked down into her face. “You look beautiful tonight. I got you something.”

  “Went shopping at the hunting store?” Zoey asked about the biggest store in Moonshine Hollow, laughing to hide how much a simple kiss had affected her. Her heart was beating big strong beats that sent her blood and energy racing through her body. Zoey struggled to calm herself, but as she reached for the gift she felt her powers warming her hands and took a deep breath as she imagined the energy ebbing back up her arms.

  “You didn’t have to get me anything,” Zoey said with the surprise she felt. Slade had gone from brooding with gray-ish blue eyes that resembled storm clouds to romantic with sky-blue eye so beautiful she could get lost in them.

  “I saw this on my road trip from LA. I thought of you the instant I saw it at a flea market. It’s the reason I decided to come to Moonshine and see you.”

  “So, it was like fate?” Fate was much better than murder.

  “Something like that,” Slade said, watching as she untied the white ribbon.

  Zoey held her breath as she opened the slim rectangular case. Inside she found a dark blue stone that looked to be sapphire, but there were flecks of color inside the polished round stone that made it looked celestial. Zoey picked up the gold necklace and placed the stone in her palm. “It makes me think of all the stars in the universe. It’s absolutely beautiful.” As Zoey fingered the stone her body warmed and her fingers tingled.

  “It’s a polished lapis lazuli rock. I’m so glad you like it. I didn’t know if you would, but when I saw it, I knew I had to give it to you. I couldn’t get you out of my head.”

  The energy strumming through her body made her feel as if she were purring. She’d never felt such clarity and yet such power. “You were probably thinking of me since your work brought you here. Here, can you put it on me?”

  Slade took hold of the necklace and the energy flowing through her body slowed as soon as the necklace left her hand. But when she turned and lifted her hair, Slade’s hands brushed against her neck. Her body was no longer purring. Her body was roaring with energy. Zoey’s hands shook and the hair on her arms stood up. She didn’t dare turn around until she could control herself. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Slade’s hands dropped to her shoulders. He left them there for a minute, and when Zoey opened her eyes it was as if she could see the world more clearly. What the hell was going on?

  “Are you ready to go to dinner?” Slade asked, his voice seeming to go into her ears and reverberate through her entire being.

  While her energy thrumm
ed with life and raced through her body, she felt more in control of herself as she ever had before. All the lessons Polly, Agnes, Vilma, and Grand Mistress Lauren had taught her became second nature. She could remember each one, and not only that, she knew she’d be able to do them without hesitation.

  Zoey turned around, and it was as if Slade was in high definition. “Yes, I’m ready.”

  Confidence had Zoey standing taller as Slade escorted her from her house and tossed her a helmet. “Ready to go for a ride?”

  “You bet.”

  The engine roared to life, and Zoey wrapped her arms around Slade’s waist, her body matching the racing engine as they headed into town.

  The Moonshine Diner was almost full when Slade and Zoey arrived. Zoey tried not to look around to find Vilma and Agnes, but they were hard to miss. Old booths with rust-colored brown leather lined the sides of the diner. In the middle were tables with old oak chairs surrounding them. There in the middle of the diner were Vilma and Agnes with a little boy sitting on the third chair. No one saw him as he traced his finger over the tabletop in complete boredom.

  But the second Zoey walked in, Matthew’s head shot up, and he grinned at her. He then waved enthusiastically at her. Slade raised his hand and waved back. Zoey slid to a stop in complete horror.

  “Who are you waving at?” Zoey asked as casually as she could.

  She appeared to catch Slade by surprise as he took a second to turn around toward her. “To Agnes and Vilma. Who else would I be waving at?”

  “Oh, Agnes and Vilma are here?” Zoey asked, leaning around Slade’s wide shoulders as if she couldn’t see around him before. “Hey ladies!” It was Slade’s turn to look at her strangely this time. Maybe her acting wasn’t up to snuff, but she’d play this lie all the way out.

  “Right this way,” the waitress told them as they weaved through tables and headed straight by Agnes, Vilma, and Matthew.

  “Ladies,” Slade said in his deep voice as they paused at the table. The waitress set their menus down at a booth a couple tables away and walked off. “How are you doing tonight?”

  “Quite well, thank you. Don’t you look handsome,” Vilma grinned as she blatantly eyed him from the top of his head to the tip of his toes and everywhere between. In fact, she lingered quite a bit in the between.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Slade replied as his lips tilted into a smile. It didn’t take a mind reader to know what Vilma was thinking as she picked up her napkin and began to fan herself.

  “Is this a date?” Agnes asked innocently.

  Slade’s grin widened as he knew as well as everyone else in the diner that this was a date. That gossip has spread through the small town at an alarming rate. The Irises and the Opossums may want their time apart, but that did not mean they didn’t come together for gossip, especially juicy gossip like this.

  “Psst,” Matthew said, suddenly standing next to Zoey. “Miss Mathers, it’s not him.”

  “Are you sure?” she whispered as Agnes distracted Slade.

  “Positive. The man by the creek was darker than him. He was more like a shadow of death, not an angel of death. And he smelled rotten. Like spoiled milk. This man smells good. He smells like the fancy cologne my dad has.”

  “Thank you,” Zoey whispered as Agnes asked Slade what his intentions with Zoey were.

  “Yes, ma’am. If it matters, I don’t think he’s a bad guy. I think he’s a good guy,” Matthew told her before returning to his seat.

  “My intentions?” Slade asked slowly. “Isn’t it a little early to ask that?”

  “Why?” Vilma asked him. “Are you planning on killing her or something?”

  “Vilma!” Zoey gasped.

  Vilma shrugged. “It’s not like we know much about him. He could be a serial killer.”

  The horrified look on Slade’s face vanished and a bemused expression lit his eyes. “I’m not a bad guy; I’m a good one. And I’ll prove it to you by not killing Zoey. Cross my heart and hope to die,” Slade said, making a cross over his heart. But that didn’t keep Zoey’s breathing from stopping as he repeated Matthew’s words.

  Slade turned and held out his hand to her. Slowly, Zoey placed her shaking one in his. “Come on, sweetness. I have a feeling we have a lot to talk about over dinner.”

  9

  Zoey’s mouth opened and closed silently as Slade pulled her to their table. She didn’t know what to say. Should she even acknowledge the fact that Slade had heard and most likely seen Matthew? Agnes and Vilma looked on worriedly as Matthew tapped his fingers on the table with a completely bored expression on his face. He didn’t look worried at all. He’d deemed Slade a good guy, and now Zoey prayed he was right.

  Slade stepped back and held out his hand for Zoey to slide into the booth. Of course, her hip hit the table, then her butt stuck to the faux leather and when she scooted into the booth it made a very unpleasant noise. Could this get any worse? Zoey paused as Slade managed to slide into the booth on the opposite side without making a similar noise on the seat. Yes, it could get worse. Slade could poof them all from existence.

  “So,” Slade started as he stretched his hand across the table and covered her fidgeting hand with his, “something happened to you from the time we met in California until now.”

  Zoey blinked innocently. “Yeah, so much has changed. No longer a lawyer. Live in Tennessee as opposed to LA. I have made grits . . .”

  Zoey felt Slade’s hand tighten over hers, and she swallowed hard. It wasn’t painful. It was actually quite nice, but she knew he was calling her out for leaving out a very important detail.

  “You know that’s not what I’m talking about. Something changed the very fiber of your being. I’m sure you’ve been warned not to talk about it, so to show you that you can trust me, I’ll start. I told you I’m a bounty hunter—and I am. But I don’t work for the courts. I work for a small group of men that have special . . . talents.”

  Zoey gulped and nodded. He was a Tenebris Hunter. He was going to kill her. “W-w-who do you hu-hunt?”

  “Bad people who use their talents to hurt others. I told you. I’m the good guy.”

  Slade’s blue eyes seemed to move as if they were crashing waves as he locked eyes with her and refused to look away. It was as if he were boring into her soul. And he probably was. Zoey put the mental image of a wall up and made sure he wasn’t entering her thoughts before asking him, “If you’re not working for the courts like most bounty hunters, who exactly do you work for?”

  “Does the name Tenebris mean anything to you?” Slade asked before he slowly tilted up one corner of his mouth in triumph as he tightened his grip on her hand not allowing her to retreat. “I can see it does. Agnes and Vilma have taught you well.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zoey kept her voice as calm as possible but Slade just gave her a look.

  “If I wanted to steal your powers, I would have already done it. Relax, Zoey. When we’re done talking we can call Agnes and Vilma over. And the boy too.”

  “What boy?”

  This time Slade rolled his eyes. “You’re a horrible liar. Anyway, since you know about the Tenebris I can skip the detailed history lesson and streamline this. Four hundred years ago the Tenebris and the Claritase fought. Alexander, do you know about him?”

  Zoey swallowed. Deny, deny, deny, was all that was going through her head. “I don’t know—”

  “Zoey, we both know that you know. We both know you’re different in a profound way from the first time we met. It was that change that must have drawn me to Moonshine. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Just yes or no, do you know about Alexander and the incident that occurred with the Claritase I swear, you’re safe, and I won’t hurt you, Agnes, Vilma, or any other Claritase in town.”

  Zoey looked to Agnes and Vilma as she nervously bit her lower. “I’m not saying I do, but if I did know about it, what then?”

  Slade’s smile tilted into a grin. “Very lawyerly of you. Hypothet
ically, if you knew about Alexander killing the head of the Claritase under a white flag, you have learned that the Tenebris have been ordered by Alexander to hunt the remaining Claritase to steal their powers.”

  “And that’s what you are? A hunter out to steal the Claritase’s power?” Zoey demanded, anger clearly shown in her voice. Zoey grabbed the necklace Slade had given her as anger caused the energy inside her—power Slade so desperately wanted—to boil. She felt herself almost vibrating with anger and knew she’d loose her fragile hold on her powers soon if she didn’t calm down.

  “Breathe, Zoey. Look at me,” Slade commanded. His tone brooked no argument. “You are in control. You tell your powers what to do, not the other way around.”

  “I don’t—”

  “Don’t argue. Just breathe. Feel the wave receding, just like a wave on the beach rolls up on shore and slides back into the ocean. Feel your powers sliding back into your body.”

  Zoey couldn’t look away from Slade’s storming eyes. His thumbs rubbed little circles on her hands as he breathed with her. Her powers rolled back into a dull hum coursing through her body instead of the tsunami that had been forming. Darn. She didn’t want him to be so kind. What did it all mean?

  “Good. We didn’t want to start a fire or a tornado or whatever your power is in the middle of the diner.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean. I was merely upset by the fact you’re here to kill someone for power.”

  “You haven’t let me finish,” Slade chided as he continued the comforting touch of his fingers playing along her hand. “As I was saying, Alexander ordered the power grab. His second-in-command disagreed with him. For a while, he tried to get Alexander to stop the killings. He wanted to bring peace to the community, to find love again, to have children again, and to thrive again. But Alexander was too focused on becoming the most powerful witch since the Goddess herself.” Slade paused as he realized Zoey may not know about the Goddess. But when Zoey stayed quiet, he continued.