“Whoa. Chill, sis,” Rayna said. “I’ll get to all that… Well maybe not all that, but some of that, the some I know anyways.”
“How about you start with Sarah Beth,” Jonah suggested.
“Sarah Beth was your basic evil little girl killing animals, torturing small children. Sara Beth considered herself too smart to be stuck out on a farm in rural Georgia,” Rayna began. “She wanted more, lifetimes more. She wanted to live forever doing anything and everything, here and everywhere. She didn’t have any magic in her really, but she had fervor. When Sarah Beth killed her father, Lucifer—a.k.a. the Devil—sent his representative, and they struck a bargain. To do her part, Sarah Beth murdered the rest of her family and even the farmhand. Nine in all. It took her two weeks. Eight of them were quick. Boom, boom, boom—or should I say slash, slash, slash. But it took her awhile to work up to killing her infant sister.”
Belinda shivered beside him. Putting an arm around her shoulder, Jonah drew her closer to his side. She curled into him, hiding her face against his chest.
“So what’s with the cycle?” Jonah asked.
“According to her bargain she has to replicate her sacrifice every cycle. Nine murders in a two-week period.” Rayna chuckled. “She’s very good at it by now. Your next question should be what happens if she doesn’t make all her killings in that two weeks?”
“So what happens?” Jonah asked.
“Her contract is breached. She doesn’t go on to any more lifetimes. She’s called in. Goes to what you know as hell.”
Belinda turned in Jonah’s arms, no longer hiding her face. “How does she get from body to body and what happens to the people whose lives she steals?”
“She could change to a new body any time she wanted. Her old body just dropped like a stone. Most times, it’s called a heart attack. As for the people she kills, I don’t know what happened to them.”
Rayna’s smirk told him maybe she did know, but he decided not to force it and went with a more crucial question. “What happens if the body she’s in dies before she makes a change?”
“Oh well.” Rayna smiled. “Breach of contract and the end, finis. That’s what happened to Sarah Beth when Jessica got pancaked by that truck. She’da been gone if not for Jonah here. He trapped her soul in the Jessica body.”
That information struck Jonah like the blow of a sledgehammer to his stomach. He’d felt guilt before, but nothing like this. He’d saved his parents’ murderer and unleashed her to continue killing. Jonah struggled to put the guilt in a closet in his mind and shut the door. If he thought about what he’d done and the guilt he deserved he’d go somewhere and hang himself. He had to put it away.
“So what if she gets Jonah to untrap her soul and move her to a living body?” Derek asked.
“She goes on as if nothing happened. She just has to finish reaping her nine and she’s good to go.”
“All we have to do, then, is keep her from moving and destroy the Jessica body.”
“Wait a minute,” Rayna interjected. “I didn’t say that. We’re in a contract clause gray area. The powers didn’t anticipate anything like Jonah’s little Christmas ornament experiment. If the Jessica body is destroyed by attrition or by bomb, she could either be called in and it’s over, or she could move to another body and go on living. It’s about a fifty-fifty shot either way.
“Fantastic,” Jonah mumbled. “But if we keep her from killing nine, then she’s definitely gone, right?”
“Yes, but I’d personally like to see you blow her up. It’d be epic.”
“Epic?” Derek asked.
“You know,” Rayna said. “Great. Fun.”
“What the hell?” Derek whispered furiously in Jonah’s ear. “Rayna died in 1999. Why is she using shit like, epic and chill?”
“I heard that,” Rayna said. “You wanna say that to the whole class, Derek? Oops, sorry, Eliza. I forgot you can’t hear him.”
“Derek doesn’t think she’s his great-grandmother,” Jonah explained to Eliza.
Rayna laughed. “Just because of some slang? Ridiculous. I’m fleek, stas.”
“Stas?” Derek rolled his eyes.
“Short for gangstas,” Rayna said. “I may be dead, but I keep up with the times.”
“Okay, say we believe you’re actually Rayna. Why would you tell us all this?” Eliza asked.
“Why not? I don’t owe no loyalty to Sarah Beth and my boss will be just as happy if her contract is breached as not. He could use her in another job anyways.”
“You’re employed?” Belinda asked in confusion.
“I’m a kinda talent scout here. And I spotted plenty of untapped potential in you, Jonah. I can negotiate a sweet little deal for you. You control alota souls in this cemetery. You got some bargaining strength, let me tell ya. My boss’d especially like my sweet great-grandbaby, Derek.”
“Now I know you ain’t Rayna.” Eliza shook her head. “My grandmother did dark magic and had a malignancy in her, but she was always loyal to family. She’d protect Derek, not try to steal his soul.”
“Oh ho,” Rayna’s image hooted. “You got me. You’re a smart one, Miss Eliza. I should have done my bargaining with you. I made a mistake going for the numbers instead of the strength.”
Jonah had a feeling that was a knock on him and didn’t know whether to be insulted or not.
“Who are you?” Eliza demanded.
“Not important. What is important is I’ll be here if you decide to make a bargain. I can guarantee an end to Jessica as a contract bonus payment.”
“No thanks,” Eliza said, turning on her heel and stepping into the spell circle. She blew out the two candles.
Jonah glanced down at the photo in his hand. The image had returned to normal. Rayna stood in line with her sisters once again.
We survived the spell, he thought. Although they’d gained a ton of information, Jonah didn’t know if they were any better off. Even if they could rely on the answers “Rayna” had given them, they might not be able to stop Jessica. According to his calculation, three days remained in the two-week cycle period. But with seven Slicer victims, Jessica only had two more murders to complete her cycle.
Jonah couldn’t stop the next thought from echoing in his brain. She could be out there killing right now.
Chapter Eleven
Jonah shifted uncomfortably in the passenger side backseat of Eliza’s car as she turned onto Peachtree Street again. They’d been driving around for over an hour and by Jonah’s count had made at least five circuits of Ambrosia and still finding no sign of Jessica.
“This is a waste of time,” Jonah groused, turning his head to look out the window.
Eliza drove slowly, occasionally glancing at the map in the seat beside her. Belinda sat in back and, since Derek had insisted he wouldn’t be left at the cottage alone, he sat on Jonah’s lap.”
“Not only is it a waste but it’s also annoying. Quit sticking your elbow in my face, Derek.”
“I can always sit on Belinda’s lap.” Derek chuckled.
“You’re not sitting on my girlfriend’s lap,” Jonah barked. ”Why don’t you sit in front with your mother?”
“No way,” Eliza said. “I need the map in the passenger seat. Remember the locator spell?”
“You can’t even see him.” Jonah raked a hand though his hair with impatience. “You won’t even know he’s sitting on the map.”
“I’m not reaching through my son to work the locator spell. That’s final.” Eliza hit the wheel as if wielding a gavel.
“Switch with Belinda. She can sit on my lap.” Just the thought of Belinda sitting on his lap took his mind off the shit show of his life.
“Okay,” Belinda said with a smile.
“No. How’s that gonna look?” Eliza said sternly. “What if the police see us driving around? Nobody in the passenger seat and a young guy with a girl on his lap in the back. They stop people for nothing around here. They’d stop us for sure.”
�
��She has a point. I guess we’re stuck with each other. I’m not enjoying this any more than you are.” Derek shifted on Jonah’s lap so they were practically face-to-face. “Why don’t you do something to make it more fun? How about a kiss? No tongues though.” Derek closed his eyes and made a smoochy face, puckering his lips.
“Ugh, no,” Jonah said jerking back. “Quit being a twatwaffle.”
“Are you calling me an obscene name, young man?” Eliza’s voice took on a baritone of disapproval.
“No, ma’am,” Jonah answered, chastened.
“Derek was joking around and Jonah called him a…you know,” Belinda said.
“I’m glad somebody is having fun.” Eliza pulled the car to a stop at the curb in front of the Main Street bank. “This locator spell isn’t working. I used a crystal to scry on the map, but it’s not doing anything. It may be because Jessica isn’t alive. I’ll need something stronger, and that could take a while.”
“We don’t have a while,” Jonah said. “She’s out there, probably completing her cycle right now.”
And it’s all my fault.
They must all be thinking it. Hell, they should all hate him for it.
Belinda reached over and tangled her fingers with his before squeezing his hand. A sympathetic smile twisted her lips.
She didn’t hate him. Thank God for that.
“We can’t keep driving around with no idea where she is,” Eliza said. “She’s gone to ground,” Eliza continued.
“Literally,” Derek remarked. “She could’ve buried herself somewhere. She doesn’t have to breathe to stay alive.”
“We know she killed Austin, and he was her friend with benefits,” Belinda piped in. “Maybe she’d go after another one of her friends.”
“Yeah, but she had dozens of friends.” Jonah groaned. “We can’t go to each one and ask whether they’ve seen her.”
“They’d have us committed to a psyche ward before we can say undead slag,” Derek added.
Eliza sighed. “Besides, it’s gettin’ dark and the night’s more dangerous for us.”
“Plus, we don’t know what to do with the bitch once we find her,” Belinda pointed out.
They hadn’t had much of a plan when they started searching for Jessica. Not much more than just find her, overpower her and hold her until the deadline passed.
“Back at the cottage, the circle and the symbol kept Jessica out and away from us when—” Back when Eliza had been helping Jessica and almost getting them killed, but Jonah omitted that part. “Couldn’t you create something like that to contain her?”
“Yes, but it wouldn’t work for more than a few hours. And what if the spirit within her does manage to get out of that body? We’d need more active forces to keep that contained.”
“Like what?” Belinda asked.
“A power or force of some kind that could move and adapt with her…change directions like.”
“What would that be?” Jonah asked.
“I don’t know.” Eliza shook her head. “Have to think on that.”
After a few minutes of silence, Eliza drove the car away from the curb, made a U-turn and headed back to the caretaker’s cottage.
They’d given up for now.
* * * * *
A half hour after they’d retreated to Jonah’s cottage, night fell over Ambrosia. Eliza moved about the space drawing invisible figures on all the windows with oil from an amulet she wore around her neck.
“These here symbols should keep Jessica out…for a few hours anyway,” Eliza said with one last swipe on the narrow window next to the door. “It’ll give me enough time to brew a potion strong enough to find the dead.”
Derek watched what his mother was doing from over her shoulder as Jonah and Belinda rested on the sofa.
“There’s a bunch of dead people around here,” Jonah said. “This being a cemetery. How’re you going to limit the potion to Jessica?”
“I tore out some of her hair during the fight.” She patted the pocket of her dress. “I’ll have to go back to my house to work on it. The ingredients are there.”
“I’m coming with you,” Jonah said.
“No,” Eliza said. “You both need to eat something and get some rest. Once we find Jessica, you’ll need your strength.”
“How do we know you won’t betray us again? Start working with Jessica?” Jonah asked.
Derek stepped forward. “I’ll go with my mama.”
“What good will that do?” Belinda frowned. “You won’t be able to stop her if she does something.”
“Do you really think Jonah could stop me if that’s what I wanted to do?” Eliza asked, shaking her head. “No. I’m not gonna work with Jessica. That madness is gone from me.”
“I can at least watch her,” Derek said. “I could warn you if she does something off.”
“She’d need to take your ornament with her,” Jonah said. “It’s dangerous. The ornament could break.”
“Please, man,” Derek whispered. “I wanna spend time with my mama even if she can’t see me.”
Emotion clogged Jonah’s throat as he explained things to Eliza. Her eagerness to take Derek with her even though she couldn’t see her son touched a place in Jonah he didn’t want to explore. The love of mother for son reminded him of what he’d lost when his own parents died. And that emotion brought his gut-destroying guilt at the knowledge that he’d freed their killer.
Eliza departed with her son in tow, and Jonah turned to Belinda. “Are you hungry?”
“God, no.” Belinda’s face twisted into a grimace. “I don’t think I could keep anything down right now, but I’d love to have a shower.”
“I’d love that, too,” Jonah said.
Belinda chuckled and he realized he might’ve insinuated that he wanted to join her.
“I didn’t mean…I smell of smoke so I need a shower, too.”
“I know what you meant.” She waved away his embarrassment.
“The bathroom is through the bedroom,” he said with a nod.
As the water ran, Jonah stood beside his bed and struggled not to think about Belinda naked and wet. His failure was both sweet and painful at the same time. Looking down at the giant erection straining against the zipper of his jeans, Jonah grumbled, “Do you not understand there’s a quasi-zombie running around? Now’s not the time.”
Ten minutes later, Belinda emerged from the steamy bathroom wearing only a towel and he grew even harder.
“Can I borrow a T-shirt while I wash these clothes?” she said. “I could always run home and get something, but—”
“Are you crazy?” Jonah stormed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her a little. “Jessica could be lurking out there anywhere. I’m not letting you out of my sight until Jessica is no longer a threat.”
Belinda cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry. I was just making a bad joke.”
Jonah pulled her into a tight hug. “Don’t scare me like that.”
Her arms squeezed him in return. “I’m not leaving you. Don’t worry.”
He exhaled against her temple. “Okay, then.”
They held each other for a few moments.
“Um, Jonah?” Belinda broke the silence.
Shit. Given the closeness of their bodies, there was no way she could’ve missed his boner.
Reluctantly he let her go, but couldn’t meet her eyes as they drew apart. Turning around, he went to the dresser and dug around in its top drawer before handing her an oversized black tee. That shirt represented the closest thing to a burka he owned. He needed her covered and covered as much as possible before he humiliated himself by grabbing her for more than a hug.
“Here.” He thrust the shirt at her, rushing to speak before she could say any more. “I’m gonna shower now.”
“Jonah, I—”
He shook his head and strode determinedly to the bathroom. “There’s clean sheets on the bed. You get some rest. I’ll take the sofa.” The bathroom door closed between
them with a decided click.
* * * * *
Belinda stared at the bathroom door for a few seconds as she considered whether to break it down and jump Jonah’s bones. She knew he wanted her. The massive bulge in his pants told her that.
“Dammit,” she yelled at the empty room. She should’ve planted a kiss on him while they were hugging, when she’d felt Jonah hard against her. Her surprising orgiastic feelings in the midst of the whole undead serial killer on the loose thing shocked her so much she didn’t act on her feelings fast enough. Before she could even say anything, he’d moved faster than a trucker with a plate of fries, running for safety. Obviously, he thought he was being a gentleman or some such ridiculous shit.
After some rustling noises in the bathroom, the shower turned on.
She’d seen Jonah a few times without his shirt, so imagining him under the spray of the shower, the water running off his rippling muscles was far too easy. His hand running soap over his body over his broad chest, along his strong thighs, over his stomach and then lower—
With a long groan, Belinda squeezed her thighs together but found no relief for the ache pulsing between them. After dropping the towel, she pulled the black T-shirt over her head, and its hem dropped almost to her knees. She could’ve fit two of herself in this thing.
Ha-ha. This is some sexy nightie, she thought. Perfect for seduction.
On the upside, the neckline hung low, giving her some serious cleavage, and her nipples standing at points under the thin fabric no doubt would give Jonah the hint that she was in lust with him.
Who was she kidding? She wasn’t just in lust. She genuinely loved Jonah. How had he come to be so vital to her so quickly? Their relationship was so new, they hadn’t even had sex yet.
Sex.
Crap. Every thought circled back to the giant horny elephant in the room.
Now is not the time, girl, she told herself. Quit thinking about your kooch.
On the other hand, they could be dead tomorrow. Maybe this would be the only chance they had to be together.
Glancing around the room, she noticed the grandparents’-guest-room decor. Nothing about the room said twenty-year-old man, or even teenage boy. Just the bare minimum furniture: full-sized bed with oak spindle headboard and covered in a patterned quilt. Bedside tables with matching orange lamps. A tall dresser with white crochet doily on top—-a doily for god’s sake. And the artwork on the walls ranged from a flower arrangement still life to an embroidered sampler.
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