by Amy Boyles
I blinked through the pain and focused on Gabby. She toddled over to me as Vordrid shifted back into his Magic 8 Ball form and drifted over to us.
“You can be whatever you want,” I said to Vordrid.
“Later,” he replied. “This is how you and Gabby know me. I’ll worry about my form another time.”
Gabby patted my head and said, “It’s okay, Mommy.”
I inhaled. A last surging pain fluttered through my body, and several seconds later it was gone. I pushed myself to my knees and pulled Gabby into me.
“Are you okay?” I said.
“I’m okay, Mommy,” she said in her sweet baby voice.
I kissed her forehead. I didn’t feel any more magic coming from her. Vordrid settled down beside me.
“What happened?” I said. “How did you end up here?”
Vordrid cleared his throat with the authority of an expert. “The demon manifested back at the church. You helped us trap it. We were then able to discover its plan.”
I quirked a brow. “You were able to hold it?”
“We were with the help of a little magic.”
“Wow,” I said. “Who was that thanks to?”
“Guess,” he said.
“Dex?”
“No.”
“Stone, then.”
“No.”
I took a wild gander and said, “Dot?”
“Correct.”
My jaw opened. “No.”
Vordrid bobbed up and down. “She remembered a demon holding spell and used it.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Dot just happened to remember it?” I rose, brushing dust off my pants. “I’m sure she knew it all along.”
“Andie, now, now.”
I shrugged. “How do we get out of here?”
“Hold tight,” he said.
Vordrid wrapped a cocoon of magic around me and Gabby. A moment later we were back at the church. The supernaturals stood on the lawn, tensed and ready. The townsfolk were mingled with them, also looking ready for a fight.
Crap. I’d forgotten about the showdown.
Vordrid settled us in the middle of them. Stone was the first one over.
“Andie,” he said, coming over and wrapping me in a bear hug. “Thank goodness you’re safe.”
I pulled him to me. It felt good to be in his arms. “What’s going on?”
He released me from his hold and glanced into the crowd. “Once the people realized we were all fighting on the same side, meaning against the demon, the townspeople joined us. All of them.”
My gaze drifted over the crowd. They weren’t holding pitchforks or blazing torches, but the people looked poised and ready. A smile splashed across my face as I realized the people of Normal had stepped up to help us.
Sheriff Terry Terry broke through. “Got calls that the supers in town needed some help. These good people here wanted to make sure that y’all got the assistance you needed.” He patted down his salt-and-pepper hair. “Looks like they were ready to help in your time of need.”
“I’m so grateful to y’all,” I called out. “Thank you.”
Dot pushed her way through. “Andie! I knew you could do it! I knew you could destroy the book and defeat the lord vampire!” She fluffed her pink hair and gave me a hug. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“I always knew you could do it, but how?” she said.
I raked my fingers through Gabby’s angel-soft hair. “Gabby did it. She manifested that static electricity type of magic and destroyed the lord vampire. Gabby was involved. She saved us all from him.”
Dot took a good long look at my daughter. My great-aunt then ran her fingers over Gabby’s arms. “Not sure how she did it, but it also appears that Gabby’s power has gone back into remission.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Remission?”
Dot poked the air. “Exactly. The spell must’ve taken quite a lot out of her. That’s not unheard of. I would think this would be the best news you’ve had all year.”
I nodded. It was a relief. Now I didn’t have to worry about my daughter working crazy spells in public anymore. It was the best news I’d received in ages.
“But how did you keep the demon trapped?” I said to Dot.
She shrugged. “I used a little bit of honey on a stick. Demons can’t resist a taste.”
I rolled my eyes. “What about the children? How are they?”
Dot spit on her hands and rubbed them together. “The children all have their power, including Jonas. We were able to get it back from the creature.”
“Speaking of the creature, where is he?” I said.
“Patsy?” Dot said. “In the netherworld. Somewhere in the sky and beyond. Dex sent it back.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Dex? Is he okay?”
“I’m right here,” came the voice from behind me. I closed my eyes, said a little prayer and turned around.
Thick amber waves of hair haloed his golden skin. Blue eyes flared when they saw me. His alabaster coloring had vanished. In its place was a man who was flesh, blood and absolutely mortal.
He spread his arms wide. “What do you think? Like my new look? I’m thinking of calling it business casual.”
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Come here and kiss me.”
Dex’s lips curled, revealing regular old canines. Boy, was he a sight for sore eyes. “Gladly,” he whispered.
Dex cupped his hand behind my head, pulled me to him and kissed me like he’d been starved of me for about three years.
Which sounded about right.
TWENTY-TWO
Vordrid stayed for a few days. He remained in his Magic 8 Ball, even though he could have left at any time.
“Well,” I said to him after I’d made myself a morning cup of mocha with extra whipped, “what are your plans? What are you going to do?”
Vordrid bobbed up and down. “Andie, I’m going to see the other side for a while and rest. I’ve been around for over one thousand years. I could use a little R and R.”
I raised a mug to that. “That sounds perfect, Vordrid. But you’ll come back and visit every so often, won’t you?”
Vordrid rattled. “Of course. I have to see how Gabby’s growing, watch when her powers come back in. She may need some help—a mentor so to speak.”
I smiled. Speaking of, my little one toddled in a moment later. Amber curls swirled around her face as she said, “Mommy!”
“Gabby,” I said in greeting.
If she remembered anything from that night, I couldn’t tell. She didn’t talk about the lord vampire or wake up with any nightmares. That was for sure a blessing.
Dot floated into the room. “Andie, I’m glad to see you’re up.” She had a wide brimmed tangerine colored hat on as well as an orange colored blouse and pants.
I frowned. “Why are you all dressed up?”
Dot shrugged. “Don’t you know? I’m leaving.”
My mouth dropped to the floor. “Leaving?”
Dot rolled her eyes. “Don’t look so shocked. It was bound to happen. I was only staying for Gabby, but now her power has gone to sleep, and so you no longer need me. Besides, you have your own living to do.”
My brows pinched together as I narrowed my gaze. “When?”
The doorbell rang. Dot poked the air. “About right now, if you want to know.”
I followed her to the door. She opened it wide and there stood Chester, an oversized goose. He flapped his wings. Feathers fluttered into my living room.
“Oh, great,” I said. “I suppose the entire neighborhood can see this?”
Dot smiled like a cat who’d just eaten a mouse. “Of course. We’re supernatural in Normal, Andie. Anything goes here.”
Dot gave Gabby a big hug. “You take care of yourself little girl. Your mommy loves you. Vordrid, you coming?”
“Vordrid, are you going with Dot?”
Vordrid shot out of the 8 Ball. Gossamer streaks of cotton
whipped around the room. “For a while. Then I’m moving on. Andie, take care of that little girl.”
I knuckled a tear from my eye. “Have you said goodbye to everyone you wanted to?”
“Yes, I’ve already said goodbye to Dex.”
“Okay,” I mumbled. “Please visit.”
Vordrid wrapped me up in a spirit hug. He felt warm and smelled slightly of cinnamon. He rounded the room one more time and then left the house in a smear of white.
Dot threw a wave as she climbed on Chester’s back. The bird lifted off in a tornado of feathers and wind.
“There goes Mother Goose,” I said to Gabby. “For some reason, I feel rather grim.”
“Mother Goose,” she repeated.
I patted her head and shut the door. Everything was coming to an end. Dot was leaving, Vordrid. The next person would be—
A knock came from my back door.
I headed to the kitchen and saw Kate’s beaming face peering in through the glass. I motioned for her to come in.
She threw open the door, her cloud of dark curls trailing in behind her. “Andie!” She said, throwing her arms around me.
My mocha sloshed up the side of my cup. I steadied it, trying to stop any accidental spills. “You okay?” I said.
Kate pinned my shoulders and smiled. “I’m better than okay. I’m great! Andie, I think I’m in love.”
I beamed. “With Ron?”
She nodded enthusiastically. “He’s just great. I really like him.”
I gave her a quick hug. “That’s wonderful. Want a mocha to celebrate?”
“Nah. I just thought I’d stop by.” Kate glanced around the room, pausing. “It’s so quiet in here. I mean, besides Gabby.”
I pressed my toe into the mound of the other foot. “I know. Dot and Vordrid just left.”
“Wow,” she said. “That’s rough. What are you going to do now that it’s just you and Gabby?”
I shrugged. “Take it one day at a time I suppose.”
Someone tapped on the glass. I peered over Kate’s shoulder and saw Stone. My heart flip-flopped.
Kate smacked her lips. “Well, I guess that’s my cue to get going. Call me later, okay?”
I nodded. “Will do.”
She opened the door and gave Stone a quick hello. They slipped past each other like two ships sailing in the night.
Gabby greeted Stone when he entered. “Angel.”
I nodded. “Yes, angel.”
Stone wore a plain white t-shirt under a jacket and slim jeans. “Mind if I sit?”
I gestured for him to take a chair. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
He showed me his palm. “No thanks. I won’t be staying long.”
I backed up to the counter and rested my spine on it. “Okay,” I said slowly.
Stone shook his rockstar hair from his face. “Andie, first off, I want to say that I’ve learned a lot these past few months. Everything I thought about myself was questioned. It helped me understand my place in the world.”
I barked a laugh. “You and me both.”
His lips curled into a smile. “It’s never easy to face challenges about yourself, that’s for sure. But I want you to know that there’s a special place in my heart for you. I’ll always think about you and feel a little bit of jealousy that I can’t be with you.”
I crossed to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. As I stared into his silvery eyes a pang of sadness dinged my heart. “You’ll always have a place in my heart, too. Always. Please come and visit. Don’t disappear forever.”
He smiled. “I’ll try, but I’ve got to do what the big guys needs.”
“I understand.” I dipped my face for one last kiss.
Stone curled his fingers into my robe as our lips met. It was a chaste kiss. When we parted, I touched my forehead to his.
“You mean so much to us. We’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too. But you have someone else who’s looking out for you now. Someone who’s waited a long time to be in your life.”
I nodded and pulled back. Stone rose. He scooped Gabby into his arms and gave her a hug. “I’ll miss you, little girl. You be good.”
“Okay, angel,” she said.
He settled her back on the ground, gave me one last look and slipped out the door. I held back the tears that threatened to come. I’d really cared about Stone, but I understand why we couldn’t be together and I also understand that it was okay.
I’d be just fine.
It wasn’t until later that afternoon that I received my next visitor. By that time, I was at least showered and dressed, my third mocha of the day in hand. The doorbell only chimed once.
“Pizza?” Gabby said.
I laughed. “No. Not the pizza man,” I said.
I loaded her up on my hip and answered the door. Dex smiled. “Hey, sweetheart,” he said to Gabby. He ruffled her hair and she smiled at him.
“It’s good to see you in the sunlight,” I said.
He stretched his arms out. “It’s good to be in the sunlight.”
“Come on inside,” I said, opening the door wide so he could pass through.
“Wow,” he said. “It’s quiet in here.”
I nodded grimly. “It’s very quiet. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get used to it.”
I plopped Gabby down. She reached for Dex’s hand and said, “Daddy, come play.”
“First things first,” I said. “I wrapped my arms around Dex’s neck and gave him a kiss. The spicy smell of him trickled up my nose. Dex held me tight for a moment.
“She’s tugging pretty hard on my hand,” he said.
A bubble of emotion swelled inside me as I gazed into his eyes. “Then you’d better go play,” I said.
“Mommy, come play, too,” Gabby said.
She took my hand and led the two of us to a dollhouse. I crossed my legs and sat beside her. She handed one doll to Dex and another to me.
“I guess we’re supposed to play along,” I said, grinning.
Dex nodded. “Is that okay with you?”
“You mean, if we play like we’re a family?”
“Yeah,” Dex said. “I mean, we could do more than play at it. We could actually do it.”
I glanced from his hopeful face to Gabby’s. She mumbled to herself as she moved a doll along a bed.
“I think we are doing it,” I said. “We are a family.”
Dex leaned over and brushed my lips with his own. “Nothing would make me happier.”
As the three of us played dollies, my heart swelled with joy, because I realized there was nothing on earth that was going to make me happier, either.
Thank y’all!
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Also by Amy Boyles
SOUTHERN SINGLE MOM PARANORMAL MYSTERIES
The Witch’s Handbook to Hunting Vampires
The Witch’s Handbook to Catching Werewolves
The Witch’s Handbook to Trapping Demons
* * *
BLESS YOUR WITCH
SCARED WITCHLESS
KISS MY WITCH
QUEEN WITCH
QUIT YOUR WITCHIN'
FOR WITCH'S SAKE
DON'T GIVE A WITCH
About the Author
Amy Boyles grew up reading Judy Blume and Christopher Pike. Somehow, the combination of coming of age books and teenage murder mysteries made her want to be a writer. After graduating college at DePauw University, she spent some time liv
ing in Chicago, Louisville, and New York before settling back in the South. Now, she spends her time chasing two toddlers while trying to stir up trouble in Silver Springs, Alabama, the fictional town where Dylan Apel and her sisters are trying to master witchcraft, tame their crazy relatives, and juggle their love lives. She loves to hear from readers! You can email her at [email protected].
She can be found here:
www.amyboylesauthor.com
[email protected]