Touch of Shadow

by April Aasheim

  “A little help, Baylee?” Alex called. He was on the ground now, with Nick looming above him. I grabbed the pack on Nick’s back, pulling so hard I broke it open. For the first time, I saw one of Nick’s memories:

  “This is really bad.” Garett ran both hands through his thick hair. He was staring at Elmer’s lifeless body, draped over the love seat in his office. “How did you get him in here? Never mind, I don’t want to know. Is he dead?”

  “Yes. I think so,” Nick answered calmly. “One of those creatures scared the life out of him, literally. How in the hell do we get rid of these things? We can’t keep locking them away at The Whispering Pines forever, at least not with Rachel staying there. They smell that kid of hers. We should move her.”

  “Where? They’ll find her anywhere in this dinky town. Hell, they followed her across an ocean. I wish she’d never sent Audrey that seed. She ruined everything.”

  “I gave her the tea,” Nick said. “It’s in God’s hands now.”

  “Good. We definitely can’t afford a scandal. If the law catches on, they’re not going to turn the other cheek like Elmer did. And if by some miracle Gravedigger Gus gets elected, he’s going to look into all of this - The failing businesses. The missing money. The wills. Elmer was our ticket to pulling it all off. And without him, I have to take office.”

  Nick rubbed his temple, a migraine coming on. “We’ll also make sure that seed is destroyed. One way or another, Audrey will not have the baby.”

  Garett paced the office, his eyes lingering on the dead mayor. “Call an ambulance while he’s still warm. People have heart attacks all the time. Let’s just play it cool.” He slapped his face with the pads of his fingers, as if trying to wake up. “I need to be alone for a while. This is bad PR at a really bad time.”

  Garett left, leaving Nick to clean up the mess alone.

  Nick looked down at Elmer. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That tea was meant for your wife, not you. It’s too bad.”

  He gave Elmer a final look, then called emergency services.

  I held the loose backpack strap in my hand. Nick stopped lifting himself off my brother, turning to face me. His eyes locked onto mine, before drifting to where his brother and Audrey had been pulled into the ground.

  “You know,” he said simply.

  “Yes, I know.” I backed away, slowly. It all made sense now. I hadn’t seen Nick’s memories before – not because it was destiny – but because he was purposely blocking me. He had known about my talent, but his shield was down during his struggle with Alex. He had apparently learned a lot during his time with Ella. “What kind of tea did you give Audrey?”

  “Hemlock – a small dose. For most, it would be just enough to cause… problems.” Nick’s eyes were large and pleading as he advanced on me. “Baylee, I need you to believe me. It was an honest mistake. She gave her tea to Elmer that day. He was on our side. He was a friend.”

  Alex moaned on the ground behind Nick.

  “Don’t worry about your brother,” Nick said. “It’s just a nerve block and will wear off soon. It’s only uncomfortable if he tries to move. Where were we?”

  “You wanted to protect Garett from scandal.” I continued inching backwards, trying to keep my distance.

  “Exactly!” Nick snapped his fingers. “Just like I’ve always done. Ella wasn’t thrilled that our old man dumped us on her, and Garett was always getting into trouble, so I made him look good. Maybe too good.”

  He took another step forward. “That girl was going to draw attention we didn’t need. I didn’t want her to die, or her husband. I just wanted to undo what had already been done.”

  “Is that why Garett was at Yvette’s?” I asked.

  Nick laughed hoarsely. “He’d heard rumors that she had supplements that would induce a termination, but she refused to give him anything.”

  I didn’t want to hear any more, but I couldn’t just run away, not with Alex still on the ground. “Let us go, Nick.”

  “You’ll tell on me. I see it in your mind.” He smiled wryly. “I don’t want to hurt you, Baylee. I want you to come with me. We are connected, you and I. You can feel that, can’t you?

  “We’ll clean out Garett’s bank account, and Audrey’s too, for that matter. Then we can travel the world. I understand how lonely it can be to have special abilities. I’ve felt that loneliness, too.”

  He reached forward and grabbed my hand, laying it on his heart. He wasn’t shielding himself this time, and I saw our collective memories: Meeting at The Little Tea Pot, the speed dating event, our dinner at The Lake House, our time at the Senior Center, and digging up treasures.

  He let my hand go and smiled. “See? See how good things could be between us?”

  “How dare you try to manipulate my emotions!” I raged. “And how dare you hurt Alex and do your brother’s horrible bidding! You’re a monster!”

  “Don’t call me a monster!” Nick’s jaw clenched, sliding from front to back. He seemed to double in size. As he reached with both hands to grab me, Alex lunged forward, ramming his legs from behind.

  Nick fell and I ran.

  I wasn’t sure where to go. Even with the changelings gone, the woods were dark and frightening. I raced toward where I’d left Dave. “Help!” I called out. Soon, I heard Nick’s footsteps pounding behind me.

  Nick grabbed me, roughly turning me to face him. “I need you to know that I’m not a bad guy!” he said. “It’s important that you know that.”

  He mashed his mouth hard against mine. As our lips met, I saw everything he had ever done, felt, experienced. All the loss, pain, and loneliness that he hid.

  “Let me go!” I cupped his chin with my hand and pushed him away. I didn’t like touching him – the real Nick was poison.

  “Not until you understand! I need to make you understand!”

  “Understand this!”

  A tall shadow appeared behind Nick. And then the hoe cracked down on his head. He dropped to the ground like a rag doll.

  “Gus!” I hugged him even as I shook.

  “Didn’t think I was gonna leave you out here alone, did you? Don’t worry about him. He’s not dead. He’ll just have a headache when he wakes up, but that won’t be for a while.”

  Gus and I quickly returned to my brother. I was surprised to see Deputy Markus there, along with Rachel and Dave. Alex was now standing, rubbing the back of his neck.

  I ran to my brother, kissing his cheek as hard as I could. “Thank you,” I said, wiping a splotch of dirt from his cheek.

  “I think I need to hit the weights,” Alex answered.

  “He didn’t believe me at first,” Gus said, nodding towards the deputy. “Probably still don’t believe it now, especially since the changelings are gone.”

  I joined Deputy Markus, who was puzzling over the spot where Audrey and Garett had disappeared. There was no sign of anything now. The ground inside the Seed of Life appeared undisrupted. The deputy scratched his head. “As far as I’m concerned, no bodies, no crime. We’ll keep looking, though. Don’t take this personal, but why do people always seem to disappear around you?”

  “You can find Nick Reid that way,” I said, not bothering to respond. All the memories I had with Nick flooded through me, and I wondered if any of them were honest. “He killed the mayor with hemlock tea meant for Audrey Beane.”

  As Markus headed off behind his flashlight beam, I went to Dave. He was now standing alone, his face drawn and white. For the first time in days, Little P was not in his arms.

  “Rachel’s leaving,” he said, nodding towards his ex-wife, who was standing some distance away. “She can’t be talked out of it, either. She says I can’t keep her safe. Hell, maybe she’s right. If I honestly thought I could, I would fight harder.”

  “She doesn’t want you to go with her?” I asked.

  “No. Turns out she’s still married to the kid’s father. In name, anyway.” He yawned wide, weariness registering all over his face. “I’m gonna
go. I need to process everything. I still can’t comprehend what just happened. I’m hoping I’ll wake up tomorrow and it will be a bad dream.”

  I hoped that for him, too.

  “Need a ride back?” Gus asked us.

  “No,” Dave said. “I’m just gonna walk.”

  Alex hobbled over, his legs wobbling. He rubbed his jaw and then his neck. “Does our insurance cover Vulcan death grips?” he asked.

  Markus emerged from the woods, confusion clouding his face. “Are you sure Nick Reid was back there? Or did those Faery vines of yours eat him, too?”

  “I subdued him myself,” Gus said with pride.

  “Well, he’s gone now.”

  Epilogue

  (One Week Later)

  “Thanks for taking a walk with me,” I said to Dave. “I needed to bolster my courage. Even after everything we’ve seen and been through, I think this scares me most of all.”

  Dave took a small apple from a drooping bough along our route. “Mortality is a frightening thing. Seeing our elders pass is a potent reminder of how frail we are – and how fast life goes by.”

  He ate the apple in four bites, then tossed the core into a field of weeds. He dropped his head, and I knew he was thinking about Rachel and Little P.

  “They get back okay?” I asked.

  “Yep. Smooth flight. She’s staying with her aunt. I knew it wasn’t going to work out with us, but I guess I just wanted to believe. I’m getting older, and the thought of going through life and dying alone freaks me out.”

  “My parents died together.” I said solemnly.

  “Too bad you can’t ask them if that was of any comfort.” As we neared the cemetery gate, he pushed his hands into his pockets. “I wish I hadn’t gotten so attached.”

  I knew he wasn’t only referring to Rachel.

  “You’re going to be a great dad one day,” I said. “And Rachel’s going to break the Fae curse. She’s got a will of iron, excuse the pun. Little P is in good hands.”

  “I have a thing for strong-willed women, don’t I? How are you doing, by the way?”

  I knew he meant Nick.

  “We didn’t date long enough to form any permanent attachment,” I said. “But somehow I still got attached anyway. It felt good to feel a connection with someone again. I think what I really liked, in retrospect, is that he made me feel young and free – like anything was possible.”

  “You are young, and as free as you want to be.” Dave lifted my chin, giving me a gentle smile.

  “I suppose you’re right,” I said. “It’s all in your perspective, isn’t it? I mean, compared to me, you’re an old, old man.”

  “I’m only six months older than you.”

  “But you are older.”

  “This should be a lesson to us,” he said. “You can’t go back. Not to a younger self or to a younger relationship. We grow up for a reason.”

  “Not sure I agree entirely, but I understand the logic behind the sentiment.”

  “I’d better go. I’ve got to drop Fat Sam off with Ella, and then I’ve got a bit of pining to do.” Dave jiggled the black iron keys in his cupped hand. “Don’t worry. Little P will be fine without these. Our new mayor is shipping him a baby pitchfork.”

  He got in the truck and drove away.

  I took a deep breath, steeling myself. Am I ready for this?

  The gate to the cemetery was latched. I lifted the lever. My chest constricted as I stepped inside. Now, in the sunshine, I was able to see the maple leaves and acorns covering the ground.

  I read each headstone that I passed, now with new reverence.

  Devoted Wife and Mother

  War Vet and Father

  Nurse of Mercy

  Those few words conveyed so little, and yet everything, if you paid attention. What would my own stone say?

  I eventually came to her grave. “Hello, Mom,” I said, standing before the stone that had no date:

  Vivi Bonds

  Eternally young

  Wife and Mother

  “I’m sorry I never made it out here.”

  I reached into my wool coat and removed a skinny bundle of flowers, purchased at a cart in town. I laid them on her plot, then traced the letters that made up her name. Vivi.

  “You were a good mother. I hope you know that.”

  “Thank you, pumpkin.” My mother’s spirit appeared by my side. “I never made it out here, either.”

  “It all goes so fast,” she continued wistfully, “and you never know when it’s going to end. But hopefully, you will make the most of the ride while it lasts.”

  She stared at her headstone, silently mouthing the engraved words. “Why didn’t they mention my fashion sense. Or my humor. Or even my cooking? How will anyone know about these things?” Mom fussed, frowning.

  “Because we’ll let them know.”

  A single red rose appeared in Mom’s hand. She inhaled it deeply, then set it delicately on her grave. “Goodbye, Vivien,” she said.

  “Let’s head back,” I said. As we made our way to the gate, I spotted Kela. She was dressed in black, kneeling at a freshly dug grave. “What are you doing?” I asked. She nodded. It was Clara’s tombstone.

  “You were a good friend to her,” I said.

  Kela nodded, sniffling into a Kleenex. “Goodbye, Clara,” she said, putting a crisp ten-dollar bill in front of the stone, weighing it down with a little rock.

  The three of us made our way back to The Aunt-Tea-Query. As we reached the porch, my phone went off.

  You have been Switched!

  “Kela!” I growled.

  “I’m on it!” she promised, hurrying inside.

  I stayed on the porch with Mom. “Now that you’ve had time to think about it, do you know what your purpose is yet?”

  “It’s definitely not helping Alex learn to cook,” she laughed. “But he’s making progress.”

  “I was thinking of cleaning up your old workshop and tinkering a bit. Study all those books, try my hand at scrying, learn to shield myself better. I could use some extra guidance. You’d be doing me a huge favor.”

  “Are you asking me to be your assistant?”

  “I was thinking more of a consultant-“

  “I’ll take it! Oh, I’m so excited! We’re going to have so much fun! Oh, Bay Leaf! You’ve made me so happy!”

  Mom fizzled out, overflowing with giddiness, and I wondered what I had just gotten myself into. But I also smiled, now understanding how lucky I was to still have her with me.

  I went inside, hanging up my coat and hat. I could hear Alex fighting with his mixer in the kitchen, Mr. B likely at his feet.

  “You know,” Alex called out to me through the café. “I’ve been thinking… since our scones were such a hit with the changelings, maybe we could market them as pet treats?”

  Mr. B yowled at the suggestion, then ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

  “I’ll figure something out to make money,” Alex said, appearing in the doorway.

  “We don’t have to,” I said, excited to give him some good news. “Gus is giving you that Senior Center contract. He says you can make anything you want. Let’s stay away from the scones, for now.”

  Alex grinned, and immediately headed back to the kitchen, eager to get started.

  I made my way to my office, where Kela was working at my computer.

  “What?” she asked defensively? “I was just deactivating you.”

  I took a moment to appreciate my family. Beneath their quirks and idiosyncrasies, and even chaos, there was love. And I knew that I was far luckier than I had previously thought myself. And far less alone.

  Kela left a few moments later, and I locked the door behind her. The best way to maintain that love, I’d found since moving home, was to keep some distance.

  The bag of clothes was still sitting there. I remembered it was where I’d seen the match to Rachel’s glove. Were her clothes in there, too? Or maybe they belonged to her estranged husband
? At this point, did I even want to know?

  No. I decided I was done with other people’s secrets for a while. I was going to concentrate on myself for now. I’d have Kela donate the bag to a women’s shelter.

  The Book of Shadows and A Brief History of Goblins were sitting on my desk. Reading alone was a luxury I hadn’t had lately. I smiled, picking up the spell book, and then melted into my chair.

  I opened the book, to find it bookmarked by a white envelope, in the chapter on love spells. My name was handwritten across the front. The ink was new.

  I didn’t need my abilities to know who it was from.

  With shaking hands, I opened it.

  A fresh bay leaf dropped out, along with a small note, written on a scrap of paper: You may be needing this.

  As soon as I read the words, the letters vanished. Magickal ink.

  It had to have been left sometime today. Even so, I sensed Nick was long gone. Strangely enough, I didn’t take it as a threat. Whatever I had told myself about my feelings for Nick before, it was all a lie. We were connected… somehow. And I knew he’d be return to Reed Hollow, sooner or later.

  But that thought was for another day. I crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the wastebasket. I was another decade older, and my future was filled with promise.

  There was a sharp knocking on my door, followed by Mom passing through the wall into my office. “You may want to get out there. Kela just poured laundry detergent in the dishwasher and its bubbling all over the kitchen. And Alex is arguing with Gus over the quality of our tomatoes. Can you hurry?”

  I closed the book and sighed, pocketing the envelope. Yes, life was filled with possibilities, all of them looming before me.

  But the future is always ahead of us, and if we aren’t careful, we’ll miss the real joy found in the chaos of our every day lives.

  Also by April Aasheim

  Baylee Scott Mysteries:

  Touch of Light (2017)

  Touch of Shadow (2018)

  Touch of Silver (Coming 2019)