by Nova Nelson
I met his gaze, then I called out to Bloom. “Deputy Culpepper is gone.”
The sudden attention of the crowd was stifling, but I kept my eyes on the sheriff.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“He… there was another portal. He stepped through it. Both he and Eva went through to close it. And it worked.”
The wave of sadness in Bloom’s blue eyes was unmistakable, even from this distance. But she raised her chin and replied, “That sounds about right for him.”
I almost laughed. I was that exhausted, I guess.
Then, quieter, she said, “Well, I guess it all falls to me to clean up this mess.”
“Eva’s gone?” hollered a deep voice from the back of the crowd. I turned to find Darius Pine in disbelief. He made for me and the people stepped aside to let the powerful werebear through. He stopped only a foot away and asked, “What do you mean? She’s not… dead, is she?”
I could feel Donovan’s jealousy coming off him in waves, but thankfully he said nothing.
“No. She’s fine. They’re in her old world, actually. My old world.”
It took a moment for the words to settle in, then without saying another thing, he cut toward Bloom, climbed up next to her and addressed the crowd himself. “Werebears, we’re staying until this is cleaned up. Who would we be if we let two witches sacrifice themselves to keep us safe and then pretended it was someone else’s problem? If a single one of you leaves the Emporium before it’s back to the way it was, you’ll have to answer to me. And werewolves, I know I can’t tell you what to do, but our people have a long history. We’ve stood beside you when you asked, and I hope you’ll return the favor now.”
When a series of howls followed, I guessed some sort of pact had been formed.
Stella Lytefoot flew up to attend to Springsong, but the High Priestess swatted at her to stay away and crawled to her feet. She was badly bleeding, and her hunter green robes were mostly maroon now. Mayor Esperia scrambled over to help her stand.
“I’m afraid I’ll need some time off from my regular duties,” Springsong said, “during that time, all Coven members are to do whatever is asked of you by Sheriff Bloom. But today, you listen to me: stay and clean. A great imbalance has been thwarted, but only just. Now’s the time to restore peace. Work alongside your fellow townspeople, and remember we’re all united by what happened today. Two of our kind were lost to this world, and we will not dishonor their memory.”
She cringed and mumbled something to the mayor, and then the two women slowly left, Stella close behind, to tend to Springsong’s wounds.
Bloom watched them go, an eyebrow arched. She didn’t look entirely displeased, though this was clearly not how she’d imagined things would go. “Okay,” she said, addressing the crowd, “I guess we’re staying. Let’s get to work.”
“Are you gonna be okay?” Landon asked from my right. He was addressing both Donovan and me.
“Probably not,” said Donovan.
“Yeah, not for a while, at least,” I added.
Landon cringed.
“Don’t worry,” I said, “you’re free to go check on Grace. And if anyone gets onto you about leaving, I’ll… I don’t know, learn how to do hexes finally and then hex them.”
He nodded, and then, surprising me, lunged forward and threw his arms around my neck. I didn’t even have time to react and return the hug before he had already let go, done the same to Donovan, and hurried off.
I turned to the last remaining member of our broken circle. “I guess we might as well get to cleaning up.”
“Oh, don’t be silly dear,” came Ruby’s voice from behind me. “You two have done enough.” Just before she stepped over a long slimy thing on the ground, it stirred and she kicked it hard in what may or may not have been its head. It went still again, and she stepped over it. “Come, come.” She waved us to her. “If anyone gets an exemption from this, it’s you two. How about some tea? I don’t believe for a second the spirits are going to listen to Bloom—after all, they never listen to anyone—so we might as well rest our nerves where it’s safe.”
As she led us back to her house, she said, “I suppose you figured it all out, then?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Unfortunately, we did. Nature’s balance is restored.”
She blew a raspberry. “Oh pooh on that. There was never any doubt in my mind that nature’s balance would be restored. The universe sees to that one way or another.” She paused, turned to inspect us, then added. “Ah, well, we have plenty of time for philosophy later. Now’s more the time for a calming tea. Spiked, of course. How does that sound?”
“I’ll take two,” said Donovan drearily, and we trudged the rest of the way to Ruby’s.
Chapter Nineteen
Donovan didn’t hold back on Ruby’s offer of strong drinks. Seated next to me at the parlor table, he downed his first hot toddy while it was still practically scalding and gladly accepted another from her before doing the same.
It wasn’t until his third that he started to actually sip it.
I was still on my first, though nearing the end, and the calming effects of the whiskey were starting to settle in. All that did, though, was make me want to cry.
No, Nora! It doesn’t matter how bad things are. You will not be the girl who drinks one whiskey and starts crying!
I searched the room for Grim to make sure he hadn’t overheard my self-talk while I was exhausted and my mental boundaries weren’t great. But he wasn’t anywhere to be found. “Grim?” I looked at Ruby. “Did he go upstairs? Or is he out on the porch?”
Was I really in such a state that I’d lost track of my familiar? I didn’t even know when I’d last seen him. He’d left the Deadwoods with us, and I was pretty sure he’d made it all the way to the Emporium…
Just then, something thunked against the front door twice, and Ruby answered the door. There stood Grim. He didn’t look too happy about the cat riding on his back.
It wasn’t Monster, though we would need to go check on Tanner’s munchkin cat before long, but rather Gustav.
Donovan’s familiar jumped down from Grim, apparently in an equal hurry to put some distance between them. The gray furball immediately leaped into Donovan’s lap and curled up.
“Good boy,” Ruby whispered, patting Grim subtlety on the head.
I wasn’t so ready to reward him, though. “How did you get into Donovan’s house?”
“I didn’t break down the door, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“That’s exactly what I’m wondering.”
“Ezra helped me.”
“Helped you break in, you mean?”
“If you want to frame it in such a negative way, sure. But it doesn’t look like Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome is complaining about having his little twerp of a sidekick with him now.”
I glanced at Donovan who was petting Gustav adoringly.
“Even when you’re a good boy, you somehow manage to be a bad dog.”
“Sorta my thing,” he said before flopping down in his usual place by the fire.
Ruby went ahead and brought over the kettle with the tea, lemon, and honey already mixed in then set a large bottle of whiskey down next to it.
She settled in at one of the open chairs. “It’s not going to get any easier tonight, so you might as well make yourself right and tipsy and cry it out into your pillows. Nothing else for it.”
When Donovan’s third cup was halfway done, he grabbed the whiskey bottle and used it to fill his cup back to the top.
Wow, he was really taking her advice to heart.
“Maybe hold up on finishing that one, though,” she said. “There’s a little bit of business to tie up first.”
She shut her eyes and as she opened them again, two ghostly figures appeared in the parlor.
I felt the toddy try to crawl its way up my esophagus. These were the last two spirits I wanted to see right now.
And, boy, did they look shocked to see me
.
“Ah,” said Dean Culpepper. “We, um…” He turned to Ruby. “We’ve been feeling the early stages of a pull back into the afterlife, and we assumed that meant the balance had been restored.”
“It has,” Ruby said.
Aria’s eyes kept darting to me. “But, uh, well, we just thought it might require…”
“Nora going through the portal?” It was Donovan who said it, and I didn’t miss the slight slur to his speech. “Nope. Turns out not.”
Dean nodded. “Well, that’s good. I certainly wasn’t hoping for that outcome, it just seemed like it might be the necessary measure.”
“Wait,” I said, feeling the resentment overpower the indigestion. “You suspected I would have to return to my old world to fix things? And you were okay with that?”
“Of course we weren’t,” snapped Aria. “But we also weren’t okay with a war breaking out here. It’s not like your world is so terrible. Strange, yes. A bit boring without any magic, but not a terrible place.”
What I’d wanted to say was that it was good she thought that, seeing as her only son was now stuck there until he died. But I didn’t have the heart.
“How’d you manage it?” asked Dean.
This was the last thing I wanted to be doing right now. I had hardly begun to process the loss myself, and now I had to tell his parents?
But then Donovan saved me the trouble. “Eva and Tanner went through the portal instead. It closed behind them. They’re gone.”
Dean’s brows furrowed, and Aria’s lips parted as she clutched at her chest. “What do you mean?”
“They jumped through. I don’t know how else to explain it. Eva went first, then Tanner went after her. Then it shut.”
“Who’s Eva?” Dean asked.
“My girlfriend,” Donovan spat. His voice wavered slightly. “Ex-girlfriend now, I guess.” He took a long sip.
“But like you said,” Ruby interjected, “it’s not like your son is dead. He’s just in a boring new world. And he’s with Eva, who’s a native. I’m sure she’ll keep him perfectly safe.”
She might do more than that, I thought with a sharp pang in my stomach.
No, I couldn’t go there yet.
The Culpeppers seemed speechless. And then they started to fade.
“Looks like your work here is done,” Ruby said. “Great to see you two again. You were truly missed after your passing, and you’ll be missed again. Enjoy eternal peace.” She waved goodbye to them, and then they were gone.
I should have said something to them, but I hadn’t the least idea what. I was sure, once my own sadness and anger had subsided, I would feel for them, but not yet.
Donovan slammed the rest of his drink and shooed Gustav off his lap. “I’d better get going.” But when he tried to stand, it took multiple attempts, and he had to use the table to balance himself.
I cast Ruby a worried glance and she shrugged.
“Here,” I said, jumping up and following him toward the door, “I’ll walk you home.”
He waved that off. “Don’t do that. We both know you’ll end up coming inside and staying over.”
I felt my cheeks flush and a knot form in my belly. Ruby stifled a giggle behind us. “Not true,” I protested lamely.
I settled for walking him to the porch and shutting the door behind us once Gustav made it through.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked.
He planted his feet on the old wooden boards just before the steps and turned to face me. “Probably not. You?”
“Nope.”
It looked like he was holding his breath, and he didn’t make to leave yet. There was something on his mind. And a second later, it came spilling out. “I’m such a jerk,” he breathed. “I spoke with her before the faire like you suggested. Asked her what was bothering her. She said she was homesick. She missed her grandma. She missed New Orleans. She said she didn’t feel like she had a place here. And you know what I said?” He scoffed scornfully. “I basically told her to get over it. I said she did belong here and maybe the reason she didn’t feel like she did was because she was still holding on to her old life. I said, ‘Look at Nora. If a Fifth Wind can make a place for herself in this town, you can. But you got to let go of your old life. Like Nora has.’”
He dragged a hand down his face. “I practically goaded her to leave, didn’t I? I drove her through that portal, and because of that, you’ve lost Tanner, too.”
“No,” I said, stepping closer. “You can’t take responsibility for that.”
“Bet I can.”
I put a firm hand on his shoulder and forced him to look at me. “I won’t let you.” Then I stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.
It was a moment before I felt him exhale and he wrapped his arms around me. I didn’t want the hug to end. It was a salve on the wounds of the day to know that at least I wasn’t alone in what I was feeling.
Donovan understood. As much as I hated to admit it, he’d always understood.
And he seemed to be thinking along the same lines when he whispered, “Maybe you should walk me home.”
I bit back a smile and pulled away. “No. I think you were right about what would happen.”
His blue eyes bore into me. “I know I was right. And I still think you should walk me home.”
I won’t lie. I considered it. I mean, I gave it some serious thought. I saw how the scene would play out. Two broken hearts trying to cling to the kind of connection we’d just lost. Raw, unbridled emotion. Long-standing tensions boiling over…
“Yes” would be the wrong answer. At least for tonight.
So, instead, I replied, “Might be kind of awkward if we’re both crying into your pillow.”
That earned a laugh, and he said, “True. I try to make as few women as possible cry in my bed.”
I grinned and stuck my hands into my pants pockets. “Good rule.”
He reached down and grabbed Gustav, then with one last nod, he made his way home.
Chapter Twenty
New Year’s Eve
I tossed Grim a half strip of bacon where he lay underneath the countertop at Medium Rare. I’d given up on his detox and had decided to make everyone’s life easier by keeping Mr. Goodboy happy. It was too bad having his mouth full didn’t keep him from talking to me.
“Monster wants some, too.”
I rolled my eyes, pulled off a little bite, and tossed it to the munchkin cat that lay snuggled up against Grim.
“She says to stop holding out on her.”
“Tell her if I feed her the same amount as you, she’ll end up your size.”
“I think that’s what she’s hoping for.”
“Fine, but good luck letting her ride on your back when she’s that fat.” I gave in and tossed her another quarter of the bacon, then I shoved the rest in my mouth before more lobbying could begin.
I did feel sorry for her. There wasn’t anything much sadder than a familiar without its witch. We’d taken her in, of course. I couldn’t imagine forcing her to live out the rest of her days at the Sanctuary. I knew Zoe Clementine would take good care of her, but the little thing wouldn’t get the personal attention she needed. And most importantly, Grim wouldn’t hear of it.
And maybe I wanted to keep a little of Tanner around.
Greta Fontaine, Ansel’s niece, sauntered up. The teenager had been back at work for two months, which was apparently long enough for her to feel comfortable giving me and everyone around her a little attitude. I didn’t mind. I was just glad her mother had gotten over whatever issues she had with her daughter working for a witch.
Greta dangled an empty tray by her side and said, “Queen Hyacinth wants to speak to the manager.”
Miraculously, I managed not to roll my eyes. “What is it this time?”
“What is it ever with her?” she said, and disappeared into the kitchen.
I took a quick nibble of my scrambled eggs, wiped my bacon-grease hands on my apron, and approache
d the Bouquets’ table.
My initial joy at seeing them return to the diner after their unofficial boycott quickly lost its shine when I remembered that Hyacinth was, well, Hyacinth. Sure, it was nice to see Eastwinders learning to coexist with others again, but that by no means meant everyone was suddenly easy to get along with.
“Good morning,” I said as I reached their table.
James Bouquet had his face buried in today’s edition of the Eastwind Watch. I glimpsed the front page headline that read, The Phoenix Rises Again: Environmental Victory or Public Menace?
The verdict was still out on that as far as I was concerned. Ted’s birds had proved useful when push came to shove, but I wasn’t sure how many more small fires around town they got to start before they officially overstayed their welcome.
Hyacinth dabbed a spot of jelly at the corner of her mouth with a napkin then said, “Good morning, Nora!”
“What can I help you with?”
She set a friendly hand on my arm, which I knew was more a tactic to keep people from walking away from her than a sign of genuine intimacy. “I just had to tell you how wonderful the food is today.”
I managed a smile. “Thanks. I’ll pass that along to Anton.”
There was a zero percent chance that was actually why she’d called me over, but I pretended not to let on.
“Also,” she began, lowering her voice. “I’m wondering if you’ve heard anything recently about who they’re hiring to fill the new deputy position. I heard they might be looking at a new witch for it, but I think an elf would do a wonderful job.”
“I’m sure I don’t know anything about that. After all, I don’t work for the sheriff’s department.”
“Oh, but you’re always speaking with Stu. I figured he’d drop some hints. And you know I’d never tell anyone.” She winked conspiratorially.
“If I knew, I’d tell you,” I lied. “Can I get you some more coffee?”
James nodded without looking up from the paper, and when Hyacinth declined, I hurried away, wishing that she would go back to hating witches so she’d stop coming in here and callously asking me questions that drew my mind back to the one person I was trying too hard not to think about.