by Ruby Raine
William meandered to the other side of the kitchen near Charlie, his breathing strained.
Michael wasn’t ready to drop the subject. “Melinda, what’s going on?”
“It’s nothing, really,” she insisted again. “I already talked to William about it and we have it all sorted out, don’t we?” Her eyes pleaded with him not to tell.
“It is nothing of consequence,” William confirmed with ease.
“If William says they have it under control, I say we get going,” Charlie chimed in.
“The jeep is packed and ready,” Michael informed him.
“Let’s get moving then.”
“You two be careful, okay?” Melinda hugged each of them.
As soon as her brother’s jeep had left the garage and pulled away, William held out his hand motioning for Melinda to lead the way.
Their intention was to bump into Emily as she stopped for her morning coffee. Melinda ignored the people she crossed paths with, not in the mood for the local’s uncomfortable stares.
It was a tense walk. William just inches to her side. Normally, his presence would be a comfort. Today it was maddening. Why did he have to have such an appealing strut?
She tugged at her lip, trying to keep her heart beating at normal rhythm, forcing her hands deep into the pockets of her sweater.
He glanced down at her five foot three frame, his gaze narrow. Penetrating. Perplexed.
She gulped, her cheeks getting hot. She kept her gaze forward at that point, thankful he could only hear her heart, and not feel the reason it fluttered like crazy.
Damn it, Melinda! Get over the stupid dreams already! Just ahead, she saw Emily. Thank God. Good old predictable Emily...
Emily was stepping into the Wicked Muddy Café. They stepped in after her, hopping into the line, already filling up with caffeine-deprived early risers.
“Emily,” called out Melinda.
Emily’s lanky, dark auburn ponytail nearly took out three customers as she swung around to see who was calling her name.
“Melinda! William! What a nice surprise,” she greeted, moving back a few customers to stand with them. She gave Melinda a quick hug and allowed William to kiss her cheek, which turned rosy as she readjusted her glasses.
“It is always lovely to see your beautiful smile,” William told her.
“Isn’t he just the sweetest,” she replied. Her Georgian drawl seemed overly accentuated. “What brings you two out this morning? I can’t recall the last time I saw you both out this early.”
“We decided it was too nice a morning to have coffee at home,” Melinda lied, trying to catch a glimpse of Emily’s ring. It was hidden from view by the coffee mug and large purse Emily carried with her.
Emily eyed Melinda suspiciously. Since when did she ever want to go for coffee in a public place? She shrugged it off, happy to see her friends.
They arrived at the counter to order.
“Ah. Ms. Bookstore Manager. The usual?” the gruff looking woman behind the counter assumed.
“Predictable me,” Emily giggled, shrugging.
“Comin’ right up!” She glanced sideways shouting, “One wicked muddy, regular, crème horne, cut in half, don’t need a fork.” She grinned at Emily as she took her money. “You have a nice day now, Hun, ya hear?”
“Oh, you too, Grace,” Emily said with complete sincerity. “See you in the morning.” She grabbed her order, allowing William and Melinda to step up to the counter.
“I’ll have a wicked muddy coffee as well, please,” Melinda ordered politely. “But not regular, just cream, no sugar. And no crème horne. That much sugar and I’ll be trying to climb walls,” she tried to joke. “Not that I do that sort of thing,” she hastily rambled. “I mean, who could actually climb a wall?” Just shut it! Why do I try to converse with people?
The woman named Grace threw her an odd look and slapped down a paper cup filled with coffee so darkly colored that Melinda thought she’d need a cup twice the size to add enough cream to her liking.
“Cream’s over there.” Grace nodded toward the end of the counter.
“Oh, I just add it myself?” Melinda questioned, confused, since it had been added to Emily’s coffee for her.
“We find that people who don’t take it regular prefer to fix it themselves,” explained Grace. She walked away to grab another stack of paper cups.
“Okay then,” Melinda mumbled, heading to add her cream. When Grace returned, she asked William what he’d like to order.
“Nothing for me, thank you. Just the coffee for Ms. Howard if you please.”
Not even gruff Grace could ignore William Wakefield’s charms, whether he intended it or not. She blushed as she took William’s money and handed him back his change.
“Please keep the change, dear lady. Good day to you.”
“You don’t be a stranger now,” Grace called out as he and Melinda departed the store.
“See Melinda, you’re making friends with the locals already,” he whispered.
“Yeah, um, I’m pretty sure she meant you, William. Not me.”
He shrugged as they stepped outside, where Emily waited for them.
“Can we walk you to work this morning?” William asked her, holding out his arm. She took hold and giggled again.
A twinge of jealousy pinched at Melinda. William never offered his arm to her. He used to now and then when they’d patrol together at night. It was the only time she ever left the house, sometimes for weeks on end. He’d stopped though. She had trouble recalling just when.
Emily chirped a greeting to a passerby before asking, “What is Michael up to today?” Always her first question. Michael was such an idiot, thought Melinda. Emily was a catch.
“Exploring a cave with Charlie,” informed William.
“With Charlie. That’s great! Are they getting along better today? If I have to listen to Michael go on and on about Charlie this and Charlie that,” she stopped, biting her tongue.
“Don’t worry, Emily. We feel the same way,” Melinda retorted.
“To be honest,” began William, “they are researching a case for the sheriff. A man’s skeleton was discovered in a cave yesterday.”
“Oh. Well, that’s too bad, but maybe the time together will be good for them.”
“We can only hope,” Melinda agreed wholeheartedly.
“It’s just so nice to see you both,” Emily said with a happy sigh. “It’s the perfect start to my morning. Well, including this.” She grinned as if she’d just been caught doing something naughty, while holding up her crème horne bag. “Just can’t seem to get my gumption without my morning sugar fix.”
“Frankly, Emily, it’s sort of a relief to know you have a weakness. You’re too perfect!” claimed Melinda.
“Me? Perfect? Hardly,” she snickered.
Melinda wished she could have an ounce of the likeability Emily possessed. She always found it so easy to be around people as if they’d been friends her entire life.
“Here we are,” announced Emily, scrounging through her oversized purse for the key. A carved wooden sign hung out over the edge of the building. It read, Harboring the Book. Aptly named after the harbors that surrounded the town, and for being a haven for new and used books.
Twice, while searching for the key, Emily’s glasses fell off and into her bag, and once she had located the key, she dropped it. William’s astute movements caught it just before it slipped into a deep crevice in the pavement.
“Thank you, William. You move so fast. That must come in super handy.” She entered the store, leaving the door open so they could follow.
Emily Morgan knew all the secrets of the Howard family. About them being witches, about Michael’s ability to see how someone died, about William being a vampire, and about Melinda’s prophetic dreams. She even, at times, assisted with research on difficult cases.
Emily had moved, with her parents, to The Demon Isle from Savannah, Georgia, at the start of her senior year of h
igh school. She and Michael became fast friends, especially after her mother’s death just months after their move. This was followed by the Howard’s parent’s deaths, just a few months later.
After graduation, Emily left the island to attend college, but a year in, her father’s health had taken a toll for the worse and she returned home. The bookstore owner hired her as part-time help, and just a year and a half later decided to retire, leaving Emily to manage the store.
“Ah, the smell of books.” She let out a satisfied sighed, set down her belongings and turned to Melinda and William. “So what brings you out today? I’m guessing this isn’t just a social call. Do you need help with research for the case your brothers are working on?”
“Well, actually, we are here to see you, Emily,” Melinda admitted. “I wonder, would you mind if we took a look at your ring?”
“This ring?” Emily held out her hand. “Whatever for?”
William dashed over and grasped onto her hand, splaying her fingers, looking closely at the ring, searching for any clue as to its true purpose.
“I am afraid I have never seen a ring like this before.” William frowned, disheartened. “I had hoped upon closer inspection I would recognize it at once.”
“Well, what’s so important about my little ‘ole ring?”
Sudden comprehension stretched across Emily’s face. She pulled her hand away from William and stepped back, her eyes darting to Melinda.
“You had a dream about me, didn’t you?” Her tanned skin paled, taking on a sudden sickly appearance.
Melinda gulped. She would not be able to hide what she had seen from Emily. William handled the difficult part of explaining.
“Emily, it is true. Melinda has had a dream regarding you.”
“Everyone in your dreams always dies.”
“Please don’t panic, Emily! We think we already have a good lead on how to save you!” Melinda blurted out artlessly, her own panic mounting.
“Save me? This does not sound good at all.”
“Emily,” spoke William, gazing into her eyes assuredly. “We will not allow anything to happen to you.”
She didn’t speak, but rather nodded that she understood. She at least seemed less panicked. William took her warm hand, gently, into his cold hand, and inspected the ring again. “What can you tell me about this ring?” His voice was soothing and controlled so as not to cause additional concern.
“Nothing really. My dad gave it to me when I was a little girl. Told me never to take it off.”
“Did he ever tell you why you should never take it off?” inquired Melinda.
“I never asked. I just thought he didn’t want me to lose it, seeing as I do have a habit of losing things.”
“Emily, have you ever suffered from seizures of any kind?” Melinda questioned next.
“Seizures. Well, no. I can’t say that I’ve ever had a seizure. Why? Is that what happens to me? Do I have some kind of seizure?” They could hear the doom returning to her voice.
“I’m sorry, Emily. I really don’t know. The dreams, they are not always clear. But I am confident that it has something to do with your ring.”
“Here, then.” Emily started to slide it off her finger.
“Do not remove it!” said William emphatically. His tone calmed. “I fear it may not be safe for you to remove the ring, Emily.”
“Oh, okay,” she muttered in a daze.
“Now that I have properly inspected the ring, I have a good picture in my mind. It is all I require for research.”
“Which William is an expert at,” reminded Melinda.
“You know,” started Emily, scrunching her nose, as if trying to remember something. “Now that you mention seizures, I do remember my mom having one once. Oddly enough, it was just a few weeks later that my dad gave me this ring.”
“Your mother?” William repeated.
Melinda could practically see William’s mind racing through his vast stores of knowledge, hoping some bit of information would lead him in the right direction to solve this puzzle.
“Was your mother prone to seizures? Did she have them often?” Melinda prodded.
“I only remember the one time.”
A little ding sounded at the front of the shop.
“Oh dear, a customer.” Emily rushed off in a blaze. Melinda was impressed at how easily Emily seemed to put aside her fears and help the woman locate the book she was looking for, with a smile, as always.
While Emily was away, Melinda noted a familiar look spreading across William’s face. He was listening to something no human could hear.
“What?”
“Be right,” before she heard back, he sped away so quickly, no human eye could have seen him. A minute later, William returned to her side, as if he had never left.
“There is something in this bookstore,” he informed her. “Something not human. Something dead I do believe. We may need Michael’s assistance after all.”
“You mean, like a ghost?” Melinda clarified.
“I believe, yes.”
“Can Michael even read a ghost? There’s no body for him to touch.”
“I am unsure as he has never tried.”
“Okay. So do we focus on the ring, or the ghost?”
“Both,” answered William. “Perhaps this spirit has some interest in the ring? It might be the reason you did not see what was attacking Emily. I also think it necessary to have a chat with her father.”
“Okay,” agreed Melinda. “Should I try to reach Charlie and Michael?”
“Not yet. We will investigate first.”
William walked next to Melinda, at human speed, back to the front of the bookstore.
“Find anything?” asked Emily, alone again after her customer’s departure.
“Not really. Look, Emily,” said Melinda. “We’ve got some things to look into. Why don’t you just go about your day, try not to freak out, and call me on my cell if you think of anything that might help us figure out what’s so special about your ring.”
“And do not take it off,” reminded William, kindly.
“Yes, sir,” she saluted, attempting bravery. “I’ll just stay here,” she called after them as they left the store. In a small voice she whimpered, “and try not to think about the fact that you just told me I’m gonna die.”
THE JEEP BOUNCED AS Michael drove he and Charlie out of town, edging their way toward the outskirts of The Demon Isle. He made a turn toward the ocean, passing by the harbor where a ferry was just arriving full up with early arriving tourists.
Michael tossed a dazzling smile to a few bikini-clad twenty-something’s leaning over the ferry’s railing, waving to anyone watching from the shore, excited to spend a day on the Isle. “Jesus,” he groaned, watching them bounce around on the deck. One thing I might miss just a little when I leave. There are other beaches, he reminded himself.
Michael glanced at Charlie and shook his head. He hadn’t even noticed the half-naked women waving at him, his gaze straight ahead and focused. Michael sped up, jetting down the road before the cars could start pulling off the ferry, jamming up the traffic.
They continued on, after a couple more miles, passing by the entrance to White Pines National Park, which included Fort Ridgley, a fort that had been mainly used as a commerce port during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
After another mile of winding roads, they came to a fork. One direction led to a lighthouse, the other, toward Bloodsucker Bay. About five miles down the road Michael slowed to nearly a stop, taking a sharp turn down what appeared to be an old, infrequently used dirt pathway. It was dotted with mud-filled potholes, which splattered the sides of the jeep as they drove across.
After another thirty minutes of bouncing across the poorly maintained road, Michael pulled the jeep off to the side and parked. Just ahead sprawled the rocky beach of Bloodsucker Bay.
The bay consisted of both fresh water, which leaked in from a nearby lake, and saltwater, which leaked in fr
om the ocean during high tide. The lake was infamous for its bloodsucking leeches; leeches which had adapted to living in both fresh and saltwater.
“You sure this cave will be easy to find?” Charlie asked Michael as they readied their diving gear.
“Got a crystal ready to go. Should be easy.” Michael took it out of his pocket. He plunged it into the water and after a second, it twisted in the palm of his hand and lit up. “That’s the way we head.”
“Nicely done,” Charlie said, impressed. “You’re good at being a witch, you know.”
“If this is your way of trying to suck up, don’t bother, Charlie. I’ve made up my mind. I’m leaving at the end of summer. I, uh, already enrolled in classes.”
Classes... shit. He hadn’t realized his brother had done that.
“Just because you’re given some gift,” Michael continued after a minute, “doesn’t mean you should be stuck with it the rest of your damn life.”
“I get that, Michael. Of all people, I really do.”
“I didn’t mean it to come out like that,” his brother apologized sincerely.
“The thing is, Michael, you’re not wrong. You’re not wrong to want a life outside The Isle. What happened to me, that wasn’t my choice, but I have to live with it regardless. Just remember that you’ll have to live with the choices you make. And your choices don’t affect just you. They affect me, and Melinda, and William, too.”
“You think I don’t know that? Why do you think it’s taken me this long? I wanted to leave with Emily back when she went to college. But I stayed, Charlie. Mom and Dad were gone and Melinda was a wreck. But she’s getting better now and Mom and Dad aren’t coming back. They’re gone.” Michael took a frustrated breath. “Have you ever considered that maybe it’s just time to move on? Let someone else handle all this supernatural, protecting-the-isle bullshit?”
“Someone else? Like who?”
“I don’t know, Charlie. Just, not us. Hasn’t our family given enough? What law says it has to be a Howard sacrificing their lives to protect this island? And for what? To die trying to find a magical power source hidden on the Isle hundreds of years ago. Look, I get why you don’t want to leave this place. You fear being away from the Isle might trigger your curse. And you feel a responsibility to be here. That it’s your solemn fucking duty to be here. But I don’t, Charlie. And that’s the God’s honest truth. All this place does, is take from us.”