by Brenda Trim
Grams dropped the shirt she’d been holding on the bed and sighed. “I know you’re right. I’m just not sure how to handle any of this. I knew you moved into my room before but seeing that I had nothing of my old life made me panic. I can only tell you my heart feels like it’s all over the place, and so are my emotions. I don’t know if I will live long, and I don’t want to leave you again.”
I stood up and wrapped my arms around my grandmother, noting how skinny she felt. It had been a long time since I felt the bones beneath her skin. “This is a new situation for everyone. I will move my stuff out after we are done casting Vodor out of our portal. And I will go to the shelter to see if they have any of your stuff left.”
Grams shook her head, sending her long silver locks flying across my face before she pulled away from me. “No. This is your room now. I will use another and make do with what is here.”
Giving her shoulders one more gentle squeeze, I let my arms drop. “We can figure this stuff out later. I have some leggings in the drawers, and there are other clothes in the closet here.” I showed her the space Camille helped me create, then left her to get changed with an instruction to holler if she ran into any trouble.
Her breath had warmed my neck, and I felt her heart pounding in her chest. It was one reason I held on for so long. It reassured me to feel proof of life. Then the nurse in me couldn’t ignore the erratic way it was beating. I wanted to grab my stethoscope and listen for more problems.
My phone rang, making me jump. I stopped before I shut the door and grabbed my cell from the top of the dresser. I was surprised to see Phoebe’s name pop up on the screen. I hadn’t talked to her in several weeks. She was the only one from my previous life I kept in contact with.
And for a good reason. Phoebe had been my closest friend in my previous life. I met her in college when we joined the nursing program and felt a connection with her immediately. Something between us clicked, and we became good friends right away.
She had been there for me when my parents died, when I got married, and when my kids had been born. We worked at the same hospital, but she was on the L&D ward. Her husband is one of the best heart surgeons in the country and sponsored me for ECMO training.
“Hey, Pheebs. How are you doing?” I didn’t have time to chat with her. I needed to get this magical show on the road but didn’t want to be rude to her, and I was the one that had answered the call without paying attention. I should have let it go to voice mail. It wasn't like I could hang up now.
“I’m sorry for calling so late, Fi.” I heard a hitch in her voice and instantly felt guilty for not wanting to talk to her. “I have no one else to call and just needed to hear you tell me it is going to be alright.”
I took a deep breath and entered the kitchen to find Violet stirring something in a ceramic bowl, Sebastian fiddling with the coffee pot, and Aislinn watching him while silently laughing.
“I am always here for you, hun. But I can’t tell you it’s alright when I don’t know what happened. Back up and fill me in.” I nudged Bas out of the way and winced when I saw the grounds underneath the filter.
“Miles wants a divorce. He’s trying to take Nina from me when he’s the one that was fucking that awful wench, Betina.” Phoebe’s voice hitched, and it sounded like she was choking. I guessed she was sobbing. I couldn’t believe Miles slept with Betina. She was a general surgeon, and everyone knew she got around the hospital. My heart broke for Phoebe. I wished I was there to give him a piece of my mind.
“What an asshole,” I told her.
“Right? I never imagined starting my life over at 43 and having to fight for my daughter. He told me I had to be out of the house by the end of the month, and I have no idea what I am going to do.”
“You find a good divorce lawyer. Do you know where you’re going to go?” Grams came downstairs in a black pair of my leggings and a sweatshirt that said, ‘I have it all together; I just forgot where I put it.’
“I have a lawyer, but not sure how I am going to afford him and pay rent. I had to give him a ten-thousand-dollar retainer. That was everything I had in my savings account. I’m sorry to unload this on you. I just don’t have anyone here to talk to since you left.”
I hated to do this to her, but I had to go. “I am always here for you, but right now, I have an emergency, and I have to go. I’m so sorry. I know you are going through a lot of crap right now.”
Phoebe gasped, and I could imagine her waving her hands through the air in that animated way she had. “Don’t apologize. It’s my mess. Call me when you get the chance.”
“You were there for me during the worst moments in my life, and I will be here for you. Speaking of which, you should take a vacation and come visit me.” Grams stepped in front of me, waving her arms and shaking her head from side to side while mouthing, she can’t visit here.
“I would love to, but I can’t afford to be gone at the moment. As soon as I have time, I will hop on the first flight. I’ve always wanted to see the English countryside,” Phoebe replied. “I will talk to you soon. Take care of yourself, Fi.”
Guilt swamped me at the same time relief washed over me. “Don’t forget what he did to you. He cheated and threw away the life you guys had built. Not you. Miles is good at making himself look like a king while keeping you beneath his boot.” It was one of the things I hated about the guy. He wasn’t good enough for Calista. She worked two jobs to put him through medical school, and he never treated her like the Queen she was. “Take care of yourself and call me anytime.”
Violet was stirring the contents of the bowl so hard the batter went flying around the kitchen. “I can’t believe that asshole did that to her.” Violet and I had always been best friends, and she knew all about Phoebe and what I thought of Miles. “He should be castrated. Why can’t men keep it in their pants? Does cheating on their wives and decimating the life they’d built really make them feel like better men?”
I shook my head. “He’s an asshole, and I’ve always known it, but right now, we have another asshole to deal with.”
Grams tugged at the bottom of the sweatshirt. I could tell she hated how tight the pants were and that her ass was so exposed. Thankfully, she didn’t complain about it. “We need to do a reclamation spell and kick him out of our portal. And fast. I can feel the drain with each passing second. I think that’s why my heart is so erratic.”
If that was true, I might be able to keep her with me longer. I needed her by my side, teaching me all about my magic and how to wield it. “Then let’s go do it.”
Violet paused mid-pour and looked up with wide eyes. “Do you have enough energy? That last spell wiped you.”
Sebastian came up behind me and started rubbing my shoulders. “I think you should give yourself a little break.”
“We don’t have time. What if the reason I am so exhausted isn’t only because of the energy it took to bring Grams back? It might be because he’s stealing what little I have. We do this now.” I wasn’t debating this with them and started for the door with Grams at my side.
The second we were outside, I saw that the destruction was so much worse behind the shimmer of my containment spell. “You ready?”
Grams bobbed her head and marched for the crypt, barely pausing to cross through the magical barrier. I glanced up at Sebastian. Without a word, he twined his fingers with mine, and we followed Grams.
I knew we were right not to wait when I passed through the shield with far less resistance than the last time. My spell was failing. Bas and I stopped next to my grandmother. She nodded at me. “On the count of three,” I suggested.
“One,” she murmured in reply, “two, three.”
“Repetere non habemus.” The words left both of us at the same time.
To my surprise, a magical whip sliced through the air. It originated from my hand and hit foreign magic. The long, thin rope was purple and cut through Vodor’s enchantment.
Instantly the suffocating feeling disappear
ed, and I was able to suck in a full breath. My skin wasn’t pulled taught as if every drop of blood had been drained from my body. A second later, a concussive wave rolled through Pymm’s Pondside, blowing my hair back and taking the dirty feeling with it.
“We did it.” I was shocked at how easy that was with my grandmother by my side. I’d barely been able to touch his energy before.
“Don’t sound so shocked, Fiona. You come from a powerful family.” I laughed at Grams’ chastisement. I’d missed that more than I would have thought.
“Looks like we have some rebuilding to do.” The destruction stopped, and some of the tombstones returned to what they had been, but not all of them. Only the ones closest to the mausoleum showed signs of destruction. Even the plants were once again full of life.
The bones that formed the inner structure of the portal were reforming one piece at a time. The walls of the actual building had disappeared entirely, leaving only the foundation behind.
Grams waved a hand through the air, clearing the last of the stench. “We can tackle that together after we get something to eat. I’m starving. But before we go inside, let’s do a protection spell.”
I bobbed my head and let go of Sebastian’s hand, and lifted both of mine into the air. The river in my core was close to overflowing now. “Praesidio,” I chanted without waiting for Grams. Purple lightning bolts left my palms and surrounded the bone structure. It looked like the walls were now made of pure energy before it sank into the scale.
I turned on my heel and wrapped an arm around my grandmother. The magic I used to bring her back had taken a lot out of me, but not as much as we thought. Now that Vodor was no longer draining me and the property, I could see that. The problem was I had no idea if that was a good or a bad thing.
Chapter 6
Thoughts of being even more of a freak than my grandmother previously talked about vanished when I worried she would disappear on me. Okay, so that wasn’t the most suitable description. I was downright terrified her soul was going to vacate her body, making it crumble to the ground in a massive puddle of goo and bones. At the same time, her ghost would float above while bitching about how she had died in my clothes.
None of us knew enough about the magic I used to bring her back to say what was going to happen, so I didn’t bother voicing my concerns out loud. Instead, I held onto her hand tight and entered the house. The smell of freshly baked blueberry muffins filled the kitchen, making my stomach grumble.
“Gods, that smells divine! I never realized how much I appreciated how fresh pastries made the house fragrant.” Grams let go of my hand and hurried to the island and snatched a muffin from the platter Violet had laid out. I joined her and inhaled deeply before selecting one of my own.
Grams finished her pastry in five bites, then shuffled to the stove, grabbed the teapot, and filled it with water. “It has been too long since I had a proper cuppa, as well. I was with your grandfather before you called me back, and we would have tea every morning while looking over the serene meadow outside our window. While it was beautiful and peaceful, I couldn’t taste anything.”
Aislinn placed the loose tealeaves on the counter and added the steeper. “What was heaven like? Was there a bright light and a tunnel?”
Grams made a pfft sound and shook her head from side to side. “There’s nothing as absurd as a white light. I was aware I was dying when,” Grams paused in explaining and brought a hand to her head. “I can’t recall how I died.”
I leaned one hip against the archway leading to the living room. “You mentioned you were killed when I first brought your spirit back. Do you remember who hurt you? You haven’t said who it was.”
She shook her head from side to side, and dirt flew from her hair. If she realized how filthy she was, she would be angry I let her go outside in such a state. Of course, everything changed when you came back from the dead. Perhaps, none of that mattered anymore. “My mind is blank when I try to bring up the memories.”
“We need to find the bilge that is killing Fae in our town,” Violet muttered. “I’d bet it was one of the king’s assassins that got you, Isidora. Only a being of superior strength that is skilled at killing would be capable of getting the better of you.”
“That’s next on the list after taking Vodor off the throne.” My to-do list was only getting longer the more time that passed. I might not be getting back to Phoebe anytime soon. Crap. I sucked as a friend. “Do you think we managed to hurt the king? I couldn’t help but wish he was hit with a million papercuts on the guy while I was casting my spell.”
Chuckles echoed around the room. “Papercuts?” Finarr asked with a furrowed brow. He and Argies were the only ones not laughing.
“They’re tiny slices that barely open the skin, and they hurt like hell. It was the first thing that popped into my head while I was chanting to the spell to reclaim my land and my portal.”
My grandmother let out a bark of laughter then. Her amusement was so infectious I found myself laughing right along with her. “If you had that in your mind while you directed your enchantment at him, he likely suffered the injuries. Serves the asshole right. You don’t mess with a Shakleton woman.”
“Can you imagine him sitting on his throne when his skin splits open all over his body, and his blood pours out? I hope his guards are searching for weeks to find the invisible culprit. But I think he uses illusion to intimidate and shake his opponents.” I had to share the thoughts that had been racing through my mind.
Sebastian threw me a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look. “That magic couldn't have been an illusion, Butterfly. I felt the energy leave my body. It started to wither along with the plants. I know you experienced the same thing. You nearly collapsed.”
“And you grounded me. I’m not saying the entire thing was his trickery. The depth of his destruction and ability to reach us is what I think was faked. Think about it. What had us panicking and reacting without a good sense of direction? It was the fact that it seemed like he was draining all of us and the land at a record pace.”
Grams growled. My head snapped around. I’d never heard her make that kind of noise. “That’s precisely what he did. I’d bet money he wanted you unhinged and scrambling so he could find a way to steal the portal out from under you. The fact that the bones reappeared without any intervention from us confirms your assessment. He found a way through, but he never had a foothold and certainly wasn’t close to taking Pymm’s Pondside from us.”
Anger burned in my gut. I’d fallen right into his trap. Although I couldn’t regret it entirely. It was fear over him taking my new life from me that forced me to bring Grams back from the dead.
“That’s just like him,” Finarr snarled. “He uses our weaknesses against us. He plays on a parent’s fears for the children’s safety, and they end up giving him their power without any effort on his part.”
“So, what you’re saying is that he’s a lazy bastard on top of it all.” It baffled me that this guy managed to take the throne when he didn’t show any real power. And didn’t care.
Sebastian laughed, surprising me. “He’s always been a pompous blowhard. He was the last to master certain spells and didn’t show much promise in school. But there was no one better at glamouring. It was one reason Thelvienne didn’t give him the time of day back then.”
Argies bobbed his head. “She only had eyes for you, Bas. It wasn’t until you left the realm and Vodor took the throne that she noticed he even existed.” Hearing about how the dead Queen was obsessed with Sebastian made me clench my hands into fists and bite my tongue, so I didn’t make some snarky comment.
Was I jealous of the evil woman? You’re just now realizing that? It wasn’t surprising that my mind was behind my heart concerning Sebastian. I’d grieved Tim for six years now and hadn’t allowed myself to consider anything or anyone else.
Many women felt like it would betray their spouse to move on, but that wasn’t why I hadn’t started dating again. I had no d
esire to play the games. Demurring and pretending to be someone else took too damn much effort for me. Having to always be on and putting my best foot forward. Besides the fact that you didn’t really get to know each other for months until we both stopped putting our best foot forward.
“If you managed to embarrass him in such a way, he will really be out for blood now.” I looked away from Sebastian’s handsome face at the severe tone of Finarr’s voice.
The blood froze in my veins. That didn’t sound good. “I already knew he was after me. The attack proved that much.”
Finarr bobbed his head. “Yes, but you didn’t publicly embarrass him. You proved the Queen wasn’t all that strong, to begin with. It upset him because he’s always been obsessed with Thelvienne, and I think in his own twisted way, he loved her. But if you managed to injure him from another realm and anyone witnessed it, he will look like a weak King. The court will lose faith in him, and it will feed the rebellion, making them take action against him.”
“There is no bigger sin in his eyes. Vodor is all about how he looks to others. It’s why he’s the best at casting illusions.” Argies jumped in and added.
“How does that put me in even more danger?” I could see how that would piss a guy like him off, but I had upset him when I killed his wife, turning his attention directly on me. Before that, he had been aware of me, but I hadn’t been his main focus.
“He will put every resource he has into hunting you down. He will find a way to send his troops through the portal to catch you in your bed and cut out your heart.” Bas bared his teeth at Argies for being so frank with me.
I placed my hand on his arm and held it there until he turned to look at me. I held his gaze for a few seconds, falling into his dark eyes. “Okay, so we need to take action against him sooner rather than later. Is there anything you can suggest for me to protect myself against him? I’m not entirely sure if I did hurt him, but it would be good to know what I can do.”