The Monstrous Seven (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 4)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “You’re okay,” Cooper said, using his forearm to wipe the sweat from this brow. “You guys have no idea how happy we are to see you.”

  “Oh, that’s sweet,” Tyler intoned. “We’re happy to see you, too. Although—” He broke off, looking the newcomers up and down for the first time. “Why are you guys all sweaty? Wait, I don’t want to hear the answer to that. I’m on the dry spell to end all dry spells. I don’t need to hear the two of you brag.”

  “Yeah, we’re not here to brag,” Hannah said, moving to Jinx’s bed and sinking to the ground. As if he sensed his mistress was in distress, Jinx immediately raised his head and moved closer to her, his head shifting to her lap as he thumped his tail.

  “Definitely not,” Cooper agreed. “If anyone has the right to brag, though, it’s Hannah. She just took out three of the furies.”

  “What?” Boone straightened. He’d only been half listening to the conversation. “Are you serious? How?”

  Cooper shrugged. “With her hands.” He wiggled his fingers for emphasis. “I tried shooting one, but it barely slowed him down. She’s the one expending all the energy.”

  “Well, that’s ... I won’t say good. We’re down to two, right?”

  Hannah bobbed her head. “Ray and Nikki said the other two were already here.”

  “Ray and Nikki?” Tyler cocked his head. “Wait ... are you saying they were furies?”

  “And the other chick who applied for the job,” Cooper volunteered. “Lorna was one of them, too. She tried to seduce me in the seamstress shop, although she didn’t put a lot of effort into it.”

  Hannah shot him a dirty look. “You almost sound disappointed.”

  He chuckled at her jealous reaction. “Not in the least. It was just ... weird. She said that she couldn’t kill me because they agreed to gather all the humans in town and use them to force you to sign over the deed or something. I forgot to ask, what with the dead bodies and all, but what did she mean by that?”

  “It’s convoluted,” Hannah replied. “I’m not even sure I understand. They mentioned the town being deeded to me by blood magic and it’s a spell they can’t break. If I die, they can never tap into the magic of the land. They need me to willingly give it to them.”

  “I don’t understand.” Boone strode to the small refrigerator Tyler kept in the corner and grabbed a bottle of water, cracking it before returning to Hannah. He hunkered down to give her a closer look ... and didn’t like what he saw. “Honey, you are extremely white. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m just tired.” Hannah graced him with a grateful smile as she took the bottle of water and downed half of it before taking a breath. “I’ll be fine once I rest.”

  “Which might not happen for a bit if the other two furies really are here,” Cooper noted. He didn’t like how run-down she appeared either, but he knew better than arguing with her. She could very well be their only shot of surviving the afternoon. “There’s another thing.” He told them about finding Portia’s body behind the saloon. “I think she’s been there since she talked to Hannah and Tyler. I don’t think she ever left.”

  “That might explain why I never saw her leave,” Tyler mused. “I’m not sure what to think about that, though. I mean ... why kill her and stuff the body behind a dumpster? These furies seem to enjoy dropping bodies where people can find them.”

  “That’s what I said.” Hannah bobbed her head in agreement. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I’m not sure we can dwell on that.” Boone moved to the open door so he could study Main Street. “What do you think we should do?”

  The question was addressed to Cooper, but Hannah was the one who answered.

  “We have to draw them out,” she said. “We need to get them to come to us so we can end this.”

  “Or we could go to town,” Cooper argued. “We could find a place to hunker down, let you recharge, and then come up with a plan.”

  Stubborn to a fault, Hannah shook her head. “No way. If we go to town, they could follow. If that happens, other people will be at risk. We have to end this here.”

  “We don’t have to do anything,” Cooper shot back. “We can take a few minutes. You can rest.”

  “Coop, you can’t protect her from this,” Boone said in a low voice, resting his hand on the security guru’s shoulder. He understood that the idea of Hannah being hurt was almost too much for Cooper to bear, but they had to be practical. “Hannah is right. We have them isolated out here. We have to ... deal with this now.”

  “Besides, that FBI agent is still out here,” Tyler noted. “We can’t just leave him to fend for himself. He’ll die.”

  “Thank you!” a voice boomed from the other end of the barn, causing everyone to jump and look in that direction.

  Cooper’s heart rolled when he realized Jacob was standing there. “How long have you been listening?”

  “Um, since you guys got here.” Jacob was strangely blasé. “I saw Hannah and Cooper cutting through the buildings. I thought I would be able to catch up, but they were too fast. Then I decided to hear what you were talking about, and I have to say, I’m a little disappointed that you just now decided to worry about me.” He mock-clutched at his heart. “I’m hurt.”

  “He’s sloth,” Hannah announced, grunting as she regained her footing. Weariness threatened to overwhelm her, but she could hardly check out of this fight.

  Boone sent her a sidelong look. “Well, we probably should’ve seen that coming. Did I not tell you that he was the laziest FBI agent I’d ever come across?”

  “I believe I told you that,” Cooper said.

  “No, I definitely thought it first.”

  “Does that matter?” Tyler was beside himself as he thought of the animals that stood between Jacob and the small group. “Let’s take this out to the street,” he suggested. “There’s no reason to upset the animals.”

  “Why?” Jacob’s lips slid into a sly grin. “Are you worried that the horses will beat up you and Cooper again or something? That was the worst lie ever, by the way. Pretending to believe it was fairly difficult. Of course, it was easier to believe it than to push you to come up with another story.”

  “That’s what you do, right?” Hannah queried. “You settle for things.”

  “Pretty much.” Jacob nodded, his grin never faltering. “Isn’t it funny that I’m one of the last ones standing? The others, the proactive ones, have all fallen. You weren’t expecting me, though, so you walked right into my trap.”

  Cooper rolled his eyes. “We know the other two furies were in town. It’s hardly a surprise that you’re one of them.”

  “Then why were you going to come looking for me?”

  “Because we’re stand-up people.” Something occurred to Cooper, and on a whim, he shifted his gaze to the other door. There were two furies still standing. That meant they were likely to attack at the same time to up the odds they could win. To his utter surprise, the figure he found standing in the door was the last one he expected. “Becky?” He was dumbfounded. “Get out of here. It’s not safe. Run.”

  Rather than listen to the man who was technically her boss, Becky made a tsking sound and shook her head. “Why would I do that?” She almost looked amused in the face of Cooper’s confusion. “I’m supposed to be here.”

  That’s when the final piece of the puzzle finally slipped into place for Hannah. “You’re envy.”

  “I’ve never been a fan of that word,” Becky replied, trailing her fingers over one of the bridles that hung from a tack on the wall. “I happen to think I’m so much more.”

  “Oh, my ... .” Tyler’s mouth dropped open.

  “One of those things is inside of her,” Boone noted, as if the others hadn’t yet figured it out. “We have to get it out.”

  Hannah thought she was going to be sick. “We can’t. The host makes a deal with the fury to give up his or her soul in exchange for vengeance of some sort.”

  “I see my compatriots h
ave been talking out of turn,” Becky said, shaking her head. “They never did know when to keep their mouths shut. I guess that means I can’t make a deal to turn this body over to you in exchange for the property, huh?”

  “No,” Hannah replied, determination taking over. She’d never been fond of Becky. The woman had gone out of her way to make Hannah’s life miserable from the second she’d set foot in Casper Creek. That didn’t mean she wanted her to die, though, especially after everything she’d gone through. “When did you take Becky over?”

  “About two and a half weeks ago. She was a lost little girl and I could hear her calling across the planes. She was haunted ... and unhappy ... and she really wanted you to pay. It was the best fit.”

  “What about the woman in the alley?” Cooper challenged. “Did you have something to do with that?”

  “She was hiding in the town, trying to catch people on camera talking about things ... or owning up to the murder of that man Frank took out the other day. We didn’t see her right away, but she saw several of us having a conversation. We couldn’t allow her to leave, even if nobody would’ve believed her story. She had us on video ... so she had to go.”

  “And she’s been out here the entire time,” Hannah muttered, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead. “I don’t understand how we didn’t notice.”

  “I’ll tell you how you didn’t notice,” Becky volunteered, her smile tight. “You are the most self-involved person I’ve ever met. You don’t care about anyone but yourself. You didn’t care to notice, so you didn’t bother looking.”

  “That’s Becky talking,” Cooper snapped. “She’s the one who thought those ugly things about Hannah. None of them are true.”

  “Becky believed they were true.”

  “Becky believed a lot of things,” Cooper argued. “That doesn’t mean she was right.”

  “Yes, well, it doesn’t matter now. I promised Becky vengeance. The problem is, I can’t get it without a little help from your friend Hannah.” Her smile reminded Hannah of the villain in a horror movie. “She needs to give us this property. Even then I’m not sure we’re going to have enough power to go home. It’s our only shot, though.”

  “I won’t give you the property.” Hannah hoped she sounded strong rather than weak. “It’s not going to happen.”

  “Do you want your friends to die?” Jacob queried. “They will if you don’t cooperate.”

  “They’re going to die if I do cooperate,” Hannah argued. “Nikki and Ray told me the whole plan.”

  “Of course they did.” Becky wrinkled her nose. “That stinking pride gets us every single time. I can’t even believe she opened her big, stupid mouth.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Jacob took a menacing step in their direction. “We need this property. That means you’re going to give it to us. I will not stay here a second longer. In fact, I’m never coming back. Give us the property and we’ll zap the magic and you’ll never have to hear a peep from us again. You have my word.”

  “No.” Hannah moved to the spot in the middle of the barn, making sure she had a clear view of Becky and Jacob. She knew what she needed to do. That didn’t mean the decision was easy. “We’re ending this here and I’m not giving you the property. You’re going to have to kill me, and then you won’t be able to tap into the magic and you’ll be trapped here forever.”

  “Ugh. Those idiots really were chatty.” Becky gritted her teeth together. “Listen, we don’t have any choice in the matter. You are going to give us what we need whether you like it or not.”

  “No.” Hannah’s voice was soft. “I don’t know if you’re in there, Becky. I don’t know if you can hear me. It was mentioned that your soul was already gone, but that your memories remained. I hope that means there’s an echo or something.”

  “What are you doing?” Becky asked, confused.

  Hannah ignored her. “I never wanted to hurt you. When I came here, I didn’t realize I was going to fall for Cooper. I didn’t know things would work out the way they did. I especially didn’t want you to feel as if giving up your soul was better than dealing with the reality of your life. For that, I’m truly sorry.”

  “Oh, so touching,” Jacob intoned, rolling his eyes.

  “You made this decision yourself, though,” Hannah continued, calling on the magic so she could pool it. She didn’t have a lot to draw from, but she was hoping it would be enough. “You decided that you wanted vengeance instead of healing, so you’ve really backed me into a corner.”

  Becky’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be.”

  “You’re the one who forced my hand.” With those words, Hannah unleashed her magic. She went with a short burst first in both directions, expecting the furies to dodge. They moved forward, just as she expected, and when she let loose the second burst they were caught unaware.

  Jacob was the first to react and his head snapped back. He let loose an unearthly howl that had Jinx trembling in his bed.

  Becky’s reaction was different. Her eyes darkened, hatred pooled there, and for a split-second Hannah believed she was looking at the real Becky. It wasn’t the fury’s death fueling the face staring back at her. It was anger about not getting her vengeance, and it was coming from the real woman.

  It was over in an instant, though. The furies puffed to dust at the same moment, plunging the barn into eerie silence.

  Hannah let out a relieved sigh and then sank backwards. Cooper caught her before she could hit the ground.

  “Are you okay?” He looked terrified.

  She patted his cheek and smiled. “Yeah. I just need a nap. Put me with Jinx.”

  “I’m not putting you in a dog bed,” he argued. “I ... .”

  “Put me with Jinx.” She closed her eyes and passed out. Because he was loyal to a fault, she knew he would follow her wishes, even if he didn’t want to. That was the last thought she had before the darkness claimed her.

  19

  Nineteen

  Hannah woke to voices. Her mind was muddled ... and her nose was wet. When she wrenched open her eyes, she found Jinx licking her face and smiled.

  “Hey.” Cooper had been watching her for signs of movement for almost an hour. If she didn’t rouse soon, he was prepared to transport her to the hospital despite admonishments from Jackie and Danielle — who had shown up not long after the fight — that it was unnecessary. “Are you okay?” He dropped to his knees next to her, ignoring the look Jinx gave him.

  “I’m fine,” Hannah reassured him, absently stroking Jinx’s soft fur. “I’m just ... tired.”

  “You’re tapped out,” Jackie countered, moving so she was standing directly in front of Hannah. “We’ve talked about this. You need to learn how to use your magic without draining yourself.”

  “Hey, she took out five furies today,” Cooper groused. “I think she went above and beyond. There’s no reason to give her grief.”

  Rather than be offended by his tone, Jackie snickered. “I didn’t mean to step on her toes. She did amazingly well. Still, if things like this are going to keep happening, we need to make sure she can fight without exhausting herself. She’s going to sleep fifteen hours tonight.”

  “That sounds nice.” Cooper smiled at Hannah as he ordered her hair. “I’ll be right there with her.”

  “I’m sure you will.” Jackie turned her attention back to Boone, who looked to be doing something with a tape measure. “Are you ready to move the vehicles?”

  Boone nodded. “Yeah. I have no idea where the reporter was parked — or how she got out here — but given where Becky’s car is located, it probably doesn’t matter.”

  The abrupt conversational shift threw Hannah for a loop. “What are you talking about?”

  Boone shifted his eyes to her and Hannah was surprised to find sympathy residing there. “We have to come up with an explanation for all of this,” he started.

  “We have to protect Casper Creek,” Jackie added.
r />   Hannah still didn’t understand. “How are you going to do that?”

  “By pointing the finger at Becky,” Cooper replied, cringing at the expression that crossed her face.

  “We can’t do that.” Hannah’s voice was stronger thanks to the outrage. “She’s not to blame.”

  “No, but she didn’t have any family that was local,” Jackie replied. “She had a mother, but they were estranged. Becky makes the most sense to use as a scapegoat.”

  “How are you going to pin this all on her?” Hannah was incensed.

  “We’re going to put Portia’s body in her trunk and then I’m going to receive an anonymous tip from someone who saw an individual who looked like Becky put her there,” Boone replied. “We’re not going to explain Jacob’s disappearance, but when asked, I’m going to say he was looking into Becky’s background.”

  Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “You’re going to lie.”

  “We are.” Boone nodded in agreement. “We’re going to lie to protect you and this place. That’s all we can do.”

  “But ... .” Hannah was bewildered. She never expected this.

  “Hannah, it’s the only thing we can do,” Cooper assured her in a quiet voice. “Becky had motive, means, and opportunity. She could’ve conceivably done something to Rob — at least as far as the police are concerned — to set this whole thing in motion. Justin’s death is a tragedy that happened because of the furies ... and Becky was a fury. She’s our only chance at making this go away.”

  “But ... .” It all felt so wrong. Hannah didn’t think she could swallow it. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

  “Hopefully you won’t have to do anything,” Boone supplied. “I’m going to be the one doing the heavy lifting.” He closed his mouth, as if finished, and then changed course. “Hannah, what you did today was amazing. You saved a bunch of people because we have no idea what these furies were capable of. They could’ve murdered endless people on their way out the door.