“Do you think what’s happening to these girls could be paranormal in origin?” he asked as he helped me shuck corn. “I mean ... you didn’t come right out and say it, but you had that look you get when you’re not showing all your cards.”
He was observant ... and determined not to come across as jealous. I had to give him credit.
“Seeing the banshee last night was jarring,” I admitted. “She was young. I wish I had taken a better look at her so I could compare her face to those of the missing girls. I’m not sure I would recognize her ... and I’m not sure all the disappearances have been reported.”
“That’s not really an answer,” he pointed out.
He was right. “I think there’s more going on here than meets the eye.” I chose my words carefully. “I poked around in Groove’s head. If he knew something, he wouldn’t have been able to hide it from me. He’s an open book ... and he samples a bit too much of his own product from time to time. He doesn’t know, and he’s been searching for answers.”
“What does that tell you?” Max asked, appearing from behind and giving me a small jolt.
“I didn’t know you were here.” I smiled at him. He rarely joined us for dinner, although he’d been making exceptions more often so he could spend time with Kade. “Are you eating with us?”
“Unless it’s an imposition.” He sat at the picnic table and nodded in thanks as Nixie handed him a glass of iced tea. “What does that tell you?” he repeated.
“On the street, it’s really hard to keep a crime secret,” I answered. “Not from the cops, but from other people. There’s an inherent need to blab for some reason. If someone knew what was happening out there, word would’ve spread and someone like Groove would be the first to know. The fact that the news hasn’t spread makes me think that something else is going on.”
“Can a person turn into a banshee?” Kade asked. “I mean ... you said you didn’t get a good look at the banshee’s face. Does that mean you think it could be one of the missing girls?”
“That’s what I’m starting to wonder,” I admitted. “Banshees are rare in this part of the world. There has to be a reason one turned up now.”
“Banshees spring from great loss,” Max volunteered. “At least that’s how it started. During wars especially, women would band together when their men were overseas, and when one of those men fell in battle the women would join together and keen. This was mostly something that happened in Europe, mind you.”
Confused, Kade drew his eyes together. “Keening?”
“That’s what we heard last night,” I explained. “She wasn’t screaming. She was keening.”
“How can you tell the difference?”
“Practice. I’ve come across my fair share of banshees. Most on the West Coast. There was a nest of them in New Orleans that one year, and we took them out. I’ve never heard of them in Michigan before, though.”
“Why would that be?”
“I don’t know. Max is right. They started as mourning women. They’ve grown a bit over the years, expanded their reach. Not all banshees are born of loss. Human suffering can breed them.”
“Isn’t human suffering and loss the same thing?”
I exchanged a weighted look with Max. It was difficult to explain.
“Not exactly,” Max replied finally. “The thing is, the early banshees were created when the women lost something … or rather someone. And, before you ask, banshees are always women. If there’s a male counterpart, I’ve never heard of it.
“Not all women widowed during war became banshees,” he continued. “It was only those hit particularly hard. I once heard it explained that when someone loves someone with their entire heart and then they lose that person, there’s a rending of the soul. When a heart breaks to this degree, a banshee is born.”
“You said not all banshees were born out of loss,” Kade pressed. “How else are they born?”
“It was first noticed during the Holocaust,” Max replied. “Or that’s when it was reported. It started as whispers.”
“Wait ... were you there?” Kade was confused. “Are you older than you look?”
He chuckled. “No. I was not there. Others were, including Raven.”
Kade’s mouth dropped open. “Raven was in a concentration camp?”
“Raven ran an underground railroad out of Germany to save people,” I corrected. “She put her life on the line and was a hero. Of course, she also killed a bunch of Germans and didn’t pay attention to whether they were guilty or not, so her actions really kind of evened each other out. That’s a story for another time.”
“I see. What happened?”
“Many of the individuals who lost loved ones were ripped asunder by what was happening,” Max replied. “Of course, not all of them turned into banshees. Apparently some of the women, however, held up as long as they could ... and then they could do so no longer. They became a different sort of banshee.”
“See, it seems like you guys are talking around each other,” Kade noted. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s not a simple issue,” I volunteered. “Banshees can’t be saved. At least ... I’ve never heard of one being saved. Once you’re turned, that’s it. Your soul has to be fractured for it to happen.
“It used to be that grieving wives turned into banshees and people in the small villages knew what to look for and headed off any issues,” I continued. “In the cities, it wasn’t as easy, but banshees don’t hide, so they were easy enough to track down. The banshees that grew out of the second World War, however, were vastly different.”
“How so?”
“They were smarter, more agile,” Max replied. “They kept more of their wits about them and didn’t become thoughtless monsters. The suffering from which they were born was the sort that nobody should ever have to face.”
“Like torture?”
“Yes ... and the loss of multiple children ... and the torture of children ... and gas chambers ... and you can imagine the terrible things that were being done. Some of the deaths were quick and merciful. Others were drawn out for weeks, months and years. It was those who endured the torments of the damned for an extended period who were more susceptible to becoming the new breed of banshee.”
Kade nodded, the information slowly sinking in. “So ... is that what you think we’re dealing with here?”
“We don’t even know what’s truly happening,” I countered. “I need to take another look around that cemetery after dark.”
“Griffin warned you against that,” Kade reminded me.
“Yeah, but ... that’s not really going to stop me. I need to take a look around when I can investigate freely.”
Max’s eyes twinkled. “I think that can be arranged. Kade and I are having one of his magic lessons this evening. I thought maybe you would like to watch and see his progress.”
“Absolutely.” I wanted Kade to get a handle on his magic more than anything. He was a powerful ally, but he was often timid and afraid he wouldn’t be able to control what was happening. That made him indecisive. We needed to break him of that habit. “I would absolutely love to see the lesson.”
“I’m thinking the cemetery is the perfect place for it,” Max noted. “You can investigate while I teach him a few new tricks. Nobody will be alone, and if another banshee shows up, we’ll deal with it our way.”
“Do I even want to know what that means?” Kade asked.
“Probably not,” I replied. “Just leave it to us.” I grinned as he went back to shucking corn. “I still can’t believe you didn’t jump all over me because you had questions about Logan. That’s what I was expecting.”
“I’m saving those questions until we’re alone and you can pacify my ego with a massage.”
My smile slipped. “You just had that one sitting around in your back pocket, huh?”
“Hey, whatever works.”
9
Nine
Max was in a jovial mood as we crossed the s
treet. He seemed to be happy, lighter than I’d ever seen him, and I knew it was because he was bonding with Kade.
As for Kade, he was obviously still grappling with the fact that his mother had lied to him his entire life about the identity of his father. He was angry that Max had never told him the truth and he was struggling with learning that he was a magical being when he’d lived his entire life believing paranormal powers were nothing more than fairy tales.
Now, not only was he sharing a roof with a magical being, he was manifesting magic himself. It was a big step.
I thought he was handling it with aplomb.
“Your friend seemed nice,” Max noted as we crossed toward the opening to the cemetery. “Did you know he was a police officer when you were younger?”
I lifted an eyebrow, surprised. “You didn’t meet him when he was around.”
“I didn’t, but I met him twelve years ago.”
I was taken aback and slowed my pace. “What?”
Max chuckled at my expression. “Don’t act so surprised. I knew there was a magical being in that park before I entered. I was looking for you ... though I had no idea who you were at the time. Didn’t you ever wonder why I was in that particular location?”
I’d never considered it. Now that he brought it up, I was intrigued. “You were looking for me?”
“I was looking for a magical girl who could make people do things against their will. I’d heard whispers about you. While I was out looking, I ran across Officer Stone. He was leaving the police precinct. I went there to try to find a location for you. I actually used my magic to get them to open their files.
“I found you pretty quickly, if you must know,” he continued. “There were numerous notations about you in the system. There were a few conspiracy theories — that you were really undercover with some elite police group and no one had mentioned it to anyone else — but they all agreed on one thing.”
“Oh, yeah? What?”
“You didn’t belong on the street,” Max replied without hesitation. “I knew that the minute I saw you. I watched you a bit in park. I followed Officer Stone, because his name was in several reports and I knew he would know how to find you. He seemed worried, but his hands were tied. He did his best for you guys, but lived in constant fear. He was the one who propelled me to take you with me right away. I knew you were in a bad situation and I could change your life if I removed you from the situation.”
“You did change my life.” I was surprised when I realized my throat felt thick and my eyes pricked. “I would probably be dead if it weren’t for you.”
“Don’t say that,” Kade chided, sliding his arm around my neck. “I don’t like hearing you say things like that.”
“Yeah, well, the truth is the truth. Returning to that place today was ... surreal.”
“It’s wonderful that you want to discover what is happening to those girls,” Max offered. “I’ll help. As for the banshees, I’m still at a loss. I know a few people in the area, though — scholars and such — and I have every intention of tapping those resources tomorrow.”
“It couldn’t hurt,” I agreed, sliding my hand into Kade’s as we slipped through the gate and into the cemetery. “All we can do now is keep our eyes and ears open.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.”
I LET KADE AND MAX PICK the location where they wanted to practice. I wasn’t surprised when they traveled deep into the cemetery and chose a spot hidden between mausoleums.
Max was taking it slow with Kade, which was wise. Three times a week they worked on a particular skill, keeping to the same skill for the entire week. Max wanted to ingrain the lessons into Kade’s head so they would essentially become second nature, but it was an ongoing process.
“I can’t do this,” Kade complained when he fumbled a simple defensive shield, rubbing his arm ruefully as he checked the tender spot where Max sent a bolt of magic to singe him. “I’m bad at it. I don’t think I’m geared for this.”
“Nonsense,” Max countered. “You’ve got a military mind. You know how to protect yourself and others. Your block is coming from the fact that your magic isn’t something you draw on automatically.” He slid his eyes to me. “Ideas?”
I had only one, and I didn’t think it was something Kade would like. “Actually, I do. I think it’s going to cause an argument, though.”
“Then I’m all for it.” Max was matter-of-fact. “What’s the idea?”
“I don’t think you should attack Kade,” I replied. “He doesn’t think of himself before others when it comes to protection. Besides, he knows you won’t really hurt him. I think you should attack me.”
Kade’s mouth dropped open and he immediately started shaking his head. “Absolutely not,” he hissed. “I won’t allow you to be hurt so that I’ll learn faster.”
Amusement at his reaction slid through me. “See, this is why I think it’ll work. You want to protect me, so you’ll be more engaged in the process of learning.”
“Absolutely not.” Kade was adamant. “I won’t stand by and allow you to be hurt.”
“Of course you won’t,” I agreed. “You’ll protect me.” I nodded in Max’s direction. “Do it.”
“Wait. No!” Kade held out his hand to stop his father, but it was already too late.
Max knew what he was doing. He whipped a magical cage in my direction, essentially trapping me. I didn’t fight the cage. There was really no point. If Max wanted to hurt me, he could’ve done it a long time ago. He was the most powerful being I’d ever encountered. The key to this endeavor was to motivate Kade ... and it seemed to be working.
“What is that?” he whined as I made a big show of cringing inside the cage. I didn’t say anything. Somehow it added to the mystique. In truth, I wasn’t in pain. Max had a soft hand. At most, I itched a little. Kade didn’t need to know that, though.
“I can’t tell you what that is,” Max replied. “You need to figure it out and repel it to save Poet. Just ... reach out with your magic. Instinctively, you should know how to remove it.”
“I don’t like this.” Kade moved closer to me. “She’s in pain.”
“She’s fine,” Max shot back. He knew I was putting on a show. “Just focus on getting her out.”
Kade whimpered, but met my gaze, sucking in a breath as he focused on what he was doing. He clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides, inhaled and exhaled at regular intervals, and focused on me.
The first hint I got that something was happening was a tickle across my cheek. When I turned, there was nothing there, and yet I was certain I’d felt something. Then it happened again, and this time I was positive I caught a glimpse of a wispy tendril.
I flicked my gaze to Max and found he was watching the same show. He seemed intrigued. Kade continued to pressure the magical tendril, and before I even realized what had happened it doubled in size. Then it doubled again ... and again ... and again. Within seconds it was huge ... and it was barreling right for me.
“What’s that?” Max was in awe.
I didn’t get a chance to answer because the magic was already overtaking me. It didn’t stop when it reached the barrier Max’s magic had put in place. Instead, it ran roughshod over that magic and engulfed me.
Instantly, the itchy feeling I’d been laboring under before was replaced with a warm, comforting sensation. It was almost as if I was being hugged. I smirked as Kade’s magic burst into millions of small particles of dust that rained down around my head. I was a bit charmed when the dust started falling like romantic (and dry) rain around me.
“What was that?” I was almost breathless.
Kade didn’t take a moment to enjoy his victory. Instead he strode directly to me. “Are you okay?”
He looked so serious I had to take pity on him. “I’m fine.” I patted his hand. “Max would never hurt me. That spell made me a little itchy, nothing more.”
“But ... .” Kade made a series of protesting sounds with his mouth. �
�You acted as if you were being hurt.” His tone was accusatory.
“No, I acted as if I was uncomfortable. I was. That thing you did, though, it was amazing.”
“It certainly was,” Max agreed, moving closer to study the fine particles that were still falling. “I’ve never seen an approach quite like that. What did you do?”
Kade appeared caught off guard by the question. “I ... um ... I’m not entirely sure.”
“Just walk me through it,” Max insisted.
Kade was huffy, but did as asked, causing me to smile as I took a step away from them and studied the ornate window in the nearest mausoleum. Whoever did the craftsmanship was a master. I flipped my eyes to the name over the door and read it out loud: “Grimlock.”
I remembered the woman I’d met earlier in the day. She’d introduced herself as Aisling Grimlock.
“Did you say something?” Max called.
“No. I was just reading the name.” I moved a bit to study the dedication plaque on the front bench. While the rest of the mausoleum looked old, the bench looked relatively new. “You taught us faith, love and loyalty. We live in your honor,” I read out loud. “Redmond, Cillian, Braden, Aidan and Aisling.” For some reason the names clogged in my throat.
“What are you looking at?” Kade asked, suddenly focused on me. It was as if he could read the change in my mood.
“Lily Grimlock,” I replied. “That guy we met last night ... and the guy and girl I met today ... it’s their mother.”
“That’s sad,” Max noted as he moved closer to me. “She was young when she died.”
“Yeah.” My mind was busy with possibilities. “I wonder if her being here is a coincidence.”
Max was puzzled. “How do you mean?”
“Her children were here yesterday and today. They killed a banshee. It wasn’t far from this area. It just seems weird to me.”
“Perhaps it was a coincidence.”
“I’m not sure I believe in coincidences,” I said as I turned my eyes back to the window. There, in the reflection, I caught a hint of movement that didn’t belong. I swiveled quickly, my eyes immediately moving to a small grove of trees standing between the Grimlock mausoleum and another one that boasted the name Olivet.
Freaky Reapers (A Mystic Caravan Mystery Book 8) Page 9