“It’s all about protecting the citizens. Using your GPS to get me home isn’t harmful, so I’m sure it will work.”
“Let’s see.” She pulled her phone out again. “Address?”
“Thirteen thirteen Pitch Lane.”
She punched it in. “Yep, there it is.” She looked at him, then the spines.
He stepped back. “You can’t.”
“I know, I know. But it’s still tempting.”
Before she changed her mind, he went around to the back and climbed into the truck.
She got into the cab, and off they went. She drove slowly, probably because she was following an unfamiliar route, but he still appreciated it, seeing as how he was upright and falling would be disastrous.
It was interesting seeing the town from this angle. He sort of felt like a one-man parade. Especially when people started waving. Out of obligation and politeness, he waved back, but he cringed inside every time. Not just because he disliked so much attention, but because this was Frieda’s curse on display, and being so open about it felt like a disservice to her.
Truthfully, taking on her curse was the exact opposite of a disservice, but he couldn’t help the discomfort it gave him to be so visible.
Relief swept through him when Em finally pulled his truck into the driveway of his family house. He jumped down, closed the tailgate, and walked around to the passenger’s side to keep a safe distance from Em.
She got out and met him around the front. “Are you going to be here by yourself?”
“No, Gracie’s probably here. Maybe Bishop. He lives here too.”
“Good. I hate for you to be alone like this.”
That was sweet of her to care. “I’ll manage. But remember what I said about not touching anyone. That applies to my family, too.”
Almost on cue, a curious light lit her gaze. “Got it.”
He knew she wanted to ask why and what curses his sister and brothers had, but she didn’t. For whatever reason.
The front door opened, and Tinkerbelle came running out to the edge of the porch. Gracie stood in the doorway, staring at Deacon. “Frieda?”
He nodded. “Brianna’s recital is tonight.”
“Poor woman.” Her gaze shifted to Em. “Hi.”
Deacon spoke up. “This is Emeranth, Amelia’s niece. She was kind enough to drive me back so I wouldn’t have to perforate my upholstery.”
“You must be Gracie,” Em said as she headed up the steps.
“I am. Nice to meet you. I didn’t know Amelia had any family left. Or in town.”
“I just got here yesterday.”
“How nice. I bet she’s so glad to have company.”
Em shrugged. “Not entirely sure about that, but I’m here now, so she’s stuck with me.”
Deacon stayed at the bottom of the stairs, not wanting to risk accidentally brushing against either of them. “Em needs to use the phone to call Beckett so he can come pick her up. Or just give her the number. She has her cell phone.”
Em turned toward him. “Either way, I need the number to my aunt’s. I don’t know it yet. I should have programed it into my phone.”
Gracie smiled and scooped Tinkerbelle up. “I can help with all that. Come on in, and we’ll give Deac a wide berth until he can get out of our way.”
“Sounds good. Thank you.” She followed Gracie in. “What’s your dog’s name? He’s such a cutie.”
“He’s a she, and her name is Tinkerbelle.”
Deacon waited until they were well into the house, then came in behind them, shaking his head. He hadn’t intended for the day to go like this. Now Em and Gracie were going to be friends, and Em would have one less reason to want to leave.
He sighed. He was never getting out of here.
Suddenly, Em appeared in the hallway again. The stairs to the second floor—and his bedroom—were between them.
He stiffened. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just forgot my stuff from the bakery in the truck.”
“Oh. I’m gonna go upstairs and stay out of the way for a bit.”
She nodded, looking him over. “Until the moon rises, huh?”
“Yep.”
“What time is that?”
“Tonight?” He thought for a second. “Around two a.m.”
“Long night.”
He nodded and should have excused himself and gotten moving, but something kept him there. Facing her. Breathing in the scent of her. “Thanks for driving me and my truck back.”
“You’re welcome. Thanks for giving me a tour of Shadowvale.”
“Half a tour, really.”
Her lips pursed. “Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow for the rest of that tour.”
“I…okay.” Why he agreed, he didn’t know. He shouldn’t have. All he would do was make her like the town more. And Amelia was not going to be happy with that.
Neither would he, really. But he liked Em. And spending another day with her wouldn’t be a hardship. Even if it meant his and Gracie’s ticket out of this town would be a lot harder to earn.
“Good.” She smiled.
He’d expected her to move then, but she stayed put. “Is there something else?”
“Nope.”
He frowned.
“Just waiting for you to move so I can live long enough to eat one of those cupcakes.”
“Oh, right. Yeah. Sorry.” He tipped his head toward the stairs. “Heading up. See you tomorrow.”
She pulled her bottom lip through her teeth. “Tomorrow.”
He closed his eyes as he took the first few steps, suddenly mortified at what a bumbling moron she’d turned him into. That was not good. That meant something. Maybe that her magic was affecting him?
Or maybe…something else entirely.
Chapter Twelve
Gracie was still on the phone when Em walked back into the kitchen, carrying the shopping bag from Black Horse. Tinkerbelle was sitting at Gracie’s feet with her tongue hanging out and a cute doggy smile on her face.
Maybe when Em got herself straight, she’d get a pet. Weren’t witches supposed to have cats anyway? Oh! Maybe she’d get a meowl!
Gracie hung up. “Okay, all set. Beckett said he’d be here in a few minutes.” She spotted the bag. “Oooh, I love Black Horse. Their black-and-white cookies are just the best. What did you get?”
“Pumpernickel raisin bread for my aunt, mocha cupcakes for Beckett, and a Chocolate Reaper cupcake for myself. Plus, Nasha said she threw in a few other things she thought I might like, but I don’t know what they are yet. And if I had known I was going to end up here, I would have gotten you something. You want to see what the extra goodies are? Maybe pick something?”
Gracie waved the comment away. “No, you should try them. And how could you have known? Although for future reference, I’m partial to the strawberry bombs.” She grinned. “Nasha’s making my cake.”
“Deacon mentioned that. I assume it’s for your birthday?”
“It is,” Gracie said. “Hey! You should come to my party. It’s this Saturday. It’s also a surprise, so you didn’t hear about it from me.” She winked.
Em laughed. Saturday was two days away. The end of her expiration date. “I would love to, if I’m still here. Thank you for the invite.”
“Still here? You just got here yesterday. That’s a quick visit.”
“It is, but I’m hoping that won’t be the case. I’d like to move here, actually. But I have to work all that out with my aunt.”
“I see.” Gracie rolled her eyes playfully. “I know all about family stuff.”
Em wanted to ask what that meant, but plying Deacon’s little sister for info felt wrong. And she didn’t want to upset him. She wanted him to like her. Maybe enough that he’d put in a good word for her with Aunt Amelia about staying. “How old are you going to be?”
“I’m going to be twenty-five. A quarter of a century.” Gracie laughed. “I know it’s not that old, but right now it feels ancie
nt.”
“It’s a great age.” Em smiled. It really hadn’t been for her.
When she was twenty-five, her mother had disappeared for two weeks only to return with the news that every cent they’d saved had been lost in a long con that had gone south so fast Manda hadn’t even gotten out with her seed money.
But Em still smiled, because that was all behind her now.
“What kind of work do you do?” Gracie asked.
“I’d pretty much take anything I can get. I’ve done all sorts of things. Mostly retail and restaurant work.” She’d never gotten the chance to go to college. And moving around so much had meant that building up experience was a hard go, except for the times she’d worked at coffee shops. “Do you know anyone who’s hiring? For anything?”
“Not off the top of my head, but I’ll ask around.”
“That’s very kind of you.” Em liked Gracie. She’d never had much in the way of friends. Another thing that moving around so much made difficult. And at a certain point, she’d stopped letting people in. Maybe Gracie could be her first real friend.
Gracie got a coy look on her face as she leaned against the counter. “So.” She paused to raise her eyebrows. “Deacon.”
Em nodded, not quite sure where this was headed. “He’s a nice guy.”
Gracie’s coy smile hitched up a little higher on one side. “Just a nice guy?”
Em wondered if this was how her own questions made people feel. Squirmy. And on the spot. “He’s a little grumpy. But I don’t mind it.”
Gracie snorted. “He’s terribly grumpy, but most of it’s a big show. And seriously, don’t you think he’s handsome? I know he’s my brother and all, but—”
Tinkerbelle barked suddenly, and a knock at the door followed, turning both their heads. Tinkerbelle took off for the front door.
“Must be Beckett,” Gracie said.
“I can see myself out.” Em lifted her bag of bakery goodies and headed for the door. “Thanks again. See you Saturday, maybe.”
“I’d love that. I hope you can make it.” A certain gleam lit her eyes. “I’m sure Deacon would like that, too.”
With a small chuckle, Em paused and glanced over her shoulder. “Yes, I think he’s handsome. But holy smokes, don’t tell him I said that.”
Gracie burst out laughing.
Em hurried to the door before Gracie could see her turn red. She slipped outside, making sure not to let Tinkerbelle out, and found Beckett waiting on the front porch. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
“Happy to do it. I understand Mr. Evermore was pressed into service today?”
“Yep. Boy, was that interesting.” They walked down the steps and to the car parked next to Deacon’s truck. It was a sleek, deep-blue Rolls-Royce.
Beckett opened the rear passenger-side door for her.
She frowned. “Would it be okay if I ride up front with you?”
He seemed taken aback for a moment. Then he smiled. “By all means, if that’s what you want.”
“It is.” Aunt Amelia might be used to people waiting on her and deferring to her, but Em had a long way to go before that would feel comfortable.
Still grinning, he closed the rear door and opened the front one. “There you are.”
“Thanks.” She got in, putting the bag on her lap.
He came around and slid behind the wheel.
She patted the bag. “I understand you like the mocha cupcakes.”
“I do.” He put the car in reverse. “You certainly know the way to a man’s heart, Miss Em.”
She laughed. She liked Beckett. He was still intimidating as all get-out, but she wasn’t afraid of him anymore. “I wouldn’t have known, but Nasha told me. Speaking of, Deacon told me her father is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. That’s wild.”
He nodded slowly, eyes on the rearview mirror as he backed out of the driveway. “Shadowvale is home to all sorts. But I’m guessing you learned that today.”
“I did. At least as much as Deacon could show me until he got called to help Frieda. He’d just been showing me where the vampires live.”
“Bayou Orleans?” Now on Pitch Lane, Beckett shifted into drive and headed for Amelia’s.
“Yep. Do you know any of them?”
“I do, a little. I go to Club 42 when I can. Isabelle Lagasse is a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice.”
“Which one is she?” Em wondered if Beckett was sweet on her. His expression had gone a little dreamy all of a sudden.
“She’s a cousin. Josephine Thibodeaux’s cousin, actually. Josephine’s the matriarch of the clan.” He shook his head. “It’s a big family. You’ll meet them.”
“I can wait on that.” She grimaced. “I’m sure they’re nice people, but vampires might be something I need to take slow.”
“Understand.” He glanced at her. “Now that you’ve seen Deacon’s curse in action, what do you think about it?”
Em shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like that bad of a curse to me. It makes it possible for him to help people, so that’s a good thing, right? But I suppose it’s not much fun for him to live with the curses he takes on until they go away.” She thought about it some more. “Makes him a very sympathetic guy. He’s a hero, really.”
“He is. He’s helped a lot of people in this town. Saved countless citizens from really bad situations.”
“Does he have a girlfriend? Wait, never mind.” Em’s eyes went wide. “I do not know why I asked that.”
Beckett laughed. “No, he doesn’t.”
She put her hand on her head. “I’m not interested. I’m really not. I have a lot to take care of before I even think about getting involved with someone.”
He made a little face and kept his eyes on the road. “There are worse choices than Deacon Evermore.”
“Shh.”
“I’m just saying, he—”
“He lives at home with his sister and a brother. Not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not exactly a sign he’s looking to move beyond that either. At least it isn’t to me.”
“The Evermore boys are very protective of their sister.”
“Must be nice.” Em frowned. “Did I just say that out loud? Apparently, I’m all about oversharing today.”
“You did. And it’s okay. Sometimes you just need to talk.”
He wasn’t wrong. And it had been so long since she’d had someone to talk to. She sighed and watched the scenery go by. “I never had any brothers or sisters. No father. And not much of a mother either. No one to look out for me, you know?”
He didn’t answer right away, then softly said, “I’d be happy to look out for you, Miss Em. As long as I’m able.”
Her heart knotted up at his sweet words, then she replayed what he’d just said. “What do you mean, as long as you’re able? Are you…unwell?”
“No, nothing like that. But someday my job here will be done. And then I’ll have to move on.”
“You think my aunt is going to get rid of you?”
“That’s…not what I mean.”
She peered at him. The darkness she’d seen around him before had returned. The intimacy of their conversation made her bold, sudden courage loosening her tongue. “What are you, Beckett? I mean, besides the majordomo of Indigo House.”
He kept his gaze straight ahead. “I’m not sure you want the answer to that.”
“I do. I really do. I sense darkness around you. Almost see it, really. I want to know why that is. What you are.”
He sighed as he pulled down Aunt Amelia’s drive. He parked the car by the front doors, turned off the engine, and finally looked at her. “I like you, Miss Em. I don’t want to frighten you off liking me.”
“I like you, too. I won’t be frightened by whatever kind of supernatural you are.”
He smiled, but there was sadness in it.
“You are a supernatural, aren’t you?” Her breath caught in her throat. Was he a vampire? Was that what all that darkness w
as?
“I am.”
“Are you a vampire?”
“No.”
She didn’t say anything else. Just let the silence hang between them. It was a trick she’d learned from her mother. People would usually tell you what you wanted to know just to fill the silence.
At last, Beckett sighed. “I was assigned to your aunt about fifty years ago. But when I came here, I didn’t understand the depth of the job I’d been given. Nor how powerful she is. Or how powerful this place is. Because of all that, I haven’t been able to do the job I was sent to do. Instead, I’ve been forced to wait until she’s ready. Or until she chooses to leave this bewitched ground. It’s rather intent on protecting her.”
Em tried to understand what he was telling her, but it didn’t quite click. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure I get what you’re saying. What kind of job were you given?”
His gloomy smile went flat, and a new sadness filled his eyes. “I was given the job of collecting your aunt’s soul.”
Em’s mouth came open, but her brain was struggling to process what he’d just said. “Her soul? But she’d have to be…deceased for that to be possible. Right? Or am I missing something? I really don’t understand.”
He nodded. “I think you do, Miss Em. Yes, she would have to be deceased. I’m a reaper. Her reaper, to be exact.”
She shivered without meaning to. Death. Beckett was Death. And she was in the car with him. Her throat closed up, making words impossible.
“You’re afraid.” He frowned. “I knew you would be. I won’t hurt you. I can’t hurt you. You’re not my assignment.”
She found her voice. “You want to kill my aunt?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then what? Explain it to me.”
“This isn’t my story to tell.”
“It is now that you started it.”
“I suppose that’s true.” He took his hands off the steering wheel and rested them in his lap. “When her beloved left her—”
“Pasqual?”
“Yes. When Pasqual left, she was ruined. Heartbroken beyond repair. She decided that without him, she didn’t want to live. She cast a spell to end her life. I was assigned to collect her soul, and so I came to Shadowvale. Of course, seeing me made her regret her actions, but what was done was done. Not all spells are reversible.”
The Trouble With Witches Page 9