by Lisa Edmonds
I opened her front door. “And this is over, Lily. If we have to have this conversation again, I won’t be nearly as polite.”
Carly and I stepped out onto the porch. The door slammed behind us.
12
Carly and I sat on the floor on opposite sides of the coffee table with the poppet on the black cloth between us. She’d invoked the circle around us; now all that remained was to break the hex.
My stomach churned, but not because of Sean. I was nervous about what would happen when the hex broke. Carly assured me that I would simply return to the feelings I’d had for Sean before the spell had been invoked and there shouldn’t be any other effects, but this wasn’t my kind of magic and I felt powerless with my fate in the hands of someone else’s magic.
Malcolm was listening in the kitchen. Sean and Nan waited on the back porch. Apparently, Nan had wandered out back while Carly and I were gone and discovered my garden full of giant carnivorous plants. As with everything else, she’d taken the garden’s eating habits in stride. Her comment: “Well, a mage must have a magical garden, after all. Isn’t that a rule?”
When we returned, Carly had allowed Sean to see and sniff the poppet, but he couldn’t detect any scents other than Lily’s and the witch’s. He’d wanted to open it to see if the piece of scarf inside had the scent of who’d taken it from his house, but Carly told him the poppet couldn’t be opened without risking harm to me. We’d have to find out who took the scarf some other way.
From her bag, Carly took a glass bottle of salt and another of what she identified as rainwater. “Are you ready?” she asked me.
I scratched my arms through the sleeves of my shirt and sighed. “I suppose so.”
She paused. “I’m not spelling you, Alice. I’m removing the existing spell. I understand it’s a little unsettling since you’ve barely had time to adjust to the idea you’ve been under a witch’s hex for the past day.”
“Can I tell you something stupid?” I blurted out.
She smiled. “Of course.”
“I’m afraid you’ll break the hex and then I’ll be vulnerable again,” I confessed.
“Because your feelings for him make you feel vulnerable?”
I nodded.
“Magic can be scary,” she said thoughtfully. “Werewolves can be scary. So can vampires and ghosts. All of these you can handle, though. Love is the scariest thing of all because it makes us so vulnerable. It’s a leap of faith. There’s nothing stupid in fearing that, unless you let the fear paralyze you and steal your happiness. So take a deep breath and jump.”
“Break the hex,” I said.
“Attagirl. That’s more like it.” Carly unstoppered the glass bottles and took another match from the box. “Breathe deeply,” she said.
Together, we took three deep breaths. I relaxed my shoulders and cleared my mind.
She picked up the bottle of salt. “I cleanse this poppet of all evil intent by Earth.” She sprinkled salt on the little cloth figure. “Water.” She sprinkled it with the rainwater. “Spirit.” She picked up the poppet and held it in the air with both hands. “And burn it until it is ash with Fire and ask Air to take the ash far away that this poppet may never hex Alice again.”
She struck the match and ignited both of the poppet’s legs. As the flames grew, she placed the poppet in the cauldron. I smelled burning hair and wrinkled my nose.
My heart pounded as the fire consumed the poppet. I braced myself for a wave of dizziness or disorientation like I’d felt when the spell was invoked, but as the last of the cloth figure burned away, nothing happened.
“I don’t think it worked,” I said with a hint of panic in my voice. “I didn’t feel anything.”
Carly didn’t look worried. “Only one way to know for sure.” She raised her voice. “Sean?”
The back door opened instantly, as if he’d been waiting with his hand on the doorknob. Sean stepped inside.
We locked eyes. I flinched, expecting pain, but felt nothing. No cramps, no nausea, no churning sensation…but nothing else, either. I might have been looking at a complete stranger.
Carly stood and walked around the circle counter-clockwise three times. “The circle is open but never broken,” she said. “Go in peace and harmony.”
She picked up the cauldron and took it out the back door. When she came back, the cauldron was empty and the ashes were gone.
Sean approached cautiously. “Is the hex broken?”
Carly nodded. “Should be.”
“Did it work?”
She looked between us. “We’re not quite sure yet.”
His eyes shone softly golden. “Where do we stand?” he asked me. “Is this our first meeting, our second time starting over, or will I get to sleep with you in our bed tonight?”
Slowly, I rose and crossed the room to meet him. I sensed something building inside me, like a wave about to break. He stayed where he was and let me come to him. I stopped in front of him and looked into his eyes. A shadowy figure passed behind them, as if the wolf was pacing. I reached out and took his hand.
Stars burst in my head and my legs went out from under me. Sean caught me as I fell. Heat raced over my skin at his touch and my nose filled with the scent of forest. I felt like I’d been asleep for a day and had just woken up. My feelings for Sean came flooding back and left me breathless. A fierce protectiveness for this, for us, rose in me, and if Lily had been standing in front of me at that moment, I might have said to hell with my promise to Malcolm and cut off something she would miss.
I grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him to me. His mouth was hot and hungry and the ferocity of his kiss melted the last of the chill away from my heart.
“I think it worked,” Carly said dryly.
“We should probably go,” Nan added with a smile. “Come on, Carly. I’ll help you pack up.”
Sean and I had a million things to talk about—and a lot of making up to do—but first I sent Malcolm back to try to talk to Ashley’s ghost, and then we walked Carly and Nan out to their cars.
Nan hugged all three of us tightly and left with Carly’s card in her pocket. They’d had a few private conversations over the course of the afternoon and I got the impression they’d made plans for lunch later in the week. I wondered whether Nan had inherited any of her grandmother’s gifts and if she wanted to explore them with Carly’s guidance.
Carly put her bag in her trunk and turned to us with a smile. “He hasn’t let go of your hand since the hex broke.”
I raised our entwined hands and smiled ruefully. “I have a feeling we’re going to be inseparable for a while.”
Sean kissed my knuckles. “Thank you,” he told Carly. “My pack and I both owe you a debt of gratitude for your help.”
She shook her head. “No debts between friends. I’m thrilled I could help.”
“I must ask you for another favor,” Sean said, growing serious. “I’m concerned the witch who made the poppet may still have the rest of Alice’s scarf or other items that belong to us. I’m going to investigate this on my end, but is there any way to know where Lily got the poppet?”
“Actually, yes.” Carly shut her trunk and leaned against the car. “Poppets are often unique to the witch who made them and I know most of the practitioners in the city. That little string with the button is something I’ve seen before. I think the witch’s name is Katrina, and I’m pretty sure I know where to find her. I’ll ask her to give me everything of yours she still has.”
Sean nodded. “Thank you. I’d like to know how Lily found her and who gave her the scarf and the hair. Any information you could get relating to that would be very much appreciated.”
“I’ll let you know what I find out.” She touched his arm. “Please don’t judge all witches by what just happened. Much like your own magic, the Craft suffers from a lot of misinformation, ignorance, and demonization. I know neither of you have much experience with it firsthand, and I’m sorry your first interactions with ou
r practice involved a cruel and dangerous hex. That’s not what our practices are about. Our beliefs and practices are for living in harmony with all living things. We help people to cross from this world to the next if they want our help. Most importantly, it’s about doing good and positive things to help others and Mother Earth.”
“I know,” I assured her. “You’re right; both of our groups get judged based on what a few of us do. Lots of people think all mages belong to cabals and kill people for our spells. I’m the last person who would blame all witches for what Lily and Katrina did.”
“Shifters get their share of bad press,” Sean added. “It’s easy to demonize a whole group based on a few bad apples. I’m not holding this against you or anyone else except those involved.”
Carly startled me by touching our joined hands. Sean and I exchanged puzzled looks.
After several seconds, she took her hand away and smiled at us. “Don’t mind me. Sometimes I get these feelings.”
Feelings, as in premonitions? Hoo boy. “Anything you need to tell us?”
“Not right this minute.” She patted my arm. “Well, I’m needed back at work, so I should go and let you two get on with your day.”
I perked up immediately. “Where is your shop?”
Carly took a couple of cards from her purse. “It’s called Brew a Cup Tea and Coffee House. We’re north of downtown, about twenty minutes from here. We have the best scones in the city.”
“I’m not much of a tea drinker, but you had me at coffee and scones.” I tucked the cards into my pocket. “I’ll definitely be stopping in for coffee very soon.”
“Let me brew a cup of tea for you and I might change your mind about tea.” She smiled. “Can I hug you?”
A few months ago, I would have declined. Physical contact used to make me sick to my stomach—far worse than the poppet had. When I’d first escaped Moses’s compound, even incidental contact, like brushing against someone in the store, could cause a full-blown panic attack. Years of physical captivity and torture left deep emotional scars, not just physical ones.
I’d changed a great deal since then and the past few months with Sean and Malcolm had made me into someone I’d never imagined I could be. I wanted to give Carly, someone I’d just met, a hug. That realization made me stand still for a moment.
Her smile was sympathetic. “I understand if not. You’re a survivor. I won’t insist. Maybe another time.”
I let go of Sean’s hand and hugged her—not a quick side hug, but a full-blown, rib-crushing, Nan-style hug. “Thank you for giving me my life back,” I said before I let go.
She grinned as Sean took my hand again. “It’s a good life you’ve got, and I don’t just mean your hot wolf.” She got into her car, shut the door, and turned the key in the ignition. The window rolled down. “And if you want to bring your Earth-bound spirit to my coffee shop sometime, I’d love to meet him too,” she added with a wink.
My mouth fell open. Before I could formulate a response, the car pulled away from the curb and headed down the street.
“She called me your hot wolf,” Sean said, feigning indignation. “I feel objectified.”
I scoffed. “You think you feel objectified now, just wait until I get done with you.”
He ran his nose along my hairline, drinking in my scent. “You really need to work on your threats,” he murmured, his lips on my ear. I shivered hard. “Because if that was supposed to scare me, it had the opposite effect.”
“Apparently,” I said dryly. “What do you say we go inside so I can apologize properly?”
“I know you’re just being playful, but you don’t owe me any kind of apology.” Sean’s anger sizzled on my skin as we headed for the front door. “I called a pack meeting for this evening and we are going to find out who helped Lily by giving her your scarf. I have my suspicions, but Nan is right; jumping to conclusions won’t do anybody any good.” His hand tightened on mine and I felt a surge of golden shifter magic. “In the meantime, however—”
My phone rang as we went inside the house. I dug it out of my pocket and stared at the screen. “It’s Aden’s cell number, the one Jana gave him,” I said disbelievingly. I swiped the green button. “Aden?”
The response made me stop dead in my tracks. “Alice, this is Jana Peters.” Her voice was calm—much too calm—and it sent my adrenaline through the roof.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“I just wanted you to know Aden and I are fine. We’re safe.”
“What? How?”
“I’ve decided to accept a job with Mr. Bell. Aden is staying here with me. There’s no need to worry about either of us.”
I sagged against the wall. “Jana…”
“We’re perfectly safe unless anyone tries to interfere with my new job.” I caught the slightest hint of defeat in her voice. “Do you understand? So just let me work here in peace and my son and I will be fine.”
Magic sparked on my fingers. I wasn’t sure who I was more angry at: Bell, or myself. “All right,” I said, since she—and presumably whoever was listening in—seemed to be waiting for an answer. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too. Take care.” The call ended.
“Alice—” Sean began, sounding worried.
“Hold that thought.” I pulled up my Contacts, tapped one, and hit the green button.
The phone rang three times. “Miss Worth,” Ezekiel Monroe said.
I cleared my throat. “I take it you made some calls?”
“I did.” A pause. “I take it you received one?”
“Yup.” I told him about my call from Jana.
Silence. “I was informed my request was under consideration,” he said finally. “I’d thought, in light of recent events, that I might prevail in obtaining freedom for the child and his mother.”
My blood went cold. “What recent events?”
He hummed, as if trying to decide how much to tell me. “It will probably not surprise you to hear that we have sources of information within Bell’s organization.”
“In other news, the sky is blue,” I said testily. “The Court has eyes and ears everywhere. What did you find out from your sources?”
“Apparently, late last night or early this morning, Preston Allan Garrett, Aden’s father, grew impatient with attempts to rescue his son and Jana Peters and contacted someone with Bell’s organization to offer himself in trade for them.”
I let out a string of expletives.
“Indeed,” Monroe said grimly. “Naturally, Bell’s people double-crossed him.”
“So now Bell has all three of them: Garrett and Aden for their power and Jana as leverage.” I swore again. “I told him to stay out of it until we had a plan and then we’d act together.”
“From what I understand, that sort of patient approach is not Mr. Garrett’s forte. One must sympathize with a man wishing to save his son, but in his desperation he made a poor choice.”
I sat on the couch. “I still want Aden, Ezekiel. Let them keep Garrett; he got himself into this mess. They don’t need Aden or Jana now. They can let them go in return for Garrett’s cooperation.”
“I doubt they will consider it. The phone call you received is a clear warning for us to back away from this matter. In their best interest—and ours—I think we should heed their warning.”
“You cannot be serious,” I raged. “Garrett made his own choices, but Aden is twelve years old. Do you know what they do to mage kids in cabals? They torture them until they break them or the kid is dead. They’ll make him bleed to get Garrett to do whatever they want.”
“Do you think I’m not aware of that?” Monroe snapped, losing his trademark cool. “I can assure you that I receive daily reports about the cabal, many of which are as bad or worse than what you’re describing. But in my estimation, Garrett will do as he’s told to save his son and Aden will fall in line to spare his mother. As distasteful as I find the situation, Bell is an ally against Moses Murphy. It may sound harsh to you,
but there are a great many lives at stake, and we can’t jeopardize all of them over one boy.”
“No, it doesn’t sound harsh. It sounds heartless.”
“Let this one go, Miss Worth. You cannot save everyone.”
I didn’t trust myself to respond, so I ended the call before I said something I’d regret. I got up and headed for the stairs.
Sean came out of the kitchen drying his hands on a towel. “I’m making coffee. Where are you going?”
“Upstairs to punch the heavy bag for about an hour while I think.”
He met me at the foot of the stairs. “Would you like a sparring partner?”
“I’m pretty pissed. I might punch you through the wall.”
He smiled. “I’ll let you try. How about that?”
“I don’t want to talk,” I warned him. “I just want to punch.”
“Fair enough.” He took my hand and tugged. “Come on; we’ve got some time before the pack meeting. Let’s punch.”
Ordinarily, it wasn’t uncommon for pack meetings to be held at either Jack and Delia’s house or Karen and Cole’s home. When shifters gathered, they tended to do so in the country, for a variety of reasons.
This time, however, Sean held the meeting at his house. I understood the impulse to bring the pack together on his turf, given the reason for the gathering.
Everyone arrived and settled in the living room. Even Patrick, who was habitually late, was early. Sean hadn’t told anyone why we were meeting, but a same-day mandatory summons never signaled good news and his terse greetings as people arrived ratcheted up the tension considerably.
When all pack members plus their human spouses were present, including Casey, who was attending her first pack meeting as Ben’s fiancée, Sean moved to the entryway to the living room so he could see everyone and be seen. He gestured for me to join him, so I did.