Chapter 13
AFTER WE FINISHED, Aegis leaned back and set down the cookie he was eating. He rubbed his chin, his dark eyes flashing. “So it’s true. Essie and Rachel are having a pissing contest over Bedlam. I didn’t expect Linda to be caught up in this, but it’s easy to see how Essie engineered it. If you want control over somebody, find their vulnerability, especially if it threatens someone or something they love. People will do anything they can to protect their loved ones, more than they will to protect themselves.”
“We need to figure out how to safely smuggle Patty away from her prison. Neither one of us knows anything like a teleportation spell—only the most powerful among witches and magicians know those.” I looked over at Bubba, who was stretched out on the table, listening.
“Maddy, are you sure about this?” Sandy petted Bubba’s head. “You know what can happen.”
I contemplated Bubba carefully. He stared back at me, just as intently. “I know. I also know that Bubba can be incredibly understanding. When a life hangs in the balance, he’s not likely to mess around.”
“M’rrow.” Bubba rolled over and crouched, his belly low to the table.
Aegis winced but said nothing.
“We can’t let Essie take over Bedlam. Nobody would be safe.” I stared into Bubba’s eyes. “Oh, Bubba. I wish that Patty would be safely reunited with her mother, and that the pair of them make it to a safe haven without endangering anybody who’s innocent in the process.”
Bubba flopped on his back, exposing his belly. Hesitantly, I rubbed the thick orange fur. He let out a trill, purring loudly, then gently licked my hand and sat up. Holding my breath, I looked around. Nothing. A moment later, I shrugged and sat back in my chair as Bubba meandered off to have himself a nosh.
“I guess we wait now. If he decides to help us, we’ll know soon enough.” Turning back to Aegis, I added, “Delia’s watching Ralph.”
Sandy toyed with her sandwich. “Things are a mess. What do we do next?”
“We finish our dinner.” I dipped my sandwich in my soup, then sat back and let out a soft breath. “Relax as much as you can. Eating while stressed isn’t good for you.”
“All right.” Sandy concentrated on her meal, holding out her soup bowl for seconds. As Aegis refilled it for her, she said, “Before I forget, I think we should set some ground rules for the position of High Priestess. No kids. We can’t chance having this happen again.”
“I don’t know if we can make that a requirement.” Talk of children jogged my memory. Blushing, I licked my lips. “Aegis, that reminds me. Vampires can’t sire children, can they?”
He looked confused. “We can turn just about anybody.”
“No, I don’t mean that kind of sire.”
Once again, the blank look.
Sandy let out a laugh. “She means, can you get her pregnant? I heard some rumor that a vampire can spawn a kid, but I’m not sure how accurate that was. Is your sperm up and jumping, or did they die with you?”
Mortified, I covered my face, peeking between my fingers. “Put it any more bluntly, why don’t you?”
With a snort, Sandy leaned across and patted my arm. “He doesn’t mind, do you, Aegis? After all, you weren’t getting anywhere asking your way.”
Aegis placed her soup bowl in front of her. “I don’t mind. I wasn’t expecting that question. I guess it’s not a subject that comes up every day, is it?” He refilled my bowl next, then took his place again. “After all, vampires can eat and drink, even though the food passes through with minimal processing, so to speak. We don’t absorb nutrients from it.”
“Yet another visual I never want to think about again. Brain bleach time.” I tried to shake off the image of what “minimal processing” meant.
“As for getting you pregnant, I never thought about it. I do know that a vampire can father a child, if he rises from being turned before thirty-six hours. Other than that, I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of a child engendered from a union with a vampire, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. Now, I’m wondering.” He looked so freaked that his mood transferred to me.
“So the only way to know at this point is if I get pregnant.” I frowned. “I’ll start using a fertility blocker, because the last thing we need is a vampire-witch baby.” I wasn’t interested in being a mother, and the thought of what such a mix might turn out to be terrified me.
With that settled for the moment, I turned back to my food. We ate in silence for a while, trying to enjoy the downtime, until the doorbell rang. I frowned, wondering who it could be. Aegis went to answer.
“Do you really think Essie would turn Linda’s daughter? It seems like such a cruel thing to do.” Sandy pushed back her dishes. “I know vampires can be nasty. I’m the first to caution people about them. But that’s downright ruthless.”
“I think Essie’s about as ruthless as they come. Sandy, what the hell are we going to do about Linda? Not only is she our High Priestess, she’s also the mayor. I understand her reasoning, but the fact is, she turned traitor to the coven and to Bedlam. This is a lot more complicated than I ever expected it to be.”
I was struggling to sort out my feelings on the subject. We couldn’t just leave things alone. Sure, if we went after Rachel as the main culprit, it would appease Essie, and remove the worry that she might strike out at Linda’s daughter. But that wasn’t an answer. The vampires would increase their control over Bedlam. Being a party to that was as good as actively working with them to destroy the town. Once they got their fangs hooked into running this island, it meant that all the Otherkin would be at their beck and call.
“We can’t let it go,” I said, making up my mind. “I don’t know if Bubba will help us, but one way or another, we have to drive them back. Linda has to resign. She can’t ever approach this objectively. Not with Patty’s life at stake.”
“Accept collateral damage?” Sandy asked. When I gave her a scathing look, she added, “I’m not judging your decision. I agree. But you know as well as I do that we’re going to be blamed for any fallout.”
“We’ve been blamed for far worse in the past.” I quieted down as Aegis returned, Delia following him. “Delia, I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk.”
She glanced at Aegis, who motioned to a chair. He looked about as happy as I felt.
“We have a problem,” she said, sitting down and resting one elbow on the table. “Did either of you know that Linda has a daughter?”
“Yeah, we just found out tonight, in fact. Why?” I shifted, suddenly chilled. Had Essie already gotten to Patty? Was the girl already dead?
“I got the strangest call twenty minutes ago from a police station down in Georgia. They told me that Linda’s daughter is in jail. They tried to contact Linda, but when they dialed the phone number the girl gave them, it rang my private line.”
Bubba meandered by, stopping to stare at us and let out a loud “’Row?”
“Yeah, I see, Bub. Thank you, buddy.” I bent down to rub his ears. “Is she safe? Patty?”
“Pa—oh, the girl. Patricia. Yes, actually. I don’t know why, but I felt compelled to tell them to keep a watch out for vampires.”
“I know why, but I’ll explain in a moment. What happened then?”
“First, I had no idea that Linda had a daughter. But when I went over to her house to tell her about the phone call, she was tossing clothes into a carry-on. She told me she already knew that Patty was in trouble. It seems somebody contacted her shortly before I arrived. Linda is heading to Georgia immediately. When I asked how she was going to get to the airport—I was planning on offering her a ride—she said she didn’t need a plane.” Delia tapped her fingers on the table. “She can’t fly, can she?”
I shook my head. “No witch I know can. Spells like that? Along with teleportation? Those are abilities only the most ancient and powerful witches have. Invisibility is a different matter. I don’t know how she’s planning to get there, but you can bet that she’ll find a way.”
“Did the Georgia police say why Patty was in jail?” Sandy broke in.
“Yes. Somehow the girl managed to get away from her caretaker. Patricia was picked up on the street after a man called the police to report that he was with a confused woman who kept telling him she had been kidnapped and needed to call her mother. But when she gave the cops Linda’s name and phone number, the phone number was mine. I have no idea how the mix up occurred, but I told the cops I’d contact Linda.”
Bubba jumped up on the table and flopped on his side next to one of the empty plates. He started to purr so loudly that the rumble echoed through the air. I reached over to give him another ear rub. Sandy let out a muffled snort.
“I wonder how Linda found out. Do you know?” Aegis began to clear the table.
Delia caught my attention and held it for a moment, her dark eyes flashing. “Actually, yes. She told me that Rachel called her and told her. Now, how would Rachel know about that?”
How indeed, unless Essie had gotten a call from Kali, and Rachel had managed to listen in somehow. As in possibly a bug planted in Essie’s lair? That was my best guess.
I turned to Sandy. “I wonder if Linda can make it before Essie’s goons can get there?”
Sandy rubbed her chin. “Who in Bedlam is capable of casting a teleportation spell? That’s the only way Linda can make it down there that fast. If she can manage that, she can get there faster than Essie can send her hit squad.”
“ ‘Essie’s hit squad’? What’s Essie got to do with this?” Delia cleared her throat. “If you know something about this, I’d appreciate it if you would enlighten me.”
“We’ll tell you in a minute.” I turned to Sandy. “So who in Bedlam is capable of casting that potent a spell? Nobody in our coven, for sure.”
Sandy jumped up. “I know who. You’ve never met her. She moved to Bedlam a few years back and she keeps to herself. I doubt if hardly anybody on the island knows who she is.” She grabbed her coat. “She refuses to even have a telephone in the house, so we’re going to have to drive out there.”
“You’re talking about Auntie Tautau, aren’t you?” Delia asked.
I stared at them. “Auntie? We have an Auntie living in the town?”
Aunties were incredibly powerful witches. In fact, we weren’t even sure if they belonged to our kind. But they were all extremely old, and extremely irreverent, and they belonged to no coven or circle or any other group.
“Right.” Sandy motioned to Aegis and me. “Come on, we need to head over there. Aegis, you come with us. We’ll want the protection in case Essie’s on the prowl tonight. Or Rachel, for that matter.”
“We really need to change clothes first. Aegis, you run out to Sandy’s car and get her other things while we head upstairs to change. Delia, we’ll tell you everything, I promise. But we have to make certain Linda’s safely away first.”
Delia looked ready to grumble, but finally just shrugged. “Hurry up, then.”
Sandy and I dashed upstairs. I was halfway through changing when Aegis peeked in the door and tossed Sandy her tote bag with her regular clothes in it. He vanished again before we could say anything.
“How come you never told me about Auntie Tautau? Since when did an Auntie move to Bedlam?”
Sandy shimmied into her jeans and shirt. “Oh, some time ago. She’s so old that she could have easily known Merlin. I don’t know where she’s originally from, but she’s lived all over. She moved into a cottage on the outskirts of Bedlam and though she makes regular trips into town, she cloaks up. She’s one of those people nobody seems to see unless she’s got a good reason. I’m not sure Essie even knows she exists.”
I had never met an Auntie before, but I had known other people like that during my life. They glided through life, making massive impressions on select groups of people, but to the rest of the world, they remained unknown and uncounted.
“If anybody on the island could cast a teleportation spell, it would be her. And Linda spent a lot of time out at Auntie Tautau’s place.” Sandy buckled her belt and we headed downstairs.
Aegis was waiting, leather jacket on, holding our coats for us.
Delia held up her keys. “We can all fit in the squad car, so let’s take that. I don’t know what’s going on, but there’s safety in numbers and if Essie has anything to do with this—it’s dark, and there are vampires roaming.” Delia paused. “No offense, Aegis. It’s just not all of your kind wish us as much good fortune as you do.”
He shrugged it off. “Not a problem. I’m certainly not going to argue the point with you. Not with Rachel and Essie on the loose.”
When we were in the car and on the way, Sandy and I filled Delia in on everything we had learned about Linda and her daughter.
Delia slammed her hand against the wheel, the car lurching on the ice a moment before she regained control. “Sorry. It’s just that Linda’s our mayor and she’s been selling us out to Essie and her court? Whatever else happens, that needs to stop.”
“Oh, we agree. Linda’s our High Priestess, but she’s compromised the coven. At the same time, any mother worth her salt is going to fight to protect her child. But you see how this makes a difference in the case of Rose’s death? If Essie could pin it on Ralph and Rachel, then Rachel would be up for staking, and Ralph, simply collateral damage. His part was to divert our focus to Rachel, away from the little war that she and Essie have going on.”
“So, Ralph takes the fall, and because we assumed Rachel was behind it, we stake her. And Essie stays queen and goes on controlling Linda and filtering her influence into the island.” Delia let out a sound of disgust. “I can’t believe Linda was playing into this.”
“Sadly, word will spread, and the main temple may vote to strip Linda of her powers.”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t want to be her when the Society Magicka catches up with her. Don’t forget, Maddy, the plan was also aimed at taking you out. Linda probably didn’t intend to set you up, but Essie put two and two together when she figured out you were the Mad Maudlin of history. Your skill in hunting both witch finders and vampires makes your presence doubly dangerous.”
Delia shook her head, turning a cautious left onto Blackberry Avenue. The flakes were falling lightly, and the sheen of fresh snow over the ice made the roads slick and dangerous. “I’m just glad all this came to light before Essie got her fangs fully into this island. There’s not much I can do against her, unless she deliberately makes a grab for control, but we stay on alert from now on.”
“There—up ahead, Auntie Tautau’s house.” Sandy pointed at a small cottage to the right, which was partially hidden behind a tangle of vegetation and shrubbery. We eased into the driveway. I didn’t see any cars, but that didn’t mean squat. Not everybody drove.
The lights in the cottage were on. The moment we stepped out of the car, the porch light went on. Obviously, Auntie Tautau knew we were there. As we approached the wraparound porch, the front door opened and a squat, sturdy woman bustled out. She was dressed in a Hawaiian floral muumuu with a very stiff, very wide straw hat that had a bright pink ribbon wrapped around it. Perched on the side, above the bow, was a crow. Auntie Tautau’s gray hair hung down to her waist, pulled back in a thick, expertly plaited braid.
“Come in, come in. I’ve been waiting for you,” she said, opening her front door wide and shooing us all inside off the porch. “It’s a desperately cold night and you’ll be wanting some hot cocoa, I expect. I have shortbread, too. You may cross my threshold too, Aegis, vampire though you may be. You’ll not be able to harm me.”
I blinked at the Irish accent. For some reason, given her dress, I had expected to hear an inflection straight out of the Hawaiian islands. But nope, everything in the house except for Auntie Tautau’s dress said, “Irish.” Including the picture that hung on the hallway wall of a leprechaun dancing beside a rainbow. It was a photograph—not a painting. Leprechauns were rare, but it was possible to hunt one down if you tried. Something told me that Auntie Tautau wouldn’t have any problem scaring one up.
She scooted us into a living room that was jammed with curios, yet felt neat as a pin. “Sit down. I’ll call for the cocoa and you can ask your questions.”
“You knew we were coming?”
“Linda said you would be here. So yes, I anticipated your visit. Now, sit and I’ll strengthen the fire. The chill outside is a nasty one, cuts to the bone. You don’t want to catch your death. Or anybody else’s death, either.” With that curious statement, she waggled her fingers toward the fireplace and the sputtering flames roared to life, the heat emanating off them to fill the room.
“So Linda was here?” I asked, feeling rather sad. I looked around, realizing we had missed her.
“Yes, indeed. She was. She’s gone now, you know. I sent her off to reunite with her daughter. Sad bit of business, that is. But there’s nothing for you to do now. She won’t be back. I vested her and her young one with a safe passage ticket to a private place. But there’s no coming back from the WPP.”
Delia cleared her throat. “You’re part of the WPP?”
Auntie Tautau nodded. “I am indeed.”
“What’s the WPP?” Aegis asked.
“The Witches’ Protection Program,” Sandy said. “We—that is, witches like Auntie Tautau—can make people disappear safely who have a bounty on their head, or who are in trouble like Linda.”
“It’s not invoked very often, because it requires tremendous power and a complete reconstruction of their life web,” Auntie Tautau said. “And there must be extenuating circumstances. The Aunties are very clear about this. None of you know the good Linda has done in her past. She helped thousands of people over the centuries, and has gone uncredited. But the Society Magicka keeps an eye out for those on a slippery slope. Her name was bandied around more than most.”
I pressed my lips together, trying to sort out my feelings. She had compromised the island, but still the Society Magicka had seen fit to overlook that. Yet, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief that Linda and her daughter were safely out of the way.
“That leaves the matter of Essie and the island, though. We have a very delicate situation on our hands and somebody better take the reins of power now because if Essie’s going to make a move, you can bet she’ll do so soon. With Linda gone, it’s the ideal time for her and her crew to swoop in.” Sandy turned to Delia. “Can you take over as interim mayor until a new election can be held?” She paled. “I just had a horrible thought. What’s to prevent Essie from running for the position and scaring her way into the vote?”
“Yes, I can, and vampires can’t hold public office. She can’t run for mayor because that would be breaking the rules governing public servants.” Delia chewed on her lip. “I suppose I can call an emergency meeting of the town council for tomorrow morning. We’ll need a representative from Moonrise Coven. Usually, that would be Linda. Who’s second in command in your coven?”
I shook my head. “It will have to be a member of the Inner Court. So Sandy, Terrance, Angus, or me.”
Sandy pulled out her phone. “I’m calling Angus and Terrance right now.”
While she was setting up the conference call, I turned back to Auntie Tautau. “Are you sure Linda and her daughter are safe?”
She smiled softly, pushed a stray wisp of gray hair behind her ear. “Child, they are safer than anybody in this room. Don’t fret. I sent them to a happy space where they can be together. A mother should not be parted from her daughter. Linda will miss her life here for a while, but she’ll blossom into the new one I’ve provided.”
As Auntie Tautau spoke, her voice took on the tone of absolute certainty. My doubt faded and I thought back to Bubba. Somehow, he had helped make this happen, and Auntie Tautau had done the rest.
“So, you confirm Linda’s safely out of Bedlam, with her daughter?” Delia opened her notebook to make a note, then stopped. “Why is my pen not working? It was a few seconds ago.”
“Because anything you write about someone in the WPP won’t translate to the page. We’re that good. And yes, Linda and her daughter are safe. Auntie Sagewind down in Georgia contacted me.”
The room was silent for a moment as we digested the information.
Aegis cleared his throat. “Can you do anything about Essie?”
Auntie Tautau shook her head. “No, I cannot. I can’t directly intervene with regards to the troublemakers. The Aunties protect and guard. We aren’t like the Society Magicka. They have no control over us, although we sometimes work together. But we are only here to help and not harm.” She pressed mugs of hot cocoa in our hands, along with shortbread.
I didn’t have the heart to tell her I wasn’t hungry, so I nibbled on my cookie. The Witches’ Protection Program had been born out of the mists. I wasn’t sure where it started, but they moved when they would—not at anybody else’s bidding. During my time on the run from the witch hunters, I had prayed they would take me in, but they never had and I knew better than to complain. I wouldn’t have known who to petition, anyway.
“I’ve got Angus and Terrance on the line.” Sandy returned, setting her phone down and putting it on speaker so we could all hear them. “I’ve explained to them that Linda’s gone, though I didn’t tell them why, but they know she’s not coming back.”
“Can someone confirm that?” Angus’s voice echoed out from the phone.
With a frown, Auntie Tautau leaned forward, glaring at the cell phone. “Bah. Technology. I don’t like it, for the most part. You listen to me, young witch. I am Auntie Tautau. Cassandra speaks the truth. Don’t question the will of the gods.”
There was a brief pause.
“Right.” Angus cleared his throat. “So we need to pick a leader for the coven?”
“Right. We have to call an emergency town council meeting and I need a representative from the coven there. This is vital, Angus. Lives may depend on it. So you four better get in gear and decide who’s taking Linda’s place as High Priestess right now.” Delia leaned back, closing her eyes. She looked tired.
“That’s easy.” Terrance laughed. “Maddy, don’t you think?”
I jerked, my shoulders stiffening. “What? You want me to take over being the High Priestess? Are you kidding? I haven’t lived here long—”
Sandy laughed. “Too late. I just briefed them on the basics. All three of us agree that you’re the one for the job. You don’t have a choice, Maddy. You’re the new High Priestess.”
I stared at her. “You’re in on this?”
“You’re the best choice. I’m too busy and I don’t have the reputation you do. Terrance and Angus are men, so they can’t assume the title. Ergo—you.” She shrugged, then leaned in toward the phone. “You guys good on that?”
“We are,” Terrance said.
“Aye. Maddy’s for the job,” Angus said. They both hung up before I could say another word.
“That’s settled then,” Delia said. “The meeting will be at nine tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, we better make certain Ralph’s safe. I’ve set a watch on him, but when he came out of the thrall state, he was in a bad way. He doesn’t have many memories of what happened, but when he found out that he’s been under control of a vampire, it set him off good. He’s been howling up a storm, threatening to stake any vamp that gets in his way. He also feels horrible about what he did to you, Maddy. And he’s terrified that he might have actually killed Rose.”
“Let’s go. You do realize that once you assume the title of mayor, Essie’s going to make you a target.”
Delia shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Auntie Tautau, thank you. You’ve been more helpful than you know.”
And with that, we headed for the squad car. Auntie Tautau waved from her porch. I started to warn her to be careful but then the realization hit that she probably had more power in her little finger than I had in my whole body, and I dropped the thought.
As we headed toward city hall, it occurred to me that Bedlam was proving to be a lot more complicated than I had expected it to be. Quiet little town, my ass.