Chapter 11
SANDY RETURNED AS soon as Fata vanished, an ashen look on her face. I turned to Jordan, who had quietly watched the entire affair.
“We have a problem.” I slumped back into a chair. “You say she’s part water elemental? I don’t think she started out that way, though I didn’t meet her until…it was 1659. Fata was twenty-seven and I was thirty. But now that I think about it, the first time I saw her, she came riding in on the ocean waves. When she hopped off of the wave, she danced around me on the shore, laughing. I wasn’t afraid of her, not then. She told me her family had cast her out when she was thirteen. Her powers hit at puberty, and it scared even her parents.”
Jordan pulled out his tablet. “I saved the readings on her. She has an immense amount of power, but it’s all concentrated in one direction. Water, be it snow, rain, or ocean. She can do little else on a magical level, I’d wager. The element flows in her aura like blood in her veins. I doubt if she even needs to breathe when she’s underwater. She’s one of the Ocean Mother’s chosen.”
“Did you find out anything else?” Sandy asked. “We need every scrap of information we can gather on her in order to know how to proceed.”
“I suppose she’s vulnerable—every creature or force has its vulnerability. But be cautious. At this point, she could swamp the island with a small hurricane, I’m betting.” He paused. “Let me call my girlfriend. I told her I’d be late and I know she worries.”
As he moved to the side, Sandy turned to me. “So, not only is Dracula on the island and after you, but we have to keep Fata contained. I think we’d better ask Auntie Tautau for advice.”
“I think you’re right.” I chewed on my lip. “I feel like we’ve got hold of a rattlesnake. Right now, it’s biding its time, but at any moment, it could turn and bite us.”
“I don’t want Fata over at my house, and I don’t want her knowing about Jenna. I’m responsible for her safety and frankly, yeah, the snake is in the henhouse, so to speak.” Sandy gave me a pained smile, then sat down, staring glumly at the coffee table. “Should we dissolve the pact? We might be able to do it, the two of us.”
I thought about it for a moment. If we were able to dissolve the oath we had made, would Fata feel it vanish? Then she’d have no reason to hold herself back if she got angry with us. On the other hand, we couldn’t do anything to her while the oath held.
“We’re in a tight place right now. I’m not sure which is the safest course of action.”
“Let’s talk to Auntie Tautau, then. I’ll get my jacket, if you want to drive us over there.” I turned to Jordan, who was once again listening to our conversation. “You aren’t under any sort of oath like we are. Will you look for a way to neutralize Fata? What about your stasis chamber? It’s magic-proof.”
He thought about it for a moment. “I think that might hold her, but I can’t be entirely certain. Meanwhile, I’ll work on some ideas. Don’t tell her. I won’t endanger my lab or the medics who work there with me.” He gave me a stern look. “Understand?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I do. Thanks, Jordan. Enjoy your afternoon.”
“How can I, now that I know what’s loose in Bedlam?” He shrugged his coat on, then gathered his things and headed out the front door.
“Let’s get moving. I don’t like that Fata knows where I live.” I warned Kelson to be cautious should Fata come around again. Then, Sandy watching me to make certain my vertigo didn’t strike again, I climbed into her van and we headed out to talk to Auntie Tautau.
AUNTIE TAUTAU WAS one of the Aunties. And the Aunties were a particularly interesting group of witches. They were ancient, well beyond the concept of old. Whether they were witches like Sandy and I were, nobody knew. But they watched over the magical community, and they stepped in when things needed to be put to rights. That didn’t necessarily mean they were helpful, but they focused on keeping the balance.
Auntie Tautau lived in a cottage that was a little ways outside of the main part of town, on the outskirts of Bedlam. Tucked back in a thicket of vegetation, the cottage was surrounded by an old-fashioned wraparound porch, the walls covered with ivy. Bushes and shrubs crowded the sidewalk, though by this late in the year many of their leaves were littering the ground. The yard had that windswept, not fully kept-up look, although I suspected it was because Auntie preferred it that way, rather than out of any neglect.
During summer the yard was filled with flowers, but with the arrival of autumn they had died back and the grass peeked out, green from the constant moisture the island got. The spiders were still in sight, giant orb weavers fat from a summer of insects, who crooked their jointed, striped legs as they waited in their webs. But the walkway was clear of them, and they stayed on the sidelines, watching us as we made our way to the porch.
Auntie Tautau opened the door as I raised my hand to knock. She always knew when company was coming, and if she answered the door, it was because she was willing to talk to you. She waved us in, glancing at the thunderheads that were gathering over the island. I could only wonder what Fata Morgana was up to, because the clouds had all the mark of a temper tantrum. Maybe Thor would step in, irritated that someone was stealing his thunder, so to speak.
“Come in, girls. A little bird told me you would be visiting me today, and so I put on the kettle and baked up some pumpkin loaf. It’s a cold day, so come in and warm yourself by the fire.” The bird on her hat—a crow named Mr. Merriweather—squawked.
Entering Auntie Tautau’s house was like stepping back a century. Her cottage was filled to the brim with knickknacks and curios, but nothing seemed overcrowded. It felt like an old Irish cottage, and Auntie Tautau was the grandmother always waiting for you.
She motioned for us to sit on the sofa and we did. The few times I had offered to help her carry tea trays from the kitchen, she practically chased me back to the living room. Now, I played the good guest and stayed where I was told. As we sat down, I breathed a sigh of relief. Auntie Tautau’s place was the one place I felt truly safe. A nuclear bomb could go off and I would feel like we were protected and covered there. Sandy seemed to feel the same way, because she let out a sigh of relief.
She turned to me. “Do you think Fata Morgana knows we’re here?”
I shook my head. “I doubt if anybody knows who Auntie Tautau shelters under her roof, unless she wants them to. Fata Morgana may be part water elemental, but Auntie Tautau is an Auntie. There’s not much that can trump that.”
Sandy nodded. “Well, I’m not going to argue with that.”
Auntie Tautau reemerged from the kitchen, a tea tray in her hand. She set it down on the coffee table. The tray contained three mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows, along with a pumpkin loaf. Three saucers and forks were waiting beside it. She served the pumpkin loaf, and the smell of cinnamon and cloves spiraled up to whet my appetite. As she handed around the mugs of hot chocolate, a knot in my stomach unwound. I took a long sip of the bittersweet drink, and let out a soft sigh.
“This is so good. I didn’t realize I needed this.” I bit into the pumpkin loaf and the soft sponge melted in my mouth, a mixture of pumpkin and spices and all things good.
“Remember, the Aunties know what you need before you do. Now, you’re here because of Fata Morgana, aren’t you? What is it you want to know?”
Auntie Tautau took a long slurp of her chocolate, patting her lip with a napkin. She let out a happy burp and leaned back in her rocking chair. She was wearing a cheerful ivy-patterned house dress, cinched with a red belt. Her straw hat was perched as usual on her head, and Merriweather, her crow, was perched on the hat as usual. I had begun to wonder if Merriweather ever sat anywhere else. When I had first met Auntie Tautau, I assumed Merriweather was fake. But now I knew he could talk and reason as well. I had my suspicions that Merriweather hadn’t always been a crow, but I wasn’t brave enough to ask.
As to what we wanted to know, I wasn’t entirely sure, but I decided to start with the first question that entered my mind.
“Is Fata Morgana dangerous? I mean, we know she’s dangerous but is it safe to let her roam around Bedlam?”
Auntie Tautau laughed. “You might as well ask if the ocean is dangerous. Because Fata Morgana is part of the ocean now. As for letting her roam around Bedlam, what do you expect to do in order to get her off the island?”
Well, that answered another question.
“Do you have any suggestions about getting her to go back to where she came from?” I felt vaguely like a traitor, but we had to know. The Fata we had known and loved had always been a little crazed, but now that she had merged with the water elemental, I wasn’t sure if our Fata even existed anymore, except in fleeting glimpses.
Auntie Tautau nibbled on her pumpkin bread. After a moment, she cocked her head to the side. “There are ways to entice her to leave, but it is not time. There are things that must happen before she goes back to her watery realm. In the meanwhile, I advise you to watch your step with her. She remembers certain things from your time spent together, and those are almost programmed into her at an instinctual level. Anything contrary to those concepts—the values you lived by—may register as an alarm to her.”
“She can’t understand how things have changed,” I said, beginning to understand.
“True enough. The times have changed. The world has changed. Fata Morgana has changed. But she has been out of touch with the world outside of her element. When she says she has slumbered deep in the depths of the ocean, she means it literally. The Ocean Mother rocked her gently, shielding her from everything going on in the outer world.”
I caught my breath. “Will she ever again be the Fata Morgana that we knew? Is she still our friend?” I felt a well of sadness rising up in my chest. People had come and gone out of my life over the decades and centuries, but no one had I regretted losing as much as Fata Morgana. Even my sweet Tom—even his loss was easier to handle. I understood it better.
Sandy reached out to take my hand, holding it tightly.
In a choked voice, she asked, “How did things get to this point? We were the Witches Wild, we were feared and loved across Europe. You were Mad Maudlin, and you led us on a wild hunt. We saved hundreds of people, perhaps thousands.” She began to cry. “The world is so different, and I love it in many ways. But I suddenly feel like I’ve left part of myself behind. We were so alive back then, Maddy. Fata Morgana is still alive, she’s still taking the world by storm. What are we doing?”
Auntie Tautau watched us, saying nothing.
I turned to Sandy and reached out to wipe away the tears from her cheeks. “We are doing more than you can imagine. We can’t ever go back to the past. I learned that the hard way. And the truth is that I don’t want to run through the country chasing vampires again. Hell, I hate that I have to pull out my stake and spike again. I don’t want to sleep on the ground and freeze in the winter like we did. I don’t want to ever have to stay one step ahead of the witch hunters again.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she said.
“You damned well know I’m right. Remember, back then people like us died. When they caught us, they tortured and burned us in the name of religion. Remember all those innocents who weren’t witches, the ones the Inquisition burned at the stake? I don’t want to go back to those times. Life evolves, and we’re evolving with it. We may not run as wild as we used to, but we still dance under the moonlight. We still work our magic and now, we don’t have to be afraid to do so.”
Sandy nodded softly. Auntie Tautau held out a packet of tissues to her and she took one, drying her eyes. A cough and a sip of hot chocolate later, and she smiled.
“I don’t know what came over me. I haven’t felt like that in a long, long time.”
“It was Fata Morgana,” Auntie Tautau said. “Remember, water rules over emotions. You have a volatile water elemental in your midst, and you are both connected to her by a pact that you made long, long ago. Is it any wonder that your emotions are on edge?”
“She’s right,” I said. “Just being around Fata is going to send us into a tailspin.” I turned back to Auntie Tautau. “Is there a way we can get her out of Bedlam safely?”
“Yes, and when it’s time you may do so. When it’s time, you’ll know it and you’ll know what to do. For now, watch her closely, don’t let her around any of the vampires in the village without supervision, and try not to make her angry.” With a soft laugh, she refilled our plates with more pumpkin loaf, and proceeded to chat about the upcoming Samhain celebrations.
BY THE TIME we left Auntie Tautau’s, it was going on two p.m.
Sandy drove toward the center of town. “How about stopping at Chicken Chicken and getting some lunch? Pumpkin loaf and hot chocolate are tasty but they aren’t substantial. I could go for some popcorn chicken or something.”
“That sounds good. There’s not much we can do until Fata Morgana decides to come back from the shore. I wonder where she went. I hope she didn’t head toward one of the marinas. I’d hate to see somebody upset her.”
“Auntie Tautau seems to feel she’s here for a reason that hasn’t come to light yet, so there’s nothing we can do until it’s time for her to leave. But I have an idea.” Sandy pulled over to the curb. “Lihi? Lihi! I need you.”
Lihi popped into view. A homunculus, she was bound to Sandy by a mutual contract. Sandy paid her in crystals, which were a common currency in the realm in which Lihi lived. Lihi was twelve inches high, about the size of a fashion doll. She had bat wings and bat ears, and was terribly cute. She had a rat-like tail and wore hot pink shorts and a halter top. I wasn’t sure if I had ever seen her in any other clothes.
“You rang? What can I do for you?” Lihi was pretty much at Sandy’s beck and call, doing whatever she asked her to do. In return, Sandy never asked her to do anything dangerous or illegal, at least as far as I knew.
“You know who Fata Morgana is?”
“Yes, I was watching this morning when you met her. I decided it was safer to stay in hiding.”
“I need you to find out where she is. I want you to keep tabs on her. You don’t have to get close, but just keep her in view. And keep me updated.”
“As you wish.” Lihi vanished.
“You know, seeing you interact with Lihi makes me wish I had a homunculus to work with. But with Bubba and Luna, and now that Lanyear the owl has decided to become my familiar, I’m not sure how I’d manage it.”
“Lanyear? What’s this about an owl?”
I forgot, I hadn’t told her. As we drove to Chicken Chicken, I explained what had happened.
We pulled up to the drive-thru. I ordered a six-piece chicken tenders meal, along with mashed potatoes and a biscuit. Sandy ordered popcorn chicken, baked beans, and a biscuit. It was too stormy to sit outside, so we pulled into one of the parking stalls and ate in the car. Sandy’s van was actually comfortable, and she had installed some nice upgrades. A narrow table pulled out between the seats and we were able to set our meals on it.
We were just finishing our lunch when Lihi popped back in.
“Look, over there! You wanted to know where she was.” The homunculus pointed across the street, toward the town square.
Fata Morgana was standing there, staring at the fountain. She reached out, and the water suddenly turned a vivid brilliant blue, then purple, and then silver. The water cycled through colors, then froze into a massive ice statue. Even from here we could hear Fata’s throaty laugh.
“Well, she seems in a good mood, at least.” I wasn’t sure exactly what to do about it. She wasn’t hurting anybody, but if Delia saw what was happening she might come on a little strong. I decided it was time to call her and warn her.
“Lovely,” Delia said in a dry voice when I explained. “But I’ll take Auntie Tautau’s advice and stay on Fata Morgana’s good side. You say she’s part water elemental now?”
“Yes, and she’s likely to affect the emotions of anybody who comes into contact with her. So emotions may be running high. Hopefully the satyrs will stay away from her, and the centaurs too. They’re already volatile enough as it is. Which reminds me, Jordan said that George is still touch-and-go. He thinks he’s stabilized, but said that it’s still too early to tell. And another piece of information that you should know. Fata Morgana brought me a message. I know who our vampire murderer is.”
“I’m not going to want to hear this either, am I?” Delia’s breath whistled between her teeth.
“No, in fact you’re going to want to hear this about as much as I wanted to hear it. Apparently the Arcānus Nocturni have decided to send an assassin after me. So they woke up Dracula.”
The line went silent. I worried that I had gone too far and thrown her into a permanent state of shock.
“Are you there? Delia?”
“I’m here. I heard what you said. I’m just trying to take it in.”
“Well, take it in as quick as you can because we have to figure out what to do. I can tell you right now he’s going to be difficult to catch, and he can walk abroad in daylight. Because if he is the anointed one of the Arcānus Nocturni, you know that he has their power.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that. Why can’t Bedlam ever just be a nice quiet place to live?”
I began to laugh. “You really want me to answer that?”
“No, smartass. So what do we do? How do we take down Dracula? Is it even possible?” She paused, then added, “Should we ask Essie to help us?”
It didn’t escape me that the sheriff of Bedlam was now routinely turning to me for advice pertaining to matters with the local vampire crowd. On one hand, it was flattering. On the other hand, I could do without that kind of flattery.
“Yeah, I think we should. Essie’s not going to be happy that he’s in her territory. She may not be the biggest fan of humans, or witches, but I’d bet next year’s profits that she’ll be willing to help us.”
“What do you think the Arcānus Nocturni will do if you kill Dracula? Isn’t that like killing off royalty?” Delia sounded a little hesitant, and I understood why.
“That occurred to me, too. It didn’t take much more than that to start World War I, did it?”
“No, and some of my family were around that area during that time. Like Jack-Az, my family hails from the Black Forest area of Germany. Trust me, not a fun period to live there in.”
“I’ll talk to Aegis. He may have some ideas. And I’ll go over to Essie’s tonight. The three of us should get together soon. We need to hammer out some new regulations for rogue vampires visiting Bedlam. But right now, I’ve got to figure out how to avoid Dracula’s attention. He’s out to kill me, and I don’t fancy laying odds against his ability to do it.” I hung up.
Sandy stared at me, shaking her head. “Do you remember what I said a little while ago about wishing for the old days? Scratch that. I’ll gladly stay in the twenty-first century. Twentieth century? I’m not sure which it is, to be truthful.”
I laughed. “You and me both. I’ve had my fill of sleeping on the ground and waking up in the cold rain. It’s one thing when we go camping, but we can always come home to where it’s dry and warm.” I paused, flashing back to the years when we chased vampires. In a quiet voice, I added, “I think I’d better start carrying my silver stake again. And my dagger.”
Sandy’s smile faded. “Did you ever think you’d see this day come?”
“No, I thought I was done. Thanks to the Arcānus Nocturni, I’m apparently not.” I glanced over at Fata Morgana, who was still playing with the fountain. “And I never thought I’d see the day that she would actually return. I feel like a traitor. I loved her so much in so many ways, and then she was gone. And I thought our friendship was over. She was so angry at me. Do you really think Aegis is safe around her?”
Sandy watched Fata for a moment, then shrugged. “She loved you, you know. Back when we were all hanging with the satyrs. She loved you with all of her heart. She would have followed you into hell if you had asked her.”
“I know,” I said. “And I loved her. But Sandy, even though we had a lot of fun together—all three of us—I couldn’t give her my heart the way she wanted me to. She wasn’t meant to walk among society the way you and I are. And I… I just couldn’t return her love the way she wanted. She never forgave me. I tried to be gentle, but I guess there is no gentle way to say I don’t love you the way you love me. I wonder if she even remembers that time? I wonder if she remembers the way she used to feel about me? She was pretty upset when she heard about Aegis. “
I never talked about it. In fact, I preferred to pretend that it had never happened. But when one of your best friends falls in love with you and you can’t return the feeling, the relationship can never be the same. And so Fata had left, after the blowout of blowouts. She had returned to the ocean to mend her heart, which I had shattered.
“You did what you had to, Maddy. It would have been far worse if you had pretended just to make her happy. You know it, and I know it. And I think, deep in her heart, Fata Morgana knew it. Come on, let me drop you off at home. And then, I need to get back to Jenna.”
“How is she doing?”
“Better than I expected, but she’s still so upset. I mean, her mother just died and she’s going through all of this guilt over how she feels. I don’t expect her to get through this without a few more upsets.”
“I know how she feels, in a way. When Zara died, I felt such a mix of emotions. For so long, I didn’t care if she died. Then I found out what really happened, and I wanted her to be here for me, but it was too late. I don’t ever want it to be too late again with anybody else. You know what I mean?”
Sandy nodded. “I know what you mean. I’m struggling with that myself. Max has broached the subject of marriage.”
Grateful for the sudden change of subject, I clapped my hands together. “You two are perfect together!”
“Well, you certainly don’t have any opinions on the subject, do you?” She laughed. “I’m not sure, but he says he’d be happy to make a life with me and Jenna. We’d make quite the blended family, wouldn’t we?”
“Can I give you a piece of advice?” I asked. Without waiting for an answer, I added, “Think very carefully before you say no. Don’t lose one of the greatest things that has happened to you in a long time. He’s a good guy, Sandy. And you two make a great couple. And Jenna loves you both to pieces.”
“I’m thinking about it,” Sandy said. She gave me a little smile as she started the ignition. “And yes, he is a great guy.”
SUNSET WAS RUNNING about 6:20 in the evening at this point, and right on the dot—even before Aegis was up—I was on the phone to Essie. Shar-Shar must’ve heard the urgency in my voice, because she put me right through without trying to play gatekeeper.
“Essie, I know who our killer is. Who the vampire is. I need your help. And I guarantee, you’re going to want to help me when you hear this.”
“Oh, really?” Essie sounded intrigued. “Do you want to talk in person, or will the phone do?”
“Oh, this needs to be talked about in person, in private. As soon as Aegis is ready, we’ll be over.” I paused for a moment, then added, “This one scares me, Essie. And with good reason.”
“When the famous Mad Maudlin is scared of a vampire, then whoever he is, he’s big and bad. I’ll be here. I’ll see you in about an hour?”
“An hour it is.” I ended the call just as Aegis came through the basement door.
“Hey, love,” he said, sweeping me into his arms for a tender kiss. “How are you feeling today? How’s the vertigo?”
“I’m feeling good, the vertigo’s gone, but we have to talk. And we have to talk to Essie again, and we’re headed there within the hour.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, reveling in the feel of his body against mine. Now that the vertigo was gone, I was hungry for him. It’d been too long, and I wanted the smooth chill of his skin next to mine. “Are you interested in something quick before we go?” I gave him a crooked grin and licked my lips.
“I’m always interested in something quick with you, although I prefer stretching it out,” he said, a salacious smile on his face. He slid his hands up my back slowly, pressing against the material of my sweater. “If we are going to have any fun at all, let’s get upstairs. I think we can manage something in less than an hour. It only takes fifteen minutes to get to Essie’s.”
“I don’t think it will matter if we’re a few minutes late.” And so I took his hand, intending to lead him upstairs, but he picked me up and carried me up to the bedroom.