Chapter 10
SANDY AND MAX opted to stay the night again. I told them they didn’t have to, but given they were still out of power, and I was grateful they had volunteered to help me, it worked out for the best. Alex had texted that he and Mr. Peabody would be fine. They had the fireplace, treats, and a generator that powered his tablet.
I had disturbing dreams, seeing Aegis coming at me, eyes flaring crimson, fangs descended, laughing as he bit deep into my neck and feasted on my blood. I woke out of the nightmare to find Bubba patting my cheek with his palm. He nosed my face, and I realize Luna was standing on the other side. They cuddled up next to me, one on either side like stalwart protectors, and I tried to get back to sleep, but it was a long time before I was able to close my eyes again.
When morning came, I felt like I had barely slept at all. All the rest from my nap at Auntie Tautau’s had vanished. I stumbled into the shower, rinsing off quickly, and then brushed my hair back into a sleek ponytail. I had deep circles under my eyes, and I made full use of my concealer and foundation, doing my best to give myself a not dead yet look.
Finally, I stumbled to my closet and stared at my clothing.
What did I want Gregory’s first impression of me to be? I sorted through my clothes until I found a pretty blue halter dress with a matching shrug. The shrug was lace with silver trim. I changed into a strapless bra, then slipped into the dress and belted it. I slid on the shrug and laced up my knee-high granny boots. Finally, I added a silver bracelet. I didn’t get to wear my silver often, given I lived with Aegis, so I might as well take advantage of the situation and wear a few of my favorite pieces. Standing back, I looked in the mirror. Sexy but not overt, pulled together but not tailored. It worked.
As I headed toward the stairs, I could hear Kelson singing down in the kitchen. She often sang when she made breakfast, and I liked the sound of her voice. I had suggested once that she join Aegis’s band, but she shook her head and told me the last thing she was willing to do was sing on stage.
“Good morning,” she said, looking up as I entered the kitchen. Sandy and Max were at the table, already drinking their coffee. Kelson pressed a mug into my hand. It was a quint shot mocha, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
“Oh, I need this,” I said, sipping the nectar of the gods. The hot chocolate raced down my throat, fueled by the bitter undertones of the coffee. My body responded and I let out a satisfied sigh as I joined Sandy and Max at the table. I glanced over at Bubba and Luna, who were eating their breakfast. Everything seemed so normal, and yet it wasn’t.
“Did you sleep?” Sandy asked.
“Some, but not well. I had nightmares about Aegis attacking me.” I felt like a traitor for even voicing my dreams, but I knew in my heart that it was just fear talking.
“I checked on him this morning. He’s still in his coffin. And of course, once the sun rises, he would naturally be out for the day. Maybe we’ll be lucky and be able to take care of this by tonight.” Max raised his coffee cup to me. “Here’s hoping.”
I clinked my mug against his. “Amen to that. Thank you, guys, for hanging out. It makes me feel better having you here.”
“We’re family. Family of choice is stronger than blood.” Sandy blew me a kiss from across the table. “Speaking of blood, when does Gregory get in?”
I checked my texts. Nothing. Then I checked my email. There was a note from him that he would be here around four p.m. He was renting a car at the airport and would drive up. Luckily, the city had found an alternative dock for the ferry and it was back in action.
“I’m due at Auntie Tautau’s at noon. I’m not sure what to do until then. Is Franny still stuck in the picture?” I felt a little guilty for not checking on her when I first got up. But there were so many things going on that it was hard to remember everything.
Kelson nodded. “Yeah, she’s still in there. Etum hasn’t managed to follow her in there, at least as far as I can tell. I’m wondering if he can.”
“Hopefully, we won’t find out.” My phone dinged and I took a look. There was a text from Garret.
i’m sorry i didn’t get back to you yesterday. it took me longer than i expected to find the roots i needed. check on your porch—i left it in a bag on the porch swing before i took off for the airport.
As Kelson set breakfast on the table, I hurried out front. Sure enough, there was a paper bag sitting on the porch swing. Inside was an intricately woven charm about the size of a dinner plate. The note enclosed said to hang it on the front door. My fingers itched and burned just touching it, reminding me that magic and I weren’t getting along too well right then.
Not one to waste time, I hung it on a nail beneath to the autumn wreath by the front door. As I did so, a quiet hush flowed around me, caught on the wind, and a sense of peace settled in my heart. Hoping for the best, I entered the house. I closed my eyes and reached out, trying not to immerse myself in the magic. I could still sense the dark shadow, but it felt like Etum was behind a barrier of sorts. I didn’t know if he could break through, but I felt like I had a little breathing room.
As I entered the kitchen, breakfast was being served on the table. Bowls of oatmeal thick with raisins and brown sugar were on the table, along with the jug of cream. I licked my lips and sat down, drowning the cereal. I loved oatmeal, but we didn’t often have it because we were always on the run. A plate of sticky buns sat in the center of the table. I glanced up at Kelson, questioning.
She gave me a sad smile. “No, Aegis didn’t make them. In fact, we’ve gone through all of the goodies in the freezer. But I thought I’d pick them up at the store this morning. Mornings just don’t feel right without some sort of muffin or pastry on the table.”
I nodded, my heart sinking. Aegis had come to be such an integral part of my life in the year we had been together. I couldn’t imagine not being with him. Having to keep him unconscious for safety’s sake shook my confidence in the future. Sandy noticed my expression, and she leaned over and wrapped her hand around mine.
“It will be okay. I promise you, everything will be all right.”
“But we don’t know that. We have no clue how to deal with this.” Then, trying to muster my spirits, I added, “At least I get to talk to Lilis today. If anybody can help, she should be able to.”
“Eat your breakfast,” Max said. “You need your strength to deal with this.”
We were just about finished when Leonard and his men pulled up. They were back to work on the roof.
I slipped into my jacket and headed outside to talk to them. Lanyear landed on my shoulder. I was worried about how the curse might be affecting him, but so far he seemed to be okay. As I stepped into the back yard, the owl flew up, circled around and took off to go hunting.
I waited until they were next to the house with their gear. “Hey, Leonard!”
He set down his tool box and placed the ladder he was carrying against the side of the house.
“Hey, Maddy. We’re back to finish the patching. My men took a look at the entire roof, and it does look like you need a new one, but it can wait until spring. I know the holiday season is coming up, and that’s got to be a busy time for you.”
I nodded. “Good. Yeah, as soon as I can get this curse lifted, I need to start booking people. We’ll be busy through Thanksgiving and into the beginning of the year. I’m glad to hear it can wait. When you finish today, if I’m not around to pay you, ask Kelson. She can cut you a check for the patch. Again, I’m sorry about Trey. I never envisioned anything like this happening.”
“It wasn’t your fault. I just hope you can take care of this and get it off of your back. How are you doing?” While werewolves didn’t like magic very much, Leonard had always been friendly to me.
I gave him a faint smile. “As well as can be expected. I’m hoping to have some answers after today. Anyway, I got things to do, so I’ll leave you to your work.”
As the Alpha-Pack switched into full gear, I headed toward the back acreage of my home. Lanyear was overhead, gliding down to greet me. And then, I was seeing myself, from the air. It was exhilarating, soaring and gliding on the breeze, as I felt my mind touch Lanyear’s. It was as though I was seeing out of his eyes, and he could sense my joy. He swooped and turned and glided, taking me with him, before settling in one of the fir trees near the trail.
I blinked, shaking my head. That was the first time that it happened, and for a moment I was terrified, wondering if it would set off a reaction, but it didn’t seem to. I wasn’t exactly certain who had instigated it—whether it was Lanyear, or some part of my subconscious—but whatever it was, the experience was beautiful and calmed my fears. I raised my hand to the owl as I headed into the woods.
The day was crisp and clear, the pale sun rising. We were due for rain by afternoon, but for now I thrust my hands in my pockets to keep them warm and perched myself on the stump of the tree trunk. There was something different in the air. The faint scent of ozone crackled down, making me think of snow. I glanced up at the sky again, searching for clouds. They were there on the edge, coming in slowly, with a silver glint to them. My breath formed in puffs in front of my mouth, and my nose began to tingle from the chill.
Lanyear swept by, in hunting mode, and I didn’t bother him. He was beautiful, and it still amazed me how Arianrhod had sent him to me. We were still working out our relationship and I hadn’t the faintest idea of what it would become, but for now that was perfectly fine. I still wasn’t even sure of my own place in the world. I was finding my way as High Priestess, day by day and month by month. Since moving to Bedlam, I had become exceedingly aware of how true the old saying was that everything happened in its own time.
I was trying not to think about Aegis locked in his coffin, or about Trey, now dead and gone, or even the fact that I couldn’t use my magic. I cleared my head as much as I could, letting the chill of the day and the quiet rustle of the woods soothe me.
After a while I realized that the tension had eased up in my muscles. I pulled out my phone and glanced at the time. Another hour and a half until I was supposed to meet Lilis. Deciding that I could use a little retail therapy, I stood and headed back to the house to see if Sandy wanted to go shopping with me.
Sandy declined. She was on her laptop, taking care of business concerns with her restaurants. “I would love to go, but I have three hundred and fifty-two emails waiting. Max and I will probably have to head home tonight, but we’ll stay here until you get back to keep an eye on things.” She blew me a kiss.
I grabbed my purse, returned her kiss, and headed out.
MOST OF BEDLAM seemed to have recovered its power and the roads had been cleared. As I navigated my way through the downtown area, I saw an open parking spot across from McGee’s Apothecary and snagged it. I was the queen of parallel parking.
Andy McGee—the owner—was out, and so was his daughter Beth. But the new clerk looked familiar, and I introduced myself to her.
“I’m Maddy. Maudlin Gallowglass. I’m a regular customer. You new here?” I leaned against the counter, smiling.
She burst into a bright grin. “Mad Maudlin! It’s really you? They told me you shopped here, but I didn’t think I get to meet you.” She thrust out her hand. Taken aback, I accepted the rather enthusiastic handshake.
By now I was used to people recognizing me, whether it was for running the coven or because of my past. But it still felt odd and awkward to realize I had my own set of fandom.
“Yes, it’s me. And you are?”
“Oh! I’m sorry. I’m Penelope Johnson, Andy’s niece.”
“Well, Penelope, I need three ounces of valerian root, and three ounces of chamomile.” I knew that I didn’t dare buy Andy’s special teas since they were infused with magical energy, but I could brew my own soothing mixture with just the plain herbs.
She scurried to gather my purchases as I glanced around the shop. There were a number of things that I could use, but I was afraid to buy them or even touch them. I paid for the herbs, said good-bye, and left.
Downtown Bedlam was a beautiful place. It had all the charm of a quaint village, but with a number of modern conveniences. In the center of town was Turnwheel Park, right next to the town square, where the Moonrise Coven led the quarter day events. Turnwheel Park was also used for the winter carnival and the autumn fair. The farmers market had a permanent spot as well. The week before Thanksgiving, city workers would hang the lights for Winter Solstice and put up decorations. And during Thanksgiving itself, Bedlam always held a massive community dinner for those who had no place to go, or who simply wanted to take part in a communitywide celebration. It was a potluck, although the town supplied the turkey and mashed potatoes.
As I walked along the sidewalk, watching people bustle by on their way to work or to the shops, I realized how much I had come to love this town. And how much it had become a part of me. I stopped in at Dugan’s Donuts, a retro coffee shop, and ordered a double mocha, a maple bar, and a chocolate glazed cream doughnut. As I settled into a booth by the window, a familiar voice caught my attention. I glanced up to see Delia Walters standing there.
Delia was Bedlam’s sheriff. She had taken over in 1998, when her grandfather died. Her grandfather had taken over from her father, who was killed under mysterious circumstances in 1980. Delia was as upstanding as they came, a fair and just woman. Even though she was a werewolf, she didn’t shy away from hanging out with the witches of Bedlam.
“Hey Maddy, I haven’t heard from you lately. Can I sit down?” She was carrying a cup of coffee and a piece of pie.
I motioned for her to take a seat. “Things have been a little crazy since the storm. Well, more than a little crazy.”
She laughed, shaking her strawberry blond shag. Her eyes were a bright blue and she was a sturdy, athletic woman. “You can say that again. I swear, the next time we have a storm like that, somebody else can take over answering calls. You would not believe how many people called into the sheriff’s office for things that we can do nothing about. It pissed me off.”
“I bet!” As I bit into my cream-filled doughnut, I began to tell her what had happened. “Have you ever heard of Lilis Spencer?”
She frowned, thinking as she sipped her coffee. “I don’t think so. Who was she?”
“She owned my house in the 1920s. And I think she’s the reason that I now have a cursed Sumerian sorcerer running around as a shadow form, causing havoc.”
She snorted her coffee out her nose. “Oh, this I have to hear.”
I told her everything, between eating my doughnuts and drinking my mocha. When I finished, Delia sat back in the booth, staring at me incredulously.
“You know, I used to think Ralph Greyhoof got himself in more damned trouble than anybody on this island. I think I can now quite comfortably give you the honor of being named the Queen of Mayhem.”
I stuck my tongue out at her. “Please do not tell me you’re actually comparing me to Ralph.”
“You have to admit, since you moved to Bedlam, you’ve been in one jam after another.”
“Yeah, and I didn’t start any of them.”
She grinned, finishing the last bite of her pie. “That’s all I’m going to say on the subject. I have to go, but let me know how everything’s going,” she said, finishing on a serious note.
She tossed a ten-dollar bill on the table and headed out toward the patrol car. I glanced at the sky. The clouds were beginning to sock in. I added fifteen dollars to hers, and set all of the money on both of our checks. Then, gathering my herbs and my purse, I headed outside.
I still had forty-five minutes until I needed to be at Auntie Tautau’s, so I dropped into the French Pair, a lingerie shop that stocked my favorite bras. They were one of the few places that carried my bra cup size. The clerk waved at me as I came in.
“I ordered a red gingham bra and panty set about three weeks ago. Has it come in yet?”
She went to look and came back with a box. I examined the lingerie, nodding. “This is what I wanted. Please wrap it up and also, I’ll take one of those.” I pointed to a Santa teddy in stretch burgundy velvet, with white trim and a black belt. I decided that once he was back to his usual self, Aegis deserved a naughty Santa’s helper. Paying for the lingerie, I headed back to my car.
AUNTIE TAUTAU WAS waiting at the door when I arrived at her cottage.
“Is Lilis here yet?” I was nervous, hoping she hadn’t backed out.
But Auntie Tautau gave me a broad smile, her eyes twinkling. “She’s here. Come on in.”
She led me into the living room. There, sitting on the sofa, was one of the most striking women I’d ever seen. As I entered the room she rose, and I was struck by how tall she was. She must have been almost six feet tall, and she had long raven black hair, the color of my own. But her bangs were cut straight across and her hair was smooth and shining, as sleek as mine was wavy. Her eyes were pale brown, and she was well proportioned, looking sturdy and yet with an hourglass figure. She was wearing a long gray robe over a white dress.
“Maudlin Gallowglass? I’m Lilis Spencer. Auntie Tautau tells me you are looking for me.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you’re here. I need to talk to you about my house. I bought the house you lived in. The other day, a storm brought a tree down on it, and it destroyed part of the roof. I found your secret room and unfortunately the urn broke and now we have a freakshow sorcerer running around, causing trouble.” I sat down on the sofa next to her.
She gasped and slowly buckled, landing on the sofa beside me. Her face was pale.
“I had hoped no one would ever find that room. I meant to dismantle everything before I had to leave, but then things snowballed and I had to run. The best I could do was to have a wall built across the door.”
“So you know what was in that urn?”
She pressed her lips together, nodding.
“Unfortunately, my household is now under a curse, thanks to you. I need to know everything about Etum, about the curse, and how I can break it. I’ve developed an allergy to magic because of this. My boyfriend is locked in a coffin to keep him from going crazy. My house ghost—who was there when you were there too—is trapped inside of a painting.” The words came out sharper than I intended. I realized that the tension hadn’t disappeared, I had just pushed it away for a while.
Lilis glanced over at Auntie Tautau, who just stared at her. She turned back to me.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I suppose I owe you the truth.”
“The more I know about this, the better I’ll be able to handle it.”
She shifted her shoulders, then settled back. “Auntie Tautau, can we have some tea?”
Auntie Tautau rose and silently exited into the kitchen. Lilis watched her go.
“All right. The truth. I don’t know if it will help you, but I certainly hope so. What do you know about me?”
“That you were an archaeologist who worked on a site in Kish, and that you have English and Assyrian blood lines.” I didn’t add, and you left me a mess to deal with, because I had already made that abundantly clear.
“Yes, that’s all true. My father got me interested in archaeology. My mother has ties back to Sumer. I was doing some research into her family tree when I noticed that there was a gap. A relative from long ago had been expunged from every document I could find. I couldn’t help but wonder why. The name had been marked out in every single family document. So I did some digging and I found out that the person who had been cut out of our history was a man named Etum.”
“Etum was your ancestor?”
She nodded. “Unfortunately. But I couldn’t find out what he had done wrong. I asked my mother and she wouldn’t talk about him—she said it was bad luck to even speak his name and to leave it alone. But I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that maybe he had been wrongly accused of something. I don’t know why that kept hammering at me, but it did. I was already interested in archaeology and when they started to make inroads into excavations in the mid-1800s, I began to study on my own. Finally, in early 1912, I was offered the chance to go to work for one of the most preeminent archaeologists from France. I assume you read about him?”
I nodded. “A bit. I read that you helped out on his excavation of Kish.”
“I wish to hell I’d never taken that offer. But something drew me to it. I loved the work, but it felt as though I had being summoned. I was absolutely ecstatic to go on the excavation. My mother didn’t want me to. Neither did my father. They both forbade me to go, but I didn’t listen.”
“You were being summoned, weren’t you?” I was beginning to get an inkling of what had happened.
She let out a long sigh. “Yes, but I didn’t realize it.”
“What happened?”
“When I arrived in Kish, I felt an incredible déjà vu, as though I had been there before. I knew the area even though I had never laid eyes on it. I knew exactly where to look for some of the artifacts. Henri didn’t question it. He just used me like a hunting dog. I was his bloodhound. We made discovery after discovery, thanks to me.”
“And I imagine he got all the credit?”
“Most of it.” Her eyes darkened. “But that was the way of the times, you know. Then it happened. One night, I was sitting on a sand dune, staring at the stars, when I heard a voice calling to me. I’m not certain what name he called out, but I knew it was my name, and I had no choice. I answered.”
“Was it Etum?”
She nodded. “I followed the voice into a valley not one hundred yards from where we were camped. Under the stars, I began to dig. Henri didn’t realize what I was doing, so I dug through the night with my hands, bloodying my nails. By first light of dawn, I had discovered an entrance into an underground catacomb. When he found out, Henri was horrified by the state of my hands, but the medic wrapped them up, and I begged him to let me be the first one in. For once, he played fair. I wish now he hadn’t. He said that since I had discovered the opening, I would be allowed to go first.”
“I have a feeling it didn’t end well.” I rubbed my head.
Lilis laughed, her voice bitter. “Does it ever? Once I was inside what turned out to be a catacomb, I heard my name again. I followed the voice, breaking off from the main group. They were so astounded by the discovery that they didn’t notice I had disappeared. I found myself near a trapdoor, and opened it, to find a ladder going down.” She closed her eyes, as though reliving the moment.
“I was surprised the air was still fresh. It wasn’t like there was any ventilation as far as I knew. I still think there had to have been a shaft leading to the surface that brought in fresh air. Anyway, I cast a light spell and headed down the ladder. When I reached the bottom, I found myself in a small room. There was a well in the middle of it. I couldn’t see the bottom of the well, but I could hear water down there. And hanging over the well was a basket containing an urn.”
“Let me guess, this urn was the one in the secret room? The one holding Etum’s spirit?”
She nodded. “But I didn’t know that at the time. All I knew was that the basket had a variety of charms and words written on it. I didn’t pay attention. I grabbed hold of the basket and pulled it to me. I heard a laugh, but I didn’t pay attention to that either. I took the urn and the basket. I was planning to give it to Henri, but something came over me. If I showed it to him, he would put it with the rest of the artifacts and I couldn’t allow that. This urn was mine.”
“What did you do?”
“I’m a shadow witch. I created a portal to my home, took the urn and the basket there. Once I got there I realized that if Henri found out what I had done, he could accuse me of theft. So I disappeared into the countryside.”
“Did your parents know what happened?”
She nodded. “Yes. My mother was horrified when she saw what I had done. She knew what was in the urn. She told me about Etum. About how he had destroyed so many lives, and then defied Ereshkigal. The goddess sentenced him to an eternal half-life. And he had used me to free him from that half-life. Luckily, I hadn’t opened the stopper to the urn.”
“Thank gods. But why you?”
“I’ll get to that in a moment. It’s why I vanished into the WPP. Anyway, my mother told me that now I was responsible for keeping the urn hidden forever. She suggested that I go to America, to get as far away from Kish as I could. The more distance I could put between myself and his homeland, the less Etum would be able to pull on me. And my mother couldn’t take the urn because she was bound by a promise to her mother.”
“But why didn’t she tell you this from the beginning? Wasn’t the story passed down from generation to generation? It sounds like it should have been.” I didn’t understand the secrecy. All secrecy led to was danger and misunderstanding.
“She never thought anything would happen. The family thought it was long enough in the past to just bury old bones and leave them alone. Apparently they didn’t count on how much power Etum still had. And there’s one other thing that I haven’t told you yet. When my mother gave birth to me, one of the Aunties warned her that I was the reincarnation of Etum’s lover. I was the woman he was planning to marry and I had promised that I would free him, then took my own life. When I was born into this body, I had no memory of that. But the instinct was there. The promise held me. And he was able to communicate with me because of it. We were going to ravage the world and rule it by force.”
Holy crap. This was getting far more complex than I first thought.
“So let me get this straight. In a past life you were Etum’s lover, and you and he were out to rule the world. He was cursed by Ereshkigal and you killed yourself to come back in the future and save him. That about right?”
“Pretty much,” Lilis said. “Now you know why I’m in the Witches’ Protection Program. Etum could make use of my powers. The Aunties see an unbalance arising if I stay in the same world as him. Even now I fear that if I stay here he’ll sense me. Auntie Tautau promised me that he wouldn’t, as long as I stay inside her house. Until he is fully destroyed, I have to live outside of this world. Otherwise, everything could crumble.”
“What can he do without you?”
“Until he’s gathered enough strength, there’s not much he can do except make life miserable for the people around him. But if he got hold of me, he could fully bring himself back into this world. And that would put everyone in danger.”
I leaned back, floored by her story. The fact that I had a being capable of terrorizing the world in my house made me want to throw up.
“All right then. So, what do I do to get rid of him?”