Chapter 14
I COULDN’T BELIEVE what I was seeing. Franny was outside the house! I turned to Aegis, so excited I could barely speak.
“How? What happened?”
“I guess when the curse lifted on the house, it also lifted the curse on Franny. She came out of the painting and was so excited to be free that she went whirling around the living room. She accidentally careened into the wall and went right through and ended up outside. That’s how we knew her curse was lifted, too.”
“How wonderful. I can’t believe this is finally over.” I paused, then added, “Well, it will be over when my powers come back.”
“They’ll be back,” Jordan said from behind us. “And in a few days Max will be able to change back into his tiger self as well. Everybody seems fine, so I’m heading back to my girlfriend to finish watching the movie we were just starting when Sandy called. As much as I like you, I hope I don’t have to see you for a while. Unless it’s a social situation.”
I turned to Aegis. “Is everybody still up? I want to go downstairs. I’m so happy.”
Even though I felt like crap, my heart was exploding with joy. Just seeing Franny outside had been one of the most joyful moments I’d had the past few months. She had spent well over two hundred years locked within the walls of this house, wishing she could go out. And now, she was free.
I froze as I realized what that might mean.
Franny was free. What if she wanted to leave? And right then I realized how accustomed to her I’d become. She was part of our household, part of our family, complaints and all.
“Do you think she’s going to leave?”
Aegis wrapped his arm around my waist. “If she does, we’ll have to accept it. You wouldn’t blame her, would you? She’s been here in this house since the day she died in 1815. I wouldn’t blame her in the least if she wanted to see the world. You have to prepare yourself for the fact that she might be ready to move on. To another life, or something else.”
“I don’t want to prepare myself for that. But you’re right, I can’t be selfish. Regardless of what she decides, I’m grateful that she has a choice now.”
I slid on my slippers and we headed downstairs. In the kitchen, Max and Gregory were sharing a bottle of wine. Sandy was standing out on the patio, watching Franny as she raced around the yard, leaving a trail of mist behind her.
Leroy and Alaysia were nowhere in sight.
“Where did—”
“They left about an hour ago. Once they were assured that you would be okay, they packed up everything and took off. You know what’s odd? All the writing on the walls upstairs vanished when the curse lifted. Every trace of the black powder is gone. And the pottery all turned to dust and disappeared.” Aegis pulled me into his arms, stroking my hair out of my eyes. “Do you realize how brave you are? How proud I am of you?”
My breath caught in my throat. “It’s easy to be brave when your loved ones need you.”
Memories flooded back of my journey to stand in front of Ereshkigal. And yet I wasn’t ready to talk about them. The whole ritual had been so overwhelming and so terrifying that I didn’t want to think about it. I wanted to let the whole matter vanish into the past.
“Not everybody would do what you did.” He paused. “Go ahead, I know you want to go out and talk to Sandy and Franny. I’ll wait in here with the guys.” He kissed me, his lips soft against mine. I draped my arms around his neck, not wanting the kisses to end.
“I love you. You know that, right?” I whispered.
He nodded. “I know. And I love you. Now go talk to the girls.”
As I headed outside, all I could think about was the fact that our house was clear. The curse was gone, and we were once again safe.
Franny saw me and raced to my side, a swirl of mist and vapor and yet still as visible as she had been inside. “I’m free! Maddy! You freed me. How can I ever thank you?”
I wanted to tell her that I hadn’t been the one to free her, that it had been Ereshkigal. But the words wouldn’t come. And I didn’t know if it mattered.
“Thank me by coming back to visit. A lot.” There was a lump in my throat as I spoke, and I realized I was on the verge of tears, overwhelmed by all that had happened.
“Come to visit? Oh! I see. Yes, I’ll be leaving,” she said. “Someday. But not right now. I’m going to venture out and explore the island. And I want to see the world, but that can wait awhile. I need to get my bearings first. In fact, I was going to ask if you would take me in your automobile—if you would drive me around so I could see the sights. I think it would be fun and I’ve never been in a car before. I’ve never even touched one.”
I laughed, suddenly relieved. “Of course I’ll take you out to see the sights, although I’m sorry but I don’t think you’ll be able to touch the car now, either. You’re still a spirit. But you can probably ride in it. So you’re saying that you’re going to stay?”
“I will, for a while at least. I don’t know how long. I don’t know what I’ll find out there. I don’t even know if I’ll be allowed to stay. But for as long as I can, the Bewitching Bedlam will be my home base.” She threw back her arms and stared at the sky. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve actually seen the stars? They’re so beautiful, more beautiful than I remember them.”
I shivered, as Sandy walked over to me. The clouds were starting to sock in again, and the temperature was dropping.
“We should go inside,” Sandy said.
“I think I want to stay out for a while. You don’t mind, do you?” Franny asked.
I shook my head. “Stay out as long as you want. We’ll see you in a while.”
I leaned against Sandy as we headed inside, still feeling weak and exhausted. The adrenaline rush was gone, and all I wanted was my bed and a peaceful night’s sleep.
BY MORNING, I was feeling back to myself. My throat was still scratchy and I still felt like I had an inside-out sunburn, but I wasn’t feeling like death warmed over.
As I clattered down the stairs, Gregory was waiting in the kitchen. He had his suitcases packed and it looked like he had already eaten breakfast.
“Are you leaving already? It’s only six. I don’t want you to go. We haven’t had nearly enough time to catch up.”
“I have to, I’m afraid. In order to catch my flight, I need to arrive at Sea-Tac by noon at the latest to check in and get through security. But I had so much fun, and I learned so much. I promise you, I’ll come back. And someday, you have to come over and visit me.”
He hugged me, squeezing me tight. “I’m proud of my little sister. You’re an amazing woman, Maddy. Bonkers, yes, but damn, what a life you’ve led. Don’t stop being you, okay?”
I gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Drive safe. Text me when you get to the airport. And yes, I want you to promise that you’ll come back to visit for longer. When there isn’t an ancient sorcerer wreaking havoc in my house.”
He laughed. “I promise.” As he headed out to his rental car, a tear slipped down my cheek and I realized how much I was going to miss him. It was funny. A few days back I hadn’t known if I would even like him. Now, I didn’t want to see him go.
Meanwhile, Aegis was baking up a storm. He had already made four loaves of bread, two pans of cinnamon rolls, four batches of cookies, and was now making croissants.
I stared at the bounty of goodies. “You realize that I’m gaining weight from all your baking.” It wasn’t exactly true, but it felt like it.
“I don’t care what you weigh. All I care about is that you’re healthy and happy. And that you still love me.” He glanced at the clock. “I have enough time to whip up a pan of lemon bars before I have to go to sleep. I can’t tell you how good it feels to be in control of my predator again. Thank you, for not taking a chance.”
“I love you, but I’m not a fool. I know what vampires on the prowl are like.” I was glad that we could be frank about the fact that he was a predator. That the subject wasn’t off-limits.
“Max and Sandy are coming over Friday for dinner, right?”
I nodded. “They’re bringing Jenna. Sandy and Jenna and I are going to look at bridal magazines. Sandy’s not sure what kind of a dress she wants to wear, and since Jen is going to be her maid of honor, she gets a say in her own dress. I’m afraid that there’s going to be a lot of wedding talk the next few months. You and Max are just going to have to deal with it.”
Aegis laughed. “I think we can manage. Okay, get your coffee and breakfast, woman. I want you feeling strong and healthy for tonight, because it’s been a little too long since—”
“Housekeeper in the kitchen!” Kelson said, stopping him. “She knows what you mean and so do I, so no graphic explanations needed.” She laughed, setting a plate of eggs and bacon on the table for me.
As I sat down to eat, I looked out the window and saw Franny in the back yard. It was pouring down rain, but she was standing out there, just gazing up at the sky. The sight made me incredibly happy and yet sad. Life was changing, and we were all changing with it.
IT WAS ALMOST three o’clock when I finally finished organizing the books and letting people know that we were open for business again. I had already booked one of our guestrooms for a week in early December when Franny showed up by my desk.
“Do you think you could show me around the island? At least a little bit?”
I pushed away my books. The light was starting to fade, and I had promised to take her out during the afternoon.
“I’m sorry I spaced out. Of course we can go. There’s still time to see some of the marina and downtown. But don’t you go spooking anybody, okay?” Honestly, though, the idea of Franny scaring anybody seemed ridiculous. Besides, most of Bedlam was used to spooks and spirits.
Lanyear fluttered over, landing on my shoulder. I stared up at him.
“You want to go, too?”
I got the distinct impression that he did, so I slung my purse over my shoulder and, carrying a jacket, headed out to the car with Franny in tow. As we neared my CR-V, I paused. Something felt weird—a tingle of some sort. At first I thought my foot was going to sleep but then I realized that it was an all-over tingle. I looked around, not sure what I was searching for.
“Is something wrong?” Franny asked. She had slid inside the passenger seat, through the door and was now sitting primly there, staring at the dashboard.
I hesitated, then shook my head. As I opened the door, it still felt like something was off.
“Maybe it’s my magic starting to come back. The medication that Jordan gave me might be wearing off. I just feel antsy. Kind of like someone’s watching me.”
“If it doesn’t go away, maybe you should talk to Jordan.” Franny pointed at the dashboard. “Tell me what all those dials and lights are for. And what’s this?” She pointed at the radio.
As I began to explain the finer points of an automobile’s anatomy, I put the car in gear and pulled out of the driveway. I was about to tell her to fasten her seatbelt when I realized how ridiculous that sounded.
“Where are we going to first?”
“I think we’ll go to Bedlam City Park. It’s on the shore, and it’s not far from here. It’s open till dusk so we’ve got some time. Then we’ll drive downtown and I’ll show you the town that you’ve lived in for decades, but haven’t ever seen.”
As I headed down the road, Franny kept up a steady chatter, commenting on the houses as we passed them. I was awash in a whirl of her voice, not really paying attention but murmuring an appropriate response here or there, when we finally came to the park.
I pulled in and parked in one of the farthest stalls. There didn’t seem to be anybody else there given it was raining, but I didn’t mind. I was in an introspective mood.
Franny was out of the car and running down to the shore before I could even unbuckle my seatbelt. I stepped out into the rain, pulling my hood over my head, but staying next to the car as I watched her dance along the shore and wade into the ocean. At least she wouldn’t get cold or drown, I thought. Lanyear flew down to the beach beside her, swooping and gliding on the currents of wind.
I felt awash in a tangle of emotions. I was still stunned and shell-shocked from my visit to Ereshkigal. And I was grateful that the curse had been lifted, grateful that I would be getting my magic back, ecstatic that Franny was free from her curse. All the conflicting emotions had wound themselves up into one big ball.
So deep in my thoughts, I barely noticed when another car eased into a parking spot behind us. Watching Franny, I tried to give my thoughts a rest, breathing slowly and deeply. As the cool air hit my lungs, it calmed the inner burn that plagued my lungs and my throat.
A crunch on the gravel behind me startled me, and I turned to see who was there. As my eyes met Craig’s, I let out a shriek and stumbled back.
“So, Maddy. You didn’t expect to see me so soon again, did you? Surprise, surprise!”
The next moment, he lashed out, hitting me so hard against the side of my head that I tripped and fell. As I hit the gravel, everything went blurry and I realized I was about to pass out. I tried to scream again, to beg him not to do whatever it was he was planning, but the next moment he leaned down and hit me again, and I lost consciousness.
WHEN I WOKE up, I was laying on the ground, in a puddle of water.
It was dark and we were on a cliff that I recognized as the parking lot at Beachcomber Spit, a steep shoreline park on the east side of the island. There were catacombs below these cliffs, but what mostly worried me was that there were also a lot of very sharp rocks down below. One misstep could lead to a deadly end.
My wrists were tied together with a scratchy length of rope. Craig was sitting near me on a rock, drinking out of a whiskey bottle as the rain poured down around us. He was soaked through, but he didn’t seem to notice. Groaning, I rolled to a sitting position.
“Craig? What the hell is this? You need to let me go. What do you want?”
“What the hell is this? What do I want? What I want is to get my old life back. I want my condo back that you took from me. I want my job back.” The bitterness in his voice cut through the air like a knife.
“I didn’t do anything to you. You’re the one who chose to embezzle your clients. You’re the one who took the loan from the loan shark because you’re the one who wanted the cabin. Let me go and I’ll try to help you.” I stopped, suddenly realizing that it might not be the wisest idea to point out his faults at this time.
“Can’t do that, Maddy. I’m sorry, but I can’t. My life started downhill the day I met you. I thought you were a goddess, I thought you were sexy and beautiful and funny and witty. You were my fantasy woman. What happened?” He sounded angry and lost, and I realized he’d never accept responsibility for destroying his own life.
“I’m a real person, Craig. You built a fantasy up in your mind of what you wanted me to be. You had this vision of your ideal woman, but nobody can ever match up to a fantasy. I’m strong and I have my own needs and my own desires. I wasn’t a blowup doll or a robot there to service you. You wanted a trophy wife. I can guarantee you, I’m not a trophy, and I never have been.”
“Well, you’ve got that right. You’re certainly no prize.” He let out a snort, then paused. Then his tone took on a different note. “I found out something recently. Something you never told me. I found out that vampires love witches’ blood—it’s an aphrodisiac for them. You never bothered to fill me in on that little secret.”
“There’s a good reason for that.” I didn’t like the tone of his voice. He sounded crafty, dangerous.
“We could have made a killing by selling off your blood once a month. Ah, well. Water under the bridge. However, I met a vampire who belongs to an underground club and they’d love to have a juicy witch in their stable. They’re going to give me $100,000 to hand you over to them, and you’re going to become one of their bloodwhores. And I will have the money to get out of the country before my trial. I can’t tap into my bank accounts, I can’t even pawn my Rolex without the cops coming down on me. But $100,000 will get me to Mexico. And Mexico spells freedom.”
I began to panic. He was right. There were rogue vampires who would just love to have a witch for a bloodwhore.
“Craig, don’t do this. I swear, I’ll help you escape if you untie me.” Using my feet, I pushed myself back against the car to brace myself as I stood up. I was woozy from the hit on the head, but I had to do something.
“Oh no, you’re not going anywhere without me. And every time I get angry, I’ll just think about those vampires bleeding you dry and fucking you so hard you scream, and I’ll laugh.” And then he did laugh, sounding manic and driven. He also sounded drunk.
I knew that I had to act, because once he got me into that car, I wasn’t going to be able to get free. I still didn’t have my magical powers back, and there wasn’t much I could do, as bruised as I felt. So I began to run toward the edge of the parking lot, trying to get out into the road where somebody might see me. I screamed as I ran, howling like a banshee.
“Come back here, you bitch!” Craig launched himself after me, but by the sound of his footsteps I could tell he was lurching around, probably because of the booze. I tried to zigzag to throw him off so that he would trip and fall. But as drunk as he was, he was still quick, and he caught up with me, grabbing hold of my hair and yanking so hard that it felt like my neck cracked. I screamed again as he flipped me around, letting go so that I went plowing face-first into the gravel.
I rolled over, trying to work my hands free so that I could fight back.
Craig loomed over me and kicked me, giving me a nasty blow in the side.
“That’s for being a bitch.” He kicked me again. “And that’s for leeching me dry.” He was about to kick me again when a woman’s voice echoed out.
“Get him, Lanyear!” It was Franny, racing along the cliff toward us.
Lanyear swept down out of the sky, raking across Craig’s face, leaving a long scratch that began to bleed profusely. Craig screamed, turning as Franny came up behind him. He hit out at her, but his hand passed through and he screamed again.
Lanyear turned on his wingtip, barreling down to claw him from behind. I struggled to get up but I was hurting so badly that I could barely move. Just then a car came screeching into the parking lot and before it even came to a stop the door opened and Aegis jumped out.
“I warned you,” was the only thing Aegis said before he launched himself onto Craig, taking him down, biting deep into Craig’s jugular. Craig let out a painful shriek that hurt to hear. Aegis reared up, his mouth bloody and his eyes crimson. He stood, yanking Craig up by the throat. “You hurt the woman I love for the last time.”
Craig swung his leg, kicking Aegis right in the nuts. Aegis just stared at him, then with one good throw, tossed Craig across the parking lot. Craig went rolling into the grass that skirted the edge of the cliff, managing to stop himself before he toppled over the edge. He dragged himself to his feet as Aegis began to stomp his way over to him.
“Stay back—stay back, I warn you. I’ve got a gun!” Craig pulled a gun out of his jacket, holding it up with shaking hands.
At that moment, Franny appeared behind Craig. He hadn’t noticed her yet, but I could see her from where I was laying. She leaned forward, and then, in a loud voice yelled, “Boo!”
Startled, Craig stumbled back through Franny.
She moved delicately to one side as he wavered on the edge of the cliff, and then toppled over the edge. We heard one loud shriek, and then the night was silent.