Chapter 8
AEGIS WOKE UP before Zara arrived. After giving me a kiss, he poured himself a cup of coffee—he didn’t need it, but he had grown to like the taste—and added cream. I didn’t ask if he had already eaten. I knew he had. Before he came upstairs, he usually drank a bottle of blood, though I knew he still went hunting on occasion, but I trusted his promise that he never picked on someone who couldn’t spare the blood, and he left a very good memory in place of what had really happened.
“Your mother coming by tonight to look me over?” He leaned against the counter.
“Yeah, but I need to fill you in, and quick, on what went down today.” I recapped the day as quickly and succinctly as I could. I didn’t tell him about Mr. Mosswood. I had promised to keep his secret and, unless he gave me the go-ahead, I saw no reason to break that promise. It wasn’t as though his presence was causing a problem.
Aegis ducked his head as I finished. “So, you have a half-brother and your mother is dying. That’s enough to overwhelm anybody. How are you feeling?”
“I don’t know, to be honest. I want to get to know my mother—the mother I saw today. I want to meet my brother. I want to scream at Granny. I owe her an email and I have no idea how the hell I’m going to pretend like nothing’s changed. Zara hasn’t told her about Winter Syndrome yet. If she had, Granny would have let me know immediately.”
“Well, we’ll sort it out as we go.” Aegis glanced up. “Someone’s here.”
Sure enough, the next moment, the doorbell rang. I heard Kelson answering the door and the next moment, she led Zara back to the kitchen.
My mother looked different. She was wearing a soft, flowing skirt and a gauzy tank top, and instead of the perpetual smile plastered on her face, she had a thoughtful look to her. Her gaze darted from me to Aegis. Then, she moved forward, her hand out.
“You must be Aegis, my daughter’s beau.” She didn’t sound cheery, nor did she sound forced.
“How do you do, Mrs. Gallowglass.” Aegis looked taken aback, but pleased.
“Zara, please.”
I gave her a kiss on the cheek—a real one, not an air kiss—and nodded toward the kitchen table. “Do you want to sit down? Are you hungry? There’s plenty of lasagna left over and it’s delicious.”
Zara hesitated, then nodded. “Of course. That sounds good. I haven’t eaten since lunch.” She took a seat and turned to Aegis. “So, you’re the man I hear so much about. You’re a vampire, Maddy tells me.”
“She tells you correctly.”
“Are you the Aegis who was cast out by Apollo? You have something of a reputation, you know.”
I searched for any hidden nuances of disapproval, but Zara’s energy had shifted completely. She felt…down to business.
“That would be me, again.” Aegis heated up a portion of the lasagna, then carried the plate over to my mother, along with a goblet of red wine. “You can’t have good lasagna without something to drink. Would you like some Parmesan bread?”
She accepted the glass and took a long sip before nodding. “I needed that. And yes. I suppose garlic bread isn’t on the menu,” she added with a grin.
“Nor in the food, but I guarantee you won’t be disappointed by it.” He let out a soft laugh, heating up the bread to go with her dinner.
We joined her at the table, Aegis with his coffee and me with a glass of wine since I had already downed enough caffeine to sink a battleship. As my mother ate, she began to relax and ask questions, some of which made me want to crawl under the table.
“I’ll come to the point,” she said. “I suppose Maudlin told you about my condition?”
“She did. I’d offer my sympathy, but somehow I don’t feel you want it.”
I was about ready to slap him, but Zara laughed.
“You’re a good judge of character. All right. I want to know what your intentions are. I may not have much time left. If the treatments don’t work, I’ll be gone within a few months. I want to know that you aren’t out to hurt my daughter.” She held his gaze, staring him down till he actually blinked and looked away.
“I promise you,” he said, “I will never willingly harm your daughter. She… I love her, Zara. I know it may be hard to believe, but there’s some connection between Maddy and me that we can’t explain. I want what’s best for her. If she tells me to leave, I’ll go. If she asks me to stay, I will stay. I won’t ever make her wish that she hadn’t met me.”
“You say that now,” Zara said, waving a piece of bread at him, “but there’s no way to predict the future. Not in that detail. But I believe you mean what you say. So, have you ever drunk from her?”
I blinked, wincing. “Mother, that’s an intimate question.”
She squinted at me. “Hush up, Maudlin. I know full well I’m prying. I have my reasons.” She turned back to Aegis. “Answer, please.”
Aegis had the patience of a saint. “Very well. No, I haven’t. She hasn’t offered, and I haven’t taken blood from her. I admit, I still drink from the living, but I pick my victims carefully, and I never leave them hurting, deficient, or with the memory. I don’t leave them in thrall.”
Zara contemplated his answer, then nodded. “All right. So, I doubt if I’ll ever live to see grandchildren, but what if you stay together? What about children?”
I blushed. “Mother, you’re pushing it. I think that’s up to me, as well.”
She twisted her lips, then shrugged. “You can’t blame me for trying. Well, if you won’t let me ask him that, then I’ll ask one last question. When are you going to marry my daughter?”
“Mother!”
Aegis laughed, drowning me out. “Zara, you’re quite the firebrand. To answer your question, I have no idea. There are a lot of variables, and Maddy’s feelings are paramount. But rest assured, I love her, I intend to be here for the long haul, and I will never let her come to harm. That’s what you’re asking, isn’t it? If I intend to watch over her after…” He paused.
My mother set down her fork and pushed her plate back. She nodded, slowly. “You understand, then. I haven’t been the mother she deserves. But it means the world to me to know she has someone by her side, someone to help her make her way.” Before I could protest, she held up her hand. “I know you’re fully capable, Maudlin. You can do just about anything you want. The gods know, I watched you terrorize a countryside full of vampires and come out alive. But just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should do it. If you can find love and companionship, I want you to be happy. I want for you what I never had.”
And that broke me. I burst into tears, and as Zara and Aegis each took one of my hands, I cried for all the years we had lost because of circumstances forced on the both of us. I cried because I was about to lose the mother I never knew I had.
THE REST OF the evening went better. Aegis entertained my mother as he baked, while I sat on the sidelines watching. I couldn’t seem to sort out my feelings enough to actually engage in conversation. For her part, Zara seemed perfectly content playing sous-chef as Aegis whipped up a meatloaf for the next night, along with a batch of blueberry muffins, three dozen dinner rolls, and a selection of pastries for breakfast. After a while, I brought my ledgers into the kitchen and made sure the books were up to date while they chatted. It felt oddly homey, with my mother and my lover getting along. He had tied an apron around her waist and she was laughing at the kittens printed on the cloth.
After a while, I pushed aside my books. “Did I tell you Bubba’s in love?”
That stopped the conversation. “What?”
“Bubba. He’s in love. He’s met a little calico cat who lives somewhere around here. Her name is Luna. I hope to hell she’s spayed or we might end up with a litter of cjinns running around. I’m worried, though—what if her owner decides to move or something? Bubba seems smitten and I don’t want him to get hurt.”
Aegis clutched his heart. “Oh, the agony of love,” he said, staggering back in mock dismay. Then he straightened up. “What if you find out who owns her and have a talk with them? Maybe we could take her in?”
I frowned. “It’s not like offering to buy a used car. If they’re like normal people, they’re going to love their cat, dude.”
“There’s another issue you haven’t thought of,” Zara said. “The lifespan for a cat is what…twenty, twenty-one at best? Bubba’s a cjinn. He’s going to outlive her by a long while.”
I blinked. How could I have overlooked that as well? “I hope it’s just a flirtation. I can’t imagine…” Feeling once again disheartened, I slumped, elbows on the table as I propped my chin up with my hands.
“No playing Gloomy Gus, miss.” Zara untied her apron and handed it back to Aegis. “Let Bubba enjoy his time with her. Whatever’s meant to be, will be.” She glanced at the clock. It was going on eleven. “I’m going back to the inn. I need my sleep.”
I started to protest, but then stopped. She looked tired. “Night, Mother. Would you like us to drive you back?”
She shook her head. “It’s a nice night and the inn isn’t that far. I’ll walk.”
Before we could say good-bye, she slipped out the back and cut through the lawn.
“Well, that went better than I expected.” Aegis slid his arm around me. “What are you thinking about?”
“Death. My best friend was almost murdered. My mother’s dying. Bubba’s in love with a cat who will die long before him. I feel surrounded by loss.” I didn’t like wallowing, but the past couple of days hit me like a sledgehammer.
“Everything will be all right, love. I promise you.” Aegis held me to his chest, but it felt like his promise was a million miles away.
MORNING CAME, AND with it a note from Aegis that he was going to be at rehearsal and would have to leave as soon as he woke up. He’d be up to say good night, but would have to rush off. There was also a bouquet of red roses by the note, and a Charamel bar. My favorite candy, it was a rich milk chocolate covering ooey-gooey caramel. And he hadn’t stinted. It was the king-size version. Which reminded me. I had a workout scheduled at ten. I usually worked out on Tuesdays and Fridays, but this week Wilson had to go in for an eye exam and we hadn’t been able to work out a time. So we had scheduled for Wednesday and Friday instead.
I pulled on yoga pants—which looked decidedly different on me than they did on Sandy—and a tank over my industrial-strength sports bra. Grumpily, I put on my sneakers. I hated sneakers and to be honest, I still didn’t enjoy my workouts. But they were doing some good, so I had decided they were a necessary evil and I categorized them like vitamins. Something you took, but that weren’t always fun.
“You can eat half the candy bar after the workout as a treat,” I told myself as I dashed on a quick face of makeup that wouldn’t sweat off. “The rest you have to save for the next workout.” It was a lie. I knew I’d eat the whole damned bar, but what the hell—I was in pretty good shape and who knew what was going to happen. Always eat dessert first.
I was about to grab my purse and head downstairs when my phone rang. As I pulled it out, I saw that it was Max calling. Instantly worried, I answered.
“Hey Max, what’s up? Everything all right?”
“No.” The sound of his voice was like lead in my stomach.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re at the hospital. Sandy’s slipped into a coma. I couldn’t wake her up this morning. Can you meet us here?” He rattled off the room number as I hit the stairs.
“Text it to me.” I hung up and jammed the phone in my purse. I raced into the kitchen to where Kelson was fixing my latte. “Put it in a cold to-go cup. Fast. I have to get to the hospital. Sandy’s in a coma.”
She didn’t ask any questions, just quickly poured the drink into a tall cup, added ice, screwed on the lid and slammed it into my hand, along with a baggie containing two doughnuts.
I raced out the back door, across the lawn to my car. As I floored the gas pedal, screeching out of my driveway, all I could think of was that the world couldn’t get much worse right now.
AT THE ER, I skidded to a stop by the receptionist desk. “I’m Maudlin Gallowglass. I’m looking for Max Davenport and Sandy Clauson. She was admitted this morning.”
The nurse checked the records. “The doctor’s with her now. I see you’re down as next of kin?”
I nodded. Sandy and I had been using each other for emergency contacts and “relatives” for years. “Yeah.”
“Follow corridor A and you’ll find them in room 1350.” She motioned to one of the nearest hallways. I was off before she finished speaking, trying not to run.
“1302, 1314, 1328…1350.” I cautiously opened the door, peeking in. Max was sitting to one side while a doctor examined Sandy, who was stretched out on the bed, her eyes closed. She was hooked up to several monitors and I cringed at all the electrodes and wires attached to her. I sat down, taking Max’s hand. At that moment, a doctor I recognized entered the room. Jordan Farrows. He had taken care of Bubba when Bubba had been hexed a few months earlier.
“Jordan,” I blurted out. “What’s going on?”
He glanced at me, then turned back to Sandy. “We’re trying to figure it out now.”
The nurse began to hustle Max and me out of the room. “Please give the doctor space to work.”
Neither of us wanted to go, but we also didn’t want to put Sandy in any more danger than she was in, so we returned to the emergency waiting room and, once again, started the vigil. I pulled out my phone and tagged Wilson with the note that I couldn’t come, that I was at the hospital waiting on Sandy. Then I put in a call to Zara.
“I don’t know when I’ll get out of here. Sandy’s in a coma.”
She reassured me that she was fine. “I’m not leaving till tomorrow, so we’ll see each other this afternoon. If you’re still at the hospital, I’ll come by. Call me when you know more.”
I pocketed my phone and turned to Max. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. I woke up, next to Sandy. I was surprised because unless she’s been partying, she’s always up at the crack of dawn. But she was sleeping heavily. I went to the kitchen and made coffee, and breakfast, and took everything back to the bedroom so we could eat together. But she didn’t wake up. I tried shaking her, calling her name, but nothing worked. So I called the ambulance.” He sounded desperate. “Maddy, they can’t have gotten to her. Nobody’s been in or out of that place without being vetted. This has to be some sort of curse or something.”
The thought had crossed my mind already. “You may have something there. I know Ralph’s not up to his usual tricks. He seems to have reformed, at least as much as a satyr can reform. I hate that we’re fighting an invisible enemy. We have to figure out who has it out for her before they manage to—to—” I stopped, unable to finish the thought.
Max took my hand, holding it tightly. We sat, in silence, for the better part of an hour until Jordan Farrows came striding down the hall.
I slowly let go of Max’s hand and stood, afraid of what we might be about to hear. I sucked in a deep breath, willing myself to be calm. Whatever happened, I needed to keep calm.
There’s an eerie moment before hearing news that you think might be bad. It’s that space where you breathe frantic last-moment prayers that what you’re afraid of isn’t going to crack open like a thunderstorm. It’s the last ray of hope before tragedy, or the last moment of strain before relief and either way, it feels like it’s never going to end. Then life rushes in full steam, and you either wish that you were back in that moment, or you bless your luck that it’s over and done with.
Jordan consulted his chart. “Sandy has what’s known as moriatis. It took awhile to figure it out, because it’s a rare condition and only happens during certain circumstances.”
“What’s that mean? Is she still in a coma?” Max asked.
“Yes, and she’ll remain there until we can figure out how to combat this.” Jordan glanced at me. “Have you two been doing any deep sea diving lately?”
I stared at him. That wasn’t exactly the last question I expected to hear, but it was close on the scale. “Deep sea diving? No. Why?”
“Because moriatis only happens when a witch comes in contact with a bacteria found only in the slime of ghost snails. And the only place to find a ghost snail is in the ocean. You might find a few in the straits, but they’ll be in deep water. They produce a bacteria that affects witches, plunging them into a coma from which they can’t break free. Unfortunately, the process has some peculiar side effects. But the bottom line is, unless she can be brought out of her coma, Sandy will slide into her dreams forever.”
Max swallowed hard. “How do we bring her out of it?”
“That’s for me to research and let you know. I’ll get on top of it as soon as I’m back at my office. I promise, I’ll find out what can be done…if anything.” That last, he said softly and I wasn’t sure if Max caught it, but Jordan gave me a look warning me not to say anything.
Understanding that the weretiger was holding on by a thread, I kept my mouth shut. After making certain that she was being taken care of as well as could be, I left Max by her side, holding her hand, and headed out. Jordan might be hunting for the answer, but I wasn’t about to let him do it alone. I hurried out to my car. The first thing was to find out everything I could about ghost snails. And then I had to figure out where Sandy could have come in contact with one. A stop at Bouncing Goats Espresso Shack for a quad-shot latte, and I was on the road, headed for Neverfall Academy. If anybody would have the information, it would be someone there.
I STOPPED AT the Heart’s Desire Inn and invited Zara to come with me. “You haven’t seen the school, and it will be a quiet afternoon. I’m doing research on ghost snails.” I told her what we had found out. “The more of us looking for information, the quicker we’ll find it.” While I knew that didn’t always work in practice, it was the only way I could keep calm. As long as I was doing something that might help, it meant I had some control over the situation.
Zara leaned back against the car seat, resting her head. “Thank you for asking me along. I wouldn’t have been surprised if…” She paused, staring out the window. “I know that we’ve had a rocky time and I take full responsibility. Thank you for giving me another chance.”
I pressed my lips together. I hadn’t even begun to process my feelings, but I knew, somewhere deep in my heart, if I let this chance to be together go by without reaching out, I would regret it. Either I would wonder what would have happened, or I’d look back and kick myself.
“I think that sometimes life just kicks us in the ass, you know? Was it your fault? Yes, somewhat, but given the circumstances you were facing, I don’t blame you. You were caught between a rock and a hard place. I admit, a lot of anger has built up over the years, but right now—in this moment, in this time, I want to move past it. I can figure out how to approach it later. Right now, you’re here and I know the truth, and I’m willing to meet you halfway.”
Zara let out a long, quiet sigh. “Thank you for that. I still have to figure out how to find your father. I want to tell him how I feel. I want to apologize for being so harsh, but I also want him to know how his actions hurt me. If I’m going to die before my time, I want to go knowing that I’ve done what I could to settle this incarnation.”
Tears flickered behind my eyes, but I blinked them away. I could cry later. Right now, Zara needed to focus on the present. And that was something I could offer her.
I pulled off the road onto a turnout that overlooked the water below. We were headed up the long sloping road toward Neverfall. I motioned for her to follow me to the guard railing and we leaned against it, looking over the vast expanse of water.
“This is Rosewood Road and it encircles the entire island. The beach down below is known as Crashing Rocks Beach. There are huge boulders just off the shore, and they make boating in this area deadly, as well as swimming.”
“Has anybody ever tried cliff diving off the bluff?” Zara pointed to a sign that read NO DIVING—DANGEROUS ROCKS AND RIP TIDES BELOW.
I nodded. “Yeah, they have. Hence the sign. There have been at least four or five deaths here. Usually some teenager who decides to ignore the warning and thinks that yes, they are immortal. Or that they can beat the odds. I think the last one was a year ago. Sandy told me about it. Made the headlines because it was one of the Bedlam Town Council member’s sons.”
“You’re on the city council, aren’t you?” Zara straightened her shoulders, leaning into the wind that swept off the ocean.
“I am, because I’m now the High Priestess of the Moonrise Coven.” The sea air braced me up, washing away the stress and worry of the day as it flowed through my hair and past my face. “I’m happy, Mother. I hope you know that. Aegis makes me happy. My work makes me happy. I’m content, for perhaps the first time in my life.”
She said nothing, but slid her hand over to find mine, and squeezed my fingers.
We returned to the car after a few moments, easing back onto the road as we headed for Neverfall Academy. The afternoon was cloudy with a hint of rain coming in. I welcomed the gloom. Sometimes, sunshine aggravated me. It made my nerves feel raw and I felt too vulnerable and exposed. I wouldn’t ever want to live like Aegis had to—constantly under the cover of night—but I wasn’t fully happy without a few gray clouds and rain showers in my life.
We reached Neverfall Academy around 3:00 p.m., and all classes seemed in session. I parked in the visitors’ parking area and slung my bag over my shoulder. Zara followed me as I dashed up the stone steps of the academy. As we entered the main hall, chimes rang and students began pouring out of the classrooms, heading toward their next class. I caught sight of a hall monitor and motioned to him.
“Can you tell me where the library is, please?”
He gave us an odd look, but said, “See the grand staircase up ahead? Take that—or you can take an elevator if you need—and then turn right as you reach the third floor. Go through the double doors and cross the overpass to Red Hawk Manor. When you enter the doors there, you’ll see a staircase going down with a hallway next to it. Follow the hall to the end and you’ll be at the library.”
“Take the stairs, cross the overpass, end of the hall in the other building. Check. Thank you,” I turned to Zara. “Do you want to take the elevator? I don’t know how tired you are.”
She shrugged. “Six of one. Why don’t we take the lift? I don’t feel like walking up two flights of stairs.” With a sigh, she added, “I need to be all right with expressing how tired this condition makes me.”
I didn’t want to ask, but finally decided that openness was best. “What are your symptoms now? How fast does this progress?”
She followed me to the elevator and, as we stepped into the car, she said, “The symptoms build up over time. Fatigue is a big one, and the feeling of being overextended. My nerves feel raw, and that feeling just increases. Irritability, confusion…they come on toward the end.”
“How did you find out?”
Zara let out a little laugh. “I went in thinking I just needed a general tonic. The doctor did some tests. After Dr. Markus told me it was Winter Syndrome, I immediately scheduled for new opinions. This was several months ago. When the first experimental treatment didn’t work, I contacted the doctor in Ohio, and decided to stop in and see you. My case is advanced. It’s one of those diseases that doesn’t present until almost the end stage. Before you ask, so you don’t have to ask, I’ve got about a month or so left before it enters the last phase. After that, it’s very quick.”
And that was it, in a nutshell. There was only one last question to ask.
“These two treatments…how long till you know if they work?”
“Oh, a few days. I should know by a week from Saturday. And again, before you ask, if they don’t work…well…I have affairs taken care of at home. I think my last days will be spent chasing after a dream I’ve always had.”
I couldn’t believe what I was about to say. “If they don’t work, you’re welcome to stay with me until…”
“No, Maddy. No, dear. I won’t put you through that. Besides, there are so many things I’ve kept on the shelf—dreams I’ve had. Goals I’ve thought about but skipped over. At least one of them, I can make come true. I wanted to sail out on the ocean, just by myself. Just me and the waves. I think that will be my farewell song.”
We were out on the walkway by now. We stopped halfway over the arch to look out over the grounds. The campus was over a thousand acres, wooded thickly through most of it. Down below, a few students were crossing the grounds, but most of them seemed to be in class. A fat raindrop splashed on my face and then another, and I welcomed the moisture. My own eyes were aching; I had blinked so furiously to keep back the tears.
I forced myself to take a deep breath, letting the air stream through to cool my lungs. After a moment, I smiled. It wasn’t fake, or plastered on. I smiled because we were here, and my mother had taken back her life that I never even realized had been stolen from her, and she was making her decisions for herself, not for anybody else.
I cleared my throat. “Come on, let’s go find out everything we can about ghost snails.”
And with that, we entered Red Hawk Manor and headed to the library.