Maudlin's Mayhem (Bewitching Bedlam Book 2) Read online

  “Yes. The main thing is, Dirt Magic can turn really nasty, really fast. I can work up a set of roots that can destroy the average person without blinking. But I don’t. Because Dirt Magic, like every type of magic, can be abused and misused, or it can be useful. My grandma used to whip me when I was a boy, when she caught me working roots for my own gain. She’d beat my backside till I couldn’t sit down.” His eyes were twinkling now.

  “Where did you grow up?” I was quickly growing to like Garret James, despite all the warnings. He was honest and direct, and I’d take that any day over somebody who might be more “acceptable” but also more glib.

  “Why, down in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Kentucky. But that was a long time ago. My clan—the Blue Diamond Copperheads—were nomadic. People feared us because of our magic. They knew nothing about our abilities to shape-shift. If they had, they would have killed every one of us they could.” He paused, then shook his head. “I don’t like to talk about my past with strangers, though, so that’s all I’ll say about that.”

  I glanced over at his workbench. At least fifty bottles lined the shelf behind it, each holding some sort of herb or twig or root. They were all labeled but I couldn’t read the language.

  “What you need to break the hex for you and your friends is a good dose of whompwater smoke.” He shook out several roots, then closed his eyes and tossed them on the bench. After they landed, he opened his eyes and began to examine the pattern in which they had fallen.

  “Whompwater?”

  “Yeah, it whomps anything it touches, so to speak. The roots tell me I can break this spell, but it’s going to take me at least two days to prepare the formula. This isn’t something I can rush. I’ll be at your place, Thursday evening, shortly before sunset. I’ll have what you need.”

  I took out my purse. “I assume payment in advance?”

  He stared at my bag, then at me. “I could easily charge up to a thousand for a hex-breaker of this magnitude, but I won’t. I’d rather just say, you owe me a favor, Maddy Gallowglass. One I’ll collect later, when I need it.”

  And with that, he stood, motioning to the door. “Now get moving. I fully believe you can take care of yourself, but it’s still not a good idea to hang around here as the day wanes. Besides, if I’m going to have this ready for you, I need to start on it now.”

  I headed for the door, wanting to stick around and talk to him some more. The man fascinated me. But I also needed the hex-breaker and I didn’t have any other alternative at this point. I waved at him as he turned back to his workbench and began sorting through his arsenal of herbs.

  I WAS ON the way home when a call came through from Delia, but I was driving and didn’t have my headset on, so I ignored it. I’d call her when I arrived home. The house seemed terribly quiet as I approached. Not being able to talk to Aegis had really put a damper on things.

  A glance at the clock told me it was three p.m. Crap. The ritual was only a couple hours off and I was in no way ready.

  “Oh, hell. I can’t believe I’m running so late,” I muttered to myself. I raced into the house and dashed up the stairs to take a quick shower. I grabbed my ritual soap and lathered up, trying to relax. The ceremony wasn’t so much actual magic as it was ritual theater, but that didn’t matter. It had to be real and sincere. We had practiced over the past couple weeks, so I knew the drill down pat, but as I put in a quick call to Sandy while toweling off, I realized that I had no heart for it. Too much had happened the past few days.

  “Thank gods you remembered. I was going to mention it before I got off on my crying jag over Bart, but then it just slipped away. I’ll meet you downtown at four. Don’t be late.” She hung up before I could ask her if she had been in touch with the rest of the coven.

  I dried my hair, then groaned when I realized my main ritual robe was still at the dry cleaner’s. Thank gods I had a backup. I sorted through my closet till I found the deep V-necked dress. It was open down to my navel, with a fastener at the waist, and was that royal blue that slid into purple. I contorted my way into my strapless bra—a long-line version with a deep plunge so that it didn’t show—then pulled on my dress.

  After brushing my hair and redoing my makeup, I fastened on my circlet. Both silver and bronze, the headdress was a beautiful Celtic knotwork of vines and leaves, meeting in the front to support a crescent moon with a moonstone in the center. I slipped on my ritual rings and my pentacle, and finally, I fastened a thin leather belt around my waist before I attached the sheath for my ritual dagger on one side and a ritual flail on the other.

  Giving myself a once-over in the mirror, I stepped into a pair of ballet flats and swung my blue cape over my shoulders, closing it at the neck with a beautiful gold brooch that Aegis had bought for me.

  I let out a long sigh as Bubba peeked into the bedroom. He bounced up onto the dresser and pawed at me. I ruffled his fur, scratching him behind the ears.

  “M-row.”

  “I’ll be careful, Bubs. You too. I’ll be home as soon as I can. The ritual won’t last more than an hour, and the rest of the coven’s setting it up now, so I should be home by eight at the latest.” I leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. “I’m just glad we broke the spell on you, babe. I love you. Be good and watch over things.”

  He let out another concerned meow before bouncing off to his food dish.

  “Franny! Franny?”

  Franny appeared as I dashed down the stairs. She was waiting at the bottom for me.

  “I’m heading out. Keep an eye on things. Come into the library with me.”

  She followed me as I tapped quickly on the keyboard of her computer. I brought up a text messaging program. “You can use the voice commands to text me if anything happens. If it’s an emergency—and only if it’s an emergency—say ‘Emergency Code Red’ and it will set my phone off even if I’m in the middle of ritual. Otherwise, I’ll check for messages every chance I get. You understand?”

  She nodded. “I do. I won’t let you down.”

  “Thanks. You and Bubba have fun.” As I grabbed my keys, I hoped to hell that nothing else went wrong before I got home.

  THE TOWN WAS jumping, with everybody gearing up for the celebration. The BCU—the Bedlam Star Credit Union—had cordoned off a section of its parking lot for those of us in the Moonrise Coven, given we were leading the ritual. It was directly across from Turnwheel Park—a large city park that was used for holiday events. During the rest of the year, the city sold licenses to various vendors and events coordinators to hold large-scale productions.

  During the spring and summer, the farmers’ market ran almost every weekend, and the park was filled with Renaissance fairs. In autumn, the Bedlam County Fair held competitions, including a jam & jelly competition, a pickling competition, and the best baker’s competition. Neverfall Academy held its annual spelling bee in the park, along with dances and other events. Thanksgiving saw the community dinner, where all were welcome. The Winter Carnival was a yearly event. And through the year, the Moonrise Coven led rituals for the four of the eight High Holy days. We guided the city through the equinoxes and solstices.

  I found the rest of the coven and made sure to put on a good face for them. Tonight was about new beginnings and renewal and a balance of energies between light and dark. I forced myself to focus and leave everything else outside as we discussed the final preparations for the magical ritual we’d be leading.

  Sandy and I checked over the altar to make certain everything was there—the ritual sword, with which I would cast the Circle, the chalice and cakes, the incense, and the spell components I’d need to conjure up the butterflies for the end of the ritual.

  Finally, satisfied that all was in order, I motioned to the coven and we retreated into a small tent to the side. Everyone was there who was supposed to be: Sandy and me, Tristan, Angus, Terrance, and Tanith. Members of the current Inner Court Council, we would lead the ritual. The other members of the coven
—sixteen in all—would take their places throughout the crowds, guiding the townsfolk through the ritual.

  An auxiliary group, the Moonrise Drummers—a group of witches who found their magic through music—were there to play for us. Thirteen in number, together they possessed an amazing array of talents. They stationed themselves at the four directional markers and as we neared five p.m., they began to beat out a tattoo, calling the village to ceremony.

  We waited until the precise moment, and then I led the other ritualists to the main altar.

  The rest of the coven led the townsfolk who had gathered—there must have been a thousand people who showed up for the ritual—into a series of concentric circles around the main altar. The drummers built the tempo and then, when everyone was in place, I lifted the sword high into the air and the drumbeat fell to a hush.

  “Welcome to Bedlam’s Ostara ritual. We’re grateful so many of you could turn out today to help us turn the wheel and celebrate the equinox.”

  I had a wireless mic clipped to me, and my voice rang out to fill the park, startling even me. This was the first public ritual I had led. Winter Solstice had been spent in transferring the power of the coven to me, and the city had made do with the Winter Carnival.

  As I led the ritual, casting the circle with the sword, leading the others as we called in the elements, then guiding a thousand disparate people through the synchronized event, I forgot about my problems. I was able to let go and channel the energy of spring, welcoming it into the town, welcoming it into our community.

  By the time we finished, ending in a massive spiral dance, people were singing together, dancing to the drummers, and setting up for the community potluck. The kids were playing games like “Pin the tail on the centaur,” and the ever-old favorite, “Crack the whip.”

  Exhausted by how much energy I had channeled, I let out a long breath and forded through the crowds over to our private tent. Most of the coven was mingling with the public but Sandy, Angus, Terrance, Tanith, and I had all retreated. The entire ritual had rested on our shoulders and now, we just wanted a little time to relax.

  Shauna and Kase, members of the Inner Court, brought in plates for us, stacked high with roast beef and macaroni and cheese and other assorted goodies. They returned with glasses of sparkling cider and water, then retreated once again, giving us our space.

  “That was a good ritual,” Angus said. “Linda was always a little hesitant on leading the community rituals, even though she was more than capable. At least we’re done with this till Litha.” He glanced at his watch. “I need to go home soon. My wife’s pregnant and I don’t think it’s going to be much longer. I’ll see you at the coven meeting next Monday, on the new moon.” He found a to-go box and arranged his food in it, then headed out of the tent.

  “I should go, too,” I told Sandy. “I want to make sure that everything’s okay at home. Aegis is still stuck as a bat, and Bubba’s alone with just Franny.” At least I knew there hadn’t been any emergencies, given no texts from Franny.

  She stood and reached out, helping me to my feet. I had barely touched my dinner, so Terrance scooped it all into a to-go dish for me, and I gratefully took it, linking arms with Sandy as we headed across the street to the parking lot.

  “It’s been one hell of a week,” I said, as we stopped by our cars. “How’s your hand?”

  “Doing better. Whatever Jordan did to it, it worked. How’s your thumb?”

  “Sprained, but on the mend. Oh, I didn’t get a chance to tell you. I stopped by Garret’s today. I actually really like the guy. He’s cagey, but he’s smart and he’s direct. He’s working up some roots to break the hex for us. Told me he’d come by on Thursday, shortly before sunset.”

  “Thank gods you found a way to break this damned curse.” She glanced over at her car. “At least Max was able to save his accounts. So maybe that wasn’t from the curse, after all.” With a sigh, she turned back to me. “I think I’ll go home, too. Jenna’s here at the celebration but she’s with her class and I don’t need to stay since she’ll be headed back to school for the rest of the week.”

  “You really enjoy having her around, don’t you?” I grinned. Sandy had far more of a maternal streak than I did, even if she didn’t realize it.

  “I guess I do. Okay, talk to you tomorrow.” She gave me a quick hug and headed toward her car as I gratefully slid behind the wheel of my CR-V. I was more than ready to steer my life back toward normal.

  I ARRIVED HOME to find the lights out. The fact that I had probably just forgot to leave them on didn’t set well, and as I headed inside I decided I would find some sort of system where I could turn them on with an app from my phone. But as I approached the door, I realized something was wrong. The door was unlocked.

  Crap, crap, crap. I was sure I locked it, but then again, I wasn’t so sure of anything anymore. Had Aegis managed to break the spell? But if he had, why weren’t the lights on?

  Pausing, I thought about putting in a call to Delia. But then I thought about the crowd control down at the park. Every officer had been on duty tonight and I dreaded pulling them away for what could easily just be my oversight.

  Finally, I decided to bite the bullet. I opened the door. I fumbled for the light switch and squinted as light flooded the room. Another moment, and I let out my breath as I looked around. Nothing looked out of place, nothing looked askew.

  “Bubba? Bubba, where are you?” I peeked in the living room, flipping on the lights there. Nothing. But as I headed up the stairs, Franny appeared.

  “Run, Maddy. Get out now!” She looked frantic. “Bubba’s all right, but you have to get out of here—”

  “What the hell is going on?” I turned even as I spoke. I had learned the hard way to run when someone said to run. But as I raced down the steps, aiming for the kitchen door, a shadowy figure lurched out from the pantry. It was Thornton, and he stepped between me and the exit.

  “Thornton, but…oh crap, you’re dead.” I began to back up. The staircase leading upstairs was between the kitchen and the dining room, with the door to the basement to their left, at the edge of the kitchen. I began to edge toward the basement. If I could get to the door and slam it, I could lock it from the inside.

  Thornton looked a lot worse for the wear. He was back in one piece, but he looked a little akimbo, with some of his parts not quite in all the right places, though it was hard to pinpoint just exactly what was out of joint. At first I thought he might be a zombie—Essie had been a Voudou priestess, after all. But then Thornton smiled at me and I saw the fangs.

  “She turned you,” I whispered. “I can’t believe—how did she do it? You died in the accident.”

  “I drank her blood before I ever came to work for you. Three times. That’s the magic number, Maddy. Drink three times and then, when you die, you end up a vampire.” He sauntered my way, or rather—lurched. Again, his limbs didn’t seem to be working quite right. But he was moving fast enough to send a chill down my spine.

  “Thornton, why are you coming after me? I didn’t have anything to do with your death.”

  “Oh, Maddy, you’re delicious and I’ve heard all about witch’s blood.” His eyes gleamed as he moved toward me.

  Oh shit, that’s right. Witch’s blood and vampires were a fatal mix—for the witch. But since Essie was his sire, he should be attending her, not chasing me.

  “Go home to Essie! She’s your maker.” I couldn’t dodge him and into the basement. He was too fast, even if he was clumsy.

  “I’ll never give her that satisfaction. I refuse to heed her call.”

  Even in death, he was trying to run from her.

  And then I remembered two things: I could rescind my invitation to get him out of the house, but that wouldn’t stop him from waiting for me. Or I could rely on old instincts.

  Feeling trapped and not willing to give him a second chance to come for me, I fumbled with the dagger still strapped to my waist. As he
lumbered forward, I drew the blade and lunged at him. Just like the dagger I used when I had hunted down vamps, my ritual dagger was silver plated, and like my hunting dagger, the blade was razor sharp.

  My aim was still true, and though I might have been out of form, I still managed to thrust hard enough to impale Thornton in the heart. As the blade slid through his flesh, he shrieked once, a loud, angry cry. He reached for me, but then froze as the silver blade fed on the energy of his heart. With a sudden pop, he broke into a thousand pieces of dust and ash, slowly scattering to the ground in a pile.

  Weakened, I sank to my knees, crouching beside the ashes. A loud “M-row” echoed from the basement and I crawled over to open the door, slumping on the floor beside the steps. Bubba came racing out, followed by Aegis, who was still in bat form.

  Bubba bounced on my lap as Franny appeared.

  “You’re all right?” she said.

  “Thanks to your warning. You saved my life, Franny. I never would have been prepared for the attack if you hadn’t warned me to run.” I stared up at her as Aegis landed on the top of my head. It was an annoying feeling to have a bat in my hair, but he wasn’t stuck and he knew very well what he was doing, rather than being snarled in the strands.

  She glanced over at the pile of ashes. “He let himself in a few minutes before you came home. I tried to text you.”

  “I had my phone silenced due to the ritual. Damn it, I forgot to turn it back on.”

  “I thought so. Bubba used the secret cat door to get into the basement.”

  We had created a secret cat door that couldn’t be seen, so Bubba could escape into the basement if need be. I hadn’t told Thornton about it because it was a potential danger for Aegis if someone figured out how to get into the basement during the day while he slept.

  “Well, I owe you a debt, that’s for certain.” I let out a soft sigh, thinking that once again I had better call Delia to let her know what was going on. But I was tired of calling the cops. I was tired of things going wrong. Two days and the hex would be broken and everything would return to normal.