Witching Bones: A Wild Hunt Novel, Book 8 Read online

  “If you can, I’d like that. I feel nerve wracked and shaken, and I really don’t feel like being alone tonight.”

  “That settles it. I’ll stay. Why don’t you go take a long hot bath, and I’ll clean up the kitchen. Should I feed Raj?”

  “Yeah, please. I don’t think I fed him supper yet. Give him a can of cat food or tuna or whatever. And only give him one can! I think I will take a bath. I need to relax.”

  As I trudged toward the bathroom, all I could think about was how tired I was, and how much I wanted to sleep. I filled the tub, squirting a hefty amount of pumpkin spice bath gel in the water. As I sank into the bubbles, resting my head against the back of the tub, my muscles began to loosen. I didn’t want to think about stealing the corpse out of the grave, or the ritual to come, or the promise I’d made to Arachana. All I wanted to think about was springtime, and flowers, and picnics in the park with Raj. As my breath began to come easier, I yawned. And then, before I realized what was happening, I fell asleep under the blanket of bubbles.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Morning dawned with a silvery tinge. I woke up, surprised to find myself in bed. The last thing I remembered was crawling into the bathtub. I glanced over at Kipa, who was still snoring beside me. I snuggled into his outstretched arm, pressing against him as he slumbered. The clock said it was half past six, and I wasn’t ready to get up yet, even though Cerridwen was nudging me to visit my ritual room and meditate. An uneasiness crept over me as I thought about it, and I wasn’t sure exactly why, but I only knew that I wasn’t prepared to face her.

  While I didn’t have as close a relationship with Cerridwen as I did with Arawn, she was still my Lady, and when she pushed me, I listened. Begrudging the cold air, I pushed back the covers and swung my feet over the edge of the bed.

  “Where you going, gorgeous?” Kipa said.

  I jumped. “I thought you were still asleep!”

  “I was, until a moment ago. But I woke up when you pulled away from me. Come back to bed. It’s too cold to get up yet.” He patted the bed beside him, flashing me a lusty grin.

  I glanced at the door, then back at Kipa. Surely Cerridwen would understand, considering it was so early in the morning and I didn’t usually get up until later.

  “Did you put me to bed last night?” I asked.

  “Sure did. You were asleep in the tub. I dried you off and carried you to bed and you didn’t wake up once. I guess you were exhausted.” Again, he patted the mattress. “Come on.”

  Ignoring my inner prompting, I slipped back into bed and turned to him as he wrapped his arm around me. He pressed against me, and I could feel just how awake he was. With a laugh, I slid my hands under the covers, tracing the muscles of his thigh with my fingertips. He was warm and dusty and musty and intoxicating, and everything about him screamed sex. I pushed every should out of my mind and gave myself over to him, giggling as he slipped between my legs with a triumphant laugh.

  An hour later, I had taken a shower and was dressing. Kipa was in the bathroom, singing through the spray of the shower in a language that I didn’t understand. But he was on key and whatever he was singing was a merry tune.

  I put on my makeup and dressed for the day ahead. I seldom wore jeans or pants of any kind, but I found a pair of leggings and slipped them on. I pulled on a pair of leather shorts over them, and then a turtleneck sweater. With knee-high boots, and a duster, I would be warm enough for the time it took us to rob the grave.

  I shuddered again as I thought about what we were planning to do. Some necromancers had no compunctions about robbing gravesites. I didn’t mind gathering graveyard dust, but I drew the line at plundering helpless bodies in the ground. Granted, their spirits had usually moved on, but it still felt dirty. Oh, there were rare cases where ghosts haunted the graveyard, tethered to their bodies and bones, but in the vast majority of cases, the spirits had broken free of their mortal forms even if they hadn’t broken free from the mortal plane yet. But their bodies seemed sacrosanct to me. There was something ghoulish about stealing what had once been the shell of a person, and it made me queasy to think about it.

  I finished with my makeup and hustled into the kitchen, where I found Raj standing by the refrigerator.

  “What do you want for breakfast?”

  Raj glanced down the hallway. When he didn’t see Kipa following me, he said in a soft voice, “Pancakes. Raj loves pancakes.”

  “Pancakes it is, then. Do you want some eggs with them, and bacon?”

  Raj nodded, a goofy grin on his face. “Raj needs to go outside. Raj didn’t get to go outside last night.”

  I groaned. “I’m so sorry, Raj. I wasn’t in very good shape last night. Did you have an accident?”

  “Raj held it. But Raj really has to go outside. Now.”

  I noticed he was squirming, doing his I-have-to-tinkle dance, so I put down the pan and followed him to the door, opening it against the blast of cold air. I fastened the chain to his collar.

  “I’ll be out to get you when breakfast is ready. You’ll be okay?”

  Raj nodded, looking anxious for me to leave. Even gargoyles liked their privacy. I blew him a kiss and returned to the kitchen. As I popped the bacon into the oven and then began to mix up the pancake batter, Kipa wandered out to the kitchen. He was dressed and I saw that he had brought a clean outfit for the day. He was barefoot, wearing a pair of indigo-wash jeans, and a Wonder Woman T-shirt. He had washed his hair and braided it back to dry.

  “Aha! My woman’s making me breakfast.” He looked around, puzzled. “Where’s Raj?”

  “Outside. I forgot to let him out last night for his nightly toilette. In other words, he had to go and he had to go quick. I told him we’d bring him back in for breakfast.”

  Kipa looked around. “What can I do to help?”

  “Why don’t you cut up some strawberries and pineapple for a fruit salad?” I pointed to the fresh pineapple that was sitting on the counter, and the basket of berries. They weren’t the best, given it was midwinter, but the pineapple would brighten their taste.

  Kipa found a paring knife and a cutting board, and we worked in a comfortable silence. In fact, I was surprised by how comfortable I was with him, especially since it taken so long for Ulstair and me to find our rhythm.

  I finished cooking a stack of pancakes and then cracked a dozen eggs into the pan. Between Raj’s and Kipa’s appetites, and my own, we’d easily polish off the entire spread.

  While Kipa set the table, I retrieved Raj from the front. He was playing in the snow next to his house, tossing great pawfuls of it into the air and snapping at it with his jaws as it showered down over his head. I laughed, picking up a handful of the snow and packing it into a ball. As I closed in on him, Raj turned and I sent the snowball directly at him, landing it right on his forehead. I laughed again, as he sat back on his haunches using his great clumsy hands to form a loosely packed snowball and toss it toward me. I could have easily ducked out of the way but I let it hit me, smack in the face, and laughed again.

  “Silly Raj. Raven loves you so much,” I said as I knelt beside him. I gave him a big hug and then unfastened the chain from his collar.

  He glanced over my shoulder and, seeing no one else in sight, said, “Raven loves Raj and Raj loves Raven. Raj loves snow. Raven take Raj for a walk later?” He sounded so hopeful that I nodded.

  “Raven will take Raj for a walk later on. Raven has a busy evening, but we’ll go for a walk in the early afternoon. Will that be okay?”

  Raj nodded eagerly. “Raven take Raj for a walk! Breakfast? Raj hungry.”

  “Breakfast is ready. Come on, Raj, let’s go have pancakes and eggs and bacon and fruit cup.”

  “No fruit cup for Raj. Pineapple gives Raj stomachache.”

  “That’s right,” I said as we headed in toward the table. “Pineapple gives Raj a stomachache.”

  Kipa had errands to run before we were to meet at the cemetery. He gave me a long kiss, then patted Ra
j on the head. “I’ll see you later. Raj, take care of Raven.” Raj’s ears perked up, but he said nothing, just gazed at Kipa with a thoughtful look on his face.

  After Kipa left, I took Raj for a short walk. After I returned home, I tended to the ferrets. I had just finished cleaning the cage and giving them breakfast when my phone rang. As they began to chow down on their food, I pulled out my phone and quietly closed the door behind me. I glanced at the caller ID. It was Llew.

  “Llew! I’m so glad to hear from you. How are you doing?”

  “Better. I thought I better call you and talk to you. We have a slight problem.”

  I knew exactly what the problem was. “Jordan?”

  “I’m trying to calm him down, to make him realize that you had nothing to do with me getting hurt. Please don’t blame him too much for things that he might have said. He was just worried that he was going to lose me.”

  I paused, then answered carefully. “I’m not going to lie. He hurt my feelings. I would never deliberately put you in harm’s way. And that he believes I’m capable of that… I guess I thought we were better friends than that.”

  “I know. Just give me a little time. He’ll come around. Are you coming to the shop this week?”

  Even though I knew it was a low blow, I couldn’t help myself. “Are you sure it’s okay if I’m in your presence? What if Jordan finds out I’m there?”

  “Raven, please. I know it’s not fair, but put yourself in his shoes.” Llew sounded so pained that I finally relented.

  “I refuse to allow him to treat me this way…but yes, I do understand. All right, I’ll let you know by Thursday if I’m coming down to the shop.”

  “While I’m resting up here at home today I’m going to do some research. Look for anything I can find that might help the ferrets,” Llew said, offering an olive branch.

  “Thanks. I appreciate that. I guess I’ll talk to you later.” I hung up before he had a chance to say good-bye. While I did understand Jordan’s position, he had made me feel like crap, and I needed time to process my own feelings.

  I felt another tap on my shoulder—metaphorically speaking—and realized Cerridwen was trying to contact me. I groaned, because I knew that—whatever she had to say—it wasn’t going to be pleasant. When you were pledged to the gods, you tended to get a read on their emotions. I couldn’t put it off any longer, so I headed to the ritual room, girding my loins, so to speak.

  As I lowered myself to the bench in front of the altar, I had barely started my prayer to invoke Arawn and Cerridwen when Cerridwen came blasting through loud and clear. I could see her in the orb staring at me, her eyes blazing.

  “How dare you make an alliance without my permission?” Oh, she was pissed, all right.

  “ I was just trying to help Gunnar—”

  “You will break that alliance as soon as possible. You are not to put yourself in that creature’s debt. Do you understand me? I don’t care who it’s for or why you did it. And don’t think Arawn will buck me on this matter. I have spoken.” The words came lashing through my thoughts loud and clear.

  Her anger reverberated through me and I felt like I’d been slapped. I knew better than to argue, especially when she was this aggravated.

  “I understand. I don’t know how I can get out of this, though, but I’ll try.”

  “You’ll do more than try. You will break the deal. You are to tell that creature that you are no longer bound by a debt, and that you are forbidden to have any dealings with her.”

  “What about Gunnar? I know the spell to release him now.” I knew I was taking a chance asking her when she was this angry, but I had to.

  “I don’t care what you do about Gunnar. But you will break off your alliance with Arachana or you’ll face my wrath. And you do not want to face the anger of the Cauldron.”

  With that, she vanished as quickly as she had arrived. I reeled, nauseated from the force of her impact. I swallowed hard. How the hell was I going to do this? I had already learned the spell, there was no way I could just give information back, and even if there was, I had the feeling that wouldn’t appease Arachana. I needed help, and I wasn’t sure where to look for it.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  By the time Kipa returned, shovels in hand, I had decided to go through with the ritual anyway. I might as well, given I knew the spell to break the fylgismadi’s hold. But then I would have to sever my connections with Arachana, and for that I would need another heart, along with a slim hope in hell that I’d make it through alive.

  “Are you all right?” Kipa asked, taking one look at me and dropping the shovels on the floor.

  “Not exactly. I know this sounds nuts, but I need to ask you to bring me a new heart.” I sank into one of the chairs by the dining table, covering my face with my hands. “I really screwed up. I fucked up royal this time and I’m in trouble. When I made the alliance with Arachana I didn’t ask for Cerridwen’s permission. She just read me the riot act beyond all riot acts. I have to get out of my promise or she’s going to come down hard on me.”

  Kipa grimaced. “I’m not even going to bother to ask if you tried to explain. When Cerridwen makes up her mind, she makes up her mind. Even I know enough about her to know that you don’t make a misstep in her presence. What do you want to do now? Are you going to go through with the ritual?”

  “Yeah, I might as well. I know the spell now and there’s no giving the knowledge back. Somehow I doubt that even if I promised Arachana that I wouldn’t cast it that she would be willing to wipe out my debt. We’ll perform the ritual before I talk to her, but I can’t wait too long or Cerridwen will skin me alive.”

  “Then let’s get it over with. You know I’ll do my best to help you, and if you want, I can try to have a talk with Cerridwen. She doesn’t know me very well, but maybe it will help?”

  I loved that he was offering to put himself on the line for me, but I shook my head.

  “I can’t let you fight my battles for me, not with my goddess. I’m pledged to her and I should have thought first. When Arawn gave me the info on who to contact, I didn’t even bother thinking that Cerridwen might have objections. I’ve worked with them both long enough that I should have known better. I should have consulted both of them at the same time. This is my mistake. I have to own up to it.” Feeling jarred, I followed Kipa out the door after making sure Raj was settled in with some snacks.

  The drive to the cemetery was quiet. Kipa kept his eyes on the road, trying to avoid skidding on the thick ice underneath the car tires. I stared out the window, contemplating my choices. I could try to offer Arachana something else in place of a favor. Something tangible that would wipe out my debt. I wasn’t sure she’d go for it, but it was the only option I could think of.

  Sunset hit as we were on the road and, because the skies were clear, the evening suddenly seemed very dark. The storm had lit up the sky for the past couple weeks, keeping it tinged with pale silver, but now that the clouds had parted, the ambient light was gone.

  The cemetery that Kipa was taking us to was located out toward Woodinville, near TirNaNog. As we eased into the parking lot, I was glad to see that the gates were still open, but there were no other cars. If we were lucky, visitors would remain at home. The fewer people around, the better, especially given we were about to do something that was against the law.

  We had one piece of good luck: the fresh grave was near the parking lot. It was behind a tall cedar, a hundred or so yards away from where we had parked the car. As we trudged our way through the snow, breaking a new trail, I glanced around. Sure enough, the cemetery was empty except for some of the spirits hanging out near the graves. We passed one tombstone and the spirit sitting on top of it looked up at me, a blurry vision of a skeleton dressed in clothes that had come from another century. I paused, then tapped Kipa on the arm.

  “Wait for a second. I want to check something out.” I headed over to that tombstone, kneeling and flashing my phone flashlight on it. Sure enou
gh, the person buried here had died in 1892. The cemetery was one of the older ones in the area, then. I glanced up as the spirit looked at me quizzically.

  “Can you hear me?” I asked.

  The spirit cocked its head—I thought it was male, given the looks of its clothing—but made no other sign that it understood me. It sat there on the headstone, seeming content. Part of me wanted to free it right here and now, to help the man go on to his other journeys. But that wasn’t what we were here for tonight. I made a mental note to come back and go through the graveyard at some point, freeing the spirits who were still tied to their graves.

  I rejoined Kipa, shaking my head when he started to ask why we had stopped.

  “I was just checking out something. Nothing to worry about.”

  The newly dug grave had been covered by only a trace of snow throughout the day. If he had been buried this morning, then it looked like we’d only had about a quarter inch of snow during the day. But the deeper snow was banked to the sides, except for one flat spot where the diggers had piled the graveyard dirt so they could bury the casket. That gave us a place to put the dirt as we dug up the corpse, without anyone questioning. Kipa started to dig and I followed suit, doing my best to help him. He was a lot faster and stronger than I was, though, and before too long, we were staring down into the grave at the coffin.

  “How are we going to get it open, or do we have to get the casket up here somehow?” Lifting the coffin out of the grave wouldn’t be easy, that much was for sure.

  Kipa twisted his lips. “Give me a moment. I’m going to jump down in there to see what we can do. I can probably open the casket if the wood’s not too hard, and no one will ever be the wiser.”

  He handed me his bag of tools, and as I held them, he climbed down into the grave, landing on top of the casket. He knelt, examining it under the glow of his flashlight. After a moment he stood and looked up at me.