The Witching Hour: 11 Enchanting Novels Featuring Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Shifters, Ghosts, Fae, and More!, page 28
“So where’s the food?”
I grinned. “You know I don’t cook beyond a few cookies or a boxed cake. The caterer will be here in about twenty minutes.” I paused, then said, “I was in the shower earlier. I heard something in the bathroom and when I peeked out, I found Ralph Greyhoof trying to steal hair from my brush.”
Sandy stared at me. “Is he still alive?”
“Yeah, and he’s lucky he is. Thing is, he told me some chick paid him to do it. And get this. She paid him both with money and a sing-along. Have you heard of any strange vamps moving into the area lately? He thinks she was a vampire.”
“No, but this doesn’t sound good at all.” Sandy scowled. “Maddy, you know what hair’s used for. You think Ralph might be lying? That he was going to pay somebody to throw a whammy on you?”
“Well, at first I did. My thought was that he wanted to hex the B&B. But the more he talked about the woman—I’m kind of convinced he might be telling the truth.” I motioned for her to follow me into the kitchen.
“Don’t be too sure. The Greyhoofs are an old family, but they’re crafty. I don’t know that I’d trust anything Ralph said. Be careful, Maddy.”
She made a good point. The Greyhoofs have been on Bedlam for more than a hundred years, and they were known for rabble-rousing and causing general havoc. They were in jail so often that Delia—the sheriff—joked about putting in a revolving door for them.
“There is that. Well, I’ll look into it more tomorrow. I guess I’d better tell Aegis, even though I wasn’t going to. If he found out on his own, Ralph would be a few pints low before anybody could intervene. Now, help me set up these tables?”
Aegis had brought up three long tables up from the basement. The dining room had plenty of space for them, since we didn’t have a formal table yet. The buffet would taste just as good on metal and plastic as it would on solid oak.
As we wrestled them through the kitchen door, Franny reappeared. She stood to one side, frowning. Half of her was still inside the wall next to the stairwell, and her arms were crossed as she stared at us with a pointed look of disdain.
“Those are ugly. When I was alive, my mother had a beautiful cherry wood table. You should buy something like that.” She tsked at me.
“Franny, can you just give it a rest for once? You do nothing but complain all day. What—besides painting the kitchen pink—will make you happy?” Exasperated, I swung on her, wanting nothing more than to exorcise her right then and there.
Franny jerked back, as if I’d slapped her. “You know, I can help you if you’d give me a chance. Just because I’m a ghost doesn’t mean I can’t do anything. It gets boring just standing around watching everybody else go about their business.” She arched her back and pulled out a fan. If she had been hiding it, I had no idea where and I wasn’t going to ask. In an affected voice, she added, “I can do a lot of things that you don’t know about.”
I wanted to shoot back, “Besides complain?” but decided to drop it for the night. I was tired of sparring with her and truth was, I suddenly felt sheepish. After all, I had the advantage. For one thing, I was a witch. For another, I was still alive. Franny was just an unlucky spirit who—for whatever reason—couldn’t move on. And it must suck to be stuck in one house for eternity. Come to think of it, I didn’t even know whether I could exorcise her. There were so many variables involved.
“I’m sorry—” I started to say, but she vanished.
Sandy arched her eyebrows. “Sensitive much?”
“I guess being trapped in a house over two hundred years would tend to set a person on edge. I really need to find out more about her story. I haven’t had much of a chance to do anything else but work on this house.” I paused, trying to think about it from Franny’s perspective. “She lived here when she was alive, I do know that much. And she died by falling down the stairs while reading a book. I suppose it really does hurt to see the home she grew up in being gutted and changed so much.”
“Either that, or she’s just a grouch. Here, help me tip this upright.”
Sandy had opened the table we were carrying and unfolded the legs. We set it up and then went back for the other two. Once they were standing, I found the tablecloths—long, green linens—and we were arranging them as the caterers arrived. Sandy and I retreated to the living room, giving them control of the kitchen and dining room.
The caterers had no more set up the food when the door opened and Aegis strode in, followed by the band members and their families. I decided I could wait till later to tell him about Ralph as he swung me into his arms and gave me a long kiss. But as his lips touched mine, I could sense that something was up. He felt…nervous.
“Is something wrong?” I murmured.
Aegis shifted, just enough to tell me I had hit a chord.
“Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. It’s been an odd evening.”
“Don’t worry about it. Nothing that I can’t handle. Band stuff.” And he went back to kissing me.
Keth, the drummer, passed by, clapping Aegis on the shoulder.
“Get a room, dude.” But he laughed as he said it. Keth was half-satyr, half-human, with a spiked Mohawk. His ears were stretched with heavy gauges and he was heavily tattooed. Residual horns poked out of his head, but they weren’t fully formed and they never would be, given his heritage. He had feet rather than hooves, but he was a very hairy man.
“Hey Maddy, thanks for hosting the spread.” He immediately headed over to the tables of food and began to pile a plate high.
Sid was there, sans wife and kids. “Sylvia sends her love, Maddy. She’s still tired. I told her to stay home with the kids and nanny and watch TV.”
“How’s the baby?” I wasn’t really geared toward maternal feelings but I cared about Sid and Sylvia. However, I had the feeling she could use more than one nanny. With five very active Fae children, the stress had to be high. But I decided to forgo offering unsolicited advice. Sid couldn’t afford to hire more help. Not all of the Fae were rolling in dough. Especially the artists and musicians. Actually, a number of those who chose to live in the human world instead of their own seemed to find it rough going.
“The baby’s a handful, all right. She’s already causing havoc.” He beamed, looking proud as a peacock. Sid and his wife were aiming for ten kids, and I couldn’t imagine the mayhem that was going to generate. But they loved the bustle.
As everybody poured into the dining room, gathering around the spread, Aegis slid his arm around my waist. “You did a fantastic job.”
“The caterers did most of the work.” I nestled into his embrace, still feeling unsettled. My radar was buzzing and I wasn’t sure what I was picking up on. “But yeah, things seem to be going over well. How did the show go?”
A slight but subtle tensing of his arm told me I was right. He was concerned about something. “Everything went fine. Why?”
I forced myself to relax. “I just wondered.”
He didn’t answer, just kissed me on the head and moved over to talk to Jack-Az.
I headed into the living room where Sandy was leaning against the wall, watching the interplay. While she was a socialite, my best buddy was also extremely observant and I trusted her judgment. I joined her, drink in one hand and a cookie I’d liberated off of somebody’s plate in the other.
Lowering my voice, I asked, “Does Aegis seem tense to you?”
She glanced over at him, watching for a moment. “Yeah, he does. So do his band mates.”
I was about to say something when I heard a yowl from upstairs. It was Bubba, and he sounded pissed or hurt.
“Oh hell, what’s going on?”
I shoved my drink in Sandy’s free hand and darted up the staircase. Bubba might be a little turd at times, but he was my little fuzzy turd. I followed the parade of hisses that came tumbling down the stairs. As I slammed open the door to my bedroom, I caught sight of Bubba, arched up like a Halloween cat. He was in front of the French doors leading out onto the brand-new balcony. I’d gone tumbling off the old one when the railing gave way weeks ago, so that was one of the first things I’d asked the Alpha-Pack to fix.
“What’s going on? What’s out there, Bub?” I cupped my hands to the windowpane, peering out into the icy night.
It was snowing outside, and didn’t look like it was going to stop any time soon. A number of Winter Fae lived on the island and they attracted all that went along with the Winter Court. Bedlam was located on the northernmost tip of the San Juan Islands, northwest of Ferndale. As a result of all the magical energy and the positioning, winters here were a lot harsher than on the southern islands. This storm, fresh off the westerly winds, was blanketing us with snow.
The twinkle of faerie lights shimmered from my balcony. I loved them, and kept them up year-round, but in the snow, they glowed with a gentle radiance that always made me feel calmer. Except right now, calm wasn’t quite the word, with Bubba hissing like a wildcat.
“What’s out there, Bub?” I leaned against the window, cupping the glass as I pressed my face against it. I couldn’t see anything, but Bubba seemed positive there was something out there. “What do you see?”
He glanced up at me. “Mrowf.”
That wasn’t good. I knew that meow. He had constantly used it on my ex. It usually meant Enemy at the gate!
“Is there someone out there who’s dangerous, Bubba?” I knelt beside him, glancing back out the window. I tried to make out any movements outside. But only the snow seemed to be moving—falling fast and thick.
Bubba nosed the window and I followed his gaze. In the faint glow of the lights on the snow, I could see what looked like footprints in the snow. Someone had been outside my bedroom on the balcony. They weren’t my footprints. I hadn’t been out there since morning and the snow had covered what prints I had left.
“Mrowf.” Bubba was louder this time, sounding pissed. His eyes flashed and I could feel the magic rising.
“Let me get—” I stopped as I turned to see Aegis and Sandy edging into the room.
“Hey, Bubba’s upset. Someone was out on the balcony. I can see the footprints.”
“Do you think it was Ralph?” Sandy pressed her face against the glass.
I winced. I had hoped to wait for a better time to tell Aegis that Ralph Greyhoof had seen me naked. Somehow, I didn’t think that would go over very well.
“Ralph? Ralph who and why would he be outside your bedroom window?” Sure enough, Aegis didn’t sound happy, and he didn’t even know who we were talking about yet.
I cleared my throat. “I don’t think those are his prints. They look like shoe prints, not hoof prints.”
“Are you talking about Ralph Greyhoof? Why would he be outside your bedroom window?” There was an edge in his voice that I had only heard the first time we had met. But then, it had been mixed with arousal. Now he just sounded pissed.
“Um…I was going to tell you about that. Ralph showed up in the bathroom as I was taking a shower—”
“Bathroom? You were in the shower? If he touched one hair on your head I’ll drain him dry, and he’ll feel every drop leave his body.” Aegis whirled, stalking to the door.
“Get back here, you big lug. Listen to me. Ralph didn’t touch me. He was trying to steal hair out of my hairbrush.” I paused. That didn’t sound much better, given what it meant.
Aegis slowed, then turned. “Why would he be doing that? Answer me before I charge over to the Heart’s Desire and light a fire under Ralph’s balls.”
“I don’t know, to be honest. He said he was doing it for some vamp chick who paid him to.” I watched Aegis closely, suddenly thinking that maybe, since he was from the fang-me set, Aegis might have some clue about who the strange vamp was.
Aegis frozen, then glanced out the window. “Stay inside. I’m going to have a look outside.” Abruptly, he turned and stalked out of the room.
I turned to Sandy. “Something’s going on. Those prints out there are shoes, and they look like about the size of a woman’s footprints. Bubba was having a hissy fit when I came in.” I turned back to the cjinn, eyeing him carefully. “Bub, is there still somebody outside?”
He looked at me, the pale gold of his eyes shining. He let out a whimper of a mew, then moved closer to me, rubbing his head against my leg. Sometimes, Bubba was a hellion. Other times, he seemed very much just a scared kitty-cat.
I leaned down and stroked his head, then scooped him up in my arms. “Bub, if there’s something scary out there, Aegis will find it.”
“There’s something out there in the snow.” Sandy reached for the handle on the French doors and before I could stop her, she opened the door, darting outside, then back in. She was holding a red rose. “What’s this?”
I stared at the flower. “What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know, but somebody is bringing you flowers. Maybe Aegis?”
Bewildered, I shook my head. “Lock those doors. Until we know whether Aegis finds anybody out there, it’s best to stay inside. Can you go back down to the party and keep things running smoothly?”
She nodded, handing me the rose and heading for the stairs.
As I sat on the bed, holding Bubba close to me, a noise near the hall door made me jump. I whirled around, but it was just Franny, standing in the doorway with a concerned look.
“Franny, did you see anything out there?” I nodded toward the balcony.
She shrugged. “I couldn’t have, now could I? You banned me from your bedroom. But Maudlin, something’s wrong. There’s a strange energy afoot and I’m not comfortable. It’s making me shiver in my shroud. You should be careful.” She sounded like she actually cared.
“You think something is wrong, too? Do you know what it is?” Carrying Bubba, I headed toward the door.
She moved back to allow me room to exit. I could have just passed through her, but by now, Franny knew how much I hated doing that. Not only was her energy unearthly cold, but it just gave me the creeps.
“I don’t know what it is, no. But there’s an unsettled energy around the house. We may have our differences, but this isn’t anything to joke around with. I have a horrible feeling that something’s going to go terribly wrong. Please, be careful?”
When a ghost was asking me to watch my step, I knew that things had taken a bad turn. “Thanks, Franny. I promise. Would you stay here and keep an eye on the bedroom with Bubba? You can come in the room.” I disabled the wards against her with a flick of the wrist. “Bubba can generally take care of himself but until we know what’s going on, I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Of course. Thank you for asking.” She silently drifted into my bedroom and stood by the window, with Bubba sitting by the hem of her gown.
As I rejoined the party below, Aegis returned, a dusting of snow on his shoulders. The flakes clung to him. He had no body heat to melt them off. I glanced around to make sure no one could overhear us.
“What did you find?” I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but he shook his head.
“Nothing. I didn’t find anything out there. But don’t leave the doors or windows unlocked tonight. Come on, let’s go talk to the guests.”
He stared at me, unblinking, and for the first time since we had met, I was nervous. He was lying and I could sense it. But there wasn’t much I could do.
“Fine. But we need to talk later.” I looped my arm through his and plastered a smile on my face. As we rejoined the party, the evening slid into a mire of doubt and shadow.
3
By the end of the night, I was exhausted, and Aegis didn’t want to talk. In fact, he seemed preoccupied to the point where I took Bubba and went upstairs to bed by myself. We had occasional nights where we didn’t have sex, especially if we had played around during the early evening, but if he was home, we usually cuddled for a bit before I dropped off at around midnight. Scheduling my days around his nights wasn’t always easy, but we had done our best to synch up. But tonight, I decided it wasn’t worth opening a can of worms, and chalked it up to a grumpy day.
Next morning, I made sure that the basement was secure before heading out for the day. We had rigged up a mechanism where Aegis could bar it from the inside so that nobody could get in. He had a secret passage through which he could escape if the house was on fire or some other nightmare like that, but nobody besides us knew about it. We hadn’t hired the Alpha-Pack for that particular renovation. Instead, Aegis installed it himself and if he said it was secure, I trusted him. It was his life that was at stake.
I fed Bubba, then puttered around the house while debating over attempting to make pancakes. But I knew that my cooking skills weren’t up to the task. In all of the years I’d been alive, I had always managed to avoid being the one stuck in the kitchen.
Instead, I dug out the leftover cookies from the party, along with a couple deviled eggs that were tucked in the back of the fridge, and I added a thick slice of cheddar. In a fit of inspiration, I mashed up the eggs and spread them on a piece of toast, then added the cheese for an impromptu egg sandwich. After that, I finished off a half-dozen chocolate peanut-butter chip cookies, then drank the last few swallows in the quart of milk I found in the fridge. I had never stocked milk until I started living with Aegis, but he liked it, and so I kept it around now.
Bubba meandered past, giving me the side eye as I stood there, eating in front of the refrigerator door.
“What? You eat off the floor. My manners aren’t any worse than that.”
He sniffed, eyeing the milk in my hands. “Mrow?”
“No, I’m not giving you any milk, it’s not good for you. You know what it does to your digestion. The cat box is a horrendous mess and you end up urping for several days.” I tossed the empty milk carton in the recycling bin. “Besides, we’re out. I’ll pick you up some treats when I’m out this afternoon.”
Bubba leaped up on the counter and stared at me with that innocent look of his. He was gorgeous, with his long flowing ginger fur and wide, winsome eyes. “Mrowf?”
