CHAPTER 20

The chicken was as good as Tonya had said it was. By the time we finished dinner, I really didn’t feel like tromping out into the weather, but tromp we did. Tonya insisted the wight had to have built some access in the basement of Patrick’s house, and so we decided to look there before we checked anywhere else. We left Degoba back at her house—his wound was still too dangerous for him to go adventuring. We decided to deal with the curse after we cleared out the wight.

The house was dark as we approached—no ghost lights anywhere. I wondered just how weak the wight would be without his king and hive mate, but it was foolish to underestimate him at this point. Hell, by this time, I wasn’t underestimating the wayward moth that flew by.

Patrick’s face crumpled as we neared the house. The smell of smoke and soot was still thick in the air, and there had been damage to enough of the sidewall that the rain was getting in. All the money and time he’d put into this place and he was going to have to redo a fair share of it and get city clearance before he could even think of opening.

We headed up the stairs and he slowly unlocked the door, easing it open. The electricity was still working for part of the place—the circuit breakers had been turned off for the living room, office, and kitchen, but the upstairs was on a different circuit, as were the basement and the foyer. The downstairs hall bath had escaped damage, too.

But as we moved into the living room, avoiding the caution tape, he let out a little groan. What hadn’t burned to cinders was heavily smoke damaged, including a good share of his books. Alex turned on a high-beam flashlight and between it and the glow from the hall lights, we could see just how bad the place looked.

The outer wall was charred black, with large gaping holes that allowed access for the rain and wind. The ceiling was burned, charcoaled timbers showing through in some places. In the unscathed areas, the smoke had turned the paint a dull gray. Most of the furniture was gone, piles of charcoal and melted plastic, and over near where we’d sat around the coffee table, the sofas were saturated with water. A fine layer of oily soot covered everything. The smell of smoke was thick, mingling with the smell of the rain, and mildew had already began to creep over the waterlogged upholstery.

“How can I begin to rebuild?” Patrick’s voice was soft, mournful. He turned and led us into the kitchen, where we found the same state of shambles. The cupboards were smoke damaged, some charred by the flames. Food had spilled everywhere, and the appliances looked beat up and bruised. As I stared at the stove, I knew it would never see use again. Perhaps he might be able to save the fridge, but there were dents along the stainless steel doors where the firemen had trundled through, trying to put out the flames.

“You have the insurance money. You can repair this.” Tonya’s enthusiasm was forced, but at least she was trying.

I cleared my throat. “She’s right. You’re not going to let this wight get the better of you. We’ll clear him out, break the curse, and then you’ll be free to make this into the place you wanted it to be.”

“Thanks for trying, girls. I don’t know if I have it in me . . .” Patrick sounded so defeated I wanted to shake him by the shoulders, but I also realized that the odds had not been on his side, and it was natural to feel overwhelmed. He might be a vampire, but he was also human.

“I’ll come over and help, and I’ll bring some of my friends. We’ll form a work party and clean up. Now, let’s get the wight before it has a chance to do anything else to your home.” Tonya seemed determined to keep up his spirits. I would miss her when we went home.

We made our way over to the basement door and Chai moved to the front, opening it. He turned to Ralph. “Little wolf man, you should change form. We can use you in back for a lookout, but we can’t take a chance on you fainting on us.”

“Got it.” Ralph stood back, setting his pack on the floor, and within seconds was in his wolf shape. He wrinkled his nose and let out a whimper.

“Yeah, the smell would be worse in animal form,” I said. “Okay, let’s do this.” With Chai leading the way, we headed down the stairs.

The basement hadn’t received much damage, mostly from smoke and where Ralph and I had ripped off the doors, so that was one bonus. The wight wouldn’t want to destroy his own home, but then again, I was beginning to think these creatures weren’t all that bright.

As we cautiously descended the steps, Chai kept a close eye up front, and Ralph watched from up above. He waited at the top to make sure nothing came along and tried to lock us in.

A dim layer of smoke and soot covered the walls with a gray film, muting the light. Everything was coated.

“Where is he, then?” Patrick looked around.

“I can try to draw him out,” Tonya said. “But I have the feeling his lair is against that back wall, behind an illusion.” She stepped forward and withdrew the pendant from beneath her shirt. As she laid it against her chest the stone flashed and there was the sound of a shuffle from where she had pointed to. Another moment and the lights flickered out, plunging us into darkness.

I leaped forward and grabbed Tonya, hissing in her ear to keep still. “It’s after you.”

There was another flare as Alex’s flashlight came on and tried to follow the scuffling sounds that darted around us. A pale gleam in one corner alerted me—the color of eye shine.

“I think it’s over there—look!” But the shimmer of eyes vanished again as I shouted, and we heard the muffled sound of something opening and closing. From up above, there was a noise and the lights came on again. We turned to see Ralph, back in his human form, with his finger on the light switch at the top of the stairs. He backed away again, turning back into wolf form as we watched.

“Thanks, Ralph!” Alex called up the stairs. “Where the hell is it? Did the rest of you hear the sound of a door?”

“I did.” I let go of Tonya, who slid the pendant back under her shirt.

“Thanks, Shimmer. Hell, I didn’t think he’d be able to turn off the lights from down here.” She adjusted her shirt and tucked it into her jeans. “What do we do now?”

“We find that panel. We tear apart the walls if we have to.” I looked over at Patrick, who gave me a grim nod. “It’s against the back wall, I’m certain.” I led the way, with Chai and Alex on my heels. Patrick hung back, watching as we began thumping along the wall, listening for any hollow sounds that might indicate an entry behind it.

“The wight at the battery—the king—had quite the access panel into his lair. They’re good at illusion, and good at creating seamless hatches.” Chai grunted as he thunked his fist against one area of the wall. He paused. “I think . . . come listen.”

Alex and Patrick had superior hearing—most vampires did—so they obliged him, pressing their ears against the wall. Chai gave it another good smack, and even I could hear the reverberation from behind the drywall and paint. But how had the wight managed to make it appear so smooth?

“Here it is.” The djinn ran his hand over the edges, and a moment later the outline of a door appeared. “It was an illusion, and I can break some illusions. He has weakened, that much I can tell you, and it’s probably because his king and hive mate are out of the picture. He has only his own magic to rely on now.”

“How do we open this?” Alex prodded at the door.

“Look for an indentation. It will be faint, but there should be a hidden lever inside that releases the door.” Chai took one side, Alex the other. Sure enough, a moment later Alex let out an “Aha!” and the door sprang open, revealing a tunnel dug into the dirt below the side yard. As far below ground as we were in the basement, nobody crossing the yard would ever guess there was a tunnel beneath it.

“Bingo.” Alex frowned, staring at it. “Crap. I was hoping it would be simple, like a hole in the wall so we could just crawl in there, take care of him, and crawl out. I hate tunnels.”

Given the fact that whoever went first was going to take the brunt of the attack, I agreed.

The problem with sending Chai first would be that any fire might blow back into the basement and cause even more damage to Patrick’s house. If we set off any sort of explosion, the yard could cave in or, given our proximity in town, we could damage a gas main or water main.

“We can’t use fire. We can’t use anything that might damage the infrastructure around the house or the foundations.” I worried my lip, staring at the tunnel, feeling like I should volunteer. But Alex jumped in ahead of me.

“I’ll go first. Shimmer, you have my back. Chai, you next. Ralph, stay out here with Tonya. Patrick—you bring up the rear and carry the flashlight, would you?”

A thought hit me and I turned to Tonya. “Give me the pendant. I can play the same game you did with the other wight.”

She lifted it from around her neck and handed it to me. “Here you go. Wear it in health and don’t let him get hold of it.”

As I slid the necklace over my head, I could feel the thrum from inside, but it was muffled, and the wight couldn’t reach out to me. Satisfied that it wasn’t going to turn me into a raving maniac, I withdrew my dagger. I was getting more comfortable having it in my hand than out of it.

Alex stepped up into the tunnel and began to creep through it. We all had to hunch over, though Alex didn’t bother; he crouch-walked his way through. The tunnel was dank, like sour dirt, and circular. This passage was longer than the one the wight had created at the battery, but it still didn’t extend that far. I figured we were well within the confines of Patrick’s yard when, once again, the tunnel opened into a larger chamber. But here we found the remains of hundreds of rats and other small creatures.

Something about this wight was different.

I stared at the decaying and skeletal carcasses, trying to decipher why they were there. Wights fed on energy and fear and . . . a low growl startled me. Alex swung around, pushing me out of the way, and I went sprawling as something with four legs landed right where I’d been standing. I rolled to a crouching position as Alex moved in on it, Juanita gleaming in his hand. Patrick was holding the light steady on the creature, and Chai was aiming for it.

“Wolfen,” Alex said, as he moved in. “Be careful, they aren’t like regular Weres. They can infect you with a bite and can turn you.”

I’d heard tales of the wolfen—werewolves born with severe defects. They were a vicious lot by nature, always taking the form of a misshapen wolf, and they were born with an ability other Weres didn’t have—they could turn their victims. Not into Weres, but into wolfen like themselves.

“Stand back, Shimmer.” Alex motioned me away and I stepped back. I was the only one the wolfen could infect. Vampires were immune to any contagion, and djinns . . . well, I’d hate to see the creature try to bite Chai and live. As Chai and Alex circled the monster—it was over five feet high at the shoulders—I backed up against the opposite wall.

At that moment, a hand landed on my shoulder, reaching for my throat. The forest wight! The damned things seemed to have an obsession with my neck.

I swung around before he could get his fingers on the pendant and stabbed his hand with my dagger. I managed to impale him with the tip, right between the knuckles, and he let out a roar.

Chai left Alex to deal with the wolfen as he raced to my side. By now, the wight had moved out of the shadows as he attempted to grapple me. I kicked him in what would be his nuts, but it didn’t seem to faze him. Maybe wights didn’t have balls. Or a penis, I thought as he moved out of the shadows.

Idiot, quit looking for his junk and fight. My thoughts were a mad scramble as I yanked my dagger from his hand and tried to hit him again. I missed, and he managed to wrap his fingers around my wrist. He was dragging me toward him as Chai landed by my side, and the djinn backhanded him a good one. Unfortunately, the wight had a firm grasp on my wrist and I went flying with him. We landed in a tangle on the floor. Startled, the wight let go of me as we hit the ground, and I rolled out of his reach as Chai came barreling across the room at him again.

Alex was grappling the wolfen by then, and they were on the floor as Patrick still held the flashlight, a look of confusion on his face. I could tell that—vampire or not—he wasn’t used to fights or rumbles or any sort of violent behavior. I scrambled up and raced over to him, grabbing the flashlight.

“Go help Alex—bite the damned thing and start sucking his blood or something.” I shoved him toward the pair as they rolled along the floor. Patrick gave me one slightly frightened look and then dove into the fray. He landed atop the wolfen and dragged it back from Alex, who managed to right himself into a squatting position. Patrick was trying to keep hold of the creature as Alex dove for the monster’s throat and latched on. A horrible sucking sound filled the chamber, and the wolfen whimpered and let out a low howl as Patrick fastened his fangs into the back of his neck. Together, he and Alex were draining the wolfen, and it didn’t look or sound like they were making it pleasant.

I cringed as the three of them writhed on the floor, the wolfen sandwiched between the two vampires. There was a bestial, feral nature to the triad, almost sensual. Part of me wanted to watch—fascinated the way I might be when a spider was sucking her prey—but then my stomach lurched and I turned away. I was a predator—a dragon. But when we snatched up our food, we usually did so cleanly, with a quick kill. Vampires took delight in the sensation. Dragons were in it for the food.

Shuddering, I hurried over to Chai, who was in a full-scale tumble and roll with the wight. I dropped the flashlight so it was pointing toward the pair and dove in again, this time managing to grab hold of the wight’s back as he scrabbled against Chai. I didn’t have fangs, or big meaty hands, but I had my strength and I had a very pointy dagger that glinted with silver.

I struggled, managing to get my arm around the throat of the wight, who was now kicking and gurgling, and brought the dagger down into his back. He tried to roar and I tightened my lock around his neck. Pushing the blade in deeper, I buried the dagger up to the hilt in the wight’s shoulder, and at that point Chai grabbed hold of the wight’s head and, motioning for me to let go, snapped the creature’s neck. With an audible pop, the wight went limp and the fire in his eyes died out. Chai let go and the wight fell to the floor, dead.

I pulled out my dagger and stood back, panting, as the creature’s form began to fall into dissolution. The wight was dead—they were all three dead and gone. I thought I heard a sigh from the locket, but it had to be my imagination.

Just then, the wolfen gave one low muffled cry and as I turned, it, too, slumped into Alex’s arms. He gently laid it down on the floor and then he and Patrick stood. Blood trickled down the sides of their mouths, and Alex pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the droplets of red from his chin.

We stared at the bodies, and then Chai wordlessly went over to dig through the debris pile that mirrored the one in the marsh and held up a chest. More treasure. Or maybe, more trouble. It would be hard to know until we’d opened both of them. The body of the wight had already begun to decay, and the body of the wolfen was cooling rapidly. Dragging it behind us—the last thing Patrick wanted was a decaying corpse left behind—we headed back through the tunnel and into the basement.

Tonya and Ralph stared at the wolfen’s corpse as we jumped out of the hole, pulling the body out behind us.

“A wolfen . . . I never saw one before.” Ralph’s voice was hushed as he stared at the body. “They’re dangerous, and no Were community—especially werewolves—allows them to stay. Anybody born a wolfen is driven out shortly after birth. In fact, though it’s not well known, we’re usually instructed to put the newborns out for the animals to devour. Most parents who end up having one just hide them in the woods, though, and hope for the best.”

The concept made me sad. “You don’t stop loving something just because it’s different.” But then again, given their volatile nature, I could understand the need to isolate them from the general society.

“Right. I just hope there aren’t any more near here, and I wonder how the hell the wight came by one anyway.” Patrick cleared his throat as he looked around the chamber.

Alex shrugged. “A lot of strange beasts live in the forests out here.”

“So what now?” Patrick glanced around. “Other than I start interviewing new contractors?”

“Well, the wights are dead so that problem is off our plates. I guess . . . we clear the curse next, using Toby’s gift, then release your ghosts—Tonya, you’ll have to be in charge of that. And then . . . I think we’re done.” I turned to Tonya. “That sound about right?”

She nodded. “I’d add that, after we clear out the ghosts, Patrick, let me cleanse and ward the entire lot and house. And fill in that tunnel before anything else finds it and decides to make good use of it. Right?”

Alex concurred. “She’s right. You do not want something new setting up shop down here. And when you get your new contractor, dude—you need to have him create an out on the basement doors here. If Shimmer and Ralph hadn’t managed to bludgeon their way through, we would have been toast.”

“Good idea in theory, bad in practice. Yeah, that’s on my list. Okay, so did we bring the egg thing that Toby gave us?”

Tonya nodded. “It’s out in the car. Ralph, would you come with me while I get it? You guys had better let me handle this one. Magic is my department.”

As they headed out to the car, the rest of us dropped into the sofas. They might be covered with soot, but they were still usable and they were comfortable. I didn’t even want to think about the layer of silt covering the butt of my jeans. Soot could be washed off, and if not—they were only so much denim.

Tonya brought back the colorful egg, holding it gently. “Toby said all we have to do is put it here in the basement and then have Patrick break it—that should dispel the curse.” She set it down on the coffee table and stood back. “I think you should use your fists to break it—skin contact might make a difference.”

Patrick hesitantly moved toward the papier-mâché egg, staring at the brightly painted oval. It looked almost like stained glass, the colors were so bright, but when you looked closer, it was easy to see the imperfections that didn’t mar glass. He glanced over at Tonya. “Should I say anything?”

“Toby didn’t say you should, but I guess if you want to, you can say something like ‘end this curse’ or some such other statement.” She frowned. “I don’t think it’s going to hurt anything if you do say something.”

Patrick nodded. With his fingers interlocked, he formed a double fist and held it over the egg. “I ask Anna Lee to remove the curse she placed on this house and to free it—and me—from the . . . curse.”

His words drifting off, he brought his fists down hard, smashing through the egg. A cloud of powder that it had been holding spread into the air, as if the egg were a bag of flour that had suddenly broken. A shimmer and a sudden swish of energy darted through the room, as visible as ball lightning. It built up static as it bounced from wall to wall, growing larger as we watched.

Unnerved, Ralph began to back away from it, but Tonya clapped him on the shoulder and he stopped. The ball of energy grew brighter and brighter and then—with a loud clap like thunder—it burst, filling the room with a pale warm light that rolled up the staircase. The timbers of the house let out a muffled “Ah” as if releasing a breath held for a long, long time. The entire house felt like it relaxed around us. A moment later the light dissipated, but the feeling of ease remained.

Patrick glanced around, staring at the walls as if he were expecting something else to happen. Another moment and he looked over at Tonya. “Is that it? Is everything okay?”

“Well, we still have to release the ghosts . . . but now I think they’ll go easy. Come on, let’s head upstairs for that.” She led the way and we followed, with Alex carrying the wolfen’s corpse. “What are we going to do with the body?”

I shrugged. “There’s a hole out front where Lacy was buried, still.”

Patrick quickly nixed that idea. “Oh no, I don’t want anything to do with this thing. I want it off my property.”

“We can deal with it later. Let’s take care of your ghosts now. I’d like to see these poor souls freed.” Tonya had also retrieved her bag and now, in the burned-out shell of the living room, she motioned to the remains of one of the end tables that hadn’t fully been incinerated by the flames. “Can one of you lift that over here for me?”

Alex was still holding the wolfen’s corpse, so Patrick quickly retrieved it for her. As soon as he set it down, she pulled out her sage smudge stick, a fan, a wand, a bell, and something that looked like incense powder. She handed me the bell, and she handed Chai the smudge stick and fan. She started to hand him the lighter, but he laughed and waved it away.

“I don’t need a lighter, thank you. I’m pretty good with creating fire on my own.” He held up one finger and a flame appeared on the tip.

“Right. I keep forgetting. Ralph, would you carry the powder for me? Have it ready to throw when I tell you and then just toss pinches of it into the air.” She showed him how much she meant. He nodded.

“Okay, then, let’s head outside first. I think the soldiers and the ghosts of that family are stuck in parts of the yard. Shimmer, if you’d keep ringing the bell as we go, and Chai—light the smudge stick, please, and keep it lit, waving it around as we walk through the yard.”

She led the way, with Patrick opening the door. We followed her as she sought for the ghosts. I watched her as we went. Tonya had been blessed at birth with power, and while she was human through-and-through, the fact was, she’d been born gifted.

The night was blustery but the rain had backed off, and we trundled through the wind, following Tonya as she felt her way through the yard. A moment later, she turned in the direction of a massive cedar that stood to one side, next to the fence dividing Patrick’s lot from the neighbor’s house.

As we drew close, I suddenly saw a glimmer—there were five men standing there. They were translucent and pale, shimmers against the night. They didn’t notice us, but instead, they reminded me of mimes. Over and over, they appeared to be loading an invisible cannon and then setting it off. The next moment, their faces took on a look of horror and they dropped to the ground, mouthing silent screams. The next moment, the scenario began to replay.

“They’re caught in time,” Tonya said. “They’re caught in an eternal loop.” She motioned to me. “Ring the bell all around them. Let’s see if they notice—it’s been blessed by my coven mother.”

I carried the bell up and began to vigorously shake it around the spirits. All of a sudden, they stopped and looked up. Tonya motioned to Chai. He carried the smudge stick up and began fanning the smoke toward them.

“Spirits of the night, spirits of the past, spirits trapped in time, I call you to depart this place and leave to your destinies. Lay down your chores, lay down your concerns, you are free to go. You are free from your duties, and your journey forward awaits. Spirits from the past, you have done your jobs well. Now depart and be here no more.” Tonya was drawing some sort of symbol in the air. A moment later a golden light began to envelop the soldiers and then, in one bright flash, they vanished. The wind rustled by with a soft whisper of relief.

“They’re at peace now.” Tonya turned to us. “Now, for the mother and child . . . they’re over there—can you see them near the shed?”

We looked and sure enough, now that they weren’t overshadowed by the wight’s energy, we could see them standing there. A woman in a long dress that looked right out of a period drama, and a little girl with a sunbonnet tied beneath her chin. The woman was calling out something—we couldn’t hear her, but she looked frantic and was obviously searching for something. The little girl was screaming and chasing after her mother, who couldn’t seem to see her.

“Aren’t they together?” I was trying to figure out how this worked. Dragon spirits were never trapped in the physical dimension. Once we died we went to stay with our ancestors. I’d never heard of a dragon ghost in my entire life.

“No, they’re trapped in two separate realities—two different, yet overlapping, dimensions.” Tonya frowned. “How to do this? I need to get them together so they can stop searching for each other.” She thought for a moment, frowning.

Chai moved forward. “Let me help on this. I think . . . don’t ask me or even say thank you.” He handed the smudge stick—still smoking—to Patrick, along with the fan. After a moment’s consideration, the djinn reached out and etched a glowing symbol in the air that looked for all the world like a door handle. He grabbed hold of the handle and pulled, and the sound of something shifting crackled through the air as realities collided. The little girl’s face lit up and she stared at her mother, who was looking down at her, both alarmed and relieved.

“Tell the girl to run—now, I can’t hold it open long.”

Tonya held out her wand toward the little girl’s spirit, aiming it directly at her. “Run to your mother, now. Run fast and quick, child.”

The girl looked startled, then began to race forward. As if tripping over something, she fell, landing at her mother’s feet. Her mother looked down and, with a shocked and delighted look, gathered the girl in her arms and backed away from the opening. Chai let go of the handle and the sigil vanished.

Tonya motioned to Ralph. “Throw several pinches of powder on the spirits.” He did, as Tonya aimed her wand again and began to whisper something beneath her breath. A moment later, the mother looked directly at us, formed the words thank you on her lips, and she and her daughter disappeared into the dark of the night. With another gust, the wind blew away their memories and they were long gone.

“That just leaves Lacy.” Tonya looked tired. “Let’s go.”

We made our way to the attic, where Tonya motioned for me to join her. “The rest of you can stay here.” She brought her wand but shook her head at the bell. “You won’t need that.”

We crossed to the back of the attic. There, sitting on the bed, we saw Lacy. I could tell it was her—she smelled like lilacs, and a soft smile lit up her face. We sat down opposite her on the bench by the vanity.

I wasn’t sure what to say, but Lacy said it for us. She rose, softly, and I could hear the swish of her dress as she knelt down in front of us. She laid a gentle hand on mine, and one on Tonya’s hand. The weight was almost imperceptible, but a faint tickle told me she was really there.

“Thank you.” The words rushed through on a breeze.

I felt like crying. She’d been trapped by her family, and killed, and then buried beneath a tree in the yard so nobody would know. It was then that I saw the matted blood on the back of her head. Yes, the skeleton had been Lacy’s all right, and though we might never prove it for sure, we could tell Toby we knew it was her.

She looked at me and reached up to softly touch my face. Her smile was like a beam of sun as she touched my nose and then laughed. As she turned to Tonya, her smile was just as bright and once again, she whispered, “Thank you.”

Then, standing, Lacy began to walk toward the window. At the window, she glanced back one last time, lifted a gloved hand to wave, and then vanished through the wall. A soft hush descended in the attic, as everything settled into place and the timbers fell silent.

Tonya and I returned to the others.

“The house and land are clear of spirits,” she said. “As soon as you have the repairs done, I’ll come over and ward it so nothing can get through.”

I stood at the edge of the wall leading back into the area in which the family had confined Lacy. Alex joined me. “What are you thinking about, Shimmer?”

My thoughts were running deep, and I turned to him. “Families. I have none, and I so long for one—it means so much to me. But then I see this . . . Lacy . . . her family locked her away and then killed her. I can’t imagine that.”

“Sometimes, family . . . some families are harder to bear than others. And that wight—we can pretty much be certain it was either him or one like him that caused them to do that to her.” Alex seemed at a loss for words. “Don’t build the concept of family up to be something it’s not. Sometimes, Shimmer, the most loving families are those you make for yourself. Sometimes, your friends are the best family you can have. I know . . . trust me.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I rested my head on his shoulder for a moment. “Come on. Let’s go downstairs and celebrate a case closed and the fact that Patrick has his house back.”

“Not to mention that eight spirits were freed.” I let out a small sigh. “Still . . . this was one hell of a battle. You have a lot of cases like this that I can look forward to?”

He snorted, then kissed my nose. “Oh, at times, love. At times.”

Then we were with the others and trooping downstairs. There wasn’t room to celebrate in the remains of the house, so—tossing the body of the wolfen in the back of the Range Rover—we locked the door and headed back to Tonya’s.