I needed to find a way to get rid of the witch doctor. She was struggling with a whirlwind trinket at the moment, but that wouldn't last. Digging through my jewellery box with uncertain fingers, I felt ghostly breath on my neck and the hairs prickle on my arms.
“Railey, what kept you?”
Railey pointed to the charm bracelet I was looking for. She must have moved it, and not managed to put it back.
“She threw five hundred and forty-nine grains of sand on the entryway floor.”
I fumbled with the charms. “You were counting sand?”
That did not bode well. It used to be she would not look twice at things meant to confuse ghosts.
The whirlwind died and the witch doctor drew near. I grabbed the thing in my fist and brandished it.
She scowled at the cross charm I held in front of me. I did not know if it would have any power against someone of her caliber. Likely not, but long shots had worked for me before.
“Truce,” she said. “I lost my temper. Let us talk.”
I was glad my hands at least looked steady while I squared off before her. “You will leave me be?”
“I know a woman who needs you. Take her case.”
Desire for work tangoed with the taint of its source. I tried not to look pre-inclined to accept. “You are in my workshop, I make the demands. Tell me why you want me dead, and who sent you.”
“You would not have been dead for long. I was going to bring you back.”
“With what?” There wasn't anything that could reanimate a person. Nothing reliable, at least. Or that was what I'd thought back then.
“Merlot.”
“Get out,” I said.
The witch doctor smiled, her thin lips cracked into a chilling grin. “Very well.”
She brought her staff down once. Light burst forth, blinding, accompanied by a boom that shook straw down from the loft. My vision went black.
Seconds went by. I rubbed my eyes, coughed and looked about, blinking and waving dust. The woman was gone.
“A sorceress! Railey, will you…”
But Railey ran away from me, shrieking and charging at the crow who had been watching us. It went with the flap of wings and a caw that sounded like laughter. Railey's eyes blacked out and teeth transformed to fangs.
I realized that yet again, my gamble for getting magic returned had resulted in snake eyes. I sat down. “Maybe it is time I give up. If someone is out for me, they know where I live now.”
Railey split into several smaller shadows to search the house for anything strange. She was back in a minute, slowly stitching herself back into one full ghost.
A black feather floated down to my workbench, transforming from a feather to an envelope with fine handwriting scrawled over one side.
I looked to Railey, but she was still putting herself back together. I opened the envelope, and a note fell into my hand.
Miss Swift,
I write you in the most urgent matter. My house is out of control. It wants to kill me. Please help. I will pay double your asking price.
Madame Meredith Cole.
“This must be the case she wanted me to take. Looks like that old sorceress is going to get me killed one way or the other, Rails.”
Railey solidified and lost the dark element, standing on the workbench, staring out the window.
“What is it?” I asked her.
The distant form of a bird flew behind a tree and disappeared, as though it had never been here. Her voice was weak and fragile, a whisper heard over quarreling squirrels.
“That crow serves Death.”
“The smart thing to do would be to walk away.”
Railey stuck out a lip and rolled her eyes. “Death comes to all us in his time. Might as well go out with as big a bang as you can.”
I wondered if that was what had happened to her, if that was why she had roused me from my bed and taken us on a fool's errand to a spook house all those years ago.
“You think I should take Cole's case?”
“I think it doesn't matter to Death if you do or not. And it is getting boring here.”
We needed the money. Or rather, I did. And Railey needed the excitement.
“Alright,” I said. “We'll go check things out tomorrow. I've had enough for one day.”
Railey shot me a grin that spread from one pigtail to the other.
Mordon entered my home with a dying chuckle and reached out to touch my bare shoulder. “Is anything wrong?”
“No.” I shivered at the contact, his hand so warm and strong.
He lifted a single brow. I felt a smile spread itself unbidden across my face. His shirt was wrinkled with the damp heat of dancing, all the formal parts of his dress now cast aside. He'd never been so attractive as he was now, slightly rumpled and with eyes that knew me all too well. And the best part was he wasn't going to let me get away with it. Or try to suppress it.
“I would be honored to know what is on your mind.”
I expected it was just a phrase, but I felt a tingle spread down my body to my toes. “You'd be honored?”
“I would.”
My smile faded as I considered telling him. “I was reflecting on one of the biggest mistakes of my life.”
“Tell me.”
“I'm not completely sure of everything myself.” But, even so, he knew a lot. Talking about it might put everything in its place.
I told him.
Mordon stroked his chin. “After this, you went to Cole's house?”
“I believe so, yes.”
He went still. “Knowing that you would die.”
I frowned, weighing what he was implying. “I think if I were presented with the same situation now, I would rather take the fight to my opponent than wait for them to come find me.”
“Cole may have left you alone.”
“True, but the witch doctor wouldn't have. She gave me a chance to pick how I died. Very few people get that opportunity.”
“You chose suicide.”
I rolled my eyes, thinking of Railey's habit rubbing off on me. “I did not choose to take my own life. I may have gone into danger, but let's be reasonable. I was asked to perform a job. Not invited to jump off a bridge.”
Mordon was unconvinced.
I said, “Suicide would have been if I'd chosen to overdose. This was taking a risk.”
“There were other options.”
“Tell a Constable? Perhaps Barnes would have listened to a scint, but no other sorcerer would have. Besides, what proof did I have? A crazy witch doctor and a note? The Constabulary didn't even know of the missing cleansers, not did I know who Barnes was until I saw my own want ad. I could have bothered my parents, but they are away for vacation. Besides, I'm on an independence kick, proving I can make my own way in life.”
“By getting yourself killed.”
I hit myself upside the head as if coming to a realization. “Goodness golly, you're right. I made my own noose and dangled from it after downing a dozen types of pills. Thank you so much for making me see this.”
Mordon sighed. “Fera.”
I walked towards my bedroom.
He grabbed an arm, spun me around to face him.
“Let me go.”
He did, holding both hands open in surrender. “If you want to leave, I won't stop you, and I won't pursue someone who doesn't want me.”
I crossed my arms, feeling dumb in this glitzy dress, regretting the argument already.
He mirrored my stance and said, “What are we doing, Fera?”
“I don't know. All I know is, I can't undo what has been done. If I had a chance, no matter how slim, to make a last stand—I'd do it. Can't you understand?”
He hesitated. “I know.”
I blinked hard.
“I hadn't fully realized how limited your options were.” He came nearer, slowly slid an arm over my shoulder. I hung back, tense, then pressed against his chest, wanting comfort. He stroked the curve of my shoulder, whispering, “I w
as concerned, and I chose a foolish way to show it.”
I nodded and felt the strain of the evening seep away. We stayed like that, him stroking my shoulders, until my feet ached and my body demanded sleep.
“I need to go to bed.”
He nodded. “Want help out of the dress?”
I said, “just get the buttons down the back,” before I realized what else he might very well be offering.
My pulse skittered as he unfastened my gown. Without the press of the bodice against my chest, I felt oddly like I couldn't breathe. I felt open and vulnerable. Excited and wary. I clutched the gown to my chest, realizing how bare it was against suddenly cool silk.
“Anything else?”
“Not right now.”
He nodded. “I will see you tomorrow, then. For our spell.”
“Don't start without me.”
“Wouldn't dream of it.” He took my free hand to kiss the back of it.
I thought about asking him to stay, but I didn't know what I wanted from him, so I watched him leave instead.