Bewitching Bedlam

  “You think people will be out with pitchforks and torches? Bedlam’s more advanced than that, don’t you think?”

  “More like wooden stakes and silver chains. The werewolves don’t like the vampires to begin with. And if they’ve got a reason to go vampire hunting, you know they will. And witches—the ones not aligned with the coven? Remember, our blood is an aphrodisiac to vampires. Witches aren’t likely to stop and think, ‘Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt.’ ”

  “Well, you have a point there. So what do you want to do about it?” Sandy worried her lip. “What concerns me is this: if the vamps are planning this here, are they also targeting other communities? Maybe in human-centric towns? Humans are far less capable of fighting them than we are. We have magic and strength and an understanding of the Otherkin nature that a human just doesn’t have.”

  I didn’t want to think about it. I remembered all too well running cross-country, staking vampire after vampire because they were dead set on feeding on the humans, even as a number of those humans would have happily burned me at the stake.

  But times had changed. During the Revealing, a good share of the human world had managed to adapt. There were pockets that feared us, and some smaller nations that had driven out the Pretcom, but overall, we were as much a part of the world now as they were.

  “You’re right. We have to discuss this. But we also have to reinforce the idea that not all vampires are in on this. Not all of them are out to climb to the top of the food chain.”

  We were nearing the bottom of the hill and I began to breathe easier. As I swung a left, heading back to my place, I glanced at the clock. Four on the dot.

  “Maddy, I hate to remind you of this, but they are at the top of the food chain. There isn’t any more room for them to climb. It’s all a matter of whether they want to enforce their power, or whether they’re willing to live and let live. To work with us rather than against us. I’m afraid that if Essie and those of her mindset decide to make a move for control, not only will it set everybody against all vampires, but it will lead to a civil war among their own kind. And that thought is a bloody terrifying one.”

  I eased into the driveway, grimacing. “You come up with the most delightful thoughts, you know.” As I gathered my things from the backseat, I picked up my mother’s letter. “And to think, a few hours ago the most worrisome thing on my mind was the fact that my mother wants to come visit.”

  Sandy laughed then. “You know, I still think that tops the list in frightening events of the day. Come on, let’s get inside and get ready for tonight. This Esbat promises to be a doozy, all right.”

  As we headed into the house, I glanced up at the darkening sky. We were approaching the longest night of the year, and it certainly felt like the darkness was crowding in.

  Chapter 11

  AS I GATHERED my things for the meeting, I felt nervous. Not only was I unsure of just what we were facing, but I wasn’t looking forward to talking to Aegis about all of this.

  “I have to get back to my car. My things for the meeting are in the trunk,” Sandy said.

  “We’ll stop on the way and you can drive from the Blue Jinn parking lot. I need to officially un-invite Rachel from entering the house tonight. But if we don’t find her, it won’t do any good after next week. A bed and breakfast isn’t a private residence. She’ll be able to enter whenever she wants, unless I use garlic as an air freshener and silver-leaf every surface.”

  That was one of the problems with barring vampires. A private residence could be protected by simply refusing them entrance. A public place? Not quite so easy, although it could be done. But the magic involved in the warding was energy-intensive, and it had to be shored up on a regular basis. I could do it, but then it would prevent Aegis from living with me.

  In my bedroom, I stripped off my clothes. “I need a shower. If you want to shower before the meeting, feel free. You can wear one of my gowns back to your car to pick up your ritual regalia, so you don’t have to dress in those wet things again.”

  We were both soaked from tromping around in the woods. As I tossed my jeans and top in the laundry basket, Sandy gratefully began shedding her own clothes.

  “Aegis will probably be up before I’m out of the shower, so when you come back to the room, I’d be wearing something.”

  She laughed. “The last thing he needs is to see me naked. I don’t want to scare the shit out of him or make him think I’m interested in a threesome.”

  “I thought we left those days long behind,” I said with a snort. “But I doubt he’d say no.”

  “Don’t be so sure. It’s obvious that fangy boyfriend of yours has eyes only for you, Maddy. Which is one reason I feel so bad talking trash about vamps. I know he cares about you. I’m just worried about his essential nature.” She waved me on. “Go on. Get wet. I want a hot shower and I can’t have one till you do.”

  “Yes you can, doofus. Use one of the showers in one of the other guest rooms. We have four guest rooms.” I tossed her a towel. “Go on, don’t be shy.”

  “Thanks, don’t mind if I do.” Wrapping the towel around her, she sauntered out the door.

  I headed into the bathroom, frowning as Bubba followed me. “You going to keep watch for me again, Bub?”

  “Mrow.” He rubbed against my leg, his tail pluming out to tickle my knee.

  “I’ll pet you when I’m done. Go hop on the bed and wait.”

  With a mild huff, he turned and bounced over to the bed, stretching out. I blew him a kiss and shut the door behind me. After I turned on the water, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail so it wouldn’t get wet.

  Staring at myself in the mirror, I ran my hand over my stomach. My abs weren’t flat and toned. My hips and tummy had a layer of extra padding on them, and my breasts made it hard for me to see my feet, but I loved my body. It had stood the test of time for me, and I remembered the centuries when lean bodies usually meant poverty. Extra padding meant a person had enough food to avoid starving. Witches weren’t as affected by the economy as humans—we had other ways of finding food—but I’d known too many people who died from starvation. I never complained about a bit of extra weight.

  The water was warm and steamy and I stepped beneath it, keeping my hair from getting wet. As I lathered up, the spicy scent of foaming winterberry soap clouding my senses, I visualized the stress of the day washing away, spiraling down the drain. The fragrance of pomegranate and cinnamon, of clove and cranberry enveloped me in a pleasant haze and I finally began to relax for the first time since waking up. I lingered under the water for a while, not wanting to step out of the spray, but finally I was about as clean as I was going to get. Any longer and I’d start to prune up. Reluctantly, I turned off the taps and emerged from the shower. I wrapped the towel around me and opened the door to my bedroom, grimacing as the chill hit me.

  “Good evening.” Aegis was waiting on the bed next to Bubba.

  I slipped into my robe as he crossed the room to kiss me hello. “Hello, love.”

  “Who’s in the shower down the hall? I decided it would be rude to look, so thought I’d ask first and attack later.”

  I stroked his face. “Sandy’s here. She’s taking a shower here so she can just change into her robes before our Esbat meeting tonight. We had a long and rather interesting day.” I padded over to my closet and held up my own Esbat robe. It was a rich, deep purple halter-top gown, ankle length with a plunging neckline that left very little to the imagination, and silver crystals beaded onto the front. The back was low and I ended up wearing a nude strapless bra for support.

  As I dressed, Aegis watched, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “What did you do today?”

  I adjusted my dress, then fastened a lilac shawl around my shoulders with a crystal brooch. I usually used a silver pin, but I’d save that until we were out of the house so that I wouldn’t accidentally brush against Aegis.

  “We went to visit Rose’s pa
rents. Talked to her mother. It was so sad. I promised to help them cast the Finding spell Rose came to me about, to seek out her sister.”

  “What if the girl doesn’t want to be found?”

  “She’s not the type to run off without telling anybody. She’s in trouble of some sort or another. I have no doubt about that.” I paused, wondering how to approach the next point of conversation, but was saved by Sandy’s entrance. She was wearing one of my maxi-dresses. It was a little short on her, but far too big. Sandy was about a size two compared to my size eight. I handed her a sash and she belted it around her waist. The dress was still too large but at least she wasn’t swimming in it.

  “I don’t know if I have anything smaller,” I said, assessing her.

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m only going to be changing again for Circle. So don’t sweat it.” She paused, waggling her fingers at Aegis. “What’s shaking, glam boy?”

  He snorted. “I’m about as glam as a glamour photo.”

  “Dude, you really are. Don’t be self-deprecatory. It doesn’t become you.” She paused. “So, has Maddy told you our thoughts about Rachel yet?”

  He frowned, glancing at me. “No. What are those thoughts?”

  I rolled my eyes at her. “See? I was about to dive into that conversation, but now it feels even more awkward because…well…never mind.” I climbed on the bed and began to pet Bubba, like I had promised. He preened, tilting his head back so I could scritch the good spots, right behind his ears. Purring, he began to knead the covers.

  “Here’s the thing,” I finally said. “Aegis, the sheriff has evidence that Essie may be staging a coup on the island. And Rachel’s vying for the throne. If she manages to dethrone Essie, things could get very ugly.”

  He blinked. “What? One thing at a time, please.”

  “Essie’s rumored to be attempting to stage a coup. She might be working against our coven, actually. That possibility has come up more than once today.”

  As the words soaked in, Aegis’s expression darkened. “This isn’t the news I had hoped to hear. And you say that Rachel might be looking to dethrone Essie?”

  “Yes, and she’d be worse than Essie. At least Essie has some inkling of the importance of working with people—humans and Otherkin alike—but we don’t think Rachel has that sense of integrity. Not to mention, it looks like she might be hanging out in the tunnels below Durholm Hall. We went out there but weren’t able to find any tangible proof yet. It’s important the island not be caught off guard if this is really something Essie is planning.”

  Looking perplexed, Aegis began to sputter. “But how does Ralph fit into all this? How does—I’m getting confused.”

  Sandy cleared her throat. “We think that Ralph is in thrall to Rachel. That she’s using him against Maddy because she’s out for revenge against you, and what better way than destroy the livelihood of her ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend?”

  “And if she’s trying to destroy the coven, might as well start with the member she hates the most. Whatever the case, it also occurred to us that you’ve had her in this house before. She’s been here and there’s nothing to keep her out until I revoke the invocation. But once the Bewitching Bedlam opens, it won’t be so easy. If I do a general keep-away spell toward vampires, that will catch you in its net.” I stopped, out of breath.

  “Rock and a hard place, dude,” Sandy said. “But we need to know anything we can about Rachel’s weaknesses. Whether you like it or not, we’re going to have to stake her to keep her from coming after Maddy here. It’s a bad situation, no matter which way you turn it.”

  Aegis deflated, slowly lowering himself to the bench next to my vanity. “You’re right. This is a nasty mess. You’re absolutely correct in that she’s been in this house and can still get in. I didn’t even think about that until now. I can’t very well revoke my invitation—it won’t work vampire-to-vampire. But you can seal her out until the grand opening. Maddy, do that before you leave tonight. Do that now, in fact.”

  He sounded so grave that I headed over to my French doors. The spell would work housewide when cast from any door, and this seemed as good a place as any. I raised my arms to my sides, breathing deeply, then envisioned Rachel in my mind. Creating a barrier against her, I focused on the doors, representing all doors to my home, all entrances—windows, grates, and ducts, including Aegis’s secret door.

  “Rachel, I revoke your passage into my home. I revoke your ability to enter through any opening. You are barred from my house, by the power of the gods, by the power of my will, So Mote It Be.” As my will rang out, there was a sudden swish, as if doors slammed shut all around us. Then, silence and a feeling of protection. I opened my eyes. “The spell took.”

  “I felt it settle in. Until you open to the public, you’re safe enough in here from her. But remember—her allies can enter. So don’t invite strangers over,” Sandy said.

  Aegis dropped to the bed, hanging his head. “I feel so responsible for this. I’m so sorry.”

  “There’s no reason to blame yourself. You didn’t know she was going to turn out to be a stalker. But before we have to leave, can you tell us anything that makes her vulnerable?” Sandy motioned to my heavy black cloak in the closet. “You’re going to need that.”

  I slid it around my shoulders, fastening the Celtic knotwork pin.

  Aegis rubbed his hands through his hair and cleared his throat. “All right. What I know about Rachel is she’s stronger than most vampires. She’s also smart.”

  “Not feeling so positive about this,” I said, touching up my lip gloss. “We’re looking for weaknesses, not reasons to fear her. We’ve got enough of those.”

  He laughed, but it was a broken laugh. “Well, I can tell you she’s so vain that she’s susceptible to flattery. She actually tripped up once before because she believed a couple who were praising her strength when she was threatening them. They almost manage to stake her before she realized that they weren’t all that impressed with her beauty and wit. That threw her for a loop, but I don’t think she learned a lesson from it.”

  Sandy frowned. “Is that all you have?”

  “Well, there’s one other thing. If it were anybody else, I’d hate to use this against her, but…”

  “Tell us. We need every ounce of weaponry we can get.” I turned, ready to go.

  “Rachel had a child once, before she was turned. She suffers an incredible amount of guilt that she channels into rage because when she was turned, she killed her daughter. It was horrible, I gather. She went home after rising. Before she realized what she was doing, she drained her daughter dry. The girl’s name was Rebecca, and she was only six years old.” He rubbed his chin. “You can see what that might do to someone.”

  I stared at him. “Yeah, I do. It could push you a couple of ways. She chose to go all hell-on-heels. I understand how things like that can threaten to destroy you.” I paused, trying to dial back my judgment. Maybe she hadn’t had a Cassandra or a Fata Morgana to force her to look in the mirror. Maybe she had no one except a voice in her head reminding her over and over of what she had done. “I suppose I see how she could become what she is. But that doesn’t change what we need to do.”

  “I know, but maybe it helps explain why she’s the way she is.” Aegis shrugged. “We all have our hair shirts.” He glanced at the clock. “Are you sure you have to go tonight? I’d feel safer if you weren’t out there on the road. I know what she’s capable of, Maddy. I don’t want you to pay for my mistakes.” He wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head. He smelled like leather and musk and all things hot and sexy. “I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

  I nuzzled into his arms. “Be safe yourself, love. You know she’s out to hurt you. I’ll be careful but yes, I have to go. We have to talk to Linda tonight and there’s magic that must be done.” Carefully disentangling from his embrace, I pulled back and sucked in a long breath. “I’ll call you when we get there
safe. And I’ll call you when I leave the temple.”

  “Please do. Or I’ll be over there hunting you down.” He glanced out the doors. “At least she can’t get in here.”

  “M-row?” Bubba rubbed around my legs, leaving a trail of orange and white fur on my cloak. Par for the course.

  I leaned down and petted him. “I’m sorry but yes, we all have to go out. You should be safe here, though. Rachel can’t get in, and Ralph’s in jail. You know how to hide if you need to, Bub.” He licked my hand, then rubbed the side of his cheek against it. “Yes, I belong to you. Be good, Bubba. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

  As we all headed out, I glanced back at the mansion. At the beginning, I had bought it to spite Craig and for something different to do. Now, I loved the place, and I wanted to feel safe here. I wanted to create a long-term home that nobody could ever take away from me.

  THE SKY HAD cleared and the night was icy cold. Our breath came in puffs as we headed toward our cars. At least, Sandy’s and mine did. Aegis didn’t breathe. He waited until we were safe in my car and pulling out of the drive before getting into his. As we headed toward the Blue Jinn, where we had left Sandy’s car, I thought about what Aegis had said.

  “That must have been horrible, what Rachel went through.” I kept my eyes on the road, watching for ice.

  “True, but it doesn’t follow that she had to turn into a monster. We all have losses, some far worse than hers, and not everybody turns into a vicious killer because of it. You remember what Aegis said about her.”

  “Oh, I know she’s deadly, but now I feel a little sorry for her. At least she didn’t turn her daughter as well as kill her. That much, you have to credit her with.” I pressed my lips shut. I didn’t like feeling sorry for someone who was out to get me, but I did.

  “Maddy, you did what you had to do. They were vicious killers and you saved countless people burning down that village.” Sandy let out a soft breath.