Bewitching Bedlam

  “Essie found out about Patty?”

  Linda nodded. “She’s threatened to turn Patty. She also somehow convinced Kali to keep Patty prisoner in the house. I don’t know what she promised her, but my best friend has been cooperating with the vampires to keep my daughter confined, away from me. Essie has enough threads in her network to kill Patty if I make a move against her or Kali. I’d never make it down there in time.”

  Heartsick, I rubbed my forehead. “Why don’t you just take out Essie?” But even as I said it, I knew the answer.

  Linda shrugged. “Because she left instructions that if she’s staked by any person, Patty’s to be attacked without question. And Essie’s allies are widespread enough that there’s no chance I could save my daughter before they got to her. So you see, Maddy, I have to protect Essie in order to save Patty’s life.”

  “Holy fuck on a hand grenade.” Sandy’s irritation vanished, as did mine. “What can we do to help?”

  “Nothing. No one can help me.” Tears trickling out of the corners of her eyes, Linda hung her head. “I’m so embarrassed. I’ve broken my oath to the coven. I’m as good as a warlock. I’ve put you all in danger, and I know I should resign, but Essie wants me in power. I’m her pawn. And now, she’ll find out that you know, and my daughter will die.”

  I glanced over at Sandy. This complicated matters in an entirely jacked-up way. But it explained why Linda had tried to sidestep the discussion.

  “So that’s why she’s targeting me instead of you. I’m a threat. I’m a known enemy to vampires, even though I may be canoodling with one.”

  Linda sighed, and the sound settled around us. “Maddy, you’re so well-known for your past. You thought you could walk away from it, but memories run long and deep among Otherkin. Add to that you’ve taken up with Aegis, an unaligned vampire who’s refused to join Essie’s court. He’s too powerful for her to destroy, and you’re under his protection.”

  “So Essie doesn’t intend to wipe out the coven. If she has you under her thumb, she has control because nobody questions your authority. Once she gets rid of the members of the coven who might make waves, nobody will know what’s going on until she takes control.”

  The thought that the Moonrise Coven had become a sock-puppet for the vampires was sobering. But I realized that the drive to protect one’s young was primary among most beings. Now what the hell were we going to do? We couldn’t leave things alone. On the other hand, if we made any sort of move, it would endanger an innocent girl.

  Sandy appeared to be thinking along the same lines. She flashed me a warning look, her gaze darting from me to the door. Linda was a powerful witch—stronger than Sandy and me put together. She could probably destroy us and then spin some lie about what happened.

  “So what are you going to do?” I finally asked her.

  Linda closed her eyes and we tensed.

  Then, she slowly opened them again and gazed at us with resignation. “I don’t care about what happens to me. You’re asking me to choose between my daughter and your own lives. How can I sacrifice an entire coven of people who depend on me? I’m so lost right now.”

  I bit my lip. “What if we can smuggle Patty out of where she’s being held captive and then make sure you two reach a sanctuary? You could go to the mother temple, perhaps? You and Patty could live there until Essie is long gone.”

  “I’d willingly give up everything to make sure my daughter is safe. But how can you manage it? Kali and her family are threatened, as well.”

  “Let Sandy and me find a way. We’ve got resources and I have the beginnings of an idea. We won’t do anything to put you or your daughter in danger without consulting you.”

  With a whisper, she agreed. “I suppose I have no choice. At least you know the truth.”

  “What do we tell them?” I nodded toward the door. “We’ve been in here a long time.”

  Sandy stood, brushing the wrinkles out of her robes. “We tell them that we were discussing how best to help Rose’s parents through this. And that we were discussing matters concerning Ralph Greyhoof.”

  “That sounds like a plan.” I turned to Linda. “I want you to be ready to leave. We won’t do anything without your permission, but in case the opportunity arises, you need to be ready to go.” That was the first time I had ever lied to my High Priestess, but I had no choice. If I told her what I was planning she’d freak and put a stop to it.

  She gave me a long look. “I’m holding you to your word.”

  I nodded. I’d deal with the aftermath later.

  “All right. Let’s go.” She led the way.

  We returned to the others, who looked at us expectantly. I kept my expression neutral, as did Sandy. Linda quietly explained that, with so much going on, we were going to meet later in the month. That tonight was just not the best time. Within ten minutes, the room had emptied and Sandy and I were standing outside by our cars. I let out a long breath, realizing that I had been afraid that we wouldn’t be allowed to leave the temple.

  “Speaking of Ralph, if he’s in thrall to Essie, how do we break it?” Sandy asked.

  “First step: find out if he is. I asked Delia to check Ralph for fang marks but she hasn’t gotten back to me yet.”

  “Give her a call.”

  I pulled out my cell. “Good thought.”

  Delia answered on the first ring. “Maddy, I was going to call you but I knew tonight was an Esbat night. Ralph’s definitely in thrall to somebody. We found the marks. I’ve got an APB out on Rachel right now. Hold on.”

  I heard the rustle of papers, then she said something to someone and came back on the line.

  “Sorry. We’ve got an incident over at Benjar’s Tavern. The Shalof boys are roughing it up again and they’ve broken out into the street. It’s become a street brawl.”

  The Shalof boys usually spent at least one night a week cooling it off in jail. They were a couple of happy-go-lucky centaurs until they got drunk and then they took to jousting in the streets, usually with a couple of their goblin friends. Goblins weren’t officially welcome in Bedlam, but somehow they always managed to show up and cause havoc before Delia rousted them out.

  “All right. I’ve sent a couple of units over to deal with them. Now, about Ralph.”

  “Delia, you said you think he’s in thrall. Do you think he actually killed Rose? Because I don’t. I think somebody else did it and set him up. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “Well, there’s one way to find out for certain. We can draw some of his blood and run it by the Oracle. She can tell whether or not it’s Rachel holding him in thrall.”

  I thought for a moment. If Essie found out and she suspected she might be exposed, then Ralph was a dead man. But there was another way to cope with someone caught in thrall.

  “No! Don’t do that. Ask Andy McGee for one of his Tochlan potions. It will cost a small fortune but I’ll pay for it if the department can’t. Give it to Ralph and it will break the thrall. It might also destroy his memories of the incident, but please—I guarantee you, he didn’t do it.”

  “You know who did.” Delia lowered her voice. “And for some reason you can’t tell me who or why right now.”

  “Right.”

  “All right, we’ll play it your way. I’ll get the potion. I have to keep him locked up for now, but he’ll be out of thrall and no longer subject to control.”

  “Keep a watch on him. Don’t leave him alone for a moment. I’ll talk to you in a little while. Meanwhile, I’ve got a few things to arrange.”

  As I hung up, I turned to Sandy. “I need to go home and talk to Bubba.”

  Sandy gave me a long look. “You aren’t—”

  “Can you come back home with me?” I asked. “And ask Lihi to come over.”

  “All right, but if you’re thinking what I think you are, heaven help us.”

  “Right now, we could use a little help from the gods. I’m going to
call Aegis. We have to trust him. We’re walking on shaky ground right now and I really don’t want to topple over the edge.” As I started the engine, I made sure Sandy was safe in her car before easing out of the parking lot and heading back to my house.

  “Call Aegis.” I activated the voice control on my phone.

  “Maddy?” He answered quickly. “Are you all right?”

  “Heading home. Can you meet us there? I’ve got a lot to tell you, and the sooner the better. Sandy’s coming with me. Tell the band it’s important if they complain.” I could hear the strumming of Jorge’s guitar in the background.

  “I’m on my way.” He didn’t ask questions, didn’t try to make any excuses. Just those four words. Before he hung up, he added, “Be careful, Maddy. Especially on your way into the house. I’ll try to be there before you arrive.”

  Bedlam had always seemed such a happy place to me, but now it felt fraught with danger in all directions. The realization that Essie had Linda over a barrel had hit me like a sledgehammer. Not only did it mean that a woman I cared for deeply was being manipulated and blackmailed, but it felt like the entire base on which I had built my current foundation was crumbling. I had devoted myself to the coven and to the Inner Court. And now, to find out that our High Priestess had sold us out shook me to the core.

  By the time we arrived at the house, easing into the driveway, Aegis was waiting for us. He opened my door, then escorted me to Sandy’s car where he did the same. We said nothing as we silently passed through the backyard until we were through the sliding door and safely inside. Aegis shut the slider and locked the door, then moved to the kitchen island where a pot of tea was steeping, the fragrant scent of raspberry and lemon rising through the air. He had also made sandwiches and soup—grilled cheese and tomato soup, and a batch of gingerbread cookies.

  “You work fast.” I stared at the homey scene, feeling my eyes cloud over.

  Craig, my ex, had never done anything like this. He had been so threatened by the fact that I was a witch that I had turned into Suzy Homemaker trying to make him happy. In the end, I had lost myself. I thought I had left most of the baggage behind. But when I saw Aegis, wearing an apron over leather pants and bare chest, making soup and sandwiches for me and my best friend, I burst out into tears.

  “Are you all right?” Concerned, he reached out for me, but I held up my hand.

  “Stop. Yes, I’m okay.” But I wasn’t. I looked at him and he set down the teapot. With a gentle smile, he opened his arms. I buried myself in his embrace as he wrapped me in his love.

  “I love you. I do, Maddy. I will do anything to keep you safe.”

  “I love you too. It never ceases to amaze me how supportive you are, and how caring. You changed the entire paradigm of my world.” I was talking into his chest, muffled by my tears, but somehow he heard me.

  “Don’t lose your suspicion, Maddy. I’m not typical of my kind. Outside of this house, away from me, you’ll find most vampires are deadly predators who wouldn’t think twice about using you as a tasty witchy juice box.”

  “He’s right. Maddy, we need to talk about tonight.” Sandy carried over the pot of soup and ladled it into our bowls. “You know, I thought you were nuts, but if Bubba can help, then we need to go that route. Otherwise, everyone in town is in danger.”

  That put a stop to the hugging. Aegis let go. “What are you talking about?”

  “We found out that Rachel isn’t our biggest problem in the vampire world. And frankly, if we don’t put a stop to this, it could easily destroy Bedlam and everybody who has made a life here.” And with that, I called Bubba in, and we told both of them everything we had discovered.

  Chapter 13

  AFTER WE FINISHED, Aegis leaned back and set down the cookie he was eating. He rubbed his chin, his dark eyes flashing. “So it’s true. Essie and Rachel are having a pissing contest over Bedlam. I didn’t expect Linda to be caught up in this, but it’s easy to see how Essie engineered it. If you want control over somebody, find their vulnerability, especially if it threatens someone or something they love. People will do anything they can to protect their loved ones, more than they will to protect themselves.”

  “We need to figure out how to safely smuggle Patty away from her prison. Neither one of us knows anything like a teleportation spell—only the most powerful among witches and magicians know those.” I looked over at Bubba, who was stretched out on the table, listening.

  “Maddy, are you sure about this?” Sandy petted Bubba’s head. “You know what can happen.”

  I contemplated Bubba carefully. He stared back at me, just as intently. “I know. I also know that Bubba can be incredibly understanding. When a life hangs in the balance, he’s not likely to mess around.”

  “M’rrow.” Bubba rolled over and crouched, his belly low to the table.

  Aegis winced but said nothing.

  “We can’t let Essie take over Bedlam. Nobody would be safe.” I stared into Bubba’s eyes. “Oh, Bubba. I wish that Patty would be safely reunited with her mother, and that the pair of them make it to a safe haven without endangering anybody who’s innocent in the process.”

  Bubba flopped on his back, exposing his belly. Hesitantly, I rubbed the thick orange fur. He let out a trill, purring loudly, then gently licked my hand and sat up. Holding my breath, I looked around. Nothing. A moment later, I shrugged and sat back in my chair as Bubba meandered off to have himself a nosh.

  “I guess we wait now. If he decides to help us, we’ll know soon enough.” Turning back to Aegis, I added, “Delia’s watching Ralph.”

  Sandy toyed with her sandwich. “Things are a mess. What do we do next?”

  “We finish our dinner.” I dipped my sandwich in my soup, then sat back and let out a soft breath. “Relax as much as you can. Eating while stressed isn’t good for you.”

  “All right.” Sandy concentrated on her meal, holding out her soup bowl for seconds. As Aegis refilled it for her, she said, “Before I forget, I think we should set some ground rules for the position of High Priestess. No kids. We can’t chance having this happen again.”

  “I don’t know if we can make that a requirement.” Talk of children jogged my memory. Blushing, I licked my lips. “Aegis, that reminds me. Vampires can’t sire children, can they?”

  He looked confused. “We can turn just about anybody.”

  “No, I don’t mean that kind of sire.”

  Once again, the blank look.

  Sandy let out a laugh. “She means, can you get her pregnant? I heard some rumor that a vampire can spawn a kid, but I’m not sure how accurate that was. Is your sperm up and jumping, or did they die with you?”

  Mortified, I covered my face, peeking between my fingers. “Put it any more bluntly, why don’t you?”

  With a snort, Sandy leaned across and patted my arm. “He doesn’t mind, do you, Aegis? After all, you weren’t getting anywhere asking your way.”

  Aegis placed her soup bowl in front of her. “I don’t mind. I wasn’t expecting that question. I guess it’s not a subject that comes up every day, is it?” He refilled my bowl next, then took his place again. “After all, vampires can eat and drink, even though the food passes through with minimal processing, so to speak. We don’t absorb nutrients from it.”

  “Yet another visual I never want to think about again. Brain bleach time.” I tried to shake off the image of what “minimal processing” meant.

  “As for getting you pregnant, I never thought about it. I do know that a vampire can father a child, if he rises from being turned before thirty-six hours. Other than that, I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of a child engendered from a union with a vampire, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. Now, I’m wondering.” He looked so freaked that his mood transferred to me.

  “So the only way to know at this point is if I get pregnant.” I frowned. “I’ll start using a fertility blocker, because the last thing we need is a vampire-witch bab
y.” I wasn’t interested in being a mother, and the thought of what such a mix might turn out to be terrified me.

  With that settled for the moment, I turned back to my food. We ate in silence for a while, trying to enjoy the downtime, until the doorbell rang. I frowned, wondering who it could be. Aegis went to answer.

  “Do you really think Essie would turn Linda’s daughter? It seems like such a cruel thing to do.” Sandy pushed back her dishes. “I know vampires can be nasty. I’m the first to caution people about them. But that’s downright ruthless.”

  “I think Essie’s about as ruthless as they come. Sandy, what the hell are we going to do about Linda? Not only is she our High Priestess, she’s also the mayor. I understand her reasoning, but the fact is, she turned traitor to the coven and to Bedlam. This is a lot more complicated than I ever expected it to be.”

  I was struggling to sort out my feelings on the subject. We couldn’t just leave things alone. Sure, if we went after Rachel as the main culprit, it would appease Essie, and remove the worry that she might strike out at Linda’s daughter. But that wasn’t an answer. The vampires would increase their control over Bedlam. Being a party to that was as good as actively working with them to destroy the town. Once they got their fangs hooked into running this island, it meant that all the Otherkin would be at their beck and call.

  “We can’t let it go,” I said, making up my mind. “I don’t know if Bubba will help us, but one way or another, we have to drive them back. Linda has to resign. She can’t ever approach this objectively. Not with Patty’s life at stake.”

  “Accept collateral damage?” Sandy asked. When I gave her a scathing look, she added, “I’m not judging your decision. I agree. But you know as well as I do that we’re going to be blamed for any fallout.”

  “We’ve been blamed for far worse in the past.” I quieted down as Aegis returned, Delia following him. “Delia, I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk.”