"You've been at this for several months?" Stryker sat forward on the chair. "You were on the ferry when the fight broke out between us and the ghouls."
"Saw you take out Paygon's eye. I was only three days into the job, and I thought, shit, Dad didn't mention ghoul fights and bloody battles at the river. But he had told me long ago about the ghouls and their aversion to fire."
Stryker pointed. "The fire idea. Of course. That was you. That really saved us."
"Yep and I'll tell you all about ghouls and fire another day. I think we have much bigger things to talk about."
I shot a sideways glance at Maximus. He had pulled a kitchen table chair out to Wilder's small living room. He sat on it backwards with his arms resting along the top of the chair back. He looked relieved that the main secret was out, but there was still more. "Last night, I confessed to Maximus that someone saw me go through the family portal."
That statement straightened everyone's backs. "What?" Flint asked. "Who was it?"
"The way Rikki described the guy, it sounded like one of Vapour's creations," Maximus said. "He was probably one of the guys we saw at the Seven Sins. Listen, we need to get ahead of this. It seems Vapour is pushing those guys out pretty fucking fast, and if we don't stop them soon, there will be an entire army of reconstituted serial killers stalking the mortal world."
"Well, shit." Flint stood up to pace the floor. He rubbed his beard in thought.
Wilder had been sitting next to me on the couch. He sat forward. It took me a moment to stop staring at him. Up until recently, I'd mostly only ever seen him through the filmy black gauze of the veil. In living color and with no murky haze to blot his features, he was nothing short of a masterpiece.
Wilder spoke. "It seems like first we have to go see Feenix. He's so self-absorbed with his own indulgences, he seems to be losing control of the realm. And he sent Paygon off too. Asshole that he is, his brother was always good at keeping track of shit. I say we let Feenix know right away. This news might wake him the fuck up."
"Or it might get all of us a seat at the chopping block," Stryker noted. "Sometimes Feenix reacts with anger instead of reason. If he hears a bunch of murderous goons have slipped past the Wynter border, he might blame us. Still don't know how those suckers are getting past us."
"They aren't. They're going through the ferryman portal." The chair creaked as Maximus stood up. "If you're trying to decide what to do next, I already know." His friends looked up at him expectantly. "We need to talk to Nessa. She'll know what spell is being used and she'll know what can be done to stop or destroy these guys." Maximus turned to me. "Do you think we could use your dad's trawler today for a trip to Oldfell Island?"
"I'm sure of it. Especially when I tell him what it's for."
"Great." Maximus looked back at his friends. "Who is up for a trip down memory lane on Oldfell Island?"
Twenty-eight
Maximus
The smell of exhaust floated up from the engines as Rikki steered the trawler into the south cove of Oldfell Island. I smiled up at her from the bow, thinking she was cute and petite and a total badass when it came to handling a fishing trawler. And the Traveler wasn't exactly one of those fishing boats decked out with all the modern computer amenities, making it easier to maneuver. She was captaining the ship old world style and doing a great job.
"Guess it's easy to see how you stepped smoothly into the ferryman position," Wilder called from the bow.
"It definitely helped. It took longer getting used to the creepy cargo than it did moving the ferry around in that pudding thick river." Rikki adjusted her captain's hat to shade her eyes from the sun glinting off the deep blue water in the cove.
"Look, two egrets!" Willow pointed over the starboard side at Poplar's Beach. The long necked birds stood out like white, slow moving statues on the ivory and gray pebbles lining the beach.
"Poplar's Beach," Wilder said over my shoulder. "Shit, if that doesn't bring back memories. I still remember when Danique got stung badly by a jellyfish. Man, did she cry." He laughed and slapped my shoulder. "And then you told her you read that the only way to stop the sting was to piss on it and you started untying your suit."
I shook my head. "And she cried harder. I was only trying to help. And then Skittles told Nessa and I nearly got my ass tanned."
Wilder smiled at the nickname. "Skittles. Shit, I forgot we called Danique that. She used to get all huffy about it, but I think she kind of liked it."
There was never any doubt that Wilder was the one who’d always had a special affection for Nessa's granddaughter, Danique. Of course, he treated her just like any preteen guy would have treated a girl he had a crush on, with complete disregard and teasing barbs. But we all knew. Everyone that is, except Danique. Danique's screams were the last thing we heard when we were dragged out of our beds and tossed into motorboats to be taken away from Oldfell Island for good.
Flint came to stand with us. "The island looks even cooler than I remember. Or maybe that's because we spend so much time in a place that is devoid of color, light and life that every place else on earth looks like a damn oil painting."
"I think that theory is spot on." I walked up to the pilot house to help navigate for Rikki. Her white smile sparkled under the shade of her hat. "Looks like a fun place to grow up. I've heard of Oldfell Island, but I've only ever seen it on our way to the fishing grounds. There's a visitor ferry on the other side, right?"
"Yeah but they cart happy, jolly tourists back and forth from the mainland instead of whiny, obnoxious souls. And I know for a fact their ferry captain isn't an adorable brunette." I pushed her hair off her neck and lowered my mouth to kiss her silky skin. "An adorable brunette who has me hotter than a fucking stallion on steroids. Too bad we've got a boat full of people. I'd take you right here at the helm."
"Uh, I think we tried that and a certain someone was just a little too big for the space. Where should I park this sucker?"
"Keep it on this side of the rock jetty. We can lower the anchor and take the dinghy to shore. The cove has a pretty rocky bottom once you pass the outermost tip of the jetty."
"It looks sort of remote. I expected more people and shops. I thought Oldfell was sort of a vacation destination."
"It is but that's on the northern shore where the ferry lands. There are some inns and rental cabins along with the usual tourist shops. But Nessa's cottage is on the remote side of the island, where the paths are overgrown with plants and hard to find and the beaches are dangerously rocky. A perfect place to grow up, as far as I'm concerned. We spent a lot of time on those rocks. Broke some bones on them too, but Nessa was great at setting them. After we got kicked out of school, we hardly ever went to the other side of the island."
Rikki glanced up at me. "Kicked out of school? Why am I not surprised?"
"Hey, Max, you let Nessa know we were all coming, right?" Stryker called up to the helm.
"Yes for the hundredth time, Bozo. She mentioned the possibility of peach pie, depending on how she was feeling."
The words peach pie sent a wave of excitement across the deck, which drew a laugh from Rikki. "Judging from the way those guys look as if they are just a few hip swings away from a full victory dance, I take it Nessa's peach pies are tasty."
"Like everything else she cooked up in that teensy, little kitchen. I didn't know it back then because I had no idea there were such things as witches, but, in retrospect, it seemed there was always a little magic in everything Nessa did."
I pointed ahead. "There, you can start to see the submerged rocks. I'd anchor right here. Then we can row a shore in that nice little dinghy your dad has hanging off the port side. And hopefully, I won't sink it."
Twenty-nine
Rikki
After our initial greetings and introductions, Willow and I had hiked around the yard so the Boys could have Nessa to themselves. The yard around the dilapidated but storybook-style cottage was mostly a tangle of wildflowers, vines and errant tree r
oots. Willow knew the names of all the birds, and she could even tell me the scientific names of some of the creepy crawly critters. We managed to fill the time getting to know each other. We'd both had very different lives, but at the same time, we were both part of worlds that were far outside the normal. And now we had something big in common. Both of us had had our hearts stolen by one of the notorious Boys of Wynter. Of course, Willow was in a much more sturdy relationship with Stryker. I was still unsure just how steady things were between Maximus and me. All I knew was that my secret crush on him had bloomed into an insatiable love.
By the time we climbed the back stoop to the kitchen, Nessa was busy slicing up peach pie and topping it with ice cream. There was a good fifteen minutes of pie inhalation where the only sounds in the kitchen were the sighs of satisfaction.
"Wow, wow, wow, best peach pie ever." I put the fork down.
Nessa had the fine lines and white hair and whole grandma package, delicious pie included, but there was no missing that magical twinkle in her eyes. And her devotion to the Boys was evident with every smile and touch. You could even hear it when she was busy scolding them about spending too much time in Jemma's bar.
Nessa reached over and squeezed Maximus's hand. "It so nice having the Trouble Troop back sitting around my table." She looked at Willow and me. "I can tell you every white hair on my head came from these four. In my long years as a caretaker, I raised six different sets of Boys, but these four were my favorite. Rowdy as they were, each had a quality that made them extra special." Nessa's slightly clouded eyes sparkled when she looked at Flint. "Flint was the smartest kid to ever walk through my door. It always made me sad to think he wouldn't go on to become a world famous scientist. He was always inventing things."
"Still do," Flint muttered just before he plowed a forkful of pie into his mouth. "My banshee earplugs would make me a millionaire if people in the real world needed a way to drown out banshee screams."
Nessa turned to Wilder and I could almost hear a breath of pride as she looked at him. "My beautiful picture of a boy, Wilder. The quietest of the bunch but still just as rambunctious as the rest." Nessa turned to me. "If you want a cool head in a hot situation, that's Wilder. Oh, the crush my Danique had on him. She'd throttle me now for bringing it up, but Danique thought the universe rotated around Wilder."
Wilder lifted his palms. "Doesn't it?"
Nessa rolled her eyes before they landed on Stryker. "Stryker was the problem solver. If things got out of control, that's when Stryker was at his best. Isn't he just wonderful?" she asked Willow, who heartily agreed. "I'm so glad he found someone to make his heart whole."
Nessa turned to Maximus. "And then there is my beautiful blond boy who could down an entire pork roast all on his own. Even at the age of ten, Maximus was bigger and stronger than any full-grown man on the island. But he never abused that physical power. He could easily have used it to bully or intimidate people, but he was too good natured for that." Nessa took hold of my hand. "I'm sure you've already discovered that about him. There is no one more filled with courage than Maximus."
My throat grew tight as I looked at Maximus. It was obvious Nessa's gushing compliments made him a little uneasy, but she was right about all of it. "I've never met anyone like him," I said quietly.
"You mean anyone who could eat an entire pork roast on his own?" Wilder picked up the last piece of pie and put it on his plate as Maximus looked on with longing.
Nessa caught the exchange. She patted Maximus's arm. "You don't think I baked just one pie for you four? Max, you could finish a whole pie on your own when you were only eight years old." She looked at me. "And he did too. Stole it off the windowsill and slipped away with the darn thing. When he returned with an empty pie tin, these guys were waiting for him with the last of my eggs."
Maximus rubbed his chest. "Oh yeah, forgot about that. Stryker nailed me so hard, I had a welt on my chest for days. But still, the pie was worth a little egging. Danique totally outplayed you guys too. She'd filled another pie tin with the whipping cream Nessa had made for the pie. She smashed it in my face and then ran screaming out the door, afraid I was going to get her back."
"I'll get that second pie." Nessa had a hard time standing. She said the cancer had slowed some, but it made her weak and tired all the time. Because Nessa was only half witch, she was not immortal. She was stronger and probably able to fight off cancer a lot longer than a mortal woman, but it seemed the ravages of the disease were taking their toll. And it was obvious from the expressions around the table that her loss was going to be significant to all of them. As Maximus had mentioned to me on the trip to the island, Nessa was the only mother they'd ever had.
Stryker stood up from the chair. "I'll get the other pie, Nessa. You sit."
"How is Danique?" Wilder's question made Nessa smile.
"I wondered when you were going to ask that." Nessa reached forward and turned her tea cup between her hands. "To tell you the truth, I'm worried about her." Nessa stared down at the blue and white china cup in her hands. "Danique never forgave me for letting you four get taken off the island. She somehow thought I could have stopped it from happening. I was never really able to explain to her why it happened. After that night, our relationship was never the same. And then when she went off to that prep school and college, I hardly ever saw her. She's taken up with some man who is a big shot lawyer in the city. I've never met the man, but I don't like him. I think he's all wrong for Danique. She always sounds upset when she calls. We talk now more than ever, mostly because she knows I'm dying and our time together is coming to an end." That last sentence sent a quiet, sad lull around the table.
Stryker placed the pie in front of Nessa. She smiled brightly. "Oops, looks like we need another round of pie. Put your plates forward if you want seconds."
All four men slid their plates across the table in unison, which made Nessa laugh. "Some things never change. Except, of course"—she tilted her head toward me—"Trex, the ferryman. Just like everyone else, I assumed Trex was an immortal with a hideously disfigured face. Who knew a whole family of fishermen . . . and women were standing behind that veil." She dropped hefty slices of pie on each plate as she spoke. "Did you boys want ice cream this second round?"
That question earned her a chorus line of lifted brows.
"I'll get the ice cream." Flint pushed out of his chair.
Nessa wiped her hand on her napkin and sat back. "Maximus mentioned there's something going on and it involves a witch. Vapour is trying to cause chaos outside the realm?"
I leaned forward, deciding the men had their mouths too full of pie and ice cream to talk. "My father was kidnapped and taken to a cave in Vapour's realm. Maximus saved him."
"That's my Max." Nessa reached over to the pie plate and cut him another slice, which he gladly accepted.
"When my father was held captive, a hunched over figure in a hood and veil, just like the one we wear on the ferry, came in to cut a piece of his hair and scrape skin from the inside of his cheek."
"Walt said the hooded barber was wearing a silver ring with a three sided knot. Like the one you have on your dresser." Maximus managed to add in over bites of pie.
"Then he was definitely being visited by a member of the witch's realm. Hair and cheek samples?" Nessa sat back in thought and sat forward quickly. "We used to call it the Frankenstein spell because it brought dead people back to life."
Flint wiped the side of his mouth with his thumb. "But we think Vapour is using it on the souls in his realm. We are sure one of the creatures we met up with was an infamous serial killer from the nineteenth century."
"Oh my," Nessa said. "If he's using the damaged souls who were sentenced to his realm, then he's releasing some of the most dangerous creatures the world has ever seen, even when they were mere mortals." Her face paled and she fanned herself.
I reached for her hand. "Nessa, are you all right?"
"Yes, yes I'm fine. It's just shocking to hear that so
me witch has stooped low enough to help Vapour with such a plot. Although, if I'm completely honest with myself, I know at least three who would, indeed, stoop so low."
Nessa fanned herself again. Willow got up to get her a glass of water.
"Sometimes this island heats up like it's located at the equator. Does Feenix know what's going on, or is he too preoccupied with his nymphs to notice?" Willow handed Nessa the glass and she took hold of Willow's hand. "No disrespect to your people, my dear. You know how highly I think of you."
Willow squeezed her hand. "Of course, Nessa."
Occasionally one of the nymphs who lived with Feenix wandered down to the river. They were all lovely, but Willow was far beyond them in beauty and grace. I had never come face to face with an angel, but something told me those qualities came more from her angel half.
Flint had already finished his piece of pie. He put down his fork and sat forward. "Tell us more about this spell, Nessa. How do we destroy these creatures? Are they even destructible?"
"This spell is so rarely used." Nessa rubbed her chin in thought. "Flint, go to my bedroom and bring the leather bound book from the trunk at the foot of my bed." She reached into her apron and pulled out a long skeleton key that looked rusted and worn as if it had been around for centuries.
Flint took the key and headed down the hallway.
"I have only heard of this macabre spell being used two times, and both times were to bring back a loved one. And from what I heard, it didn't go well either time. The people who were brought back to life had taken on very different qualities. They were angry and violent, a monstrous version of the original."