Page 31 of Air Of Mystery (Witches On The Hill #4)
Amanda passed me the bracelet, and I felt a warm tingle as soon as I touched it.
“This is made from black tourmaline,” she explained. “It’s an excellent stone for energetic protection, and it can boost your physical vitality as well as alleviate stress.”
Impressed with it, I immediately slipped it on my left arm. “Thank you, Amanda.”
“I made that myself for you last night. Wear it while you recover. You’ll find it most beneficial.”
“I will,” I promised.
She sat back in the chair. “I imagine you have some questions for me.”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” I shifted, trying to get more comfortable. “First off, how did you know where I was and what was going down? Did Gabriella tell you?”
Amanda adjusted her glasses. “Gabriella texted me and told me what was in the wind. Then, from what I understand, she tracked down Charlie. Luckily, I got there before he did.”
I nodded. “I figured that was the case. May I ask what happened to Dave, Mary’s boyfriend?”
“Sadly, he didn’t make it.”
“Oh, god.” I took a careful breath before continuing. “And Don? Is he in custody or—”
“Don will no longer be a problem,” Amanda said. “Not for anyone, not ever again. The threat he posed has been eliminated.”
“Meaning what exactly?” I asked as politely as possible.
She didn’t answer, but her eyes took on a light that had me considering her anew.
“So, was he a real vampire?” I asked.
“Yes, he was.”
My stomach dropped at the confirmation.
“By the goddess,” I whispered, suddenly afraid.
I’d truly hoped that maybe Don had been some other sort of creature. Or that me getting a concussion had simply confused my memories. But I’d seen for myself how inhumanly fast he’d been, not to mention terrifyingly strong...
It was real, and I had the broken arm, the concussion, and the bruises to prove it. I sat there for a moment as it all sank in and worked my way through a panic attack.
“It’s over now, Skye,” Amanda said. Reaching out, she gave my leg a reassuring pat.
“So, he’s dead?”
Amanda nodded.
“What about the house itself?” I continued. “I’ve always thought it was dangerous. It’s a magnet for attracting negative paranormal phenomena. What are you going to do about that?”
“The negative energy at the old Victorian on Henry Street will be neutralized. You have my word.”
“How?” I asked. “I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of the problems at that location for years.”
“I am not at liberty to share those details with you at this time, Skye,” she said.
“So, what can you tell—”
“In fact.” She cut me off. “We feel—”
We feel. I thought. She must be talking about herself and Estella.
“That you and your family would be better off—not to mention safer,” Amanda continued, “by not knowing.”
“What do you mean, safer?” I asked, sitting up straight. “Is there still a threat?”
Amanda folded her hands in her lap. “You are already well known for your paranormal show. The recent events that have occurred in Alton have people talking. And while I imagine that public interest is good for your sponsors and the ratings, this newest incident that transpired on Henry Street has caught the attention of more than the just media and local police.”
Concerned, I started to speak, but she held up her hand.
“And this attention,” she said seriously, “especially from these sources…is not a good thing.”
Oh shit, I thought, gulping nervously.
“So, believe me when I tell you to let this drop, Skye—that I mean it.”
Recognizing that a boundary had been put into place by the Guardian herself, I dipped my head in assent and didn’t argue.
For a long moment we sat there studying each other. I tried to play it cool, but in truth, nervous sweat was running down my back.
“You have my word,” I began, “that I won’t share with anyone what I witnessed.”
Amanda silently inclined her head in acknowledgment.
“I will also keep your identity as the...” I had started to say ‘Guardian’ out loud and thought better of it. After clearing my throat I continued with, “The secret of your status and that of your assistant is safe with me.”
“Excellent.” She smiled and rose to her feet. “Is there anything else that I can do for you, Skye?”
“No. Thank you, Amanda,” I said formally. “I appreciate you taking the time to come and see me and for the tourmaline bracelet.”
She went to the door and paused. “Do you realize how incredibly lucky you are to be alive?”
Nervously, I ran my fingers over the beaded bracelet. “I’m beginning to.”
“The high-powered water gun...” She grinned at me, suddenly looking approachable and more like the woman I’d first met. “Squirting him in the face with holy water. Now, that was a brilliant move.”
“Thank you,” I said, formally. “I’m honored that you think so.”
“Take care of yourself.” Amanda tossed me a wink. “See you around, Skye.”
I waited a good thirty seconds, listening carefully as she went down the stairs. I heard Brynn speaking briefly to Amanda and thanking her for dropping by. Only once I heard the front door of the manor shut did I fully exhale.
***
A few days after Amanda had come to visit me, and while I was at the orthopedic surgeon’s getting a cast, the house on Henry Street caught on fire.
The old Victorian burned to the ground in only a few hours. While the fire was intense and the house had been destroyed, oddly enough the neighboring homes hadn’t been touched. A couple of tree branches were singed in their yards, but other than that the neighbors had no damage.
The police came to see me after the fire, to ask me for my whereabouts. Fortunately, I had an iron clad alibi and witnesses. Those being the surgeon and the office staff as well as Charlie. He’d been the one driving me to the appointment and back home.
The whole thing was unsettling. The local news later reported that the fire department had determined the blaze was caused by faulty electrical work from when the house had been renovated earlier in the year...
That may have been the official reason, but I knew better.
When Amanda had told me that the ‘negative energy would be neutralized,’ she hadn’t been kidding.
One vampire lair had been destroyed. I found myself nodding in approval at the method chosen.
Fire, after all, was the best and most purifying force of nature.
No ghoul or paranormal beastie would have survived that.
I’d had more than enough excitement for a while, and for the next few weeks I stayed home, allowing myself to fully recuperate. I did my best to focus on the positive, and not to dwell on my encounter with Don.
Which wasn’t easy in the run-up to Halloween.
I couldn’t turn around without seeing something about vampires.
..hence my choice of sticking close to home.
It was triggering for me, and the worst part was I couldn’t share the reason for my anxiety with anyone else.
Everyone assumed I was struggling after being beaten up by Mary’s ‘boyfriend.’
Charlie was quietly supportive and stayed with me at my attic apartment most nights, which also helped. Nothing like having a warrior holding you in his arms all night. I couldn’t think of anywhere better to possibly be.
Larry and George came to see me and told me they shared my relief that the problematic house on Henry Street was no more. They were also under the impression that Mary’s boyfriend was the cause of my injuries. To keep them safe, I let them believe it.
I managed to edit and load up the Marquette Mansion episode to my YouTube with some help from Larry.
He came over one morning, and we spent hours working on it.
With his help it went very smoothly…considering I was down to one arm.
We launched the episode a week before Halloween, and the views and ‘likes’ were off the chart.
Brynn, Kenna, Cordelia and their guys all went to the annual Halloween Masquerade Ball at the Marquette Mansion, but this year I decided to skip it.
Instead, I volunteered to babysit Robbie.
Since Charlie had to work the masquerade, the kiddo and I hung out at home with Sunny and Luna for company.
We made ourselves a ton of snacks and watched classic Halloween kids’ movies for hours.
It was fun and very relaxing. Which was exactly what I needed.
On Halloween night, Charlie came to the hill, and we sat together on our family’s lavishly decorated front porch and passed out candy to the Trick-or-Treaters.
There were enough orange twinkle lights hanging from the porch that it turned the front of our yellow brick house to orange.
As was our tradition, my sisters and I decorated the porch with a dozen jack-o’-lanterns, spider webs, and garlands of festive fall leaves.
It was the one night a year the neighborhood kids weren’t nervous about coming to the Witches’ house, and so we kept the decorations pretty tame.
I’m not sure who enjoyed that night more: me, Charlie or the neighborhood kids.
November arrived and my parents came back to town for Brynn and Austin’s wedding. By my sister’s wedding weekend, the bruises had mostly faded, and I was pretty much back to normal—except for the cast on my right arm.
I caught a ride with Kenna and Tyler, and we all met up the night before at the Marquette Mansion Hotel for the rehearsal dinner. The family had decided to rent rooms again before the wedding, but I had scored better accommodations. I would be staying with Charlie at the carriage house.
When Kenna and Tyler dropped me off in front of Charlie’s place, he was already waiting for me at the bottom of the steps. He looked fabulous in dark slacks, a button-down shirt and his blazer over that.
Tyler passed him my suitcase and garment bag, while I climbed out of the back seat with my makeup case and purse slung over my left shoulder.