Page 13 of Cursed (Witchbane #8)
“Seth! Seth, wake up!” Evan’s worried voice helped Seth shake off the last vestiges of sleep. He sat up in bed, heart pounding, drenched in sweat, with the fog of the dream in his mind and Jesse’s voice ringing in his ears.
“You’re safe. I’m safe. Whatever you dreamed, it’s not real. We’re okay,” Evan told him.
Jesse’s dead. That’s real.
“What did you see?” Evan rubbed Seth’s back and leaned close to him, solid and comforting. He pressed a kiss to Seth’s shoulder.
Seth didn’t want to divulge the awful accusations, but he and Evan had promised to be honest with each other.
“I dreamed about Jesse. He blamed me for his death, for Mom and Dad,” Seth replied in a choked voice just above a whisper.
“He said I’d get you killed. That it should have been me instead of him.
And he’s right—I was the older brother.”
“Seth Tanner, you listen to me,” Evan said in a firm voice. “You saved my life, and we’ve saved so many of the intended victims. We’re going to save Pax. Jesse didn’t say those things; he told you himself that he loved you.
“That’s your own guilt punishing you, but it’s wrong. You didn’t know back then. If you’d been the one who died, then I’d be dead now too, and so would all the other descendants, and there would be no end in sight. No one to stop the witch-disciples. Please, Seth. You’ve got to let this go.”
Evan wrapped his arms around Seth, and Seth held on tight, biting back a sob as he buried his face in Evan’s shoulder. Evan kept gently rubbing his back, kissing his neck, and murmuring reassurance until Seth no longer trembled and the awful dream receded.
“I’m here. We’re together. And for tonight, we’re safe,” Evan repeated as they lay back down together. “Try to let it go. Tomorrow, we’ll pick up the fight. Now, rest.”
Seth didn’t think it would be possible to fall asleep again, and he dreaded having the dream return, but sometime before dawn, his exhausted body gave in and sent him into a mercifully dreamless sleep.
“How are you this morning?” Evan walked into the kitchen after his shower. Seth had gotten up first, though well after dawn, got cleaned up, and started the coffee maker. Evan hugged him from behind and kissed the nape of his neck.
“Functioning,” Seth replied. “I’m sorry about last night.”
“Given what we do, it’s pretty amazing we’re as functional as we are,” Evan replied. “Every now and then, we get overwhelmed. That’s probably the most normal thing about our lives. It’s okay. I’m here, I believe in you, and I’ve got your back.”
Seth turned toward Evan and kissed him. “You’re amazing. Thank you. Have a seat, the coffee is ready.”
“Do you think that Vernon somehow sent that dream to fuck with your mind?” Evan asked.
Seth thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “No. At least, he shouldn’t have been able to with all our wards, protections, and charms. I’ll check again, but we should be safe here. If it had been a vision when we were out and about, that would definitely be my first thought.”
“Figured it was worth exploring. Still on to meet Kinsley?” Evan sat at the table.
Seth brought steaming cups of brew for both of them. “Yep. And I’m very interested to see what information she has and how she’s willing to work with us.”
Seth and Evan were outside the restaurant early, waiting for Kinsley. Seth hadn’t asked for a description, but he recognized her the moment a woman in her early thirties came into view. He sensed that she had power, although it was carefully hidden at the moment.
“Seth and Evan? I’m Kinsley.” She had long dark hair and green eyes that, for just an instant, seemed to glow. They shook hands and went inside. Kinsley spoke a word to the person at the front podium, and a server escorted them to a private room in the back.
“We hold coven meetings here,” she told them as they settled at a table, and the server returned with coffee.
“I hope you don’t mind, but to speed things along—and since I know the best stuff on the menu—I already ordered for us.
Trust me, you won’t be disappointed, and I guarantee you won’t leave hungry. ”
Seth liked her already, and the nod he got from Evan let him know that his partner felt the same. Like Cassidy and her friends, Kinsley didn’t act like her arcane abilities made her separate or different, although Seth already knew he would bet on her in a fight.
They ate first, a magnificent treat of raspberry-stuffed French toast with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top and a side of crispy bacon.
“You were right about the food.” Seth dug in with gusto.
Evan shook his head fondly, although he ate with no less enthusiasm. Even the bigger breakfasts they cooked on weekends in between cases didn’t compare to the decadence of the restaurant’s specialty.
“I know, right?” Kinsley said with a wink. “I love having an excuse to bring people here because I wouldn’t dare come often and still fit into my clothing. All the other choices are almost as good. This one’s my favorite.”
“Good pick.” Evan licked whipped cream off his lips. He didn’t miss the heat that flashed in Seth’s eyes at the sight.
When they were finished, the server topped off their coffee and left the pot.
“Rowan briefed me on the basics.” Kinsley stirred sugar into her cup.
“I’ve heard of Sterling Vernon and so has every witch in a hundred miles of Savannah.
But all I know is that he’s trouble. Dark magic practically oozes out of his pores if you have any psychic ability.
He’s got his hangers-on, but the covens and the more powerful witches stay out of his way. ”
“Has anyone ever gone up against him?” Seth wondered how Vernon kept his century-long lock on power.
“We don’t go looking for trouble.” Kinsley fixed him with a look. “He runs a restaurant, and he’s got connections to a shipping company, but that doesn’t interfere with coven priorities. He leaves other witches alone.”
“What about the monsters that live in the city?” Evan looked up from his coffee. “Do the covens have any dealings with them?”
“You’ll have to be more specific,” Kinsley said. “Do you mean the politicians at City Hall or the supernatural beings?”
Evan raised an eyebrow. “Touché. I mean the paranormal creatures. Vampires, werewolves, succubi—the kind of beings that exist in every city under the radar.”
“As long as the truces hold, we mostly ignore each other,” Kinsley replied.
“Rule Number One: don’t call attention to magic and the paranormal.
Rule Number Two: don’t kill the mundanes.
And Rule Number Three: don’t leave bodies around that are going to break Rule Number One if you break Rule Number Two. ”
Seth wasn’t surprised that the supernatural community was divided, but it made it difficult to get the kind of insider information that would help uncover Vernon’s weak spots.
“That doesn’t mean there aren’t individual exceptions,” she added with a smirk.
“I have a friend who is a vampire and another who is a necromancer. They’re both relatively young, as those folks go, on their first normal lifespans.
I trust them with my life, and so does the coven.
I’ve already spoken with them, and they’ve got no love for Vernon.
They’re willing to help, for what it’s worth. ”
“That could be worth quite a lot if push comes to shove,” Evan replied. “Because someone is killing the cryptids and supernatural creatures that Vernon is serving for dinner at his secret restaurant. That means no one is safe.”
Seth agreed, and technically Evan was right.
But Seth had learned that supernatural creatures had their own pecking order and generally considered their own sort to be superior to all the others.
Over the centuries, there had been alliances and betrayals, so which groups were currently friendly or at odds constantly shifted.
“I think you’re right, but it could be a tough sell to convince the other groups that they’re vulnerable.
Especially if Vernon is only going after the beast-like cryptids that aren’t human-based,” Kinsley agreed.
“There’s still a lot of bias. Vernon would know how to play into that to keep himself and his enterprise safe. ”
“We don’t know when Vernon is going to make his move against Pax, but it’ll be soon, especially if he has an inkling that we’re in town,” Seth said.
“What’s your next move?” she asked.
“Every witch-disciple has a protective amulet and an anchor for their magic. Together they provide protection and a well of power to draw on,” Evan said.
“We think Vernon’s amulet is the necklace we’ve seen in several pictures.
We’re still trying to figure out the anchor, but our guess is that it may be an old ship’s wheel.
We need to find it and destroy it before we disrupt the ritual. It’ll weaken him.”
“Easier said than done,” Kinsley replied.
“Seth and I think Vernon knows who we are, so we don’t dare go to his regular restaurant, and we’re too human to try to go to his monster joint,” Seth replied. “We’re going to ask a couple of local allies to go to his normal restaurant and see if they spot the anchor.”
“I know we just met you, and this is a lot to ask, but do you think your vampire friend might be able to infiltrate the monster restaurant?” Evan asked. “Once we know where the anchor is, we can make plans to destroy it.”
Kinsley took a moment to answer, and Evan considered it a win that she didn’t refuse outright. “Maybe. It’ll be up to him, of course. But I’ll ask.”
“Thank you,” Seth replied, looking relieved.
“Vernon is vulnerable during the ritual. That’s when we have to strike.
If we can keep him from taking Pax, he’s going to choose another sacrifice.
It won’t give him nearly as much of a boost as one of the original descendants of the deputies who killed Gremory, but without it, he’s weaker and he knows it,” Evan added.