Page 14 of Cursed (Witchbane #8)

“You’re both descendants?” Kinsley seemed to be putting it all together.

“Yeah. My brother got killed instead of me,” Seth replied. “And my father. Others too, farther back. Evan was the target for that disciple.” He tried to keep his expression blank, ignoring memories of his nightmare.

“I lost family,” Evan said. “This whole thing has gone on too long. So we’re putting an end to it.”

Kinsley’s expression suggested that she also had felt the pain of losing someone to violence or dark magic.

“I will do everything in my power to help you and rally helpers. I’m trusting you a lot on Rowan’s say-so.

Don’t put my people in needless danger, or that protective magic will show you it has teeth. ”

“Understood,” Seth replied, and Evan nodded.

Kinsley looked up as a young man with white-blond hair maneuvered through the tables to join them.

“This is Tristan,” she told them. “My necromancer friend. Tristan, meet Seth and Evan, the hunters I told you about.”

“Great to meet you.” Tristan’s boyish looks made Seth wonder how old the other man was, and guessed that he was probably in his mid-twenties.

Seth glanced at Evan, wondering what his partner picked up from a necromancer in close proximity. Evan had a far-away look on his face, and Tristan turned to regard him thoughtfully, then nodded.

“You see them too,” Tristan said.

“Yes, but not usually in the numbers that are gathered around you,” Evan said. “That’s quite an entourage.”

Tristan laughed. “I’ve never thought of it like that, but I guess that’s one way to look at it. The magic came to me very young, so I’m used to it.” He paused. “I’m happy to help get this sleazebag out of Savannah. Just let Kinsley know when you need me, and I’ll be there.”

Seth and Evan left the restaurant after trading contact information and planned to check back the next day.

“That went pretty well,” Evan said as they got into the truck.

“She didn’t turn us into toads. He didn’t call down the hordes of the dead. That’s a plus.”

Evan sighed and rolled his eyes. “We get a witch and her coven, plus a necromancer and maybe a vampire on our side. They might be able to check out the second restaurant. Beats going in alone.”

“And we have Nash and Caden,” Seth replied. “That’s all important. But first, we’ve got to either get Pax out of danger or figure out how to protect him while shutting down Vernon.”

“We’ve come up with something each time so far,” Evan reminded him. “I believe in us.”

Seth took his hand. “Good. Because I believe in us too.”

They headed over to meet Nash at Mystic. Seth took a deep breath, enjoying the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

“Come on in and get your caffeine fix,” Nash told them, laughing. “My crew won’t be in for another hour, and they don’t need me for the prep anyhow. We won’t be disturbed since we’re not officially open.”

They got cups of coffee and settled at a table in the back. The bar felt so different without the lights, music, and happy patrons, almost as if it was sleeping, or waiting to come back to life.

Nash lit the fat candle in the middle of the table and held his hands out to Seth and Evan. Seth watched Evan’s face as they touched and saw him register an emotion he couldn’t quite define.

“Spirits…hear us.” Nash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Evan did the same, leaving Seth on guard to protect them physically, even if his options for magical defenses were more limited. “We need your wisdom and your help.”

Seth felt the temperature drop. The barest hint of a breeze made the hair on his arms stand up, and he knew that the ghosts were present.

“Henry Miller. Paul Miller, if you can hear us, please draw near.” Nash named Pax’s father and grandfather. “Paxton is in danger from the same force that took your life. We’re trying to protect him.”

The air stirred again, this time enough to make the candle flame flicker. Evan’s grip on Seth’s hand grew tighter, and Seth knew from the look of deep concentration on his partner’s face that some kind of connection was happening with the spirits.

“Paul?” Nash named Pax’s grandfather. “Is that you?”

“Not an accident,” Evan answered in a raspy voice that Seth almost didn’t recognize. “Murdered.”

“Did you know your killer?” Nash kept his eyes closed as he spoke.

“Not well. Recognized him,” the ghost replied.

“Do you know his name?” Nash pressed.

“That Vernon guy,” Paul’s spirit said. “From downtown.”

Seth hadn’t been sure whether the two ghosts would have enough energy left to manifest after being drained for Vernon’s ritual. Then again, they’ve had years to recharge.

Nash looked away as if someone had called his name. “Henry? Is that you?”

“I am Henry. It was Sterling Vernon. I tried to stop him.” Nash’s face went blank and his eyes glassy as the spirit answered his question.

“Where did you die?” Seth asked since both Evan and Nash had their full attention fixed on the ghosts.

“Don’t know. Didn’t see,” Henry answered.

“Old factory,” Paul’s ghost said through Evan. “Paint.”

Turpentine , Seth thought. Like we suspected.

“Protect Pax,” Paul urged.

“How do we get him to believe us?” Seth asked.

“Tell him I said ‘tugaloo,’” Henry’s ghost replied. “He’ll know.”

“Stop Vernon,” Paul’s spirit pressed. “Save my grandson.”

Both Nash and Evan shook off the connection with the ghosts as if waking from a doze. They both looked a bit confused.

“Did any of that happen out loud?” Evan looked to Seth for confirmation.

“Yes. I heard it all,” Seth replied.

Nash looked equally befuddled, but he also nodded. “Paul and Henry were both here. I knew I was speaking for Henry, but it took my whole concentration.”

“Henry was angry,” Evan spoke up. “Maybe because he’s more recently dead, but I got a strong sense of personality despite the ritual’s toll. He’s really worried about Pax.”

“He said Pax would remember ‘tugaloo,’” Seth said. “Does that make any sense to either of you?”

“It’s a state park in South Carolina, near the Georgia border,” Nash replied. “Maybe they went there as kids?”

“Let’s hope Pax makes the connection.” Evan took a gulp of his coffee like he was trying to clear away the last of the ghost’s touch. “Of course, passing along a code word from a ghost isn’t any less weird than telling him a witch is trying to kill him.”

“Caden’s been making some quiet inquiries about the old factory,” Nash told them.

“He’s pretty sure Vernon’s got some people inside the police department, so he doesn’t want to tip our hand.

Turns out there have been plenty of complaints about noise and bad smells coming from the turpentine plant since it shut down, but none of the reports indicated that the investigators found anything wrong. ”

“Convenient cover-up,” Seth said.

“Which means bringing our own backup if that’s where things go down,” Nash pointed out. “Because we can’t count on the cops.”

Much as Seth hated dragging anyone else into danger confronting the witch-disciples, he had learned the hard way to accept help when it was offered, especially from friends with supernatural abilities.

“We’ve got a favor to ask.” Evan then explained the need to find and destroy the anchor, their theory that it might be an old ship’s wheel, and the possibility that it was part of the décor at Legacy.

“If we paid your tab, would you and Caden be willing to go there for dinner and see if you can pick up anything either from magic or the ghosts about whether the anchor is there?” Seth finished.

Nash chuckled. “Most people would jump at the chance for a free dinner for two there—it’s pretty expensive. Although knowing Vernon’s backstory, it’s a little dicey. Let me talk to Caden, but I think we’ll be up for it, assuming we can get a reservation.”

“Thank you,” Evan replied. “That would be a huge help.”

“Let’s hope we have time to pull the pieces together before Vernon makes his move,” Seth said. “And cross your fingers that we can get Pax to listen. It would be nice to do this the easy way for once.”

They thanked Nash and promised to return for dinner, then let him get back to preparing to open. Since it was nearly lunchtime, Seth headed back for the food truck lot and another opportunity to encounter Pax and Tony.

“You took all that pretty well in stride,” Evan said as they looked for a parking space. “What did you make of it?”

Seth paused, weighing his words. He didn’t envy Evan his ability with spirits, but he respected what his partner could do and the cost of his insight.

“It always freaks me out a little when you’re talking, but I know it’s not really you ,” he admitted.

“That’s not a bad thing—I think your ability is amazing.

But it makes me want to protect you. And a little… jealous? I don’t like sharing you.”

Evan chuckled. “If it helps, the ghost wasn’t possessing me, just talking to me in my head so I can convey the message. Paul and Henry were pretty polite, as ghosts go. I don’t have a splitting headache because they didn’t push too hard.”

“We’ve got confirmation of where Vernon’s doing his dirty deeds,” Seth said. “Straight from the victims. Now we’ve just got to outfox his particular brand of magic.”

They parked and walked to the food trucks side by side, in sync as usual. Pax greeted them warmly when they reached the counter.

“What’ll it be today, gentlemen? I’m glad you’ve found favorites here. You’re going to miss us when you go home.”

“Sticking with what works.” Seth placed the same order they had before. “I imagine everyone tries to talk you into coming up with a way to ship your sauces from a website.”

“Oh, if I had a dollar for every time that came up, I could buy a mansion,” Pax agreed, ringing up their order as the workers behind him assembled the food.

“There would definitely be an audience—but this right here is what I love about it, talking to people, meeting folks, and putting a good meal in your hands. Can’t do that from a website. ”