Page 19 of Cursed (Witchbane #8)
EVAN
“Seth?”
Seth stared at the phone like it might bite. He looked like he was fighting down panic and paused to take a deep breath before he replied. He held Evan’s hand in both of his. “I’m going to fix this. I swear by all that’s holy, I’m not going to let that curse take you.”
Evan realized he had begun hyperventilating.
“Breathe. It’s not over until it’s over, and I’m going to get that son of a bitch.” Seth’s voice was strong and comforting.
“He’ll be waiting for us. This is his way of forcing us to walk into a trap. You can’t do that.”
“The hell I can’t!” Seth’s outburst made Evan jump and attracted Tony’s notice. “Vernon knew we were after Gremory’s disciples. The only question was which of them we’d go for next. He’s already been on notice that we were coming for him, sooner or later.”
“When we went to the presentation—” Evan felt guilty about tipping their hand.
Seth shook his head. “No. He realized we were in town before that. Remember, he had someone watching Pax. Then those goons jumped us at the truck.”
“If he knew you were coming, why did he wait to take Pax? Why not take him before you got here?” Tony had left the couch and came to stand behind Evan’s chair.
“From what we’ve learned, the ritual raises the most power when it’s done at the right time. Otherwise, it doesn’t recharge the witch-disciple’s magical battery as much. So there’s an incentive to stick to the schedule. Vernon was watching Pax, so I don’t think we’ve changed his plans much.”
Evan knew Seth well enough by now to spot the disconnect between his voice and his eyes. Seth’s tone remained calm and controlled, but the desperate look in his eyes told another story.
Evan gripped Seth’s hand firmly. “Don’t count me out yet. I’m not planning on going anywhere for a long, long time. Vernon changed the timing, but it was always going to be a fight to the death, us against him. Just like it’s been with every one of the disciples.”
A wave of vertigo washed over Evan, and he swayed in his chair. Tony put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.
“You’re going to need to sit this one out,” Seth told Evan. “He’s got his claws into you.”
“I’m not just going to lie around while the rest of you fight the battle,” Evan snapped.
“Um, excuse me,” Tony put in. “Didn’t you just say that you wanted a central command center?
Maybe now you have one.” He looked from Seth to Evan.
“You want me to stay here, inside the wards. I wouldn’t know how to coordinate your information and allies, but Evan does.
We’ll stay together. He can tell me what to do, and I can take care of him and do anything he can’t. ”
“That makes a lot of sense.” Seth looked at Evan. “What do you think? You’ll still be in the game, being backup, using the ghosts for intel and surveillance. Both of you will be safe, and Tony can help if you feel worse.”
Evan hated the idea of not being right behind Seth heading into the fight, but he couldn’t deny that he felt too sick to hold his own. I’d be a liability, and while Seth was worrying about me, Vernon could get lucky.
“I know how to shoot a gun.” They both looked at Tony. “My grandpa taught me. I brought my Glock; it’s in my bag. I go to the shooting range now and again to keep sharp.” He sighed. “I never told Pax. He’s uncomfortable with weapons, but I wasn’t going to let anyone threaten us without a fight.”
“Kinsley has a friend who’s a necromancer,” Seth said. “Ghosts always end up playing an important part, and if Evan isn’t there and Nash is leading the charge at the monster meat location, maybe Tristan can help.”
“Okay, we’ll man the phone lines,” Evan capitulated. “But you’d damn well better come back to me.” He held Seth’s hand hard enough to make his partner wince. “Do not sacrifice yourself to save me, do you understand? This only ends one way: with you, me, Tony, and Pax alive. Got that?”
Seth nodded, and Evan released his hold. “I promise. We were all going to be in mortal danger even without the curse. Vernon just put a different spin on it.”
Seth dialed Kinsley and put her on speaker phone. She picked up on the third ring. “Hey, it’s Seth. Is Tristan still available and willing to help us out?”
“I will ask, but I think he’s counting on it,” Kinsley replied. “I can call him back with details.”
Seth let out a breath. “Yes, please. Without Evan or Nash at the turpentine plant fight, I’m afraid we’ll be at a real disadvantage.”
“I’ll call him right now and let you know what he says,” Kinsley promised. “Be back to you soon.” She ended the call.
Seth reached for his cup and downed the last of his long-cold coffee.
“I’ll feel better if that works out,” he told Evan and Tony.
“We need to let the rest of the crew know the plan. There’s not going to be a chance to catch Vernon completely by surprise since we have to strike when he starts the ritual, but Kinsley and Rowan might see times that are better for us than others. ”
“I can at least help make phone calls.” Evan set his jaw. “Let’s figure out what we’re saying, so we’re both on the same page.”
Either Seth didn’t feel like arguing or he decided that giving ground on this issue wouldn’t cause harm, because he grabbed a pen and paper and wrote several lines before sliding the call script over to Evan.
It read: “Vernon cursed Evan to force a confrontation. He has to stick to a schedule for the ritual, but he might have some wiggle room. How fast can you be ready?”
Evan nodded. “Works for me. Tell me who you want to call, and I’ll contact the others.”
“Since it looks like we’re going to be up for a while, how about I make a snack?” Tony said. “An army runs on its stomach.”
“That would be great,” Seth said, and Evan nodded enthusiastically even though the curse had his stomach in knots. He reminded himself that Tony was putting on a brave face after Pax’s disappearance, and giving him a way to be busy and useful was a kindness.
“Thank you,” Evan added.
“Mind if I raid your pantry?” Tony eyed the kitchen cabinets.
“Go for it,” Seth told him. “We just stocked up before we came to town, so there should be plenty to pick from.”
“What about the time to meet?” Evan asked.
“I hate to say it, but I think dawn is our best bet,” Seth replied.
“Sunrise has its own supernatural energy, so that could help us. There’s less likelihood of mundane interference.
And if tomorrow is the date Vernon intended, then he may have leeway for when he begins.
He may not expect us at such an inconvenient time. ”
With the script and dividing up the phone numbers, the calls went quickly. All of their friends were aghast at Vernon’s escalation, but said they could be ready to go at dawn at the old turpentine factory.
Kinsley called back about half an hour later.
“Tristan is in. I also talked to my vampire friend who went to that monster meat restaurant. He stayed at the bar so he didn’t have to eat the food, but he confirmed that the place’s customers were a mixed bunch of supernatural creatures who looked human.
And that ship’s wheel you were looking for, there was a big one on the wall that looked old. ”
“Thank you,” Evan told her. “And thank your friend for us, please.”
“Glad to help. Tristan and I will be there tomorrow.”
Evan put down his phone when he finished the last call, waiting for Seth to wrap up his conversation. In the kitchen, Tony whistled quietly as he took cookie sheets out of the oven.
“I don’t know what you made, but it smells fantastic,” Evan told Tony.
Tony beamed. “I’m not the chef Pax is, but I can make a mean batch of sheet pan nachos. They’ll be ready to eat as soon as they cool down.”
Seth’s phone rang. Evan recognized Nash’s number when it popped up on the screen.
“Sorry about the whole curse thing,” Nash said when Seth accepted the call, since they had already phoned him and Caden to confirm the next day’s plan.
“I’ve got confirmation that Vernon’s anchor is at the monster meat restaurant. Any thoughts on how we steal the wheel and destroy it?” Seth asked.
“I have an idea about that,” Nash replied. “It’s a little illegal.”
Seth barked a laugh. “Everything we’ll be doing tomorrow is at least a little illegal. What’s your idea?”
Nash cleared his throat. Evan wondered if the other man looked around to make sure his cop partner wasn’t in earshot.
“The monster restaurant is in what appears to be an abandoned diner. It sits off by itself in a run-down part of town that went downhill when the roads changed twenty years ago. If you don’t actually need to do anything with the wheel itself, my vote is firebomb the place and walk away. Safest for everyone involved.”
“I like the way you think.” Seth grinned. “How upset do you think Caden will be?”
Nash sighed. “Monster hunting has required Caden to allow for some room to bend the rules. Vernon owns the location, so no one else is getting hurt. The clientele is already technically dead, or the kind of things we kill. It’s unlikely to burn down the neighborhood unless we nuke it from space.
We’ve done similar things before.” He paused.
“Caden might also have some ideas for how we keep random bystanders clear and activate the fire control resources once your team is clear, so the situation doesn’t get out of hand. ”
“Destroying the anchor is one of the most important parts of stopping the disciple,” Seth told Nash. “Thank you. Just be careful.”
“Some of the ghosts were the monsters’ victims,” Nash replied. “They’re going to make sure this works and that I’m okay. I promise. Will your part at the turpentine plant go okay without a ghost wrangler?”
“Kinsley is bringing a necromancer, so we should be covered,” Seth told him.
“That should work. Be careful, and see you on the flip side.”
They thanked him again, and Seth ended the call.
Before either Seth or Evan had time to say anything, they heard the crunch of tires outside the RV.