Page 6 of Cursed (Witchbane #8)

“I’ve been working on witch connections for you in Savannah,” Rowan said.

“I’ve got a contact for you—Kinsley Martell.

She’s well-regarded in the supernatural community there and has been a practicing witch long enough to be proficient.

Most importantly, she draws on elemental magic, which is earth, air, fire, and water, which makes her more versatile if your witch-disciple is a general weather witch.

And she has a necromancer friend that Donnelly vouches for. ”

“Sounds good,” Evan said. “If Vernon’s been in Savannah under one name or another, how do we know he doesn’t have influence over the covens?”

Rowan frowned. “I realize that most of your experience has been with a twisted group of men who chose to follow a dangerous cult leader. But most witches are very independent. We pride ourselves on not taking orders well. And while we respect talent and experience, covens are usually pretty egalitarian.”

“I didn’t mean any offense—” Evan hurried to add.

“None taken,” Rowan replied. “I doubt Vernon has invested much energy embedding himself in the local magic scene—sounds like he’d think he was too good for common witches.

It would also be hard for him to hide his immortality.

But I’ll use my sources to verify. I don’t want to guess wrong and find out that he’s got lackeys or fans eager to curry favor. ”

“How do we get in touch with Kinsley?” Seth asked.

“I’ve already given her your number.” Rowan picked up her phone and texted Seth. Kinsley’s contact information popped up on his phone. “There. You’re connected. Let her know when you get to Savannah, and then you can figure out what to do from there.”

“Thank you so much. We’re glad for any help,” Evan assured her.

“Which brings me to Nash and Caden.” Cassidy finished her coffee and set the cup aside.

“Nash Arden runs a pub and B&B. He knows about the supernatural, and he’s a medium, which is why he didn’t go into the family business of being a funeral director,” Cassidy added with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, that would be awkward.” Evan shuddered.

“Caden Brady is a police detective, which can come in handy,” Cassidy told them. “He’s also psychometric, so he can sense the history and magic of objects by touching them, also helpful.”

Evan appreciated the idea of psychometry and knew it was Cassidy’s gift, but he was glad not to have the ability himself. The idea of reading so much information from casually touching an object gave him shivers and made him think of movie characters who always wore gloves.

“He and Caden have been a couple in real life for ten years now, working together to stop supernatural threats,” Cassidy continued.

“They usually stick to run-of-the-mill haunts and minor paranormal creatures, not big guns like Vernon. But they’re good backup, and while they know the area and players, you’ll still be taking the lead. ”

“I don’t want to get anyone killed,” Seth said. “Maybe we should leave them out of this.”

Cassidy shook her head. “I’ve already spoken to them, and they’re all in. Actually, they’re pissed that Vernon has been killing people in their backyard, so to speak. As for the risk…it goes with the job. There’s no such thing as a simple haunting or exorcism.”

Evan knew that from experience. Creatures could turn out to be more powerful than expected, or a shift in the location or circumstances might change the balance. He and Seth had narrowly escaped several situations that went wrong at the last minute.

“We’ve had small abilities turn out to be the game-changer,” Evan reminded Seth. “We can usually use all the help we can get.”

“I’ll keep looking for contacts and information and feed you what I find,” Cassidy assured them. “And in a pinch, it’s about two hours for us to get to Savannah, so don’t be shy about yelling for help if you need it.”

“Will do,” Seth promised.

Evan knew that his partner accepted assistance from their friends in the supernatural community, but was reluctant to endanger others.

While Evan appreciated Seth’s protective streak, it often reminded him that helpers with special abilities could dramatically reduce the risk of going up against someone as powerful as Vernon.

He finished his coffee and set the empty mug aside. “We should probably get on the road.”

They thanked Cassidy, Kell, and Rowan, sharing hugs and promising to be in close touch. Seth and Evan had ridden the Hayabusa from the RV park where they left the truck and camper.

They didn’t say much until they loaded the motorcycle onto the back of the RV and got on the highway. A benefit of taking their lodging with them was that packing to leave was never an issue.

“Okay, talk to me,” Seth said once they were on the highway and Charleston was in the rearview mirror. “What’s on your mind?”

“I hope Kinsley is a good fit as a witch partner,” Evan replied. “I’m not as hesitant to bring others in on the fight if it ups the odds of success.”

“I know,” Seth admitted. “It’s hard for me to ask for help. I may be overprotective.”

Evan snorted. “Ya think? Just a little, maybe?”

Seth rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. I am. You’ve helped me see that. I don’t want to put other people in danger. But I also don’t want to put you—us—at unnecessary risk. I won’t turn down the help.”

Evan squeezed Seth’s thigh. “Thank you. Because the real win is getting to live happily ever after when we send those evil sons of bitches to hell.”

“I know we probably won’t have a chance to sightsee once we get to Savannah.” Seth kept his eyes on the road as he spoke. “But is there anything you’d like to at least walk by? Or come back to, after the coast is clear?”

They couldn’t afford to let the witch-disciple get the jump on them, so Seth and Evan usually got to the location just a few days before they intended to go after their quarry.

Whether they could go back later depended on how much of the disciple’s coven remained and if they’d left behind any trouble with the police.

“They have their own historic City Market, an old fort, and a really cool-looking cemetery,” Evan said since he had been jotting notes, just in case.

“There’s a trolley tour—I love those. And some well-preserved old houses, of course.

Forsyth Park looks beautiful for a nice walk.

Plus a cathedral. And a ton of great places to eat. ”

Seth chuckled. “I knew you’d already have it all worked out. I hope we get to see at least some of those things, if not now, then maybe someday.”

“There’s the restaurant that Vernon owns, the legit one, anyhow,” Evan said as they drove past.

“Looks pricy,” Seth observed. The marquis read “Legacy” in gold lettering on a dark green background, suggesting an upscale experience and a British pub vibe.

Evan grimaced at the bleak humor of the name, given the immortal witch’s history of passing his properties to his newly reinvented self with every cycle.

A large ship’s wheel was also emblazoned on the sign.

“Guess it’s going for more of a cozy, private feel,” Evan noted.

“Even if a crazy, serial killer witch runs it.”

“Let’s just hope that none of the ‘exotic’ meat is going to this place,” Seth said.

“It gets good reviews.” Evan scrolled on his phone. “Expensive, nice date night, quiet, intimate. And apparently, the food is good. Steak and seafood with a low-country twist.”

“If we didn’t know the story behind who runs it, I’d be tempted to try it. Been too long since we had a nice night out.” Seth didn’t glance away from the road, but his soft smile made Evan’s heart beat a little faster.

“Sounds great to me, but the monster meat is a hard pass,” Evan agreed.

“Let’s find the RV campground Caden recommended and uncouple the truck,” Seth suggested. “Once we get set up, we can check out Nash’s tavern.”

The Savannah Shores RV campground was slightly north of the city, with a beachfront on the Savannah River, not the ocean. “It’s not exactly Savannah or shores,” Seth said with a chuckle as they pulled in.

“We weren’t going to get to hang out in the sand anyway,” Evan pointed out. He couldn’t help sounding wistful.

“We’ll take a break before tackling the next disciple and go somewhere we can feel the sand between our toes.

” Seth put his hand on Evan’s thigh, eliciting a smile from Evan, who liked that idea.

“And we’ll make sure you get plenty of time to take pictures.

Savannah’s supposed to be just as photogenic as Charleston. ”

“Let’s just put this case to bed and walk away safe.” Evan crossed his fingers for luck.

The attendant at the gate said they were expected and gave them the number to find their spot. Evan looked around as they drove.

“Well-lit, tidy, looks like it’s maintained well,” he noted. “Some of those buildings look vintage.”

“Eighties nostalgia,” Seth said. “People who want to relive when they were kids, or share that vibe with their children or grandchildren.”

“Looks like somewhere I’ve seen in movies,” Evan replied. “I’m sure that’s a big draw for families.”

“Cassidy said that Caden was friends with the owner. Since he’s a cop, I’m hoping that bodes well for security.

” Seth followed the signs and lot numbers until he found the spot they had been assigned.

It had more elbow room than many places they had parked, as well as a picnic table, Adirondack chairs, and firepit.

“If we ever come back, we should keep this in mind,” Evan agreed. “We passed a sign for a canteen and snack bar.”

They had gotten good at settling in, opening the bump-outs, and were hooked up to the utilities in record time.

Seth uncoupled the truck and set the alarms to protect the RV and motorcycle, then put down a salt circle and magical protections.

Evan entered the address of Nash’s pub, Mystic, in his phone, and they headed back toward Savannah, where the bar sat at the edge of the historic district.