Page 14

It was close to midnight by the time we neared Whisper Hollow.

I leaned back in my seat. Rowan had offered to drive once we reached Port Townsend, and I gratefully ceded the driver’s seat to her.

The road was harrowing at night, winding and narrow, but we made it, stopping right before the junction leading to Whisper Hollow. Once there, Kerris took the wheel.

As we drove into the woodland town, the gloom descended.

It was a miasma, surrounding the town, and immediately, I wondered how Kerris could live here.

There were spirits everywhere, but they weren’t all ghosts—the town was haunted by a dark cloud of creatures, and I could sense the nightmares waiting to happen.

Shadow town …I thought. This was truly the epitome of a shadow town.

“How do you handle this?” I asked.

“You get used to it. I had no choice. This is where I belong, and if I leave, there’s no one to do my job.

Spirit shamans are far and few between.” Kerris sighed.

“Once I get pregnant—and it better be soon—my daughter will be brought up to be a spirit shaman. If we have a son, he’ll be a shifter like Bryan, and he’ll grow up to be a guardian. ”

I thought about their bloodlines—actually, there were nine. Nine families that carried the spirit shaman blood, and so also, nine families for their guardians. But they were scattered around the world and seldom met or mingled.

Grateful I was one of the witchblood, I let the subject drop.

We came to a stop at a crossroads on Bramblewood Way.

“The cemetery is to the left, and my house isn’t far from here,” Kerris said, turning left.

“We’ll need to drive through the cemetery to get as close to Penelope’s tomb as we can.

Her crypt straddles the line dividing the modern graveyard from the Pest House Cemetery, so be on your guard when we get there. ”

“How are you going to prevent her from being kidnapped again?” Rowan asked.

“The Crescent Moon Society will be meeting tomorrow, and we’ll figure out something. Trust me, we’re not letting this happen again,” Kerris said, turning into the cemetery.

We wound through the graveyard, and I could see spirits everywhere. They were wandering, talking, leaning on tombstones. I’d expected to see the graveyard clear, given they had a spirit shaman, but apparently not all spirits were ready to go to the Veil.

We parked near a mausoleum that was at the base of a knoll of grass, beneath a large yew tree.

In the dark, it would be almost impossible to see the crypt clearly, but a nearby light shone just bright enough so that we could find our way to it.

Tarvish pulled in behind us, and we all spilled out, tired and weary from the long trip.

“We’re almost done,” Rowan said. She yawned, stretching. “I’m so glad we’re not driving home tonight. We couldn’t catch a ferry anyway. We’d have to drive down the peninsula, through Shelton, around through Olympia, then all the way up. It would take all the rest of the night.”

“We owe you so much,” Kerris said. “We couldn’t have done this without you.”

She headed toward the crypt and we followed. A sconce with a light affixed to the side of the door illuminated a plaque that read: Here Lieth the Mortal Remains of Penelope Volkov, Guardian of the Veil, Gatekeeper of the Graveyard. Enter and Despair.

As Kerris opened the crypt door, Tarvish, Killian, and Bryan unloaded the sarcophagus and carried it through the opening. Inside was a chalice in which a blood-red liquid churned and boiled, circulating like a lava lamp. I had no clue what it was but decided to ask later.

The men fit the sarcophagus back in place, and Kerris stepped forward, peeling off the seal. “Let’s hope she’s not under a spell,” she said.

“She won’t be,” Rowan said. “The seal that kept her in her sarcophagus for the trip was also enchanted to negate any spells that might be lingering. She should be back to herself.”

We stepped back, watching.

I had no idea what we were waiting for, but Kerris motioned for the men to leave.

They stepped outside, and the next moment, the door swung shut, and the lid of the sarcophagus started to move.

It made a sound like hollow wind rustling through dry husks.

My stomach knotted, but I forced myself to not to move.

Rowan reached out and took my hand, steadying me.

A figure slid out of the sarcophagus, reminding me at first like a snake in her movements. But as she unfolded, standing at a full six feet tall, I felt both terror and yet, a pull so strong it was hard to stand still.

Penelope, Gatekeeper of Whisper Hollow, stared at us.

Her blond hair was piled up in a messy chignon, and she wore a sheer dress, black lace beaded with black sequins.

Her skin was as pale as a vampire’s, and her irises were bloody red.

Her eyes were ringed with black, like a raccoon, and her veins showed through the pale skin, black as ink, trailing across her body like delicate lace lines. Her lips were black as her veins.

But it wasn’t her countenance that sent a trail of terror through me.

No…it was the steel nail points jutting out from her skin—covering her forehead, her neck and shoulders, peeking through the lace dress, protruding from the inside out.

Around each nail tip was a halo of blood, sparkling like rubies, dried and permanently decorating her skin.

I remembered what Kerris had told me—Penelope’s mother had killed her with a curse, and that curse stayed with her, an ornamentation of betrayal.

I felt myself bowing, and realized Kerris was doing the same.

“Kerris, stand and introduce me to your friends.” Penelope’s voice echoed, dry and husky, aged like her body.

Kerris turned to me. “This is Rowan Firesong, high priestess of the Crystal Cauldron. And her granddaughter, January Jaxson. And this, is Penelope, the Gatekeeper of the Veil.”

Penelope looked at me. “You bear the energy of the Veil.”

“I work with the dead, where I live. I’m not a spirit shaman, but I’m witchblood.”

“Then you are part of the cycle, like Kerris is, like I am. You are always welcome here when you visit Whisper Hollow, but I don’t recommend you spend much time here. It will drain you.” Penelope paused, then said, “Leave me now, to talk to Kerris.”

I nodded, easing my way out the door. I knew better than overstay my welcome with spirit beings. As Rowan and I stepped outside, the men looked up from where they were sitting on the damp grass. I nodded to them, giving them a thumbs-up, then walked over near the yew tree.

From here, I could feel the energy of the Pest House and the Pest House Cemetery, and I didn’t like it. In fact, the sooner we left, the happier I’d be. I was strong, but I couldn’t imagine the energy it took to face the darkness surrounding this town.

As I stood there, I heard a noise behind me and turned. There, in a swirl of mist, stood the Crow Man. I walked over to him. The men were still talking amongst themselves behind me. I didn’t know if they could see him.

“Your debt is paid,” the Crow Man said. “But this is not the end. There are darker days ahead for all of you. And you will all have to work together to face the rise of chaos.”

“I don’t like this town,” I said.

“Then do what destiny calls you to do, or all the shadow towns will be in danger. We will cross paths again, but your debt is fulfilled. Do not fear me. I come and go to the will of the gods.” He smiled at me then and reached out.

I stretched out my hand and our fingers entwined.

“Never fear, January… You are watched over by Druantia, and the Morrígan will smile on you, now that you have helped her spirit shaman.”

I took a deep breath and smiled back. He was glorious, gorgeous, and enticing, but the gods were dangerous in their beauty, and so were their messengers. I let go and turned away as he faded from sight.

Kerris had emerged from Penelope’s tomb, and we headed back to our cars, as overhead the night sky shimmered. I wished I was home in my bed. Whisper Hollow was like a dark jewel, and while it was as magical—if not a bit more—as Moonshadow Bay, it made me appreciate my home and my life.

As we returned to Kerris and Bryan’s house, I was grateful we’d been able to help, and I was glad we’d finally met. But I also wouldn’t change my life with hers, not for a million dollars.

* * *

The next day we returned home. Xi and Klaus pounced on us as I dropped onto the sofa.

I was with the love of my life, with my fuzzy children, and my friends, in a town I loved.

But my thoughts returned to the Crow Man and what he had said: dark days were on the horizon, and we would be facing even greater challenges.

Until then, though, I would embrace every day, and find every joy I could, because every moment wove the tapestry of our lives—the exciting, the joyful, and the sad, forever bound together.

Xi curled up on my lap and I slowly stroked her fur. I looked up at Killian. “I’m glad we’re home,” I said.

“So am I.” He snuggled next to me on the sofa and we sat in silence, soaking up the peace of our home.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed Feathered Web . Begin Moonshadow Bay Series with Starlight Web . There will be more paranormal women’s fiction to come. And if you love this series, you’ll love my Whisper Hollow Series . For the first chapter of Autumn Thorns , read on.