Damned and Cursed (Book 9): Witch Trial Read online

  Sighing, he made a round through the store and gathered the trash. He dragged the three bags behind him into the back, past Martha's office, to the rear door. His nose wrinkled as the scent struck him. The back alley behind the store didn't smell good. The scent of garbage was strong, making him hold his breath a moment. Holding the door open with one hand, he tossed one bag into the garbage bin, not wanting to get any closer than necessary. He grabbed the second bag and prepared for the light throw.

  From around the back side of the door, someone grabbed his arm.

  The breath rushed out of him in shock as he was thrown off balance. He dropped the bag, stumbling. Just when he thought he'd regained his footing, someone shoved him from behind. He tumbled against the garbage bin. He got his hands up, but still took a nasty hit to his head. Turning onto his back, his vision cleared up just enough to see the shoe bury in his stomach.

  "Get the door!"

  "It's shut, man! It's locked."

  "I told you to grab it."

  "No. You told me you'd get it, while I beat the shit out of this asshole."

  "That's not what I said!"

  Kevin wiped his eyes and peered up. Danny and Matt argued near the back door. Matt yanked on the handle a few times, then screamed in frustration and kicked the wall.

  "I told you we should have hit it when we were in there!"

  They turned their attention to Kevin. Danny's brow furrowed in anger. He lashed out with another kick, this one catching Kevin in the chest. They hoisted him to his feet and slammed him against the wall.

  "Unlock the door."

  A trickle of blood ran down Kevin's cheek. His chest hurt, and it was difficult to breathe. Despite everything, he laughed. The entirety of his bad night revolved around a door and a lock.

  "I don't have a key."

  "Bullshit. Don't fuck with me."

  "I'm serious. No key. Anyway, look at the door. There's no keyhole. There's no way to get in from out here. You two aren't very smart, are you?"

  The insult made him feel like Jack Kursed, but only for a moment. Unlike Jack, Kevin felt pain. Another punch to the stomach, and another to the face. They threw him to the ground again. Matt pulled a knife from his waistband, and for the first time, Kevin was afraid. Pushing around old women was one thing, but were they capable of stabbing someone? Murdering someone?

  He left his backpack in the store. His confidence returned when he felt the stone on his finger. His eyes fell on the trash next to him. Some magical quartz and random garbage were more than enough to deal with two humans.

  "You're going to let us in through the front. Or I'll cut you open."

  Kevin clutched his stone and prepared for a fight. It turned out he didn't need to.

  The growl froze everyone in the alley, including Kevin. It came from the shadows behind Danny and Matt, low and deep. The two thugs turned. Kevin pulled himself to one knee, but the pain in his chest wouldn't let him stand any further. The growl stretched an uncomfortably long time. Any thoughts that it was a stray dog were already gone.

  "What is that?" Matt asked.

  "Go over there and find out."

  "Fuck you."

  Danny grabbed a rock from the ground and tossed it into the darkness.

  "Get out of here!"

  The growl shifted, the cadence changed. It was unlike anything Kevin had ever heard before. He finally realized what it was.

  The animal was laughing.

  Slowly, the creature emerged from the shadows. Massive, powerful legs. Dark fur. Saliva dripped from a pair of deadly fangs. Terrible memories rushed back. Kevin hadn't seen one since first learning he was a witch.

  The werewolf searched the faces of Danny and Matt. That simple gesture brought a sense of dread. There was intelligence behind its eyes. He knew how dangerous werewolves were when they didn't know they could think. One that could plot and plan was terrifying.

  "What the fuck—?"

  That was all Matt could say before the beast was on top of him. It closed the distance and ripped a claw across his chest before he could say four words. Matt stumbled against the wall. He tried to fight back with his knife, but the wolf caught his wrist in its jaws and clamped down. Matt shouted as muscle and tendon were shredded.

  Danny jumped on its back, but that helped very little. The wolf shook violently, throwing the small man through the air. Danny and Matt stumbled as they scurried away, not looking behind them. The wolf didn't chase.

  It turned its attention to Kevin.

  He stood defensively, his hand still on his stone. The other hand clutched at his throbbing ribs. Without more magic, he was defenseless, but didn't worry. The werewolf wasn't there to hurt him, or it would have already ripped his throat out.

  "Thank you," he said. "Do I…know you?"

  The werewolf let out a tiny yelp and fell on its side. Kevin thought it was hurt for a moment, until it began to change. He winced as he heard bones breaking. Fur shriveled into skin, and the tone turned lighter. He recognized a pair of female legs, and it finally clicked. Embarrassment settled in from not recognizing her earlier. He'd only met her once, and she'd worn a blanket with her face covered in blood. But he heard enough about her that he felt like he knew her well.

  The woman rested on one knee, keeping her head low. She was adjusting to her new shape and catching her breath.

  "Marie."

  Marie Johnson lifted her chin and smiled. Standing upright, she stretched her arms, and more bones cracked and popped. She was completely naked, her figure exposed for all the world to see. Kevin's cheeks turned red as he caught an inadvertent eyeful. He dropped his gaze to the ground, only keeping her bare feet in view.

  "Do I know you," she repeated. "That's the second time you asked that tonight."

  "I'm not flirting with you. I swear."

  "I know. I just wanted to give you a hard time."

  "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you before."

  "It's okay. I just have one of those faces that blend in."

  That was definitely not true.

  "Anyway," she went on. "The first time we met, I probably didn't leave the best impression."

  "Oh, you definitely left an impression."

  He thought back to that first meeting. Wolf-hunters had kidnapped Tiffany to get to Jack, who'd been working with Marie. Kevin helped where he could, and got a glimpse of the destruction Jack and Marie could cause together. Blood and gore on the walls. Mangled body parts strewn about the floor.

  Jack was an efficient, brutal killer. Apparently, not only did he have a soft spot for Marie, but she could keep up with him.

  That was a scary thought.

  "I can say the same thing about you," Marie said. "I had no ideas witches were real."

  He was tired of staring at the ground.

  "Uh, where are your clothes?"

  Marie laughed.

  "Outside my hotel. I always leave them in the bushes before I go on a run. I thought I'd check on you. It's a good thing I did. Why?" He caught a glimpse of a breast and a smile as she bent over to look up into his eyes. "I'm making you nervous?"

  He looked away, trying to find words.

  "No. It's just…let's at least go inside."

  All it took was a touch from a random key in his pocket to open the back door. He politely held the door for Marie, who flashed him a look of confusion as she walked past.

  "I heard you say you didn't have a key."

  "Well, I wasn't really lying. I don't. But that doesn't matter."

  Kevin tried to follow, then the pain attacked him. He clutched his side and leaned against a nearby hand-truck. Marie stopped when she noticed he wasn't behind her.

  "Are you okay?" she asked.

  She approached him, getting much closer than was comfortable. Almost shoving her nose into his hair, she sniffed him several times, quick and short. Her nose traveled along his torso down to his waist. Kevin didn't even realize he was backing up until he hit the wall.

  "I only smell
the cut on your head. No internal bleeding. You want me to take you to a hospital?"

  "With no clothes on?" he said, smiling. "No, I just need some water."

  Moving past Marie, Kevin grabbed a bottle from the back of one of the shelves. A simple touch, and a few deep swallows. The chilled coldness was delightful. His energy returned, his head wound healed. The ache in his ribs vanished. He stood up, stretching like Marie had done earlier. He used the bathroom sink to wash the blood from his hair.

  He noticed the look on her face. With a smile, he held up the bottle.

  "Just more witch stuff."

  "Uh, Jack left a lot of stuff out."

  They shared a short laugh. Kevin went to move past her, toward Martha's office. Maybe she kept a spare shirt or jacket around.

  "Let's get you some clothes," he said. "What are you doing here, anyway—?"

  Marie grabbed his arm and pulled him down. He nearly collapsed from her strength. She clamped a hand over his mouth and cocked her head.

  "Shhhh," she said.

  He remained quiet as she released her hold. Listening intently, the only thing he heard was the quiet hum of the refrigerated shelves.

  "What?" he whispered softly.

  "Someone's here. They're coming in through the front door."

  "Those two assholes?"

  "No. Just one." Her nose wrinkled. "She doesn't smell very good."

  "She?"

  "Yeah. A woman."

  "Hell, it's probably just—"

  "Hey, Kevin!" Martha called out. "Are you in here?"

  He stood and pushed the door open to the front. Martha was near the counter, looking through the security monitors. She looked up and smiled when she noticed him.

  "I'm so sorry I'm late."

  His irritation at her returned.

  "Where were you?"

  "I had a small emergency come up."

  That was it. She wasn't going to share any more details. Kevin wasn't sure if he was okay with that or not.

  "You kind of threw me to the wolves, here. I didn't even know how to use the register."

  "I know." Her tone was apologetic. "Believe me, if I could, I would have—"

  She fell silent and her eyes grew large. She stared at something past his shoulder. He turned, and to his surprise, stood Marie, still very much naked. She didn't blush, didn't try to cover up. Kevin wondered how old she was, and at what age did a supernatural creature's modesty vanish?

  "Hi," she said. "I'm Marie."

  Kevin was acutely aware of how the scene looked. He closed his eyes in frustration, wondering what to say. The truth was almost too much to believe.

  "Well," Martha said. She wasn't angry at all, only amused. She put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Exactly what did I interrupt here?"

  "It's not what it looks like."

  "Oh, really?"

  "Yes," Marie said. "Kevin's cute, but he's not that cute. The only thing you interrupted was him getting beaten. It's a good thing I showed up when I did."

  "Hey, come on," Kevin said. "I was not getting beaten."

  "It sure looked that way to me."

  "Wait," Martha said, holding up her hand. "There was a fight?"

  Marie spoke for him.

  "Yeah. He was taking out the trash, and two guys jumped him. I gave him a hand."

  "And then you decided to get naked?" she said, laughing. "I'm sorry, but that's—"

  Her thoughts drifted off. Her eyes went from Marie to Kevin, back and forth. A look of panic crossed her face.

  "Martha, are you okay—?"

  He didn't even see where she had the flashlight. She aimed it at both Kevin and Marie, the tip of her finger barely covering the lens. The magical blinding light struck home, forcing his eyes shut. He bent over and held out a hand. Marie winced in pain behind him and cursed.

  A hand grabbed his wrist.

  "Kevin!" Martha shouted. "Come on!"

  She dragged him to the front door. He nearly stumbled over his own feet.

  "What?! What's going on?"

  "She's a werewolf!"

  "Martha!" She refused to listen. The bell rang as she opened the door. He forcefully pulled his hand away. "Martha! I know!"

  Finally, she stopped. His vision was still blurry. He could make out Martha's hazy outline, and a warped view of the storefront. There was the sound of cans hitting the floor behind him. Marie had stumbled into a shelf.

  "What do you mean, you know?" Martha asked.

  Kevin rolled his eyes.

  "I know Marie is a werewolf. She knows I'm a witch. We know each other."

  Martha looked up at the ceiling and scoffed. She was in a state of shock and disgust.

  "You're friends with a vampire," she said. "And now a werewolf. Kevin, how many times do I have to say it? We're on our own. Everyone else, they want to kill us." She stood protectively next to Kevin and looked Marie up and down. "Are you here for Aggie?"

  Marie squinted to see.

  "Who the hell is Aggie?"

  "Where's the rest of your group?"

  "My group?"

  "Your pack. Where's the rest?"

  "I don't have a pack. I like to keep to myself. And…Martha, is it? I'd be very careful about asking too many questions about a pack." She smiled, but it came off more like a snarl. "It's a touchy subject."

  Martha wasn't fazed by the threat.

  "My friend is on the way to battle with some werewolves. And then you show up. I don't think it's a coincidence."

  Marie rolled her eyes.

  "I've been here for weeks," she said, pointing at Kevin. "Keeping an eye on him."

  "What?" Kevin said, frowning. "Why?"

  "Can we talk somewhere else?" she said, putting a hand on her bare hip. "Maybe somewhere I can get some clothes?"

  He glanced at Martha.

  "Can we go back to your house?"

  She wasn't happy, but relented and shrugged.

  "Yeah, sure. But I didn't drive here. Walking home might not be a good idea."

  Kevin reached for his backpack.

  "That's okay."

  He dug out one of many pictures of Martha's basement he kept with him. Using the wall next to the counter, he drew the two connecting portals. Marie leaned over Kevin's shoulder, peering into the shimmering gateway.

  "Shit," she said. "This is just like what you did at Sandy Cliffs."

  "It's a little different." Kevin waved his hand through the portal to demonstrate. "You can step through this."

  "Are you kidding me? Where is this?"

  "Martha's house, just down the street."

  "Holy shit."

  Kevin merely smiled, then looked at Martha.

  "The elderly first?"

  "I've got your elderly," she said. "You go on ahead. I still have to lock up here." She glared at Marie. "Be respectful of my home. And if you try anything with Kevin—"

  "Martha, stop, please," Kevin said.

  "Okay, okay. But watch her," Martha warned. "Werewolves have the tendency to be aggressive."

  "Yeah, you know us werewolves," Marie said. "We're all the same."

  Kevin ushered Marie forward, to avoid more tension. He stepped through the portal first, wanting to ease her mind. She followed, and he closed the portal behind them. He kept an eye on her as he moved to the couch. She took in her new surroundings, frowning at the cobwebs in the corners. She sniffed carefully. Traveling through a portal was normal for Kevin, but he remembered his first few times, the feeling of disorientation. The sudden change in scenery, the temperature, even the air.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  "Yeah, just…checking things out. I smell Martha everywhere." Her nose wrinkled. "She doesn't smell very good." Her eyes fell on the blanket next to him. "Ah, but that will do."

  Kevin stiffened as Marie leaned in next to him. Body parts drew closer than he was comfortable with. She wrapped the blanket around herself and resumed her study of Martha's basement.

  Her nose twitched. She pulled
the blanket to her nose.

  "I forgot you had a cat."

  Oscar must have known someone was talking about him. He, as well as Sebastian, stood at the bottom of the steps. Marie looked eyes with the pair, and Oscar let out a hiss before they sprinted back upstairs.

  "Yeah. His name's—"

  She shook her head.

  "Just keep it away from me."

  She continued to smell the blanket. She noticed his open suitcase on the floor in the corner, next to a basket of dirty clothes. Kevin watched in disbelief as she not only smelled through his suitcase, but the basket as well. Dropping to one knee, she went through item after item. Socks, shirts, jeans, and even underwear.

  "Uh, Marie?" he said. "What are you doing?"

  "Getting to know you. Jack didn't really tell me too much."

  "Jack? What does Jack have to do with anything?"

  "He's the one who sent me. I've been here ever since you first got here. I think we saw each other when you first pulled up."

  Kevin shook his head, still confused.

  "But…why? What's going on?"

  Marie didn't stop rummaging through his clothes as she spoke.

  "Jack called me up, said you needed someone to look after you. We worked out a little business arrangement." She turned and smiled devilishly. "And maybe a little more."

  He tried to block out images of the cursed human and werewolf having sex.

  "Ah, Jack," he said. "And he always says he doesn't care."

  "He doesn't."

  "Uh, what?"

  She sniffed a sock.

  "I remember, because it made me laugh. He said 'I don't give a shit about that broom-stroking cat licker. But he'll hurt himself and cry if you don't babysit him.' And he calls you Glinda. Did you know that?"

  "Yes, I know," he said, rolling his eyes. "How did you even know I was here? I didn't tell Jack. I didn't tell anyone."

  It was Marie's turn for an eye roll.

  "You've known Jack longer than me. Do you really think you can hide from him?"

  "No. I guess not."

  "Anyway," she said. "I've just been here watching you. But I don't know why. Don't be offended, but I thought witches would be much more exciting. I've been so bored these past few weeks."