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

  She rolled her eyes as she slouched in the chair.

  "Don't remind me. I love them, but I'm so tired. I'm sleeping in until noon tomorrow. You mind if I shower here? Tracy beat me to the bathroom."

  Kevin laughed. Tracy was Leese's roommate, and loved her hot showers.

  "Sure. You want something to eat? There's plenty here."

  "No, but thanks. I'll eat at the restaurant." She had one foot on the basement stairs, and enough energy to blow a flirty kiss. "Don't peek."

  "I'll try not to."

  He enjoyed dinner while listening to Leese shower in the basement. She sang, badly, and it took effort not to choke on his steak with laughter. The bathroom in the basement didn't have a door. He completely lost it when he heard Leese shouting at Oscar. The cat strolled into the bathroom and scared Leese when he jumped at the curtain.

  "Kevin!" she shouted. "Come and get your cat!"

  He set his dirty dishes in the sink and peered into the basement. He hoped Leese couldn't sense his smile.

  "What?" he said. "He thinks you're hot."

  "You are supposed to be spying on me. Not Oscar."

  The slinky cat trotted up the stairs. He stopped at Kevin's feet, just long enough for a quick mew and a scratch behind the ears.

  "Good boy, Oscar."

  *****

  Kevin was on the couch watching television when the shower stopped. Leese stepped out wearing only a towel. He'd brought her clothes from upstairs, but she didn't bother reaching for them. Instead, she joined him. Stretching her lean legs out, she shifted a few times before getting comfortable. He rested a hand on her side as she snuggled her head in his lap.

  "Sorry if I'm getting you wet."

  "You can get me wet whenever you want."

  "What are you doing tonight?"

  "Just what I'm doing now."

  "You're not going to visit Tiffany?"

  He laughed. They both had grown close to Jack's adopted daughter, much to Jack's dismay.

  "Not tonight. Jack's been in a bad mood. More than usual."

  Leese winced at the thought. Jack wasn't known for his pleasant demeanor. For him to be in an active, noticeable bad mood spoke volumes.

  "Is he still mad?" Leese asked. "About Oscar?"

  Kevin cringed as the memory came back. Oscar was a well-behaved cat, but there were times he liked to run. He ripped through Jack's home one evening during a visit, while he was cooking dinner. He crashed into a lamp, sprinted over the breakfast bar, knocked plates of food to the floor. Tiffany thought it was hilarious. Jack didn't.

  It was no more damage than Tiffany's young friends did when they had a sleepover. But Jack always had more patience when it came to Tiffany.

  "Uh, yeah, he's still mad. He said I should start playing with kids my own age."

  Leese chuckled so much her towel nearly came undone. She turned on her knees and leaned on Kevin. Her laughter was infectious, and he couldn't help but join in.

  "Jack's such an asshole," she said.

  "I can't argue that."

  "But he is right. You need to play with kids your own age." She swung her leg over his and straddled him. She nearly fell, but he grabbed her hips to steady her. "I'm your age. What do you want to play?"

  He gently tugged at her towel and shifted under her.

  "That depends. How much time do you have before dinner?"

  Leese smiled and leaned closer. She wasted no time in pulling off his shirt.

  Their lips had barely touched when the phone in Leese's purse rang.

  They laughed together as she gently cupped his face. He kissed her neck, drawing a squeal, before she bounded off the couch.

  "I'd better see what's going on."

  Kevin stood with her and reached for his shirt on the floor. Leese was too quick, scooping it with one finger as she teased him. She danced across the basement to her purse. Hands on his hips, he admired the peek-a-boo her body was playing with the towel.

  Leese checked the phone before answering. Unlike vampires and werewolves, Kevin could only hear her side of the conversation.

  "Hey, Cindy. What's up?" Kevin tried to snatch his shirt, only for Leese to hold it behind her. "I'm over Kevin's. You want to say hi?"

  Before Cindy could object, Leese was already tapping at her phone.

  "No. Don't put it on…." She sighed. "Hi, Kevin."

  He laughed. Like Cindy, he didn't like group talk over a speaker-phone. That was a big reason Leese always used it.

  Kevin liked Cindy, Leese's sister-in-law. She was probably smarter than any of them, a large part of why Alex's business was so successful. Leese and Cindy were sisters long before Cindy's marriage to Alex made it official.

  "Hi, Cindy. How's it going?"

  "Good, good." The awkward conversation continued. "What are you up to?"

  "Well, right now I'm trying to get my shirt back from Leese."

  "Oh, Jesus. Sorry I asked. Leese, are you there? Are you even listening?"

  Leese set the phone down to engage Kevin with both hands. They continued to play like children. She stuck her tongue out while pushing him away, moving his shirt about.

  "Yeah, I'm listening."

  "I've been texting you for twenty minutes."

  "Sorry. I just got out of the shower."

  "Can you make it to dinner earlier? Alex might have a job tonight, and my dad was hoping to make it an early night."

  Leese adorably pouted, sticking out her lower lip with exaggeration.

  "But I want to play with my boyfriend."

  "Play with him tomorrow."

  "Oh, alright." She shifted to serious as she picked up the phone. "How early is too early?" She checked the time and ran through routes in her head. "I can be there in twenty minutes."

  "Perfect. I'll see you soon."

  Leese hung up and smiled apologetically. She tucked her phone away as she moved to her clothes. He wasn't happy their time was cut short, but enjoyed watching her drop her towel, slip into her lacy panties and a pair of jeans.

  "Aww," he joked. "I guess playtime is over."

  She fastened her bra and approached to take his hand.

  "I'll make it up to you. Promise. Hey," she said, struck by a thought. "Do you want to come?"

  He smirked at her phrasing. Her cheeks turned red.

  "I meant to dinner. Food. Eat. Drink. You know."

  A touchy subject he'd been carefully avoiding. Alex, Cindy, and Leese had known each other all their lives. They were a tight group. Even as close as Kevin liked to think Leese and he had become, there were still things only the Teagues did together. Dinner with Cindy's parents was an example. Cindy put those plans together, and she didn't invite him. It would have been rude and awkward to invade the Teague family's space.

  "No, thanks." He gestured upstairs. "I'm going to put food away for Kris, clean up the kitchen."

  "Okay." She leaned in for a quick kiss, but quick turned into a thirty-second embrace. She pulled away just enough to give him that smile of hers. "You know, an early night means I can come back over. We can continue that game."

  He slapped her butt.

  "My joystick will be ready." He winced and shook his head. Smooth was never a word used to describe him. "Holy shit, that sounded terrible."

  Leese laughed, not deterred in the least. She put on her blouse and straightened it.

  "Yes, it did. Do I look okay?"

  "Beautiful."

  He'd told her that countless times, and Leese blushed every single time. She approached the wall and gave it a tap.

  "Could you hook me up?"

  "Sure." He retrieved the potion and went to his desk. "Do you know where you're going? Maybe I can get a picture from the web. Save you a few minutes."

  "That's okay. I'd rather drive there. Then I can leave whenever."

  He plucked out another picture of Leese's bedroom.

  "You got it."

  A potion, two portals, and one picture later, Leese kissed Kevin goodbye and approa
ched her bedroom.

  She stopped at the mouth of the portal.

  "Oh, I almost forgot," she said, turning to face him. "We have to talk about something really quick. Something serious."

  He fought panic. They didn't normally make small talk around a portal. It would stay open for several minutes unless he closed it himself. But Leese's roommate didn't know about magic, didn't know about the supernatural world, and she didn't need to. They were always careful in how they went about getting Leese in and out of her apartment. There was no need to change Tracy's life with a misplaced or mistimed portal.

  "Okay," Kevin said, leaning toward her bedroom. The door was open leading to the hall, and he could hear the shower still running. "What's going on?"

  "Listen, uh…."

  Her struggle for words was surprising. She always took the lead in their relationship, always made the first move. If it wasn't for her approaching him at Alex and Cindy's wedding, they might never have talked.

  "My mom's coming to town next week."

  He'd heard a little about Leese's mother. She was a lawyer, and a single mother. Always busy, always away.

  Kevin waited for the rest, but it didn't come. He listened once again for Tracy, getting nervous.

  "Okay, cool," he said. "Uh, that's a good thing, right? I know you haven't seen her in a while."

  "Yeah. So, do you want to meet her?"

  He didn't hesitate.

  "Sure."

  "I was thinking…maybe we could do dinner or something like that."

  "Great," he said, smiling as inspiration struck. "I can cook for you guys."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah." He took her hand. "Are you alright?"

  "Me? Oh, I'm fine. It's just…you know, the meeting-the-parents thing. Some guys run away from that."

  He laughed at the idea. After everything they both had been through, dinner with Leese's mother didn't sound that dangerous.

  "Just let me know when."

  "Good. Awesome." She backed through the portal, nearly tripping. Kevin caught her. Her smile was bright, energetic, nervous. "It'll be just us. No Alex or Cindy."

  "It'll be fun." The shower stopped. Kevin approached the portal and placed his palm near the edge. "You'd better get going. Before Tracy gets nosy."

  She gestured for one more kiss, across the portal.

  "If dinner gets done early, I'll send you a text."

  "Tell everybody I said hi."

  Kevin closed the portal with a drag of his hand. He was alone once again, with only Oscar to keep him company. Oscar settled on the back of the couch, curling into a ball. Kevin stroked his fur as he joined him. Goodbyes still felt strange when it came to portals, even after so many of them. There was no driving away, no watching someone leave from a doorway with a wave. There was only a bare wall. The basement felt empty without Leese's warmth and energy.

  He stored the leftovers for Kristin, although she didn't come home early. He hoped her date was going well, and texted her for confirmation. The simple reply brought a chuckle as he loaded the dishwasher.

  Don't wait up.

  He sprawled out on the couch and mindlessly watched television. Oscar curled up at his feet. The hours passed, and he slowly drifted to sleep.

  CHAPTER 2

  "Kevin."

  The voice was familiar. Male. It sounded close. He cracked one eye open to see the television still on, although he'd muted it sometime in his journey of sleep.

  "Kevin? Are you there?" The tone was urgent, worried.

  "Huh? What?"

  He sat up to see Oscar still at the foot of the couch. In his sleep-induced confusion, he wondered if Oscar had somehow found the ability to talk. Maybe he sipped at one of his potions. The clock on the nightstand informed him it was after two in the morning.

  "Kevin. Answer, damnit."

  The voice finally came to him. He hadn't heard it in a while.

  Alex Teague.

  Kevin rose to his feet and slowly put the pieces together. He was still alone in the basement, although he could hear Kristin rustling about in the dining room above. His gaze fell on the magical quartz stone on the nightstand next to his bed. He'd gone back to using a ring instead of a necklace to house the simple charm.

  He couldn't remember a time Alex had ever used the one he'd given him. Alex never had emergencies, or at least one he couldn't handle.

  Kevin held the stone to his mouth.

  "Yeah. Alex?"

  His voice was as clear as if he were in the room.

  "Shit, finally. I thought I wasn't using this thing right."

  Kevin smiled. Alex, despite only being a few years older, was terrible with technology. It didn't surprise Kevin that he'd wonder about using something magical.

  "I hear you fine. What's up?"

  "Is Alicia at your place? Is she there with you?"

  His heart jumped a moment.

  "No. She was here earlier, but went back to go to dinner with you guys."

  "She didn't show up."

  He heard the words clearly, but still had to verify.

  "What?"

  "We figured she skipped out, to hang out with you. It wouldn't be the first time. I didn't sense she was in any danger, so I didn't think about it."

  "Do you sense anything now?"

  "No, but she's not answering her phone. And if she's not with you, then where the hell is she?"

  Kevin checked his own phone. No missed calls or texts. He tried calling her. It rang until going to voicemail.

  "She's not answering for me, either."

  "I already said that," Alex said, frustrated. "Can you open a portal?"

  He retrieved one of many pictures of the kitchen wall Alex and he had agreed on. Cindy was in the picture, smiling, posing with her hands where the portal should be. Kevin created it quickly.

  Alex stood on the other side. Cindy was behind him, wearing pajamas. She paced in their kitchen as she talked on the phone. Her gestures were animated, stressed. She managed a small wave to Kevin before staring at the floor once again.

  The sight of Alex made Kevin uneasy. He was already dressed like he was expecting something terrible. He wore jeans and a thin tank-top. His choice of shirt wasn't to show off how much time he spent working out. He wore a tank-top when he expected to use his demonic powers.

  Especially his wings.

  Alex approached the portal. He stopped as he neared the edge, turning in place. He addressed someone only he could see.

  "No, Nate. But thanks, though. You stay here, keep an eye on Cindy. If Alicia turns up, just come and get me."

  Alex took another step, only to be interrupted once more. Cindy raced forward and grabbed him by the arm. She gave him a quick kiss.

  "Be careful," she said, then looked at Kevin. "Both of you. I'll keep calling around."

  "Don't worry," Alex said. "We'll find her."

  He joined Kevin in his basement. One swipe of a hand later, the portal was closed. Oscar mewed and approached the guest for attention.

  "You think something happened to her?" Kevin asked.

  Alex sat on the couch, holding his head in his hands.

  "I don't know. Maybe."

  "But you said you didn't sense anything? At all?"

  "I already said. No."

  Kevin didn't know how Alex's demonic powers worked. He barely understood his own powers, much less abilities that belonged to the result of a cult ritual gone wrong. He did know that somehow, Alex made a supernatural tie to the ones he cared about. He could sense when they were in danger.

  "Has that ever happened before?" he asked. "Someone in trouble, but you not sensing it?"

  Alex was growing irritated at the line of questioning. He threw his hands in the air.

  "Look, just call it brotherly intuition. Okay? Alicia's always either with you, with us, or at her apartment. And we can't find her. Will you help me out?"

  Kevin took a breath, trying to prepare mentally and think clearly.

  "Yeah. Hold o
n one second."

  He only needed two things. One was the magical stone he always had with him. The other was a map. He grabbed an atlas from the collection of books on his desk. Alex leaned back and waved his hand as Kevin blew the dust off the cover. The book hadn't been used for some time. He found a map of Maryland.

  Kevin held the stone over the book and pointed his other hand at the wall. Closing his eyes briefly, he thought of Leese. Her blond hair, perfect skin, wonderful smile.

  Nothing happened.

  "Uh," Alex said. "What are you doing?"

  Kevin blinked in confusion.

  "Leese has a stone. She always has it. She wears it around her neck. I should be able to find her."

  "Okay." Alex leaned forward, studying the map. "Maybe she's not in Maryland?"

  Kevin didn't think that likely, but it was possible.

  "Alright. Well, let's see…."

  He flipped through the atlas until he found what he was looking for. A topographical map of the United States. He went through the same motions.

  Still nothing.

  Alex rambled, grasping at different ideas.

  "Could your stone be broken? Or how about the maps?" He eyed Kevin. "Or maybe you?"

  Kevin scowled as he glared at Alex.

  "I'm not broken."

  He thought of others who had a stone, and the spell worked exactly as it should. Magical dots appeared on the map, over various locations, along with an accompanying picture on the wall, as if his hand were a projector.

  "See? There's Zoey, Tiffany, Victoria in Oregon, doing whatever she's doing. It works."

  "So, then where's Alicia?"

  He had no answer, and worry began to take over. He quickly shoved it aside as another idea came to him.

  There were other spells, some more expensive than others. There was more than one magical way to skin a cat.

  He closed the atlas and put it away. His eyes drifted over the shelves as he recalled the recipe. He'd forgotten one ingredient, and had to double-check what he'd written in his family's spell-book.

  "Ah," he said. "Parsley."

  "What?" Alex said.

  Kevin said nothing. He prepared a pot of water for a boil and gathered ingredients in his arms. Alex was quiet, watching him bounce through the basement.

  "Can you grab that jar on the last rack there?" Kevin asked. "With the orange top. And please, don't drop it."