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

  Leese's jaw hung open.

  It was a drawing of a boy, of Michael, surrounded by demons. He sat on a bed as they crawled out of the closet, the floor, the walls.

  "I was scared, at first. Then they started taking over my body. And I realized. I was a part of something. They looked out for me, kept me company. I was their window to this world. I…had friends."

  His eyes welled with tears, and for a brief second, Leese felt sorry for him.

  "Then my parents came home from one of their little vacations. They ruined everything. They put me in an institution, and started bringing in priests. I didn't want them to go. Not my friends." His face twisted with anger. "And every time they brought one of those assholes in, every time they tried to free me…it hurt. It hurt me, it hurt my friends. My family. I was finally happy. And my parents wanted to hurt us."

  He turned over another page. The sketch showed a house on fire, with people spread out across the lawn. Limbs were dismembered, demons ran amok. Leese didn't ask about the meaning behind it. She had a guess.

  "It took time, but they finally won. My friends left." Tears ran freely. "But I didn't give up. I collected books from all over the world. I read about witches and magic, the amazing things they could do. I learned some of their language. With magic, I'll finally be able to bring my friends back."

  Leese was quiet as she tried to absorb this new information. Her first thought was simple. Michael was crazy. He was broken. Alex told her before that demonic possession could cause permanent harm to a human. Sometimes, there was no complete recovery.

  A part of Michael's mind left when his friends did.

  "I don't know what books you've been reading, but Kevin, even as strong as he is, he can't—"

  "You keep bringing up Kevin," he said, amused. "Kevin, Kevin. This isn't about your boyfriend. I've got my own witch, my own magic. This is about Alex. He's the one I want."

  She was stunned. Everything she'd believed, that Alex and Cindy believed, over the past few months, was all wrong.

  "But…you hired witch-hunters."

  He laughed.

  "I hired men I thought could control your brother and boyfriend, while I experimented with some magic. They'd get the witch out of the deal, I'd get Alex."

  Leese felt sick and lost. Kevin had altered their lives because he thought he put her in danger. He wasn't even the target.

  Her own family had been in danger, and she never realized.

  "What do you want with my brother?"

  "His powers."

  The window behind her lowered. Leese protectively wrapped an arm around Cindy. The driver turned to speak. It was the first time Leese paid attention to him. He wasn't like the thug Michael hired to break into her apartment. The driver was neat and well-dressed, his movements stiff and proper.

  "Sir," he said. "We're almost there."

  "Great, Evan. Thank you."

  Evan raised the window. Leese didn't loosen her hold on Cindy. Michael set his childhood book aside and lowered his own window. He didn't bother hiding the view from Leese. She caught flashes of the outside. A wooden fence, a thicket of trees, moonlight. There weren't any homes or buildings.

  "Do you even know anything about your brother?" he asked, his tone accusing. "Does he?"

  Leese didn't answer.

  "Witches, werewolves, all the other creatures, they have others. But not Alex. He's one of a kind. The demons, you see, they choose. Every so often. They choose someone to be theirs, someone to love. Someone to grant their blessing. And, I really believe, if it weren't for my parents—" He said the word with disdain. "They would have chosen me."

  She still didn't speak. She was afraid to. With every passing second, the cool demeanor of Michael seemed to slip. His lip twitched, his eyes danced in darkness.

  "But…." He sighed. "They chose him. And what does he do? How does he use their gifts? He starts a business. He uses the most powerful forces in the supernatural world to make money. A part of me doesn't blame him. But Alicia, and I really don't like feeling this way, I think I'm starting to hate your brother. I just want my family. I've missed them so much. But Alex, he uses them."

  The limousine slowed to a stop. Michael let out a quiet, excited Ah, then took a drink of water. Leese heard the driver's door open and close.

  The door opened next to Leese. An arm reached in and grabbed Cindy.

  "No," Leese said. She wrapped her arms around Cindy's neck and pulled. "You don't touch my sister."

  The struggle lasted only a moment before Michael spoke.

  "Alicia."

  She turned her head to see him aiming his pistol. He angled it toward Leese, but then shifted the barrel toward Cindy.

  "This is getting old," he said. "I don't like pointing this thing, over and over. And I really only need one of you. Are you going to behave?"

  Leese tried to think. What could she do? She knew what she wanted to do. Gouge out his eye, break his nose, choke the life from both Michael and his driver Evan.

  But those weren't options. At least not yet.

  She nodded, answering his question.

  "Good. Now, help Evan with Cindy, please. It's a good walk."

  Evan reached for Cindy again, but Leese pushed him back, glaring at him.

  "No. I'll get her."

  Leese wrestled Cindy out of the limousine. She held her up by the waist while trying to slip under her arm. Only then did Evan circle around and slide under her free arm. They held Cindy's weight between them.

  As Leese's hand brushed across Cindy's back pocket, she felt something.

  It was the familiar protrusion of a phone. Whoever grabbed Cindy from her house, whether it was Evan or someone else, never bothered to remove it.

  Leese plucked it from her jeans and discretely shoved it into her own pocket. She pulled her shirt down as far as it would go. Panic set in. Did Evan notice? Did Michael? Neither one of them reacted.

  They were too busy staring at a huge house, possibly rivaling Victoria's in size.

  "What is this place?" she asked.

  "It's an old boarding school," Michael said. "It closed down decades ago, after one of the cleaning staff lost her mind and killed twenty-seven kids, and three teachers. It's been haunted ever since. There's a lot of energy here." He smiled at her, his tone jovial once again. "A good place to summon up some demons."

  She didn't know what bothered her more. When he was angry, or happy.

  "Fuck you."

  He laughed, not bothered in the least. With a wink, he gestured to Cindy.

  "Don't drop her, now. Let's get going. We've got a lot of work to do."

  Michael retrieved a briefcase from the front seat and led the way. Evan and Leese walked slowly with Cindy in between them. Leese took in the boarding school ahead. Even without the brief history lesson, the place would have unnerved her. Time had begun to take over. Years of disrepair had taken its toll. Windows and shutters were missing. Nature had made its mark as well, with vines reaching along the exterior walls, and tree limbs poking through windows. The school was engulfed in darkness, except for the light of the moon.

  The smell got worse as they drew closer. Mold and grime. Leese tried to cover her nose as best she could. Cindy nearly slipped from her grasp.

  "Watch it," Evan growled. "Be careful. Don't want to drop the precious cargo."

  Michael pulled out a flashlight and opened the front door. It creaked and nearly toppled over as a hinge broke.

  The inside of the school was worse than the outside. Destroyed furniture and chunks of wall missing. The dead carcass of a deer lay in the far corner. The floor groaned under her feet.

  "Don't worry, it won't fall apart on you," Michael said, reading her mind. "The bedrooms on the east side I'm a little worried about, but we'll just stay away from there."

  Leese's mind raced. She eyed up rooms and hallways, trying to think of what to do. The phone felt like a lifeline in her pocket, but it might as well have been a brick. Even if she could
get away, who would she call? She didn't have a single phone number memorized, a normal symptom of smartphones. The police wouldn't be able to help, even if she knew exactly where they were. She wasn't even sure if they were in Maryland anymore.

  She thought she saw a flash of movement as they rounded a corner. Then it was gone.

  "You can feel it, can't you?" Michael asked. "The spirits in this place. The ghosts. All trapped between realms." He peered over his shoulder and gave her an angry glare. "I guess Alex could help them all. For a price, of course."

  "Shut up. You don't know my brother."

  She nearly fell as they walked down another hallway, taking Cindy with her. Regaining her footing, she struggled to hold Cindy up. Evan reached out to help, his hand brushing against her hip. She recoiled away, her temper flaring.

  "Don't touch me."

  She tugged at her shirt again, to cover her pockets.

  The boarding school was a maze. She tried to keep track of where they were going, the turns they made, but it was useless. Every dead hallway looked like the other.

  Michael led them to a set of double doors, and made a grand display of pushing them open. They stepped into what looked like a classroom, larger than most. Rotting desks and chairs were littered about.

  The one thing that stuck out was a conference table near the front. It was brand new, with papers and glass jars taking up one half.

  "This is the old lecture hall. I think the last victim was actually killed here. Evan, please, if you could—" He gestured to Cindy, then the table. "Set Mrs. Teague there. I think you and Alicia could use a rest."

  She squeezed Cindy's shoulder gently after they settled her on the table. Her lungs were on fire, her breathing labored. Every muscle in her body hurt. Evan smiled and winked at her as he backed up a step.

  Leese wanted to kill him.

  She glanced at the papers and jars. The first thoughts that crossed her mind were of witchcraft. She recognized the witch's language, and the jars immediately reminded her of Kevin. Some contained mundane powders and liquids, while others held what looked to be parts of animals.

  The rumbling of an engine filled the hall. Michael was in the corner, pulling the cord of a generator. It roared to life, and he walked the perimeter of the room. The room was lined with spotlights. He turned on one after another, pushing away the darkness. Leese didn't notice them when they first entered. Leese shaded her eyes while her vision adjusted. The preparation Michael put into his twisted, insane thoughts was staggering.

  "Okay," he said. "We are moving right along."

  He moved to the conference table and glanced through a few papers before opening his briefcase. With a smile, he pulled out several vials.

  Leese braced herself as he approached, holding out a vial. Whatever magic inside was milky white. She frowned when he stopped next to Cindy.

  He held the vial over her.

  "What are you doing?" Leese asked, stepping forward. "What is that? What are you giving her?"

  Evan snatched her wrist, pulling her away.

  "Don't worry," Michael said. "It won't hurt her."

  He parted her lips with his finger and poured a few drops into her mouth. Just watching him touch Cindy made her stiffen in anger. Leese didn't know what would happen, but Cindy didn't respond. There was no movement, not even a twitch.

  Michael took a deep breath, almost disappointed. What was supposed to happen?

  "Okay," he said. "Now this is the part that's going to hurt."

  With no hesitation, he pulled the gun from his waistband, and shot Cindy in the thigh. Leese jumped as the sound penetrated the eerie silence around them.

  The shock hit Leese first, freezing every muscle. But then the anger took over, and she moved. She broke free from Evan's grip and rushed forward. The last thing she saw before pouncing on Michael was the look of fear on his face.

  She tackled him around the waist and drove him to the ground. Her first punch was the best, striking the bridge of his nose. There was a satisfying crunch as blood rushed out. She landed two more glancing blows, across the cheek and jaw. She raised her first again.

  That's when the pain kicked in.

  Leese screamed as her hand flared. Michael wasn't lying when he spoke of magical protection. She looked at her hand to see it blistering, the skin turning red. There wasn't even time to process that her flesh was burning when Evan wrapped an arm around her throat. Her eyes widened as he squeezed tightly and hoisted her to her feet. She couldn't breathe. She gripped his arm, her hand still burning, and kicked with her legs. Evan responded by lifting her into the air, her feet completely off the ground. He was choking the life from her. The room started to go dark.

  "Evan, stop!" Michael shouted. "Let her down!"

  "But—"

  "I said let her go!"

  He dropped Leese. She landed on her hands and knees. The pain continued to ravage her hand. She turned on her side to cradle her ruined skin. Evan snarled as he seized the moment for more punishment. He pulled his foot back and kicked her in the stomach. Leese coughed and gagged as she struggled to breathe.

  "Evan," Michael said calmly. "If you hurt her again, without me telling you to…." He left the threat open-ended. Evan simply nodded.

  Michael shook his head sadly at Leese as he walked around the room.

  "I told you. Do not touch me."

  Leese watched him through tears of pain. He placed jars topped with fire in the corners of the room. The smell coming from them was atrocious. The last one he kept with him, holding it carefully at arm's length.

  She looked at Cindy. Blood poured down her leg, off the conference table into a pool on the floor, but she still didn't move. Not even a gunshot could pull her out of the magical coma.

  "You…shot…Cindy," she struggled to say.

  He seemed regretful.

  "I did. It's the best way to get your brother here. That potion I gave her, makes her visible again. Alex can sense her again. And now she's hurt. So, he'll come. It'll take him a few demonic visions to figure out where, but he'll come. And he'll be angry, unprepared, wild."

  She pulled herself into a sitting position and let out a laugh. She didn't know where the humor came from. She wasn't sure if it was the insanity behind Michael's plan, or the thought of what Alex would do.

  "He's going to kill you," she said, through gritted teeth. She eyed Michael and Evan both. "You want to see what he can do? What powers he has? Oh, he'll show you."

  Michael smiled, setting her on edge.

  "I know." He gestured around them, then held up the flaming jar. "That's why we're here. Every time he uses a power. Walks through a wall, talks to a ghost, I'll siphon a little of him."

  He took a deep drink. The fire danced around Michael's face, but didn't burn him. He had to stop and gag before taking a second drink, finishing the potion.

  The flaming jars around the room burst upward in unison before dying down.

  "Soon, your brother will be human," he said. "And I'll have my family back. I don't think he'll survive having his powers ripped away. And I'm sorry about that."

  The world faded around Leese for a moment. She was so tired. Was it shock? Her blistered, mangled hand? Another magic spell?

  She tried leaning on her elbow, only for her arm to collapse under her. The world faded again, this time much longer than a moment, as she slid into unconsciousness.

  *****

  "Alicia! Hey!"

  The voice called from the darkness. A hand grabbed her shoulder, shaking gently.

  "Alicia, come on."

  She opened her eyes. The black turned to gray, and then other colors poked through. A blue shirt, dark jeans. A concerned face she recognized all too well.

  "Alex," she muttered. Leese almost didn't recognize her own voice.

  "Yeah," he said gently. He looked all around them. "What…is going on here? How did you and Cindy get here?"

  "Cindy…."

  She sat up, slowly, with her brother's h
elp. Her vision cleared as she took in their surroundings. They were still in the lecture hall, but Michael and Evan were nowhere to be seen. Cindy lay motionless on the conference table. The leg of her jeans had been cut away from the thigh down. The bullet had been removed, with fresh bandages wrapped around the wound. Did Michael tend to her? Did Alex?

  "She won't wake up," he said. He grabbed the empty jar that Michael drank from. "Who did this?"

  Her thoughts were jumbled.

  "Trap," she said. "They…didn't want Kevin. They never did. It was you."

  "What? Who?"

  Alex jumped, as if hearing something behind him. Leese heard nothing.

  "There's something weird about this place. I see ghosts, and then, they're gone." He leaned against the table, next to his wife. "And I'm so tired."

  Leese pulled herself together. Alex was losing his powers, his touch to the demon world.

  "Get Cindy," she said. "We need to get away from here."

  He didn't ask any more questions. Nodding in agreement, he scooped Cindy in his arms. His knees buckled. Leese grabbed him by the shoulder to help steady him.

  "I lost my night vision when I first came here," he said. "I don't know where we're going."

  She sighed. Neither did she. But they wouldn't get away by standing still, wondering where to go.

  "We have to hurry. Before they—"

  A gunshot rang out. Alex shouted out as he collapsed. Cindy fell on top of him, awkwardly landing on the floor. Leese dove for her family, not thinking about her own safety. Alex's shoulder was stained red under his shirt.

  "Are you okay?" she asked, lying flat next to him.

  Even amid the hell they were in, their sense of sibling communication hadn't wavered. Alex rolled his eyes and gestured to the growing pool of blood under his arm.

  "What do you think?" he whispered.

  A voice called out.

  "I've never been able to see in the dark before." It was Michael. "Not even when the demons were inside me. This is…wonderful."

  Leese peered under the conference table to see Michael and Evan emerging from the shadows. They were there the entire time, just waiting for Alex to arrive. Waiting for him to scout the place, use his powers, drain him.