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

  There was a way to help Leese. He simply had to find it.

  His thoughts were a mess. What had they done to her? Why? He tried to concentrate on magic, running through random potions in his head. Thinking about magic sometimes spawned more magic. He thought of Leese. She was the most amazing woman he knew. There was a strength to her Kevin wasn't sure she saw herself. She was surrounded by the supernatural, and never batted an eye. She told him the story of how she and a group of others fought off wild vampires during a baseball game by barricading themselves in a store. Kevin wondered if she had more experience with the supernatural than he did.

  Leese was important to him. He'd had girlfriends before, women he cared about. One even shared his secret. But none of them were Leese.

  "I'm so sorry," he whispered, squeezing her hand. "We'll figure this thing out."

  There was movement behind him. He turned to see Alex and Cindy, walking into the room. He started to ask for an update, but the look on Cindy's face froze him. She glanced at Leese and broke down. Alex had to hold her shoulders to keep her from collapsing. Kevin shot to his feet, but didn't know what else to do.

  Alex's face was pale, his eyes empty. He stared at his sister. His expression was unreadable.

  "What's going on?" Kevin asked.

  Neither said a word for almost a minute. Cindy was the first to speak, after blowing her nose and wiping her eyes.

  "They, uh, the doctors, they say her body is physically fine. Her brain, they still have to run some tests—"

  "They don't know what's wrong," Alex interjected. "They don't want to say the word coma, but they don't have a clue. How could they? Whatever is going on, it's magical."

  "Wait," Kevin said. "We don't know that—"

  "Can you do anything? Or not?"

  Kevin was taken aback. He looked to Cindy for help, only to see the same expectant, hopeful eyes.

  "You saw," he said. "You both saw me try, so many times. The healing…it's just not working."

  "Is there someone you can call? Some kind of witch professor or something?"

  He let out a polite smile, only because he thought it was another attempt at a joke.

  "Is something funny?" Alex asked.

  "No, no. Sorry. There's no professor or anything."

  Alex shook his head in disgust.

  "Useless."

  Kevin finally snapped. Giving his best scowl, he turned away from Leese to give Alex his full attention.

  "Hey. What is your problem?"

  Cindy looked up. Alex gestured to Leese before Cindy could say anything.

  "My problem? Look at my sister. What do you think my problem is?"

  "No. I've been letting it slide, but you've been giving me shit ever since you called me for help. Why?"

  "You seriously want to do this here? With Alicia laying right there?"

  "Stop. Both of you," Cindy said, eyeing the two of them dangerously. She took Alex's hand. "Not here, baby."

  Kevin clenched his eyes shut and tried to calm down. But Cindy's words and tone only confirmed something was happening that he wasn't aware of.

  "Sorry," he said, lowering his voice. "But what is going on?"

  Alex and Cindy stared at one another. Seconds passed. They were having a silent conversation, something Kevin had seen many times. The pair had known each other since childhood. Just a look was sometimes enough between the two of them.

  "Come with me," Alex said, leaving the room.

  Cindy followed him out, and they stopped a few rooms away, near a tiny kitchen. Kevin joined the husband and wife. He watched to see who would speak first.

  "Before I even called you," Alex began. "When I first thought something happened to Alicia, I knew it was you."

  "Uh, what?" Kevin said, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

  "Kevin, it's always you. The first night I met you, people had taken your own sister. Then, Zoey almost got killed not long ago. Again, because people were hunting you. And now, Alicia."

  He was stunned. Cindy said nothing, and he took her silence as agreement with Alex. They'd obviously talked about all of this before. His mind fumbled for a defense of any kind.

  "You can't blame Zoey on me," he said. "She came to help me."

  "Oh, so witch-hunters burned down your work, but we shouldn't count that?"

  Kevin didn't appreciate the angry, sarcastic tone.

  "You don't have to be a dick."

  Alex held up his hands, and truly appeared apologetic.

  "Hey, I'm not trying to throw blame around. I'm just saying how I feel. This isn't just the overprotective brother being crazy. We all like you, Kevin. And Alicia adores you. I've never seen her happier. At first, I was glad she finally found someone that treats her right, makes her smile. But—" There was sadness in his eyes. "You're not good for her." He gestured to her room. "As you can see."

  Guilt gnawed at Kevin. He didn't want to believe he was at fault for Leese lying in a hospital bed.

  "I don't get this," he said. "One of Leese's best friends is a vampire. You are…whatever it is you are. She's grown up around weird shit all her life. But all this is getting put on me?"

  "People don't come after Victoria," Alex said. "They don't come after me. No one cares about us. But people out there want to kill you, and they'll use anyone they can to do it. Alicia got caught in the middle."

  Kevin opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He didn't know what to say. He regarded Cindy, who stood with tears still running down her cheeks.

  "What do you think?" he asked.

  Cindy sniffled and squeezed Alex's hand.

  "I think you're the best thing that's ever happened to Leese. And, maybe…the worst."

  He said nothing, chewing on their words. The couple wasn't angry and lashing out. Alex was clear, concise, his anger gone. He'd obviously had his opinion on Kevin for some time.

  A familiar voice spoke behind them.

  "Hey!"

  They turned to see the beautiful redhead waving from the end of the hall. Victoria jogged toward them, a strange sight. She could move at great speed, and watching her jog, to purposely move slow, was unnatural. She hugged each of them, her own emotions seeping through as she held Cindy.

  "Victoria," Kevin said. "I didn't know you were flying home."

  "Of course," she said. "I got here as fast as I could."

  "Why didn't you have Kevin make a portal?" Cindy asked.

  "I wanted to make some calls on the way, get a hold of a few doctors." She peered past them down the hall. "They told me it's not like anything they've seen before."

  Kevin pushed away a stab of anger. It didn't surprise him that despite not being family, Victoria had her own way of getting answers. It still stung, though, being the only one left in the dark.

  "Yeah, she's…." Cindy trailed off, trying to fight more sobs.

  "They used a potion or something," Alex said.

  Kevin rolled his eyes.

  "We don't know that. You keep saying—"

  "You can't cure her?" Victoria asked.

  All eyes went to him again. Frustration set in at having to constantly repeat bad news.

  "No. I don't know why. I'm not sure what's going on. Okay?"

  She grabbed his shoulder.

  "Just relax. We'll solve this." She looked at Alex. "We'll tear apart that farmhouse where you found her. Every inch. Then—"

  "Guys?"

  The voice made Kevin's heart jump. He turned, and didn't believe his eyes. Leese stood in the doorway to her room, leaning against the frame. She was tired, her eyes barely open, dazed and confused.

  He didn't believe it was really her until her knees shook. She ran the hospital gown through her fingers.

  "What the fuck am I wearing?"

  Leese slid downward. The chaos started. Cindy reached her first. She held Leese's arm, preventing her from sprawling on the floor. Alex was only a second behind. He held his sister up, looking about wildly and screaming for help. Victoria rushed to
aid, and then the nurses and orderlies streamed from behind desks and other rooms.

  The only person that didn't move was Kevin.

  He wanted to, but his legs wouldn't work. He wanted to run to Leese and hold her close, take her in his arms, assure her he'd always protect her.

  The only problem was he didn't think that was true.

  Alex and Cindy's words haunted him. Part of him wanted to dismiss them. They cared about Leese. They were just watching out for her. They'd probably question every guy that came into Leese's life.

  But deep down, he knew they were right. Leese would never be safe. She'd never be able to live a normal life. Not while he was around. She'd always have to look over her shoulder, wonder when and where the next threat was coming from.

  Leese finally saw him. Her face brightened as she smiled. She held out her hand, gesturing for him to come to her. That was who she was. She didn't blame him, didn't lash out with anger at being a pawn in a witch-hunter's plan.

  Leese was the best part of his life.

  He was going to miss her terribly.

  *****

  Michael Tavers watched the scene from the opposite end of the hall. A nurse nearly knocked him over as she rounded the corner, trying to reach young Alicia Teague and family. Michael blended in perfectly, mopping the floor to a pristine shine. No one questioned the uniform he wore, or the supply cart he pushed.

  What almost ended up a disaster, didn't turn out so bad after all.

  He knew they'd find Alicia. They were too talented, too powerful not to. What he didn't expect was for them to literally find her in mere hours, not days. They almost ruined everything. Michael had no idea how the potion worked, or if it even worked at all. He wanted to watch Alicia, see how her body reacted to the magic he exposed her to.

  Then they showed up at the farm. Even a day later, he still had no idea how. The men he hired didn't have a chance. Despite their training, weaponry, sheer numbers, they failed miserably. Alex and Kevin ripped Alicia away from him. They took her to a hospital for doctors to work their modern-day medicine. All the research, experimenting, years of work, could have easily been for nothing.

  But, somehow, everything worked out.

  The magic potion was a success. He knew simply by watching Alicia, seeing the helpless expressions on her loved ones' faces. The circumstances were different. They weren't at the farm, or her apartment, like he'd planned. But he had to call it a success all the same.

  The sea of medical staff continued to swarm her. Kevin mysteriously kept his distance, but Alex and Cindy were at her side. The exotic vampire was there as well. Jealousy needled at him. He wondered what his life would have been like if he'd been loved, if he hadn't been raised by strangers as his parents galloped across the world. Would he be married? Divorced? A father of two or three? Would he be part of a close group, like the amazing creatures in front of him?

  Would he still be obsessed with the supernatural?

  He shook his head of such sentimental, useless thoughts, and focused on the scene ahead.

  Michael knew what the future held. Possibly, the media would get involved. They'd keep Alicia for examination, run tests, theorize, guess, before concluding.

  Alicia was fine. They wouldn't be able to find anything medically wrong with her.

  Michael held in a smile. The first step, despite some rough moments, was behind him. The dream he had since he was a child would come true.

  He had to plan better. He'd studied everything about Alicia's circle of friends and family. He knew which ones were human, which weren't. Alicia was the key to getting what he wanted, and he was finally on the path.

  The nurses helped her back to bed. The hallway emptied. As quickly as the chaos started, everything went quiet. Two nurses chatted in the hall, a man with roses walked by.

  Kevin stood alone.

  Michael watched the witch. He almost wanted to approach the young man and pat him on the back, offer a word of encouragement. They were very much alike, both living existences that not many could identify with. The biggest difference between them was that Kevin chose to put his faith in others. He chose to care, to love.

  Michael trusted no one. He cared about no one.

  Keeping his head low, he finished mopping the section of the floor he'd started. He didn't get where he was by leaving a job half finished. A nurse smiled at him as she passed by, even going as far as turning for a second look. Whether she thought he was attractive, or thought him suspicious, he wasn't sure. He decided he'd pushed his disguise far enough, and headed for the supply closet.

  The maintenance employee, Julio, was still where Michael left him. Unconscious and drooling, he lay at an awkward angle on the supply closet floor. His arm was bent behind his back, his neck crooked. If Michael didn't know better, he would have thought Julio was dead. At first, he thought that was exactly what happened when he forced Julio to inhale the liquid in the jar. Magic always amazed him. Even after using so much, he still had doubts. Maybe the next potion would fail.

  But the magic always worked, and Julio merely fell asleep. He wouldn't remember Michael, wouldn't remember what happened. Michael wouldn't have to kill him. At worst, Julio would lose his job, and not his life.

  Michael pushed Julio aside with his foot and wedged the supply cart in as tightly as he could. He grabbed a yellow Wet Floor sign and shut the closet door. The door barely shut, with Julio's legs pressed against it. Julio would have quite a few cramps when he woke up.

  Looking up and down the hall, Michael dropped the sign in front of the door. If it bought him ten minutes, he'd be fine. By the time a curious nurse or janitor moved the sign and opened the door, he'd be long gone.

  His thoughts went to the future once again. It was time to get back to work.

  CHAPTER 5

  Kevin stared deep into the trunk of the cheapest rental car he could afford. It was already full, and he had two more bags to somehow shove inside. He worked out the puzzle in his head. If he took two of the smaller bags, moved them to the back seat, then he'd barely have enough room. He grabbed a suitcase and tried to yank it, only to find it was stuck on another bag. Tugging with all his might, the suitcase flew open. Shirts and underwear scattered, as if they were trying to escape. He let out a curse as he slammed the open suitcase to the ground.

  Leaning against the car, he closed his eyes. The early morning breeze blew through his hair. He didn't bother kneeling to retrieve his clothes. They would be fine just as they were. He needed a second. Just a second of stillness, of not having to do anything. He needed to relax. A ninety-minute drive was ahead of him, and he didn't want to start the trip frustrated and angry.

  "Kevin?"

  His shoulders slumped at the voice. So much for his idea of avoiding frustration.

  He turned to see Kristin standing on the porch. She wore only undergarments and a robe, loosely tied at the waist. The wind gave anyone watching a nice show as she walked down the sidewalk to approach. Their house was further back from the road than the others, but Johnny, their neighbor from three houses down, slowed his walk to a crawl as he passed by. He never missed a chance to stare longingly at his sister.

  "Hey, Kris," Kevin greeted. He bent down to pick up the empty suitcase.

  "What's all this?"

  He didn't look her in the eye as he gathered his clothes.

  "I'm just taking a little vacation."

  Kristin ran her hand over the various bags in the trunk.

  "This looks like more than a vacation." She regarded the car. "When the hell did you get this?"

  "It's a rental."

  "Why did you rent a car? You always use magic to go where you want."

  "Shhh! Damn, Kristin. You want to be a little louder?"

  She eyed him with amusement as she backed up a step and put her hands on her hips.

  "Hey, everyone!" she shouted. "My brother has magical powers!"

  "Kristin!" He rushed forward to cover her mouth. She slapped his hand away. For
a moment, he thought one of their childhood battles was on the horizon. "Would you shut up?"

  "No one cares, Kevin," she said, gesturing to their silent neighborhood.

  "Well, actually…." Kevin smiled for the first time all morning. "He might care."

  He pointed out Johnny, still skulking on the sidewalk. Along with his familiar admiration, there was confusion in his eyes as well. He shook his head and forged ahead with his walk.

  "He's just staring at my legs," Kristin said. She again gestured to the trunk. "Now, what's going on?"

  "I already said. I'm going—"

  "Don't make me slap the shit out of you. Tell me the truth."

  Kevin sighed and sat on the edge of the trunk. Kristin joined him, keeping her eyes on him. They both tried to have an honest relationship. They had no other family, and decided long ago they wouldn't lie to one another. That rule was broken on occasion, such as the time Kristin lost her job. He understood she was only looking out for him.

  He was doing the same for her. Partial truth would have to do.

  "Leese and I broke up," he said. "So, I'm just taking a little trip."

  "What? Holy shit. When?"

  "A few days ago."

  She touched his shoulder, for herself as much as his comfort.

  "Shit. Are you okay?"

  He shrugged. The gesture was the first complete honesty from him.

  "I will be."

  "Damn. I thought you guys were really good together. What happened?"

  "It just didn't work out."

  Kristin was quiet, her jaw hanging open. Kevin laughed at the sight. She shook her head, putting her hands on her bare knees.

  "I'm really reeling here," she said. She glanced at the bags behind her. "So, you're just going to leave? When were you going to tell me?"

  "I left a note on the dining room table."

  "That's it? Where are you going? When will you be back?"

  "Kris, stop," he said, rubbing his temples. "You're not my mother."

  Kristin leaned away, and he could see the remark hurt her. The guilt was there immediately. No, she wasn't his mother, but she'd taken care of him for years. He was only a few months away from being old enough to legally drink. They were still trying to adjust to the changing family dynamic.