Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
I turned off my inner critic as I pedaled to Gwen’s condo. Yes, I was a hypocrite. No, I didn’t care. The ends justified the means.
I cringed at the thought. My old bosses had expressed that sentiment with alarming frequency. It should’ve been a red flag, but I’d been too colorblind at the time to notice.
I stopped outside the building to call Zachariah for an update.
“Are we best friends now?” Zach asked, by way of greeting.
“Did you manage to rouse Judd from the dead?”
A long pause followed my question. “I was unable to perform my usual services.”
“Why? Judd’s fate-thread was snipped the normal way.”
“I realize that, Maya. I don’t know why.” He sounded as frustrated as I felt. “I suspect it had something to do with the magical mixture that was placed around the body.”
“That was for blocking locator spells.”
“Many spells are two-pronged. I’m sure you’ve gleaned that from all your magical wisdom. This one may have been designed to prevent magic from being used on the body in any capacity.”
Never mind Monday mornings. My life was a series of dog-day afternoons.
“Thanks for trying, Zach. Did you identify the cause of death?”
“Blunt force trauma, but Judd put up quite the fight. Based on the broken bones, I think he may have shifted right before he died.”
“Shifted to his wolf form to try to heal himself?”
“No, I think he was in his wolf form during the fight, then shifted to human as he died, likely when he realized he couldn’t recover from his wounds.”
My chest squeezed. That sounded like Judd. He’d always favored his human side. Unlike many of the werewolves on the island, he had no problem adhering to the two-night-a-month rule.
“Let me know if you discover anything else.” I hung up before my voice cracked. Get it together, Maya. The Neighborhood needs you now more than ever .
Collecting myself, I strode up to Gwen’s door and gave it a hesitant knock.
I wished this was a spell I could do myself, but it wasn’t in my area of expertise.
I still had misgivings about asking Gwen to perform magic, but Joan was right—based on her file, the older witch was the most likely to know this type of spell.
Prior to Evermore, Gwen had worked for years as a volunteer at a no-kill animal shelter.
The witch was a good egg, as my father used to say.
I shook off the thought. Remembering my father brought up other memories I’d prefer to forget.
The door opened a crack and one of Gwen’s hazel eyes peered at me through the slit. “Who’s there? ”
“Hi, Gwen. It’s Maya.”
She unchained the door, and the crack widened as Gwen waved me inside and then hurriedly shut the door.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“There was a strange man lurking outside.”
Alarm bells sounded in my brain. “What does he look like?”
“Abnormally tall, like one of those Eastern European basketball players.”
At least she sounded lucid.
I looked around the living room. “Hey, the repairs are done. How’d you manage that?” I’d left the condo in a sorry state after my rendezvous with the dullahan.
Gwen was quiet for a moment, deep in her memories. “I hired someone else because Dean’s been too busy.”
“How did you find him?”
“Edith recommended him. He fixed her sink a couple weeks ago.”
“What’s his name?”
Gwen struggled to produce the information. “Hang on. I have his business card somewhere.” She toddled into the kitchen and began rooting through drawers.
“I can help you.”
“No need. I found it.” She returned to her seat and slid the card across the counter to me. “Hank Jones.”
“Mind if I take this?” There were dozens of Neighbors in need of his services, starting with Joan’s peephole.
“Whatever you need, Maya.”
“Thanks.” I tucked the card in my pocket.
“I take it you’re not here to inquire about a handyman.”
“No. There’s this stray cat that hangs around my house. No chip or collar, but she seems domesticated. I’d like to try a spell that allows me to communicate with her, so I can see if she has a home that might be missing her.” A partial but necessary lie. I didn’t want to alarm Gwen.
“Oh, that’s so kind of you, Maya.”
“Jinx is a sweet cat, but I don’t have the kind of lifestyle that would suit a pet.”
“Don’t be silly. Jinx isn’t a pet. A pet implies ownership. She’s a familiar.”
“Except I’m not a witch.”
“Then she’s a feline companion. The thing about cats, you see, is that they remember everything. Every person who’s ever fed them, every window they’ve watched birds from, every—” She stopped, examining her wrinkled fingers. “Every hand that’s hurt them.”
“Did you have a familiar?”
“Oh, yes. Betty is long dead, though. One of the downsides of living longer than we should.”
“You must miss her.”
“To be painfully honest, I barely remember her anymore. She seems like part of someone else’s story now.”
Gods, that was painfully honest. “Have you been contacted by anyone from the HOA yet?”
Gwen gave me a blank look. “About what, dear?”
“A companion. You and I had discussed having someone come by each day to spend time with you.” And check on you.
She smiled softly. “Why would I need anyone to spend time with me? I have Lydia and my other friends.”
A loud bang on the door startled us both. I looked at Gwen. “Expecting any of those friends now?”
“No, dear. And they wouldn’t knock so forcefully either. They know I just had the door fixed.”
Another bang followed her remark. “Stay here.” I hurried to the door and yanked it open, ready to chastise the aggressive visitor. Words clogged my throat at the sight of the dullahan.
“Now’s not a good time!” I slammed the door shut.
“Who is it, dear?”
“That tall Eastern European basketball player you saw earlier—any chance he was headless?”
Her brow furrowed. “Now that you mention it, I didn’t notice one.”
I suppressed any sounds of frustration.
Gwen moved to peer out the window. “A cloak in this humidity? What is he thinking?”
“He’s thinking he’s due one soul and it’s time for payment.”
“Could that be the man who killed Belinda?”
“I can say with confidence the answer is no.”
“How can you be sure?”
“This guy is a dullahan. He only collects the souls of designated individuals.”
“Then whose soul he is after?”
“Mine.”
Gwen gave me a pitying look. “What did you do, Maya?”
I bit my tongue. Gwen couldn’t help her memory issues. “He wasn’t a fan of my attitude.”
“I see. Should I use a defensive spell?”
“Stay put. I’ll handle him.”
“You can’t go out there.”
“If I don’t go out there, he’ll come in here.” And then Gwen’s condo would require more repairs. No thanks.
Gwen appeared hesitant. “If you’re sure you can handle him.”
“I’m sure.” The dullahan might not have Gwen’s name on his naughty list, but he could easily inflict an unbearable amount of pain on the elderly witch. “Lock the door behind me.”
“Is that necessary if you’re the one he’s interested in?”
She had me there. “No matter what happens, don’t come outside.” I stepped onto the welcome mat and closed the door behind me. “Hey, friend. It’s been a minute.”
The dullahan pivoted to face me. “Maya.” His voice sounded like he was speaking from the depths of a great void.
“That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.”
“You are mine.”
“I’m amazed you can read the letters on those candy hearts. They’re so small. Plus—” I motioned to him. “No head.”
The dullahan was unimpressed by my attempts at humorous deflection. “The die has been cast.” He extended a hand, unfurling a set of slender, knobby fingers the color of moonlight. “This need not be difficult.”
“I’m afraid it does because I’m not leaving with you. I have a duty to the people who live here.”
“Your duty is now to me.”
“I’m afraid we’ve reached an impasse.” My mind was spinning with options—none of them good. If I couldn’t fight my way out of this, then I needed to buy time until I could come up with a better plan. “How about this? You let me complete my task, and then I’ll let you complete yours.”
“Why should I indulge you when I can simply take you by force?”
“Because that’s not your style. If it were, you would’ve already done it.”
The dullahan seemed to accept my interpretation as fact. “I prefer my souls to come willingly. Their energy is easier to absorb. ”
“Then I suggest you wait, because I will fight tooth and nail. Trust me, it will be the polar opposite of willingly.”
The dullahan set his head upon his shoulders. “When do you expect to finish your obligation?”
“That’s the tricky part, friend. I’m trying to solve two murders, but murder investigations aren’t exactly in my wheelhouse.” I was flying blind, by the seat of my pants, and with my hair on fire all at the same time.
The hellfire eyes burned at me. “Why should I oblige you?”
“Because I will be a very special feather in your cap, friend. All your friends will be jealous. Trust me, I’m worth the wait.”
He pondered my reply. “Then I shall return in one week to fulfill our bargain. Until then, Maya.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.” Because where else would I be? I hadn’t left Evermore in five years, and I had no intention of escaping to the mainland. Even if I did, the dullahan would find me no matter where I went, that was a given.
The dullahan bowed and retreated into the shadows.
My heart rate slowed as I reentered Gwen’s condo. “I’m back. We can try to find that spell now.”
Gwen craned her neck to look at me from her spot on the sofa. “Maya? What are you doing here?”
“You were going to help me with a spell.”
She gave me a blank stare. “Oh, I don’t think I could do that, dear. I haven’t cast a spell in twenty years.”
I silently cursed the dullahan for depriving me of Gwen’s rare moment of lucidity. “Never mind. I’m sure I can find someone else to help me.”
Gwen struggled to her feet. “I may have my old grimoire lying around somewhere. You might find what you’re looking for in there.”
My spirits lifted. “You would let me borrow your grimoire?”