7
SEVEN
Ellen had given Ofelia a lot to think about.
She just didn’t know what to do with the information.
A witch had come out of nowhere to help her, even though she didn’t know the woman.
That meant that the witch had been watching the situation and somehow knew that she could help. Who could that possibly be?
Ofelia considered and then immediately discarded the idea that it was Dora.
The Frenchman Street witch was powerful, but she wasn’t known for being helpful.
Ofelia knew she would have to visit Dora — and sooner rather than later — for help with a potion for Angelique.
She very much doubted that Dora was the helpful stranger, however.
She was still thinking about her next move — in Ellen’s driveway no less — when she got a text from Sully to meet for lunch. Even though she wasn’t hungry — her nerves were making sure of that — she was eager to hear what he’d found out.
Sully picked Brennan’s because it was one of Ofelia’s favorites.
He was already seated when she made her way in and focused on his phone.
A wave of love blew through her when she saw him.
He would be her husband in a few days. Well, as long as they could save Angelique.
She couldn’t imagine loving anybody more.
As if he sensed her approaching, he looked up, a smile already on his face. “Hey.” He stood when she got to him and cupped her chin before kissing her. “I missed you today.”
“Me, too.” Ofelia wrapped her arms around him for a hug. “I missed you so much.”
Sully held her tight, the rush of emotion surprising him.
When he thought about it some, however, he understood why she was so emotional.
She was worried about Angelique. This was supposed to be a coasting session for both of them.
Now they were worried about their friend, and it felt as if the wedding was looming when someone they both cared about was in trouble.
“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered into her hair. “We’re going to figure it out. I promise.”
Ofelia believed him, so she just nodded. When she pulled back, she was more in control. “Sorry. I just had a very interesting meeting with a woman who was a banshee for three days, and it got me thinking about a few things.”
Sully cupped her cheek and studied her up close and personal. She didn’t look as if she was about to melt down or anything, so he pulled out her chair for her. “Tell me about it.”
“Let’s order first. I don’t want to be interrupted.”
“Okay.” He didn’t argue with her. “Go big, huh? Something tells me that you’re going to need your energy today.”
Something told Ofelia he was right.
Their server was all bouncy energy and big blue eyes when she arrived at their table. “Hello.” She practically purred the single word at Sully. He was an attractive man and was used to it. “Have you been here before?”
“We’re regulars,” Sully assured her, inclining his head at Ofelia. “You don’t have to explain the menu or anything.”
“Awesome.” The server smiled even wider. “Do you know what you want, or do you need more time?”
“I think we know what we want.” Sully looked at Ofelia for confirmation.
She nodded and looked up. “I will have the mushroom omelet and an iced tea, please.”
Sully made a face. “That’s a weird combination.”
She merely shrugged. “It’s what I’m in the mood for.”
“I’ll have the Blackened Chicken Biscuit and an orange juice, please.”
“Absolutely.” The server collected their menus. “Anything else?”
“Not right this second,” he replied.
“Okay, then.” The server sent him a happy wink and took off.
Ofelia glared in her wake. “It’s very frustrating when people fall all over you and pretend I don’t exist,” she complained.
“I know you exist. Isn’t that the most important thing?”
“I guess.” Ofelia said it, but she wasn’t convinced. “Anyway.” She dragged out the lone word and focused on him. “Pascal got me in contact with someone who was a banshee but was cured.”
“That’s good news. How was she cured?”
“A potion.”
“Where did she get it?”
“Some random witch gave it to her. She didn’t have a name. I get the feeling that she wasn’t herself when she received the potion. Even she laughed at herself for drinking something a stranger gave her.”
“Why would she do that?”
“She was desperate. The banshee tried to woo her before turning her against her will.”
“Woo her?”
Ofelia told him the story. It didn’t take long. When she was finished, they had their drinks and time to mull things over before their food arrived.
“That’s quite the story.” He kicked back in his chair and crossed his feet at the ankles. “Do you believe her?”
“I have no reason not to believe her. Plus, Pascal believes her. That’s good enough for me.”
“What if that’s just some story she’s told throughout the years to get attention?”
“It’s not. She has a scar that looks a lot like the injury on Angelique’s arm. On top of that, her story rang true.”
“I agree that it’s unlikely that Pascal was bamboozled,” he conceded. “There has to be more to it than that, though.”
“Oh, I think there is.” Ofelia nodded. “Her house, it was covered in hoodoo stuff.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning that’s why I think she was targeted.
I didn’t ask about the hoodoo because it didn’t seem to be my place, but we’ve heard about banshees being attracted to paranormals before.
It’s not always paranormals, of course, but what if they make an enticing target because the transformation is easier? ”
“I’m not sure I’m following you.”
“I’ve been thinking about it. Humans can be turned into banshees, but all the banshees I’ve come across who sprang from normal humans — and that is not a huge amount, just FYI — have been completely taken over by the banshee.
Isn’t it possible that they prefer paranormals because they can still think for themselves despite the transition? ”
Sully played with his napkin as he considered it. “I guess it’s possible,” he conceded finally. “Wouldn’t stories like that have made it into the lore, though?”
“Oh, most definitely.” Ofelia bobbed her head. “The thing is, Ellen said something else interesting. She told me that after she transformed back, she could always sense when there were other banshees in the area. She knew me because she saw me take out one seven years ago.”
“She saw you do it?”
“She was hunting the banshee. She let that slip.”
“You mean she wanted to keep that secret?”
“Okay, maybe ‘slip’ isn’t the right word. I don’t think she realized what she was telling me, though, when she said it. She basically suggested that she hunts banshees. She can identify them when they get close.”
“She didn’t know about the ones who attacked our party.”
“No, but we are theorizing they’re sticking close to the park. Maybe she can only sense them if they’re really close.”
“Maybe.” Sully cocked his head to the side and scratched his cheek, considering.
The server picked that moment to deliver their food. Ofelia managed a smile for her benefit, but the woman only looked at Sully.
“Anything else?” she purred.
Ofelia’s expression grew dark enough that Sully had to bite back a laugh.
“I don’t need anything,” he replied. “How about you, my lovely fiancée?”
It took everything Ofelia had not to roll her eyes at his heavy-handed display of adoration. “I’m good,” she replied.
If the server was bothered to know that Sully had a fiancée, she didn’t show it. “Okay. I’ll be back around to check on you.” With that, she moved on to another table.
“That wasn’t necessary,” Ofelia told him.
“What wasn’t necessary?”
“The ‘my lovely fiancée’ stuff. She doesn’t care. All she sees is you.”
“And all I see is you.”
Ofelia wanted to be angry — mostly because she was afraid for her friend and anger was better than fear in her book — but she couldn’t manage it. “It doesn’t matter. We need to focus on Angelique.”
“Yes, and you’ve given me some things to think about,” he agreed. “Now I have a bit of information for you.” He took a drink of his juice before continuing. “There have been multiple attacks.”
“Banshee attacks?” Ofelia sat straighter. “Are more people infected?”
“Not those sorts of attacks.” He shook his head. “I don’t believe there are more people turning into banshees out there, although I am trying to track missing person reports because I believe that’s where I would find that information. I’m talking about male victims.”
“Oh.” Ofelia paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. “Did they die?”
“Yup.”
“How many of them?”
“Three that I’ve found so far.”
“Over how long a period?”
“About a month. I’m going back further to see if I can find any more of them.”
“How can you be certain that they were killed by banshees?”
“Because they had claw marks on them, and their murders are still unsolved. It’s possible that they weren’t killed by banshees, of course. It feels right to me, though.”
“Do you have photos?” Ofelia asked.
“Do you want to see them when you’re eating?”
“Yup.” Ofelia was grim. “We don’t have time to waste.”
Sully handed over his phone. Ofelia was surreptitious when looking at the photos. She didn’t want anybody to see what she was looking at and lose their minds. When she was done, she handed back the phone without saying anything.
“Thoughts?” Sully prodded.
“Men,” Ofelia replied, her mind churning. “None of these are women whom they tried to change and failed.”
“Do you think that’s important?”
She lifted one shoulder. “I find it interesting. That’s the best I can say.”
“So, how do you think it works?”
“Ellen said she was angry. She was angry at her husband for embarrassing her publicly, and the banshee tried to use that. I believe the reason Ellen managed to fight it so easily — or relatively easily, I guess — is because she wasn’t really angry at her husband.”
“She wasn’t?”