Chapter 35
The scrunching of tires on the pebbled driveway catapulted Jasper from his late afternoon snooze on the oversized leather sofa. He and Savannah had argued again over just about everything, so she’d kicked him out of the bedroom. Apparently, he was being an—what did she call him?—alpha-hole! She’d taken offense at all his attempts to insert some reason into the discussion. She and the baby were his top priority. Until he could ensure that basic tenet, she was regulated to the cabin.
Yeah, that had gone over about as well as could be expected with her fiercely independent, I’m-not-a-fucking-damsel-in-distress temperament.
There was another bedroom in the cabin, but he didn’t feel like cleaning it up for Thomas and Maeve after mussing up the sheets. Besides, sleep had been elusive. He’d spent the majority of the time watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 on his phone. Thank goodness the Wi-Fi signal worked out here in the wilderness. Reception was spotty across most of the state.
The bedroom door creaked open. Jasper glanced back and his heart broke all over again. Savannah stood proudly; her silhouette outlined in the doorway. Her beautiful face showed fatigue and splotchy cheeks. He cursed himself. He should’ve stayed in the bedroom, holding her in his arms. Not brooding on the sofa while she wept. But if he’d pushed the issue earlier, it would stand to reason she would’ve unleashed a vastly different kind of hell on him.
The sound of steps on the wooden porch and a quick rap on the door jerked Jasper back to the present.
The cavalry had arrived.
He jumped up and walked to the door, all the while running a hand through his unruly hair. Too late he realized he was shirtless, but since when did he care who witnessed his broad, chiseled chest. It was one of his best features.
Flinging the door open, Jasper couldn’t contain his smirk as Maeve’s eyes grew round and wide with appreciation while Thomas’s hazel eyes narrowed. “Come in, please.” He stepped aside to allow them entry. Maeve’s eyes never strayed from his chest.
Jasper admired her a bit, too. He admitted that Thomas had a stunning girlfriend—just above average height, curvy in all the right places, sparkling eyes in a sweet face with just a dusting of freckles across her nose. Being native Irish, she was dressed for the crisper weather, but her shoe preference of stilettos wouldn’t do her any favors with the rugged terrain of Montana. He wouldn’t dare argue with the woman over her footwear. Not when she was that drop-dead gorgeous and especially not with Maeve being a quite powerful white witch.
Thomas, on the other hand, hadn’t changed a damn bit. He still sported a wrinkled shirt covered by a sweater vest with fraying threads and holey jeans. His hair had grown out, now curling just above his eyebrows, and falling below his shoulders in the back. Overall, he looked healthier than Jasper had ever seen him. Maeve must be making him eat right and workout.
Thomas was sputtering something about the amazing scenery driving from the airport, but Jasper wasn’t in the mood for small talk and pleasantries, so he tuned him out. Instead, he took their minimal luggage from them to store in the spare bedroom.
He attempted to guide Savannah into the living room, but she snatched her hand away. “I don’t need you acting like a service dog.” She walked herself into the room without even fumbling around the furniture. “Thank you so much for coming out,” she addressed their guests.
Savannah lowered herself onto the loveseat, then invited them to sit while ordering Jasper to make them all some tea. Maeve immediately took the seat next to Savannah while Thomas followed Jasper into the kitchen.
“So, buddy—” Thomas began.
“I’m not your buddy, buddy.” Jasper snarled in reply. “You are only here because you are useful. Let’s get this straight from the get-go. I still don’t trust you, but I do trust Maeve. And if what you say is true about another fucking prophecy, then I’ll listen but don’t think this makes up for everything you did.” He filled the teapot with water and ignited the flame on the stove, then fiddled around in the cabinets for tea bags—chamomile, lavender, Earl Grey, and an assortment of others. When he’d requested the place to be stocked, the property management service hadn’t been messing around. There was enough tea in the cupboard for an entire British regiment.
“I know and I truly understand your stance. I just thought it’d make things less… uncomfortable between us, but I see I was wrong.” Thomas leaned against the bulky rectangular wooden table nestled by the expansive windows which bequeathed those within with a breathtaking view of the sun halfway submerged behind the mountains.
Disgust with himself weaved through Jasper’s veins, leaving an unwelcome pit in his stomach. Thomas was here to help. Sure, the jackass had caused a lot of problems with Greylyn but wasn’t everyone worthy of redemption? If the Creator saw fit to give Jasper that chance, he’d snatch it in a heartbeat. Besides, now was not the time for grievances that nothing could change. Now was for saving Savannah and their child, no matter what the cost.
“Sorry, man. I’m…” he tried to apologize, but what words could explain the tumult in his mind?
Thomas pushed off the table and started to rummage in the cupboards. “Where are your cups?”
With that, an unspoken agreement had been reached. The past was the past, not fully forgiven and never forgotten, but they’d both do their damnest to make things right for Savannah. Anything beyond that would have to wait, perhaps forever.
A few minutes later they rejoined the ladies in the living room. They were both talking excitedly, smiling. Maeve held Savannah’s hands in her own. It was as if they were old friends reconnecting after a long absence. It warmed Jasper’s heart to see the gigantic smile spread across Savannah’s face and to hear the delight in her laughter at something Maeve had said.
Everything is going to be all right.
Whereas Jasper wanted to dive right into how exactly Maeve could heal Savannah’s eyesight—without endangering herself or the baby—the women appeared too immersed in discussion of all things related to the baby. Had Savannah chosen a name yet? What colors did she want in the nursery? Maeve offered advice to stock up on every size of diaper and sensitive skin wet wipes because she predicted a supply chain interruption in the coming year. It was all so… normal. Something no one in the room had experienced for quite some time.
It wasn’t until darkness had completely fallen and stomachs were growling that Jasper phoned in a pizza order which would take about one and a half hours to get there considering the closest town wasn’t exactly “close.” Cold pizza was better than nothing, he guessed. But that delivery charge was ridiculous!
Maeve turned to Jasper; her expression clouded unlike a moment ago when she’d been enchanting Savannah with a comedic tale of Thomas’s argument with airport security over the antique pen shaped more like a stabbing instrument he’d left in his carryon luggage. “I want you both to know, I am not one hundred percent certain this spell will work. Like I told you over the phone, I’ve only ever used it on those demonically possessed. In theory, it should still work on a goddess even though Manea is further up the proverbial food chain than your typical demon.” She paused to let her words settle in. “I just want to manage your expectations.”
And with those simple words, the lightness and hope that had burgeoned in his chest deflated. Since when had anything been easy or a sure thing?
Savannah was possessed—or if Lucifer were to be believed Manea had integrated into her daughter’s own soul. Manea was an insane bitch goddess whose diabolical nature made the Devil himself look like a choir boy. None of this was typical supernatural mojo. Nothing of this magnitude had ever been experienced before… At least, not in this realm or any other dimension that Jasper was aware of.
They all sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments until a sweet smile tilted up Savannah’s lips. “Nothing is ever assured, but like my adopted parents used to tell me, ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’” Her hand grasped Maeve’s. “If it doesn’t work, then I’ll have to figure things out—how to care for myself and my child without ever gazing upon his beautiful face. You’ll have to tell me if his eyes are glacial blue like his father’s; if his hair is jet-black as spilled ink on parchment or white like mine; does he have those adorable dimples to mirror Jasper’s or a smattering of freckles over his nose and cheeks. I can already picture this child—my child. And yes”—her voice cracked—“it will break my heart if I can’t see him with my own eyes, but that won’t make or break my ability to be a good mother to him.”
A tear slid down Jasper’s cheeks. He didn’t bother to swipe it away.
Maeve, while rubbing her own eyes, straightened in her seat. She squeezed Savannah’s hand. “I promise you; this child will be…is blessed to have you and Jasper as his parents. And you all have my full support for whatever you require. I will not rest until you and the child are safe, and we’ve kicked Manea’s ass to hell.”
***
Savannah marveled that Maeve had been able to get all the spell ingredients through airport security. The woman was a wonder to behold. She’d finally confessed that she’d spelled her luggage, but not Thomas’s, hence he got stopped for the pen.
The sage was burning already. Maeve had gone through the entire house smudging, along with Thomas following behind her with holy water and muttering in Latin and then another time around the whole house, except this time in Gaelic. Then another time in a language similar to Latin that she didn’t comprehend but it felt familiar, like it was on the tip of her own tongue, but her mind couldn’t process the words in time to make sense of it.
At least the atmosphere was lighter inside the cabin. Her body relaxed. Initially, the sage hadn’t been pleasant. It had made her cough uncontrollably for a good fifteen minutes. Then it was as if something had swept through her body, drawing out the tension like a poultice.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this relaxed,” she muttered, slurring her words.
Maeve piped in, “I need to go around the outside of the cabin, too. Jasper, can you escort me and take over for Thomas? I want him to prep the living room for what comes next.”
Next?At this rate, Savannah had one goal—sleep. She doubted she could stay awake even if the entire cabin crumbled around her in a supernatural blizzard.
With her new-fangled, super-sensitive hearing, she listened as Maeve and Jasper made their way around the outer circumference of the cabin several times, Jasper’s deep voice belting out the exorcism incantations with more volume and gruff determination than Thomas had put into the procedure. All the while, she heard the professor bumbling around the living room, moving furniture.
“So, what happened between you and Jasper?” Savannah normally wouldn’t pry, but she needed something to pique her interest enough to stay awake.
Thomas cleared his throat about a dozen times before answering. “It’s not really for me to tell the tale. Let’s just say that I have not always been a good and faithful friend, someone to trust all the while wearing the persona of one. People were hurt. Almost ripped apart the veil between the realms of Heaven and hell…”
Well, that is interesting. What is Jasper thinking? Trusting the safety of our baby to this guy?
Savannah’s heartbeat sputtered as did her confidence that what they were doing was the right thing. Then…a calmness washed over her body, starting above her head, and cascading down until it pooled at her feet. She could discern no reason for it, but she knew deep inside her soul all was well in divine truth.
Thomas fell silent. Savannah would learn nothing else from his own lips. But she vowed to get the full story from Jasper…sometime…if she didn’t die.
Now, where had that thought come from? She wasn’t going to die. Even if Manea possessed her forever, her body would still be hers and she’d fight the bitch goddess with everything she had until they were both being escorted across the River Styx into whatever hell realm deemed most befitting.
When Jasper and Maeve returned, the lightness to the witch’s voice had vanished. It was go-time.
“Ready to reclaim your sight…and your life?”