A Wicked Good Witches Paranormal Romance Books 1-7 (Wicked Good Witches Seasons) (92 page)

CHAPTER 6

Michael jaunted up the porch steps, stopping for a moment to ponder at the gargoyles, currently in perfect statuesque stone sitting atop their perches at the front steps.

“That’s going to take some getting used to.”

He found his father, Charlie and Lizzy in the kitchen, still prepping. It still caught him off guard to see his father inside their house. “Also going to take some getting used to,” he muttered under his breath.

“Michael,” said Jack upon seeing his son enter. “How did it go?”

“Good. The locals handled the news of the impending battle as well as could be expected. Mack’s got them readying the firework’s distraction. Sorry it took so long though. I thought I’d be home hours ago and here it is after three already.”

“No worries, Son. I knew you’d do a good job.” Jack didn’t press for more, just tossed his son a proud smile. “And never count the local’s out; they’re good people... for the most part.”

“Actually, I never realized it until just now,” returned Michael. “But they are.” He grabbed a coffee, having a difficult time to set his mug down as every inch of their kitchen counter was covered in potions and supplies. “Oh, um I checked the weather update. No rain in the forecast,” he advised. “It’s turned cloudy and the heat subsided a little, but not supposed to rain.”

“Let’s hope it stays that way,” muttered Charlie. He imagined a battle in the rain would be ten times as hard.

“So what do we got going on in here?” Michael asked.

“More potions than any of us can carry,” said Lizzy, proudly.

“Silver,” pointed Charlie. “For Eva.” He picked it up, his father inhaling anxiously as he did so. “It’s the ring, Dad,” Charlie reminded.

“What a thing to be given.” He stared at the black ring with great reverence and pride. The fact that a Guardian chose to sacrifice her own life to give one of his sons such an incredible gift… he was appreciative and proud beyond words.

“The ring allows me to handle the silver without any pain,” explained Charlie. “Which I’m hoping will catch Eva off guard. I don’t think she’ll expect that.”

“And if not, you can always just rip out her heart,” stated Lizzy evenly.

“
That
is always a viable option,” agreed Charlie.

Michael shook his head, the room suddenly clouding over in an abundance of emotion pouring out of his brother. It wasn’t emotion he expected though. It told him that for whatever reason, suddenly Charlie would agree with anything Lizzy Deane suggested.

“What the heck happened while I was gone?” Michael mumbled. He hadn’t meant to say it aloud and cleared his throat. Charlie heard him though and shot him a severe stare.

“And what about the Feyk?” asked Michael, changing the subject. “How do we kill them?”

“They’re easy enough to kill,” informed Jack. “Bodies are similar to humans in that regard... but that’s only if you can catch them. They’re fast. They can pop out in a flash and pop back in behind you a blink later. Their popping out gives off a smokescreen for cover. We were actually just trying to find some sort of spell, or potion, that might slow them down. Give us a better chance.”

Charlie’s phone beeped, buzzing at the same time.

“I can hear it, I can’t see it.” He rifled through the mess trying to find it.

He couldn’t believe he’d let it get so buried when they had so many people they were waiting to hear from. Charlie found it, read the screen, time halting instantly.

“It says it’s from Eva,” he exclaimed breathlessly.

Everyone froze, wondering if Jack Howard would be proven correct, and Eva and the Feyk were finally making contact with their demands.

“It’s another video,” he advised them. Charlie hesitated to push play.

The previous one she’d left, next to Emily’s dead father, was horrific and candid.

How did they prepare to watch this? Even aware that what they were about to witness might be disturbing, there just was no preparing for it. Charlie and Michael both felt great doubt that they had waited, rather than just rushing in to save those held captive.

“Stay strong, no matter what you see,” warned Jack as firmly as possible. “We cannot allow them to get into our heads. They
will
try to goad us into hasty action.” He looked at each of them, waiting for their agreement. “Push play, Charlie.”

He held his breath and obeyed.

Melinda’s form came onto the screen, shaking, dirty, frightened, with her hands bound behind her back, her legs wobbly, her eyes swollen from sobbing, a look of utter terror filling her eyes… falling to her knees… Charlie thought he might crush the phone, and Lizzy had to reach up to soften his grip.

When Eva turned the camera to William…

“Oh. Fuck.” Lizzy fled to the sink, doubling over. 

Michael fled the room unable to manage the emotions raging out of everyone. It filled every part of him to the point of bursting. If emotions could blow up, he was about to.

Charlie dropped the phone onto the island.

His mind could not digest what he was seeing. His brain shut off for a moment. Incapable of any reaction other than utter petrification.

The video played out.

He barely heard Eva’s warning.

The world slammed back into his mind all at once. Too many emotions manifesting themselves simultaneously.

“We shouldn’t have waited.” He braced himself against the counter afraid he might fall over. “We shouldn’t have waited,” he repeated breathlessly.

They should have attacked last night. Prepared or not.

Instead, they’d pussyfooted around like fucking idiots, and now... the cost
...

William…

Melinda…

Fuck…

Fuck…

Fuck…

I’m going to break Eva Jordan’s neck.

No, I’m going to tear it off with my fucking teeth… one excruciating inch at a time.

And where were Emily and Lucas? They were not included on the video.

       It was so much worse than any of them imagined possible. They knew Eva was capable of great evil, but this... this was sick. Twisted. And sadistic. 

Jack reached out to Charlie but dropped his arm before it reached his son, complete doubt taking over. He’d made the wrong choice. He’d doomed his dearest friend and his only daughter to suffer terribly and die.

He should have just given in and gone to White Pines and opened the door. He should have known when they’d not responded as expected, they’d do something to retaliate and force them into taking action.

Still… in all his days… never something like this…

Fury welled up inside Charlie, begging for release. Both the wolf and the witch consumed with violent intent. He wasn’t sure even the Guardian’s ring could rein it in.

He stumbled through the back door stumbling down the stairs into the grass, clambering up to his knees.

The pain and anger was too much. Too massive. It expanded, stretching him to his limit. 

He lifted his head peering into the afternoon sky, silver storming into his eyes. Wrath building with every heave of his chest. 

“I will kill them all,” he gushed venomously. “Every fucking last one of them.”

The wolf tore out of his skin. With a snarl he was on his feet and threw his head backwards into the air, an incensed howl erupting.

His torment bellowed hauntingly across the entire island. 

At the police storage locker, Mack nearly dropped a box of fireworks. The locals went silent, listening to the dreadful cry.

“I think we’d better hurry,” she stated.

Something terrible had happened. She could feel it in her bones.

She looked down at the locals. At this moment, looking frightened, but still resigned.

“I ain’t sure fireworks is going to be enough,” declared Grace.

Mack was afraid she might be right.

##

In White Pines, Eva Jordan lifted a brow and grinned. “Message
received
.” She spun around eyeing the Feyk. “Hope you’re ready, Stricker. Because they’re coming. And I do believe this is where our agreement comes to an end.”

“You’re leaving us then?”

“Actually, I might stick around for a little while. See the finale. It’s much more fun than I anticipated.” Eva was on a high she’d never experienced before.

The vampire was near death, her mother’s and father’s deaths were avenged. She didn’t plan on staying on the Isle, but something about seeing the Feyk dethrone the Howards sent thrilling tingles crawling down her spine.

“So this is the entrance to the Heart of the Isle,” said Stricker, standing in front of the roots of the old tree in White Pines. “So unassuming, and yet brilliant,” he spoke. “
Eva,
” he called out absentmindedly. “If you’re going to stick around for all the fun, and I assume by
fun
you mean
finish off the vampire
, would you mind telling anyone left in the gully that I request their presence here. And have them bring our leverage as well. It’s time to bait this trap.”

“With pleasure,” replied Eva.

“Keep the two in the cage for now. I have other plans for them. Well, for the spirit vessel at least. I think she’ll come in quite handy.” He reached into his pocket taking out the ring he’d slipped off Emily’s finger. 

##

Jack Howard steadied himself in the doorway staring out into the yard, dumbstruck over seeing his son in full werewolf transformation.
So much had changed…

“I’m going to kill them all,” Charlie’s growl promised.

Jack stepped down into the grass looking up at his son. “You cannot rush in like this, you’re not thinking straight. It’s what they want, Charlie. What they expect. They’ll be waiting for you.” He argued this point, although no longer confident he was still right about it.

“They’re torturing William.” Charlie’s voice growled back. “He might already be dead. And Melinda… they’ll kill her. They’ve already killed Emily’s father.” Charlie turned to leave.

Jack didn’t know how to stop his son. He did the only thing he’d ever done when he needed to get his attention.

“Charlie. Devin. Howard! You will stop this instant and listen to me.” 

He did.

“I realize it is difficult! And it feels wrong! But we
must
Stick. To. The. Plan.
Our plan
. Not
their
plan. It
will
work...”

Michael came out to join them. He wanted to both agree and disagree with his father. His thoughts all mingled together in bewildered exhaustion. “Will it always be like this?” he asked in a low whisper. “Was it like this for you and Mom? I… I don’t remember it being like this...”

“There were terrifying moments we feared we might not survive,” said his father. “But this is... this Eva, is a monster unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“A monster we created,” groaned Charlie. 

“We didn’t create this,” said Michael.

“Didn’t we? When we killed her mother…” he snarled. “I’m not saying she didn’t deserve it, or that William was right or wrong in doing it. But when she died here on the Isle, it set off the chain of events that got us here.”

“It’s a brutal lesson,” said Jack. “Our actions do have consequences. But we
can
overcome this. It’s not always about being ahead, or getting the upper hand. Things will always catch you off guard. The key is how you react and handle these unpleasant surprises. When this battle is done… I won’t lie to you. You will never be the same again. Things will change. But you’ll be better men for it. Better witches. Of that I can be certain.” 

“I’ll never let this happen again. Ever,” stated Charlie. He looked at Michael.

“I’m with you.”

“This is more than anyone should have to handle,” Jack lamented. “And I cannot promise this battle will be the biggest, or the hardest you’ll ever fight. Always stick together, no matter what.” He stopped, struggling to continue. “I’m so proud of you. Both of you. You’ve grown into the men I always knew you’d be.”

Charlie let the rage go. Resolve and focus returning. In a few blinks, he sank into his human form again. His naked human form. Something he didn’t notice or care about in that moment.

Lizzy had taken over filling the doorframe and turned back into the kitchen. She didn’t look, or say anything when Charlie came inside and headed upstairs to get dressed. He stopped just at the foot of the stair and called back to the kitchen.

“Lizzy, will you call Mack, please. Tell her we’re almost ready.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s get packed up,” Charlie told everyone.

Michael took a focused breath and followed his father inside.

Jack caught Lizzy just before she dialed the Mack line.