“Do you think he knows?” Tarvish asked.

  Hank shook his head. “When you have as much power as we think he has, there’s even less of a chance he’ll recognize a patch like this, because his own power is so strong. It’s like when you wear a lot of perfume or cologne and get so used to the scent that you can’t recognize how pervasive it is. He’s steeped in his own power and I’m pretty sure it’s going to negate his ability to discern when there’s a blank spot. We should get in there, or we’ll miss the chance to surprise him.”

  “Give me a couple minutes,” Killian said, jumping in the back of the SUV.

  I rummaged through my bag and pulled out my dagger, affixing it to my belt. Then I pulled out a tiny plastic bottle the size of a perfume sample. It had a good spray radius, and the war water would probably come in handy. I also found a packet of Protection charms that I had recently made and I handed them around. I had barely finished and was about to return the bag to the car when Killian jumped out of the back, a huge gray wolf with brilliant green eyes. He stood nearly up to my waist and as he rubbed up against me, I caught hold of the back door on the SUV to catch my balance. I leaned down and kissed his forehead, then tossed my bag in the back and shut the door.

  “Looks like we’re ready,” Rowan said, sliding a ring on her finger. It was a cabochon—a carnelian oval as big as a nickel, set in yellow gold. It flashed with energy and I could feel the heat surrounding her from where I stood.

  “Front door? Back door?” I asked.

  “I suggest that Rowan and I head around back, while you, Killian, and Hank take the front door,” Tarvish said.

  We split up, with Rowan and Tarvish sneaking through the patch of woods directly to the right of the house. Killian, Hank, and I headed toward the front, with me whispering a prayer that Mills wouldn’t have noticed us yet.

  As we approached the weathered house, following the overgrown slate rock sidewalk that led to the front door, I tensed, one hand on my dagger, one hand on the war water. I was behind both Hank and Killian, and I did my best to keep focused on the dangerous man we knew waited inside. By the time we reached the door, I realized we had attracted a number of the spirits from the surrounding forest. Most of them seemed curious, but I sensed a couple Haunts among them—angry and ready to start trouble.

  Silently, I reached out to them. Listen, if you can hear me, I know you’re angry. If you want to join us, there’s a man inside who could use a good haunting. Leave us alone, and you have free rein to make his life a living hell.

  At first I wasn’t sure if they heard me, but then three of the shades moved forward, ragged grins on their spectral faces. They stopped right in front of me, and one of them belted out a threatening laugh as he turned to face me. He had been a tall, lanky man in life, but now he looked like a corpse, the right side of his face eaten away by time and decay. The strands of muscle beneath the missing skin were raw and bloody, and his eye sockets burned with a pale orange fire. Whoever he had been, he had been dangerous. I felt queasy bargaining with him, but I had the sense he might be willing to work with us. If we didn’t strike a bargain, I could easily see him helping Mills.

  You offer a sacrifice of this man?

  The man within—not any of my friends who accompany me today. Do as you like, but we will be in there, fighting him as well. He, and he alone, is our target today.

  Well then, my comrades and I will have ourselves some fun. But you must promise to leave us alone for our help. No coming back to banish us.

  Very well, I give you my word I won’t return to banish you. I didn’t like helping ghosts like this one, but the ends justified the means, and we needed these spirits to be on our side and not work against us. And I had promised only for myself. By the feel of the Haunt I was talking to, unless there was something in it for them, they would end up being troublemakers.

  I glanced at Hank, who was staring at me with a worried expression, and at Killian, whose hackles were standing at attention. “We have three spirits on our side. They aren’t pleasant, but they’ve agreed to help us since I offered them Mills up on a silver platter.”

  Hank grunted, then turned to the door. The old screen door was half off its hinges, and I cautiously opened it, grimacing as I waited for a squeak. The door wavered as though it were going to fall off, but Hank caught it and cautiously propped it against the wall. He motioned me to back away from the arch as he reached for the handle.

  I held my breath as he slowly gave it a turn. But the door wasn’t locked. Surprised, I waited as the door opened with a soft click. Hank quietly pushed it open. He looked to the left and then the right, then inched inside and flattened himself against the wall. He motioned for Killian and me to follow him.

  Inside, the light was dim, showing that we had entered the foyer right next to what looked like a living room. I scanned the room, but saw no one. Killian began to sniff the floor, raising his head as he looked around. He froze, raising his paw to point at a door on the opposite side of the room.

  The three spirits glided past me. They were headed for the door, too. At that moment, Rowan and Tarvish appeared from a hallway. Rowan shook her head, and I pointed toward the door. As Killian led the way toward it, Rowan and Tarvish joined us.

  Rowan stopped. One of the spirits walked directly in front her, then disappeared through the doorway. She turned to me, and I held my finger to my lips, then quickly texted her.

  we have three spirits on our side. they’re dangerous but i promised them they could do what they wanted to mills if they don’t interrupt what we’re doing and don’t attack us.

  She gave me a nod as Hank stepped to the side of the door.

  He texted me: i’m going to bilocate and see what we’re dealing with.

  I held up my phone to the others so they could read the message as Hank wavered a moment. Then a faint nimbus broke off from him and vanished through the door. Tarvish reached inside his jacket and brought out what looked like an iron hammer. It was about the size of a mallet, but it looked like it could deliver a good blow.

  I wanted to yank open the door and take the offensive, but I forced myself to wait until Hank returned, merging into his body again. It felt like we’d been waiting forever, but in actuality, it had only been a few seconds.

  When he opened his eyes, he pulled out his phone. he’s down there, all right. he’s actually asleep, and in the astral, i could see those three spirits. they’re waiting for us, but they’re surrounding his bed and they seem impatient. i suggest a quick attack. there’s an anti-magic spot to the right of his bed, so if you end up there, none of your magic will work. however, if we push him off the bed into that spot, he won’t be able to cast anything at us.

  He put his hand on the doorknob, turning it as he pulled open the door. Behind the door was a staircase heading down, cloaked in darkness. I had no desire to make my way in the dark, but before I could suggest looking for a light, a shout came from the depths of the basement. I jumped back, as did the others, as the sound of footsteps hit the staircase.

  Oh crap, I thought. It has to be Mills. Maybe the ghosts had startled him, or maybe he realized that someone was in his house, but whatever the case, he was coming up. I pulled out my dagger in one hand, the war water in the other. Rowan’s ring began to glow as she held her hands out, and Killian growled as we waited for our enemy to surface.

  The next moment, Mills McFarland burst into the living room. He halted when he saw us and held up his right hand. A blinding light exploded in the room, stabbing me right through the head like a bayonet. I yelped, instinctively turning away from the flash.

  “Fire for Light!” Rowan’s voice forced me to open my eyes and, although everything was blurry, I saw a streak of flame go streaking toward Mills. Another flash filled the room, this time with the smell of smoke.

  I pulled out my war water and sprayed it in Mills’s direction, not sure if I was hitting my mark. But the next moment, Killian leapt past me and landed on Mills’s chest, knocking him flat. Mills screamed as he simultaneously tried to fend off Killian and—with his other hand—rub his eyes. I noticed the pale gray color spritzed across his face and realized I had managed to hit him in the eyes, which had to hurt like hell. At that point, Killian had Mills’s throat in his jaws and my stomach lurched as he closed his teeth. A trickle of blood began to trace its way down his neck.

  Rowan strode over and tapped Killian on his shoulder. “Move.”

  Killian looked at her, then backed away, still growling, his jaws stained with blood.

  Rowan glanced at me. “Turn around, all of you.”

  “But he’s—”

  “Turn around,” Rowan commanded, and the tone of her voice bucked no denial.

  We turned around, and though I wanted to look, I couldn’t force myself to—Rowan had used a Command spell and it would take a much more powerful witch to override her.

  There was a sharp snap, and all went silent.

  “All right. We need to clear him out,” she said.

  I turned to see Mills on the ground, a shocked expression frozen on his face. He didn’t move, and his chest was still. He was dead. I glanced at my grandmother and she held my gaze, calm, yet with an expression that said Don’t question me.

  “Should we call Millie?” Hank asked. He, too, spoke in a calm and collected manner.

  Tarvish shook his head. “I suggest we take care of this ourselves.”

  “But where do we put him?” I asked. I wasn’t sure what I was feeling. Mills had murdered Daya, and he had been after me, but I felt conflicted. While I had destroyed some spirits, and we had killed a few monsters, Mills was witchblood.

  “We don’t. You leave this to me. I’ll call Marquette and she’ll send someone down from the Court Magika to take over.” Rowan paused, then said, “Remember, the coven works for the Order of the Moon. And the Order of the Moon is governed by the Court Magika. They gave us our orders. When you joined the Crystal Cauldron, you agreed to honor every order we got. Remember, we’re the first line in magically defending Moonshadow Bay.”

  She was right. I had to adjust my mindset. Mills was a threat to everyone in the town, and he was here to destroy everything he could.

  “All right, we wait around, then?” Just then, the spirits came out from the basement. “We have company,” I started to say but stopped. At that moment, Mills appeared behind them, his spirit wrapped in chains. The leader of the three Haunts was holding a leash to the collar around Mills’s neck. The spirit grinned at me, gruesome delight on his face. Mills tried to call out for help, but the spirits dragged him away, disappearing out of the door.

  As Tarvish and Hank headed downstairs to check out what Mills had been up to, I walked over to the window and stared out into the night. The darkness of the forest battled with the lightness of the snow, and I shivered, staring at the woodland, wondering how many bodies were hidden beneath the forest floor.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  One week later on Winter Solstice…

  “Please fit…please fit…” I whispered as Ari and Meagan helped me into my wedding dress. I sucked in my stomach as they zipped it up, then I bent over to adjust my boobs so they were pushed up and on display. Ari and Meagan adjusted the skirt. It was perfect—absolutely perfect.

  “Before we put on your capelet, sit down and I’ll do your hair,” Ari said.

  After she took out the curlers, she caught the top layer and back up into a medieval look with ringlets hanging down the sides of my face, and thin braids crisscrossing the back of my head, entwined with ribbons. After my hair was in place, Meagan carefully fitted the wreath of red roses, baby’s breath, and ferns over the top of my head and pinned it into place.

  Ari did my makeup for me, keeping it true to my tastes—a smoky eye, with retro glamour girl eyeliner, and a rich, burgundy lip lacquer that wouldn’t come off. Finally, Meagan handed me my gloves—black opera fingerless gloves that came up to my forearms, complimenting the black velvet dress.

  Meagan fastened Ellen’s emerald necklace around my neck. I still didn’t know what exact magic it had, but I could feel the gentle hum of a protective barrier.

  Finally, I slid into my shoes—non-slip granny boots that were highly polished black patent leather. Ari laced them up for me. Then—and only then—did they slide the black velvet capelet around my shoulders and fasten it with the silver brooch my grandmother had given me.

  I took a deep breath and stood, looking in the mirror. I gasped.

  “I’m…beautiful…” I whispered, barely able to believe that the regal woman in the mirror was me. I looked like a true witch queen, and I’d never felt so confident in my life.

  I looked up at Ari and Meagan, both of whom were beaming. Ari was my matron of honor, and Meagan, along with Caitlin and Killian’s sister, Tally, were my bridesmaids. Caitlin was finishing her own makeup, and Tally was fixing her hair. I’d chosen the color burgundy for their gowns, which I made sure brought out their beauty. In other words, no ugly taffeta puffy-sleeved gowns for my wedding party. Their dresses were strapless, fitted to their curves, and tea length. They were wearing velvet black lace shawls and fashionable ankle boots.

  “Are you ready?” Ari asked. “You look absolutely stunning.”

  I nodded, trying not to cry. I had never expected to get married again when Ellison dumped me, let alone to a man who treated me like a goddess. I had gone from a nightmare to a dream and suddenly, I was terrified I’d wake up. I held out my hand. I was shaking.

  “I can’t believe I’m so nervous. I wasn’t nervous yesterday! But I’m so anxious. What if he changes his mind? What if he isn’t there when I walk down the aisle?”

  “Oh, honey,” Tally said, taking my hand and leading me to a chair. “Killian adores you. He only has eyes for you.” She gave me a cautious hug, trying not to mess up my outfit.

  “I know! I know I sound crazy, but…for some reason I’m terrified.” I took the water Ari offered me and sipped it, trying to assess what was going on. Was I getting a migraine? I searched, but none of the regular signs were apparent. Maybe all the stress of the past months had caught up to me. I closed my eyes and focused on controlling my breath and, after a few minutes, the panic subsided, although the butterflies were playing fast and loose in my stomach.

  “Okay, I’m ready,” I said after a moment. “What’s the time?”

  “We should get ready to go. The snow’s holding off so the gazebo is still a go, even though we moved the reception into the hall.” Meagan motioned to the door. We were in one of the bedrooms in the Clydesdale Mansion.

  I stood, letting out a long breath. “I’m ready. Let’s go get me married!”

  Mulberry Farm, the venue we’d chosen for the wedding, was gorgeous in the snow. We had booked Clydesdale Mansion for the reception, and the wedding if the weather was horrible. But since the snow was only coming down in light flakes, the gazebo was perfect for the ceremony. Awnings had been erected to cover the chairs for the guests, and the walkway had been sanded to keep us from slipping.

  As we stepped out into the afternoon, the snow drifted down to cloak our shoulders. The sky was silvery gray, and the yard around us sparkled under the fresh blanket of white. Everything felt magical and my anxiety began to subside.

  Ahead, about twenty feet away, was the gazebo. Draped in red roses and ferns and baby’s breath, with garlands that were both festive for Yule and that mirrored the bouquet I was carrying as well as the wreath around my head, it looked like some enchanted faerie structure.

  Waiting in the gazebo was Rowan, who would officiate at our ceremony. A broom, wrapped in silk roses and holly garland, stood to one side for the end of our vows. The handfasting cord—braided from silver, green, and red sparkling cords—was coiled on the table in front of Rowan. Next to the cord were two candles in silver and gold, and Rowan’s dagger.

  Rowan was dressed in her finest ritual dress. She wore a crescent moon circlet around her head, and she looked radiant. To one side of the altar, Killian stood next to Tarvish, his best man. He turned to watch as Meagan, Tally, and Caitlin started down the aisle, followed by Ari. I caught his gaze, and he smiled, so wide that my fears floated away.

  Ari reached the altar and stood to the side as the music changed. I had chosen “Travelers’ Prayer” by John Renbourn as my wedding march. It was perfect, and we’d timed it out to be the right length from the time Ari was midway down the aisle till I walked up the stairs to Killian’s side. I wasn’t about to have anybody “give” me away. Even during my first wedding, it hadn’t happened. Women of witchblood descent owned themselves. We weren’t property, we weren’t controlled. We made our own decisions, be they for better or ill.

  I was midway down the aisle, my gaze fastened on the gazebo, when I caught a glimpse of movement to my right. For a moment, I ignored it, figuring that somebody was switching seats, but the next moment I gasped as a man darted out, jumping in front of me on the path.

  “Ellison!” Instinctively, I stumbled back.

  “Oh, babe, it’s me, and you’re not getting away this time! If fire can’t kill you, maybe metal can!” He was wild-eyed, with a large knife in his hand. As he raised it, I turned and began to run, trying not to slip on the fresh snow that was covering the path. I could hear him behind me, but I didn’t stop to look back. I wasn’t prepared to fight and I had no weapons of any kind on me.

  Everyone was screaming as chaos erupted on either side of me. I couldn’t tell whether Ellison was still behind me, but the next moment someone grabbed my arm and yanked me around. I found myself staring at him as he raised his knife again.

  “No, Ellison, no!” I struggled, trying to break free, but he was too strong. As the knife began to descend, I thought, This is it. I’ll never get to spend the rest of my life with my beloved Killian. Everything’s over, and once again, I lose to a man who hates me.