M Sellars - The End Of Desire

“Then Joe and Terri. We’ll find somebody.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“I know it isn’t, sweetheart, but she knows where we live. It isn’t safe here.”

“There’s magick involved, Rowan. Will it really be any safer elsewhere?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But, we can at least stack some of the odds in our favor.”

“We could just ward the house again.”

“Wards stop magick. They don’t stop people.”

“If we stay with him, we’ll just have to ward there as well. What will he say when I start salting and smudging his house?”

“Knowing him, probably something about hocus-pocus and la-la land.”

She sighed heavily. “Aye, I suppose maybe you’re right. Staying here would be too big a risk.”

I heard a knock behind me, and I turned to see Ben standing at the back window of the kitchen, rapping his knuckles on the glass. As soon as he had my attention, he waved me in.

“It looks like Ben needs to talk to me,” I told Felicity.

“Aye, I’m sure he needs to talk to me as well.”

“I’m sure that can wait if you aren’t ready.”

“No. I should get it over with.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

I ushered my wife in through the back door ahead of me then followed her through the atrium and into the kitchen. The warmth of the house made my cheeks tingle as the circulation resumed in my face.

“Hey,” I said with a quick nod toward Ben. “We were just talking about coming in to pack some bags.”

“Yeah, good idea,” he returned, a stoic expression on his face.

“I suppose you need a statement from me?” Felicity asked.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “But, why don’t ya’ get started packin’. We can do that in a bit.”

“Aye, are you sure?”

“Yeah.” He nodded again.

“Thanks,” she replied.

We both started from the room, but Ben tapped my arm as I passed. When I looked up at him, he jerked his head toward the back of the kitchen.

“You go ahead, honey,” I told Felicity. “I’ll be along in a minute.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just need to talk to Ben.”

She looked at us both then turned and continued through the doorway without a word. When he decided she was out of earshot, Ben raised an eyebrow.

“Not doin’ too good, is she?” he asked.

“She’s okay,” I told him. “Rattled, but that’s understandable.”

“Want me ta’ call Helen and invite her over for dinner so they can talk?”

“I doubt she’d want to come over for dinner only to have to work, Ben. Besides, I’d rather not put any pressure on Felicity. I think she might just need some time to get over the shock.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. For now anyway.”

“Okay,” he said, looking to the side then smoothing back his hair. “So, you were right about the bones. Didn’t take long ta’ find a coupl’a fragments. The tech is taping off the front yard right now, and she just called in some support ta’ do a full sweep.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“So, when we pick ‘em up, will that make the curse go away?”

“Not really. For one thing it will be impossible for you to get all of them.”

“It somethin’ that could kill ya’?”

“Probably not.”

“Prob’ly?”

“It’s magick, Ben,” I explained. “It isn’t good, but it’s also something I can protect myself against.”

“Well, then I guess ya’ better do some of your hocus-pocus then.”

“Trust me, I will. And, Felicity already has hocus-pocus planned for your house.”

“Friggin’ lovely. So, how’s your head? You’re sure you ain’t gonna kick off all of a sudden or somethin’, right?”

“It hurts, and I seriously doubt it.”

“Okay, just checkin’. So, anyway, listen… Do cloves mean anything?”

“Why? Did you find cloves out there too?”

“No. Got a call from Martin. Apparently, Devereaux didn’t do any of the regular Voodoo shit we’ve found in the past. Nothin’ obvious anyway. But, there was a big ass container of cloves spilled all over the kitchen counter.”

“Hmmm… Clove oil is used in love and lust spells. Are you sure it just wasn’t some sort of accident in the kitchen?”

“Well, there’s a pile of wax too. Looks like what’s left of a red candle accordin’ ta’ Martin. They also found a dish with what appears ta’ be blood in it. He figured I should run it past ya’ since I was here.”

“Okay, if you throw in the candle and the blood, I’d have to say it sounds like some kind of magick, or at least an attempt at it,” I replied. “But I’m not sure exactly what.”

“Okay. Just thought I’d check…” He sighed then shook his head. “So, if ya’ saw it ya’ think ya’ might be able ta’ tell?”

“Maybe. It’s hard to say.”

“What if you were in the same room with it?”

“The odds would be better,” I replied. “Ben, are you asking me what I think you are?”

“Look, I know ya’ quit and all, but yeah, I’m askin’. You wanna come with me to the scene?”

“Why?”

“Ta’ see if all that is somethin’ ya’ need ta’ worry about.”

“I’m not really comfortable with leaving Felicity right now. I think it would be…”

“I’ll go,” Felicity’s voice cut me off from the doorway.

Ben and I both turned to look in her direction. I had no idea how long she had been standing there, but it was obviously long enough to know what I was objecting to.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” I told her.

“Why?”

“I think that’s pretty obvious.”

“I gotta agree with Row on this one,” Ben added. “Besides, given your history with this guy, your name on the scene log ain’t gonna fly.”

“One of us needs to go,” she replied. “You can’t effectively counter a spell without knowing what it is to begin with.”

“You can just ward against magick, Felicity. You know that.”

“Aye, well maybe I’m tired of hiding,” she shot back. “It hasn’t done me any good so far.”

Ben looked at me and said with a shrug, “Your call, White Man.”

I glanced back to my wife. Her expression hadn’t changed and neither had the look of determination in her eyes.

“If I can’t go, then you have to,” she said.

“What about the whole thing with me being banned from the investigation?” I said, looking over to Ben.

“Fuck it.”

“You could get into trouble taking me into a scene.”

“Yeah, so?”

“I’m not good with that.”

“You don’t hafta be.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Listen, this ain’t about the investigation. This is personal. If this bitch is throwin’ somethin’ down on you, then ya’ need ta’ know what it is.”

“It might not have anything to do with us at all.”

“You really believe that?”

I didn’t reply.

“Uh-huh,” he grunted, adding a slow nod as well. “Thought as much.”

“You actually sound like you’re starting to believe in magick.”

“Right now I believe in makin’ sure you two are safe. If this weird ass shit poses a threat, then ya’ need to know about it.”

“So what could happen to you if I go?”

“That ain’t for you to worry about.”

“I’m going to anyway.”

“Yeah, so now ya’ know how I feel.”

“Well, like I was saying earlier, I’m not comfortable with leaving Felicity here by herself. Not after this morning.”

“Not an issue anyway,” Ben offered. “I already called for a unit from the locals to come over an watch the house. They’ll be here before the crime scene unit even thinks about clearin’ out.”