A Stake With a View (You Are The Worst Witch! Goodbye!) (A Wicked Good Witches Paranormal Romance Book 6) (10 page)

CHAPTER 10

The two gargoyles at the back of the mansion were out of their crates and perched. They looked like stone statues, nothing more. No movement or indication they were alive at all. They appeared similar to each other and yet had slight differences that told them apart.

They had wrinkly looking skin, wide faces, with grins reminiscent to a pit bull thought Melinda, except that each had long fangs that overlapped their lips. Giant, bat-like wings lined their backs- Melinda hadn’t realized they’d be able to fly. One was a little taller than the other, and the other a little wider.

At the front of the mansion, the other two crates were opened but not perched. Dusk was near. Soon the moon would rise and the gargoyles would spring to life, slipping into the shadows as they kept watch over the grounds. Earl Skidgel and his son, Josh, were scurrying to get them perched and in place before that happened.

Melinda and Lucas were on the front porch with the front door open behind them, letting the cool ocean breeze flow into the mansion. The heat of the day had finally relented. Melinda sat on the edge of the porch her leg shaking unconsciously, her fingers tapping against her shaking leg.

Lucas leaned over and gently pushed against her thigh. “That’s not helping.”

She frowned. “Sorry. This sitting around waiting is driving me to new levels of crazy.” The more hours that passed, the prophetic dream she’d had the night before sliced its way to the surface of her thoughts.
We have Riley tied up in the basement,
she kept reminding herself.
He can’t hurt anyone as long as he’s there.
He can’t torture William as long as he’s there.

“I didn’t think we’d still be sitting here come evening myself,” Lucas said invading her thoughts. He glanced back into the house. You could just make out the kitchen, where the basement door was located.

“I don’t know how much longer Riley has until he’s just too far gone,” Melinda rambled in a panic. “I mean, it’s been all day! What’s taking so damn long?” Her breaths got shorter, air hard to get into her lungs. “What if we can’t get the Feyks to undo what they did to him?” Her heart stuttered, skipping a beat. “What if he just keeps getting worse? What if I didn’t do enough to stop my vision from coming true? What if he hurts someone? What if he kills...”

Lucas pulled her to her feet. “Take a breath.”

She did, but it was shaky and shallow. “Panic attack,” she squeaked out.

“Obviously.”

She saw the same fears swimming in his eyes, but he was staying so calm. How?

“I’m okay,” she insisted sharply.

He lifted an eyebrow in distrust of that statement.

“No. I’m not,” she caved.

“Didn’t think so. It will be okay, Melinda. Just breathe.”

She nodded.
Please. Please. Please. If there’s anyone in the cosmos in charge of such things, please let it all be okay.
Please don’t let anyone get hurt.
Please don’t let Riley hurt anyone. He’s not a killer. He’s not even a violent person.

A soft touch caressed her cheek. Her eyes darted upward to see Lucas looking quite concerned. She pushed out a rushed exhale.

“I’m okay now. Really.”

He accepted her answer this time and dropped his hand.

She watched Earl and Josh move gargoyle number three onto its perch.

Just one left to go.

Shouting echoed from the basement, wafting out to them on the front porch.

“Great, he got that frigging bandana out of his mouth,” sighed Lucas.

“How are you
not
having a panic attack right now?” grilled Melinda.

“Oh, I am. I just react differently to panic then you do.”

“By seemingly being the picture of perfect coolness?”

He chuckled. “I used to get them a lot after my parents died, and I was suddenly custodian of a younger brother. I got some help.”

“What kind of help?”

“Mainly, the kind of help that showed me how important it is to see that when everything is spiraling out of control, to remember the things that are also going right. It’s a rare occurrence that
everything
is actually going wrong, all at once. But our minds go on this autopilot, pulling out all that’s negative.”

“It’s hard to focus on the positive when the bad sucks so royally,” said Melinda.

“For a long time it was very difficult to find anything positive in my life,” said Lucas. “And I don’t pretend to be an expert on the subject, but for me, I look for just one good thing to focus on. The shit doesn’t just go away, but if I can remember that one positive thing, it helps me manage the rest of it.”

“So what positive thing are you thinking about right now?” she asked him, desperate to find one thing she could grasp onto, and focus on. 

“Um,” he stalled.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”

“No, I just don’t want you to take it the wrong way.”

“I won’t,” she promised.

“I was actually focusing on how pleasant it’s been to get to know you. The circumstances bringing us together suck, but hanging out with you is still a positive about this day.”

“Oh,” she said, her cheeks blushing. She couldn’t help but take it the wrong way, just a little bit. It was becoming clear to her that the Deane brothers were not only perceptive, but devilishly charming as well. He was right though. Having him there had made the day better. Survivable even. She didn’t vocalize that though.

“Only you can find the positive in all the negatives,” Lucas went on. “But if you keep that good thought at the forefront of all others, rather than all the shit you cannot control, it brings a little more balance back in. Evens things out a little. I don’t know if I’m explaining it very well.”

“No. I get your point,” she said. “Get it… don’t know if I can do it.”

“You seem calmer now,” he noted.

“I suppose I am.”

Riley’s shouting grew louder and more frenzied.

“If this doesn’t end soon, I may have to take back everything I just said,” Lucas exclaimed. “He is getting worse by the minute.”

“Spiraling,” said Melinda. There was no positive good enough to keep her from panicking. The sun dipped below the trees, the moon rising up.

Her vision had taken place in the dark.

Was it tonight? Were they too late?

No, Riley is still safely locked up.
She pleaded and prayed silently that she’d done enough to keep the vision from taking place. That her family was safe. That William would not be tortured.
William…
she still had not told him that Riley’s rage was aimed at him.
Stop. Just stop. I had the vision to stop it. We found Riley. We’ll fix him. None of it will happen now.

Melinda and Lucas gasped.

The sounds of a snorting inhale and exhale escaped from something close by.

With eyes open wide, they turned around to see the gargoyle perched in front of the porch, shaking itself into life. The one still on the ground, not completely out of its crate shook mightily, easily breaking its remaining bonds.

Josh and his father, Earl, watched it happen, stunned to see it.

They’d run out of time. The moon had risen. The gargoyles had come to life.

Melinda took a few steps down the porch stairs, in awe. The gargoyle on the ground sniffed the air as if smelling her. She reached over to the leftover food tray and grabbed a donut, extending her arm, unsure whether that was brave or stupid. It ignored her and backed into the shadows of the trees lining the front yard, its silhouette disappearing into obscurity.

She was lowering her arm when the perched gargoyle jumped down, landing much softer than she expected it would. For such a bulky creature it was light-footed. It sniffed her hand, glanced up at her with a gaze that spoke to her, silently. This creature was intelligent. And curious. But also kind and trustworthy. It tickled her fingers with its lips, tasting the donut.

She let out a low chuckle. “This is so weird. William said they wouldn’t be like pets, but...”

The gargoyle lifted its head and nudged her hand. She rubbed its floppy-skinned cheek, surprised at how soft its rough looking skin felt. It looked up wearing a wide grin, not unlike a big happy puppy.

“That just looks so wrong,” Lucas said from behind her.

The cleaners could do nothing but nod in astonished agreement. They’d never seen anything like it.

“I guess you guys can go,” said Melinda. “Looks like we’re good here.”

Josh and Earl started packing up.

Melinda jumped when the gargoyle’s broad head shot up, a low growl escaping from its lips. It bounded up the porch stairs squeezing through the door into the mansion. Its head lifted into the air and it let out a sound unlike anything they’d heard before. It was part growl and part honking. Before Melinda could blink, the three other gargoyles were responding in the distance.

“I wonder if everyone on the Isle can hear them,” Melinda asked. She was much more concerned though, over why it entered the house and was making so much noise.

The gargoyle stopped, unable to fit through the kitchen door. It did not force itself through, but instead pointed its head at the basement. Melinda and Lucas stared at each other. Was it warning them? Was it Riley? Did the gargoyles sense him as evil? Were they too late to save him?

They raced down the basement stairs to the venomous rants spewing out of Riley’s mouth, which consisted of all the ways he planned on torturing William. It stopped abruptly. Mid-sentence.

Lucas grabbed the key to unlock the cell door only to freeze upon it swinging open. It wasn’t Riley the gargoyle was warning them about.

A Feyk stood behind Riley casting a grin so reviling it shot a cold snap from Melinda’s head to her toes. She raised her palm and shot off a spell meant to knock the Feyk into the wall. He popped out too fast, a plume of smoke in his wake. Her spell slammed into a bookcase instead.

The Feyk popped back in again, this time, taking hold of Riley in his chair, using him as a shield. Riley’s head was leaning forward, his bonds still secure. It looked like the Feyk had knocked him out.

Melinda hesitated. Unsure of her aim. 

“Please let him go,” begged Lucas. “What do you want with him?”

“Undo whatever spell you cast on him,” demanded Melinda.  

“Why would I free him when he’s just now
ripe?
”

The Feyk had been waiting.

Biding their time, waiting for Riley to reach the perfect level of rage.

The Feyk’s body dissolved into smoke, taking Riley with him.

Melinda covered her face with her hands, shaking her head in disbelief over what had just happened.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. This is not happening. This did not just happen.
“What is it you were just saying Lucas, about
not
everything can go bad all at once?”

He glowered in agreement. “If I ever try to give you advice again, just remind me I have no idea what the hell I’m talking about.”

The gargoyle was still inside the mansion, now making a terrible ruckus. Melinda bounded up the stairs to see what was happening. As soon as she made it up, the gargoyle vacated the house waiting on the front porch, chirping as if trying to tell her something. It went down a couple stairs and stopped, still chirping.

“Is it telling us to follow him?” questioned Lucas.

“I think it is.” She had not expected to be able to communicate with the gargoyles.

“Should we?”

“They sense evil. Maybe they can track it too. Maybe they can show us where the Feyk took Riley.”

Lucas was glad he’d driven his brother’s motorcycle back from the quarry. He grabbed Melinda’s hand and they raced to it, hopping on. They didn’t bother with the helmets, letting them fall to the ground. He kick-started the bike roaring out of the driveway, ignoring the stares of the cleaners as they tore off to follow the gargoyle.

They flew through the town, taking a turn down a darker, less lit road, the shadow of the gargoyle in hot pursuit of the Feyk. It was hard to see it, but the gargoyle made itself known to them so they could follow more easily. And yet it remained unseen by any unsuspecting eye. A shadow moving in the darkness.

Melinda dug out her phone and dialed Charlie.

He answered. “Hey, Sis. Just got back onto land, what’s...”

“Charlie! The Feyk took Riley.”

No reply.

“We’re chasing after one of the gargoyles. I think they can track the Feyks. We’re following on the motorcycle, Lucas and me. Hoping to find out where they took Riley.”

“Okay,” Charlie finally replied. “Um... where are you right now?” He tried to remain calm, but was not thrilled that his sister was chasing the Feyk, especially with a guy who didn’t use magic and could not protect her. And all on a motorcycle while following a gargoyle.
Following a gargoyle? She’s chasing after a gargoyle… God, our lives are beyond strange.