Autumn Calling (27 page)

“As I was saying, Autumn and Marcus are
Summer’s sister and father,” which got a look of surprise from both
Nick and Tori. “Marcus, Autumn, Victoria is Summer’s friend and
Nick is her boyfriend. Victoria just opened that lovely little herb
shop down on Main.”

“Oh, yes. I’ve been meaning to go into your
shop. I’ve heard great things about it,” Autumn said offering her
hand to shake Nick and Tori’s. Marcus nodded and offered a shake to
them too.

Morti pouted in the corner tsk’ing this and
mumbling his discontent at the pleasantries being passed
around.

“And this here is Hunter Pitman an old
friend of the family,” Myrtle said.

They all nodded to the niceties of the
introductions.

“Marcus, you already know my brother
Mortimer, the cantankerous old goat that he is.”

“Yes,” was all Marcus said glancing at
Morti. “However, I must agree with Mortimer, though the
introductions are lovely we’re here for a much more important
reason.”

Morti noted his name and hmph’d at Marcus’s
mention of him.

“That’s right,” Nick interjected. “We’re
here because I believe Juliette has my friend Jackson and has now
nabbed Summer.”

“And what makes you say that, Nick…” Marcus
said pausing for Nick to inform him of his last name.

“Pierce.”

“Mr. Pierce.”

Nick relayed the conversation he’d had with
Summer and briefly described to Myrtle.

“That is a problem. I believe Yvonne and
Juliette plan to dispose of Summer and whoever of the Midnights who
come to claim her. I expect it’s their way of starting this war
once and for all,” Marcus explained. “The good news is we’ve
probably got to morning before they kill them.”

“Why morning?” Myrtle asked.

“I imagine Yvonne will want to be involved,
and as of late her health has not been the best. Juliette will most
likely let her sleep until morning. She figures she’s got control
of the situation—there’s no harm in waiting at this point.”

“And what of the dragon?” Hunter asked “And
the egg?”

“What about them?”

“Will they be killed too.”

“I doubt it. They’ll hold the egg over the
poor thing until they get what they want.”

“And then?” Hunter asked.

“I’ve no idea what plans Yvonne has for
them. I’m not privy to much information since I married
Violet.”

“Can you help us free her and find the egg?”
Hunter implored.

It was obvious Marcus was getting irritated.
“Shouldn’t we be worrying about how to get Summer and Mr. Pierce’s
friend free first, Mr. Pitman?”

“Of course,” Hunter said a little
ashamed.

“I think what Hunter is getting at is they
are probably holding Summer and the other in the same room as the
dragon. If we go in there guns blazing, so to speak, we’ll not only
have to deal with Yvonne and Juliette, but the dragon their
controlling,” Morti said.

Marcus turned nodding acknowledgement to
Morti’s statement. “I see. Yes. I suppose that is something to take
into consideration. Any thought’s on how we might proceed
successfully?”

Nick blurted, “A distraction.”

Marcus nodded, “Yes, but what?”

“You,” Myrtle said from behind him.

“Me? I don’t follow,” Marcus asked.

“Last I spoke with Summer she said you and
Autumn had moved out.”

“Yes. Juliette attacked Summer and I won’t
have that, not while I live and breath,” Marcus proclaimed.

“So if you go to the house, starting a fight
about rumors you’ve heard of Summer’s abduction…”

“Aw. I see. Yes. While we are arguing, the
others can attempt to free the prisoners.”

“There’s a hitch in that plan,” Hunter
interrupted. They all turned to him.

“As far as I can tell there’s no way to get
into that room unless you’re in the house,” Hunter said.

Marcus nodded. “Yes, that is a problem.”

“True, but the side door is just down the
hall from the room that connects to the stairs to the pit,” Autumn
noted.

“Yes, but you know how they favor that room
for sitting. They would most likely be in that room when we
arrived. How would we get them out of there and out of sight of the
door leading to the stairs?”

“I know. I’ll bump into that God awful vase
Yvonne loves so much when we arrive. That will get her knickers in
a knot and running to see what broke.”

“Sometimes you can be quite evil, Autumn,
but it would definitely work. Yvonne loves that thing. It would
definitely get her out of the room,” Marcus said smiling.

“Right and you start arguing with her while
I go to the kitchen to get a broom and dustpan, unlocking the door
and removing any magic wards that they may have put on it. Then you
guys,” Autumn point to Hunter and the rest, “swoop in and rescue
the prisoners.”

“Hmm, but how would they get past the locks
on the door at the bottom and top of the stairs and once they’re
in, they still have to deal with a dragon. Myrtle might be able to
deal with the locks but I don’t think she’s strong enough take on a
dragon.”

“I’ve taken on dragons before,” she said
winking at Hunter.

“Not one this old, Myrtle, besides I’d
rather see you out of harm. I can take care of the dragon, though
the room will be destroyed when I’m done.”

“Why? What do you plan on doing?” Marcus
asked with concern and confusion.

“I plan on taking the roof off and flying us
all out of there,” Hunter said with a smile.

Marcus was still confused until Morti said,
“He’s a flippin’ dragon, that’s how.”

“Ah. Well that will come in handy. Your
magic should be able to disable the locks on the doors, but not the
shackles on the dragon and she won’t leave without her offspring,”
Marcus said.

“That’s been our dilemma all along. We know
what room the egg is in but we don’t know where.”

Again Marcus looked puzzled. “Tori here was
able to scry for the egg and found it to be in the eastern corner
bedroom.”

“Oh. Gypsy magic—very nice,” Autumn
complimented Tori who smiled from ear to ear holding on to Nick’s
arm.

“That would be Yvonne’s room. I haven’t been
in there in years. When the house was rebuilt after the fire, she
had a lot of work done in that room. I can only imagine she’s got
it like an armory in there.”

“That’s where maybe I can help,” a angelic
voice said from the entrance to the room. Daniel was in all his
glory, black feathered wings spread for all to see before refolding
behind him and disappearing.”

“Daniel,” Autumn said.

Myrtle and Morti were surprise that someone
other than themselves recognized the fallen angel pledged to watch
over Summer by Ivy and Henry so long ago.

“Daniel you can’t be involved,” Myrtle
warned him.

“I can and I WILL. I’ve spent eons wandering
this earth trying to find redemption from God for the sins of my
past as have my brothers. The difference is they’ve all accepted
that no matter how good and honorable we are, we will never be
allowed back in the arms of our father. I’ve been paying a debt
that will never be complete.

“Summer has shown me what love is and what
life can be like. I want that. I refuse to stand in the shadows and
watch her be hurt over and over again just to appease a promise I
made to my father ages ago. He forgives humans for more wretched
thing than I could even imagine, yet he won’t pardon his angels
their past sins. No more, I say, sweet Myrtle. No more.

“I will obtain the egg and deliver it to you
when you reach the dragon. It is the least I can do to be apart of
the rescue of the woman who’s taught me so much and shown everyone
around her so much love. This is the right thing to do.”

Myrtle was in awe of Daniel’s overture of
devotion to Summer, and for once Morti hadn’t a grumble or nasty
thing to say. Nick broke the ice, by saying, “Okay, then. Let’s go
get them.”

The group agreed and split into different
directions until the room stood completely empty.

“Are you ready?” Marcus whispered to Autumn
taking a deep breath himself.

“For Operation Sister Rescue, you bet,” she
said standing beside him before the door of the Macabre
mansion.

He put his hand on the door knob opening it
and said, “Here we go.” Setting a scowl on his face he pushed the
door open and stomped in to the foyer bellowing for Juliette and
Yvonne. Autumn positioned herself next to the vase she intended on
destroying with one little shove. Something that gave her great
pleasure to be elected to do.

Juliette could be heard making her way from
the sitting room as they waited. Marcus played his role of the
infuriated father with pacing excessively.

“You’ll wake the dead, Marcus. Yvonne is in
bed, as you well know at this hour, what is this ruckus about?”

“Ruckus? You call abducting my daughter
ruckus?” he retaliated.

“Oh, Marcus. You’re overreacting. I didn’t
abduct her. She came to me,” she said as coolly as a minx.

“I suppose she chained herself in the pit
too.”

Juliette chuckled a little, “Why no, though
that would have been a welcome treat. No, I’m sorry to say, I had a
hand in that.”

“So you admit you have her?”

“I do.”

“And what is your intention?”

“My plan, if you must know, is what the
family’s plan was all along, get rid of her.”

“Get rid of her?” Autumn interjected
appalled.

“Yes, you know, eliminate, dispose of,
execute, or my favorite, slay.”

“You’re sick,” Autumn said.

Marcus could barely speak at the reality of
it all laying before him. “You can’t.”

“Oh, I can and I will. It’s been the plan
all along, you were just to weak to grasp a hold of it and make it
your own.”

That’s when Autumn raked her hand across the
table starting the chain reaction of the antique vase hitting the
floor. CRASH. It hit the floor and split into a billion
multi-colored shards.

“You stupid girl,” Juliette exclaimed.
Footsteps could be heard from above them. They knew Yvonne was on
her way down.

“Are you going to have me killed too, Aunt
Juliette?” Autumn asked.

“If only,” Juliette responded. “I would have
disposed of you long ago if we didn’t need you to ensure the
Midnight powers stay in our bloodline.”

“How very motherly of you,” Autumn said
pointedly.

“What was that crash? What’s happened? That
wasn’t my vase that hit the floor was it?”

“I’m afraid it was, Yvonne. Autumn has
carelessly destroyed it.”

“Maybe I did it on purpose,” Autumn said
glaring at Juliette.

Yvonne made it to the bottom of the stairs
accessing the damage before continuing. “Autumn, clean up the mess
you’ve made, Marcus, what is all this yelling about,” Yvonne
proclaimed.

“Summer has gone missing and I came here to
get her, knowing full well you two have her.”

“I have no idea what your are talking
about,” Yvonne admitted, “If I had her, she’d be dead already.”

Juliette cackled at Yvonne’s bluntness. “I
was actually saving her for you, Yvonne. Like I was telling Marcus
here. I didn’t abduct her, she came to me. The fact that I
threatened her little friend’s life, may have contributed to
that.”

“Oh goody,” Yvonne said with a smile.
“Finally we’ll be rid of the little nuisance once and for all.”

“Is that all she is to you? She’s your
blood, Yvonne. Just like I am, just like Autumn,” Marcus said.

“She’s a threat. She’s the first born. Her
powers will grow to be more than any of us have.”

“But we’re twins,” Autumn said coming into
the room after getting the broom and dustpan—
oh yeah! And
letting the rescuers in unbeknownst to these horrible women,
Autumn,
thought to herself.

Yvonne said with great annoyance, “Yes, but
the first child born is always the most powerful. Make sure you get
all the pieces.” Autumn rolled her eyes.

“I’m not just going to stand back and let
you kill my daughter,” Marcus said.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Marcus. Of course, you
are,” Yvonne said matter-of-factly while Juliette smiled.

“Shall we do it now, or partake in a
celebratory drink?” Juliette asked.

* * *

With the help of Autumn, Morti, who shed his
feline body for a more appropriate portly wizard form, Hunter, and
Myrtle made their way down the hall to the sitting room. Tori and
Nick were on look out duty, one at the front of the house and one
at the back door. As invaders peered towards the front door they
could hear the argument going on amongst the Macabres in the foyer.
The door they needed to open was a straight line of sight through
three rooms right to the where they stood. Luckily Marcus had them
positioned where he was looking at the intruders and Juliette’s
back was to them and Yvonne was not visible. Between Myrtle and
Hunter they had the door unlocked and were all headed down the
staircase to the pit when the door clicked latch clicked
loudly.

“What was that?” Juliette started to turn
her head, when Autumn had the forethought to stand up and bump the
table toppling a large arrangement of seasonal flowers spilling
water everywhere and making an even louder sound than that of the
door. This was enough of a distraction for the rescuers to go
un-noticed down the stairs to the next door.

The sound proofing leading to the dungeon
must have been extensive for once the door above had been closed
the rantings of upstairs were completely inaudible. Hunter wondered
if that was to keep the screams of torture or growls of an angry
dragon from disturbing the Macabre women from their morning
tea.

The lock here proved to be a bit more
difficult than the other. Though he was banned from using magic,
Morti stepped up and threw his best magic at it opening the door
easily. He got a reprimanding look from his sister, but Hunter was
sure when all this was done, Morti might actually be able to appeal
the BROOM’s ruling due to incriminating evidence against the
Macabres in his sentence.
Wouldn’t that be something, to see old
Morti in this form for the rest of his natural life
, Hunter
thought.