Love Charms (75 page)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Welcome to the Great House

“May filiolus servo vos,” Mom
murmured for the twentieth time. “May filiolus servo vos.” She hung her hand a
few inches from my heart, the other on the steering wheel.

I’d given up telling her that
her chant of blessing just made me more anxious. I knew that it helped her in
some way, brought her some measure of peace. When it came down to it, my
mother, as powerful a witch as she was, was powerless to save me.

We turned onto the quiet
street and I peered out into the dark night. When I looked with my mortal eyes,
the street looked sleepy and vacant. But with my ability to see the
supernatural, I could see the creatures moving in and out of the shadows.

There was a vampire couple,
each impossibly beautiful. Their pale skin glistened like stars. What better
first date than watching a witch get her comeuppance in the Great Hall? To the
right of the car, hobbling in the bike lane, was a troll. He moved laboriously,
his frazzled hair sticking out in every direction. He was probably trying to
get a good seat. There was a huddle of fairies, rocking their true wings
proudly, laughing as they strode toward my doom. I could feel the car shake a
bit as a cyclops stomped past, leaving a giant crater in the cement.

“I’m glad that my demise will
bring someone some entertainment,” I said sarcastically.

Mom flashed a sad smile. “You
know how these supernaturals are. They love destruction and bloodsport.”

I crossed my arms tight over
my bodice. “Everyone is betting on a guilty verdict, Mom. And I have no
defense.” I let out a groan of frustration. “Why am I even bothering? I could
have spent my last night in bed.”

“With Jack?” Mom said with a
wink.

“I think Jack would rather
meet the sun than sleep with me right now,” I said, feeling the tears build in
my eyes. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but the closer we got to Gaia’s
Gardens, the more I realized that vow was impossible.

I had so few people in my
corner. 99% of the people in attendance hoped I’d lose my head or worst. The
monsters that flocked to the Trial reminded me of viewers crouched around the
TV, riveted while watching their reality TV show, hoping the contestants would
eat each other alive.

Mom turned her station wagon
into the side lot, parking beside a minivan. I peered out at the family behind
the wheel. They looked normal enough – a beady-eyed middle-aged man
unbuckled a child from a car seat. But when he turned and his face was
illuminated by the streetlight, I saw the otherworldly glow in the man’s eyes.
They were midnight black with golden flecks that shone like glitter. A
werewolf.

I pushed my way out of the
car, trying not to make eye contact. I really couldn’t handle looking at his
excited expression for Baby’s First Execution.

The father started toward the
wood gate, making jokes about how the best witches were extra crispy ones. The
mother hung back, flashing my mother and me a smile.

“I’ve never been a big fan of
these things,” the woman admitted, pausing at the rear of her van. “But my
husband has to make our pup into an Alpha.” She shook her head, pulling her
black shawl tight around her shoulders. “I eat live animals for sport, but I
just don’t have the stomach for the pomp and circumstance.”

I tucked a curly strand
behind my ear. “Why?”

“Well, it’s almost cruel what
they’re doing to that girl,” she answered. “Everyone knows that they’re going
to find her guilty, no matter what.”

I swallowed, my face going
pale. “I-” I leaned up against the car, feeling dizzy. “I don’t-”

Mom was at my side, steadying
me with a firm hand.

“Good eve,” she said to the
were, giving her a ‘go away’ look.

The were obliged, scooting
after her family.

I peered at the wooden gates,
the fenced in area dark and foreboding. I didn’t want to go any further.

“It’ll be okay honey,” she
whispered, stroking my hair. “Everything will be okay.” She started toward the
gate before noticing that I was still firmly planted beside the car. “We have
to go in, Jade.”

I shook my head. “I can’t. I
can’t do it, Mom.”

Her face softened as she
strode back to me. “Gods curse whoever put you in this bind.”

“Amen,” I seconded, picking
at an invisible bit of lint on my dress.

She turned back, smoothing
the front of her black shift.

“When was the first Trial?”
she asked.

I cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

“When was the first Trial?”
she repeated.

“Before time was time,” I
answered, staring at her strangely. “The creatures bathed the world in darkness
and despair. To prevent the annihilation of the creature and human race, a
coalition was made.”

“The Watchers,” Mom nodded.
“Go on.”

“The coalition was made up of
a representative from each creature race. They, along with their consorts,
slaves, and the convicted, live in the Great House. It’s a magical mobile-ish
castle that appears in the Accused area for trial. And lucky for us, it’s
taking residence in Gaia’s Gardens.”

“And what did they swear to
do?” Mom asked, ignoring my crack.

“‘To live we must abide’,” I
said with a small smile. She pulled me in for a hug and I let myself relax in
her arms. “Is it going to be okay, Mom?”

She planted a kiss on my
forehead. “Absolutely.”

I turned back toward the
gates, watching as a steady stream of dark things fluttered inside, all talking
giddily. It was the event in the supernatural community. Come one, come all.

“Okay,” I said, steeling
myself. “I’m ready.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

A Surprise

I tried to look past the elf
hawking t-shirts. One side read, “Burn baby burn!” and the other, “Off with her
head!”

A wave of nausea hit me when
a girl who looked no older than seven pulled hers over her ballgown. She
flashed Mom and me a fangy grin before skipping off to grab a bloodsicle or
something similarly horrible.

It went with the rest of the
scene. Gaia’s Gardens, on its own, was a lush, exotic garden with ankle high
soft green grass. The property was lined with strong oak trees that stood like
centuries. If I wasn’t a part of the supernatural world, the modest greenery
and an old shed would have been all I saw. The enchantments were especially
strong, shielding the true nature of the property from prying eyes.

“Wow,” Mom and I said in
unison.

It was like we had been
transported back to medieval Europe. Fields of green surrounded us, lined with
makeshift stands. Entrepreneurial creatures hawked their wares, their distorted
voices joining the symphony of sounds and smells. The line stretched from where
we stood near the gate to over the drawstring bridge and moat, with all types
of unsavory water creatures splashing about, hoping they’d get a piece of the
action as well.

Even though we were near the
back of the line and I’d come to the Great House to register to work with NACA
years ago, the structure still took my breath away.

Harsh stone walls stretched
to the sky, like graves reaching for redemption. I could see torches burning
bright in hundreds of windows, lighting the place up like the world’s most
depressing birthday cake.

There were two older goblins
in front of us, sharing stories about their first trials at the Great House.
The first pulled at her long stringy white hair.

“Remember when we saw that
fanger staked for Lytus’s birth date?”

“Mmhm,” the second cooed,
scratching her pointy chin with razor-like talons. “We had the Executioner take
pictures of all of us beside the corpse.”

“Aye,” the first chuckled,
her jowls vibrating like Jello. “It took me four washes to get that blood out
of my dress.”

“It was such an ugly dress,”
the second joked.

They playfully shoved each
other back and forth as we moved to the edge of the bridge. I’d always heard
that goblins were strange creatures, showing their affection by beating each
other to a bloody pulp, but it was a whole other thing seeing it with my own
eyes.

The first punched the second
with her elbow, sending a stream of green goblin blood soaring to a rose bush,
instantly incinerating it. The second head-butted the first, knocking both of
them into a cyclops standing in front of them. He didn’t even flinch…no one did
really. Everyone was caught up in the excitement of the trial.

I leaned over to Mom’s ear.
“Should we do something?”

She gave me a look I hadn’t
seen since I tried to clean her house. “Don’t get involved in goblin business.”

“But-” My words caught in my
throat as the second woman got too close to the edge of the bridge and fell
backward…tumbling into the frothy water.

Both her companion and I
lurched forward, but before the goblin even touched the water, a water creature
with the head of a serpent and the body of an octopus wrapped its tentacle
around her, snatching her up in midair. It crushed her into nothing before she
could even scream.

“Oh my god,” I said hoarsely,
stepping backward.

Whoops of delight echoed
through the line as the clear water turned a muddy green.

I reached out and touched the
goblin woman’s shoulder, my heart aching for her. She’d almost jumped in
herself. Clearly they were close. “I’m so sorry.”

“Save it, necro,” she said
acidly, wrenching from my grip like it was poison. “You should be more
concerned that one of your fellow blasphemies is next.”

I jutted my lip out, falling
back in line. That was what I got for trying to help a goblin.

“Hey Jay!” A familiar voice
called from behind. I whirled to the back, searching the line for the source.
When I saw his face, I smiled in spite of myself. Riley.

He was dressed to kill, in a
sleek two-piece suit that accentuated his muscular physique. His curly hair was
coiffed and cut close. He maneuvered through the crowd, growling every so often
when people gave him the stink eye.

He stopped a few feet from me
and Mom.

“Wow,” he breathed, scanning
me in a way that brought heat to my cheeks. “You clean up nice.”

I cleared my throat,
smoothing my unruly hair. “You’re not too shabby yourself.”

Mom did some throat clearing
of her own.

“Oh yeah,” I said, shuffling
nervously. “Mom, Riley Carpenter. Riley, Mom.”

Riley jutted out his hand. “I
can see where Jade gets her good looks from.”

“Aren’t you the charmer,” Mom
said with a raised eyebrow. “Though you’d have to be, I suppose. I didn’t raise
my daughter to spread her legs for anything supernatural that moves.”

My eyes went wide. “Jesus,
Mom! How could-”

Riley held up a hand. “I
deserved that.” He shot the wolves behind us a look and they averted their eyes
to the ground.

“I’m no homewrecker, Mrs.
Murray-”

“I’m Ms. Goode,” Mom
corrected icily. “I haven’t been Mrs. Murray in a long, long time.”

“My mistake,” Riley said
apologetically. “But I do care about Jade. A lot.”

I blushed as he glanced over
at me, flashing me a smile that reduced me to a bumbling idiot. “Um, I-”

“That’s very friendly of
you,” Mom said curtly. “But Jade is happily in a relationship with a good
vampire.”

“Good vampire,” Riley
repeated with an edge. “Kind of an oxymoron, isn’t it?”

I could see Mom’s eyes
flashing dangerously, so it was time for me to step back in. “So what are you
doing here, Riley?”

“Moral support,” he said
seriously. “I figured the Great Hall would be filled with people that want you
to fail, so someone in your corner who’s rooting for you is a good thing.”

My mouth twitched as his
words sank in. The Riley I knew all those years ago was definitely a
sweetheart. He picked up a bouquet of dandelions and brought me Chinese when I
was homesick, but this was Romeo and Juliet status. How did he know that having
someone at my back that wasn’t counting on my demise was exactly what I needed?

Even Mom unruffled her
feathers a little. “That’s very kind of you, Riley. Jade and I appreciate it.”

“No problem,” he shrugged,
the machismo rearing its head.

We finally walked up to the
large stone entrance, the portcullis dangling above like iron teeth groaning
menacingly.

A svelte woman clad in
medieval robes stood as a sentry, scanning the three of us. “Names?”

“Willow Raven Goode,” Mom
answered.

“Riley Carpenter.”

“And Jade Murray.”

The woman grinned then,
yellowed fangs showing. “Our guest of honor.”

She gestured at a similarly
clad woman to her right who stepped up as she ushered us inside the city walls.
There were stone structures scattered about, stables where cattle and dirty
humans stood chained cowering beside a centaur who barked at them in a foreign
tongue.

“Where are we going?” I asked
Mom, my throat bone dry.

“To the Tower,” she answered.
“The bastards like to wine and dine you before Trial.”

The vampire whirled her raven
head toward my mother. “I’d mind my tongue, witch. I’m sure we can fit in a
second Trial for treason.”

Mom inclined her head, steam
shooting from her ears.

We entered a second wrought
iron gate that was lit by an elderly woman holding a torch. The flames burned
with blue embers that stroked the ebony night. The woman was dressed in rags,
her skin grubby and smudged with what I hoped was dirt. I would have believed
she was a statue if her eyes didn’t follow our every move.

The air in the Tower felt
different: ancient and full of secrets. There was a harsh stone staircase that
weaved up into the darkness.

The vampire gestured toward
the stairs. “After you.”

I glanced up into the inky
abyss, fear wrapping its familiar claws around me. “Actually, I’m not all that
hungry.”

“Pshaw,” the vampire said
dismissively. “You can watch everyone else eat then.” Her fluorescent eyes
narrowed. “After you.”

I obliged, my hand trailing
the iron railing as I wound up the stairs, taking it one step at a time. The
fabric of my dress seemed to cling to my skin as if it too was terrified of
what lay ahead. As we continued our ascent, the only other sound was the
thundering of my heart.

We reached the landing and
Riley walked over to the window. “Wow,” he whistled. “Long way down…but what a
view.” He beckoned, but I shook my head.

“I’m having a hard time
keeping it together as it is,” I said through clenched teeth. “Sightseeing
isn’t going to help.”

“Ah,” he said embarrassedly,
shuffling back to Mom and me. “My bad.”

The vampire stood in front of
two iron doors, flashing a disconcerting smile. “The Final Supper awaits.”

Before I could make a crack
about the whole innocent until proven guilty thing, she pushed open the great
doors, revealing a lavish dining room hidden in the weather worn tower.

In this room, we weren’t in
an overrun garden in North Carolina, we were transported to 17th century
Europe. Erotic silks and furnishings covered the walls, masking the harsh stone
beneath. A crystal chandelier draped from the ceiling, sending glitter over the
extravagant dinner laid out on the table. At the forefront of the table was a
whole boar, its tusks white and glistening. Beside it were tomatoes and soup
and other vegetables. Behind the vegetables were scrumptious pies, tarts, cakes
with icing, and a chocolate fondue fountain.

There were two people huddled
near a lounge area, their heads bowed.

“My Lord, My Lady,” our
vampire host said effusively.

The two robed people turned
to the light.

“YOU!” I gasped. The woman
wasn’t just any woman but another vampire. An Old One. Athanasia.

I swiped a butter knife. I
knew it would ultimately be as effective as popping rubber bands at her, but
something was better than nothing.

Her disgustingly beautiful
face shone with delight. “Jade Murray. It’s lovely to see you again.”

I brandished the knife. “What
are you doing here? Kidnapping me again?”

Mom stepped forward, her eyes
flashing. “What do you mean, again?”

Riley took a few cautionary
steps forward. “We all need to calm down.”

“Of course you’d say that,” I
spat, the memory of my abduction rushing back. “You were part of it.”

“This wolf had you
kidnapped?” Mom said, her voice rising. She gave Riley a look that was filled
with hate. “I knew there was something I didn’t trust about-”

“Silence,” Ana thundered, her
voice rattling the windows. She took us all in her crosshairs then continued.
“I am the Watcher’s counsel. I will be addressed with respect.”

My mouth fell open. My
boyfriend’s maker, who clearly was no fan of mine, would be prosecuting my
case. I might as well just surrender to the Executioner now.

Words failed even Mom, who
balled her fists into tiny stones of anger.

Riley wheeled me around to
face him. “Jay, I swear I didn’t know-”

The crack of my hand making
contact with his cheek cut through his belated explanation. He reared back and
when he snapped his head forward, his eyes were slits of anger, his whole body
shaking.

Hitting a werewolf definitely
wasn’t the smartest thing I’d done all day.

“Control your dog,” our
vampire host said with a snarl of disgust. After a moment, Riley’s face
returned to normal.

I turned away from all of
them. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that this could very likely be
my last day on earth and I was with a guy who’d been in cahoots with someone
like Ana. I couldn’t believe I could die – and other than Mom, I was all
alone.

“Humans are such curious
creatures,” Ana said, beckoning a human servant to her. The woman was plump,
wearing only a modest shift. Her one distinguishing trait was her long,
chocolate hair that Ana swept to the side, revealing a neck riddled with
puncture wounds.

Ana stroked the woman’s hair.
“I mean, the dog came to your aid, clearly showing he has affection for you.”
She leaned in, her mouth tracing the woman’s neck. “Yet you take your anger out
on him…while my child Jacques, the one you’re really angry at, is nowhere to be
found.”

The woman let out a strangled
gasp as Ana’s razor sharp fangs sank into her neck.