whiskey witches 01 - whisky witches (20 page)

No. A firm sense of reality slammed into her. I will not.

You leave me no choice, he said softly, pausing in his assault to overwhelm her body. I am sorry.

S
HE WONDERED WHAT
he was talking about for a long moment. From the back of her mind, a door opened with a sickening crack. Emotions and memories that had been forgotten even with the wards down flooded through her mind.

Leah.

She sat in the rocking chair outside her room at Grandma Alma’s house. The house was dark. Paige’s eyes were heavy with exhaustion as she held her daughter in her arms, rocking her, singing her back to sleep.

“Dancing bears, painted wings. Things I almost remembered. And a song someone sings. Once upon a December.”

She kissed her daughter’s fuzzy, warm head. The little girl’s bright blue eyes were so close to shutting. “I love you,” she whispered before continuing with the song.

The memory shifted.

Paige returned home. Leslie met her at the door, her arms full of baby, Amanda on one arm, Leah in the other. “Here, take Lee. She needs changed. I’m making dinner. How was your day?”

“Okay, I guess.” Paige smiled at Leah who giggled in her arms. “And how was your day? Huh? Were you a good girl today? Momma missed you.” She hugged her daughter tightly to her. “Momma missed you a lot.”

“Momma.” Leah wrapped her chubby hand in Paige’s hair and tugged.

“Leslie,” she called, rushing to the kitchen. “Did you hear that? Lee just called me Momma.”

Leslie beamed, Amanda on her hip as she stood at the sink rinsing off a spoon. “Oh, what a smarty.” She shut off the water and turned to the stove, Amanda as far from the hot burner as Leslie’s body would allow. “Mandy still hasn’t said word one, but I can tell she’s close. She has so much to say, I can feel it.”

Paige tossed her daughter in the air, peals of giggles settling in and over her. “You’re such a smart girl, Lee. I’m so proud of you.”

Pain lanced her heart, choking her. She struggled to the surface of her mind, concentrating on the demon in front of her. She collapsed to the ground.

You made me do this, love, Lucius said softly. I gave you a chance.

She fought the overwhelming sorrow shredding her heart, crippling her, tearing her down.

He was still for a long moment. I am sorry.

The next memory hit her so hard, she nearly fell back.

She stared at a judge, fear ripping through her, her hands trembling.

The woman in the black robe sat in her chair on the high platform. “Ms. Whiskey, I cannot in good conscious allow you to keep your daughter. The allegations that your mother has brought to the court seem justified. The evidence shows that you could bring great danger to the development of your daughter. You have to think about her. Do you honestly think this is the way to raise a child?”

“I don’t practice magick, Your Honor,” Paige cried out. “I am not a witch.”

“That is not the issue.” The judge picked up a piece of paper.

Paige didn’t know exactly which paper the judge held in her hands. She only knew it was covered in half-truths. Damning half-truths. She wasn’t a bad mother. She wasn’t.

“This?” Incredulity exploded on her face. “I don’t want to do this, Ms. Whiskey. I don’t feel it is right to take a child away from her mother, but in this case?”

Then don’t, Paige cried inside her mind.

The judge sat up straighter and gestured to the other side of the room. “I side with the plaintive in this matter. Leah Marie Whiskey will live with her grandmother, Mrs. Rachel Whiskey. Request to move out of state has been granted.”

“No.”

The old pain flooded through her, squeezing the air from her chest.

Yes. Lucius took final control of Paige’s body.

Paige didn’t feel anything. She was trapped in a drug-induced hell, unable to escape. I have to stay in control. You can stop this. You can stop them from killing anyone else and from opening the Gate, and you can go home.

I can’t. I need you to concentrate. This is your fear. This is what you must face. Your daughter is gone.

I know all that.

You cannot see her.

His words were a knife to the gut.

You cannot be with her.

The knife twisted.

You cannot watch her grow, listen to her voice, look into her eyes, bandage her hurts.

The word-knives lodged behind her breastbone.

This you must face on your own. The time of hiding is behind you.

I won’t let you win.

“Demon,” Malika’s voice resounded clearly in Paige’s ears. “I feel you. Have you succeeded?”

“I have,” Paige heard her voice say.

She tried to clench her hand into a fist. She could feel what her mind remembered the sensation to be, but her eyes only saw the twitching of her fingers. Visually, everything was distant, disconnected as though she were there, yet not there. She tried again. This time her fingers remained perfectly still.

Do not fight me, Lucius warned. I do not have to keep you in here. I can throw you out and keep the body for myself.

No. She had let the demon in. She had let the demon in. Oh, God. What had she done?

“Open the gate,” Malika commanded.

“Unbind me.”

“I don’t think so.” The woman sneered at him.

“Then show me the key.”

Paige watched the world through a window. A very small window to a dark and abysmal room.

“Again,” Malika said, “I don’t think so.”

Lucius, what’s going on?

Malika began singing, swaying in place. Paige could see the magick the other woman spun in a haze of reds and oranges. She felt the spell’s intention even though she could not understand what the woman said. Compulsion. It’s a compulsion spell. She’ll trap you and you’ll be forced to do whatever she says.

She heard a roar. The voice was somewhat hers, but wholly unearthly with its multiple tones. She watched through the windows of her eyes in amazement as Lucius broke through the rope one arm at a time. He swung her fists, connecting with Sven and Mike, sending both men tumbling against the walls.

The stairs. They’re behind us.

She heard herself groan. Her fingers fumbled with the knots around her ankles.

Just break the damn rope.

Malika’s spell grew more intense, more furious and desperate. Paige, I cannot—she’s—

Suddenly, Paige was thrown to the forefront of her own mind and body. She had control. Her fingers. Not his. She shoved the last knot away, her body twitching, her heart racing, her breathing out of control. She blinked, her mind still muddied with the remnants of the hallucinogen that coursed through her blood. She fell off the table and stumbled toward the exit.

“Stop,” Malika commanded.

Paige tripped up the stairs, forcing her to use all four limbs to make it to the top. She shoved the cellar doors open. Cool air rushed her. Solid dirt welcomed her back, the grass tickling her arms in greeting. Birds called out to her. The night sky beckoned.

“I command you to stop, demon.”

Lucius clawed his way to the front, ripping, pulling her out of her limbs.

“No!” Paige maintaining control. “This body is mine.”

I warned you!

She gained her feet and ran with energy she didn’t have. The moon was weak in its crescent stage of death. The tall, sick trees rose from the ground around her, leering and snarling at her, reaching for her as she ran. Sobs choked her. She forged on, pushing away the pains of her body, the snags as the limbs scratched her already over-sensitive skin. She had to get away.

“Paige,” someone cried ahead of her.

Blinding light seared her eyes, shooting a stabbing pain through her skull. Lucius recoiled inside her.

“Demon,” Malika shouted behind her. “I command you to stop.”

“Paige,” a new voice said.

She jerked away, half seeing the new person in the bright glare of headlights. The world swirled, tossing her about. Who? Friend or foe? Friend or foe? His hands came toward her again, but she slapped them way, growling.

“Paige,” he said again. “It’s Chief White.”

“Chief?” Help? A way out? An escape? “Brian?”

“Yes.”

“Demon,” Malika commanded.

“Go.” Paige sobbed from the pain, the emotional hurt, the confusion, the relief. She pushed at White. “Go.”

“Who’s attacking you?”

“Witch. Demon. Go.”

He opened the car door, and shoved her into the back seat. She lay in a huddled lump as he tore out of the gravel driveway, away from Malika, away from Mike, and Sven, and the horrible dreams.

But not away from Lucius.

No. She had let him in.

She had let him. God help her. She had let him in.

L
UCIUS RAMPAGED THROUGH
her mind.

Chief White glanced over his shoulder for a brief moment before returning his eyes to the road. “That’s a lot of blood. Are you all right?”

Lucius’ will slammed into Paige, making her head pound. He threw memories at her, forcing her to eat her own emotions. She lost resolve with each blow. It would be so easy to just . . . slip . . . to let him take control again.

She straightened slightly. Those memories made her weak, giving the demon something to exploit. She had to stay strong. She couldn’t let him win.

She concentrated on the arm of the door digging into her side.

Ground.

The feel of the leather seat under her hand, the odd groaning sound it made under the gentle massage of her drumming fingers.

Center.

The cool of the window at her cheek.

Ground.

The streetlights passing by.

Center.

The man in the driver’s seat, a police chief, someone safe, someone who offered protection.

Paige, Lucius called, his accent putting a lilt to her name. Give me control.

No. She covered her ears with her hands. Ground and center. Maintain control.

I’ll let you have your body back, love. But I need to stop her now. She has the key. I felt it.

And she’ll use you to open the gate. Paige rolled onto her back, one foot propped against the door. I felt that, too. You were going to let her do whatever she wanted.

No. I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t have allowed it.

How do I know for sure?

“Hey, Doc,” White said. “I need you to meet me at the station. Bring your emergency kit.”

How do I know you’re not really just using me to unleash Hell on Earth?

“I’m bringing in Detective Whiskey. She has cuts and abrasions—Yeah. Again. I know. It’s worse this time. I don’t know how bad, but I think she’s been drugged.”

You don’t, Lucius said. I am not the bad guy here. I assure you.

“I know. I know. I’ll be there in five minutes. How’s Mr. Colt? He okay?”

You were going to allow them to use you to open the gate. You had to have known.

I knew they’d try. The power in Lucius’ voice smothered her weakened will. I misjudged their strength. That will not happen again.

“Good. Okay. Bring him with you.”

You must believe me, Paige. Please. I am trying to stop them.

Right. Believe him after what he was doing to her? To gain control of her body? You tricked me.

You left me no choice. I left your mind intact. When I leave, you will continue to be you.

“We’ll get you help, Paige.” Chief White peered over his shoulder again. The whites of his eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. “Okay? Just hold on.”

She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on. If the world had any justice, she’d be allowed a moment of weakness, a second to close her eyes and regroup. Not now. You need my body.

Yes, love. I do. I cannot stop her bodiless. I have no power without one.

You were a human. You were born. You’re not a demon, so how are you doing this?

I was human, Paige. His voice was like a soft, comforting blanket. The barrage of memories ceased.

So, you’re a demon now?

Yes.

Reality slipped, then righted itself. Was it the drug? Or something else?

“Paige,” the chief called, “what drug did they give you?”

She was just so tired. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and go to sleep. Sleep. Good . . . God. Sleep.